"I'm so sorry," I said dejectedly as I lowered my hands to see his worried face.
"I know." He ran his knuckles along my cheek. "So am I. I know how stressed out you've been. I thought talking about it would help, but you don't have to. It's okay."
"Can we...can we forget I acted like a bitch?" I asked with a feeble smile.
"Done." He nodded and leaned back into his seat.
He picked up his fork to continue eating, but he was interrupted by his phone ringing. He set his fork down and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He frowned as he glanced at it, swiped the screen to ignore it, then put it back into his pocket. I looked at him questioningly.
"It's Natie," he explained with a sorrowful expression.
"You haven't told her what happened with your dad, have you?" I asked.
"I don't know how." He shook his head and stared off across the restaurant. "I promised her I wouldn't make things worse with Dad, but I blew that all to hell. How can I make her understand, if I can't even tell her why? What if I told her the truth, and she wrote me off too?"
He'd been reeling since Thursday when his relationship with his father fell apart completely, and I assumed he'd been staying at my place every night since then because he was upset. Given what he just told me, I suddenly realized that he was staying with me to avoid Natalie too.
"Do you really think that she'd do that?" I asked with a worried frown. I'd only met Natalie once, but I didn't think that would happen. I hoped not anyway. If he ruined his relationship with his sister, it would wreck him.
"I don't want to take the chance." Fear clouded his eyes now. I didn't have the heart to remind him that he was going to have to tell her something eventually.
Now we both lapsed into silence, lost in our own thoughts and picking at our food as melancholy filled up the space between us. It felt like a barrier. I'd never felt anything like this with Ford before, and I didn't like it.
"Fuck this," Ford finally blurted out after several long minutes passed. He dropped his fork, flagged down the waitress as she passed, and asked for our check. I looked at him curiously. "We're hitting the road, honey. I think we both need it."
I breathed out a sigh of relief. "That's a great idea."
Ford paid the check quickly and led me by the hand out of the restaurant. Within moments, we were back on his bike in our jackets and helmets. He took off at a fast clip with the engine growling throatily as we headed west and soon left the city behind.
The sun was already down, the night air cool as we whisked down the back-country roads. Stars glittered above us, the moon a sliver in the sky. It was a perfect night for a ride. I clung to Ford with my arms wrapped around his waist, smiling at the way we fit together and taking in the scent of the surrounding foliage as we rode. Riding with Ford was both exhilarating and comforting. His Triumph Rocket III Roadster was fast and nimble, yet his confidence and skill at handling it made me feel safe. I felt calm and clear for the first time in days. He was right. This was exactly what we needed.
Almost an hour later, Ford slowed down and pulled off onto a narrow road surrounded by a tunnel of trees. It wound through the woods, until he pulled the bike to a stop in a driveway. The headlight illuminated the beautiful cedar shingles framing the garage we had parked in front of for a moment, then darkness fell as Ford turned off the bike.
I climbed off first and took in our surroundings as I pulled off my helmet. The building in front of us was apparently a detached garage, and to our right, was a massive home lit up with spotlights scattered throughout the lush landscaping. I could hear the unmistakable sound of water moving nearby, and realized we were on a lake.
Ford came up to me and grabbed my hand. "Come on," he whispered as if he didn't want to disturb the peace we had found. He led me to a set of flagstone steps that took us down a steep hill to a large patio.
"Where are we?" I asked softly as I eyed a large outdoor table and chairs that were all made of cedar.
"My mom's lake house," he answered as he pulled me across the patio to another set of steps. "I don't have the key to go in, but I thought we could go sit down by the lake."
"Your mom has a lake house?" I asked incredulously.
Ford snorted softly. "Mom has a lot of properties. Most of the ones up here are rentals, but this one is hers. Real estate is how my grandparents made their fortune."
"Wow, it's gorgeous here," I said as I glanced up at the massive three-story home before I followed Ford down more flagstone steps.
"It is," Ford said. "Mom would probably let us use it next weekend if you want. We can't come up Saturday because of the charity ball, but since it's Labor Day weekend, we could come up Sunday morning and stay until Monday night."
