Free Inevitable (Key West #2) by C. A. Harms Page A

toward the exit before hollering back over my shoulder, “I’ll be at your place by six.” All eyes shifted from me to Harper as I rushed past the women who were now zoning in on her to get the scoop.
    As I placed my back against the door, Harper scowled at me. She wasn’t happy with the way I had shifted the attention onto her. I winked and pushed back, leaving her to deal with the eager women.
     
    ***
     
    My next stop was Jett’s restaurant. I had locked in all the final paperwork for the second and third locations of the restaurant. Things were well on their way to completion, and I was about to make Jett a very happy man. As I walked through the front entrance, I had my head down as I typed out a message to Bennie. I heard my name and looked up quickly to find Avery and Quinn walking toward me.
    “Good afternoon, ladies,” I said as I leaned forward, then kissed them on the cheeks. “How are you?”
    “We were just having lunch before heading off to do a little shopping,” Avery said. “When did you get back in town?”
    “About thirty minutes ago. I stopped in at Allure to see Harper first.”
    The girls’ faces lit up. “Oh yeah?” Quinn asked, pushing for further information.
    To put them out of their misery, I gave them a little more. “I’m taking her out tonight.”
    “You’re taking who out tonight?” Jett asked, stepping up behind Quinn. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. She leaned her head back, and he bent down to kiss her.
    “Harper,” I replied.
    Jett’s head shot up and he smiled. “Good.” He was finally accepting my interest in his sister. After that night at Ricochet, he realized she wasn’t just some random hookup to me.
     
    ***
     
    I was going to make dinner reservations for us, but I decided I wanted exclusive time with Harper. When we were alone, I got a better insight into the person she really was, the one she fought so desperately to hide. I loved that she could let her guard down around me and just relax. So tonight I chose to have dinner catered. I set up a table just off the back of my condo. My place was private and secluded, which made it feel like my own little oasis. I lined the pool with lanterns and set candles along the deck. I’d told the caterers to set up dinner, light the candles, and leave just before we were scheduled to arrive.
    As I pulled up in front of Harper’s place, I couldn’t remember ever being this nervous, or maybe it was excitement.
    The moment I knocked on her door, I think my heart jumped into my throat at the sound of a deep, vicious bark. It didn’t sound like any dog I had ever been around. I knew she had one; I remember the day she got the dog and brought it by the restaurant to show Jett. But the bark still flowing out from behind her door had me a little worried. I wasn’t an animal guy. I had never had one and had no desire to change that.
    When the door opened, I looked down to see a head the size of a car looking back at me and swallowed hard. Okay, so maybe “the size of a car” was an exaggeration, but when you’re in panic mode, everything seems bigger.
    “That is not a dog,” I stated. “That is a tank.”
    Harper laughed. “No, actually, this is Brutus, and I promise you he isn’t just any dog.”
    I looked up at her, cocking my eyebrow.
    “He is my best friend, my cuddle buddy, and my protector,” she explained as she rubbed his head in a motherly way. “He may be big—”
    “He’s fucking huge,” I corrected.
    “Okay, he may be huge , but he is the sweetest dog you’ll ever meet. Don’t let him fool ya, he’s a big baby.”
    I still wasn’t convinced. The idea of a dog as big as most motorcycles had me convinced that I should wait in the car.
    “Will you stop being such a pussy?” Harper said as she placed her hand on her hip. “He won’t hurt you. In fact, he’s scared of his own shadow on a good day.”
    She opened the door, and I took a step inside,