by C. M. Steele
Built Over Time
The Middleton Hotels Series
C.M. Steele
Copyrighted © 2017
All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without written expressed permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is purely coincidental.
Cover design: C.M. Steele
Cover Image: Shutterstock
The use of actors, artists, movies, TV shows, and song titles/lyrics throughout this book are done so for storytelling purposes and should in no way be seen as advertisement. Trademark names are used in an editorial fashion with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to the seller and please purchase your own copy.
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior express, written consent of the author.
This book is intended for mature adults only. Contains sexual content and language that may offend some. Suggested reading audience is 18 years or older. I consider this book as Adult Erotic Romance.
Built Over Time
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
Chapter 1
Bryce
I pulled up to the fishing hole behind my parents’ home. They were busy “taking a nap” together, so I decided to head out back and catch some fish. I cast my line into the water, then took up a seat on the grass. It was the end of summer and our usual trip to Reese was almost over. I peered over the edge of the right bank as a car pulled up alongside the water. It wasn’t private property, but it was so secluded that no one ever came this way. They weren’t in viewing distance of the house. I watched as an older man exited the car, then opened the door for a young girl. She was younger than me, but something about her caused me to stare longer than I should have. The young girl was probably only sixteen, and I was already eighteen and on my way to college. She had long blonde hair that had a bit of curl to the ends. She was smiling at the man she was with, and I felt like a perverted stalker. I’d never kissed a girl, and I wanted to go over there and kiss her. It was wrong, but she was stunning. I wanted to meet her, but I didn’t have a clue how to approach her. I shook as I considered her brushing me off. With my line in the water, I sat back and watched her.
She was perfect. They were sitting there feeding the ducks on the pond. Her eyes turned to mine several times over the course of the hour they were there. Every time she did, her smile would fade. It didn’t look like she was sad, rather like she was taking me in, probably evaluating my intent. I gave her a wink, causing her to turn her gaze back to the water. Damn it, I should go introduce myself.
“Bryce,” I heard my father’s voice.
“What’s up?”
“Come on, we’re going to dinner,” he shouted from the back door of the house. Tons of electronics and he has to do the fatherly thing and publicly embarrass me.
“Coming,” I growled.
He didn’t hear me, so he called me again. “I’m coming,” I shouted, feeling the heat on my face from embarrassment and not the sun. I gathered my things and walked away from the nameless beauty.
A year later…
She was here again. This time she was alone, just sitting on the edge of the bank, tossing bread at the ducks. Her face was absent of smiles, and that was unacceptable to me. I had to introduce myself. A year had been wasted without her. Every thought I had was about her. I wondered if she was seventeen, or even better eighteen. Then I could steal her away. Get us a place outside my school campus and make love to her like I dreamed of.
I walked around the bend silently, never losing sight of her. My footsteps in the grass caught her attention. She gasped, quickly standing up and nearly losing her balance and falling into the water.
“I’m sorry, princess. Didn’t mean to scare you,” I said, grabbing her hand in mine.
Chapter 2
Harper
He was here. The same guy from last year. The one I had simultaneously hoped was and wasn’t here. Today wasn’t the day for meeting him, but he made that choice for me. I shouldn’t even be talking to him. He was clearly much older than me and I wasn’t even dating age. My emotions were a mess today and would be for a long time.
“You didn’t scare me. It’s slick in this spot.”
“I’m Bryce, what’s your name?” I hadn’t forgotten his name and never would. I spent the last year dreaming of the smile from across the pond. Every time a classmate looked at me with a boyish, flirty smile I was revolted because the only one I wanted was from Bryce.
“It’s Harper. Do you come here every year at the same time?”
“I could ask you the same thing. We come here every year to the place where my parents met. It's kind of sweet to me, but don't tell anyone I said that." I smiled. Could he be anymore handsome and charming? I wasn’t supposed to feel so happy, but I was. Something in me hoped he’d be here again.
“I won’t,” I replied. As cute as it was, I didn’t have a soul to tell or one I wanted to anyway.
“You promise?” he asked, looking down at me with those lovely blues, seriousness in his gaze.
“Yes, Bryce,” I promised, then swiped my blonde strands out of my face as a gust of warm air blew past us. He grinned, making me return it effortlessly. I was too young and his charm was too dangerous. I had to get out of here before I made a fool of myself.
“I’ve got to go,” I blurted out, feeling more and more awkward.
“Um, why the hurry? Where’s the man who was with you before?”
“He died yesterday,” I sobbed, and that’s when he noticed my tear stained face.
