Only for You

by Jacquelin Thomas

  “Well, he is a very handsome man,” Cheryl stated. “The newspaper did an article on him.”

  “I’m so proud of him.”

  Cheryl finished off her wine and signaled for another. “If he knew just how much you care for him—I’m sure he would have come back a lot sooner.”

  Jordin was not so assured.

  * * *

  He took hold of her shoulders, pulled her in close and kissed her. Jordin was leaning into him, kissing him as if that kiss meant life itself. Fiery darts of pleasure shot through him, enflaming his body. Her hands on his back seared through the shirt he was wearing.

  Her gaze said what her mouth could not.

  Ethan woke up from the dream that was quickly becoming erotic. This was not the first time he’d had dreams of this nature where Jordin was concerned. He turned from one side to the other, Jordin still heavy on his mind.

  He had thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her earlier. For a moment, he was able to forget that so much time had passed between them. Jordin was still witty and she never did anything to try to impress him—she was comfortable in her own skin, a quality he admired.

  Ethan and Jordin were longtime friends. He reminded himself that she cared for him like a brother and he did not want to cross the imaginary boundary lines.

  He sat up in bed, propping himself up against the pillows.

  Ethan felt the urge to call Jordin. He wanted to hear her voice, to have one of the long, late-night conversations like they did when they were younger.

  Everything was different now. They were no longer teens. Ethan’s life changed when he was forced to leave Charleston all those years ago. As much as he wanted to forget about the past, it was not easy because it was a large part of the man he had become.

  Chapter 7

  “Where were you last night?” Chandler inquired when Ethan joined him at a restaurant near his hotel. “I stopped by your place to see if you wanted to grab a bite to eat.”

  “Jordin and I attended a gallery opening,” he responded. “She and I had dinner afterward.”

  Chandler broke into a grin. “That didn’t take long.”

  “It was two old friends catching up—that’s all,” Ethan blurted.

  “For now...”

  “It’s the way it will always be.”

  Frowning, Chandler inquired, “Why do you say that? Anybody that knows you knows that you’re crazy about Jordin.”

  “For one thing, I don’t have time for a relationship. The other is that I have too much baggage.”

  “This is your perception, but I don’t think Jordin is going to let you get away that easy. She really cares a lot about you.”

  “Jordin only sees me as a friend,” Ethan stressed. “Nothing more.”

  Chandler shook his head. “For some reason, I don’t believe that. I’ve seen the way she used to look at you.”

  “Do you know how long ago that was?” Ethan questioned. “We haven’t seen each other in eleven years. A lot has changed.”

  “I’m not buying it, man. You need to get some glasses or something.”

  Ethan gave a short laugh. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “All right, man...”

  The waiter came over to take their drink and food orders.

  Ethan was glad for the minor interruption.

  All around them, couples sat at small tables, leaning toward each other, laughing and talking. Waitstaff moved through the room serving up food and drinks.

  “This place stays busy,” Chandler stated.

  The clink of glassware and waves of conversation drifted and hummed in the background.

  Keeping his voice low in spite of the surrounding clatter, Ethan said, “I didn’t intend on seeing Jordin until I felt I was ready. She came to me.”

  “Did you expect otherwise?”

  He gave a slight nod. “I did, but I know Jordin, so I shouldn’t have been surprised.”

  “You’re a lucky man, Ethan. You have someone who truly cares for you, but you persist on being stubborn.”

  “I care for her as well,” Ethan admitted. “But, Chandler, you know how her family can be—I have had enough family drama to last a lifetime. Not only that, I am focusing on building my company. I want gyms in every state. I have a lot of work ahead of me.”

  “So you’re saying you have no time for love.”

  Ethan nodded. “That’s it in a nutshell.”

  “I don’t agree,” Chandler stated. “If you wait too long, you’re going to lose Jordin for good.”

  Ethan drew out of his pocket a folded stack of bills and peeled off two of them to toss onto the table. “I’ve got this.”

  Chandler’s words echoed long after the two men parted.

  Ethan kept hearing them over and over in his head. Now that Jordin was back in his life, he did not want to lose her.

  * * *

  Saturday evening, Jadin passed the bowl of popcorn to Jordin. “I know you and Ethan have been spending time together, but you’re not getting your hopes up, are you?” She had come to Jordin’s house to watch a movie.

  Jordin rolled her eyes upward. “Not this again, Jadin. I’m not going to have this conversation with you.”

  “I’m sorry, but I care about you. I don’t want you to get hurt by this man.”

  She eyed Jadin, asking, “Why are you so convinced that he’s going to hurt me?”

  “Because I know that you are in love with him. Can you say that he feels the same way about you?”

  Her words stung Jordin. “It’s not really your concern.”

  Sighing in resignation, Jadin uttered, “I see you’re not going to listen to me.”

