“She said she’d love to watch the kids for a little while so you and I could go out for a bit.” His tone was seductive and Jordan fully grasped his meaning.
“Oh,” she said with understanding. “We’ll be waiting,” she said huskily as she hung up the phone.
The boys were staring at her as she walked back to the table where they were devouring the last of the cereal. They’d need to go shopping again soon.
“Who was that?” Jake asked, milk dribbling down his chin.
She smiled at the sight of him. “That was Rob. He’s going to pick us up and take us to lunch at his sister’s house.”
“Why?” Joseph asked.
“Because Aunt Laura and I used to be friends with his sister back when we were in school, and he thought it would be fun for us to get together.”
“Great,” he mumbled.
“She has kids…” Jordan began.
“Boys?”
“Um, well, one boy, three girls.”
Joseph shrugged and he went back to his cereal, clearly unimpressed with the afternoon’s prospects.
“I’m sure they have video games…” she said, hoping that was true and smiling when both boys perked up in their chairs and started chattering at her all at once.
“Is it an Xbox or Playstation?”
“Do you know what games they have?”
“I knew I should have brought my extra controller!”
“When are we leaving?”
She held up her hands in surrender as she walked toward the coffeemaker and poured herself another mug. “I have no idea what system they have or what games, but whatever they have, I’m sure you’ll play it and you’ll have fun. Rob’s not coming over until eleven, so I would appreciate it if you two got this breakfast mess straightened up and tried to contain yourselves until it’s time to go.”
They readily agreed and as Jordan left the kitchen to go to her bedroom, she couldn’t help but smile as she listened to the boys continue to debate, plot, and plan all the possible scenarios of a video-game-infused afternoon.
Closing the door to her bedroom, Jordan was a bundle of nerves. Would she and Rob come back here to the bungalow? Would they go to his place? A hotel? Her mind raced. Maybe she should call him and ask for some details. Should she dress casual or dress up a little? Should she bring something slinky she could slip into in her purse?
Slinky? Who was she kidding? She didn’t even own anything slinky anymore. What was the use? No one had seen her in any form of undress in a long time.
Rummaging through her drawers and closet, she sought something to wear that would look enticing, but not as if she was trying to look that way. Feeling depressed at the items that lay before her, Jordan chose a deep-violet lace bra with matching panties. Lacy underwear had always been her weakness and she hoped Rob wouldn’t be disappointed.
Going about her normal routine wasn’t easy. She knew the boys had no idea what was going to go on this afternoon, but Jordan was acutely aware of everything she was doing. She took a little longer in the shower so she could shave her legs.
She took a little extra time putting on her makeup and wondered if the boys noticed. She walked around straightening up the house just in case she and Rob came back here, wondering if the boys noticed her slightly nervous flitting around the house.
They never said a word, and Jordan breathed a sigh of relief when at last she felt everything was in place—including herself. She checked her image in the full-length bedroom mirror at least a dozen times, and with each look, her anticipation of seeing Rob increased.
When he knocked on the door at eleven o’clock sharp, Jordan could see her own anticipation mirrored in his eyes. He mentally devoured her right there in the doorway and Jordan shivered with thoughts of what was to come.
Her sons came running down the hall to greet him and began questioning him as they had their mother earlier on what kind of games his nieces and nephew had.
Rob patiently answered as many questions as he could as he herded them toward the truck and got them settled inside. When at last he had Jordan settled in next to him, he felt himself relax.
All morning he had had his doubts; in the back of his mind, he feared something was going to go wrong and Jordan would back out. Did she want him as badly as he wanted her? Did she realize he was slowly going insane for wanting her?
“How is all this going to work?” she asked quietly once they were in the car and on the way.
“We’ll go. We’ll eat. Then…” He turned and smiled at her. “I remember I wanted to show you some real estate since you’re considering a move, and we make our exit.” His words held so much promise and he said them quietly enough so Jake and Joseph couldn’t hear.
Jordan started to giggle. “Very clever. Does your sister know all this?”
“Who do you think suggested it?”
Jordan blushed fiercely. It was bad enough they had to sneak off to do this, but to know his sister had helped plan their intended lovemaking embarrassed her immensely.
“Rob…” she began hesitantly. She was beginning to have second thoughts about pulling this afternoon off. She was no good at this sort of thing; sneaking around was definitely not her style.
“Don’t think about it, Jordan. Let’s just go and have some lunch. Claude’s eager to see you again.”
* * *
The house Rob pulled up to had Jordan catching her breath. The property was large with tons of trees. She could see a swing set in the backyard and a basketball hoop set up in the driveway. The actual dwelling was so lovely, so welcoming, it almost pulled Jordan from the car. A porch ran along the entire front of the home with a swing and tons of hanging plants. If Jordan could have picked a home for herself and the boys, it would have been one just like this.
Rob noticed her intense stare and was curious to know what was going on inside her head. Was she having second thoughts about the day? Was she feeling self-conscious about being here with his family? Unable to hold the question in, he turned to her and asked, “Everything okay?”
