Summer Fire
Page 86
Bradley hopped into his jockey shorts, a pair of cargo shorts and a Polo tee. He had no idea why Jordon’s remark infuriated him, but it did. Friggin’ hell, they’d only made love ten minutes ago, and now she wanted him to fly off to Paris with some woman he’d never met.
To hell with that! He would do exactly what he wanted to do, when he wanted, and he had full intentions of seeing his daughter this coming weekend. No Strings Attached could offer him twice, five times that amount and the answer would still be the same. No, no, and no. Amy came first. Besides, last night when he couldn’t sleep he’d come to a few decisions regarding his immediate future. He wouldn’t have his daughter around for many more years. She was ten now. In eight years, she’d be off somewhere to college, and then a life of her own. His precious beloved girl was only his for a borrowed time.
If Crystal insisted on living in the Hamptons, then he wanted to be near. He could work on the island or commute. Ten years from now, he could go any damn place he chose. Now he wanted Amy close.
And to hell with dating services and his unappreciative law firm. He could rent on the island at a fraction of the cost of living near the city. That was his final decision.
“Let’s go grab that breakfast then head back into the city. We’ve got a long drive ahead of us.”
“I know. It’s close to five hours. If you take me to my car you can follow me. I know a wonderful place on the lake, and they have a great Sunday brunch. But first, I have to let everyone know that we’re leaving and I’m quitting.” She looked anxious, and he didn’t blame her any. The Martello’s were family to her.
“Want me to come?”
“No. I think this is one thing I need to do alone. Do you want to wait for me here, or go down and grab coffee?”
“I’ll pack up and take both bags to the car. Then I’ll wait for you at one of the tables where we sat last night.”
“Good idea. Wish me luck.”
“Luck,” he said, taking her by the shoulders, and giving her a reassuring hug. “They will be sorry to lose you, but they might be expecting it too.”
“You’re probably right.”
It wasn’t long before she came to collect him, and by the tears streaming down her face, he knew it hadn’t been easy. He didn’t say anything, just slipped an arm around her waist and led her to his car.
They retrieved her Prius from the parking lot, and he followed her to the Pier House restaurant. They were seated on the patio overlooking the lake. They both ordered omelets, and while they waited she told him about her conversation with the senior Martellos, and their two daughters. The sons, fortunately were not around, nor was Larissa. At least she had been spared the indignity of facing the two newlyweds.
“Marie broke into tears,” she told him. “Then she hugged me so tight, she nearly squeezed me to death. She also said that under similar circumstances she’d have done the same.” Jordon pushed her hair out of her eyes, and blinked back tears. “It was all so emotional. Ralph got all teary-eyed too. Told me I was like another daughter to him.”
Jordon looked away and sucked in a couple of quick breaths. “That was it. I was so choked up by then, I couldn’t say another word.” She sighed. “Not that there was anything left to say.”
“I’m sorry.” He reached over and took her hand, turning the palm up and kissing her wrist. “It’s been a rough few days.”
“It has. But I knew it would be. Hadn’t expected to quit right away though. Figured I’d stick it out and see how it goes, but with Larissa pregnant, I don’t think that would have been a good idea.”
“For sure.”
He sipped his coffee. “I made a decision too. Seems like this was the weekend for major life changes.”
“You mean about quitting the dating service?”
“Besides that. I want to move back to Long Island so I can be closer to my daughter. See her on weekends. There are plenty of neighborhoods where I could easily commute into the city, or I could find a job nearer to where I’m going to live. Amy will be a teenager soon, and she needs her dad.”
“That makes sense.”
“Didn’t during the divorce. I wanted to put as much distance as I could between Crystal and me.” He gave a brief smile. “Things have settled down. No more fireworks.”
“That’s good.”
Their omelets arrived and they got busy eating, both lost in their thoughts. When they were done, he walked her to her car and they said their good-byes.
He kissed her chastely on her forehead, looked at her for a long moment than turned and left.
Chapter Seven
Facing four hours on the road, Jordon called her sister on the long drive home, using the hands off speaker she had installed.
“Hey, Kari. I quit my job and I’m on my way back.”
“You did? How did that go?”
“It was very emotional, but Tom’s parents understood and only want the best for me. They insisted I take two months’ pay, so that will give me plenty of time to look around.”
“Well, you know you can join me out here in the sticks, and do my marketing.”
Kari lived in Brooklyn and ran an Internet business, selling racy lingerie near and far. In the past two years her business had exploded and she needed to hire workers and rent space to stock her fancy supplies.
“You know I’m happy to help you market, anytime at all. And I don’t have much else to do right now, but long term I don’t think that’s what I’m looking for. Still, thanks for the offer.”
“So what was seeing Tom like? Tell me everything! Oh, and what about Mr. Hot and Ready?”
Jordon filled her sister in on most of the details, but kept a few secrets to herself.
