Chapter Fourteen

 

Aubrey sighed in frustration as she surveyed the assorted paperwork spread out on Jordan’s dining table - the place she’d made her unofficial workspace since coming to visit him six weeks ago. Though she supposed that six weeks had officially gone past the “visiting” mark and was quickly becoming the “living with” stage. And she was no closer now than she’d been on her first day in San Francisco of figuring out just what it was she wanted to do with her life. And, when push came to shove, the options she realistically had to consider were nowhere near as plentiful as she had once imagined.

She could sign back on with the adventure tour company she’d worked for the past three years, though her choice of assignments was extremely limited right now. She read over the email she’d received a couple of days ago from her contact at the company, frowning when she noted the locations that had been mentioned - Cancun, the Dominican Republic, Slovenia, and Greece. Aubrey automatically crossed the two European locations off the list, since they both required a two year commitment, and she had no intention of being that far away from her family for that length of time. Cancun was probably the most desirable location of the lot, but it would also require a two year commitment, plus the work schedule and pay were even worse than they’d been in Maui.

She sifted through the materials she’d printed out from a few different masters degree programs, including one at San Francisco State University. It was the most affordable tuition-wise from the ones she was considering, though she wasn’t at all sure how much longer Jordan’s open-ended invitation to live in his condo would extend. If she had to move out and find her own place, there would be no way to afford even a shared rental in this city of sky-high rents. And while she was fairly certain her parents would be willing to pay for the bulk of her tuition, given that they had put both of her brothers through professional school, it had been some time since Aubrey had had such a discussion with them so she couldn’t make assumptions.

Finding another job in the hotel or tourism industry seemed to be the most logical option at this point. Either that or changing career paths entirely, she mused. The problem was she didn’t really have a whole lot of experience doing anything but the sort of work she’d been doing the past few years. Her computer skills were passable, though she was far from an expert at word processing or doing spreadsheets, and she honestly couldn’t see herself being someone’s admin assistant or working all day in a cramped cubicle. She supposed a retail job wouldn’t be so bad, but the pay was lousy. Same thing with working in a restaurant or bar.

And any of the other professions that sounded even mildly interesting to her - becoming a teacher or psychologist or physical therapist, for example - would all require additional schooling. She cringed a little at the thought of having that conversation with her parents, not because they wouldn’t be supportive and even enthusiastic about her going back to school, but because she’d feel like such a total loser having to ask them for financial help. All the talk about being independent and able to take care of yourself tended to ring false when you had less than three thousand dollars in your savings account, no realistic job prospects on the horizon, and zero idea of where to go from here, she acknowledged grimly.

Well, she was going to have to do something and do it soon. While Jordan seemed perfectly happy to have her continue living her with him, and had never even hinted that she needed to move on or at least start contributing financially, Aubrey couldn’t help feeling like the worst sort of leech or moocher. He paid for everything - groceries, toiletries, eating out, entertainment - and adamantly refused to take a dime from her. At least he’d stopped buying her clothes and shoes after she had protested so loudly, though he was taking her shopping this weekend to buy a dress and accessories for the big charity event coming up soon. And she did do as much as possible to try and earn her “keep” in other ways - making the bed, hanging up his clothes, fixing him breakfast every morning and dinner on those nights he didn’t insist on taking her out. She brought his suits and shirts to the dry cleaner, ran errands for him, and tidied up the condo on the days his regular housekeeper wasn’t there. But Aubrey remained woefully aware that her efforts were just a drop in the bucket, and like it or not she was becoming more and more dependent on Jordan for her very livelihood. And while plenty of other women might see nothing wrong with the situation - Jenna, for one - Aubrey was extremely dissatisfied with their current, very one-sided living arrangements.

She returned to the various Internet searches she’d been doing for jobs in San Francisco, scouring Craig’s List, Monster.com, and several other job search sites, making note of those that sounded both interesting and that she was actually qualified for. At the end of two hours, however, the list she’d compiled was depressingly short. She might have better luck, she acknowledged, by registering with an employment agency, and jotted herself a note to ask Jordan if he had any recommendations.

