"Ford, honey," she said as she pulled back and reached up to cradle my face in her hands. She was put together as usual. Victoria Spencer always looked her best. She was wearing a white blazer over a champagne silk camisole and pale blue capri pants. Her shoulder-length reddish-brown curls flawlessly framed her face.
"Hi, Mom," I greeted her warmly. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you, baby." Her smile widened at my compliment. "You look so handsome today. When is some nice girl going to scoop you up?"
"I don't know, Mom." I gave her my usual answer as Jenny's face popped into my head. I wished she was here right now. I almost invited her to come here with me today, but I knew it would send her running for the hills. Meeting the family would have to wait, but hopefully not for long. I wanted her to meet them, and that thought blew me away.
Mom's eyes glanced over to Dad, and I saw a brief flicker of pain before her green eyes hardened. It pained me every time I saw her react to Dad that way. I knew she still loved him after all these years, even if there was a zero chance of them ever being together again.
"John," she greeted him stiffly. I was surprised that Natalie convinced our parents to be together in the same house. They may have been divorced since I was sixteen, but they were like oil and water. I hoped they could manage to be civil with each other today. I was pretty sure that little Daniel was the only reason my sister got them both here.
"Victoria," Dad murmured uncomfortably as he gave her a tight smile.
"Here, Daddy," Natie said as she offered Daniel to Dad. Points to my sister for the distraction. Dad's eyes lit up and he eagerly took the tiny infant in his arms. He gave Natie a warm smile, that he hadn't given me in over three years. It made me miss the easy relationship that my dad and I used to have. It hurt too much to think about, so I left the room while the three of them were fussing over the baby. They didn't even notice.
I walked into the kitchen to find David pulling a pan of marinated steaks out of the fridge. He smiled widely when he saw me.
"Hi, Ford," he greeted me warmly. "It's good to see you. How about a beer?"
"I'd love one." I grinned back at him. I watched him get two bottles out of the fridge and hand one to me. I grabbed the bottle opener out of a drawer to pop the cap off mine, then handed it to David. He opened his bottle, then picked it up along with the pan of steaks.
"Come out to the grill with me," David suggested.
I followed him out the back door onto his large deck. It was beautiful out here, with all the potted plants and flowers. The mature trees gave the area just enough shade to make it comfortable. David's grill was already on and warmed up. I watched him open the lid and carefully place the meat on it, the sizzling noise making my stomach growl.
"I appreciate you letting me hide out here with you," I said wryly.
"Is it that bad in there already?" David asked with a worried expression.
"Nah," I answered with a grin, "They're too distracted by your son right now. We'll see how long that lasts."
"I still can't believe your sister convinced them both to come over today."
"We all love that kid of yours," I said warmly. His face softened at the mention of his baby. "We'd all do just about anything for Daniel." That included being here with my dad and putting up with how he treated me.
"You know I really appreciate you being here today, and so does Natalie." David didn't know the details, but he knew Dad and I barely got along most of the time. He knew it cost me to be here.
"Like I said," I said softly. "Anything for that kid." I think that kid was the biggest reason that I wanted to find something more with a woman. Seeing my sister's happy little family made me start longing for one of my own. Jen's face popped into my head again. I suddenly wondered if I could have that with her. Holy hell, if Jen knew I was having thoughts like this about her; I'd probably never see her again. I needed to rein that shit in. I had to take our relationship slowly and one step at a time.
Suddenly, my phone chirped with an incoming text. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and smiled. Speak of the devil. It was from Jen. I opened it to find an image that made my eyes nearly bug out of my damn head. It was a selfie of her upper body with her smiling wickedly at the camera. She was lying on her back in bed with her silken hair fanned out across her pillow. She was topless except for that blue silk scarf draped provocatively across her breasts. I could just make out her hard nipples through the sheer fabric. The text with it read, Thinking about last night...
"Holy hell," I blurted out under my breath.
"What?" David asked curiously as he tried to peek at the screen.