"Okay," I said excitedly. Being in this beautiful place alone with Ford sounded like heaven.
The stairs opened up to a lawn that bordered a small pebble covered beach. The whole area was lit up with more landscaping lights that gave it an ethereal romantic feel that was beautiful. Waves lapped up onto the beach with soft soothing sounds that filled me with peace.
Two cedar chaise lounges sat on the grass a few feet from the beach. Ford led me over to them. He sat in one and pulled me down onto his lap, cuddling me close like he always did. No man ever made me feel more loved or cherished than Ford.
He let out a long sigh as all the tension in his body bled away. "You feel so good in my arms, honey. Like you belong here." His voice was low and tender. He started pressing soft kisses to my neck, his scruffy beard soft and familiar. "I need you to know how I feel about you, Jen. I don't want to scare you, but I don't ever want you to doubt me," he murmured against my skin. "I love you," he said tremulously. His arms tightened around me. "I'll never stop loving you. Never."
"I love you, too." My voice shook as his words soaked into me in a warm comforting tide. I leaned back to see his eyes shining with love in the low soft light.
"You'll always be mine, Jenny," he growled out firmly, his eyes locked on mine. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and have babies with you."
I should have been scared, freaked out by his declaration, but all I could do was revel in the joy that instantly welled up inside me. I felt it in my heart, in my very soul, that Ford was my future, my everything. There would never be another.
"I want that too, Ford," my voice wavered. "And you're mine. Always."
He crushed his lips against mine with bruising force, framing my face with his hands and holding me where he wanted me. Love and passion and need flowed between us, our lips and tongues clashing together violently. I turned my body to face him, straddling his thighs and pressing myself closer as I gripped the back of his neck in my hands. He felt so strong as his arms wrapped around me and held me tight against him.
"I need you," Ford breathed out hoarsely against my lips in a desperate tone. "I need you, right fucking now." He abruptly sat up enough to push my leather jacket off my shoulders. "There's no one nearby." He peppered my neck with kisses, moving down along the neckline of my low-cut red tank top. "No one can see us here. Please, I need to feel you, Jen."
"Yes," I mewled desperately as I writhed against him, feeling his massive erection through our clothes. At this point, I didn't care if someone could see us. Let them. Let them see how we set each other on fire, how we couldn't get enough of each other, and how we fit together so perfectly.
His hands slid under my shirt, pushing it up my body. I raised my arms and let him pull it off. Gooseflesh crawled across my skin. I shivered with want and need. I started clawing at his clothes, wanting to get to his skin before I lost my damn mind. He shrugged out of his jacket, and let me yank his shirt up and over his head. I sank my nails into his chest.
"Fuck," he gasped. His fingers flew to the clasp of my bra and practically tore it off of me. The cool night air caressed my nipples, making them tight and hard. "Naked. Now," he snarled demandingly.
We were both frantic now as we hurriedly discarded the rest of ou
r clothes. I straddled him again. This time stroking my drenched pussy against the underside of his erection, rubbing myself across the ridge that ran the length of his cock. His hands clenched in my hair, and he pulled my mouth down to his. He devoured me thoroughly and completely, his tongue, teeth, and lips owning me, claiming me. I couldn't breath. I couldn't think. I was consumed by my need for this man that I loved with all my heart.
"Fuck me," I panted out as I came up for air. "Fuck me now."
I lifted my hips as Ford reached down to grip his cock in his fist. The wide crown parted my slick folds, and our bodies came together in one swift motion as he slid into me all the way to the root. We both gasped loudly, our mouths touching as we breathed each other in. It felt so right, so good. We stilled as we savored our connection, the frantic need to join our bodies morphing into a slow heavy passion that would still inevitably consume us.
Ford grabbed my hips and started slowly gliding me up and down his cock, the base rubbing on my clit with each pass. I gripped his face in my hands and pushed my mouth into his, our tongues clashing and tangling in time with his slow deep thrusts. My nipples dragged roughly across his chest, sending sparks of electric heat zinging down to my core. Pleasure rose inside me, billowing up and up and up, rising slow and steadily, lapping like waves that surged closer and closer to pure bliss. My body fell limp onto Ford's chest, my face buried in his neck.
