Pure Harmony (2 page)

“Perhaps we should wait it out,” he suggested.

Silent, she led the way to a small sitting area. He claimed the chair across from her. He couldn’t take his eyes from her.

“You’re staring,” she mumbled.

“I’m sorry. I can’t seem to help myself. You look so different than you did…that night.”

A small smile lifted one side of her mouth. “Teaching a music class is hardly the place to wear a cocktail dress.”

He grinned broadly. Perhaps not, but she’d looked damn good in it. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming to McKingley to teach?”

She pursed her lips and glanced up when thunder rocked the building. “When exactly would I have done that? During our bidding war over the vase? Or after, in your hotel room?”

He flashed an arrogant grin. “So you do remember.”

Her brown eyes narrowed. “What are you doing here?”

Stretching out his legs, he made sure to touch her foot with his, craving the physical contact.

“I was here giving lectures all day. Over at the law building.”

“That’s right, you mentioned something about being an attorney.”

He was pleased she remembered. “Yes. How long have you been teaching music?”

She tensed, her entire body did. Her right hand completely disappeared inside her sleeve. Not for long, but he did notice.

“About a year or so.”

There was a story there. “Why were you so determined to get the vase?”

Her eyes sparked and he realised he’d just erred. Grievously. “Just because I’m not a lawyer doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate fine things.”

Harmony Oshiro seethed inwardly. The handsome, arrogant and stuffed-shirted Jonathon Wright never failed to do two things to her. One, make her forget all common sensibilities and want to spend the night with him, engaging in all kinds of erotic endeavours. Two, get her dander up with nothing more than a simple glance from his medium brown eyes.

The look he’d given her when they’d begun to bid on the same vase was as if he didn’t believe she could afford such a thing. True, she’d gone over her intended budget to acquire said item, but his smug, over-confident look had spurred her into the rash action. So she’d won the vase, and consequently, she’d been eating noodles and peanut butter and jelly since. Nevertheless, it had been worth it. She’d secured the final item in the set her grandmother had begun for her.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean for it to sound that way. I was just curious as to why you wanted it so bad. Does it have a special meaning for you?”

“My grandmother gave me the first few in the collection. The one offered that night was the only one I didn’t have.” She cocked her head to the side. “What about you? Why did you want it?”

His entire countenance softened and her heart skipped more than a few beats.

“My mom. She loves little knick-knacks like that. And the robin’s egg blue colour is one of her favourites.”

She smiled and his gaze heated. “So you did it for your mom.”

His grin made her heart race. “Yes.” He glanced away briefly then said, “The rain appears to have stopped.”

He assisted her to her feet and let his hand linger afterwards. Then he slid it around to her back, the heat from his palm warming her through her shirt. Outside, the air smelt clean and fresh. The dark clouds rolled away off in the distance, leaving the sun free to shine down.

“Where did you want to meet?” she asked.

“We can go in my car and I can bring you back here to collect yours.” He spoke as they walked.

“I don’t have a car.”

He stared at her, brows raised and a bit of a shocked look on his face. “Is it in the shop?”

She chuckled. “No. I don’t own one.”

He inhaled sharply. “Then I will take you and bring you home.”

Her insides trembled a bit at that statement. He’d
taken
her for sure already. Over and over that night. She stumbled slightly at the memory.

“Okay.” She wanted to be around him—perhaps it didn’t make sense but being with Jonathon Wright allowed her to
feel
. “Where are we eating?”

“Are you, like, a vegan or something?”

She shook her head.

“Then we can go to a small place on the outskirts of town. Great food. One of my favourite places.”

They walked to the parking lot and she sighed when he unlocked a Mercedes. A metallic iridium silver coupé.
He must really be loaded.
At least the car didn’t sport any vanity plates.

Jon held the door for her and she slid into the interior, across the tan, butter-soft leather seat. The inside had a beautiful wood trim and she was afraid to touch anything for fear of ruining it. She tried not to fidget, but she was growing more nervous with each passing moment. Not for fear of what could happen, merely because she was a much simpler person. Her vehicle, when she’d had one, had cost about five thousand dollars. It wasn’t a model that started at over one hundred and fifty thousand.

