a leprechaun with a pot of gold. “Work? Or this gorgeous woman standing beside you?”
“Azure is stunning, isn’t she?”
“You can say that again.”
Harper slid his arm around her waist, held on tight. A thousand volts of electricity rushed through Azure’s body. Why did that keep happening? she wondered, trying to ignore the fluttering sensation in the pit of her stomach. Azure didn’t know what was wrong with her. She was a bold, confident, take-charge kind of sister, but around Harper she became a different person. Shy, skittish, as nervous as an Amish girl on her first date. And the more Harper flirted with her, the more her hands and legs shook.
“Your girlfriend caused quite a stir when she walked in. My cooks were so busy checking her out they bumped into each other and spilled appetizers all over the floor!”
“Then you better find us a quiet, secluded table far away from the kitchen,” Harper joked, clapping a hand on the restaurant owner’s shoulders, “because they’re liable to burn the whole kitchen down if we sit out here!”
Azure lost the use of her tongue and the ability to form words. She waited for Harper to correct the manager, to explain that they weren’t a couple, but he didn’t. Instead, he requested his favorite table and led her into the dining area. The cream-and-beige space was outfitted with candlelit round tables, a stone fireplace showered the room with warmth and the padded leather booths along the far wall were large enough to fit an entire basketball team. The restaurant had the perfect ambience for romance or a clandestine magazine interview, and once their orders were placed and their drinks arrived, Azure got right down to business.
“I appreciate you meeting me tonight,” she said, setting her tape recorder on the table and her trusty notebook on her lap. “I know you’re a very busy man with no time to waste, so I’ll try my best to keep my questions brief and to the point.”
“Why don’t we talk first, off the record, and do the interview after dinner?”
“Or we can do it now while we wait for our entrées to arrive,” Azure countered, hoping he didn’t hear the apprehension in her voice. Her mind was fuzzy, and she had a hell of a time meeting his gaze. Azure didn’t know if she was feeling light-headed because of the delicious scent of Harper’s cologne or because he was studying her so intently. Either way, she had to get it together, and quick. Azure had a lot riding on this interview—her career, her reputation, a job she loved more than anything in the world—and couldn’t afford to blow this opportunity.
Determined to uncover the “dirt” her boss was dying for, she took a deep, cleansing breath and pushed the record button on the tape recorder. “Let’s get started, shall we?”
“Ask away, Azure. I have nothing to hide.”
Guilt pricked her heart. I wish I could say the same.
Chapter 4
Harper felt short of breath, as if he’d just finished swimming a dozen laps, and every time he caught a whiff of Azure’s sweet, floral perfume, his brain short-circuited. Pounded, spun, whirled faster than a helicopter propeller. He saw her lips moving, heard her rich, dulcet tone in his ears, but he didn’t understand a word she was saying. It took supreme effort, but Harper forced his gaze away from her luscious mouth and back up to her pretty brown eyes.
“What is it like working at one of the most prestigious law firms in the country?”
Pride filled him and seeped into his voice. “I love what I do, and I feel honored to be working at my family’s law firm,” he said smoothly, folding a leg across his knee. “When I was a little boy, my father used to take me with him to court, and the first time I ever saw him deliver closing arguments, I was sold. I knew right then and there I was going to be an attorney.”
“What do you like most about your job?”
“You mean besides winning big cases?” A grin exploded onto his lips. “I love the intellectual challenge of the law and liken the profession to chess, but with real and very flawed people. The player with the best interpretation of the law usually wins, and I’m proud to say that more often than not it’s Hamilton, Hamilton and Clark.”
“It’s obvious you love what you do, but there must be some things you don’t like....”
Harper thought for a moment, then answered truthfully, “The hours are incredibly long, and there’s a lot of repetition. Being a lawyer is nowhere near as glamorous as it looks on TV, and the competition inside the law firm is fierce. Everyone wants to make a name for themselves, no matter the cost.”
Listening to him, Azure got the sense that he was angry about something, and decided to play her hunch. “Are you and your cousin Jake fierce rivals?”
“I don’t know. You tell me.”
His response confused her, so she rephrased the question, hoping this time Harper would give her a straight answer instead of being as evasive as a secret agent. “Would you say Jake is your stiffest competition at the firm?”
“That depends. Is he vying for your affection, too?”
Azure’s cheeks burned, felt hotter than the tip of a flame. Searching his face for the truth, she tried to decipher if he was teasing her or being serious. Harper looked relaxed, completely at ease, like a man who had the world at his feet. But he wasn’t a cocky, swaggering rich guy who thought he was better than everyone else. Azure appreciated how humble he was, how courteous and well mannered. Harper Hamilton was it, and he didn’t even know it. There was nothing sexier than an intelligent, ridiculously handsome man with great manners, and Harper possessed all of those qualities and more.
“I’m sorry if I embarrassed you, Azure. Sometimes when I’m around a beautiful woman, I lose my head, but I’m sure you’re used to men tripping all over themselves. I guess that’s the price you have to pay for being stunning.”
Azure was surprised as anything when Harper touched her hand. And like the morning sun on a hot, balmy summer day, his smile felt warm and hot on her face. Azure couldn’t stop staring at him, couldn’t peel her eyes away. Forget Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. Harper Hamilton had serious game, and if she wasn’t careful, she’d end up shaming herself and the entire female population by acting on her desires.
“It’s been a long time since I went out with anybody, and I’m really enjoying your company, Azure. It’s so easy to be around you, and you have a terrific sense of humor. I like that. And I like you.”
Azure pushed on, pretended his comment had no effect on her. Even though it did. Her heart raced, beat in double time. There was something in the air, something so powerful, Azure knew she’d never be the same again. She drew a breath, one that should have steadied her nerves but didn’t. “Tell me more about what happens behind the scenes at Hamilton, Hamilton and Clark,” Azure said, pulse pounding, limbs shaking. Taking a quick sip of her drink, she watched as Harper unzipped his sports coat, took it off and draped it behind his chair. As if she didn’t have enough problems. Now she’d have to try not to stare at his broad, muscular chest. “Surely, you’re not one big happy family twenty-four-seven.”
“No, you’re certainly right about that, we’re not. Colleagues argue and bicker in every profession, and it’s no different at Hamilton, Hamilton and Clark. I hate to admit it, but sometimes it’s hard to believe we’re family.”
“It is?”
Harper gave a solemn nod. “Working with family members presents its own unique set of problems, and I’d be lying if I said things don’t get heated from time to time. We fight, we argue and on occasion we even…”
Azure wet her lips. This was going better than expected! Harper was actually opening up to her, revealing family secrets. By the time they wrapped up the interview she’d have everything she needed for her story and more.
“My dad and my uncle Jacob are always cursing someone out, and just