Lawfully Indulged Read online

  “I’m not leaving my home to stay at a hotel,” she said stubbornly.

  “Then we’ll compromise and I’ll put a lock on your bedroom door so you feel safe from me and I will take the extra room. In fact, I insist.”

  Sienna looked away from him and began waving again. Harper glanced over and stared at the car. BMW series X5, black with tinted windows, he filed away mentally and memorized the license plate number. The man would not go easy. Harper wrapped his arm around Sienna’s waist again; this time she melted against him. He caught his breath at how well their bodies fit against each other. Her hand came to rest directly on his chest and Harper found himself cradling her against him, his hand over hers, like it was meant to be there.

  “Maybe you can stay in the extra room,” she told him quietly. He looked down at her horrified expression and saw her staring at the car driving away. He released her as quickly as he’d held her. It made him feel awful to see the look of repulsion on her face, problem was…he wasn’t sure if that look was for Joel or for himself.

  8

  Sienna was torn. Harper had taken her with him to his apartment in order for him to get some clothes, weapons and his laptop. She’d been surprised that he had insisted she not be left alone. He looked concerned and frankly, she understood. Seeing Joel twice in one day did more to unnerve her than she realized. It was no longer perhaps a figment of her imagination. She’d waved and he’d made a rude gesture the moment Harper’s arm went around her waist. Confident Harper hadn’t seen it, she’d been completely disgusted at the base gesture he’d flung out the car window towards her.

  Harper had moved in to the spare bedroom and become a perfect gentleman while at her house. He’d put the lock on the inside of her bedroom door without asking, just as he promised he would. The man left her alone most of the time, gathering information or planning different routes for them to take to her office downtown.

  Quirky would not begin to describe Harper in the slightest. He wore so many masks, she wasn’t sure who the true Harper Etan was. One moment he was calm, cool and collected – the next he was blushing like an untried boy. He was a brilliant tactician, explaining one day how he wanted to make sure that if they were being watched that there was no pattern to their movements. She’d changed her routine as well, moving to a new spa for her hair, nails and other personal grooming.

  She thought she’d have an afternoon alone as well, but no. Harper insisted on going, and read a magazine in the waiting area patiently while she got her legs waxed. She wasn’t sure who was more embarrassed: Harper when he realized it or her as she stepped into the salon. His face had turned beet red and he began making choking sounds as she was asked about more delicate, intimate services in front of him.

  “No, just the legs today. Thank you,” she confirmed and ducked her head quickly to get away from where he was staring at her bug-eyed. They’d gone straight from the salon to her office where he’d talked with several employees around her.

  She found herself watching him and daydreaming. What would it be like to have him smile or talk to her like that? He was so casual and so outgoing with the women of her office, she was a little jealous. As she watched him, she saw him tuck a lock of hair behind Melinda’s ear and snapped her pencil she’d been sketching with promptly in two.

  This wasn’t the first time Harper had flirted with other women, not at all… no! The man was a hound dog with hormones and she had judged him all wrong! Sienna had been right to stay to herself and far away from him. Getting herself emotionally involved with an employee, much less one that couldn’t keep from sniffing around the next woman, was a nightmare waiting to happen. Disgusted, she had snapped three more pencils and flung them in the trashcan irately. She sent a terse instant message to Melinda to get more of them with the next office supply order she placed.

  Glancing up through her office glass window, she saw a delivery driver arrive with a plant. As Melinda signed for it, Harper took it from one of the other seamstresses, Sally, and carried it to her office. The frown on his face made her temperature rise. Everyone else gets smiley, flirty, fun Harper – but no, she gets angry, businesslike, aloof version of Mr. Etan, the bodyguard.

  “Run out of girls to sift through out there?” Sienna greeted him bluntly as he stepped into her office and set the planter down. Inside was a vicious looking cactus with long needles. She yanked the card from the holder.

