Aiden cupped both of her breasts, sheathed in the white lace of her bra, in his hands. “You are so beautiful,” he breathed. He reached up and unclasped the clip that held her hair in check. The auburn mane cascaded around her shoulders as he bent to smother her breasts in kisses. The day’s growth of beard on his face prickled her soft skin, sending ecstatic sensations through her whole body. She buried her fingers in his thick brown hair until he lifted his face again to hers. Their eyes locked in a mutual silent exchange of questions and answers. Do you want me? Yes! I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anyone else. Then love me now as you have never loved anyone else.
Jordan released him, and without breaking the bond their eyes continued to hold, she reached down and unzipped her jeans. Aiden stepped back to watch as they, too, were left in a heap on the floor. Jordan stood before him, a smile playing on her lips. She stepped coquettishly around him and climbed up onto the bed, stretching out her long legs, and propped her head up on her elbow. “What are you waiting for?” she asked.
Aiden made no reply as he pulled at his shirt. Jordan lay there, watching him undress. As he bared his chest, her stomach gave a delicious little leap. His muscles were knit together over his taut, flat stomach; his arms were strong and lean. Her eyes fell on his muscled abs and the vee that flexed slightly as he unbuckled his belt. Feelings awakened in her that she could hardly comprehend. Feelings of desire and physical need. Feelings that smothered any other emotion she might have entertained earlier that evening. Now, the outside world seemed not to exist. All there was in the vast, infinite universe was this room and Aiden and herself.
Aiden stepped out of his jeans. He stood for a moment beside the bed; the subtle virility she had always sensed in him was now overt and overpowering. Then he sank down beside her, his arms encircling her, his fingers lighting little fires wherever they touched her. Jordan closed her eyes and let the elation of the moment awaken the blaze of desire within. She let her own hands play sensually over his back. Such contrasts, she thought. His skin was so soft and smooth, and underneath the muscles were so hard, so alive.
Aiden reached behind her and unclasped her bra, slipping it gently off her arms. The moonlight had begun to flood the room with a silver wash. Jordan heard him catch his breath as he caressed both breasts in turn and bent his head to pay homage to them with his kisses. She groaned with unabashed passion as his tongue slowly circled her nipples and his teeth caught them in playful tender bites. She thought she might lose her mind with the suspense of unfulfilled longing, and she arched her body up and into his in an effort to be even closer.
Aiden’s mouth found hers again, and this time their kisses were unapologetically wanton as they sought to quench their yearning for each other. Jordan drank in the taste of his tongue on hers, feeling the heat of him flooding her body and pulsing now, in the very heart of her female self. She moved her hips and felt him, hard and male, against her. She reached down, and almost tenuously, stroked him. She heard him gasp. It emboldened her, and she took his hardened shaft in her hand, caressing, squeezing, teasing. He pressed firmly against her, burying his face in the curve of her neck, half kissing, half licking. His fingertips played around her navel, exploring, tickling. She moaned softly, and he stroked her at the top of her panties. Instinctively, she opened her thighs. Please, please, her mind screamed with desire. He squeezed her gently through the fabric, making her writhe with anticipation.
His hand seemed everywhere at once, except in that place she desired it most. He caressed her buttocks, and then, before she was quite aware, he had slipped the panties down, over her thighs, over her knees. She gave a little kick with one leg, and she was free of them. Her legs opened.
His fingers found her then, lightly probing between her folds of her, searching for that spot that would ignite her. She cried out in glorious frustration, spreading her thighs. He bent his head down, kissing her navel, kissing the swell between her legs, adorned with a strip of russet curls. He explored her with his tongue, first skimming the surface, then pushing deeper and deeper. He covered her with little licks and nibbles until she arched up against his mouth and cried out again.
