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Chapter 24
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“I do.” Tessa had wrenched out the life-altering words.
The twenty-minute ceremony had been an out-of-body experience. Tessa hadn’t been sure she was actually there until she’d spoken those two damning words. The words that still reverberated in her head.
Now she felt trapped in a nightmare, hoping to wake up. A triumphant Jordan stood at the head of their table with his champagne glass raised. He’d insisted everyone go to their reception, held in the private room of a highly rated restaurant.
“We haven’t done it the traditional way, but that is the way we’ve always done things.”
He was right. They’d met when she’d stood staring at him while he made out with another girl at a party. It had been out of character for her to go to a party, let alone gawk at a couple making out.
His proposal hadn’t been traditional. Tessa wasn’t even sure you could call it a proposal. And as the bride, she’d had nothing to do with planning her own wedding.
Even wrapped in her anxiety bubble, she couldn’t stop Jordan’s magnetism from affecting her. They stared at each other with memories burning between them. Off in the distance, she heard someone say, “To the bride and groom.”
Christina Davis, one of their five guests, had broken the moment. Tessa looked at her plate of untouched food as Jordan sat down.
“Jordan, are you sure you want to go on your honeymoon with the child?”
He swung his head to his mom. “Jordis is coming with us.”
“I go on plane!”
Jordis clapped her hands while she sat on Sophia’s lap, beyond excited to travel in an airplane. Sophia lowered Jordis’s hands.
Her mom, who was sitting across from Sophia, looked over at Jordis. “What am I going to do without you?”
She saw the longing on her face and almost asked Jordan to leave Jordis behind. Almost. Tessa would need her as a shield. It was sad that she wanted her three-year-old as a distraction, but she wasn’t sure how else she could be around Jordan for a week.
It was as if they’d already been married for years and were heading toward divorce with all the tension between them. Christina hadn’t helped the state of affairs. When she had walked up the aisle and seen her sitting straight as an arrow in the front row, Tessa had slowed her gait.
Jessica, who had walked beside her, followed her gaze. She’d murmured in her ear, “Don’t let her ruin your day.”
Tessa hadn’t responded, but all she could think was, there isn’t anything for her to ruin.
She hadn’t been able to let go of her anger about the original prenup. When Jordan had summoned her to his lawyer’s office to sign the revised papers, she’d steeled herself to face a room of high-powered lawyers.
The conference room was intimidating, and as soon as she walked in, her eyes assessed everyone there. The two lawyers and Jordan were all dressed as if they were making a court appearance. She was underdressed in her jersey knit dress and flat dress shoes.
One of the lawyers got up to greet her while Jordan and the other lawyer remained silent.
“Ms. Parker, we have the revised prenup, and it’s ready for your signature. Did you bring representation?”
Her heart thudded, and a cold sweat covered her body. She clenched her muscles and concentrated on not revealing how out of place and intimidated she was. Tessa opted to use as few words as possible so the shaking in her voice would not reveal how nervous she was.
“No,” she said while keeping her hands locked in her lap. Tessa refused to look at Jordan, even though she could feel his eyes boring into her. If he didn’t want to acknowledge her with a greeting, she didn’t feel the need to acknowledge him either.
“Do they state that I will have joint custody?”
“Yes. In the event of separation or divorce, you will share joint custody of Jordis and any other children.”
Tessa caught her breath and twisted to see Jordan. He looked back at her impartially like she was a stranger. Her heart stabbed her in the chest, and she bit her lip to stop any emotion from trying to escape. Again, she directed her full attention to the lawyer in front of her.
“Please leave the room while I read this.”
The lawyer tilted his head. “I strongly advise against signing with no counsel present, Ms. Parker.”
“Please leave.”
The lawyer studied her, and she held her breath while steadily returning his look. He finally nodded and signaled for Jordan and the other lawyer to follow him. Jordan stopped at the door, and she prayed he would just leave and not talk to her. Eventually the door snapped shut. Her shoulders sank, and one of her eyes spilled out a lone tear.
