Love's Paradise (14 page)

“Sure, I'll be right back,” she said, glancing at Jordan. Jordan nodded and then turned to watch her walk away.

“And who do we have here?” Camille asked.

“Jordan,” Mamma Lou said, looking up and
smiling. “You came. I'm so happy. I hoped you could make it.”

“Actually I've been here for some time. I apologize for not finding you earlier. I was talking to your grandson Tony and his wife, Madison. They're a great couple. I'll be stopping by his antique store tomorrow. I also met Kennedy, Juwan, Raymond and Hope.”

“Oh, good. It sounds like you've been having a wonderful time.”

“Yes, I have. Thank you so much for inviting me.” Louise turned and smiled at the woman sitting beside her. The woman smiled back attentively. “Jordan, I'd like to introduce you to a very dear friend of mine and a very special woman, Camille Rantone. Camille, this is Jordan Hamilton.”

He stepped forward and extended his hand, taking hers gently. “Ma'am, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sorry I missed the beginning of your story. It sounded fascinating. I'd love to hear the whole thing one of these days.”

“Thank you, Jordan, and I wouldn't worry too much about missing the beginning of the story. We'll have plenty of time to chat real soon.”

Jordan looked at her oddly. He wasn't sure what she meant. Still, he was immediately impressed by her warmth and gentleness. There was something about her engaging manner that warmed him as soon as he touched her hand. She kept holding
his hand and smiled looking directly into his eyes. “Jordan Hamilton, it's truly a pleasure to meet you. You're a creator, a man who works with his hands. That's a very honorable profession.”

“Yes, ma'am, I do work with my hands. I'm an architect and a builder,” Jordan said.

“Actually, I see you are much more than that. You have an old soul, Jordan Hamilton. That's a very good thing.”

“You see?” Jordan repeated, glancing at Mamma Lou.

“Camille is a clairvoyant.”

“Really?” he said, smiling at Camille again.

“Sometimes yes and sometimes not so much,” Camille said. “You, not so much. But I see you have an open mind. That's good, very good. I've been waiting a long time for you.”

“You have?” he asked inquisitively.

“Camille, Jordan is one of the owners of Hamilton Development. His company is building a resort out on Crescent Point.”

“Oh, how wonderful. It's about time someone found something to do with that plot of land. And you are the perfect man to take care of the property. You will learn to care for this land. You'll know exactly what to do. You know there was a large fishing company there many years ago.”

“That's right, I was told that when we bought the land.”

“So, are you enjoying your time on the island, Jordan? I hope you're getting out and meeting people,” Mamma Lou said.

“Actually, I don't stay on the island that much.”

“Now that's a shame. May I ask why?” Camille said.

“Right now my workload varies. Most days it takes me back to our main office outside of D.C.”

“What about weekends?” she asked.

“Especially on weekends,” he confirmed.

“Then you're missing the best part of the island. There are so many things for young people to do.”

Sheri returned. “Sorry it took so long,” Sheri said, placing a glass on the small table beside Camille's chair. She turned to Jordan and smiled pleasantly. “Grandma, did you meet Jordan?”

“Yes, we just met.” She winked. “I think he's a keeper.” Louise nodded in agreement.

“Thank you, ladies. Mamma Lou, thank you for a wonderful evening. I had a great time. I'm gonna head out now.”

“You're very welcome. Make sure you come visit me again.”

“I will,” he promised.

“Good night, ladies.”

“Sheri, be a dear and walk Jordan out. Thank you.”

She nodded and led the way to the front door.
He opened it and they stepped outside. They walked down the path. “How long have you known Mamma Lou?” he asked.

“All my life,” she said. “She and my grandmother are best friends. They met over sixty years ago.”

“They look dangerous.”

She laughed. “You have no idea. They've been trying to match me up for the past two years.”

“And?” he asked curiously.

“And nothing. I guess I'm a one-date kind of woman.”

“I hope that's not true.”

