“He is,” Jewel agreed softly.
*****
“Are you sure you don’t want to go home and get some sleep?” she lifted her head and looked at him. He was on the bed beside her and watched as she breastfed their daughter, fascinated by the little clenched fist on her mother’s breast and the beautiful green eyes staring up at them.
“I am not leaving Jews,” he said firmly, one hand reaching out to trace his daughter’s fist. “I was not here before and I will never forget that, but this time I am here and I am not going anywhere.”
“And I know that honey,” she told him softly. “But I wished you would get some rest.”
“I will rest later.”
He sent out to get her take out and made sure that she ate before he left to get some coffee. He had called his office and told them that he was not going to be in for a few days and they should forward any important calls to him. He was not leaving her an inch. If that meant taking a shower in her bathroom then so be it. He had not been there when she had been pregnant the first time and he had not been there when she had lost their baby, so he was going to be around now.
He had stared at his daughter in fascination. He looked at her soft caramel complexion and her brown curls and the shape of her mouth and knew she was a McIntyre through and through. He had gone into the hospital chapel after she was safe and had sat on one of the benches and felt the tears coming down his cheeks. He was a father and his daughter was going to be looking to him for guidance and even though he could not be happier, he was also very scared. With all that was happening in the sick world that they lived in, how was he going to protect her from the evil that was out there?
He had a daughter! A little girl who was a tiny replica of him and he wanted to shout from the rooftop with happiness.
*****
She went home with her new born the next day after the doctor made sure that they were both okay. Her mother had come, as well as Caroline, Savannah and Jaclyn. who were following behind Jordan’s vehicle.
He adjusted the mirror to make sure that she was all right before putting his eyes back on the road.
“You are going to be one of those fathers aren’t you?” Jewel asked him in amusement.
“What father?” he glanced at her briefly, noticing with a sigh of relief that she looked very rested.
“The overprotective and unbearable father who thinks that no man is good enough for their daughter.”
“No man will ever be good enough for her, I thought you knew that,” he teased her, his green eyes laughing at her.
“Lord help anyone who looks at her cross eyed,” Jewel said dryly reaching out to place a hand on his thigh, feeling the muscles flex underneath her hand. “I am glad you were there the whole time.”
“There was no place else I would have been,” he clasped her hand tightly. “You are my two ladies and you are my family.”
*****
“I cannot stop looking at her. Are all babies this perfect?” Jaclyn said to no one in particular. They had reached the house and Jordanna had settled inside her cot and was staring at all the faces around her.
“I am sure there are a few,” Sylvia commented. “But my granddaughter of course takes the cake.”
“How about giving her some room to breathe?” Caroline suggested. She had stood behind them feeling a little bit out of place. Even though she knew that both her son and Jewel had forgiven her for the past, she was still having a hard time forgiving herself.
They agreed with her and left the room, leaving only mother and father there. “They are right, she’s beautiful isn’t she?” Jewel said in an awed tone. She was standing beside the crib and Jordan was beside her with his arms around her.
“She sure is,” he said with a smile.
*****
That night after her friends had left and both Caroline and Sylvia had retired for the night, Jordan sat in the nursery after telling Jewel to get some sleep. She had obeyed gratefully and after feeding her daughter had gone on to bed, feeling the exhaustion creeping up on her. He had his daughter in his arms rocking her and staring down at her when his mother came in. “Oh Jordan, I thought you had gone to bed.” She said, getting ready to back out of the room.
“Come in mother,” Jordan told her, indicating for her to take a seat beside him. The nursery had been decorated with elegant taste and the peach and cream décor was carried out in everything in the room, including the delicately made furniture. It was a very large room and had several chairs there for people to sit on and a specially designed chair for when Jewel was breastfeeding or putting the baby to sleep. “Would you like to hold your granddaughter?”
“May I?” she asked in a humble voice, reaching for the baby.
“Of course.” Jordan handed her the baby and saw the tears glistening in her eyes that were so like his.
“I cannot forgive myself for what I did to you and Jewel in the past and when I saw her and how beautiful she was, I felt regret go through me.” She tore her gaze away from the baby and looked at her son. “I am so sorry Jordan. I wish that there was some way that I could make up for it.”
“You are already making up for it mother.” Jordan told her gently. “You are making amends and that’s all I can ask for. I am sure you are going to be the best grandmother Angel will ever have, and that’s enough.”
“I am,” she took the baby’s hand and uncurled her little fist. “She looks so much like you that it’s uncanny. She is a beautiful baby Jordan and you are going to be an excellent father.”
“I certainly hope so,” he stretched out his legs in front of him. “I have this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, wondering if I am going to do something wrong; but above that, I know that I am going to be the father I am supposed to be to my daughter.”
Chapter 10
The dress was unbelievably beautiful! It had been flown in from Paris and was made of sheer chiffon and satin. It hugged her breasts and stomach and drifted gently down to her ankles in yards of material so light that it was like a cloud drifting around her. Her arms and shoulders were bare and she wore a sparkling diamond necklace that Jordan had given her as a wedding gift.
