California Secrets

by Jules Bennett

  Which was why he and Dane were stopping at nothing to make all of this right. Their mother had had a plan for the things she loved most in the world—her sons and her resorts. And just because she was taken from this earth all too soon didn’t mean they shouldn’t see her vision through.

  Marble slats covered the old, narrow desk. She had a laptop open to a mock design of the lobby. Ethan whistled.

  “That looks amazing,” he stated, circling the desk to get a closer view. “This isn’t your sister’s design.”

  Harper came in beside him, her shoulder brushing against his. “How do you know?” she asked. “You never met Carmen.”

  “I don’t know,” he murmured, his eyes studying every last detail. “There’s something about the blues here that make it seem like you’re walking on water, but it’s so subtle and calming. But then you throw in a subtle punch of red with the flowers and that’s just so you.”

  “That’s what I wanted.”

  “The lighting is magnificent,” he went on. “You can’t see the fixtures, but they’re perfect. And that island of fresh flowers in all white...brilliant.”

  “The lobby is the first thing guests see when they check in,” she stated. “I mean, I know they look online for every available picture, but once they step inside after traveling to get here, I want them to just let all the stress and exhaustion fade away. I want to transform them to another world where everyday problems cease to exist.”

  Ethan turned his attention to her as she spoke. Her eyes never wavered from the screen as she explained her reasoning behind such extravagance.

  “You’ve managed to capture everything,” he told her.

  Harper blinked, turning her eyes to his. “Well, I don’t know about that. I’m sure there will be stumbling blocks, and issues will come to light that I’m not thinking of right now.”

  “That comes along with any business plan,” he replied. “The important thing is to know how to handle the hardships when they come along.”

  Harper pursed her lips. “I don’t plan on failing.”

  “I have no doubt you’ll make this a complete success.”

  She offered him a smile that did something unfamiliar to his...heart?

  No. That was absurd. His heart wasn’t involved in any of this. Well, part of his heart was very involved in all of this—the portion that belonged to his mother, to her memories and legacy and the future she’d promised him.

  “I think if I can get through losing my sister, I can get through a bump in the road of this project,” she told him.

  Ethan wanted her to remain focused on her reasons for doing this, because ultimately, this remodel would carry over into his ownership.

  “Tell me more about Carmen,” he commanded, easing his hip on the edge of her desk, meeting her eye level.

  Harper stared for a moment before she crossed her arms over her chest. He wondered if she did this as a coping mechanism to hold in the hurt. He’d had to break himself of just that after his mother had passed.

  “She was bright. Not only smart, but she just beamed everywhere she went. It was impossible to see her and not smile.”

  He could say the same exact thing about Harper, but he didn’t interrupt.

  “She had a big heart and an even bigger outgoing spirit.” Harper let out an adorable laugh. “She was always dragging me to parties or out to dinner with her friends. She’d do anything to get me out of the house.”

  Ethan reached for her hands and gripped them on his lap. “You didn’t get out much?”

  Harper shrugged, glancing down to their joined hands. “Let’s just say I didn’t have the confidence my sister did.”

  She smiled and glanced back up to him. “I was always overweight and shy in school. My sister was the popular cheerleader and homecoming queen. I was so proud to be her sister, but I never felt like I measured up.”

  “That’s absurd,” he replied before thinking. “What does size have to do with anything at all?”

  Harper tipped her head. “That’s so easy for a man to say. Being a plus-size girl in high school is not the funnest of times. Changing for gym class while trying to hide that roll over your pants or going shopping for prom dresses when your friends are grabbing their size twos and fours while I’m over there whispering for an eighteen.”

  Ethan listened but didn’t hear pain in her voice. He heard strength and bravery.

  “And what made you see yourself differently?” he asked, tugging her farther to stand between his legs.

  “I got out of school, where there was too much competition to be perfect,” she told him. “My mother started traveling around the world, and my sister and I grew even closer. I realized I have one life, and spending each day questioning what other people thought wasn’t the way I wanted to live.”

  Ethan released her hands and reached for her hips. “That’s a pretty smart revelation.”

  “Well, I kept telling myself that, but it took a while before I started to actually believe the words.” Harper rested her hands on his shoulders, the tips of her thumbs brushing along his neck. “My sister constantly urged me to get out more and more, so over the years I went when she asked. Coming here was strictly for work.”

  “You don’t usually travel alone?” he asked. “Get away and just take vacations to treat yourself?”

  “I never have. Carmen and I would go places, but this is the first time I’ve gone anywhere by myself. I was packing to come here and saw that skimpy red bikini.”

  Harper laughed again and sighed. “Carmen bought me that last summer, and I refused to wear it. I tried it on, and she kept telling me how good I looked and told me not to hide a killer body.”

  “I like your sister.”

  Harper smacked his shoulder. “You like boobs, so don’t act like it was the bikini.”

  “Why can’t I appreciate both?” he asked.