  “I’m not sifting through your staff, Sienna. I am gathering information,” he told her and took a seat opposite of her desk. He looked a bit miffed by her callus description of him. Perhaps it hit too close to home? Opening the card, she caught her breath and glanced at him sharply from where she was standing. He got to his feet and took the card from her, read it and threw it in the trash.

  “I am not a prickly woman, as he says,” Sienna whispered aloud, highly offended, and fanned her face to prevent herself from letting a tear slip past. The card had only two words on it and one was extremely derogatory. He was still calling her names and insulting her.

  “Spin it,” Harper said firmly. “Don’t let him get to you. It’s all about power. Keep the plant and make sure the cactus is seen so Joel knows it didn’t hurt you. He tried and he failed,” he coached and took her hand in his. “Don’t give him the power over you- make him fail over and over again, Sienna.”

  “I know and you are right. Did he have to be so coarse and insulting? He knows just how to get under my skin and I hate that I let him into my life years ago. This is all my fault.”

  “You are still giving him power over you; take it from him again like you did when you told him to move out. You aren’t prickly,” he admonished, causing her to look up at him. His eyes blazed brilliantly against his skin with intensity, making her catch her breath. She’d wondered what it would be like to have him look at her like this and she was getting her prayers answered. This was a different side of Harper and it was devastatingly sexy.

  “Spin it, every single time. You are strong, powerful and don’t need anyone to survive. You can be anything you want and perhaps you should look at things around you differently. You are…” Harper’s voice dropped to an intimate whisper as he stared at her, “…succulent just like the cactus and incredible against anything that comes your way.”

  “Succulent?” Sienna repeated, stunned at the description. The hot look in his eyes was raw, elemental and full of desire. Could it be true or was this another façade he put on for show? There was no one else in her office; however, she could see others glancing towards the glass windows where they could be seen. This had to be for their viewing, not for her…right?

  She saw him nod ever so slightly as his head dipped down towards hers. Was he going to kiss her in front of her staff? Would word make it back to Joel and perhaps he would finally leave her alone? She felt his breath against her as he hovered longingly above her lips, waiting silently for permission it seemed. Her eyes drifted shut as she felt herself melting against him eagerly. She wanted this kiss between them, to feel like she was special…to feel ‘succulent and incredible’ to this man because all she felt right now was vulnerable.

  “Miss Sienna? You have a call on line three. It’s your financial advisor.”

  Harper stepped back quickly as Sienna opened her eyes. The moment was broken, lost, and she felt more fragile than ever. Some cactus, she thought and flinched as she heard Harper clear his throat. He stepped past Sally back into the office area to give her privacy to conduct her business.

  9

  Things were tense between Sienna and Harper – or at least she felt that way. Every time she turned around, he seemed to be there watching her. His eyes followed her everywhere and he barely said two words since that moment between them in her office a week ago. Succulent, he’d called her. The timbre in his voice had been full of desire, awe, and respect, a heady combination that had her yearning for that kiss between them.

  The kiss that had been interrupted before it ever started.

&n
bsp; Simply thinking of what it would be like to kiss Harper was enough to put her on edge. It was almost worse than the lack of sleep before he’d arrived on the scene. Each evening, before he’d come into her life, she would read a book curled in her recliner but now it seemed to be Harper’s chair. Sienna would stretch out on the loveseat and try to read, but Harper would watch TV and she found herself commenting on the shows only to be returned with silence. ‘Tense’ was an understatement.

  A light flurry of snow had dusted the land around her house, making the view outside of her windows facing the ocean glitter white, gray and blue. She was touched to see him praying one morning early. He was on his knees, hands clasped in front of him and facing the windows. His gun was tucked in the back of his pants like normal and a t-shirt stretched tight across his shoulders. He looked deep in thought, his eyes closed as his lips moved softly in near silent speech.

  “May I join you?” she asked quietly, her voice sounding so loud in the house.