Tessa wiped it away with a quick flick of her hand. She couldn’t break down. Drawing air into her lungs with slow, deliberate breaths, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the stillness around her. Gradually her tense body relaxed.
When she opened her eyes, she got to work. Pulling the original prenup out of her purse, she turned it to the custody section. When she found the same section in the new contract, Tessa started reading and comparing.
Her eyes were blurry when she’d gotten done and her head pounded, but her body fell back against the chair in relief. Everything seemed to be in order. She didn’t find any manipulative language. Tessa ached to get out of the stifling environment, but she had more reviewing to do. She went over the other headings to make sure they were the same as in the original prenup.
Tessa didn’t care about the other stuff, but she wanted to know if there were new items added. A glance down at her phone showed she had been in there for an hour. Tessa slowly stood, giving her tense joints a chance to get used to the change of position.
Her first couple of steps were more like hobbles. By the time she reached the door, she was walking normally. The first thing she saw was Jordan hunched over in a waiting room chair. His elbows rested on his knees, and his head was in his hands. He popped his head up. Tessa felt his probing stare but ignored him and looked at the receptionist.
“Could you tell them I’m ready, please?”
He nodded his head and picked up the phone. “Of course, Ms. Parker. I’ll have them meet you in the conference room.”
Tessa nodded and went back in. Only a few more minutes to get through, and then she could breathe deeply and fully. This part of the nightmare would be over soon.
“Tessa.”
Jordan softly saying her name made her heart beat out of her chest and her muscles tense.
He sighed. “Tessa, I didn’t know you wouldn’t have a lawyer. You need a lawyer.”
Jordan sounded sincere, but she couldn’t allow herself to believe it. She was fighting for her life.
“Stop, Jordan. I willingly opened up our lives because I wanted to give Jordis a chance to get to know her dad, and you repay me by trying to take her away from me.”
Jordan’s body expanded in front of her eyes, and he strode to within six feet of her.
“This wouldn’t be necessary if you hadn’t hidden her from me. You started this, Tessa.”
Her insides crumbled at his steadfast anger and belief at what he thought she’d done. She was tired of defending herself and trying to get through to him.
“Let’s just sign the prenup, Jordan.”
The two lawyers entered the room and took over the conversation.
“Did you read the entire contract, Ms. Parker?”
This time her eyes stayed on Jordan. “I read everything pertaining to Jordis. That’s all I care about.”
The lawyer’s eyebrows drew together, and he tilted his head. “I strongly encourage you to read all of it.”
Tessa tore her gaze away from Jordan and calmly stated, “I’ve thoroughly read all of the important items. I’m ready to sign.”
Reluctantly, he agreed. The lawyer started pointing to the areas she had to initial and sign and then slid it across the table fo
r Jordan to do the same.
By the time they were done, Tessa could hardly breathe. Each signature had made her impending future loom before her.
“Tessa!”
Jordan’s hand on her arm and his hardened tone told her she’d been sitting at the table and not paying attention at her own wedding reception.
Tessa shook her head to clear it. “Sorry, what?”
“I said that I thought it was time to go. Our flight leaves early tomorrow morning.”
“Oh, okay.”
She dutifully stood up and faced the hardest part of the evening, saying goodbye to Jordis. It was stupid since they were picking her up in the morning, but Tessa had never spent a night apart from her. With all the unchecked emotions roaring through her body, she was unequipped to manage this goodbye.
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Chapter 25
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Jordan tried to harden himself against Tessa’s obvious struggle to say goodbye to Jordis.
“I go with Mommy.” Jordis folded her chubby arms as she sat on Jessica’s lap and glared at Tessa.
She bent down. “Sweetie, after two people get married, they spend the night together to start their marriage.”
Jordis didn’t care about tradition. “No.”