  “Not about this,” Jordin responded. “Sis, remember how you didn’t want to hear about my suspicions when it came to Michael? Well, I feel the same way when it comes to Ethan.”

  Her sister shook her head sadly.

  “Jadin, I’m a grown woman. If Ethan doesn’t have any interest in me—I can take the rejection. I believe you’re wrong, however.”

  “I’ll be around if you need me, Jordin.”

  “I know,” she responded, “and I need you to have faith in me on this. You don’t know Ethan like I do. Right now, he has trust issues, but the more time we spend together—the easier it will be for him to let down his guard.”

  “What exactly happened to him?”

  “Apparently, the rumors about Rob being a drug dealer were true,” Jordin stated. “Everyone assumed his mother just up and abandoned Ethan, but she ended up going to prison for transporting drugs with her boyfriend.”

  “That’s a lot for a teen to handle.”

  Jordin agreed. “Then he was sent to live with his father, a man that didn’t really want him around. He sent Ethan to a military academy in Virginia.”

  “So why didn’t he try to contact us? Dad could’ve probably helped Ethan.”

  “I know. That’s what I told him, but Ethan said he didn’t want our pity. He’s a very proud man, Jadin.”

  “I find that admirable.”

  “So do I,” Jordin stated. “I just wish I could get him to see that. I have nothing but admiration for his courage and the man he has become.”

  “You have a lot of confidence in Ethan,” Jadin commented. “It makes me question what I feel about Michael. I don’t have that kind of confidence in him.”

  “Ethan and I have been friends a long time, even though we were apart all those years. It’s different than the relationship you and Michael have.”

  “I suppose you’re right.”

  Jordin looked at her sister. “What are you going to do about Michael? Are you really going to just end things?”

  “I’m not moving to California,
sis.” Jadin took a sip of her soda. “I belong here.”

  She did not respond. Jordin did not agree with her sister, but decided that maybe it was for the best. If Jadin truly loved Michael—she would not think twice about leaving to be with him. If Ethan asked her to leave with him, Jordin would not hesitate because she knew that her future was with him. The fact that he did not seem to feel the same way bothered her deep down.

  Jordin was not sure he even remembered those conversations, and she really did not expect him to do so, because they were only kids. Yet, she had carried those dreams with her—as she aged; her desire for the dream to become a reality grew with her.

  * * *

  “Austin, how are things going with you?” Jordin asked her brother the following Monday. They had just walked out of a meeting with her father. “Do you enjoy living in Charleston?”

  “It’s been good so far,” he responded. “I’m sitting second chair on a case with Jadin at the end of the week.”

  “How are things with you and Dad?”

  “We’re getting to know one another.”

  Jordin didn’t press for more information from Austin.

  “I’ll be at the house on Sunday for dinner,” he blurted. “My first family dinner.”

  She broke into a smile. “We’re celebrating your passing the South Carolina state bar exam.”

  “I didn’t expect anyone to make a big deal out of it. It’s not my first exam. I’ve been practicing law for a few years now.”

  “It’s not just about the exam, Austin. We want to formally welcome you into the family.”

  “I wasn’t sure how your mother would feel with me around.”

  “This was her idea to have this dinner for you,” Jordin stated. “She’s never had a problem with you. Mom has never had an issue with you or your mother.”

  Austin met her gaze. “I recognized a few years back that my mother is a bitter woman. She feels betrayed by our father. I always assumed that he cheated on her with your mother, but he swore to me that he didn’t meet Eleanor until a year after he divorced my mom.”

  “Do you believe him?”

  Austin shrugged. “I have no way of knowing one way or the other, but I guess it doesn’t matter now.”

  “I think that it does matter to you.”

  He met Jordin’s gaze. “Why did you say that?”

  “Because you need to know if you can trust your father. You need to know if he’d being honest with you. I would want to know the truth.”

  “What do you think?” Austin inquired.

  “I believe my father,” she responded, “and my mother. She has always told us that she and Dad met after his divorce.”

  “I guess he’s telling the truth, then.”

  “Austin, why did you really come to Charleston?” Jordin asked. “I believe that our father is part of the reason, but I have a feeling there’s more to this story.”

  “You’re right,” he admitted. “There is something I haven’t told you or Dad.”

  “What’s going on with you?”

  “I have a son,” Austin announced. “He’s the other reason I came to Charleston. I found out that he’s here.”

  A soft gasp escaped her. “Wow...”

  “I only found out about the child a couple of months ago. His mother gave him up for adoption, so I decided to look for him. I don’t want him growing up feeling that his biological father abandoned him.”

  “You knew nothing of the adoption?” Jordin inquired.

  “I had no knowledge of the pregnancy. I would have been there for my child.”

  The tenderness in his expression amazed her. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  Austin shook his head no. “I want to handle this on my own.”

  She reached over and hugged her brother. “I’m here if you need me. We’re family.”

  “I would appreciate if you just keep this between us for now, Jordin.”