It was growing close to the time when he was due to arrive home, so Aubrey hastily tidied up the stack of papers she’d been pouring through most of the afternoon. Needing a bit of fresh air to revive herself after poring over her laptop screen for so long, she opened the French doors that led from the living room to the balcony, lifting her chin towards the welcoming breeze as she did so. She was glad to see that the sun was still shining brightly, though a cool breeze had picked up. Still, it was warmer than it had been this morning when she’d ventured out for an easy five mile run around the neighborhood, when the city had been wreathed in a thick layer of summer fog. Fortunately she’d dressed accordingly, but had felt more than a little wistful when thinking about the warm tropical climate in Maui she had left behind two months ago.

Overall, though, she’d adapted to living in a big, busy city like San Francisco far better than she’d first imagined. She liked the fact that she could walk, bike, or take the bus most everywhere she needed to go, loved the variety of shops and cafes and services, and was enjoying the liveliness and energy of the city. And while she still had her doubts about whether she could live here permanently, the idea was at least something she was willing to consider.

“Now this is a definitely a sight a man could get used to seeing after a hard day’s work - a gorgeous babe waiting to greet him.”

Aubrey whirled away from the balcony railing she’d been leaning over at the sound of Jordan’s lazy drawl. Grinning in response, she hurried over to where he stood framed in the doorway and threw herself into his arms.

“Welcome home,” she greeted enthusiastically, lifting her mouth to meet his kiss.

Jordan’s arms tightened about her waist as he hugged her close, kissing her with long, leisurely swoops of his tongue until she was nearly breathless. When he finally lifted his mouth from hers, he, too, was breathing more than a little unevenly.

“Well, hello to you, too,” he said in a husky voice, smiling at her in that sexy, seductive way that always made her go a little weak in the knees.

That one errant lock of his black hair had fallen over his forehead again, and Aubrey brushed it back tenderly, then kissed his cheek. “Missed you,” she told him. “I hope your day wasn’t too crazy.”

He shrugged. “Not too bad, no. Kelly Harrington was convinced she was going into labor three weeks early, so I had to meet her at the hospital and check things out. Wound up being false labor pains so I sent her home and told her she had to be patient a while longer. And considering that she’s gained over fifty pounds so far with this pregnancy, she wasn’t real happy with the news. I’m sure she’s regretting not taking all the advice I gave her about how eating for two meant her and the baby, and not two full grown adults.”

Aubrey chuckled, thinking not for the first time how much she enjoyed Jordan’s quick wit, and how easily he could make her laugh. “Poor thing, though. I can’t imagine how tired she must be dragging so much extra baby weight around. Or how disappointed she was to realize it was going to be almost another month before she could start feeling more like herself.”

Jordan scowled. “Then she should have followed the dietary guidelines we give all of our expectant mothers and not gone overboard. When expectant mothers gain too much weight it puts them at risk for gestational diabetes, and increases the risks for complications at delivery. I’m hoping we don’t have to do a C-section on Kelly when the time comes. Ah, well. I can only do so much with my patients, after all. The rest is up to them.”

“You’re a great doctor, I can tell,” she assured him. “You really care about your patients, and take a personal interest in their condition. Not to mention, you’re awfully cute to look at, too. I can see why you always insist on having a nurse in the exam room. Otherwise, I expect you’d have patients hitting on you constantly.”

“That’s a bit of an exaggeration,” protested Jordan. “But it’s just one of the reasons I’m never alone with a patient.”

Aubrey trailed her fingers teasingly up along his coat sleeve. “So you’ve never, um, fooled around a little in one of your exam rooms?”

He shook his head firmly. “No way. That’s a surefire way to get a harassment suit or worse slapped on you. And in this day and age of sue-happy patients, I take every single precaution to make sure nothing like that could ever happen.”

“Hmm.” She nibbled lightly on his ear lobe. “Well, considering I’m not officially your patient, and that I would never, ever even consider suing you for anything, maybe we should stop by your office after hours one of these days so you could, um, give me a very, very up close and personal pelvic exam. Oh, and you should probably do a breast exam for good measure. Can’t be too proactive, after all.”

