Being Harrison Bloom's Girl
Sometimes, true love needs to find it’s footing…
A sexy billionaire romance by Ellie Etienne of BWWM Club. Features another free bonus book.
Stepping out of the working world, Leigh’s following her dreams and going to law school.
That means being away from her family, but it also means being away from her adopted billionaire brother Harrison.
And there’s just one thing - they’re in love.
The tabloids and trashy magazines are having a field day, as while Leigh and Harrison are of different races and share no blood, they still grew up together.
With all the pressure she’s facing, Leigh feel it’s time to get some space.
Harrison on the other hand feels the opposite, pulling closer, a strong desire to marry the love of his life.
But Leigh wants to be more than just ‘Harrison Bloom's Girl’.
With them both wanting such different things, can they make this relationship work?
Or will it all end in disaster?
Find out in this red hot yet touching romance by Ellie Etienne of BWWM Club.
Suitable for over 18s only due to sizzling X-rated sex scenes.
Tip: Search BWWM Club on Amazon to see more of our great books.
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Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Bonus Book - Marrying My Fake Boyfriend
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
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Chapter 1
“Damn,” muttered Leigh Wells, looking at her phone.
It was a perfectly inoffensive phone. Ordinarily, there would be nothing on it to annoy her. That was a luxury she was just getting used to. She’d quit her job as paralegal at a very prestigious, rather stuffy, and stereotypically self-important law firm a few months ago and was a student now. She’d gotten used to the perks of being a student, one of which was that she didn’t have to deal with annoying emails that demanded that she clean up other people’s messes, which seemed to be a pretty good description of what a lawyer’s job was.
Heaven only knew why she still wanted to be a lawyer, but she did. It had been her ambition from the time she was old enough to have an ambition beyond figuring out just what the books on the top shelf of her father’s study were.
But at the moment, with Harrison’s handsome face blinking on its screen, on and off, over and over again, she felt that a mild curse was probably excusable. Especially because she couldn’t take the call – because she had an assignment to finish, and a test to prepare for. Well, she could take the call, if Harrison could be satisfied with a conversation along the lines of ‘Hey, buried, can’t talk, later? K, thanks, bye!’
But that wouldn’t be Harrison Bloom, would it? He was used to having her time whenever he pleased.
It was, thought Leigh, annoying that he apparently couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that she needed time to study. Studying law, apparently, was more demanding than working as a paralegal at a law firm. On the bright side, she mused, she wouldn’t have much trouble adjusting to the workload once she did graduate.
Still, that didn’t solve her current problem, which was that Harrison’s face – all right, it was an exceptionally handsome face, all blonde and blue-eyed, chiselled features and lips that made her sigh over memories even if she hadn’t been with him in a couple of weeks.
Her adopted brother – or was it stepbrother? She had never really figured out the semantics of it. It hadn’t seemed important at first, because he’d just been the one she could count on, no matter what. And then, when they became so much more than that, the semantics hadn’t mattered at all.
They had risked so much to be together, because they’d been so sure that it would all be worth it, in the end.
And it was.
It was just that...
Well, she wished Harrison would understand that as much as she loved him, things were changing between them. Law school was a huge change. That was her goal, as much as he was her life, too.
He had understood that, supporting her unconditionally through all the prep, through quitting her job, through all the anxiety of the tests and waiting for the results. He’d been there for her through all of it.
But...
The phone went dark and stopped buzzing.
Leigh sighed, annoyed with herself, too, now.
She had put off answering the call, dithering within her own head, because things were difficult. Avoiding difficult things had never been her style.
Steeling herself – how silly was it that she had to steel herself to call her boyfriend, the love of her life, back – she made the call.
“Leigh.”
His voice sent a little shiver of pleasure down her spine. He had the most wonderful voice – deep and soothing. It lulled people into a sense of security that was often false.
But not with her.
It was real with her.
She would always be safe with him. He would always watch out for her.
That, too, was something she was still trying to negotiate. She wasn’t used to being taken care of. It clashed with her instinct to be in control at all times.
“Hey.”
Still, her voice softened, and some of that annoyance melted away.
She could take a few minutes, even if she had a paper that she really did need another six hours, or preferably sixty, to get right.
“You sound tired.”
Leigh sighed.
She both loved and disliked the concern, and the fact that he could tell she was tired, from just a syllable.
“I am, a bit, but it’ll be a long night. Got a paper. Really need to ace this one.”
He chuckled, and she felt herself relax. Even hearing him laugh made her feel better. She was lucky – she really was.
