"Mars?" The voice, barely audible, arrested my heart.
"Jess! You scared me. Why are you up so early?"
"I could ask you the same thing."
"I'm nervous to skydive, but I promised I'd try."
Jesse's fingers threaded through mine. "Marli, about making promises to Jordan." I turned slightly, my brows knitting with curiosity. Gently, I pulled my fingers out of the braid. "Don't say anything, just listen, okay?" He took my hand again and kissed it. I could tell he was nervous, swallowing a hundred times before continuing. "You know I love you, even though I shouldn't. The Program aligned you with Jordan, but even so, remember you have options and don't need to bend to anyone's manipulations. You control your destiny and who shares it with you. Promise me when it comes to forever, you'll only make choices that match what your heart wants." He kissed my cheek. "See you in a few hours. And don't worry about skydiving. Neither of us would put you in danger."
He disappeared into the shadows, leaving me confused. Why did Jesse think I wouldn't follow my heart, especially when it came to 'forever,' whatever that meant? And his declaration of love again? Jesse had to understand I loved Jordan, regardless of The Program's involvement—that I chose Jordan of my own free will…over him. I still felt something for Jesse and when he kissed my cheek, my toes even twitched a little. But I loved Jordan…not Jesse.
Jordan stole behind me, his warm arms wrapping and drawing me against him. I slapped my chest to get my heart started again. I really needed to listen for footsteps.
"Sorry, he mumbled in my hair when he realized he'd startled me. He rested his chin on my shoulder where his breath whispered in my ear, "Why aren't you sleeping?"
"Because I'm scared about sky-diving today." And Jesse proclaimed he loved me right before he said some other weird stuff. "What if something goes wrong, Jordan? Our lives could end today."
"Marli, I'd never ask you to do something that could harm you." He sounded wounded by my mistrust.
"I know. I'm being silly." I yawned halfway through a sniffle.
Jordan towed me down the hall and followed me into the bedroom. "What are you doing?"
"Tucking you back to bed." I opened my mouth to object. "I'll stay with you," he said, delighting me. Maybe we'd oversleep and miss our chance to plummet to our deaths.
"What if someone catches us?"
"Honestly? I don't care." He slipped in the bed beside me. No fabric barriers—only his long legs crossing mine to warm me under the covers we shared. Strong, caring arms circled my shoulders and my head fell onto my favorite place on his chest where I heard his heart beating every bit as fast as my own. I kissed his warm skin and felt the skipped beat against my ear.
Jordan stroked my hair, letting his fingers run the length of my spine from the ends of the curly tendrils. "No worries, baby. I'll always keep you safe."
"I love you, Jordan," I mumbled, feeling myself sink into a dreamy state. I can't love Jesse.
33
HEARTS AND ROSES
So this was how a caged cat felt right before dropped into water.
"I can't do this, Jordan! You can't make me, either!" I shrieked.
"Marli, stop moving so I can get the harness buckled."
Jordan dressed me under constant protest, zipping the flight suit tight to my chin. He forced me into some contraption comprised of a myriad of buckles and snaps, tethering me to his body. His patience wore thin when I whipped around, unexpectedly throwing him to the floor of the plane. His arms immediately locked around my chest.
"Dammit, Marli! Hold still! I swear nothing is going to happen to you unless I murder you inside this plane."
"I'm not jumping. I changed my mind."
Jordan's expression became confused. Hurt? Anger? No…something else. Fear? Of what? According to him, he skydived all the time. A childlike innocence crept into his tone.
"But you promised."
"Yeah, well…I make a lot of promises where you're concerned."
"Are you saying you don't mean to make them, or I pressure you to think you have to?"
"Of course I mean them. I just don't know about this one. I'm scared. Really scared."
His voice faltered, tone flat. "Fine, don't jump. I told you I'd never force you into anything."
Damn. An argument brewed, one I didn't want to have. It was his birthday and I did promise. I reached for his dangling hand. "Okay, I'll jump," I conceded inside a whine, secretly hoping he wouldn't make me. He hugged me hard and kissed my hair with a loud smack. Damn, damn, damn.
