If I Loved You (Harper Falls Book 1) Read online

  Without a word, Jack took her hand and swept her into his arms. One dance wasn’t going to kill him.

  “Someone’s had lessons,” Rose laughed with relief. She had thought for a moment that he was going to turn her down.

  “My mother insisted that all her children learn to ballroom dance,” Jack smiled as he remembered the battle of wills between himself and his mother. Holding Rose close, he expertly twirled them around the room. He never could win a battle of wills against his mom, but he hadn't made it easy for her. Every week she’d had to drag her twelve-year-old son to the lessons, promising that someday he would get good use out of them. Someday he would thank her. Mom always won, and Mom was always right.

  “How many children are we talking about?” she asked. Rose had heard the affection in Jack’s voice when he’d mentioned his mother. Happy families always fascinated Rose. She’d lived next door to Dani’s, but that was from the outside looking in. Tyler’s parents were often barely hanging on by a very thin thread. And though she'd lived with them, she’d never felt very close to any of the Jones’ except for Tyler. She’d always wondered what it would be like to be an integral part of a big, boisterous family.

  “Six older sisters.”

  “You’re kidding,” Rose laughed. “Were you tormented or spoiled rotten?”

  “Both. It depended on whether or not they were mad at me or wanted to use me as their own personal dress up doll.”

  “You didn’t consider that torment?” Rose asked. Jack must have been a very interesting child.

  “You’d think so,” Jack shrugged. “But while they were putting mascara and eye shadow on me they forgot I was their annoying little brother and would talk about all things girls. You wouldn’t believe what I learned, though I’ll admit I could have done without their discussion about periods and feminine hygiene products."

  Rose couldn’t think anything to say. How did one steer the conversation into a sexy direction with that image in your head?

  “Sorry,” Jack said as if reading her thoughts. “Not casual conversation appropriate. Did you grow up with any siblings?”

  “No, it was just me and my Mom.” She wasn’t going to go there. Too personal and even more of a mood killer than tampons.

  Jack could feel the slight stiffening of Rose’s body. Obviously not a happy subject.

  “Why don’t we just enjoy the dance,” he suggested. “I’m going to head us out onto the balcony, no talking required.”

  Rose hadn’t realized how warm the ballroom had become until the evening air enveloped them. It felt wonderful invigorating, and she could feel the tension slip away. Spring was in full bloom. Lush greenery surrounded them and though a few other couples were already taking advantage of the mild May night, it wasn’t difficult for Rose to imagine that they were completely alone—in their own little world. It felt as if the music was playing just for them. Dancing in the arms of a dangerously handsome man, a man she barely knew? It was a heady experience. She could feel the attraction, an attraction she was sure was mutual.

  It wasn’t a romance she kept reminding herself; she didn’t want that. This was about sex. She wouldn’t let herself get carried away just because they were surrounded by all the fairy tale trappings. This fantasy was of the carnal variety. No prince. No happily ever after.

  Jack had hoped the night air would cool his libido. It hadn’t. Rose smelled amazing, all warm vanilla and bright citrus. And then there was the bare skin of her back, smooth, tempting. He couldn’t resist exploring her back until his hand hovered oh so close to that dip in her spine that would lead him to her amazing ass. But you didn’t grope your dance partner, it was just wrong. But that didn’t stop his imagination from going where his hand couldn’t. Firm and smooth with just the right amount of feminine padding. Made perfectly for a man to grip while she rode them both to satisfaction.

  “Jack,” Rose frowned as she called his name for the third time. “Jack, are you alright. You look a bit flushed.”

  He tried not to groan out loud. Stop fantasizing, Jack. Not here. Not until you’re back at your place—alone. And it had better be soon.

  “I’m fine. It’s been a long week, and I guess it’s starting to catch up with me.” Which was partly true. Hopefully, it was enough of an excuse to cover for his fantasy lapse.

  “Should we sit out the rest of the dance?”

