“I’m not surprised you’re both here,” Robert stated, blocking the door from letting them in. “I admit, I was hoping you wouldn’t be so clichéd as to gang up on me.”
“We’re not ganging up,” Dane offered. “Just letting you know how things are.”
Robert crossed his arms over his chest but made no attempt to move or invite them in. Fine by Dane. He wanted this over with so he could put the black mark on his life behind him and move on with Stella and their life of happiness.
“I can’t believe you don’t have the authorities here yet,” Robert scoffed.
“That’s up to you,” Ethan stated.
Dane fisted his hands at his sides. He wasn’t sure what angle Ethan was taking, but Dane would wait this out. Since they were dealing with Harper’s father, Ethan had final say on how they worked this. In the end, Robert would always be scum, but Harper and Ethan might be able to find happiness.
“Sign this resort over to me today, and I’ll hold on to the damning evidence that would have you fighting for freedom for the rest of your life.”
Robert narrowed his gaze at Ethan, then turned to Dane. “And you’re just here for moral support? I heard you already got the Montana property.”
“Don’t worry about my business,” Dane replied. “I’m here because Ethan and I are a team.”
“Against me.”
Dane shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Do you want to sign the papers or not?” Ethan asked. “Because this window is going to close soon.”
“How kind,” Robert murmured.
“I’m feeling generous.”
Dane admired his brother for not completely going off on Robert—not just for their past, but also for treating the woman he loved so terribly. Their situations weren’t so different. Stella’s father was a complete jerk who had been using her to get his resort back up and running the way it should be. He’d promised her the entire resort all in her name, but had never intended on following through.
So, yeah, Dane understood just how much self-control Ethan was practicing right now. Dane couldn’t stand the sight of Robert—seeing him again just dredged up all those memories of how much that man had destroyed.
Not physically, but emotionally. All those years ago, Dane and Ethan had already begun pulling apart because of the grief of losing their mother, but to have another blow had really blindsided them.
“How do I know you won’t turn me in once I sign everything back over to you?” Robert asked, skepticism lacing his tone.
“You don’t,” Dane chimed in. “It’s a risk you’ll have to take.”
“You’re losing time,” Ethan stated. “Do you want to sign or not? Either way, you’re leaving the resort today. We need your room, and I’m sick of having you here near Harper.”
“Don’t act like all of this is on me.” Robert dropped his hands and shook his head. “Whatever. Take Mirage, but you’re paying for the renovations. I’m done with this place—it’s not worth the headache.”
Dane wasn’t so quick to believe him, but he did sound frustrated and over it. Good. The sooner he was gone, the better for all of them.
“You should have the file in your in-box,” Ethan replied.
Robert narrowed his gaze. “Awfully sure of yourself, aren’t you?”
“I wasn’t leaving here until you signed because I didn’t want to put the feds on you. That would crush Harper, even more than you’ve already hurt her. There was no need to pile more on the burden she’s already carrying.”
“You have until lunch to sign,” Dane added. “Ethan’s nicer than I am, but I’m calling the authorities in three hours if Ethan doesn’t have the final copy back.”
Then if anything happened to Robert, that guilt would be off Ethan and onto Dane.
“They’ll be signed,” Robert grumbled. “I need to get back to Barcelona anyway. I have real work that needs my attention.”
“Don’t think we won’t be keeping our eye on you,” Ethan added. “If you cheat anyone out of investments, properties, money, I will not hesitate to make your life a living hell in ways the feds wouldn’t dream of.”
Robert let out a mock laugh. “You think I’m scared of what you could do to me?”
Ethan took a step toward Robert, and Dane waited, fully expecting to have to pry his brother off.
“Try me,” Ethan said in a low, menacing voice. “I promise, you’ll regret ever crossing me or my family.”
Robert must’ve seen something in Ethan’s eyes, because the older man nodded and took a step back.
“I’ll pull up the documents now.”
Without another word, he slammed the door, causing Ethan to jerk back. The echoing of the door sounded through the hallway, and Dane glanced each way, thankful nobody was around. Likely, they were all on the beach or still in bed.
“Do you believe him?” Dane asked as they turned toward the elevator.
Ethan nodded. “I do. He’s too arrogant to let himself go to jail. If there’s a loophole to save his ass, he’ll take it.”
Dane hoped that was true, for all of their sakes.
“I need to find Harper.” Ethan punched the button on the elevator to close the doors. “I don’t know what I’m going to say, but I can’t stay away.”
“She’s with Stella right now.”
