Jordan's Return (14 page)

“Jordan.” His voice rumbled with barely contained passion.

The sound of her name was her undoing.

Jordan became the aggressor as she captured his mouth. It had been too long since she'd been with him, felt this with him, although somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew as teenagers they had never felt this kind of mindless need for one another. They were mere kids back then, and the emotions involved right now were more mature. They had been formed through years of knowledge and longing, and they threatened to carry her away.

Every inch of her burned for him; the need to touch him overwhelmed her. As she let her hands skim the broad planes of his chest, he captured her wrists and lifted his head.

“Are you sure?” he asked, his breath ragged. “I don't want to rush you. I don't want there to be any regrets at the end of the day.” He held her gaze steady. “I need to know that you want this.”

“Absolutely.” She nodded. “More than anything.” She tilted her head back as he kissed her neck. The feel of his mouth on her body was exquisite torture. Rob released her wrists and then let his hands wrap around her middle again as he cupped her bottom and pulled her tightly against him. The hard evidence of his arousal pressed firmly against her belly.

Jordan shivered at the contact and before she knew it, Rob was gently guiding her to lie down on the bed.

He stood and looked down at her as he removed his shirt. He saw Jordan swallow hard, licking her lips, and desire pumped through him with such ferocity that he needed to take a minute to compose himself or he'd take her too roughly.

Their eyes never left each other's as Rob's shirt hit the floor, followed by her shoes. When he reached for his belt buckle, she sat up to help him, needing to put an end to this ache throbbing deep inside of her. She was impatient and it turned him on.

She kissed the taut muscles of his stomach as she pulled his belt off and trailed her tongue around his navel. She smiled at the sound of his breath hissing through his teeth. It made her bold; she reached for the button on his jeans and felt him tremble as she lowered his fly.

Rob cupped her face in his hands and gazed down into her desire-filled eyes. “I don't believe this is happening,” he rasped.

Jordan stood and removed her own shirt. “Believe it,” she whispered into his ear as she nipped at his earlobe, her breath hot.

He shifted his position so he could look at her. She stood before him in her jeans and a lacy purple bra, and he knew that this image would be burned into his brain forever. He had never wanted a woman more than he wanted, no,
needed
Jordan right now.

Tucking his head down, he kissed her luscious breast through the lace as she arched her back. He brought her rosy center to a tight peak and made her cry out for more. His tongue worked her while he reached up and unclasped the flimsy garment, roughly pushing it aside so they could be skin to skin.

Jordan wrapped her arms around Rob's neck and pulled him down to the mattress with her. The feel of his weight on top of her was like a bolt of lightning. She writhed beneath him, craving a more intimate contact. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt such an intense buildup of passion. Eric had never been one for foreplay. And as for her past relationship with Rob, there was never the time or opportunity for them to take it slow. Their time together was always heated and rushed. What Rob was doing to her now was an entirely new and wondrous experience.

She held on tightly to him as he lavished attention on her breasts, gently licking, sucking, and kissing her with his hot, wet mouth. Her world was spinning out of control, and when she was sure she'd die from his erotic machinations, he came up and scorched her again with a kiss.

She ran her greedy hands down his hot skin, around his waist, and finally into the waistband of his jeans. As she began to lower them from his hips, Rob broke their kiss. “Let me,” he growled as, in one swift motion, he kicked off both jeans and briefs. He lay beside her, fully naked and fully aroused, as the heat built in Jordan's eyes.

Leaning forward, she kissed his chest, licking at his flat nipples, and he shivered. Rob nudged her gently onto her back. He kissed her lips, then her chin, working his way down her body. He stopped and lavished attention on both of her breasts again before moving lower. He undid her jeans and worked them over her hips and down her legs.

Jordan felt a moment of panic. She knew she no longer had the body of the eighteen-year-old girl he remembered. Her body now bore the faint markings of having had two children. Would it turn him off? As turned on as she was, she had the sudden urge to cover herself and wished it wasn't broad daylight outside.

When she lay there in nothing but the skimpy lace panties she had chosen, Rob seemed to stop breathing.