  “Anyway,” she went on, rolling her eyes. “Circling back to my sister. She’s the reason I’ve evolved so much, and she’s the reason I’m here. She started this company and asked me to join her, having more faith in me than I did in myself.”

  “Sounds like she had faith in you about everything.”

  Harper nodded, biting her lower lip as her chin quivered just a touch. “She did. I guess I just feel lost without her. It’s got me second-guessing my decisions here.”

  “She wouldn’t want that.”

  “No,” Harper agreed. “She wouldn’t.”

  “So why are you doing this to yourself?”

  With a shrug, she held his gaze. “Because I don’t have anyone to tell me otherwise.”

  Ethan released her hips and framed her face. “Then consider me that someone. You’re brilliant, you’re talented and you’re going to turn this resort into something magical.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “You sound so sure,” she murmured.

  Ethan was positive. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that she’d have Mirage on the bucket list of everyone from suburban housewives to A-list celebrities. Mirage of Sunset Cove would be the place everybody flocked to when they wanted to escape.

  And it would be all his.

  “I’m positive,” he insisted, easing forward just enough to slide his lips over hers.

  He couldn’t resist her, wasn’t even going to try. There was something here that pulled him closer and closer into her world. Not the baby and not the fact she was Robert’s daughter. There was a storm brewing inside him.

  And he was scared as hell.

  Ethan nipped at her bottom lip and smoothed his thumb over the dampness as he eased back.

  “Let me see what you’re torn between here,” he offered. “I know a thing or two about design.”

  Harper licked her lips, tempting him to clear this desk with one swoop and spread her out over it. But the businessman in him took ov
er. He wanted to know about final decisions, and if he was careful, he might just be able to assist in achieving the end result he wanted.

  Blowing out a breath, Harper stepped back and gestured to the samples beside his hip.

  “I like them all,” she stated. “I can envision each one of those in the lobby, and none of them are wrong.”

  Ethan came to stand and turned his attention toward the marble slats. He studied each one and then glanced to her screen, where the design layout was still pulled up.

  “Which one do you think?” she asked after a bit.

  Ethan shoved his hands in his pockets and shook his head. “I want to know your first instinct.”

  “I told you I love them all,” she reiterated.

  “No. When you look at them, if you’re honest, you’re drawn to one.”

  He watched as she glanced over them, her eyes lingering on the slat with a subtler swirl pattern—the exact option he would’ve chosen.

  “This one was the first one I pulled when I initially asked for the samples,” she said, smoothing her hand over the flawless piece.

  “Don’t doubt yourself,” he told her. “You’ve got this. Not just the flooring, but the entire project. Do you think Carmen would’ve asked you to join her brainchild had she not had faith in your capabilities?”

  Harper smiled. “You’re scolding me like she used to.”

  “Well, maybe someone needs to move into her old spot,” he declared. “Speaking of, you never gave me an actual answer to the proposal.”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  Oh, she was such a tease. He loved every bit of her sass and knew they’d make a great team. He just needed her to officially say yes.

  “How could a marriage between us work?” she asked.

  “First of all, neither of us likes to fail or admit defeat, so we’re already a determined pair.”

  Ethan moved around her, adjusted the desk chair and placed his hands on her shoulders, easing her down.

  “What are you doing?” she asked as her butt hit the seat, her eyes wide as she stared up at him.

  “You seem tired,” he stated. “I didn’t want you passing out on me.”

  “I seem tired?” she repeated. “Maybe it’s because my nights are consumed with a man who has more stamina than a triple-crown racehorse.”

  Ethan let out a bark of laughter. “I don’t know that I’m that active, but I’ll take it as a compliment.”

  “You would,” she murmured. “Anyway, I’m not passing out. I’ve never passed out in my life.”

  “You’ve never been pregnant before, either.”

  She pursed her lips, apparently irritated that she had no comeback.

  “Good. Now, circling back around.” Ethan rested his hands on the arms of her chair, stared into those dark eyes and moved on. “The second reason we’d make this marriage work is because we both value family and would want the best for our baby.”

  “What if I want to marry for love?” she volleyed back.

  Ethan jerked back. “Have you ever been in love?”

  Harper seemed to roll the question through her head before she answered. “No.”

  “Can you think of a valid reason, other than love, not to marry me?”

  She stared at him and smoothed a hand over her abdomen. “Well, we’ve only known each other just over a month. I’m not sure how stable our future can be since you started our fling based on a bikini.”

  “A move I don’t regret, by the way.”

  She rolled her eyes as she went on. “I don’t know where we’d live or how I’d carry on Two Sisters Design if I had to move.”

  “I’d never ask you to give up your life or your dreams,” he told her. “Neither of us will have to give up anything. We can work together, we can live in your home or buy a new place. I’m flexible since I travel so much anyway, so our home can be anywhere that’s good for your business.”

  “I can’t believe I’m seriously considering this,” she muttered.

