by Leslie North
“Don’t be bad, Scooter! You’re a puppy.” Daniel lifted Scooter off, setting him onto the ground. “Let men take off her clothes, not dogs.”
Jackie’s laughter petered out as his words hit her. Scooter contented himself with sniffing along the length of her legs, and she watched Daniel watching them for a moment. Wondering if he meant that was something that he might want to do. For real.
“Hopefully not just any man,” she teased.
Daniel’s blue gaze raked over her, his heartbreaker smile lingering on his lips. He reached over suddenly and plucked something from her cleavage, then tossed aside a tuft of dog hair.
“You were saving that for later, weren’t you?”
She snickered. Her skin burned from where his fingertips had grazed her. God, if only this man wanted to take off her clothes. She still wondered if last night’s touches had been the act she’d demanded, or something more. The practical side of her was afraid to hope.
Scooter bounded over then, knocking Jackie to the floor as he licked her face endlessly. Daniel eventually scooped up the little guy and cuddled him.
“Jackie, let’s take him back to the villa with us. I’ll deal with Grayson. You can handle Mila. We can make him the ring bearer.”
Jackie shook with laughter as she watched Daniel rock Scooter back and forth in his arms. This tall, broad, business tycoon was a secret softie when it came to dogs, and it was impossible not to melt all around him as he showed his true colors.
They hung out with Scooter a little more before reluctantly prying themselves away once it was time to leave. Jackie offered to get Daniel another coffee—since his first one was ice cold and untouched—before they left.
In lieu of a response, Daniel wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a bear hug. Her cheek smashed against the hard plane of his chest and all she could do was clutch onto his sturdy frame.
“Thanks, Jackie,” he murmured into the top of her head. “You’re really the best, you know that? Nobody’s ever done something like that for me.”
His words warmed her, all the way down to her deepest, most vulnerable parts—the parts she fought to keep secure and isolated. “Aw, come on. Really?”
“Really.” He placed a quick kiss on the top of her head and loosened his grip. But he didn’t push her away. So she stayed in his arms. Gazing up at him, taking him in while she had the chance.
“So on a scale of one to relaxed, where do you fall?” she asked, pinching his side. It was an intimate act she usually reserved for best friends or boyfriends, but with Daniel, the tiny gestures just tumbled out of her.
“Level 40 relaxed.”
“Oooh. That’s not even on the charts. We broke the scale. I consider that a success.”
“Blazing success,” Daniel confirmed as they started a slow walk to the coffee shop, his arm still slung over her shoulders. “Five-star review.”
Jackie fought to bite back her grin. There was something deeply satisfying about reaching Daniel’s soft spot. It just made her want to continue showing this man the ways in which he could relax and enjoy life. “For the puppy café?”
“No. For you.” Daniel’s eyes crinkled at the edges as he smiled down at her. And as she got lost in the deep blue waters of his gaze, she could hear the distant echo of her logical mind telling her look away, cool down, he’s not for you.
But it was harder and harder to hear it over the heavy thrum of her heart.
7
Once dinner rolled around that evening, Daniel was humming to himself as he headed to the resort restaurant. After blocking off the afternoon to work, the official plan was to meet his friends and Jackie for an amazing dinner—which he hoped to enjoy this time—and continue the wedding revelry.
But his unofficial plan was slightly more complex. Because it involved figuring out how to get Jackie’s legs back around his waist.
The visit to the puppy café had worked wonders. Thanks to that pit stop, he felt like he’d gotten a full night’s sleep. She’d managed to dissolve the wrought-iron tension snaking through him, something that even therapists and golf outings and too much alcohol hadn’t been able to achieve.
Jackie was magic. And he couldn’t wait to see her again.
When he strolled into the moodily lit restaurant, he could already see the spread of tables for the wedding party. And without even trying, his gaze landed on Jackie.
