by Lynn, Sandi
“Don’t be mad at me. I’m just asking you to be careful. Sometimes people aren’t who they seem. You of all people know that.”
Maybe Charlotte was right and what I was feeling were my hormones way out of control. I had a hard time trusting men, so why was I so quick to trust Grayson?
The next morning, I got up early, got dressed and headed down to the lobby of my building.
“Good morning, Miss Holland.” Sammy smiled.
“Good morning, Sammy. Please, just call me Harper.”
“Can I get a cab for you?”
“That would be great. Thank you. Today is my first day at the office. I’ll only be working there two days a week and then working from home the rest of the time.”
“Sounds like the perfect schedule.” He smiled as a cab pulled up to the curb. “Have a great day, Harper.”
“Thanks, Sammy. You too.”
I walked into the building and took the elevator up to my small office. As I was putting my purse away, I heard a voice from the doorway.
“Good morning.”
I turned around and smiled when I saw Grayson and another man standing there.
“Good morning.”
“I trust you got your apartment in order yesterday.”
“I did.” I grinned.
“Excellent.” The corners of his mouth curved upward. “Harper, I’d like you to meet, Curtis. Curtis, Harper Holland.”
“It’s wonderful to meet you.” He greeted me with a wide grin as he extended his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Curtis.”
“Curtis is going to be your partner so to speak while you’re here in the office. He’ll show you around and any questions you have, he can help you.”
Curtis was a man in his early forties. He stood about five foot ten with spikey blond hair, a clean-shaven face and bright green eyes. Too bright to be natural. I suspected he was wearing colored contacts.
“I have a meeting to get to. We’ll talk later.” He gave me a wink before walking out of my office.
My insides fluttered at the sight of him. It wasn’t only how he looked in his designer suits or the way he kept himself perfectly groomed. It was the confidence he exuded. I needed to focus on my job and not Grayson Rhodes.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, Harper, but I’m really shocked that Grayson is letting you work here only two days a week and the rest at home. He’s never done that before and I’m afraid it might cause some problems with the other employees. Especially the ones who wanted to cut back to part time, and he told them no. He said if they couldn’t fulfill the full-time hours here, then they needed to quit.”
“Shit. Really?” I bit down on my bottom lip. “Maybe he’s changing and he’s starting with me?”
“I doubt it. He must have some ulterior motive as to why he’s letting you split your time. There’s a motive behind everything he does.”
As I stood there and listened to him, I got the impression Curtis wasn’t too fond of Grayson. The last thing I needed were the other employees hating me because of my work schedule. That was why I never liked working in an office setting. Between the backstabbing, gossiping and assumptions, it was draining. Not to mention that you couldn’t trust anyone even if you thought they were your friend. That was a hassle I didn’t need in my life and why I did freelance work on my time from home. Away from all the office politics and bullshit. Two days a week at the office wouldn’t be so bad. It wasn’t like I really had a choice. I needed to make sure that my baby would be taken care of and I would sacrifice everything to make sure that happened.
Chapter 17
Grayson
My meeting ran longer than I thought it would. I stopped by Harper’s office and found her sitting behind her desk staring at her computer.
“Well? How are things going so far?”
“Great.” She smiled. “How was your meeting?”
“It was long but good. That’s why I stopped by.” I glanced at my watch. “I’m starving. Have you had lunch yet?”
“No. Not yet.”
“Then grab your purse and let’s go.” I grinned. “You need to feed that baby. We can talk business over lunch. There’s a diner a couple blocks over that have the best Rueben sandwiches.”
“Sounds good.” A smile crossed her lips as she grabbed her purse and we headed out of the office.
We were seated at a booth looking over the menu when Harley, the perky redhead approached the table with a flirty grin across her lips.
“Hey, Grayson. Long time no see.”
“Hello, Harley. My secretary has been picking up my orders. Busy times at the office.”
“It’s good to see you. Still looking as handsome as ever. What can I start you off with?”
“Harper?”
“Just water for me.”
“And for me as well. I think we’re ready to order. I’ll have the Rueben sandwich.”
“And I’ll have the same.” She smiled as she closed the menu and handed it to her.
“Two Reubens coming right up.”
The moment she walked away, Harper stared at me.
“Looking as handsome as ever?”
“She loves to flirt. What can I say?” I smirked. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
“Okay. I’m listening.”
“The meeting I was in earlier, it had to do with a piece of property I purchased. We’re bulldozing the building that’s already there and building brand-new high-rise apartments. I want you to design the building.”
“Me?” She pointed to herself. “You want me to design the building?”
“Yes. Now I know graphic design is your thing but from what I saw in the back of your portfolio you’re a damn good architect too.”
“You’re not giving me a choice, are you?”
“No.”
“Then I’m excited to get started on my first project.” She smiled.
Her smile was infectious, and one couldn’t help but smile back at her. I noticed it in the office, and I noticed it when we were out.
Harley walked over with two plates in her hand.
