“You don’t have time,” Tanner said. “The birthday party is Saturday night. That’s only a few days away.”
“You’re going to have to convince Harper to take you with her, bro, and that might not be as easy as you think.”
Bran was right. He had cut his ties to Harper as cleanly as possible. Putting them back together wouldn’t be easy. He didn’t want to think of the lies he would have to tell.
Bran set a hand on his shoulder. “I know you don’t want to do this, but you don’t have any choice. It’s what we do.”
His chest tightened.It’s what we do.His brother was right. Justice was the reason he got up in the morning. Knox Winston and his criminal associates had been dodging justice for years.
“All right, I’ll try, but that’s all I can promise. At this point, I’m not sure I can convince Harper to invite me, but I’ll do my best.”
“Oh, she’ll invite you,” Bran said. “If the sounds the two of you were making in that bungalow was any indication, she’ll invite you for sure.”
Chase shot his brother a look.
Agent Tanner leaned over and slid his business card under the edge of the bottle of scotch on the desk. “Call me if you have any questions. Otherwise, I’ll be in touch.” He stuck out his hand, and he and Chase shook. “Good luck.”
Chase watched his brother and the DEA agent leave the office, heard the click of the door closing softly behind them and felt sick to his stomach. He cared about Harper. He didn’t want to hurt her. But he had agreed to help.
He sat back down at his desk. Convincing Harper might not be easy. He needed a few minutes to think things through, figure out what to say. He’d tell Harper the truth as much as he dared—tell her he couldn’t stop thinking about her. That much was sure as hell true. He’d tell her he wanted to see her. Definitely the truth.
He ignored the part of his brain that was secretly glad he had an excuse to call her. Another part that hoped she would agree to see him.
Chase took a deep breath and pulled out his cell phone. Still, it was an hour before he worked up the courage to make the call. He wished he wasn’t so eager to hear the sound of her voice.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Harper stood at the cutting table in the production room at the warehouse offices of Elemental Chic. Bolts of fabric in colors from tangerine to fuchsia, textures from denim to silk, covered every surface.
“It’s really good to have you back,” Shana said. “I managed to hold the fort while you were gone, but I didn’t get much of my own work done.” She was a beautiful woman, with high cheekbones and full lips, skin as dark and smooth as ebony. Shoulder-length black curls formed a halo around her face.
“I appreciate all the extra work,” Harper said. “If Chase and I hadn’t gone after Michael, I don’t think he would have made it home alive.”
“So...speaking of the infamous Chase Garrett, when do I get to meet him?”
Harper felt a pang in her heart. “Unless you run into him at a charity event or need him to investigate something, the answer is never. He went to Colombia with me as a friend. We rescued Michael. Now we’re back in Dallas and that’s the end of it.”
Shana frowned. “So you aren’t seeing him anymore? Seems like you told me you used to crush on him big-time. I’ve seen his photo in the newspaper—the guy is hot. Are you saying he didn’t live up to your expectations?”
Harper reached out and examined a length of neon-pink silk. “Chase was everything I imagined him to be and more.”
Shana’s black eyes widened, her all-too-perceptive gaze zeroing in on Harper. “Oh, my God, you slept with him! That’s the reason you’ve been moping around ever since you got home. You don’t think he’s going to call you.”
“He isn’t. He doesn’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because he and my father hate each other. My father and Chase’s father were mortal enemies. Chase blames my dad for Michael’s drug addiction. They fought about it. According to Chase, it wasn’t pleasant. I have no idea what else there is between them, but the list seems long on both sides. To put it bluntly, Chase doesn’t think I’m worth the trouble.”
Shana huffed out a breath. “Then he’s a fool. The man was lucky you gave him the time of day.”
Harper smiled. “Thanks. I’ll tell him that if I ever see him again.” She sighed. “I should have been prepared for it to happen, and in a way I was. Chase has more women than he can count. I’m just another in a long list of conquests.”
“Screw him. If he doesn’t want to see you, it’s his loss.”
Letting the conversation drop, Harper returned her focus to the table. “We better get back to work. These fabrics aren’t going to choose themselves.”
“No, I guess not. Let’s start with the denim. Which shade do you think we should go for? I kind of like the faded blue for a change. It’s got some fresh possibilities.”
