Harper was stunned in the kiss but when she gained her senses she tried to push Colton away but instead he deepens the kiss. She succumbed to his force and got flaccid in the kiss. After few seconds Colton stopped kissing her and inhaled a deep breath. Harper was breathing heavily, her chest was heaving up and down rapidly. When she recovered she looked towards Colton and saw that he was standing with his back towards her.

She gulped and with great courage ask "Why did you kiss me?"

Colton did not reply and ran his hands in his hair in clear frustration. After few seconds which looked like a lifetime for Harper, Colton sighed and faced Harper and said "Look don't get me wrong. Um.. when I saw you today with Jason I got jealous very jealous. Yesterday my friends were teasing me saying that I am completely whipped by you but I didn't felt that way, I saw you more like a sister despite the fact that I flirt with you at every possible chance available. But when I saw you today I felt jealous. I thought maybe they are right and I do have feelings for you and to find it out I irrationally kissed you."

"And..." Harper coaxed Colton to continue.

"I didn't feel anything, if truth be told I felt weird. It is not like you are a terrible kisser or something but I felt kissing you weird. I felt like I am kissing my buddy, or my sister." Colton replied avoiding looking in Harper's eyes.

"But you deepen the kiss when I tried to push you away" Harper asked.

" That's because when I didn't felt anything I thought why not take it a step further. Maybe I will feel something that others are pointing out but I did not. Rather I am clear now that romance between you and me is next to impossible. I hope this kiss will not affect our relationship
I love you and you are so dear to me, I can't afford to lose you Harps."

Harper spread her arms and hugged Colton "Aww I love you too my mushy big teddy bear but I am telling Dave about it."

Colton gasped and disetangles himself from Harper and looked terrified towards her "You will not"

Harper chuckled "Oh I will, just watch me."

Colton huffed in annoyance and slapped Harper in playful manner behind her head.
"Hey!' Harper yelled and Colton just laughed and wiggled his eyebrows. Harper just sighed and left for her room but Colton stopped her. "Harps don't call me teddy bear, it is stigma to my manliness." To which Harper laughed a hearty laugh and showed him the bird.

************

Later in the evening when Dave returned he was tackled by Colton and Harper together. They were yelling gibberish and ranting non stop. He was not able to understand a single word uttered by them. He pushed them both at a safe distance and then yelled in frustration "Will both of you just shut up for a minute please."

Harper blinked once, twice and then looked towards Colton who was standing dumbstruck. The the next moment she laughed hard. Both Dave and Colton looked towards her bewildered.
"Why are you laughing like a hyena?" Colton asked confused.

Harper stopped laughing suddenly and yelled "I did not laugh like a hyena"

"You did" Colton retaliated

"Did not"

"You did"

"Did not"

"Okay enough both of you. Just shut up and tell me why are you acting like lunatics" Dave said in anguish.

"Colton kissed me" She yelled.
Dave gasped and looked wide eyed towards Harper and then towards Colton. "You kissed her?" He whispered.

Colton scratched the nape of his neck awkwardly and blushed.

"So mom was right, you like her. Are you guys a thing now like dating or something"

"Wait Martha was rooting for us" Harper asked and Colton laughed hard, when his laughing fit was subsided he found Harper rolling her eyes at him and looking bored. Dave was looking lost.

"Have some mercy on this poor soul and tell him the truth Colt" Harper asked. Colton nodded and told everything to Dave in detail.

"So mom will be disappointed?" Dave asked and Harper nodded. "Well in that case Dad won the bet." Dave informed them with a smile.

"Wait, my parents bet on me. Oh my God was I adopted or something, my own parents are betting on me. Jesus have mercy, please"

"Quit being a drama queen Colt" Harper reprimanded. She looked towards her watch and said "Well I have to go and meet Ethan, if you guys excuse me I will be on my way. And Dave I am taking your car. And before you say anything or instruct me with stupid rules your baby will be good with me don't worry."

"Be back on time" Dave warned.

"Yes Dad!" Harper teased and texted Ethan to send her his address.

She got in the Dave's car and  followed the instructions to Ethan's home, the scenery changed from mediocre apartment to condos and penthouses. After about hour of drive she reached the given address. She entered through the glass doors of the humongous building and was greeted by beautiful décor. The lobby was a beautiful in architectural design, she was looking in awe to her surroundings lost. Clearing of throat bring her back to senses.

"May I help you?" A blond prim and proper receptionist asked.

"Yes, I am here to see Mr. Ethan Wright" Harper replied.

"Do you have an appointment or access card to his penthouse." The blond with the name tag Maggie asked.

"Penthouse?" She asked surprised but soon realized her stupidity and cleared her throat to say "No I don't have an appointment or an access card"

"I am sorry then I won't be able to help you." She replied.

"Oh wait, I will call him" Harper said.

"You have his number!" Maggie exclaimed. But Harper rolled her eyes and ignored her.

"Are you lost?" Ethan asked when he picked his phone on first ring. Harper rolled her eyes "Thanks for showing such confidence but I am in the lobby and I don't have some appointment with you or some stupid access card. So you got to help me out here."

"Wait for me there, I will rectify the situation." saying that he disconnected the call.

"He is coming." Harper told Maggie the receptionist but she was looking with mouth wide open. Harper cleared her throat to gain her attention to which Maggie uttered an embarrassed sorry. Within five minutes Ethan came downstairs and took Harper in a loving embrace. He looked towards Maggie and said "She is my best friend, basically family she does not need any access card or appointment. File her name in the family list and no one will stop her from visiting me from now onwards at any time and any day. Got that?"

Maggie just nodded her head and Ethan took Harper's hand in his and entered the elevator. Once they were inside Harper slapped Ethan on the shoulder and said "Stop scaring everyone like that." To which Ethan just shrugged.

When they reached the designated floor, Ethan put his palm on an electric gadget which scanned his finger prints and then he put some codes and the door was opened. Harper was watching everything awes trucked.

"Wow" that one word was uttered by her when she entered his penthouse. "Perks of being a Wright." Ethan just smiled sheepishly watching her.

"I thought your mansion in St. Helena was something but this is wow." Harper exclaimed. The interior was modern décor with floor to ceiling windows and shiny marble floor, the furniture was costly and the decorations were pristine.

"Do you like it?" Ethan asked.

"I love it" Harper replied and Ethan giggled.

"Harper" Ethan called her for her attention and when she looked towards him, he apologised and took her in a bone crushing hug.