“You will. You’ve aced everything so far.”
“Those were just tests. This is a proper paper. It’ll count towards the final grade.”
“So did the tests.”
“Well, this counts more.”
“I’ll take your word for it. Are you going to make the family dinner?”
Family dinner.
It had slipped her mind completely.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. She had, perhaps, not made much of an effort to remember.
“I don’t know. I think I might need the weekend for the paper.”
“You’re chickening ou
t.”
The accusation was well merited. Damn Harrison, he knew her too well. They’d known each other almost all their lives. He’d been just a child when he’d been adopted by her parents, when his own parents had died in a horrific car crash.
He had been her confidante for years, until they’d drifted apart a bit once she left to determinedly pursue her ambitions. Still, they had found each other – though not the same way. It had been different.
At least, it had been for her.
Harrison’s revelations had come as a bit of a shock.
“Well, it hasn’t been all that comfortable, lately. You know that the tabloids will have photographers camping out along the way because they’ve figured out the schedule, and every time I come home, Dad does that whole thing of the protective father bit, and it’s getting pretty damn annoying.”
Harrison sighed.
“I know, but Martha will be hurt if we don’t go.”
Leigh heard the reproach in his voice and knew she was being petulant. That didn’t make it any better.
“I’ll try to finish it early and come,” she muttered.
“Will you spend the weekend with me?”
The warmth in his voice made her feel churlish and bitchy. And the idea of the weekend spent with him, in his penthouse apartment, with its very large terrace that he had pretty much given over to her and the gardener she had finally, regretfully, let take charge when she’d had to move away for college, was extremely appealing.
All she had now was a houseplant, and shit, had she forgotten to water it? Leigh had always had a green thumb. Ten green fingers, really. If law school was taking that away from her, too...
She needed a break from the place.
“I will. I’d love to. I’ll make it for dinner, one way or another, and we’ll spend the weekend together,” she promised.
It did cheer her up.
“I’ll be looking forward to it. Leigh, I miss you, so much. I’ve been spoiled. Now I need you all the time.”
Leigh sighed and smiled. So what if she might be late with her paper? It wasn’t the end of the world.
She had a life, and there was nothing wrong with that, too.
“I miss you, too.”
“I’ve barely seen you in the last month.”
Leigh chuckled.
“Except for the three times you drove down here and took me out, and sent all the girls and a few guys into paroxysms of envy?”
“It wasn’t that bad,” said Harrison, sounding sheepish.
“You turned up in a Ferrari with three potted rose bushes,” pointed out Leigh, beginning to enjoy herself.
“I was about to bring you a hundred roses, but I thought you’d prefer plants.”
Leigh chuckled.
“I would, if I had the time or the space to take care of actual plants. It was sweet, but every girl wanted a boyfriend like you by the end of that, and every boy here wished he could be like you.”
“But I’m yours.”
Leigh sighed.
“Yes, you are. And you’ll have me this weekend. I promise.”
She’d make it work, somehow, because she had to.
“But I have to get back to work now. I... I’ll talk to you later tonight, okay?”
“You mean you’ll send me a text at three saying you’re going to sleep and you’re sorry.”
Leigh sighed again.
“Harrison, you know I’m taking extra credits. You know I want to graduate early. I want to get it all done so we can move on from this. The distance, it’s getting to me, too, but I’m trying, I truly am. So please, don’t push me, all right?”
“I know. I’m sorry, Leigh. I just miss you.”
“I know. I miss you, too.”
“Then I’ll let you get back to it. See you in three days. And hopefully, speak to you before that.”
Leigh smiled.
Everything was fine in her world again.
“Yes. I love you, Harrison.”
“I love you, Leigh. More than anything in the world.”
Everything inside Leigh seemed to soften and settle as he said the words. She hadn’t realized how much she’d needed them until he’d said them.
He always seemed to know what she needed. At least, he had, until the distance had made itself felt.
But as Leigh hung up, the smile was still in place.
She was a very lucky girl.
“That’s not a smile I’ve seen on the face of anybody trying to get through one of those terrible Contracts papers set by the dreaded Dragon, Ms. Flame.”
Leigh looked around and saw one of the girls in her dorm who reminded her very much of her best friend, Emily – who was also away, in Beijing, working with her firm’s branch there.
Everybody seemed to have left Leigh behind, she thought, and felt the beginnings of petulance coming on.
“Hana! Boy, am I glad to see you. And the smile is possibly because I’m not doing the Contracts paper, I’m doing the Criminal Law one.”
