Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
H arlow leaned back in the warm, bubbly water, trying not to think of anything.
She tried to enjoy the nighttime view of San Francisco and the bay. She was sitting in Easton’s kickass hot tub on his terrace.
It wasn’t some cheap tub. No, it was actually built into the terrace and lined with gorgeous blue tiles.
Suddenly, he strode out onto the terrace and she sank lower in the heavenly water. Gia hadn’t packed all of Harlow’s clothes, after all. Harlow didn’t have any swimwear here, so she was naked.
She watched Easton stride toward her. God, he was gorgeous. He was in another pair of jeans today—these ones well-worn. They fit him like a dream, and he wore a loose, button-up shirt untucked, in a soft gray.
She sank even lower in the water. She was still feeling totally embarrassed that she’d drunk way too much the night before. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d done that.
There was a clicking sound as Easton set a glass of something down on the edge of the hot tub.
“What’s that?” she asked. “It had better not be alcoholic.” Her stomach protested at the thought.
He sat on the edge of the tub. “Sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon.”
Harlow eyed him in the darkness and took a sip. “I’m so sorry for getting drunk last night.”
She’d woken up in agony. Her head had been trying to split itself open, and Easton had poured water and aspirin into her, then let her sleep until lunchtime. Then he’d bullied her out of bed and made her eat something.
She’d spent Sunday afternoon curled on his couch, calling more of her dad’s friends, and calling some a second time. She was certain his good golf buddy, Gregor, was covering for him.
While she’d done that, Easton had done some work.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he said. “Last night was supposed to be a chance for you to have fun, relax.”
A damp strand of her hair had escaped the messy bun she’d piled on top of her head. She stuck it back up. “Being around someone that drunk is no fun.”
His lips twitched. “You’re a cute drunk.”
“Those two words do not go together, Easton.”
“You have a really cute snort laugh.”
With a moan, she sank deeper in the water.
“And you’re a sexy dancer,” he continued.
“You aren’t helping.” She grimaced. “What else did I do?”
“You declared your undying love for everybody.”
Oh, no.
“You even hugged Vander.”
She closed her eyes. “I’m never drinking again.”
Easton laughed, a low, sexy chuckle.
“You didn’t mention the fact that I vomited in your toilet in your beautiful bathroom.” Embarrassment was alive in her belly. “Thankfully, I only have hazy memories of that.”
“I held back your hair.”
With a massive groan, she dunked her head under the water.
Easton pulled her up, towing her to the side so their faces were inches apart.
“Harlow, you needed last night to let loose. I didn’t mind taking care of you. I liked it.”
“You liked me puking on you?”
“You didn’t puke on me. Your aim was great, so you didn’t get any on me.”
She’d puked in front of her sexy, handsome billionaire boss turned lover. Ugh .
He stroked her nose. “You know what I liked?”
“What?” she whispered.
“That you, a strong, organized woman who keeps tight control on everything, trusted me enough to let your hair down. Trusted me to look after you.”
God . Her heart squeezed. She had a shining moment of clarity and realized that she was falling in love with him.
This was a disaster .
Easton Norcross didn’t keep women. He’d been linked to tons of beautiful, accomplished women. Eventually, her time would be up, and he’d totally and utterly break her heart.
“Come out of the tub. I’m going to feed you.”
Well, for now, he was hers. She was holding onto him for as long as she had him.
“I should call a few more people. I want to try Gregor again. He’s not answering my calls now.”
Easton held out a towel. She rose quickly and he wrapped it around her.
“No calls.”
“Easton—”
“We’re having a light dinner, then early to bed.”
She huffed out a breath. “I’m not a little girl.”
“Oh, I’m well aware of that.” His hand curved around her hip and he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Later, in bed, I’m going to do some very adult things to you.”
Everything inside her quivered. “My father—”
“There is nothing we can do tonight, baby. I gave Gregor’s name to Vander. He’ll find out if the man is hiding your father, or knows where he is.” Easton urged her inside.
Out of the warm water, the cold air assaulted her wet skin.
“Dinner, bed, followed by slow, lazy sex, then sleep.”
She spun to face him. “Are you even real?”
“Standing right here, baby.”
She went up on her toes and kissed him.
Easton was a man of his word. He followed through with his light dinner of shrimp linguine with a white wine sauce that was delicious. In bed, he covered her with that hard body and proceeded to make love to her. Slow, deliberate, sexy—he rocked her world and they’d come together.
She’d slept tangled up in his arms.
Now it was Monday, and she was at her desk at Norcross Inc.
Her hangover was thankfully a bad memory.
She was trying not to be freaked out by the fact that they’d gotten ready for work together this morning like an old married couple.
