His charm was working on me. With his goofy lines and obvious confidence, how could I not like him? Plus, he had a dog, which said a lot about him.
Samantha might be right this time. Maybe he is perfect for me, I thought.
“So why are you hiding out here away from the rest of the party?” Brent asked.
“I don’t know. I saw this spot and it seemed right.”
“How do you know Sam?” he asked. “You know she and I grew up together. She’s practically my sister.”
“That’s just gross. Your brother married his sister?” I widened my eyes in mock horror.
Everyone knew of the Winslow family. They were the oldest and wealthiest family in Canyon Cove. Samantha had told me a long time ago how, since her mother was the Winslow nanny, she grew up with them. Drake was the oldest by several years, so while Sam grew up with Brent and his sister Amber, she secretly daydreamed about Drake, who didn’t know she existed.
“Well, you know what they say,” he said. “Anything goes in Canyon Cove.”
“Really? And who are they? Do I know these people?”
Brent laughed.
“I like you. You’re funny,” he said.
“Mmm...funny? That’s exactly the last thing every girl wants to hear from an attractive man.”
“Really? The last thing? I thought maybe ‘is your friend single?’ or what about ‘wow that’s the same dress my great aunt Sylvia wore for her eightieth birthday party.’” He laughed. “I could play this game for hours. How about ‘you’re gorgeous, do you have a twin brother?’”
“Okay, you win,” I said. “Any of those would be worse than being called funny.”
“Good. I like winning,” he said. “You are funny though. And gorgeous, but no, I’m not interested in any brother you might have or your friend. And that dress does not look like anything my aunt Sylvia would wear. At least I hope not.”
“Why?”
“Because with my luck, I’d be dreaming about you and then Aunt Sylvia would take your place and--” He shivered and shook his head. “No, just no.”
“Seriously though, you look stunning,” he added. “I’m used to seeing you with the ponytail and black and white catering uniform. I’ve never even seen your shoulders until tonight.”
“I’m wearing a clingy dress and you’re only noticing my shoulders?” I laughed.
“It’s not all I’m noticing,” he said. “But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about tearing those flimsy straps off.”
His eyes met mine and everything stopped. There wasn’t a setting sun on a beautiful beach or a party going on, it was just the two of us.
Shade whined as he wagged his tail.
“Okay, okay,” Brent said to Shade as he stood, his eyes still locked on mine. “Shade would like to go for a walk. Do you want to join us?”
“Sure,” I said as he held out his hand to me. “I just need a jacket. It’s getting chilly.”
The back wall of Drake and Samantha’s house was open, letting people move in and out easily. Samantha was sitting down with her feet up. She had been suffering with swollen ankles in her last trimester of pregnancy. As I entered the house with Brent and Shade behind me, she nudged Drake, who was sitting beside her, and gave me a knowing smile.
I’ll never hear the end of this.
Knowing Sam wouldn’t mind my borrowing something of hers, I opened the large coat closet. Two rows of coats lined the walls like a mini department store. I shook my head in awe.
“My brother has always been obsessed with clothing,” Brent said.
He was standing close behind me. With my hair up, his breath tickled the back of my neck, giving me goose bumps.
“Jackie,” Samantha called out. “Where’d she go?”
Oh no!
I spun around and landed in Brent’s arms. There were definitely worse places to be, but that made it even worse. I didn’t want Samantha to catch us together.
“If she catches us together...” I said.
“She’ll never let up,” Brent said, completing my sentence.
The soft shuffle of slippers moved closer. Brent pushed me into the closet with him and pulled the door closed behind us.
“Where did they go?” Samantha said, sounding closer.
The absurdity of it hit me and I started to laugh. I covered my mouth with my hands as I tried to control myself, but it just made it worse.
As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed Brent’s eyes widened and darted towards the door as if he was telling me to shut up. It made me laugh even more.
“Jackie?” Samantha called out, sounding confused.
I imagined her looking around and it made it even funnier. I couldn’t help myself. Looking up at Brent, I could see him trying to hold back his own laughter. He held his finger up to his lips.
“Shhh,” he whispered.
“I can’t,” I said, still fighting back my laughter.
He pulled me close to him, a smile on his face as he laughed quietly. Our eyes met like they did outside and the laughter stopped. His gray eyes were intense as my breath caught in my throat.
“Maybe we should take advantage of this closet,” he said.
He cupped my face with his hands as his lips closed down on mine. He sucked my bottom lip before his tongue explored my mouth.
We moved against the door and he pressed his body against mine. He felt strong and muscular as my hand moved over his chest to his shoulders.
Slowly, his hands moved down my neck and over my breasts. His fingers moved over my hard nipples, making the thin fabric of the dress nonexistent. A small voice in my head said things were moving too fast, but I didn’t care. It had been too long since I had been with a man, much too long since the last time I felt wanted.
His hand continued their trek down my body, reaching my hips, then following the curve of my butt. He lifted my dress as his lips brushed against my neck and shoulders. His hands skimmed my thighs before finding my panties and slipping a hand inside. As his lips met mine again, his fingers rubbed my wetness.
