by Kira Blakely
I began to shake my head. “No, Brayden, I can’t take any handouts from you.”
“Now, did I say it was a handout?” he chided me, wiping the tears from below my eyes with the cuff of his shirt. “Look, Harper, I’ve overwhelmed here. This has all grown too fast. I never have a moment off. I need an assistant and have been considering asking you to take the job for the last few days but I was afraid to ask you.”
My head jerked up. His beautiful eyes glowed with a warmth that was different than I’d ever seen. I knew there was emotion and caring; and maybe even a bit of insecurity there. It made him vulnerable to ask me. The scales had tipped. When did that happen?
“I know you think I’m after sex with you and I was afraid if I asked you, you’d leap to that conclusion and disappear.”
“Oh.” I nodded. “And the thought of that bothered you?”
“Of course! What did you think?”
“I guess I hadn’t.”
“So, will you be my assistant?” He was so close to me and I wanted to close my eyes, crawl into his arms and let the world go on about its business. Yet, here he was, opening his arms and inviting me into his business. Could I handle being that close to him every day? I realized then that I couldn’t not be that close to him. I wanted to be attached to him at the hip.
I nodded.
“Now there are a few conditions that go with the job.”
I steeled myself—maybe it had been too good to be true. “What sort of conditions?”
“First thing is that you are to spend at least four hours every day working on your website. You have smarts and ambition, and I won’t squash that. There will be plenty of time left for your other duties.”
I wanted to hug him, but not yet. Not until I heard the other conditions.
“The second is that you will live at my home, and I have a reason for asking that. I don’t want to tell you now, but it’s not what you think.”
Part of my heart was screaming for him to tell me that I had to sleep in his bed. The other part was screaming that he couldn’t make me do it, that I had value apart from being a sexual fascination for him. One side of my brain didn’t trust the other. That was when I realized that my lack of trust had nothing to do with Brayden. It was all inside of me. I didn’t trust my father. I didn’t trust myself.
“I can’t say completely that I agree because I don’t know what I’m agreeing to.”
“I realize that. Just keep the option open for now, agreed?”
I nodded. “Thank you, Brayden. I’m in a tough spot, and I hope this isn’t a pity offer.”
“Oh,” he laughed, “I guarantee you it’s not based on pity. That’s the last thing. I think I have more faith in you than you do in yourself.”
I nodded. “That might be true; I won’t deny it. So, all the conditions on the table, right?”
“Right,” he said. “Come with me. Let’s take a ride.”
I was puzzled. “My luggage is in the office behind the desk.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“You seem pretty sure of yourself.”
“Always have been. That’s why you love me!” he laughed and then his face froze.
He’d said the word and it felt like it had come from my own mouth. For a moment, I wasn’t even sure who had said it. It just felt right. We stared at one another for a split second and then both looked to the floor. Without looking up, he walked to the door, his head tilted downward as he turned the doorknob. He held his hand out. I took it. He squeezed my hand quickly and pulled me forward as he walked out.
We left Utopia at the front entrance, the heat slapping us in the face. I thought he was headed to the garages where I supposed he kept his car.
Instead, he headed toward the marina. “Let’s go home,” he said and handed me aboard a red, shiny cabin cruiser. It was state of the art and a man emerged from the cabin.
“Harper, this is Captain Bob. You can trust him with your life. Captain, take us home.”
Chapter 10
Brayden
“Where are you taking me?” Harper asked as we left the dock, the prow lifting out of the water until we leveled off, skipping above the waves. There was a look of uncertainty and a little fear in her eyes, and I put my arm around her to quell those nerves. I knew she’d never been great with uncertainty, and I wanted her to know that she was safe with me.
I pulled her into the cabin and handed her a glass of wine. “Sit down, Harper, and let’s talk.”
She took the glass, questions in her eyes. I didn’t blame her. I wasn’t giving her much to go on.
“You see that land out there?” I pointed out the porthole. She nodded. “That’s my island.”
She gulped. “That’s your island?”
“Yes, it’s called Vermilion Key, and I bought it a few years back. I know you probably thought I lived at Utopia, but things can get overwhelming there. I needed somewhere I could call my own, where I could get away.”
She nodded and leaned back, getting more comfortable that what I was telling her was not life-changing, but simply common sense.
“So, I bought the Key and had the property developed. I built a house, and I call it Red Sapphire.”
“Interesting name.”
I laughed. “After the first sunset, you’ll know why. The sky glows like it’s on fire, a blazing red. It earned its own name.”
She held out her glass for a refill. “Isn’t it a little inconvenient to live on an island?”
“It can be a challenge from time to time, but the isolation feeds your soul. You’ll see. You’ll love it, I promise. I’ve got all the modern conveniences; there’s nothing primitive about Red Sapphire. In fact, I think you’ll find it’s actually fairly nice. Now, few, and I mean very few people know about it. A couple of my top employees, in case of emergency. My attorney, a very few others. In fact, Collin doesn’t even know about it. I don’t want him showing up there. I need him to stay on the big island and leave me alone. In fact, he’s one of the reasons I bought it.”
“Why is Collin such an unwanted person?”
