HARPER REMAINED QUIET the rest of the trip back to the ship. She smiled at the appropriate times, chatted when spoken to, but otherwise remained buttoned up.
The woman was a hard nut to crack.
He could see right through the facade she put up for everyone else’s benefit and it baffled him why she was so resistant to giving him a chance.
Clearly, someone had broken her heart.
He could show her that he wasn’t that guy—if she would let him.
But that was the difficult part. Harper was adamant that she wasn’t going to let him see anything beyond the surface.
Teagan knew from experience, the pain from the past never healed if the person didn’t allow themselves to feel.
You gotta feel to heal.
He couldn’t take credit for that pithy saying. It had been said to him after a brutal mission had left him suffering from nightmares.
His therapist had walked him through some tough times.
PTSD was no joke.
He’d been open to therapy, but some of his fellow airmen...not so much.
Not everyone came out of that situation intact.
Maybe Harper had something similar to a soldier’s PTSD.
Something had scarred her so much at a critical age that it’d formed a permanent scar.
If he could find out what that was...maybe he’d have a chance.
He’d stopped asking himself why he kept trying.
Unlike Harper, Teagan was ready to admit that she was the one for him.
The stubborn, difficult, manipulative little money badger was the woman he wanted above all else.
Good job, asshole.
He could just hear J.T.’s voice already.
I wanted you to get laid, not find the woman you want to marry someday.
Ha. Marriage.
Teagan had never considered himself the marrying type. He loved women but he enjoyed his freedom, too.
Now that Harper had entered the picture, he couldn’t imagine wanting anyone else.
He supposed this was what’d happened to J.T. when he’d met Hope.
The hot redhead scientist had nearly gotten J.T. killed.
Several times.
And yet, J.T. couldn’t seem to get enough of her.
I get it, brother. I totally get it now.
He supposed he could count his blessings that Harper didn’t have bullets following her like Hope had.
But in a way, dodging a visible threat was easier than fighting an enemy that only existed in someone’s mind.
How the hell was he going to prove to Harper that he wasn’t like the man who’d hurt her before?
Just tie her to the bed and screw her senseless.
The thought made him smile, even if it wasn’t a long-term solution.
Harper was a leaf in the wind. She came with no roots and only made surface-deep connections.
There had to be a reason she’d targeted Stuart. By all accounts, Stuart was the least like someone who would tolerate a gold digger. He wasn’t swayed by her looks, or her charm. He was a genuine nice guy. Married for a lifetime to the same woman and had grieved that loss like a man who’d truly lost the love of his life.
So why would she go after Stuart instead of some greasy blowhard who was more interested in pretty arm candy than a true partner?
Lifestyles were hard to maintain without a steady flow of cash.
Did she have a spending problem? Was she already broke and needed a fatter fish to satisfy her appetite for the finer things?
Something told him that wasn’t the case.
Harper was hiding more than a broken heart, he realized.
Did she have a kid to care for?
Would that matter to him?
He gauged his gut reaction to the possibility of that news.
Nope. Don’t care.
She could have a passel of kids and he’d still want her.
Maybe she was mired in credit card debt?
Not a hard theory to float given her taste.
So what, debt is a part of life these days.
Maybe she had a crazy ex in prison?
That’s what restraining orders and concealed carry laws are for.
No matter what potential landmine he lobbed out there, nothing could shake his determination to have Harper as his own.
All right, so the facts were facts—he wasn’t going anywhere until Harper came clean about whatever she was trying to hide.
That was the only way he’d ever have a chance to show her that he was different.
* * *
HARPER BAILED FROM the helicopter and hustled back to the ship. She didn’t want to talk to anyone, least of all Teagan, before she could decompress.
Too much had happened.
She wasn’t talking about the physical stuff—sex she could handle—she was talking about the mental stuff tripping her up.
Teagan was a great guy but she wasn’t there to pick up a great guy. Harper was on the ship to find a wealthy husband.
Her mother was counting on her.
Harper could just imagine Teagan’s expression if she told him that she was the sole provider for her mother’s nursing care.
The monthly bill was outrageous.
And it seemed each month the amount increased.
All the flowers and sweet words in the world wouldn’t pay that bill each month.
And eventually, Teagan would realize he’d bitten off more than he could chew, which would leave her where?
Jaded, bitter and flat-ass broke.
She knew Teagan wouldn’t be far behind but maybe if she reached her room in time, she could lock him out and bury herself in bed.
Harper exited the elevator and walked briskly to her room. The second elevator dinged and she sensed, rather than saw, Teagan step out.
Harper turned in spite of herself and swallowed a yelp when she saw his expression.
Teagan looked like he wanted to put her over his knee and spank her raw.
But not in a good way.
“I’m tired,” she blurted. Teagan wasn’t having it.