"Nothing." I abruptly pressed the screen to my chest. I'd be damned if anyone else saw that picture. My face suddenly felt warm, my body tingling all over.
"From the look on your face, I'd say that was a whole hell of a lot more than nothing." David was grinning in amusement at me. "Your face is red, Ford. Are you embarrassed? I didn't know that was even possible."
"I'm not fucking embarrassed." I leveled a glare at David as I tried not to grin like an idiot. To be honest I was mostly just turned on.
"Wait a minute," David said as he eyed me suspiciously. "Did you meet someone?" A corner of his mouth quirked up.
My face got warmer. Now I was embarrassed. "Maybe," I grumbled out, but couldn't manage to keep the idiotic smile off my face anymore.
"I'm taking it from that stupid look on your face that this is more than just a fling."
"Maybe."
David's smile turned warm. "I'm happy for you, Ford."
"She's something special, David," I admitted with a soft smile. "I've never felt like this before. It...it feels like she's my missing piece."
He nodded knowingly. "How did you meet her?"
"She came in for a tattoo last Saturday after you guys left."
"I told you it would sneak up on you," David said smugly.
"It sure did," I said with a wide grin. "I think I might be falling in love with her." It was the first time I admitted that to myself. The thought didn't scare me like I thought it would. "She's crazy and wild and sweet, all at the same time. She makes me feel more like myself. She's...she's amazing."
"Good for you," he said sincerely. "And whatever you do, don't do what I did and try to fuck it all up."
"Well, I'm kind of flying blind here, but I'm going to try my damnedest not to do that." I lifted my beer up. "Wish me luck."
"Hear, hear," David replied and clinked his bottle against mine. "I can't wait to meet her." He turned back to the grill, and I glanced at the picture of Jen again. My God, she was so fucking sexy and gorgeous and perfect. I couldn't wait to see her again. I typed out a reply.
Looking forward to the next...
I hit send and grinned like an idiot again. Suddenly, getting through this dinner with my father didn't seem so bad anymore. Hell, with Jen in my life, nothing felt bad right now, and I hoped the feeling would last forever.
**********
I decided to stay away from Jen for a few days, since I didn't want to push her into anything that she wasn't ready for. I didn't want to scare her or overwhelm her, even though I missed her like I'd never missed anyone before, and my body ached for her. I had it bad, yet I wasn't scared at all. Maybe I should have been, but I'd never been one to shy away from something I wanted. And I wanted Jen. I was determined to do whatever it took to make that happen. Even if it meant keeping away from her for a while.
By Wednesday though, I was done giving Jenny the space that I thought she needed. We texted off and on everyday, and talked on the phone each night, but it wasn't enough. I needed to see her, touch her, be with her, so I decided to take a chance and ask her if I could bring her lunch at work. I figured it was pretty non-threatening since it wasn't an actual date. I was pleased that she readily accepted when I texted her midmorning to ask her about it.
I was excited as I drove to Purcell Auto just before noon, but one hell of an attack of nerves hit me when
I pulled into the parking lot. I knew she worked with her family, and I wanted to make a good impression. I hoped like hell they didn't have a problem with my tattoos or expected her to date some clean-cut guy in a suit. I guess all I could do was be myself and hope for the best. My father taught me a harsh lesson. Not everyone was open-minded and accepting of people who didn't fit their idea of the "social norm".
I parked my truck near the service entrance and texted Jen to let her know I was here. I grabbed the bag of sandwiches I picked up for us and got out of my truck. I was just closing the door when someone spoke nearby.
"Nice truck, dude," a male voice announced. I glanced over the hood of my Ford to see a guy with short light brown hair standing near one of the large open garage doors a few yards away and admiring my truck. He was wearing a blue Purcell Auto work shirt with a name tag that said "Andy" on it.
"Thanks, man," I replied with a smile. I prided myself in the pristine condition that I kept my F-100 in.
"What year is it? A '64?"
"It's a '65 actually." I walked around the front of the truck toward the guy.