“Not here,” I gasped.
“Why not?” he said huskily.
“She’s right out there. And even if she goes away, someone might find us.”
“Then that’s even more of a reason to stay here,” he said. “That makes it more fun.”
His lips moved to a half smile and I knew he was up to something. “I want you to come.” His finger slid into me and my body trembled, responding to his touch. “Come for me, here and now, and afterwards we can go wherever you want.”
The whoosh of Samantha’s slippers went past, then several voices approached, growing louder as they moved closer.
“What if they want their coats?” I murmured.
“Shhh.” His finger moved deeper into me and I moaned. “You need to be quiet or they’ll hear you. Do you want to come?”
I nodded as the voices stopped right outside the door. He curled his finger inside me and my body pulsed in response. I didn’t want him to stop, but I couldn’t stop listening to the voices in the hall.
“I think it’s locked,” a man’s voice said as the door knob twisted, before Brent held it steady. “Maybe Drake has the key.”
The voices grew faint. Brent withdrew his finger and rubbed it over my swollen clit. My breath came quickly. I wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders to hold myself up as my legs grew weak.
“Are you close?” he whispered.
His other hand cupped one of my breasts and squeezed my nipple between his fingers, pushing me closer to the edge. Panting, I nodded.
“I need to taste you,” he said.
He knelt before me and rested my leg on his shoulder. He pushed my panties aside as his tongue teased me, sending a shockwave through my body. He moved his tongue faster over my clit until the wave of my orgasm crashed against me. I clutched at him as my body pulsed intensely.
Oh fuck, he is the best man.
As he stood, he smoothed
my dress down, then grinned.
“Let’s go,” he said. “I’m not done with you.”
“We can’t leave, what about Sam?”
“Right now she’s the last thing on my mind,” he said. “But if it means that much to you, then I’ll leave and wait in my car for you.”
I shook my head. “This is crazy.”
He cupped my face and kissed me again. Slowly his tongue entered my mouth and I leaned against him.
“Let’s go,” he said reaching for the closet door.
“No, not like this,” I said thinking about his jokes earlier about being the best man. “Not today.”
“Then how about tonight?” he asked.
I laughed. “No, if there’s anything really between us it can wait for another day.”
“Then give me your number,” he said as he pulled out his cell phone. “So we can make plans for tomorrow.”
“I’m not going to sleep with you,” I said.
“Is that a challenge?”
“I’m being serious. After what you said before, there’s no way. Not this fast.”
“That doesn’t change anything,” he said. “I still want to see you tomorrow. And probably the day after that too.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, but I want to find out. There’s just something about you, Jackie Stone.”
“How do you know my last name? Did Sam tell you?”
“There’s a lot I know about you,” he said with a grin. “I’ll just leave it at that.”
I took his cell phone and entered my phone number. I didn’t say it, but there was something about him too. Even though we didn’t know each other well, it felt like I had known Brent my entire life.
“Sometimes you need to let it ring a lot before the answering machine kicks on,” I said as I handed him his cell phone back.
“Answering machine? What year do you live in?” he teased.
“Very funny,” I said. “It’s a long story, but I’m waiting for a replacement phone. Until then, I only have my landline.”
“Alright, this better be a real number,” he said as he put his cell phone away.
“Are you ever serious?” I asked.
“Rarely. Life is too short to be serious.”
After we left the closet, Brent decided to go home. He walked over to me with a naughty smirk and I thought he was going to kiss me again, but then he held out his hand for me to shake.
“We’re shaking hands?” I asked.
“Sam’s watching and we’re not close enough to the closet,” he said before speaking loudly. “It was wonderful meeting you. What did you say your name was again?”
“Jackass.”
“You’re much too pretty for the name Jackass,” he whispered.
“No, you’re a jackass,” I said, laughing.
“Stop laughing, you don't know what it does to me. I’ll have to toss you over my shoulder and carry you back to the closet.”
“Don’t you think Sam will get suspicious that you’re still shaking my hand all this time?”
He turned and looked at Sam, who grinned and waved.
“I suspect she’s onto us,” he said. “I’ll give you a call about tomorrow.”
I won’t hold my breath, I thought.
He seemed too good to be true. He was incredibly hot, had a great sense of humor, was a great kisser, and had a dog. Why would he call me? If he’s as perfect as Sam says, why wasn’t he already taken?
I knelt to pet Shade and he gave me his paw.
“Guess he wants to shake your hand too,” Brent said.
I spent the rest of the evening thinking that I should have left the party with him. I should have thrown caution to the wind and done something even more wild and crazy for once. What did I care what Samantha would say? There was no way she would keep pushing him on me if things didn't work out.
* * *
A week later, I was visiting Sam when the inevitable came up.
“Alright, Jackie,” she said as she sat on the lounger on the patio. “I’ve been waiting for you to spill the beans, but you haven’t said anything yet and it’s driving me crazy.”
I knew what she was talking about, but I figured however long I could put it off, the better.
