9 1/2 Days

by Mia Zachary

  “Oh, look over here!” Aunt Celeste pointed excitedly at the sign for Phantoms of the Deep, a special exhibit of several different types of jellyfish.

  Her mother and cousin followed, while her father and uncle headed upstairs to the Amazon River Forest, deeply engrossed in a heated discussion about the Orioles chances of winning tonight’s baseball game.

  Danny kept her back with a hand at the base of her spine. “Wait for a minute. Let them go through first.”

  Jordan slid a sideways glance at him, the hint of a smile touching her mouth. “What are you up to?”

  “Nothing yet, but who knows what might happen once your family moves on.”

  His gaze traveled her body and she felt the look like a physical touch. A shiver of awareness battled with a twinge of apprehension. His intent couldn’t have been clearer and the sensual side of her that he’d awakened the other night impatiently anticipated his touch, but the good girl in her was nervous about fooling around in a public place.

  As soon as her family went upstairs, Danny led her into the darkened gallery. The walls, floor and ceiling of the alcove were pitch-black, highlighting the seven tanks against the back wall. Softly colored underlights differentiated the delicate and graceful jellyfish and emphasized the angles and planes of Danny’s face.

  He pulled her to him. “You have no idea how turned-on I am right now, knowing that this skirt is the only thing between me and your sexy body.”

  The husky edge of his voice resonated through her, even if she didn’t believe his words. “I’m not—”

  “Yes. You are.”

  Danny moved his hands up to her breasts, cupping their weight in his palms. His thumbs traced circles around her nipples, making her gasp and look around, afraid someone could see them. His head came down to capture her open mouth in a searing kiss. It was then that she felt the proof of his desire against her thigh. No longer caring if they got caught, she deepened the kiss with eager enthusiasm.

  Danny slid his hands down to her waist, pushing her away slightly, before shifting his right hand to the hem of her skirt. His questing fingers delved beneath the fabric until he made contact with her bare skin. A heavy, aching need settled in her belly as his large palm caressed the curves of her bare bottom. Then he moved around her hip to touch the damp curls between her thighs.

  The feel of his finger on her delicate flesh was a delightful shock, but after a few seconds, she relaxed and widened her stance. He rubbed lazy circles around her clitoris before dipping into her moist heat. She was on the edge, breathing hard against his mouth as her body tightened.

  With a soft groan, she broke the kiss and tugged at her skirt. “I can’t do this. Somebody could come.”

  “I’m hoping it will be you.” He pushed a little deeper, making her wiggle against his hand.

  A flame of desire ignited within her, burned away her inhibitions. He urged her on, increasing the sensual pressure until the slow, insistent throb became a deep pulsing tremor. Danny held her to his chest until her heart rate slowed and her legs stopped trembling. Then he kissed her once and adjusted her skirt back in place.

  “Um, what about you?” Slightly self-conscious of her action, Jordan brushed her hand across the bulge in his jeans.

  “All I wanted for now was for you to fulfill one of my fantasies. That was number six, by the way—Barely Behaving.”

  Instantly recognizing the scenario, Jordan let out a startled laugh. “I was wondering if you saw my book yesterday morning.”

  His wide smile gleamed in the multicolored lights. “I bought my own copy last night.”

  When they finally made it to the next level, Angela glanced over at them briefly, but Jordan wasn’t fooled for a second. In that one instant, her mother’s sharp eyes had taken in their intertwined hands, the bright color on her cheeks and the grin on Danny’s face.

  Her cousin noticed, too, but unlike her mother, Keisha was not at all pleased. Jordan knew it was petty, but she couldn’t help a little jolt of satisfaction that for once her cousin was jealous of her. Reveling in the moment, Jordan planted a quick kiss on Danny’s lips.

  The best part of the National Aquarium was the Atlantic Coral Reef, a 335,000-gallon, circular four-level tank filled with vibrant tropical fish. As they slowly descended the series of ramps inside the silo, marveling at the vividly colored parrot fish, silver lookdowns and sparkling angelfish, Danny was so attentive and affectionate that Jordan had to keep reminding herself it was all an act.