“Oh, God, Harper, I have no idea what all he’s involved in. You know him—he’s always been wild. He walks the line between legal and not, and I think he crosses it more often than he’d like anyone to know. He’s always on the down and out, needing money or a place to stay. So, whatever he’s doing, it’s not working for him, that’s for sure.”
She reached forward and patted the back of my hand. The touch felt like a fiery brand, and I knew we both felt it. Her hand jerked, but she didn’t pull it back. It was as if we were connected by some mystical energy that had grown over the years we’d known each other. I coughed and realized I’d forgotten what we were even talking about. It made for an awkward silence but the room was filled with that touch.
“So, anyway,” I continued, “there is more that I need to tell you. This part is hard.”
I knew I had her attention. She probably thought I was going to spring a wife or two on her. “You remember my brother, Cory?”
“Yes, and I’m so sorry about that. It must be very hard for you.”
“Life goes on,” I said, looking out into space. I’d learned not to think too much about it. If one could have a favorite brother, Cory had been that for me. Collin was my brother, and I’d always have his back, but he knew it and wouldn’t be inclined to return the favor. Cory had been different. He and I had been very similar in personality; we looked at life in much the same way. “Anyway, there’s something I didn’t mention when I told you about him. He and Sylvia had a daughter. Her name is Meghan, and she’s ten. She lives with me at Red Sapphire. There’s staff always on duty there and she has someone who comes to home school her, but she basically lives there on her own. I don’t get over there as often as I’d like.”
“Really?” she asked, surprised at my secret.
“Harper, Collin does not know about her. Cory and Collin were at odds, and he never told Collin they had a da
ughter. They didn’t want Collin’s influence over her, and you know how Collin can be.”
She nodded. “Go on.”
“So, this is why I’d like you to live on the island. First of all, I do want your help as an assistant. It won’t mean spending much time at the resort, unless you’d like to. I would like to ask that you accompany me as hostess for the many events and dinners booked there. That will take me off the eligibility roster, thank god, but I also happen to enjoy your company. So, mostly you’ll stay at Red Sapphire. I think you need some peace and quiet to work on your site, Meghan would love some feminine company and me, well, I want you nearby. I’m sorry, but I can’t put it any better way.”
She opened her mouth but I held up my hand to hush her. “Let me go on. You’ve been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. There is no one I trust more than you. You’re already like family. I’d like Meghan to know she has a woman in her corner, someone she can go to with that girl-stuff talk. A friend and sort of big sister. You never know; you might really like her. I happen to think she’s a great kid.”
Harper was studying my face.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m just thinking.”
“About…?”
“I guess I’m surprised that you trust me to enter your life and to be a part of your business. That sounds like you’re not planning to run me off anytime soon.”
“Hell, no! Does that bother you?”
“Not in the least,” she said, grinning, and got up from her seat and came toward me. Reaching up, she pulled down my head and gave me a warm, lengthy kiss. Her touch shot right through me again.
“You’re not going to leave me, are you?” I tried to keep my voice level, but she’d left before.
“Not unless you give me a reason to. But there’s one thing I want clear.”
“Fair enough. What’s that?” I was afraid of what she might say. I was floating in the depths of her eyes and the fact that we were discussing an arrangement that would keep her nearby was all I could think of.
“I want you to want me for my brain and not because I never gave in when we were together before and you see this as some sort of conquest.”
“Oh, honey. Is that what you think?”
“You hurt me badly, Bray.”
“I know I did. Do you think I’m cruel enough to do that to you twice?”
“Are you?”
I drew my breath in at that. She still didn’t trust my intentions, or even me, as a man. The part that involved me, I understood. I’d heard about her old man after her mother died, so maybe I was starting to see some of the root of her insecurity. “I just want to be with you, in whatever context you’ll let that to be,” I told her softly.
She kissed me again and that time, I held her tightly and longer than normal; just because it felt good. There was a lump in my throat and I recognized emotion in myself I’d never felt before then.
“I think you need to understand something, honey. You were everything to me at one time. When you continued to reject me, I thought I’d lost interest and moved on. I am beginning to see that just maybe I saw your rejection as hurtful and had to put that hurt away. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”
She nodded. “More than that, Bray, I’m beginning to see that you’ve got a deeper soul than I ever gave you credit for.”
“Oh, shit, don’t be getting all emotional or tagging me with touchy-feely qualities. I can still be an asshole. That’s just men in general.” I was embarrassed by the tension and wanted to make the conversation lighter.
“Maybe so,” she agreed. “But you’ll be my asshole.”
I had to laugh aloud at that and with a new understanding between us, we went topside as the sound of the motors had revved down, telling me that we were approaching the Vermilion Key dock.
Meghan was bouncing down the walkway toward the dock. I knew she’d heard my boat and the distinctive red signaled it was safe for her to come down and greet me. I liked to think she was anxious to see me, but knowing how pre-teens could be, I thought it far more likely that she was bored and wanted to see if I’d brought her anything.
“Uncle Brayden!” she called as she waved.
Captain Bob brought the boat alongside the dock, and I leapt off to tie it to the cleats. I hugged Meghan, grinning at her excitement.
