Coming Home Duet

by Cameron Hart

  Coming Home Duet

  Cameron Hart

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  Finding Her

  Strength

  (Coming Home Duet Book 1)

  Summary:

  Harper

  He’s got muscles for days, warm brown eyes, and a grin that makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. He’s also fifteen years older than me and my dad’s business partner. I don’t even know why I’m allowing myself to have these thoughts, I’m sure he couldn’t possibly think of me the same way. As my evil step-mom likes to point out, I’m not a small girl. Couple that with my twenty-one-year-old virgin status, and I’m sure I’m the opposite of what someone as gorgeous as Levi would ever go for. But sometimes I swear I see a hunger in his eyes when they sweep up and down my body…

  Levi

  God, she’s sweet perfection. The kind of curves that could bring a man to his knees, a sparkling smile that rivals the sun, and an air of innocence around her that makes me want to dirty her up and protect her at the same time. She has no idea how beautiful she is, and I want to be the one to tell her every single day. It should bother me that she’s fifteen years younger than me. Or that her dad is my business partner and one of my closest friends. Or that I’m in the middle of a messy lawsuit. I should keep my distance. I really should. But I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay away…

  Chapter 1

  Harper

  “Oh. My. God. That is your dad’s business partner?” Emma practically drools as she gawks at Levi. Not that I blame her. He’s one fine specimen of a man.

  God. I’m such a nerd.

  “Yeah, but can you keep your voice down?” I say.

  “Harper, you know I’m physically incapable of doing that.”

  I laugh and swat her arm, pulling her back into the kitchen where I’m finishing up dinner. It puts me at ease, having her officially out of earshot from the den where Levi and my dad are discussing business.

  Emma has been my bestie since sixth grade when my dad and I moved to Tampa after my mom skipped out on us. She took pity on the chunky, awkward new girl starting school in the middle of the year. I had just finished paying for my lunch of mac n cheese and steamed veggies and was standing in the front of the lunchroom, staring at all the tables full of kids I didn't know.

  I remember wondering if I should just eat in the bathroom like the loser I knew I was. Just as I was turning around to walk out, Emma looped her arm in mine and practically dragged me over to her table, plopping down next to me and introducing me to Hillary, Laura, and Maddi. I have no idea what the other three girls are up to, but Emma and I have been inseparable ever since. She even moved with us to Atlanta when we were sixteen.

  We are roommates now, both in our last year of college. She’s a journalism major while I majored in business with a focus on marketing and finance. I’m good at it, and I knew it would make dad proud. Or, at least I hoped it would. He’s been less than enthusiastic about my life choices since my mom took off.

  “If you can’t behave, I’ll send you back to the apartment on an empty stomach,” I threaten.

  "You wouldn’t!” She gasps dramatically. “You cooked a fucking smorgasbord for us in this fancy-ass kitchen, and I was promised free food. Plus, Levi is nice to look at.”

  I roll my eyes. “First of all, language. You know my dad hates swear words. Second of all, Levi is like fifteen years older than you.”

  “First of all,” Emma mocks me, “Your dad is kind of a dick. He swears all the time, so his double standard of ‘ladies shouldn’t have dirty mouths’ is fucking stupid. And second of all, who cares how old Levi is? He’s gorgeous. How have I not met him before?”

  “He lives in Chicago. Levi and my dad were partners and best friends back when we lived there. When we moved to Tampa, my dad started a branch of their investment firm there. And then when we moved here to Atlanta, he did the same. So, they are business partners, but they each run their own branch.”

  “What is he doing here now?”

  “I don’t know. He showed up late last night, I guess. Dad called me when he got here, saying he was staying in my room because of the renovations to the rest of the house. Then asked me over for dinner so I could we could catch up or whatever. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him.”

  Emma gives me a skeptical look. “Your dad didn’t ask you. He told you. And he didn’t invite you over for dinner, he made you cook it.”