  When the tour was over, Daddy and Uncle Matt complained that looking at all of those fish had made them hungry. Her mother offered Danny a smile.

  “Why don’t you join us for dinner, David? We’re only a few blocks from Little Italy.” She turned her head. “Jackson, do you want to walk over to Velleggia’s or Chiapparelli’s?”

  If she hadn’t been focused on Danny’s face, Jordan might not have seen the slight contraction of his features. Though his expression didn’t change, she sensed his withdrawal. His brow crinkled in regret, but his tone held a note of insincerity.

  “Sorry, everyone, but I can’t make it. I’ve got a ton of work to do on the Gregg case.”

  Her father slapped him on the back. “It’s Friday night, David. Surely it can wait until Monday.”

  Jordan had no choice but to support the fabrication. “Senior associates are expected to put in a six-day week, Daddy. If David is going to join us for the cookout, he’ll have to make up the time.”

  “Well, if you’re sure…” her mother began.

  Danny smiled at her. “Thank you for the aquarium tour, Mrs. Gregory. I had a great time.” He turned to give Jordan a hug. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow, okay?”

  She nodded and watched him walk away, confused by her sudden feeling of loneliness. It wasn’t as if her real fiancé had just abandoned her. So why did it feel that way?

  9

  AT HALF-PAST EIGHT on a Saturday morning, Danny’s Jeep was one of the few vehicles on the Baltimore city streets. On a normal day off, he would have slept until the growling in his stomach forced him out of bed. Today he’d risen with the sun, unable to get Jordan off his mind.

  He had nothing to feel guilty about. This was only a fake engagement. It wasn’t as if they were supposed to spend every single minute together. But he couldn’t forget the way she’d looked at him as he left the aquarium. It would have been easier if she’d been angry. Instead, she’d looked crestfallen.

  The idea of sharing a meal with the Gregorys had panicked him. Dinner around a single table would have been a dangerous opportunity for probing questions he wasn’t prepared to answer. Sharing a meal would have made the charade all too real.

  He’d never had to meet any of his other girlfriends’ families. Not that Jordan was his girlfriend. They were barely even lovers. And yet, here he was, driving down St. Paul Street instead of sleeping.

  Danny found a parking space and, recalling the first time he’d stood on this front step, rang the doorbell. Fun and games, that’s all this was. Several minutes later, Jordan finally answered the door. She looked disheveled and annoyed. She looked beautiful. Her face had the sleepy glow of a woman who’d just left a warm bed and even warmer dreams.

  As she poked her head through the opening, however, her voice was frosty. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

  “It’s anytime.”

  “Any what?”

  He offered her a lazy smile. “In accordance with our agreement, counselor, let me in.”

  She groaned, scrubbing a hand over her face, and moved aside. “I thought you were picking me up for the barbecue.”

  Danny shrugged. “I am. I just didn’t say how early.”

  “It’s too early for sex.” Jordan covered a yawn.

  “I was afraid you were going to say that.” He closed the door behind him. “Nice jammies.”

  That woke her up. Her eyes widened as she realized she had on purple jersey sleep pants and an orange T-shirt. She made a halfheart
ed attempt to cover herself with her arm then gave up the effort. “If you ever tell anybody you saw me wearing these, you’re history.”

  “My lips are sealed.” To prove it, he caught her into his arms for a fast kiss. She felt warm and soft and cuddly and he was glad he had followed his impulse to come over.

  Jordan seemed flustered, combing her hands over her hair as she backed away from him. She gestured toward the living room. “Make yourself comfortable while I get dressed. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

  “You look great. Don’t get dressed for my benefit. In fact, how about getting undressed?” He tried to put his hands on her hips and pull her to him, but she danced out of reach.

  “The remote control is on the coffee table.”

  Danny affected a scowl and crossed his arms. “I think we have a breach-of-contract issue here.”

  “So sue me,” Jordan called over her shoulder as she went up the stairs.