Her punky, dark short hair. The huge, unique gemstones dangling from her lobes. The tattoo snaking down her left bicep, which he now could verify was part wolf, part condor. The shiny black sleeveless dress she wore, which didn’t give a hint of cleavage but clung to her body in just the right ways to make him desperate for more.
“Here’s our Delayed Daniel!” Grayson shouted, raising his wine glass.
“Not delayed today,” Daniel said. “Just perfectly on time.” As he slid into his seat, he pressed a kiss to Jackie’s cheek. She sent him a private smile, reaching out for his hand beneath the table.
“I’m glad you’re not late,” Jackie murmured, softly enough to seem intimate but loud enough for the others to here, “because I missed you.”
A chorus of ‘awww’s erupted from their table. Daniel couldn’t fight the grin as he found all eyes on them.
“What? Can’t a man enjoy his girlfriend’s sweet nothings without an audience?” he teased.
“You’re putting the honeymoon before the wedding,” Blake cracked.
“We put a few things before the wedding too,” Grayson said, which made Mila burst out into laughter.
Daniel grinned as he watched his best friend and his fiancée. They shared a warm look, and then a passionate kiss. He never knew what to expect for himself or his friends…but now that Grayson was at Mila’s side, about to become a father, he realized it made sense. A little too much sense.
And part of him wondered if he would have the same things to look forward to. Maybe not the baby-first approach, but warmth. The steadiness. The we’re in this together companionship that Grayson and Mila exuded.
Jackie squeezed his hand, looking up at him like she was trying to read his mind. As he got lost in her green gaze, he realized that Jackie was exactly the sort of person he could really see himself with. He believed they could create something amazing together.
Hell, he hadn’t even considered it a possibility until she forced him out of work mode and to stop and smell the puppies.
With Jackie, he knew almost immediately that she was different from the rest. But more than that, they had almost immediately formed a familiarity, an innate intimacy that was hard to overlook. He’d felt it from the beginning at his penthouse, before any of this cropped up.
“You look like you’re somewhere else,” Jackie whispered. Ever the attentive sidekick.
He grinned, rubbing his hand over the small of her back. “I’m right here.”
“What were you thinking about?”
“Nothing important.” Even though it felt like some of the most important stuff of his life. Because it had to do with the rest of his life. What his future might look like now that he was considering letting in…someone. Letting ‘something more’ flourish.
“You’re not a very good liar,” she whispered, squeezing his knee.
A laugh burst out of him. “You’re too good at noticing things.”
“Promise me you’ll tell me later?”
He nodded, and without thinking, without even deciding, he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. Her eyes fluttered shut, and when they broke apart, she looked more than pleased.
“It’s hard to resist you, even when you potentially ruin my lipstick.”
He laughed. “You’re safe. For now. Though I can’t promise I won’t ruin it later.”
Something flashed in her eyes, causing his words to ring in his ears. Were they acting? Was she? He certainly wasn’t. And every inch of him was dying to resume the ‘practice’ they’d started last night.
The server came then
and took their dinner orders. Lighthearted conversation flowed, alongside wine and bread baskets. Jackie was such a natural with his friends. By day two, she already seemed as if she’d known these people forever. She was a social butterfly, easily getting others to open up and share—but he’d noticed she played her own cards very close to the chest. It just made him more curious to know everything about her.
Once dinner was wrapped up and dessert orders were placed, Jackie looked over at him, bright-eyed and happy.
“I’m gonna head to the bathroom. Then do you want to take a walk with me?”
“I’d love to.” He’d never meant the words more. A simple evening of bathing in Jackie’s presence seemed like the perfect nightcap to this day.
“Okay. Find me in that hall over there in a little bit and we can begin our nighttime tour.” She giggled before slipping away, and he watched her cute little ass as she headed for the bathrooms down a different hallway.
“I have to say, buddy,” Grayson began, addressing Daniel, “it looks like I might be losing this bet.”
“I told you,” Daniel said, lacing his fingers together over his full belly. “You shouldn’t have wagered so much.”
