My day was spent making phone calls from a coffee shop I knew Harper liked. I had grilled Lana about her for the last two weeks and knew her likes and dislikes by heart now. As I surfed the net on my phone, I realized I was acting a little stalker-ish and grimaced. Great, now I was turning into a psycho!

Of course that thought went flying out of my head when I saw her come into the shop and head straight for the counter. Picking up my half empty cup of triple espresso-which had nothing on Jesse's special blend-I tossed the now cold drink and got in line behind Harper to order another one.

While she spoke to the skinny kid, ordering some kind of girly mocha with extra whipped topping, I took my time checking out the view from behind. G.o.ds, but I loved her a.s.s. The leggings she was wearing outlined it perfectly, and I had to ball my hands into fists to keep from reaching out to cup those sweet hips.

She was wearing running shoes and a tank top, so I had to a.s.sume she was planning on a trip to the gym. It was after one, which didn't surprise me. Lana had told me that my girl liked her sleep, and I had kept her up pretty late the night before.

When she started to pay for her coffee, I stepped forward and took care of it while ordering my own with some pastries. I hadn't needed Lana to tell me that Harper had a sweet tooth. After paying, I turned to face the quiet girl standing beside of me.

Was it me or was she more beautiful when she was trying to be mad. "I can pay for my own coffee, Shane."

"No one said that you couldn't, beautiful. I just wanted to buy my friend something to drink." I leaned closer to her as I said the word friend and enjoyed the sight of pink flushing her cheeks. Of course I got a hint of the perfume she was wearing and nearly groaned as it had an effect on my d.i.c.k.

The barista put our cups down in front of us along with the dish of pastries. I sent the kid a smile as I picked up our order and led her toward the table I had taken up for most of the day.

I sat the coffee down and pulled out a chair for her. Other than a few times for Emmie, I didn't think I had ever done that for a girl before. Harper didn't look impressed, though. She just sat down and s.n.a.t.c.hed up one of the cherry filled pastries. "I really don't have time for this."

"What's so important that it can't wait twenty minutes while we share a snack?" I asked as I sat down across from her so I could see her eyes. G.o.ds, I loved her eyes!

"I'm meeting Cecil at the gym for some racquetball."

My entire body tensed up as the name of another man left her lips. "Who the f.u.c.k is Cecil?" I demanded before I could stop myself.

"My stepdad," she said with a roll of those gorgeous eyes.

"Oh..." Dammit! Now I sounded like an obsessive a.s.shole. Girls didn't like s.h.i.t like that, did they? Emmie and Layla didn't like it much, or at least they said they didn't. Was it some kind of reverse psychology and they really did?

A small smile teased at Harper's Cupid's bow, but she didn't chastise me. "Cecil is kind of the only family I claim. He wanted to adopt me, but my real dad wouldn't let him."

"Why not?"

"Because he's a control freak." She grimaced and took a sip of her coffee. "He and my mom are a lot alike in that area."

"So you and your stepdad get along?"

"Oh yeah. He and I are so similar, just like Ariana and my mom. Dallas used to joke that we got switched at birth." Her grin was adorable and I wanted to sit there and stare at it for hours. "We don't get to see each other much these days. He's been so busy with work, and I've been trying to find a full-time job. But we try to get together at least once a month for racquetball or dinner."

"Then you should get going." I didn't want her to go, but I hated for her to miss out on time with her stepdad.

She glanced at the watch on her left wrist. "I still have a few minutes. He's always a little late anyway."

I would take anything she was willing give me. Minutes, hours, days. I wasn't going to ever turn that down. "How is Dallas feeling this morning? Sore from the fight?"

Harper laughed. "Apparently, that drunk girl got a hit or two in last night. Dallas has a bruise on her right cheek. It really makes her dimple stand out."

"Now I feel bad."

"Why?"

"She was fighting because of me. I got her hurt." I hated that. Don't get me wrong. Catfights were hot as h.e.l.l, but I didn't want my friends hurt because of me.

Harper shrugged it off. "Dallas was half-drunk. She's always looking for some kind of drama when she gets like that. That's why I make sure Linc goes out with her when she wants to go clubbing."

"Really? Sweet little Dallas likes drama? I never would have a.s.sumed that of her." Harper's giggles were sweet to listen to. I wanted to capture it so I could listen to it forever.

Chapter 8.

Harper I had to admit that Shane could easily make me laugh. I loved that about him.

When it was time for me to go, I was reluctant. So of course the words slipped out before I could call them back. "Want to come play racquetball with me and my stepdad?"

His eyes widened as if my question startled him. "You want me to come with you? Meet your stepdad?"

"Yeah. It will be fun. You're really athletic so you should be able to keep up with him better than I can."

He glanced down at his gray T-shirt and basketball shorts. I liked them on him better than the club clothes he'd had on the night before. It hid more of his sinfully s.e.xy body, and I could think easier like this.

"Okay."

I wasn't sure how Cecil was going to react to Shane. I had never introduced him to a guy that I liked before. He was protective of me, more so than he had ever been of Ariana. But then again, he knew that no matter what he said or did, Ariana would do what she wanted regardless.

