by Addison Cole
She ended the call and debated tearing off her dress and putting on a pair of jeans. Another knock sent her hurrying down the hallway toward the front door, wishing she’d planned ahead like most women would have.
She pulled open the door with a ready smile, which fell flat the minute she saw Connor Dean. All six foot five, two hundred thirty pounds of him, complete with his Stetson and an armful of red roses. She shook her head. Blinked her eyes. This has to be a bad joke.
“Connor.”
“Hello, darlin’.” He swooped in and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her against him, then kissed her so hard their teeth knocked.
It took Savannah a minute to get her bearings and realize that his mouth was attached to hers in a very intimate and deep kiss that felt oh-so-good and was totally not what she wanted. She blinked away the confusion and tried to push him away as Jack’s face came into focus over Connor’s shoulder.
FROM THE THIRD-floor landing, Jack watched the tall, handsome man with a bunch of roses in his arms knock on Savannah’s door. He lowered his chin and narrowed his eyes. The stab of jealousy he’d felt earlier that morning reappeared. He was ten feet away when Savannah opened the door. Five feet when the man took her in his arms and kissed her like he’d been there before, like the kiss was as familiar as the stinkin’ cowboy hat he wore. He was inches from the man’s back when Savannah opened her eyes and met his stare, then pushed at the man’s stomach to try to disengage from the attack on her mouth.
Jack put one hand on the man’s shoulder and yanked, knocking him off kilter. The man stumbled backward and spun around.
“Dude? Do you mind?” the man spat. He looked at Savannah again and managed a forced smile.
Jack fisted his hands. His chest rocked up and down as he closed the gap between them. He gritted his teeth and reminded himself that Savannah wasn’t really his to protect, and he had no idea who this guy was. “Actually, I do.” Jack’s voice was cold as ice.
“Jack.” Savannah touched his arm.
He kept his eyes trained on the man with the roses.
“Connor, what are you doing here?”
Connor?
She tried to pull Jack away from him, but Jack was rooted to the ground. He’d rather the guy had his back against the wall until he figured out what was going on.
“I came to apologize,” Connor said. He shoved the flowers beneath Jack’s arm toward Savannah.
“Apologize?” Jack shifted his gaze to Savannah.
Savannah blushed and looked away. “He’s the reason I went on the survival weekend.”
Jack’s blood simmered. He drew his eyes back to Connor. “This is the lowlife who cheated on you?” Jack wanted to pick the bastard up by his collar and heave him down the stairs, then pummel him until he couldn’t move. But the look on Savannah’s face stopped him from moving a muscle. Embarrassment deepened the blush on her cheeks. He couldn’t tell if she was embarrassed by his aggression or if she was embarrassed by the guy showing up. And he didn’t trust himself enough to decipher the truth.
Connor held up his arms. “Whoa, listen. It was all a misunderstanding.” He shot a worried look at Savannah from beneath Jack’s hulking stare. “Tell him, Savannah.”
Savannah narrowed her eyes at Connor. She crossed her arms and said in a harsh tone, “He’s not worth it. Just let him go.”
Jack stepped back, and as Connor moved around him, he grabbed his collar. His need to set the cheating jerk straight was too strong to ignore. He didn’t want to have to worry that Connor would return and put his lips on Savannah again. Jack clenched his jaw, and with one arm, he lifted Connor two inches off the ground.
“You owe her a real apology.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Savannah.” Connor held his hands up in surrender.
“Jack,” Savannah whispered.
The edge to Savannah’s voice had him lowering Connor back down to his feet and pinning him to the landing with a hot stare. “I suggest you learn how to treat a lady.”
Jack watched Connor disappear down the stairs. Then he wrapped his arms around Savannah. Only then did he realize she was trembling. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, snuggling against his chest.
“I’m sorry I was so aggressive, but I saw him kissing you, and the look in your eyes was—”
She looked up at him, and the fear in her eyes fell away. “Don’t be. I’m glad you were here. He’s the last person on earth I want to kiss.”
