Harley looked down at his phone as he flipped on the light in the entry hall. “She’s gone to dinner and a movie with a man she met on OurTime.com,” he said, reading her text aloud. “She says not to wait up for her.”
Jade smiled. “Good for her.”
He didn’t seem to be as excited. “When she comes home, I’m getting the guy’s information and running a background check on him.”
“So suspicious,” Jade noted, shifting the garment bag in her arms.
“Do you know how many cases we handle that deal with internet dating? Scammers, catfishers, missing women, false identities, stalkers, bigamists...too many to count. And that doesn’t even take into consideration your run-of-the-mill jerks or perverts sending unsolicited dick pics.”
Her eyes widened. If the idea of internet dating had appealed to her before, she was second-guessing it now. “I guess it’s a good thing I haven’t bothered to sign up for any of those sites yet.”
“Good,” Harley replied gruffly. “You don’t need to be on there, anyway.”
She turned toward him. “Why not? That’s how people meet these days. I’ve been divorced for almost two years now. I didn’t think I was ready to date yet, but maybe it’s time. I’ll have to ask your mom how it’s going for her when she gets home.”
A glint of jealousy flickered in Harley’s blue eyes, and it was exactly what she’d hoped to see when she said those things. She wasn’t really interested in online dating. What she wanted was for him to tell her why she didn’t need to do it. That she wasn’t single. That she didn’t need a dating site because she had him. Perhaps that he cared for her on some level. But she knew he wouldn’t. And it was foolish of her to even entertain such a thought.
For a moment, he looked as though he might prove her wrong. Words seemed to linger on the tip of his tongue for a moment as his square jaw flexed. “You can meet plenty of guys in real life without going through all that,” he added instead. “Especially when you’re wearing a dress like that one.”
Jade let a smug smile curl her lips. She thought she had gotten a rise out of Harley in that dressing room. He was flirty, as always, but there had been a light of appreciation in his eyes when she stepped out in the dress that she couldn’t ignore. Even if she’d hated the dress she would’ve bought it just for the way he looked at her while she was in it.
“Speaking of which, I’m going to go hang this up, in your bedroom. Do you want to help me?”
Harley frowned. “You need help?”
Jade looked at him with the sultriest gaze she could come up with. “Well, it is an awfully big house. I don’t want to get lost. And we are here all alone...”
He caught on fast. Before she could even take a step toward the staircase, Harley had scooped her up into his arms and was carrying her across the marble hall. Jade squealed in surprise, clutching the dress high in her arms to make sure it didn’t trip them in catastrophic fashion.
She buried her face in his neck as he climbed the stairs. It was soothing to breathe in the scent of his skin and think about what was coming instead of pondering how painful a fall down the stairs would be. When she finally looked up, they were at the bedroom door. He kicked it open, stepped forward and gently set her down on the edge of the bed.
“What was that all about?” she asked, now that she was safely on the ground.
“You said you needed help and didn’t want to get lost.” He grinned. “I try to be as helpful as I can, especially when a lady is in distress.”
Jade shook her head. “You’re a show-off, is what you are.” She stood and carried the dress to the closet to hang it up. “That was very Rhett Butler of you.”
“You’re lucky I thought to do it like that. Normally, I just throw someone over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes. That’s how I’ve carried my fellow soldiers out of dangerous buildings and situations when they were wounded.”
“Good call,” she said. “Ladies don’t like to be hauled around like potato sacks.”
Harley came up to her and placed his hands on her waist. His fingers pressed into the flesh of her hips as he gently stroked the knit fabric of her sweater dress. “I thought that might be the case.”
Jade wrapped her arms around his neck. She could feel the dress inching higher on her thighs as he gathered the material in his hands. His gaze never left hers as he reached the hem and lifted it up over her head. As Harley tossed it aside, his blue gaze dipped down to study the treasure he’d uncovered. She’d worn a black strapless bra and a matching thong to try on formals without visible straps or panty lines. Judging by the expression on his face, he approved of the undergarments.
He flattened a hand over her collarbone, then slid his palm down her chest. She wondered if he could feel her heart pounding as he hesitated for a moment, then cupped her left breast through the silky fabric. She reached behind her to unclasp the bra and let it fall to the floor. The movement elicited a groan of appreciation from Harley’s lips.
“Beautiful,” he whispered as he admired her body.
His palms rose to cover both breasts. The rough feel of his hands against her sensitive nipples teased them into hard peaks, and every graze across their tips sent sparks of pleasure down her spine. She could feel her body grow flush, and heat built between her thighs by the second. She was amazed at how quickly she reacted to Harley. Just a touch, a glance, a wicked smile, and her body was ready for him instantly.
He leaned down to kiss her. This time felt different, though. Maybe it was because this was their first intimate moment since the break-in. Or maybe the last few days had just changed things between them. The urgency was gone, replaced with a gentleness as he sought to savor every moment with her.
Jade leaned into him, molding herself into his embrace. She enjoyed stroking his stubbled jaw, tracing the line of his throat to his collarbone, then on to the row of buttons on his shirt.
