One Night - Forbidden Hearts Series Book 1

3. Two Weeks

I sat at my brother's kitchen counter while he told me all about his so-called relationship with Harper. Or, as he liked to call her, Anne. Why the hell did he call her that? I had no idea. I also had no idea why I couldn't get the blonde seductress out of my head. It had been three days since I last saw her at the engagement party. Three days since she told me about her arranged marriage situation with Ryan. I wasn't surprised he didn't tell me about it himself; he always wanted me to think he was the perfect brother, the perfect son, and now, I guess, the perfect husband, too.

We had been estranged for most of our lives—only seeing each other on special occasions or holidays. We never really fought or anything—we just had the misfortune of growing up on different continents. When Harper clued me in the three rules of their semi-open relationship, one of them hit a little close to home with my own rule.

After spending most of my life seeing failed relationships and marriages, I was not on the commitment train. I never treated women badly; I just made sure they knew upfront that it was going to be a one-time thing. I never slept with the same woman twice. Because, let's be honest, that's how you catch feelings. I still believed that. I even reminded myself of that little fact a few days ago, while I took pleasure from Harper's soft, warm body...multiple times. 

Each time I took her, it felt like I was just sampling what was to come. I couldn't get enough. What was it about her? When I woke up the morning after to a slight stinging in my back, I noticed the sexy vixen scratched the fuck out of it. When I thought back to that night, I recalled when she dug into my skin as I continued to thrust inside her. She had begged me to never stop.

One time, I reminded myself, even as I reached reached for Ryan's phone while his back was turned. She hadn't given me her number, and it would seem odd if I asked Ryan for it. 

I don't know what it was about her that left me craving more. That night we spent together was the best sex I've ever had in my life. And I've had a lot of sex. And no matter how good it was, I honestly never gave it, or the woman for that matter, a second thought. But after that night with Harper, she was all I could think about. That night re-played in my mind countless times. I remember how soft her skin was, how it felt when I was inside her, and the way my name sounded on her lips when she came.

Fuck. I'm thinking about it again. I was also hard as a rock now. After I saved her number in my phone, I put Ryan's back just as he turned to finish saying, "-then I proposed. She said yes. Can you believe it?"

No, I couldn't actually. She was way out of his league on so many levels. "That's awesome. So, you love her a lot then?"

The poor prick could never lie worth a damn, so this was a little test I was conducting. "Oh, yeah. So in love, bro."

Fucking liar, I thought as I started to send a text message to her.

Me: Hey, princess. How are you?

I smiled when her reply was almost instantaneous.

Harper: Who is this?

I scoffed as I read her message. Someone was being coy. Well, she was going to pay for that.

Me: You know who I am. And if you want to keep pretending you don't, I don't mind refreshing your memory in long extended detail.

It was about two minutes before she replied this time—and her reply made me smile.

Harper: Hi, Jackson. I'm fine. You?

Good girl.

Me: I'm good. Listen, I need you to meet me for dinner on Friday at 7.