Mike slid the doors open and the deafening sound of air rushing the sides of the plane sucked the last of my oxygen. Panic gave way to fear. Below, far away, lay a patchwork of various colors of green, brown, and gray. I wanted to avoid the grays. Concrete. A ribbon of blue curled between—water. Water would be good, or green, preferably light green—grass.
Jordan brushed my hair to one side and placed a tender kiss on the back of my neck. "Marli, trust me, please. I would never purposely hurt you."
Tremors took possession of my body and if not fused to Jordan, I would have crumpled to the floor of the plane.
Jesse yelled to us from the cockpit. "You guys ready? We're coming up on the target field."
They chartered a plane specifically used for skydiving. The open cockpit allowed me to not only hear, but see Jesse laugh hysterically at the physical struggle between Jordan and me. His wide smile, however, didn't cover up the anxious look in his eyes. Our strange conversation in the middle of the night not only plagued my dreams with thoughts of Jesse, but apparently still lingered in his head as well.
Jordan's voice in my ear evaporated Jesse from my mind and resurrected the terror zigzagging inside me.
"Babe, pay attention to what I'm saying when we're out there. Lean your head against my chest. We'll drop backward so you see the sky above instead of the ground. That way you'll get used to the sensation of falling."
Falling? How could anyone get used to the feeling of falling?
Mike came toward us with the helmets. "I can't!" I cried. "Jordan I'll let you buy me any car you want, if you won't make me jump." All my begging wouldn't work. I'd tumble to earth with Jordan strapped to me. I prayed for the angels to take me before I felt the impact.
"Marli!" Jordan hollered in frustration, locking the helmet under my chin. "Honey, you'll be fine and I'll be holding you in my arms all the way. Now, please relax." He moved us onto a small platform, my feet teetering on the ridge of the door frame. "Ready, set..."
Jordan stepped back, pulling me out of the plane and into the sky. My screams echoed to the planet Jupiter, my face froze in horrified angles with my stolen breath. I clenched my teeth so tight I waited for them to crumble so I could choke on them and die before I smacked the ground.
The plane moved away and a cornflower blue color extended upwards as far as I could see. Jordan's arms remained tightly wound around my waist. "Marli—breathe," he called over my shoulder, his tone level and soothing. I managed to suck a couple deep pockets of air before my next lesson. "Arch your back, babe."
I obeyed not realizing the effect of this simple movement. Without warning, we rolled forward and I spied the earth below. My screams returned. The skin surrounding my mouth billowed, exposing my tonsils. I didn't realize I cried until Jordan started laughing.
"I need windshield wipers for my goggles!" He gave me a reassuring squeeze. "Sweetheart, relax."
"Jordan, open the chute!" I shrilled.
"Not yet." His fingers wound into my hands and he pulled my arms out to the side, slowly shifting our weight from side to side, dipping our bodies in an airborne dance.
"Jordan, I'll promise you anything—do anything, just pull the cord and open the chute!"
"Anything Marli? Are you telling me there isn't anything more frightening than this?" He mocked me now and the ground appeared to rise faster.
"Nothing is scarier than this. Please? If you love me, open the stupid parachute!"
> "What guarantee do I have you won't promise me something again, only to take it back when we land safely?"
"I won't! Cross my heart! Please open the damn chute before I kill you Jordan Mason!"
"There's that feisty temper. Good thing I'm the one in control here." To prove his point, he swung our bodies into a spin and my screams intensified.
"You're loving this, aren't you?"
"Holding you hostage? Call me an ass, but yep!"
I decided to try a different approach. "Jordan?" I asked sweetly."Baby, please open the parachute and when we are safely back on earth, your wish is my command." I swore I could count blades of grass and closed my eyes.
Suddenly, we jerked upward. Silence enveloped us unlike any quiet I'd ever experienced.
Am I dead—spared the pain when my body slammed the ground?
Something ruffled in the wind and I glanced upward. Overhead, a bright yellow and royal blue striped safety net floated us toward earth.
