“What the hell, Sin? What’s with you nosing around in people’s personal lives all the damn time? Didn’t Audra tell you to stop doing that shit? Really, it’s disconcerting, creepy, and damn rude.”
“For your information,” began Michael, “I actually told Audra I would stop doing it on general principle unless it has to do with my family. Then all bets are off. Information saves lives at best and curtails drama at the least. And besides, when she and I reunited I had no idea who these ‘best friends’ from college were, what kinds of histories they had, or what their motives were toward my future wife. I did one for Jordan and one for David. Both came out clean and have been sincere friends to Audra from what I’ve seen in the last several months. But what I did find about Jordan would definitely play a part in her being skittish with you. You are the information and planning guy. You should understand.”
Michael leaned back in his chair, stretching his arm over the back of a nearby chair. His relaxed position emphasized his hard, muscled frame in the crisp white dress shirt and navy dress pants. Looking like he had not a care in the world, he surveyed the new wave of after-work crowds in the bar. Riordan just shook his head at his friend’s nonchalance. He guessed this high-handedness was what made Sin millions while Riordan was still being assigned agency missions. He adored his job but was never one to want to be responsible for the livelihood of others. Business ownership was not his thing.
“I still think inviting her friends for dinner and drinks would have given you the same information without risking your fiancée’s wrath. And more importantly, you are seriously going to need to address your trust issues. Letting people in without knowing their social security number, blood type, and criminal record is normal. Capital N, capital O…”
“Since you ain’t tellin’, I ain’t worried. And I am normal, just extremely proactive. If you want the file, it’s there, man. Your move.”
“I’ll think on it, Creeper.”
Chapter Three
Jordan loved this part of her job. The early morning, when she first walked into her store and the smell of cedar, lavender, and sage swept over her. Her cream lace skirt swished around her ankles as she walked toward the rear stock room and flipped on her most recent New Age CD. She loved the mix of African tribe melodies mixed with the smooth lyrics of Marvin Gay’s classic “I Want You.” Her generous hips swayed rhythmically to the music as she picked up the stock clip board to begin her normal routine. I want you to want me too… I want you to want me too floated through the air as she began to count the inventory for her soy candle orders that week. The tinkling chime of the door caught her attention as the mail lady came in and dropped off the day’s packages. “Anything to take today, Ms. Anderson?” asked the petite blonde.
“Not today, Cheryl. How’s Frank and the kids doin’? I know the layoffs have him bored as heck.”
“Well he’s beginning to understand my schedule with those three bad kids we have. With me taking on more shifts he has to be cabbie, cook, nurse, maid, and house accountant. It’s funny how much he appreciates what he used to call ‘mom duties’.” Cheryl chuckled.
“Good for him! Parenting is the hardest job in the world, and no one writes you a check… At least that’s what my friends with children say,” said Jordan, smirking.
“What I wouldn’t give to be fancy and free like you,” sighed Cheryl dreamily.
Jordan’s good-natured smirk slipped a little.
“Yup ‘fancy and free,’ that’s me,” she replied. Try alone and tired for seven years but who’s counting? “You have a good one, Cheryl, and if you need more lavender to help little Josie sleep you let me know.”
“Will do, Ms. Anderson. Have a great day.”
As the woman exited Jordan thought about the long line of men who had run from the creepy girlfriend who woke up four or five times a night or didn’t sleep at all. The many times she had to fake Academy Award-winning orgasms because her boyfriend’s touch had changed from tentative and slow to hard and frighteningly aggressive. When other women giggled about husbands “tearin’ that ass up” or “breakin’ backs” she inwardly shuddered at the thought of a man weighing down her curvy body and bruising her skin.
She sighed heavily and set her mind back to counting bundles of dried plants, candles, and herbs. A few hours had passed, and her day was well under way when the door swung open with a bang, startling her and the quietly milling customers. She leaned over her register area and squealed as loudly as humanly possible while still within the range of human hearing.
“DAVIIIID…!” Jordan picked up her skirt and ran into the arms of her best male friend in the world. “You’re here, you’re early, Audra said you wouldn’t be landing till the day after tomorrow!”
