by Kylie Walker
He put his hand on the small of her back as they walked up toward the elaborate clubhouse. She was shaking all over just from that simple touch and she wanted more. She wanted to feel him inside of her again. She wanted to taste him and let him taste her. She wanted to feel every part of his body. God, he drove her crazy. She realized something else as they walked into the restaurant together and all eyes were on them. She felt proud to be with him, but it went beyond that. She also felt safe and protected and most of all happy. She was finished denying herself the happiness that for so long she thought she didn’t deserve. But once again, Natalie was right. Everyone deserved to be happy. Jordan deserved to be happy. That was going to be her new mantra.
Chapter 12
Chase
Chase never knew he could get so turned on watching someone work. He should have known because where Jordan was concerned, everything she did turned him on. He was in a perpetual state of horniness around her. After the night he spent with her in her bed he realized just how vulnerable she was and he had promised himself that he would take a step back and give her some time. He wasn’t sure how much time he would be able to give her before he completely exploded. Some days he had to sit behind the conference table until everyone had left before he could get up for fear of being labeled a pervert. As they walked to the restaurant now with his hand on her back he could feel her shaking and he could feel the heat flowing from her body to his. He couldn’t help imagining how easy it would be to pull her into his arms right then and taste those lips again. The taste of them was still on his from that day in the office. The day that had ruined him for sex with any other woman. That reminded him, he needed to have a talk with Samantha. He had been putting her off all week but it wasn’t fair to keep her hanging even though they weren’t in a real “relationship,” she had come to expect certain things and he at least owed her more than a brush-off.
As soon as they walked into the clubhouse they were greeted by the hostess and taken to a table near a big window in the back. The window overlooked a little man-made pond and waterfall. The pond was filled with ducks and geese and he thought that the look on Jordan’s face as she watched them was sensual and so beautiful. She was killing him.
“Your waiter will be right with you,” the hostess told them as she handed them each a menu.
After she left, Chase poured them each a glass of water from the carafe on the table. Jordan was still watching the ducks. “They’re so cool,” she said with a smile. He couldn’t help but smile too. Her enthusiasm was contagious.
“Yes they are,” he agreed.
“I like this place,” she said, looking around. “Have you been here before?”
“Once, a long time ago. I came here to play golf.”
The waiter approached the table then and said, “Hi, I’m Matt. I’ll be your server. Can I get you something to drink?”
Chase noticed they were still serving brunch and he asked Jordan, “How about a mimosa?”
She smiled. “While we’re working?”
He laughed. She’s so damned cute. “Just one glass of champagne watered down with orange juice won’t hurt a thing,” he said.
“Okay then!” she looked at Matt and said, “Mimosas it is.”
Matt left and Jordan looked around the room. She had her eyebrows drawn together so Chase asked her, “What is it?”
“I just noticed everyone here is either dressed in really nice golfing clothes or dresses and suits. I feel slightly underdressed.” Chase couldn’t help it. He couldn’t leave that one alone. A wicked grin splayed across his face and he said, “Underdressed was just how I was picturing you in my head.” He watched as the blush crept up her neck and spread across her face.
“Oh, you were?”
“Yeah, and by under dressed I mean not dressed at all.”
She chuckled. “So am I just standing there not dressed…or am I doing something?”
“You’re just standing there. I’m the one doing things.”
“And while you’re doing these things are you naked too?” Jordan picked up her water to take a sip and nearly choked on it when she realized Matt had snuck back up to the table with their drinks. He had heard what she said. Her face got even redder than it already was as Matt set the drinks down and very kindly pretended like he hadn’t heard a thing. Chase was stifling a laugh.
“Have you had a chance to decide what you’d like to order?”
“Yes, I’m ready,” Jordan said, still not making eye-contact with the young waiter. “Are you ready Chase?” He was still grinning at her and she gave him a look as if to tell him to behave.
“Yes, you go ahead first,” he told her.
Jordan ordered the brunch special they were still running. It was spinach quiche. Chase ordered a club sandwich and they both handed their menus back to Matt who made his hasty retreat. Once he was gone Chase let out the laugh he was holding back.
“You’re so bad,” Jordan told him, trying not to laugh herself.
“That’s not what you said in my office that day.” She blushed again but he could tell by the way her tongue came out just a little bit and ran across her bottom lip that she was remembering what it felt like to have him inside of her.
“What are you thinking right now?” he asked her.
“Nothing,” she said with a shy grin.
“You’re as bad as I am,” he said. “You’re picturing me naked too, aren’t you?”
“Shh, Matt might sneak up on us again.” They both laughed and when he did suddenly appear at the side of the table, they laughed harder. He offered them refills on their drinks and left again. This time when Jordan looked across the table at him he didn’t smile. The fire she ignited in his core was burning hot and he knew that he had to have her again soon. He also knew that the next time they were together it wouldn’t be quick. He wanted to have her in every way possible, all night long.
“So…” she said, searching for a way to change the subject. Chase wasn’t going to let her get away with it.
“This is happening Jordan.”