His tongue grazed hers, drinking her in even as her fingers undid the last button. She pulled away from his kiss long enough to push the fabric over his shoulders and down to the floor.
Harley took a deep breath and undid his belt. He turned his back to her and walked over to the bed, where he slipped out of the rest of his clothes. He sat on the edge of the bed, eased back to lean against the pillows and watched her from across the room. His appreciative gaze on her body made her feel sexier than she ever had before. She’d always felt too thin, even boyish in shape with no real curves to speak of. But he looked at her like she was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen and she wanted to show off for him.
Jade started by turning her back to him, displaying the curve of her ass in the thin black G-string panties she was wearing. She reached up and pulled the pins from her hair. The twisted bun unraveled, letting the pale blond strands cascade down her bare back and shoulders. She shook it out a little, hearing his sharp intake of breath from the bed.
Then she hooked her thumbs beneath her panties and started easing them over her hips. She did it slowly, bending at the waist as they slid down her legs until she was able to kick them aside. When she turned to face him again, his hands were fisted and his jaw was tight with restraint.
“Come here,” was all he said.
Jade moved to the bed, and Harley reached out for her waist and tugged her into his lap. She straddled him, looking into his big blue eyes as he again leaned back against the pillows that lined the padded leather headboard. There were so many unspoken emotions trapped there. If she gazed long enough into their depths, she wondered if she would uncover how he really felt about her. She could easily sense his desire for her. And that he cared for her. But was there more to it than just that? And if there was, would she let her heart have what she wanted this time?
Last time, she’d done what she thought was right and followed her head, not her heart. She’d taken the advice of her well-meaning friends and family, and gone after what she thought sh
e needed in her life. Not what she wanted. Because then, as well as now, Jade wanted Harley. Not just in her bed, but in her life. She wanted to share his life. Share his last name. She wanted to share a future with him, even without knowing what that would entail for them.
Because she loved him. If she was honest with herself, she’d have to admit she loved Harley and always had. She had talked herself out of it, insisted it was youthful infatuation and directed herself onto the “right” path with Lance, but that had never made her a fraction as happy as she was when she was with Harley.
The realization should’ve made her glad. At last she knew what she wanted in her life. And yet she felt the prickle of tears. Leaning forward, she kissed him and squeezed her eyes shut to keep them from rolling down her cheeks, where Harley could see them.
He wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her tight against his chest and lifting her up just enough for him to slip inside her. She came back down at a tantalizingly slow pace, stopping for a moment to cherish the feel of him. In this moment, they were connected in a way she’d longed for. It wouldn’t last forever, though, so she needed to treasure every second they shared like this.
That’s how they came together. Rocking back and forth on the bed, riding every high together until her thighs burned, her center throbbed and they couldn’t hold out any longer. When she came undone, it wasn’t with a cry, but a soft gasp in his ear as she clung to his neck. He followed her, groaning her name in a way that a man wouldn’t do unless he felt something for her.
When it was over, Harley gently rolled onto his side. Scooping Jade into his arms, he tugged her back against his chest and curled protectively around her. “Jade?” he said, in a hushed whisper from behind her.
“Yes?” she replied, her stomach suddenly tightening. He wasn’t the kind for pillow talk, so whatever he wanted to say to her right now was important.
“I know you’re nervous about meeting the Steeles and what it might mean for you and your future. You always worry about fitting in. But you’re amazing,” he said. “Don’t let anyone ever do or say anything to make you feel otherwise.”
It was a sweet thing to say. Something she needed to hear, for sure. But in that moment, it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. It had felt like the moment. His chance to say that he wanted more with her. That he cared for her. That he loved her. But instead, she got a lovely compliment and a boost to help her through her nervousness.
She knew then that she couldn’t, wouldn’t, tell Harley how she felt. Not now, at least. Maybe when the case was over. Right now, it was more important that he focus on what he’d been hired to do. His mind seemed to always be centered there, anyway.
And if he packed up and headed home to DC without a backward glance, she’d be relieved to know she’d kept her mouth shut and hadn’t made a fool of herself a second time.
* * *
“You know, if I wasn’t seeing it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it.”
Confused, Harley stopped short in the entryway of Jade’s house. The voice he heard didn’t make sense in this context. He scanned the room, stopping when he spied Isaiah installing a motion detector in the corner of the kitchen.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“Installing the equipment you ordered. This is the last of it, actually.” Isaiah climbed down from the stepladder and set the drill on the kitchen table. “The cleanup crew is on their way to straighten up the place, too.”
Harley shook his head. “That’s not what I mean. What are you doing here? This isn’t your job. You’re supposed to be back in DC watching over the office, not putting in cameras and sensors in Charleston.”
“It seemed like a rush job, so I came down with the other guys to lend a hand.”
Harley stared at his friend in disbelief. “You know better than anyone that you can’t lie to me.”
Isaiah grinned widely, giving up any pretense about why he was here. “Fine. But do you really think I’d pass up this chance?”
“What chance?”
“To see the great Harley Dalton in love.”
