Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
“Right. Nikki suckered you into bringing one home from the Bahamas,” Harrison said.
“I wouldn’t laugh if I were you. Something tells me you’re going to be whipped and doing a six a.m. walk right along with me.”
Harrison rolled his eyes, but he didn’t meet Asher’s gaze. Because he had a feeling his brother wasn’t wrong.
A little while later, Morgan, their bodyguard, had arrived and checked in. While waiting, he took Panda for a walk, understanding that Harrison couldn’t do it himself, and Harrison and Asher talked until the women returned.
Nikki’s eyes were red-rimmed, and though Winter had put on makeup for her meeting with her father, her eyes were bloodshot. It was obvious their talk had been rough on her too.
He and Asher exchanged worried glances.
“We’re fine,” Nikki said, and Winter nodded in agreement.
“We are.”
Asher glanced at his fiancée. “Come on. Let’s go home and talk.”
After saying their goodbyes, Asher and Nikki left.
Harrison looked at Winter’s pale features and resolved to take care of her through this whole mess. “Ready?” He extended his arm.
She slipped her smaller hand into his and their palms pressed together. He curled his fingers around her hand, and they walked out the door to join their security guard and go meet with the senator.
Chapter Seven
Senators weren’t given secret service or bodyguard protection, and even if they had been, Corbin Bettencourt was no longer a government official. Ironically, Winter and Harrison had their own security. Morgan drove them out of the building from the garage in a discreet SUV with tinted windows. He parked the vehicle in the hotel garage himself and led them to the bank of elevator doors, glaring at anyone who tried to get close or in the elevator with them.
The senator had given Winter his hotel suite number, and they traveled directly to his floor, her stomach in knots. Her nerves made no sense. She was a reporter. She’d interviewed everyone from sweet human beings to total assholes. So why, as she knocked on the hotel room door, was she so damned anxious?
Harrison kept her hand in his, and he squeezed her fingers. “It’s going to be fine, and we can leave whenever you want.”
She nodded, grateful for his support. “I can handle this. But I appreciate that you’re here with me.”
He winked her way just as the door opened and the man who called himself her father stood in the doorway. They stared at each other, Winter taking in familiar features she hadn’t realized she shared. Green eyes, the same slightly upturned nose, and similar smile.
“Winter, thank you for coming. I didn’t realize you were bringing company.”
The senator glanced at Harrison and held out a hand in what seemed like an automatic gesture courtesy of his political days. But he wore a casual pair of slacks and a button-down shirt, and unlike every photograph she’d seen of him, he wasn’t wearing a tie, and his sleeves were rolled to his forearms.
It had only been a little while since he’d resigned, but she wondered if he missed his position as someone important in the world.
Harrison reached out and shook the older man’s hand.
“Harrison Dare, it’s good to meet you,” Corbin said, then stepped back and opened the door for them to enter.
Placing a gentle hand on her back, a gesture she was coming to enjoy, Harrison walked into the large suite along with her. Following the senator’s lead, they settled onto the sofa, the senator in a chair across from them.
“Can I pour you some coffee?” he asked, gesturing to the carafe and muffins on the glass cocktail table.
Her stomach wasn’t just in knots, the often-present, low-level nausea remained. “No, thank you,” she said.
Harrison shook his head, too.
“Well. I appreciate you coming,” the man she wasn’t prepared to call her father or dad said.
She clasped her hands on top of her thighs. “I thought it was time we talked.”
“I’m glad. I read that congratulations are in order for you both.”
Her hand came to her stomach. “Thank you.”
“So it’s true then?” he asked.
Harrison stiffened. “Was that a test of some sort?” he asked, defensive on her behalf.
Why she found his protectiveness sexy, she had no idea. But she liked the fact that he was looking out for her and not just the baby they would share.
The senator shook his head, holding up his hands, palms out. “Of course not. I’m just aware that you can’t believe everything you see or read in the media, and I wanted to hear it from you.”
Winter sighed, and Harrison inclined his head. “We both know that’s true,” he agreed. “So why did you want to see Winter today?”
She stared at the biological parent she didn’t understand at all. “Yes, why now?” she asked him. “I know you’ve been wanting to talk, and I’ve been putting you off.” She could admit to that. “But you did seem more insistent this morning.”