David Edwards leaned down and wrapped his long arms around his other best college friend. He, Audra, and Jordan had been inseparable at the Massachusetts Institute of Art in Boston. She leaned into his hard chest, tilted up her face, and kissed his chiseled jaw.
“Hey, beautiful! You know I couldn’t stay away when one of my girls is getting married and the other is clearly having man issues in the extreme. Audra said some hot Mama Jama’s been all over you and you can’t stand him. And before you get mad at her let me tell you this—if it’s one of Michael’s friends you need to get your head outta your ass and ride that roadster till the brakes fall off and light on fire. That’s part of the best friend job description.”
David looked around and back down into Jordan’s upturned face.
“It’s also my proud job to support you and tell you how great you look in that antique lace. As always, the store looks all New Age, hippie, African Queen lovely… It still smells like weed, but hey, I guess it’s working for you.” Jordan hit his arm and laughed at his teasing.
Taking her hand in his, he walked her back toward the register desk.
Audra beamed up at the one man who’d made her escape to college bearable. As outgoing and social as she’d seemed, David had been her escort more times than she could count. He’s kept her from having to date some groping college boy who didn’t understand the Pandora’s box he’d be opening if he kissed too fast and too hard at a drunken, frat house party. Getting expelled for shanking an unsuspecting student for feeling her up was not her idea of a good time.
“It’s sage and cardamom, not weed, fool. Clearly you are not a pot head worth your salt,” she quipped. “I’m so excited to see you. What’s new? Are you in DC alone, or did you bring Philip?”
“Honey, I haven’t seen Philip in two weeks, nor have I seen my bar manager, James. It’s funny how I wasn’t attentive enough as a boyfriend and I also wasn’t attentive enough as a business owner, working six days a week. I have the distinct feeling the text I got at two a.m. from James’ phone saying he quit the day after Philip left me have something to do with each other. I guess it’s a good thing in the long run, but they can still take a long walk off of eighteen bridges. Bye, Felicia!”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, sweetie. I know you really wanted things with Philip to work out,” Jordan consoled.
“I did, but apparently the minute I said no to spending my hard-earned cash while he was sitting by the pool, doing nothing, I wasn’t the bee’s knees I thought I was. But alas, my heart will heal, and love will find me. I have no doubt. But forget about me—I’m here to help you, girl. Audra says you’re fighting this attraction like Muhammad Ali in the ring. Tell me everything.”
David pulled up a stool behind her counter, looking like a blond model selling wares in an Apostle ad.
“Ugh, you’re right. It is one of Michael’s friends. It’s Riordan. You remember the CIA guy, right? Tall, blond, funny, uses sex appeal like a weapon. I can’t depend on a man like that, David. Is he gonna clown me when I cry at some far-off memory in the middle of the damn night? Make me feel ashamed when he touches me wrong and I run the other way? No, I need a quieter guy who listens and is patient with me, not so demanding and so…big.” Jordan scowle
d into her cup of chamomile tea.
“Okay, so tell me about him. What’s he like on dates? When it’s just you and he together, is he mean or rough with you?”
“Oh, well, we’ve never been on a date or anything. We’ve just met at Michael and Audra’s gatherings. Talked about what needed to be done for them as the maid of honor and best man, things like that,” she corrected.
David’s brows furrowed in confusion.
“Okay, so you haven’t actually seen him in action or given him a chance, but you’ve judged him and sent him up a creek with no paddle or boat? Are you sure you’re being fair to him, and more importantly, to yourself? If he seems as interested as Audie says, he may be more understanding than you think, Jay. When did you realize he was in hot pursuit of your lusciousness? Fill me in on that piece of juicy goodness.”
“Well, it went like this…” she began.
Chapter Four
Four Months Previously
Jordan looked like a prairie dog as she popped her head up every ten minutes, scanning the main dining room of Antoine’s Restaurant in New Orleans. She was so excited and nervous it was bordering on comical to the one interested observer at the table. That observer happened to be Audra, and unfortunately Jordan couldn’t share the reason why she was doing the fantastic impression of a nervous rodent.