He got settled and she hid a smirk when she spied him wipe a piece of fuzz off the dash. Mr Jonathon Wright, attorney at law, was a neat freak. The powerful engine turned over and they were on their way. As he drove, another storm rolled in and began to drench the earth.

Eventually they pulled into a place called Hattie’s. Jon grabbed an umbrella from the back seat and had it opened, offering him shelter, before he got out. She stifled another laugh—personally, she loved the rain. He came around to her door and together, under the umbrella’s protection, they hastened to the door.

He escorted her to a table in the back as they followed the attendant. Again, he rested his strong hand against the small of her back and took her mind back to their shared night. She blinked away the thoughts and focused on what he was saying.

Her meal was delicious and he said as much about his. They both lingered over dessert and coffee, and she imagined he was in no rush to go back out into the fury of the storm. Then again, neither was she.

“What about your family?” he asked, stirring creamer into his coffee.

“My parents live over in Japan—that’s where I grew up. I have an older brother, who’s married with one child. They also live in Japan.”

He stared at her. “So you’re the only one who came to the States?”

Memories of concert tours flashed and she forced them away. “Yes. I had been over here for a while and decided to stay.” Better that than to see all the disappointed faces of her family.

His eyes were sharp and assessing as he moved his gaze over her. As if he knew there was more to it than what she’d told him. “And now you teach music at the college?”

“That about sums it up.”

The look he gave her told her he didn’t believe it for a second.

“And you?” she asked quickly, wanting the attention off her.

“Me. Well, my family is bigger than yours is. There are six of us kids in all, but also the town is full of our cousins, aunts and uncles, so it feels larger most times. I have two older brothers, an older sister, then there are the two youngest sisters.”

“Wow.” Things had been crazy at times with just her solo brother. To have five siblings—it must have been a zoo.

He chuckled, a deep warm sound. “Yes. It had its moments.” A shrug. “Still does.”

She ducked her head and finished off her final piece of fried cheesecake. Stuffed, she rested her fork on the plate and leant back. “Thank you for inviting me to dinner.” She gave him a smile.

His gaze grew predatory and she felt an answering tremble in the pit of her belly.

“Why did you leave?”

Her protective barriers shot up immediately. “What does it matter?”

A loud rumble of thunder outside echoed the lightning in his eyes. “Why?” he asked again.

“I had my own room and my own plans.”

He didn’t approve of her answer—that much was obvious. His jaw flexed before he calmed down.

“Are you ready?”

The abrupt change in conversation threw her momentarily. “Of course.” She reached for her purse.

“You’re not paying.”

She jerked her gaze to him and realised it wasn’t a battle she’d win. “Thank you, then.”

He paid then escorted her back through the rain to his car. She hid her laugh as he muttered under his breath, cursing the rain. “I looked for you,” he said once he’d begun to drive. That surprised her and she was unsure of how to respond. “Even the next night at that auction. I searched everywhere for you.”

“I left after getting what I wanted. There was no reason for me to stay longer.” The moment she spoke the words she realised how they sounded, and she blushed. “Oh my goodness, I didn’t mean it like that. I… I…was talking about the vase.”

He gave a short bark of laughter. She looked at him and reached out a hand to lay it on his arm. It never got there. Through the windshield, headlights glared and Jonathon yelled, “Shit! Hang on!” then swerved off the road as an oncoming truck in the wrong lane barrelled past, showering them with even more water.

With her breath lodged in her throat, she gripped the edge of the seat and the door handle. The coupé bounced and skidded until they finally came to a halt.

“Are you okay?” he demanded, touching her as if he needed to ascertain it personally.

“I’m fine,” she said over the pounding of her heart. “Are you?”

“No,” he bit off. “I’m fucking pissed off. He could have killed us. Not only that, he didn’t stop to see if we were all right or not.”

