Craving Forbidden (Craving Series Book 8)

by Crave Publishing

  “Grams has a grill behind the house. And I know there are some steaks in her spare freezer. You could stop by and I’ll thaw them out and grill them. Just you and me. We could eat alone out in the courtyard.”

  He shot her that boyish grin that made her think of feathers stroking along earlobes, not thick steaks. Butterflies lifted in her stomach again. “I…I didn’t know there were any private places to be alone there.” Well, that sounded stupid. Of course, there would be. It was also a private home.

  His lips thinned and his eyes narrowed for a brief moment. “Oh yes, there certainly are private family-only areas. And they’re becoming better marked. So what do you say? Tonight?”

  The cashier finished scanning and turned her attention to Will. Behind her, the bagger was nearly finished packing the items back into the cart. Will inserted his card in the machine, still intently watching Jordan. By the time he signed and returned his card to his wallet, she knew what she wanted. She’d had enough of Derek’s ambiguous games. She wanted a guy who made her think of dirty games to play, who made her laugh and blush, and treated her like she was important and worth spending time with. She barely resisted the impulse to hug him. Instead, she smiled big.

  “Sure, I’d love to share grilled steaks with you tonight. Shall I bring dessert?”

  Chapter Nine

  Jordan

  “So what do you think Derek is going to say?” Ayana asked. “He’s going to be livid when he finds out about your shopping expedition.”

  Jordan looked at the phone, set on speaker, and paused. “To be honest, I don’t care what he says. I told him it’s over between us, and he refuses to listen. He can’t force me to stay with him.” She slid garments back and forth on the rack, her brows puckered in concentration. “I wish you were here, Ayana.”

  “Baby, we’ve talked about this. I can’t risk it. There are too many Copeland fingers controlling my life. I feel like a puppet. As long as you’re sure he’s not tapping your phone, I’m glad to talk to you this way.”

  Jordan slumped on the bed. No, not even Derek would stoop to tapping her phone. “When did he become such an ass?”

  Ayana sighed, the sound coming heavy over the speaker. “I don’t know. Must admit, I never saw that coming. And I’m usually a good judge of character.”

  “Yeah, he fooled us both. Now, what am I going to wear tonight?”

  “Isn’t it a bit cold for a cookout?”

  In the end, Jordan picked a soft blue boat-neck cable sweater and buttercup skinny jeans paired with her favorite tassel boots. Driving to The White Orchid, a cinnamon swirl cheesecake Bundt cake sat beside her, made from her grandmother’s old recipe. Will had mentioned while shopping that he liked cheesecakes and teased Grams regularly into making something each time he was home. His Grams was a super baker, as was his mother, but she was no slouch either. Her mother taught her well and passed on some classic recipes.

  She had learned so much about Will, and shared personal bits about herself, while they shopped. It was strange, but she felt she knew more about Will in just a short while than she had ever really discovered about Derek. Will wasn’t afraid to poke fun at himself as well as things around him. That opened a door to let Jordan see facets to his personality. And it made her more willing to share parts of herself. And it created a desire to impress him, thus the outfit and cake.

  As she turned into the drive, she wondered why it even mattered that she impress Will with pretty clothes and a favorite dessert. He was offering the cookout as a payback for helping with the shopping. It wasn’t like they were able to take their friendship to any kind of next level. He would be leaving soon, and then she would be left alone. Thanks to Dumbass Derek, she was forbidden from having any chance of romance in this area. Maybe she should consider moving away and starting over where she was free of the Copeland clutches. She parked the car, thinking the idea had merit, despite how she liked Cimarron Shores.

  Will met her on the porch and took her dessert tray. “That looks very good.” He peeked through the clear top and beamed her a bright smile, lighting butterflies in her tummy. Oh, she was going to miss him when he deployed! In all likelihood, they would never see each other again.

  “Thanks. You look nice.” Indeed, he’d replaced his normal work t-shirt with a green chambray shirt tucked into snug jeans. She leaned close, inhaling the clean, citrusy aftershave and almost closed her eyes in a moan.