Jordan burst out laughing, then gave her a playful smack on the ass. “What a naughty girl you can be at times, trying to tempt me like that! But you can forget about seducing me in one of my exam rooms, darlin’. Because if I ever actually went along with that idea, then every time I examined a patient in that room all I’d be able to think about is the way you looked when I was fucking you. And since I strive to be a complete professional at all times, sporting a hard-on would be extremely detrimental to that goal.”

Aubrey joined in his laughter. “Okay, spoilsport. Guess we’ll have to limit the hanky panky at the office to the janitorial closet at the hospital.”

He gave a small shudder in recollection of that particular encounter. “This is going to make me sound very old and very uptight, but we should probably refrain from that sort of thing in a public place in future. Besides, I like to take my time with you, Aubrey, as well as have plenty of room to, uh, spread out.” He threaded a hand in her hair as he brushed his lips over her cheek. “You deserve a hell of a lot more than a quick fuck in a dark closet, baby. You should be worshipped, savored, adored every single time you make love.”

She was trembling in reaction at his tender, heartfelt words, clutching at his upper arms to steady herself. “Jordan,” she whispered. “That’s so beautiful, so sweet. You make my heart ache a little when you say such lovely things to me. And I do feel adored every time we’re together, even that time in the closet. It may not have been the ideal location, but it was also incredibly exciting, wondering if someone would catch us in the act.”

He grinned wickedly, and this time when he swatted her on the butt it was with considerably more force. “Ah, such a dirty girl,” he taunted. “And maybe a little bit of a voyeur, too. There’s a club I know of, haven’t been there in years, but according to Finn it’s still a very - er, happening place. And it’s pretty much no holds barred there - couples making out on the dance floor, lots of naked flesh, plenty of exhibitionism. So if the idea of having an audience turns you on, we could check the place out sometime.”

Aubrey’s cheeks grew hot as she imagined such a scene, and while the idea definitely sounded intriguing in a way, she knew she could never really go through with something quite so risqué.

“Um, I think I’ll take a pass,” she replied weakly. “As fearless as I am about deep sea snorkeling, or rock climbing, the thought of having sex in front of a bunch of strangers is pretty terrifying. You - have you done something like that before?”

“No,’ he replied without hesitation, and his firm denial was proof enough for her that he was telling the truth. “I’ll admit to being somewhat adventurous when it comes to sex, but I’m also pretty private about it at the same time. Finn, on the other hand - well, who really knows if some of his wilder stories are true, or just fantasies he dreams up to try and shock people.”

Aubrey wrinkled her nose. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d really rather not get a mental picture of your friend Finn participating in any sort of semi-depraved activities. And if we keep talking about having sex, the dinner I have planned for us is going to be ruined. So why don’t you get changed, and I’ll fix us both a drink?”

“Okay.” Jordan dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. “What exactly are you making anyway? It smells delicious, whatever it is.”

“A green chile chicken enchilada casserole that my mom has made for years and years. It’s the easiest thing in the world to fix, too, just layers of tortillas, chicken, cheese, sour cream, and green chile sauce. Even I would have trouble screwing it up,” she joked.

“Don’t be silly,” he chided her. “You keep putting down your cooking skills, but you’re a great cook, Aubrey. At least I’ve loved everything you’ve made for me so far. And I’m not saying that just to get in your pants later,” he added jokingly. “Ouch!”

She smirked as he rubbed the spot on his bicep that she’d just punched with all her might. “You should have quit while you were ahead,” she retorted. “Go get changed now, and I’ll have the margaritas all mixed up by the time you’re done.”

Jordan glared at her, still rubbing his arm. “You pack a mean punch there, darlin’. In fact, this is probably going to leave a bruise. So you’ll just have to kiss and make it all better later.”

Aubrey bent her head and placed a tiny kiss on the spot she’d just smacked a moment ago. “There. All better now, you big baby?”

His eyes twinkled at her wickedly. “That wasn’t the body part I was referring to.”

He hurried away before she could hit him again, chuckling to himself as he did.