“Pish!” Harley said dismissively. “You came down here for nothing, man.”
Isaiah crossed his arms over his chest in defiance. “You’re not the only one good at picking up when someone is lying. I’ve known you long enough to tell when you’re full of shit. And when you’ve fallen hard. I wasn’t sure I’d ever see the day, but it’s here.”
Harley didn’t want to talk about this right now. Not with Isaiah or anyone else. He didn’t know how he felt about Jade, not really. He cared about her. He wanted her badly. He couldn’t wait to be back at her side to sweep her into his arms and kiss her again. But that wasn’t love. That was just... He didn’t know what the hell it was, but he certainly didn’t need his best friend telling him how he felt.
“So where’s the lucky lady?” Isaiah asked. “I was hoping she might be here with you.”
“She’s with my mother.”
Isaiah’s eyebrows went up. “She’s met your mother?”
“We dated in high school,” Harley snapped. “Of course Jade has met my mother. Besides, I had to take her somewhere when the house was broken into. Mom’s house is the safest place I know of in town.”
“That’s the truth. The Fort Knox of South Carolina.” Isaiah looked around the house. “So what’s going on with this case, man? I thought it was a baby switcheroo. How’d we get to home invasion and threats?” He gestured toward the spray paint on the living room wall.
Harley followed his gaze and shook his head. He wished he knew. The house was still in shambles after the break-in. He had forced Jade out the door with a suitcase that night and hadn’t let her come back. He wouldn’t until it was safe. He just wasn’t sure when that was going to be. He thought perhaps once the security system was in. Or once the case was solved. Now he wasn’t so sure. He felt uneasy when Jade was out of his sight.
But maybe that had more to do with Isaiah’s insinuations about love than actual fear for her safety. No matter what, he would feel better when the wacko who broke in was behind bars. He hoped.
“This isn’t just a case of a lazy nurse mixing up infants,” Harley stated. “This was deliberate. When you called with the information about the Steele family, I was more confident of that fact than ever. Someone deliberately targeted the Steeles’ baby. But I don’t know why. Nothing ever came of it, best I can tell. Jade’s parents went home from the hospital with the daughter they thought was theirs and continued on with their life. There’s no damn point to the whole thing. And this...” He lifted his arms to gesture at the mess around them. “There’s no reason for this, either. Someone is trying to intimidate her into dropping the case. They’ve made that clear. But I can’t understand what finding out the truth would hurt.”
“Unless finding out the truth could uncover the person behind the swap. It’s been thirty years, but that doesn’t mean they want the cops showing up on their doorstep.”
“Maybe. Or maybe the Steele family knows the truth and is desperate to keep it quiet.”
“Why?” Isaiah asked. “If they knew they had their own daughter taken from them, why wouldn’t they want to know the truth about what happened?”
Harley shrugged. “You said they had politicians and other important people in the family. People like that are different from the rest of us. Maybe they want to avoid scandal at any cost, even if it means raising someone else’s child. Or even threatening Jade to keep the story quiet.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“I know,” Harley agreed. He didn’t want to think the Steele family was behind the threats, but they certainly weren’t cooperating, either. “But I can’t explain why else they would ignore my calls. I’ve phoned both Patricia and Trevor Steele at their home and at his office. I always get housekeepers and assistants who take a message and then no one return
s my calls. I have told them who I am and pressed upon them the importance of my call, but have had no response. It seems like they don’t want to know the truth.”
“What about their daughter, Morgan? Surely she has a vested interest in finding out what happened and meeting her real family.”
“I thought the same thing. And when you got me her work information, I called there too and they told me she was out of town on business.”
“What about that link I sent you to the charity gig?”
“Yes. That’s our saving grace. She’s obviously come to Charleston for the event. The Steeles have appearances to keep up, and that means the whole gang will gather tomorrow night at the family compound for their annual charity ball. They hold this fund-raiser and then send teams out with their tools to build housing for the less fortunate.”
“They don’t sound like arrogant assholes.”
They didn’t. And that bothered Harley more than anything else. It was hard for him to understand why people who did so much for charity would be so heartless about their own child. It was possible they didn’t realize what he was calling about, but he had mentioned Morgan and the hospital. How could they not at least return his call to see what he wanted? To just blow him off seemed out of character, given the facade they presented to the world.
“Are you going to this charity thing, then?”
“Yep. I’ve got my tuxedo pressed and ready to go. I intend to start up a conversation with Morgan and hopefully get to the bottom of this whole situation.”
Isaiah didn’t look convinced by his plan. “You’re a monster of a man, dude. You’ve got money, sure, but you don’t look like them. You’re going to stand out among all those rich, stuffy people. No one is going to think you’re a guest. At best, they’ll think you’re undercover security. You’re way too conspicuous.”
“That’s why I’m taking a date.”
“You’re not taking Jade, are you?” Isaiah asked, a wary expression in his eyes.
“She insisted, and she was right. She said the same thing you did. I need a date to fit in or I won’t make it past the front door, ticket or not.”
From Mistake to Millions Page 12