  He chuckled. “I was just thinking the same thing about you, Jordan. You’re a sharp dresser. Come, meet my mom and Grams.”

  He cupped her elbow and escorted her inside, not through the café doors, but along another section of the endless porch to the French doors. He swung one open and waited for her to enter first. She crossed over the threshold into a formal Victorian sitting room. A fire snapped in a marble fireplace, filling the air with pine. Damask paper lined the walls, along with soft pastels of wainscoting. English rose patterned oversized furniture invited people to sit and visit. Large orchids sat on windowsills and low tables. His grandmother and mother both got up from their loveseats and approached her, warm smiles on their faces.

  “Welcome, dear,” Grams said. “Will is very excited to have you as his guest. We’ll stay out of your way, so please feel welcome here. We’re an informal bunch.”

  Will, cheeks flushing pink, made introductions and helped her shrug out of her coat. His mother, Donna, took her coat to hang up and gave her a wink.

  “I really enjoy coming here with my friends,” Jordan said, looking around. “One would never guess how the rest of the house echoes the Victorian design of the café.”

  “That’s good to hear. Will is trying hard to separate home from business, to ensure a bit of privacy. Since you’re a special guest, you can have a quick tour while Will heats up the grill. He’s been marinating those steaks all afternoon.” Grams took her arm, shooed Will toward the back of the house, and guided Jordan around the corner. “My husband and I raised our children here,” she began explaining. Will shot her an apologetic grin, lifted his shoulders in a shrug, and slipped back into another room. Donna crutched along with Grams and Jordan as fast as she could manage, adding to Grams’ history where needed.

  Jordan felt like a princess during the tour. The grand house almost seemed like a small castle. Indeed, there was much more to it than she ever thought from her visits to the café side. “I had no idea this place was so large,” she exclaimed. “It seems to go on forever.”

  Donna and Grams chuckled. “It only seems that way because it’s new to you. After a few decades, and several children, it does tend to shrink considerably.”

  Jordan shared their laugh, not sure anything could shrink the old house. She was shown areas where Will was making repairs and installing privacy barriers. Finally, she was delivered to a secluded patio filled with smells of hickory, an ivory linen tablecloth draped on a round table for two, candlelight flickering, strings of lights strung overhead, soft music filtering in, and Will standing at the gas grill. Seeing her arrival, a smile lit his face. He set the tongs down and came to her, taking her hands. Her breath caught at the excitement she could barely contain.

  “Did they bore you to death with the history of two hundred years?”

  Even as he spoke, he grinned at his mother and grandmother and they winked, fading away. Jordan took in the sight and smells of the courtyard and exhaled a heavy breath. “No, it was fascinating. This is…incredible. You did all this for me?”

  “I did this for us. I’ve been salivating all day at the thought of those steaks.” He grinned, releasing her hands. “I also like to impress beautiful women. Have a seat, the food is nearly done.”

  Beautiful? She felt like giggling. He thought she was beautiful? She brushed her knuckles under her jaw, hoping to brush away the giddiness slamming through her. “What song is this?”

  “Um…“Unchained Melody”, I think.”

  Yeah, nothing was going to chase her giddiness away. Heat erupted in her c
ore and swept through her, escaping thought her face. She discreetly fanned herself before he turned back toward her with a laden plate. “Is that a scented candle? I swear I smell jasmine. You know how to impress a girl.”

  He grinned. “Yep. Found it in a drawer. Do you like it?” He set the plate down. “These ribeyes should rest before we cut into them.”

  “What do you have in mind?” She brushed her hair back. “Unchained Melody” ended and the unmistakable strands of “Take my Breath Away” began. Will’s eyes glinted in the overhead lights.

  “We could dance,” he suggested, his voice husky. He reached a hand out to her.

