If I Loved You (Harper Falls Book 1) (11 page)

Jack’s fingers deftly
unbuttoned her jeans, sliding the zipper down in one long,
agonizingly slow motion. He teased the skin just above the top of
her panties, one finger breaching the top and causing her to scream
in hypersensitized frustration.

“
Hurry, Jack. I need you
to touch me.”

“
I am touching you,
sweetheart.” His laughed was deeper than she remembered, the sound
making her body clench with need. “Here, this is where you need my
touch, isn’t it, Rose. Tell me how it feels, tell me how close you
are.”

“
So close.” Finally.
Jack’s hand slid between her legs, his fingers finding the slick
proof of her arousal. Yes, he knew the spot she needed to him to
touch. No hesitation—no teasing. Hard and insistent and oh, God, he
knew exactly what he was doing.

“
Now, Jack. I'm coming
now. Yes, just a little more. I can feel it, Jack, I
can…”

What the hell? Rose sat up with a start; her
body still poised for what she assumed would have been the best
orgasm of her life. A dream orgasm. Well, that would have been a
first. Just a few seconds more and dream Jack would have finished
her off.

Still hazy from sleep it took her a moment
to realize what had woken her. The computer was beeping. Right,
Frank.

“You are officially my least favorite person
ever.” It wasn’t Frank’s fault that the closest she’d come to sex
with Jack was in a dream, but his timing was lousy.

“Good morning to you, too, sunshine.”
Apparently Frank wasn’t offended by her unorthodox greeting. “What
have I done to incur your wrath so early in the day?”

Only woken her from the best sexy dream
ever. She’d fallen asleep on the couch waiting for Frank’s call,
and her subconscious decided to give her what she wasn’t getting in
real life. Unfortunately, she seemed doomed to frustration in her
dreams as well.

“Sorry, Frank.” She scrubbed a hand over her
face. If she'd been alone, she’d have brought out her battery
operated friend but instead she headed to the kitchen for a cup of
hot tea.

“You caught me dozing,” she explained over
her shoulder.

“It must have been some dream.”

“Not going to share, Frank.”

He laughed. “My imagination is inventive
enough. Jack Winston is definitely dream-sex material.”

“I didn’t say anything about sex.” She sat
her cup down on the table by the computer. Last week, a few days
after her rooftop date with Jack, she had mentioned him to Frank.
Not details, just that they had started seeing each other. Frank
had wanted details; Rose gave him none. “And how do you know if
Jack is
anything
worthy? When I
mentioned him the other day, you said you'd never heard of him.

“There’s this little thing called the
internet. It’s what's allowing us to talk right now.”

“You’re a riot, Frank.” Rose frowned. “So
you googled him?”

“You haven’t?” Frank asked in amazement.
“Honey, you have way more self-control than I do.”

“It never occurred to me,” Rose said
honestly. “Is there much about him?”

“Plenty. Though most of it is several years
old.” Frank leaned in closer to the screen. "The spike in the
number of pictures and articles happened about five years ago right
after that Karen Poe incident.”

“Karen Poe the movie star? Jack was involved
with her?” Rose always
had
liked the
actress’ work, but she might have to rethink that.

“Honestly, Rose, I sometimes think you live
under a rock,” Frank said in amazement. “It was all over the news
at the time. But never mind, let Frankie boy fill you in.”

“I could just look it up myself,” Rose
reminded him.

“And deprive me of spilling a bit of dish
about you hunky boyfriend?” Frank was appalled at the thought.
“Since you were so closed-mouthed, I’ll have to assume you know he
and Drew Harper worked as personal bodyguards when they first went
to L.A.?”

“He told me that.” Why did she sound so
defensive? It was just annoying that Frank knew more about that
time in Jack’s life than she did.

“Did he also tell you that he was Karen
Poe’s bodyguard while she was shooting
Lost
Child
?”

“It never came up.” And Jack was
not
a name dropper. “I imagine he
worked for a lot of famous people.”

“But this was what put him and his company
on the map.” Frank paused dramatically before continuing. “Karen
Poe was still an up and comer. She hadn’t reached A-list status
yet. But she’d made a few movies that were getting her some buzz
and, unfortunately, a stalker.”

