Sparring Partners

by Leigh Morgan

  The apologetic look on his face had her puzzled for a second, then she was on her feet and he was straightening her shirt and pulling grass out of her hair, gently, like a lover. Finn batted his hands away, which was easier to do on her feet. He sighed heavily but didn't try to touch her again. His hands fell to his sides as she glared at him and finished straightened her own clothes.

  "Come on." He said holding out his hand. "We'd better get over there before all hell breaks loose."

  Finn didn't know what he was talking about, and then she heard them. Moving vans, contractor's vehicles and a food service truck passed by them on their way to Potters Woods.

  "What is going on?" Finn asked. He seemed to know what was happening at her house and she didn't. If Finn didn't have a reason to bloody him before, she sure did now. He seemed to be part of a home invasion.

  He grabbed her upper arms and held her. "This conversation is not over. When you calm down I'll be here to answer your questions. Just don't come at me with a bat again or we'll wind up in the same spot and no amount of traffic will get me off you."

  Finn didn't want to test that threat just yet. She didn't want him to think he rattled her either.

  "I am calm."

  He took her hand and pulled her toward the big yellow house she shared with Reed, Charlie, Jesse and the never ending series of animals who showed up at their door.

  "Trust me, you won't be for long."

  He was right.

  CHAPTER NINE

  The noise in the kitchen woke Reed, mainly because it wasn't the usual bickering Finn and Charlie engaged in every morning over tea. She ignored that like she did the crickets in the evening, just background noise. This was different. The hum of low voices, distinctly male, was out of place and unwelcome.

  Throwing on her slippers and her robe over her capri pant pajamas and Goo-Goo Dolls tank top, Reed made her way toward the stairs, passing Jesse's room on her way. No teenager in sight. Since it was only seven-thirty, and summer vacation, something was definitely wrong.

  The smell of brewing coffee and bacon frying meant they had guests. The only one who drank coffee anymore was Charlie and he only made it on Sunday mornings and all of them were vegetarians although everyone knew Charlie snuck the odd burger now and then. But for the most part Potters Woods was strictly no meat allowed. Certainly not bacon, the one meat Reed still had dreams about.

  Before she gave in to pressure from Finn and stopped eating meat, bacon was an essential food group for Reed. The scent alone had the power to make her salivate, and now someone in her own home was torturing her with it. Pork by proxy. The cook was going to pay. Big time.

  Reed's stomach growled, reminding her she hadn't eaten the night before. She'd been too twisted inside after her dojo encounter with her husband to want much of anything besides a dark cave and a giant bag of peanut M&M's. The sound of Sensei chuckling as he shook his head had her running for the dojo door as fast as her feet could carry her when her arms were strapped with bags of gear. He shot one of his pearls of wisdom at her before she could make it all the through.

  Stupid is as stupid does.

  Sensei, ever the Bubba Gump fan, was right. She'd spent the entire night feeling all kinds of stupid, so stupid that she forgot to stop for the M&M's on her way home. She hoped whoever was cooking breakfast was making tofu bacon as well as the real stuff, she was starved.

  Checking herself quickly in the hallway mirror, Reed frowned. Her curls were sticking out at odd angles all over her head. Her eyes were puffy and red-rimmed from lack of sleep and tears she refused to shed, sheet lines ran up the side of her face.

  Perfect.

  She didn't want to take the time to shower or even try to get a comb through her hair in case she missed the kitchen pow-wow, so she settled on quickly running back to her room for a hat and running a tooth brush over her teeth in her bathroom.

  She took the stairs two at a time and headed toward the kitchen as swiftly as her slippered feet could safely carry her. Everyone stopped talking the second she stepped into the room. Reed didn't recognize the man flipping bacon and shaking a pan of hash browns, which smelled delicious, but she couldn't help noticing that Finn seemed to know him. The way she kept staring at his bum when his back was turned spoke of a certain familiarity.

  She did recognize the man sipping coffee from her Menopause the Musical mug as he silently appraised her over it's rim. She loved that mug. Charlie bought it for her after the show. He bought one for Finn too but hers said Wicked Witch. Different day. Different play.

  "What are you doing here? And who's the stud cooking breakfast?"