  Her mouth suddenly went dry and all she could do was nod and accept his hand. He cupped her elbow and escorted her to the flagstone space under the strings of twinkling lights. He held her by the waist and the small of her back, his eyes closing as he slowly gyrated to the beat of the music.

  “Thank you for coming tonight, Jordan.”

  She giggled. “I feel like royalty. I should be thanking you.” Her eyes drifted closed as the song went on, and she rested her cheek against his chest, next to his beating heart.

  Chapter Ten

  Will

  “Oh, Will, you certainly didn’t inherit your dad’s romantic bone.”

  Will grinned at the sight of his mom leaning over the railing, watching as he worked and listening in rapt attention. He was making her work at dragging the details of last night out of him. “Really? You always said I was the apple that fell from his tree.”

  She sniffed. “In all ways except apparently in matters of the heart.” She spread her palms out. “You had a lovely girl in the perfect setting.” She ended with a sad shake of her head and a heavy sigh.

  “And what would Dad have done?” Admittedly, he was curious.

  His mom smiled dreamily. “He would have dipped me low, held me in his strong arms, and kissed me until neither one of us could breathe. Then he’d let me up, we’d catch our breath, and do it all over again.” She fanned herself.

  It wasn’t like he hadn’t thought about doing that to Jordan. He’d wanted to. The way her eyes shone, reflecting the lights overhead, her lips parting in anticipation, and her delicious fruity perfume teasing his nose. Oh, but he wanted to do a whole lot more than just kiss and hold her. He wanted to tangle his fingers in her silky blonde hair. He wanted to—his body responded—even now—with a sharpness that stole his breath. When Elvis reached the last refrain of “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You,” he almost died. Once they sat down to eat, his steak tasted like leather and his vegetables like Play-Doh.

  Jordan deserved someone who would invest time with her, and make her feel like she was special and cherished. She needed her own hero, not a zero like Copeland, or a guy about to ship out. So it wasn’t going to be him falling in love with her.

  Damn. Because he sure wanted it to be him.

  He jumped to his feet. “I’m going to town, Mom. I need some stuff from the hardware store.”

  An hour later he stepped off the curb. His truck was loaded with fresh supplies for a few more projects. All his thoughts had been tangled up with desires of Jordan, he wasn’t really sure what he bought. It didn’t matter, he’d figure out something to do with it all. He really wished things could be different between them. He wondered what that Copeland creep was going to do once he left town. Maybe he needed to go talk to the local police and lay down some laws of his own about protecting her. Last night she’d briefly mentioned leaving town. That might be a good idea. Somewhere she could get a fresh start and find a real guy to treat her like she deserved.

  His phone rang and he fished it out.

  “Hey, bro, how’s it going?”

  He smiled at his buddy’s greeting. “Well, it’s not the leave we’d anticipated,” he admitted, “but it’s not been dull. What’s up?”

  “Got my orders. Came through this morning. I’m shipping out Thursday.”

  Will’s heart hammered. That meant his own orders weren’t far away. He swallowed, hand on the handle to his truck. “Where to?”

  “Syria.”

  Thoughts of returning to another arid climate scrolled through his mind, battling with space for Jordan. His buddy asked a question, but before he could answer, the gunning of a racing motor reached him. Somewhere a scream echoed as he turned around, one hand still on the open door handle and the other clamped around his phone. His mind processed a rapid series of snapshots and instinct kicked in.

  He jumped, tucking and rolling along the street as the open truck door ripped away and slammed into him. Grunting from the impact, he shot to his feet, scrambling across the cold asphalt. Pain sliced through him but he pushed it aside. Behind him, the revving engine and exhaust fumes bore down, like a pursuing dragon. Pictures like snapshots permeated his mind, freezing into still-lifes.

  Red luxury car. Male Caucasian driving.

  Copeland!

  The chrome bumper connected, slamming into him with all the force of a tank. He gasped against the pain as his legs crumpled and he clawed the pavement, finally falling into darkness.

