Page 16 of Guilty Pleasures

"So, the business dinner with Rolf and Karl went amazingly well," Zoe begins, her words tumbling out rapidly. "We got everything worked out and I sent the paperwork to your lawyer’s office for review. But that's not even the best part. Afterward, they invited me back to their penthouse for drinks."

My eyes widen. "Both of them? And you went? Zoe Annelise Howard, have true crime shows taught you nothing? Why would you go to a penthouse with two men you’ve just met?"

Zoe slaps my forearm to force me to stop rambling. "This is different and they’re not crazy. But let me tell you, those Becker brothers know how to show a girl a good time. We're talking mind-blowing, earth-shattering, seeing-stars kind of sex. With both of them. At the same time."

I feel my cheeks grow hot as I process this information. "I’m speechless. Except for that. And this." I attempt to clarify.

Zoe fans herself dramatically. "You have no idea. I'm still tingling all over. And you know that’s not the kind of girl I am. I was with one guy in college who could never make me climax and truth be told, he hardly tried. But these guys—no, those men—made me come over and over. I could hardly catch my breath between screams. The next morning, Rolf thought it was a good idea to fly to Paris to spend quality time together and solidify our new relationship."

“Relationship? You were supposed to work out a business deal and you wound up having a threesome with two German executives—brothers, no less—and now what? Are you committed to both of them? How is this possible?” I’m still too stunned to piece it all together.

Zoe nods eagerly. “I’m in love, Harp. They’re so hot and sweet and smart and romantic and oh my God, they know my body as if I handed them a map to each one of my erogenous zones. They’ve asked me to move in with them and I think I will. But first, I need to tell my mother who will probably kill me or drag me to church, maybe both. I know she will have a problem with the fact that they’re twenty years older than me.”

“And don’t forget there are two of them. Your mom may have a problem with you moving in with not one, but two men.” I offer some advice and silently wonder how my news concerning Silas suddenly became second-rate and boring.

“Yes, I know! But I don’t need to tell her everything all at once. It’s better to hit her with one shocking detail at a time. I wouldn’t want to put her in the hospital.” Zoe exhales loudly, then turns to me with what feels like fake enthusiasm. “Hey, you said you had wild news. What’s your tea?”

Feeling upstaged and cornered, I spill my stale tea with only a few words. “Oh, I’m seeing Silas Fraser.”

“Jesus, Harper. I knew that already.” Zoe rolls her eyes and walks toward her office, leaving me in the middle of my pink store with nothing more to say.

Lucky for me, Silas’s office is only a block away.

Read the rest of Zoe’s unconventional romance in

GUILTY AS SIN

CHAPTER 15

EPILOGUE- THREE YEARS LATER

SILAS

Iadjust my tie in the reflection of the shop window, watching Harper fuss with the display inside. Even after three years of marriage, the sight of her still makes my heart skip a beat. Her brow is furrowed in concentration as she rearranges a display of pink dog sweaters for the tenth time this morning.

"My love, the store looks perfect," I call out as I push open the door, the little bell jingling overhead. "You've got to relax a bit."

Harper turns to me, her eyes wide with excitement and nerves. "I know, I know. I just want everything to be perfect for the grand opening."

I cross the room and wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her close. The scent of her lavender shampoo fills my senses. "It will be perfect because you’ve planned it to be," I murmur, kissing her forehead softly. "London won't know what hit it when you open the doors."

She leans into me, letting out a shaky breath. "I still can't believe we're really doing this. Opening an In the Pink in London… it's like a dream. I know this is the fourth one, but I planned this location specifically when my Park Avenue location was still under renovation."

I chuckle, remembering the nights I watched Harper hard at work, seething that she’d ruin my aesthetic and drop the value of my flagship hotel. We couldn't have been more different or ill-suited for one another, but the universe gives you what you need—even when you don’t understand why. Within weeks, she went from the bane of my existence to the love of my life.

Harper pulls back slightly, her eyes shining. "Do you still think it’s a ridiculous concept for a store?" She reaches up, straightening my tie with a smirk.

I shake my head and bring her into my embrace, crushing my lips to hers. “Nothing you do is ridiculous.” I stop to look around at the bright pink decor and smile. “I still think it’s way too much pink, but I’d never say it’s ridiculous.”

"Thank you, Silas. Thank you for coming around, believing in me, and loving me so much.”

"Always," I reply, meaning it with every fiber of my being. "Now, what do you say we grab coffee before the madness begins?"

Harper nods, a smile breaking through her nervous expression. As we step out onto the busy London street, hand in hand, I can't help but feel like the luckiest man alive. “I’ve got a surprise for you, baby.”

“What?” Harper excitedly skips onto the crosswalk, playfully looking over her shoulder as I follow closely.

"So," I begin, trying to sound casual, "I was thinking. Once all the craziness of the opening dies down, maybe we could take a little trip. Just the two of us."

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