Page 20 of Daddy's Little Charmer
Harmony cleared her throat, smiled, and nodded. “All right. Bye.”
She watched him walk to the other men.
Nico and Connor were in the same outfits they had been wearing with the jackets, which she guessed had to be uncomfortably warm, but they didn’t seem to mind. Christian wore a dark suit that fit him perfectly. She noticed that with the three together, he was just as large as the other two, particularly through his shoulders and height, while Nico and Connor were heavier with more muscle. But Christian carried himself with arrogance and self-assuredness that she hadn’t ever seen in anyone she’d known, and for some strange reason, it drew her to him.
They looked at her and talked for a brief moment before Christian walked off. She shook her head when Nico and Connor came back and stood to guard her again, then turned her attention back to the book in her lap.
Chapter Eight
Later that day, Harmony took her time and pampered herself. After a long bath, she smoothed on her favorite peach lotion all over her body before sliding on her panties, bra, and dress. She turned one way and then the other in front of the long mirror on her bedroom door and couldn’t help but smile.
She loved the dress, and she liked how it hugged her curves without restricting her movements or feeling tight. She left her long, dark hair to fall freely down her back. She curled it slightly to add body, and she applied a little makeup. She found the comfortable, high-heeled black shoes she had had forever, but they were still in good shape because she rarely wore them. She slipped delicate earrings on and a necklace before she spritzed herself with the perfume her father had given her their last Christmas together.
Tears burned her eyes as she stared at herself in the mirror. She shook off the sadness she always felt thinking about her father. A day didn’t go by that she hadn’t missed him, and she guessed it would be that way for the rest of her life.
She took one more look, grabbed the shawl, opened the door, and walked into the living room. She smiled as whistles of appreciation filled the room.
“It looks okay?” she asked and smoothed her hands over her hips.
“You look beautiful,” Nico and Connor said.
“Thank you,” she said and blushed.
Harmony was startled when a knock sounded at the door, and she quickly glanced at the clock on the wall. She was glad she’d gotten ready early because Christian was close to half an hour early. She watched Connor open the door. She heard him say a few words and then close the door. She was confused when he handed her a large white box.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know, open it,” Nico said and stood against the wall by the living room windows with his arms crossed.
Harmony set the box on the table in front of the sofa. She opened the lid and pushed aside the delicate white tissue paper and gasped. She set aside the card that had been on top for a moment before she reached in and pulled out a silky blue dress. The design was simple, and one she would have chosen herself. It had cap sleeves and an A-line fit to it and would hit her just above the knees.
It truly was beautiful, but she still didn’t understand. She carefully laid it aside and pulled out shoes, also in her size, a purse, and a small box that held a necklace and earrings that matched.
The guys watched as she opened the card. Both their hearts sank as her happiness drained from her face.
“I don’t understand,” she said and turned to them.
Connor looked uneasy at Nico before turning toward Harmony. “Christian sent you the outfit for tonight.”
Harmony looked up, confused. “But I already have one. Didn’t you guys tell him?”
The men looked uncomfortable.
“We told him where you got the dress, and he wasn’t pleased,” Connor admitted.
Harmony’s hand slid down the front of her dress as tears burned the back of her eyelids. “I thought I looked pretty,” she said softly.
Nico wanted to growl at the disappointment and sorrow on the woman’s face.
“You do,” Nico exclaimed. “I just think he wanted to do something nice for you.”
Harmony sat down on the chair and stared at the card. “I would embarrass him if I went like this?” she asked withoutlooking up.
“No, Honey,” Nico said and crouched in front of her. “You could never embarrass him.”
She sucked in a shaky breath and then finally looked at Nico.
A knock sounded at the door, interrupting her. Connor opened it as Nico moved away from Harmony.