“So, when that lady from the agency called and told him about this woman who’d pay him ten thousand bucks, you told him to take it? Are you completely insane?” Kari’s voice rose. “Why would you push this sexy, great guy into another woman’s arms? From what you told me he seems to be really into you, and you like him too! I have a sneaky feeling there is more to this story than you want to admit.”
“I do like him,” she answered. “A lot. But I’m not ready for another romance so soon. It will take me some time to trust someone again. I mean, Tom broke my heart.”
“No, he didn’t. He hurt and disappointed you, but he wasn’t the love of a lifetime. Don’t fool yourself.”
“And you think Bradley Langford is?”
“Well, there’s only one way to find out, right? Call him up. Tell him you don’t want him to fly off into the sunset with some rich old hag.” She giggled. “Make him a better offer that he can’t refuse.”
“On that note, dear sister, I think it’s time to hang up. There’s traffic ahead, and I need my mind here, not some fantasy about Bradley being the right man for me.”
“Okay. Call me when you’re home.”
*
Two weeks went by, and Jordon wasn’t surprised that she hadn’t heard from Bradley. They hadn’t exchanged numbers, and he might not even remember where she lived. Besides, he had things to do if he was serious about moving away, and she’d been actively seeking new employment.
Too busy to think about him. Too busy to miss that warm, sexy body snuggled up with her in bed.
Job hunting occupied her time, not fantasizing over some hunk of a guy that had a whole lot of other things going on. It had been fun. He’d been the perfect guy to take with her on that weekend from hell. He’d made her feel good, and had understood her needs better than she had herself. He’d been thoughtful, gentle, loving and kind.
Well, he hadn’t called, and so if she had made a mistake or two, it was over and done. Can’t cry over spilled milk. Life would go on, with or without Bradley-stud-Langford.
Besides, if she wanted company she could always get a cat.
She glanced at the clock. Half past six. Kind of early, but it was her favorite time of the morning to go for a jog. Before the sidewalks got busy and the temperature soared. She slipped on h
er jogging shorts, sports bra and tee, and sat down to put on her sneakers and down a quick cup of coffee. Placing her apartment key in a pocket, she headed to the street.
She greeted the security guard, and he held the door open for her to go through. Out in the morning light, she blinked and blinked again. What was that? Across the street? A silver Jaguar. But so what? Didn’t mean anything. Lots of people drove Jags. But lots of people don’t park across the street in a restricted, resident-only parking area without a sticker on their window.
She walked closer to see if the Jag had a permit. Her heart beat wildly, and she cursed the hope that flared inside. Hope led to disappointment, and disappointment led to tears.
The door opened slowly and Bradley stepped out. He held some store-bought flowers in his hand. He smiled when he saw her. She stepped closer, and he moved too.
“Bradley! What are you doing here?” Hope, joy, and happiness lifted her spirits and she rose on her toes. She grabbed onto his shirt sleeve, afraid that he might slip away. “You never called.”
“I’ve been busy.” He bent and kissed her lips. Soft and gentle this time. “I’ve had two weeks to think about what I want to do with my life, and what’s important to me.”
“And did you figure it out?” she asked breathlessly.
“You bet I did.”
She shook him. “So what is it? Don’t keep me in suspense!”
He laughed. “I found a place on the island and I gave up my condo in Hoboken. I wondered if you could let me keep a few things at your place. Some clothes, a razor, things like that.”
“Hell no.” She frowned and dropped her hands. Crushing disappointment made her ask, “Why would I do that?”
“Because I intend to spend a lot of time with you. Nights, days, a lot of time.”
He did! Her heart went into overdrive. “How can you?” She licked her lips. “What about Amy?”
“I’ve come to realize that there are only two people in the world that I care about, besides my mom and dad who live in Scottsdale. But they don’t need me. You do.”
“That’s not true. I’m getting along fine. You don’t need to worry about me.” Her eyes took in every feature, every expression on his dear, handsome face.
“Let me say it right.” He cupped her face, and his deep blue eyes swam with emotion. “The only two people I care about are you and Amy.” She opened her mouth, and he put a finger on her lower lip. “Wait. There’s more, and I don’t want you to miss any of it.”
“You’re bossy, know that?” She said it with a smile.
“Yes. I’ve been told that before.” He kissed her mouth for several long heart-pounding seconds. “Every once in a while you meet someone who’s very special, and you know that you want to share your life with that person. Jordon, I am not letting you go. I want you for keeps. Take a risk on me.”
Her mouth opened. “But I don’t know you.”
“You know me, and what you and I feel is real.” He kissed her cheek. “I’m not in any rush. One day at a time, I’ll prove to you that I’m sincere and that our love is true. I will never hurt you or cheat on you, or do anything to screw this up.”
“You promise?” She wanted to believe in this man, in this improbable forever kind of love. Then she remembered how quickly Tom had given away his heart, and she understood. It could happen. You just had to take a leap of faith and believe.
“Take a chance, Jordon. I know you want to.”
“Yes.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “That’s the answer to the question you asked down by the lake. In front of Tom.” She’d dreamed about it, even knowing it was a false proposal, just a show to save face.