“Okay, what gives, Jay?” asked Audra, looking first behind herself and then behind Jordan.
“Huh? Oh, nothing. I just saw someone and thought it was an old ex. You know how they pop up at the most inopportune times.”
“Uh huh. In New Orleans? Is he stalking you from DC?” teased Audra.
“Hey, you never know, girl. Remember that chick who drove cross country in a diaper to get to her ex? It happens,” she countered.
“You know what’s sad is that is a valid concern for you. You make such good dating choices.” Audra smirked and sipped her cabernet.
“Listen, my choice in men is not on discussion today, Ms. Smartass. This is a girls’ weekend, remember? If David could have flown his pretty ass down here from Boston, this all would have been perfect.”
Even as she placated Audra, Jordan kept glancing behind her at the restaurant entrance. Sitting with her back to the door was probably not a good idea. Ugh! Where was this guy? Riordan, right? Michael had said he was tall, blond, and had the same build he did. Which meant Riordan Deliverance was impressive. He was supposed to be flying in from Barcelona that afternoon and bringing the engagement ring Michael had designed direct from the jewelers’ hands to Michael’s. It was her job to keep Audra occupied until Michael and Riordan could meet at the restaurant to exchange the package. Michael had landed at Armstrong Airport fifteen minutes ago and was on his way, but his friend was nowhere to be found. This was an important day for her best friend. You only get engaged once—hopefully. If this guy screwed up Audra’s big moment, Jordan was going to beat him like a runaway slave.
When the three ladies next to them began to twitter loudly and turn toward the entrance, Jordan did the same. That was the first time she’d laid eyes on the future bane of her existence. Six foot two inches of blond, beautiful man had walked in alone and was leaning closely to the hostess, whispering something softly into her ear. The woman looked like she’d just won the damn Lotto. Hmm, yeah, he was hot from the back, and his suit had apparently been sewn onto his taut, chiseled ass while he slept last night He was seemingly very charming, also, if the struck-by-lightning look of the middle-aged hostess was any indication. When he turned to face the dining room, Jordan went breathless. His sun-streaked locks fell carelessly over his shoulders, and he chuckled at whatever the woman was saying, showing a deep dimple and large, cornflower-blue eyes.
“Jay? Jay…” Audra repeated, snapping her fingers in front of her friend’s face to bring her attention back to the table. “Who’s over there? What’s going on?”
Audra leaned over to get a clear shot of Riordan standing in the entrance of the restaurant.
“Riordan! Oh, my God! What’s he doing here? I’m going to check this out… Something must be wrong with Michael!” Audra made a motion to stand, and Jordan grabbed her hand and smiled up at her.
“Audra Lang, sit down. Trust me. Nothing’s wrong. In fact, keep your controlling butt in the chair and let people who love you make this night special.”
Audra sat back down slowly. She looked expectantly at Jordan, asking wordlessly for some explanation.
Jordan put her finger to her lips to quiet Audra. “Remember, don’t move.”
Slipping out of her seat, Jordan discreetly adjusted the burgundy velvet halter of her knee-length dress. She was five feet nine inches of stunning, caramel goodness that night and thanked God for the extra confidence. She had not been expecting to be teamed up with Thor’s distant cousin. Her gold hammered cuff and matching necklace with a teardrop ruby nestled just above her cleavage made several men gaze longingly at the beautiful black woman with the aloof, queenly air about her.
Stopping at the hostess desk, she caught Riordan’s attention by placing her hand on his wrist. She immediately felt a jolt of energy from that slight touch, and it was only enforced when he turned his eyes on her. The heat in his gaze was almost overwhelming. She was tempted to inch closer and cozy up to his hard, muscled chest. She plastered on a bright smile and tried valiantly to cover the shock to her system while bringing him up to speed as quickly as possible.
