“Evil? No.” Ash went along with Jordan’s playful banter. “Genius, maybe, but not evil. And it was Maria’s idea.”
“Is her mother really coming for the weekend?”
“Yes, both her parents are. It’s their anniversary, and it’s difficult for Maria to travel long distances, so they come here to celebrate. They live in Massachusetts.” Ash studied Jordan’s profile for a moment before pulling her hand away. It was getting difficult to keep herself from moving it up higher on Jordan’s thigh. “You aren’t upset, are you?”
“No, Ash, I’m not.” She reached for Ash’s hand and Ash let her pull it back into her lap. “And when we get out of this damn car I’ll show you how not upset I am. How much farther is it?”
“Less than an hour.”
“Christ, I might be dead by then,” Jordan muttered.
Ash was surprised when Jordan placed Ash’s hand between her legs and pushed it against her center as she pushed back with her hips. She held her own legs together tightly and bit back a groan when she felt a surge of wetness. The answering heat coming from Jordan’s center told Ash all she needed to know. The next hour was going to crawl by.
Chapter Twenty-two
They made sure Maria was home safe before pulling Ash’s SUV into the garage. As soon as the overhead door closed, Ash twisted in her seat and shoved her hand between Jordan’s legs again. Jordan grabbed her wrist and shook her head.
“Please,” she heard herself beg. She rested her forehead against Jordan’s shoulder. “I need you, Jordan. I need to touch you. Now.”
“And let the fine meal you spent all day making go to waste?” Jordan smiled. When Ash pulled away, Jordan put a hand behind her neck and held her in place. Ash almost melted at the intensity in Jordan’s eyes. “Don’t worry. I won’t change my mind and bail on you, all right? Besides, for what I have planned for you, we’ll both need sustenance.”
Ash bit her bottom lip hard to pull her mind from the fact if she moved just right against the seam of her shorts, she’d come right there in the truck without Jordan ever touching her. How embarrassing would that be?
“Do you mind if I take a quick shower while you get dinner ready?” Jordan asked when they were inside the house.
“Go ahead. There’s a robe on the back of the bathroom door you can use if you like.” Ash forced herself to go into the kitchen and warm up the garlic bread. Every fiber of her being wanted to be in that shower with Jordan.
She tried not to think about Jordan upstairs. In her shower. Naked. Lathering up her body. She bit her lip again but couldn’t stifle the groan at the visual she now couldn’t get out of her head. When she heard the water shut off a few minutes later, she filled their bowls with stew, and put the bread on a plate before opening the wine and pouring them each a glass.
Her knees almost gave out when Jordan walked into the kitchen, the white robe cinched loosely around her waist, her feet bare, and her hair slicked back. Jordan held a chair out for her, and as soon as she was seated, Jordan pressed her lips to Ash’s jaw, right beneath her ear. She was shocked Jordan remembered that was her sensitive spot.
“This looks and smells amazing,” Jordan said as she took a seat. After a sip of wine she picked up her spoon and started eating. “Oh, my God, this is wonderful.” She leaned forward and pointed at Ash’s bowl with her spoon. “You’re not eating.”
“Can’t,” Ash managed, her eyes glued to the cleavage exposed by the robe Jordan was wearing. There was very little left to the imagination. “I might choke to death if you keep doing that.”
Jordan looked down and grinned before pulling the robe tighter around her chest. Ash was grateful Jordan seemed to have the decency to blush. Ash put a spoonful in her mouth but couldn’t taste anything. The only thing she wanted on the menu tonight was sitting in the chair across from her.
“What changed?” Ash asked after they spent a few minutes eating and not talking.
“I’m sorry?”
“You were so adamant about nothing happening between us,” Ash explained. She hoped she wasn’t making a mistake by pointing out Jordan’s former reluctance to what they were apparently about to do. “But since we talked on the phone last night you seem to have done a complete one eighty. Especially now since you seem to be trying to flash me at every opportunity.”
