by Fiona Archer
“No, babe. That’s okay.” Harper headed to the kitchen. “We can survive tonight. I’ve got cans of tuna.” And spare cardboard boxes. For one night, a box and some newspaper would do for kitty litter.
Jinx filled a small bowl with water. Harper spooned some tuna onto a saucer, set it on the floor next to the water and stood back as Cleo placed the kitty before the food.
They held their collective breath as the little guy’s nose twitched. Once he caught a whiff of the tuna, he fell upon the food with a desperation that tightened the muscles in her throat.
Poor little baby.
You’re safe now.
She waved toward the small round kitchen table. “Let’s eat here. I don’t want to leave him alone.”
“Absolutely.” Jinx stared at the kitchen counters. “What’s to drink?”
Harper retrieved the bottles from her bedroom while Jinx grabbed soda from the fridge. Cleo got plates and napkins and pulled out a chair at the table.
With the bubbly and juice re-chilling, Harper finished off a slice of Napolitano pizza. Between bites, she glanced at the kitty to check his progress. But she couldn’t settle. “He needs a name.”
“You’re keeping him?” Jinx asked. “Don’t get me wrong. I’d do the same. I’m just checking you’ve had a chance to think this through.”
“I’ll take him to a vet first, get him scanned for a micro-chip, but yeah, if he has no owner.” Her next words tumbled out of her mouth. “I’d always wanted a pet. My parents wouldn’t allow it. Said an animal would shed too much hair in the house.” She’d been about to turn eight, standing before her father sharing her most-longed for birthday wish. ‘Do you want to make extra work for Greta?’ Her hopes of showering love on something precious crumbled under his scornful gaze. ‘How selfish of you, Harper.’
“Jesus, your parents are a couple of pills.” Jinx rolled her eyes as she reached for a second slice of pizza.
“A name, huh?” Cleo opened the second box and took a slice of mushroom, cheese, and sausage pizza. “He’s a little fighter to have lasted this long.”
“Plus, he has a way of charming the ladies.” Harper gazed back down at the kitty, now sitting on his tush and licking his paws.
A charmer. Brave. Tough. The face of her favorite TV crush popped into her head. Yes!
“Captain Malcolm Reynolds.” Firefly’s sexy anti-hero and a total hero to some women.
Cleo sighed. “The guy who’d lost so much. Dark, gorgeous and battle scarred.” The brunette’s mouth hardened. “I still haven’t forgiven a certain network. You know that, don’t you?”
“Honey, nobody has.” How could anyone pardon the cancelling of such a fabulous television show? It was a crime against all of TV viewer humanity. “But if we could move past that travesty and agree that this little guy is befitting the status of a brave, tough hero?”
“Works for me.” Jinx looked off into space. “Nathan Fillion, the thinking woman’s lust magnet.”
“True.” Cleo locked her crystal blue gaze on Harper. “But I hear your lust is now diverted toward a certain Aussie.”
She knew this was coming. Cleo had been away most of last week at a book fair in New York and had missed all the drama. “I’ve been…” Dating, having amazing sex, getting tied to the bed. “Seeing a guy.”
“Seth Justice,” Jinx supplied, ever helpful.
“Yeah, Seth. Tall, smart, and possessing deadly charm is how Jinx described him,” Cleo said.
And a great kisser. Let’s not forget that. Harper glanced down to catch Malcolm looking around, as if scouting opportunities for mischief. She scooped him up and cuddled him to her chest and smiled as his raspy tongue licked the tips of her pizza-flavored fingers. “That would be an accurate description.”
Cleo nodded at Jinx. “Blondie here caught me up on all the intrigue with those phony posts. I’m hooked and need more.”
“So, not to intrude on your privacy and all”—Jinx scooted her chair closer and rested her arms on the table—“but tell us everything.”
Harper’s chuckle dried up as her friends kept staring. These were women on a mission. “Okay, let’s change into our comfy clothes and set up our Angel-world’s-sexiest-vampire marathon. Then I’ll share some info.”
“She’s holding out on us.” Cleo twisted her lips as she collected their plates.
“Don’t worry, we have all night,” Jinx assured the other woman. “We’re sleeping over, remember?”
