Jordan's Return (13 page)

“You're more than amazing. You're wonderful, smart, and sexy as hell,” he growled as he leaned forward to kiss her. Jordan had met him halfway and looped her arms around his neck to bring him closer. “I don't think I've ever met another woman who is as courageous as you. You've had an awful time and while some people might just admit defeat, you've come back swinging. You're taking care of your boys and doing all you can to ensure them a good life.” He kissed her gently on the nose. “Your boys are lucky to have you.” Then he was done talking.

His mouth was hot and sweet on hers, but it wasn't enough. She had wanted this closeness with him all day, all week, heck, probably her whole life, and just lying in his lap wasn't enough. She shifted her body and helped him maneuver until they were lying down on the sofa together, facing one another.

Their kisses were very gentle, teasing. It made Jordan think of their first kisses when they were sixteen. It was a time to get reacquainted, and it was thrilling.

Rob had his hand pressed firmly against her bottom, holding her to him. They were lost in the sensation of the kiss, tongues gently teasing, lips clinging, breath mingling. When Rob traced Jordan's full lower lip with his tongue, she moaned her approval.

Rob stopped suddenly and looked down at her through heavy lids. “I want you, Jordan.” He swallowed hard. “I want you so badly I ache, but I know this isn't the time or the place.” She had wanted to protest, but she knew, deep down, he was right. They couldn't continue on this path with her children in the next room.

“When we make love”—he kissed her lightly on her neck, just below her ear—“and we will, I want to have you all to myself, with no worries, no distractions. Just you, me, and this incredible need we have for each other.”

Jordan groaned with frustration at his words. He was right, of course, but she did not want to move out of his embrace just yet, so she decided to be a little wicked.

“You're right,” she murmured against his throat. “We need to wait.” She sucked lightly on his neck and then pressed her breasts a bit more firmly against him. “We can't take the chance of being interrupted.” She flicked her tongue against his earlobe and he shook.

“When we are finally alone, we'll make up for all the years we've been apart. I think we'll need at least an entire day to get our bodies reacquainted.” Jordan deliberately pressed her hips forward and blatantly cradled his erection in the juncture of her thighs. She placed featherlight kisses along his strong jaw and then licked her way softly up to his ear and whispered, “Don't you agree?”

Suddenly, she was pinned beneath him. His dark-brown eyes sparked with desire and a bit of anger. “It's not nice to tease,” he growled, and pressed his erection firmly into her most sensitive spot. Jordan arched her back off the couch and ground herself against him.

Rob took her mouth fiercely and she loved it. There was no forcing; he took and she gave equally. He reached between them and palmed one aching breast and she cried out at his touch. “It's been too long,” he panted. “Too damn long.”

“I know, I know,” she replied between heated kisses. Jordan raked her fingers through his glorious silken hair and held him near to her, not willing to let him go. “I need you,” she whispered roughly as she slid a hand between them and stroked his hardened length through the denim.

He shot upright and sprang off the couch. He looked down at her as he tried to catch his breath. Her own breathing was just as ragged and he almost dove back down on top of her at the sight of her kiss-swollen lips and the desire in her eyes.

“I can't do this with you now, Jordan. I want to—God, do I want to—but I want it to be right.” Slowly he sat back down beside her as she forced herself to sit upright. Rob cupped her face in his hands and rained tiny kisses along her cheek, jaw, and throat.

“But we're not kids anymore. I used to dream of making love to you in a bed, not in the backseat of my car or off in the woods like we used to.” Jordan blushed at the memory. “I wanted the thrill of taking you to bed and loving you all night long. I've fantasized about it.” He bowed his head so only their foreheads touched. “I want you too much to take you here on the couch like a boy.” Then he looked directly at her. “I'm going to make love to you like a man.” With that, he stood, turned, walked to his bedroom, and closed the door without looking back.

Well, how was she ever supposed to sleep again after a declaration like that?

* * *

Jordan tossed and turned all night long, and before she knew it, the blasted alarm clock was going off to remind them there was more fun to be had. Great.

She shared the bathroom with her boys while Rob had one to himself and they all came together eventually in the living room of the suite to go for breakfast. Jordan noticed Rob looked as unrested as she did, which consoled her a little.

On the elevator ride down to the dining room, Rob discreetly reached for her hand and held on to it. She smiled weakly at him and was tickled to see the same expression on his face. How much longer were they supposed to last before the sexual tension and frustration got the better of them?

They ate a leisurely breakfast in the dining room and decided to spend some time touring the grounds. It was unseasonably warm out and Jordan decided it would be okay for them to use the pool.

