My Dad’s Business Partner: A Forbidden Romance Read online

  “Sorry,” she blushes. “I hardly ever wear heels, so yes. Did I hurt you?”

  I laugh, “No, of course not, sweetheart. You hardly weigh more than a feather.”

  She giggles and rolls her eyes.

  “I don’t think so, Gray. Ever since the beginning of this summer, I swear I’ve put on ten pounds just because you keep feeding me.”

  I press a fond kiss to her forehead.

  “Exactly. I want you to put on weight, baby girl, because you’re even more beautiful and lush this way.”

  She merely smiles again and giggles. It’s the sweetest sound, and I harden at the tinkle. But then she looks at me.

  “Why are we heading downstairs? Got something special planned with your naughty camera in the basement? Are the cameras still up, even? I thought construction was almost done.”

  I chuckle.

  “No, I have something else to show you.” The doors slide open, and we’re next to my parking space in my private garage. Her eyes go wide as she looks around and I explain. “I like to keep a few cars here, just in case.”

  She’s taking in the yellow Lamborghini, red Maserati, and gray Ferrari, among others

  “But in case of what? Are you worried someone would rob you of a collection of luxury cars?” she says of multiple automobiles.

  I grin.

  “It’s a bad habit, but I tend to grab cars when I see them. You have to seize the opportunity, right? Carpe diem.” I open the passenger door to a black 1955 MG roadster. “Come on, in you go.”

  “I guess so,” she smiles and sits.

  I advise, “There’s a scarf for your hair in the glove box.”

  “Oh,” she gets it out, ties her hair into a ponytail, and wraps the scarf around. “I’ve never ridden in a convertible before, but then, I also didn’t know I was being kidnapped today. I feel like Grace Kelly in an old-time movie.”

  “Well, you know I have more than just a scarf available. Cheeky girls also get the belt,” I say, nodding to the seatbelt.

  “Oooh, Daddy.”

  “Talk like that and I’ll have to have you right here and now, and you’ll miss your surprise.”

  Her heart-shaped lips gasp, “There’s more?”

  I grin again.

  “If you’re a good girl.”

  She sits prim and proper and awaits her surprise with renewed patience.

  I can’t help but chuckle at the sudden shift in her attitude, as I get in the car and put it in drive. I pull out of the garage and onto the road, and soon, we’re coasting down an empty highway. My hand uses her thigh as a rest, and gradually, her legs spread open. Then, I notice her other hand has slipped down into her skirt. “Sweetheart, you are going to make me wreck my car.”

  “Fine,” she pouts and puts her hands in her lap once more. “Where are you taking me?”

  I only smile and grip the steering wheel even harder. It’s difficult to focus with Harlow mere inches away. I know the suspense is driving her crazy too, so I relent and stroke her thigh. I can feel goosebumps and I know her nipples are hard. She has such pretty pink nipples, and I’ve never seen their equal. They’re delicate, responsive, and not quite circular. I have to readjust my trousers, since they’re suddenly tight again. Fuck. She’s going to make me wreck my car without even doing anything.

  I blurt, “What was the first pet you had?”

  She turns to me with a smile on her face.

  “That’s random.”

  “Please sweetheart. Cat, dog, what?”

  She chuckles at my desperation.

  “I had a cat and her name was Kiki. She was super-cute.”

  “How old were you?”

  “I was four, why? Why the sudden interest?”

  But I barrel on ahead.

  “What was Kiki’s favorite toy?”

  Harlow thinks she’s onto something, and narrows her eyes at me.

  “Am I getting a pet, Gray? Is that the surprise?”

  “I just want to know more about you, that’s all,” I explain.

  She giggles.

  “Gray, you’ve known me my whole life. What more could I tell you?”

  “Then how did I not know you had a cat named Kiki?”

  “Okay,” she says. “Well, Kiki liked those fake mice with the catnip in them, but more than that, she liked to get stuck behind Mom’s vintage upright piano.”

  “Oh, I remember now. White, little pink bow?”

  “That’s the one. I loved her, but god, she was so silly.”

