The Reluctant Romantics Box Set (The Fall, The Mind, The Heart)

“I wanted to surprise you.” I thought of my initial reaction to the party and decided I had earned the trophy Dallas spoke of.

“You did, it’s wonderful.”

I looked back at the crowd and then to him. The party faded out as he stared on at me, and I felt the ever-present need for him.

“I had a motive,” he announced as he pulled me against him, his back to the tree as his arms snaked around me.

“Care to share?” I said as my heart began to hammer.

“I don’t like to dance alone. I need a new partner.”

“Oh,” I said as I let my body relax in his hold.

“I saw this picture once,” he said, his face covered in a light sheen of sweat. “It was of a little girl on her daddy’s feet. She had bright red hair.”

“Oh shit,” I said, immediately embarrassed. That picture hung in our hall. It was one of my mother’s favorites.

“I feel like I’ve known you for a long time, Rose, just by knowing your family.”

“But you’re a stranger to me,” I said carefully.

“Am I?” he said as he leaned in close, drew my lips into his mouth, and sucked on them gently before he let go. “I think we’ve conquered that.”

“We have,” I agreed.

Jack slid a hand up and gripped my hair in his fist as our mouths crashed together in a kiss. His greedy tongue took as I gave. When I had been thoroughly kissed to the point of needing much more, he took his lips away.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve held back with a woman,” he said, out of breath as I pressed further into him. “I want you wrapped around me… tight.” He dipped his head as he tilted mine, his fist still in control of it. I whimpered as his tongue stroked just below my ear. “I want to know what it feels like to fit inside you.” He pulled away and I drank in his effect. “But I want you to agree to be my dance partner first.”

“Motive,” I said breathlessly.

He nodded with eyes on fire.

“Okay.”

In haste, and to shake off our spell, he let go of my hair and gripped my hand as he twirled me underneath his arm and back again. I shrieked as I tripped over a piece of stump and went flying through the air toward him. He caught me easily as I landed with a thud against his chest.

“No more Gata Juice for you,” he said as I stepped back and checked myself for injury, finding none. I’d been so close to face planting.

“No worries, it’s my cat like reflexes. I’ve had to put them back into action because of you, sloppy surgeon.”

I curled my lip in distaste. “Don’t get cocky, Jack. I may just need a better instructor.”

He crossed his arms as he looked down at me with a cocked brow.

“Okay, I tripped.”

“Gata Juice.”

“I have an early shift. Thank you for the dance and for everything. Goodnight, Jack.” I did a half-assed curtsy then began to walk toward my house. “I’ll text you tomorrow,” I called out as I shivered in the suddenly cool night air.

Jack

“I’ll text you first,” I said, making her jump as I slipped her hand in mine. Fingers laced, we walked in silence for a few minutes before she looked up to the blanket of stars above us.

“You’ve been all over, Jack. Tell me the best place for this kind of view.”

“Well, that would be here,” I said with a chuckle.