“What is happening?” This time the innocence was feigned. She knew damned good and well what he was talking about. He didn’t answer her and he didn’t break eye-contact. He waited her out and she finally said, “You’re right. It’s happening.”
A devilish grin pulled at his lips, content in the knowledge that she was ready to accept the inevitable. There was an invisible string binding them together from the moment she walked into his office for that interview. He was confident that he could help her get through whatever happened in her past and move forward with her future.
**
Chase left that conversation alone for the time being and while they ate they discussed the campaign. He got a text back from Trevor before they left the clubhouse that said, “Brilliant.” he text back,
“That’s exactly what I told her.”
“Don’t forget whose idea she was.”
Chase rolled his eyes and text back, “Don’t forget whose she is now.” He got a smiley face in return. It dawned on him then that was how he thought of her. She was his even if she didn’t know it yet.
“It’s such a beautiful day,” Jordan said when they walked outside. Chase reached for her hand and she let him take it.
“We still have some time. Let’s take the long way back.” Jordan didn’t object so he led her past the pro shop and through the courtyard filled with fragrant flowers to the cement path that wound through the lush golf course. The combination of good food, mimosa’s and good company, they were both very relaxed. They walked quietly for a while, stopping to watch some ducks as they passed another little pond. Once they started walking again Chase asked her, “So does your family live in New York?”
“I don’t have any family.”
Chase was shocked. “None at all?”
“No, at least not that I know of. I grew up in foster care. Natalie is the closest thing I’ve ever had to real family.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I made it and I think I turned out okay.” Chase squeezed her hand and said, “Better than okay.”
Jordan smiled. He had opened the gate so he wasn’t surprised when she asked, “What about yours? Did you grow up in New York?”
“I did. My mother is still here in the city. My father…passed away almost nineteen years ago now.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he said. “He was a miserable bastard.” He left it there and she did too.
“So what about brothers and sisters?”
“Nope, just me. But since we’re talking about family…my mother is getting married next weekend. Would you be interested in attending the wedding with me?”
She had a mixture of surprise and sheer terror on her face. “Are you sure? I mean we’re not even sure what we are to each other yet…”
“All anyone needs to know is that you’re my friend, a very beautiful one. I’d really like it if you would go with me. I really hate these social functions. I’d be a lot more comfortable with someone that can embarrass the wait staff with me.”
Jordan laughed. “Well, in that case, I’d love to.” Chase hadn’t planned on asking her to the wedding but now that she had accepted he was glad he did. They were moving forward, one baby-step at a time. They continued their stroll, coming to a narrow, covered bridge not far from their destination. It was somewhat dark inside in spite of the brilliant sun that loomed over them and Chase couldn’t let the opportunity for a small amount of intimacy created by the shadows. He stopped walking and used the hand that was holding onto Jordan’s to pull her into him. He circled her small waist with his hands and pulled her in tightly. She didn’t object or try to pull away so he let his hands slide down the back of her jeans and cupped the cheeks of her firm round ass as he leaned down and let his mouth meet hers. Suddenly it was like there was an electrical storm inside the little bridge. He could feel it from his lips all the way down to his toes. His cock began to swell as his tongue explored every inch of her hot mouth. He loved the way she tasted…he had been craving it. When neither of them could breathe any longer he let his lips slide down to her neck where he licked, sucked and nibbled and reveled in the soft, satisfied noises she was making. He knew she had to be able to feel the hard bulge between his legs, especially when he felt her arch her back slightly and rub her body against it. Jesus, he wanted to take her right there and he might have if not for the sound of an approaching golf cart. Jordan pulled back first and with a mounting frustration Chase adjusted himself so that there wasn’t a tent in the front of his pants. He was glad he did when a few minutes later the cart appeared. It was driven by a blue-haired lady that had to be in her seventies and her passenger was an old man that looked like he was pushing eighty. They waved and smiled as they passed. Chase and Jordan waved and smiled back. Once they were gone Jordan laughed and said, “I’m not sure they’ll invite us back here again.”
Chase raised his eyebrows and replied, “Well if we’ve already blown the invitation…”
Laughing again Jordan said, “Picture your high school gym teachers face and get rid of that for now. We have to work.”
“For now?” he asked.
She smiled slyly. “The day is still new.”
Chapter 13
Jordan
They finished their photo shoot with sweet little Chloe and a couple of hours later they were back on the road, headed for Manhattan. Chase hadn’t said much since their encounter in the little tunnel, but the sexual electricity had been thicker than ever between them all afternoon. They dropped the SUV off at the dealership and got into Chase’s own Jaguar. His was red and a convertible. As soon as Jordan had her seatbelt on he said, “I believe we have unfinished business…your place or mine?”
She giggled. “Natalie is home today.”