"Did your rebuild it yourself?" he asked as he met my eyes. His eyes were bright blue, and they looked familiar. With a jolt, I realized it was because they looked just like Jen's. Shit, this must be her brother.
"Nah." I shook my head, trying to play it cool. "I'm not that good with cars."
"How long have you had her?"
"I guess about seventeen years now."
"What did you do?" he asked wryly. "Buy it when you were twelve?"
I laughed. I liked him already. "Sixteen, but thanks for the compliment."
"If you're looking to trade her in, I'm sure we can give you a decent amount for her." He eyed my truck appreciatively again.
"Hell no, she's the only four-wheeled vehicle I've ever owned. I'd just assume trade in a limb," I said vehemently with a smile.
"Seriously?" he asked with an impressed expression. "Like the only one, ever?"
"Yeah," I admitted with a shrug. "I fell in love with her, and I've been driving her ever since."
"Wow," he said in an impressed tone. "I've never had the attention span to keep anything that long." He suddenly gave me an accessing look. "If you're not here to get a car, what are you here for?" he asked with mock suspicion.
"I'm here to see Jenny," I admitted with a wide grin, hoping to stay on his good side as I held up the bag of food. "I brought her lunch."
His mock suspicion started to look real to me. His eyes narrowed as he looked me up and down. "You must be Ford." The easy friendliness we had just shared seemed to be fading fast. Great, just what I needed, an over-protective big brother.
"And you must be her brother," I said, still smiling as I reached out to shake his hand. "It's good to meet you, Andy."
He eyed my hand for a second, then grudgingly shook it, squeezing my hand a little harder than he needed to. I refused to take the bait and kept my grip firm yet relaxed. When he pulled his hand away, he crossed his arms over his chest and pursed his lips for a second before speaking again.
"So..." he said sternly. "What exactly are your intentions with my little sister?" My eyes widened at Andy's straightforward and to the point question. I didn't expect an inquisition already.
"Andy!" I heard Jenny call out in annoyance. Andy startled guiltily.
I glanced over to see Jen striding purposefully through the open garage doors toward us, glaring at her brother. She was dressed in a white short-sleeved blouse and a fitted knee-length black skirt with a wide studded leather belt. Her red stiletto pumps made her legs go on for miles. Holy hell, she looked so fucking hot that all I could do was stare at her mindlessly.
"Quit acting like an idiot," she said to him in a clipped voice laced with irritation. "He's just here to have lunch with me, not drag me off by the hair to his cave."
Andy's sudden fearful and sheepish expression was almost laughable. Jenny was a force to be reckoned with when she was angry. A fact I'm sure he was well aware of since he'd known her for her entire life.
"It's alright," I threw out before she really laid into her brother. "I have a little sister, myself. I get it. He's just looking out for you."
Andy gave me a grateful expression, and Jenny turned her glare on me, her eyes flashing a fiery blue. "Don't defend him. I can look out for myself."
I put my hands up in surrender. "I know, Jen," I said calmly. Trying not to smile as she turned her anger on me. Her breasts heaved hypnotically as she breathed. It was all I could do not to stare at them.
"I'm going to get back to work," Andy blurted out suddenly and hurried into the garage, leaving me to my fate. Lucky for me, I found angry Jen just as appealing as sweet Jen.
"I didn't mean to imply that you couldn't, honey," I said apologetically as I approached her slowly. I gave her a warm sincere smile. Her eyes softened almost imperceptibly, but enough to know she was settling down. I reached out and ran my knuckles across her cheek gently. She tilted her face into my hand just a tiny little bit, and I knew I had her. "Are you hungry?" I asked, really wanting to tell her how much I missed her, but I was afraid that would have been a little too much for her to deal with.
"I'm starving," she answered as a smile finally lit up her face. "What did you bring me?" She glanced down at the bag in my hand.
"I have a roast beef and a chicken club sandwich from this really great deli down the street from my shop." I gave her the bag. "I'll eat whichever one you don't."
She peered into the bag, and her smile widened. "Are those cookies?"
"Chocolate chip."
