Falling for Jack Dare

Chapter One

Jack

I’ve found the perfect space for my next nightclub in downtown Charleston.

It’s taken two trips out here. The first was a bust. Then, months later, I got a call from the realtor that the perfect building came up for sale and he’s right.

Not that I’ll let the realtor know how interested I am in buying the property.

First thing in the morning, I’ll talk to Tristan and Lucas, my partners and co-owners of the original Midnight in Miami, and tell them about the building, including the repurposed industrial district where it’s located.

The vibe is perfect. The guys will have to take a trip to check out the area for themselves, but I know in my gut this is it.

“As you can see, this building is located in the Upper King Street Design District.” Scott, the realtor, gestures with a wave of his hand.

“The area hosts urban high-end home furnishing stores, eclectic boutiques and showrooms, along with trendy dining and hotels. And the good news is that if you buy or rent this building, and as I mentioned, both options are available, your club would be right in the center hub of the city.” He studies my impassive expression. “So, what do you think?” he asks.

I think if I get overly excited or let him know I’ve already decided I want the space, he’ll push me to bid higher. “It’s definitely a possibility,” I tell him. He’s shown me three other options, but this building is the optimal site.

“Good.” He nods, seemingly satisfied. “I should warn you, it can be a little difficult to get zoning and permits to open a nightclub here, but it’s worth the hassle to be in such a busy area.”

We’ll have to look into the zoning laws here, but that’s what our lawyers are for. “Thank you. I appreciate your time. I need to talk to my partners. I’ll be in touch.”

I follow him out of the building and we shake hands, then part ways with me promising to call him once I have a definite answer.

The realtor couldn’t meet until six p.m. Now it’s past seven and I’m starving. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from and eating around here will give me a chance to check out the area at night before I go back to my hotel, which isn’t far from here.

I walk around, stopping at a café with an Open Mic Night sign in the window.

I walk into the restaurant. It’s dark with paneled walls and an old bar vibe.

A man is sitting near a makeshift stage playing an acoustic guitar.

A woman stands beside him, singing into a microphone, her voice sultry and raw, her talent obvious.

I pause in front of a sign that says: Seat Yourself.

Glancing around, I realize all the tables are taken, then I see the back of a dark-haired woman who is sitting alone.

It’s either I ask her to share her space, wait for a seat to open up, or head out and walk around until I find another place to eat, but I have a feeling all the restaurants will be as crowded as this one.

I stride over and step up to her table, catching a glimpse of her for the first time.

Her chin rests on her hand as she watches the duo perform.

Straight shoulder-length jet-black hair frames a beautiful face.

Her lips are full, and her hazel eyes are rimmed with gold, standing out against her peaches-and-cream complexion.

One look and I feel as if I’ve been sucker punched.

I’ve met and dated many women, and none have drawn me in with just one look. She does.

“Can I help you?” she asks, her eyebrows raised as she meets my gaze.

I’m caught staring because I find it impossible to look away. “The restaurant is crowded so I was hoping I could join you.” I point to the empty seat at her round table.

“Oh.” She glances from me to the chair and back again.

“I’m actually starving,” I admit, not ashamed to sound a little pathetic if it gets me food and the company of a beautiful woman. “So if you could take pity on me and let me sit down and order, I’d appreciate it.” I treat her to my most charming grin.

She laughs and gestures for me to take a seat, which I do.

“I’m Jack,” I say.

“Taylor. Nice to meet you, Jack.”

We spend a few minutes in comfortable silence watching and listening to the pair up front until they announce a break. Silence takes over where the throaty sounds of the singer had been, just as a server stops by and I order a hamburger, fries, and a Samuel Adams.

“Do you want to refresh your drink?” I ask Taylor, glancing at her tall glass.

She lifts a delicate shoulder. “Sure. Seltzer and a spritz of cranberry juice please,” she says.

The server writes down both of our orders. “Any food for you?” he asks her.

I lean in. “Can I buy you dinner? I’d rather not eat alone.”

The server is waiting but Taylor shakes her head. “Thanks for the offer. I already ate. But don’t worry, I’ll be here so you don’t have to sit in solitary silence.” Her lips twitch in amusement.

“Good. I appreciate your company.”

