Glass Towers, Shattered (Glass Towers Trilogy)

by Adler

  “Then, let’s do it!”

  After another wine flight and a delicious dinner, we finally decide to call it a night. We have not done anything like this in years. It feels wonderful to have quality bonding time with my mom.

  On our way to the car, we stop off at the gallery to get our parcels. Once settled into the car, I look at the time. “Geeze mom, did you see what time it is? It’s nearly 9:00 PM!

  “Yes, and what is your point? Have to be somewhere, honey?”

  I giggle. “No, of course not. I am just not used to this free time with my mom. Now let’s go back and see just what dad has found to watch on TiVo. Hope it’s not some boring sports. I have had my fill of that lately.” Ooops, hope she missed that comment. I forget that Albert is not a normal part of my life.

  As we pull into the driveway, I notice a small, black sports car parked across the street next to a neatly trimmed laurel hedge. It’s dark and the street lights are practically non-existent. We get our bags out of the back of the car. I hit lock on the remote, and take a second glance to see if I can make out the vehicle. It’s not a car that I have seen in this beachfront cluster of homes, until now.

  “Honey, you coming?” Mom says from the front steps. I start to ask if she knows who the car belongs to, but before the words come out, the front door swings open. Dad is standing in the doorway with the most peculiar grin on his face. I have never seen him with such a goofy look on his face.

  “What is it dear?” Mom is looking at him with wide eyes, then she looks back at me with her eyebrows raised.

  “Ladies, we have a visitor.” He steps aside and Harrison appears in the doorway. This is all too familiar. It’s not the first time that Harrison has appeared randomly in a doorway.

  My heart stops when I lay eyes on him. He looks out the door at my mom and flashes her that panty -dropping smile of his. He advances forward. “Good evening, Mrs. Austen, I am Harrison Towers. He reaches his hand out and takes mom’s hand, bringing it up to his lips. He presses a quick kiss on the top of her hand.

  Even in the dark on the steps, I can see my mom blushing a thousand different shades of red. I get my hair and eye color from her, as well as my blushing affliction.

  Harrison looks over the top of her head and locks eyes with me. He mouths ‘surprise’. My knees buckle from under me, and I drop one of my bags. As I reach for the railing to steady myself, I try to make sense of the situation. Really? Why does he have that power over me?

  He moves past my parents and comes down the steps to meet me. I set my bags down and see a twinkle in his eye that I haven’t seen before. He swoops down and picks me up, spinning me around. I am squealing as he spins around again.

  Chapter 28

  When he finally sets me back down, he leans down, and with a hand behind my head, he pulls me in and seals his lips over mine. It is a passionate, but brief, kiss. He pulls away and leans in close to my ear. “I have exciting news Danielle, very exciting news. I just could not wait to tell you.”

  “How are you here, Harrison? Does Marion know that you are here?”

  I stop and look up at my parents, who have both inched their way to the edge of the front porch, straining to hear.

  “Guys, do you mind?”

  “Oh, sorry honey. I’ll just take our things in.” She takes my bags, hands them to my dad, and they both quickly disappear into the house.

  “Harrison, I am so excited to see you, but I am confused. What is going on? How did you find the house? What is your exciting news?”

  “Whoa, slow down, Danielle. One question at a time. Here let’s go sit in my car.”

  He takes my hand and leads me to his sex mobile parked across the street. I knew that car was out of place. Since it is so dark, I did not recognize it.

  Once inside the car, I turn to him and find myself almost brought to tears. I am so happy to see him.

  He once again puts his hand behind my head and pulls my lips to his. This time, his tongue seeks mine and we have a long, passionate kiss that leaves my loins wanting to feel him buried inside me.

  I reach down between his legs to feel how much his body wants me. He groans, as I rub his hard cock with the palm of my hand. He leans his head back on the headrest and closes his eyes. I keep rubbing, as I feel my panties getting soaked. He reaches his hand over and rests it on my crotch, over my jeans. He turns to me with his cloudy sex eyes, “Danielle, not here.” His voice rasps.