While Jordan was changing clothes, she finished mixing up the pitcher of margaritas she’d promised him, taking two glasses from the well-stocked cabinets. She thought again how ironic it was that for a man who claimed to hardly ever eat at home he nonetheless had a kitchen equipped with every possible sort of dish, glass, appliance, and gadget.

He emerged from the bedroom within a few minutes, having changed out of his gray pinstriped suit into dark wash jeans and a navy polo shirt. He had also, she noticed a bit sadly, taken the time to comb his hair so that the endearingly errant lock was now firmly in place.

“Ah, this really hits the spot,” groaned Jordan as he took an appreciative sip of the icy cold margaritas. “I suppose your mother taught you how to make these too?”

Aubrey shook her head in amusement. “Both of my parents are actually serious wine connoisseurs, and seldom drink hard liquor. They would have loved that day trip you and I took to the Napa Valley. I learned how to make a killer margarita during a very brief stint as a bartender during my senior year of college. Great tips but way too many drunken pick-up attempts to fend off every night. Though the way my job hunting has been going I might have to take up my short-lived bartending career again very soon.”

He frowned, taking her by the arm and guiding her back out onto the balcony so they could enjoy the view. “Did you hear back from the tour company then?”

She nodded. “It’s not such great news, however.” Briefly, she told him about the very limited options available to her. “I don’t want to sign on for a two-year commitment, and especially not in Europe. My parents would really prefer that I’m not too far away from them, and frankly I feel the same way. The problem is there just aren’t that many jobs I’m qualified for. And if I decide to go back and get my masters degree, I’d have to ask them for financial support, and you can probably imagine how I feel about that.”

Jordan’s hand went to the back of her neck, giving it a little massage. “From the little I know about your parents, I can’t imagine they wouldn’t be supportive. Didn’t they put your brothers through law and medical school? That had to cost a hell of a lot more than graduate school.”

“I’m sure it did,” agreed Aubrey. “But Josiah and Mateo were also smart enough to snag some outside financial aid, and I would have zero chance of doing the same. Besides, I’ve already had so many more advantages than either of them that I’d feel incredibly ungrateful to expect more from our parents.”

He regarded her curiously. “Why on earth would you say something like that? All three of you were adopted, weren’t you?”

“Yes. But Josiah was almost five years old when he was brought over to this country from Somalia with a group of other orphans. And Mateo was about three when my parents adopted him. I, on the other hand, was only two days old when they brought me home from the hospital. I’m the only one of us who had it easy right from the beginning, who didn’t have to suffer through traumas and poverty and being uprooted and then having to adapt to a whole different culture. So I’ve always felt that I shouldn’t expect quite as much from our parents because my life was always so ideal. I never wanted for anything, Jordan - food, shelter, clothes, toys, going to a good school. And especially knowing that I was loved and protected. My brothers didn’t always know that, didn’t always have everything that I did. They’ve earned all the good things that have happened to them, they deserve them more than I do.”

Jordan set their drinks down and yanked her into his arms, his eyes a dark, stormy gray as he gazed down at her almost angrily. “Stop it, Aubrey. I hope to God you’ve never told your parents what you just told me, because I can guarantee you that they’d be good and pissed off to hear that sort of crap. And I don’t know your brothers, but I’m positive they’d be angry, too. Stop putting yourself down, would you? Maybe it wasn’t in the cards for you to become a doctor or lawyer or a professor, but in no way does that make you out to be some sort of loser. You’re an incredible, wonderful, intelligent woman, and you’re also one of the kindest, most generous people I’ve ever met.”

Tenderly, he brushed his knuckles over her cheek. “You just haven’t figured out what the right career path for you really is,” he assured her. “Hey, I know people twenty years older than you who are still trying to find their way. Tell you what. After dinner I’ll be happy to look over some of the jobs you’re considering and give you my opinion. If you’d like me to, that is.”

“Of course I would!” she exclaimed, placing her palms on his chest. “Actually, I wasn’t having much luck with online job listings, and was going to ask if you had any connections at a local employment agency.”

