Pure Harmony (5 page)

He obediently turned that way and they headed off. The wind was warm and she could feel what remained of her tension floating away.

“How was your day?” she questioned.

“Busy. Spent most of it in court.”

“I’m sorry. I hope it went well.”

“It did.” His tone had become more serious.

“What do you do for fun, Jonathon?”

“Fun?”

“Yes. Fun. When you’re not in court or working, what do you like to do?”

His silence spoke volumes—it was as if he hadn’t had fun for so long it was taking him a while to think about what he did.

“This and that.”

She laughed. It may not have been a nice thing to do but she couldn’t help it.

“What’s so funny?”

“You. Your answer. You haven’t had fun in so long you don’t know what you do for it. Do you remember what fun is?”

“I had fun in a hotel room with you. I remember all about that night.” His words were low and drenched in seduction.

So did she. Ignoring the responses her body gave, she focused on the matter at hand. “Not what I’m talking about. When was the last time you had a picnic outside? Lay on a blanket and watched the clouds. Rode a bike in the mountains. I don’t know, played pool with your friends. Bowling. Anything like that?”

“I don’t have time.”

She snorted. “That’s crap.”

“What?” He glared at her.

She wasn’t intimidated in the least. “You are making excuses. You work too hard and are too serious.”

“I’m an attorney. I have clients counting on me.”

“Right. And no other lawyer ever takes a day off?” She shoved him with her shoulder. “I bet you even work weekends.”

“If there’s a case—”

“There’s always going to be another case. It’s the way of the world. Doesn’t change the fact you are a workaholic.”

“I’ve taken weekends off,” he protested.

“When was the last one you had off?”

Jonathon stopped walking and pulled her in front of him. His eyes blazed with heat. “The auction.”

“Well,” she said, swallowing. “Nice to know you took time off to get something for your mother.”

“I didn’t think of any briefs or cases while I was with you,” he continued as if she’d not said a word. “I had one thing on my mind. Keeping you naked all night and the next day. Would have worked too, if someone else hadn’t run away.”

She shifted and shrugged. “I had to get home.”

“You want me to take some time off, you know exactly what will do it.”

“I’m not paying for you to have a hooker,” she said indignantly.

He laughed. Not a snicker, but a full-throated laugh. His head tipped back and his Adam’s apple fascinated her. Sparkling brown eyes met hers when he’d stopped laughing.

“Not funny.”

He leaned in for a quick kiss. “Very funny. I meant you, Harmony. You spend a weekend with me and I’ll be in no way thinking about work.”

Her belly trembled at the thought. A full weekend with him. “I don’t think—”

“You’re the one who said I work too much.” He slid his hand around to cup the back of her head, his fingertips massaging her scalp. “Come on. Spend the weekend with me,” he coaxed.

She shouldn’t. But she wanted him again. And again.

“One weekend?”

He grinned. “For starters.”

The grin did her in. She knew she was lost. It didn’t matter that it might not be the smartest thing for her to do, but damn it all. She wanted him. Hadn’t been able to forget about him since their night in Las Cruces.

“Okay.”

The glint in his eyes made her wonder if she hadn’t just bitten off more than she could chew. He reminded her of a predator stalking its prey.

The air split with sirens and they both glanced back to see if they could see anything. Fire trucks went by, followed by ambulances and police cars. They shrugged and continued with their walk.

As they headed back to her place he said, “I’ll be by to pick you up on Friday night then. If you’re going to keep me busy all weekend, I have to put in some extra time.”

“I don’t have to keep you busy at all.”

“Oh, yes you do. I’m looking forward to it, too.”

She snorted and rested her head briefly against his arm. They turned the corner and her heart jumped up into her chest. The trucks they’d seen flying by had been going to her apartment building. “Oh no,” she breathed, pulling away from him and beginning to run.

She barrelled into a firefighter who caught her. “Sorry, ma’am. You can’t go in there.”

“I live here!”

Jonathon removed her from the fireman’s arms. His hold kept her pressed against him.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” the fireman said. “I can’t let you in there. It’s too dangerous.”