Oh, God.
Twenty minutes later, Harper sat at one end of her sofa with Malcolm curled on her lap. The kitty was fast asleep, snuggled into the soft material of Harper’s old MTV Daria T-shirt and grey track pants.
Open bags of Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups and plain M&Ms covered the coffee table, along with a bowl of cake batter cookie dough. Between treats, cocktails, and Netflix, they were set for the evening.
Jinx nudged the turquoise and brown patterned cushions behind her back as she settled deeper into the other end of the sofa. “I can feel my hips expanding as I eat these Reece’s cups, but I don’t give a damn.” She licked her finger and dabbed at the stray flecks of chocolate on her Jessica Rabbit T-shirt and red pj bottoms.
Harper dropped the spoon back into her bowl of cookie dough. “Cleo, I’m about to have a foodgasm over this cake batter yumminess. And it’s got sprinkles, too. I need this recipe.”
Cleo looked comfy in her lilac pjs as she curled up in the oversized armchair. “You betcha.” She dug into the small glass bowl resting in her lap and expertly tossed a couple of M&Ms into her mouth.
Such kick-ass abilities at precision candy throwing would cripple a lesser woman with jealousy. Harper was made of sterner stuff. Even though when she tried that same maneuver, peanuts invariably bounced off her nose or cheeks.
Jinx placed her red-sock-covered feet on the footstool. “Okay, we’ve changed into our jammies and are ready for our Angel marathon. Now’s the time you strip yourself emotionally bare and share with your girlfriends.” She gave Harper a pointed look. “Don’t be shy on our account.”
Right. So going to happen. “How about you ask me some questions, and I’ll answer if I want?”
Jinx snorted. “Fine. Just how fabulous is Seth in bed?” At Harper’s open mouth and shocked stare, she clarified. “Look, I know I should ask what he’s like at conversation or some other polite bullshit, but it was obvious the guy’s intelligent, and if you couldn’t talk with him you wouldn’t have invited him back here last Wednesday.”
Hard to argue against that logic. “True.”
“And we know from the drama last Thursday that you’ve done the sexy bump and grind.”
Repeatedly. “Again, true.”
Jinx pursed her lips in thought. “Let’s put it in terms romance readers like us will appreciate. Seth’s all alpha and confidence. But is he a five-stars review, seeing-fireworks-behind-my-eyelids-as-I-climaxed awesome, or a four-star rating of I-orgasmed-hard-but-I-didn’t-ride-the-unending-wave-of-ecstasy?”
When she closed her eyes, she could still feel his touch, the way his hand gripped her hip, his cock inside her, filling her so her breath caught in her chest and stayed locked there until his deep voice told her to breathe, to ride every moment with him.
Seth didn’t just fuck her. He claimed her in a way that was visceral, that melted into her bones and stayed with her days afterwards.
“Five stars.” At her friend’s smiles, she added, “Every. Single. Time.”
Cleo sucked in a breath. “I don’t know whether to hug you or scratch your eyes out in jealousy.”
Harper’s burst of laughter woke Malcolm. He squinted in kitty disgust. “Sorry, baby.” She scratched behind his ear until he tucked his head back down and resettled. “You’ve got no reason to be jealous. Aren’t you seeing that guy from the publishing warehouse?”
Cleo grimaced. “Two stars. I-came-but-he-made-me-sleep-in-the-wet-spot-and-snored.” She sighed, running her fingers through her bow
l of M&Ms. “Then later he said some other woman’s name in his sleep.”
Harper winced. “His loss, babe.”
“Cleo, look at you.” Jinx lifted her arm toward their friend. “You’re intelligent, funny, five-seven, all curves and have hair that Cher would kill for.”
Cleo rolled her eyes. “You’re right, and this isn’t about me. Back to Harper.” She placed her bowl of candy on the side-table. “So he’s handsome, great at conversation and sex. Beside the fact some wacko is impersonating him online and attacking his family, what, if anything, about him concerns you?”
Harper rolled her eyes. “Apart from that whole wacko business, nothing. Although I wouldn’t want to get in between him and his brothers when they’re having an argument.”
