Chapter Twenty–Five
Are Strawberries An Aphrodisiac?
Back in the bedroom, Charlotte struggled to keep her eyes off him. He was still unshaven, his hair pointing everywhere. She jumped into the shower and then got out of it again quickly while he was still stripping: the thought of his wet soapy body joining her in there was too much to bear. She threw her outfit on quickly, interrupted by Jordan tugging her to him repeatedly. As tempting as it was to hide in the room all morning, they were already late for breakfast. “We need to get down there. What would your parents think?”
“Please don’t refer to them as my parents.” He visibly shuddered. “Anyway, we’re engaged, remember. They already think we’re sleeping together every chance we get.”
“But we haven’t missed a meal yet,” she countered. Her heart sank at the idea of the engagement party tonight. That was going to be difficult to get through. Still, with Jordan at her side, she thought she might be able to do it. Right now, she felt like she could clear buildings in a single bound.
It’s amazing what getting laid could do for a woman. She kissed Jordan again, enjoying the rough feel of his chin against her cheek, and then tugged him out the door. “Come on!” There was no way she was going to make a bad impression just hours before the party.
Apparently, it was already too late to make a good impression. It was pretty clear what Lauren thought about them. The shared glances and touching under the table were not lost on her and she glared at both of them under low lashes. Charlotte felt sorry for her. It must be hard work being brittle and jealous all the time. She just smiled sweetly at her and chattered about the weather, swatting Jordan’s hand away from her thigh.
Jordan’s father joined them late, having had an early golf game before breakfast. “Senator Clooney’s gonna do great things for this place,” he announced. “We’ve been talking all morning about that wasted marshland over by the reservation. I think you should get in touch with him.”
“It’s green belt, isn’t it?” Jordan’s hand snuck back over to Charlotte’s thigh. Her eyes widened as his fingers trailed down her, her skin so sensitive even under her clothes that it seemed like his fingers might be electrified. She smacked his hand away and he winked at her.
“Well, that’s the point, it’s just sitting there.” It took Charlotte a moment to tune into the conversation.
Jordan was much better at multi-tasking than she was. “Just sitting there? Really? You know, it’s a protected area for a reason. I mean, you don’t actually have to build on every piece of land you can get your hands on.”
“It’s a waste. Someone is going to make money out of this and it may as well be us.” He thumped his coffee cup to the table. “I always made sure you were looked after but it’s made you soft. You aren’t hungry enough, Jordan. You’re happy to settle for what you’ve got. But mark my words, you have to stand on your own two feet someday.”
Charlotte tensed. She reached under the table and squeezed Jordan’s hand, glad he was standing up to his father. Jordan was totally different from his father. She thought all rich people were the same and especially all Lovetts, but that just wasn’t true.
Jordan held her hand and took a deep breath before changing the subject. “I thought I might take Charlotte to the market. Maria needs strawberries to go with the fruit cocktail.”
Lauren scowled. “Why can’t Maria go?”
“I’d really like that,” said Charlotte, her stomach flipping over slightly at the thought of grocery shopping with Jordan, even if it was at some swanky farmer’s market that probably charged a month’s salary for an apple.
He rewarded her with a smile and a squeeze of her hand. “We can walk there if you like.”
Lauren huffed but George Lovett didn’t seem to care much. “Frederick can drive you there. Or Maria can do the shopping, that’s what she’s paid for.”
“It’s a lovely day for a walk,” said Charlotte.
“It’s over a mile away.”
“It’ll take about an hour,” said Jordan. “Frederick can meet us there, drive us back,” he said to George, who seemed to be somewhat mollified by this.
The sun warmed her skin as they walked through the garden. Charlotte could feel Lauren staring at her from the big bay windows as they head for the bicycle path that led to town. Charlotte didn’t care; she felt invincible. The toxic atmosphere of the house couldn’t hurt her. And she would still make sure George Lovett got his comeuppance. It was just such a relief to see evidence Jordan was different, that she wasn’t just fooling herself.
Jordan took Charlotte’s hand as they turned the corner, out of view of the mansion, acting as if it were just an everyday thing. And for sure, it wasn’t the first time they’d held hands but it was the first time that it was clearly just for them, not for anyone else’s benefit. Charlotte smiled and squeezed his. Everything was different now and it made her happy.
Jordan smiled down at her. He’d shaved and combed his hair after breakfast and looked very presentable, reminding her of the portrait they published in the paper. She much preferred him first thing in the morning, maybe because she was the only one who got to see him like that. Imperfect. Vulnerable.
They did the shopping hand-in-hand, Jordan haggling over the price of strawberries like it was a serious business negotiation, much to the amusement of both Charlotte and the stall keeper. He eventually made a deal involving three pounds of strawberries and a free watermelon and handed over ten bucks. “Keep the change,” he said, in case there was any doubt at all that he was serious.
“You are the strawberry king,” pronounced Charlotte.
As they picked up their haul, he put his arm around her and pulled her close to him. “You bring out the best in me,” he said.
She leaned into him. “I’m really glad we...” she said.
He didn’t even need her to finish the sentence. “Me, too. I love being with you.” There was a slight hitch in his voice.
“Me, too.” She got up on tiptoes and kissed him. “Maybe we should go back to the house?”
“And mess up the bed sheets one more time?” He laughed. “I think that’s a fantastic idea.”
She shook her head. “We can’t spend all day in the bedroom. But it’s a beautiful day. Do we have to call to be picked up? Couldn’t we just walk? I’ll carry the strawberries.”
“And leave me with the watermelon? Typical! And besides, how would I hold your hand?”
She rolled her eyes. Then she put the bag of strawberries into her other hand and slipped her hand into his. As they walked back to the house, Mrs. Miller leaned out the window and waved. “I heard your good news! You look pleased as punch, young Jordan.”
He beamed back at her. “I am, I really am.”
Charlotte knew they were talking about the fake engagement but the joy on his face looked real. She found it difficult to believe he could possibly feel as happy as she did. It was only for one magical weekend, she knew that. She couldn’t possibly carry on, even if it wasn’t for the fact that he’d find out who she really was. But the fact that it would be over soon, like Cinderella when the clock rang midnight, only made it more special.