By the time she’d finished shopping, Jordan had to run back to the car to deposit their packages, which numbered too many to take on the carriage ride. Vicki had opted for a private carriage to take them through the winding tour instead of the shared one.
The horse hoofs clopped along the roadway as they passed under the arching lights of Seuss Land, which brought the stories of Dr. Seuss alive through Christmas lights. Vicki couldn’t contain her laughter as Mason’s eyes grew wide as saucers. He squealed with delight, reaching out and trying to touch Horton the Elephant from the beloved Horton Hears A Who! book.
“Please tell me you have all of Dr. Seuss’s books and that you read to him every night,” Vicki said to Jordan.
“I don’t have them all, but you can bet I’ll have the entire collection ordered by the weekend.”
Mason’s chubby finger remained in a pointing position as he oohed and aahed over The Cat in the Hat and How the Grinch Stole Christmas! done up in thousands of twinkling lights. The tour continued through the Garden of Peace, with its dozens of flowering blooms and angel wings. Vicki nearly gave herself whiplash looking from side to side at the gorgeous display.
She turned at the sound of Jordan’s low chuckle.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“You,” he said, amusement coloring his voice. “You’re as enthralled as Mason.”
She felt her cheeks heat. “I can’t help it,” she admitted. “It’s just so amazing to see what they’ve created with Christmas lights.”
“You can create something just as beautiful with flowers,” he said. “I’ve seen you do it before.”
“So you don’t think I’m wasting my time with this float?”
“Who said you’re wasting your time?”
She shrugged. “My family. My father and brothers, in particular, but even my mom to a certain extent. They think I’m going to make a fool of myself.”
“Did they actually say that to you?”
“Not in so many words, but when I told my father and brothers about it over Sunday dinner this past weekend, they did everything they could to discourage me. I told my mom about it first, just to gauge her reaction, and she basically said the same thing. They think I’m going to be humiliated.”
“Vicki, you have as good of a chance of winning that float competition as anyone else. No, you have an even better chance, because you want it more.” He took her hand and gave it an affirming squeeze. “Forget what your family thinks. Don’t allow it to cross your mind again. You’re going to kick ass in that float competition.”
“Thank you,” she said, a gentle smile touching her lips. She held up a finger. “But don’t use that language in front of Mason.”
“Can I do this in front of Mason?” he asked before leaning to the side and capturing her lips in an easy kiss.
Their fingers remained entwined throughout the rest of the tour. The carriage meandered through Jurassic World, with its towering brontosaurus, triceratops and an exploding volcano. After Mason’s reaction, it was obvious that a few toy dinosaurs would have to be added to the shopping list.
Once the carriage ride was over, they returned to the car and continued on the driving tour, viewing the Noah’s ark display, Peter Pan and Captain Hook in Never Never Land and the charming Victorian Village.
After parking the car once again, they walked through Santa’s Magical Forest to Santa’s Cottage, where Mason took pictures on Jolly Ol’ St. Nick’s lap. Following picture taking, they walked through the rows of trees, their twinkling lights imbuing Forest Park with a magical touch.
“Here we are. The arching reindeer,” Jordan said, unfolding the blanket and laying it on the ground.
“What makes the arching reindeer special?” Vicki asked. Before he could answer, a teenager dressed in an elf costume interrupted them. The young boy carried a tray with two steaming paper cups and a basket of chocolate-chip cookies.
“What’s this?” Vicki asked.
“I thought it would be nice to sit for a while underneath the stars, both the real ones and the thousands they’ve put here in the trees,” Jordan answered.
Her heart melted at his thoughtfulness.
At the same time, her body hummed with anticipation of what was to come. The heated looks they’d shared across the carriage and Jordan’s tender yet sensual little touches throughout the night had turned her body into a throbbing ball of nerves. She needed relief in the form of a release she was more than ready for Jordan to deliver.