“Since you and I have never actually been out on a date,” she said, “you don't have anything to worry about right now.”

“How about we rectify that. Would you like to go out with me tomorrow?”

Sheri smiled and nodded. “Yes. I'd like that.”

“Good, it's a date.” They got to his truck and stopped.

“You do know there's no ferry this late, right.”

“My brothers and I rent a condo at the Crescent Regency. How late are you staying tonight?” he asked.

“Not long, probably another half hour or so, why?”

“I'll see you later.” He got into his truck and drove away.

 

Louise and Camille watched through the front window. Louise gripped Camille's hand and nodded. Camille smiled. It was exactly what she wanted to see. “Yes, he's perfect, thank you, Louise.”

S
heri left the party an hour later. She drove home, showered, then changed into a T-shirt and boxers. She lay down across the bed and checked her messages before turning in for the night. There were five new messages including one text from Jordan Hamilton. I'm hungry. She read it, smiled and then typed a simple reply. What do you want to eat? She went on to the next five emails. Just as she saved the last one, her cell phone vibrated. It was another message from Jordan. You! She typed in her reply then closed her phone, rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling fan above her bed. It was a good night.

They had danced, they had talked and it was wonderful. She knew in her heart it was happening so fast. But she couldn't stop it. She was already there—in love with a man who was impossible to love. She knew her heart would be broken and that it was only a matter of time, but she opened up anyway. Mama Lou was right all those months ago when she first introduced them. Jordan Hamilton was the man for her. She just wasn't the woman for him.

She shook her head and chuckled, thinking about Jordan's last text message and her reply. Bon appétit. He was incorrigible and she was definitely playing with fire and knew it. He was dangerous to her heart. They wanted two different things and there was no way their differences could ever be resolved. But while she had him, she intended to enjoy every minute of it.

She sighed heavily and closed her eyes. A second later her cell phone rang. She looked over at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was just after midnight. She figured it was either Kennedy, Madison or her mother calling so she picked up. “Hello.”

“Are you in bed?”

She immediately recognized Jordan's voice. “Uh-huh.”

“Perfect. It's after midnight,” he said.

“Uh-huh,” she confirmed, curious as to why he was calling her.

“That makes it officially tomorrow. Technically we could be on our date.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Feel like coming out to play?”

“No, not really,” she said. “I feel like staying in.”

“I thought you'd never ask.”

A split second later her doorbell rang. She sat up. Her heart raced as she nearly had a panic attack. “Is that you?”

“Uh-huh. I told you I was hungry.”

She got up and looked at herself in the mirror. What was she doing? This was crazy. But she couldn't stop herself. Maybe he was right. Maybe there was some unseen force pulling them together. She went to the door and opened it. Jordan was standing there with a large box in his hands. He had changed clothes from the stylish business suit he'd worn earlier at the party to a pair of casual pants and a button-down shirt. She looked at the box in his hands. “Flowers would have been nicer,” she said.

“I thought you might appreciate this better. May I?”

“Sure, come in.” She stepped aside. He walked in. He placed the box beside her sofa and then turned. She watched as his eyes flowed over her body. She liked the way he reacted to seeing her. She grazed her teeth across her lower lip, a habit that Jordan found very seductive, as she walked
over to him and started unbuttoning his shirt. When it was opened, she pushed it back over his shoulders and it dropped to the floor. She couldn't help touching him. His chest was wide and magnificent. Her hands roamed his body of their own accord. She pushed him back so that he was leaning against the door and began unzipping his pants. She reached down and felt his solid body, which was already hard for her. A ripple of excitement shot through her. She kissed his chest and licked his nipples, touching and feeling him everywhere.
Bon appétit.

When she stopped she saw that his breathing was rough and ragged and his eyes were flooded with passion. She reached down the front of his pants again, but this time he grabbed her hands and stopped her. “We have all night and I want every inch of you.”

She smirked. “I don't know. Can you handle me all night?”

“Don't challenge me. It's not a good idea right now.”

