THREE
Harper
There was no such thing as coincidence.
As far as Harper was concerned, things in life happened deliberately, either by fate or the design of others, most often in a nefarious way.
Unsure which one it was yet, as she chose a seat at a corner table in her favorite coffee shop and watched the tire-changing stranger strolling in, heading for the counter with a walk that said he was nothing but power that drew everyone’s attention to him.
Was he new in town?
Sure, she wouldn’t know every single person. Armado Springs was large enough that one could easily get lost in the crowd, yet she felt certain she would’ve recognized him if he lived close.
Unabashed, she openly checked him out as he ordered takeout coffee. Not that she hadn’t noticed the other day when he’d stopped to help her, but then, she’d been in a defensive mode in case he’d turned into a weirdo. She was not a woman who lost her sensibilities over a pretty face.
The stranger was hellishly pretty in the most fundamental rugged way, like he chopped logs in his spare time when he took off his expensive overcoat and un-scuffed boots.
Who was he? Was he an entrepreneur? He carried himself like someone who’d never had a poor day in his life.
While he smiled at the server and electronically paid, Harper noted his solid, lean frame beneath the wool coat, those shoulders filling it out nicely. If the guy had any body fat, it was probably because he ate bacon that morning for breakfast. With short, muddy blond hair, and a dusting of light facial hair, it struck her how sexual his jaw looked when it stretched with his smile. Though she typically dated dark-haired boys, he was older than her and strikingly handsome, his jawline so sharp it looked surgically defined. His lips were full, and she remembered his piercing gray eyes. With the light charcoal overcoat, he wore gray slacks and a light sweater that looked like cashmere. The mystery man effortlessly oozed riches.
His hands were jewelry-free except for a silver ring on his thumb. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t married. Some men these days didn’t wear a wedding band.
She debated waiting until he finished ordering to wave and thank him again, but he saw her first.
A smile flitted around his masculine mouth, surprise in his eyes. Harper felt a tickle in her lower abdomen from that smile, and for a woman who always had something to say, who didn’t know the meaning of being tongue-tied, she had to think on her feet as he walked with an authoritative gait toward her.
“I hope your trigger fingers aren’t reaching for your taser today. I promise I’m only here for the coffee.” He said in an amused tongue, his light eyes twinkling, and Harper chuckled, a little abashed, which was unusual.
Was he flirting or just being a nice guy?
“No taser today,” she answered, pushing her tongue into her cheek. “I use my jujitsu in indoor situations.”
He chuckled this time, and the laugh stretched his olive skin. Yeah, he was handsome. Very.
“Would you let me buy you a coffee to thank you properly for the other day?”
He held up his takeout cup.
“Oh, yeah, you have one. I could reimburse you.”
“No thanks are necessary. I was happy to help. It was my one good deed of the month.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “You keep a tally?”
“You have to. It balances out all the times I get tasered.”
Harper laughed and felt a bloom warming her cheeks.
“You can join me if you have a few minutes.” She found herself saying.
“Aren’t you busy?” he nodded toward the books on the table, and Harper wrinkled her nose. “I’d welcome the distraction from economics, if I’m honest. I hate math with a passion.”
“Understood.” The guy smirked and came closer, dwarfing her in his size. When he pulled out the opposite chair and sat down, he still looked incredibly imposing in his relaxed state.
“I’m Harper,” she offered politely, holding a hand across the table. The man glanced at it, a fleeting darkness passing through his eyes before he lightly grasped her fingers.
“Cain.”
“Are you from around here, Cain?”
“Not originally. I live in Palm Springs, but my grandparents and mother lived here for a long time. I’ve been in town for the past few months sorting out my grandfather’s estate.”
“Oh, I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you. He was a nice guy.”
“Is your mom with you?”
She was fishing in a roundabout way to see if he had any females accompanying him. A wife. A girlfriend or significant other.
“No, she prefers the sunnier climates. Colorado in the fall is hard to take. I’m here alone.” When he said that last part, he seemed to look Harper in the soul. Or maybe she was imagining it because he had an intense, committed stare, unlike boys her age, who had the attention span of a gerbil.
“I get that. No one would choose minus temperatures over California. I road-tripped for Spring Break with my girlfriends and loved every minute.”
Though Harper loved traveling, she was a homebody through and through and liked nothing more than being closer to home. She’d been brought up knowing family was everything. They came first before anything else.
Cain drew her attention to his mouth by sipping his coffee. “So, what’s all this?”
She chatted about her classes for a bit, and he chimed in with questions. Before Harper knew it, the conversation was flowing, and Cain rose sometime later to order fresh coffees. He also brought a selection of cakes and cookies with him.
“I hear sugar helps with dealing with math.” He smirked.
If that was the case, Harper should have been a genius, since sugar was her only vice.
Last semester, Harper had a crush—until the college star athlete showed his literal ass at a party, and her interest fizzled out in seconds. It was a clear sign that men her age were just too immature. Maturity and capability turned her on. Around that time, her dating life hit pause—between working weekends and college classes, there was simply no time for romance.