Jack’s boots added an inch to his height, and with Savannah in her bare feet, she was a good eight inches shorter than him. She looked vulnerable and small, and even though he knew she was anything but, the urge to protect her was strong no matter how fierce she might be in a courtroom—or when pulling herself away from him in the mountains. He leaned down and placed his hands along the curves of her cheeks and the sleek line of her jaw and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.
“I don’t think anyone has ever protected me like that other than my brothers.”
Jack took her hand and led her into the apartment. “I can’t lie to you, Savannah. There was a jealous streak that ran through me. I haven’t been jealous in…man…ten years or more.”
Savannah ran her finger down the center of his chest. “Jealous, huh?”
Jack scrubbed his face with his hand and breathed out a long sigh, allowing his muscles to unclench and his eyes to take in Savannah’s minidress, which hugged every inch of her alluring figure.
“It’s not nice to stare,” she teased.
“Holy…You…Savannah, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman look as beautiful as you do right now.” He gathered her hair and held it in his hand, then leaned down and kissed her neck. “Mm, and you smell sinfully delicious.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him just below his earlobe.
Jack closed his eyes, enjoying the thrum of desire that coursed through him. He drew back from her and smiled. “We have dinner plans, remember?”
She looked up at the ceiling. “Ah, yes, dinner.”
“Do you want to talk about that guy?” Jack couldn’t even say his name.
“How about on the way to the restaurant? I was just going to throw on jeans, actually.”
She started toward the hall, and Jack grabbed her wrist and spun her back to him. He put one hand on the small of her back, and with the other, he held her hand against his chest. “Don’t,” he whispered.
“Don’t?”
Jack shook his head. He loved seeing the curves of her lithe figure, feeling the arc of her hip and the dip at the base of her spine beneath his hand with only the thin fabric between them. Most of all, he loved knowing that in a few hours they would be alone in her apartment again, and all that waiting would be worth every blessed second when he finally got to take that little dress off.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
USUALLY WHEN SAVANNAH walked down the street, she had a million things she had to do running through her head. She was always planning or strategizing, thinking several hours, days, or weeks ahead. Tonight, holding Jack’s hand and walking beside him, she could not hold one clear thought in her mind other than how happy she felt. All her life, her brothers had stepped up to the plate for her, and in watching them, she’d learned to stand up for herself. Before meeting Jack, Savannah might have clocked Connor in the jaw when she’d finally been able to separate his lips from hers, but when Jack appeared and she’d seen the anger and jealousy in his eyes and how quickly it turned from venom to worry for Savannah’s safety, she’d turned into a…girl. A girl! And it felt darn good to let her guard down and allow someone else to care for her for a little while.
“So, this guy, Connor. Is he someone I have to worry about bothering you in any other ways? Would he ever force himself on you…you know, in worse ways?” Jack’s serious tone had returned.
“No. He’s harmless. He’s a playboy. Women don’t tell him to bug off and I did. He came bearing roses, Jack, and all he did was
kiss me. I don’t mean to minimize it, but he wasn’t trying to have his way with me. He wanted to woo me back just long enough to sleep with someone else again.” She watched his eyebrows pull together. “What?”
He looked down at her and dropped her hand, then put his arm around her waist. “I was just thinking about the two of you. It was weird to see someone else kissing you, but it was even weirder to feel jealous. And that jealousy brought me back to the idea of you and him—”
Savannah cringed. “Jack.”
“What? I just can’t picture it. I know you’ve been with other guys, but when I try to put the picture together of you and other men, I can’t hold on to it. I only see you in my arms.” He smiled, and it lit up his entire face. “It’s funny, isn’t it? I can hold on to guilt and anger like a lifeline, but try to grasp an unpleasant thought about you and I haven’t the slightest chance.”
Savannah felt her heart open up a little more. She remembered what he’d said about being in the city, and as they strolled toward the restaurant, she hadn’t felt any tension in his body or seen any in his face.
“Do you feel the eyes of the city on you?” she asked.
