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* * *
“Is this seat taken?”
Harper glanced up from his cell phone. A redhead with fake eyelashes and glossy lips was standing beside his booth, smiling so brightly Harper wished he was wearing sunglasses.
“Yes, as a matter of fact it is.”
“Then I’ll be brief.” The redhead slid in beside him, got so close he could feel her double Ds pressed against his forearm. “I saw you interviewed outside the courthouse last night on the evening news, and I just had to come over and say hello. I’m, like, your biggest fan!”
Harper wanted to send the buxom redhead on her way, but he nodded and produced a winning smile. Had to keep the public happy. Hamilton, Hamilton and Clark had been founded in 1960 by his grandfather, Jacob Hamilton Sr., and his business associate, Albert Clark, but these days the firm was more popular than ever. Harper enjoyed all the perks that came with being a Hamilton, but he could do without the aggressive gold diggers and so-called fans. This was the third woman who’d approached him since he arrived at the Clearwater Grill and she was by far the pushiest. The small, cozy restaurant was overrun with love-struck couples, but there were plenty of scantily clad women out on the prowl.
“The cameras don’t do you justice, Harper. You’re even sexier in person.”
“Ah, thanks.”
“On the news, they said your client was awarded a half-million-dollar settlement. I bet that’s chump change to you, I mean, you are a Hamilton....”
Harper didn’t want to talk about the sexual harassment case he’d won last week, or his family’s staggering net worth, either. All he wanted to do was sip his cappuccino in peace while he waited for his date to arrive. The last thing Harper wanted was for Azure to walk in and spot him talking to this Pamela Anderson look-alike, so he slid to the edge of the booth.
Harper glanced over at the waiting area and strangled a groan. Too late. Azure was standing at the entrance of the lounge, and she was staring right at him. “It was nice meeting you, miss. Enjoy the rest of your evening.” Grabbing his cell phone, he leaped to his feet as if the booth were on fire and took off before the redhead could give chase.
As he approached Azure, he fought the overwhelming urge to kiss her, to caress her flawless brown skin. She looked sensational from head to foot, and her lush, scarlet-red lips were tempting. So tempting, in fact, kissing her was all he could think about. For the past six months, his life had been an endless stream of business meetings, and the thought of spending the rest of the night with Azure Ellison excited him.
Instead of succumbing to his needs and planting one on her, Harper settled for a peck on the cheek. She smelled delicious, heavenly, as intoxicating as a bottle of Herbal Essences shampoo, and thinking about those infamous shower-scene commercials made Harper wonder what Azure was like in bed. He’d bet that she was vocal, confident, a woman who didn’t hold back, who gave as good as she got.
A grin claimed his lips. Maybe if he played his cards right tonight he’d find out. The thought stunned him. Harper hadn’t had sex in months, hadn’t wanted to—until now. The pain of being betrayed by his ex—a woman he’d been prepared to spend the rest of his life with—ran deep, and until five minutes ago, he hadn’t given anyone a second glance. But there was something about Azure Ellison, something about her that appealed to him on a physical and intellectual level. And it didn’t hurt that her figure was a thing of beauty. Everything about the magazine reporter was sexy. Her lush hair, her lean arms and hips, the graceful way she moved through space. Harper was burning up, so blinded by his attraction to her he narrowly missed crashing into the lanky busboy cleaning tables. An ice pack in his boxer briefs wouldn’t cool him down, and when Azure smiled at him, his blood pressure spiked and his skin felt hotter than the flames crackling in the stone fireplace.
* * *
Azure looked Harper over. Not once, not twice, but three shameless times. His argyle sweater fit his very sexy, very gorgeous body perfectly, and his dark slacks accentuated his long, lean legs. Looking casual but polished was an art, and Harper Hamilton was the master. His smile, his energy and those warm brown eyes got her every time. And obviously she wasn’t the only one. The redhead sitting in the lounge was staring longingly at him, like a woman desperately and hopelessly in love.
“Harper, my man, great to see you!”