  “I’m finished,” Harper told her bluntly and got up quickly as she had just gotten down on her knees beside him. It was almost like a slap to have him abandon her there quickly like that and she would have none of it. She reached up and grabbed his arm, stopping him. He froze and didn’t move. She didn’t look up from where she was at, instead she kept her head bowed and took a deep breath.

  “I didn’t want to interrupt you and you don’t have to leave. I find that I need to pray for supreme patience right now and you sir- you need to pray for whatever has crawled up your craw making you so hateful towards me the last few days,” Sienna told him flatly, only to hear him begin to chuckle. Her outstretched arm suddenly got much closer as he knelt down beside her, resuming his position in prayer.

  “Maybe a little more time speaking with God wouldn’t hurt me at all,” he told her, his voice full of candid truth. “I don’t hate you and don’t mean to be cruel towards you at all. I’m trying to keep from doing something we both might regret and was praying for His guidance when you walked in.”

  “Then don’t stop praying for answers -and don’t forget your craw in those prayers. Whatever is wrong, don’t take it out on me,” she whispered, clasping her hands together. “I won’t have it and can’t handle it from you, Harper. You are my only ally right now and I need you on my side.”

  “You have me on your side,” she heard him say softly and felt him brush her hair back off her shoulder as she stayed their frozen on her knees beside him, treasuring the gentle touch and picturing him pretending to care for her. She could take hateful words and scathing remarks from anyone and while she might get upset, angry or even hurt – it was nothing compared to the raw pain of rejection she felt deep inside from Harper. She thought they had grown amicable or had crossed a line between them, only to have it washed away and disappear completely. Her eyes shot open as she felt Harper kiss her cheek softly. She felt his lips touch her cheekbone only the briefest of moments before he backed away, looking almost concerned.

  “I am your ally and will be on your side whenever you need me,” he told her, his expression genuine. “I think we need to keep some space between us and keep it professional, which is why we are going shooting this morning. I want you to be able to defend yourself from whatever monsters are bother you, including me.”

  “You aren’t a…” she began and he immediately cut her off.

  “Sienna, I have skeletons in my closet just like any other person. We’ll leave in an hour once I finish praying for my craw, as you put it so delicately, and you regain your patience,” Harper told her, making her smile.

  They rode silently towards the gun range. Sienna was very leery and skeptical about going back there. She’d been underwhelmed by the building as it seemed almost geared towards hunting or fishing rather than simply selling guns. It exuded testosterone and she had stuck out like a sore thumb before in her dress and Jimmy Choo’s. This time she knew what to expect, or at least thought so.

  Carrying her plastic case, they walked inside and Harper practically took over. It was a complete role reversal from when they’d gone to her office. She’d been in charge there and directing him; this time he was in his element. He snatched up a pair of overhead ear protection, some eye protection, two paper targets and two boxes of bullets. He quickly paid, making Sienna’s jaw drop in surprise. She had fully expected to pay for the range time, just like she had cut his check each week from her personal account.

  “I’m shooting too,” he said as if that explained anything at all.

  “I get the next trip, okay?”

  “No problem.”

  Sienna listened aptly as he went over the rules of the range. No stepping out of the dedicated lane at any time with a loaded weapon. All weapons stayed on the counter, pointing away from you. In case of misfire, you stepped back and flagged down an attendant. Her mind was whirling with instructions and she felt a bit taken aback but it was all for their safety.

  “Once inside, it will be really loud. Don’t take off your ear protection, just yell at me like you wanted to this morning and I will hear you,” he told her with a knowing smile and winked at her. She donned the protective gear and nodded, following him through several doors into the range.

  Sure enough, several loud booms happened almost rapid-fire making her jump nervously. He turned his head and she saw his smile under the yellow protective glasses he wore and orange earplugs.