“So she hired Jack.”

“The studio would only pop for a budget
friendly bodyguard and your boyfriend qualified.”

“Would you stop calling him that?” Where
Jack was concerned, Rose didn’t know what they were. Maybe friends
without benefits?

“Do you want to hear the rest of this?”

“Go on.” She sighed when Frank just looked
at her. Honestly. “Go on, please.”

“So,” he continued with a satisfied smile.
“Nothing happened until the night of the movie premiere. They were
on the red carpet when out of nowhere Karen’s stalker jumps out of
the crowd intent on doing who knows what. But our hero steps in
front Karen shielding her with his powerful body. And suddenly with
one mighty uppercut, fells said villain and saves the day.”

“That's unbelievable.”

“Pretty impressive, huh?”

“Jack, yes. Your narration? Not so
much.”

“Everyone’s a critic,” Frank grumbled.
“Shall I tell you what happened next?”

“I’m on the edge of my seat.” Glancing down
she realized she was, literally. For all her teasing, Frank told a
mean story,
and
it was about Jack.
All that was missing was the popcorn.

“By the time he woke up the next morning
Jack Winston a social media phenomenon. The video of the attack was
everywhere. Twitter practically broke. And suddenly you weren’t
anyone if your body wasn’t being guarded by someone from H&W
Security. It didn’t hurt that both Jack and Drew Harper look like
superheroes.”

While Frank had been talking Rose pulled up
the video of the attack. Saving the beautiful movie star
and
unbelievably photogenic. Jack
Winston was something to see. And it seemed she wasn’t the only one
who thought so. The video had over five million views.

“Though no one would confirm, rumor has it
that both Jack and Drew have been offered starring roles in action
movies. Since we haven’t seen their names up in lights, I assume
they said no.”

“Safe assumption,” she murmured. Watching it
again, she realized just how vulnerable he’d been. What if the guy
had had a weapon? The thought made Rose shudder. She was grateful
that Jack stayed behind a desk these days.

“So tell, does he look as good in
person?”

“Better.”

“Lucky bitch.”

Rose laughed. She was. She
really
was.

JACK HAD BUILT his house with privacy in
mind. The trees that surrounded his home gave the illusion that he
didn’t share the mountain with another living human. Drew’s house
was a mere half mile away, but you’d never know it. Standing on the
old fashioned wrap around porch Jack could just see where the
southern end of the Columbia wound away from Harper Falls. He could
look out, but no one could look in. Not unless they made a great
effort, and then his security system let him know when visitors,
welcome or otherwise, were coming.

Rose would be here at any minute. They’d
been seeing each other for a week, and this was the first time she
was coming to his home. Things were going well. Amazingly so.

They had no fixed routine. One day they met
for breakfast, the next she cooked dinner at her place. She claimed
to have very little expertise in the kitchen but the simple meal of
lasagna and tossed green salad had been terrific. She’d warned him
about the state of her refrigerator before he put the wine into
chill. But it was hard to grasp what it was she meant until you
actually saw it. Yogurt, bottled water and orange juice. Healthy,
he guessed, but limited. And it was an odd brand of yogurt, not
that he was an expert. But she told him that there was only one
place in Spokane that sold it, and she would stock up whenever she
was in the city. And no, she interjected before he could comment,
she wasn’t going to order it online. She liked to pick out her own
flavors, and she didn’t know what she would be in the mood for
until she was in the store buying it. Some people might find it odd
that she was so defensive about yogurt but not Jack. He understood
completely. He’d grown up in a household of eccentrics. Yogurt was
nothing.

The sensor by the door went off telling him
a car had entered his property. Jack glanced at the monitor and saw
it was Rose. He had just started toward the porch steps when bundle
of brown and white fur came tearing around the corner yapping like
crazy. He went sailing past Jack until he realized the love of his
life was now behind him and tried, unsuccessfully to stop his
forward motion. The result was a heap of tangled puppy paws. Not to
be deterred, he quickly righted himself and bounded up to Jack,
pure adoration all over his face.

