Читать книгу Christmas Wish Come True: All I Want For Christmas / Dreaming of a White Wedding / Christmas Every Day - Gina Rochelle - Страница 17

Chapter Nine

He shouldn’t have responded so quickly – but he’d heard Isabella’s shriek, and his instincts took over. Now, he wished he’d hesitated –

Or maybe not.

He froze, staring at her, naked in the tub. Her lovely breasts were on full display – he couldn’t tear his eyes away. Isabella was beautiful, desirable. Wet. He realized she wasn’t hiding herself. She just watched him, waiting.

Embarrassed by his unreserved appraisal, Jordan turned to retrieve the towel on the chair.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his back to her. “I didn’t stop to think.”

“Jordan,” Isabella whispered. “You’ve apologized enough for one night. Please, just bring me the towel.”

As he moved toward her, Isabella managed to put her feet underneath her and use her left arm to push herself to a standing position. This time, Jordan averted his eyes as she wrapped herself in the towel. He held out his hand, and Isabella took it, stepping carefully from the bathtub.

“Thank you,” she said, her soft voice drawing his eyes to hers.

Mere inches separated their bodies as they stood there, hands clasped. Isabella shivered and Jordan cursed, frustrated. He pulled her to him with a force that elicited a soft gasp from her. His hands slid down her backside and he claimed her lips. She pressed her body against him as he grasped her hair, gently tugging her head back, kissing the moisture from her throat.

Isabella moaned, seeking his lips with hers, taking her hands from her towel and winding them around his neck. She whimpered against his mouth, in obvious pain. Immediately, Jordan stopped. He pulled away and Isabella’s cover fell to the floor.

Their eyes dropped to the fuzzy fabric bunched at her feet. Then Jordan’s gaze moved up her legs, devouring every inch of her. Taking her injured wrist into consideration, he picked up the towel, gently drying her legs first. He moved the towel up, across her pelvis, her stomach. Then, he stood straight and slowly brushed it over her breasts. He finished the slow seduction, pulling the towel around her again, then lifting her chin with his fingertip.

“Tyler’s asleep and Emily’s gone home.” He drew Isabella’s gaze to his. “And I want you in my bed tonight.”

***

Isabella allowed Jordan to lead her from the bathroom, across the hall, to his bedroom. She’d never been there, had never given in to her curiosity when she was alone in the house. A simple lamp on the bedside table illuminated the room, and Isabella swept her gaze around, taking in the tasteful masculine furniture, and the huge king-sized bed a few feet from them. There was an impressive stone fireplace in the wall directly in front of the bed, and a large picture window to the right, which boasted a breathtaking view of the Rocky Mountain skyline. Isabella was quiet, suddenly hesitant.

“Are you all right?” Jordan’s sexy voice, like warm honey, was in her ear as he stood behind her.

“Yes,” Isabella replied. She closed her eyes as his hands moved up her waist and cupped her breasts. His lips left a hot trail along the side of her neck, to her shoulder, while he pulled the towel to the floor. She leaned back against him, taking his left hand and moving it over her abdomen, then down. Her breath caught when his fingers slid between her legs, massaging her, driving her into a sweet frenzy of desire.

“Jordan,” she whispered, turning and taking his mouth, drinking in his kiss while his hands touched, explored her. Isabella impatiently unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his muscular shoulders, tingling as he moved his hands down her back. His lips trailed along her collarbone, then he bent to take her breast in his mouth, creating another round of tremors inside her. Feverish from his touch, Isabella barely noticed as Jordan picked her up and laid her down on the bed.

Her eyelids were heavy with desire as she reached for the waistband of his jeans, fumbling with the button, wanting to feel his skin against hers. Jordan accommodated her, tugging the zipper down and bending to taste her lips once again, slowly this time. He moved his hand over her firm stomach, down her thigh, then back to the softness between her legs. She gasped as his fingers stroked her, and Isabella thought she’d lose her mind from needing him.