Nodding at Louis, the affable restaurant owner with the moustache and slicked-down black hair, he said, “Likewise, sir. How are things?”
“Great, great, can’t complain. What have you been up to? It’s been months since you paid us a visit,” he complained, wearing a forlorn face.
“Work’s been keeping me busy.”
Louis grinned like a leprechaun with a pot of gold. “Work? Or this gorgeous woman standing beside you?”
“Azure is stunning, isn’t she?”
“You can say that again.”
Harper slid his arm around her waist, held on tight. A thousand volts of electricity rushed through Azure’s body. Why did that keep happening? she wondered, trying to ignore the fluttering sensation in the pit of her stomach. Azure didn’t know what was wrong with her. She was a bold, confident, take-charge kind of sister, but around Harper she became a different person. Shy, skittish, as nervous as an Amish girl on her first date. And the more Harper flirted with her, the more her hands and legs shook.
“Your girlfriend caused quite a stir when she walked in. My cooks were so busy checking her out they bumped into each other and spilled appetizers all over the floor!”
“Then you better find us a quiet, secluded table far away from the kitchen,” Harper joked, clapping a hand on the restaurant owner’s shoulders, “because they’re liable to burn the whole kitchen down if we sit out here!”
Azure lost the use of her tongue and the ability to form words. She waited for Harper to correct the manager, to explain that they weren’t a couple, but he didn’t. Instead, he requested his favorite table and led her into the dining area. The cream-and-beige space was outfitted with candlelit round tables, a stone fireplace showered the room with warmth and the padded leather booths along the far wall were large enough to fit an entire basketball team. The restaurant had the perfect ambience for romance or a clandestine magazine interview, and once their orders were placed and their drinks arrived, Azure got right down to business.
“I appreciate you meeting me tonight,” she said, setting her tape recorder on the table and her trusty notebook on her lap. “I know you’re a very busy man with no time to waste, so I’ll try my best to keep my questions brief and to the point.”
“Why don’t we talk first, off the record, and do the interview after dinner?”
“Or we can do it now while we wait for our entrées to arrive,” Azure countered, hoping he didn’t hear the apprehension in her voice. Her mind was fuzzy, and she had a hell of a time meeting his gaze. Azure didn’t know if she was feeling light-headed because of the delicious scent of Harper’s cologne or because he was studying her so intently. Either way, she had to get it together, and quick. Azure had a lot riding on this interview—her career, her reputation, a job she loved more than anything in the world—and couldn’t afford to blow this opportunity.
Determined to uncover the “dirt” her boss was dying for, she took a deep, cleansing breath and pushed the record button on the tape recorder. “Let’s get started, shall we?”
“Ask away, Azure. I have nothing to hide.”
Guilt pricked her heart. I wish I could say the same.
Chapter 4
Harper felt short of breath, as if he’d just finished swimming a dozen laps, and every time he caught a whiff of Azure’s sweet, floral perfume, his brain short-circuited. Pounded, spun, whirled faster than a helicopter propeller. He saw her lips moving, heard her rich, dulcet tone in his ears, but he didn’t understand a word she was saying. It took supreme effort, but Harper forced his gaze away from her luscious mouth and back up to her pretty brown eyes.
“What is it like working at one of the most prestigious law firms in the country?”
Pride filled him and seeped into his voice. “I love what I do, and I feel honored to be working at my family’s law firm,” he said smoothly, folding a leg across his knee. “When I was a little boy, my father used to take me with him to court, and the first time I ever saw him deliver closing arguments, I was sold. I knew right then and there I was going to be an attorney.”
“What do you like most about your job?”
“You mean besides winning big cases?” A grin exploded onto his lips. “I love the intellectual challenge of the law and liken the profession to chess, but with real and very flawed people. The player with the best interpretation of the law usually wins, and I’m proud to say that more often than not it’s Hamilton, Hamilton and Clark.”
“It’s obvious you love what you do, but there must be some things you don’t like....”
