by Katie Dowe
“Now you have it.” She said coldly.
“Have what?” he asked her huskily as he stared at her.
“You are a very good kisser Mr. Shaw, but the thing is I have nothing to compare it to. If you think that following me out here and trying to get me to have sex with you in the hope that I would lay off Shaw Holdings for what they are doing then I am afraid you have failed.”
“You have nothing to compare it to?” he ignored the rest of her sentence. “Am I your first?”
“It was just a kiss Mr. Shaw, so please don’t flatter yourself,” she told him coldly. “If you will excuse me--”
She broke off with a cry as he pulled her back into his arms. Harper fought but not hard enough as his hands clamped around her and his lips took hers in a kiss that had her breath whooshing form her body! He hauled her up to him, his mouth moving over hers with an intensity that had her clinging to him and returning the kiss. Her body felt hot all over and she realized that she was not feeling the cold any more. Their tongues met and tangled and his expertise had her trembling against him. He lifted his head and looked down at her, his eyes lingering on the parted lips before he put her away from him. “I have a strong feeling I am going to be your first in a lot of things,” he told her softly. “And for the record, when we make love neither of us will be thinking about my company.” With that, he turned and walked away leaving her still trembling and staring after him!
*****
“Mother, what are you doing in here?”
“The party just broke up and I came in here to see if you were okay. You left early darling and you look flushed,” Faye stared at her daughter. “Are you okay?”
“I am fine.” Harper sat on the stuffed sofa and took off her boots. “I was just getting some fresh air.”
“What a wonderful night and a beautiful party. I met so many people darling and so many invitations to other functions.” She said enthusiastically. “I thought you would have been with one of the many unattached men who asked you to dance.”
“Really Mother?” she asked dryly.
“Darling, this place is a font for rich men and you are a beautiful woman. There was not one who appealed to you?” she asked hopefully.
Harper’s mind unwittingly went back to what had happened near the tennis court only a few minutes ago. Her lips were still tingling from the kiss but she deliberately brushed it from her mind. “No. Mother if you don’t mind I would really like to go to bed. Don’t we have an early start tomorrow?”
“About that darling. We have invitations to stay and have lunch with several members so we won’t be leaving early after all.”
Harper stared at the woman in frustration. “I should have known you would pull something like that.” She got to her feet and bad-temperedly went to get her pajamas. “I need to leave early in the morning.”
“What for? It is not like you have any pressing engagements. Stay and take advantage of the excellent service they have here and who knows? You might just find an unattached rich man here; the place is teeming with them. You did not get to really see what they look like at the ball but today they will be without masks so you can get to see them and maybe start something that will lead to something permanent. What harm is there in taking advantage of this time?” We might never get the chance to come here again.”
“Mother please leave,” she told her coolly, her impatience at an end.
“Fine,” Faye got to her feet gracefully and turned to look at her daughter. “I am only doing what’s best for you and I know you cannot see it now but later you are going to thank me for it.”
“I strongly doubt it.” Harper said dryly. “I am going to ask Daddy if I can take the vehicle and head out early in the morning.”
“Okay, if you insist. We were offered a ride back in one of the member’s private jet anyway.”
Chapter 6
Ethan broke it off with Samantha. He played around with the idea of calling her and telling her over the phone but he knew he could not do that. He had seen Harper the next morning heading out and had wanted to stop her and demand her number but he had let it go. First, he had to make himself available. Whatever his faults in terms of relationships he always did the right thing, and the right thing to do was to tell Samantha that it was over. He had known that there was something different about Harper the moment he saw her on television making that scathing comment about his company, but it had been clearer Saturday night when they had been on the balcony and further sealed when he had kissed her. It was something he had to explore. He knew it was not going to be easy because she had shown her contempt of what he stood for but surely she could not ignore what they had experienced on that cold night beneath the stars! His sister Erin had told him to be with someone who challenged him and he knew instinctively that it was going to be Harper Simmons.
He picked up the phone and dialed Samantha’s number.
“Hi,” she sounded so happy to hear from him that he felt like an eel about what he was going to do to her.
“You got home okay?” he was making banal polite conversation but he could not help it.
“I did. I was hoping to hear from you.”
“How about dinner at Luce’s tonight? I need to talk to you.”
“I would love that,” she said softly. He closed his eyes as he realized that she was expecting a far different conversation than the one he was going to have with her and knew she did not deserve it!
“See you then,” he hung up quickly before she could say anything else. He did not have time to reflect as there was a knock on his door before his mother came in.
