“Not for a while, though?” he guessed.
“No. Max found traveling very taxing. I went away on occasion for a weekend, but not for years. The last one I planned got canceled when he had a bad episode. I never planned another.”
“Where were you supposed to go?”
I sighed as I remembered. “Boston. With Colin. We were going to eat seafood, go to the MFA—there was a collection of Renoirs on loan I wanted to see. We were going to tour Salem, walk on Boston Commons, and see the harbor. Colin wanted to go to a baseball game in Fenway Park.” I lifted one shoulder. “One day, I will.”
“I’m certain you will,” he murmured.
We fell into a comfortable silence, simply enjoying the quiet. It was remarkable that, with Jordan, the quiet didn’t bother me the way it did when I was alone. With him sitting beside me, it was calming and peaceful.
I broke off a chunk of the dark chocolate we had picked up at the market and offered him a piece. I let it melt on my tongue and shut my eyes, enjoying the decadent, rich flavor. “This is amazing.”
“Yes, it is.”
I opened my eyes, flushing when I realized although he’d taken and eaten a piece of chocolate, he was staring at me.
I felt the heat in my cheeks. “Dammit, Jordan Hayes,” I muttered. “I keep blushing like a schoolgirl. Stop it.”
He chuckled. “I like making you blush. It’s unusual for you.”
I huffed out an exasperated noise. “Because, until you, it never happened.”
He slid closer so our knees were touching. He drifted his fingers along my cheek. “I like it even better now.”
Our gazes locked, the silence between us no longer peaceful. It bubbled and shimmered with longing. Jordan’s gaze dropped to my mouth, and he ran his tongue along his bottom lip. I tracked the sensuous gesture, my breathing picking up.
“If I come closer to kiss you, are you going to let me?”
“Yes,” I breathed out with no hesitation.
He pushed closer, lifting my legs on top of his so they rested over his hips. He tugged my waist, drawing me close until we were nose to nose, hardly any space between us. I felt his warmth, the firmness of his body as he leaned into me. The breeze lifted his thick hair, and I ran my fingers through it, settling my arm around his neck and playing with the nape of his neck. He shivered.
“I love it when you touch me, Sandy.”
I recalled his delight from earlier when I had taken the initiative and kissed him. I closed the final inches between us and pressed my mouth to his. His reaction was immediate. He wrapped his arms around me, yanking me tight to his chest, practically pulling me onto his lap. He buried his hands in my hair, slanting his mouth and taking control of the kiss. This wasn’t like our other kisses. There were no soft, languid movements. This was passion, heat, and possession. Sensations I hadn’t experienced for years. His tongue delved, stroking, seeking, exploring. He tasted of the chocolate we’d shared. Melon. Wine. Jordan. It was a heady combination.
I gasped in his mouth as he slipped his hands under the loose cotton shirt I wore. His long fingers traced my spine, sending shards of pleasure through my body. I felt him, hard between us, his desire evident.
I groaned low in my throat as he dragged his mouth to my ear, teasing the spot behind it.
“Sandy,” he whispered. “God, I want you.”
I whimpered, grasping his shirt with one hand as I clutched his neck with the other. He trailed his mouth down my neck, tasting my skin with his tongue. He nudged my collar out of the way, burying his face between my breasts. The feel of his hands moving over my rib cage, sliding up, his thumbs strumming over my hardened nipples was intense. Addictive.
Making me want more.
Until the sound of another boat entering the cove and blowing its horn broke us apart. We were both breathing hard, our eyes locked in a haze of desire. Jordan’s cheeks were flushed, his hair in disarray from my hands. My shirt was rumpled, and I knew my hair looked as if I had stood in a wind tunnel. My mouth was swollen and so was Jordan’s. His was red and wet from my tongue, and I wanted it back on mine. I knew if the boat hadn’t shown up, we would have ended up naked and writhing on the deck of the boat, the sun and breeze witness to our passion.
Then the hilarity of the moment hit me, and I giggled. I clapped a hand over my mouth, but I couldn’t stop. Jordan’s mouth quirked, and he began to laugh.
“Damn it,” he cursed. “Caught like a seventeen-year-old on my parents’ sofa.”
I kept laughing. Jordan caught me in his arms, and I leaned on his shoulder, the entire situation too ludicrous not to enjoy. He laughed with me, muttering about better planning. Once I got myself under control, I sat up, meeting his gaze. He looked at me with such tenderness, my heart skipped a beat.
“We should head back,” he said, stroking my cheek.
I captured his hand. “Thank you for today, Jordan. It was perfect.”
I meant what I said. The boat arrived before we had crossed a line we couldn’t back away from. I was certain we would both know when the time was right to cross that boundary. After today, I certainly looked forward to it, but today was not that day, and we were both aware of it.
He smiled and kissed me fast. “Yes, it was, my darling. Yes, it was.”
Sandy
The next few days were a whirlwind.
With Van moving in to the new space, he was in and out of the office, overseeing his crews, and still working on various projects. Jordan helped him when he could, so he was often out of the building as well. Add in the fact that Jordan was preparing his house for sale, and he was a busy man. He made sure to keep in contact, though. I enjoyed his texts and phone calls on the days I didn’t see him.
The final construction was completed on the day care in the office building, and Bentley proudly brought Addi with him to work in order to show her what he had created for her.
I followed him around as he held her close, pointing out all the fun things in the nursery, talking about how she would have friends here and be near to him. He was obviously excited about her being in the building.
He lifted her in the air. “Daddy will be right down the hall and can come visit anytime. So will Mommy. Won’t that be great?”
She blinked at him, her eyes wide in her face. Before I could warn him, she opened her mouth and puked down the front of his expensive suit.
He turned his head to me, his expression all at once confused, uncertain, and slightly disturbed.
“I think she just ate,” I murmured.
“Emmy mentioned that,” he confirmed. “I forgot.”
He handed her to me as he slipped off his jacket, then cradled her back in his arms, cooing down at her, using his handkerchief to wipe her face. I enjoyed seeing his softer side. He showed it to very few people, but his wife and daughter saw it the most.
“You have a fresh suit in the closet.”
“Good thing.”
I chuckled. “Yes, it is.”
He rocked Addi, nodding in satisfaction at the large room. With Maddox’s wife, Dee, pregnant, plus Aiden and Cami trying, I knew he was looking forward to the day the room was filled with BAM babies. I knew he already planned on expanding the day care for other staff members, but it required some reconfiguring of the building. He would sort it out—of that, I had no doubt.