  “No, I’m fine. Really.” He pulled her closer. The song would end soon, and he wanted to remember every detail of how she felt in his arms. “I’m glad you asked me to dance.”

  “Jack,” she pulled back a bit so she could see his face. Damn, did her voice just squeak? She tried again, deliberately lowering the timbre. “Jack.” Much better.

  “Rose.”

  “Yes?”

  “Nothing, I just thought we were saying each other’s names.” He put his lips next to her ear and whispered, “I like the way you say my name. Do it again.”

  “Jack.”

  “Nice,” he breathed. “Husky and so damn sexy.”

  “Jack.” Stop saying his name and finish what you’ve started. “Let’s go to my place a screw our brains out.” Hardly subtle but she needed to get to the point.

  Yes, Jack wanted to shout. Instead, he took her hand and led her to a bench that was situated at the side of the balcony and provided them some privacy.

  “That was unexpected,” he began after seating them both.

  “Should I apologize?” Rose asked.

  “No,” Jack assured her. “It just surprised me. And as much as it pains me, I’ll have to decline your invitation.”

  “Do you have a girlfriend?

  “No.”

  “Boyfriend?”

  Unoffended, Jack laughed. “No.”

  She leaned in a bit and whispered, “STD?”

  “Nope, clean as a whistle.”

  “Erectile dysfunction?”

  “Not at the moment.”

  Rose looked down, her eyes growing wide. Ok, impressive.

  “Premature ejacula—” Jack put his hand over her mouth before she could finish.

  “No premature anything.” God, this woman was a hoot.

  “I didn’t really think so,” Rose admitted. “So you just aren’t interested. Fair enough. Thanks for the dance.”

  Jack put out a hand to stop her from leaving. “Can I call you?” In three weeks? He added silently.

  “You don’t have to feel guilty, Jack. I get it; I’m not your type.” She gave him a friendly pat on the hand and stood to go. “The night is still young. Maybe you’ll hook up with someone else.” Just please, not Jilly Underwood.

  “Are you going home?”

  “No,” she said as she turned and went back into the ballroom. “Like I said, Jack, the night is young.”

  Wait. Jack quickly reran their conversation through his head. The night is young. Did that mean she was going to find another guy to invite home? Like hell she was. He might not be having sex with Rose, but neither was anyone else. Not tonight and not anytime in the near future. And after that? Well, it there wasn't any point in jumping too far ahead. For now, whether she knew it or not, Rose O’Brian was his.

  “Rose, over here.”

  She turned at the sound of her name, smiling and waving when she saw Tyler and Dani. They both looked amazing, Dani was in a black number that set off her pale hair to perfection and left her creamy shoulders bare. Tyler, who loved bold, jewel toned colors, had chosen a deep amethyst sheath that added a touch of violet to her changeable gray eyes.

  “How long have you two been here?” she asked, giving them both a hug.

  “Just long enough to get a drink and scope out the room,” Dani answered. “I thought last year was ridiculously ritzy. What will she ever do to top this?”

  “Throw an outrageous amount of money at a bunch of party planners and pick the one that she thinks is up to her unrealistic standards,” Tyler answered in a monotone voice. She drained what was left of her champagne. “
I need something stronger.

  Rose knew that Tyler hated coming to Harper House. It represented a painful chapter in her friend’s life, pain that lingered to this day. But to her coming was a necessary symbolic gesture. Sort of a screw you to the lady of the house.

  “I’m for that.” Rose linked arms with her friends and headed towards the bar. “I just got rejected during my first attempt at a one night stand seduction. I could use a little liquid solace.”

  “You did what?” Tyler demanded.

  “Three brandies,” Dani requested of the bartender. “Now, start at the beginning. Who did you try to pick up?”

  “Jack Winston,” Rose answered. “I know that he and Drew are best friends, Tyler. But he fit all the criteria, and I figured it would only be for one night, so what could it hurt.”