  “He strongly suggested I come over. And I like cooking.”

  "God, Harper. You don't have to defend the man. You are a grown-ass adult. He's a controlling asshole and he demanded that you come over and cook dinner because he and his useless trophy wife treat you like Cinderella. And you are a chicken, so you forced me to come with you.”

  “I did not force you. I told you I was going to my dad’s, and you jumped at the chance to have a free dinner!”

  “And boy am I glad I did! Dinner and a show,” she laughs, wagging her eyebrows.

  I glare at her, but end up laughing, because she’s totally right. Levi is freaking hot as sin, and the fact that he slept in my room last night has my stomach in knots.

  What if he went through my things? And he saw what a total dork I was in high school?

  Okay, not just in high school. I’m still a huge dork. I only go out when Emma drags me out of the library and shoves me in her car to take me to a rando bar or party. I mean, I still have my v-card. At twenty-one, that’s practically unheard of in this day in age. There I go again. Who says, “this day in age?” Seventy-year-old cat ladies, that’s who.

  Emma’s phone goes off, and I’m thankful for the distraction. Her eyes go wide, but she quickly schools her face before sending the call to voicemail. I wait for her to make some sassy remark or curse whoever called, but she doesn’t say anything.

  “Want some soda?” I ask, hoping to change the subject and help her out of whatever just happened.

  “You really shouldn’t be drinking anything with that much sugar, Harper.” The shrill voice of my stepmom, Tracy, echoes through the kitchen as she steps into view. “It’ll only add to your…generous physique.” She eyes me up and down, no doubt taking in my huge hips, bubble butt, and thick thighs. Her words, not mine.

  I should be used to her criticism by now, but it still hurts. Her words touch on old wounds and insecurities she inflicted in the first place.

  “I’ll take a coke, and you should have one too, Harper. You’re fucking gorgeous and those hips don’t lie,” Emma chimes in. God, I love her so much.

  “Language!” Tracy snaps.

  “Whatever. I’m not your kid,” Emma dismisses her out of hand.

  "Step-kid," Tracy corrects.

  She's never liked me. I'm just thankful I only had to live with her during high school. Four years did plenty of damage to my self-esteem. Emma has done her best to build me up, but she doesn't really get it. She's so beautiful, with her black hair, blue eyes, and size four waist, not to mention perky boobs and an apple bottom butt, she is practically fighting off guys on campus. Nevertheless, I appreciate her standing up for me since I have yet to develop a backbone for myself when it comes to my dad and Tracy.

  Emma opens her mouth to tell Tracy off, but dad and Levi walk in, interrupting her. She closes her mouth right away and smiles at Levi. A pang of jealousy spikes through my veins, which is ridiculous. He'd for sure go for her over me, especially
seeing us side by side. She's so much more stunning than I am, hands down. That is if he were to go for one of us. He’s probably got a line of women vying for his attention. Or, shoot, he’s probably married. Why didn’t I think of that before? He’s only five years younger than my dad. Geeze Louise.

  “Oh, Levi! It’s so good to finally meet you,” Tracy says. She’s darn near swooning over him, right in front of my dad. “I’m sorry I was asleep when you showed up last night.”

  Levi looks annoyed and a bit uncomfortable. He certainly doesn’t return her look of pure lust, which strangely makes me giddy inside.

  “Tracy,” he says, matter-of-factly. He holds out his hand, but she pulls him in for a hug, kissing his cheek.

  He looks physically pained by her closeness, which again, makes me giddy. In fact, I actually laugh under my breath.

  Levi pulls away and Tracy is left wobbling before she finds her footing. My dad shoots her a glare and she has the decency to look scolded.

  “Levi, this is Emma, my daughter’s best friend. I’m not sure why she’s here.” I get the same disapproving glare my dad just gave Tracy.

  “You know you love me, Dan,” Emma says, not missing a beat.

  “That’s Mr. Crawford, Emma,” he warns.