  Chapter Eleven

  Jordan

  The phone rang and Jordan jumped. She didn’t get too many phone calls lately, mainly because everyone was scared of offending Derek. He’d somehow put out a word that she still belonged to him and people were unsure how to handle their relationship. All except Will. And he’d made it painfully clear he was leaving soon. Their dinner had been wonderful, full of laughter, dancing, good food, and romantic songs. And it had been bittersweet, achingly so, with the knowledge he was soon to go. And then, in all likelihood, so would she.

  “Hello?”

  “Jordan, Will’s been in an accident; can you come to the hospital now?”

  Fear gripped Jordan. The tone in his grandmother’s voice drove all other thoughts from her mind. Her chest pounded as she tried to get the words out. “What happened?”

  “I’d rather talk to you in person, but he was struck by a car. Witnesses say the driver was purposely trying to run him down.”

  Jordan gasped. She almost asked what kind of car but let the words die on her tongue. He wouldn’t. Would he? He’d been acting so strange lately. Could he? “I’m on my way.” She was clueless about what else to say. Sorry, I think my ex-boyfriend just tried to run down your grandson. What witnesses would stand up against Derek and suggest such a thing?

  Shaking, with cold sweat dripping down her back, she managed to drive unscathed to the hospital. She wobbled through the front doors and a police officer greeted her as she approached the information desk. Had he been waiting for her?

  “Miss Kelly?”

  She tried to speak but her throat was too dry, like it was stuffed with cotton balls. She longed for a drinking fountain. She gave the officer a tight nod.

  “I have to tell you Mr. Derek Copeland has been taken into custody and the military police have been called in. They will be handling this investigation.”

  She coughed, expelling the cotton. “I don’t understand. What happened?”

  “It’s an investigation right now, and when the military arrives they will have more information.” He handed over a water bottle and she gratefully twisted the top and took a long drink. From the corner of her eye, she saw Donna hobbling toward her, her face lined with worry.

  “I’m so glad you’re here, Jordan. Will’s still in surgery. They say his leg is shattered.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Aftermath

  Jordan parked and walked past Will’s truck, with the driver’s door missing like the gap of a missing tooth. The wrecking company had the thoughtfulness to place the mangled door in the bed of the truck. The military police finished their investigation with practiced efficiency and released the truck. Now, the sight of the dented, scratched vehicle gave Jordan chills and she rushed past it, arms wrapped around her middle.

  The MPs had descended upon Cimarron Shores like a flock of birds, asking questions and wrappi
ng up their investigation so thoroughly and so fast, Jordan’s head swam at their precision. Like the officer had said, they weren’t happy when someone goes after one of their own. No, their somber, serious expressions offered little tolerance.

  She spotted Grams rocking on the porch. She lifted a hand in a wave. Wind chimes overhead blew softly in the warm spring breeze.

  “How are you?”

  “Tired, dear. So much commotion lately.”

  Jorden nodded. That was an understatement. Most the residents felt like steamrollers had rumbled through town.

  “Go on in, he’ll be waiting for you.”

  Inhaling deeply, she entered, passing the ‘Private, Family Only’ sign Will had hung the day before his accident. Inside, the radio was playing an Elvis song and she paused, closing her eyes and recalling them dancing to “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You.” Her lip quivered.

  Did they ever have a chance? Damn that Derek.

  She followed the music to the living room. Donna sat in her favorite loveseat, writing in a notepad. Doubtlessly she was planning something for The White Orchid. Her eyes drifted to Will, reclining on the longest sofa in the room. He waved her over, his smile warm.

  “You’re looking better,” she said. “How do you feel?”

  “Glad to be home. This contraption is a pain.” He indicated the extensive support encasing his rebuilt leg. Jordan eyed the bandages still covering much of him and her heart ached. She yearned to hug him but was afraid it would hurt him.

  “And don’t even get me started on those things,” he complained, swinging his arm to the crutches at his side. His mother snorted, her nose still buried in her notebook, but her lips twitching.