Jordan hesitated for a moment or two before replying. “I don’t know anyone personally but I could certainly ask around. However, as you’re aware, I do have a connection at the premier luxury hotel chain in the world. If you like, I can make a quick phone call to Ian Gregson and ask if he could set you up with an interview at his offices here in town. Not with Ian himself,” he added hastily. “I’m pretty sure he’s way too high up in the food chain to deal with personnel matters. But he could make a call to his employment or HR department, whoever handles the hiring.”

Aubrey gasped in delight. “Are you kidding?” she squealed. “You would really do that for me, Jordan? I mean, I’ve got no idea what sort of job openings they might have or if it would be something I’d even be qualified for. But just to have the opportunity to fill out an application and talk with someone would be awesome. It’s always been one of my goals to get a job with them, you know.”

“Then why didn’t you say something sooner?” he prodded insistently. “If I’d known that’s what you were really interested in I could have called Ian weeks ago.”

She looked down at her bare feet, shuffling them uncertainly. “I didn’t want to impose on you, I suppose,” she replied meekly. “Or make you feel like I was using you in some way, taking advantage of our relationship. And you know how independent I try to be, Jordan. I wanted to find a job on my own. I just didn’t realize how tough it was going to be. So if it’s not too big of an imposition, I’d be incredibly grateful if you could make that call. And before you say anything, I know that getting me an interview is not a guarantee of getting a job. That part will be entirely up to me.”

“I’ll call Ian tomorrow,” he promised. “Strictly to get you an appointment with their personnel department. As you just said, the rest will be up to you.”

Aubrey hugged him tight. “Thank you, Jordan! You have no idea how happy that makes me. Or how much I appreciate it.”

“It will be the easiest thing in the world,” he assured her. “Besides, if you land a job working at the regional headquarters, or even at the local hotel, that means you’ll be staying in town permanently. And before you start talking about something as ridiculous as having to find your own apartment, you’d better know that I expect you to keep your gorgeous ass right where it is - living here with me. In fact, I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t part of my motivation in making that call to Ian. I want you to stay with me, Aubrey. For a long, long time. I mean, I know I’m a slob and hog the covers and don’t always put the toilet seat down, but otherwise I’m a pretty good roommate, don’t you think?”

Her eyes were swimming with tears as she kissed him. “You’re the perfect roommate,” she whispered. “The perfect man. And I would love to stay here with you, Jordan. Thank you for everything.”

“My pleasure, darlin’. And there’s no need to thank me, okay? Well,” he added teasingly, waggling his eyebrows at her, “if you’re really feeling grateful, I suppose we could think of some way for you to express your gratitude later.”

She stuck her tongue out at him impishly. “So that’s your real motivation,” she taunted. “You’re actually offering to call Ian Gregson, and to let me continue living with you because you think it’s going to earn you points in the bedroom.”

Jordan suddenly turned serious as he shook his head. “That’s not it, either. My motivation, as you call it, in finding a way for you to stay in San Francisco is pretty simple and straightforward. I’m in love with you, Aubrey, and have been for weeks now. And you probably don’t feel the same way, but - ”

Whatever he was going to say next was abruptly cut off as she pulled his head back down to hers and kissed him with every bit of passion and hunger and love she could muster up. They were both breathing hard when she eventually broke the kiss, her eyes shiny with unshed tears as she smiled up at him.

“Oh, God, I love you, too,” she whispered in a husky voice. “So much. But I knew what a commitment phobe you were, didn’t want to rock the boat and spoil all of this by saying the words first, and scaring you off. And,” she added with a wink, “whether you intended to or not, you’ve earned big time points, mister. So let’s eat dinner so you can start cashing them in.”

 

***

 

Jordan had just enough presence of mind remaining to think that if he’d known offering to help Aubrey secure a job interview would have triggered this sort of wild, passionate reaction from her - well, he sure as hell would have done it weeks ago. Then again, as rapidly as his heart was pounding right now, and as difficult as it felt to take a breath, he might not have survived the experience.