“You're even more beautiful than I remembered,” he said as he lowered his head to kiss her hip bone. In that moment, all shyness slipped away and Jordan let herself relax once again and enjoy what he was doing to her.

He sighed her name as he ran his hands over her hips and thighs, then up again, hooking his fingers into her panties and dragging them down her silky smooth legs and then off.

Now he pressed his body fully against hers and Jordan let out a sigh of pleasure. His mouth swooped down onto hers. His tongue imitated what their bodies would soon be doing as Jordan wrapped her legs around him, silently begging for his attention.

The thick head of his arousal was poised at her entrance, and she let out a frustrated plea and closed her eyes.

“Look at me, Jordan,” he said huskily. She obeyed. “I want you to watch me as I love you.” His words were like silk and soon he slid inside her. Hot, slow, and hard.

Jordan gave a groan of complete pleasure, loving the feel of him filling her in ways she hadn't imagined possible. He belonged to her. He felt so good and she tilted her hips up to take all of him as deeply as possible. He began to move above her, watching her face, taking in every detail of her response to him. Soon he heard her breath begin to quicken, and Jordan pulled his head down for a soul-robbing kiss.

Taking her hands and pinning them above her head, he rocked even deeper as Jordan cried out his name. Rob buried his face against her neck as his hot breath beat against her racing pulse. He growled out his release and called out her name again and again until all that he had was emptied into her. Only when his breathing returned to normal did he move to roll beside her.

Rob pulled her close, feeling the still-rapid beating of her heart against his ribs. She felt so good in his arms, and nothing in the world could have prepared him for the overwhelming need he felt to keep her there. He placed a kiss on the top of her head, and she snuggled closer to him, wrapping around him like a silken blanket.

She placed a soft kiss on his chest before her breathing slowed and evened out. Rob could tell Jordan had dozed and he didn't mind; he was just enjoying having her there with him. With infinite gentleness, he caressed her arm that was splayed across his chest. He knew it had never been that good between them when they were younger; there had been passion, but it was much better now that they had matured.

Jordan had been so responsive to his every touch, and hearing her cry out his name could possibly count as the most erotic thing he had ever experienced in his life. She shifted a little next to him and sighed. In that instant, he realized in their intense haste to be together, he had not used any protection. He stiffened a little at the thought but relaxed almost immediately.

Normally, he never slipped like that. He was emphatic about birth control and left nothing to chance. Of course there was a chance Jordan was on the pill. Rob frowned for a moment. He didn't want to think of the possibility of her
needing
to be on the pill. Just the thought of her being with another man, responding to him as she just had with him, caused his gut to clench. He couldn't go there.

But the thought of being one with Jordan with no barriers, or better yet, the thought of his child growing in her belly, only made him smile. He had no regrets, and that thought kept him smiling as he closed his own eyes to doze.

* * *

Jordan woke him an hour later. The sun was shining brightly in the loft, but she still had the look and feel of a woman in a dream state. Her hands lazily trailed all over his body with no particular purpose. Featherlight kisses seemed to trail her fingers. She was slipping over him as he opened his eyes in wonder. It wasn't a dream; she was real and she was there with him. Straddling him, she kissed him gently on the lips as she felt his manhood stir to life.

She lazily reached between them and guided him inside her. Without more than a sigh at his entrance, she rode him, slowly, seductively, silently. As she climaxed, she arched her back sharply and reached behind her to hold on to Rob's muscular thighs. His own explosive release quickly followed.

Neither spoke; words weren't necessary.

Jordan draped herself over him and Rob hugged her to him; they both fell back to sleep with Rob still deeply buried inside her, two hearts beating together as one. As far as fantasies went, Rob knew this would top them all.

As the afternoon sun was starting to fade, Rob woke up. They were now lying spoon style and he had a hand cupping her breast, teasing her nipple to alertness. When Jordan stretched and purred like a contented kitten, he nuzzled her neck and pulled her beneath him.

“We need to go soon,” he said as he claimed her mouth. She wiggled around until she found his hard length and guided it back into her. They cried out together in frantic need, knowing their time together was coming to an end. All too soon, they lay completely spent in each other's arms.

