by Bette Ford
Frustration warred with need and made his kiss rough. Realizing he was bruising her lips, Scott immediately softened, soothing her luscious mouth with a gentle wash of his tongue. Jenna released an encouraging moan deep in her throat. She welcomed his bold thrusts and met each with her own sweetness as she suckled his tongue.
Desire quickly flamed into raging, hot need. With her wonderfully soft breasts pillowed on his chest, he easily lifted and pulled her around until she sat facing him, straddling his thighs, her sex flush against his aching shaft. Scott growled his enjoyment and deepened the kiss until they were both filled with hunger and breathless from lack of air. They sat grinning at each other as if they’d reached some lofty goal.
Chuckling, he said into her ear, “Should I apologize for forgetting and being carried away?” He placed a hot kiss against the sensitive place on her throat.
“Absolutely not.” Jenna shivered, whispering, “I missed being like this with you.”
He didn’t say that all she had to do was go home with him. Rather than get into an argument, he pressed his mouth against hers. “It goes without saying how badly I want you.” There was no way of concealing his rock-hard shaft. His entire body pulsed with desire. Resting his forehead against hers, he said, “Let’s go away for the weekend. Just the two of us. I’d love to show you Charleston. Say you will come?”
“What about Leah?”
He held back the automatic retort. Instead, he said, “She’s a big girl. She can look after herself for two nights. If you’d like, I’ll provide limo service for her. She can ride in style while we’re gone.”
Jenna shook her head vehemently. “You don’t have to do that.”
“Believe me when I say it will be worth it, just to have you to myself for a little while.”
“Honey, I’d love to go, but it’s so close to Christmas and the end of the semester. You have as much to do as I have. I plan to make this Christmas the best ever, all about family and friends. If you think the food was good on Thanksgiving, wait until you see my table on Christmas Day.” She rubbed her hands together, a big smile on her face. “Unfortunately, I haven’t even come close to finishing shopping. Let’s go after Christmas.”
“Please.” He kissed her to silence her protest. “We can still go skiing in Aspen after the holiday. But if we work together now, we can get it all done. I’ll help in any way you need. Say yes, babe. We need this time alone now. Charleston is so romantic this time of year. I suppose I could be nice and give us a little time to do a little sightseeing. You’re going to love seeing the Avery Research Center, the African-American museum is phenomenal. And the Gullah cuisine can’t be missed. Say yes, sweet thing.” He gave her a lingering kiss.
Giggling, she nodded. “I’d love to go. Thank you.”
“Thank you.” After a series of long, sweet kisses, he whispered, “I’d better get out of here before I lose what little control I have.” Cupping her hips, he rose with her to his feet, letting her body slowly slide down his.
“You’re welcome to stay the night,” she urged softly.
He shook his head. “You wouldn’t be comfortable letting me make love to you with Leah so close. It will have to wait until I have you all to myself. I won’t be satisfied until I’ve made you scream when you come.” He laughed as she blushed.
Jenna said in a whisper, “Hush! Leah might hear you.”
“See what I mean.” With his arm around her waist, they walked to the door.
Turning, Jenna wrapped her arms around his waist, saying softly, “I’m sorry. Leah’s move here hasn’t turned out the way I expected.”
“That’s called life, babe. It doesn’t ever go exactly as planned.”
“I know, but I thought I’d do a better job of handling things.”
“What things?”
“Managing our time together. I didn’t realize it would be this difficult. The blame rests with me. It’s just that I’ve waited so long to be reunited with her. I’m so glad that she’s here. I know I let her get away with too much. I shouldn’t have let her play that trick on you. I’m sorry about that. But she honestly didn’t mean any harm.” She sighed wearily. “I hate to disappoint her. Sometimes I feel as if I’m being pulled in two directions. Like tonight, I want to go home with you, but I also feel guilty, as if I’d be neglecting my sister.” Biting her trembling bottom lip, she looked up into his eyes, confessing, “I don’t want to hurt or lose either one of you.”
“Shush.” He placed a silencing finger against her lips. “You aren’t hurting or losing anyone, especially not me. Sweet thing, we’re about more than sex. We will work it out. Our weekend away will go a long way toward easing the situation.”
“What about tonight?” She brushed against him, rubbing his erection.
“I can wait. How about you?” he teased.
The sound of her laugh was sweet and welcome. “I have no choice.”
“Neither do I. Just because I have a hard-on doesn’t mean I’m not particular. I want only you, Jenna Gaines.” He leaned down, taking a quick, hard kiss. “Pack light. You’re not going to need sleepwear. I plan to keep you warm. Night.”
Scott waited until she set the dead bolt and key in the alarm before he made his way down the porch steps and to his car. Jenna had a point. Things hadn’t gone as either of them had expected. He had assumed Leah would be like Jenna. He had had no idea that the resemblance would have more to do with their physical appearance than their personalities. He hadn’t known Leah long, but from what he observed, she was nothing like his Jenna.
He smiled. “My Jenna . . . my love.” He liked the sound of it so much that he repeated it to himself. He wouldn’t stop until there was no doubt that they were a couple and in love.