"Has anyone told you how amazing you are?" she said jokingly.
"Not by anyone who mattered before," I said without thinking, and her eyes widened slightly in surprise at my comment. She shifted on her feet uncomfortably. Shit. So much for not scaring her.
"Come on," she finally said warmly with a slight softening around her eyes. I let out a quiet sigh of relief as I realized I hadn't fucked up too badly with my slip. "Let's go to my office." She took my hand and led me through the garage. I saw Andy watching us with a thoughtful expression from across the room, where he was leaning under the hood of a car. At least, he wasn't glaring at me anymore. When I caught his eye, he nodded slightly at me, a look of grudging respect on his face. Maybe I did make a good impression on her brother. I certainly hoped so.
Jen led me through a door, and down a hall lined with offices with clear glass walls, and I couldn't help but notice the eyes on me as we passed. I'm sure we were quite a sight with her sexy business attire and me with my tattooed arms in a faded T-shirt and jeans. I didn't give any of them much mind though, since Jen obviously didn't care. She held my hand all the way to her office like it was the most natural thing in the world, paying no mind to the stares at all. The fact that she accepted me just the way I was, meant a lot to me.
I followed her into her office at the end of the hall. I was pleased that Jen's office had actual walls, so we could have some privacy. Jen closed the door, went to her desk, and put the bag of sandwiches down. Then her brilliant sapphire eyes focused on me and a slow smile spread across her lips as she walked toward me.
"I want an appetizer before lunch," she said suggestively as she stopped in front of me and put her hands on my chest. She slid them up until they wrapped around the back of my neck, and her fingers tangled in my hair. I took her in my arms and pulled her body flush against mine. I glanced down into her blouse to admire her glorious cleavage. I had yet to get a chance to lavish her breasts with enough attention. They really were exquisite.
"Ford," she murmured my name and my eyes moved up to her lips. Holy hell, they were mouthwatering, full and plush with the bottom lip just a little plumper than the top. They felt amazing to kiss and even better around my cock. She pulled my face down to hers and pressed her lips against mine. I sucked her luscious lower lip into my mouth, and sucked on it until she moaned and pressed herself even closer to me. I groaned with wan
t and need. I was starting to get hard, and I did not want that to happen here, yet I couldn't seem to stop kissing her. All I could suddenly think about was bending her over her desk and fucking her.
Fortunately, Jen had better sense than me, and she managed to pull back so we could both catch our breath. When I met her eyes, they looked just as wild and out of control as I imagined mine did right now. No woman ever had this effect on me. With a sigh of regret, I stepped back to put some much-needed distance between us. I had no intention of having sex with her in her family's business. Her father and brother were in the same damn building for fuck's sake.
She must have been on the same page, because she went around to her desk chair and started pulling the sandwiches out of the bag. Her cheeks were flushed and her breathing still heavy though. I smirked at her in amusement, which she returned with glittering eyes.
"Have a seat." She motioned toward the two chairs in front of her desk. "I think we should keep the desk between us before I rip your clothes off and ravish you."
"You're going to ravish me?" I asked with a grin as I sat down and accepted the roast beef sandwich she handed me.
"Yeah," she said with that impish smile that I was starting to love. "After I drag you off to my cave by your hair."
I smiled helplessly at her. Shit, who was I kidding. I was starting to fall in love with her, and everything I found out about her made me want her more.
"I missed you, Jen," I blurted out softly, unable to help myself, the sandwich forgotten in my hand.
She looked spooked for a beat, but then to my surprise, a small warm smile curved across her gorgeous lips. "I...I missed you too."
This time when I stared at her longingly, she held my gaze with affection in her eyes. It seemed like my slow and patient approach to this blossoming relationship was actually working. I didn't want to push my luck though, so I asked her how her day was going as I opened my sandwich. We both kept the rest of our lunch casual, chatting and flirting as we ate. Jen was just so comfortable to be around, like we'd known each other a lot longer than just a week and a half.
An Act of Restraint: Order & Chaos Book 1 Page 13