“We’re having a conversation tonight,” he told her firmly, pulling her key card from her fingers and swiping it quickly before pushing the door open. He gestured with a terse “inside,” and Harper reluctantly did as she was directed.
Teagan closed the door and locked it. She expected him to light into her immediately but he bypassed her for the bathroom. Harper frowned. Did he barge into her room just to use her toilet? Was that his revenge for rejecting him? Blowing up her bathroom?
But then she heard the water running and she realized he was drawing a bath.
Damn him.
Considerate and sexy.
Knock it off, Carmichael.
“What are you doing?” she asked when he returned, stripping as he went. He dropped his clothes and came for her without answering. Harper squeaked as he pulled the dress up over her head, stopped briefly to kiss her hard, then grabbed her hand and took her to the bathroom.
“Get in,” he said, sinking into the tub slowly. He didn’t wait for her to acquiesce. It was as if he knew she wouldn’t refuse him. That both galled and aroused her.
She wasn’t accustomed to taking orders. But there was something a little dangerous about Teagan at the moment that tripped her wires in the biggest way. She stepped into the tub but before she could slide to the opposite end, he curled her into the cove between his legs.
His cock bumped against her behind and she hitched a tight breath as the memory of what he could do with that thing made her blush. “Lean back,” he said, the deep rumble of his chest vibrating through the water.
Harper sighed and sank against him, closing her eyes briefly to enjoy the illicit joy of being held against his solid body.
For a long moment, they simply enjoyed the mild jets swirling the water, neither speaking—the air heavy with tension.
“Tell me what you’re running from,” he said.
“I’m not running from anything.”
Teagan tried again, his voice steady but firm. “Tell me what has hurt you so bad that you’re unwilling to try again.”
Her silence prompted him to start throwing out theories.
“Bad boyfriend broke your heart?”
“I don’t allow my heart to be broken,” she returned coolly.
“Then tell me why you keep pushing me away when you know we’re a good fit in so many ways.”
“Teagan, I’ve tried to spare your feelings,” she said, searching for a convincing way to lie. “I’m just not interested in anything serious with you.” She turned to face him, meeting his gaze. “If you were interested in just sex, I could handle that. Sex with you is phenomenal, but I can’t offer you anything else.”
“You’ve already said all these things but I know you’re holding back. If you can tell me truthfully why you won’t be with me, I’ll leave you alone if that’s what you want.”
She frowned, not quite believing him. “You’re serious?”
“I’m totally serious.”
“Can we still have sex?” she asked coyly, warming to his proposal.
“That’ll be up to me to decide. Unlike you, I’m all in. I want you, Harper. Whatever it is that you are... I want it. But if I can’t have all of you then I’m not sure I want the consolation prize.”
Sex with her was the consolation prize? “That’s not what most guys say.”
“I’m not most guys.”
He was right about that. She reached beneath the water and grasped his semiflaccid shaft, giving it a squeeze. “Try to tell me you don’t want to bend me over this bathtub and screw me right here.”
His gaze darkened with immediate desire and he surged against her hand but he didn’t cave. “Tell me and I’ll decide from there.”
Maybe this was a deal she should take.
Teagan seemed a reasonably sensible guy. Maybe he’d understand the economics she was faced with and agree her options were slim.
Ha. Yeah right.
She could already see the hunger in his eyes, could feel the tension in his frame.
“You talk, I’ll wash.” Teagan lathered up a soft cloth with body wash and began to lazily rub it across her shoulders and down her back, then back to her front. She smiled in spite of herself when he paused a little too long on her breasts but his touch was incredibly soothing.
“I can’t afford to be with you, Teagan,” she said, sighing as he sluiced water over her soapy body. It felt wonderful to be pampered by someone who looked at her like Teagan did. Something deeper than lust caressed her senses with that gaze. “My mother has MS and I am her sole caretaker.”
He paused with a surprised expression. “That’s very noble of you.”
“Not noble at all. I’m her only family. She and I are all we have.”
“And you thought I would have a problem with you being a good daughter?” he asked quizzically.
If only it were that simple.
She drew a deep breath and took the cloth from his hand to return the favor. “My mother was a hopeless romantic. Always wanting to fall in love. And she fell in love more times than I can count during my childhood. But she was still responsible and made sure my needs were met and we had a roof over our heads. She even managed a small savings. Until Rex came along.”
He waited for her to continue. Harper hadn’t realized sharing this story would be more difficult than she’d thought.
“Umm, so Rex came into our lives and played the gentleman. He wooed my mom and sold her a million lies just so he could get his hands on her money. By the time my mom figured out she’d been conned, Rex was long gone and so was our entire life savings.”
“How much?”
She shrugged, admitting, “It wasn’t a lot but it seemed like it to us. Twenty thousand.”
“Did your mom file charges?”