Ethan jerked around. “What?”
Dane held up his hands. “Calm down. It was my idea. I thought Harper could use another woman to talk to, and Stella texted and said they were going to walk around the resort. Harper is showing her around and discussing new designs.”
“And me,” Ethan muttered, turning back to watch the numbers light up as they passed each floor.
“That goes without saying, but Stella is in your corner.”
“She doesn’t even know me.”
“But she knows me,” Dane countered. “Trust me on this. Stella might just tip the scales.”
The elevator doors slid open, and Ethan stepped out first. The lobby had only a few people milling about, going in and out of the buffet area for a quick breakfast.
“I think I should change my clothes,” Dane stated, glancing down to his attire. “Oh, Harper had our luggage taken to your penthouse.”
“Did she now?” Ethan smirked, though it quickly faded. “I do have plenty of room. More if she’s leaving.”
“Then maybe you should give her a reason to stay.”
Eighteen
“You’re a difficult woman to track down.”
Harper glanced over her shoulder, and Ethan’s heart clenched at the sight. She stood on the edge of the shore, the water lapping up over her bare feet. She held a dainty pair of sandals at her side, her other hand gathered up the skirt of her red dress and her curls tossed around in the wind. She was like something from a dream, something he could see, but not touch. Something that could vanish in a flash.
Her dark eyes locked with his a split second before she turned back to stare at the sunset.
“I haven’t exactly been hiding,” she said as he came to her side.
“I hear you spent some time with Stella.”
“She’s amazing.”
Ethan had talked with Dane and Stella over dinner in the penthouse earlier. He’d hoped Harper would show back up—he’d even ordered enough dinner for four.
“She seems to think I should forgive you,” Harper stated after a moment.
Ethan slid his hands into his pockets to keep from reaching for her. He wanted this too much to screw up by being selfish and thinking of his wants first. Harper was everything to him. Not just because of the baby, but because she made him feel so many things he’d never thought possible.
“And what do you think?” he asked.
Ethan studied her profile, trying to capture the proper words to describe
the beauty she radiated.
“I don’t know what to think,” she murmured.
The gentle waves filled the silence, and he waited.
“Did you have my father arrested?”
Ethan pulled in a breath. “No, I didn’t.”
Harper’s gaze shifted to his, her brows rising. “Why? That’s all you’ve wanted.”
“That used to be all I wanted,” he corrected.
Unable to be this close and not touch her, he took a chance and reached for her hand, the one she clutched her skirt with.
The material fell down around her ankles as he raked his thumb over her knuckles.
She trembled.
“After my mother died, I shut down,” he started. “Ask Dane. I even closed off from my own twin. I didn’t want to feel anything for anyone. I wanted to crawl inside myself and never get hurt again.”
Harper’s chin quivered, but he kept going. He had her attention—this was the opening and the chance he’d been waiting on...he’d been praying for.
“Then Robert took the main part of my mother’s legacy, and I didn’t know what to do,” he stated. “I know I was too young to run the place myself, but I would’ve listened to her managers. I would’ve done anything to make sure nothing severed that bond between my mother and me.”
He drew in another shaky breath and squeezed her hand. “You know that I’ve been wanting revenge on my stepfather, and he deserves to have everything taken from him. But that all changed the second I realized you were his daughter.”
“I don’t know the man like you do,” she supplied. “I met him when I was twenty, and we’ve had a handful of interactions since then. I believe you about the kind of man he is. What hurts is the fact you didn’t tell me the moment you knew.”
Ethan nodded in agreement. “I know I hurt you. Harper, you have to believe me. The second I found out, I started trying to find a way to make sure you were not involved in this backlash. I wanted to shield you and our baby from everything ugly about this. I know I should’ve come to you, but I wanted to handle it myself.”
Emotion clogged his throat, and he swallowed back the lump as his eyes began to burn.
“I wasn’t able to protect my mother,” he choked out. “You’re the only other woman I’ve ever loved, and I needed to make sure you—”
“What did you say?”
Ethan stopped and blinked. “What?”
“You said you loved me,” she stated, tears swimming in her eyes.
A swell of warmth spread through him. He hadn’t even realized he’d said the word, but now that it was out, he realized that’s the exact word he’d been searching for to describe how he felt about Harper.
“Did you mean it?” she asked.
Ethan smiled for the first time in what felt like days. “Yeah, I did. I love you, Harper.”
Tears spilled from her eyes, trailing down her cheeks. He released her hand and framed her face, swiping at the moisture with the pads of his thumbs.