She thought she might die of ecstasy as she felt his fingers devling inside her, rhythmically moving them, until she moaned and twisted. Then, Aiden raised himself up. He took her soft thighs in his hands, kneeling between them, looking down at her. Jordan opened her eyes. He was smiling at her in the moonlight. She reached out and took his erection in both hands, guiding him to her entrance. He pressed into her, hard and fast. The relief was overwhelming, intoxicating. He began his thrusts, slowly at first, then faster. She lifted her hips to meet him, grinding into him, meeting him stroke for stroke.
Their passion became almost frantic, even fierce, as though they were struggling to keep out anything except the physical sensation that washed over them both. Aiden’s breath came faster and faster. His hands gripped her hips as she wrapped her legs around him. He lay his full length on her, pushing hard into her deep, sweet wetness. Their hands clasped together. Jordan felt him swell within her as his thrusts became stronger still. The motion transported her. She felt herself reaching a pinnacle of physical exhilaration she had never felt, and suddenly, that exhilaration crashed over her, drenching her in rapture, like crystalline waves on a faraway shore. She felt Aiden shudder, felt his breath catch as he matched her euphoria with the climax of his own passion.
The room was still and silent, glowing with the silvery blue luminosity of the moonlight. Aiden lay there with his face against Jordan’s soft cheek. She felt the weight of him on her, comforting and strong. His hand was still clasped in her own. The warmth that coursed through her body filled her with a pleasure that deepened with every breath. She wondered at the heights of passion she had just experienced. She had not thought it possible. She had not thought herself capable of this fulfillment that reached to her core. And yet, she mused, lying there still tingling with the compilation of the sensations she had just experienced, the fulfillment didn’t reach her core, it started there. She sighed contentedly.
As Jordan moved, Aiden rolled slightly to one side, both of them loath to disturb their physical connection. He gave a sharp exhale as he separated from her. Reaching out, he pulled the down comforter over them, drawing her into his body so they lay face to face, cuddling close under the blanket.
Jordan spoke first. “Are you all right?”
“I’ve never felt more content in my life,” Aiden said softly.
Jordan whispered into his chest. “I needed to be here. Like this. I needed you. That’s why I came to your room.”
Aiden kissed the top of her head and buried his face in her hair. “Thank you for that. Thank you for coming. I needed you too. I was wild when I left your office. I thought I might never see you again and I didn’t know what I was going to do. I needed us.”
At that moment, there was nothing left to say. Aiden wrapped his arms around her. Jordan curled as close to him as it was possible for her to get. The warmth from him enveloped her, and she closed her eyes and slept.
When she opened them, the room was dark. The moon must have set, she thought. Morning would be coming soon. Morning meant the sun would shine its bright light on their world, exposing every nook and cranny in their souls.
Jordan felt Aiden stir. She heard him let out a contended little sigh and felt his arm tighten possessively around her. He was ready again. Silently, they gave themselves over to their physical desires. Jordan slowly moved her legs until she embraced him between her thighs. He slipped easily into her, arousing her sensibilities once again, lighting the fires of passion from the night before that still burned under the surface of her heart. She lifted her face to his, and Aiden covered her eyelids, her forehead, her cheeks, and her lips with kisses. He began rocking into her, transporting her to the same dizzy height of the night before. She teetered on the brink of sensation, then toppled into that abyss of ecstasy as the impact of her climax surged throug
h her. She felt him match her passion, heard him gasp and felt his body shudder with the undulating rhythm of his own orgasm.
They lay in each other’s arms quietly, each afraid to be the one to break the bubble of enchantment that isolated the two of them from the outside world. The world of responsibility, duties, and commitments to which they both must return.
“The sky is getting light,” whispered Aiden, forcing himself to open his eyes.
Jordan answered without moving her face from the hollow of his neck. “I should be going. I told my mother I would have to work late at the office and might not be home until morning, but I better get home for at least a little while.”
“We have work ahead of us, Jordan,” he said as he propped himself on one elbow, playing with her hair on the pillow.
