Matt Harper was this side of heaven and jetting for the sun.
Grinning, he ran his hand over her sexy, smooth curves and drove her higher. Faster. Stronger. She purred beneath him and he felt the subtle vibrations in his core. She was hot as hell, all power and finesse, sleek and intelligent. Today, he’d take her to the limits and let her break free to glory. She was made for a guy like him, not the mean old man who’d purchased her to look at her. What a waste. It broke Matt’s heart to think that this sixty-five-million-dollar honey would sit around and collect dust.
His girlfriend for the day was a new Gulfstream G650ER—a sweet piece of aircraft his father had purchased for Harper Industries. Why? It wasn’t as if his father was going to fly by his oil derricks to scare the workers like he used to. If gossip rags were to be believed, his father was avoiding the public and holing up in Casa Larga—the family’s summer home. Matt didn’t know about public avoidance, but he hadn’t seen his father in ten years. Make it fifty and Matt would’ve been fine.
He banked left and the Harper mansion came into view. His jaw tightened. In the Air Force, Matt had a name for each sortie his team flew. Every target he dropped bombs on was called Casa Larga.
He slammed his fist into his thigh. This was jacked up. He’d rather be in battle—hell, anyplace on the planet—than here. And yet, here he was.
Why in hell had his father called him home?
He landed at Harpers’ private airport and shut off the engine. Now if only he could shut down the brutal memories pummeling him from all sides.
Like his father’s hands used to.
He was seventeen again, with blood in his mouth, fists up, and daring RW to slap him one more time. Dad had given him plenty of orders before, but the ultimatum that day had gutted him.
Since you won’t stay away from the girl, you’ve got a choice. Leave now for the Air Force academy or watch what happens to your little girlfriend. I have intel, my boy, the kind that destroys an entire family. Is that what you want to happen to her?
No one could stab you in the back like a Harper.
Were the threats real? Matt hadn’t known back then, still didn’t know, but Julia had been his girl and he’d loved her, plain and simple. He’d had no choice but to protect her and save her family from whatever RW Harper had on them. Matt had been shipped off to the Air Force academy that day. He hadn’t gotten to kiss Julia goodbye, but he’d believed he’d come back for her. What a crock.
Ten years later he’d succeeded in putting it behind him, mostly. But what he couldn’t get past, no matter how many gorgeous women later, was the girl he’d been forced to leave behind. Julia had promised to be his forever, until she married someone else three months after he’d left. He’d been cut and shot, but nothing in the Air Force hurt as bad as receiving news of Julia’s wedding from home. It was the final blow and he’d sworn he’d never return to Plunder Cove.
Until RW made him a deal: fly the Gulfstream to Plunder Cove and Harper Industries would purchase the last plane required for Matt’s fleet in Southeast Asia. An investor had bailed on him and Matt’s new airline company needed that final aircraft. He’d had to take the deal. And, just like that, RW Harper—pirate slash oil tycoon—had bought him.
He would not hang around Plunder Cove long enough to see Julia Espinoza, or whatever her last name was now.
After this, Matt Harper was done.
* * *
Matt stopped in at Juanita’s Café and Market. It was one of his favorite childhood hangouts in Pueblicito—the tiny village on the edge of his family’s property.
The first summer he’d gone into the place, he was eight. He’d been overwhelmed by interesting smells and sights. He couldn’t understand the Spanish signs, and the boar’s head behind the meat counter had freaked him out, but the Mexican candy was intriguing. He’d never seen anything like it so he’d swiped a handful. His mother had been horrified that he’d, first, gone into that dirty place and, second, taken anything from “those people.” She’d made him go back and pay for the candy.
Juanita herself had given him a stern look and told him she expected him to work for his crimes. He’d swept the entire store. It was the first time he’d worked for anything, or felt a sense of accomplishment. He’d returned the next day and asked if he could steal something else.
“Why? Didn’t you learn your lesson?” she’d asked.
“Sure, I did. I want to sweep again. Work is fun.”
Juanita had thrown her head back, laughed and then hugged him. She’d smelled nice and her arms had been warm and soft. He’d wished his mother would hug and smile with her whole face like Juanita did, not just with her thin lips.
“Claro, amorcito.” She’d released him and handed him a broom. “Use this anytime you want. I’ll pay you in dulces.”
A bargain was struck. When his family visited for the summer, he spent a lot of his vacation helping Juanita. He had all the sweets he could want. And churros. Holy crap, he’d forgotten about the churros.
His mouth watered as he waited at a table outside for Juanita to take his order. Some of the same old codgers sat at the other tables eating menudo and yakking above the polka beat playing in the background. It was as if he’d never left. Except that Julia wasn’t with him this time.
A young girl slapped a basket of chips on his table followed by a small bowl of salsa. “Ready to order, mister?”
“You’re not Juanita.”
“Good one. And you’re not George Clooney. Juanita is working her other job today. I’m Ana.”
Other job? Was Juanita in financial trouble? “Where? I’m an old friend in town for a few days. I’d like to see her.”
