Read Online Ghostly Deceits (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 3) by Lily Harper Hart - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lily Harper Hart
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refusing to let Harper brush away his worry. “Was it Jim? You said it wasn’t, but if it wasn’t him, who was it?”
“I couldn’t see his face,” Harper replied, her expression earnest. “I am honestly perfectly fine.”
“I know you are,” Jared said, pressing his lips to her forehead. “It’s okay to be rattled, though. It doesn’t mean you’re not the strongest woman in the world. It means you had something bad happen to you and you’re still grappling with it.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re going to be better than fine,” Jared said, giving in and embracing the fun of their morning. “You’re going to be throwing a party in my honor in exactly five minutes.” He offered her a long and sultry kiss. “You’ll definitely be able to remember my face when I’m done with you.”
“Less talking and more doing,” Harper prodded.
“Seriously, I love the way you think.”
“ I THINK we’re late ,” Harper said, frowning when she saw the empty foyer from the top of the stairs. “I don’t think people are going to like it if we’re late.” She scurried down the stairs and hurried in the direction of the dining room. “I blame you.”
Jared’s grin was lazy as he followed her. The only reason he bothered to keep up was because she refused to let go of his hand. “Harper, I’m sure they’re going to have enough food for us to eat when we get there. There’s no reason to freak out.”
“I’m not freaking out.”
“You’re close.”
“I am not.”
“You are so.”
“Are you two always like this when you’re late for breakfast?” Josh asked, stepping into the spot in front of the dining room doorway and fixing Harper and Jared with an amused look. “You sound like a squabbling brother and sister. That might bode well for me since I want to steal you away from Jared, Harper.”
Jared narrowed his eyes and scowled. “If we were brother and sister we would be arrested for what we just did in the shower. That’s why we’re late.”
“Jared!” Harper was horrified, and when Jared shifted his challenging eyes from Josh to Harper he realized the ramifications of what he’d said “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s my fault,” Josh said smoothly, stepping in to protect his friend. “We were always very competitive and things often got out of hand. I pushed him on purpose because I thought it would be funny. I think both of us forgot someone else was involved in this equation.”
“I’m really sorry,” Jared said. “You live with Zander, though, and he once told you he waited until he was completely naked to dump a guy because his … you know … curved to the right and he had a Charley horse and couldn’t possibly curve to the left to compensate.”
“That was a great story,” Josh said. “I really need to meet this Zander guy.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Harper asked, incredulous.
“I’m just saying you should be used to men saying absolutely asinine things about sex,” Jared said.
“The difference is that Zander isn’t telling sex stories about me,” Harper pointed out. “As far as he’s concerned, I don’t have lady parts. I’m like a Barbie doll.”
“You do have a few things in common with a Barbie doll,” Jared said, his mind wandering. “Of course, you’re anatomically correct, so that’s a big bonus.”
“You’re going to have something in common with a Ken doll if you’re not careful,” Harper warned, wagging a finger for emphasis.
Jared caught the finger and pressed it to his lips. “I am truly sorry. I won’t let it happen again. It was rude and disrespectful.”
“It was funny, though,” Josh said. “Of course, I could just think it’s funny because you’re in trouble and now I have a shot with your girl.”
“Don’t make me beat you,” Jared warned.
“Wow,” Harper intoned, wriggling her eyebrows. “This must be what it’s like to have brothers.”
Jared hung his head, sheepish. “I really
“I couldn’t see his face,” Harper replied, her expression earnest. “I am honestly perfectly fine.”
“I know you are,” Jared said, pressing his lips to her forehead. “It’s okay to be rattled, though. It doesn’t mean you’re not the strongest woman in the world. It means you had something bad happen to you and you’re still grappling with it.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re going to be better than fine,” Jared said, giving in and embracing the fun of their morning. “You’re going to be throwing a party in my honor in exactly five minutes.” He offered her a long and sultry kiss. “You’ll definitely be able to remember my face when I’m done with you.”
“Less talking and more doing,” Harper prodded.
“Seriously, I love the way you think.”
“ I THINK we’re late ,” Harper said, frowning when she saw the empty foyer from the top of the stairs. “I don’t think people are going to like it if we’re late.” She scurried down the stairs and hurried in the direction of the dining room. “I blame you.”
Jared’s grin was lazy as he followed her. The only reason he bothered to keep up was because she refused to let go of his hand. “Harper, I’m sure they’re going to have enough food for us to eat when we get there. There’s no reason to freak out.”
“I’m not freaking out.”
“You’re close.”
“I am not.”
“You are so.”
“Are you two always like this when you’re late for breakfast?” Josh asked, stepping into the spot in front of the dining room doorway and fixing Harper and Jared with an amused look. “You sound like a squabbling brother and sister. That might bode well for me since I want to steal you away from Jared, Harper.”
Jared narrowed his eyes and scowled. “If we were brother and sister we would be arrested for what we just did in the shower. That’s why we’re late.”
“Jared!” Harper was horrified, and when Jared shifted his challenging eyes from Josh to Harper he realized the ramifications of what he’d said “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s my fault,” Josh said smoothly, stepping in to protect his friend. “We were always very competitive and things often got out of hand. I pushed him on purpose because I thought it would be funny. I think both of us forgot someone else was involved in this equation.”
“I’m really sorry,” Jared said. “You live with Zander, though, and he once told you he waited until he was completely naked to dump a guy because his … you know … curved to the right and he had a Charley horse and couldn’t possibly curve to the left to compensate.”
“That was a great story,” Josh said. “I really need to meet this Zander guy.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Harper asked, incredulous.
“I’m just saying you should be used to men saying absolutely asinine things about sex,” Jared said.
“The difference is that Zander isn’t telling sex stories about me,” Harper pointed out. “As far as he’s concerned, I don’t have lady parts. I’m like a Barbie doll.”
“You do have a few things in common with a Barbie doll,” Jared said, his mind wandering. “Of course, you’re anatomically correct, so that’s a big bonus.”
“You’re going to have something in common with a Ken doll if you’re not careful,” Harper warned, wagging a finger for emphasis.
Jared caught the finger and pressed it to his lips. “I am truly sorry. I won’t let it happen again. It was rude and disrespectful.”
“It was funny, though,” Josh said. “Of course, I could just think it’s funny because you’re in trouble and now I have a shot with your girl.”
“Don’t make me beat you,” Jared warned.
“Wow,” Harper intoned, wriggling her eyebrows. “This must be what it’s like to have brothers.”
Jared hung his head, sheepish. “I really
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