The One He's Been Looking For

by Joanna Sims

  “Do you want to go inside?” he asked as his fingertips skimmed the curve of her breast.

  Jordan arched into his hand. “Yes.”

  Ian took her hand in his and led her through the living room into the bedroom. Once there, she pulled his shirt out from the waistband of his jeans and began to unbutton it. Ian stood quietly, watching her intently, as she unbuttoned the last button and slipped his shirt off his shoulders. She tossed it onto a nearby chair.

  “I’ve been dying to do this ever since I saw you jogging on the beach,” she said as she ran her hands down his bare chest. Her fingers lightly circled his nipples before they traced the ripples in his abs as she made her way down to his belt.

  “Your body is a work of art, Ian.” Jordan unbuckled his belt and slipped it out of the loops. The belt landed on the chair next to his shirt. “You’re the reason artisans in ancient Greece chiseled statues out of marble.”

  Jordan went to unbutton his jeans, but he stopped her. She looked up into his handsome face. “Don’t you want to make love to me, Ian?”

  He brought her hand up to his lips. “You know I do.”

  “But...?”

  “But I want to make sure that you understand—if we make love...that means we’ve decided to be together.”

  Jordan wrinkled her brow as she thought. After a moment, she half smiled and half laughed. “Are you saying that I can’t use you for your body?”

  “I think that’s what I’m saying—yes.” He seemed a little surprised by his own words.

  “Ian, I haven’t been intimate with anyone for over a year now. If I didn’t think that I had a chance of making this work between us, we’d still be down at the bar. Fair enough?”

  “Fair enough,” he said as he reached out and pulled her thin white T-shirt over her head. He tossed it on the chair with his shirt and belt.

  “You’re so beautiful, Jordan,” he murmured as he easily unhooked her bra and was able to see her small, perfectly formed breasts for the first time. “So sexy.”

  Jordan peeled off her jeans down to her bikini briefs and watched as he stripped down to his snug-fitting, leave-nothing-to-the-imagination boxer briefs. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the large bulge straining against the inseam.

  “Oh!” Something popped into her mind. “Hold that thought. Don’t go anywhere!”

  She ran into the living room, grabbed something from her wallet purse and then returned the bedroom. When she arrived, Ian had pulled back the covers and was sprawled out on the bed, completely nude.

  Jordan stopped in her tracks and took a moment to admire his body. Her eyes drifted from his powerful thighs up to his hard, erect shaft.

  “I bought these yesterday, just in case.” She held up a package of condoms. “Good thing I got the magnums.”

  “Come here,” Ian said in that sexy, suggestive baritone voice of his that sent a shiver of anticipation shooting through her body.

  Jordan dropped the box of condoms on the nightstand, and snuggled herself into Ian’s side. Pressed tightly against him, Jordan closed her eyes and gave herself over to Ian as he explored her body with his hands and his lips. She felt his fingertips travel down her stomach and beneath the waistband of her underwear.

  She started to squirm, and made frustrated noises in the back of her throat. It had been such a long time since she had been in someone’s arms that her body accelerated from zero to one hundred miles per hour without much encouragement. She bit the side of Ian’s neck as his warm fingers slipped between her thighs.

  “Oh, my God, Jordan,” he said in a strained, rough voice as he felt her for the first time. “You’re so ready for me.”

  The minute Ian’s fingers found her, Jordan pressed down into the heated skin of his hand, asking for more—asking for a release from a frustration that had been building in her for months. She cried out as an orgasmic wave rushed through her body. As the ripples of sensation began to ebb, she rested her head on his chest and held on to his shoulder. Her breathing was rapid and shallow and she felt embarrassed that she had climaxed so quickly.

  Ian looked down at her. “Did you just have an orgasm?”

  “Yes.” She breathlessly bent her head and kissed the swell of his chest. “I told you it’s been a long time for me....”

  He tipped up her chin. “Do you want another?”