A bracketed smile widened on Jordan's face. "Remember, Miss Davis, once our toes touch solid ground, my wish is your command. Understood? "
"Okay, I get it." I let go several deep breaths, my heart rate slowly returning to normal. "This is kind of nice. Peaceful."
"I told you. Too bad you were so busy screeching you didn't enjoy it."
"I'm enjoying it now."
Jordan played with the cords, pulling the chute in different directions as we danced toward earth.
"All right, babe, here comes the tricky part. See that pink patch below? Our goal is to land in the middle. I'll maneuver the chute, so stay still."
"Pink patch?" Below, in the middle of a bright green field, was a definite vivid pink...patch? No—wait. Patches were square. This one curved in the shape of a heart.
"Lift your legs and I'll guide us in." As we got closer, I saw variegated shades of pink, red, and violet clustered together.
"Feet up, Marli, and one more thing—close your eyes."
I lifted my legs and let out another shrill, but shut my eyes as instructed. Jordan's legs came up under mine and we slid onto the ground, the landing surprisingly soft. Jordan released the chute and I heard it rustle off to the side. Two clicks and we separated.
"Stay put one more second, and keep those baby blues shut."
I was so relieved to be alive and sitting on hard ground I would promise the world as long as no one moved me. My hands gathered what I sat on, feeling velvety, fragrant particles.
"Can I open my eyes yet?"
"Patience, Marli. I promise it will be worth it, at least I hope so." Jordan lifted me to my feet, keeping his hands securely on my waist. "Can you stand? Your legs aren't wobbly?"
"No I'm fine. Just let me open my eyes."
Jordan took my hand in his and I felt the wetness of his lips kissing my palm. "Remember you said nothing else would ever be scarier than what you've survived. Plus, you promised me anything if I brought you safely to earth."
I could hear the smile in his tone, but his voice shook, heightening my nerves. "Yes, I remember. I'll keep my word." Maybe.
"All right. Open your eyes."
My lungs seized. Thousands of rose petals surrounded me.
"Jordan? What's all this?"
"Hearts and roses. I hope its romantic enough because I need all the romance I can get right now." His eyes shimmered.
Then the ultimate happened—a surprise topping everything I'd experienced so far in my eighteen years of life. While keeping my left hand in his, Jordan dropped to one knee, holding a tiny white satin box. The diamond ring inside caught the sun's rays and sent a rainbow-edged beam into outer space.
I studied his handsome face, holding a most fragile expression. The world around me disappeared behind a sudden veil of water.
"Marli, I need you in order to breathe. I love you and never want the sun to rise on another day without you beside me for the rest of my life. Please…marry me?"
34
BITTERSWEET
Cool water lapped against my shins, the top of the pool covered in a shimmer of sunbeams. "You can't avoid me forever," I shouted to the body slipping beneath the surface again. Ten laps without so much as a pause to acknowledge my presence.
Jesse resurfaced across the pool, propping his elbows on the edge and shaking his head like a wet dog. His stare cut through me.
"Why so shocked? You helped Jordan, didn't you?"
"You didn't have to say 'yes.'"
"But, I wanted to. I love him, Jess." I looked around, wondering whose ears tuned in to our argument. Jordan had been behind closed doors with his father since our return, making me nervous.
"You're compromising, Mars, like you always do—taking the easy way out."
"Easy? You think this is easy? I just made a major life decision! Why can't you support us…me?"
"You know why." Jesse dropped beneath the water again. Suddenly, he popped up in front of me, placed his hands on pool deck to the side of my thighs. He hoisted his upper body out of the water and I tried to ignore the fact his wet torso pressed my legs, or his face close enough I could see the tiny scar cutting through his left brow.
"You're officially trapped."
"If you'd move—"
"I'm talking about The Program. You'll never escape their control once you marry Jordan." He pushed back into the water, treading a few feet from me. "Have you called Rick to tell him the good news?"
"Not yet."
"Love to be a fly on the wall when you make that call."
"Why? He likes Jordan."
"He hates The Program more. He won't want this for you, Mars."
I flicked my foot, showering Jesse's face. "Rick wants me to be happy."