“Spill the beans? You mean about my new phone? It’s a lot nicer than the last one, but the bean thing didn’t work on drying the old one out.”
“That’s not beans, it’s rice. You put your wet phone in rice. I doubt that works either though,” she said. “Wait a minute, you know I have major pregnancy brain. Don’t try to confuse me. Have you gone out with Brent yet? I saw you two at the wedding, I knew you’d hit it off.”
Sighing, I leaned back in my chair and sipped from my glass of fresh lemonade. The day was perfect with blue skies and the ocean gently lapping the shore. Having to talk about him was definitely making the day take a wrong turn.
“We’re not going out. Ever,” I said.
“Ever? I don’t understand. I saw the spark. I know something happened in that closet. What do you mean you’re never going out with him?”
“He’s an asshole,” I said.
“No, he’s not, he’s great. What happened? This has to be a misunderstanding.”
“Remember, you know a different Brent than I do. You never had to date him.”
“I know him well enough to know he’s not an asshole,” she said. “Just tell me what happened. I’m sure there’s a simple explanation.”
“There is. He’s a total jerk who didn’t call. He said he was going to. He said he wanted to see me the next day, but then he didn’t even bother calling.”
“Okay, okay,” she said. “Calm down.”
“You know how this brings it all back. I can’t help that. I wish it didn’t, especially since it’s been so long, but if a guy can’t even call, then how can I trust him?”
“I’m really surprised he didn’t call,” Samantha said. “That’s not like him at all. You gave him your cell?”
“No, I didn’t have my new phone yet so I gave him my home number.”
“Maybe your answering machine is on the fritz,” she said. “You’ve had that thing for years.”
“I get other messages. Besides, Dennis is there all the time. He answers the phone when I’m not home.”
“Dennis? Are you freaking kidding me? I can’t believe you.”
“It’s not what you think,” I said. “I’m just helping him out. His landlord decided to sell the building, so he needed a place to stay until he finds a new place.”
“Whatever, Jackie. You know he’s got more excuses and stories than anyone.”
I sighed. “He had nowhere else to go. I wasn’t going to let him sleep on the street.”
“Whatever,” Sam said in a huff. “I just don’t get you sometimes. After all the things he did.”
“At least Dennis calls when he says he’s going to.”
“Did you ever think that maybe Dennis answered the phone and didn’t tell you Brent called?”
“What? No, Dennis wouldn’t do that. Why would he do that?” I asked.
Every day that week, I had asked Dennis if anyone called, and no one did. I didn’t want to admit that to Samantha though. I didn’t want anyone to know how hurt and disappointed I was that Brent didn’t call. It was easier to put up the tough front than deal with how I felt. It’s how I always handled things.
“Because that’s exactly the douchey kind of thing Dennis would do. You know I don’t trust him, and I never liked him. I always told you he was just a rebound after Marc. Why you kept going back to him for four years was beyond me. You’re thirty, you should know better.”
“We’re not back together. Trust me on that,” I said, thinking that talking about Brent was the lesser of two evils. “It doesn’t change the fact that your brother-in-law is a jerk. I can’t stand him. He’s no different than Marc. I hope I never see him again.”
Chapter One
Brent
It had been four months since Sam and my brother Drake’s wedding. Every time I had seen Sam since then, she brought up Jackie and tried to get us together. I had managed to come up with an excuse for not attending Sam’s matchmaking dinners, but this time I was out of luck.
As I pulled up to their house, I noticed Jackie’s old car parked at the curb. The large vehicle stood out from the newer cars on the street and in the driveways. The paint was faded, making the once-black car look an unappealing dull grey color. I liked her car. It had character, just like Jackie.
I walked into the house without ringing the doorbell. Drake, Sam, and Jackie were already sitting at the dinner table eating. I didn’t mean to show up late, but I had no choice.
Jackie looked up as I entered the room, turned away, and quickly looked back at me again.
“You brought someone?” she said, her face a mix of surprise and anger.
“Didn’t you?” I asked.
Her face contorted, but she didn’t say anything. She looked at my date, standing beside me with her arm curled around mine. Drake pushed his hand through his thick blond hair before shaking his head as he held back a laugh. Sam’s face glowed with hot anger.
“I know it’s customary to bring wine to a dinner party,” I said as I held up a bottle of red wine. “But I also brought Brandi.”
“Hello,” Brandi said.
She wiggled her perfectly manicured fingers into the air as she tilted her head cutely to the side, making her long honey-colored tresses cascade over her shoulder. Brandi knew my brother had contacts in the entertainment industry. I knew she would work this opportunity as best as she could.
“Please sit, Brandi,” Sam said politely. “Why don’t you make yourself comfortable while I speak to Brent in the kitchen.”
She rose to her feet, her mouth in a hard line. She forced a smile at Brandi and then shot me a death glare as she walked to the kitchen door.
“Sam, why don’t you sit,” I said. “I’ll grab an extra place setting for myself. No need for you to go out of your way.”
Sam’s eyes widened in a way that reminded me of her mother, my nanny, growing up. I was in trouble.
Won’t Fall Again Page 15
