Read Ghostly Deceits (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 3) for Free Online Page B

huh?”
    “Nice?” Harper widened her eyes to almost comical proportions. “Nice? I feel like a princess.”
    “You’re my princess,” Jared said, snagging Harper around the waist and twirling her. He pressed her body against his and kissed her, loving the way she melted against him. When they finally separated, they were both out of breath. “Well, princess, what do you want to do first?” Jared had specific ideas, and he hoped Harper was up to the challenge.
    “I want to check out the balcony.”
    Jared frowned. “I thought we would check out the bed first.”
    “Oh, we’re going to do that,” Harper said. “I want to check out the balcony first, though. Once we’re in that bed, I know we’re not coming up for hours.”
    “Okay,” Jared conceded, linking his fingers with hers and letting her lead him to the ornate French doors on the far side of the room. “Let’s check out the balcony.”
    Harper threw open the doors, her excitement contagious as she stepped through them. She gasped when the lake sprang into view and then sighed as she took in the rest of the surroundings. “Look at this.”
    Despite himself, Jared was impressed. “This is … wow. I didn’t know Michigan had views like this so far south.”
    “Can we hang out on the balcony after dark?” Harper asked, her eyes twinkling. “No one will be able to see us because we’re isolated on the corner and … well … I’ve had specific fantasies about these balconies since I was old enough to have those kind of fantasies.”
    “Heart, you had me at fantasies,” Jared teased, kissing the tip of her nose. “It’s too bright to do that out here right now, though. I’m a cop. I would hate to have to arrest myself for lewd behavior.”
    “I know,” Harper said.
    “Does that mean we can check out the bed?” Jared was hopeful.
    “That means we can check out that awesome claw foot tub that’s big enough to swim in and take a bath,” Harper countered. “Then we can check out the bed.”
    “Hey, there’s nudity involved in both of those options,” Jared said. “I’m up for whatever you want to do.”
    “Does that include bubbles?”
    Jared grinned. “What’s a bath without bubbles?”
    “Boring,” Harper said, shuffling excitedly toward the bathroom. “This is already the best vacation ever.”
    “It really is,” Jared said, following her. “Let’s take a bath. Bubble me up, baby.”

Five
    “ I don’t know if I should wear this.”
    Harper stood in front of the mirror and studied her black dress. It was a simple frock, boasting thin spaghetti straps, a modest neckline, and a skirt that ended three inches above her knees, but she still felt overdressed.
    Jared shifted his tie knot into place as he looked her up and down. “You look amazing.”
    Harper lifted her blue eyes to Jared’s and bit her lip. He’d never seen her unsure of herself in any situation. Her reticence now was cute. “I have an idea,” Jared said, grabbing his cell phone off the table and punching in Zander’s number.
    Zander didn’t bother with small talk. “Is she freaking out?”
    Jared chuckled. “She looks like a dream and yet she doesn’t think the dress looks good on her,” he said. “I thought you could handle this situation.”
    “Absolutely,” Zander said. “Put her on the phone.”
    Harper knit her eyebrows together and scowled as she took the phone from Jared. “He’s exaggerating.”
    Jared smirked as he watched Harper talk to Zander, enjoying the way she fidgeted and twirled in front of the mirror. She had no idea how beautiful she looked, which was one of the things he liked best about her.
    “I’m not being a pill, Zander,” Harper snapped. “I just … you know I have issues with dresses. Do you remember what happened at the senior dance when I wore that pink dress I found at the mall?”
    Jared crossed his arms over his chest and patiently waited while Harper listened to whatever diatribe Zander launched into on