Jesse swam closer, lowering his voice. "I can make you happy. You could drop out of the damn Program. I told you last night to choose with your heart." When I tried to lift my legs to get out, he caught them, pulling me slightly forward, his fingers wrapped around my calves. "Tell me I don't stir feelings inside you when I get close."
I yanked my legs out of the water, kicking him away. "I thought we settled this already."
"Settled what?" My heart banged my spine when Jordan appeared behind me. Jesse dipped back under the water. "Am I missing something here?"
He pulled me to my feet when I extended my arm. "No. Let's go inside."
Jordan followed me into the bedroom, shutting the door behind us. Suddenly, I felt self-conscious standing in his room clad in only my infamous black bikini, especially when Jordan's eyes slowly swept the length of my body and his swim trunks became noticeably tighter.
"You shouldn't be in here. Someone might find out."
After closing the distance between us, he lifted my left hand. The large diamond sparkled in the light streaming through the window. "This changes things."
Jordan captured my mouth, the kiss intense and urgent. His hand smoothed over my hip, his thumb hooking into the side of my swimsuit bottoms. When his other hand reached for the ties to my top, I broke the kiss and stepped out of his arms.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm not in the mood."
"Not in the mood? Since when? You've never—"
"I've shut you down plenty of times. Giving me a diamond doesn't give you anything else. I told you, I want to wait."
Jordan scrubbed the back of his neck. "I've never said it did. What's going on, Marli?" A ghost of a smile appeared on his mouth and he rubbed his bottom lip. "An hour ago you'd have sucked these puppies off my face." A stormy expression dissolved the sexy smirk when I didn't respond. "Jesse said something, didn't he?"
"What were you doing in your father's office for so long?"
"Don't change the subject. What did Jess say? You seem different."
"Jesse has nothing to do with this. I've just got a lot to process and I need to call Dad."
"Are you worried he'll be angry?" Tears threatened and I turned away. Jordan gently pulled me to him. "Rick loves you and he's not going to like giving you up now
, or in fifty years. But he'll be okay after the shock wears off."
"He'll accuse me of compromising my future. He wants to believe I only have a crush on you."
"You mean you don't?" Jordan asked in a playful lilt.
"I passed 'crush' a long time ago." I nestled under his chin. "I love you." Not Jesse.
"Let me make the call."
"No, I have to be the one to tell him."
"I know, but let me talk to him first. I want to properly ask for your hand."
I looked up at the handsome boy whose fingers toyed with the strings on my bikini bottoms. A teasing grin curled a corner of his mouth when I pulled his hands away and balled them inside my own under my chin. I figured this conversation was a distraction from his real purpose. To get me naked. New ground rules needed to be established, and quick.
"Jordan, that's so old fashioned. Nobody does that."
He wiggled his hands free and commenced to tug on the ones to my top, kissing my mouth before I could object. The damp material slithered to a crumpled lump between our torsos and the sensation of Jordan's bare chest crushed against my own, stirring feelings I hoped would never fade during my mortal existence.
"Your dad's an old-fashioned guy. Besides, I want to give you the whole fairytale, Marli."
Surprise tears burned trails over my cheeks. Jordan stopped trying to undress me and cupped my face in his hands. "Babe?"
"I'm scared. What if—"
"Shhh." His thumb flicked away a salty droplet. "For once in your life, trust your heart. Trust me. I know love doesn't come with a warranty, but right now, holding you, I feel like 'Superman.' Invincible. Nothing can hurt us."
"There's always Kryptonite."
"Love's stronger. Marli, your parents' fate doesn't have to be ours. We'll make our own story, good or bad, but it will be ours—not some screwed up karma thing you believe."
I stared into the same eyes that mesmerized me almost a year ago from a video feed, feeling the same thrill chase my racing heart, my bones turning spongy and my body tingling. I watched the lips hovering close, remembering all the thoughts that raced through my brain back then—what they'd feel like touching mine, soft or hard? Would I be a good kisser? Even the worry about my breath passed, the memory leaving the taste of bubble gum on my tongue. All those questions answered in our first kiss an eternity ago, against my kitchen counter.
Designer Genes - The Boyfriend Cut Page 37