“I’m sorry. And I came over and ruined a special moment.” His voice was laced with regret, making me feel awful that I said anything. He seemed so sweet; he remembered me and Grandpa Joe. He wasn’t really my grandpa, but the man had been there every year when we came to visit my real grandparents, who didn’t seem to care about me at all.
“No, it’s fine. I was just about to leave anyway,” I replied with a smile, hoping to take away the frown on his face, but it didn’t work.
“You just got here.”
“Yes, but I was only going to be here for a minute. My dad’s waiting in the car for me,” I added.
“I know this is the wrong time for this, but I want to see you again,” he replied, looking at me like this was too important to ignore. I shook my head because as much as I’d like to, my first crush wasn’t going to work out.
&
nbsp; I pressed my hand to his strong arm and looked into his beautiful blue eyes. “Bryce, as wonderful as that would be because you look like a dream come true, I’m too young to be dating anyone. I’m only fifteen.”
“Oh shit.” He took a step back like he was going to be attacked at any second.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, sweetheart. We’re just a little too far apart in age. I thought maybe you were seventeen or so, but I want you to know that this isn’t over. Only three more years. But know this, I’ll be back for you. I’ve spent the last year thinking about things I had no right to. And technically, they would have gotten me arrested had I even thought of acting on them.”
“I’ll be waiting here in three years. Just for you. Will you wait for me?” I felt like that was a loaded question. The young girl in me felt like a princess. The realist in my fifteen-going-on-forty brain told me that he wouldn’t be waiting for me. It was just words.
“I can’t promise anything when I know you won’t keep to yourself. I’m sure you already have had more ladies than I can count.” All of a sudden he crowded my space.
“Princess, you’re mine. I’ve never touched a woman and won’t. Three years from now, you’ll get this same man, only smarter and wealthier.”
“Harper,” my father shouted.
“Goodbye, my Harper.” I couldn’t wait until we met again.
Chapter 3
Bryce
“Dad, can I talk to you for a moment?” I asked entering his office. I wondered if this would make me some sort of pedophile or something. Our ages would legally say yes, but morally we weren’t that off in time.
“Sure thing. What’s up?” he asked, looking up from the news report on his latest tablet. It was faster than the tablets of the past with more capabilities of a computer. Everything could be easily sent from it, giving him more time with mom. They loved each other beyond compare. That was the way I felt about Harper. She was my world and it was going to be hard to live without her. Three years and I’d be back to claim her. For now, I had to try to not think of her at fifteen. Fuck! Three years without her or stroking it to thoughts of her? That was going to be terrible. My balls were going to fall off.
“Well, Dad. The thing is that I’ve been thinking about this girl.”
“Bryce, you’re too young for anything serious.”
“It’s not that. She’s too young for me,” I confessed.
“How young?”
“Fifteen.”
“Stay away from her,” my father warned. The anger on his face was clear.
“It’s not like that. It’s just that I dream about her and they aren’t pure. I didn’t know she was that young when I first caught a glimpse of her.”
“So, you’ve wanked it to her?”
“Yes, and I feel guilty now that I know her real age.”
“Legally, she’s too young for you, but your age gap isn’t that bad. It’s just not the right time.”
“I feel lousy, but it’s hard not to think of her and I don’t want to think of anyone else.” He shook his head and laughed.
“When I was young, it didn’t take much to get hard and take care of myself. Watch some porn or something. You probably won’t remember her in a few months.”
So he thought. I hadn’t forgotten her from that glimpse a year ago and I wasn’t ever going to.
Three years later…
“Come on, ride with me,” Joe Jr. said. Since I didn’t have any brothers, my cousin and I hung around together all the time.
“I can’t, Joe. My flight leaves in the morning,” I told him.
“Come on, it’ll be fast, but I feel like racing.”
“What’s going on? Girl trouble?” I teased since I was about to fix the only girl problem I had.
“Like you’d know anything about it.”
“I’ve had three years of trouble. Now it was all about to be squared away.” I couldn’t wait to get on the flight to her. Maybe if I killed some time, I would be with her faster. “Fine, let’s go for a ride.”
We went to the stables and grabbed two horses. I hopped on Jet, my sister’s horse. While Joey grabbed Willow, his mate. We rode fast and down across the fields for an hour when Will started acting weird, causing Jet to freak out. I was experienced so I managed to stay on as safely as possible, but he didn’t give up and bucked me off, catching my leg in the stirrup then he twisted. My foot came out of the hold, but it also broke.
I started howling in pain as I felt the break. “Bryce, shit.” Joey was at my side with his watch phone calling for an ambulance. “I’m sorry, man,” he said. “Fuck, stay still. The ambulance is on its way.”
