by Natalie Ann
He walked through the rest of the house pointing out the bedrooms, the kitchen and bath he was going to gut and redo.
“That’s a lot of work to do by yourself,” she said.
“My father is dying to help. Brynn and Alec will come over if I need a hand, but I thought maybe you could help me on the weekends.”
“Me? I don’t know how to do any construction work. Not like what you’re talking about. Why do you want my help?”
He laughed at how large her eyes just went. “Not the heavy things. But I thought you could help me design it. Pick out colors and tiles. Those things. I like what you did with your house.”
He was being honest. He did like her style and taste. It was basic, but traditional and would stand the test of time and the changing of trends.
“My house isn’t anything special,” she argued.
“So I guess that is a no. You don’t want to help me,” he said seriously.
“No…I mean, yes! I’d love to. I’m startled you want my help.” She smiled and leaned into him, gave him a little hug and cuddled him around his waist. He loved when she made a move toward him and showed that soft side of her. “It would make me happy to help you create your house. You helped with mine. I guess fair is fair. Don’t you think?”
“I do.” As much as he didn’t want to, he moved out of her arms and pulled her to the last bedroom in the back of the house. “You still haven’t figured out what’s my favorite part of the house.”
She looked around the room, her eyes landing on the door. “What’s out there?” Walking forward, she turned the lock, then opened the door. “Ugh, the cold is like a blast to the face.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
“I don’t think so. I wish everyone would stop saying that,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “Okay, I know now what your favorite part is. Look at the sky.”
He watched as she tilted her head up. Even though they were in a neighborhood with houses close by, they had an unobstructed view straight up from wherever they stood or sat on the little deck. The stars were shining bright. “Isn’t it awesome?”
“I would love this.”
“I can build a deck off of your bedroom like this. The view might not be as remarkable, but the most you’ll see are treetops, no other roofs. Your house is pretty high.”
“You could really do that? Maybe I’ll talk to Brynn about it and get a quote.”
“No. I said I would do it. You don’t need to go through Harper’s for it.” She didn’t get it, obviously.
“Drew, no. You have your own house to work on. I can pay them to do it. Isn’t it a conflict or something if you did it for me for nothing?”
He wanted to laugh at her. She was more worried about that than hurting him. He could see it in her eyes. “That’s what you’re concerned with?”
“Yes. Wouldn’t Alec get mad if you took business from a client?”
He kissed her on the nose. She was too cute and he really had to stop doubting everything. He had to stop worrying too.
“No. First off, you are beyond a client now. You’re my girlfriend. And second of all, it’s not like I would be doing it while I’m on the clock working for Harper’s.”
She still looked unsure to him. “If you’re sure. Then yes, I would love if you could find the time for it. It would be magical. I can imagine sitting out there with my laptop in the summer and working under the stars.” She turned, her eyes a touch glossy. Could be the cold, but he hoped it was more emotional. “Have you ever thanked the stars?”
He had. He’d never said it before to anyone though. “Yes. I’ve wished on them too, but don’t tell anyone that.”
“Me too. See that one right there?” she said, pointing out one to the right. “It’s so bright and it looks to be moving. I’m going to wish on it now.”
“Then I will, too.”
He wished he could tell her how he felt, or be given some kind of sign she felt the same way in order for him to find the courage to say it.
Ordinary
“I can’t believe we did that,” Jordyn said, lifting her head up from his chest where she was leaning into him on the couch.
After he’d shown her around the downstairs apartment he’d backed her up against the wall, laid his lips on hers, and said, “What do you say we christen the house?”
“What?” she shrieked when he brought his cold hands under the bottom of her jacket, around her waist and over her bra. “Drew, are you nuts?”
“Nuts about you,” he said, then covered her mouth with his. He didn’t want to hear anything she would say in response to that and didn’t want to look into her eyes, fearing any rejection.
He felt her shivering under his hands, but she didn’t protest much. “Your mouth is warm,” she said softly.
So he took that as encouragement to add his hands to the effort. He unzipped her jacket, pushed it off her shoulders and let it drop to the floor.
“If you had a button-down flannel shirt on today I wouldn’t even have to take your jacket off.”
Last week he’d come downstairs to find her in his flannel shirt. She’d said she was cold and it looked warm, so she put it on over her own shirt. Seeing her in his shirt did something to him. Made him feel powerful, that she thought to take something of his to give her comfort. Like she needed him, or a part of him.
“I’ll have to pick up a few,” she said, then gasped out when he pulled her sweatshirt up and over her head. “Drew, it’s way too cold in here to undress.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm.”
And he did. His mouth went to work, all over her chest, her breasts, licking, sucking and pulling her in deep.
He knew where to touch, how to touch and what to do to get her there. And he loved that she didn’t always wear a bra when she was home alone all day, and today ended up being his lucky day.
For all her protesting about the cold, she was pretty eager. “If I have to lose my clothes, so do you,” she told him firmly.
He wasn’t about to argue with her. No, he encouraged her. “You should do something about that, don’t you think?”