Vicki’s face heated to unheard-of levels. It felt heretical to have such erotic thoughts while surrounded by the innocent, festive Christmas lights.
The copse of oak trees provided a perfect spot for them to settle with Mason. Jordan lay on his back and held the giggling baby high above him.
“Wow, you’re getting heavier every day,” Jordan said with a laugh as his elbows started to buckle under Mason’s weight.
“He is growing quickly, isn’t he?” Vicki agreed. “You’ll look at him one day and realize that your baby is gone. He’ll reach those terrible twos soon, then the next thing you know it’ll be time to start school.”
“Don’t remind me,” Jordan said. “I’ve already missed so much time with him because of my work schedule.” He paused for a moment before continuing, “I’m beginning to rethink my approach to this whole thing.”
Vicki tilted her head to the side. “What thing?”
“This. Life. The future.” Jordan placed Mason on the blanket between them and set several of the toys he’d bought at the general store in front of him. “A few times a year the partners bring in this consultant to talk about the work/life balance. I’ve always seen it as a load of crap, because even though they tell you they want all associates to have a healthy balance between work and family, everyone knows that the more time you give to the firm, the quicker you’ll rise in the ranks.”
His eyes found hers. “I’m not sure rising in the ranks is what I want anymore. I’m starting to learn that there are many definitions of success. Who’s to say that raising a healthy, happy son doesn’t make me just as successful as bringing in seven figures a year?”
“It’s not as if you need the money,” Vicki pointed out.
“It’s never been about the money. It was always about winning. It’s still about winning. I just think the prize has changed. I don’t want the things I used to want in life. Those things aren’t as important to me anymore.
“My mom said something to me the other day and it’s been gnawing at my brain ever since. She said that my dad would have given anything to have more time to spend with me and Sandra when we were growing up.”
“I’m sure he would have.”
“If you’d asked me a few years ago—hell, a few months ago—if I felt neglected by my dad, I’d have called you crazy. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that, in a way, I did feel as if Woolcott Industries came before me.
“Damn,” he added with a low, self-deprecating chuckle. “Could I be any more of a whiner? It’s not as if I have anything to complain about. My parents gave us everything we could have ever asked for.”
“Look who you’re talking to, Jordan. Do you know how many nights I stayed up past my bedtime, waiting for my dad to come home from the office so I could share the perfect grade I received on a test, or so he could read the remarks my teacher made on my research papers? Even though I knew he would be too tired to really pay attention to it. I started to resent AFM with a passion, yet at the same time I knew that without Ahlfors Financial Management, I wouldn’t have the life my dad was working so hard to give us.”
He stared at her. “You’re right,” he said. “I did resent it. Maybe, in a way, I even resented him.” Jordan shook his head. “I don’t want Mason to grow up resenting me. I don’t want him to think that I’m putting anything ahead of him.”
“Then don’t,” she said simply. She pointed to Mason. “That little boy is the center of your world. Do what you hav
e to do to keep him there.”
He smiled at her. “Good advice, Ms. Ahlfors. I think you may have missed your calling. Maybe you should have been a life coach, or whatever the heck those people are called.”
Vicki laughed. “What do you know about life coaches?”
He rolled his eyes. “Not much, and I’m just fine with that. Allison thought a life coach was the answer to everyone’s problems.”
Vicki acknowledged the blend of emotions that rioted through her at the mention of his ex-wife. It was insane to feel even a drop of jealousy. Allison wasn’t the one here with Jordan tonight. She was. Why would she still be jealous of his ex?
Yet even though she knew she would probably regret it, Vicki heard herself ask, “What about Allison? Do you have any contact with her at all?”
“She calls occasionally,” Jordan said with a shrug. “As in maybe four times in the past six months. Her excuse is that she’s dating some jet-setter and they’re always traveling.”
“That’s no excuse. With all of the technology available these days, she can tell Mason good-night via video every night if she wanted to.”
“You hit the nail on the head. She could do that if she wanted to. She doesn’t. Allison’s only concern is Allison.”