  “Big caliber gun!” he yelled in understanding. “Yours won’t do that.” They continued over to two empty lanes side by side as he pointed at the table. He quickly hung her paper target and sent it down the lane about ten feet. Sienna put her case down and watched him as he explained how to load the cartridge through the muffled earmuffs. He handed it to her and curled her finger away from the trigger with a knowing look that made her grin in embarrassment, remembering how she’d pulled the trigger at the glass case in front of him.

  “The gun is loaded, so keep that off the trigger until you are ready to fire,” he yelled. “Now, I want you to pay attention to what I am doing.” He stood firmly behind her, arms wrapped around, and carefully placed his hands on of top of hers. “Hold it like this so you are steady and keep your hand away from the slide so you don’t get cut. Line your eyes down the sights and when you are ready, squeeze the trigger.” Sienna kept jumping at hearing the booms go off around her from other people shooting in their own lanes. Her heart was thumping nervously and she wondered if she’d made a terrible mistake.

  “Don’t be scared Cactus, I’ve got you!” he told her over the noise. Sienna stared down the sights, unsure of what she was doing, and simply squeezed the trigger. The gun popped loudly, causing her wrist to fly upwards, but she held tight of the gun and laughed. She did it! Sienna set the gun down and immediately stared at the paper target only to see the tiny hole on the far bottom right of the paper.

  “Good job! Now, let’s keep at it.”

  Harper showed her how to line her sights up and to brace herself for the recoil. She knew now what they meant before when they talked about the rifle knocking her down. Her little gun was powerful enough.

  Nodding, Harper pointed at himself and the empty lane next to her, indicating he was going to go practice as well. Sienna lined up her sights and fired a few more times until the gun came apart in her hands. The slide popped backwards of its own accord and she immediately set it down. Glancing over at Harper, she stared fascinated as he held his own gun up, muscles flexing, and barely moved an inch from the recoil. She jumped at the boom his gun made. Several more bursts volleyed forth and she looked all the way down the lane at the paper target only to see it decimated at the very center. Harper was a crack-shot and she expected nothing less.

  “My gun’s broken!” she hollered when he finally looked over. He walked over to her lane and stopped in his tracks. His head thrown back, his hand rested on his stomach and it was a full-on belly-busting laughter that rolled over him. He was utterly gorgeous when he was amused or happy, causin
g a wave of desire to course through her in reaction.

  “It’s not broken- it’s time to reload. Let me show you how.”

  They spent about an hour at the range and Sienna flew through two boxes of bullets, firing rapidly and simply happy to have hit the target at all. As they left the range, she easily locked her arm around his and felt Harper tense up momentarily. He didn’t push her away and she was glad of it.

  “Let’s grab lunch while we are out,” she suggested, feeling her stomach growl painfully and heard his echo hers, making them both laugh. She liked this easy side of him and found herself growing more and more attracted to Harper the more time she spent with him. She liked that he treated her like a normal person, not the billionaire fashion tycoon that she had become. He drove to a small diner not far from there. Sienna got out of the car and looked at him skeptically.

  “What?” he taunted her. “Too normal for a rich girl?”

  “It’s not that, is it clean? It looks like a dive,” she quipped, her eyebrow raising in distaste. It honestly looked like it had been there for fifty years or more and probably as long since it had been painted or pressure washed. There was a haze of soot along the top of the chimney that made her cringe and wonder if it was a firetrap.

  “This place makes the best burgers and shakes, I promise.”

  “Okay, but you are paying the doctors bill if we get food poisoning.”

  “Fine. We won’t, but if that makes you feel better…?” he said expectantly, holding open the door. As she walked in the dim building she heard his name exclaimed from the kitchen. A large man came flying out and enveloped Harper in a massive bear hug, taking him off of the ground.

  “Uncle Mikey, this is Sienna – Sienna, my uncle owns this diner. It’s been in the family for generations,” Harper introduced her, smiling broadly, and she wanted to kick him in the shin for letting her go on and on about the building. He’d known and hadn’t said a word.