“I know,” she sighed, stroking his chest, reveling in the feel of those muscles that flexed and tightened under her touch, like a wild animal’s, tamed only for her sake. Could it be true she really had this power over him? Could she trust that he really felt about her as he said he did? A cold pain, like being stabbed with an icicle, suddenly pierced her. What if this had been a ploy? What if she had fallen into some sort of plot that this man had concocted simply to gain control of all she had labored to build? A tremor coursed through her.
Aiden felt it. “What’s wrong?” he whispered urgently.
“Nothing,” she said. “Don’t worry.”
“Something’s wrong,” he insisted, looking down on her anxiously. “I know you now. What were you thinking?”
Jordan sighed and shook her head. “It’s okay,” she reassured him. “I was just thinking about all the things I have to do today and how much I just want to lie here, in this bed, with you.”
Aiden folded his arms around her. “I was thinking about us,” he said. “We can’t let this go.”
“We can sign it today.”
Aiden sat straight up in the bed, staring down at her. “What are you talking about?”
Jordan’s blue eyes widened. “The contract. The merger.”
“Is that what you thought I meant? You thought I was talking about the merger?”
“Weren’t you?”
Aiden’s voice went quiet and somber. “No.” He ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath. “I was talking about us, Jordan. Us. You and me. Together.” He exhaled. “We can’t let this go,” he repeated. “The merger isn’t a problem. We’ll make it work. It’s us we’ve got to think about. Unless you don’t want it.”
Jordan sat up, pulling the sheet around her. “I want to believe you, Aiden. I do. There—there’s just so much to sort out. And I have so much baggage.”
“What baggage!” scoffed Aiden, but he wouldn’t allow her to answer. “What baggage would that be? A baby? I’m not bothered by that. My mother had three babies. My sisters have children. They used to be babies.”
Jordan gave a little smile at his attempt at humor.
“Jordan, I want a future for you and me, no matter what.”
Their eyes locked, and there was no denying the feelings that passed between them. Jordan’s voice was now barely above a whisper. “I want that, too, Aiden, but I’m afraid of the future.”
Aiden reached out and caught her once again in his arms, drawing her close. “Don’t worry,” he reassured her. “We’ll work it out. We will. You’ve been working too hard. You’re supporting your family. Your mentor is sick. You’ve got the responsibility for this merger. And you have a baby daughter. You’re tired. You can count on me. I’ll help you. I will.”
Jordan drew back and gave him a wry little smile. “That might be the testosterone talking.”
Aiden shook his head. “You sure are hard to convince. It’s me talking. The man you made love to.”
“Hey! One night doesn’t mean you can just stake your claim!”
“Watch me,” he warned, and he smiled and kissed her. “I think you like my stake.”
“Oh, really!” Now she was laughing. “Let me go. I have to go home, get cleaned up, and see my baby. I’ll be back at the office later, and I’ll call you. We’ll take this to Mr. Palmer this afternoon and finalize it.”
“We’re going to see Palmer?”
“Of course. He owns Chat exclusively. He has to sign.”
“Interesting. I’m interested to meet him.”
“He’s a wonderful man. Now let me go.”
He reluctantly released her, and she climbed out of the bed and dressed. When she was ready, he got up and, still naked, kissed her one more time as she turned to go. “I can’t get enough of you,” he admitted.
She laughed and returned his kiss. “I’ll call you about what time to meet me at Chat. I’ll drive us to Mr. Palmer’s house if he’s feeling well enough to see us today.” She gave a final little wave as she slipped out the door.
Chapter Nine
JORDAN SPENT THE MORNING at home with Grace. They were alone in the house; her father and mother had gone grocery shopping and to a dentist appointment. Jordan fed Grace her breakfast and then took her outside to play in the sunshine on the lawn for a while. She called Ashley as she watched her baby delight in the feel of the grass in her fat little fingers.
“ChatDotCom. May I help you?”
“Hi, Ashley. It’s me.”
“Well?”
“Well, what?”
“How did it go?”
“It went fine. It really did. I—I, well, I’ll tell you about it sometime. Anyway, thank you for being there for me. You helped me a lot.”