Grayson smirked. “What can I say? If I lose, I’ll do so gladly. She makes you happy. I can tell.”
It was true. She made him way happier than what made sense in so little time. Every analytical instinct was telling him not to get in over his head—not to get too attached. But for once, he wasn’t listening to that instinct. He was just doing what felt right.
“Consider yourself the loser then,” Daniel said, gearing up to say the words that he’d never even considered saying before. “I can’t predict where the future will take us—but I like where this has gotten us so far.”
It was true enough. Even if he had no idea how things would work beyond the wedding week.
Grayson lifted his glass to cheers, which caused a few of the others at the table to join the clinking glasses. A strange cocktail of excitement and worry brewed inside him, because for as inspiring as Jackie was, he still had no idea if she was willing to explore more with him. He wasn’t even sure if he was, either. He just knew that Jackie woke him up to wanting it.
Jackie waved at him from across the restaurant then, and he hurriedly downed his wine and stood. “Friends, I’m off. The lady is expecting me.”
As he crossed the restaurant to meet her, warmth filled him from head to toe. Her quirky grin as she waited for him, the excitement trembling in the air between them, it was enough to make him dizzy with bliss. And why? They were just going on a walk. A simple walk. Maybe he’d had more wine than he realized.
As soon as they set off down the hallway, a swinging door burst open. A kitchen employee raced out, clearly crying into her hands.
Daniel edged to the side of the hallway, intent on ignoring and passing by. But Jackie stopped.
“Hey, is everything okay?” Jackie asked softly, coming up to the employee.
“Oh. Oh, my God.” The employee swiped at her eyes. “I’m sorry, you shouldn’t be seeing this. I-I thought the hallway was empty, and—”
“No. You’re fine. We were just passing through. Do you need anything?” Jackie held the woman by the sides of her arms, speaking in a low, soothing tone. Daniel watched with interest as the employee seemed to calm slightly.
“No, I’m okay. I just got some bad news.” The woman’s chin wobbled again.
“Do you want to do a breathing exercise?” Jackie offered. The lady nodded, and Jackie launched into a slow but simple guided exercise with lots of deep breaths and the release of tension. Even Daniel was calmer afterward.
“Wow, that was really nice.” The employee dabbed at her now-dry eyes one last time. She straightened her back. “Thanks for that. Where did you learn it?”
“Picked it up in a foster home I used to stay in. One of the good ones,” Jackie said.
Something clenched deep inside of Daniel at this little tidbit. Foster homes? Just another interesting piece of the puzzle that made up this mysterious punk pixie who could turn stranger’s lives around. Including his own. Jackie hugged the lady before she went back into the kitchen. When she turned back to Daniel, all he could do was stare.
“Wow. You are incredible, you know that, right?”
She shrugged. “Why is that incredible? It’s just helpful.”
“Fine. You’re incredible, and incredibly helpful.”
She laughed, batting away the compliment, but he swept toward her, pulling her into his side as they resumed their walk down the hallway.
“You’re kind, and thoughtful, and have a way of winning over complete strangers,” he said in a low voice. The hallway ended in sliding doors, where a veranda extended out over a narrow walkway, connecting to the next wing of the building. “Including me.”
Jackie’s face slowly turned serious and their steps slowed out in the cool nighttime air. It was an unusually cool night, and when Jackie’s skin went goose bumpy, he ran his hands along the sides of her arms.
“I just want to help people,” Jackie said, though she sounded distant.
“I know. And it’s amazing. You’re amazing.”
She laughed, waving off his words again, but stepped closer, closing his arms around her.
“I’m not saying this because we’re trying to fool anyone. I’m saying it because I mean it.”
Jackie watched him, her gaze bouncing back and forth over his face, nodding but not saying anything.
“Look at you. Your pulse is racing.” Daniel swiped his thumb over the hollow of her neck, so close to losing his last shred of willpower with her this close.