  I nod, “I remember Catherine hated her.”

  Harlow sighs.

  “My mom hated a lot of things,” Harlow says, shaking her head. “I’m not sure that Catherine ever really wanted to be married to my dad. She definitely didn’t make life easy for him or for herself, that’s for sure. And after I was born, I think she felt really stuck.” Before we realize it, an hour has passed, and I turn toward our destination. Harlow looks at a passing sign and reads it out loud.

  “The Commons. What is this place?” her voice trails off as she sees her first outdoor sculpture at the sculpture park. “Oh my god, that’s Bayer’s Articulated Wall!”

  “Surprise!” I grin.

  She enthusiastically starts kissing my neck.

  “Thank you so much for bringing me here, Gray! I’ve wanted to come for a really long time.”

  I have to focus to keep from veering into a sculpture before I can park, and I laugh. “You’re welcome. Now hands to yourself, before I drive us into one of these art installations.”

  “Sorry!” she cries. But she’s so antsy to get out of the car that I find myself going faster than the posted 10 MPH of the park. We stop and she kisses me hard. “This is amazing. Thank you.”

  I’m flustered by her delight because I didn’t expect such a reaction. I knew she’d be happy but I didn’t think she’d be over the moon the way she is now. But then I grin. It makes me happy to see her happy.

  “We’re playing hooky from work today, sweetheart. Let’s go.”

  “Okay,” she says cheerfully before scrambling out of the car.

  The rolling green hills are bright in the afternoon sun, but nothing shines like Harlow. She spins in a circle, trying to take all of it in at once, before she launches herself towards the Bayer sculpture. I work with a personal trainer who kicks my ass five days a week, but nothing could have prepared me for an excited Harlow on an art binge. She’s literally a speed demon, so fast that she’s a streak.

  She flits and dances from sculpture to sculpture, filled with information about the artists and telling me all sorts of lurid details about their lives. It’s as though she’s come to life in the presence of such creative work. I can’t get enough of her like this. By supper time, though, she finally starts to tire. “I don’t want to leave, but I’m starving. Do you think we could get something at the concession stand?”

  “We could. But there’s a picnic basket in the back of the roadster.”

  She gasps. “Really?”

  “Come on,” I take her hand and lead her back to the car before grabbing the basket from the trunk. We find a quiet place near the trees, lay out a blanket, and I pour two glasses of wine. “To spontaneity.”

  She clinks her glass to mine and we drink.

  “Absolutely. Thank you so much for today, Gray. This has been a wonderful surprise.”

  “You always speak with such fondness about your art classes, and I thought you’d like it here. I’m happy to be right.”

  She has such mischief in her chocolate brown eyes when she asks, “Can I tell you a secret?”

  “Of course.”

  “I took more than art history. In fact, I took some painting classes, and I’m actually pretty good at it.”

  I’m surprised.

  “What kind of painting?”

  Harlow bites her lip and says, “Watercolor. I love the way they play with light and shadow and shape when you –”

  I kiss her. I’ve held back this entire trip,
and I can’t stop myself. After enjoying her lips and tongue for a long moment, I pull back, both of us breathing hard.

  “When you talk about the things you love, you have such a look on your face. I’m sorry I interrupted.”

  “You never have to be sorry about kissing me,” she blushes.

  “I’ll never be sorry for kissing you. I just don’t want to be rude and interrupt you. Why not follow your passion and paint?”

  Harlow thinks for a moment.

  “Dad, mostly. I think he’d be disappointed I didn’t stick with marketing.”

  I look at her closely.

  “Brent is a very understanding person. He’s older now, with some wisdom from living life. I think he’d be more upset if you didn’t follow what makes you happy.”

  “Hmm,” she ponders my advice. “Maybe he would be.”

  I grin.

  “Besides, you should do what makes you happy, no matter what anyone says about it. You don’t owe your future happiness to anyone but yourself.”