“Please, Jordan. Now…”

“Hold on,” he said softly, standing to remove his jeans. Before he resumed their dance, he hesitated. “It’s been a long time for me, Isabella. But…are you protected?”

Isabella nodded, her breasts heaving, her body waiting. He hesitated, looking at her for a moment. Isabella admired him, as well. He was gorgeous, she thought. All man.

He positioned himself on top of her. His long, muscled leg pushed her knees apart, and his mouth took her breast again before moving back to her lips, coaxing them open, tasting the sweetness inside. Isabella pushed against him and Jordan entered her. He moved with urgent, deliberate strokes, and Isabella felt a slow burn tingle in her core, then build steadily until she bucked herself upward. Jordan hesitated, surprised, then moved forcefully within her, matching her thrusts with his own until they cried out together in a white-hot culmination of world-rocking pleasure.

After a moment, Jordan rolled over, lying on his back next to her. He remained silent, and Isabella made a move to get up. He gently touched her shoulder, easing her back down on the bed. As he moved closer, Isabella wondered if he was going to make love to her again. But he pulled the comforter up and over her. Then kissed her injured wrist before turning off the lamp.

He lay next to her under the covers, his arm wrapped possessively around her waist. Moments later, Isabella listened to his steady breathing in the darkness. She rolled onto her side and he snuggled in closer. She felt a strange mixture of satisfaction, fulfillment, and confusion. The only thing she was certain of now was that Jordan Butler was the most extraordinary man she’d ever known. And if she wasn’t careful, she would fall very hard for him.

And break into a million pieces when she hit the ground.

***

Jordan stood at the window, staring out at the moonlit mountain range. His mind was too preoccupied to sleep. Isabella was peaceful, as if what happened between them hadn’t affected her at all, other than to induce her enviable slumber. For him, the nightmare returned while he slept – a vision of Kim and Derek, traveling along the slick mountain road, careening over the cliff. It was so real, so unsettling, Jordan had jolted awake. He’d lain there, listening to Isabella’s steady breathing, wanting to wake her with a kiss, lose himself in her again. And wipe the horrible image from his mind. Instead, he’d quietly slipped out of bed, alone with his thoughts. And he didn’t like where they were leading him. In a twisted sort of way, he credited the chilling dream for jarring him back to reality.

Only hours before, he’d allowed Isabella’s beauty to consume him. Though he’d tried to keep his attraction to her in check, it had always been there – from the moment she’d peeked around the door at Tyler’s school and pinned him with her disapproving glare. He couldn’t help himself the few times he’d lost control and kissed her. She was living next door, coming and going – making him want her, whether she knew it or not. When he saw her tonight, so lovely, covered in bubbles – hell, she’d invited him without a word. She was impossible to resist.

And he was just a man.

But he’d been here before – with Kim. And he kicked himself now for allowing himself to go down this road again. It was nearly Christmas, and soon Isabella would be out of his house, and out of his life. It was for the best that way. He couldn’t let this go on between them, despite his growing feelings for her –

Or maybe because of them.

He could only hope the holiday would come quickly. And, until then, he couldn’t repeat what happened tonight –

For his own sake.

***

Isabella was grateful it was Monday and she’d have the whole day to recover from her complete loss of self-control the night before. She awakened at dawn to find that Jordan had already gone. Probably for the best, she thought, as a hot blush burned her cheeks. Jordan was everything a woman could ever want in a lover. He was masterful and breathtaking. His raw sensuality wiped away her inhibitions and gave her a fever that went beyond anything she’d ever felt before. She was a thirty-year-old woman, but felt like a schoolgirl who’d just discovered sex.

It had never been like that with Phillip.

Still, it didn’t mean she was falling for Jordan, did it? She was certainly more alive with him than she had ever been with her ex – but she’d be a fool to think Jordan wanted more than anything physical.