When they all met up again in the living room after changing into their swimsuits, Jordan thought she'd faint. Seeing Rob in nothing more than a pair of swimming trunks made her mind go blank and her throat go dry. Her body was still on high alert after their encounter on the couch last night, and seeing him walking around half-naked did nothing to squelch that desire. Would he feel the same way once she took off her cover-up down by the pool?

Absolutely.

Jordan placed their towels on a lounge chair as the boys instantly jumped into the pool. Rob was about to dive in after them but the motion of her lifting the blue cotton number over her head stopped him. A quick glance over his shoulder told him the boys were thoroughly distracted by a game of pool volleyball; the coast was clear.

Slowly he walked up behind her and placed his hands on her hips, gently pulling her back against him.

The red one-piece suit she had on was cut high on her hips and low down her back and had him feeling weak. “What are our chances of getting a little time alone in the hot tub?” he whispered against her ear.

Jordan shivered. “I think it's too far away from the pool and Jake isn't a great swimmer.” She cursed the fact that he had missed out on swimming lessons this summer, because the thought of time with Rob in the steamy hot tub was exactly what she had in mind.

He took Jordan by the hand and headed over to the pool. “In that case…” he began before scooping her up in his arms and jumping into the cool water.

Jordan let out a scream when they broke through the surface of the water. “Rob!”

He laughed and released her. The boys swam over and soon had their own game of volleyball going. Rob was mesmerized by the sight of Jordan jumping up out of the water. Her skin glistened and he could clearly see the shape of her hardened nipples beneath the clingy Lycra. Her sons soon tired of the game and went off to swim on their own. Rob swam over to join her, pulling her toward a more reclusive spot shielded by potted plants and tropical shrubs.

Sometimes, his hands would linger as he swam around her, or he'd be bold and press his body full against hers while he stole kisses. Jordan thought surely her body would burst into flames even in the cold water.

At three that afternoon, Rob herded them all back up to the room to pack and get ready to check out. No one was happy at the thought of leaving. Jordan wished they could stay longer, but realized she'd be torturing herself even more. At least back at the beach they weren't sharing a residence—he had his own place to go home to and wasn't sleeping in the next room. If they spent one more night under the same roof, Jordan would surely let all her insecurities go and seek him out in the night.

They were on the road by five. The ride home took less than three hours, including a stop at a fast food restaurant for burgers for dinner. Once back at the bungalow, Jordan immediately got the boys settled and ready for bed. They fought her on it, wanting to continue talking about how much fun they'd had over the weekend, but Jordan was barely hanging on by a thread.

Selfishly, she wanted time alone with Rob, and after having spent the entire weekend entertaining her children's every whim, she felt entitled to a little time of peace and quiet without them.

Each boy took a turn thanking Rob for a great weekend and replayed their favorite parts just to linger before calling it a day. Just as Jordan was about to herd them down the hall to bed, Jake rushed over and threw himself into Rob's arms. “Thank you,” he whispered.

Jordan almost had to wipe tears from her eyes. She was so touched that this one weekend meant so much to her children. She hugged them both a little longer than usual as they climbed into bed. This was a memory they would cherish always.

“Get some sleep, guys,” she said softly as she backed out of their bedroom. “We'll talk more in the morning.”

“G'night, Mom,” they said together as Jordan closed their door.

Walking down the hallway to the living room, Jordan's tummy was full of butterflies. They would finally be alone for the first time today. She found him sitting on the sofa flipping through the TV channels in an obvious attempt to kill some time.

“Can I get you something to drink?” she offered as she opened the refrigerator to get herself some water.

“Sure. Whatever you're having.”

Drinks in hand, she headed over to the sofa, sat herself next to him, and placed the drinks on the coffee table. Rob held an arm out for her and pulled her close beside him while he caught the tail end of a police drama.

“Well, I think the weekend was a complete success, don't you?” she asked.

“Absolutely.”

Once the token conversation about the weekend was done, Jordan found herself in Rob's arms, kissing him. She wanted to giggle because here they were “making out” on her sofa like they used to when they were teens. Then they had feared getting caught by Jordan's parents; now they feared being caught by her kids.

Jordan broke the kiss first. “I can't do this with you again and then watch you go,” she admitted, her breathing ragged. Her skin tingled all over where their bodies touched and it felt as if it were over a thousand degrees in the house. She stood and greedily drank her glass of water. She slowly walked into the kitchen to place her glass in the sink, trying to put distance between them.