“You’re welcome,” said Ashley. “Everybody needs support at times like this, and it just happens to be my particular area of expertise.”
“Oh, Ashley, you’ve only had one man your whole life!”
“See what I mean?”
“Ouch. Touché!” Jordan laughed. “Grace, honey, don’t put the dandelion in your mouth.”
“Oh, you’re home?”
“Yes.” Jordan balanced the phone between her ear and shoulder as she tried to take possession of the dandelion head that Grace had squashed in her fist. “I just got home a couple of hours ago.”
“You did! Really?”
Jordan winced. She hadn’t meant to say that. She hadn’t meant to reveal her feelings, even to Ashley. “Sorry, sorry,” she said. “I meant—”
“I know what you meant.” Ashley chuckled. “That’s okay, Jordan. You deserve not to deny yourself. The important thing is, did you have fun? Did you like him?”
“Yes,” admitted Jordan. “I did have a good time. I laughed.”
“And did you like him?”
Ashley was not going to let this go. Jordan gave in. “Yes, yes, I do like him, Ashley, but there’s just so much in the way right now.”
She reached out and tickled her baby’s nose with the dandelion head. Grace giggled. Jordan waited for Ashley’s tirade, but none came. Instead, Ashley said cheerily, “That’s okay, Jordan. Don’t think about that now. You took the necessary first step. That’s the important part. Everything else will fall into place.”
“I wish I could be as sure about it as you are.”
“Trust me. Now, are you coming in today?”
“Oh, yes. I’ll be in about noon.”
“I was going to meet Kyle for lunch at the diner, but I can stay so we can go over whatever…business…you guys got done last night.”
“No, Ashley. You go to lunch with your husband. Just leave anything new that came up this morning on my desk, and we’ll go over the merger agreement when I get back. I’m going to call Mr. Palmer. I’ll go there this afternoon as long as he’s up to it and finalize this. Oh, Ashley, I really hope this is the right thing to do.”
“Of course it is,” said Ashley firmly. “Trade Winds seems to be a focused company with the same principles as Chat. Fenton Industries, on the other hand, seems to be a holding company and who knows where Chat would end up being held. Besides, I don’t trust that Christopher Fenton.”
“I don�
��t either.” Jordan had never told Ashley about the dinner and how Fenton had drugged her. Aiden Stewart was the only other person who knew.
“Well, I’ll see you after lunch, then,” said Ashley. “Bye for now.”
“Bye-bye,” replied Jordan. She put the phone back in her pocket and turned to her baby.
The morning passed much too quickly for Jordan. She rarely got the chance to spend extended periods of time with Grace during the week, much less alone with her with nothing else to do. Jordan could not get over the wonder of her daughter. It was such fun to see this wondrous little girl of hers eat her Snack Puffs by herself, to join her on the kitchen floor as she played with the pots and pans, and to walk with her outside while she diligently picked the heads off the dandelions. Certainly there had never been such a delightful or beautiful baby!
By the time Jordan’s parents had returned from their errands, Grace had eaten her lunch and was napping peacefully in her little room across the hall from Jordan’s. Jordan showered and prepared for the afternoon ahead. She knew she was facing serious business negotiations, but she felt lighthearted and pretty all the same. The color rose in her cheeks as her mind flashed to the night before. The way Aiden had made her feel, the response he elicited from her. Nobody, she thought, had ever come close to uncovering the true depth of desire that lay beneath the veneer in which she carefully sheathed her personality. Before last night, she had been unaware she had possessed such a capacity for unbridled happiness. She stared at her reflection in the mirror as she put on her makeup. “Aiden,” she breathed his name aloud.
The dress she chose reflected the mood she carried inside. It was vaguely retro, made of light cotton printed in pale yellows and greens and chocolate browns. It dipped just low enough at the décolletage to be feminine and still be demure. Short sleeves with small keyholes gave it a flirty look, and she chose a pair of summery yellow pumps for a pop of color. She finished with sterling hoops and several sterling bangles on her wrist.
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