  I know he is right, but I want to feel him so badly. My loins are quivering and throbbing with desire, as my panties are now sopping wet.

  Harrison rolls down his window, and I can hear the crashing of the waves louder now.

  Turning to him, I say, “Okay let’s hear it.”

  He laughs and then looks straight at me. “Danielle, I went to the board. They know everything. I told them about Marion and her blackmail against me and Garrin.”

  “Harrison! Why? I thought you needed evidence first?”

  “I got the evidence that I needed to be able to go to my father and the board.”

  “Well, don’t keep me in suspense? What did you find out?” I am practically panting. This is the best news that I can possibly imagine.

  “We found out that she has nothing. She lied. There are no accounts or trails that lead to me as an embezzler.”

  My heart is singing right now. Could this be for real?

  “I had an independent firm conduct a discreet audit of our corporate accounts to confirm whether there was any money missing. As of right now, all funds are accounted for, where my involvement is concerned. There is evidence of missing funds that she authorized for several capital improvement projects at the Hood River winery. Projects, that I knew nothing about. If she has set up any offshore accounts, we suspect we know where she obtained the funds. I took the findings from the audit to the board and explained to them why I had the independent study of the books conducted.”

  “So, does Marion know you have debunked her claims?”

  He shakes his head, “Not yet. I am going to stick it out for a little longer and see if we can smoke her out. We have a few hunches about where she has stashed the money. We need to get that proof, so we can take it to the authorities.”

  “Oh Harrison, can it be true that you are almost rid of her?” I feel giddy with excitement and something else that is foreign to me. I feel hope and optimism. I have been robbed of these two feelings for a very long time.

  He takes my hand and looks in my eyes, “Yes, believe it. We are almost through this. We just have a short time left before we can be together for real.”

  “So, no more sneaking around?”

  “Soon, not just yet, but soon.”

  I sigh.

  “Why the long face? I thought you would be excited? I came straight here after I flew into Portland. I literally landed, hopped in my car and drove straight down here so that I could see you. Marion thinks I am in Montreal until Sunday.”

  “So, are you staying? How long have you been down here and how did you find the house?”

  He laughs. “Danielle, enough questions! I looked your parents up. That part wasn’t hard. Yes, I am staying. I have been down here for just over an hour, and I had a pleasant conversation with your father. He is a great guy. He has invited me to stay at the house, if that is okay with you?”

  “Of course that is okay with me! I am just thrilled that you are here. Wait, were you on a layover or something when you texted me this afternoon?”

  He bites his lip. I hate it when he does that because I always want to take a nibble myself. “Yes, you found me out. I was on a layover in New York, making my way back to you.”

  Gasp. He is so damned sexy.

  He leans over and kisses me again. “Shall we go inside, I would love to get to know your parents.”

  I giggle. I can only imagine what they are saying right now. I am willing to bet that my mother is standing in the living room, peering out of the sheer curtains, spying on us.

 
We get out of the car and Harrison goes around to the trunk to pull out a small suitcase.

  He sets the alarm on the car, and we head inside to face the parents. Surprisingly, they have gone to bed.

  I wake up to my dad whistling out in the hallway. It reminds me of being a kid. Every Saturday morning, he would be up early, puttering and whistling around the house. My mom would usually be in the kitchen, whipping up her famous Dutch pancakes.

  I am hoping this morning is no exception. I could really go for some of her delicious pancakes this morning. My parents are progressive, but old fashioned at the same time. Mom had set up the guest room for Harrison. I knew this because when we came in last night, the only light on upstairs was the spare bedroom. The bedding was pulled back and a bath towel was waiting for him.

  Harrison! He’s here! I can’t wait to see him. I shower quickly and wrap a towel around my bust. I return to my room and stop dead in my tracks. My stomach almost jumps out of my mouth. There is Harrison, lounging on my bed, with my new green teddy dangling from his hand. He takes my breath away. He is wearing a pair of snug jeans and a navy blue and white checked button-down shirt. His sleeves are rolled up, and he is barefoot. His hair is perfectly messy, as usual, and I can smell his freshly showered scent. I think I may be drooling.