“I see the party worked,” she said with a pleased smile as she took her seat opposite to him.
“You mean because there are no demonstrators huddled out on the sidewalk next to our building?” Ethan asked cynically. “Maybe they are off for the holidays or maybe the fact that the early morning snow put a stop to their plans.”
“Darling, I refuse to let your negative comments ruin my day. The party was a tremendous success! The papers are referring to it as the party of the year and a humanitarian move by Shaw’s Holdings to show the other side of the company. We not only just supply supplies to the military but we care about what happens to them as well. The money we raised on Saturday will be put to good use. Hundreds of soldiers and their families will benefit from it.”
“You sound like the PR department.” Ethan said with a smile.
“I just read the statement that they are sending out.” Evelyn admitted with a smile of her own. She looked at her son curiously. “Darling are you okay? Is it the drug under investigation or is it something else?”
“We are pulling the drug, Mother.” He told her.
“Why? And when did you decided this?” she asked with a frown.
“Over the weekend. It has been in question since the discovery was made.”
“Have you found out anything concrete?” she asked fearing for Clive.
“Nothing and whoever did this covered their tracks well. There are no paper trails at all but we cannot afford a scandal. The drug needs more work and that’s exactly what we are going to do. I am meeting with Clive and the rest of the people in the lab to explain my position.”
“I would like to be in on the meeting.”
Ethan looked at her curiously. “Why?”
“Darling, I am involved in every aspect of this company and I want to look at each and every face to see their reaction to the news.”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
She got to her feet. “Are you sure that’s the only thing?”
“What else could it be?” he asked her lightly.
*****
“After the party on Saturday and the enormous amount of press they got; I don’t think writing about the effects on war is such a good idea right now Harper,” the editor in chief told her as he pulled up his chair against his desk. “The papers are calling the move humanitarian and you saying otherwise is not a good
thing.”
“I could still write about the effects of war on the people involved.” Harper insisted. It was the Monday after the party and she had spent the better part of yesterday trying to forget that she had allowed the very man she spoke against to kiss her. Not only kiss her but had wanted him to do much more than that. She had come very close to losing her virginity to him! It had fueled her desire to hit out against his company if even to show that the kiss meant nothing to her. “I could write about the fact that Shaw’s Holdings are trying to find a way to justify what they do in order to take away from the fact that they are still the ones making it possible for there to be war.”
“Why are you so against that particular company?” his look was curious as he stared at her. “You seem to be making this personal and as a writer for a newspaper you know that should not be. Shaw’s Holdings is a huge company and we cannot afford to get on its bad side. If I allow you to write something that singles them out we will be looking at a libel suit and we are not wealthy enough to fight that. I am not sure that I would want to do that too. Write something about the party. I understand that you were there. Write something about what they are planning to do with the money. Get an interview from the man himself: Ethan Shaw and find out his views on the company’s stance when it comes to war.”
“You want me to interview Ethan Shaw?” she stared at him in disbelief.
He leaned forward as the idea took root. “Yes.” His eyes glinted with interest. “That would be such a coup if you could make that happen. People have been demonstrating and lashing out about what the effects of wars are doing to the people involved but we have not heard anything from the head of these companies and what their views are. What do you think?”
“Is that a request?”
He shrugged and settled back against his chair. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, am I being told what to write now?”
“You are a freelancer Harper because you chose to be. I have asked you several times in the past to become a staff like the rest of us but you have refused. I am only making a suggestion. You can think about it and get back to me.”
*****
Ethan had gone home to change before heading back out to the restaurant he had told Samantha to meet him. He had a very expensive diamond necklace in his pocket to try and make up for the fact that he was no longer interested in her. He tried to quell the thought and guilt that was threatening to consume him with the thought that he never felt anything more than a slight attraction for her anyway.
The manager sprang to attention and opened the doors for him as soon as he came in and showed him to the corner booth where she was already seated. He greeted her with a hug as she got to her feet and waited until she was seated before he sat down. The waiter hovered around waiting for them to make their choice of wine. “We will call you when we have decided.” Ethan told him.
“Yes, sir.” He bowed and hurried away.
“You look lovely,” he murmured as he turned his attention to her.
“Thank you,” she said with a wide smile. She did not tell him that she had gone out to purchase the burgundy blouse and black trousers she had worn for the dinner in order to impress him. She had felt his reserve at the party on Saturday and had been crushed when he had sent her away that night. Now he was here with her and that meant only one thing.