Harper thought for a moment, then answered truthfully, “The hours are incredibly long, and there’s a lot of repetition. Being a lawyer is nowhere near as glamorous as it looks on TV, and the competition inside the law firm is fierce. Everyone wants to make a name for themselves, no matter the cost.”
Listening to him, Azure got the sense that he was angry about something, and decided to play her hunch. “Are you and your cousin Jake fierce rivals?”
“I don’t know. You tell me.”
His response confused her, so she rephrased the question, hoping this time Harper would give her a straight answer instead of being as evasive as a secret agent. “Would you say Jake is your stiffest competition at the firm?”
“That depends. Is he vying for your affection, too?”
Azure’s cheeks burned, felt hotter than the tip of a flame. Searching his face for the truth, she tried to decipher if he was teasing her or being serious. Harper looked relaxed, completely at ease, like a man who had the world at his feet. But he wasn’t a cocky, swaggering rich guy who thought he was better than everyone else. Azure appreciated how humble he was, how courteous and well mannered. Harper Hamilton was it, and he didn’t even know it. There was nothing sexier than an intelligent, ridiculously handsome man with great manners, and Harper possessed all of those qualities and more.
“I’m sorry if I embarrassed you, Azure. Sometimes when I’m around a beautiful woman, I lose my head, but I’m sure you’re used to men tripping all over themselves. I guess that’s the price you have to pay for being stunning.”
Azure was surprised as anything when Harper touched her hand. And like the morning sun on a hot, balmy summer day, his smile felt warm and hot on her face. Azure couldn’t stop staring at him, couldn’t peel her eyes away. Forget Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. Harper Hamilton had serious game, and if she wasn’t careful, she’d end up shaming herself and the entire female population by acting on her desires.
“It’s been a long time since I went out with anybody, and I’m really enjoying your company, Azure. It’s so easy to be around you, and you have a terrific sense of humor. I like that. And I like you.”
Azure pushed on, pretended his comment had no effect on her. Even though it did. Her heart raced, beat in double time. There was something in the air, something so powerful, Azure knew she’d never be the same again. She drew a breath, one that should have steadied her nerves but didn’t. “Tell me more about what happens behind the scenes at Hamilton, Hamilton and Clark,” Azure said, pulse pounding, limbs shaking. Taking a quick sip of her drink, she watched as Harper unzipped his sports coat, took it off and draped it behind his chair. As if she didn’t have enough problems. Now she’d have to try not to stare at his broad, muscular chest. “Surely, you’re not one big happy family twenty-four-seven.”
“No, you’re certainly right about that, we’re not. Colleagues argue and bicker in every profession, and it’s no different at Hamilton, Hamilton and Clark. I hate to admit it, but sometimes it’s hard to believe we’re family.”
“It is?”
Harper gave a solemn nod. “Working with family members presents its own unique set of problems, and I’d be lying if I said things don’t get heated from time to time. We fight, we argue and on occasion we even…”
Azure wet her lips. This was going better than expected! Harper was actually opening up to her, revealing family secrets. By the time they wrapped up the interview she’d have everything she needed for her story and more.
“My dad and my uncle Jacob are always cursing someone out, and just last week Jake got into a fistfight with Griffin Jackson, one of our sharpest and brightest attorneys.”
Scandalous, Azure thought, cheering inwardly. This was exactly what her boss was looking for, the kind of juicy gossip that readers wanted to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“Once, I even walked in on…”
“Uh-huh.” Azure inched forward, got nice and close so she wouldn’t miss what Harper was about to divulge. “Once, you walked in on…”
“My cousin Marissa locked in a passionate embrace with one of our very married clients. I was so stunned I stumbled out of the room and back down the hall to my office.”
Frowning, Azure stopped writing on her trusty notepad. That was hard to believe. No, impossible. She had a knack for reading people, and Marissa Hamilton was no Long Island Lolita. Petite and slender, she looked more like a teenager than a hard-boiled attorney, and during last month’s interview she’d graciously answered each question and spoken openly about the pressure of being the youngest attorney at the family law firm. No way she’d ever fool around with a client, single or otherwise.