“Mine it is then.” Her stomach was filled with butterflies. She had thought of little else but this day other than work for the past week. She was both looking forward to and dreading it. She wasn’t sure she was ready to tell him about her past…but there was no way she could be naked with him, with the light on and hide it. Axel had left his mark on her and it had been one thing holding her back for the past six years. She glanced over at Chase. He was driving as fast as traffic would allow and he had his jaw set. His bicep on the arm that held the steering wheel bulged and pressed tightly against the fabric of his shirt. If she didn’t know better she might think he was angry, but if she needed further proof that he wasn’t thinking of her in anger, all she had to do was glance at his crotch. She took a deep breath and told herself that the only way Axel would win in the end was if she didn’t choose to live the life he thought that he had taken. She was going to do this…and hope for the best.
When they got to Chase’s building he left his car with the valet and hurried her through the lobby. As soon as the elevator doors shut behind them he pushed her into the mirrored wall and kissed her like he was trying to consume her mouth. His touch and the taste of his tongue in her mouth caused an inferno to rage inside of her. She was powerless to stop what was about to happen even if she wanted to. She had never felt anything remotely like the feelings Chase brought out in her, and she wasn’t going to miss out on the opportunity to feel them again and again. She deserved to be happy.
When the elevator stopped on the top floor and the doors slid open, he kept his mouth on her neck and steered her backward out the door. Her feet sunk down into the plush carpeting in the hallway and a few seconds later she felt her back up against another door. Chase’s big arm came around her and once again he claimed her lips as he unlocked the door. He didn’t let go of her as he pushed it open and Jordan didn’t flinch at the feeling of falling. She somehow knew instinctively he wouldn’t let her. He made her feel so safe and that wasn’t a feeling she had experienced much in her lifetime. He walked her back far enough to kick the door shut and then startled her by suddenly bending down and scooping her up into his arms. She squealed as he carried her down the long hallway stopping in front of a room and pushing the door open with his foot. She was surprised when he carried her inside and she saw that it was a game room.
“Do you play pool?” he asked almost breathlessly. His lips were so close to hers that she could feel the heat of his breath and the vibrations. He had only just stopped kissing her and she was already craving them.
“I’m willing to learn,” she said with a giggle. He carried her over and laid her down on top of the green felt top of the huge oak pool table and immediately started to undress her. He took her blouse off slowly, kissing the exposed flesh with each button he unfastened and leaving a trail of heat in his wake. When he had it open all the way he pulled her upright and slid it off of her arms, letting his palms rake across her skin as he did. Once the blouse was out of the way he reached behind her and unhooked her bra. He made a noise in his throat when her breasts fell out and his mouth went straight for them. He licked both of her nipples, all the way around the outside and then flicked across the hard nubs before sucking one into his mouth. She was sitting up in the middle of the pool table holding his head to her chest and he was making her dizzy with passion. She felt his hand come up and press against her jean and panty clad pussy. Even with all of that fabric in the way she felt her wetness reach through and touch his fingers. It was only when he went to unbutton her jeans that she remembered that she had to tell him…Shit. Damn Axel to hell.
“Chase,” she breathed out in a husky voice. “Stop, please…”
He froze and slowly raised his head up to look at her face. “Please Jordan, don’t do this to me now.”
“No,” she said, taking his handsome face into her hands. “It’s not like that. I want you worse than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life. But…I have to tell you something first.”
He cocked an eyebrow and trained his green eyes on her face as he said, “Okay baby, tell me.”
“I have a scar on the upper thigh of my
right leg. It’s actually on the inner part, right near my vagina.” His lips turned up on the edges and he said, “That’s okay baby. You could have scars all over your legs and I’d still want you.”
“This one says ‘SLUT’,” she blurted out. That caused the smile to drop from his face and a look of confusion appeared.
“Excuse me?”
She felt the sting of tears as her eyes filled up with them. She blinked them back, not wanting to ruin this moment any more than she already had. “My ex-boyfriend tied me down one night and carved it into me. He said it was so any man that had sex with me would be pre-warned.”
The look of confusion was now one of rage and the way his eyes went from a light green color to a dark shade of jade almost frightened her. “Mother fucker…Jesus…let me see.”
She nodded and he picked her up by the waist and stood her on her feet next to the table. He watched as she unbuttoned and unzipped her pants and lowered them, kicking her shoes off when she made it to her ankles. She was wearing a pair of thin white lace panties and she opened her legs and reached down to where the scar was. Every day when she washed her body she had to touch it and it reminded her of the hell Axel put her through. It was exactly what he had intended. Chase was staring at it now in disbelief and horror. Suddenly she was afraid that he would no longer want to touch her. Only seconds passed but to Jordan, it felt like a lifetime before Chase dropped to his knees in front of her, took her hips in his hands and gently, lovingly and tenderly placed his lips over the area that Axel had defiled. After the soft kiss, he turned his head to the side and leaned it into her. She could hear the sounds of his rapid breathing and she wished that she knew what he was thinking. When he looked up at her face he whispered in a deep voice, “I’m so sorry that happened to you. What else did he do to you, Jordan?” She reached down for his hands and guided him back up to his feet. Leaning her head into his chest she said, “One day I’ll tell you, but today I want what we promised each other with that kiss that started in the elevator. I want you, Chase. I feel like I’ll explode if I don’t have you. Please make love to me.”