She blushes a pretty pink. “Same here.”

The band returns and music surrounds us once more. “They’re talented,” I say, tipping my head toward the stage.

She nods, her eyes lighting up. “Katy and Reed are my good friends. That’s why I’m here.” She studies me, not ashamed as she looks me over, much as I’d done to her, her eyes warming at what she sees. “What brings you here, Jack? Other than hunger, I mean.”

Propping an elbow on the table, I lean closer, taking in her sweet and arousing scent. “My partners and I own a nightclub in Miami called Midnight. We’re looking to open our second location here.”

“That sounds great. I’m from Charleston, born and raised, and I think you can fill a need in this area. Did you find a spot?” she asks, her gaze on mine, as if interested in what I have to say.

“I did.” I tell her the location.

“That is perfect! The building has been sitting empty, and I love the idea of a nightclub there.”

“Good to know.” A feeling of ease washes over me. “I’m glad to hear it from a local. I just need to run the location by Lucas and Tristan.”

“Your partners,” she guesses.

I nod. “What is it you do?” I ask.

She takes a sip of her soda that brings her to the bottom of the glass, then says, “Director of community outreach for the charity my dad runs. It’s a foundation whose mission focuses on mentorship, leadership, job training, and scholarships for underprivileged youth.”

“So you’re not just beautiful, you’re altruistic, too.”

Her cheeks flush at the compliment. “Thank you,” she murmurs.

“My mom founded a charity for women who’ve been abused. I help her out when I can, but most of the women at the shelters they run are more comfortable with women than men, so I mostly donate money or use the club for fundraisers.”

“And you’re not just handsome, but also altruistic,” she says.

“So we’re both good-looking and charitable,” I say with a chuckle. I’m just glad she finds me attractive because I can’t take my eyes off her.

“Here you go.” The server places my dinner on the table and our fresh drinks in front of us.

“Thank you,” I say.

I add ketchup, take a bite of the burger, and groan. My empty stomach is grateful for the delicious food.

Taylor glances at me from beneath her eyelashes. The pink is back in her cheeks, and I realize the noise I’d made sounded a hell of lot like a sex groan. She noticed, but ignoring it seems like the best idea. “The food here is delicious,” I say.

She laughs and just like that, the tension is broken.

By the time I finish dinner, the band is packing up because open mic night will be starting soon. The speakers in the restaurant take over, a Bob Dylan song playing.

The server steps up to our table. “Would you like dessert?” he asks.

I glance at Taylor, but her gaze is somewhere over my shoulder. She pales before rushing to gather her white sweater and red purse, which are hanging from the back of her chair.

I shake my head at the waiter regarding dessert and gesture for the check, which he has ready. He places it on the table before walking away.

“What’s wrong?” I ask as she rises to her feet.

“I’m sorry, I need to go.” She dips her head and takes a step.

“Taylor.” I stand. I’m not thinking things through, I just know I’m intrigued by this woman and I’m not ready to lose her just yet.

She ignores my call and starts for the door.

Shoving my hand into my pocket, I pull out cash and toss down some money, then follow, meeting up with her on the sidewalk outside. “Taylor, wait up!”

She turns, eyes wide.

“What’s wrong? Is everything okay?” One minute we were contemplating dessert, the next she was on her feet.

She shakes her head. “Nothing’s wrong. I just needed air.” But she doesn’t meet my gaze.

Though I sense she’s lying, I don’t call her out on it.

“I want to take a walk. Join me?” she asks, glancing back at the door as if someone is going to rush out after her.

There’s nothing I can say if she doesn’t want to confide in me. “Sure. A walk sounds great.”

She takes long steps and I lengthen mine to keep up, my gaze on her dark hair and the black dress she wears, until the restaurant is behind us and she slows down. I don’t know her at all, so as much as I’m curious as to what the rush was about, it’s not my place to ask.

Soon, we’re browsing shop windows as we walk. “Tell me a little more about you,” she says. “You said you and your partners own a nightclub.”

I nod. “My dad wanted me to go into the family business, but I needed to carve out my own place in the world.” My arm brushes hers as we walk. She sucks in a breath of awareness while an electrical shock travels through me, a jolt of arousal from the slightest graze of her skin against mine.