“What happened?” Jonathon questioned.

“Boiler blew in the basement.”

They continued talking but all her attention sat focused on the rubble that used to be her home. Gone. It was all gone. Wrenching free of Jonathon’s hold, she made her way on shaky legs over to the kerb and sat.

Everything’s gone.
The tears streamed down her cheeks. She could have been in there. Hell, she’d
just
been in there. Harmony lost track of time, she just sat there and stared, realising she had nothing now.

“Harmony,” Jonathon said, crouching before her. “Come on, you need to get something to eat.”

“Gone,” she mumbled. “It’s all gone. Everything. My pictures, my things from Grandma. Gone.”

She barely noticed that he’d swept her up in his arms and started to walk until another fireman stopped him. When she struggled to be put down, he merely tightened his grip on her, effectively and swiftly telling her she wasn’t going anywhere for the moment.

He took her to an SUV. A Mercedes and just as nice as his car, the one he’d taken her home in that night after his car had got all muddy. After setting her down in the passenger seat, he buckled her in. Her head lolled on her neck and she stared back at the smouldering building.

“Where are you taking me?” she finally asked. “I just need a phone and I can call Lana.”

“No.”

“No what?”

“I’m taking you home.”

She coughed. “My home just burnt down. I have to call Lana so I have somewhere else to go.”

“No need.”

“I really don’t want to sleep on the street, so if you could just let me use your cellphone.”

He tossed her the phone. “Feel free to tell her where you are but you don’t need to stay with her.”

“What?” she asked sarcastically. “Taking me home with you?”

Jonathon rotated his head and met her gaze squarely. “That’s exactly what I’m doing.”

Chapter Four

Jonathon briefly studied the surprise in her gaze then focused back on the road.

Harmony was silent for a bit then said, “Fine, but I need to get some things since this…” She paused then said slowly, “Is all I have now.”

She sounded so lost. Jonathon was glad she didn’t try to fight him on coming home with him.

Jonathon placed his hand on her thigh, squeezing gently. “You’ve got me. I’ll help you. I can give you money—”

She cut him off. “I don’t need your charity. Thank God it’s habit that I always put my bankcard, ID and a few dollars in my pocket. I have money. I just need you to take me to Karltons so I can pick up a few things.”

Jonathon knew the department store she was referring to. He found a place to turn, since it was in the other direction. Harmony was talking lowly to someone on the phone. Jonathon didn’t listen. Giving her privacy, he started thinking of what he needed to do to make her stay in his home comfortable.

“Thanks for giving me a place to stay. Hopefully it won’t be long. I’ll contact the landlord to see if he can get me another place.” Harmony spoke, bringing his attention back to her.

Jonathon clenched the wheel—he didn’t want her to leave so soon. She wasn’t even in his home yet and she was already planning not to stay. Jonathon relaxed his hold and tried to be rational. Of course she would be looking for a new place to live, that was what she
should
be doing. It wasn’t what he wanted her to do, but he knew she should.

“Stay as long as you like. At least you should get something from your renters’ insurance. That’ll help you to get started getting stuff for your new place.” Jonathon turned into the parking lot of Karltons.

See that’s good, I’m being supportive even if I hope it takes her a while to find a place.

“I don’t have renters’ insurance,” Harmony admitted.

Jonathon pulled into a space, parked then glanced at her. “Why not? Everyone shou—”

“I don’t have any. I’m going to start from scratch.” Harmony unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the door then exited the vehicle.

She closed the door gently but to Jonathon it could have been a slam. He heard the underlying reprimand in her voice. Jonathon got out, clicked the alarm on his keys and followed Harmony. She had already retrieved a cart and was pushing it towards the entrance of the big department store. Jonathon jogged to catch up with her and he reached for the cart. Harmony turned her head—her face was in that closed-off expression he hated. She shifted and let him take the cart. They went inside and started to get what Harmony needed.

