Ravishing Rose Read Online Free PDF Page A

 
    What had gone wrong? His tone had turned flippant and distant. He’d just made her sound ‘past tense’. Finished. No longer wanted.
    “Not yet thanks,” she said, wishing now she’d not made that silly crack about the applause being for the band instead of him. She’d been embarrassed by his dig about turning her volume down. Had she been noisy? She had no idea, being so overtaken with ecstasy she’d simply abandoned her sensible self to his care.
    But the Captain had gone cold. He’d gained what he wanted and now he’d had enough.
    Thoroughly humiliated, and bitterly disappointed with herself, Frankie checked her wig was still secure and pulled her bodice fronts together. The moon sailed out from behind the clouds to help her with lacing the ribbons up again and retrieving her helmet..
    But it lit Captain Cool up, too, and her attention slid to him as he turned aside, bent for his hat, jammed it on, and then dragged up his white trousers. He stood spread-legged in front of her with no pretence at modesty as he pulled off his condom and threw it sideways into the darkness. Cocky—in more ways than one.
    No wonder he’d been able to gather her up and support her. He had a beautiful body. Strong and streamlined, packed with muscle.  
    She watched as he stuffed himself away with difficulty and forced the buttons of his fly through their holes. Then he retrieved his jacket from the table and fished a big white handkerchief from one of its pockets. He handed it across to her with a theatrical flourish, doffed his wide black hat in an insolent salute, and sauntered off.
    She sat there stranded on the table-top—no doubt in danger of getting splinters in her ass after all. It seemed an appropriate punishment.
    You knew it, Frankie! You knew bad-boy types like him just take what they want and don’t give a damn.
    What would Mom and Dad think of you now?
    What would Mike and Bella think?
    And how wrecked is Bella’s costume?
    She scrambled down and stood on quaking legs. So much for the ‘change and adventure’ she’d been craving...
    Her panties were missing, and it was certainly too dark and too overgrown to search for them. She was grateful for his handkerchief, and even more grateful he’d somehow managed to get a condom on. Quite how, she had no idea.

    Jake fought his way back through the low-sweeping branches, clutching his hat, and cursing under his breath. That had been perfect. She had been perfect. He’d been so tempted to ask for her details...set up a date sometime soon.
    Thank God he hadn’t. He could still hear her scornful ‘don’t worry—it’s not for you’ after the applause erupted from the marquee. Had she really thought so little of him? Her rejection burned white-hot.
    Well damn the woman! He had enough on his plate right now; the impending house demolition, the construction of the four new ones on the big site—and to top it off, finding his business partner had just forgiven his unfaithful money-grubbing bitch of a wife and welcomed her back with open arms. He already sensed the development budget shrinking.
    He stomped up the garden steps, wincing at the sound of more breaking glass. The destruction didn’t worry him, but the possibility of injuries did. He hurried back along the wood paneled corridor to the big front lobby.  
    Another window smashed, but on the upper floor somewhere. He relaxed a little. At least the carousing guests down here weren’t being showered with sparkling splinters, and the action would soon move to the marquee in any case.
    He grabbed a big box of marker pens from the table where his tame angel still presided. One of the discreet notices thanking the guests for contributing so generously to the Leukemia Foundation stood there too, complete with a photo of a young girl’s small tragic face.
    He turned away from her imploring blue eyes and tried to summon up some party spirit. “Sign the house,” he yelled, distributing pens around to grasping