“Would you have a drink with me? I’ll see that you get home. We’re going the same way,” Harper said opening with a smile.
How could she say no? He stood six feet, shoulders wide and muscles straining against his tee shirt. He held his head high with confidence. Handsome features, strong jaw, and with the reflection of the dim light, his eyes shown bright piercing Emily’s soul. His sensual lips opened when he smiled to display his gleaming perfect teeth and she had to be with him if just for a moment.
Emily stood and looked at Fiona who nodded in encouragement. Fiona was happy to be alone with her friend, and Emily appeared speechless and overwhelmed by the smoothness of Harper’s voice and his handsome features.
When Emily glanced up at Harper, his eyes had changed from a dark blue to golden. She didn’t know what to read into that other than he was probably wearing contacts. She wouldn’t ruin this day by asking a stupid question, like the nerd she feared she had become. There must be something she could talk to him about. Not the weather for fuck sake.
“I’ll have one drink. You choose,” she said. He led her to the table and pulled her chair and she sat. She wore a closed smile. He wasn’t the arrogant ass-hole she thought he was. But what did she know. She couldn’t think straight in his presence.
Instead of waiting for the waitress he excused himself and walked to the bar and ordered two beers. He came strutting back with them in one hand. It was then Emily took notice of his hands.
Harper never took his eyes off Emily as he sat across from her.
“Tell me something about yourself Emily.” That was a question his lawyer had asked her when he proposed to her through him. Maybe he didn’t have time to read the papers. Was the lawyer the one who was making the selection, and didn’t bother to tell him she was the one he interviewed, she wondered.
“There isn’t much to tell. I live at your mansion. I’m a maid and I’m in my final year at the state university.”
“And what’s your major?”
“Education. Minor in Philosophy.” He smiled at the philosophy part. Emily knew what he was thinking. It was a thought she had herself. What the fuck am I going to do with a degree in Philosophy?
“I plan to teach children.” Harper listened. He pretended that he was interested in her profession, but he was interested in one thing. He liked the notion of her teaching children because he had planned on having a large family.
“Continue,” he said as he leaned forward. His eyes moving from her hair to her lips to her teeth and then down to her breasts. He watched her intently. Emily didn’t notice. Her eyes down. She didn’t want to meet his eyes. She was nervous. She didn’t want to have to reveal too much about her life.
And she didn’t want him to know that if he had threw her on the table in front of everyone and fucked her there, it would have been the best day of her life.
“I have a father that depends on my help. He’s a disabled veteran.” She watched for Harper’s reaction then she proceeded, “He’s not an invalid, but he has a drinking problem and he never has enough money to pay his rent.”
“You have a lot to do. You work and go to school and take care of a parent. Your mother, where is she?”
“She left when I was a child.”
“Mine left too,” Harper said his eyes searching around and holding back tears.
“But your mother died.”
“Let’s not talk about that. Let’s talk about you and me?”
“What about?”
“I’m looking for someone to take care of me. Not in the sense of making my bed or having my clothes cleaned, but taking care of my needs.”
“I don’t know what you mean?” Emily sat back.
“How old are you, Emily?”
“I’m twenty one, I’ll be twenty two in two weeks.”
“I’m looking for someone to marry me.”
“Yes, I know.” Harper didn’t pay attention to her comment. He was concentrating on getting her to understand what he had just said. He was attracted to her in all manner of ways. She was beautiful, and he needed someone, and what could be better than to ask her since she had needs also. How long could she continue taking care of a father with what she would make from teaching?
“Will you marry me?”
“What did you say?” She narrowed her eyes.
“I want to know if you would marry me?” Emily slanted her head to the side and looked over at Fiona and her date holding hands and kissing over their drinks. The music playing low so she actual heard right—he asked her to marry him.
“Now? Would you marry me now? Don’t think about it. Don’t ask me questions. Just take a chance and marry me. You won’t be sorry. I’ll try my best to make you happy and you will never want for anything. And I promise you, I’ll love you always.”
“But you don’t know anything about me. And I don’t know anything about you. I think you should tell me something.”
“I’m rich. I can make it so your father will never have to worry about anything again.” That’s what Emily wanted, for her father to be taken care of. He deserved it, and she felt the sacrifice she would make would be no sacrifice at all.
She fell in love with Harper the first time she saw him, and now she would have the last laugh on Elisabeth. She would travel in the same circles as Elisabeth and smirk quietly at her. She would think of how stupid Elisabeth must have been for losing a guy like Harper. And Emily would get the greatest pleasure of showing off because Elisabeth had been so mean to her.
“I’ll marry you,” Emily said. She heard and thought of nothing of what Stanley had said to her. She didn’t ask one question of Harper.
“I have to call a judge. He’s a family friend and I need to call for my limo. Go over and ask your friends to be witnesses to our wedding.” As Harper took out his phone, Emily walked to the table where Fiona and friend had just come up for air after a long kiss.
“I’m getting married tonight.” Their mouths opened. “Will you two be our witnesses?”
“Sure. How the fuck did that happen and so fast?” Fiona said.
Her friend glanced over and said to Fiona, “Would you like to make it a double wedding?”
“Fuck no. I just met you. You don’t want to ruin a good relationship with a marriage. She glanced at Emily. “I’m sorry, Emily. It’s not for everyone. But I’m sure you had good reasons to marry him at such a short notice. I hear he’s a decent man who just inherited a fortune. And you can’t go wrong with a face like his and a body I would kill to have wake up with me in the morning,” Fiona said looking at her friend and sliding her tongue across her lips and her boyfriend leaning over and biting her lip.
Trying to feel good about everything, Emily kept smiling amid all the uncertainty and angst she felt.
Harper walked over and held out his hand to Emily. “My limo is coming. Is everyone ready to celebrate my marriage to Emily?” He brought Emily to him for a heated kiss. His lips soft and warm touched hers lightly. His heart beat fast and Emily felt it and he felt hers. Emily pulled away nervous and embarrassed.
“Yeah, but how could you get a marriage certificate so soon,” the young man asked Harper.
Ignoring the question, Harper trotted to the car as if he didn’t hear him. When he spotted his limo through the window it cruised to the curb, and stopped. But Harper heard every word and every whisper. This new sense of hearing was making his life unbearable. He couldn’t get used to it because everything was all too new.
“Don’t ask him that. Don’t you know when you have money, you can buy anything,” Fiona said. “There I go again, Emily. I’m sorry. I just found a friend and my big mouth is ruining everything.”
“No. I’m happy. I like Harper.” Harper heard Emily. But she didn’t say she loved him. He wanted her to say that. But what could he expect. He asked her to marry him and she accepted without questioning his motives.
What more could a werewolf expect? He thought.