Sheesh, she could still remember the looks between Seth and Adam.
“It was obvious something was up with his brothers last Thursday, and I don’t just mean the clusterfuck of those posts. All of them seemed to be on edge with each other. And that big dude, Adam?” Jinx’s eyes grew wide. “A person would be crazy to piss him off.”
That she’d agree with. “Seth said they have things to sort out.”
Cleo’s perfectly shaped eyebrows drew together. “Sounds like it’s a complicated situation.”
“That’s why I told Seth I should give him some space, but he’s a determined guy.” That stare. The hardness of his jaw. And that voice…deep, resolute. “He’s giving me just enough space to let me breathe but not enough that I can get him out of my mind, or eyesight.”
“Damn.” Cleo bit her lip to hide a smile, but the twinkle in her eyes gave her away.
Jinx nodded, sending her gold loop earrings swaying. “You watch out, Harper. That guy’s going to wear you down. How many times have you seen him now?”
“Four times, but three dates.” Including two overnight dates, such as the one last night. Did that make her a slut?
“Mmm hmm. I got to say, I like the sound of this one. He doesn’t scare easy, and he’s willing to work hard for your attention. So do me a favor. Don’t judge him by the jerks you’ve dated before.” Jinx grabbed the TV remote. “And remember, he’s dealing with your father screwing him over in their deal.”
Harper shared that gem with her friends when they’d made their plans for tonight.
“I hear you.” Harper traced Malcolm’s tail with her finger. She smiled as the silky tip flicked and curled back around his hind legs. If only she could find the kitty’s contentment for herself. “I know it’s not my fault, but I feel bad about that happening.”
“Don’t. Your dad’s an asshole.” Cleo hadn’t liked him on either of the two occasions they’d met. “Seth doesn’t hold that against you, does he?” The fierce look on her face warned of retribution if he did.
“No, not at all.” In fact, if anything, Seth was furious her father hadn’t been more worried for her during this whole mess.
“When are you next due to visit the happy homestead?” Jinx took bite into a fresh Reece’s cup.
“This Friday night. It’s Sienna’s birthday so I’ve been summoned to a family dinner.” How could she not go?
Jinx pulled a face. “Hey, you know what will take your mind off that?” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Some Angel lovin’ ” With a push of the remote, TV’s sexiest vampire appeared on screen.
The women settled back in their seats and admired the formidable, tormented sexiness of Angel. And yet, even as David Boreanaz worked his magic, it was Seth Justice’s mouth and teeth Harper imagined caressing her neck. With one bite, he’d had her hooked from the beginning.
****
Seth buried his head deeper into the pillows, but the far off banging sound still penetrated the fog of his sleep-deprived mind. He opened one eye and glanced at the time on his bedside clock. 6:35 a.m. Who the fuck was at his door at this hour on a Friday morning?
And…hang on. He lived in a modern, secure apartment building with a lobby and security guards. So how did someone get up to his floor unannounced?
Adam. Or Heath. Who else had the skills or authority to get past the security guards in the lobby?
Five hours sleep. Not much, but at least last night’s meeting with Dillon had ended with a PR strategy aimed at beating Fox at his own game.
Flinging back the sheets, he rose and stretched his arms high above his head. He needed a run and a shower. And coffee. From Seven Dishes. Served to him by the owner. Dinner and the night spent with Harper on Tuesday seemed so long ago. Damn, he really was obsessing over her like a teenager. They’d planned to hang together at her place last night but she was feeling unwell—a stomach bug—so after missing her company he was ready for a good morning kiss.
More banging, this time hard enough to rattle the lock.
He scrubbed a hand over his face. Whoever the bastard was, he could wait a second. A pair of jeans lay on the chair in his bedroom. They’d do. Once semi-dressed, he reached the door, looked through the peephole, and yanked it open.
Adam. And Dillon.
This couldn’t be good.
“You got company?” Adam glanced over Seth’s shoulder.
Meaning Harper? “No,” he answered before giving Dillon a questioning look. His gut clenched as his oldest brother looked away.