She smiled slyly, staring directly into his dark sexy eyes. “Well, then, by all means, consider yourself challenged.”

He grabbed her and kissed her nearly senseless. His lips were firm and intense, ravaging her mouth and unsettling her mind. He had her hemmed in with no possible escape and she loved it. She surrendered willingly. When he finally leaned back,
she heard a low groan emanating from his throat. “I am hungry. I've wanted to taste you all night long,” he whispered. He kissed her again, pinning her back against the door just as she had earlier. His kiss was passionate and powerful as he held her in a viselike grip. She couldn't move even if she wanted to. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck. In the next moment, he picked her up and carried her to another room. When she opened her eyes she was in her bedroom. He lowered her to the floor and stepped back.

He pulled her T-shirt over her head and looked down at her skimpy shorts, shaking his head. He sat down on the side of the bed and pulled her closer so that she stood between his legs. “Turn around.”

She obeyed. His hands were on her hips, massaging them from the front and back. He turned her around and looked up at her. Never breaking eye contact, he pulled the shorts down and smiled as he licked his lips. He gestured for her to sit beside him and lie back on the bed. She did. He began kissing her lips and her neck as his hands stroked and caressed her breasts. Her thoughts seemed to vanish. She could barely keep up with the onslaught of his hands as they probed her body.

Then she felt his hand between her legs and his fingers delve deep inside her. Her body shook as her wetness covered him. He seemed to delight in her body's offering. His kisses trailed lower along
the length of her body. He licked and suckled her breasts. His torturous mouth and tongue were setting her body on fire as he moved lower and lower and lower. When he got to her stomach he opened her legs wider and began stroking her peak of pleasure. She writhed in sexual agony. Then Jordan dropped to his knees and wedged his body between her legs. He pulled her to the edge of the bed and draped her legs over his shoulders. She gasped. He maneuvered so quickly she barely registered what had happened.

He spread her legs wider to gain better access to her well-lubricated opening and took one long luscious lick as if she were a lollipop. “
Bon appétit,
indeed.” He licked her again. Her legs trembled and her heart almost stopped. She felt jittery and dizzy. Then he devoured her. Her body reacted by arching upward off the bed. He was gentle and thorough as he held her legs and feasted like a starving man. Her breathing became panting. Her mind became mush. She screamed her pleasure and then she exploded. That's all she remembered.

Sheri opened her eyes slowly. Jordan was sitting on the side of the bed looking down at her with a concerned expression on his face.

“Hey, welcome back,” he said softly, caressing her face.

“What was that? What happened?” she asked.

“I have no idea. But I think you fainted. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, fine. I've never fainted before. That was intense. How long was I out?”

“Not long, about a minute. Sheri, I didn't mean to…”

She sat up. “I'm fine, really.” She looked down at his body. He still had his pants on, but she could see the outline of his erection pressed against his crotch. He was still rock hard. She reached down to stroke him. His body twitched. “One of us is way too overdressed.”

He smiled. “That would be me,” he said.

She nodded. He stood up and removed his pants and boxer briefs, then grabbed a condom and covered himself. “Are you sure?”

“Oh, yeah, baby. Positive. Come here,” she beckoned, lying back on the pillows at the top of the bed. He climbed back onto the bed and hovered over her a moment then slowly eased himself into her. Once he had entered her, he propelled his shaft with a deep thrust, filling her completely. Then he pulled out and plunged in again. Each time the pace increased. Breathless and panting, their bodies met passion for passion, plunging deeper and deeper. He pumped and she held tight. Again and again, deeper and deeper they ravaged each other until their union exploded in a mind-blowing, earth-shattering climax. Clench. Fill. Release. The in
tensity of the experience overwhelmed them as they collapsed on the bed, their bodies spent—but only for a short time.

All night long meant twice more in bed and again as they showered together. By dawn they had used all of the condoms. They slept cuddled together still feeling the afterglow of sexual ecstasy.