“Sorry,” she muttered. “People are probably looking.”
“Of course they are. Who wouldn’t, at the most beautiful woman in the world.” Ethan took a step closer until his chest brushed hers. “And who cares? Don’t be afraid to show who you are.”
“I don’t know who I am,” she said. “I wanted to be the reckless woman having a heated affair with this hot stranger. Then I wanted to be the woman who was strong and could be a great mother. Then I thought maybe, just maybe, you and I could grow together and perhaps fall in love and raise our child as a family.”
“You’re all of those women,” he told her.
Harper closed her eyes and licked her lips. “No, I’m not,” she said, looking back up at him. “I’m the woman who is a poor judge of character.”
“No, you aren’t.” He tipped her head so he could focus on her and she had no choice but to hold his gaze. “You’re the woman who is loving, trusting, caring, loyal. You demand those same things in return, which you should. You’re not at fault here. But I do love you. I know you might not be ready for that yet, but I’m giving you all the time you need. Just...don’t give up on us.”
Harper smiled. “I love you, too.”
Ethan had never heard sweeter words. He didn’t deserve her affection or honest emotions, but that was his Harper. She didn’t hide her thoughts or feelings.
“I want to try to make this work,” she went on. “I feel like everything was so rushed. Maybe we could take our time, truly get to know each other more and dedicate each day to growing together.”
Ethan couldn’t hide his smile. “I’d love that.”
Harper went up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Don’t hurt me again.”
Smoothing his hands up and down her back, Ethan shook his head. “Never. I promise to always be honest with you, and we can face whatever obstacles the future holds together.”
“That’s all I ask,” she told him. “I hope you don’t care I invited your brother and Stella to stay in the penthouse. It wasn’t technically mine, so...”
Ethan slid his lips over her mouth then eased back and rested his forehead against hers.
“I want you to share everything with me,” he told her. “I can’t wait for you to get to know Dane. We’re all starting a new chapter.”
“Does this mean we’ll be going to Montana to visit?”
Ethan shuddered. “Cold weather? Maybe we could go in the summer.”
Harper threaded her fingers through his hair and laughed. “I’d love to see it. I’ve never been there, and I hear it’s gorgeous.”
“In the summer,” he repeated.
“Fine,” she conceded. “A summer visit. Should we go back up to the room and visit with our guests?”
Ethan took a step back, took the sandals from her hand and laced his fingers in hers. “Is that what you want?”
Harper smiled and nodded.
They started up the near empty beach. It was getting later in the evening, and most people were at dinner or getting ready for the free entertainment in one of the resort’s nightclubs or theater.
“I want that sense of family,” she told him. “I feel like I’m getting a second chance at having a sister and the life I’ve always wanted.”
“I’ll give you anything you want,” he told her as he guided her to the steps leading to the open lobby. “But I have one request.”
She stopped and turned to face him. “What’s that?”
Ethan slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out the ring. He’d never been so nervous, because he actually wanted this more than anything. He wasn’t using the proposal as a ploy or any other reason than the fact he just wanted her in his life forever.
Harper’s gaze landed on the ring, and Ethan wasted no time in dropping to one knee. He’d cheated her out of a real proposal before—he wasn’t going to do that again. She deserved everything she’d ever dreamed of or desired.
“Harper, will you marry me?” he asked. “Have my children and grow empires with me?”
With tears in her eyes, Harper nodded her head yes and reached for the ring. “I know I said I wanted to take things slow, but I still want to marry you. I just want some time before we say ‘I do.’”
Ethan came to his feet and wrapped his arms around her waist. He lifted her up and smacked a kiss on her lips.
“I don’t care how long you want to wait,” he told her. “Just say you’ll always be mine and forgive me when I do stupid things.”
“Done,” she told him. “Now let’s get upstairs and celebrate with your family.”
“Our family.”
“I like the sound of that.”
Ethan covered her mouth with his, wanting to connect to her even more. He’d finally found a love he’d never thought possible with a woman he didn’t deserve. She’d forgiven
him, and he would never take her for granted again.
Now they were moving on to their new chapter, growing their family.
Seeking justice and revenge wasn’t everything in life.
He had all he needed right here in his arms.
* * *
If you enjoyed reading about Ethan and Dane,
try the Rancher’s Heirs series, which is also by
USA TODAY bestselling author
Jules Bennett!
Twin Secrets
Claimed By The Rancher
Taming the Texan
Keep reading for an excerpt from A Bet with Benefits by Karen Booth.
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California Secrets Page 14