Tessa wrapped her arms around her and picked her up. She snuggled into Tessa’s shoulder. “It’s just one sleep, Jordis. We’ll pick you up in the morning for the plane ride.”
She wrapped her arms tighter around Tessa’s neck. Jordan gave them a moment and then took matters into his own hands, prepared to be the bad guy.
He stepped up and plucked Jordis from Tessa. Tessa whipped her head up and opened her mouth before biting her lip. When her shoulders dropped, he knew she was moments away from losing it.
Jordan stood Jordis up on a chair and stared down into his daughter’s puppy-dog eyes. In a calm but stern voice he said, “You’re staying with your nanas tonight, Jordis, and your mom is coming with me.”
Her eyes welled up, and Jordan cupped her soft, plump cheeks. “We’ll come to get you in the morning.”
He picked her up and carried her to Tessa. “Say good night.”
“Night, Mommy.” Jordis’s voice was a soft whisper.
Tessa summoned a weak smile and kissed her on the forehead. “Good night, Jordis. I love you.”
Jordan set her back in Jessica’s lap. Damn, this was harder than he thought. Jordis’s sad face was getting to him.
“See you in the morning, sweetheart.” He brushed her cheek with a kiss and stood up.
Looking between Jessica and Sophia, he stated, “You have my number if you need us.”
They both nodded, and Jessica said, “We have Jordis. You take care of my daughter.”
A silent conversation took place them, and Jordan gave her an abrupt nod and collected a white-faced Tessa. Along the way, he said goodbye to his stiff mom and observant dad.
As soon as they were settled in the town car's back seat, Tessa wedged herself in the corner, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. Her cheekbones were free of tears, but they were too prominent in her thin face.
The team he’d sent to help her get ready for the wedding had heeded his instructions. Tessa looked like herself but enhanced. The tea-length strapless white dress enhanced her petite stature. It showed a hint of cleavage and highlighted her hourglass figure. His eyes traveled down her toned legs and ended on the high-heeled strappy sandals.
He’d sent them to her apartment instead of delivering them himself. Tessa could be a stubborn woman, and he didn’t want to fight about her accepting them. He was aware that she was against this marriage, but it wasn’t going to stop him from getting Jordis. And Jordis wanted her mom, so here they were, married and treating each other with cold formality. It couldn’t continue.
“We have to fix this.”
It came out harsher than he had intended, and Jordan saw her tense before she wearily lifted her head and slid her eyes open to eye him dispassionately.
“It’s going to be the three of us for the next week. Jordis will pick up on this tension.”
Tessa snorted. “Tension.”
Anger churned at her derision, but he choked it down. Jordan continued down the only path he could think of to get her to engage with him.
“Do you want Jordis to question why we aren’t getting along? Are you going to make her pick sides?”
Tessa closed her eyes and breathed deeply. The action brought his eyes down to her silky-smooth white skin and the way her breasts strained against the neckline.
Later, he promised himself as he dragged his gaze away. He would definitely reacquaint himself with her breasts. There would be no easy outs in this marriage.
Tessa flipped her eyes open again, and this time there was a tiny spark in them. “No. I don’t want Jordis to think she has to pick.”
Just when he thought he was going to have to prod her again, she continued, “It’s been a lot this week, Jordan.”
The more she talked, the fiercer she became, and he breathed a little easier. He could deal with an angry Tessa. It was better than a despondent one.
“I’ve been blackmailed into marriage, forced to be my own lawyer so I could make sure I never have to give up my daughter, worked, arranged for help for my mom while we’re gone, gotten married, and left my daughter for the first time!”
Jordan clenched his hands and hauled in a breath. He refused to get into a petty argument with her.
“And now it will get easier. Your mother’s medical bills are paid, and she will have a nurse coming to the apartment. You don’t have to work anymore, so you can be with Jordis all the time.”
Tessa’s mouth was slack. “What? You still paid my mom’s bills? I thought that was gone in exchange for joint custody?”