Hana rolled her eyes, her expressive and animated face flickering with so many expressions that it was hard to keep up with her.
“The Hunk isn’t nearly as strict about deadlines as the Dragon, Leigh. You should do the Contracts one first and leave the Criminal Law one for later. Then it doesn’t matter if you don’t hit the deadline. Anyway, we’ll have to work all weekend to make it. I hate Monday morning deadlines.”
Leigh gulped a little.
“I have to go home this weekend.”
Hana’s eyes widened.
“You’re going to do it all in the next three days? Or have you some kind of time turner that you’re keeping to yourself?”
Leigh gulped again.
“I forgot about the Contracts paper when I said I’d go home. I have to go. Shit.”
“Well, shit is what you’re going to be in if you don’t get to work now instead of sitting there and dreaming, with that dopey look on your face. Were you thinking of the Prince Charming? You were, weren’t you?”
Leigh smiled, but it was strained, now that she knew just how much work she had to finish over the next couple of days. Sleeping at three seemed out of the question, too.
“And look where that’s getting me. I’d better get to work.”
Hana nodded.
“You can have my cheat sheet if you like. I have cheat sheets – from the best graded papers from the last five years.”
Leigh looked at Hana gratefully.
“You are a treasure – an absolute treasure. I’ll take the cheat sheets, with thanks.”
“And in exchange, you can loan me your Prince Charming,” teased Hana, making Leigh chuckle.
“I think your own Prince Charming might have something to say about that.”
“Ah, but he’s not a billionaire, so he’ll have to bow out gracefully.”
Leigh felt the little prickle of discomfort as Hana said that.
A lot of people on campus seemed to have decided that she was a bit of an unscrupulous gold-digger when they realized that she was that Leigh – the one who was dating her billionaire stepbrother.
They hadn’t even got their facts right. Harrison wasn’t her stepbrother, he was her adopted brother, and not even that, technically. Harrison had never been adopted by her parents as their son, though he was their son in everything but legality. They had become his legal guardians, and he their ward.
Leigh hadn’t thought about the nuances of that until a few months ago, when she decided to finally pursue her dream and do her LSAT. And had decided that she wanted to date him.
“Well, let’s figure that out later, shall we?” said Leigh, tersely, and Hana, understanding, settled down in the chair next to her and took her notes out.
Leigh tried to work, but she knew that part of her mind was wandering. It didn’t help the next day, or the next – it didn’t help, not even when she got in her car and made the two-hour drive back home.
Though it didn’t really feel like going hom
e. It felt like another thing that was pulling at her, tugging as if it would all end only when she unraveled. There was too much to do, too many commitments.
How was she going to deal with it all?
She would have to, thought Leigh, and she heard the siren.
“Shit,” she muttered, and the fear that rose was instinctive. Being pulled over in a Mercedes by the police was not at the top of any black woman’s list.
She pasted a smile on her face, and kept her hands on the steering wheel.
She squeaked a little embarrassingly when the officer’s face popped up by the window and he tapped it.
She smiled nervously and rolled it down.
“Miss, do you know you were going twenty miles over the speed limit?”
“I was? Shit. Shit, I wasn’t paying attention to the speed limit. I’m late for dinner. Going home from college for the weekend, you see. Mom’s cooking. She doesn’t like it when I’m late.”
She was babbling.
She clammed up quickly.
“I need your license and registration, please.”
“Oh yes, of course. It’s in my purse,” said Leigh. She sat there, resigned to her fate, as he looked over it.
“I’ll have to give you a ticket, miss. Please stay within the speed limit now.”
“I… Yes, thank you. Sorry. Please.”
What on earth was she even saying?
She took the ticket meekly enough, wondering just how fast she had been going – she’d been too consumed by her own thoughts to even notice – and got going again, wondering if things could possibly get much worse.
By the time she got to Harrison’s condo, she was feeling better, but not by much. She was ushered right into the private elevator that led to Harrison’s penthouse. She took a few deep breaths on the way up but couldn’t seem to settle herself down.
“Leave it behind, shake it off,” Leigh told herself, but she couldn’t.
When the elevator doors opened, she saw him.
Harrison stood there, flicking the cufflink closed at his wrist, and he looked so handsome that everything else seemed to fade away.
Surely, as long as she had him, everything would be all right?
“Leigh,” he said, and the warmth of love and pleasure in his voice made her relax a bit more.
Being Harrison Bloom's Girl (That Forbidden Love Book 2) Page 1