Chapter 11
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
HARPER
“Harper, I’ll never lie to you.” He seems sincere, but there’s no doubt he’s had women here. The closet has women’s clothes in it.
“Um, hmm.”
“What does that mean?” He sounds a little hurt.
“Don’t bring women here? I mean, it’s fine, it’s your place. Do you and all, but don’t say you never bring women here and you won’t lie when….” I shrug my shoulders and say it as nonchalantly as possible. Although I'm not upset, I intend to challenge him on his dishonesty.
I get one of those full-bodied laughs, and it echoes in the large room. “You did snoop! I knew it.” He snaps his fingers. “Are you jealous?”
“Why would I be jealous?” My defenses pop up, and I’m not sure why.
“Harper, the only women that have ever breached this threshold are Ashleigh, Emma, Darcy, and Rosie, my housekeeper. Oh, and maybe Mary Kate, my former assistant now and then for work stuff. And you. Don’t believe me, ask Ash. It’s all hers. She lived here for a while and leaves stuff all the time. Besides, if I had a woman here, why would she be in the guest room? That’s not where I’d want you.”
Heat floods my cheeks, and his flirting knocks me off balance. Does he mean it, or is it to tease me? Keep me flustered? Because it’s sure doing that.
“Julian Decker, shame on you. Is that why you lured me up to your lair? To have your way with me?” Two can play at that game.
“This is a lair? And you’ve gone from murder to sex. I like where this is heading.” His tone is seductive, and it’s working. The automatic lights switching on, startling me and interrupt our flirting.
I step closer to the windows and admire the beauty of Central Park. This green space in the middle of this concrete jungle fills me with a sense of peace. I can’t believe Julian gets to see this view all the time. Today, the gold and yellow hues highlight the trees as they transition to autumn. A warm, magical glow envelops the park, mirroring my current feelings. I hate for it to end, but I need to get home.
“I’m sorry I ruined your plans, but Zac has a game and….”
“Are you going to his game?”
I still haven’t answered his question about Zac, but he hasn’t answered my question about the Swedish princess, so we’re even.
“No, I’ll watch it on TV, but I need to take care of Noodle. Can you point me toward the subway? I’m ready to put your lessons to the test.”
“Oh, I left out the part about not riding the subway after dark. Ever. Especially alone.” He swipes his phone from the counter, sends a quick text, and reaches for my hand. “Come on gorgeous, I’ll take you home.”
Frankie greets us in the lobby. “Going to the Havoc game tonight?”
“Not tonight, Frankie. Taking Harper home.”
“Kat was here a minute ago. She’s downstairs waiting for you.”
“Kat?” Here’s a new name. I wonder how many names are in Julian’s harem.
Julian shakes his head at me. “Unbelievable,” he mumbles.
We get back in the elevator and go down a level. “Now we’re going to the murder place?” I tease.
We step out into an underground parking garage where a black Range Rover with tinted windows is idling. A striking raven-haired woman dressed in black jeans and a fitted white button-down gets out and opens the back door.
“Harper, this is Kat. Kat, Harper. We’re taking her home, please.” I stand there, mouth open. Again. “Get in.” I get in the back seat and slide over. Other than prom in a ridiculously large limo filled with teenagers, I’ve never experienced being chauffeured around before. This feels different and way out of my league. The elaborate control panel in the back seat is lit up like a Christmas tree. This can’t be my life.
As Kat drives out of the underground garage, my address pops up in the GPS. Julian pushes another button to turn off the music, and a corner of his mouth turns up into a half grin. The twinkle in his eye is becoming unmistakable. He’s about to tease me. “Hey Kat, how long have you been working with me?” He knows the answer, so why is he asking her? What point is he trying to make?
“Six years, give or take. Why? Thinking about getting rid of me?”
Their relationship is interesting. I noticed it with Frankie too. Julian treats everyone with the same respect, regardless of their role, making sure each person feels valued. He pointedly uses "with," and not "for," when referring to employment. Maybe it’s a carry-over from his baseball days, where players understand the concept of team. Julian appreciates people and the role they play. It speaks volumes about his character. It’s an exceptional quality not everyone, especially those with money, exhibit. Maybe Julian isn’t the playboy but a man of character. I can’t stop the warm feeling wrapping around my heart and giving a little squeeze at that thought.
“Never. Without you, I wouldn’t be anywhere on time. Just wondering if you ever remember me taking women to my place. I mean, if anyone would know, it’d be you, right?”
She glances at me in the rearview mirror and grins. “You don’t have to answer that, Kat.” I turn to him and swat his arm. “Do not line up your loyal witnesses to testify. It’s none of my business, anyway.” I do my best to act uninterested, but I’m not fooling him.
“Suit yourself. Remember, things aren’t always what they seem.”
“You sure say that a lot.”
“Because it’s pretty much the credo to my life.”
Kat pulls along the curb in front of my building, and Julian opens his door, gets out, extending his hand to me. Can you get home okay, or should I walk you to your door?
“Oh, no, I’m fine. I’m going to get Noodle and come back down for his evening walk.”
Concern crosses his face. Not again. I stifle a sigh, hold back an eye roll, and give myself a mental pat on the back for keeping it together.
“I do it every night. I’m fine. We walk to the park one block over, do a lap, and get back quickly.” I challenge him to mention safety.
“Do you mind if I walk with you? I’m not ready to call it a night.”
“Sure. Will you wait down here? I’ll be right back.” If I invite him upstairs, I might not send him home. He’s pure charisma, and I’m certainly not immune to his charm. I’m not prepared for that tonight. For him.
Even though we live together and my having guests is probably fine with Zac, I don't think he'll be happy if Julian's here when he gets home. His behavior was weird when I left and we need to talk about that too.
Upstairs, Noodle greets me at the door, his entire body wagging with excitement. His rope toy hangs from his mouth.
“Hey buddy, I’m sorry I’ve been gone. Did you miss me?” I stoop down and scratch his head and wait for an answer. When he doesn’t respond, I release the enormous sigh I’ve been holding in all evening. Noodle snuggles into my arms when I pick him up. That’s response enough, I suppose.
In my room, I freshen up and open the document JB sent. Reading through his character sketch, my breath hitches. The physical description could be any average blonde. But she feels familiar. She’s the dog walker for New York’s elite. She loves strawberry ice cream, but not strawberries? That’s a bit specific. It’s like my banana thing. Strange. I laugh at my overactive imagination. Julian has my brain so scrambled, for a moment I wonder if he could be my writing partner.
There’s a note on the counter in a barely legible scrawl that catches my eye.
CJ,
Going out with the guys after the game. You’re welcome to join us. Text me for deets. It must have been a really long lunch.
Z
Since when do we leave notes? I shake my head and grab the leash. Noodle sits at my feet, his butt shaking on the ground, waiting patiently for me to clip it to his collar. No more time to worry about writing partners, roommates or the sexy sports agent downstairs. The dog is ready to go.
“Come on Noodle. You’re the only guy I understand these days.”