“And that’s not all. Wait until I tell you what my dad did at last year’s Christmas party!”
“You’re making this stuff up as you go along, aren’t you?” Azure glared at him, made a face she hoped conveyed her disgust. “I can’t believe you’ve been feeding me lies this entire time. You agreed to this interview and promised to answer my questions truthfully.”
“I’m not the only one playing games, though, am I?”
Her head pounded louder than her heartbeat.
“I’ve met your boss, Leland Watson, at several social events around town, and he strikes me as an ambitious but very difficult man.”
You could say that again, Azure thought, remembering the tongue-lashing he’d given her in his office the day before yesterday. If she didn’t love her job, and the extraordinary group of people she worked with, she would have quit a long time ago.
“I get the feeling that you’re not comfortable with this assignment and only accepted it to pacify your boss. Is that why we’re here? Because Mr. Watson pressured you to meet with me?”
Azure couldn’t look Harper in the eye. “I told you,” she said, staring down at her salad plate. “I want to profile you for the magazine.”
“I know what you told me, but I don’t believe you. What’s really going on, Azure? Or should I call you Alice?”
A hand flew to her mouth, and her eyes became big brown, beautiful saucers.
“If you knew who I was all along, why didn’t you say anything?”
“Why didn’t you?” he countered, grinning like the Cheshire cat.
“I don’t know. I guess I wanted to see if you would remember me.”
“I didn’t initially, but when you mentioned working at Fat Burger, something clicked in my mind. I spent a lot of time at that fast food joint, and—”
“So did I. That’s why I packed on the freshman fifteen and the senior forty!”
“I thought you were cute. All hips and curves and legs.” Leaning to the right, Harper raised the crisp white tablecloth and glanced under the table. “Still are.”
His joke alleviated the tension, but the knot in Azure’s throat remained.
“You’ve certainly changed a lot since Willingham Prep School.” Harper stroked his jaw reflectively as he admired her appearance. Back in the day, Azure had lacked confidence, but now she carried herself with the grace of the First Lady. “What else have you been up to besides revamping your look?”
Azure filled him in. Told him about her freelance career, receiving her master’s degree in communications from the University of Philadelphia and her current position at the magazine. “I’ve been dreaming of writing for Eminence ever since I saw their debut issue on newsstands in 1995. I’ve been a huge fan of the publication for years, and I was thrilled when they hired me last year to be a senior staff writer. I worked my butt off to get the job, but all the sacrifices I made were definitely worth it.”
“You talk a lot about your career, but you haven’t said anything about your personal life. You say there’s no special man in your life, but I find it hard to believe a woman as captivating and as vivacious as you are isn’t being bombarded with phone calls for dates.”
“I could say the same thing about you. Where’s Mrs. Harper Hamilton?”
Harper chuckled. He liked her moxie, enjoyed her wit and sense of humor. But he still hadn’t figured out what Azure was after, and that frustrated him like hell. “You’re not here to reminisce about our old high school days or to interview me for your magazine, are you?”
Guilt troubled her conscience. Azure wished she could forget why they were there and just enjoy Harper’s company. His gaze, suddenly dark and predatory, slid across her face and down her body. A chill vibrated along her spine. Telling Harper the real reason she’d tracked him down wasn’t going to be easy, but it was the right thing to do. She’d spun her web of lies, and now it was time to tell Harper the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Azure started to speak, but when the waiter arrived, carrying plates and drinks and bubbling with good cheer, she closed her mouth.
“Louis wants you and your girlfriend to have a good time tonight,” the waiter said, unloading his tray, “so he sent over the most popular items on our new menu.”
“These bread sticks are delicious,” Azure said, plucking one from the basket and taking a healthy bite. “My compliments to the chef!”
The waiter drizzled fresh basil on their entrées and after promising not to disturb them, set off for the kitchen. For the next ten minutes, they ate in silence, only speaking to comment on the taste of the food.
To buy herself some time, Azure chewed each delicious bite slowly. She needed time to think, to figure out what she was going to do next, because something told her Harper wasn’t done grilling her.
