“Robert owns Mirage,” Harper said, her voice full of pride. “That’s why this renovation project has been so important to me.”
“He owns the resort?” Ethan questioned, feigning surprise. He wasn’t sure how else to act and being blindsided didn’t give him time to plan. “Well, that must be quite time-consuming.” He finally turned to focus on Robert. “It’s funny, though. I’ve been here over a month and this is the first I’ve seen you.”
Robert’s eyes narrowed slightly, just like Ethan recalled him doing when he’d gotten angry years ago. Like when Dane and Ethan had played harmless pranks that Robert never found humor in.
Apparently Robert wasn’t amused now, either.
“I’m lucky that I’m free to come and go as I please,” Robert finally replied.
Your luck is about to run out.
“I didn’t know you would be here so soon,” Harper told Robert. “I mean, I knew you were coming, but I thought you still had another few days with work.”
Yeah, so did I.
Robert shrugged a shoulder. “Some things can wait. I wanted to see my daughter.”
Ugh. The man dripped with a sliminess that Ethan didn’t want near Harper or their child.
Robert hadn’t aged well, which elated Ethan. The sixtysomething man had gotten pudgy around the middle, weathered in his face, with dark circles beneath his eyes. Apparently lying and deceiving people for a living didn’t do good things for one’s health. Shame that.
“Do you want to plan on dinner this evening?” Harper asked. “We have so much to catch up on, and I want you and Ethan to get to know each other.”
Ethan literally had to bite back an instant refusal. A patient man was a smart man. That’s how he’d come so far in his line of work. He’d waited for the right opportunities for everything and let the payoff be his reward.
He would wait and see what Robert said, because there was nowhere Harper would go in this resort that Ethan wouldn’t be right by her side now. No way would he let Robert be alone with her. There was no telling what lies the man would tell her.
“Dinner sounds fabulous.” Robert’s eyes drifted to Ethan. “You’ll join us.”
Ethan sneered. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
Harper let out a little squeal of excitement. “This is great. I’ll show you around and you can get a better idea of my plans in person. The crew will start next week, so you’re just in time. How long will you be here?”
Robert glanced between the two and quirked his lips. “Not sure yet. I’m open to sticking around awhile.”
Not if Ethan had any say about it. Robert had better get his jet and pilot ready, because Ethan had every intention of getting this jerk out of here sooner rather than later.
If Robert wasn’t ready to expose the fact they knew each other quite well, that might work to Ethan’s benefit. He needed to talk to Harper without another opinion weighing in. His time had run out.
Every step from here on out would have to be more calculated than anything he’d ever done. Harper and this baby were his top priority, but he still had to get this resort.
Anything less than all of that was failure. And Ethan never failed.
* * *
“You were a little rude,” Harper murmured as they stepped on to the elevator that would take them up to Ethan’s penthouse. “I thought you’d be more excited about meeting my father.”
Hadn’t they discussed the importance of family? Surely he knew that she really wanted her family life to grow. She needed that comfort and stability in her l
ife now more than ever.
“Was I?” Ethan questioned, lacing his hand in hers. “I wasn’t trying to be. Maybe I was just caught off guard. I knew you were anxious for this project, but I didn’t know your father was the owner.”
The doors slid open to his penthouse...well, their penthouse, since her things were being moved in later today.
“I didn’t want you to think I had this project simply because he took pity on me.”
Ethan gripped her arm and pulled her to face him. Framing her face with his strong hands, he looked her directly in the eyes. A woman could so get lost in that dark gaze.