“My ferocious watchdog.” Jack knelt down and
gave quivering mass a vigorous scratch behind his ears. It was a
joke, of course. Jack had acquired Edgar the last time he'd visited
his parents. Someone had dropped a box of puppies in their
driveway. They were mutts, an indeterminable mix of breeds that had
resulted in massively cute dogs that, if the size of the paws were
any indication, were going to be quite large. His mother set about
finding homes for all five but still had two left when Jack
arrived. He needed a dog, she reasoned. He shouldn't be all alone
in that big house. Jack said yes immediately. He had planned on
getting a dog, and it never hurt to pile up the brownie points with
Mom. He didn't have to pick between the two puppies. Edgar picked
him by peeing on his boot five seconds after they'd met. It was
love at first sight for both man and dog.

But for all his size, Edgar was a bit of a
fraidy-cat. He came running, in full out yap, whenever the
surveillance system went off but lost his nerve when an actual car
drove up to the house. His favorite hiding place was behind Jack,
crouched down until his was sure the visitor was a friend not a
foe. For Edgar, within thirty seconds everyone was a friend.

“Let’s go say high to Rose,” Jack said just
as her car came to a stop. “You’ll like her, she smells
amazing.”

Rose turned off the ignition and sat for a
moment taking in the details of Jack’s house. It wasn’t at all what
she'd expected. She’d imagined something modern and sleek but
instead he’d built a house that belonged to another era. Two
stories and a full attic by the looks of it and painted white with
dark green shutters. She knew he had a large family, but such a big
house must be lonely when no one was visiting. Then she saw the
huge puppy tumble his way down the stairs, a laughing Jack right
behind him. Maybe not so lonely after all.

She barely had her door open when the dog
was there. She wasn’t sure if he was trying to push them both back
in or drag her out, but either way he was irresistible.

“He’s very friendly,” Rose smiled as Jack
pulled the puppy back enough for her to get out of the car.

“This is Edgar. I told him how good you
smelled, and he was determined to find out for himself.”

“He seems more interested in how I taste.”
The puppy's large, wet tongue was giving her hand a thorough bath
as she tried to pet his head.

“I don’t blame him; I’m already
addicted.”

Jack sat down the wiggling Edgar and pulled
her in for a long, heated kiss.

“See,” Jack said as he pulled back. “One
taste and his affections have already turned.”

Rose looked down to see Edgar staring up at
her, his big paws resting on one of her feet.

“How big is he going to get?”

“The vet estimates he’ll be well over a
hundred pounds. I just hope by then he’ll be better at controlling
it. Come on, the casserole should almost be ready to take out.
Would you like some wine while I finish the salad?”

“Sounds good.”

Edgar ran ahead disappearing around the
house. Jack led her into the living room and made his way over to
the kitchen. He’d chosen an open layout with hardwood floors and a
huge gas fireplace that dominated the far wall. It was warm and
inviting just like the man himself. She immediately felt at home,
not that Jack would have let her feel any other way. It was a
knack. One you couldn’t learn no matter how hard you tried.

“Red or white?”

“Red. Is there anything I can help you
do?”

“Foods under control. Take a seat and keep
me company.” He pointed to the row of bar stools. Rose pulled
herself up onto the nearest one and set her wine down on the dark
marble counter.

“I made one of my mother’s recipes. I had
called her to ask what she put in it and was surprised to find out
it was just something she threw together, never the same twice. But
she talked me through, and I think it turned out alright. Of
course, I didn’t tell her I was substituting beef for the
tofu.”

“You grew up a vegetarian?” Rose asked. Jack
gave off a definite meat and potatoes man vibe.

“Mom tried.” He finished buttering the bread
and then wrapped it in foil and popped it the oven. “But given the
chance we all cheated, even my dad sneaks out now and then for a
burger. Mom pretends she doesn’t know.”

“Sounds like a system that works.”

“It has for almost forty years.” Jack opened
the refrigerator and pulled out a bowl filled with lettuce. She
could see some cucumber, carrots and black olives sitting on top.
He deftly poured on some dressing and tossed everything together
then after plating two servings finished it by shaving thin strips
of parmesan cheese on top.