Jordan didn’t answer right away but merely looked at her food as she pushed it around in the bowl. She finally set her spoon down and pushed the bowl away before leaning back in her seat and meeting Ash’s eyes.
“I was an ass to you Sunday night at Starbucks. I felt bad about it, and I was too nervous to call and apologize.” Jordan smiled and shook her head. “I lied when I said anything beef is my weakness. You are my only weakness. It isn’t your fault that I can’t seem to say no to you, and I shouldn’t have taken my frustrations out on you. When the tournament was over on Tuesday night, I wanted to go out and celebrate. But then I realized the only woman I wanted to share it with was you. I’m sorry, Ash. Can you forgive me?”
“Of course I forgive you.”
“Thank you.”
“You won a hell of a lot of money,” Ash said with a grin.
“Close to three hundred grand.” Jordan nodded. “But that’s nothing compared to what I could win in the Main Event. Last year the winner got over eight million.”
“When’s your first day for that?”
“Not until the third day, which is a week from Monday. Since I entered so late, there weren’t any open slots for Saturday or Sunday. I have another no-limit hold ’em tournament starting this Sunday though. Same setup as the other one I played.” Jordan stood and held her hand out to Ash, who shook her head.
“I should do the dishes.”
“Seriously?” Jordan couldn’t help but laugh as she looked around the kitchen. “They’ll still be here in the morning, you know.”
“You drive a hard bargain.” Ash took her hand and Jordan pulled her to her feet. “Why don’t you bring the wine upstairs while I hop in the shower?”
Jordan nodded and smiled before watching Ash disappear up the stairs. She took a deep breath and sat down for a minute. Was she doing the right thing, or was she merely setting herself up for another fall? And did it really matter? She knew they were headed for this from the night she’d gone to the show with Ash. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t want it. She’d never wanted anything more. But it could only be a fling. And she needed to make sure Ash knew that before it went too far.
With a sigh, she grabbed the bottle of wine and their glasses and went up to the bedroom. By the time she filled them and sat on the edge of the bed, Ash was coming out of the bathroom, covered by a robe of her own.
“Hers and hers robes?” Jordan asked, not liking the pang of jealousy that shot through her chest at the thought. She watched as Ash walked toward her without speaking. The predatory look in Ash’s eyes set her body on fire.
“I don’t do laundry as often as I should.” Ash placed a hand firmly on Jordan’s chest and pushed her onto her back as she straddled her. “This way I always have at least one clean robe.”
Jordan thought she’d explode when Ash put a hand between their bodies and her fingers slid easily inside her. Ash groaned and Jordan closed her eyes. Her hands cupped Ash’s ass and Ash leaned down to capture Jordan’s earlobe with her teeth. Jordan’s hips thrust involuntarily as a jolt of excitement coursed through her.
“But I’m pretty sure neither one of them are clean anymore.” Ash’s tongue moved slowly along Jordan’s jaw before nipping her chin lightly and moving down her throat. She moved quickly so she was kneeling between Jordan’s legs.
“Ash, wait,” Jordan managed in a strangled voice as she lifted her head. They needed to set ground rules, didn’t they? So in the morning they were on the same page. There was a reason for it, she was certain, but coherent thought escaped her at the moment. All that mattered was the way Ash was touching her.
“Why? You don’t want
this?” Ash’s smile told Jordan she knew damn well she wanted this.
“God, yes, I want it,” Jordan said, her head falling back to the mattress. She covered her eyes with her arm as she rested her other hand on her stomach. She felt Ash climb onto the bed and stretch out beside her. She allowed Ash to pull her arm away from her face.
“Jordan, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Jordan wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. She’d never cried in front of anyone except her brother, and she wasn’t going to start now.
“Bullshit. Please talk to me.” Ash put a hand on her cheek and forced her to look at her.
The love and desire she saw in Ash’s eyes was nearly her undoing. She forcibly stopped herself from telling Ash about the MS. She tried to turn her head away, just so she could gather her thoughts, but Ash wouldn’t allow it, so Jordan put what she hoped looked like a genuine smile on her face.