He laughed. “No, but I thought I would. I thought a lot of things that apparently were skewed by my guilt.”
She tossed the worry that Aida had sparked earlier in the afternoon to the curb. They stopped at an intersection to wait for the light to change, and Jack pulled her against him. After she’d seen how her dress affected him, she’d decided to amp up the tease and she’d slipped on her four-inch heels, bringing her much closer to his lips, which she loved.
“Everything is better when I’m with you,” he said before kissing her.
The lights from the nearby restaurants glistened in his dark eyes, and as his gaze fell upon hers, she felt warm all over. In all the years she’d lived in Manhattan, never once had the city felt so romantic. The lights, the sounds, the cool air against her warm skin, even the busy streets carried an aura of romance and love. How could she have missed it for so many years? Or was that what love did to a person?
“Savannah? Is that you?”
Savannah spun around at the sound of Aida’s voice. She narrowed her eyes and shot Aida a harsh I-cannot-believe-you-did-this glare. “What are you doing here?” She knew exactly what Aida was doing, and as her friend scrutinized Jack from head to toe, lingering a little too long just below the belt, Savannah felt the claws of the green-eyed monster take hold. She narrowed her eyes at her well-meaning friend.
“I was just…out for a walk. You look gorgeous.” She leaned in, kissed Savannah’s cheek, and whispered, “Hot, hot, hot.” Aida ran her hands down the hips of her black jeans. Her breasts pressed against the silky fabric of her low-cut, navy blouse in their usual look-at-me fashion.
Despite the fact that Jack didn’t once lower his eyes past Aida’s, Savannah had the urge to open her arms wide and stand in front of Aida, saying, Don’t look. Please don’t look.
“Hi, I’m Jack.” Jack held out his hand.
Aida shook his hand. “Aida Strong.” Her crimson lips lifted, and she put an arm around Savannah. “We work together.”
Savannah couldn’t stay upset with her. She knew Aida meant well, and if Aida had come home after one weekend claiming to be in love, Savannah would have probably done the same thing.
“Aida’s also an attorney.” She glared at Aida but topped it off with a smile.
“Hey, let’s grab a drink,” Aida suggested.
Savannah tried to catch her eye, but Aida purposely avoided her gaze, looking at Jack, then at the restaurant, at the ground—anywhere but at Savannah. She watched Jack’s jaw, waiting for it to clench, and again was surprised when he didn’t show one ounce of discomfort. She wondered if seeing Ralph had anything to do with his more relaxed state. She was itching to ask, but first she had to deal with Aida. “Sure, a drink sounds good. If Jack doesn’t mind.”
“Of course not. I want to get to know your friends,” Jack said.
“Great. That will give me time to get to know the man who’s got Savannah’s head up in the clouds,” Aida said.
Jack raised his eyebrows, and Savannah shook her head and waved it off, as if to say, That’s just Aida.
They were seated on a patio beside the restaurant. Savannah had been there a number of times before, but she’d never noticed the ivy climbing the iron gate or the yellow lights strung throughout, as if it were Christmas in September. Jack scooted his chair closer to hers so their legs touched, and he placed his arm around her shoulder. Aida sat across from them and folded her hands beneath her chin, watching Jack like a hawk.
“Aida, I assume you want the lowdown on me?” Jack’s voice was dead serious again.
Savannah watched Aida slip seamlessly into interrogation mode. Her slim brows knitted together and she lowered her chin, looking at Jack with a defiant stare. Savannah cringed, though she knew both Aida and Jack could hold their own. She felt strangely like a seventh grader playing, He said, she said.
“Actually, I just came for the free drinks, but sure, I’ll play along.” Aida winked at Savannah. “What are your intentions toward my friend?”
“Aida,” Savannah snapped.
Jack ran his hand through Savannah’s hair, like he wasn’t about to be drilled and prodded for intimate information. This was the most relaxed she’d ever seen him.
“I hope to make it through dinner and maybe a walk before taking her home and ravishing her for hours.” Jack’s voice was so serious that Savannah did a double take.