  “I guess that’s true,” she murmurs. Her mind wanders somewhere deep inside her beautiful brain. The sun is setting behind her, and the deep golden rays make her dark hair glow, like a halo on my sweet angel. Then, her innocent face becomes serious. “But I need to be able to talk about all of this with someone else.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She looks at me.

  “I’m not talking about my art, Gray. I’m talking about us. Our relationship is really … intense. And I know we’re being secretive because of my dad and what other people would think, but still. I need to be able to tell a friend about us. I mean, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but it’s a huge thing to keep inside.”

  I nod. It’s a risk, but I understand.

  “It’s okay, sweetheart. So long as your friend can keep it to herself, I’m fine with you revealing our relationship.”

  She nods.

  “Thank you. So Gray, enough about me. How is it that you’re single? I’ve known you forever, but you don’t generally bring women around.” She nibbles on some salami and for the first time in my life, I’m jealous of a piece of sliced meat. But then I look at her swiftly.

  “Why, what makes you ask?”

  She giggles.

  “Because you’re you. You’re a ridiculously hot guy with tons of money, and a fancy car collection. I know you said that a lot of society women are just like my mom, but surely, there’s someone out there who wants you for you? There must be something else going on under the surface.”

  I smirk.

  “Maybe I have a fear of commitment?”

  She giggles, “I don’t buy it. You’re committed to your car collection, to your business, and to your body enough that you practically live at the gym. Try again.”

  I answer is wry.

  “I’ve been dating for over twenty-five years and in that time, I have always dated the women I was supposed to want. The perfect-on-paper, perfect-in-theory women, who look good in pictures in magazines and have the plastic surgery receipts to prove it. Twenty-five years, Harlow. The ladies are fine, but I’ve never found the right woman,” I growl. Then I stop myself. It’s too soon to say it. I can’t be the first one to say it because she’s too young and innocent, and I’ve already overwhelmed her enough. Yet, I can’t stop myself from looking into those beautiful eyes with yearning in my gaze.

  “But maybe someday,” I finish quietly. She gives me a gentle smile.

  “Someday,” she murmurs. I kiss Harlow with all my heart and soul in my lips and then rest my head against hers. Can she feel how much I love her already? Or perhaps, this is all a game to the innocent girl.

  8

  Harlow

  * * *

  “He’s all I can think about. Half the time, if my dad isn’t around, I just stay at his place and pick up some clothes from home. I can’t even get dressed without wondering if he’ll like my outfit. Jane, I’m in big trouble.”

  My friend titters.

  “It sounds like you’re in love, girlfriend,” she says. “Which would explain why I haven’t heard from you in weeks, and why I haven’t seen you in months.”

  I laugh.

  “Sorry about that. And who said anything about love?”

  She throws me a look.

  “Your eyes did, when you told me about your obsession with Gray Jamison.”

  “My eyes said nothing,” I protest weakly.

  She laughs.

  “Then why are you ignoring your best friend all the time? It damn well better be love. I wouldn’t take anything less.”

  I bite my lip, and then say, “Jane, he shaved me. We’re so intimate now that he used a razor on me, you know, in that place.”

  She’s utterly shocked.

  “Oh my god!”

  I nod.

  “I know, but it was so amazing. Gray’s got one of those fancy clawfoot tubs, and he drew me a warm bath. I soaked in it while he sponged me down and then he shaved my legs. I thought we were done, but then he had me lay on a towel on his bed where he took a straight razor and very slowly, shaved me down there. It was amazing.”

  My friends eyes go wide.

  “Sounds dangerous and kinky too! Does this happen all the time? Do you guys do illicit things together and then have hot monkey sex?

  “Yes, sort of,” I say with a small giggle. “I mean, the shaving sounds weird and yet oddly intimate right? Like it’s more than just sex? He was touching me so tenderly, and licking me while he did it, and … well, you get the picture.”

  My friend is shocked.

  “I think you’re definitely in lust, Harlow. But what are you going to do once your internship is over?”

  I shrug, a little miserable.

  “Honestly, I don’t know. I could just be a summer fling for Gray. I mean, he’s forty-five and I’m twenty-one. I’m his best friend’s kid for crying out loud! I’m so afraid, Janie, that I mean nothing to him but temporary good times.”

