hell? I don’t get a chance to take a dip in a place like this often.” She waved at the pool and terrace and the view of the Pacific Ocean.
“Okay,” he said, stepping away from her. He reached down to untie his shoes. “Whoever hits the water first wins the prize.”
She looked startled, and he thought he knew why. She’d expected a seduction, despite what he’d said. He’d told her he’d always undress her for sex. “What kind of a prize?” she asked.
He stood, shrugged, and kicked off his shoes. “The pride of being the fastest stripper, I guess.”
Her eyes caught fire. Victory flashed through him. He knew that look all too well.
“I’ll win,” she told him steadfastly, whipping off her shirt and immediately attacking the buttons on her shorts. “I’ve got less on.”
He laughed full out and turned away, jerking his jacket off. Even before he could start on his shirt, he heard a whoop and a loud splash in the water.
“Too slow, sucka.”
He turned, his expression rigid, his belt buckle clutched in his hand. She treaded water in the center of the pool, grinning from ear to ear.
God bless it, girl.
The voice rang out of his past, crystal clear. It was Jake Tharp’s overwhelmed voice. Maybe it was
his
.
He dropped his shirt to a lounge chair a few seconds later, a feeling of inevitability hitting him.
No. It was both of them—Jake and Jacob—combined. Only Harper could have brought Jake to life again in him.
Only Harper could have made it feel achingly bittersweet.
* * *
Twenty Years Ago
She surfaced a second after he did in the river, gasping and sucking air into her lungs. She stared at him blankly for a second while she treaded water, as if the fall had rattled her brain and she didn’t recognize who he was.
“Harper?” Jake asked worriedly. “You okay?”
Her sudden radiant smile floored him.
“Can we do it again?” she asked.
“
What
?”
“That was so
cool
!”
He scoffed doubtfully, swimming closer to her. “Did you hurt your head?” he asked, examining the bruise and abrasion on her forehead that Emmitt had given her. Maybe the cliff jump had made it worse?
“No.” She looked offended. “What, a city girl can’t get off on an adrenaline rush?”
“Maybe a city girl,” he mumbled. Their treading legs brushed together, sending tingling pleasure through him. “Don’t know about you, though. You said you hated heights. Now you want to do it again? Are you crazy?”
She laughed and stared up the stark face of the cliff.
“Wow,” she said. Her eyes sparkled. It was like she’d said,
I
did
that.
“You did it, all right,” he acknowledged gruffly. She looked at him, perhaps startled that he’d read her mind. Her smile grew even wider. She slapped at the water.
“That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever done. I was scared out of mind.” She jetted backward on her back and then spun around completely in a circle, only to swoosh backward again. Jake scurried to keep up with her.
“What are you, a damn otter or something?” he grumbled.
“I can’t help it. I like to swim. And that was fantastic.”
She let out a whoop at having conquered her fear. Maybe it was more than that. She came to a standstill and pushed with her hands, leaping up in the water like a playful dolphin. Jake went wide-eyed at the vision of his Mountaineer’s T-shirt plastered against her supple torso and firm, thrusting breasts.
“God bless it, girl, get a hold of yourself. Do you want Emmitt to hear?” he spat. But that’s not really what he meant. What he meant was more like,
God bless it, what the hell are you doing to me?
Her eyes flashed at him and she sunk down to her chin in the water. Regret and embarrassment swept through him at his show of temper . . .
. . . at her wide-eyed hurt and disbelief.
“Where do we get out,” she asked coldly after a moment, her brows slanted angrily.
He waved at a landing thirty feet or so downstream. She immediately
“Okay,” he said, stepping away from her. He reached down to untie his shoes. “Whoever hits the water first wins the prize.”
She looked startled, and he thought he knew why. She’d expected a seduction, despite what he’d said. He’d told her he’d always undress her for sex. “What kind of a prize?” she asked.
He stood, shrugged, and kicked off his shoes. “The pride of being the fastest stripper, I guess.”
Her eyes caught fire. Victory flashed through him. He knew that look all too well.
“I’ll win,” she told him steadfastly, whipping off her shirt and immediately attacking the buttons on her shorts. “I’ve got less on.”
He laughed full out and turned away, jerking his jacket off. Even before he could start on his shirt, he heard a whoop and a loud splash in the water.
“Too slow, sucka.”
He turned, his expression rigid, his belt buckle clutched in his hand. She treaded water in the center of the pool, grinning from ear to ear.
God bless it, girl.
The voice rang out of his past, crystal clear. It was Jake Tharp’s overwhelmed voice. Maybe it was
his
.
He dropped his shirt to a lounge chair a few seconds later, a feeling of inevitability hitting him.
No. It was both of them—Jake and Jacob—combined. Only Harper could have brought Jake to life again in him.
Only Harper could have made it feel achingly bittersweet.
* * *
Twenty Years Ago
She surfaced a second after he did in the river, gasping and sucking air into her lungs. She stared at him blankly for a second while she treaded water, as if the fall had rattled her brain and she didn’t recognize who he was.
“Harper?” Jake asked worriedly. “You okay?”
Her sudden radiant smile floored him.
“Can we do it again?” she asked.
“
What
?”
“That was so
cool
!”
He scoffed doubtfully, swimming closer to her. “Did you hurt your head?” he asked, examining the bruise and abrasion on her forehead that Emmitt had given her. Maybe the cliff jump had made it worse?
“No.” She looked offended. “What, a city girl can’t get off on an adrenaline rush?”
“Maybe a city girl,” he mumbled. Their treading legs brushed together, sending tingling pleasure through him. “Don’t know about you, though. You said you hated heights. Now you want to do it again? Are you crazy?”
She laughed and stared up the stark face of the cliff.
“Wow,” she said. Her eyes sparkled. It was like she’d said,
I
did
that.
“You did it, all right,” he acknowledged gruffly. She looked at him, perhaps startled that he’d read her mind. Her smile grew even wider. She slapped at the water.
“That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever done. I was scared out of mind.” She jetted backward on her back and then spun around completely in a circle, only to swoosh backward again. Jake scurried to keep up with her.
“What are you, a damn otter or something?” he grumbled.
“I can’t help it. I like to swim. And that was fantastic.”
She let out a whoop at having conquered her fear. Maybe it was more than that. She came to a standstill and pushed with her hands, leaping up in the water like a playful dolphin. Jake went wide-eyed at the vision of his Mountaineer’s T-shirt plastered against her supple torso and firm, thrusting breasts.
“God bless it, girl, get a hold of yourself. Do you want Emmitt to hear?” he spat. But that’s not really what he meant. What he meant was more like,
God bless it, what the hell are you doing to me?
Her eyes flashed at him and she sunk down to her chin in the water. Regret and embarrassment swept through him at his show of temper . . .
. . . at her wide-eyed hurt and disbelief.
“Where do we get out,” she asked coldly after a moment, her brows slanted angrily.
He waved at a landing thirty feet or so downstream. She immediately
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