Jordan's Return

by Samantha Chase

  They stayed in that position long after the boys were in bed; Rob reveled in the feel of Jordan’s body next to his. He had been longing for it ever since the flume ride. Enjoying the closeness while they attempted to watch a little TV, they channel surfed for a while before Rob clicked the set off and pulled Jordan more snugly against him.

  “So tell me,” he said as he smoothed her hair away from her face, “what was the real reason for your beach retreat?”

  She loved the feeling of his hands raking through her hair and felt so much at ease and relaxed, like it was the most natural thing in the world for them to be in this place together. She sighed softly before replying.

  “After my accident, my family convinced me to file a civil suit against Eric since the accident was his fault. Rather than go to court, we ended up settling out and it was all very ugly.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “You see, Eric is a financial big shot on Wall Street right now and is starting a new life. We were baggage.” Jordan could feel tension coursing through Rob’s body at her words but forced herself to go on.

  “I had stayed in the house where we had lived for the boys’ sake, and because that was what Eric had dictated in our original divorce agreement. It was his way of keeping me under his control, you know?

  “At first I thought it would be okay and that it would be best for Jake and Joseph, but the longer we lived there, the more miserable I was.” She shifted her position a little. “Anyway, Eric had cut his visits down to once or twice a year and once we received a settlement from him… Well, now I can afford to move us to wherever we want and start over.” Jordan felt Rob’s hand still for the briefest of moments.

  “My lawyer drew up papers that stated Eric gave up his parental rights to my children. Can you believe that? How could someone just walk away from their own kids? I mean, I always knew Eric resented being a father but I never thought he’d walk away and ignore his own flesh and blood.” Jordan sat up and faced him, wanting no secrets between them. Rob deserved to know exactly what he was getting involved with.

  “You have to understand how traumatic all of this has been for the boys. Jake doesn’t remember too much about Eric living with us, but Joseph does.”

  Rob took both of Jordan’s hands in his and waited for her to continue.

  “On the day Eric signed the papers that terminated his parental rights, he came to the house to gloat. Joseph heard everything.” She sighed. “He was so cruel. I was still pretty banged up and had bruises and casts, and he laughed at my appearance. And as if that weren’t enough, he went on to belittle the boys too, saying how disappointed he was in them.” Her voice quavered with remembrance.

  “I had no idea Joseph was home; I had thought they were still out with my mom. They had come back early. I’ll never forget the look in his eyes when we turned and saw him standing there. Eric just shrugged and walked out, muttering, ‘Oh well. Not my problem anymore.’” Her eyes brimmed with tears and Rob wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

  “He had said he was glad to be rid of me and my kids because we didn’t fit his image. It didn’t bother me so much because I had always hated his image, but his little speech really hurt Joe. He’s been in a funk ever since.” Sadness filled her voice.

  Rob felt a pang of regret for the boy. It must have been horrible to hear that your own father didn’t want you. No wonder Joseph had become so attached to him so fast—he was starved for a father figure in his life. Rob would love to fill that void.

  He placed a feather-soft kiss on her temple. “So you just needed to get away.” It was a statement, not a question.

  “Yes and no,” she replied as she mindlessly began to stroke the strong muscles of his chest while her head rested on his shoulder. “I pulled the boys out of school and I’m homeschooling them now.” He pulled back and looked at her with surprise written all over his handsome face.

  “They didn’t want to start the new school year in a school they were possibly going to leave. Plus, I felt we needed some time together to decide, as a family, where we go from here. I wanted us to be free of distractions and anything that might sway our decisions.” When her eyes met his, she saw his were full of so many emotions: pride, tenderness, and possibly, love.

  “You’re an amazing woman, Jordan,” he murmured as he carefully twisted her around in his arms so she was now lying across his lap.

  “No, I’m not.”

  “You’re more than amazing. You’re wonderful, smart, and sexy as hell,” he growled as he leaned forward to kiss her. Jordan had met him halfway and looped her arms around his neck to bring him closer. “I don’t think I’ve ever met another woman who is as courageous as you. You’ve had an awful time and while some people might just admit defeat, you’ve come back swinging. You’re taking care of your boys and doing all you can to ensure them a good life.” He kissed her gently on the nose. “Your boys are lucky to have you.” Then he was done talking.

  His mouth was hot and sweet on hers, but it wasn’t enough. She had wanted this closeness with him all day, all week, heck, probably her whole life, and just lying in his lap wasn’t enough. She shifted her body and helped him maneuver until they were lying down on the sofa together, facing one another.

  Their kisses were very gentle, teasing. It made Jordan think of their first kisses when they were sixteen. It was a time to get reacquainted, and it was thrilling.

  Rob had his hand pressed firmly against her bottom, holding her to him. They were lost in the sensation of the kiss, tongues gently teasing, lips clinging, breath mingling. When Rob traced Jordan’s full lower lip with his tongue, she moaned her approval.

  Rob stopped suddenly and looked down at her through heavy lids. “I want you, Jordan.” He swallowed hard. “I want you so badly I ache, but I know this isn’t the time or the place.” She had wanted to protest, but she knew, deep down, he was right. They couldn’t continue on this path with her children in the next room.