“For you,” she spoke as she set down Harper’s plate first. “And for you handsome.” She winked at me.
“Thanks, doll.” I flirtatiously smiled at her.
Harper picked up her sandwich and bit into it.
“Oh my God! You weren’t kidding. This is amazing.”
“I told you. One of the best Reubens in New York City.”
I sat across from her and watched as she enjoyed her sandwich. She had a glow. An inner peace that I could feel radiating from her. The more time I spent with her, the more I wanted to fuck her. To feel the warmth of her all over my cock. I could only imagine what it felt like to be buried deep inside her. Skin to skin. No condom needed since she was already pregnant. No worries, no care. She had a piece of sauerkraut hanging from the corner of her mouth, so I reached across the table and softly wiped it away with my thumb.
“You had a piece of sauerkraut.”
She picked up her napkin and wiped her mouth as her pink colored cheeks became more prominent. She was blushing, and it was cute.
“Thank you.”
I gave her a smile as I picked up my sandwich and finished it.
As soon as we arrived back to the office, my phone rang. Pulling it from my pocket, I saw my grandfather was calling.
“Grandfather. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I’m leaving for Santa Barbara tomorrow and I was hoping we could have dinner tonight.”
“Of course, where?”
“Daniel at seven o’clock.”
“I’ll be there.”
Ending the call, I sighed as I placed my phone in my pocket. Tonight would be the perfect night to tell him about Harper so he could get that ridiculous notion out of his head about handing the company over to Alfie.
I stayed at the office until it was time to leave to meet my grandfather. Climbing out of the Esc
alade, I told Damon I’d catch a cab home and that he could leave for the night.
“Enjoy your dinner, Grayson.”
“With any luck, it’ll be the best dinner of my life.” I grinned as I shut the door.
Walking inside the restaurant the hostess walked me over to where my grandfather sat.
“Hello, Grayson.” He nodded.
“Hello, Grandfather.”
“Good evening, Mr. Rhodes. May I start you off with a drink?”
“Yes, Carlos, I’ll have a bourbon. Make it a double.”
“Long day?” my grandfather asked as he sipped his scotch.
“It was. The deal is closed on the Park Avenue property. We bulldoze the building next week.”
“Excellent. And the plans for the new high-rise are ready?”
“Not yet. But they are being worked on.”
“I haven’t been hearing anything about you lately. Have you been behaving yourself?”
“Actually,” I smiled as Carlos set down my drink, “I’ve met someone.”
He sat there and steadily narrowed his eye at me like he always did when he needed to decide if he believed me or not.
“Interesting and quite quickly may I add. Remember what I told you, Grayson, about trying to pull a fast one on me.”
“I can promise you that I didn’t meet her because of what you told me. I actually met her standing in line at Starbucks. Her name is Harper Holland. We got to talking and it just so happened she was looking for a job. She’s a graphic design artist and we were in need of one.”
“I don’t recall needing another graphic artist.” His brow furrowed.
“We did. I brought her in for an interview and not only is she good with graphic arts, she’s a phenomenal architect designer. You should have seen the buildings and houses she designed.”
“I see. Are the two of you seeing each other?”
“I’ve taken her to lunch and dinner and I’m hoping to see a lot more of her. There’s something about her, Grandfather.” I smiled. “I can’t explain it. I feel different when I’m around her and I want to know everything about her.”
“I want to meet the woman who has captured my grandson’s heart.” He finished off his drink.
“You will as soon as you get back from your trip. We’ll all go to dinner.
“You do know, Grayson, that it’s not wise to mix business with pleasure.”
“I know, but this can’t be helped. I really like this woman. For the first time in a very long time, I actually want to spend my time with someone.”
“Does this Harper feel the same way about you?”
“I think she does.” I grinned. “She’s the one I’m having design the high rise.”
“Why? We have a company who designs our buildings.”
“Why not? She’s good and we can save time and money by having it done in-house.”
Carlos walked over and before he could set my grandfather’s drink down, he took it from his hands and held it up.
“Here’s to the start of a beautiful relationship.” He winked, and I tipped my glass to his.
Once dinner was over and we said our goodbyes, I climbed into the back of a cab and headed home. Convincing my grandfather that I was interested in Harper was easy. But then again, I was always good at convincing him of things. Once I had Harper Holland in the palm of my hand, things would be a lot easier. I wouldn’t have to try so hard or feel the need to see her all the time. But for now, I needed to do everything I could to get her to fall in love with me.
Chapter 18
Harper
When I arrived home from work, I cooked myself dinner and then started a rough draft of the high rise. This building was for the elite; the wealthy. The ones who wouldn’t flinch at spending twenty million plus to live there. The pressure was on because I’d never designed anything worth this much. A project like this was meant to be in the hands of a high-powered architect firm, not in the hands of someone like me. I couldn’t stop thinking about Grayson and the lunch we had today. The way his thumb gently wiped away the sauerkraut from my mouth was unnerving and every inch of my body trembled. As I was trying to concentrate on designing the building, my phone dinged with a text message from him and instantly a smile crossed my lips.