This was so much harder than she'd ever expected it to be. Never once in all her planning for this monthlong trip had she imagined the possibility of meeting someone and wanting to become involved. The prospect of dating again had never entered her mind. Eric had done such a number on her and his desertion was such a blow to her ego that she'd never thought she'd feel attractive to the opposite sex again.

Yet here stood Rob Tyler. There was so much mutual attraction between them that the air nearly bristled with it. Jordan was not an aggressive woman, but right now she wanted to take control of this situation and have her way with this man who had haunted her dreams for the last two weeks. She was tired of her body aching with need and going unfulfilled.

She was tired of stealing kisses and barely touching him and then watching him leave. It wasn't fair. Something had to give and soon, or Jordan would surely lose her mind. Right now, the space between the kitchen and living room felt like a football field and she needed all of it to clear her mind.

Unfortunately, Rob followed. “I know, baby. I know,” he said as he pulled her into his embrace. “I want to take you out, just the two of us. I want to be alone with you.”

“I want that too, but it's not possible,” she said with a shaky breath. “I can't leave the boys here alone and I don't know anyone here I would feel comfortable leaving them with.”

Unable to resist, Jordan stood on tiptoes and kissed him. She needed to feel his mouth on hers again. Rob instantly responded, and within seconds, they were right back where they'd started. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to the sofa, where he lay down on top of her. Jordan shifted beneath him so she could feel him in all the places that were crying out for attention.

“Do you trust me, Jordan?” he asked as he lifted his mouth from hers.

A few weeks ago she would have had doubts. “Yes.”

“Leave it to me then. Okay?”

“Leave what to you?”

“We're going to have the time alone that we both desperately want. Just leave it to me.”

Jordan wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him close while she enjoyed the weight of his body on hers until it was time for him to go.

Two days later, Jordan was sitting in the kitchen having breakfast with the boys when the phone rang.

“What are you doing for lunch today?” Rob asked casually.

“The usual,” she yawned.

“How about I pick you guys up around eleven?”

That perked her up a little. “Where are we going?” Jordan asked curiously.

“We're going to Claudia's for lunch.”

Jordan was a little disappointed they weren't going someplace a little more romantic than that. “Oh.”

“She said she'd love to watch the kids for a little while so you and I could go out for a bit.” His tone was seductive and Jordan fully grasped his meaning.

“Oh,” she said with understanding. “We'll be waiting,” she said huskily as she hung up the phone.

The boys were staring at her as she walked back to the table where they were devouring the last of the cereal. They'd need to go shopping again soon.

“Who was that?” Jake asked, milk dribbling down his chin.

She smiled at the sight of him. “That was Rob. He's going to pick us up and take us to lunch at his sister's house.”

“Why?” Joseph asked.

“Because Aunt Laura and I used to be friends with his sister back when we were in school, and he thought it would be fun for us to get together.”

“Great,” he mumbled.

“She has kids…” Jordan began.

“Boys?”

“Um, well, one boy, three girls.”

Joseph shrugged and he went back to his cereal, clearly unimpressed with the afternoon's prospects.

“I'm sure they have video games…” she said, hoping that was true and smiling when both boys perked up in their chairs and started chattering at her all at once.

“Is it an Xbox or Playstation?”

“Do you know what games they have?”

“I knew I should have brought my extra controller!”

“When are we leaving?”

She held up her hands in surrender as she walked toward the coffeemaker and poured herself another mug. “I have no idea what system they have or what games, but whatever they have, I'm sure you'll play it and you'll have fun. Rob's not coming over until eleven, so I would appreciate it if you two got this breakfast mess straightened up and tried to contain yourselves until it's time to go.”

They readily agreed and as Jordan left the kitchen to go to her bedroom, she couldn't help but smile as she listened to the boys continue to debate, plot, and plan all the possible scenarios of a video-game-infused afternoon.

Closing the door to her bedroom, Jordan was a bundle of nerves. Would she and Rob come back here to the bungalow? Would they go to his place? A hotel? Her mind raced. Maybe she should call him and ask for some details. Should she dress casual or dress up a little? Should she bring something slinky she could slip into in her purse?

Slinky? Who was she kidding? She didn't even own anything slinky anymore. What was the use? No one had seen her in any form of undress in a long time.

Rummaging through her drawers and closet, she sought something to wear that would look enticing, but not as if she was trying to look that way. Feeling depressed at the items that lay before her, Jordan chose a deep-violet lace bra with matching panties. Lacy underwear had always been her weakness and she hoped Rob wouldn't be disappointed.