  She nodded in understanding. “I won’t say anything.”

  “Thank you.” He paused a heartbeat before saying, “I hear you’re seeing someone.”

  Jordin broke into a wide grin. “It’s not like that. A childhood friend recently moved back here and I reconnected with him.”

  “From the expression on your face, I can see that you care a great deal for this man.”

  She smiled. “Is it that obvious?”

  Austin gave a slight nod.

  “To be honest, I feel that he’s my soul mate... I know it sounds corny.”

  He smiled. “Not when you’re a romantic.”

  “Are you telling me that you believe in love everlasting?” Jordin inquired with a grin.

  “I believe it’s possible.”

  “So do I.”

  “Does the guy feel the same way about you?” Austin asked.

  “He’s been through a lot which has left him pretty guarded. I know that he cares about me, but he hasn’t acted on those feelings yet.”

  “Give him time.”

  Jordin agreed. “He has some emotional scars that need to heal, so I plan to give him all the space he needs for now.”

  “If he has any sense, he won’t let you go without a fight.”

  “Thanks, big brother.”

  Austin headed toward the door, then stopped. He turned around and said, “You and Jadin have been wonderful to me. I’m lucky to have you two as sisters.”

  “I hope that you know we feel the same way about you, Austin. We love you.”

  “You hardly know me.”

  “It doesn’t matter. We’re family,” Jordin responded. “We have always loved you because you are a part of us.”

  “I can’t say the same,” he confessed. “I once resented you both.”

  She shrugged in nonchalance. “I understand why you felt that way, but it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t change my love for you.”

  “Like I said, I’m lucky to have such wonderful sisters.”

  “How are things with you and your mom?”

  “She’s still a little upset about my being here, but there’s nothing she can do about it.”

  “Does she know about your child?”

  “Not yet,” Austin responded. “I don’t want to get her hopes up about a grandchild she may never get the chance to meet.”

  “Let me know if I can do anything to help you with this, Austin. I mean it.”

  “I’ll let you know.”

  Jordin checked her watch. “Hey, how about having lunch with me?”

  “Sure.”

  They left the office and walked to the café on the corner.

  She felt a tap on her shoulder while waiting to be seated and turned around. “Ethan, how are you?”

  “I’m fine.” His gaze traveled over to her brother. She thought she detected something in his gaze, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come. “This is my brother, Austin.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Ethan said as he shook Austin’s hand.

  “Same here.”

  “Would you like to join us for lunch?” Jordin inquired.

  “I would love to, but I’m actually on my way to the gym,” Ethan responded with a smile. “I have a staff meeting.”

  When they were seated, Austin stated, “So Ethan is the man you consider your soul mate.”

  Jordin met her brother’s gaze. “How did you know that?”

  “Because you were giving Ethan that look that says you adore everything about him.”

  She laughed. “I was not.”

  “In case you didn’t know—you wear your feelings for the world to see.”

  Jordin met her brother’s gaze. “I can say the same thing about you, Austin.”

  “It must b
e a DuGrandpre trait.”

  They both laughed.

  She picked up her menu, although she knew what she wanted to eat.

  “Mind if we join you?” Jadin asked.

  “Sure,” Jordin said, surprised by the appearance of her sister and Ryker.

  She and Austin made room for them.

  “Kem is coming to town in a couple of weeks,” Ryker announced. “Why don’t we all get tickets to see him? He is still my favorite singer. We haven’t had a next generation outing in a while.”

  Austin glanced over at her. “Next generation?”

  “We’re the next generation,” she explained. “We all get together and just hang out. Sometimes we go bowling...attend concerts...whatever.”

  “Sounds like fun.” Austin laid down his menu. “I’m in.”

  “So am I,” Jordin interjected.

  “Me too,” Jadin said. “Have you spoken to Aubrie?”

  Ryker nodded. “She’s in.”

  Jordin decided this was something she needed to take her mind off Ethan. Plus, a night out with her family—she was looking forward to a great time. She felt a certain sadness that Ethan and his mother were estranged. She prayed time would heal the rift between him and Lydia.

  * * *

  Jordin’s perfume attacked Ethan’s nostrils, casting a spell of seduction, causing his heartbeat to throb in his ears. He couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away as Jordin made confident strides across the hardwood floor, her hips swaying gently as she walked.

  The warning look her brother gave him was not missed by Ethan. He knew that Austin hadn’t always been in Jordin’s life, but he was obviously very protective of his sibling. Ethan found that his feelings for Jordin wouldn’t just go away. Every time he saw her, he wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms. He could never forget the intensity of her incredible, warm brown eyes and smooth complexion.

  What is wrong with me?

  Ethan’s pulse skittered alarmingly. He was knocked off guard by his response to Jordin. Never had he experienced anything so powerful. None of this made much sense to him. He went to the gym for a quick work out before his meeting with Walter.