  I shake myself out the trance.

  My eyes are bugging out of my head, as I hiss, “What the hell are you doing in my room? My mom had better not see you in here!”

  He flashes me his naughty smirk, “Mom sent me up here to get you for breakfast. But, I have to confess, I am not really hungry for food. I think I’d rather eat what is under that blue towel.” The scoundrel licks his lips. My loins respond in kind with a warming sensation and a moist release.

  He gets up from the bed, and walks over to me, shoving his hand up my towel, resting his fingers on my moist crotch. He shoves his fingers into my “P” and starts moving them in a circular motion. “Oh, not now, Harrison.” I can hardly contain myself. “I want you so bad, but not here, not right now.”

  He kisses me on the neck by my ear. He sucks at that tender spot that makes my loins ache. I arch against him, as he moves behind me, with his hand wrapped around to my breasts. He continues to move his fingers around inside me, while using his thumb to rub my clit. He moves his mouth over my ear, his breathing ragged and rasping. His hot breath sends chills down my back to my loins. He continues to move his fingers around in my “P”, using an in and out motion. He takes one finger out and circles it around the swollen entrance to my “P” then he quickly shoves them both back inside of me in a quick movement, while continuing to suckle at my neck. I can’t take it anymore. I feel my insides clinch and then a wave of heat radiates through my loins, and I cum, while arched against his chest. He continues to fondle my loins, until I go limp in his arms. I turn around to face him and kiss him passionately. I hear from downstairs that my mom is calling out to Harrison. I instantly tense up and push away from him, aiming him toward the door. He turns to look back at me with a smirk.

  Out the door he goes, and I hear him taking the stairs two at a time. I smile to myself, he is just perfect for me.

  I dress in a new pair of tight fitting jeans that I bought last night and a cream and white striped, loose fitting sweater. I find a soft, pink cotton scarf in my overnight bag and knot it around my neck. It’s the perfect beach ensemble. I hug myself in the mirror. This is what happy looks like. I am positively glowing.

  At the top of the stairs, I can smell Mom’s Dutch Pancakes cooking in the oven. My mouth is already salivating.

  Harrison is sitting at the table with my dad. Their heads are together, and they are clearly deep in discussion. Neither one seems to notice my entrance. I walk over to my mom and kiss her on the cheek.

  “Good morning, dear. You sure look perky this morning.”

  I look at my Mom, “I could say the same about you.” She smiles at me, nods and then winks. Oh, I really hope that doesn’t mean what I think it means. That is just too much information for my liking.

  Turning toward the table, I see both my dad and Harrison looking at us. I feel a blush taking over my face. “What?” I sit down at the table with my plate full of piping hot Dutch pancake, covered in fresh-squeezed lemon and powdered sugar.

  My dad clears his throat and takes a sip of his orange juice. “So what do you two have planned for today? I wouldn’t mind taking you around to show you the sights.”

  Harrison looks at me and I nod. “I would love that. Let’s make a morning of it. If you have no objection, I would like to steal your daughter away this afternoon for a drive down the coast.” He looks to me, “I have some property that I am thinking about developing. I’d like to show it to you.”

  My mom turns to Harrison, “Lovely, how about I pack you a picnic. You can roast marshmallows and drink hot chocolate.”

  I giggle and look at Harrison, who is smiling warmly up at my mom, who is finally joining us the table.

  “Did you bring a parka, Harrison? It is misting out there today, and you might need a good sturdy coat. If you didn’t, I have one that I can loan you.” My dad is in great spirits today. What’s gotten into him?

  “I would appreciate that. I did not bring a proper jacket for traipsing around the beach in the mist. I only have my raincoat and leather jacket.” He flashes my mom his beautiful smile.

  After we finished cleaning up the kitchen, mom ushers us out so she can prepare our picnic.

  I head out to the family room and find a content Henry, curled up with Misty by the wood stove. I guess I don’t need to bother him right now. He looks perfectly happy.

