Harper glanced at Sarai, wondering if maybe her lack of caffeine had her hallucinating. “I’m going where?”

“To the beach with Sebastian. We just need to pack your bag and get you out of here. The jet’s waiting on you two.”

She frowned, glanced down at her PJs and then back at Sarai. “You do realize I’m still half-asleep, right?”

Sarai giggled. Way too happy and awake for this ungodly hour. “You shower. I have Mrs. Patty bringing you breakfast so we can get you packed up quickly.”

“Thank you, she seems nice.”

Sarai nodded. “We usually don’t hire many humans, but she was recommended by the previous cook. She’s not been here long, but she’s doing great so far.” Sarai raised her brows at Harper. “What are you waiting for? Get a move on!”

“Are you coming, too?” she asked, dragging herself to the bathroom.

“No. I’m staying here with Delilah. But the minute you return, you must help me plan the ball. It’s next week.”

She stopped at the bathroom entrance and turned to look at her new friend. Sarai might have strange ideas when it came to Harper and Sebastian, but she had a good heart. Harper could tell.

As for that ball, there was no way had she just told her she had a week to plan a ball. That was impossible. “Sarai, you realize it’s unheard of to plan a large ball in a few days, right?”

Sarai put a two-piece swimsuit on the bed and glanced at Harper. “You’ll soon learn nothing’s impossible where Seb is concerned.”

She thought about that as she got ready. Sarai was right. Look at her. Harper was staying in a castle, ready to have the man’s baby just because he’d told her to. Well, that and because she had an insane attraction to him and she couldn’t figure out what was going on with her body and emotions.

If she was honest, she’d admit to herself that she could leave and say fuck it to Christian, but it wasn’t about Christian anymore. She wanted to get to know Sebastian better. She secretly liked that he was so determined to have her. And the fact he wanted a child with her of all people? That should be alarming, but instead, made her heart melt.

How many nights had she spent wondering when it would be her chance to find a man worthwhile who would give her the family she yearned for? Too many. Now, here was Sebastian, offering her everything if she’d just stay with him. Stay and create a family.

Things weren’t looking as bad as they had when she first showed up. He was attentive, hot as hell, and kissed like he wanted to consume her. That and the fire he started inside her had to mean there was more between them than a business exchange of her for Christian’s life. It had to.

* * *

Harper fell half in love with Sebastian when he greeted her at the front door with motion sickness pills and a bottle of water. She wanted to hug him for thinking of her comfort. So far, the man was no monster. She needed to find out what her father had done and make things right. Sebastian didn’t deserve any of Christian’s shady dealings.

The jet was unreal. It had a bedroom, dining area, and the most amazing leather seats she’d ever placed her ass on. If that chair could talk, it would tell her to take it out to dinner before rubbing her ass all over it like she did.

“How are you feeling?” he asked. “Any sickness?”

She shook her head and grinned. “No. Thank you. Seriously. Getting me those pills made sure I would have a good flight.”

He leaned forward and took her hand in his. “Whatever you need, just tell me.”

She had just gotten comfortable when the flight attendant told them lunch was served. Why did she decide to wear shorts and a tank top on such an expensive plane? At least he had worn cargo shorts and a T-shirt or she would have really felt out of place.

They sat in the dining area. There was a basket of warm rolls and butter. She went right for it. When she glanced up, Sebastian was grinning at her.

“Hi, I’m Harper, and I’m addicted to bread.”

He chuckled and grab a roll himself. “Bread is life. Anyone who doesn’t love it shouldn’t be trusted.”

She laughed at his joke and couldn’t believe this was the same guy from the previous day. He was like a different person. Relaxed. Smiling. If possible, even sexier with his shield down. His features were not tight or strained. He appeared to be another man. She liked both versions of him. What the hell did that make her? A ho. It made her a ho.

“So, this is a jet, huh?” she said, glancing around and smiling at the flight attendant who brought her a plate of grilled chicken and vegetables. “I’m sure you don’t have to worry about nightmares of people putting their stinky feet on your arm rest.”

He opened his eyes wide. “People do that?”

She nodded, taking a bite out of her food and swallowing before replying. “Oh, yes. One time, I sat next to some kid who thought himself a DJ and for three hours, I got to listen to his very loud headphones.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

She shrugged. “I did. Repeatedly. He would lower the volume and then raise it all over again. It was a full flight. I was exhausted. Let me tell you, I learned to spring for my own good set of headphones to listen to relaxing music.”

“That’s a crazy experience to go through for three hours.”

She snorted. “Oh, that’s nothing. I was once on a long flight from Europe to the states and the lady next to me took a sleeping pill, because for almost twelve hours, she didn’t move. I kept checking her every hour to make sure she was breathing.”

“She didn't snore?”

“I wished,” she laughed. “Maybe then I wouldn’t have kept shaking her to see if she’d respond. I worried like I knew her.”

“That just goes to show you are a caring person.”

She grinned. “Or just too freaked out at the idea of traveling that many hours with a dead person leaning on me.”

He chuckled and filled both their glasses with water. “That, too.”

“That’s still not even one of the top ten.”

“There’s more?”

“I do web design from home,” she told him,” but one company hired me to come and teach their web person some new things. They paid really well, and flew me out to Seattle to train him. That had to be one of the worst flights of my life. The turbulence was unbelievable and it seemed like everyone in front, beside, and behind me was throwing up.” She cut into more chicken. “I don’t recommend flights in bad weather. Anyway, what do you do?”

He stared at her for a moment, his gaze roaming her face intently. “The short explanation is I’m an investor. I take the money of my pack members and put it in the areas I feel are making the most money.”

She gaped. “You must be really smart to do that. Do you ever have any complaints?”

The humor in his face told her she was asking a dumb question. “No. I can usually get them a great return on their investment. They’re happy and I’m happy.”

“That’s amazing. I’ve never met a financial anything.” She shook her head. “Not true. Christian has spent and poorly wasted more of my money than I have.” She sighed. “Anyway, let’s not talk about him. Want to hear another travel horror story?”

“I want to hear everything you have to say,” he told her.