Their daughter was exactly two months old today and Jordanna cooed and looked curiously at the women in the room. She had been dressed already in a pink and white gown with a pink and white bow in her brown curls. Her eyes had darkened to the same shade of green as her father’s and she was looking more and more like him every day.
“You certainly make a beautiful bride,” Jaclyn said stepping back to look at her friend. They were going to be her bridesmaid and they were in gowns of a similar style but different colors. Jaclyn had on emerald green and Savannah was wearing aquamarine blue with matching flowers in their hair. Jewel was not wearing anything in her short cropped hair and her make-up was flawless. She pulled on the elbow length white gloves and lifted her dress. “I am ready.” She said with a smile.
The wedding was being held outside on the lawn and even though it was the beginning of October, it was still warm enough to have the ceremony outdoors. The chairs had been set up and the gazebo had been decorated with white, green and aquamarine balloons and crepe papers and a huge bell at the center of the gazebo.
The sun was shining but was not hot enough to make the people already seated, uncomfortable.
Jaclyn went up first on the arm of Tyler, and then Savannah with Blake. The music changed, signaling to her that it was her turn.
Taking a deep breath she made her way up the aisle, vaguely aware that people were exclaiming over how she looked. She only had eyes for the man she had loved her entire life and their beautiful daughter in his arms. His hair was brushed back from his forehead and he looked so handsome in his dark blue tuxedo. He was looking at her with his intense green eyes.
He met her halfway, and shifting their daughter in his arms, he took her hand and placed it on his arm as they walked up together.
“I am inviting all of you to stand
,” the elderly minister said as soon as they reached him. “We are gathered together to witness the love between Jordan and Jewel. They will be saying their own vows.”
Jordan handed his daughter to Jaclyn who was closest and turned to face Jewel, taking her hands. “Jewel, I have been given a second chance with you. I spent years thinking I had lost you and I was lost without you. I have loved you since we have been in high school and I thought that was intense, never dreaming that it could get more so,” he smiled at her tenderly his hands tightening on hers. “I love you so much that I have to catch my breath each time I see you. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen and you will always be the only woman for me. You have given me a daughter and I am humbled by the fact that I will now be a husband as well as a father. I promise that I will treasure you, provide for you and never be unfaithful to you. I love you my darling, and always will.”
“Jordan,” Jewel began, her hands clinging to his. “You were my first and my only and you will always be it for me. I have no space for another man in my life because you have filled that space and I know that it will always be you. I love you my darling, my best friend, my lover, my everything and I promise that I will respect you and honor you all the days of my life.”
There was a long silence as they stared at each other deeply. The minister cleared his throat and they turned towards him. “If there is anyone who objects to this union please speak now or forever hold your peace.” He waited a spell then asked for the rings. “Please put the rings on,” he instructed them. “Jordan Anthony McIntyre, will you take Jewel Marie Walsh to be your lawful wedded wife?”
“I do,” he said clearly.
“Jewel Marie Walsh, will you take Jordan Anthony McIntyre to be your lawful wedded husband?”
“I do,” she said with a small smile.
“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride, sir.” The minister said with a smile.
He clasped her cheeks with his hands and slowly bent his head to capture her lips with his in a slow passionate kiss that had them burning with passion.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Jordan McIntyre”.
There were sounds of applause as they walked down the aisle with Jordan holding his daughter in the crook of his arm and his wife on the other.
*****
“So how does it feel to be, not only a wife, but also a mother?” Jaclyn asked her. They were in her bedroom where they were helping her change out of the dress and put on a dazzling periwinkle blue gown which came to just above her knees. She had just fed Angel so the little girl was fast asleep in the nursery. After the reception they were going to be spending the night at the hotel uptown and both Caroline and Sylvia were going to be babysitting.
“It feels sensational.” Jewel said with a laugh, looking at the pair of dazzling diamonds on her finger. “It also feels unreal. Four years ago I was trying to get my life back together after losing my child and thinking I had lost my man, and now I have been given a second chance. It feels out of this world.”
They were all sitting on the bed and waiting while she put some things into an overnight bag. “You always had your man honey,” Savannah said seriously. “That man never loved anybody but you and that is something that will never change as long as both of you are alive. I want what you have!” she said throwing up her hands in the air. “I heard what you said to each other and I cried. Honey, I have hope and as I said before, I will not settle. What you and Jordan have is something that is worth waiting for.”
“I think I feel that way about Tyler,” Jaclyn told them, settling back against the soft cotton sheets on the bed, her expression dreamy. “He is not Jordan but he is as close as one can get.”
They heard a sound in the doorway and looked up to see Jordan standing there. “I am going to ask you to excuse us ladies, but I am going to capture my wife now.” He was not looking at them but had eyes only for her.
“Of course,” Jaclyn slid off the bed and kissed Jewel on the cheek. “You have the real thing, don’t ever forget that.”