“You’re pretty hard to resist, if you haven’t noticed by now,” Jackie said, her voice dreamy.
“Then don’t resist me. Don’t resist this.”
A nervous laugh slid out of her, and he decided to make things real clear. He backed her up against the adobe façade of the building, fingertips digging into the flesh above her hips.
“You’re just drunk,” she said.
“No. I’m clearer than ever.” He brushed his lips against her earlobe, and she shivered in his arms. “Jackie, I want you in the plum orchard. Now.”
“For more practice?” Her brow arched, those beautiful green eyes shining with the same lust that coursed through his veins.
“No. No more practice. This time, it’s for real.”
Her eyes fluttered shut, and she tipped her head to the side to welcome his lips as he pressed kisses along her jawline. She fisted the front of his shirt, and her leg hoisted easily once he pushed his palm along the length of her thigh. “God, that sounds lovely. I just—”
“What is it?” He paused, his lips pressed to her cheek.
She looked deep into his eyes, something pained hiding in the shadows of her face. “I just don’t want to make things weird.”
“Things will not be weird,” he promised, brushing his lips against hers. He didn’t know that for certain, but he would do his best for her. And at this point, he couldn’t contain himself any longer. Between the wine and her soft heart and the apples of her ass in this dress, he was a goner. “The only weird thing that could happen would be if we denied this thing between us.”
A shuddery sigh slipped out of her, and she wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing herself against him. “God, you’re right.”
He dipped down, bringing his lips to the shell of her ear. “I know you could feel how hard I was yesterday, Jackie. When you were moving on top of me. I know you want it. And I want it too.”
Her eyes went hooded at that, and when she spoke, her voice was husky.
“Plum orchard. Now.”
8
Jackie raced through the halls at Daniel’s side, choking on the excitement and eagerness of it all.
They had to hurry. Not just because she’d been dying for it over the past week and a half, but because if they waited even a moment longer, she’d lose her nerve.
There was something untouchable about Daniel. Godlike, almost. Even though he was only a few years older than she was, he carried himself like he owned the world. Sure, this attraction between them was real, and not fabricated like their relationship. It didn’t mean that he still wasn’t way out of her league.
She’d allow herself this one dip. Just to see how the waters felt while rolling around in bed with the 1%. If the sex was awful, that was her sign; that it was just an experiment they could lay to rest once this week was over.
But deep inside, she knew it would be every bit as amazing as her fantasies had foretold. As soon as the door to their suite clicked shut behind her, Daniel had her hoisted into his arms. She giggled, grabbing her wrists behind his neck, loving the rock solidness of him between her legs.
“God, I’ve been dying to get your ass in my hands again for the past twenty-four hours,” he groaned. The admission thrilled through her. It was so strange to think that she could be a turn-on for him. This man, who could have any woman in the world. This man, who had surely been with women far more experienced, far more beautiful, far more successful than she.
Yet he was dying for a taste of her.
Their kisses started slow, almost cautious, but soon passion reigned, and they were kissing like they’d been pining for each other for years instead of days. Their teeth bumped; Daniel pressed his tongue into her mouth; she moaned through the sloppy French kiss. God, it was fast and hot and just the way she liked it.
Moisture surged into her panties as Daniel ground his hips against hers, letting her feel the thick ridge of his cock. She shivered in his grip, clamping her thighs around him.
“Mm-hmm.” Daniel’s chest heaved as he nipped at her earlobe. “You feel that? That’s what you do to me, Jackie.”
She covered her mouth with his again, coaxing another needy, desperate kiss from him. She was going to treat this like it was their first and last time. Because nothing was ever guaranteed. She wanted to make sure they made this a night to remember.
Daniel carried her through the lounge and into the master bedroom. Her dress had hiked all the way up to her waist, giving Daniel the space to roam. He squeezed her ass, slipping a few fingers beneath her panty line. When his fingers came dangerously close to her pussy lips, lust jolted through her, causing her to jerk with anticipation.