It had been apparent from the moment she’d all but tackled him on the bed that she intended to take charge tonight, and he was pretty much helpless to resist or deny her anything that she wanted. Not, of course, that any halfway sane, red-blooded male would actually want to resist a gorgeous, horny female who was bound and determined to have her wicked way with him. And while he’d occasionally questioned his sanity over the years, Jordan was about as red-blooded a man as they came.

“Don’t touch. At least not yet.”

Aubrey swatted his hands away as he tried again to caress her thigh, or squeeze her ass. Obediently, he kept his arms by his sides, trying to remember to take deep breaths in an effort to lower his heartbeat to something resembling normal. Right now, as she continued to kiss her way down his prone body, his heart was thudding so rapidly that he half-feared it was going to explode.

He clutched fistfuls of the rumpled duvet instead, keeping his eyes closed as she found new ways to torture him. The feel of her nipples brushing against his bare skin, of her lips caressing his throat, and her hands running up and down the side of his rib cage was almost more than he could stand - watching her as she seduced him would make it damned near intolerable. If he opened his eyes he would be forced to gaze longingly at all the lush, tempting curves of her body - those big, round tits; endlessly long legs; perfect ass. If he had to watch the way the light made her skin glow like satin, or the way her blonde hair fell in loose, silky waves over her shoulders, or notice the pink flush of arousal that had spread over her breasts and belly and even her cheeks he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands to himself for very long at all.

But keeping his eyes tightly shut couldn’t block out the erotic little sounds she made as she kissed and caressed and stimulated his body. Nor could it mask her scent - a combination of shampoo, perspiration, and female musk that emitted a powerful pheromone. The urge to wrap his arms around her, flip her onto her back, and shove his cock as far up inside that tight pussy as he could manage was quickly becoming much too hard to resist, even for a man who had always prided himself on his famed powers of self-control. Now Aubrey seemed hell bent on shattering every ounce of those powers, of bending him to her will, and allowing her to dominate him in this manner was proving to be the most erotic, exciting sexual experience of his life.

He alternated between groaning and panting as she laid her body on top of his, every part of them touching now - her lips clinging to his in a long, slow kiss; her breasts crushed against his chest; her legs stretched full length over his all the way to the toes. His painfully aroused cock was pushing up insistently against her stomach, searching around as if with a desperate will of its own for the entrance to her body. Instead, she merely continued to torment him further, rocking her pelvis back and forth against his penis, but not allowing him as yet to penetrate her.

“Aubrey.” His voice was little more than a croak, and a rather pathetic one at that. “Baby, you’re driving me crazy here, you know that, don’t you?”

“Uh, huh,” was all she replied, as her mouth began to trace little patterns around his jawbone, then the side of his neck, before kissing him full on the lips again. Her long fingers grasped his jaw, holding his head still as the kiss deepened, then became downright filthy as she sucked on his tongue, bit down on his bottom lip, and increased the pressure of her mouth over his until it felt bruised and swollen.

He was way past aroused by this point, his cock so stiff and hard that it was becoming painful. She eventually decided at some point to take pity on him, given the almost animalistic sounds that he continued to make - somewhere between a grunt, a growl, and a pathetic, emasculating sob - and took his penis in her soft, cool hand. He needed to come so badly that he was almost shaking, and the first delicate little lick of her tongue along the side of his cock was very nearly his undoing. But as she bent her head to take him fully in her mouth, his fingers clamped fiercely around her arms as he struggled desperately for control.

“Aubrey, please.” His voice was raw, almost indecipherable. “I can’t. Not now, baby. As much as I love it when you suck me off, I’m too close right now. Please, just - put me inside you.”

As Jordan gazed up at her pleadingly, she hesitated, her hand still stroking his penis. Then she swiftly straddled him, her breasts brushing against his chest as she reached for the condom packet she’d left on the nightstand.

“No.” He grasped her wrist. “No condom. Not this time. I want this time to be raw. To finally feel you bare around me. You okay with that, darlin’?”

Aubrey’s blue eyes widened a little in surprise, but she merely nodded just before taking hold of his cock and positioning the tip along her wet slit. “More than okay,” she whispered, just before lowering herself fully onto him, until his balls were flush against her ass.