“What is the family business?” she asks, her voice husky.

She’s affected by me, too, and I’m grateful things aren’t one-sided. “Miami football,” I answer. “Dad owns the Thunder.” I tell her about the well-known football team. Well-known if you know football, that is.

“Really? My dad and I watch football together all the time. Of course, we’re Panthers fans,” she says of the Carolina team.

“Ouch,” I say, putting a hand on my heart. “But I understand.”

“Did you ever play?” We stop at a street corner and she gestures for us to cross here, so we wait for the signal.

“I played high school and college, quarterback, but it was never my dream to go pro. My father understood, never pushed me to be something other than who I am.” Ian Dare is a force to be reckoned with in business and in life, but he has a soft spot for his family, and I’ve always appreciated that.

“I love that for you. My parents are the same way. My sister is a teacher. And I needed volunteer hours in high school, so I chose Dad’s charity and it became my passion.

Dad owns a real estate company that funded the organization to begin with.

It’s always been about what makes us happy, not what they expect of us. ”

I glance at Taylor and she smiles, showing a dimple in her cheek.

I imagine licking it, trailing kisses from the indentation to those luscious lips, tasting her for the first time.

I run a hand through my hair, shocked that a woman I’ve known for close to an hour could have such a potent impact on me.

The light changes and we cross, coming to an ice cream shop. “Can I buy you that dessert we missed?”

She shakes her head. “No, thanks. I’m not hungry.”

I’m not either, so we continue our stroll. “Are you close with your family?” I ask, picking up where we left off with our conversation.

“Very,” she says. “You?”

“The same.” I like that we have that in common.

She trips and I grasp her elbow to steady her. “Oops.” A blush stains her cheeks.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

She nods. “It’s the heels.” She lifts her leg, revealing one black, red-soled shoe, which I’d already noticed when I took in her long, toned legs.

Of course, I imagined them wrapped around my waist, my cock ready to thrust inside her. I clear my throat and hope she doesn’t look down and notice the bulge in my slacks. The dark color hides a multitude of sins.

We walk back toward the restaurant, talking about everything, from the Charleston weather to what I like about Miami.

She tells me she’s a handbag collector, drawing my attention to the pop of red color on her purse.

It shows a hint of her personality, and I like it.

I admit to being somewhat of a workaholic, more because I don’t have anything or anyone else in my life to focus on, not that I admit that part.

There’s nothing I can do to change my situation unless I meet someone.

I glance at Taylor, the first woman to interest me in ages and, of course, she lives in another state.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t act on this chemistry I’m feeling between us.

As proof, our shoulders brush as we walk, and I feel the sizzle straight through to my skin.

Considering I’m going to be spending time in her city, I’m hoping I can see her again.

I feel a pull toward her, one that tells me I’d be missing out on something amazing if I don’t pursue her.

I’m at the point in my life where, at twenty-eight, I wouldn’t mind settling down.

I don’t, however, plan on settling. My sister, Rainey, is engaged to my partner Lucas, and I’ve never seen either happier than they are with each other.

Tristan fell for his fiancée, Kaylee, when he pretended to be her boyfriend to keep an ex away, and they’re getting married next year.

With my two best friends off the market, I’m on my own and I no longer pick up women at Midnight.

It’s always a mistake. They never want me for me.

There’s my family name. There are a ton of us in the city, and with Dad owning the Thunder, women always hope for an in with the players or easy entry into the club.

I’m careful now, and my days of fucking around for the hell of it are over.

We come to a street corner and Taylor stops, facing me. “This is the street your hotel is on. Are you sure you don’t want to call it a night?” she asks.

I take both her hands in mine and she glances up, meeting my gaze with those beautiful eyes that are a mix of autumn colors. Though we’ve just met, I haven’t gotten my fill of her yet. She licks her lips and leans toward me.

My gut tells me she feels the same. “Do you want to join me for a drink or …” I hold out my hand for hers. “Come back to my room?”

I know my question is presumptuous, and surprise flares in her eyes as she bites into her lower lip with her teeth. She’s considering it and though my entire body wants her to say yes, it’s up to her. I wait, my heart beating hard in my chest as she makes up her mind.