“Ready?” he entered the room. He had taken off his jacket and white shirt he had worn for the ceremony and had put on a light blue shirt.
“Right after we say goodbye to our daughter.” She told him with a smile taking the hand he held out to her.
*****
He had reserved the honeymoon suite. It was a hotel that was owned by McIntyre and Company. They were treated like royalty the minute they arrived there.
“Mr. and Mrs. McIntyre, a pleasure to have you,” the manager, a balding African American man with a slight paunch came forward to greet them and escorted them to the private elevator. “If there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask.” He told them with a beaming smile as he stepped back from the elevator.
“Do you think we are going to need to call him?” Jordan asked her teasingly taking her into his arms.
“I strongly doubt it.” Jewel looped her arms around his neck and raised her head to look at him. “I think I have everything I need right here.”
“Absolutely,” he murmured, bending his head to take her lips in a slow kiss that had her heart skidding inside her chest. She moved closer to him and returned the kiss with a fervor that had him bracing back against the cool chrome of the elevator wall. His erection poked inside his pants and he felt his heart thudding inside his chest. “My wife,” he said with a groan and picking her up he swung her into his arms just as the door opened. He carried her all the way into the large suite only putting her down when they reached the middle of the room.
“It’s beautiful,” she breathed, her hands still on his arm as she stared around the bold black and red décor. She saw that there was a sitting room, a large bathroom and a balcony that faced the pool.
“You are beautiful,” he tilted her chin to look at her. She was still wearing the earrings and the necklace he had given her and she looked so serenely beautiful that he could not stop looking at her. He had seen her walking up the aisle in the dress floating around her and he had had to blink to see if she was really real or just a vision thought up by his subconscious. She was real and she was his wife. “I keep expecting you to disappear into a cloud of smoke.”
“I am not going to.” She touched his strong jaw. “I love you my husband.”
“Say it again,” he whispered hoarsely.
“My husband.” She repeated.
He lifted her up and strode with her to the bed where he put her down gently. There was a bottle of champagne chilling in the ice bucket beside the bed. He undressed her slowly and then himself, taking his time, his green eyes on hers. He removed the champagne from the bucket and took out a cube of ice and put it inside his mouth before joining her on the bed. It had been two months since they had been together that way and the anxiety was mounting up.
Jewel gasped as he took a nipple inside his mouth and the coldness of the ice cube met her pebble like nipple. He did the same to the other nipple and continued downwards slowly until he reached her pubic area. He touched her mound with it and by this time Jewel was almost out of her mind with need. “Jordan,” she cried out, her hands fisting into the soft sheets, her body on fire.
He removed the ice from his mouth and put it back on the table and returned to put his mouth there, his tongue snaking inside. Her body reared up as she felt the sensation racing through her body. “Please Jordan,” she needed him inside her so badly that she could practically taste it.
He responded to her call and came over her, putting his erection into her tight opening. He was humbled by the fact that she had never been with anyone else but him and felt ashamed at the same time that he had been with a few women who had never meant anything to him. “I love you,” she reached for him as he pushed further inside her. With a broken cry he covered her body with his, staying still to look at her, to savor the unbelievable sensation of being inside her that he had still not gotten accustomed to. Thi
s woman who had borne his daughter and now his name. The love he felt for her was so strong that it threatened to overwhelm him.
“I love you so much that I don’t know if I can tell you,” he whispered, his hands framing her exquisite face.
“Then show me,” she told him softly, clasping him around the waist with her legs. He did, moving within her slowly at first then increasing the tempo as soon as she started moving. She had missed this! Oh how she had missed his penis inside her rubbing against the walls of her vagina and creating that sweet friction that made her want to spin out of control! She moved with him, clinging to him and brought his head down to meet her mouth. This was her man! Her husband and she could not quite believe that he was now truly hers. They belonged together because their souls met and joined as one, there was no parting them.
They came together their bodies tightening as the powerful orgasm flooded through them as if a flood gate had been opened! He swallowed her cries along with his hoarse ones and they rode the storm together!
Before they could even recover, he shifted position and placed her on top of him. She rested her head on his chest, loving the feel of his chest hair against her cheek as she closed her eyes and willed her heart to stop pounding so much.
Jordan held her against him closely, not willing to let her go. There was no need for words between them, they did not have to speak to be heard, they were so in tune with each other.
She drifted off to sleep eventually, her body on his. He did not go to sleep immediately, his brain was still too sharp and his body charged from the incredible sexual experience between them. She had so much control over his emotion that sometimes it scared him silly that this little slip of a girl held the key to his heart. He had always loved her, even when he had gone away and been with others, she had always intruded on his thoughts at the most inopportune times. He remembered being in a little village in Paris and he had thought he saw someone like her. He had hurried after her and realized that it was not her, and had been so bitterly disappointed that he had not been able to function for the rest of the week.
Hold Me Close: BWWM Romance (Brothers From Money Book 6) Page 24