  All eyes turned to Jordon including the grinning man at the stove. "She thinks I'm a stud."

  Jordon didn't bother to look at him. "It must be that manly apron you're wearing." Nothing about the apron was remotely male. Finn made it from fabric dotted with sunflowers and small witches in pointy hats riding various kitchen implements like brooms. The attire didn't seem to bother the man's good cheer.

  "She is obviously a woman of impeccable taste." He winked at her.

  Finn made a very unladylike sound. "She doesn't see straight before tea."

  "I'd take a look at what she's wearing before you comment on her taste." Jordon smiled at her taking some of the sting out of his words. The way his eyes crinkled when he smiled suggested she couldn't look too bad, Reed thought. She may have believed it if she hadn't already seen herself.

  "You realize I can hear you, right? You're insulting me in my kitchen. I want you to leave. Take the stud with you. Leave the bacon."

  Jordon set his coffee down with a sigh. "I wasn't insulting you. I was insulting Henry. I like what you're wearing." His smile looked genuine enough. "Especially the hat."

  The warmth in his dark honey colored eyes as he took his time running them up and down her body made Reed turn away. She grabbed a mug from the cupboard and poured herself a mug of green tea. Finn always made a pot of green tea for her in the morning. This morning was no exception. Thank God and Goddess for all favors, great and small. Reed's hand shook slightly as she poured.

  Jordon's knowing laughter caused her to spill tea on her hand and the counter. The man at the stove, Henry, wiped it up all up before she set the pot down without missing a beat flipping the potatoes in the air. He was almost as graceful as Shay.

  The food smelled heavenly and her stomach reacted, loudly enough for Henry to hear. He pulled a plate from the stack on the counter and piled heaps of food on it before handing it to Reed.

  "For her majesty. No meat. Plenty of soy and egg protein, and a side of starch. There's fresh fruit on the table and I blended Finn's green tea with ice, blueberries, strawberries and some vanilla soy milk. It's on the table for you. Jordon refused to drink it."

  Reed took the plate. Usually they just had toast and tea for breakfast. This was a feast, and she was thankful. "I was going to kick your ass for torturing me with the smell of real bacon, but, I'll wait until after I eat."

  "I look forward to it your highness." Henry said bowing to her with a smile on his handsome face.

  Reed was unsure how he landed the position of chief cook and host in her home, but she wasn't going to fight about it until she was through eating, maybe not even then. He was doing a wonderful job cooking, scooping heaping plates of food and serving everyone. She glanced at Finn while she scooped a fork full of fluffy eggs into her mouth. If Finn wasn't protesting having Henry in her kitchen, why should she?

  Henry's irrepressible good cheer and the bounty he set in front of everyone pushed away whatever lingering irritation Reed had. She took the only open seat at the plank table, right next to Jordon. He looked even better this morning than he had the night before. He hadn't shaved and he'd left his hair free. The jeans he wore were old and faded, but they didn't look like the same ones he wore to the dojo, these were tighter and hugged his thighs beautifully. She felt the heat of one denim clad thigh where it touched hers on the bench seat. He could have
moved away, but instead, he moved closer, making sure she felt him.

  When she tried to shuffle down, his hand moved to stop her. "Stay put. Eat. Then we'll talk."

  She stayed. She ate. Taking another bite of eggs seasoned with fresh basil, oregano and heirloom tomatoes, Reed closed her eyes and made a small sound of appreciation. This was better than sex. Well, solo sex anyway.

  "Henry? Are you married?" She asked.

  Henry grinned.

  Finn's eyebrows shot up.

  Jordon's hand clenched around her thigh. "Don't even think about it."

  Reed smiled at him around a mouthful of hash browns laced with caramelized onion and red pepper. "Why not? He can cook. He's almost as handsome as you. And, he calls me 'Your Majesty'. Seems to me he's a great catch."

  Jordon squeezed her thigh again, less gently this time. "It's the hat. That's why he called you that. You can't have him. You already have a husband."

  "Don't remind me."

  Jordon picked up his fork and stabbed a strawberry from the large fruit bowl on the table. When she opened her mouth again he shoved the ripe fruit in. It was delicious. Reed closed her eyes and enjoyed, until she felt his breath on her ear.

