“You didn’t say goodbye.”
“Because I couldn’t. I wouldn’t have left at all.”
“Why?”
“Why? Because I fell in love with you on the spot. It was wrong and now I’m back to make it right. I’m sorry I left, but it wasn’t like you treated me any different than any other guest.”
“That’s true.”
“By the way, happy birthday, baby.” I leaned in and kissed her puffy lips again.
“Thank you. How did you know it was my birthday?”
“Harley, I know everything about you. You see, there was a reason Tony’s been here since I left.”
“You’ve had him here to spy on me?”
“No, Tony is my head of security. I had him here to make sure nothing happened to you. He knows only what you told him. I looked up your public record.”
“I don’t have a record.”
“Baby, everyone has a record. I’m not talking about a criminal one. Just things that are reported to the government.”
“Sorry. So you know I’m not bright.”
“I know that you have a beautiful heart and you do the best that you can in everything. I know that you volunteer at the women’s shelter in the next town over. I know that you go to the library every week to read to small children.”
The bell was dinging again, so I growled, “Now, let’s go see who’s out there to annoy us.”
I grabbed her hand in mine and pulled her to the door. Before I opened it, I stopped and stole a quick kiss. “Couldn’t resist.” As soon as we got back to the lobby, I saw who had been ringing the bell. We stared at each other and I knew they were playing everything out in their heads.
“So, brother, she’s the reason for the rush,” Joe said, looking at Harley with an air of suspicion.
“Joseph, Julian, I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Harley.” Their eyes bugged out, and so did hers. “What? I thought I made that clear in there.” I looked at her waiting for her to argue with me. “The business deal is solid and you know it. Harley was just the icing on the cake.”
“Can we have a talk for a minute in private?”
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“Sure. Harley, we’re going to go in the manager’s office. Get your things and I’ll be back in a minute,” I kissed her again and patted her ass before storming back to the office.
As soon I closed the door, I muttered, “What the fuck brings you up here?” I stuffed my hands in my pocket because I was tempted to deck one of them if they said anything about her.
Julian leaned against the door and said, “We wanted to check on you since you’d been acting strange the last few days.”
“Well, what the fuck do you want to know?” I huffed, pacing the small office. It wasn’t that small, but I was the thinnest of us and I was still two hundred pounds and six-one.
“Who is she and why didn’t you say anything?”
“She’s a beautiful woman I fell in love with on the spot. I’ve been itching to get back to claim her.”
“Why the wait? I mean, if you felt like that from the start, then why did you leave, bro?”
“Because today is her birthday.”
“Oh shit. Do you mean to tell me she’s barely legal?”
“Yes, so I stayed away. I didn’t want to do something stupid. I was interested in the property before I met her, so she had nothing to do with it. I nabbed the deal because it was a fucking steal and you all know that.”