She worked fast. He hoped it was because she was as eager as him, but he suspected she was just cold and wanted to move faster to warm up. Either way, he didn’t care.
His shirt was undone and pushed off his shoulders almost faster than she shed him of his jacket. Unsnapping his pants quickly, she lowered them, only to have them get caught up on his boots.
“Leave them,” he said, half laughing.
He returned the favor and reached for the waistband of her leggings and pushed them down.
“I’m not bothering with your boots either.” Thank God for stretchy pants. “Turn around,” he ordered her.
“Huh?”
He took her by the shoulders, turned her around, and said, “Place your hands on the wall.”
He saw how unsure she looked, but he didn’t care. He had this in his head and he was going to go with it.
Quickly, he grabbed a condom, got ready, spread her legs apart from behind and pressed his chest to her back, fitting himself inside of her slowly. “See how warm I can keep you?”
“Mmm,” she mumbled out. “This is nice.”
He choked out, “The position, or the body heat?”
“Both,” she said laying her forehead on the wall.
She was slowly killing him. What started out as something fun had turned into something much more.
He hadn’t really thought she would have been open to doing this in the house. His original plan had been to get some fooling around and heavy petting in, but this was even better.
“Then hang on and let me do all the work.”
“Go right ahead.”
He loved how she gave herself over to him all the time. It was a powerful feeling to have. The feeling of being needed again.
He slid his hands up her waist, around her front and covered her breasts, pinching and squeezing her, teasing her, trying t
o make her squirm. Making her his.
All the while he continued to rock against her, moving in and out in short fast bursts. The feeling was above anything he’d felt before and he was holding on by a thread.
Moving one hand down her waist and between her legs, he touched her more. Touched her deeper and brought her right to the ledge. He had to fall—he wanted her there with him. It had to be the same time, at once, together, the two of them.
“Jordyn,” he breathed out, feeling his body cresting, hoping she was going to follow behind.
“Yes,” she screamed out and he felt her squeezing him tight and he took that plunge over the ledge and beyond.
“Drew,” she said drawing him out of his thoughts of the fun they’d had earlier.
“Sorry. You seemed to enjoy it.”
He pulled the blanket up around her chin. She’d been freezing by the time they’d gotten dressed, locked the house up and then raced back to her house. He lit the fireplace in her living room and they were tucked in trying to warm up.
“I did. But that doesn’t mean I want to do it again. I don’t think I’m going to warm up at all tonight.”
“Have another cup of cocoa,” he suggested.
“I had three. I’ll be sick if I drink another.”
“I could warm you up another way.”
“You could. Maybe later when we go to bed.”
He felt her lift her head, and then he turned to see her eyes on him. The questioning look she often had. The one when she was concentrating hard. “What’s on your mind?” he asked.
She hesitated a few moments and then finally said, “Is this ordinary?”
She’d asked some odd questions over the months, but this one was different. “Is what ordinary?”
“Us. You and me. What we have? Is this a normal relationship?”
He laughed. It was said so seriously, but it was so ridiculous. “I don’t know if there is such a thing as an ordinary relationship.”
If there was, he was sure they didn’t have it. Nothing he had with her was normal or ordinary. Nothing that he’d ever had or felt with another person, nor heard any of his friends ever talking about. And he liked it this way. Preferred it.
“I tried to look it up, but I couldn’t find anything that made sense, so I thought I’d ask you.”
“You researched what you thought was a normal relationship?”
What had he missed? Was something wrong in her eyes? Something they did together?
“I didn’t know. I just wanted to. That’s what I do when I don’t know something. I look it up, but I couldn’t find anything.”
She was too funny at times and he was reminded how much of a sheltered life she’d led. He’d forgotten about it because she’d opened up to him so much in the last month.
“Does it feel like it to you?”
He held his breath. Was this the sign that he was hoping for when he wished on the star?
“No. Not really. But I don’t know what it should feel like either,” she told him shyly.
“Is that good or bad in your eyes?”
He didn’t want to push her, but he needed to know. She’d come this far. She brought it up and he wanted to see if he could get an idea of where her thoughts and feelings were.
“It feels good to me. Does it to you?”
“Yeah. Yeah it does.” Maybe wishes on stars did come true.
***
Jordyn watched the smile spread across Drew’s face. She had been fighting the urge to talk about this for weeks. She’d felt foolish looking it up, but when nothing came close to what she felt she had with Drew, she figured she’d have to ask him.
Everything about him lately led her to believe that what they had was serious. Or at least getting serious. Only she didn’t want to say it and be the only one to feel it. She didn’t want to put her feelings on the line and have them rejected.
Rejection hurt. She’d been there enough in her life and was trying to prevent herself from feeling it again.
It seemed like she’d had nothing but rejection her whole life. Honestly, if her father wasn’t in the picture, that must mean he didn’t want her, right? So it was like rejection started at birth for her.
But Drew never rejected her. And thinking he might now would only hurt worse, wouldn’t it?
Not only Drew, but his whole family was also accepting her like it was nothing unusual.
