Love On The Brazos (9 page)

Saturday found Jordan Carlyle wondering about her upcoming date with Michael Simms.  They both came from families connected to the oil industry.  Jordy now runs the Carlyle Construction Corporation and has dreams of a huge housing project along the Brazos River in Fort Bend County.  She was nearing agreement on financial backing with Michael’s bank when a feminist slight by a First City employee caused her to rethink this.  Conferring with her father and grandfather, they asked First City to show the reason why the widespread Carlyle Enterprises should continue banking with First City.  Following the meeting, Michael has asked Jordy to renew their relationship.

Michael had not told her what he planned for the evening so she opted for a filmy yellow dress that stopped just above the knee, with a matching clutch and shoes.
  He arrived promptly at 7:00.  Mrs. Carlyle greeted him at the door and asked him into a large den.  Michael was dressed in a cream colored sports coat and navy blue trousers.  He had a shirt the same color as his trousers and wore it open at the collar  “Jordy will be down in a minute,” Mrs. Carlyle said.  “You look very nice Michael.”

“Thank you,” he replied.

Jim Carl
yle, seated in a recliner, stood and greeted him with a “Good to see you again, Michael.”

“And you sir.  How are you?”

“I’m about the same, thank you.  Michael, what did you think of our little girl the other day?”

“She was formidable, sir.  We significantly underestimated her
, and that’s not something we do very often.”

Jim smiled and said, “That you did son that you did.  And how is it you two are seeing each other again?”

“Sir, in addition to respecting your daughter, I like her very much.”

“Like who very much?” Jordy asked as she walked into the room.

“I like you very much.  You are a vision of loveliness, Jordy.”

“Why thank you Michael.  I’m all set.  Bye, Mom, Dad.  Love you.”

“Michael drive carefully, and you kids have a good time.

“We will.  It was nice seeing you again.  I’ll take good care of her.”

Jordy linked her arm in his; then they left.  Michael could feel the warmth of her breast where it pressed against his arm.  “Where are we going?”

“I made reservations at Brennans?  Have you ever been there?”

“I was only at the one that was on the Katy Freeway that burned.  I haven’t been to the one downtown.  It sounds good.”

Michael said, “I believe you’re thinking of Brenners on the Kay Freeway.  Brennans in downtown burned during Hurricane Ike.  It has already reopened
, and that’s where I have reservations.”

“Okay, still sounds good.”

When they arrived, Michael turned the keys over to the valet attendant, took Jordy’s arm and led her through the door held by the doorman.  After Michael identified himself, the maître d’ led them to their table.  The surroundings were elegant and patterned after the Brennan family’s restaurant in New Orleans.  They were seated at a table in a quiet corner of the restaurant.  A wine steward came to the table, and Michael asked him to recommend a wine.  He accepted the recommendation, and they were alone.  “Well, here we are,” Michael said.

“Indeed we are.”

“I’ve missed you,” he said.

“And I’ve missed your charming company also.”

They sat, holding hands across the table, each looking into the eyes of the other and savoring the moment.  The reverie was interrupted by the arrival of the wine.  The wine steward showed Michael the label and poured a small amount to taste.  He nodded his approval and the steward decanted the wine.  Jordy picked up her glass and held it up for a toast.  “To good friends,” she said. 

Michael said, “I hope we can be more than friends, Jordy.  I really do.”

“You said ‘I hope’, are you implying something could prevent it?”

“We weren’t going to talk business, Jordy.”

“Wait just a minute, what happens if we decide to take our business elsewhere?”

“I’m sure it might create a bit of a problem if it happens that way
, but that’s down the road.  Let’s not talk about it now.”

“I would like to talk about it now.  You are saying if Carlyle decides to go elsewhere with our business, it makes a difference to you as far as the two of us are concerned.”

“No, I’m not saying that at all.  What I’m saying is there might be some hard feelings is all.”

“Would you harbor any of those hard feelings, Michael?
”

“I would hope not, but I don’t know how I would feel.  It might not come to pass
, and we shouldn’t be concerned about something that may never happen.”

“I think I would like to go home, Michael.”

“Come on Jordy, don’t be that way.”

“Don’t be that way?  You have just suggested there might be no relationship if we take our business elsewhere.  It makes me wonder just what is important, me or the family business.”

“You are important, of course.  This is all a misunderstanding.  Can we just go back to the way we were when we came in?”

“Michael, you can’t unring a bell.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You said it
, and it’s out there.  I heard you, and you admitted it.”

“Okay, I said it.  You said the other day you were a business woman and a good one.  I don’t doubt that for a minute.  Look at it this way.  I am a business man and a damn good one.  Of course
, it would make a difference to me to lose millions of dollars of business.  Of course, there would be some animosity.  My dad would feel it, so would my grandfather and I would too.  Does that mean I would love you any less?  Of course not.

He looked at her. 
Her eyes were bright and moist.  He took out his handkerchief and handed it to her.  She dabbed at her eyes.  “Do you realize what you just said?”

“What?”

“You said you loved me.”

“Well, maybe I do.  Oh hell, I don’t know what I said or mean.”

The discussion was halted by the arrival of their wait person, asking if they were ready to order.  “I’m sorry; we haven’t even looked at the menu yet.  Could you come back please?”

The waitperson left.  “Now where were we?”

“You were trying to decide whether you love me or not.”

“Jordy, “ he said, taking her hand.  We haven’t known each other a long time.  In that time
, you’ve come to mean a great deal to me.  I think about you when we aren’t together.  I could have throttled Merriam the other day for the way he treated you.  I just want to protect you.  I know; I know you don’t want to be protected, but that’s the way I feel.”