Vicki reached out and covered his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry she isn’t at least there for Mason.”
“Allison didn’t want to be a mother, I knew that. Hell, I wasn’t all that sure I wanted to be a father. I hadn’t really thought about it. But when Mason was born—” Jordan shook his head “—he changed everything. From the moment I first heard him cry, I wondered how I’d ever lived my life without him in it.”
“You’re so lucky to have him,” she whispered, looking down at the baby with a wistful smile as he played with the plush toy snowman. She brought her eyes to Jordan’s again. “You’re lucky to have each other.”
“What about you?” he asked. “Do we have you? Because that’s what I want, Vicki. I want you in our lives.”
That did it. Those few words, spoken in that velvety-soft voice, melted her heart.
“I want to be in your lives,” she said. “There are no words to describe how much I want that.”
He shook his head again, his eyes filled with wonder. “Why did it take me so long to see how amazing you are?”
“I’ve been asking myself that question for years,” Vicki said with a wry grin. “Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you. I’m just relieved you finally came to your senses.”
She leaned over and they shared the kind the kiss she would love to come home to every single day for the rest of her life.
They sat underneath the tree’s twinkling lights for a while longer. Jordan played catch with Mason, rolling the ball covered with fat snowmen that he’d bought from the gift shop along the blanket. After the temperature dropped to unbearable levels, they finally got into Jordan’s car and headed back for Wintersage.
“Thank you for tonight,” Vicki said, reaching across the console and covering his arm. “This is my favorite time of the year, and tonight you showed me just why that is.”
“Thank you for inviting us to join you,” Jordan said. “I haven’t taken the time out to enjoy the holidays in years. I’m beginning to see just how special it is. I think this trip to Springfield will become an annual thing.”
“I’ll mark it in my calendar. If I’m invited, that is?”
He sent her a look that said she knew darn well that she was invited. The thought warmed Vicki from the inside out.
The snow began to fall in earnest as they drove along Interstate 291.
“I thought they said the snow wouldn’t be here for another few hours,” Vicki said, pulling out her phone and checking her weather app.
“It definitely wasn’t supposed to be this heavy,” Jordan pointed out.
Vicki held the phone out to him. “Looks as if the forecast changed in just the past few hours.”
By the time they arrived back at his house, the snow wasn’t only falling, it was coming down in thick, heavy sheets and was accompanied by swirling wind that made the driving conditions treacherous.
Pulling into the garage, Jordan said, “It’s a good thing you’re not driving over the bay in this.”
“I’m not?”
He glanced at her. “There’s only one place you’re going tonight. And the quicker I get you there, the more time we’ll have.”
Despite the excited shiver that ran through her at his words, Vicki couldn’t allow him to get away with such arrogance unchecked. She waited until he rounded the car and opened her door, then asked, “So you just went ahead and made that decision all by yourself, huh? You didn’t feel the need to consult me on it?”
“No,” he answered without hesitation. “I already knew your answer. You’ve got a new nightgown you want me to see, remember?”
She crossed her arms over her chest as she waited for him to unstrap Mason from his car seat. “What if I decided on the drive back that hot chocolate under the stars is all I’m willing to give tonight? I know you’re a Woolcott and all, but even Woolcotts don’t get to have their cake and eat it, too.”
Hefting the toddler over his shoulder, he turned to her and allowed his eyes to slowly roam the length of her body. “When it comes to what I’m planning to eat tonight, cake isn’t on the menu.”
Vicki nearly orgasmed then and there.
“Go put the baby to bed,” she said, the words coming out in a husky rasp.
She followed Jordan into the house, her skin vibrating with every step she took. The time it took for him to tuck Mason in for the night gave her body the opportunity to cool down. She went into the kitchen and slid a bottle of wine from the rack. She heard Jordan approaching and turned, finding him standing in the entryway.
Vicki held up the bottle of wine.