  “I could care less who he’s friends with.” Tyler frowned into her brandy then took a healthy swig. “I’m worried about you picking up some pervert and getting hurt.”

  “It was your idea.”

  “But I never thought you’d go through with it. And never this quickly.”

  “I know.” Rose laughed at the expressions on her friends faces. “Surprised? I knew what you were up to, Tyler. And at first I had no intention of doing it. But I thought about it some more and decided I’d look around tonight, make a mental list of possibilities. Then I overheard Jilly Underwood going on about Jack’s reputation in bed and how she was going to pounce on the poor guy. Well, it was practically my civic duty to save him from the bitch of the west.”

  “You should have been a girl scout, Rose,” Tyler sighed. “Though I doubt there’s a badge for saving an adult male from a man-eater.”

  Rose shrugged. “It’s a moot point. He turned me down, and I’ve decided I’m no good at picking up guys.”

  “Good.” Dani gave Rose’s shoulder a quick squeeze. “What if he had agreed? For all you know Jack Winston could have turned out to be a sexual deviant.”

  “I assure you I’m not.”

  Tyler and Dani spun around in surprise, but Rose just closed her eyes and wished the ground would open and swallow her up. Jack. How much had he heard? It didn’t matter; every part of the conversation was potentially embarrassing. But it was clear he'd caught the last part—the worst part.

  “Jack,” she began.

  “I’ve changed my mind.”

  “Well, so has she,” Tyler answered for her.

  He ignored Tyler. “Would you like to leave now? We can stay and dance some more if you’d like. Whichever you prefer.”

  “No, let’s go.”

  “Rose,” Dani stopped her. “Are you sure about this?”

  “You don’t have to go,” Tyler added.

  She could see the worry on her friend’s faces. They were acting as if she were a virgin being sent to a fate worse than death.

  “I’ll call you both in the morning.”

  “Call us as soon as he leaves,” Tyler insisted then sent a warning glare Jack’s way as he escorted Rose from the room.

  “Scared?” Rose asked as they exited Harper House.

  “Your friend has perfected her I’ll kill you if you hurt her look.” Jack gave their tickets to the parking attendant. “How long has she been practicing?”

  “Tyler was born with it.” She thanked him as he helped her into her car. “But she would never kill anyone. Tyler likes to leave a lasting impression though. She goes straight for the balls.” Rose couldn’t help grinning at Jack’s automatic grimace.

  “Relax, there’s only been one actual castration.”

  “And what was his offense?”

  “Kicking a dog.” She paused. “Maybe littering. As you've probably guessed, Tyler has her idea of right and wrong. Just try not to get on her bad side, and you and your boys will be just fine.”

  “I promise to be on my best behavior. Ah, here’s my SUV.” He made sure her dress was tucked into the car before shutting her door.

  “I’ll wait for you just down the road and then you can follow me home. Oh, and Jack? This is a one night only invitation. If you’re not okay with that keep on driving.”

  It was a quick trip to town. The bridge across the Columbia River and into Harper Falls served only one purpose, to get people to Harper House and back so, of course, the way was impeccably maintained. During the day, there was a beautiful panoramic view that drew photographers and artists from all over the world. But on a moonless night like tonight it was like driving over a bottomless cavern, a bit creepy if you stopped to think about it.

  But Rose’s thoughts were completely taken up with Jack Winston. Was the jumpy feeling in her stomach excitement or nerves? Probably both. Jack was a big departure for her, which was the whole point. But that didn’t stop the little voice in her head from asking if this was a good idea. The dance they’d shared had been brief, but there had been a definite attraction. She knew having sex with him would be no hardship but there weren't supposed to be any feelings involved. Less than five minutes in his arms and she could say without hesitation that she liked him. She could see them being friends.