  He sighed and wandered into the excruciatingly neat living room. Crystal lamps with embroidered silk shades cast a soft glow over the two blue velvet love seats. A stack of fashion magazines, neatly sorted by title and date, was piled on one of the end tables. Across the room, the movie cases were arranged alphabetically in the oak entertainment cabinet.

  He wasn’t exactly a slob, but the degree of Jordan’s organization was kind of scary.

  Danny flopped down on the couch and turned on the television. He surfed the channels for a minute, finally recognizing All About Eve on a classic movie station. By the time Bette Davis figured out that her rival had usurped her place on stage, he was wondering why Jordan was taking so long. When the credits rolled and another movie began, he decided he’d better check on her. He was just about to get up when he heard her come down the steps.

  “Oh, The Philadelphia Story. I love Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant in this one.”

  All he could do was stare. Her dark, thick hair was curled into sexy waves and she’d painted her face. Who the hell wore all of that makeup on a Saturday morning? She’d changed into a light cotton sweater and a pair of jeans. She looked ready to go to the barbecue, but a glance at the clock on the mantel told him they still had an hour and a half before they had to leave.

  She sat down next to him on the love seat, her attention on the TV screen. Danny watched her more than he did the movie. Considering the type of women he usually dated, it surprised him that he preferred Jordan with crazy sleepwear and an unadorned face. She looked pretty now, but her natural beauty was better.

  “I meant it when I said you looked great before.”

  “Yeah, right. With wild hair and a pale face and my neon jammies.”

  She tucked her feet beneath her and cuddled against his side. The warmth of her seeped into him as he draped his arm over her shoulders. Then he realized what he’d done. This little scene was too damned cozy. He felt discomfited by her closeness, by the casualness of the moment. This wasn’t part of the deal.

  Danny’s pulse accelerated and he suddenly felt agitated. Remember the sex. Think about the sex. Maybe he should reach down and grope her breast. Or better still, just kiss her senseless and take her right on the couch. It had been a mistake to come over here. What the hell was he thinking?

  “This is nice.” Jordan smiled at him.

  He suppressed a sigh and nodded his head. “Yeah.”

  “How about some breakfast?”

  “Don’t go to any trouble.” Now this was really getting domestic.

  She patted his stomach playfully. “Oh, it’s no problem. Unlike you, I cook.”

  She hopped up and headed toward the kitchen. So there he was, sitting on the couch, watching a romantic comedy while the little woman cooked bacon. He felt entirely too at home, but there was no way he could leave. He’d just have to tough it out. Besides, a guy needed to eat.

  Within fifteen minutes, Jordan returned from the kitchen with a covered serving tray. His stomach made itself loudly known, anticipating firehouse chow—fried eggs, sausage, potatoes. Instead Jordan lifted the cover with a flourish to reveal egg white omelets with turkey bacon and sliced tomatoes.

  Yum.

  Danny picked up his fork and poked at the food on his plate. She was still standing there anxiously so, not wanting to hurt her feelings, he speared a mouthful of white fluff with red and green specks and swallowed.

  “Delicious. Thanks.”

  “I’m so glad you like it. Enjoy and finish watching the movie while I go get ready.”

  “Huh?” His brows drew together in confusion. “You’re already dressed.”

  “Oh, I’m not wearing this.”

  Danny tapped the cushion of the love seat and tried the fake bacon. “Jordan, you look beautiful. Just get your plate and sit here and eat with me.”

  “It’ll only take me a few minutes to change.” Before he could stop her, she was headed back upstairs.

  Knowing his arteries would thank him someday, Danny forced himself to finish breakfast. He was on his third classic film before Jordan reappeared, this time wearing a floral sundress. The short-sleeved dress ended just below the knee, showcasing her spectacular legs. She looked really pretty. In fact, she looked perfect. That was the problem.

  As she grabbed what looked like a camera case from atop one of the shelves, she smiled over at him. “Are you ready to go?”

  He arched one eyebrow and returned her gaze. “I don’t know, Jordan. Do you think these tennis shoes go with my outfit? Maybe I should wear a different shirt.”