“Jesus Christ, Tessa, you were told to read the entire contract!”
She flinched. Jordan knew his reaction had been over the top, but he was sick of Tessa acting like she was entering the gates of hell by marrying him.
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Jordan’s anger radiated from across the car. Tessa thought her life would continue as it had been but with added complications. Caring for her mom while she lived away from her would be difficult, if not impossible. She’d been stressing about how she was going to do it while still working.
It was like Jordan had waved a magic wand, and all of her worries were gone. Well, the worries about caring for her family. She was flabbergasted that he’d included the care of her family as part of the prenup. All of her anger deflated.
“Thank you. I’m sorry.”
The air cleared, and Tessa watched Jordan’s jaw muscles relax.
“Can we talk about Jordis now?”
Tessa’s radar was back up, but she wasn’t as defensive. “Okay,” she said cautiously.
Jordan slid closer, and her muscles that had just relaxed bunched up. When he laced their hands together, Tessa’s pulse raced. For several long moments, she just stared at their connection, conflicted.
The numbness she’d been shrouded with all day was leaving at his touch. Warmth and awareness were flowing through her, the awareness that only Jordan had ever been able to generate. But Tessa didn’t trust herself to make rational decisions when he got this close.
“Tessa, I think this week we should tell Jordis that I’m her father.”
She withdrew her hand and folded her arms across her middle. Her first instinct was to shout no, but she pulled herself together and tried to think logically.
Jordis had been asking to see Jordan more and more. When he came over, her face lit up as soon as she saw him. Memories of watching them together flitted through her. The hero worship on Jordis’s face the first time they watched a basketball game together. Jordan lifting her up at the park to do a slam dunk and her squeal of excitement.
Tessa anxiously searched her mind for a reason they shouldn’t tell her. The pit in her stomach grew, and acid c
rawled up her throat. She couldn’t think of anything.
Tears were in the back of her eyes, but she pushed them back. Jordan needed to understand the consequences of what would happen if he ever hurt Jordis the way he’d hurt her.
“Jordis is a gift from God, and I won’t let anyone hurt her. The spirit in her is what fans the life in me. If you ever break her heart or her spirit, I will lie, steal, and murder to make sure you are paid back tenfold.”
Strangely enough, Jordan didn’t seem upset. He laid his free hand over the top of the clenched hand in her lap.
“Jordis is even more beautiful on the inside than on the outside. Her intelligence is off the charts. I love that she has a mind of her own and challenges us. I want to stand with you to guide and protect her, Tessa. I don’t want to be against you.”
Tessa searched his eyes for any signs of deception. In the end, it didn’t matter. She’d married Jordan, knowing this was the next step. But why did this seem harder than saying I do?
“Okay, we’ll tell her this week.” The words were ripped from her heart.
Jordan gathered her up and pulled her into his lap. Tessa relaxed into him. For the first time in years, she allowed someone else to be the strong one. All the emotions from the past week had become too much. Tessa allowed Jordan’s arms to comfort her, and soon she was lulled to sleep.
The faint sound of a ding entered her consciousness. Just as she had decided to ignore it, she was jostled and squinted open her eyes. The first thing she saw was a white button-down shirt. When the familiar citrus scent penetrated her senses, Tessa popped up her head. Jordan’s amused blue eyes met her fuzzy, sleep-filled gray ones.
Tessa stared in awe. This was the first time since college that the Jordan she had fallen in love with was present. The easygoing Jordan with the ready smile and laughing eyes.
“Are you awake?” he teased her.
Even the remoteness that was present every time he talked to her was gone.
“How long have I been asleep?” It had to have been for years for this drastic of a change to occur.
“Maybe fifteen minutes, but when you’re out, you’re out.” Jordan chuckled and looked up at the numbers flashing on the elevator panel.
Jordan's Justice: A New Adult Sport Romance (Tessa and Jordan Book 2) Page 12