  My dad is whistling in the entryway, so I go out to join him. He looks around and then asks me where Harrison has gone off to?

  “Oh, he had to take a call from Montreal. He will be right back. I think mom went up to put on something warmer. So Dad, what do you think?...Of Harrison that is?”

  Dad takes me by the arms, “Well, at first when he introduced himself, I was leery. But, after we chatted while we waited for you ladies, I understand everything now. He is still on probation because of what he has put you through, but I think he will get off on good behavior, if he doesn’t do anything else to hurt you.”

  “Ah, there you are, where’s Harry?”

  “It’s Harrison, Mom, and he is outside on a call.”

  “He does not seem to mind my calling him Harry. Now let’s go out to the car and wait for him.”

  Just as we all step onto the porch, Harrison comes up the walkway, all smiles. Yes, this is going to be a good day.

  After several hours of showing Harrison the sights with my family, we are finally in his car, alone. I let out a big sigh. He turns to me with a question in his eye, “What’s that about?”

  I sigh again, “Oh nothing, I am just glad that we are finally alone for a while. Now where are we headed off to? I think my Mom packed enough food and firewood for an army!”

  “Good, I have plans for us by the fireside.”

  Harrison starts the Aston, and we head down the street and out of my parents’ neighborhood.

  We drive about 10 minutes down the Coast Highway. I can’t believe that Harrison owns land down here. I wonder what he is going to do with it. Of course, the real estate mogul would have land on the coast, I mean, why wouldn’t he?

  Harrison reaches over and places his right hand over mine, squeezing my hand tightly. He proceeds to raise the top of my hand to his sensual lips. He places the most body-warming kiss on my smooth skin.

  “I love you, Danielle.” He says this while looking over, deep into my eyes. I can’t believe this is happening to me. Me, the small-town interior designer from Cannon Beach, Oregon is sitting in an Aston Martin with one of the top ten most eligible bachelors.

  “I love you too, Harrison. All of you.”

  This feels so right. I have been waiting all my life to feel this way. It is happening, and I am finally the leading lady in this love story.


  “Harrison, where are we going, exactly?”

  “I own some land on the coast not far from here. I want to show you my little Pacific Coast jewel.”

  The car slows, as we come to a gated entrance. Harrison flips open his glove compartment and pushes a button on a remote on the inside. The gates slowly open inward, allowing us access.

  “Welcome to, ‘Sundown,’ Danielle.

  It is dark, but there is a beautiful glow of the Fall moon dancing on the coastline. The moonlight is enough for me to make out that we are entering a gated development, right on the water. The gates close automatically behind us, as Harrison pulls up and parks near a wooden bridge.

  “This is Sundown, a development that I purchased a while back. I plan on building here in the coming years.”

  Harrison turns the engine off and walks around the car to my door. He opens my door, like the gentleman that he is, and extends his hand to help me out. I grab the basket of goodies that mom prepared for our evening.

  I can see a fire in the distance, as the roaring ocean waves crash against the rocks. It is pleasant outside and a light breeze swirls around the in the salty air.

  Harrison grabs my hand, and draws me in as he kisses my forehead. That gesture still sends me into a complete tailspin. He is soft, romantic and in control. It’s not the big things that thrill me. It’s the small touches like that, which make me swoon.

  We head down the street and over the newly built wooden bridge that connects the driveway to the beach. There are no houses around us, the coast is clear for probably a three-quarters of a mile on either side of us.

  “Harrison is that for...?”

  “Yes.”

  “Who came down and built us a bonfire, Harrison?”

  “It’s nice isn’t it?” He looks straight ahead. “It’s perfect for the basket your mother packed.”

  “Really, Harrison, you haven’t changed. You still know how to skirt around a subject! Anyway, this is just perfect, Harrison. This location is so secluded. I have never seen this private area of the beach before.”

  Harrison sets the basket down in the sand near the fire. He pulls out a chilled bottle of bubbly and pops the cork. This man is always prepared. How romantic!! He planned this all by himself.