Being Harrison Bloom’s Girl

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Blurb:

A contemporary, interracial, billionaire romance novel. Part 2 in the ‘That Forbidden Love’ story. Leigh knew that going to school far away would be filled with sacrifices. The biggest one being that not only her family would be far away, but also her love, billionaire Harrison. But there’s one thing that hasn’t left her alone: the tabloids.

After all, Harrison is her adopted brother, and that alone is the making of a huge scandal! She and Harrison are not related in the least, but the fact that their technically siblings has made the relationship much too stressful for Leigh…

And when the heat of the media becomes too much to handle, she retreats. But while she wants to stay away from the spotlight, Harrison is now hinting at marriage. With their conflicting desires, can they navigate the challenges of their unconventional relationship? Or will their romance ultimately crumble into ruin? Get answers in this BWWM romance book by Ellie Etienne.

Chapter 1

“Damn,” muttered Leigh Wells, looking at her phone.

It was a perfectly inoffensive phone. Ordinarily, there would be nothing on it to annoy her. That was a luxury she was just getting used to. She’d quit her job as paralegal at a very prestigious, rather stuffy, and stereotypically self-important law firm a few months ago and was a student now. She’d gotten used to the perks of being a student, one of which was that she didn’t have to deal with annoying emails that demanded that she clean up other people’s messes, which seemed to be a pretty good description of what a lawyer’s job was.

Heaven only knew why she still wanted to be a lawyer, but she did. It had been her ambition from the time she was old enough to have an ambition beyond figuring out just what the books on the top shelf of her father’s study were.

But at the moment, with Harrison’s handsome face blinking on its screen, on and off, over and over again, she felt that a mild curse was probably excusable. Especially because she couldn’t take the call – because she had an assignment to finish, and a test to prepare for. Well, she could take the call, if Harrison could be satisfied with a conversation along the lines of ‘Hey, buried, can’t talk, later? K, thanks, bye!’

But that wouldn’t be Harrison Bloom, would it? He was used to having her time whenever he pleased.

It was, thought Leigh, annoying that he apparently couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that she needed time to study. Studying law, apparently, was more demanding than working as a paralegal at a law firm. On the bright side, she mused, she wouldn’t have much trouble adjusting to the workload once she did graduate.

Still, that didn’t solve her current problem, which was that Harrison’s face – all right, it was an exceptionally handsome face, all blonde and blue-eyed, chiselled features and lips that made her sigh over memories even if she hadn’t been with him in a couple of weeks.

Her adopted brother – or was it stepbrother? She had never really figured out the semantics of it. It hadn’t seemed important at first, because he’d just been the one she could count on, no matter what. And then, when they became so much more than that, the semantics hadn’t mattered at all.

They had risked so much to be together, because they’d been so sure that it would all be worth it, in the end.

And it was.

It was just that…

Well, she wished Harrison would understand that as much as she loved him, things were changing between them. Law school was a huge change. That was her goal, as much as he was her life, too.

He had understood that, supporting her unconditionally through all the prep, through quitting her job, through all the anxiety of the tests and waiting for the results. He’d been there for her through all of it.

But…

The phone went dark and stopped buzzing.

Leigh sighed, annoyed with herself, too, now.

She had put off answering the call, dithering within her own head, because things were difficult. Avoiding difficult things had never been her style.

Steeling herself – how silly was it that she had to steel herself to call her boyfriend, the love of her life, back – she made the call.

“Leigh.”

His voice sent a little shiver of pleasure down her spine. He had the most wonderful voice – deep and soothing. It lulled people into a sense of security that was often false.

But not with her.

It was real with her.

She would always be safe with him. He would always watch out for her.

That, too, was something she was still trying to negotiate. She wasn’t used to being taken care of. It clashed with her instinct to be in control at all times.

“Hey.”

Still, her voice softened, and some of that annoyance melted away.

She could take a few minutes, even if she had a paper that she really did need another six hours, or preferably sixty, to get right.

“You sound tired.”

Leigh sighed.

She both loved and disliked the concern, and the fact that he could tell she was tired, from just a syllable.

“I am, a bit, but it’ll be a long night. Got a paper. Really need to ace this one.”

He chuckled, and she felt herself relax. Even hearing him laugh made her feel better. She was lucky – she really was.

“You will. You’ve aced everything so far.”

“Those were just tests. This is a proper paper. It’ll count towards the final grade.”

“So did the tests.”

“Well, this counts more.”

“I’ll take your word for it. Are you going to make the family dinner?”

Family dinner.

It had slipped her mind completely.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. She had, perhaps, not made much of an effort to remember.

“I don’t know. I think I might need the weekend for the paper.”

“You’re chickening out.”

The accusation was well merited. Damn Harrison, he knew her too well. They’d known each other almost all their lives. He’d been just a child when he’d been adopted by her parents, when his own parents had died in a horrific car crash.

He had been her confidante for years, until they’d drifted apart a bit once she left to determinedly pursue her ambitions. Still, they had found each other – though not the same way. It had been different.

At least, it had been for her.

Harrison’s revelations had come as a bit of a shock.

“Well, it hasn’t been all that comfortable, lately. You know that the tabloids will have photographers camping out along the way because they’ve figured out the schedule, and every time I come home, Dad does that whole thing of the protective father bit, and it’s getting pretty damn annoying.”

Harrison sighed.

“I know, but Martha will be hurt if we don’t go.”

Leigh heard the reproach in his voice and knew she was being petulant. That didn’t make it any better.

“I’ll try to finish it early and come,” she muttered.

“Will you spend the weekend with me?”

The warmth in his voice made her feel churlish and bi*chy. And the idea of the weekend spent with him, in his penthouse apartment, with its very large terrace that he had pretty much given over to her and the gardener she had finally, regretfully, let take charge when she’d had to move away for college, was extremely appealing.