He stroked deeper and deeper into me, his hands tightening into my hips as his pelvis thrust up to meet me. "I love you, Jenny," he whispered, his lips brushing softly against my ear. His words were all that I needed to push me over the edge. My release rushed over me in a wash of liquid fire.
"I love you!" I cried out as my body arched up and I splintered apart. My body shook as my pussy clamped down on Ford, rippling and squeezing around him. He shuddered and convulsed under me, the muscles of his chest turning to steel under my hands as he followed me into orgasm with an incoherent shout. We flew together into the sky until I couldn't tell where I ended and the man I loved began.
When I came back down to earth, we were left limp and slick with sweat. Ford's arms were like steel bands around me as he held me close. My cheek was pressed against him, and I could hear and feel his heart pounding inside his chest.
"I'll never let you go," he panted out in a raw and rough voice. "You're mine, Jenny. Forever."
"Forever," I echoed back to him, knowing deep down in my heart that it was true.
**********
Ford glanced over and drank me in yet again, his eyes feral and hungry.
"Stop that," I told him as I glared over at him in the passenger seat of my turquoise convertible Mini Cooper. "We're on our way to a family brunch. We're keeping it PG here."
"Too late for that." He grinned suggestively as he reached down and shifted himself. "It's already NC-17 in my pants."
I shook my head and rolled my eyes as I focused on the road again. "Just when I think you're an evolved man, you go and say something like that."
"It's your fault," he said wryly. "You shouldn't have worn that dress if you didn't want me as hard as a rock." He reached over to rest his hand on my leg. His fingers started inching the gauzy fabric up my thigh.
"Behave." I smacked his hand away and smoothed the dress back down.
I was wearing a knee-length black halter dress with tiny white polka dots for our brunch with my family. The bare back and shorter length made it a little sexy, but it didn't hug my curves or display my cleavage like one of my provocative club dresses. The skirt floated around my legs in a flirty way when I walked that I thought made me look cute. Apparently, Ford was more focused on the sexy aspects of my outfit.
"You're no fun today," he grumbled, but he was still smiling lasciviously as he stared out the windshield. I furtively slid my gaze over Ford's powerful body sprawled casually in the passenger seat. He looked delicious this morning, wearing khaki slacks and a blue button-down shirt with his chin-length hair pulled back into a short ponytail. He'd rolled up the sleeves so his muscular tattooed forearms were exposed. It lent a badass quality to his appearance that made my heart flutter in my chest.
"If you keep looking at me like that we're going to end up rated X," Ford said in amusement after he busted me checking him out.
"You'll have to rein it in until we get home, big boy," I replied sternly. "We're here."
I slowed the car and turned into the parking lot of The Glass House. I parked the car and killed the engine, then reached for the door handle.
"Wait," Ford said in a soft tone. I turned to find a tender expression on his face. "Come here." He motioned me closer with a crooked finger. I leaned in to him and sighed when he reached up to glide his knuckles across my cheek. He cupped my chin gently then leaned in to brush a kiss across my lips. "I love you," he murmured, his eyes warm and filled with adoration as he rubbed his thumb along my lower lip.
He'd been looking at me like that often since last night when he'd declared his never-ending love and his desire to have a family with me. We were closer now, both of us knowing where we stood with each other. This new-found security was a comfort and a joy. I'd never had anything like this with a man before, and it was amazing.
"I love you," I murmured back with a soft smile.
"Forever," he whispered so softly that I barely heard it. It made me shiver.
We both got out of the car then walked hand in hand to the front of the restaurant and went in. The hostess recognized me and immediately led us to our table. I really loved this place with its massive glass windows and elegant furnishings. Hand-blown glass pendant light hung over each table, and dark wood and burnished steel were spread all around the room.
We were the last to arrive as we approached a large round table next to a huge window with a gorgeous view of a pond sporting a fountain. Mom immediately rose, throwing a quick appreciative glance at Ford as she rounded the table and greeted me with a hug.