  She nods.

  “I get it, girlfriend. But what’s your plan then?”

  I shake my head, despondent again.

  “I don’t know,” I say in a quiet voice. Then, I perk up a little. “But I’m still sorry I didn’t call you sooner. As you can tell, this has been a busy time in my life, but I’m back now.”

  She grins saucily.

  “Mm-hmm. Maybe return a text the day of, rather than a week later?”

  I hang my head and eat a bite of donut. “Sorry, Mom.”

  “Eew, no, don’t ever call me that,” she sounds serious. “I’m nothing like your mom.”

  “Just teasing. Geez.”

  “I am nothing like that frigid old cow.”

  I squint at her.

  “You do remember you’re talking about Catherine, right?”

  My friend looks innocent.

  “Did I say anything that wasn’t true?”

  I have to admit, “Maybe not. Except the cow part because you know she’s scrawny. She’s more like a frigid old icicle.”

  She grins, “Fine. I am nothing like that frigid old icicle. And is Gray feeding you? Because you look like you’ve lost some weight.”

  I laugh.

  “I haven’t lost weight, I’ve gained weight because he’s definitely feeding me. If he’s not fucking me, then he’s feeding me. He likes to cook a lot, actually.”

  Jane nods with approval.

  “I was hoping he wasn’t trying to make you lose weight or something. What is it, like ten or fifteen pounds? More?”

  “I don’t know,” I shrug. “I’ve definitely put on some heft though.”

  She’s shocked.

  “How do you not know? Harlow, you obsessively weigh yourself a couple times a day. Remember, your dad sent you to a therapist for it?”

  I laugh.

  “Honestly, I haven’t had the urge to weigh myself in months. Gray likes all my curves and it’s kind of rubbed off on me. God, I haven’t even thought about the scale in so long.�
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  “Damn,” Jane marvels to herself. “Gotta get me an older guy.”

  We laugh and I realize how much I’ve missed my best friend.

  “How are you doing, by the way? What’s life like at the country club? Your text said you’re a clerk at the golf shop and a cocktail waitress at the lounge, which doesn’t make any sense.”

  Jane sighs.

  “I’m doing double duty. The shop is Monday through Thursday, and the lounge is Friday and Saturday, at least until class starts.”

  “That is a lot of hours, girl. Why so many?”

  She throws me a look.

  “Not all of us have trust funds, Harlow, and my dad lost his job. So now my summer of fun has been a summer of work. A lot of work.”

  Immediately, I feel terrible.

  “Sorry, honey. I feel like I haven’t been here for you. I’m so sorry,” I pat her hand and get powdered sugar on her. “God, sorry for that, too.” I wipe her with a napkin and think of when Gray wiped my shirt the first night. I get lost in the memory and find myself slowly wiping her hand. Jane looks down, and then looks up again.

  “Bitch, you good?”

  I snap out of it and laugh at myself. “Yeah, just distracted. How is your dad, by the way?”

  She sighs.

  “He’ll be fine, but I’m not going to add to his financial stress. That’s why I’m working so hard.”

  I nod.

  “And your mom?”

  “Still at the hospital. Her job is solid because nurses are almost never fired or laid off. I’m not worried about her.”

  “Good, I’m glad,” I sit back on my haunches and fix her with a look. “So, with all of that going on, are you seeing anyone?”

  She laughs. “Not really. It’s been a dry summer.”

  I know that tone; Jane is hiding something. I shoot her a sly look.

  “But you are into someone, aren’t you?”

  Jane smirks and obviously has a secret all her own. She sighs. “Harlow, the world is a strange and wonderful place, and I don’t think you’d get it.”

  I wait. And wait. Until finally, I blurt, “Out with it! Who is it? I’ve told you my secret already!”

  But Jane merely blushes and hangs her head.

  “Maybe one day. Like I said, Harlow, you really wouldn’t get it. And he hasn’t been around much this summer anyways. It’s more of a crush-from-afar type thing.”