  "I will remind you. Again and again. In every way I know how. Stop flirting with Henry or I'll remind you just how married we are right here on the table. Which I would enjoy, but you wouldn't. You stomach's still growling, so shut up and finish your breakfast. You'll need your strength for what I have in mind." Jordon whispered for her ears only. Everyone else at the table ignored him.

  She was hungry, but shutting up wasn't in her nature, particularly when ordered to do so by an over-bearing, under-mannered husband she wasn't sure she wanted to keep.

  "Listen to the hat, big guy and obey." Reed whispered back.

  "I don't remember Elvis reciting that particular vow."

  "Elvis wasn't there."

  Jordon laughed and some of the irritation went out of his voice. "Eat, elf. Or I'll think you want reminding of our marital relationship. Immediately." His voice was so quiet Reed barely heard him, but she got the message.

  Always a fan of the old saying that discretion is the better part of valor, Reed shut up and ate. She could always fight the good fight later, on a full stomach. Too bad Jordon couldn't just let it go, he obviously didn't go to 'wise old saying' school.

  "Wise choice."

  Damn, he irritated her with always having to have the last word. Jordon Bennett was a dictatorial pain in the butt no matter how fine he was to look at. He smelled good too. That didn't mean she wasn't kicking him out of her house and her head just as soon as his buddy stopped cooking.

  ...

  She who must be obeyed.

  Jordon almost spat out his coffee at the sight of Reed running into the room in that neon pink hat that clashed with her red-gold curls, sparkly gold lettering spelling out that ridiculous edict. The rest of her outfit was equally laughable. Smiley face slippers, a lemon yellow short robe hiding some sort of shiny shirt, and rainbow colored peace sign pajama bottoms. Not a spot of make-up marred her fresh pixie face. Not exactly Victoria's Secret, but then Reed was no Victoria.

  Her bright yellow robe slipped open giving Jordon a clearer view of her top. "Who the hell is Mrs. Resnik?"

  Charlie interrupted at the same time, "Ladies don't wear hats at the table."

  Reed rolled her eyes. Then she took off her hat and tossed it onto the wicker chair behind her, right next to his copies of The Wall Street Journal, The Times, The Post, The Guardian and Kiplingers. Just because William suspended him didn't mean he couldn't keep up with world news.

  "You never listened to me when we were married." Charlie said, smiling at Reed as he added more cream to his tea. "Thanks for taking off that monstrosity of a hat for me now."

  "We weren't really married, Charlie. Besides, I like you better now. You're not so witchy all the time." Reed leaned over and squeezed the old man's hand for a second. There was no ill will between them and Jordon got the feeling this was a game they played often.

  "A gentleman is never 'witchy' dear girl."

  "Don't make me separate the two of you." Jesse said around mouthfuls of some cereal he poured out of a bag instead of a box. It looked more like twigs than cereal but the kid was shoveling it in like candy. He didn't say much but when he did he got the attention of the table.

  Reed's aunt tossed his hair. Charlie winked at him and smiled through his Van Dyke moustache and beard. Jordon could literally feel Reed's reaction to her adopted son. She radiated love, warmth, acceptance and a sense of pride that her body couldn't fully contain.

  She reached under the table and squeezed Jordon's thigh just above his knee. He didn't think she realized what she was doing. He wanted to capture her hand with his when she started to rub up and down, but he didn't want to scare her away, or see the smile that she reserved for those she loved fade from her lovely face.

  Jordon wanted her to look at him like that, he didn't look too closely at the why of it. Jordon sat back with a startled look, realizing he was jealous of a sixteen year old kid. He didn't even want to analyze how that happened or why he'd let it. He tried willing the feeling away, but it refused to go.

  Jesse smiled back at everyone at the table showing the charm that would mature into something even more magnetic as he aged. Jordon recognized it. Jesse had that indefinable something that would set him apart in a world full of bright businessmen and women. Jordon had it too, and he knew it when he saw it in others.

