Jordan's Return

by Samantha Chase

  Somewhere deep inside Jordan, courage grew. “I thought I could be here with you tonight and act as if everything were okay. I thought we’d be able to sit and talk like we used to and maybe try to work things out.”

  Rob stared down at Jordan, willing her to continue.

  “And I wore this stupid nightie in hopes that you’d like it and I can’t seem to do or say anything right.” Her voice grew steady as her eyes met his. “I’m so sorry I hurt you and sent you away. I was just so damn scared and unsure of myself. I have a lousy track record with decision making and that night, that wonderful night after we first made love again, I got scared.”

  “Jordan…”

  “You said you wanted us to move here and be together, but you never said you loved me! And maybe I was wrong to react the way I did, but I was just too scared to trust in how you made me feel.” She paused for a moment. “I wanted to call you back as you walked out. I didn’t want you to go. I wanted to tell you I love you, but I was paralyzed with fear. And after having you leave…” Jordan’s voice broke then. “You left but you came back when we needed you. You took care of me and the boys even after I had treated you so horribly.”

  His only response was to reach up and skim his fingers across her cheek.

  “I know I don’t deserve you, but I need you.” Her words were spoken softly and Jordan stood frozen to the spot, waiting for Rob to do something—to say something!

  In that instant, Rob crushed her to him and hungrily claimed her mouth. Jordan’s appetite matched his and her tongue darted out to tease his. Rob growled low in his throat as Jordan wrapped her arms around him. The kiss was urgent, frenzied, and neither was willing to let it end.

  Jordan felt her knees weaken and as if Rob could sense it, he hauled her into his arms and walked over to the sofa where he laid them both down. He settled himself firmly beside her as Jordan raked her hands through his hair. Long moments later, they both surfaced for air. Rob gently stroked the side of Jordan’s face before letting that finger travel down her slender throat and over the swell of her breast. He hardened at the sight of her nipples beading beneath the prim cotton fabric of the garment. He let his hand wander down to the curve of her hip, over firm thighs, smooth calves—all the way to her pink-tipped toes and then back again.

  “Don’t ever call this garment stupid,” he said seriously. Jordan had chosen to wear the white cotton nightgown she had worn on their weekend away together. “This thing is sexier than any damn item in Victoria’s Secret, and I’ve had some major fantasies involving you wearing this since our weekend away.”

  “Really?” she asked, mesmerized by the too-soft caress of his fingers. She needed him badly and was growing frustrated that he seemed in no particular hurry. He was slowly torturing her, and she let out a low groan of frustration.

  “Yeah, really.” His gaze was fixed on where his fingers played with Jordan’s breasts. Her breaths were ragged and shallow, and the sounds coming from her were driving him mad.

  “So put all your fears out of your mind,” he whispered as he placed his mouth a breath above where his fingers had been, “because I love what you’re wearing.”

  His mouth took one hardened peak deep inside and Jordan groaned with pleasure. She arched her back and twisted until she was fully beneath him and his solid frame was firmly planted between her thighs.

  “Rob,” she sighed, lost in the ecstasy of having him with her again. Had it only been a week? “I need you.”

  He raised his head at her statement. “Do you?”

  “Yes.”

  The only response he gave was to return his attention back to her breasts, nuzzling her slowly. Jordan thought she’d die from the heat flowing through her. He was in no hurry to move the fabric away to bare her skin, and she continued to squirm beneath him.

  “Rob, please…”

  “Tell me what you want,” he softly demanded.

  “I want you to take me into the bedroom and make love to me. All night.”

  No one sentence had ever sounded sweeter. In the blink of an eye, Rob lifted Jordan into his arms and did just that. Kicking the bedroom door closed behind him, he crossed the softly lit room and placed her down on the bed.

  “Are you sure about this?” he asked. The slight tremble in his voice told Jordan he was waiting to unleash all the passion that had been building. “You spent last night in the hospital and you probably need to take it easy but…damn it, Jordan, I want you.”