Well, that was true. The road seemed to be deserted. She took a couple of deep breaths only to realise she was gripping his hand. Releasing it, she ran her palm over her mouth. That had been too close. Much too close. He started the engine, which had shut off, and put the car back in drive. The rear tyres began to spin.

He scowled, cursed and gunned the engine again. She could feel the car sinking further. She unbuckled her belt and reached for the door only to halt at his stare.

“Where are you going?”

“We’re stuck. All you’re doing is sinking us deeper. I was going to push.”

He stared at her as if she had three heads. “No way. I’ll go push, you drive.”

She pursed her lips to keep from asking the question she longed to. Him out in this weather didn’t make sense. Hell, he’d used an umbrella to get from the car to the restaurant. The man flicked pieces of lint off his immaculate dash. Now he was suggesting that he go out in a silk suit and push his car free of the mud?

Harmony didn’t want to bruise his pride so she said nothing. Besides, he could do with getting a bit dirty. He shrugged out of his dark blue jacket, which left him in a vest and white shirt. Her mouth watered a bit as she stared at his powerful torso.

He opened the door and vanished into the rainy night. She slid over into his seat and adjusted it to fit her shorter stature. Shifting into the lowest gear, she waited, her eyes flashing between the rear-view and side mirrors.

“Go!” he hollered.

Harmony gently gave it some gas and could feel it pulling free of the mire. The car lurched forward when the front tyres found solid purchase. She made sure to stop on the firm part of the shoulder and double-checked to ensure the hazards were flashing. Checking the mirrors, she frowned when she couldn’t spot Jonathon.

The passenger door opened and her eyes widened in shock at what entered. Mud covered him. Head to toe. The scowl on his face would have sent the Devil into hiding.

She had to bite the inside of her cheek in order to keep the laughter inside. He released a continuous litany of curses as he lowered his soaked and muddy body into the seat.

“Not a word,” he growled.

Holding up a hand in agreement, she shut off the hazards and got them on the road. She couldn’t help but keep looking at him, he looked so miserable and yet…so cute and rumpled. Not the stuffy man he normally portrayed.

“I see your grin, Harmony,” he said.

“I’m sorry… It’s just that…that… Well, you look”—she burst out laughing—“adorably miserable.”

His low rumble echoed in the small interior.

She did her best to compose herself. “Where am I going?”

“My house.”

A flutter appeared in her belly. “I don’t know how to get there.”

“You will.” His words were drenched with more than just a fleeting promise.

After he gave her directions, she concentrated on driving and not on the handsome yet mud-soaked man in the passenger seat. However, it didn’t escape her attention that the sexual tension between them seemed to increase the closer they got to his place.

Chapter Two

Jon sighed with relief as he stepped from his large shower and wrapped a blue towel around his waist. He was clean again. Rubbing his chest and face with another towel, he paused at the mirror and stared at his reflection. For a few minutes he stood there until he remembered he had a guest. After drying off quickly, he dressed in a pair of grey slacks and a tan, mock neck sweater.

He left his bedroom, fastening his watch on his wrist, and stopped abruptly at the top of his stairs. Staring over the edge, he found Harmony pretty much where he’d left her. By his large windows, beyond which the storm continued to make its presence known.

Harmony stood there, her left hand absently rubbing her right forearm in a continuous motion. A vague memory of a scar appeared in his mind but he couldn’t recall with absolute certainty—after all, there had been other things to think of at the time.

He made his way silently down the stairs and moved up behind her. She truly was beautiful. A perfect blend of African-American and Japanese. Black hair fell in long, thick, silken waves around her. He stared at her reflection in the window and took in her slight stature. She made him want to gather her close and protect her.

She barely reached his shoulder and he had personal knowledge that he could span her waist with his hands. Yet, despite how petite she was, they had fitted perfectly together in bed. Her body had cradled to his as if it had been made specifically for him.

“You seem like you feel better.”

Her warm, lyrical voice surrounded him. Instead of moving closer to her and pressing along her body, he stepped to the side and leaned against the window. He noticed she’d stopped rubbing her arm.