“Yes…soon,” Jordan panted.

* * *

They dressed quietly; neither had wanted the afternoon to come to an end and now that it had, there weren't any words to describe how they were feeling.

Jordan knew she should be anxious to get back to the boys, but selfishly she wanted more time here with Rob. She watched him from across the room as he pulled his shirt back on and tucked it into his jeans, remembering the exact moment he had taken it off earlier, and felt herself ready to throw caution to the wind and ask if the boys could just stay at Claudia's for the night.

But the practical woman and devoted mother in her kicked in, and she finished getting dressed, wishing things could be different.

It was almost dark by the time they arrived back at Claudia's. “Well, well, well…” she nearly purred as Jordan and Rob walked hand in hand into the house. She had a knowing smirk on her face but managed to converse about how well all the kids had gotten along and how she'd fed them dinner since it was getting so late. Jordan and Rob looked at each other guiltily and smiled.

“Oh, so you decided to come back?” From behind Claudia, a tall man appeared. He shook hands with Rob and gave him a wink and then turned to Jordan. “Hey, Jordan, I'm Dave, Claudia's husband. It's nice to meet you.”

Jordan shook his hand, mortified that now someone else knew what they had been doing all afternoon. An afternoon of sex should not involve this many people! “It's nice to meet you, too, Dave,” she answered shyly, and was relieved when both men turned and walked away.

“Thank you, Claudia,” Jordan said as she noticed Rob going upstairs to claim the boys. She knew the second he had found them when she heard the telltale whine of, “Aw, do we have to?”

“I hope that we'll get to see you again, Jordan,” Claudia said as the two women hugged and said good-bye.

“I would like that. And again, thank you for keeping the boys today. I'm sorry we were gone so long.”

“It was no bother and I'm glad that you guys had the chance to have some alone time. If you need to get away again, just let me know. I'm always here.”

Jordan managed a smile but thought it would be a long time before she would be comfortable having a group discussion about her sex life again.

With that thought, she turned to the boys and reminded them to say thank you to Claudia and the kids for having them over today. They both did as they walked out the door, still talking excitedly to their new friends.

As Jordan watched Rob while he said good night to his family, she waited with hers in his truck. Her sons were talking nonstop about how much fun they had.

“Man, I wish we had a game room like that,” Jake said excitedly. “Do you think we could make a room like that at home, Mom?”

“They had a really cool bike trail behind the house, too. I wish there was something like that where we lived,” Joseph added. “Do you know of any biking trails back in Raleigh, Mom?”

“You don't even ride your bike, Joe,” his brother said. “You spend all your time playing video games!”

“That's only because we've had to stay home so much while Mom got better.”

Jordan's head snapped around and she looked at her boys, her expression stricken. This was her reality; while today with Rob had been wonderful, it was but a moment out of time. This trip was not supposed to be about her; it was supposed to be about reconnecting with her children. In her haste to please herself, she had pawned them off on someone who was a stranger to them and now she had a glimpse into what her children really thought.

It was in no way the kind of connecting she was hoping for and took a little of the glow off the day.

Joseph noticed the look on his mother's face and his mouth worked to say something, to take back what he had just said. “Mom…I…um, I didn't mean for it to come out like that. It's just that…”

She held up a hand to stop him. “It's okay, Joe. You're entitled to feel the way you do. I know these last couple of months have been hard on you, and I am really hoping to rectify all that and make a better life for us from now on.”

Smiling at both of her sons, she continued. “I'm sorry you've had to sacrifice so much, but I promise you, when we get home, that's all going to change.”

She looked at Jake. “We'll start making plans for a game room.” Then she turned to Joseph. “And we'll look up biking trails on the parks and recreation website and invest in some real mountain bikes. Would you like that?” They both cheered and as Jordan turned forward in her seat, she heard their excited chatter start up again and plans being made. It warmed her heart.