“It’s just so lovely,” Jordan sighed. “We live in a subdivision in Raleigh where all the houses look the same, all the yards are landscaped the same. But this…” She sighed dreamily. “This is a home. This is a place that says family.”
She turned to look at him and smiled. He must think I’m a nut. She suddenly felt self-conscious. “Sorry, I’m babbling,” she finally said to break the silence.
In that moment, Rob wanted to lean forward and wrap his arms around her, but held back because of the boys. He looked into Jordan’s eyes and his gaze said it all; he understood exactly what she was feeling and didn’t think her foolish in the least.
“Who’s ready for some food and video games?” Rob asked as he climbed out of the truck, feeling confident in the way the day was going so far.
* * *
Lunch was a lot of fun and Claudia made Jordan and the boys feel as if they were part of the family. Joseph and Jake were in their glory with Claudia’s kids; there were video games galore to be played, and once they had finished eating, all the kids had taken off for the play room without a second glance at their parents.
Rob had excused himself to make sure the boys had gotten settled in, and that left Jordan and Claudia alone. Suddenly remembering why exactly they were there and who had helped plan the midday rendezvous, Jordan had a hard time meeting Claudia’s gaze.
“I couldn’t believe it when Rob told me about running into you in town,” Claudia said to break the tense silence. “It was like, wow, blast from the past!”
“Yeah, it was a bit of a shock seeing him, too.” Jordan sat, stiff backed, at the kitchen table, expecting Claudia to say something about this awkward situation or about the past Jordan and Rob shared. She wasn’t disappointed.
“You know, Jordan, I was a little bit hes
itant when Rob first mentioned his spending time with you. I mean, he’s a grown man who can make his own decisions, but I remember what he went through when the two of you broke up back in high school.”
“We’re not teenagers anymore, Claudia,” Jordan reminded. “I don’t think either of us is going into this, whatever this is, blindly. Besides, high school was a long time ago and—”
“Relax, Jordan. I’m not trying to accuse you of anything or make you feel uncomfortable. I just worry about my brother, that’s all.” Her tone held no condemnation, just love for her brother.
“He’s lucky to have you. I know I depend on my sisters’ love and support. I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through these last few years without them.”
“Do me a favor, and remind him of that!” Claudia said with a laugh and then her expression turned serious again. “Rob has a tendency to jump in with both feet; he doesn’t know how to ease into anything. He leads with his heart, Jordan, and I know he’s happy with his life and tries to make it seem like it’s no big deal that he’s not married with kids of his own, but deep down, I know it does bother him. Oh, he’ll never admit that out loud but…I just want you both to be careful.”
Jordan let Claudia’s words sink in before responding. “I don’t know how much Rob shared with you about my marriage and everything I went through with Eric, but believe me when I tell you I am beyond cautious these days. I don’t know what’s going to happen when Rob and I leave here today, but I think we owe it to ourselves to at least explore it a little bit. Does that make sense?”
Claudia smiled. “Absolutely.”
Fearing Rob would return to the kitchen and find the two of them talking about him, they switched gears and the conversation centered on what had been going on in Jordan’s life while the two worked to clean up the kitchen. Then they discussed motherhood and even shared a laugh at how different it was from what they dreamed it would be. When Rob returned to the kitchen some twenty minutes later—he had gotten sucked into a level of dragon fighting—both women turned to him and smiled.
Jordan would fit in well with his family, he thought. So many years ago, she had been welcomed into his life, his home, his family, and he was sure this time around it would be no different. He was more than ready to find out for sure.
“Ready?” he asked lightly, and Jordan ducked her head and blushed at the thought of gracefully making an exit when Claudia knew what they were going to do. In that moment, she looked exactly like the girl of sixteen he had first fallen in love with.
She slowly nodded and stood. Rob walked over and kissed his sister and then led Jordan up to the playroom, where she could say good-bye to the boys. She informed them that she was leaving with Rob for a little while, but they barely acknowledged her. She was glad for that because she was sure the word guilty was written all over her face.
“We’ll see you later, Claude,” Rob said as they walked out the front door, and his sister waved to them both, smiling like the proverbial cat that swallowed the canary.
“Well, that was awkward,” Jordan whispered as they walked down the front steps.
Rob chuckled and reached for her hand. “We’re grown-ups, Jordan. We’re just going out for a quiet afternoon alone. No one’s thinking anything bad about us.” He placed an arm around her waist as they walked over to his truck. He helped her inside, closed the door, and walked around to the driver’s side and hoped Jordan didn’t notice the way his hands shook as he put the key into the ignition.
Back in the truck, Jordan hoped Rob couldn’t see her trembling. This was it. It was really going to happen. They were going to be alone and they were going to make love. Her whole body was tingling with anticipation.
Jordan kept her eyes focused on the view out the passenger side window. Not sure of where they were going—she’d never asked—she was surprised when they pulled up in front of his architecture office. She looked at him quizzically.
“I have a studio loft above my office,” he supplied. “Keeps things simple.” Jordan nodded and stayed in her seat as he got out of the car. She was suddenly too nervous to move. Rob walked around to her side of the vehicle and opened the door.