Going about her normal routine wasn't easy. She knew the boys had no idea what was going to go on this afternoon, but Jordan was acutely aware of everything she was doing. She took a little longer in the shower so she could shave her legs.

She took a little extra time putting on her makeup and wondered if the boys noticed. She walked around straightening up the house just in case she and Rob came back here, wondering if the boys noticed her slightly nervous flitting around the house.

They never said a word, and Jordan breathed a sigh of relief when at last she felt everything was in place—including herself. She checked her image in the full-length bedroom mirror at least a dozen times, and with each look, her anticipation of seeing Rob increased.

When he knocked on the door at eleven o'clock sharp, Jordan could see her own anticipation mirrored in his eyes. He mentally devoured her right there in the doorway and Jordan shivered with thoughts of what was to come.

Her sons came running down the hall to greet him and began questioning him as they had their mother earlier on what kind of games his nieces and nephew had.

Rob patiently answered as many questions as he could as he herded them toward the truck and got them settled inside. When at last he had Jordan settled in next to him, he felt himself relax.

All morning he had had his doubts; in the back of his mind, he feared something was going to go wrong and Jordan would back out. Did she want him as badly as he wanted her? Did she realize he was slowly going insane for wanting her?

“How is all this going to work?” she asked quietly once they were in the car and on the way.

“We'll go. We'll eat. Then…” He turned and smiled at her. “I remember I wanted to show you some real estate since you're considering a move, and we make our exit.” His words held so much promise and he said them quietly enough so Jake and Joseph couldn't hear.

Jordan started to giggle. “Very clever. Does your sister know all this?”

“Who do you think suggested it?”

Jordan blushed fiercely. It was bad enough they had to sneak off to do this, but to know his sister had helped plan their intended lovemaking embarrassed her immensely.

“Rob…” she began hesitantly. She was beginning to have second thoughts about pulling this afternoon off. She was no good at this sort of thing; sneaking around was definitely not her style.

“Don't think about it, Jordan. Let's just go and have some lunch. Claude's eager to see you again.”

* * *

The house Rob pulled up to had Jordan catching her breath. The property was large with tons of trees. She could see a swing set in the backyard and a basketball hoop set up in the driveway. The actual dwelling was so lovely, so welcoming, it almost pulled Jordan from the car. A porch ran along the entire front of the home with a swing and tons of hanging plants. If Jordan could have picked a home for herself and the boys, it would have been one just like this.

Rob noticed her intense stare and was curious to know what was going on inside her head. Was she having second thoughts about the day? Was she feeling self-conscious about being here with his family? Unable to hold the question in, he turned to her and asked, “Everything okay?”

“It's just so lovely,” Jordan sighed. “We live in a subdivision in Raleigh where all the houses look the same, all the yards are landscaped the same. But this…” She sighed dreamily. “This is a home. This is a place that says family.”

She turned to look at him and smiled.
He must think I'm a nut
. She suddenly felt self-conscious. “Sorry, I'm babbling,” she finally said to break the silence.

In that moment, Rob wanted to lean forward and wrap his arms around her, but held back because of the boys. He looked into Jordan's eyes and his gaze said it all; he understood exactly what she was feeling and didn't think her foolish in the least.

“Who's ready for some food and video games?” Rob asked as he climbed out of the truck, feeling confident in the way the day was going so far.

* * *

Lunch was a lot of fun and Claudia made Jordan and the boys feel as if they were part of the family. Joseph and Jake were in their glory with Claudia's kids; there were video games galore to be played, and once they had finished eating, all the kids had taken off for the play room without a second glance at their parents.

Rob had excused himself to make sure the boys had gotten settled in, and that left Jordan and Claudia alone. Suddenly remembering why exactly they were there and who had helped plan the midday rendezvous, Jordan had a hard time meeting Claudia's gaze.

“I couldn't believe it when Rob told me about running into you in town,” Claudia said to break the tense silence. “It was like, wow, blast from the past!”

“Yeah, it was a bit of a shock seeing him, too.” Jordan sat, stiff backed, at the kitchen table, expecting Claudia to say something about this awkward situation or about the past Jordan and Rob shared. She wasn't disappointed.

“You know, Jordan, I was a little bit hesitant when Rob first mentioned his spending time with you. I mean, he's a grown man who can make his own decisions, but I remember what he went through when the two of you broke up back in high school.”