With this latest crisis averted, she was able to put her focus back on the day she had just had. It had been magical. In Jordan's wildest dreams, she couldn't have imagined a more beautiful connection between two people. Rob was a thrilling yet tender lover and she sorely wished their time together could've lasted longer; her bed would feel far too big and lonely tonight after he was gone.

But what did it all mean? She had always known they were compatible physically. That was never a problem in their previous relationship. There was more at stake now, however. This wasn't some silly, adolescent crush. They were grown-ups with real responsibilities and commitments. Not only that, but Jordan had to face the reality that her time here on the Virginia coast wasn't going to last forever, and when it ended, where would that leave her and Rob?

Though she'd never had one personally, she was sure a long-distance relationship would not satisfy either one of them. Plus there was the fact that Jordan's life was in transition right now and she had no idea where she and the boys were going to end up. There was the possibility of moving here to Virginia, but was that the best move for her boys or was she letting her mind get clouded from the afterglow of a passionate afternoon? Worse yet, could her already-fragile heart deal with the answer?

They had been so focused on satisfying their physical needs, they had never addressed the emotional ones or where this relationship was going. At least, she hadn't. Funny how when they were younger they were so free with their words and how they felt, and now that they were older, it seemed so much harder to put their feelings into words. At least, it was for her.

Jordan sighed as she thought about where she wanted to see this relationship go. Her heart screamed out that she wanted to stay here with Rob; to marry him, have babies with him just as they had planned in their youth. But the divorced woman in her calmly reminded her of all that could happen when you rushed into a relationship and a marriage. Could she really consider this a
rush
when it had been where they were heading all those years ago? If anything, she could argue they had waited too long.

But what kind of a husband would Rob be? She knew him as a teen and now as a firmly established adult, but what would he be like to live with every day? How would he handle the responsibilities of a wife and two children? Had he even
had
a long-term, committed relationship in all these years? What if a situation arose like the one in the past and he reacted the same way?

Would he be faithful this time? Jordan knew she couldn't handle that kind of betrayal from him again.

Did he have a temper? Would he be kind to her boys? Jordan rubbed at her temples. He had been the epitome of kindness with Jacob and Joseph since he'd met them, but would that continue once they were his?

Eric hadn't been kind or gentle with them and they were his own flesh and blood. While Jordan didn't think Rob capable of the same kind of behavior Eric had exhibited, she was wary of making that leap of faith.

Smiling warmly to herself, she admitted that in all their years together, Eric had never been as attentive or loving to her
or
the boys as Rob had been these last two weeks. Could he be what her little family needed to finally heal? Was she willing to step out and take that risk, or was she getting too far ahead of herself? Rob hadn't mentioned anything about continuing this relationship, or love or marriage. Maybe she
was
getting too far ahead of herself.

“So, did you guys have fun today?” Rob asked as he climbed into the truck, beaming.

“Yeah,” the boys responded eagerly and then went on to tell them all about every level of every video game they had played that day. Jordan couldn't help but smile at their enthusiasm.

“…and then I took my giant key-blade and slayed the dragon, Rob,” Jake said excitedly. Rob looked into the rearview mirror and smiled at the boy, and was rewarded with a dimpled smile in return.

“Great job, son,” he said with pride, and Jordan's heart lurched at the word.
Son.
Oh, how easy it would be for him to slip right into all their hearts and be a part of the family if she let him.

She held on to that image on the short drive back to the bungalow.

Once at home, it was too early for the boys to get prepared for bed, although they were slowly winding down from their exciting day. Knowing their senses were on overload from all the video games, Rob suggested a walk down to the beach and was met with a positive response.

Jordan and Rob walked together, wanting to hold hands, but Jordan was hesitant to show even that simple gesture of affection in front of her sons just yet. The sun was low on the horizon, and it seemed the perfect ending to a perfect day.

The boys headed down toward the surf in their never-ending search for shells, while Jordan and Rob lagged behind, enjoying the sunset and listening to the laughter of her children. Unable to control himself, Rob took one of Jordan's hands in his, brought it to his lips, and gently kissed her.

“They certainly seemed to have fun today,” he said with a chuckle, watching as Jake carefully inspected a shell he'd found.