  “Oh, yes.” She anxiously awaited his next move. When he simply stood beside the bed and watched her, her concern grew. “I’m fine. I promise.” She held out a hand to him. “Rob?”

  His dark brows creased as he looked down at her sprawled out on the antique bed, her hair fanning out on the crisp, white pillows. She was every fantasy he had ever had.

  “Before we take this any further, I think you need to know something, Jordan.” His tone was darkly serious. She raised her eyebrows. “If I join you on this bed and we make love, I’m not leaving. Ever.” He heard her gasp in surprise and noticed her eyes shining with unshed tears.

  Rob waited to see if she had anything to say to his declaration. When she didn’t, he continued—to make sure she understood his intentions completely.

  “When your sister brings the boys back here tomorrow, we’ll tell them you’re all moving here with me. You and I are going to be married and I will be their father.”

  As a stray tear rolled its way down Jordan’s cheek, Rob sat down beside her and brushed it softly away with the pad of his thumb. “I love you, Jordan, and I don’t want you to walk out of my life ever again. I’m sorry I made you feel rushed and I was too pushy. I had waited so long for you…for this, that I couldn’t help being greedy. I promise to never do that to you again. I want you to know it was never my intention to hurt you and I will have patience with you from now on.

  “But I want you to know you mean more to me than anything else in this world, and if all I just said to you isn’t what you want, then just say the word and I’ll go.” His heart hammered in his chest. He felt confident in her response, but then again, he had thought he was sure a week ago.

  Jordan smiled weakly up at him. There were no words that could possibly convey what she thought, so instead of trying and having her poor way with words get her in trouble again, she cupped her hand behind his neck and pulled Rob down so she could kiss him.

  What followed was erotic chaos. Jordan wasn’t sure how their clothing fell into heaps on the floor; all she was aware of was the heat of Rob’s body as he rolled her beneath him.

  “Are you sure?” he said, afraid to make another move until he knew for sure.

  “Yes,” she groaned as she threw a leg over his hip, anchoring him to her.

  “Good,” he growled and kissed her with such ferocity that he scared himself.

  Jordan linked her arms around his neck and pulled his weight back down on to her. Sinking deep into the kiss, she gave herself over to the earth-moving feeling of his mouth on hers.

  Rob’s hands raced up her sides to hungrily claim her breasts. They filled his hands so completely; their bodies fit together so perfectly, so naturally, that it seemed predestined. Under his skillful hands, Jordan felt treasured and loved as only Rob could ever make her feel.

  She moved beneath him, urging him to take her completely before she lost her mind. “Please…”

  Her words died off as he spread her thighs and entered her in one swift move. Her sigh of delight made him smile. Rob wanted to go slow, mindful of her recent injuries, but once she locked her legs around his hips, any sense of sanity was gone. Jordan was just as crazed for him, and when she began to chant his name, he knew he could no longer hold back. Thrusting wildly into her, he barely held on until she was done with her own cries of release.

  Rob was exhausted; he could only imagine what Jordan was feeling. He cu
rsed himself a hundred times for rushing her, but couldn’t find the strength to truly feel bad about it. No, he could never feel bad about making love to Jordan, no matter what the circumstances.

  Rolling to his side, he tucked Jordan in beside him as their breathing calmed. The light of the moon shone through the curtains, giving the room just enough light that they could make out each other’s features. Though they were both sleepy, their hands never stilled as if afraid the other would disappear if they stopped touching.

  Lying in each other’s arms had Jordan feeling content and unafraid for the first time in what seemed like forever. Rob kissed the top of her head at the same time as she placed a light kiss on his chest. He’d thought she was asleep, but was glad that she wasn’t. There was one more thing they needed to discuss.

  “Jordan,” he whispered.

  “Hmm?”

  “I know this is a weird time to ask this question, but…” He cleared his throat, uncomfortable with what he was about to say.