“You heard about Sophia, right?” he asked her just now.
“Yeah, Brynn called me earlier.” That call was a shock. She’d been working away when her phone rang. Noticing it was Brynn calling, she picked up right away. “I’m surprised she called to tell me Sophia had the baby last night.”
“Why?” Drew asked, turning to look at her curiously. “You’re my girlfriend. She figured you would want to know since you know them.”
“I did want to know. I mean I’m glad she called,” Jordyn said, stumbling over her thoughts. “It was nice of her. I’ve never had anyone think of me before. Especially people that I just met.”
“Everyone thinks of you,” Drew said, grinning at her.
What did he mean by that? “Is that good or bad?” she asked nervously.
“Good.” He tweaked her nose with his fingertip. “Jordyn, stop always doubting yourself. Everyone likes you.”
“How are Sophia and Addison doing?”
“They’re both doing well. Phil is on cloud nine having a daughter. He told Brynn he was thrilled that Grace would have someone to grow up with, almost as if they were twins like him and Alec.”
She smiled at him. “That’s really sweet. Somehow I can see Phil saying that.” Phil had gone out of his way every time he saw her to talk and make her feel comfortable. “Oh, and Ben called me today, too.” It had been the day of Harpers calling her. She’d never before had so many people that weren’t work related call her in one day.
“What did he want? Did he have any news to share?”
“No,” she said, shrugging and trying to hide her disappointment. She appreciated Ben going out of his way and looking into things, but didn’t really expect him to find anything. “He wanted to say that he had a few feelers out to fellow SEALs stationed around Texas, but between the holidays and Chad’s birth he hasn’t had time to follow up.”
“He will,” Drew told her. “Ben always follows through. If there is anything to find, he will be the one to do it.”
“I really don’t think there will be anything to find.”
“Sure there will be.” He took her chin in his hand. “Jordyn, I refuse to believe that you were finally given information and that nothing will come of it. It’s out there, and we’ll find it.”
“We?” she asked.
“Yeah. We. Us. You and me. Together, Jordyn. We’re in this together. I’ll help you and so will my family. You can count on it.”
Decisions
A few days later Drew walked out of the house he was working on and climbed in his truck for some privacy. He sat there debating with himself for about five minutes, then finally pulled his phone out and placed a call.
“Harper,” Ben answered after the second ring.
“Hey, Ben.”
“What’s up, Drew? Got anything new for me?”
“Actually, that was what I was hoping to ask you,” he said instead.
Ben hesitated on the other line, then said, “Jordyn didn’t tell you I called last week.”
“She did. I wanted to touch base again. I hate to bug you and I know you’re busy, but I really wanted to talk to you without her around.”
Ben laughed on the other end. “Do you think that’s wise?”
“Why?” Drew asked, confused.
“Do I need to give you dating advice?”
“Hardly,” Drew said, snorting. “I don’t want to see her hurt again. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?”
“No,” Ben said. “But there’s a fine line too. Walk it carefully. This is her life and her past.”
&nb
sp; Drew knew that, which was why he hesitated about even making the call. However, deep down he just wanted to protect her. He didn’t want to see her hopes rise and be squashed again. She’d been through enough.
“I know. Would you back away if it were Presley?”
“Hell no.”
“Seriously. Then what the hell, Ben?”
“I felt the need to at least caution you, but now, I’ll back off. You’re a big boy; you can make your own decisions. And pay the consequences if they don’t work out.”
“What does that mean?” He didn’t like the humor he heard in Ben’s voice.
“Never mind,” Ben said. “Anyway, since I’ve got you on the phone, I’ll let you know that I’m flying to Alabama next week for work. It’s not far from Patty’s house, so I figured I’d drive over and try to talk to her since she isn’t returning my calls.”
“What could you possibly have to do in Alabama for work?” Drew asked.
“Not work for Albany Med. It’s Navy work.”
“Navy work? You’re out of the service,” Drew pointed out.
Ben laughed, the type of laugh that meant he was hiding something. “Yeah, sure I am. Anyway, aside from talking to Patty, I’ll be meeting up with the SEAL I reached out to in Texas. I’ll have a chance to talk to him face-to-face and see what he knows about the Triple H Haven.”
“I’m going with you,” Drew said before he could think better of it.
Ben laughed even harder. “Is that so?”
“Sorry. Do you mind if I come along? I’d like to be there when you talk to Patty. I want to know what she has to say and get a feel if it’s a dead end again. Jordyn doesn’t need to be set up for more disappointment.”
“That’s your choice. You’ll have to entertain yourself while I’m working though.”
“I will. No worries.”
“Are you going to tell Jordyn you’re going?”
“No.”
He knew he should, but he didn’t want her to know. Maybe nothing would come out of it and she’d never be the wiser.
“Your life and your skin. I’ll send you my flight information to see if you can get a ticket or not. It’s going to be a fast trip. Twenty-four hours tops. I don’t want to be away from Presley and Chad any longer than necessary. I wouldn’t even be going now if I had a choice. I figured since I was there I could talk to Patty though.”