If I Return (7 page)

When he finally lifts his head, I’m struck dumb by the look on his face. He’s gazing at me as if I’m the most wondrous thing he’s ever seen... like I’m a miracle. And I know that can’t be true. I’m just good ol’ Hope Camden.

He stands up abruptly and pulls me up. “Come on... you’ll catch a cold if we stay out here like this much longer.”

Jack and I run back to the Inn and, by the time we step inside, my teeth are chattering. He pulls me up to the large fire that’s roaring in The Great Hall and we take a few minutes to knock the chill off.

While our backsides are getting toasty, he says, “Did you check with your sister to see if you could have dinner with me tonight?”

I stick my butt out a little closer to the fire, because my jeans are soaked through. “Yup. She’s given me absolute authority to ditch her all week to spend time with you.”

My face heats up as I realize I may be overstepping my bounds. I quickly amend, “Not that you’d want to spend all week with me. I’m not assuming... I mean... if you want... Oh shit, I’ll shut up now.”

Jack’s eyes are shining with amusement. “You’re cute when you’re embarrassed.”

“I think I preferred it when you called me beautiful out in the snow,” I mutter.

He throws his head back and lets out a bark of laughter. Taking my hand, he starts walking out of The Great Hall. “You’re cute and beautiful and I would love to spend the rest of the week with you. Let’s make the most of it, okay?”

“Sure. Sounds like a plan.” I try to sound nonchalant but my insides are flipping around in excitement.

We head down a side corridor that branches out into one of the side wings. I haven’t been down this way so I look at the old pictures hanging on the walls. Most are of the Inn during the various stages of its construction. The corridor also has various shops where you can buy everything from Christmas ornaments to artwork to jewelry. I make a note to myself to come back down here and browse before I leave because I’m a mad window shopper.

Jack makes a quick left and we enter into the Inn’s main gift shop. It’s stocked with the requisite supply of Montgrove Inn sweatshirts, coffee cups, and snow globes. I see a gorgeous, framed painting of the Inn and I wonder briefly about buying it for my parents. Jack is still holding my hand, so I follow blindly along, glancing left and right at the wares for sale.

Walking up to the counter, he throws a warm smile at the matronly woman standing behind it. Her hair is silver white and pulled back into a bun. She’s wearing a pair of horn-rimmed glasses and I can smell her White Diamonds perfume.

“Can I help you?” she says, returning Jack’s warm smile.

“I’m sure you can.” He releases my hand and rests his forearms on the counter, leaning in a bit closer to her. His eyes flick to her nametag. “Mary... I was wondering if you could hand me that box of condoms you have for sale there... right behind you.”

Mary’s face goes beet red, but I guarantee you mine is redder. I’ve never bought condoms before and I can’t believe I find it so embarrassing. Glancing at Jack, he seems to be enjoying himself though.

In the spirit of true professionalism, Mary asks, “Do you want the large box or the small?”

Jack turns to me. “What do you think? Large... right?”

I swear I could almost expire right there from mortal embarrassment. Die. Keel over... whatever. I wish I were in death’s cold grave rather than standing here under Jack’s sexy glance as he so openly talks about having sex with me to a woman that could be my grandmother.

All I can do is nod, refusing even to look at the sales lady.

“We’ll take the large box,” he says.

I stare at my boots while Jack pays for the rubbers. Then he has my hand again and off we go. He doesn’t say anything until we reach the elevators. “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you back there. I was teasing you to get a pretty blush but you went the color of a fire engine.”

I shrug my shoulders. “It’s okay. You just caught me off guard. This is all new territory for me.”

“You’ve never bought condoms before?”

I shake my head and glance at him. “You’re only the second man I’ve ever been with. James... the other... he always handled that.”

He looks at me with wonderment. “Seriously?”

I don’t respond but just nod my head, and then glance back down at my boots. His hand comes up under my chin and he forces me to look at him. “This deserves a more serious conversation, but I want to wait until I have you in a hot bath first. Okay?”

My eyes widen, because his voice tells me that my admission has intrigued him greatly. I’m also a mass of nerves over getting into a bathtub with Jack. Last night was surreal... there was some alcohol involved, and it was dark and late at night. I’m suddenly very shy about being around Jack in a sexual situation in the bright light of day.

The elevator doors open and he pushes the button to my floor. “I want you to go to your room and pack up enough stuff for you to stay the night with me. Well... for that matter, pack up all your stuff.”

“All my stuff?”

“As long as we’re not doing something in conjunction with the wedding functions, I want you attached to my hip. I don’t want you having to run off to go take a shower. In fact, I want you in the shower with me and I don’t think we can do that while you room with your sister.”

“But...” I start to protest but I’m cut off with the searing kiss he lays on me.

“No buts. We said we were going to make the most of our time together and you said your sister didn’t mind if you ditched her.” The elevator doors open onto my floor. “Now shake a leg and I’ll help you carry it to my room.”