“Hey there. What are you doing?”
“Hi. I’ve just started the design for the high-rise. What are you doing?”
“I just got home. I had dinner with my grandfather. He wants to meet you.”
“He does?”
“He’s leaving on a trip tomorrow, but I told him we’d have dinner when he returns to New York. Is that okay with you?”
“Sure. I’d love to meet him. Why does he want to meet me?”
“Our entire dinner conversation may have revolved around you. I told him what an amazing woman you are.”
I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks as I read his message.
“Thank you, Grayson.”
“You’re welcome and it’s true. I think you are amazing, and I was hoping we could have dinner together tomorrow night. That’s if you don’t already have plans.”
“I’d love to have dinner with you. How about we have dinner here? I’ll whip us up something really good. Say around six thirty?”
“It’s a date. You won’t be in the office tomorrow, right?”
“No. Not tomorrow. I’m spending the day here working on the building.”
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow evening. Looking forward to it.”
“Me too.”
“You’ve had a long day and must be tired. Relax for the rest of the evening. The design can wait until tomorrow. Sweet dreams.”
“Good night, Grayson.”
With a wide grin across my face, I set my phone down and got up to make a cup of tea. Grayson was right. I was tired, and the design could wait until tomorrow when I was refreshed from a good night’s sleep. Once the hot water was ready, I poured it into a mug and slipped in a tea bag. Taking it over to the couch, I pulled up the notes in my phone and started planning our dinner for tomorrow night. But first, I had a question for Grayson.
“Do you like Italian food?”
“I love Italian food.”
“Good. Then I shall cook Italian tomorrow night.”
“You already have my mouth watering.”
“You may not like it.”
“I’ll love it.”
“We’ll see. Good night.”
“Good night.”
The next morning, I got up early and headed to the market to pick up everything I needed for dinner before I started my work for the day. I bought more than I could carry, and as soon as Sammy saw me, he opened the door and grabbed a couple of bags from me.
“Here, let me help you with these,” he spoke.
“Thanks, Sammy. I honestly didn’t intend to get this much.”
He followed me in the elevator and up to my apartment. After unlocking the door, we stepped inside and set the bags down in the kitchen. I reached in my wallet and pulled out some cash for a tip.
“No, Harper, I can’t accept that.”
“Oh, come on, Sammy. I wouldn’t have made it up here if it wasn’t for your help.”
“It was my pleasure to help you.” A smile crossed his lips.
I don’t know why, but I had this overwhelming need to tell him that I was pregnant. I didn’t want him to be shocked when I started showing.
“Thank you, again. I think there’s something you should know about me since we talk just about every day.”
“What is it?” he asked.
“I’m pregnant, the father isn’t in the picture, and I used a sperm donor. Don’t judge.”
“Congratulations, Harper. What exciting news. I would never judge. I think it’s great.”
“Thanks. I just wanted to tell you so you’re not shocked when I begin to show.”
“I’m happy you told me. Enjoy the rest of your day.” He smiled as he gave a nod of his head.
I l
iked Sammy. He was an older gentleman in his late fifties who stood about six feet tall with short salt and pepper hair. He was very kind and there was something about him that made me feel comfortable. In a strange way, he reminded me of my father. Maybe it was his broad shoulders and the way he carried himself.
I worked on the design for the high rise all day, talked to Laurel and Charlotte and then it was time to prep dinner. I wanted nothing more than tonight to be perfect. A perfect dinner with a perfect man.
Chapter 19
Grayson
I climbed out of the car and walked through the doors of The Grill where I met Julius for lunch.
“Sorry I’m a few minutes late,” I spoke as I slid in the seat across from him. “I got stuck on a conference call.”
“No worries, bro.”
I picked up the menu and looked it over.
“I think I’m just going to get the lobster salad.”
“That’s it?” Julius asked.
“Yeah. I don’t want to eat too much. Harper is cooking dinner for me tonight.”
“So I take it things with her are going as planned?”
“Yes.” The corners of my mouth curved upward. “My grandfather wants to meet her after I sang her praises at dinner last night. I have no doubt in my mind that once he meets her, all doubts about signing the company over to me will be gone.”
“I’m still not comfortable with this, Grayson. Do you even remotely like her?”
“She’s a nice girl and I enjoy spending time with her. But if you’re asking if I’m getting emotionally involved, the answer is no. I’m physically attracted to her which is a bonus because it makes my plan a lot easier. The four of us should get together one night.”
“And you don’t think she’ll recognize me? Have you forgotten I’m the one who delivered her flowers?”
“You were in street clothes and dark sunglasses. She won’t recognize you.”
“I don’t know. Like I said I don’t want any part of this.”
“Too late, bro. You’re already in. She’s going to think it’s weird if I don’t introduce her to my friends. You need to play your part. At least until I get my company.”