They’d showered together—which had included quick, thorough sex against the tiles.
He’d cooked breakfast while she’d made the coffee.
She’d made sure he didn’t forget a file that he needed for a meeting, and he’d given his firm opinion on what shoes she should wear with her slimline black pants and white shirt.
She shook her head and focused on her computer. Easton was already on a video call to New York with Zane Roth. They were working on a joint deal together.
Harlow plowed through a load work. Easton told her that Vander had some good leads and would check in later.
“Harlow Maree!”
The female voice shouted across the office and made Harlow’s head whip up. She saw other people staring.
A petite woman was descending on her.
Her sister.
They were night and day. Scarlett had been conceived via IVF, using a donor egg. She had ruler-straight, black hair, some Asian ancestry, and their father’s blue-green eyes like Harlow.
While Harlow was tall and blonde, Scarlett was small and dark-haired.
Harlow rose. “Scarlett, this is my workplace. You can’t come in here and yell.”
“I can when you’ve been lying to me, and helping to cover up Dad’s fuck-ups.”
“ Scarlett .” Harlow grabbed her sister’s arm. “Keep it down .”
“So, were you ever going to tell me that Dad is in debt to his eyeballs, and dragged you into his disaster? Like always, he’d expect you to fix everything.”
“I wanted to keep you safe—”
“I’m not a child. Is it true some goons tried to kidnap you?”
“How do you know about this?”
“I called Dad and made him spill his guts.”
“Wait, he answered his phone?”
“Don’t deflect, fib, or tell me not to worry my pretty little head, Harlow.”
“What’s going on?”
Easton’s deep voice came from behind Harlow. He rested a hand on her shoulder.
Scarlett’s eyes went wide, her mouth dropping open.
“Easton, this is my sister, Scarlett. Scarlett, my boss, Easton Norcross.”
Her sister’s gaze dropped to Easton’s hand, her eyes narrowing. “You have a hot, famous billionaire boss? I thought you worked for Meredith?”
Harlow sighed. “This is a temporary assignment.”
“And now you’re sleeping with him?” Scarlett whisper-yelled.
“Scarlett, this is my workplace!”
“You want to talk about professional workplace behavior right now, when it’s very clear there is something going on between you and Mr. Tall, Dark, Handsome, and Insanely Wealthy?”
Harlow grabbed her sister’s arm and dragged her into Easton’s office.
He followed and closed the door behind them.
“Scarlett spoke with Dad,” Harlow told him.
“Ah,” Easton said. “I told you, you should’ve told her.”
Harlow shot him a look. “No one likes a know-it-all.”
He smiled.
Scarlett blinked. “Oh, well, I totally get it, Harlow.”
Harlow sighed. “He cooks, too.”
Her sister got a dreamy look on her face.
Harlow cleared her throat. “We need to talk about Dad—”
The door opened and Vander strode in. “Hey.”
Easton lifted a hand.
“Morning,” Harlow said. “Uh, sorry about proclaiming my undying love for you the other night.”
Vander’s lips twitched. “You were cute.”
Her sister made a sound. “Are you collecting hot guys, Harlow? And you somehow failed to mention this to me?”
She shot her sister a look. “Scarlett, this is Vander Norcross, Easton’s brother. Vander, my sister, Scarlett.”
Vander nodded.
Scarlett dropped into a chair, a hand to her chest. “Hi.”
Then Vander’s face hardened. “I have bad news.”
Harlow stiffened. She couldn’t breathe. Easton slid an arm around her.
“Things are heating up. I haven’t found your father, but Rhoda is done being patient. That also means that Antoine has stepped up his game to find your father. If we don’t find him first…”
Scarlett gasped.
Harlow closed her eyes and leaned into Easton. Oh, God.
* * *
Easton sat Harlow in a chair. She looked shaky, but her chin lifted. Facing her problems head on.
Scarlett looked pale and pissed.
“Rhoda knows we’re looking for Carlson and the dagger, but she has a reputation to keep,” Vander said.
Easton nodded. “If she comes across soft, others who owe her money will step out of line.”
Vander lifted his chin. “She’s already had a couple of people pushing the boundaries.”
“God, I’m going to kill Dad.” Scarlett’s voice was shaky.
“Rhoda wants your father, dead or alive,” Vander said.
With a cry, the sisters grabbed each other, hugging each other tight.
“And Antoine doesn’t want to lose out here. He’s put more men on the street to find your father, too.”
“Fuck.” Easton gripped Harlow’s shoulder. “It’ll be a war.”
Harlow reached up and grabbed his hand tightly.
“And that means Carlson’s family could be targets,” Vander said. “A way to draw him out. They know Harlow’s off-limits, but they could get desperate.”