“No need,” I tell him. “I only have one bag and it rolls. I’ll meet you back in your room in about ten minutes.”

“Are you sure?”

I nod and then I’m completely bowled over when he wraps his arms around me, placing his lips to my ear. “Okay. I’m going to go run a bath and then I’m going to wash and touch every inch of your body when I get you in it. Think you can handle that?”

I just nod again, my ability to make intelligent words having been severely impeded.

He whispers in my ear, “You won’t regret it, baby.”

Placing a kiss to my temple, he steps back in the elevators and I watch as the doors close on him.

Jack helps me out of the bathtub. He takes a towel and slings it around his narrow hips, water still glistening across his body. I have the sudden and insane urge to lick him dry.

The bath was not what I imagined and was unlike any other bath I’ve had. I had envisioned we would make mad, passionate love in there... sloshing water all over the place. Instead, he carefully stripped me of my clothes and held my hand while I stepped in. After I was seated, he undressed in front of me and I had to concentrate so my tongue wouldn’t fall out as he revealed his glorious body to me. Then he stepped in and sat at the opposite end.

We did nothing more than talk while we soaked in the steamy bubbles. Jack massaged my feet while he asked me about my past experience with men, based on the revelation I had made to him.

“I’m stunned you’ve only been with one man before me,” he had said, while digging his thumb deliciously into the arch of my foot.

I leaned my head back and had to stifle a groan.

“Who was the other one?” he asked.

“My boyfriend in college. We broke up right after graduation.”

He’s silent for a minute. “Why me?”

“You can sort of blame my sister. She has this idea that I’m too serious all the time and that I need to live my life a little more on the wild side. She suggested I have a fling with you.”

Jack chuckles as he picks up my other foot. “So I was targeted, huh?”

“By Audrey? Absolutely. By me? No. I wasn’t going to have any part of her suggestion but something just came over me in that elevator. I all of a sudden wanted to do something daring... to let loose a bit.”

I was hoping Jack wouldn’t be mad, thinking that I was just using him. But the look on his face was one of amusement. “Well, I’m fucking thrilled you made a move on me. I had been fantasizing about you since you stumbled into my arms that day.”

“Fantasizing?” I asked, my voice full of wonder and hope that what he was saying could really be true.

“Yeah... I mean... didn’t you feel it when we touched each other? I swear a zap of electricity went through me. And when you moved toward me in the elevator, I knew I’d hit the fucking lottery with you.”

“Are you sure you don’t think less of me for coming onto you?”

He shook his head and then pulled on my legs so I slid toward him. He picked me up and set me on his lap, the hard evidence of his arousal digging into me. “Of course I don’t think less of you. If anything, I respect the fact that you tried to step out of your comfort zone. I’m just glad it was with me and not some random douchebag.”

Jack then kissed me while roaming his soapy hands all over my body. I was squirming in his lap, ignited into a frenzy of lust by his touches. Just when I thought he might pick me up and carry me out of the bath, he shocked me silly when he asked, “I want to do something to you... Will you let me?”

My insides cramped up with hot pleasure at his question, while a shot of fear swept through me. “What did you have in mind?”

“I’d like to shave your legs for you.”

My left eyebrow quirks at him. “I just shaved this morning.”

He presses on, sliding his hands upward from my ankle to my hip. “I know. I can feel. I’m not asking in a kinky, this-is-how-I-get-my-rocks-off way. I just want to care for your body. It is, after all, a most beautiful body. And that’s an intimate act. Just as if you wanted to shave me, which you can if you want.”

I hesitantly said okay and his eyes gleamed dark over my acquiescence.

I will have to admit, Jack shaving my legs was beyond exhilarating. There was something so sensual, so deeply intimate about what he was doing. He concentrated fiercely, afraid he would cut me. His hands gently smoothed over my skin after every stroke of the blade to make sure he got all the spots. He even asked me to stand up from the tub and face him so he could shave my bikini line. His big hand covered my curls, pulling my skin taught so he could get a good swipe. I almost started hyperventilating while he did that—it was so sweetly erotic.

Now Jack faces me in front of the large mirror over the vanity and carefully proceeds to dry my body. He pats and smoothes the soft towel everywhere, even giving me a soft rub between my legs, which has my lungs practically exploding.

When he finishes my backside, he drops the towel to the floor and just stands behind me. His head easily comes above mine and he stares at me in the mirror.

“I wonder if I got you completely dry,” he says softly.

Stepping in so his body is pressed up against mine, he winds one arm around my waist. He brings his other hand around and moves it down between my legs. Carefully, he moves his finger to my entrance and it slides easily in, while his palm grinds against me.

“Fuck,” he hisses. “I didn’t do a very good job... you’re wet down here.”

The move nearly undoes me. My knees actually give way and I sag, my head slamming back onto his shoulder. He holds me up by the hand that’s cupped against me and my weight pushes his finger in farther. My eyes screw tightly shut so I can revel in this experience.