He didn’t mind sharing Jenna with her work, her friends, or even her family, but he did mind having to worry that her twin didn’t have her welfare at heart. He also couldn’t quietly sit back and let Leah take advantage of or possibly hurt his Jenna.
What if he was wrong? Leah hadn’t exactly done anything to Jenna that he knew of. When she’d pretended to be Jenna she hadn’t been underhanded about it. Jenna had known about the prank. But then Leah was used to being the center of male attention. Yeah, maybe he was looking for a problem when there really wasn’t one.
Scott frowned. Life was unpredictable. His and Jenna’s situation was a prime example. They should have been married by now. Their careers would have been on track and they would have been getting around to starting their family. Unfortunately, they hadn’t stuck to the plan. He’d chosen the NBA, and she’d chosen her studies. They’d separated and spent so many empty years apart.
On the drive home, he marveled over how fortunate they had been to have found their way back to each other. He wouldn’t be satisfied until they had it all back. He’d come to terms with his feelings for Jenna. Despite their separation and time apart, his feelings hadn’t changed. He was still very much in love with Jenna, and he wanted her love. For weeks, he’d been working hard to convince her he wasn’t the same man who had tossed their love away. He was going to prove to her he was worthy of her love and trust.
Lately, it seemed as if every single time he saw a softening in her, something would happen to throw them off course yet again. He worried that he was losing ground. Naturally self-reliant and on guard, Jenna hadn’t been easy to win over. But he’d done it. They were almost back. They just had a few critical steps to make to move forward. And this time they would make it work. Even though she hadn’t said the L word, he was encouraged that she was close. She wanted to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her.
Leah had really put a kink in his plans. Instead of concentrating on getting reacquainted with her twin, she was forever flirting with him. Because she made him uncomfortable, he’d done everything he could think of to avoid being alone with her, which meant he saw less of
Jenna.
He was a straightforward kind of guy, but his frustration level was off the charts. It was a shame that he couldn’t share his concerns with Jenna. In her eyes, Leah could do no wrong. Until he was certain he had Jenna’s complete trust, he couldn’t tell her what he most feared. Leah was jealous of her twin. Was she capable of hurting Jenna?
Feeling as if his hands were tied, he swore impatiently as he turned into his drive. If he was right, he would have to warn Jenna about her twin. It was the only way to protect his love. But not yet; there was still time for her to enjoy getting to know her sister. It could keep until after Christmas and the special things she was so excited about sharing with family and friends. In the meantime, he had plans of his own. He would turn their getaway into a wildly romantic weekend that neither one of them would soon forget.
Things didn’t go as planned. Jenna’s work forced them to postpone their trip to Charleston. She hated disappointing Scott, even though he insisted that he understood.
He surprised her on Saturday. He called early and asked her to spend the day with him, warning her not to eat.
Scott took her to one of their old favorite places, the Pancake House, where they shared a huge breakfast, starting with a stack of pecan pancakes, fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy bacon and sausage, and freshly squeezed orange juice with plenty of coffee.
By the time she put down her fork, Jenna was holding her stomach. “I can’t believe I ate all that.”
“Believe it!” Scott teased, holding his own stomach.
Jenna laughed when they arrived at the Detroit Zoo. Despite the cold, the sun was bright overhead as they enjoyed the animals’ antics and recalled the lazy afternoons they’d spent walking hand and hand through the park.
From there they stopped to tour another of their favorite old haunts, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. It was Jenna’s first visit since she’d been back in the city. She was glad to see that her favorite exhibits were on display, along with many new acquisitions. The Middle Passage displays were heart-wrenching.
“I love coming to this place. It’s like visiting a dear friend.” Jenna smiled, lacing her fingers with his. “Thank you for bringing me back.”
“I love it here, too. It was something we could do without spending much money. Back then that was important,” Scott chuckled.
“You liked to visit the Science Museum, too.”
“I practically lived in that place growing up.” He smiled, tucking a wavy lock behind her ear. “Life was good back then. We didn’t have much as far as material things, but it didn’t really matter. We were happy just being together. We didn’t need anything more.”
“We were so young and in love,” she said around a sigh. “Full of hopes and dreams. We thought we had all the answers.”
“Some things have changed, but not everything.” He steered her away from a group of high school students until they were between displays. He bent until his forehead rested on hers. “Do you ever wish we could go back?”
“To being nineteen and twenty?”
“To being deeply in love. Before the hurt and separation?” he asked, his dark brown eyes searching her hazel eyes.
Jenna shook her head, smiling up at him. “Why are you being so serious all of a sudden? We were having so much fun.”
“A lot of things have been left unsaid.”
“Maybe it’s best that way. Rehashing the past will only bring back things I’d rather forget about. It certainly can’t change what happened.” Jenna grabbed his hand, giving it a bit of a tug. “Let’s keep going. There is still so much to see.”
She was relieved when he let her lead the way. She sent him a playful grin over her shoulder. Jenna was having fun. She didn’t want to remember the pain-filled part of the past and all that had been lost.
She was surprised by the change in him. He was way too serious, considering they had made a point of focusing on the here and now. Today was about leaving their problems behind and enjoying themselves. She didn’t want to rehash past mistakes.