“Ah, fuck that feels good,” he moaned, his hands on her buttocks holding her firmly in place as he savored the unfamiliar but unbearably delicious feel of his unsheathed cock surrounded by her tight, wet vagina. “Just - don’t move for a minute, baby. As badly as I need to come, I need this more. My God, there is nothing in the world to compare to this. This is like paradise, nirvana, and the best wet dream ever all combined.”

She laughed softly. “It feels awfully good to me, too. Much better than those latex things.”

Jordan rotated his hips experimentally, thinking that this night just kept getting better and better. “No more condoms for us then,” he vowed. “I’ll donate the rest of my supply to Planned Parenthood or the free health clinic or something. Because now that I know how mind blowing it feels to be bare inside of you, I don’t think I could ever go back.” He hooked an arm around her neck, pulling her down until she was at eye level with him. “And since you’re the only woman I plan to have in my bed for a long, long time I might never need to use a condom again.”

Their lips met and clung, even as he urged her to ride him. Aubrey happily obliged, rocking her hips back and forth as they quickly established a fast, frantic rhythm. His hands were everywhere now - squeezing her buttocks, cupping her breasts, caressing her thighs - but she was too caught up in the frenzy of their lovemaking to revert back to the role of naughty dominatrix she’d so obviously enjoyed playing. She whimpered as his fingers found her nipples, tugging them into even harder points, and then cried out when he rubbed the pad of his thumb in little circles around her clit.

“Come on, darlin’. Ride me harder now. Yes, just like that,” he urged. “I love you, my sweet, beautiful Aubrey. And I want you to come for me now. To come harder and longer than you’ve ever done before. Yes, that’s it, baby. Yes!”

And as he felt her vaginal walls begin to contract around his penis, signaling the beginning of her orgasm, what was left of his own self-control vanished entirely. Jordan’s entire body shook and shuddered with the force of his release, the sensations magnified ten times over without the condom he’d always worn during sex. It was almost as if he was experiencing an orgasm for the very first time, feeling like he had fallen into an abyss as he emptied himself into her body for long, luscious seconds.

Aubrey collapsed on top of him in a lifeless heap, her arms and legs sprawling out in an ungainly manner, his semi-erect cock still inside of her. Her hair fell in a wild tangle over her face and shoulders, the long strands tickling his neck and arms, but he had neither the strength nor the desire to brush it aside. Weakly, his arm drifted up to rest across her hips, holding her in place. Though as worn out as he was, he didn’t honestly think he could hold a toddler in place right about now.

Her right hand came to rest on his, giving it a playful little squeeze. “Hey,” she murmured vaguely. “You weren’t supposed to touch, remember? But then, you’re such a bad boy that it shouldn’t surprise me you broke the rules. And if I didn’t love you so much I might have to think about punishing you right now. Next time I might have to tie you up.”

Jordan chuckled, rolling them over until they were on their sides facing each other. This time he tucked her hair behind her ears. “Darlin’, if you promise to make me come that hard again, you can tie me up, blindfold and gag me, and paddle my ass. But I draw the line at anything beyond that since my pain tolerance is embarrassingly low.”

Aubrey laughed, then snuggled closer until her head was nestled against his chin. “Hmm, that part about getting tied up and blindfolded sounds very, very tempting. Except that I think it would be way more exciting if I was the one who got tied up. What do you think?”

His cock sprang to life as the image of how she’d look spread out on his bed, her arms and legs tied to the bedpost, began to materialize in his very, very dirty mind. “I think,” he mumbled hoarsely, “that as soon as I’m capable of moving again I’m going to find some rope and a handkerchief and put that theory to the test.”

 

***

 

“Jordan. This is a bit of a surprise. What can I do for you?” Ian inquired, sounding more brusque than usual, though of course he was far too polite to ever be outright impatient.

“Hey, Ian. Sorry to bother you. Your assistant wasn’t even going to put me through for a few minutes, until I convinced her this would be super quick. She’s even more of a dragon than Andrew was, isn’t she?” asked Jordan, referring to Ian’s former PA who now had some sort of middle management position with the company.

