I laughed. That sounded like Colin.
Jordan stood. I gazed up at him. “You won’t stay for dessert?”
“Don’t you have to pack?”
I glanced at my watch. “It’s nine thirty. You can eat dessert and leave by ten. I’ll be packed in forty-five minutes. An hour, tops. I think even in my dotage I can handle staying up until eleven.”
He pulled me up from the sofa and kissed me again. “Good. I plan on keeping you up late all weekend. Might as well practice now.”
I grinned all the way into the kitchen.
I had a feeling I was going to enjoy this surprise weekend.
Sandy
I barely slept all night. Packing was harder than I expected, although I was certain it had more to do with my nerves than the clothes in my closet. I had texted Jordan, asking what sort of clothing I should bring, and his reply hadn’t been helpful.
You’ll be beautiful in anything. Lots of walking. A nice dress for dinner.
I rolled my eyes at the unclear directive.
How many dinners? One dress-up and the rest casual?
I snorted. He was amazing but also a typical male—short on details.
In the end, I chose some outfits I could mix and match and packed two elegant dresses and one casual one. A good pair of walking shoes and one pair of high heels.
I hesitated over my lingerie drawer. I pulled out a bag that had been stuffed in the corner for months. I let the shimmering ball of satin fall from my fingertips, studying it. Blue, soft, and sexy, it hinted rather than revealed. Perfect for my body at my age. In front of the mirror, I studied myself. I kept in good shape. I wasn’t as thin as I once was, but I still had muscle definition, and I looked okay in a bathing suit. My breasts hadn’t sagged yet, and my long legs were still lean and shapely. I always tried to play those up. My hair hung past my shoulders, straight, thick, and pure white. I knew Jordan loved to run his fingers through it.
Would he like the nightgown? I had seen it one day while out shopping a couple of months ago, and bought it, then never took it from the bag, wondering in the emptiness of my bedroom why I had purchased it. It had been an impulse buy that seemed silly once I arrived home.
I had no idea if I would need it this weekend. If I was ready to move forward to that step with Jordan. There was no doubt the man had skill when it came to kissing me. He was passionate and confident, his tongue and mouth talented. His long fingers stroked my skin like I was a violin and he a maestro, leaving me longing for more. I lost myself to him, our surroundings fading away, yearning building under my skin and taking over every sense when he had me in his arms.
I tucked the nightgown into the suitcase and added my bathing suit in case.
I was simply being prepared; that was all.
I ignored the fluttering in my stomach at the thought of Jordan seeing me in that nightgown and his reaction.
Then before I could change my mind, I added my toiletry bag and snapped the locks shut. I found my passport and added some American cash to my wallet, grateful I always kept a little on hand.
Now, I was waiting by the door, anxious and already tired. A town car pulled up right at six, and Jordan slipped from the back, meeting me at the door.
He bent down and kissed my cheek. “Hello, my darling.”
“Hi.”
He picked up my case. “Are you ready?”
I swallowed. “Yes.”
He held out his hand. “Let’s go.”
The airport wasn’t overly busy this time of morning, and I wasn’t surprised when Jordan directed me to the Executive Class area. We were checked in within minutes and the security line wasn’t backed up, so we were in the first-class lounge not long after the car had dropped us off.
We found a table and left our carry-ons. We brought coffee and some pastries back to the table, and Jordan opened his laptop, showing me some of the things we had to choose from.
“We’re staying at the Boston Harbor Hotel. I have dinner reservations at Finz tonight and Turner’s Seafood tomorrow. Sunday, I thought we could decide if there was anywhere we heard of or simply pick a place.”
“Sounds lovely.”
“I bought a membership at MFA last night that we’ll pick up today. I got tickets for the Impressionists for the three-o’clock time slot.” His fingers raced over the keyboard. “We have a cruise on the harbor tomorrow, a walking tour of Salem after dark, but sadly, no baseball game.”
“I think I can live without it,” I said dryly.
He picked up his coffee. “I thought so.”
“Have you booked us every second?” I asked, looking over the itinerary.
He laughed. “No. I saved lots of time for walking, exploring, and shopping.”
“You thought of everything.”
“I tried. I’ve never been there before either. I’m excited to share all this with you.” A sly grin appeared on his face. “I also booked us a massage Sunday morning.”
“Oh god, I love massages.”
“Emmy might have told me that.” He leaned close, waggled his eyebrows, and spoke in a low, growly voice. “I give great massages, Sandy. Play your cards right and maybe I’ll show you.”
“Is that a fact?”
He brushed his fingers down my cheek. “It is. I’m very dexterous.” His words were accompanied by another waggle of his eyebrows, his green eyes alive and dancing in the bright light surrounding us.
“Well then,” I said, “I suppose I’ll have to figure out a way of getting in your good graces.”
He linked our fingers together and brought them to his mouth.
“You already have, Sandy. You already have.”
The flight was uneventful. I napped, my head resting on Jordan’s shoulder during the brief trip. The hotel was sumptuous, the suite ready when we arrived. I stood looking out onto the harbor, feeling excited. Our driver had pointed out a lot of landmarks and made some suggestions. I had a feeling it was going to be a fabulous weekend.
Jordan came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and tugging me back to his chest. “Happy?” he murmured.
Without a word, I turned and flung my arms around his neck. I pulled his head down and kissed him. Deeply. Letting him feel my emotions. It had been so long since I had experienced this sort of attention. Being the center of someone’s focus. Max’s illness prevented him from enjoying life, and although he had been a wonderful husband, I had missed little moments like this for so many years.
Jordan’s arms encircled me tightly. His mouth moved with mine, and our tongues danced and teased together. He eased back, smiling down at me. “I love it when you kiss me,” he murmured. “It’s a little surprise gift every time.”
“I plan on giving you lots of gifts this weekend.”
His eyes widened and he ran his finger over my bottom lip. “I look forward it to, my darling. Now, ready to head to the museum?”
“Yes.”
“You like this one.”
I startled at Jordan’s voice. We’d been in the gallery for hours, walking, looking, exploring. I saw paintings I had never seen before. Works of art so beautiful they took my breath away. One Renoir painting in particular caught my eye, and I kept coming back to it, studying the colors, new hues emerging with every sweep of my gaze. It was called Landscape on the Coast near Menton, and I was mesmerized by it.