“Azure, I’m waiting.”
“For what?” she asked, feigning ignorance. “You better hurry up and eat before there’s nothing left. These shrimp balls are slap-your-mama good, and I’m starving!”
Harper released a deep belly laugh, one that filled the dining room area. “I like having dinner with a woman who enjoys a good meal.”
“What else do you like?”
“I’d like for you to come clean.” Gone was the playful air, his boyish smile. “You’re skilled at using humor as a diversion, but I’m skilled at uncovering the truth, and we’re not leaving here tonight until you tell me what’s really going on.”
Azure put down her fork. Might as well since she’d lost her appetite. Her seafood pasta was moist, and the creamy Alfredo sauce flavorful, but Azure couldn’t eat another bite. Her stomach was clenched into a fist, and she was sweating like a burlesque dancer in a sauna.
Folding her napkin, she dabbed at her forehead and lips. A sip of water alleviated the lump in her throat, but she was still shaking from head to toe. Azure opened her mouth, and the truth tumbled out, one embarrassing, humiliating word at a time. “My boss thought the piece I handed in on your family was crap,” she confessed. “Leland said I didn’t ask the right questions or dig hard enough for dirt, and according to him, dirt sells magazines by the thousands.”
Harper sat quietly, without saying a word.
“Leland is convinced your family is hiding some big, dark secret, and he told me to find out what it is or else.”
Anger darkened his face, but Azure saw sympathy in his eyes, a glimmer of compassion.
“A lot of writers fabricate stories to make a name for themselves....”
“I would never do that,” she said, offended by what Harper was insinuating. “I’d rather admit that I failed and get fired than lie to get ahead.” At the thought of telling her boss the truth, Azure broke out into a cold sweat. Leland had a temper like Chris Brown and could be as cruel as an African dictator. Azure was not looking forward to their Friday morning meeting, and wondered if she should just hand in her resignation letter and be done with it.
“Your boss would be stupid to fire you. You’re very down-to-earth, and you make the people you’re interviewing feel comfortable. My dad rarely talks about his childhood, but he did with you, and once you encouraged him to open up, he wouldn’t stop talking!”
Azure smiled, but the heavy feeling in her chest remained. “Leland’s only been at Eminence for a few months, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned about him it’s that he doesn’t make idle threats. Last week, he fired a pregnant staffer for insubordination and had her escorted off the premises. I’ll be lucky if he lets me stay long enough to clean out my desk.”
The rowdy group at the other end of the restaurant started singing “Happy Birthday,” and after three rounds of boisterous applause, they began stuffing their faces with cake.
“How was everything?” the waiter asked, collecting their plates.
“Great, thanks.” Azure forced a smile onto her lips.
“Would you care to see the dessert menu?”
Harper declined, and once the waiter left, he set his sights back on Azure.
“I’m sorry for wasting your time, Harper. I shouldn’t have let my boss bully me into setting up a meeting with you.” Uncomfortable with the blinding intensity of his gaze, she lowered her eyes to her hands and fiddled with the silver bracelet her roommate, Maggie, had given her for her birthday last month. “Tomorrow, when I get to work, I’ll tell Leland there is no story.”
“I appreciate you telling me the truth, Azure. I know that couldn’t have been easy.” His touch on her arm was light, full of tenderness and warmth, and his smile friendly. “Don’t stress out about your job. I have a feeling everything will work out.”
“You do?”
“What if you could give Leland the big story he’s looking for?”
Azure raised her bent shoulders. What was Harper about to disclose? she wondered, studying his face for clues. A hundred scenarios raced through her head. What was the Hamilton family dynasty hiding? A financial scandal? A crooked billionaire client? A skeleton in the closet? It didn’t matter. Harper had a story, something scandalous about his family he was willing to divulge, and she planned to use it to her advantage.
“I have a story that will benefit us both.”
Picking up her notebook, she snatched her pen off the table. “Go ahead. I’m all ears. Start from the beginning, and go slow, because I don’t want to miss anything.”
Harper wore an arch grin. “Marry me.”
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