Just as I’d thought, her first question was, “Did you bring me anything?”
“I sure did, but not what you might think. Harper, come here, would you?” She appeared at the side as Captain Bob helped her over and she came to stand on the dock next to me, a big smile on her face. “Harper, this is Meghan, my niece. Meghan, I’d like you to meet an old friend of mine, Harper Filkins.”
Harper laughed. “Can we go with my being a long-time friend? Nice to meet you, Meghan. I can see the family resemblance.” I liked that. It made Meghan feel instantly included, something she got very little of.
“Oh, so you’re that Harper.” Meghan grinned. “Love your hair,” she added in a typical pre-teen gawking admiration.
“There’s more than one?” Harper asked. “And personally, I think your hair is beautiful. I see you were lucky enough to inherit the Campbell copper color.”
“Thanks. No, you’re the only Harper here, but you’ll find out,” Meghan teased, a pleased look on her face. I knew Meghan was dying to show her what she meant so I herded us toward the house.
“Oh, Bray, it’s gorgeous!” Harper complimented me as she saw the house. I’d had it designed by an architect from Hawaii and it was, despite the massive amounts of glass that made up wall windows, created to withstand hurricanes, unless the entire island went underwater. It was low-roofed and spread out with over eight thousand square feet. The foyer opened with an artisan water feature and recessed lighting that highlighted three-dimensional wall art carved from sandstone. Harper looked up at the skylight and her pace slowed, as if taking in a museum. The home had several wings with a total of six bedrooms and seven baths. Indoor garden planters were filled with tropical blooms, and I’d asked for as much light as possible to filter throughout the house. I liked the sense of being outdoors.
I had matching five-hundred-gallon saltwater aquariums set into one wall, a coffered mahogany ceiling and a black grand piano rested on the stone-tiled floor in the gallery we used as our living area. Additional carved sandstone commanded the master bed wall as a headboard opposite a window wall and view of the rest of the island. The home occupied the highest point so the views were spectacular all 360 degrees. The baths all featured separate showers and soaking tubs and the bedrooms each had cherry cabinets in their walk-in closets. I’d had them add an in-home projection theatre and an interesting workout room with woven bamboo ceiling and cabinet accents.
The same stone that lay throughout the home continued out the glass walls to form a patio around a diamond-shaped pool. Cushioned banquettes lay both in the open sun and were slid beneath the pillar-supported roof.
Meghan was watching Harper’s face as we walked through the rooms. I knew she felt like a proud hostess, and I let her have that job. I don’t think Harper was prepared for what she saw. I was the bad boy who had made good, and I don’t think she any idea of the level of “good” I’d achieved. I was as proud as Meghan, to tell the truth. Neither Harper nor I had grown up with much in the way of money as kids. I’d made some early mistakes as I’d bought into the house-flipping craze, but I learned quickly. Like a game of Monopoly, I kept trading up, reinvesting every dollar I’d made. The result lay around us, and now she was here to make it perfect.
“I just don’t know what to say.” Harper was effusively generous in her comments. “It’s like something out of a dream.
“There’s more,” Meghan chimed in, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
“More?”
“Well, there’s actually lots more if you count the stables, tennis court, golf course and all that stuff, but what I meant is for you.”
Harper l
ooked at me quickly, a questioning look on her face.
“But you didn’t even know I was coming, Meghan,” she said, astonished.
“Ohhhh, news travels more quickly than you might think around here,” the girl answered with a giggle.
“Evidently.”
“Why don’t you show her, Megs?” I invited and she clapped her hands together and then took Harper by the hand, dragging her out the opened wall door to the pool area. I was glad Meghan was around. She made the whole thing less intimidating from Harper’s point of view.
“See?” Meghan was pointing.
Harper looked and then at me. “What is it?”
“It’s where you get to work!”
“What?”
“C’mon.” Meghan dragged her. “It’s the guest cottage but now it belongs to you! See?” The young girl pointed to the heavily-cushioned wicker furniture on its covered porch and then opened the pastel-painted door.
Harper looked back at me, and I nodded encouragingly. “It’s okay. Megs is right. It’s what we’ve laughingly referred to as the guest cottage but since we never have guests, it has sat empty. With Meg’s excellent instinct for design, I let her fix it up for you. Your own little place, so to speak, although you’re free to do anything to change it that you like, naturally. That was Meg’s idea, by the way.”
Harper walked into the 2,000-square foot cottage and the first thing that struck someone entering was the height of the ceiling. It was tall enough to house an entire second floor, but I’d had it built with windows so it felt as though it was open to the sky. There was an open room centrally located, furnished with pale, white-washed furniture covered with pastel cushions. Like-colored rugs were randomly placed atop the bamboo floor and a state-of-the-art kitchen with all white appliances and a breakfast bar sat to one side. Even the cottage had its own guest suite but the master was the largest and had the most spectacular view of the ocean and that vantage of the island. It also had its own back patio and hot tub. It wasn’t my taste because it was essentially feminine, but when it came to Harper, I couldn’t think of a more perfect atmosphere.