When we got to Fit for Life, Cecil was just warming up. When he saw me his face lit up. I threw my arms around him, and he hugged me tight. "There's my girl!"

When he released me, I stepped back and gave him a once over. He was tall with jet black hair, sprinkled with gray, and blue eyes. He was still a handsome man even in his late fifties. Ariana had gotten a lot of her features from her dad. Sadly enough, she had gotten her personality from her mother, who had been best friends with my mom until her death.

"You look tired," I scolded. "Don't you sleep enough?"

"I've been in meetings for over a week straight, baby cakes. The new takeover is draining this old man." His deep voice sounded a little hoa.r.s.e, and I wondered if he was getting sick or if he had started smoking again.

"Cecil..." I started to ask which it was when he glanced over my shoulder and noticed Shane.

Cecil's blue eyes narrowed, taking in the rock star. "Who's this?" Although his eyes weren't exactly friendly, his tone was. That's what I loved about my stepdad; he wasn't readily judgmental about people. He gave them a chance.

"This is Shane Stevenson. He plays the ba.s.s for Demon's Wings."

"Ah, Lana's brother-in-law's band." He had met and liked my new roommate on sight. Cecil stepped forward and offered Shane his hand. "Good to meet you, Shane."

Was it just me or did Shane look nervous? I bit my lip to keep from grinning at that crazy thought. "Good to meet you too, sir." Shane said as he shook the older man's hand.

"Do you play?" Cecil asked, motioning to the racquetball room in general.

Shane shrugged. "A little. Haven't had much time for it in the past, though."

"Well, now is as good a time as any to start, son."

Twenty minutes into our first game and I was sitting in the corner, winded and watching the two men playing like pros. For Cecil, that was the truth. He had been playing for most of his life. Shane, on the other hand, had openly admitted to not playing much racquetball. He was naturally athletic and after stumbling for a few minutes, he'd picked it up like he had been born playing.

He sure was giving my stepdad a workout. Cecil was enjoying the challenge, laughing and teasing Shane. I could feel him warming to the rock star with each pa.s.sing minute. Shane seemed to be having a good time too. He had relaxed considerably since we had first arrived. I thought it was adorable that he had been nervous, if that really had been the case.

Half an hour later and the men were shaking hands. Cecil had won, but I wondered if Shane had let him have the victory. Actually, I was sure of it when Cecil ribbed him about it and Shane caught my eye and winked. My heart melted a little, loving that he had taken my stepfather's feelings into account like that.

"Loser has to buy dinner," Cecil informed him, dropping his racket into his bag before wiping his face with a towel. "I'm starving. Kicking your a.s.s has given me a big appet.i.te."

"Absolutely," Shane readily agreed. "I have a change of clothes in my locker upstairs. Beautiful, do you need to go home and change?"

There he went again, calling me beautiful. I didn't know if I liked it or not, but I wasn't going to ask him to stop. When he used that term of endearment, I almost felt like it was true. "No, I have a change of clothes in my locker too."

Cecil rubbed his hands together. "Good! Let's. .h.i.t the showers."

Dinner was maybe one of my favorite meals ever that evening. Shane took us to one of Manhattan's exclusive restaurants. We didn't have to wait to be seated, and our table was one of the best in the entire dining room. I guess Shane was trying to impress Cecil, and he did that in abundance. My stepdad might not be a sn.o.b, but he had expensive taste. He had been born into the world of money and had more than tripled his family's fortune since taking over for his father twenty years ago.

I wasn't exactly comfortable in the big money world. I didn't like that lifestyle and had witnessed that it wasn't exactly the road to happiness. But with Shane there, looking down his nose at all the money bags shooting us questioning glances, I felt like I belonged.

When dessert arrived I dug in with fervor. I'd be hitting the gym first thing the next morning, but it would be worth every miserable second of thigh burning torture for just a mouthful of the decadent dessert I had ordered.

"That looks good," Shane said, staring down at my chocolate mousse. "Can I have a bite?"

I glanced over at his dish of some kind of torte. "Only if I can have a bite of yours."

He grinned. "Okay." He lifted a spoonful of the cake that was filled with whipped cream, nuts, and some kind of jam. "At the same time," he suggested, and I lifted a spoonful of my moose.

It was a very intimate thing to do, feeding each other dessert like we were. I was glad that Cecil had excused himself to take a call from work. My body felt like it was afire as I watched Shane's mouth open and his lips close around the spoon. I felt a little dizzy and wasn't paying attention as he put his own spoon to my lips.

Belatedly, I opened my mouth to accept the bite, but some of the whipped cream smeared at the corner. I licked it away and heard Shane mutter a groan filled curse. "Dammit, Harper. I can't sit here and watch you do things like that without hurting."

I chewed and swallowed my mouthful of torte, giving myself time to figure out how I wanted to respond to his confession. "I'm sorry," was the only response my overheated brain could come up with, however.

"I'm going to kiss you goodnight tonight," he threatened, leaning toward me. "And you are going to kiss me back."

I couldn't have responded if I wanted to. My brain wasn't cooperating enough to think of what to say.