  “Yes.” Jordan reached down between them so she could wrap her fingers around his hard shaft. “But do you think that we can skip the foreplay and just go straight to the lovemaking part? I really need to feel you inside me.”

  Caught off guard by the request, he studied her for a second before he responded, “I can do that.”

  Jordan slipped out of her panties as Ian slipped on a condom. They met back in each other’s arms in the middle of the bed. She reached for him eagerly as he lowered himself onto her. Jordan opened her body and reveled in the weight of him as he pressed into her.

  Ian’s moans mingled with hers as he buried himself inside her. “You feel so good to me, Jordan,” he groaned against her lips.

  She wrapped her legs around his flanks and held on tight while Ian loved her. He loved her slowly. He loved her deeply. He loved her as she had never been loved before. Every stroke, every movement, every kiss felt as if he was writing a love song to her with every sensual move he made. He worshipped her with his body as she caught wave after orgasmic wave. Exhausted and satiated at last, she dragged her fingernails down his back as he surged into her one last time. He cried out her name as his entire body tensed and then shuddered with his own orgasm.

  Ian rested his full weight on her for a moment before he propped himself up with his arms. He leaned down and kissed her gently.

  “That was incredible,” he said as he rolled onto his back and brought her along with him. He tucked her protectively into his side as he let out a contented sigh. “You are incredible.” He dropped a kiss on her damp forehead.

  Jordan laughed softly as she rested her face on his chest and her hand over his heart. “You are, too.”

  They both fell silent, feeling languid and spent. Jordan let her fingers slide over his skin, which was slick with perspiration; she felt his heartbeat start to slow beneath her fingertips.

  “Jordan?” Ian said her name so sweetly.

  “Hmm?”

  “I love you.” It was a quiet, simple confession from a man used to keeping his feelings close to his chest. “I think I must’ve loved you the minute I saw you on the street that day, but I just didn’t know it. I thought that I was just looking for a model for my book...but now I know I chased you down that day because I felt something for you the very first time I saw you.”

  Jordan had become very still in Ian’s arms. When she didn’t respond, he asked, “Do you believe in love at first sight?”

  She propped herself up on her elbow so she could look down into Ian’s perfect, chiseled face. “Yes, I do...because it happened to me with you. I fell in love with your image all those years ago, Ian, when I was a teenager. And now I’ve fallen in love with you all over again, but this time with the man, not the image.”

  Ian must have been happy with her answer, because he wrapped his arms around her and rolled her onto her back. He was aroused and wasn’t shy about letting her feel it.

  “Again?” she asked, surprised.

  “Beautiful.” He wrapped his arms tightly around her and kissed her hard on the mouth. “Prepare yourself for a very long night.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Jordan had spent her last night in Curaçao tangled up in Ian’s arms. They slept in late, made love and then ordered room service. After they finished breakfast, she went back to her room to pack the rest of her toiletries. Ivory had sent her a text early in the morning to say goodbye, and when Jordan returned to the room, it was strange not to ha
ve her friend’s energy and stuff sprawled out everywhere. After one last, forlorn look around, Jordan met Ian downstairs and they headed to the airport.

  Once back in San Diego, they both returned to their separate lives, throwing themselves into their individual projects. Ian finalized the dates and locations for all the San Diego locations he wanted to feature in his book, while Jordan searched for a loft with the right light and enough space to set up her easels and paints. With the extra she’d made modeling in Curaçao, plus the advance she’d received for Ian’s book, she had given her notice at Altitude so she could dedicate herself full-time to painting. Although they kept in touch through phone calls and texts, they hadn’t seen each since they had returned to California. So when Ian asked her to accompany him to a friend’s barbecue, she accepted his invitation with a mixture of excitement and nervous anticipation.

  He picked her up in his car outside her condo, and right before she slid into the backseat of the Bentley, she couldn’t stop herself from wondering: What if the magic between them in Curaçao hadn’t followed them to San Diego? But the moment she got into the car, Ian answered her question by pulling her into his arms and kissing her long and hard.