“How is business?” he asked her politely.
Samantha barely kept the frown from showing on her usually smooth brow. “It’s fine. Ethan what is going on?”
“What do you mean?” he asked her lightly.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“We will talk after the meal.” He told her as he signaled the waiter over.
*****
“You look fit to be tied,” Laila said as she opened the door to let her friend in. Harper had come straight from the newspaper to her friend’s place. She had thought about going to her apartment but had decided against it. She knew that if she went home she would be too furious and confused to think. Besides she had not seen Laila since Christmas Day and thought it would be good to see how she was doing.
“The children are asleep so we have time for some wine and gossip.” She gestured her friend into the living room where there was a fire blazing and then went to get the bottle of wine and two glasses.
“The children love the gifts they received from you,” she handed the glass to Harper. “Honey, you are going to have to stop spoiling them so much.”
“They deserve to be spoilt,” Harper sipped her wine and stared at the girl. She knew that the season was very hard on her friend as it was not only the season where family gets together but she and Barry had been married during the Christmas holidays. “How are you?” she asked softly.
“I am getting to the point where I fill my days with so many things to do that I don’t think about him much.” Laila said with a grim smile. “At nights, it is the worst.” She looked at the Christmas tree with its brilliant lights and gay decorations. “I almost did not put one up but I have the children to think about. I remember the first Christmas Barry and I had. We had just gotten married and the tiny apartment was so cold that we had to light candles all around to generate some heat. It was very romantic. The tree was not much to write home about and we did not have a lot to eat but it was the best Christmas I ever had. We were together and that was what counted.”
“You have the memories and the children,” Harper reached across and held her friend’s hands. “I am so sorry Laila.”
She nodded and stared off into the fire. “We had a tremendous amount of love for each other and of course we had our memories.” She looked up at Harper. “Talk to me about you.”
“Are you sure you want to hear?”
“Anything,” Laila said with a laugh as she turned to her. “Tell me about the party and what had that frown on your face when you came in.”
“The party was filled with a lot of rich people.”
Laila laughed at that. “Surely you can tell me more than the obvious?”
“It was very good,” Harper said a little grudgingly. “The décor was fantastic and I was told that the wives of the members of the club had a lot of input. I have never seen so many entitled people in one place before. The jewelries, the dresses had me spellbound.”
“You are never spellbound,” Laila told her.
“Trust me I was.”
“And the men?”
“You are starting to sound like my mother and that is not a good thing.”
“Come on, Harper. You sent me a picture of you in that wonderful dress and I kept staring at it for hours. You looked like you belong and you do. Don’t tell me you were not approached by anyone at all.”
Harper was evasive for a moment as she sipped her wine. She could not very well tell her friend about the kiss she had shared with him! Sharing it would be making it real and she had no intention of doing so.
“There were some,” she said casually. “A few dances and some conversations but that was it.”
“No stolen moments together?” Laila asked teasingly.
Harper had to shield her eyes with her lashes as she realized how close to the truth her friend had come. “I would not have allowed it. In the meantime, Dudley wants me to try and get an interview with Ethan Shaw.” She was desperately trying to turn the conversation from the subject at hand to something that made her less uncomfortable.
“The CEO of Shaw’s Holdings? Are you going to do it?”
Harper poured herself some more wine and held the glass in her hand. “You know how I feel about that particular company Laila. He wants me to get their perspective on the effects of war.”
“I think that’s a brilliant idea.”
Harper stared at her friend in surprise. “I thought you would be against that.”
“Why? They are only doing their jobs Harper. They are not the ones who open fire on my husband and the rest of the men and women killed in wars. You cannot just hold them res
ponsible for all that.”
“How can you say that?” Harper cried feeling her righteous indignation slipping away another notch. She had been thinking a lot since she had been coming over and to hear her friend who had lost so much because of the war say that it was something to be considered made it even worse. “Your husband was taken from you. If it was not for the war, he would still be here. Your children have no father to turn to, only you. I thought you would have been against it even more than I am.”
“There comes a time when you have to let go of the bitterness and the regret Harper. For a long time I held on to the vituperative feelings and blamed all who I could blame but not anymore. Doing that will never bring my husband back and I have learnt to accept that. I appreciate voicing your opinions for the entire world to hear and it worked! We are getting more help than we can ever imagine and I am so grateful. But I am not going to waste my energy into placing blames on anyone when I have my kids to think about.”