  She raised her head and faced him with curiosity.

  “That afternoon that we made love at my loft, we never… What I mean is, well, the subject of birth control never came up.” He saw her blush a little, and instead of answering him, she returned to her original position: her head on his shoulder, her legs twining with his and seemingly unfazed by his statement. “Um, Jordan? Feel free to join the conversation at any time.”

  She chuckled and Rob loved feeling that vibration from head to toe. “I have to admit, I gave no thought to it that first time,” she replied softly, her hands lightly trailing a path down the middle of his torso. “After that, though, it just didn’t seem important.”

  “I don’t think I’m following you,” he said with some confusion. Did it not seem important because she had it covered or because she was as desperate to be one with him as he had been for her? Why didn’t women just say what they meant?

  With a heavy sigh, she sat up and looked at him again, talking to him as patiently as she would a child. “I’m not on the pill if that’s what you’re wondering. I know it was irresponsible of me not to say anything, but the idea of being with you, making love with you, making babies with you, well…it’s all I ever really wanted.”

  “Really?”

  “Absolutely.” She bent over Rob and kissed him lightly on the mouth. Soon one thing led to another and she found herself wrapped in his embrace as he began to slowly seduce her again.

  “I know we shouldn’t be doing this,” he said between placing kisses on her throat. “You need your rest.”

  “Oh, we so totally should,” she argued breathlessly, turning the tables on him as she pushed him over onto his back so that she could straddle him. “Rest is highly overrated,” she said as she rained tiny kisses all over his throat and chest.

  Letting his head toss to the side at the sheer pleasure of Jordan’s mouth on his body, Rob would have agreed to anything.

  Rest was highly overrated, indeed.

  * * *

  In the wee hours of the morning, they lay tangled together among the now-cooling sheets. They had talked for a long time after making love the second time. She shared stories about the boys and about her life that she hadn’t shared before, while Rob filled in some blanks about his own life from the last dozen or so years.

  Instead of ruining the mood or cooling the passion, they found that the more they learned about one another, the more they loved. They made love one more time before finally giving in to the need for sleep. Jordan had been afraid to close her eyes in fear that this had all been a dream. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so secure, so alive. It was a feeling she was looking forward to experiencing every day for the rest of her life.

  “Rob?” she whispered, unsure if he would be easy to wake.

  “Hmmm?” he answered sleepily, kissing her on top of her head as he pulled her naked body closer. “Were you expecting someone else?”

  Jordan giggled and it felt good. “No, I wasn’t looking for someone else. I was just making sure you were real and not just a dream.”

  Lazily, Rob let his hand wander up and down her back before playfully pinching her behind. “Real enough for you?”

  “Very funny. I was lying here thinking that instead of finding me a house here today, maybe we could just extend the lease here on the bungalow.”

  Lifting his head to look down at her, his brows furrowed in confusion. “It’s kind of small, isn’t it?”

  “Well, yes, but it holds so many wonderful memories and I really wouldn’t mind staying here a little bit longer.” She kissed him firmly. “Plus, I think it will motivate you.”

  “Motivate me? For what?”

  “To quickly design a house for our soon-to-be expanding family.”

  Rob’s eyes conveyed his confusion at her words and then twinkled with understanding. “Mighty confident of that fact, are you?” he teased, secretly hoping she was right.

  “No doubt.” She sighed as she snuggled closer to him before drifting back off to a peaceful sleep.

  Rob went to sleep with a satisfied grin.

  Epilogue

  The tiny little beach town was hopping. June was always a busy time on the coast, but it seemed to Jordan that half of the world’s population was vacationing here. She had to circle the block several times before finding a spot close to the front door. They definitely could use some more parking. Peeved that so much time had been wasted driving around, she climbed out of her new truck, collected her things from the backseat, and headed for the restaurant. Today was a big day.