  “Hi.” She laughed when he let her come up for air.

  “Hi, beautiful.” He draped his arm around her shoulders. “I’ve missed you. Any luck with the studio hunt?”

  “No. If I can afford it, the neighborhood is way too shifty.”

  “I was afraid of that.” Ian nodded his head. “Listen—I’ve been thinking about something and I want to run it by you.”

  She shifted her body so she could look at him more easily. “What is it?”

  “Well, I have this unused space upstairs in the studio. It’s small, but it’s got a large window and natural light. And I was thinking—why don’t I just clear out that space and let you set up your easels there?”

  Jordan tilted her head curiously and lifted her eyebrows. “You want me to work in your studio?”

  Ian put his hand on her leg. “Yeah. I do. What do you think about that idea?”

  It took her a few seconds to formulate her thoughts into words. “I mean—I think it’d be great. I could stop looking for a space and use that time to paint. But—wouldn’t I be cramping your style?”

  Ian sneaked in a quick kiss onto her lips before he responded. “Honestly, I’ve spent way too much time this past week thinking about you when I should’ve been working. I think I just might get more work done if I have you nearby.”

  Jordan stared at him for a while, astonished. And here she had been worried that he hadn’t missed her at all.

  “So what do you think?” he asked her. “Do you want to move in with me?”

  Jordan felt a sudden surge of relief and excitement flood her body. She flung her arms around his shoulders and rained a dozen little kisses on his tanned cheek.

  “Is that a yes?” he said with a laugh. Holding Jordan in his arms was what he’d been missing all week.

  “Are you kidding?” Jordan hugged him more tightly. “That’s a heck yeah!”

  * * *

  As the car approached Dylan Axel’s Mission Beach home, Ian started to have second thoughts about his decision to attend the party.

  He shook his head slightly as he looked out at the condo. “I usually avoid this type of situation. There’re too many new faces, too many people to keep track of....”

  Jordan reached out for his hand and squeezed his fingers. “Yeah, but I’m here now. We’re gonna have a great time together. I promise.”

  On the sidewalk, Jordan got her first real look at Dylan’s three-story condo.

  “Uh...wow! This is a-maz-ing.”

  Ian smiled as he offered his arm to her. “He bought this to impress the ladies, and it looks like he succeeded. It’s a bit like musical beds in there on the weekends. I stopped playing those games a while ago.”

  “Well, I won’t hold it against him.” Jordan slipped her fingers into the crook of Ian’s arm.

  They walked up to the entrance of the condo and Dylan—tall, athletic and charming—greeted them at the door.

  “I don’t believe it! You actually came!” Dylan wore a broad smile on his face. His features weren’t as chiseled or striking as Ian’s, but he was a good-looking, confident man with a spectacular surfer’s build.

  “And you brought a date! Will wonders never cease?” He held out his hand to Jordan. “I’m Dylan.”

  “Jordan.” She smiled up at him.

  “Come in! Welcome to my humble abode.” Dylan took a step back so they could walk through the door.

  His condo on the inside was sexy and sleek, and just like Dylan, didn’t seem to take itself too seriously. From the wide-planked wood floors to the bamboo cabinets and the floor-to-ceiling windows that showed off the spectacular beach views, the condo was designed for a bachelor looking for a good time. Jordan could tell, right off the bat, that Dylan’s main goal in life was to have a good time—and she liked him immediately.

  “We’d better get him a drink before he backs out,” Dylan said to Jordan. Dylan fixed Ian his usual and handed his friend a glass. “You know I want you to slow down the drinking, but I think tonight calls for an exception.”

  Dylan fixed Jordan a whiskey sour and then gave them a quick tour of the condo. He had just led them out onto a large balcony overlooking the beach when a tall, athletic blonde parted the crowd and headed straight to Dylan’s side.

  The newcomer linked arms with Dylan. “Brianna wants a picture of us for her blog.”