She shook her head with a derisive chuckle. “My mom was too embarrassed to admit she’d been played. And she was brokenhearted. She really loved him. Even if it was just an act for Rex.” She drew a deep breath as she slid the cloth over his pecs. “My mom got sick not long after. Doctor said stress might’ve been the catalyst but who knows? Maybe she always would’ve gotten sick but at least we would’ve had some money to pay for the doctors.”
“Twenty thousand doesn’t go far in health care,” he said, frowning. “And this guy just disappeared into the wind?”
“Long gone. Sometimes I think about trying to find him but I don’t know what I would do if I did. I’m not sure I trust myself. I might just shoot him.”
“Do you own a gun?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then, you should probably listen to your gut and leave him to his own karma. Even as beautiful as you are, prison orange would not look good on you.”
She rinsed the soap away and gently wiped his face, avoiding his eyes. “The thing is, I should perhaps thank him.”
“Come again?”
“He taught me that trusting love is for idiots. Love isn’t real, Teagan. It’s science. A chemical reaction exploding in the brain for a few brief months before reality sets in and the hormone bath subsides.”
“Love isn’t just about science,” he said, pausing to rinse his face. He pushed his hair back and met her gaze. “Love is something you feel here.” He tapped her chest where her heart resided. Then, he tapped her forehead. “Not here.”
Harper laughed. “Well, maybe for some people, but not me. That’s why I’m not the girl for you. I don’t believe in love. I believe in hot sex, deep kisses and the power of the dollar. And that’s it.”
“So you con these men just like that man conned your mother, only your targets are bigger and wealthier,” he said, putting together the pieces.
She refused to feel any shame, not in front of Teagan, so she nodded as if proud. “Yep. And I’m good at it. At least I was until you came along.”
“You were hurt. That man was an asshole. But you’re better than he was,” he said, grasping her hands in his.
Harper scowled, irritated that he was trying to save her, as if she needed saving at all. She tugged her hands free. “I like what I do. I like wearing designer clothes and eating at the finest restaurants. I enjoy the privilege of having whatever I want at the snap of a finger. These men fall all over themselves to shower me with gifts and trinkets. And then, when I’m tired of them or our time has run its course... I move on.”
“Why Stuart, then?” he asked, peering at her intently, as if knowing Harper had a different agenda than usual. “He’s a nice man. And you’re not his type.”
“I’m all men’s type,” she disagreed. “If Vanessa hadn’t cock-blocked me, I’d have that man in my bed as we speak.”
That part was iffy but she wasn’t going to admit her failures. She already knew Stuart had been a bad investment of her time, which was simply inexcusable on her part. Now she had to research someone else and so far, she didn’t like her options.
A tiny twitch in Teagan’s eye gave away his discomfort at her bald statement. She dared him to judge her. “Go ahead, call me a whore, call me a gold digger, it doesn’t matter to me. What matters is what lands in my bank account.”
“You said you did this for your mother...how much does her care cost?” he asked, throwing her off.
“Why?”
“Because if you’re doing this for your mother’s care, that other stuff shouldn’t matter. The cars, the clothes, the privilege...and honestly, I don’t think it does matter to you. I think you’re still playing a part and we agreed to complete honesty.”
She held her breath as he rose, the water dripping from his magnificent body. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his torso as he stepped out.
“The thing is, Harper, you’re punishing every man for something that happened to your mother. I understand, but at a certain point, you have to realize that you’re wrong.”
“Thank you for sharing your unsolicited opinion on my life,” she said, grabbing her own towel and tucking it around her. Stepping out, Harper stalked past him, hurt and irritated that he so easily saw around her carefully constructed reasoning.
“And you’re wrong,” she added. “I do like that stuff. Just because you want to see me in a different light doesn’t mean what you want is any more true than what I’m telling you.”
“You know how I know you’re lying?” he said, stalking closer, crowding her space. “Because of the way your eyes track my every move, how your skin warms to my touch and how your body reacts to mine when you have no choice but to give in. Your mouth can lie but your body does not.”
“Sexual attraction isn’t an accurate measure of someone’s honesty,” she said, swallowing the lump in her throat. Everything he said was true but she was also being truthful to a point. “I’ve never said I didn’t respond to your touch. Sex with you is the best I’ve ever had. You might always have that distinction but I need more than epic sex!”
“Exactly,” he said, unswayed by her impassioned response. If she was stubborn, Teagan was equally so. “If we never had sex again, I’d still want to spend every moment with you. You’re a hot woman, no doubt, but I’m interested in more than just what’s between your legs, sweetheart. Can you say the same about the other men you screw?”
No, she wanted to cry. She was nothing to those other men but they were nothing to her, either, so it was fair, right?
“Teagan,” she whispered, losing the will to fight anymore. “I gave you my answer. Either you believe me or you don’t.”
His jaw firmed and he swept her into his arms, saying in a hard tone, “I don’t,” before carrying Harper to the bed.
This night would end with both tangled up in each other but Harper knew by morning, everything would look the same.
No matter what Teagan had to say.