“We're not teenagers anymore, Claudia,” Jordan reminded. “I don't think either of us is going into this, whatever
this
is, blindly. Besides, high school was a long time ago and—”

“Relax, Jordan. I'm not trying to accuse you of anything or make you feel uncomfortable. I just worry about my brother, that's all.” Her tone held no condemnation, just love for her brother.

“He's lucky to have you. I know I depend on my sisters' love and support. I don't know how I would've gotten through these last few years without them.”

“Do me a favor, and remind him of that!” Claudia said with a laugh and then her expression turned serious again. “Rob has a tendency to jump in with both feet; he doesn't know how to ease into anything. He leads with his heart, Jordan, and I know he's happy with his life and tries to make it seem like it's no big deal that he's not married with kids of his own, but deep down, I know it does bother him. Oh, he'll never admit that out loud but…I just want you both to be careful.”

Jordan let Claudia's words sink in before responding. “I don't know how much Rob shared with you about my marriage and everything I went through with Eric, but believe me when I tell you I am beyond cautious these days. I don't know what's going to happen when Rob and I leave here today, but I think we owe it to ourselves to at least explore it a little bit. Does that make sense?”

Claudia smiled. “Absolutely.”

Fearing Rob would return to the kitchen and find the two of them talking about him, they switched gears and the conversation centered on what had been going on in Jordan's life while the two worked to clean up the kitchen. Then they discussed motherhood and even shared a laugh at how different it was from what they dreamed it would be. When Rob returned to the kitchen some twenty minutes later—he had gotten sucked into a level of dragon fighting—both women turned to him and smiled.

Jordan would fit in well with his family, he thought. So many years ago, she had been welcomed into his life, his home, his family, and he was sure this time around it would be no different. He was more than ready to find out for sure.

“Ready?” he asked lightly, and Jordan ducked her head and blushed at the thought of gracefully making an exit when Claudia knew what they were going to do. In that moment, she looked exactly like the girl of sixteen he had first fallen in love with.

She slowly nodded and stood. Rob walked over and kissed his sister and then led Jordan up to the playroom, where she could say good-bye to the boys. She informed them that she was leaving with Rob for a little while, but they barely acknowledged her. She was glad for that because she was sure the word
guilty
was written all over her face.

“We'll see you later, Claude,” Rob said as they walked out the front door, and his sister waved to them both, smiling like the proverbial cat that swallowed the canary.

“Well, that was awkward,” Jordan whispered as they walked down the front steps.

Rob chuckled and reached for her hand. “We're grown-ups, Jordan. We're just going out for a quiet afternoon alone. No one's thinking anything bad about us.” He placed an arm around her waist as they walked over to his truck. He helped her inside, closed the door, and walked around to the driver's side and hoped Jordan didn't notice the way his hands shook as he put the key into the ignition.

Back in the truck, Jordan hoped Rob couldn't see her trembling. This was it. It was really going to happen. They were going to be alone and they were going to make love. Her whole body was tingling with anticipation.

Jordan kept her eyes focused on the view out the passenger side window. Not sure of where they were going—she'd never asked—she was surprised when they pulled up in front of his architecture office. She looked at him quizzically.

“I have a studio loft above my office,” he supplied. “Keeps things simple.” Jordan nodded and stayed in her seat as he got out of the car. She was suddenly too nervous to move. Rob walked around to her side of the vehicle and opened the door.

“We don't have to do this if you don't want to, Jordan,” he said softly, placing one large, tanned hand on her thigh. She noted the look of quiet desperation in his eyes and knew this was exactly where she wanted to be. “We could go someplace else if you'd prefer.”

“No,” she said quietly. “This is perfect.” Rob took her hand and led her from the truck up the stairs to his loft.

His home made her want to cry. It was a place to live— functional, but by no means a home. The walls were bare and it was only one large room. It was immaculate—all white walls and hardwood floors, not a thing out of place. She couldn't find one personal item in the room. She felt as if she were in an office space, except for the bed.

At the sound of the door closing behind her, she turned around to face him, knowing this man needed her and she desperately needed him. They were like two lost souls who had been fortunate enough to find each other. Again.

Jordan walked slowly toward his embrace and kissed him gently on the cheek. Words were not necessary as Rob took Jordan by the hand again and led her toward his king-size bed, which seemed to dominate the entire space.

Standing beside it, Jordan leaned into him. This was what she wanted: to be with him, holding him, kissing him. Rob slipped his arms around her waist to pull her closer. He trailed kisses down her throat, loving the feel of her bare skin against his lips as he worked his way back up to hers. He let his hands begin to roam—up and down her back, over her bottom, around to her hips, and up her sides to cup her breasts.