  “When we make love”—he kissed her lightly on her neck, just below her ear—“and we will, I want to have you all to myself, with no worries, no distractions. Just you, me, and this incredible need we have for each other.”

  Jordan groaned with frustration at his words. He was right, of course, but she did not want to move out of his embrace just yet, so she decided to be a little wicked.

  “You’re right,” she murmured against his throat. “We need to wait.” She sucked lightly on his neck and then pressed her breasts a bit more firmly against him. “We can’t take the chance of being interrupted.” She flicked her tongue against his earlobe and he shook.

  “When we are finally alone, we’ll make up for all the years we’ve been apart. I think we’ll need at least an entire day to get our bodies reacquainted.” Jordan deliberately pressed her hips forward and blatantly cradled his erection in the juncture of her thighs. She placed featherlight kisses along his strong jaw and then licked her way softly up to his ear and whispered, “Don’t you agree?”

  Suddenly, she was pinned beneath him. His dark-brown eyes sparked with desire and a bit of anger. “It’s not nice to tease,” he growled, and pressed his erection firmly into her most sensitive spot. Jordan arched her back off the couch and ground herself against him.

  Rob took her mouth fiercely and she loved it. There was no forcing; he took and she gave equally. He reached between them and palmed one aching breast and she cried out at his touch. “It’s been too long,” he panted. “Too damn long.”

  “I know, I know,” she replied between heated kisses. Jordan raked her fingers through his glorious silken hair and held him near to her, not willing to let him go. “I need you,” she whispered roughly as she slid a hand between them and stroked his hardened length through the denim.

  He shot upright and sprang off the couch. He looked down at her as he tried to catch his breath. Her own breathing was just as ragged and he almost
dove back down on top of her at the sight of her kiss-swollen lips and the desire in her eyes.

  “I can’t do this with you now, Jordan. I want to—God, do I want to—but I want it to be right.” Slowly he sat back down beside her as she forced herself to sit upright. Rob cupped her face in his hands and rained tiny kisses along her cheek, jaw, and throat.

  “But we’re not kids anymore. I used to dream of making love to you in a bed, not in the backseat of my car or off in the woods like we used to.” Jordan blushed at the memory. “I wanted the thrill of taking you to bed and loving you all night long. I’ve fantasized about it.” He bowed his head so only their foreheads touched. “I want you too much to take you here on the couch like a boy.” Then he looked directly at her. “I’m going to make love to you like a man.” With that, he stood, turned, walked to his bedroom, and closed the door without looking back.

  Well, how was she ever supposed to sleep again after a declaration like that?

  * * *

  Jordan tossed and turned all night long, and before she knew it, the blasted alarm clock was going off to remind them there was more fun to be had. Great.

  She shared the bathroom with her boys while Rob had one to himself and they all came together eventually in the living room of the suite to go for breakfast. Jordan noticed Rob looked as unrested as she did, which consoled her a little.

  On the elevator ride down to the dining room, Rob discreetly reached for her hand and held on to it. She smiled weakly at him and was tickled to see the same expression on his face. How much longer were they supposed to last before the sexual tension and frustration got the better of them?

  They ate a leisurely breakfast in the dining room and decided to spend some time touring the grounds. It was unseasonably warm out and Jordan decided it would be okay for them to use the pool.

  When they all met up again in the living room after changing into their swimsuits, Jordan thought she’d faint. Seeing Rob in nothing more than a pair of swimming trunks made her mind go blank and her throat go dry. Her body was still on high alert after their encounter on the couch last night, and seeing him walking around half-naked did nothing to squelch that desire. Would he feel the same way once she took off her cover-up down by the pool?

  Absolutely.

  Jordan placed their towels on a lounge chair as the boys instantly jumped into the pool. Rob was about to dive in after them but the motion of her lifting the blue cotton number over her head stopped him. A quick glance over his shoulder told him the boys were thoroughly distracted by a game of pool volleyball; the coast was clear.

  Slowly he walked up behind her and placed his hands on her hips, gently pulling her back against him.

  The red one-piece suit she had on was cut high on her hips and low down her back and had him feeling weak. “What are our chances of getting a little time alone in the hot tub?” he whispered against her ear.

  Jordan shivered. “I think it’s too far away from the pool and Jake isn’t a great swimmer.” She cursed the fact that he had missed out on swimming lessons this summer, because the thought of time with Rob in the steamy hot tub was exactly what she had in mind.

  He took Jordan by the hand and headed over to the pool. “In that case…” he began before scooping her up in his arms and jumping into the cool water.

  Jordan let out a scream when they broke through the surface of the water. “Rob!”

  He laughed and released her. The boys swam over and soon had their own game of volleyball going. Rob was mesmerized by the sight of Jordan jumping up out of the water. Her skin glistened and he could clearly see the shape of her hardened nipples beneath the clingy Lycra. Her sons soon tired of the game and went off to swim on their own. Rob swam over to join her, pulling her toward a more reclusive spot shielded by potted plants and tropical shrubs.

