The Negotiator (Harbor City 1)

“Maybe this will do as a reminder until then,” she said, drawing both their attention. She grabbed Sawyer by the lapels, yanked him lower, and laid a kiss on him.

At first, he didn’t respond and Clover had half a second to think oh shit! before Sawyer took her face between his palms and deepened the kiss. She couldn’t pinpoint the moment the kiss went from for-the-job to oh-my-God-take-me-now but by the time he pulled away, her hair was messed up, her lips swollen, and her entire body was primed for more. A little punch drunk, she stumbled just a bit as she snuggled into Sawyer’s side to face-off with the Dragon Lady and her minions.

All of the icy coolness was gone from Helene’s face, replaced by a heated glare and a stubborn set to her jaw—the original to her son’s replica. Without waiting for whatever sharpened verbal knife Helene was about to unsheathe, Clover spoke up.

“Sorry, girls, this one’s taken,” she said, breathless, to the pair of wide-eyed want-to-be wives. “Tell your friends.”

After a couple of huffs from the would-be wives and a final chilly glare from Helene, the trio strode off without a glance back at them. Heart hammering against her ribs and the giddy flush of having won another battle against the formidable Helene Carlyle, Clover didn’t protest when Sawyer led her through the French doors and out onto the large balcony overlooking the heart of Harbor City.

The last pink rays of the setting sun peeked between the skyscrapers crowding the horizon. They stood next to each other, her hand curled in his, her pulse still jackhammering through her, drinking it in as if they’d been out in the desert for too long. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen the city from this vantage point, but it never failed to take her breath away. It was, in a word, magnificent.

“I think you just earned a dinner at Vito’s,” Sawyer said.

For saving his ass again? Oh yeah. “I would have figured a rich guy like you would have more to offer. Your mom was willing to pony up half a million for me to leave you high and dry.”

His head whipped around. “She did not.”

“Oh yes, she did,” she said with a chuckle. Teasing his mom hadn’t been smart, but she hadn’t been able to stop herself.

He grinned. “I hope you said no.”

“I countered with a million five.”

He let out a laugh, low and rumbly, and tugged her over so she stood with her back to his chest. He dropped his hands to the railing on either side of her hips, close enough to almost touch but not quite. “Are you sure you have to go to Australia? Carlyle Enterprises could always use another great negotiator.”

“Another?” she scoffed.

“I went easy on you.”

“Whatever you say.” She gazed out at the city lights beginning to blink on. “It’s gorgeous up here.”

“Mmm-hmm,” he said as he tucked her hair behind her right ear, letting his fingertip glide down the column of her neck. “I used to come out here with my dad and pick out the Carlyle buildings.”

Skin tingling from his touch, she tried—and failed—to come up with something witty. “An interesting form of father-son bonding.”

“Oh, there were baseball games and the regular stuff, too, but this was always my favorite.” He dropped his hand back to the railing.

She could still feel his almost-touching presence, but the lack of actual contact made it easier to think. And breathe. And remember her name. The fact that they weren’t looking at each other but at the city skyline made the moment both intimate and anonymous.

“Why was this your favorite?” she asked softly.

“Because from up here you can see the entire city like one big picture. It was my father’s favorite view.”

And now it was his. Her chest tightened at the thought of him having to have his father-son bonding moment alone. She may have run from Sparksville as soon as she could, but she never felt like she’d left her family—no matter how hard she tried to shake her mom sometimes.

As though suddenly aware of the over-share, Sawyer leaned down and kissed her shoulder. “You know, it’s also a great place to impress the ladies.”

“Oh yeah? Pick up a lot of women at your mom’s house, do you?” she teased, leaning her head to the side to give him better access as he continued to plant soft kisses along her shoulder up to where it met her neck.

“Oh sure, lots and lots,” he murmured. “Great pick-up spot.”

She rolled her eyes at him over her shoulder, laughing. “Did you seriously just tell me about all the other women you’ve dated while trying to flirt with me? Let me give you some advice. That is not a good line to use when flirting with someone.”

Sawyer chuckled. “I suck at flirting, but I’m much better at other things.”

The laughter stilled in her throat. “So you keep promising.”

There. She’d said it. And he said…nothing. Heat beat at her cheeks. Had she overplayed her hand?