No words of love had been spoken last night – there were only the sounds of intense pleasure. Contemplating a future with Jordan was pointless…and dangerous. And loving Jordan wasn’t part of their deal – no matter how alive and beautiful she felt in his arms.

So now, she was faced with the prospect of practically coexisting with him, trying to pretend like nothing had happened between them. But it had. And she’d agreed to look after Tyler, help him find some closure to his parents’ deaths. Then go her own way.

She thought about her young student, still asleep in the room across from her. The fact that he’d been deprived of the two most basic things a boy should have was simply heartbreaking. He’d wanted a dog last year, and it had been denied to him. Now he wanted his parents – a wish he should’ve never had to make.

But, in spite of everything, the magic of the season had brought Tyler back from depression. She wanted to protect that, while trying to help him understand a future without his parents in it. He would need his uncle more than ever when that moment of truth came.

She had little more than two weeks left to persuade Jordan to open his heart to his nephew –

And, hopefully, escape with her own intact.

***

Emily met them outside Jordan’s house when Isabella and Tyler returned from school. The older woman was unusually quiet as she followed them inside, then led Tyler to the kitchen for a snack. Isabella sensed there was something wrong. She’d barely hung her coat in the closet and stepped out of her heels when Emily cornered her in the living room, pulling her out of Tyler’s earshot.

“I’ve wanted to talk to you since yesterday afternoon,” Emily whispered, conspiratorially. “But you were injured, and it was late when you returned from the hospital…”

“Emily, please,” Isabella cut in, embarrassed by the possibility that the older woman might have guessed about last night. “What’s on your mind?”

Emily pulled Isabella to the couch. She glanced at Tyler before replying. “The Forresters, of course. Why were they here?”

“They brought gifts – for Tyler,” Isabella offered, although she had an idea what Emily was getting at.

“Abigail Forrester makes me uneasy,” Emily stated.

Isabella was slightly surprised by Emily’s confirmation of her own instincts. Emily stared at Isabella, her eyes encouraging her to continue.

“She asked to see the photos in Kim’s jewelry chest,” Isabella said.

“Oh, my! You didn’t give them to her…?”

Isabella shook her head. “I agreed to let her look for one in particular – of her and Kim with Tyler. But I told her I’d have to check with Jordan about any others. Funny thing is, she didn’t take any.”

Emily stood and paced the floor. “She was Kim’s friend. She wants Tyler,” she insisted.

“Jordan mentioned something about that,” Isabella said quietly, her eyes downcast.

“Jordan doesn’t know what’s good for himself…never has.” Emily wrung her hands, visibly upset. “I swear, I’d like to shake some sense into him…”

“Emily! I thought you and Jordan were close.”

Emily stopped pacing and caught Isabella’s stare. “I love Jordan, dear. I loved Derek, too. But when Derek became too much for his father to handle, he sent him away to boarding school. Jordan was always the serious, quiet one. He stayed home with his father and he and I grew close over the years – while Derek slipped further away. I didn’t know about Tyler any more than Jordan did, but that boy stole my heart from the moment I met him.” She sat down again. “I just can’t believe Jordan doesn’t feel the same way. I don’t understand why he’d even think it…sending his brother’s son away.” She sighed heavily.

Isabella could relate to Emily’s words. “I’m sure the Forresters must love Tyler, too.”

“You don’t agree with Jordan, do you?”

“No – of course not! But there’s a real possibility that Jordan might go through with it.”

“I don’t have anything against Zach Forrester,” Emily insisted. “He grew up with Derek, and has always been nice and polite, though somewhat withdrawn. But Abigail Forrester’s interest in Tyler borders on obsessive.” She searched Isabella’s eyes. “She’s been calling since the accident. And she came over yesterday. I’m shocked she didn’t wait for Tyler to return.”

“I thought it was odd she agreed to leave as soon as she looked through Kim’s photos,” Isabella confided. “I have my doubts about her, too.”