Ian gave a short laugh. “Winnie is originally from Hong Kong, but was educated in some very strict English boarding schools. She’s extremely prim and proper, insists on sticking to a regimented schedule, and doesn’t care for interruptions. I don’t know what you said to charm her, but you’re lucky to have been put through.”

“I’ll talk fast then. I don’t want to take the risk of having my name blacklisted or something worse. I’ve got a favor to ask, Ian. For - for a friend of mine. Though she’s much more than a friend, if I’m being honest. Aubrey’s been living with me for going on two months now, and for the first time in my life I’m actually in love,” admitted Jordan.

He was met with silence on the other end, and was almost ready to think they had been disconnected, when Ian’s voice came back on the line, sounding more than a little dazed.

“Good Lord, and they said miracles happened when I fell in love with Tessa,” he mused. “But the chances of the same thing happening to you, Jordan, were probably one in a billion. I’m not even sure what to say right now.”

“Frankly, I’m still in a state of shock myself,” replied Jordan, chuckling. “And since I’ve got zero experience with relationships, I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t manage to screw this up. Which brings me to the favor I wanted to ask.”

He explained as concisely as possible about Aubrey’s employment - or lack thereof - situation, and her background in the hotel and tourism industry. Ian asked a few questions, mostly about Aubrey’s education and other qualifications, obtained her contact information, and quickly assured Jordan he’d take care of it.

“Tell your girlfriend - my God, that’s going to take some getting used to saying, isn’t it - that she should expect to hear from someone in our Human Resources Department within the next few days. I’ll call down to the director myself and pass along Aubrey’s information. I’m not exactly sure what sort of positions we have open at the moment, but we’ll see what we can do. Worst case, I can always make a few calls to see if other hotels in the area are hiring, but I’m fairly confident we’ll find her something here.”

Jordan exhaled in relief. “Thanks, Ian. I owe you one. A big one. Aubrey’s pretty stubborn, and very independent, and she wouldn’t have stood for letting me support her much longer. I’m very appreciative.”

“It’s not a problem at all, Jordan,” assured Ian. “And I assume that your new relationship explains why Tessa and I haven’t seen much of you lately.”

Jordan forced himself to keep his tone neutral. “You’re absolutely right, Ian. I’ve, uh, wanted to keep Aubrey to myself as much as possible before introducing her around to the whole gang. Though Finn and Max have already had the pleasure, since their curiosity got the better of them. How - how is Tessa, by the way? And the kids?”

“Everyone is doing very well, thank you. Looking at Tessa you’d never imagine she just had a baby less than three months ago. Liam is growing like a little weed and nearly sleeping through the night already, while Gilly adores being a big sister and helping her mummy take care of the baby.”

“Good. All good news,” replied Jordan cheerfully. “Will we see you and Tessa next week then? At the big summer bash, that is.”

“It doesn’t appear so, no,” Ian said regretfully. “We had fully intended to come, of course, but unfortunately I need to fly to North Carolina on Monday. The company is planning to build a new hotel in the Outer Banks, and some problems have cropped up with the sale of the land. I doubt everything will get resolved in time for the ball on Wednesday, so Tessa and I will need to give it a miss this year.”

Jordan closed his eyes, resisting the urge to both breathe a huge sigh of relief and pump his fist in triumph. “That’s a shame,” was all he said in response. “Well, the four of us will have to meet up another time, I suppose.”

He thanked Ian again for offering to put Aubrey in touch with the Human Resources department at his company, and then ended the call while trying not to sound too abrupt. It was only when he set his cell phone back down that Jordan blew out a breath, thanking his lucky stars that he’d just been given an unexpected reprieve from the encounter he’d been dreading.

‘Don’t get too comfortable, though, Reeves,’ he cautioned himself. ‘You lucked out this time, but it’s only a matter of time before - how did Finn put it - worlds are going to collide. So you’d better start figuring out how you’re going to break the news to Aubrey that she’s a dead ringer for Ian Gregson’s wife.”