Luckily, Cecil came back from taking care of his business call. Unfortunately, he had to say goodnight. A situation that required his attention had come up and he had to fly to London on the redeye. "Sorry to cut the night short, baby cakes." He kissed my temple. "I'll call you in a few days, okay?"

"Be careful. Don't work too hard." I hugged him close for a moment, always hating to tell him goodbye when I knew he was going to be gone for a while. "Love you, C.C."

He chuckled at the old nickname I had given him when I was a little girl. "Love you more, Harpie." I frowned at his revenge nickname for me. "Take care of my girl, Shane," Cecil said, shaking the rocker's hand.

"I will, sir," Shane promised with sincerity. "Have a safe trip."

Shane I now knew what other guys were talking about when they said it was a nightmare meeting a girl's parents for the first time. I had been nearly shaking in my sneakers when Harper introduced me to her stepdad.

He was a cool guy and we hit it off. Of course it helped that I had let the man win then filled his belly with expensive steak and even pricier bourbon. I liked Cecil Calloway, and he got top scores for treating Harper so gently.

But I was more than happy to shake his hand goodbye after dinner. I was ready for some quiet time with Harper. I ached to taste her lips again, and that ache was only growing more painful as the evening proceeded. Dessert had been pure torture!

With the bill and generous tip taken care of, I took my girl's hand and we headed out. We were almost out the door when I noticed someone sitting at a corner table with some model that was making a name for herself lately. When he spotted me he raised his hand and waved me over.

Knowing I had to speak to the guy, I tugged Harper toward the couple.

"I thought you were ready to go?"

"I have to say h.e.l.lo to someone." I gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. "Then I'm taking you home and kissing you."

I thought I felt her shiver, and my d.i.c.k twitched against the fly of my dress pants. I pulled her closer as we reached the other table, trying to disguise my instant reaction to the beautiful creature that had me in her snare, as well as to protect her from the man I was about to introduce her to.

"Stevenson!" Rich Branson greeted us with his megawatt smile. He really needed to stop going to the dentist so much to get his teeth whitened. "How has New York been treating you, man?"

I shook his hand. Technically, Rich was Demon's Wings manager but Emmie was the one that handled all our tour dates and everything else. Since Axton had dropped OtherWorld's contract in the spring, Demon's Wings was Rich's biggest client. Emmie worked her a.s.s off to take care of us, while Rich sat back and played with all the money we brought in for him. The guys and I had been talking about dropping our contract at the end of the year when it came up for renewal.

"It's been good," I told the man honestly. "Drake seems to like his new gig."

"Good, good." Rich hadn't been all that enthusiastic about Drake signing on with America's Rocker, but he had little say in what we did in our down time. Of course with Emmie's pregnancy and Nik not wanting to take on big commitments for long tours, free time had been in abundance lately. Which meant Rich wasn't raking in the money off us like he had gotten so used to over the last ten years.

The model sitting at the table cleared her throat, making it sound delicate. I turned my gaze in her direction and nearly rolled my eyes at the way she was sizing me up. Knowing that she wanted my attention, I ignored her and introduced Harper instead. "This is my girl, Harper. Beautiful, this is Rich Branson. He manages the band."

"h.e.l.lo, Mr. Branson." She offered her hand and I gritted my teeth as Rich latched on.

"What's a nice girl like you doing with Stevenson?" Rich laughed, trying to tug Harper closer. "You should dump him and come talk to me."

Harper pulled her hand free. "I'd rather cut your throat and watch you bleed." Her sweet tone mixed with her feisty words made me hard as a rock. I pulled her back against my chest. Unable to mask my amus.e.m.e.nt the way I did my sudden raging erection, I laughed.

"Ah, another one," Rich murmured, reaching for his scotch, not at all amused by the rejection.

"Another one?" Harper raised a brow at him.

"Emmie, Layla, Lana." Rich shrugged his thin shoulders. "Beautiful on the outside, pure b.i.t.c.h on the inside."

I tensed, ready to rip the guy's head off for daring to call my girl a b.i.t.c.h when Harper laughed. "You think I'm beautiful?"

Sighing, I pulled her back a few steps. "Baby, you really need to look in the mirror," I whispered against her ear before stepping in front of her.

Rich obviously thought he could speak to my girl any which way. Not only had he insulted her, but also the other women in my family, and I wasn't about to walk away without correcting him. With Harper safely behind me, I bent over the table so I could meet Rich eye-to-eye.

"Speak like that to her, or any other female in my family, and I promise you will live to regret it. How will you afford those little blue pills that keep your d.i.c.k hard while you f.u.c.k fake hos like her if the Demons suddenly drop you on your a.s.s?"

I took pleasure in watching the man pale before straightening. With my hand to the small of Harper's back, I guided her out of the restaurant and into the back of a taxi that had just let a couple out.

"I'm sorry about that." I was quick to apologize to her. "I should never have put you in that position..." I broke off when she started shaking her head.

"It's okay. I'm fine. You are the one I was worried about. Do you normally shake like that when you're upset? Do you have high blood pressure or something?" Her tone was full of concern.