Aida cleared her throat, but just like in the courtroom, she didn’t miss a beat. “What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a bush pilot and a survivalist. I’ve got eight years in the Special Forces, a degree in engineering, and enough money to live comfortably.” Jack nodded, signaling her to fire away with more questions.
You do?
“Family?” Aida asked.
“I’m the eldest of six. Four brothers, one sister. My parents are both alive and well, and I’m in the process of reconciling with them after two years of…”
He drew his eyebrows together, and his jaw jumped in a nervous clench. Savannah hated seeing him put on the spot. She put her hand on his thigh, and when he answered, he looked at Savannah, not Aida.
“Two years of trying to regroup after the death of my wife.”
Savannah couldn’t stop herself from reaching up and touching his cheek. He kissed her palm, then turned his attention back to Aida.
“What else?” he asked.
Aida stole a look at Savannah. Savannah tilted her head and arched a brow, indicating to her to please ease up. True to Aida’s nature, she flashed a smile and dug a little deeper. “Do you live in the city?”
“Bedford Corners and in the Colorado Mountains.”
“The mountains?” Aida asked.
“I have a cabin there.” He squeezed Savannah’s shoulder.
“You do?” Savannah asked. “I grew up in Weston, Colorado.”
“I do. When you told me that, I remember thinking we might have been fated to meet,” Jack said, touching her cheek.
Fated to meet. There goes another piece of my heart.
He returned his attention to Aida, and Savannah thought she was witnessing a flash of the confident, efficient, and intense man Jack probably had been in his Special Forces days. That much hadn’t changed, but the guarded man she’d met in the woods seemed very far removed from the open book sitting beside her. She wondered what could have changed so quickly, and as she listened to Aida rattle off more questions and Jack fire back answers, her attorney brain clicked into gear and she realized why he’d spurred this interrogation forward. The quicker you answer her questions, the quicker we’ll be alone. Aren’t you clever?
“Favorite movie?”
“Aida, really?” Savannah asked.
The waitress brought a bottle of wine, and Jack filled their glasses while he answered. “I haven’t watched a movie in ye
ars.” He smiled at Savannah. “But I’m looking forward to doing it again.”
Aida sat back and crossed her arms over her chest.
Jack grinned and lifted his chin. “Did I pass?” he asked.
Aida sighed. “You didn’t crack, that’s for sure. And you look at Savannah like every second you’re looking away is a second too long, so yeah, you’re doing okay.” She picked up her drink and raised her glass. “That was so fun. I never get to interrogate people just for the heck of it. Thanks, Jack. You’re a good sport.”
Jack lifted his glass. “My turn?”
Aida downed her wine and rose to her feet. “I have to get back to my walk. Rain check?”
Savannah stood and hugged Aida. “You’re such a pain,” she whispered.
“I like him.” Aida smiled at Jack. “Nice to meet you, Jack. Have fun ravishing.”
JACK HAD NOTICED the way Savannah’s body had tensed when Aida met them outside the restaurant, and now, as she settled into her seat beside him, the smile returned to her lips and she let out a relieved sigh. He leaned over and kissed her, glad to have her all to himself again.
“She seems nice,” Jack said.
“I love her to death, but she’s a little pushy.” Savannah finished her wine, and the waitress refilled their glasses and took their dinner orders.
“She’s watching out for you. I like knowing that you have friends like that. I hope you didn’t mind that I sort of got things going.”
Savannah shook her head, and as the light caught her eyes, she looked radiant and happy. “How could I mind? I knew you were just hurrying her along.”
He slid his hand beneath her hair and put his cheek beside hers. “I meant what I said about ravishing you,” he whispered.
Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed. Jack was beginning to recognize the difference between Savannah’s embarrassed blush and her wanting blush. When she was embarrassed, her eyes narrowed slightly, and when she was turned on, the green in her eyes darkened, she grazed her lower lip with her teeth, and she breathed a little harder. As her teeth slid over her lip, Jack suppressed the urge to run his tongue on the pink trail they left behind.