by Marie Force
He kissed the top of her head and kept his arm around her, even though it was nine hundred degrees in the small house that had become home to her since she’d moved in with him earlier in the summer. She’d never lived in such a small space or been as happy as she’d been there with him.
“I’m very sorry you lost that possibility, sweetheart.”
“Me, too.”
“If you want to stay home today, we can.”
“No, that’s okay. You took the afternoon off to go to the party.”
“I took the afternoon off to spend it with you. We’ve both been so busy for weeks that I’m greedy for time with you.”
“You spend time with me every day.”
“It’s never, ever, ever enough.”
Jordan moved to straddle his lap so she could look him in the eyes when she kissed him. “I never imagined anyone would love me the way you do.”
“I love you to infinity and beyond.”
“Okay, Buzz Lightyear.”
Mason smiled and curled a strand of her long dark hair around his index finger. “Maybe we should stay home and spend this stolen afternoon alone.”
“Maybe we could do both—spend some time alone and hit the party later.”
“I do like the way you think.”
“I do like the way you smell,” she said, kissing his neck.
He tightened his hold on her and tipped his head to kiss her.
Jordan had never been kissed the way Mason did it, as if he was dying for her every time he came near her. He made her feel so loved and wanted and accepted just as she was, which had been such an amazing gift.
His big hands cupped her ass and pulled her in tight against his erection. “I want you so bad, all the time, even when it’s hotter than the surface of the sun in here.”
Jordan laughed and kissed away a bead of sweat that rolled down his face. “Let’s go take a sweaty nap.”
“Good plan. Can we do it just like this?”
He loved when she was on top of him. “Any way you want it.”
“That’s a pretty broad statement. You’d better watch out. My imagination is super fertile where you’re concerned.”
“I’m not afraid of you.”
As they moved to the bedroom, he wrapped an arm around her from behind and pushed his hard cock into the cleft of her ass, letting her know what “anything” might entail.
“Okay, I’m scared of that.”
Mason laughed. “You never have anything to be afraid of where I’m concerned.”
Standing by the bed, he helped her out of her tank top and shorts and then tipped her chin up so he could see her face. “You know that, right?”
“Yes, Mason, I know that.”
“Even if we did that, I’d make it so good for you. That’d be my only concern. You are my only concern.”
She reached up to put her arms around his neck, and he helped her by lifting her and curling her legs around his waist. He was so much bigger than her, but he was never intimidating, only ever touching her with love and reverence that made her feel treasured every second they were together—and even when they weren’t.
With her wrapped around him, he sat on the bed and kissed her as he cupped her breasts and teased her nipples. In the past, it’d taken a lot for her to become aroused. With Mason, all he had to do was look at her, and she was ready for whatever he wanted. And he always wanted her.
She moved against him, desperate for more as his kisses became more urgent. “Now, Mase. Hurry.”
He groaned as he reached between them to get his shorts off while she bit down hard on his earlobe. “Fucking hell, Jordan.”
She laughed at the way he said that—one part exasperation, three parts urgent desire.
“Don’t laugh at me when it’s your fault I’m like this.”
“I love you like this.”
With his free hand, he squeezed her bare ass. “I love you like this and every other way.”
He was so freakishly strong, but he never used his strength against her, not like her ex-husband had. But she wasn’t thinking of him or anything other than Mason as he lifted her and brought her down on his cock.
He was big all over, and as always, she had to take him in increments that had her eyes rolling back in her head and her mouth falling open as she tried to breathe through the slight pinch of pain that came before the pleasure.
“Easy, baby. Nice and easy. That’s my girl. You’re so hot and wet and tight. You make me crazy.”
She loved how he talked to her when they were making love. The things he said to her then were raw and real and came straight from his heart. In her wildest dreams, she never could’ve come up with someone like him or imagined the kind of love he showed her every day. She kept thinking that surely there had to be a downside, but if there was, she hadn’t found it yet and was beginning to believe there wasn’t one. He was every bit as wonderful as he seemed.
It took a good ten minutes of patience before she was able to take all of him, and as usual, he filled her to capacity.
“If there’s anything better than this…”
His gruffly spoken words, whispered against her neck, sent shivers down her spine.
She tilted her hips and began to move, riding wave after wave of desire that seemed to touch every part of her. It was so hot that her sweat melded with his, but neither of them cared about anything other than the heat they created together.
He took her by surprise when he put his arms around her, stood and turned to put her down on the bed, all without breaking their intimate connection.
“Smooth move, Chief.”
“I save all my smoothest moves for you, love.”
She’d been with him long enough by now to know what was coming, so when he began to power into her, she was more than ready. Her head fell back and her heart nearly stopped from the overwhelming pleasure she found with him every time. Before him, she’d thought it was normal to have okay sex once in a while. Now she got great sex every time, and that was one of many revelations that came from life with Mason.
She’d learned that when she was with the right guy, everything was great.
Jordan wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Love you so much.”
“Love you, too, sweetheart. I still can’t believe we get to do this any time we want.”