“Sorry. It’s a secret job. As in, I don’t even know where she is. You want something to drink?”
Matt couldn’t help feeling crushed. Juanita was the only one who’d seemed to really care about him. “Beer, please. Do you have churros today?”
“Every day. I’ll be right back.”
He ate his chips and dipped them into the world’s hottest salsa. His ears burned from the heat and sweat rolled down his back. He’d missed this. When Ana brought his beer, she said, “Go easy, mister. That stuff’s hot. I’ll bring you a water, too.”
He nodded and gulped beer to cool his tongue. It didn’t help.
At the table next to him, two women loudly discussed dresses and shoes. “Well, I don’t care if you all are going in pirate costumes. I’m wearing the new dress I ordered. It’s not every day a girl gets invited to the Harper mansion.”
He almost choked on his beer. The women didn’t look familiar and there was no way RW Harper had invited total strangers to his house.
“Excuse me. Did you say there is a party at the Harpers’?”
The lady leaned closer. “Yes, Mr. RW Harper himself invited everyone in town.”
Now he knew something was wrong. His parents had made it a policy not to fraternize with “the help” and since most of the people who worked for the Harpers lived in Pueblicito, the entire town was off-limits. Not that he’d paid any attention to that rule. “Do we know what the occasion is?”
“No, we do not, guapo. But if you are looking for a date...” She raised her hand.
The other woman slapped her arm with a menu. “Maria, you’d better put your hand down. Jaime is your date.”
The woman pouted. “Jaime hates to dance. I can tell by looking at this guy’s muscles. He knows moves that would make a girl’s head spin...” She turned back to him. “You’re a good dancer, right?”
He laughed. “I was taught that dancing is for girls.”
“Well, that’s stupid. Who do you think dances with the girls?”
“Most of the time we dance with each other and the guys just shuffle their feet.” A voice came up behind him. “Sorry, my cousins are a little excited about the party. I don’t know why. I wouldn’t go to that blowhard’s house if you paid me.” She stepped around him and stole a chip from her cousin’s basket. “Not that I’d be invited.”
Julia.
An electric current shocked every cell in his body. His chest tightened. It was hard to swallow. His heart...was it still beating?
Julia’s dark hair captured sunlight and reflected it like stars in a midnight sky. He knew the strands were soft and would slip through his fingers and curl around his hand. If he tugged gently, her head would tip back, revealing the long neck he used to kiss. She would squirm and try not to giggle when he nibbled and whispered against her soft skin because she was so ticklish. Damn, he used to love that.
She had tiny lines around her deep brown eyes and her sensuous lips but her expressions were exactly what he remembered. Her voice sounded like the one he still heard in his dreams. Although he’d changed in a million ways, she still seemed...perfect.
“You’re not allowed to go, chica,” Maria said.
“You shouldn’t have ticked off Mr. Harper until after the big party.” The other woman clicked her tongue. “Can I wear your red dress?”
Julia shrugged and sat with the women. She was taller than he remembered and those curves. Damn! Little Julia Espinoza had grown into a gorgeous woman.
“Sure, Linda. Why not? Where am I going to wear it?”
She turned her attention to Matt, tipped her head and shielded her eyes. “Do I know you?”
* * *
Julia couldn’t see his eyes behind his mirrored aviation glasses, but something about him struck a familiar cord deep within her. He was tall, very tall—easily six foot two—and broad-shouldered. His arms were muscular and tanned. His dark hair was cut in a military style and he had a short-cropped beard. Was she always going to be attracted to military men?
He scooped up a chunk of salsa on his chip and promptly started coughing.
“Careful, that stuff is hot,” she warned.
His throat was long and corded as he swallowed, his jaw square. Yummy. His nose was straight with a scar across the bridge like he’d seen a few battles of his own. Dangerous.
What would it feel like if she ran her palms up his bearded cheeks? Soft, prickly? He had a scar on the corner of his lip. Would he be sensitive there if kissed? He was studying her. His face was hard, set in stone like one of the Greek gods she’d read about in college. Only they didn’t wear aviation glasses.
Oh, man, am I staring at him?
Yes, Julia, you are.
“Um. You look like someone I once knew. My mistake.”
His square jaw lifted. “Your mistake.”
“Yes, sorry.” She turned back around and talked to her cousins, but her thoughts were on the handsome stranger. For some reason, she thought of Matt and tears pricked her eyes.
“Are you listening to me, chica? What shoes should I wear with your red dress?” Linda asked.
Julia held up her finger and spun around to face the stranger again. He was drinking his beer now. “Are you in one of my classes? Environmental Studies? Law 107?”
His bottle froze midair and a dark eyebrow rose above his glasses.
“Does he look like one of those pretty boys from college? No way. He’s a pilot. I saw the fancy plane circling the airport,” Maria said.
The man raised his beer. Didn’t say a word.
“You should try my machaca. Especially tasty for breakfast.” Linda shifted closer so the man had a better shot of her cleavage. So obvious. She’d been divorced for six months and had three kids.