Jonathon was silent as he trailed her while she shopped. He frowned, noting that she didn’t pick up much. Soon they were back at the counter. Jonathon helped unpack the cart that wasn’t even a quarter full. He made a mental note of what she had got, and the sizes of the limited items of clothing. He bagged her things as they came down the conveyor then stood and waited for her to pay. Once she had joined him, he pushed the cart back to his SUV. In moments, they were on their way to his condo. Harmony was still not speaking and he could feel the distance building between them. He wanted to say something to change it, but couldn’t think of what would accomplish that.

Harmony sighed. “Look, Jonathon, I know you mean well, but I’m sure many of us who lived in the building didn’t have insurance. That’s the last thing you think of getting when you’re on a limited budget. I can only imagine what the other tenants are feeling right now. I know a few of them and they are hard-working people with very little disposable income. What are they going to do now?”

Her caring for the others rather than herself moved Jonathon. “First, the report on the fire will be filed in a few days. From what the firefighter at the scene said, the boiler in the basement blew. If this is the fault of the landlord then there is recourse for that.”

“We’ve been complaining to the company who handled the property that there was a bunch of things that needed fixing. We even mentioned the boiler,” Harmony said.

Jonathon considered what she had stated then said, “Did you all put this in writing?”

“Yes. A few of us did and that’s how we sort of became friendly. The building, even though it had problems, was much better than most for the price. There are some older tenants who live only off their social security and were glad for a reasonably good building and low rent. Now it’s all gone. I’ll have to check and see who I can get in touch with.” Harmony sounded even more lost.

Jonathon didn’t ask any more questions—he was already thinking about what the firefighter had stated and Harmony’s comments. He’d have to do some digging into the building and after what Harmony had said, he’d bet there was something there to find. Neither spoke for the rest of the drive. At his condo, he helped her with the bags, taking them into the house. She had got so little that they were able to take it all inside in one trip. He frowned, remembering what she had—there was no way that would be enough. Inside his condo, he showed her around the ground floor pointing out the various rooms. On the way, he retrieved a key and gave it to her. Harmony took it without comment but he could see she was amused for some reason.

“I hate to ask, but can I use your computer?” Harmony asked when they were in the office.

“Sure, let me set you up your own access.” Jonathon put down the bags and did just that.

Once they’d got her all set up, he led her upstairs and gave her a quick tour of that floor. At one end of the hall was his room, which had its own bathroom, then two guest rooms, a bath that was on the wall facing those guest rooms and a linen closet. At the other end of the hall was another guest room, which had its own bath.

“This room is yours for as long as you’re here. Wait, let me get some linens.” Jonathon placed the bags he held on the chair by the door and hurried back out.

He went to the linen closet, retrieved the items needed then returned to the room. Taking the fitted sheet, he placed the rest of the items in another chair that was by the nightstand. Jonathon started to make the bed.

“I ca—”

He raised his head and made her know he wasn’t going to stop. Harmony smiled then took the other side of the sheet. They quickly made the bed. Jonathon picked up the items for the bathroom and took them inside. He fixed them neatly on the shelf built into the wall. Jonathon adjusted the items on the other three shelves then stepped back. Pleased it was all in order, he turned then stopped as he saw Harmony leaning against the doorjamb, watching him with the same amused expression.

“What?” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“You’re very organised. A key for me, and this room for me to stay in is clean and immaculate. This bathroom is…wow. I haven’t gotten a good look at the outside surrounding area of this place, but even that is a generous size. Last time I was here I just saw the living room and I thought that was a good size, but seeing it all now inside—this is a big place. The ground floor is quite spacious with the living room, entertainment room, den, home gym, office and that massive kitchen. Then this second floor is also spacious. Why do you need a place with four bedrooms and three bathrooms? Or a place so big for one man?” Harmony studied him.

Jonathon didn’t like being the one at the other end of questions. He passed by Harmony, going out of the door and answering her when his back was to her.

“I like order and space. I didn’t want to do the building-type condo. I bought in this area of McKingley because of the location and they offered individual condos with land space, which gave you a little distance from your neighbours. This one was at the end of the block and it called to me.” He was not about to admit that he’d bought this place with the intention of eventually having a family.