  "Whatever. Good to meet you, Levi." She smiles at him and I just know he's probably already drooling over her.

  To my surprise, he hardly looks at Emma, opting instead to hold my gaze. Levi pulls his hand away and steps around her so he’s standing right in front of me.

  “And who are you?” Levi asks, keeping his brown eyes on me. His gaze drops to my hips, moving their way up to my chest, before meeting my eyes again. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear he was checking me out.

  I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. As fine as he was from a distance, he's even more gorgeous up close. Levi has dark brown hair that’s short on the sides and longer and messy on top, like he's been running his fingers through it. With the hint of grey at his temples, he looks sophisticated and hot. His strong jaw and angular nose only add to the whole effect, which is basically a freaking Roman statue. I mean, he's chiseled alright. He's just wearing jeans and a black t-shirt, but holy cow does he wear them well. And let's not forget his intense brown eyes and soft pink lips, slightly curved up at one side in the sexiest smirk, like he knows exactly what I'm thinking about right now.

  “This is my daughter, Harper,” my dad answers for me.

  “Right. Harper,” Levi repeats, softer. Almost a whisper. It’s clear he doesn’t remember me, and honestly, I’m questioning whether I’ve ever met this man before. Sure, the last time I saw him was ten years ago, but I’d think I would have remembered the stunning man in front of me.

  Levi’s hand reaches out for mine and I let him take it in a handshake. The instant he touches me, I feel a shock course through my body, making me gasp. We never break eye contact as he shakes my hand and then just holds it, circling his middle finger on the inside of my wrist, causing goosebumps to break out over my arm. I swear those eyes peer into the very depths of my being like they're trying to learn every single thing about me.

  “I’m Levi,” He says. I just nod, unable to actually form any words at the moment.

  Tracy clears her throat, breaking whatever spell Levi just cast over me. I drop his hand, immediately missing the warmth of his skin on mine.

  "Shall we go to the dining room? Dinner will be ready any minute now," Tracy says, giving me the death glare. "Harper can finish up and serve us."

  Her tone brooks no arguments.

  “Yeah,” I finally find my voice. “Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”

  Tracy nods, and my dad leads her and Levi out to the dining room, leaving me practically breathless, with Emma gawking at me. I don’t even want to hear what she has to say right now.

  Chapter 2

  Levi

  As soon as I stepped into the kitchen, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.

  Harper.

  The last time I saw her must have been a decade ago. She was just a cute, shy little kid. But there’s nothing childlike about her now. With beautiful auburn hair, blue-green eyes, creamy skin, and full, pouty lips, she’s stunning. Easily the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen. And her curves. Fucking hell. Even in jean shorts and a loose blouse, I could tell she had the kind of body made just for me. I wanted to wrap her hair around my wrist and pull, exposing her neck to my hungry mouth.

  The fact that she’s Dan’s daughter should have stopped my sinful thoughts in their tracks, but I found I didn’t give a single fuck about that, especially after holding her hand. I knew she felt it too, with her adorable blush and little gasp that escaped her mouth. It made me wonder what other sounds she’d make, especially with my face buried between those thick thighs of hers.

  The other one…Emily? Emma? Doesn’t matter. I thought she was Dan’s daughter. I slept in Harper’s room last night and didn’t see any pictures of her. I did, however, see a ton of pictures of her friend, Em… something. I thought she was rather conceded to have so many pictures of herself, but it makes more sense now that I know the pictures were of her best friend.

  It’s still odd though that there were no pictures of Harper in her room, or even around the house. There are, however, a ton of pictures of Tracy. What a horrible shrew of a woman. Sure, she’s pretty in the traditional sense, but she’s a little too…altered for my taste. It’s clear she gets Botox and has had one too many nose jobs.

  And the way she spoke to Harper almost made me snap.

  “Harper can finish up and serve us.”

  She said it like Harper was a maid, not her stepdaughter. I refrained from growling at her, but only barely. The only thing that stopped me was knowing it would upset Harper.

