Contractual Obligation

Chapter Fifteen

Harper escaped to Boca early on Friday afternoon, taking her own car so she wouldn’t have to endure her father’s questions there and back, and could leave whenever she wanted to. Doug would move in that night after he got off from work. Her father was already at the house when she arrived. She didn’t miss his quizzical glance when she walked in with her bags.

“What?”

He crossed his arms. “Sources tell me you’re suddenly very close to one of our newer employees.”

“Duh. I told you he’s my boyfriend.”

“After working for us for a few weeks?”

She lost the battle not to roll her eyes at him as she trundled past him with her stuff. “Spit it out, Dad.”

“What’s up with you and Doug? I want the truth.”

She turned. This is what she wanted, being able to tell her dad this and get him off her back. She just didn’t understand why admitting it now made her feel uncomfortable. “He’s moving in with me this weekend.”

He stared at her. “Are you serious? What the hell?”

“Hey, you’re the one who told me to get a personal life.”

He stepped forward and took two of her bags from her. “I didn’t say move your assistant into your house!”

“Why not, Dad? We work well together, we enjoy each other’s company, and he is my boyfriend. It makes things easier on us because right now he’s living with his family, including his younger sister.” He followed her to the bedroom she used when at the house.

“I’m just worried. You can’t blame me.”

“Worried about what, for chrissake?”

“That he’s after more than just you.”

She dropped her bags onto the bed. “Dad, he’s not Julia, if that’s your concern. He and I have already had a talk that I’m not interested in getting married right now. But I’d be lying if I said we didn’t have fun in bed together—”

He threw his arms up. “All right! No more! I don’t want to hear this!” He shook a finger at her. “I do not want to hear about your sex life!” He turned, scrubbing his face as he let out an aggravated scream before turning on her again. “Just make sure you don’t do something stupid like marry him without a prenup, all right?”

She grinned. “No problems there, Dad.”

“Good.” He stomped out, grumbling, as she fought the urge to laugh.

Hook, line, and sinker.

When she returned home late Sunday, Doug was already moved in. He met her with a hug and kiss. “What’d your dad say?”

“That you’re coming to the Boca house with me next weekend. How about your parents?”

He grinned. “You are formally invited to my mom’s birthday party in three weeks. I’m under orders to get you there even if I have to tie you up and blindfold you to make it happen.”

“Great.” Well, three weeks, she could work up enough nerves by then.

Couldn’t she?

“Let me see your room,” she said. Then she threw her arms around him. “Not that you’ll spend a lot of time there,” she teased, kissing him on the side of the neck.

“I hope you let me get some sleep. You’ll wear me out.”

“Maybe that’s part of my evil plan, did you think about that?”

“Not really, but if it’s death by sex, sign me up.”

He led her upstairs, and she followed him into his room. “Ooh, you are a reader.” He had books ranging from classics to sci-fi and horror stacked on the formerly empty shelves.

“I have a lot more on my Kindle,” he admitted. “These are some of my favorites that I just didn’t want to let go of in print format.”

“I know what you mean. I have a ton of books on my Kindle.” No way in hell would she ever let him see the kind of books that populated her Kindle, however. She walked around to the pictures. “Is this your family?”

She didn’t think she imagined his expression darkened slightly. “Yeah. Mostly.”

One of them was a picture of Doug with a man about his own age, blond and blue-eyed, cute.

“Do you want dinner?” he asked, interrupting her before she could ask who the people in the pictures were.

“No, that’s okay. I ate on the way up.”

“Okay. You realize my family’s going to love you, right? I know you’re nervous about it, but don’t be. Seriously.”

She smiled. “I know. I…just need to adjust, that’s all.”

Doug sensed Harper was nervous about meeting his family. Understanding her background the way he did, he couldn’t blame her. But he knew they’d love her. All he had to do was convince her of that fact. What bothered him was the fact that he had to cozy up to Harper’s father. He’d seen him a few more times at the office, but nothing more than a few minutes of chatting here and there, usually with Gorden or Harper present.

What if Harrison didn’t like him?

Before he could talk to her about it more, she coaxed him to bed, and soon neither one of them were talking about the other’s family. As Doug held her in his arms later and watched her fall asleep, he hoped he didn’t disappoint her.

He wanted to make at least one person happy.

The week crawled. Harper let Doug drive them down to Boca in her car. She spent the trip reassuring him. “Daddy likes you. Don’t worry, you’ll see. Everything will be just fine.”

“I hope you’re right.”

When they got there, Harrison gave them a few minutes to get unpacked and settled into their bedroom before they went out onto the lanai to sit and relax before dinner.

“So, what do you make of this?” her father said as he handed an envelope to Harper.

“What is it?”

“Read it.” He sat down on the other side of the lanai and watched her.

The return address was…

“Bill James.” She scowled. She pulled out the letter, handwritten on Keisler Aeronautics letterhead. Basically trying to go over her head to get to her father personally, and accusing her of being rude and unprofessional. He also told her father he didn’t believe Harper had the “necessary business acumen” to do their corporation justice.

“Are you shitting me?” she yelled after she read it.

Her father laughed, nudging Doug. “See? Knew she’d do that. I love it when she gets all fired up. That’s why I showed it to her.”

She shook the letter at her father. “I had a lunch appointment with this rude bastard. I told him no then, and in no uncertain terms.”

He waved away her irritation. “Honey, don’t get your blood pressure up. I’m not about to sell out to that idiot. I don’t even know where he’d begin to find the capital to meet our price tag. Don’t worry.”

She settled back in her chair and gave the letter another once-over before balling it up and sending it sailing into the garbage can in the corner. Nothing but net.

“Not to mention,” her father added, “he didn’t earn himself any brownie points by slamming you in the letter.”

“What did you say in your reply?”

“I e-mailed him back and said that you spoke for the company, and that I knew you’d already refused his offer. Oh, and to fuck the hell off in that direction.” He pointed west, in the direction of the Gulf of Mexico. “Regards, have a nice day, eat shit and die, all that good stuff.”

That mollified her. She should have known her dad would have her back. He always did. The fact that he was swearing in front of her told her how upset the letter had made him as well, even though he did a better job of disguising it with humor than she did. “Did you tell him he’s also a lousy, weasely prick?”

“No, I believe I said something along the lines of ‘fucking asshole,’ but I might have been more polite than that.” He took a pull off his beer. “No one tries to use me to run an endgame around my little girl.” He looked at Doug, tipping the bottle in his direction. “Remember that, son. That’s one of your jobs, to have her back.”

He nodded. “Believe me, sir. I won’t let her or you down.”

Her dad clinked bottles with Doug. “Good man.”

By the time the weekend ended and they returned home to Tampa, Doug knew he wanted far more than just a friends-with-benefits relationship with Harper.

He loved her.

He didn’t know exactly when his feelings for her changed, but Saturday night when they lay in bed after making love, he realized the thought of walking away from her after his contract ended ripped holes in his heart.

But did she feel the same way about him?

He’d have to wait and see. He didn’t want to freak her out by admitting it too soon.

It also meant he’d have to put the feelings he still had for Tate on a shelf. He missed him like crazy, would love him forever, but it wouldn’t be fair to Tate to string him along.

If Tate hadn’t found someone else already.

In her sleep, Harper snuggled tightly against him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead as he smiled. He would make her happy. He could make her happy.

Maybe, in some small way, it would atone for breaking Tate’s heart.