The Foster Girls #1: Harper

Chapter 2: She Had Awakened the Dragon

I left the charity ball as soon as I left Harper's side, not feeling like putting up with any small talk or people wanting a favor or trying to curry my favor.

She seemed as perfect as I'd thought after I'd seen her picture for the first time when her dossier crossed my desk. My nephew attended Wellington Academy and any new employees there were always thoroughly vetted by Dom, the club's information specialist, which was the polite and socially acceptable name for what he really was: an elite hacker. When I opened Harper Case's file, the candid picture of her made me pause. She was in a coffee café with a red-headed woman, her caramel colored hair curling over her shoulders and down her back. Her light blue eyes were on her friend and her mouth was smiling sweetly.

I'd spent a long time looking at the picture before I set it aside to read through her background check.

No boyfriend or husband. No children from a previous relationship. No family. She'd grown up in a foster care group home from age 10 until she aged out at 18 and then busted her ass to put herself through college and a master's program.

She lived simply, frugally and unremarkably, it appeared. She had no dating history, and gave a lot of her free time to charitable causes and was already enquiring about opportunities in her new town.

I read it through twice, stopping the second time to look at her picture several times. When I finished, I picked up my cell and called my brother.

"Dom, I want to know what Harper does every day, a report sent to me daily as soon as she's in bed for the night."

"She some sort of risk?"

"No," I clipped out. "She's fine."

"She sure is," he agreed in a suggestive voice.

I paused, then warned in low tones, "It'd be good, brother, that you not say something like that about her again."

Silence at the warning, then a drawn out, amused, "Ohh-kay. Anything else, Rome?"

"That's it."

The next afternoon, when I walked into the clubhouse, a minute later Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher" blared out of the sound system and I knew Dom's mouth had been at work. He grinned at me, knowing he hadn't pushed me beyond my limit...yet.

"All the brothers want a chance at surveillance," Dom told me. "They want to see the girl who's caught the boss man's eye."

"Is the first report done?"

"Yep. In your in box. Nothing interesting. Dress shopping with a friend for a charity event Friday night for the hospital."

Just as I opened my mouth, Dom interrupted. "You're on the invite list and I sent them an RSVP that you'd be coming. Made a large donation in the name of the Dragons."

On that Friday night, I found myself at the charity ball, dressed in a black suit, crisp white shirt and red tie. I skirted the edge of the crowd, trying not to get caught by anyone, until I found my prey. Harper was talking to a man, something I didn't like very well, until another woman came up and the man put his arm around her and kissed her on the lips. Then the three continued to talk for a while until the sit-down dinner was served. I moved outside until the dancing started and located Harper trash-talking the various men her friend pointed out to her. I was astounded when her friend called out Harper for being a virgin – 25, looking like she did, that didn't seem possible – but Harper never denied it; she actually seemed embarrassed by it.

Nothing to be embarrassed about, princess, I thought.

When her friend left Harper alone to go dance with her husband, I decided to make my move. I'd known from the background check that she was short, but she seemed even tinier next to me. I enjoyed teasing her about what I'd overheard, watching the blush suffuse her face and her eyes widen in horror.

Then I'd gotten her to dance and had enjoyed holding her petite form close. I'd almost lost it when she told me I was more dragon than prince, and if I hadn't already been completely charmed by her, that would have done it.

She had awakened the dragon.

What I was going to do about that, I didn't yet know.

All I knew was, with a woman like Harper Case, I shouldn't do anything.