“Apparently, we want all the time.”
He laughed as he pushed into her and held still, knowing how that drove her crazy.
Jordan squirmed under him, trying to get him to move, but he remained stubbornly still. “Why do you have to torment me?”
“Because it’s fun.”
“For who?”
Smiling, he kissed her. “Me, of course.”
Jordan laughed. “Mean.”
He shook his head. “You love it.”
“If you say so.”
He reached between them, pressed on her clit and made her explode, taking him with her into breathless pleasure. “I say so.”
Gasping and laughing, Jordan gazed up at him, smiling the way she did all the time now. Gone were the days when she’d had to tiptoe around the mercurial moods of an unpredictable, selfish man. She could no longer believe she ever thought that was what she wanted. “Thanks.”
“Any time, babe.”
“Not just for the spectacular orgasm, but for everything. For this sweet, sweet life. I never knew it could be like this until I had you. My whole life was one giant turmoil until you showed me a better way.”
“Aw, baby, I should be thanking you. You make me feel so lucky every day.”
“Even when Gigi and I are forcing you to tell us whether JT is hotter than Ryan Gosling?”
“Even then. You two crack me up.” He kissed her again and withdrew from her, but snuggled her in close to him the way he always did after sex.
She loved that almost as much as the sex itself.
“You still want to go to Sarah and Charlie’s?”
“Of cours
e I do. You took the afternoon off to go with me.”
“We don’t have to go if you aren’t feeling up to it. Everyone would understand.”
“I want to see their new home and celebrate their happily ever after.”
“I hope you know that whatever you’re feeling about your dad dying, you can tell me. Even if you think it’s awful, it’s okay to say it.”
“I don’t know what I feel. I know what I should feel, and I just… I just don’t. I’m sad that someone’s life ended before it should have, but I feel strangely removed from the fact that it’s my dad.”
Jordan’s phone rang in the living room.
“I’ll grab it for you.”
“Thanks.”
He got up and went to retrieve the phone, returning with it held out to her. “Your grandmother.”
She took the call from Evelyn Hopper, the woman who’d provided the only stability she and Nik had ever known growing up. She was and would forever be their favorite person. “Hi, Gran.”
“Sweetheart, I just heard about your dad, and I’m sorry.”
“Thanks.”
“Are you guys okay?”
“We’re fine. Weird situation, as you know all too well.”
“I do,” she said with a sigh. “Still… Will you go for the funeral?”
“No. Gigi is preparing a statement for us saying that while we’re sorry for his premature passing, we hadn’t been in touch with him in years, et cetera. We’re hoping it won’t become a thing.”
“I hope not either. Do you want me to come up?”
“You don’t have to, Gran. Riley and Mason are taking good care of us. We’re okay, but of course we always want to see you.”
“I’ll be there for Thanksgiving and the wedding.”
“Thanks for calling. It’s sweet of you to be worried.”
“Love you guys. Tell Nik I tried to call her, too.”
“She’s at a party that I’m heading to as well.”
“That’ll be good for you, to spend time with friends.”
“That’s the plan. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Talk to you then.”
Jordan ended the call and turned to Mason, who was propped up on his elbow keeping watch over her. “Nice of her to check on us,” Jordan said.
“She’s a sweetheart.”
“She is.” Jordan took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I hope it’s not going to be a big deal that Nik and I aren’t going to the funeral.”
“I hope not either.”
Chapter 17
A little before three, Jared James drove into town, cruising past the clinic to see if Lizzie’s SUV was still in the parking lot. It was. He was worried about her getting overly involved in a situation involving a baby after the crushing disappointment they’d recently sustained. They’d been so sure that this time would be different, and when it hadn’t been… His heart had broken for her. It was so hard to watch her go through the grueling treatments and end up with nothing to show for them.
He couldn’t bear to see her disappointed or hurt or unhappy, and he felt so helpless to fix this for her. Infertility was one thing that all the money in the world couldn’t change. He’d confess to having had a limited understanding of the pervasive challenges of infertility until they’d been confronted with it themselves. And now he knew all too well just how many people struggled to conceive and how intense the treatments could be.
They hadn’t really talked about their next steps in this journey or whether they were ready to consider alternatives, such as surrogacy or adoption. He was taking his cues from her, and she hadn’t seemed ready to talk about it. Not yet anyway, and he wasn’t about to ask until she brought it up.
Navigating this situation was like tiptoeing through an emotional minefield, and he was on edge most of the time, hoping he was providing what she needed. Having his irreverent youngest brother underfoot might help to get their minds off their troubles.
He pulled into the parking lot at the ferry landing and walked to the pier to watch the ferry come in. Seamus O’Grady was at the helm, using the aft controls to turn the ferry and back it into port. Jared never got tired of watching the ferries come and go, admiring the skill and precision of the captains who made it look so easy to put the huge vessels exactly where they wanted them.
The cars came off first, followed by a stream of people, bikes and beach chairs.
