“Wait.” Harper pressed her hands to Ethan’s chest. “My phone.”
“Leave it,” he demanded.
She pressed a bit more until he muttered a curse and took a step back. Her dress fell back around her legs and she tapped her pockets, frantically searching for her cell before realizing it had fallen to the floor. Harper grabbed the phone and turned away from Ethan before she managed to control her shaky hands enough to look at the screen.
Of all times for this call.
“I have to take this,” she stated over her shoulder.
Without another word, she walked toward the wall of windows and accepted the call. Her hands shook and her body still hadn’t caught up with the fact there was nothing fabulous on the verge of happening right this minute.
“Hey,” she answered, trying to catch her breath. “I’ve been wondering when I’d hear from you.”
“I’ve been a bit busy,” her father said. “But I just boarded my jet and wanted to touch base. My assistant mentioned you wanted to change some things from the original design.”
“I do. In fact, I sent not only the new ideas but a new budget.”
All correspondence for the renovations was supposed to go through her father’s second in command. She didn’t ask why—Harper was just glad to have the job.
“Good work,” he praised. “I’ll take a look at everything, but I trust your decisions. I’ll have my assistant get with you about the new materials so you will be ready when your crew arrives. She mentioned next week sometime?”
“That’s right,” Harper confirmed. “I can’t wait for you to see my vision.”
Harper glanced over her shoulder, not surprised to see Ethan staring back at her. She turned her focus back toward the window.
“And when are you coming exactly?” she asked.
“Soon,” he promised. “But I want you to go ahead and get started. Bring in however many people you need, and I’ll okay the budget. I know I wanted to approve everything, but I simply don’t have the time and I believe you’ll do right by my resort.”
A thrill shot through her at the idea of starting to bring her vision to life in a matter of days. After months of waiting, wondering if she could live up to her sister’s vision and hopes, now was Harper’s chance to prove to everyone, especially herself, that she was worthy of this position her sister had trusted her with.
“Everything else going smoothly?” he asked. “I trust your upgraded suite and the staff are nothing short of perfection.”
“Oh, yeah. Everything is fine.”
I’m just pregnant by a virtual stranger from a heated fling, but that shouldn’t hinder my ability to choose paint swatches and lighting fixtures.
“I can’t wait to see you,” she said, smiling and wanting happiness and excitement to come through in her tone. “Hopefully soon.”
“Hopefully,” he repeated in a monotone voice. “I have to run. My assistant will be in touch.”
He disconnected the call, and a little twinge of sadness clipped her heart. He didn’t seem excited to actually see her, only concerned with the renovations. Granted, he’d gone over two decades without having a child, so she had to cut him some slack. Carmen had a different father and had actually had a relationship with him.
But Harper had been in Robert’s life for several years now, and he still hadn’t fully embraced fatherhood like she’d hoped.
Especially now, she wished he’d be a little more...well, just a little more. Anything would give her hope they might eventually get to a loving relationship. Was he even capable of that?
She knew he’d been married years ago, but his wife had passed unexpectedly. Since then, Robert had remained single. Maybe that death had made him wary of further relationships. Maybe if she reached out to him in that regard, by listing their commonalities, perhaps then he’d open up a little more.
But since their first meeting, he’d been distant. They’d randomly meet up for dinners when he came to town or he’d call once a month to check in, but she usually got the impression he was doing so because he felt he should and not because he actually wanted to.
“Everything all right?”
Ethan’s question pulled her from her thoughts. Harper spun around and forced a smile.
“Fine. That was just my father.”
No need to mention her father owned the resort. Ethan didn’t strike her as the type looking for money, but it was still best to keep some things to herself for now. Besides, it wasn’t like she was some kind of heiress. She wasn’t expecting anything from Robert—except for the chance to build some kind of emotional connection.
Another chime sounded through the room, and this time Ethan pulled his cell from his pocket. He glanced at the screen, sighed, then shook his head.
“I need to deal with this,” he told her. “Come to my room tonight.”
That potent stare from several feet away was no less powerful than when he touched her bare skin with those big, strong hands. He always made her feel delicate...something she’d never felt before in her life.
“You already ordered me to be there,” she reminded him, pretending like he didn’t affect her. “If I’m free, I will come, but not because you say so.”
Ethan chuckled as he started closing the distance between them. “You’ll be there.”
He stepped into her, laid his lips across hers and just as quickly stepped back.
“See you at seven.”
“You said eight earlier,” she reminded him.
He shot her a smile. “I want you sooner.”
With a cocky whistle, Ethan turned and walked from the room, leaving her standing there irritated and completely turned on. Not that she’d ever let him know how much he affected her. Of course, someone as confident as Ethan probably already knew.
Well, she’d show him. She may be having his baby, but that didn’t mean she had to jump at every command. She didn’t know any other woman he’d had dealings with in the past, but Harper prided herself on being independent and unique.
Ethan Michaels might have finally met his match.
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