  Reluctantly, I follow Dan and Tracy out to the dining room. I want to stay with Harper, but I don’t want to cause a scene or be a bad guest. When we’re seated around the table, Dan strikes up a conversation about Chicago and I put in the bare minimum effort, nodding at the right places and chuckling when appropriate.

  It already feels like forever since I’ve seen Harper and it’s taking all my will power to stay in this seat and not charge into the kitchen so I can get an eye full of the curvy goddess. Finally, she comes out carrying a huge pot roast on a serving tray. Her friend follows close behind with mashed potatoes. Harper goes back for more sides – caramelized carrots, creamed corn, and green bean casserole. I’d offer to help, but I’m mesmerized by the sway of her hips and the way she locks eyes with me each time she walks into the dining room, only to drop her gaze quickly and blush.

  God, she’s so fucking cute.

  But it’s more than that. She’s sweet. A bit tentative. Innocent almost. As fucked up as it is, I can’t wait to make her dirty and introduce her to a whole world of pleasure.

  When the table is finally set, I expect Harper to sit down next to me at the only empty seat at the table. Instead, she stands in front of the pot roast and starts serving Dan, who doesn’t even acknowledge her. I wonder when exactly he turned into such an asshole. This man used to be my best friend, but I don’t even recognize him anymore.

  “Here, let me help,” I offer.

  Those gorgeous eyes lock on mine and her head cocks to the side. She opens her mouth to say something, but she's cut off by Tracy.

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Levi. You’re our guest. Let Harper serve you,” she says.

  Great, now I’m thinking of all the ways Harper can serve me, but I want to reserve that for the bedroom. Out here in the real world, she shouldn’t have to wait on anyone hand and foot.

  “It’s okay, Levi. I don’t mind.” Harper gives me a sweet smile, and fuck if hearing my name on her lips doesn’t make my dick jump.

  Down, boy.

  She dishes up the pot roast and we all pass the sides around. Everything is amazing like I knew it would be. I might have just met her, but I can't imagine anything Harper’s not good at.


  “Everything is wonderful,” I say.

  “Thank you,” Tracy responds.

  “Oh, what did you make?” I ask her, knowing full well she didn’t so much as lift a finger for this meal.

  Emma snorts back a laugh and Harper tries her best not to smile. Despite her efforts, I see the edges of her lips twist up ever so slightly. I like putting a smile on her face. I aim to do a lot more of that in the future.

  “Well, I didn’t exactly make anything. But I went grocery shopping,” Tracy mutters.

  Her response makes Emma snort again, and Harper coughs to cover up her own laughter. My compliment has gone unacknowledged by Harper, so I try again.

  “Harper, this dinner is delicious.”

  “Thanks,” she almost whispers, looking down at her plate instead of at me.

  I want her eyes on me, dammit.

  Without even thinking, I reach over and place my hand over her knee. It's all under the table of course, so as not to draw attention. The touch is innocent enough, but Harper tenses and her eyes grow wide. She quickly schools her face and then turns to me with an unreadable expression.

  Confusion? Disbelief? I want to kiss away any doubts she has but now is not the time. Nor the place.

  “Where did you learn to cook?”

  She darts her eyes over to her dad, who has stopped eating to stare at his daughter, a look of warning in his eyes. I feel her tense more underneath my hand, so I gently graze my thumb over her soft skin, marveling in the way it sends goosebumps up and down her leg. She relaxes a little and I like knowing I could ease some of her tension. Of course, I could think of other ways to ease her tension…

  “She learned from that bitch who walked out on us,” Dan spits out, clanking his silverware on his plate and making Harper jump.

  Well, shit.

  Looks like I stepped right on a landmine with that question.

  Harper doesn’t miss a beat though, jumping right in to diffuse the situation. “Yeah, well, that and Pinterest. Oh, and YouTube. You can pretty much learn anything you want online nowadays.”