He kept an eye out for Cooper and waved when he saw him coming, carrying a backpack. Jared wasn’t at all surprised to see his good-looking brother surrounded by a group of gorgeous young women, who seemed heartbroken to have to say goodbye to him as they parted company.
The younger man’s face lit up with delight when he saw Jared, who’d had a soft spot for the kid from the minute he was born. Of course, Coop knew that and worked it to his advantage. Jared greeted him with a one-armed hug and a noogie.
Business as usual.
His brother’s hair was more blond than brown this time of year, his brown eyes were usually sparkling with some sort of mischief, and he’d apparently given up shaving. He attracted women as easily as he breathed—and he had from the time he was about fourteen.
“What’s up, old man?”
“Nothing much. Good to see you, punk.”
“You, too. Can’t believe Q’s getting married. This I gotta see.”
Jared took him by the arm and directed him toward the Porsche. “I know, but he and Mallory are awesome together.”
“Yes, they are.”
A month ago, Quinn had sent out a text to the family letting them know that he and Mallory were getting married on their shared birthday, which happened to be a Tuesday, with no fanfare, but anyone who wanted to come was welcome. Since then, Mallory’s dad, Big Mac McCarthy, had intervened and offered to host a “slightly bigger production” at the Chesterfield. Lizzie had been able to accommodate the request during their sold-out season since the wedding would be on a Tuesday.
His and Quinn’s parents were visiting friends in Italy, and their sisters had vacation plans they couldn’t get out of on such short notice. So he and Coop would be representing the James family at the wedding. It was almost as if Quinn had wanted it that way, but Jared would never say so to anyone. Quinn tended to keep to himself within their family, especially since he’d lost a leg in combat and hadn’t told any of them. He’d been found out when he stepped in a hole on Jared’s property, dislodging the prosthetic and reinjuring his leg.
“Can I drive?” Coop asked.
“Hell no.”
“Oh, come on. I’ll be careful with your baby.”
Jared knew he’d regret this, but handed over the keys anyway.
“Whoop!”
“Don’t make me sorry.”
“Of course I will. That’s how I roll.”
Jared chuckled at the cheeky reply. He expected nothing less from his baby brother, who wasn’t such a baby anymore. “Ain’t that the truth?”
Coop started the car and revved the engine. “Fucking A, that’s a sweet, sweet sound.”
“Go easy on my girl. She’s old and temperamental.”
“Just like you.”
“Shut the fuck up.”
Cooper laughed, thrilled to get a rise out of Jared. He pulled the car out of the parking space and took off like a shot toward the exit.
“Watch out, will you? There’re people everywhere. I don’t need to get sued.”
“I’m watching. Relax. Your billions are safe.”
“Why in the world was I looking forward to seeing you?”
“Aw, you were? You love me. You know it.” Coop pulled out of the ferry landing parking lot and took a left, which was the long way home.
Jared wasn’t surprised since he didn’t let Cooper drive the Porsche very often, so naturally, he’d take the long way. “What’ve you been doing with yourself since you graduated?”
He’d gotten an MBA from New York University in the spring, and Jared hadn’t heard m
uch from him since then, except the occasional text about something to do with the New York penthouse Jared had let him live in while he was in school.
“I’ve been working on my business plan, which is another reason I wanted to come see you.”
“What business plan?”
“The one I developed in school that I’ve been fleshing out ever since. I think I’ve really got something cool, and that’s where you come in.”
“What’s it got to do with me?”
“I need investors.”
“Jesus, I walked right into that one, didn’t I? What happened to the money I already gave you?” He’d set up each of his family members after he struck it rich, and found out how money changed everything, especially relationships with family. Things were better now with everyone than they’d been a few years ago, when he’d felt like all he was to them was a personal ATM. His brothers had never treated him that way, though, and he appreciated that.
“I still have most of it, but my brother the billionaire has taught me to keep the personal and the professional money separate. He’s pretty good with money, so I take his advice very seriously. In fact, I’ve been doing some investing and seeing great results.”
Jared was surprised to hear that. “Is that right?”
“Uh-huh.” Coop recited a long list of stocks he’d invested in and knew the revenue percentages by heart. “Pretty good, right?”
“Very good. I’m impressed.”
“You are? Really?”
“Yes,” Jared said, laughing. “I really am. You’re doing great. So what’s this business idea?”
“After you and Lizzie bought the Chesterfield and turned it into a wedding venue, I got to thinking about how Gansett is a wedding destination, which creates a market for secondary services.”
“Like what?”
“Bachelor and bachelorette parties, for one thing.”
“What about them?”
Cooper glanced over at him. “I have a formal pitch that I want to practice on you, so can I tell you about it when we’re back at the house?”
“Sure,” Jared said, realizing his baby brother wasn’t a baby anymore. With twelve years between them, Jared remembered every detail of the day his youngest sibling had been born and how adorable he’d been from the beginning. Coop had been a charmer his whole life, and Jared adored him. “Look at you, all grown up and pitching a business to investors.”