  “I can’t believe you’re taking so long to agree to what would be a perfect solution.”

  Harper moved farther away, which wasn’t far since the room was so small. She continued to stare at him, and he could only imagine the war she was waging with herself. There wasn’t a doubt in Ethan’s mind that she’d agree. He needed her to agree. He liked things neat and tidy when it came to business, and whether he liked it or not, Harper was part of this scheme. Never in his life did he drop an innocent into his plans, but fate had other ideas for both of them now.

  Trying to keep Harper safe from harm was impossible, but he planned on doing his best to protect her as much as he could. He wanted to be there for her once she found out the monster her father was. There was no way she could know already. Someone like Harper wouldn’t associate with the likes of Robert Anderson if she didn’t have to—her indignation on his behalf when he’d told her about his stepfather had made that clear.

  And since she hadn’t even connected with her biological father until she was in her early twenties, it was understandable that she didn’t know him well enough to see past his respectable veneer. Ethan hated to be the one to have to reveal what a bastard Robert was.

  It was best she found out now, though. Robert didn’t deserve Harper, and he sure as hell didn’t deserve a relationship with his grandchild.

  “All right,” Harper finally said. “I’ll marry you.”

  Ethan released a sigh of relief. Everything was falling into place, and he was one more step closer to obtaining everything he wanted...and more.

  Eleven

  Harper’s belly continued to roll, and she wasn’t sure if it was morning sickness that had moved into the evening hours or if she was still reeling from agreeing to Ethan’s marriage proposal yesterday.

  Either way, she was out of her element with both new chapters in her life.

  And her father was due here soon. Would he even take interest in the fact he was going to be a grandfather or have a son-in-law? He’d barely grasped the whole fatherhood role, so she highly doubted he’d be very interested in donning the other two hats.

  Harper eased into the bright blue floor-length gown and wondered how much longer until her waistline expanded. She never thought she’d be excited about getting larger, but she was. She wanted to see that round belly, wanted to embrace the magical gift that only a woman could experience.

  The shimmering material caught the light as she turned side to side in the mirror. This dress was going to make Ethan’s eyes bug out of his head. Another magical spell women possessed. Men thought they were so tough, so strong, but in reality, a woman could render them speechless with such simple things...like a killer dress. Or a red bikini.

  Tonight Mirage was hosting a mock casino night, and she wanted to go mingle with the guests, maybe even get a feel for what some of them thought about the resort. You could learn quite a bit just from small talk with people, and if she simply acted like any other guest, she might just discover the likes and dislikes the others felt toward Mirage.

  While her plan for renovations was pretty well set, she could adjust if necessary...especially with that generous added budget.

  She’d spent last night in his penthouse...their first night since agreeing to stay together. They were starting this new life since she’d agreed to marry him.

  The words still felt so foreign running through her mind. But she didn’t regret telling Ethan yes. Marriages were built on much less than what they had, as he’d pointed out.

  Harper grabbed her small gold clutch from the dresser and slid her room key and red lip gloss inside. With a snap of the closure, she tucked the accessory beneath her arm and headed for the door.

  The second she opened it, Harper let out a squeal and jumped back.

  “Sorry.” Ethan stood there, fist raised and ready to knock.
“Perfect timing.”

  Harper put a hand to her chest and pulled in a shaky breath. “Perfect timing for a heart attack?”

  Ethan’s eyes raked over her from head to toe and back up again. Harper’s heart beat fast for a totally new reason now. He stood before her in an all-black tux, looking both classy and dangerous. That messy hair had been calmed, but the stubble along his jaw lingered, as if he needed just that bit of scruff to remain true to himself.

  “Have I told you today how sexy you are?” he murmured, taking a step forward and backing her into her suite.

  “You don’t say the words, no,” she replied, suddenly feeling like prey...and she had to admit she didn’t mind. “But I get the gist by how you look at me. And touch me.”

  Ethan took another step until he came within inches of her. His hands rested on her hips, and he tugged her pelvis to line up with his. The dress was clearly a hit.

  “Let me rectify that,” he growled. “You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever met. You’re the sexiest fiancée I’ve ever had.”

  Harper laughed and flattened her hands against his chest. “Have there been other fiancées?”

  Ethan eased closer, grazing his lips ever so softly against hers. “You’re the only one.”

  Oh, how she wished he truly meant those words. Was she naive and foolish to want more from him than a businesslike marriage?

  “It still doesn’t feel like a real engagement,” she murmured. “I’ve never been engaged, though, so I’m not sure what it’s supposed to feel like.”

  Ethan released her and smiled. “Something else I plan on fixing.”

  Confused, Harper stared at him as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. Breath caught in her throat and her gaze went from the box to his cocky smile.

  “I hope you like it.” He slowly lifted the lid to reveal a bright emerald-cut ruby nestled in a simple gold band. “It’s not a traditional diamond, but we don’t exactly have a traditional relationship...if there is such a thing.”