"He's gorgeous, baby," Mom whispered in my ear.
"I know," I whispered with a grin before stepping back. Mom looked beautiful in a simple jersey-knit gray dress.
"You must be Ford," Mom said as she smiled up at him. "I'm Mary, Jenny's mother."
Ford gave my mom his most devastating lop-sided grin and reached out to shake her hand. I thought Mom might swoon.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Ford said sincerely, then added with a sly glance at me. "I see now where Jen gets her beauty."
Kiss ass. I rolled my eyes at Ford, but couldn't help smiling at him. His ass-kissing was a lot more endearing than my brother's over-the-top bullshitting.
I felt Dad come up behind me. He suddenly gasped loudly.
"Is that a tattoo?" he blurted out in shocked surprise.
Oh shit. I hadn't worked up the courage to let my parents see the phoenix tattoo on my shoulder yet. Apparently, today was the day since I'd completely forgotten to wear something that covered it.
"Uh, yes?" I replied timidly as I turned to face my father.
"Oh, princess." His voice was held confusion and disappointment as his eyes narrowed at me. "Where the hell did you get it? Please tell me it was somewhere safe and clean."
"I gave it to her," Ford rumbled out defensively as he crossed his arms. "My tattoo shop is clean, and I would never risk a client's safety by using dirty needles."
"Oh," Dad replied sheepishly as he glanced down at Ford's tattoo covered arms.
"It's just a tattoo, Ted," Mom chimed in as she shot a stern look at Dad.
"Yeah, Dad," Andy added in exasperation as he came up beside me. "Everybody and his uncle has one. Hell, I'll probably get one." He glanced at Ford with a grin. "Can you hook a brother up with a discount?"
"Sure," Ford said with a smile as his posture relaxed.
"How bad can you make it hurt?" Lydia asked hopefully as she came up beside Andy, looking adorable in a long blue strapless sundress with her dark-red hair pulled up in a pile on her head. "Do you have any square needles?"
<
br /> "Don't listen to my wife," Andy cut in as he narrowed his eyes at Lydia. "She just wants to get even for me knocking her up."
Mom, Dad, and I gasped and stared at them as we gaped in surprise.
"Andy," Lydia blurted out with a glare as she smacked his arm. "That's not how we decided to tell them."
"Fine," he said with a shrug. "Mom. Dad. Jenny. Ford. We're pregnant," he announced proudly then smirked at Lydia. "Is that better, babe?"
Lydia rolled her aqua-blue eyes to the heavens in exasperation as Mom squealed with joy. She yanked Lydia into a fierce hug that squeezed the air right out of her. I stepped closer to my brother and pulled him into my arms. He hugged me right back.
"I'm so happy for you," I told him. "You'll be such a good dad." I leaned back, and the elation on my brother's face lit up his eyes.
Mom reached out and grabbed Andy and me, pulling us into her arms too as she started crying happy tears of joy. Dad came up and joined the hug as well. I relished it, taking in the joy all around me. I glanced Ford's way and caught his eye. He smiled broadly back at me with a softness in his eyes that spoke of our plans for something similar in the future. Warm fuzzy feelings filled me up inside.
After that, we all took our seats around the table, proceeding to celebrate loudly and thoroughly that our family was getting bigger. That included the unborn baby and Ford. Mom immediately started treating Ford like one of her own, calling him baby and asking him all about himself. Even Dad accepted him, as if the whole tattoo incident when we first arrived had never happened. It was wonderful and amazing, and I completely forgot about Carter and his threats against my family's future. I should have known that was too good to be true, because it all came crashing down when the voice of my nightmares suddenly spoke from behind me.
"So sorry to interrupt," Carter's cultured English accent fell on me like a sudden heavy weight. "But I couldn't just leave without saying hello."
"Elliott," my father greeted him with a smile. "What a surprise."
I turned my head to see Carter smiling genuinely at my father. It gave me the chills how sincere his smiles seemed to be when I knew they were anything but genuine. Carter stood there with a casual demeanor, dressed in a tailored stone linen suit that fit him to perfection.
An Act of Release: Order & Chaos Book 2 Page 18