“Good.” Adam stalked past to end up standing in front of the dark gray suede sectional lounge in the open plan kitchen/dining/living area. Wearing his usual black T-shirt and cargo pants, the commando was framed by the floor-to-ceiling windows that showcased downtown Seattle. He turned and faced Seth with his hands on his hips. “You’re about to have visitors.”
“Mate, tell me what—”
“Seth,” Dillon’s soft voice stole his attention. For the first time, Seth noticed his brother’s rumpled T-shirt. Dillon never left home rumpled. Ever. “Listen to what we have to say, okay?”
The apartment’s front door buzzer sounded loud in the early morning stillness. Adam disappeared down the hall, only to return with Heath right behind him.
Seth leaned back against the black marble topped kitchen counter. “Jesus, you look like hell.”
Heath’s shirt was creased, and his hair looked like he’d run his fingers through it multiple times. Weariness deepened the lines of his unshaven face.
“It’s no party when someone deposits twenty-five thousand into your bank account, and it turns out that person is a known criminal figure in the Pacific Northwest.” Heath sighed. “There was an anonymous tipoff to Internal Affairs.” Heath’s chuckle held no humor. “I haven’t been suspended yet, considering the other posting bullshit, but I’ve been pulled from my active cases and given desk duty until I’m cleared.”
“What?” Seth all but shouted.
“Yeah, sucks. And just like the first post, the fallout hasn’t earned me brownie points with the brass.” Heath glanced at Dillon. “You told him your news yet?”
Dillon sat on one of the barstools at the counter that doubled as a dining table. “There’s a truly flattering post about me on some gossip blog that has a ridiculously high number of subscribers.” Dillon held out his phone to Seth. A picture of all the brothers, with Dillon circled in red, sat next to the opening paragraph.
Dillon Justice. Inherited the family home and a chunk of money from his wealthy mom, but will always be known as the illegitimate bastard who ruined his mother’s chances of marrying well and earned her the disdain of her family. There’s been speculation for years over the name of Dillon’s father.
But even now, his role in his family is shadowed by misfortune and a lack of recognition. How must it feel to be the older brother, yet have to take orders from the youngest of the street urchins his mom adopted? Read on to learn more about Dillon’s hidden life and the concerns of his mom’s well-connected family that he’s succumbed to the drug addiction he battled in his late teens.
“Christ Almighty.” Seth handed the phone back to Dillon, who stared down at the tiled floor, his fingers pressed hard around the rec
tangle-shaped piece of metal and plastic in his hand.
The drugs? That had been years ago. Cocaine. An addiction Dillon had overcome with the full support of his brothers, mother and extended family. And speaking of Aurora’s family… That was complete bullshit. Roland Justice had always stood by his sister with her life choices, including Dillon’s birth. If he hadn’t been supportive, he’d have never used all his influence to help Aurora complete the adoptions smoothly.
Seth’s oldest brother dragged a hand through his hair. “I’ve taken two calls already, one from my uncle, and the other from the newspaper wanting to see if I had a comment. They think there’s potential for a human interest story.”
What the hell was happening?
Seth added up each attack in his head. “The bastard’s going for the drawn out pain. Sticking the knife in deep enough to make us bleed each time, but never a fatal jab.” A battle of attrition. One their unknown adversary seemed to be winning.
“Exactly.” Adam’s voice came out like a low, angry growl.
Seth looked over his brothers. “Should I expect Zach this morning or is this it?”
Dillon shook his head. “Zach’s at his cabin with Milly. He’s bringing her in later this morning.”
Seth nodded. “So is there more news?” He glanced at Adam who kept glancing toward the front door. “I get the feeling looking at Adam that he’s not done.”
“You guessed right.” Adam glanced at his watch. “We have about five minutes before we can expect an agent from Homeland Security. Dane Tollison is a colleague of mine who contacted me early this morning. The post revealing my service record was flagged by various agencies, including the one he works for. There’s a connection point between me and an investigation he’s working on. It set off an alarm bell, and he called me first.”
“What’s the connection?” Heath asked the question on Seth’s lips.
Adam stared at Seth, concern warming his gaze. “You, little brother.”
Seth heard the words in his head, but they didn’t gel. “What are you talking about?”