I laid there bleeding because the bone tore through my flesh. Within hours, I was waking up in the hospital with a cast on my leg. Joey was sitting next to me and I snarled at him.
“I have to go to Reese. You need to help me.”
“I don’t think it’s okay for you to travel.”
“I’m going to choke your ass. I should have used my damn common sense,” I complained. “Don’t say a word about my plans, but damn it, you’re going with me.”
“Fine. I’ll go with you.”
A knock on the door sounded just before my mother walked in with my father right behind her.
“How’s my baby?” she asked, rushing up to the bed.
I loved her, but she wasn’t the woman I wanted to hold. Fuck, I hope I didn’t miss her.
Chapter 4
Bryce
Six fucking years. How am I still searching for her? Granted the first three, I tried not to. It would have broken my resolve to finish school because I’d be focused on her.
“Mom and Dad sent images to look at for the hotel. Let’s check them out and see what needs to be done. I know you don’t care because you have bigger things planned,” I said to my little sister, Elizabeth.
“You’re an idiot. Just open the files on yours,” she hissed.
I hit the screen on my tablet and my nosy sister leaned over and started swiping. “Stop touching it. I’ll do it,” I snapped, batting her hand away. She was just doing it to annoy me. She got the message, too. I swiped the next photo and froze. Six years…I’ve searched for six years and there, smiling at the camera was the woman I’d been hoping for.
“Come on, scroll to the next one,” she whined.
“How about you take out your damn phone and look at them by yourself. I don’t need your dragon breath on my neck.”
“Someone’s bitchy.” She got away from my desk, then plopped her ass on the large leather sofa in my office.
With a smirk on her face, my bratty sister giggled. “You think she’s pretty? I mean, she’s gorgeous. Will you go all dad on her and carry her out of the hotel?”
“He never did that.”
“No, but he went caveman on Mom.”
“True, but I’m not like him.”
“Bullshit, you couldn’t be more Dad. It’s like mom was just the biological host and you’ve only got Dad’s DNA. Anyways, I don’t have time to chat about this. I’ve got somewhere I need to be.” She got up and left the room with a wave goodbye. Good, I was on my computer in a flash, pulling up the company employee list. I went to the Harley Inn staff and there she was. Harper Simmons. Wow, I’d finally found her. Her hair was a shade darker than the sunny blonde I remembered. Her light green eyes were brighter. And her body was looking more like a woman’s. Even in her work uniform, she looked like a sex kitten. Suddenly, a hint of betrayal flooded my thoughts. She probably gave herself away. What belonged to me had been given to someone else. I had to get to Reese; I’ve waited long enough to claim her. There was a storm coming through, so I wouldn’t be able to get a flight until tomorrow at the earliest. I couldn’t even take the jet because my parents were using it.
I was searching through her information, trying to find out how I missed her all these years. How had she stayed in the shadows of my searches? I opened the email on my phone and uploaded
the photo with a bit of a modification before saving it as my screensaver. It wasn’t long before I was packed with everything I needed to meet my past and future, hell my everything, in Reese.
“I’m coming for you, Harper,” I promised as I jumped in my car.
Chapter 5
Harper
I couldn’t believe that I took the job here. It was foolish and a last opportunity to see him again. It took a while to figure out who he was, but one time I came to town to see my grandparents and his parents were in the car next to us. I saw him and thought for a moment it was Bryce. My mother and grandmother pointed out that they had one son named Bryce, the heir to the Middleton fortune. For a week, they tried to get me to the hotel, but I couldn’t. Never would I become a gold digger. It was what sent my father into an early grave, that I was sure of.
I just had to see him once. “Hey Harper, it’s your break time,” Dylan said, he was the latest guy to start working here, and his eyes had been on my ass for weeks. The years had been kind to me when it came to my figure, and my mother made sure that it had. She even considered breast implants if my tits didn’t grow. They were as affordable as televisions these days. The world had gone upside down since I was a little kid. Sex was everywhere and technology ruled the world. I never understood all this VR technology hitting the market like it did. Theme parks like Big Bear were on their way out, as was visiting places like the mountains. Driving to take in the fresh air only cost gas or an electric charge to get there and you could camp out under the beautiful night sky. Now everyone put those sets on their heads and saw it without their lazy asses leaving their sofas.
I traveled every chance I got. It was all I could do to forget Bryce. Every time I was up here, my mother hounded me. The only day I was without a tail during the summer after my eighteenth birthday, he wasn’t there. I waited like he asked, but he never came.