“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, Jordan,” he said softly, placing one large, tanned hand on her thigh. She noted the look of quiet desperation in his eyes and knew this was exactly where she wanted to be. “We could go someplace else if you’d prefer.”
“No,” she said quietly. “This is perfect.” Rob took her hand and led her from the truck up the stairs to his loft.
His home made her want to cry. It was a place to live— functional, but by no means a home. The walls were bare and it was only one large room. It was immaculate—all white walls and hardwood floors, not a thing out of place. She couldn’t find one personal item in the room. She felt as if she were in an office space, except for the bed.
At the sound of the door closing behind her, she turned around to face him, knowing this man needed her and she desperately needed him. They were like two lost souls who had been fortunate enough to find each other. Again.
Jordan walked slowly toward his embrace and kissed him gently on the cheek. Words were not necessary as Rob took Jordan by the hand again and led her toward his king-size bed, which seemed to dominate the entire space.
Standing beside it, Jordan leaned into him. This was what she wanted: to be with him, holding him, kissing him. Rob slipped his arms around her waist to pull her closer. He trailed kisses down her throat, loving the feel of her bare skin against his lips as he worked his way back up to hers. He let his hands begin to roam—up and down her back, over her bottom, around to her hips, and up her sides to cup her breasts.
“Jordan.” His voice rumbled with barely contained passion.
The sound of her name was her undoing.
Jordan became the aggressor as she captured his mouth. It had been too long since she’d been with him, felt this with him, although somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew as teenagers they had never felt this kind of mindless need for one another. They were mere kids back then, and the emotions involved right now were more mature. They had been formed through years of knowledge and longing, and they threatened to carry her away.
Every inch of her burned for him; the need to touch him overwhelmed her. As she let her hands skim the broad planes of his chest, he captured her wrists and lifted his head.
“Are you sure?” he asked, his breath ragged. “I don’t want to rush you. I don’t want there to be any regrets at the end of the day.” He held her gaze steady. “I need to know that you want this.”
“Absolutely.” She nodded. “More than anything.” She tilted her head back as he kissed her neck. The feel of his mouth on her body was exquisite torture. Rob released her wrists and then let his hands wrap around her middle again as he cupped her bottom and pulled her tightly against him. The hard evidence of his arousal pressed firmly against her belly.
Jordan shivered at the contact and before she knew it, Rob was gently guiding her to lie down on the bed.
He stood and looked down at her as he removed his shirt. He saw Jordan swallow hard, licking her lips, and desire pumped through him with such ferocity that he needed to take a minute to compose himself or he’d take her too roughly.
Their eyes never left each other’s as Rob’s shirt hit the floor, followed by her shoes. When he reached for his belt buckle, she sat up to help him, needing to put an end to this ache throbbing deep inside of her. She was impatient and it turned him on.
She kissed the taut muscles of his stomach as she pulled his belt off and trailed her tongue around his navel. She smiled at the sound of his breath hissing through his teeth. It made her bold; she reached for the button on his jeans and felt him tremble as she lowered his fly.
Rob cupped her face in his hands and gazed down into her desire-filled eyes. “I don’t believe th
is is happening,” he rasped.
Jordan stood and removed her own shirt. “Believe it,” she whispered into his ear as she nipped at his earlobe, her breath hot.
He shifted his position so he could look at her. She stood before him in her jeans and a lacy purple bra, and he knew that this image would be burned into his brain forever. He had never wanted a woman more than he wanted, no, needed Jordan right now.
Tucking his head down, he kissed her luscious breast through the lace as she arched her back. He brought her rosy center to a tight peak and made her cry out for more. His tongue worked her while he reached up and unclasped the flimsy garment, roughly pushing it aside so they could be skin to skin.
Jordan wrapped her arms around Rob’s neck and pulled him down to the mattress with her. The feel of his weight on top of her was like a bolt of lightning. She writhed beneath him, craving a more intimate contact. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt such an intense buildup of passion. Eric had never been one for foreplay. And as for her past relationship with Rob, there was never the time or opportunity for them to take it slow. Their time together was always heated and rushed. What Rob was doing to her now was an entirely new and wondrous experience.
She held on tightly to him as he lavished attention on her breasts, gently licking, sucking, and kissing her with his hot, wet mouth. Her world was spinning out of control, and when she was sure she’d die from his erotic machinations, he came up and scorched her again with a kiss.
She ran her greedy hands down his hot skin, around his waist, and finally into the waistband of his jeans. As she began to lower them from his hips, Rob broke their kiss. “Let me,” he growled as, in one swift motion, he kicked off both jeans and briefs. He lay beside her, fully naked and fully aroused, as the heat built in Jordan’s eyes.
Leaning forward, she kissed his chest, licking at his flat nipples, and he shivered. Rob nudged her gently onto her back. He kissed her lips, then her chin, working his way down her body. He stopped and lavished attention on both of her breasts again before moving lower. He undid her jeans and worked them over her hips and down her legs.
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