“I know there’s a snowstorm raging like crazy outside, but I have a feeling this wine would taste a whole lot better in front of the fire bowl on your enclosed deck.”
Jordan’s mouth pulled into a frown. “You want wine? Right now?”
“We both know what’s going to happen tonight, but I expect to be romanced just a little before I give up my goodies.” She nodded toward the glass-fronted cabinets that held the stemware. “Grab a couple of glasses, will you?”
“Really, Vicki? You want wine? Now?”
A smile curled up the edges of her lips. “Stop being so shortsighted, Jordan. Think of all the fun things we can do with the wine.”
His eyes grew wide with interest, and he headed straight for the cabinet.
Ten minutes later, Vicki grinned as she eyed Jordan’s surly expression from where she sat with one leg curled underneath her. The other was stretched out on the cushioned love seat glider, her toes inches from his thigh. His frown had appeared from the moment she poured the wine into the glasses instead of the more...interesting place he’d suggested.
Vicki moved her foot another few inches toward him.
He eyed her over the rim of his wineglass. “If that foot gets any closer I’m going to think you’re trying to tell me something.”
“I was trying to be discreet,” she said. “But apparently you don’t take hints very well. I guess I just have to come out and ask for a foot rub.”
He set his glass next to the baby monitor on the side table and pulled her foot onto his lap.
Vicki let her head fall back as she released a soft moan. “That feels like heaven,” she murmured. “Being on my feet at Petals all day is agony.”
“You can’t put flower arrangements together while sitting down?”
Vicki sent him a horrified look. “No,” she said. “I need to walk around so I can see what I’m creating from all sides. There’s no such thing as sitting for a florist. It’s murder on my feet.”
“On your hands, too,” Jordan said. “I didn’t want to mention it earlier, but when I took your hand in the car I think I nearly cut myself. Those things a
re brutal.”
Vicki burst out laughing. “Yes, I definitely have florist’s hands.” She held them up in front of her, observing the many nicks and scratches.
“Be proud of them,” Jordan said. “They’re your own personal battle scars. You earned them.” He took her hands in his and placed light kisses upon each and every mark.
A ribbon of desire curled through her belly. He was so tender, so unbelievably attuned to what her body craved.
“Vicki?” Jordan’s deep, velvety voice grazed over her skin like a silky promise.
“Yes?”
“Are you done torturing me?”
She looked up at him and grinned. “I’ve discovered that this new Vicki has a bit of a vindictive streak. I thought I’d pay you back for taking so long to realize that I’ve been here waiting for you, wanting you, all these years.”
Jordan’s head fell forward. “So you’re not done torturing me.”
“But I realize that the longer I make you wait, that’s the longer I have to wait, too. And I don’t want to wait any longer.”
His head popped up. His eyes grew intense, their smoldering depths lighting her skin on fire as he stared into her eyes.
“I’m sorry it took me so damn long to see what’s been standing right in front of me,” he said. “But I’m about to make up for it.”
Jordan’s gaze remained locked with hers as he lifted the back of her head and lowered his mouth to hers. The first touch of his soft lips sent Vicki’s head on a cosmic spin. It was sweet and sexy and everything she’d expected of him.
Yet so much more.
His kiss was mesmerizing—the taste, the texture, the urgency... It all combined to drive her mad with desire she could feel down to her toes. With gentle insistence, he applied pressure to her lips, his delicious mouth urging her to join him. She did, wrapping one hand around his neck and caressing the back of his head. She licked at the seam of his lips until his mouth opened, then she thrust her tongue inside, claiming his mouth as if it had always belonged to her.
Jordan released a low groan as he turned her more fully toward him and cradled her against his body. He began a slow journey down her sides until he cradled her waist. As his mouth continued to ply her with strong yet gentle kisses, his fingers inched their way along her torso, moving gradually up her belly until they neared her breasts.
A Mistletoe Affair (Mills & Boon Kimani) (Wintersage Weddings - Book 3) Page 12