  The kid needed time to cultivate it though. The second the smile left his face, he was flushing at the attention and burying his face in his cereal bowl to avoid it. Jordon remembered that awkward feeling every teenage boy feels at some point, guessing that this kid's pain ran deeper than most. He drew Reed's attention to give the kid a break. He also wanted an answer to his question.

  "Who is Mrs. Resnik? And why are you wearing her shirt?"

  Reed turned, scrunching up her face at him in what she probably thought passed for a scowl. With her hair standing up and sheet lines still noticeable on her face, it didn't quite make it. He wanted to laugh, but he contained himself. At least the kid could eat in peace now that Jordon diverted Reed's attention. He didn't want everyone staring at him like he'd suddenly sprouted horns, but that's exactly what he got.

  "Are you serious?"

  "Yep, Mrs. Bennett, sure am. Serious as a marriage license that has your name on it."

  Even Jesse came out of his cave when he heard that one. Jordon looked around the table into each set of eyes. It was obvious the old man and the kid had no idea Reed married him. Finn knew, but it didn't look like she approved. Henry just kept smiling, something Jordon planned to fix as soon as he got Henry padded up and in the ring. Reed flushed an interesting shade of pink, Jordon could feel the heat rolling off her and he knew the explosion couldn't be too far behind.

  Too bad, honey. Time to pay the piper.

  She yanked at her shirt causing her robe to fall completely down her shoulders. She wasn't wearing a bra. Reed Mohr-Bennett was one finely formed woman. Firm, full breasts with the perfect amount of upward curve were standing up and saluting him, clearly visible under the thin barrier of fabric. If she pulled any more ,she was going to fall out. He wasn't about to stop her, she'd yanked his chain with her anger long enough. Besides, Jordon liked her all jacked up and spitting fire. An angry elf was a joy to behold.

  He wondered if she was wearing panties under those peace sign jammies. He didn't want to take his eyes from her chest long enough to find out. Every time she yanked he caught a glimpse of curved peachy skin a shade or two lighter than the rest of her, and she wasn't showing any signs of cooling off soon.

  "This is a Goo-Goo Dolls tank top. John Resnik is a member of the band. Obviously, I am not Mrs. Resnik. More's the pity. It's a joke. Jesse bought this for me after we saw them in concert. I told him I wanted to be a woman of leisure. A rock star's wife doesn't seem to be such a bad gig.
Instead, I got something completely different."

  Now he was angry. And hurt. More than that he had a point to make. She was married. He wasn't leaving. She liked him well enough when she said 'I do' and sure as strawberries are sweet, she liked him in bed. So what changed in forty-eight hours in between?

  "Take it off."

  "No. I'll probably never take it off again now that I know how you feel about it."

  "Now."

  Henry turned off the burner on the stove and grabbed Finn's arm. "Let's take a walk." He said. Finn didn't argue and they disappeared outside.

  Jesse's head shot up at Jordon's demand stalling his spoon, mid-air. Grabbing the gallon of milk he'd brought to the table, and systematically poured over each bowl of cereal he managed to devour, Jesse left too. Charlie got up with a mumbled excuse about some poetry reading he needed to prepare for and suddenly the room was silent.

  "Alone at last." Jordon narrowed his eyes, focusing in on the sequined tank. "Now take off the damned shirt."

  "Why?"

  "You're my wife. Not some rock stars'."

  "That's fixable."

  "So fix it." Jordon felt like he'd been slapped. " Until you do, take off the shirt."

  "Not on your life. I love this shirt. I'm not even sure I like you."

  "Take. It. Off."

  "What are you going to do if I don't, divorce me?"

  "Not a chance."

  "I can file. Wisconsin is a no fault state. That means I don't have to say what's wrong with you when I petition, although I'm making a list just in case. It only takes one of us to petition you know. I don't need your consent."

  Jordon smiled the smile he reserved for hostile boardrooms, he knew it was as lethal as it was engaging. He stood, and took a step away from her. He didn't want to be too close.

  "Go ahead, Reed. File. You won't have a final hearing for at least four months. That's Wisconsin law too, I checked. It's what they call the 'cooling off period'." Jordon had all he could do not to growl at her. He kept his voice low and measured. "Until then, lose the shirt. You can have it back in four months. I'll even have it signed by Mr. Resnik for you in the meantime."