“Well, your sister had all the necessary ingredients to guarantee a fun-filled day: food, video games, kids…”

They stood close together and, heedless of whether the boys saw, Rob drew Jordan even closer and put his arms around her.

“How about you?” he asked tentatively. “Did you enjoy yourself today?”

“Fishing for compliments?”

He chuckled and with Jordan's head resting on his chest, she felt the vibration. “Would I do something like that?”

“In a heartbeat,” she teased. Easing back a little, she looked at his face. “I had a wonderful day. I don't think I can remember anything quite like it.” Her words ended on a sigh and she wished they could stay like this forever.

It wasn't long before it was too dark to see much of anything, particularly tiny shells in the sand, so Jordan called to the boys and they headed back to the house. Once inside, she laughed at the fact that they'd all walked along the same stretch of sand and yet only her sons managed to be covered in it from head to toe! At this rate, they'd have their own beach to take back to Raleigh with them.

“Okay, guys, showers, pj's, and then it'll be time for bed.”

“Aw…already? It's not like it's a real school night or anything, Mom,” Joseph whined. “Why can't we stay up late? We're supposed to be on vacation.”

Although he had a point, Jordan was a stickler for routine. She liked having order around her and knew if she let the rules slip or change, restoring things would become increasingly difficult and soon she wouldn't be the one calling the shots; her boys would.

Maybe it was foolish, maybe she was overreacting, but after being under Eric's thumb for so long, she needed to be in control. She didn't think she was being too restrictive with her sons.

“I know we're on vacation, Joe,” she said diplomatically, “but that doesn't mean we don't have to have any rules. You had a busy day and got to do all the things you love to do. Let's not ruin a perfectly good day by arguing, okay?”

Although she could tell he wanted to argue some more, the boy nodded and headed down the hall to take his shower. Jake was sitting in the living room with Rob, laughing and watching the TV. The sight of the two of them together made her smile.

Within the hour, both boys were showered and ready for bed. They both thanked Rob again for bringing them to Claudia's house and asked if they'd be able to go there again. Without looking at Jordan for her approval, he told them he would definitely arrange it so they could and wished them a good night. The boys each hugged him and then kissed Jordan before heading to their room.

Rob reclined on the sofa with a smile as Jordan rummaged through the refrigerator in search of something to eat.

“I am starving,” she commented over her growling tummy.

Rob slowly rose from the couch and came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle and reminding her of why she had missed dinner.

He kissed her throat and Jordan could feel his growing arousal pressing against her.

“Oh yeah,” she said.

“Maybe I wasn't thorough enough,” he growled against her ear, sending chills of delight coursing through Jordan's body.

“If you were any more thorough, I wouldn't be able to stand,” she teased. He let out a low chuckle. “Now, what about some dinner?” She continued to rummage around in the refrigerator, calling out ingredients and meal ideas. She really did need to get to the supermarket again because the most appetizing item she could come up with was grilled cheese sandwiches, and even that felt like too much work.

“Why don't I run out and get us something? I could swing by the restaurant or maybe get some Chinese?” he suggested, and Jordan readily accepted.

“Surprise me,” she said and laughed as he scooped her into his arms and dipped her dramatically. “My hero.” She beamed as he planted a quick kiss on her lips before setting her back on her feet and heading out the door.

* * *

On the short drive back and forth, Rob couldn't help but smile. This was where his life was meant to be: here, with Jordan and her sons. Suddenly, it was as if there was clarity in his life, like the missing pieces of a puzzle had finally been found and everything now fit. This was always where he had wanted to be, and after the incredible afternoon they'd shared, he had no doubt Jordan felt the same way. He'd talk to her about moving them here after dinner. The anticipation he felt was so great that he could hardly wait and had to keep himself from speeding back to her house.

Thoughts and ideas were already racing through his mind. He wouldn't dream of moving them into his loft, so they'd have to act quickly and find a house. They'd probably have to rent first and then he and Jordan could design their dream home. He sighed with contentment. He knew the schools here were good, and he was sure with Claudia's help, they'd be able to get the boys settled in and involved in some sports and clubs in no time.