“It’s nothing. This is just a little overwhelming.” What Jordan was telling her wasn’t a lie; it just wasn’t the whole truth. She touched Ash’s cheek with the back of her fingers as she spoke. “Ten days ago, I was sure I’d never see you again. And I really thought I was okay with that. But now, here with you, I feel like I’m really alive again. I don’t feel lost anymore. But I didn’t know I was lost until now. Does that make any sense?”
“Yes,” Ash said with a nod. “It makes perfect sense. I couldn’t let myself see it before, but it’s all so clear now. I don’t know what’s going to happen when you’re done playing poker, but I’m willing to find out. Are you?”
“Yes.” Jordan said even though she knew what would happen. She’d go back to Philly—alone. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy herself in the meantime. That they couldn’t both enjoy themselves. She stood and let her robe fall to the floor before walking to the other side of the bed and getting under the covers. She watched with a growing fire deep in her core as Ash did the same. When she crawled into the bed, Jordan reached for her and pulled Ash on top of her, spreading her legs so Ash could settle in between her thighs. “Now, where were we?”
Ash smiled as she pushed herself down under the covers. Jordan closed her eyes and arched her back when Ash pushed inside her again. She couldn’t stifle the moan when she felt Ash’s mouth close around her clit, sucking gently. The fire exploded almost immediately at the base of her spine and worked its way through her body. She threaded her fingers through Ash’s hair and held her where she needed her, thrusting against her mouth until she was completely spent.
It seemed like forever, yet not nearly long enough, before her body relaxed back into the mattress and she released her hold on Ash. When she felt her strength returning, she urged Ash back up to lay beside her.
“No one’s ever been able to make me come as fast as you can,” she said when her breathing finally evened out. She brushed a strand of hair away from Ash’s eyes and kissed her, moaning at the taste of her own desire, so incredibly sexy on Ash’s lips and tongue. “You always did know exactly what I needed.”
“But next time, it will be slower. I want to enjoy every inch of your body tonight.” Ash said, giving no resistance when Jordan slowly pushed her onto her back. “Yes, Jordan, I need you so badly. Please, go inside. Don’t make me wait.”
Jordan held her gaze as she moved her hand down across Ash’s stomach and into her wetness. She thought she might come all over again at the look in Ash’s eyes when she easily pushed two fingers inside her. They fell into a slow rhythm as Ash moved her hand to the back of Jordan’s neck and pulled her closer.
“Don’t close your eyes,” Jordan said. “I want to see you when you come.”
Ash nodded and held onto her as their movements got a little faster and their breathing more erratic. Jordan loved the way Ash’s eyes would start to close when her thumb rubbed against her clit with each thrust. Ash held on tighter and Jordan could feel the muscles tightening around her fingers, but she stopped her movements.
“God, no, don’t stop now,” Ash pleaded, staring into her eyes.
“I’m not nearly ready for this to be over, baby,” Jordan told her. “Just relax and let me give you what you need.”
“I might explode,” she whispered.
“Yes, you will, but not from me stopping.”
Ash’s pupils got amazingly large right before she crushed her lips against Jordan’s. She moaned into Ash’s mouth as Ash urged her to thrust her fingers again. Jordan did, and Ash cried out in her mouth as her body clamped down on Jordan’s fingers. Ash broke the kiss but kept their foreheads pressed together as her hips kept moving, obviously trying to milk every last tremor she could while Jordan was still inside her.
“Fuck,” she said when Jordan slowly pulled out and pressed the heel of her hand against her clit. When Jordan put her fingers in her mouth and sucked her juices off, Ash flipped them over and pressed her center against Jordan’s firm thigh. “Fuck.”
“We just did,” Jordan grinned as she licked her lips. “But I can do this all night. Too bad you have to work tomorrow.”
“I don’t,” Ash said before taking a nipple into her mouth. “I’m off until Sunday because I’ll be working nine days straight. So I can do this all night, all day tomorrow, and all of tomorrow night.”