  Sometimes, his hands would linger as he swam around her, or he’d be bold and press his body full against hers while he stole kisses. Jordan thought surely her body would burst into flames even in the cold water.

  At three that afternoon, Rob herded them all back up to the room to pack and get ready to check out. No one was happy at the thought of leaving. Jordan wished they could stay longer, but realized she’d be torturing herself even more. At least back at the beach they weren’t sharing a residence—he had his own place to go home to and wasn’t sleeping in the next room. If they spent one more night under the same roof, Jordan would surely let all her insecurities go and seek him out in the night.

  They were on the road by five. The ride home took less than three hours, including a stop at a fast food restaurant for burgers for dinner. Once back at the bungalow, Jordan immediately got the boys settled and ready for bed. They fought her on it, wanting to continue talking about how much fun they’d had over the weekend, but Jordan was barely hanging on by a thread.

  Selfishly, she wanted time alone with Rob, and after having spent the entire weekend entertaining her children’s every whim, she felt entitled to a little time of peace and quiet without them.

  Each boy took a turn thanking Rob for a great weekend and replayed their favorite parts just to linger before calling it a day. Just as Jordan was about to herd them down the hall to bed, Jake rushed over and threw himself into Rob’s arms. “Thank you,” he whispered.

  Jordan almost had to wipe tears from her eyes. She was so touched that this one weekend meant so much to her children. She hugged them both a little longer than usual as they climbed into bed. This was a memory they would cherish always.

  “Get some sleep, guys,” she said softly as she backed out of their bedroom. “We’ll talk more in the morning.”

  “G’night, Mom,” they said together as Jordan closed their door.

  Walking down the hallway to the living room, Jordan’s tummy was full of butterflies. They would finally be alone for the first time today. She found him sitting on the sofa flipping through the TV channels in an obvious attempt to kill some time.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” she offered as she opened the refrigerator to get herself some water.

  “Sure. Whatever you’re having.”

  Drinks in hand, she headed over to the sofa, sat herself next to him, and placed the drinks on the coffee table. Rob held an arm out for her and pulled her close beside him while he caught the tail end of a police drama.

  “Well, I think the weekend was a complete success, don’t you?” she asked.

  “Absolutely.”

  Once the token conversation about the weekend was done, Jordan found herself in Rob’s arms, kissing him. She wanted to giggle because here they were “making out” on her sofa like they used to when they were teens. Then they had feared getting caught by Jordan’s parents; now they feared being caught by her kids.

  Jordan broke the kiss first. “I can’t do this with you again and then watch you go,” she admitted, her breathing ragged. Her skin tingled all over where their bodies touched and it felt as if it were over a thousand degrees in the house. She stood and greedily drank her glass of water. She slowly walked into the kitchen to place her glass in the sink, trying to put distance between them.

  This was so much harder than she’d ever expected it to be. Never once in all her planning for this monthlong trip had she imagined the possibility of meeting someone and wanting to become involved. The prospect of dating again had never entered her mind. Eric had done such a number on her and his desertion was such a blow to her ego that she’d never thought she’d feel attractive to the opposite sex again.

  Yet here stood Rob Tyler. There was so much mutual attraction between them that the air nearly bristled with it. Jordan was not an aggressive woman, but right now she wanted to take control of this situation and have her way with this man who had haunted her dreams for the last two weeks. She was tired of her body aching with need and going unfulfilled.

  She was tired of stealing kisses and bar
ely touching him and then watching him leave. It wasn’t fair. Something had to give and soon, or Jordan would surely lose her mind. Right now, the space between the kitchen and living room felt like a football field and she needed all of it to clear her mind.

  Unfortunately, Rob followed. “I know, baby. I know,” he said as he pulled her into his embrace. “I want to take you out, just the two of us. I want to be alone with you.”

  “I want that too, but it’s not possible,” she said with a shaky breath. “I can’t leave the boys here alone and I don’t know anyone here I would feel comfortable leaving them with.”

  Unable to resist, Jordan stood on tiptoes and kissed him. She needed to feel his mouth on hers again. Rob instantly responded, and within seconds, they were right back where they’d started. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to the sofa, where he lay down on top of her. Jordan shifted beneath him so she could feel him in all the places that were crying out for attention.

  “Do you trust me, Jordan?” he asked as he lifted his mouth from hers.

  A few weeks ago she would have had doubts. “Yes.”

  “Leave it to me then. Okay?”

  “Leave what to you?”

  “We’re going to have the time alone that we both desperately want. Just leave it to me.”

  Jordan wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him close while she enjoyed the weight of his body on hers until it was time for him to go.

  Chapter 8

  Two days later, Jordan was sitting in the kitchen having breakfast with the boys when the phone rang.

  “What are you doing for lunch today?” Rob asked casually.

  “The usual,” she yawned.

  “How about I pick you guys up around eleven?”

  That perked her up a little. “Where are we going?” Jordan asked curiously.

  “We’re going to Claudia’s for lunch.”

  Jordan was a little disappointed they weren’t going someplace a little more romantic than that. “Oh.”