“Hello, Riordan? My name’s Jordan Anderson. It’s a pleasure to meet you. The situation goes as follows: Audra is in the dining room right now dying of curiosity and staring at us. Michael texted me that he was on his way from the airport and is arriving in a few minutes, and you just made it. So, do you have the ring?”
***
Riordan’s gaze followed the French-manicured nails, up the lovely café au lait arm, to the full burgundy lips. Well, damn! This evening was most certainly looking up.
He smiled fully.
“Enchanted, Ms. Anderson. Michael didn’t tell me Isis herself was assisting us in this romantic scheme. It is most certainly a pleasure.”
Jordan smirked at the compliment. He was a smooth one, absolutely inaccurate regarding her ancestry but smooth nonetheless.
“Isis, really? That works for you?” she asked. “Wrong part of Africa, Viking. Try Ala, Nigerian goddess of fertility or Danu, Celtic Goddess and matriarch or perhaps Sakwa Mana, Hopi Goddess of Bounty and Joy. I am a hybrid of all those things. Isis is Egyptian. If you have a preference for Egyptian sisters, I can forward you to a meet-up group that can fulfill your taste for the exotic. Again, do you have the ring?”
Riordan drew back in surprise. Did she slash and burn every compliment given to her or just the ones from strange white dudes who were clearly stunned by her statuesque beauty?
“Forgive me, dejlige hugorm, no offense was meant. I do have the ring. Good guess on my heritage, by the way. You are quite accurate.”
She glanced back nervously. “Well, Audra has seen you now, and it would be highly out of character for you not to go say hello. I’m sure she’s aware something is up, but we don’t need to blow it totally,” said Jordan, turning her back to Riordan and walking toward the table.
He stifled a groan of appreciation as his eyes followed the smooth line of her naked back. Three delicate, gold-link chains connected the sides of the backless wet dream of a dress she was wearing and settled above an ass that was big, round, and dead sexy.
She paused and glanced over her shoulder.
Riordan stopped up short, close enough to feel the heat off her naked back against his chest.
“The next time you call me lovely viper in Danish I will have to retaliate in kind, Viking,” she whispered. “Not every woman thinks your sly insults are endearing.”
His raised brow was all the response she received.
When they arrived back at the table, Audra stood and hugged Riordan with the enthusiasm of a long-lost brother.
“Riordan, it’s so
lovely to see you. What a wonderful surprise. Do you two know each other? I almost thought Jordan recognized you before I did.”
“Guess who knew I was in Louisiana and told me you would be here tonight? You guessed it. Mr. Overbearing himself,” teased Riordan, deftly avoiding her question. “What Michael didn’t know was I was going to come to your shop while I was in town to say hello anyway. We’re like family, and what big brother doesn’t come see his pipsqueak little sister when he’s in her city? Never say I didn’t do my fraternal duty!” Riordan finished.
“Well, I’m glad you swung by,” she offered. “Have a seat and I’ll just pretend my overprotective boyfriend didn’t send an enforcer to check on me. You’d think I had the secrets of the universe in my purse.”
Audra almost jumped to the ceiling when she heard Michael’s voice, low and sexy in her ear.
“Didn’t you know, sweetheart? The secrets of my universe are actually located between your lovely thighs.”
Audra’s surprise and excitement clearly overpowered any embarrassment she may have felt over Michael’s overtly sexual compliment. She slid back her chair and was immediately enfolded in his embrace.
Riordan smiled at the happy image they made as they were instantly lost in the bubble that was just those two. He glanced at Jordan, and her face looked pained, even slightly tortured. He raised a hand to the waitress.
“Excuse me, I’d like a Scotch and wat—” he began.
“Oh, no. We’re sorry, miss. We were just leaving,” Jordan interrupted.
She smiled sweetly at the waitress, turned to Riordan, and tipped her head twice toward the exit as a sign that it was time to hand off the package to Michael and get out of Dodge.
Riordan’s face lit up with realization as he first pushed back his chair and then pulled out Jordan’s. He leaned in to give Michael a brotherly hug and deftly dropped the ring box in his jacket pocket.
Jordan’s Deliverance Page 2