  Because of her work Rose had met hundreds of people. Those with whom she’d spent any real amount of time? She couldn’t say. But there were very few that she would call friend. To her friendship constituted a lot more than social media sites or being able to recognize someone enough to give them a casual hello as they passed on the street. Friendship equaled intimacy, letting someone in. Rose could count her friends on the fingers of one hand. If she added one more to the small list, she still wouldn’t need a second hand.

  She pulled her car to a stop in front her garage, waiting until Jack’s SUV pulled up beside her. She had to stop over thinking this. No friend zone for Jack. This was about here and now and if things went as planned, she was about to get hot and sweaty with the sexiest man she had ever met.

  Rose rolled down her window when she saw that Jack had gotten out and was walking towards her.

  “There’s plenty of room if you want to park in the garage.”

  He leaned down, grinning. “Afraid your neighbors will talk if they see my SUV parked out here all night?”

  “My reputation could use a little tarnish." Just last week Mrs. Teasdale from across the street had given her a ten-minute lecture about using it or losing it. The woman was seventy if she was a day and her love life was hotter than Rose’s. “We don’t get a lot of vandalism or theft around here but you never know.”

  “I’ll take my chances and leave it out here. Do you want me to come in through the garage or would you rather let me in the front door?”

  "Come on in the garage. Just watch your head while the door is closing."

  Rose turned off the ignition but before she could even reach for the handle Jack was holding the door open for her and taking her hand.

  “You’re a throwback, Jack Winston.”

  Jack shrugged. “That’s how I was brought up. Dad opened doors for every lady he met. He always said the only way to get respect is to show respect, and it’s especially important to respect women.”

  “Hard philosophy to argue with.”

  Rose turned on the light. Was it customary to offer your one night stand something to drink? She was about to ask jokingly when Jack spun her around and had her pressed up against the wall. Who could think about etiquette when you were getting the hottest kiss of your life?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  JACK WAS GOOD at thinking on his feet. Whether it was avoiding a three hundred pound linebacker intent on inflicting as much pain as possible or fixing a glitch in a software program just hours before it was they released it to the public. When he came face to face with a crisis, Jack never panicked. But when Rose had announced that tonight was going to be a one-time thing—period—he came as close to freaking out as he could ever remember.

  The original plan had been to get her away from the party. He didn't know if she had been serious about hitting on another guy but better safe than sorry. Then he was
going to drop her off at her house giving her one quick and very chaste kiss. He'd ask her out for the next night, maybe dinner and a movie. For tonight, he would claim exhaustion. And besides, he would tell her, the sex would be so much better if they got to know each other first. At one time or another he was sure he'd heard his sisters say that. Of course, the truth was that hello was all the relationship development most guys needed. Sometimes not even that was necessary. But women appreciated a man who was willing to take it slow—also a bit of wisdom from his sisters. And thanks to that stupid bet, Jack had become a freaking snail.

  Unfortunately, Rose wanted fast, tonight and only tonight. How was a guy supposed to plan for that? One dance and he'd known Rose was different than any woman he’d ever met. The attraction had already been there, but this was more. What it was he didn’t know. But to find out he had to convince a woman determined to kick him out after one night that there was going to be a whole lot more.

  The kiss was pure improvisation. Bad idea, his brain screamed, but he had to have a kiss, one brief kiss. But the moment she made that little moaning sound and opened her mouth to his questing tongue, he knew he was a goner. Kissing Rose could never be brief, he planned on devoting hours to this one task. Eventually, he’d be able to write a thesis on her taste alone. It turned out kissing Rose was the best bad idea he’d ever had.

  Rose was drowning in pleasure like she’d never known, just from a kiss. Jack wasn’t touching her any place but on the lips and yet she could feel it on every inch of her body. Long, sure strokes of his tongue made her ache for him to explore the rest of her with equal thoroughness. She needed to touch him, why wasn’t she touching him? She reached out not caring where she started just determined to start. But Jack had other ideas. Before she could do more than skim her hands up his chest, he stopped her, trapping them in one of his and raising them over her head. She was at his mercy and loving every moment.