  She twisted her fingers together and unexpectedly offered him a glimpse behind her mask. For a second, she looked uncertain and nervous and very human. That absence of perfection made him want to wrap his arms around her and hold her until…until they had mind-blowing sex. Yeah, that’s it.

  “The barbecue today will be the first time my whole family meets David.”

  Danny aimed the remote to switch off the television. “What exactly have you told them about your fiancé?”

  “As little as possible. I didn’t want to get tangled up in the details.” A flush appeared on her cheeks, heightening her sheepish expression. “I was able to dance around the family’s questions last night at Velleggia’s. We probably won’t be so lucky today.”

  “Well, how am I supposed to act when we get there?” He ran a hand over his hair, feeling adrift and oddly resentful. As well as he knew his brother, he wasn’t sure how long he could play David.

  Her confident image was back in place as Jordan picked up her handbag. “Just be yourself.”

  DANNY PULLED up in front of the Gregory family home a few minutes past noon. The weathered gray-cedar Colonial sat on a manicured acre surrounded by mature trees. The front door and window shutters were painted a gleaming white. There was even a white picket fence. Bright green shrubs and cheery flowers lined the brick walkway. It looked like a typical single-family home in the suburbs of Annapolis.

  Inside, however, chaos reigned.

  The moment Jordan opened the front door, Danny was assaulted with music and voices and laughter. Danny hesitated before following her in. The activity seemed to be at the rear of the house, so when Jordan walked back to help in the kitchen, he ducked into the comparative quiet of the living room.

  Similar to his parents’ house, the furniture and décor were formal and yet Danny had an immediate sense that this living room was really lived in. The seat cushions all bore the indentations of the people who’d settled into them. Moisture rings showed against the dark wood of the coffee table. A tiny handprint marred the creamy paint on one wall. And everywhere he saw photographs proudly displayed.

  His parents had a specially commissioned oil self-portrait over the Georgian fireplace mantel. They also had stiff photographs of David and him documenting their achievements in lengthy increments. He could still remember the way the starched collar itched his neck. As Danny looked at the candid group pictures of the Gregorys, his heart wrenched.

  This picture showed the family outsid
e of Radio City Music Hall in New York. That one portrayed them waving from the edge of the Grand Canyon. Here was a grinning, muddy bunch who’d just won a game of tug-of-war. There was a sodden, laughing group with tangled fishing rods and a tiny lake trout.

  Feeling his throat close up, Danny had to acknowledge his jealousy. The joy of the moment and the pleasure of being together was evident on every face in every picture… Except one. His brows furrowed as he realized Jordan was nowhere to be seen.

  “Are you ready to join the fray? Everyone is wondering where you are.”

  He turned to see her standing just behind him. “Where are the pictures of you? You’re not in any of these.”

  She patted the 35mm Nikon hanging from her neck. “I’m the official event photographer. That means I have to be behind the camera.”

  Some instinct told him it was a responsibility she’d volunteered for, as opposed to being asked. “There must be some pictures of you as a kid?”

  Jordan shook her head and affected a smile. “Nope. I got rid of all the ones I could find.”

  “You’re telling me your parents don’t have one single, solitary photograph of you?”

  She pursed her lips and swept an arm across the room toward the baby grand piano. “They hide them over there.”

  Danny walked over to the Steinway to look at the grouping of silver frames. Far from being relegated to the corner, it looked more like a showcase. Her parents had displayed Jordan’s achievements in a place of honor. The frames sat on a white linen cloth, arranged by height and angled so they could all be easily viewed.

  Jordan’s expression in her younger pictures was poignant. She looked ill at ease, pudgy and miserable among her slender and attractive siblings, as she received various awards. Even in her high-school-graduation photo she refused to smile. Danny leaned closer to see the gold tassel on her cap and the blue National Honor Society scarf around her neck. Her parents stood on either side of her, grinning happily and obviously proud.

  “I like this picture the best.” He indicated a group shot of high-school-aged kids in bright stage costumes. He recognized the play as John Waters’s Hairspray, a musical about a heavyset girl who wants to be on a 1962 television dance program. And there was Jordan, front and center and actually grinning, dressed as Tracy Turnblad, the lead character.