  “Jenna, you remember Ian,” Dylan said.

  “Hey, Ian,” Jenna said with a nonchalant air.

  “And this is Ian’s girlfriend, Jordan,” Dylan continued.

  Jenna looked Jordan over. “You’re gorgeous. Do you model, too?”

  “Only for Ian.” Jordan smiled up at Ian.

  Jenna tugged on Dylan’s arm and started to walk backward. “Come on. Brianna has another party to go to. You can talk to Ian anytime.”

  “I’ll be back,” Dylan said sheepishly as he followed his girlfriend down the stairs to the lower deck.

  Even though Ian couldn’t always see the people surrounding him, they spotted him. For the next hour, he was inundated by friends and acquaintances that hadn’t seen him out in months. Jordan felt overwhelmed by the constant bombardment of people vying for Ian’s attention; she could only imagine how he was feeling. He appeared to be perfectly calm on the outside, but his arm encircling her waist was stiff with tension.

  “How are you doing?” Jordan asked Ian quietly when they had a moment alone.

  “I’m ready to get out of here,” Ian said testily.

  “We can’t leave yet. We haven’t been here long enough. Why don’t we go down to the fire pit and get some fresh air?”

  After a moment of thought, Ian nodded. “I’m going to hit the restroom first. I’ll meet you down there.”

  “You’ll be okay?” she asked.

  “Don’t worry. I know this place like the back of my hand.”

  “Okay. I’ll be waiting for you.” Jordan lifted her chin so he could kiss her lightly on the lips.

  Jordan walked down the stairs to the fire pit and found seating for two. Her head was buzzing with the names and faces of the people she had just met. It hit her that she needed a break from it all nearly as much as Ian did.

  She breathed in the salty sea air and looked past the quiet beach to the crashing waves. She was drifting off into her own thoughts when a voice at her side startled her.

  “Hi,” Dylan said as he sat down next to her. “I’m glad I caught you alone. I don’t know how you did it, but it’s amazing that you got Ian to come tonight. I can’t remember the last time he was here. It’s gotta be years.”

  “He asked me,” Jord
an said, not wanting to take credit for something she hadn’t done.

  “Yeah, but he came because he wanted to show you off.”

  “I’m glad that we could make it,” she said with a small smile.

  “Me, too. But, again—amazing.” Dylan leaned his forearms on his legs. “Ian told me that you know about what’s going on with his eyes.”

  She nodded. “He told me when we were in Curaçao.”

  “Well, he must think you’re pretty special, because he doesn’t share that bit of news with anyone. So I was thinking, if you can get him to do something like this—coming to this party—maybe you can get him to do something else that he really needs to do....”

  “Like what?”

  “Go to the doctor,” Dylan said firmly. “He needs to go see his specialist. He’s supposed to be getting regular checkups, and he’s been acting like if he just ignores this thing, it’ll go away.” Ian’s friend lifted his hands in a show of frustration. “I’ve tried to get him to go, but he won’t listen to me. Maybe he’ll listen to you....”

  “Hey! Are you trying to steal my girl already?” Ian asked as he walked down the stairs toward them.

  They both turned their heads and looked up at him. Dylan stood and gave his friend a quick male version of a hug. “You can’t blame a guy for trying, can you?”

  “No,” Ian said as he held out his hand to Jordan. “But she’s meant for me.”

  After a long walk on the beach, Ian insisted on heading home. Jordan said goodbye to Dylan, and she could tell by the parting look he gave her that he was hopeful she could get Ian to take better care of himself—to manage the disease more carefully. Arm in arm, they headed back to the car. The chauffeur was awaiting their return and opened the door for them. Back in the car now, nestled comfortably in Ian’s arms, Jordan decided to wait until another moment to mention Dylan’s concerns. This was her first night in San Diego with Ian, and she didn’t want to spoil it by bringing up issues that could ruin their good time.

  “I’m not ready for this night to end,” he said as he rested his chin lightly on top of her head.