“Michael, I told Mom after the day we went to Galveston you could be the one.  I still feel that way
, but you have to understand me.  You’ve been wealthy all of your life.  I didn’t know we were until three weeks ago.  I’m still working on accepting it.  I don’t want you or anyone else for that matter to care for me because we’re well off.  I want to be loved for me.  Jordan Carlyle, the girl from Sugar Land, the Texas Aggie trying to make her way in a man’s world.  I don’t want to have anything to do with anyone that can’t accept me for what I am, not who I am.  Speech over.  We should look at the menus.  Our server is getting antsy.”

Michael signaled the waiter and he took their orders.  They were alone again

“Michael, I’m not ready to fall in love.  I was hurt badly when my fiancé reacted the way he did.  He wouldn’t even come with me to Houston when we didn’t know whether Dad would live or die.  When I went back to get some more clothes, he didn’t even have the time or grace to pick me up at the airport.  I had to take a cab to our apartment.  This man that I was sharing a bed with and was going to marry didn’t have time to pick me up at the airport.  Before I let myself care for someone, I have to be sure I’m the most important thing in their life.  If I’m not, then I want no part of him or his life.  I’ll die an old maid before I let myself get hurt that way again.  I may have to sit on my front porch in a swing and dip my snuff and swig my Mogen Michael alone, but I will not be hurt that way again.”

“It would be a real waste of a lot of woman for that to happen.  Are we okay?”

“I think so.  I want us to be.”

What about Belize?  You had said you wanted to go.  What about now?”

“I would still like to go, but I can’t until this whole thing is resolved.”

“So
, that’s simple.  Let’s just resolve it.”

“Actually, it isn’t that simple. 
I don't have the authority to do that.  Grandpa is chairman of the board, and Dad is CEO.  We’ve retained Baker and Chatsworth for help in deciding.  I can decide about the project, but that’s the limit of my authority.  Carlyle is much better organized, and I’m sure we’ll be better off for it.”

“You probably will.  Inefficiency never pays well.  Now that we’re finished eating, what would you like to do?”

“I would like to be with you,” she said.

Leaving the restaurant, Michael drove to his town home and pulled the car into the garage.  As the door closed behind them, they entered the kitchen.  Michael started a pot of coffee brewing.  As he turned
, Jordy came into his arms and tilted her face upward wanting to be kissed.  Michael obliged with a kiss that was surprisingly gentle, yet it sent shivers through Jordy’s body.  Parting her lips, she raised herself, waiting with an increasing desire for his kiss.  He took her hand and led her into the bedroom.  As she stood facing him in the bedroom, she felt her knees weaken as he pulled her closer.  As her passion increased with each touch of his lips and the feel of his hands upon her smooth flawless skin, she could feel his passion rise through his trousers and her dress.

Gently, he turned her around and unbuttoned her dress.  She shrugged
, and it slid to the floor.  He undid her bra.  Another shrug and it fell to the floor.  Her swollen breasts came loose and into his cupped hands as he reached around her and nuzzled her neck.  Gently he massaged them moving slowly to the nipples.  As he rolled the pebbly, hard flesh between his fingers, she moaned, and turned to face him.  She unbuttoned his shirt and slid her hands onto his chest.  Removing his unbuttoned shirt, he then undid his belt and let the trousers fall and stepped out of them.  He did the same with his boxer shorts. 

Freed, his member
was fully erect.  As it touched her thigh, she took it in her hand and moved it back and forth as it became hard as tempered steel.  She slowly dropped to her knees, kissing his belly and moving downward.  She touched the tip with her tongue as he groaned louder.  She moved her tongue the length of this symbol of his manhood and back to the tip.  She took him into her soft mouth and using the muscles of her cheeks and lips pulled him in deeper.

Jordy stood slowly, her breasts touching his belly and chest as she rose to her full height.  Michael put his hand behind her head and pulled her to him and put his lips upon hers, now parted and aching for the contact. 
She felt the fiery passion within her grow, he kissed her as her senses reeled as if short circuited.  “Now, Michael, make love to me now,” her low, throaty voice filled with desire.

There were no preliminaries, nor was there any need, the moisture of her juices flowed, leaving her completely wet as he guided himself into her.  She arched her back, rising in a demand for all of him
.  She climaxed after only a few strokes.  She continued to undulate her hips and climaxed again.  Still and receptive as he slowly thrust himself in and out, she slowly moved to meet his throbbing need.  She could feel the tension in his body so she increased the speed of her hips, arching her back so it seemed as if her head and heels were the only part of her that contacted the bed.  Michael’s strokes became harder, faster, and deeper, suddenly with a loud moan, he reached the apex, just as Jordy began a faster rhythm accompanied by low moans as they both reached the summit together.

As they lay spent in each other’s arms, Michael rolled onto his back
, taking Jordy with him.  He looked into her hooded blue eyes, and said, “I think I’m in love with you, Jordy Carlyle.”  Her answer was to slide her hand to the less firm member and hold it in as she began rising and falling motion of her hips.  Then she removed her hand as there was no longer any need to hold it in as she massaged him with the muscles of her inner core.  He began rising to meet her at a slow pace that was timed so each got the maximum benefit of the motion.  Gradually Jordy increased the speed of her movements.  Michael matched the movements with upward thrusts of his own.  Jordy’s urgency increased,  Her skin gleamed with the perspiration of her efforts.  Suddenly with a deep shudder, she was there, thrusting down onto the shaft as Michael climbed the mountain of passion with her.  At once, they were together, him pumping as she eagerly accepted his juices.  Then it was over and she lay atop him, kissing his neck and murmuring his name.

“That was fantastic,” she said.
  “What a ride.”

“I had a good time too,” he said.

They fell asleep in each other’s arms, each content and sated with sex well performed.

. . .