  Opening the door, she was greeted by loud voices—all welcoming her. It was a Wednesday night, but the place was near capacity. Two of the loudest voices came from behind the counter. That’s where she spotted Jacob and Joseph waving to her as they chatted about how they were making pizza dough. Even if they hadn’t told her, the flour that covered multiple spots on their faces would have given it away. Rob was training them in the family business and the boys could not get enough. It did Jordan’s heart good to see them so happy.

  All traces of the sad little boys who had arrived here with her almost a year ago were gone. Joseph finally was able to relax and just be a boy. He now played soccer on the school team and had come to make a lot of friends. He’d even let his hair grow a little and let it get messy. He still took on a lot more responsibility than most kids his age, but it was balanced out with the beginnings of some minor teenage angst.

  Jacob had grown taller, and while not as cooperative as he was a year ago, he was constantly running on all cylinders. Baseball was his game of choice and he was the top hitter for the local rec team. Jordan stole a quick glance at the team picture that hung on the wall. The restaurant sponsored the team, and Jacob said he felt like a famous celebrity with his picture hanging up where everyone could see it.

  With great clarity, Jordan could remember the exact date and time when things turned around for her sons: twelve hours after Rob had proposed to her. The afternoon that Laura had brought the boys home from their overnight trip for their hotel-movie-extravaganza, Rob and Jordan had been anxiously waiting for them.

  Jordan didn’t give Laura any hints as to what was going on, so when they asked the boys to sit down in the living room, Laura was invited to sit with them. While Jordan had figured she would do most of the talking, Rob had asked if it would be okay if he talked to the boys, man to man. Unsure of what to expect, she had gone along with it, and looking back, she wished she’d had a camera to capture the look of pure happiness on her sons’ faces when Rob told them they were going to be a family.

  Laura had jumped up and hugged them both before excusing herself somewhat awkwardly. It wasn’t until later on that Jordan had found out exactly who had orchestrated their reunion and thanked both her sister and Claudia profusely. Now that they were one big family, the two women seemed happy to take all the
credit for the happiness Rob and Jordan shared.

  Breaking out of her reverie, Jordan brought herself back to the present and smiled at the scene around her. The sights and smells of the restaurant were always a treat, and tonight was no exception.

  “We’re making our special calzones tonight, Mom,” Joseph told her. “Any requests?”

  “Nothing spicy,” she replied. The boys shared a sneaky glance at each other before Jordan added, “And no anchovies!”

  “Oh, you’re no fun.” Out from behind them came her husband to sweep his newest son from Jordan’s arms. She didn’t think it was possible for a man to look any happier than Rob did at that moment. “It was going to get ugly in here if you hadn’t brought him in soon,” he teased as he took the baby carrier from her arms and placed a sweet kiss on her lips. Rob looked down at his sleeping infant son and Jordan swore she saw his chest swell with pride.

  “Everyone,” he bellowed. “I’d like you all to meet my son, Christopher.” At the applause of the patrons, Rob accepted their warm wishes and congratulations as he pulled Jordan close to him. Christopher Robert Tyler was born nine months to the day after Rob informed Jordan that he wanted her as his wife. Now, at three weeks old, and with the blessing of their pediatrician, he was on his first official outing.

  “I still can’t believe it,” he murmured against her ear with hot breath that still gave her chills.

  “What?” she replied as she tried to stand on jelly legs.

  “That you are my wife. That I have three amazing sons.” He looked deeply into her eyes and saw she was on the verge of tears. “You’ve given me everything I have ever wanted in this world.” He leaned in and kissed her.

  “I’m the one who is still in awe of it all.” When he cocked an eyebrow at her, she turned and looked him squarely in the eye. “You came and healed me—body, heart, and soul. You made us a family again and have given me more love than I ever thought I deserved.”

  “You deserve even more, my love.” He took her by the hand, and together they went around the restaurant greeting people, laughing, and smiling while showing off their newest family member.