It was late afternoon, and the shortened winter sun began to set as they walked to the parking lot.
“How long do you need to get ready for dinner?” he asked, starting the car. “Should I drop you off now and come back around—”
She shook her head. Laughing, she held up her full tote bag. “I don’t need to go home. I’ve got everything I need with me. You don’t mind if I use your guest room to shower and dress?”
He grinned. “You’re welcome to use anything of mine you’d like.”
Jenna said playfully, “Thank you, sweet man.”
His eyes locked with hers for a few moments. “My pleasure, sweet Jenna.” That said, he set the car into motion.
Neither spoke on the drive to his place, but there wasn’t much that needed to be said. They both were looking forward to the time that stretched ahead of them . . . time for just the two of them.
Twenty-two
Jenna grinned for all she was worth. “The evening has been nothing short of spectacular!” Her arms were wrapped around Scott’s lean waist as they moved in time to the music on the crowded dance floor.
He had surprised her by taking her back to Bradley’s. This time it was vastly different from the supper club’s grand opening. They’d been shown to a candlelit table tucked into the corner. The glass walls overlooked the river and provided a lovely view of the star-filled winter night. A grand piano being played in the background added to the romantic ambience.
They shared bites of his lobster tail dripping in clarified butter and her ginger-glazed, grilled salmon while enjoying the creamy, buttermilk mashed potatoes and grilled mixed vegetables. They sipped rich, fruity Pinot Grigio. They lingered over the exquisite meal, then finished with plum tart, topped with homemade French vanilla ice cream. After he paid the tab, they walked hand and hand up to the nightclub.
Scott’s voice was deep and raspy when he said, “A night to remember.”
Refusing to worry about anything, including the calories she’d consumed that day, Jenna closed her eyes, indulging her other senses. Moving with him on the dance floor, she inhaled his clean, male scent as she caressed his silk-covered back beneath his gray jacket.
Pressing her lips against the base of his throat left bare by his open collar, she urged, “I’m ready to go. How about you?”
He issued a husky groan from deep inside his chest while momentarily tightening his hold around her. They exchanged a heated look. He whispered, “Yeah.” With her hand clasped in his, he paused to drop a large bill on the table before guiding her out.
After retrieving their outerwear and hurrying through the cold to the car, instead of heading north, toward the suburbs, he stayed in town.
She quizzed, “I thought we were going back to your place?”
“We are, after a short detour.” He reached over and gave her hand a quick squeeze.
The detour turned out to be a stop at Belle Isle, the city park that was an island oasis in the midst of the big city life, especially in the warmer months. The island housed a conservatory and botanical gardens, Great Lakes Museum, nature center, beach and picnic areas, yacht club, tennis and basketball courts, and baseball fields.
Jenna smiled as they passed stately, older three-story homes, many of which had been converted into nursing homes, office facilities, and even day-care centers. She knew where they were going as they drove across the MacArthur Bridge that connected the island park to the city.
She didn’t have to ask why he had brought her here. During the warmer months, the two of them used to bike the park’s numerous walkways and share romantic picnics and moonlit walks. Even during the fall, they’d enjoyed strolling hand and hand to the water’s edge and gazing up at the stars and Detroit’s fabulous skyline. It was a special place where they’d
talked and dreamed of a shared future.
“Still beautiful,” she mused, slipping her hand into his after he’d parked. “You’ve gone all out to make this day special.”
Scott grinned. “I tried. We spent many nights gazing at the boats and sharing secrets and plans for the future. This is where you first told me about your family and your hope to find them. Remember?”
“Yes,” she said, shivering from his caressing hand on her nape. “We were so poor, we had to put our pennies together just to have enough gas to get that old clunker of yours out here.”
“Clunker? That was a classic 1970 Chevy Camaro in mint condition.”
“It was held together with a ton of duct tape and prayers. The thing belched smoke and backfired, protesting every mile you forced out of it,” she teased.
He was quick to say, “But it got us where we needed to go. We even went to Florida to visit my family. Talk about young and poor. We got lucky on that trip when we didn’t break down on the road.” He laughed.
“Yes, blessed,” she corrected.
“And so much love,” he said huskily, close to her ear. “Has it all gone, babe?”
“What?”
“The love, Jenna.”
She shook her head. “I thought we agreed that rehashing our past mistakes would serve no purpose.”
“Our mistakes? I was the one who left, not you.”
“Scott, let’s drop it,” she said, edging away.
He caught her hands in his. “We need to talk about it. I take full responsibility for my mistake. I was a nineteen-year-old kid who ran toward a dream, not away from you. I was in love with you then, just as I’m in love with you now.”
When Jenna released a startled gasp, he squeezed her hand. “That’s right. I’ve never, not for one minute, stopped loving you. Of course I didn’t realize it until I saw you again.”
“Why are you telling me this?” she demanded. He was spoiling their magical day.
“Because it’s important to me that you know the truth. I tried, believe me, I tried to get you out of my system. Nothing worked. And when I saw you in the cafe, all I knew was that I had to get you back. In the past weeks, I’ve done everything I could think of to show you how I feel, Jenna. My sweet love.”