“Don’t you need to sleep sometime?”
“Sleep’s overrated.”
Chapter Twenty-three
Ash opened her eyes and groaned when she saw the clock said it was seven in the morning. Her mood improved when she felt Jordan press her body tightly against her from behind and put an arm around her middle, holding her in place. She lost count of how many times they’d reached for one another through the night. God knew she should be satisfied, but it seemed she couldn’t get enough of Jordan. Or Jordan her. She closed her eyes and pressed her ass back against Jordan, causing Jordan to take in a deep breath.
“Jesus, you are insatiable,” Jordan mumbled.
“I could say the same about you.”
“Yeah, ain’t it grand?”
Ash laughed at the smile she heard in Jordan’s voice. She sucked in a breath when Jordan’s hand moved to her breast and lightly squeezed her nipple at the same time her mouth moved to that spot right below her ear.
“I think we need to eat something, don’t we?” Ash asked, even though leaving the bed was the last thing she wanted to do. She was afraid if they got up the magical bubble would burst and Jordan would remember her objections to them getting involved again.
“I think I’d rather have you for breakfast,” Jordan said into her ear. “Food will still be there later.”
Ash turned in her arms and forced Jordan onto her back. She straddled her hips and rubbed herself against Jordan’s abdomen. She threw her head back when Jordan gripped her hips and forced her to slide a little further down her body.
“You are so fucking sexy,” Jordan said, her hands moving slowly up Ash’s torso and around to cover her breasts. Ash leaned into her touch and sucked in her bottom lip, not wanting this to end—ever. “So damn beautiful.”
“I want your mouth on me, baby,” Ash said, feeling uncharacteristically needy. Her sex was so swollen it ached, and she knew Jordan could give her what she needed. Jordan had always been the only one who could.
She watched as Jordan smiled up at her before moving her hands to her ass and urging her forward until she was hovering over Jordan’s face. She was close enough to be able to feel Jordan’s heated breath on her wet flesh, which ignited her body even more. She cried out when Jordan entered her with her tongue.
“I’m so close, Jordan,” she said. Her body tensed and she went over the edge when Jordan swiped her tongue once along her clit and thrust her fingers inside her at the same time. Jordan held her against her mouth as she rode out the waves of pleasure before finally collapsing next to Jordan. “Damn, that was hot.”
“That’s my idea of breakfast in bed.” Jordan kissed her throat and pulled her tighter against her body
. “But we should probably eat something a little more substantial.”
“You’ve got to be close too,” Ash said as she slid a hand down Jordan’s abdomen. They were both sweating from the hours they’d spent pleasuring each other, and her hand moved easily across her skin. “Let me take care of you.”
“Later,” Jordan said. She framed Ash’s face between her hands and kissed her, and Ash felt the answering call of her body when Jordan’s tongue slid along hers.
“Fuck,” Ash said as she pulled away from her. “You can turn me on with just a kiss. I should be melted into a pool of ecstasy after all the times you made me come since last night. Yet I can’t seem to get enough of you.”
Jordan looked like she might start to cry, and Ash touched her cheek tenderly.
“I’ve missed you so much,” Jordan said. “It’s crazy that I didn’t have a clue exactly how much until this past week. I’m afraid to let you go. I just want to stay here in your arms and forget about the rest of the world.”
“I’m not going anywhere, baby,” Ash assured her. She rested her head on Jordan’s chest and allowed the strong, steady heartbeat to comfort her. She was suddenly scared to death that Jordan was going to leave her when she was done playing poker. How could she possibly make Jordan believe she wanted to spend the rest of her life with her?
*
Jordan stood in the shower letting the water beat down hard and hot against her neck and shoulders. She hurt in places she hadn’t hurt for years. Nobody had ever given her a workout like Ash could, and it felt good. Better than good. And Jordan knew that was bad. She turned and lifted her face to the spray, trying not to think about her neurologist telling her that heat would make her symptoms worse. Even the heat from a hot shower. How fucked up was that? Was she supposed to never take a hot shower again?
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