“I remember the question.” He dropped to his knees, holding onto the wilted flowers, glancing up at her. “Will you, Jordon, take me as your future husband, and make me the happiest man on earth? I will wait for as long as it takes.”
“I will. Oh, Bradley, yes! I will. You don’t have to wait.”
Their promise on that summer morning was sealed with a long, sweet kiss. Birds began to sing, and the distant sound of street noise, the city coming alive, filled Jordon’s senses like a symphony.
She had found her once-in-a-lifetime love, and she would hold on tight and never let it go.
The End
A Note from the Author
Thank you for reading SUMMER FIRE. I hope you enjoyed my short story, A MAN FOR HIRE, and please take a moment to check out my other titles. Watch for Cupid in Vegas, a fun, sexy new series coming this summer.
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Other books by Patrice Wilton
REPLACING BARNIE – book one in the Candy Bar series
WHERE WISHES COME TRUE – book two in the Candy Bar series
NIGHT MUSIC – book 3 in the Candy Bar series
REVENGE IS SWEET – single title Women’s Fiction
CHAMPAGNE FOR TWO – single title Contemporary Romance
ALL OF ME – single title Women’s Fiction
CATERED AFFAIR – single title Women’s Fiction
A HERO LIES WITHIN – Contemporary Romance
HANDLE WITH CARE – Contemporary Romance
AT FIRST SIGHT – Contemporary Romance
SERENDIPITY FALLS – Romantic-comedy – book one in the Serendipity Falls series.
WEDDING FEVER – Romantic-comedy – book two in the Serendipity Falls series.
LOVE STRUCK – Romantic-comedy – book three in the SERENDIPITY FALLS series.
My Mile-High Mistake
Linda Barlow
Copyright © Linda Barlow 2015
My Mile-High Mistake is a sensual romance intended for mature audiences. It includes sexual situations and strong language.
I never thought I’d join the Mile-High Club.
Especially with my old high school English teacher! The dude who used to arrive at school every day on a Harley with a soul-snatching grin and what my best friend called a dominant gleam in his smoky blue eyes.
Every girl in the school wanted him, but he was too busy boning the female teachers to even look at us.
So six years later, when I settled into my seat on the plane and Mr. Harry MacCallum sat down beside me, still as sexy as ever, I thought I was going to faint. It was bad enough being terrified of flying. But having to spend 5 hours next to all 6 foot four inches of the buff and gorgeous “Bad Prince Harry” was too much for me to contemplate.
I had gotten him fired.
And right before he’d roared away on his motorbike, Mr. MacCallum had vowed that I’d be sorry one day.
I guess that day had come.
Chapter One
Charley
I saw thighs. Fine, muscular thighs. Don’t get excited, I warned myself. Some guys with nice thighs don’t have such a nice face. Or even if they do, their physical hotness is hiding a jerk personality.
I knew all about that phenomenon, sad to say. The only hot guys I’ve ever been attracted to always turn out to be jerks. My fault, probably. I’m always drawn to those bad boys, and sure enough, they end up treating me badly.
I was grateful for my airline blindfold, flimsy though it was, because all I could see when I cast my eyes down and peered through the opening at the bottom were those nice thighs. Shifting as he tried to make himself comfortable. Damn.
I was
trying to meditate. The flight was scheduled to take off any minute, and I’d been all by myself in a nice, wide seat of first class (I usually flew coach, so I was enjoying the extra room). The seat next to me had been empty. Until now.
I’m a nervous flyer. I have an active imagination, always imagining the worst that could happen. It’s pathetic, I know, but I try not to beat myself up about it. I force myself to fly because I figure it’s better to spend a few hours feeling anxious than to miss out on trips to Europe or Hawaii or, in this case, Grand Cayman in the Caribbean.
The blindfold helps me calm myself down before take-off and landing.
Usually.
“Hey,” the guy with the thighs said. “Sorry if you’re trying to sleep, but I’m guessing this is yours.” Something soft landed in my lap. My fingers closed over it. My jacket. I’d forgotten that I’d laid it across the aisle seat when I’d thought we were about to push back.
“Sorry. I was told that seat would be empty.”
“It probably should have been. But I got upgraded by a sympathetic flight attendant who moved me out of the back row in coach.”
Probably because of his thighs, I thought. Flight attendants were never sympathetic enough to move me into first class.
“I was jammed in a middle seat between two women, each with a screaming baby in her lap. I think it would have been tough luck on me, except that one of the babies spit up on me just as the flight attendant was walking by. She took pity.”
He had a really pleasant voice. Mellow. There was something vaguely familiar about it, too. Not so familiar that he could be a friend, but still, there was something…
I resisted the temptation to push up my blindfold. We would be taking off soon, and it made me dizzy to watch. “The baby spit up on you?”
“Don’t worry. I already ducked into the bathroom and changed my shirt. Are you really going to sleep through the flight?”