Julia looked at him again. Did he work for Mr. Harper? Was he a business partner? Friend? And was he frowning? Julia couldn’t tell with those darned glasses.
“Linda’s burned eggs are nothing compared to my menudo. What do you say, guapo? Need a place to stay?” Maria all but purred.
He put his bottle down. “I’m not staying.” His voice was deep and had an edge to it. He seemed annoyed.
“We’ve bothered you. Please ignore us,” Julia said softly and motioned for her cousins to turn back around.
Linda ignored her. “A pilot! That’s so interesting.” The word came out sounding more like sexy. “Staying for the party tonight?”
“Maybe.” His gaze was on Julia. Why did that make her stomach flutter?
“Oh, take Julia, then. Someone needs to get her out of the house,” Maria said.
“No. I can’t,” Julia said.
“Got it.” He motioned for the check.
Wait, did he want to take her to the party? Her? That hadn’t happened in...she couldn’t remember how long. “It’s not you...it’s...I’m not allowed to go,” she said.
He sat even straighter, as if he was angry. “Your husband won’t let you out of the house?”
“I’m not married. It’s just...” Her cheeks flushed like they did when she was embarrassed. She blew out a breath. “RW Harper has a restraining order against me. I can’t go within ten feet of Casa Larga.”
He sat back in his chair and stared at her. She could see herself in his glasses and hated how small she looked. How fragile. She straightened her back.
“That’s right. Our little Julia wants to sue Mr. Harper,” Maria explained. “As if a lone woman could take on one of the most powerful men in America.”
Linda shook her head. “Should’ve waited until after the party. Nothing this exciting has ever happened here.”
The pilot shook his head as if he was...what? Amused? She rushed on. “Look. Someone has to stop that menace. It’s bad enough that his oil derricks are out there—” She motioned toward the ocean. “We know what happens if one of them starts leaking. But now he’s going to build in snowy plover habitat! He must be stopped. They’re endangered.”
“Come on, chica. You’re getting worked up over little birds again. And we have company.” Linda smiled at the man. “Good-looking company.”
“What’s Harper building?” he asked.
“She doesn’t know. It’s a rumor, that’s all,” Maria said.
“I’ve seen tracks by the nesting sites. A man like Harper doesn’t care who he hurts.” That last part came out tight, as if her throat was closing. Why all the emotions today? She grabbed Maria’s beer and took a sip.
Linda chimed in. “You need proof before you can sue someone like Mr. Harper. You should’ve waited.”
“Proof?” he asked.
“Yes. I think he’s got plans inside Casa Larga. I’ve seen contractors go in there. Lawyers. A carpenter. If I could just see the plans, understand what he’s developing—” She stopped. Why was she telling him this? What if he worked for Harper? “I’m not the kind of woman who breaks into a man’s home. I swear.”
“I could help you.”
His voice. Something about it thrilled and teased her. Her gaze was riveted to his mouth. The scar on the bottom added an extra zing to a pair of full lips. What would it be like to kiss that scar? Or kiss any part of a man? It had been so long...
Maria elbowed her.
She blinked. “How?”
“I’ll get you inside. Harper is expecting me. Come as my date tonight.”
“¡Órale, chica! You can dress as pirates and go undercovers.” By the twinkle in her eye, Linda was messing up her Spanglish on purpose. Her cousin meant sheets, not covert missions.
His lips lifted and her insides turned to mush. For just a second there he looked like...no. She couldn’t think about Matt. Projecting those feelings onto a stranger would get her into trouble. Deep trouble.
“Why do you want to help me?”
“‘Someone has to stop that menace.’” He repeated her words. “Like to see you do it.”
Why? He didn’t know her from anyone. It was more than likely that Harper had messed with this guy, too. Get close to a pirate and you get robbed—she’d learned that the hard way.
But Linda was right. Nothing this exciting had happened around here. The last time she’d been inside the mansion was with Matt. She’d need a strong male by her side to shield her from those painful memories. “Pick me up at Bougainvillea Lane, 3C. Need directions?”
He half snorted. “I can find it.”
With only three streets, Pueblicito was probably the smallest town he’d ever seen.
“Your churros, mister.” Ana, the waitress, deposited a heaping plate of the crispy, twisted doughnuts in front of him.
“Thanks.” He ran a finger through the cinnamon sugar and tasted it. He groaned with contentment.
“Hot and sweet?” Her voice was huskier than normal. She licked her lips without meaning to.
He pinned her with his gaze. How she wished she could take off those glasses and see into his eyes.
“So, um, got to go.” She stood before she embarrassed herself further. “I’ll find pirate costumes for us. See you at seven.”
She started walking before realizing that she didn’t even know the pilot’s name. Man, how hard up for a date was she?
“I’ll be there, Julia,” he called out.
Her footsteps stuttered at the way he said her name, but she didn’t turn around. Familiar. Overpowering. Sexy. She fought the waves of desire and kept her feet moving away from the table. The pilot was not the boy she’d given her heart to, no matter how hard she wished he could be. Her one and only love had been shot down in battle ten years ago.
Matt Harper was dead.