Harper Marinos’ family name made her a catch—boys were drawn to her or just wanted an in with the Renegade Souls. The dating pool was overflowing, but none ever caught her eye for a second look. Until now. Harper was taking second and third looks at the man opposite, and hoped she was being subtle about it.
She arched an eyebrow at his job description as their chat drifted from subject to subject.
“A real bounty hunter?”
“Yes.”
“Huh. You’ve surprised me. I would have put money on your being a financial analyst or investor. You don’t dress like any bounty hunter I’ve ever known.”
It was Cain’s turn to lift his brow. “How many do you know?”
She pointed her chin and grinned. “You’d be surprised by who I know. My statement still stands, though.”
“I’m not currently working on a case. These are my day clothes.”
With his pretty face and now the kickass job, she couldn’t help the fresh kernel of attraction blooming in her stomach. Bad boys were catnip.
Not that her family, especially her brothers, ever let her get near bad boys. Harper was the elder Marinos sibling, yet those two overprotective knuckleheads treated her like she hadn’t laid the ground rules before they came along.
“It’s a dangerous job.”
“It can be. You alluded to knowing other hunters. Would you care to explain?”
“Oh, that. Some of my extended family were in that field of work. One of my cousins is doing his training right now to take over his family business.”
Cain looked curious. His concentration was fascinating. “Is that what your family do?”
Harper shook her head. “My family owns a lot of things in town. We’re a jack of all trades.”
“But you’re going into law?”
“Well, adjacent. I’m not clever enough to be a lawyer like my sister, but I enjoy the research part of it. It’s like being the biggest snoop and gossip in one, getting to know all the secrets first.” She flashed a grin as Cain laughed at her truthful answer.
“She wields a taser and can uncover many secrets. The woman is dangerous.” He rasped, hot-eyed, and she felt her cheeks and neck heat like never before.
Over four hours flew by quickly. Harper got so caught up in their lengthy and diverse conversation that she belatedly noticed the server stacking chairs.
“Oh, crap. I think we’re holding them up from closing,” she said.
“I’ll leave a big tip.” He replied and peeled off three fifties like it was nothing. Harper had already packed up her messenger bag and slung it over her body.
“I hope I didn’t hold you up from whatever you were meant to do today.” She said outside. Cain hovered close, and she smelled his clean cologne. She knew even if she never saw him again, she’d remember how good he smelled.
“Risking that you might pull out the taser and shock me into a coma, I admit I much prefer having a coffee with you than what I was supposed to be doing. You are stunning, Harper. Meet me again?”
Oh. The air pushed out of her lungs.
“Meet me again, Harper.” He repeated. This time, it wasn’t a question, but a rumbled demand, and she nodded.
“I have a two p.m. class tomorrow. I could meet you before then. This time, you let me pay for the coffee.”
She wasn’t sure he’d be there the following day, but she was nervous when she opened the door. The butterflies turned into a rainbow when she saw him already there. He rose to his feet like a gentleman when he saw her enter.
She didn’t know what this was, or even if it was anything other than having good company over a coffee, but he made her heart thump madly when his forceful stare roamed over her face as his head canted down. He was dressed much like yesterday; today’s open coat was a deeper gray, and the sweater was a cute cream.
Two coffees were waiting.
“I was supposed to pay.”
“I never agreed to that.”
She dropped her bag underneath the chair and scooted in, looking at the white cup.
“Can I trust this is just coffee?”
He chuckled, reacting to her accusation of drink tampering with laughter, as if it were utterly ridiculous. A woman couldn’t be too careful, and Harper wasn’t apologetic.
Without words, he reached over, hooked it with finger and thumb, and took two slow sips of her brown sugar latte.
“It’s putridly too sweet, but it’s only coffee. You won’t need to jump into jujitsu mode this early in the day.”
Aww, he remembered her badass skills. She admired the excellent memory.
“I know you don’t know me from Adam, Harper, but you’re safe with me. I won’t hurt you. Not when I’d like to see you again.”
“Already?” Two eyebrows hit her hairline in surprise, with syrupy interest sloshing through her belly.
“I knew yesterday I’d like to see you again.”
He was so forward and yet cool with it; she didn’t know how to react, and that just wasn’t like her. Harper had inherited all of her coolness and sharp senses from her parents. Yet, here she was, in the presence of this utterly mystifying man who regarded her with a look of approval, leaving her speechless and consumed by the overwhelming rush of attraction running through her.
Pushing back her shoulders, she took the white cup to her lips and watched how Cain’s gray eyes flared like two rockets as she sipped the sweet concoction.
“Let’s see how this coffee goes before I decide anything else. It’s still early, and you know I have twitchy fingers. You might annoy me yet.”
He laughed, hot and husky. An inviting sound to lean forward and soak in his approval. He wasn’t put off by her tough girl act.
As she tried to control her body temperature from erupting into flames under the stare of a very dynamic man she had no business being interested in, Harper knew right there that she wanted to see Cain again.
And maybe again after that.