Chapter Twenty-One

 

 

“Mmm. I don’t know about you, Gilly, but this is the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had. Your Mummy is a really good cook, isn’t she?”

Gilly nodded enthusiastically as she opened her mouth for another spoonful of her lunch. “Mmm,” she repeated, imitating her aunt’s voice. “Mummy good cook.”

Aubrey grinned as her young niece continued to eat hungrily of the lunch Tessa had prepared for them. “And you’re a good little eater, Gilly. You have very nice table manners, too. When Auntie Aubrey was around your age she probably would have been eating mac and cheese with her hands, and half of it would have wound up in her hair.”

The little girl gave her a sunny smile, then opened her mouth as Aubrey brought the spoon to her lips again. In between bites of the creamy white cheddar mac and cheese, and nibbles of baby carrots, Gilly drank water from her pink plastic sippy cup. She was actually old enough to feed herself, but Aubrey found that she liked doing it, liked spending these few minutes alone with the child while Tessa was upstairs nursing Liam. As the baby of the family, she’d never had younger siblings around the house, and the likelihood of either of her brothers getting married and producing nieces and nephews anytime soon wasn’t very promising. Both Josiah and Mateo were totally devoted to their burgeoning careers right now, and Aubrey figured it would be some time yet before they were ready to settle down. As for herself – well, her love life was something she wasn’t quite ready to deal with just yet.

She did enjoy being around children, however, ever since working as a summer camp counselor during high school. And she was good with kids, if she did say so herself, making them laugh and finding different ways to entertain them. Gilly was a particular delight, so sweet and adorable that a person would have had to be a real jerk not to be enchanted by her. Aubrey had loved spending time with her this past week and a half, ever since she’d taken up residence here with Tessa and Ian.

Lorena and Kurt had been thrilled that Aubrey had agreed to return to San Francisco with the Gregsons, and even more so when she’d announced her intention to follow through with her job interview at Ian’s company. Aubrey knew her parents had been concerned about her future plans - or lack thereof - and even though it meant she’d be leaving San Diego again, they were relieved that she had a realistic job prospect, one that would provide a steady career path. Besides, as Lorena had pointed out, San Francisco was barely an hour’s flight away, so they could easily visit back and forth as often as they liked.

She’d returned to San Francisco ten days ago, flying in the Gregson corporate plane. Aubrey had never even flown first class before, much less in a private jet, and she’d been awestruck at such unexpected luxury.

But that had merely been a prelude to what came next - being greeted at the airport by a chauffeured limousine, and then driven to Ian and Tessa’s magnificent brick mansion in the ritzy Pacific Heights neighborhood. She’d recognized some of the streets on the way, and realized that Jordan’s condo building was not very far away. Aubrey had been tempted to ask if she was likely to run into him around the area, but because she wasn’t quite ready to talk about Jordan, she’d kept quiet.

The house itself had been awe inspiring, both elegant and warm, spacious and cozy at the same time. It was beautifully decorated but also designed for comfort and functionality, and was most definitely a family home. Mixed among the priceless antiques and paintings were dozens of framed family photos, keepsakes and mementoes from travels, as well as the children’s toys and belongings. Aubrey knew Ian and Tessa employed a housekeeper - something Ian had insisted on, according to Tessa - but that her sister had adamantly refused to hire a nanny, preferring to raise her children on her own.

“Though I know one of the conditions Ian will insist on if we have a third baby is hiring a nanny or au pair,” Tessa had confided a few days ago. “And I’ll probably have to give in next time. Ian indulges me plenty, but when he sets his foot down about something he doesn’t fool around.”

Aubrey had stared at her sister in disbelief. “You’re not seriously thinking about having another baby this soon, are you? Good God, Liam’s barely four months old and you’re still breastfeeding him! I don’t blame Ian for setting his foot down. Though, of course, you seem to be handling a toddler and a baby just fine. Not to mention you sure as hell don’t look like you just had a baby a few months ago. Do you have a personal trainer or something?”

Tessa had smiled. “Not at the moment, no. Frankly, I’ve hardly had time to exercise except for taking the kids for a walk or an occasional yoga class when I can squeeze it in. As for the weight loss - well, I think it’s just good genes or something. I lost the baby weight really fast with Gilly, too. That’s probably why I never noticed that our mother was pregnant with you.”

“Most likely. But I’m not sure that’s something a four or five year old child would have really remembered anyway. And I’m glad to hear that you lost all your baby weight so quickly with both kids. Maybe these good genes you claim to have run in the family.”

Tessa had grinned at her. “Already thinking about having babies, Aubrey? Aren’t you missing one vital ingredient - a father? Or does this mean you’ve decided to forgive Jordan and give him another chance?”

“I don’t know,” she’d admitted. “I go back and forth a dozen times a day on the matter. On the one hand, I’m still ticked off at him for keeping the truth from me for so many weeks. But on the other hand - God, I really miss him, Tessa! I miss his corny jokes and picking up after him because he’s kind of a slob. I miss welcoming him home every evening, and then having a drink while we watch the sun set outside on his balcony. And I really, really miss the um, well, the bedroom stuff, because he’s really, really talented there if you know what I mean. But mostly I just miss him,” she’d finished in a quiet voice.

“So what are you waiting for?” Tessa had asked. “Call him. Text him. Put both of you out of your misery and just get back together, for God’s sake. After you make him beg and grovel for awhile, that is.”

Aubrey had smiled faintly. “Well, that part goes without saying. But - what if it’s already too late, Tessa? It’s no secret after all that Jordan was a real player before he met me, probably dated a different woman four or five nights a week. And it’s hard to believe someone like him can just give up all his old ways that quickly. What if he’s already moved on, started dating again? Frankly, even though I told him in no uncertain terms not to contact me for awhile, I sort of expected that he’d at least try. So I can’t help but think that he’s not just sitting around waiting for the phone to ring. Especially if that manwhore friend of his Finn is trying to convince him to get back into the swing of things.”

“I don’t think you should be in the least bit worried about that,” Tessa had assured. “When I had lunch with Jordan that day he was really upset about everything, really regretful. And it was very obvious how much he cares for you, Aubrey. If I’m being totally honest, I never in a million years thought that Jordan Reeves would ever be the sort to fall in love and settle for just one woman. But I was wrong, Aubrey. Because he is definitely crazy about you. And I’m guessing that right at this very moment he is sitting around waiting for that call or text from you.”

Aubrey had actually gone so far as to type in a quick text to Jordan several times over the past few days, only to chicken out at the last second and delete the message before hitting the Send button. But Tessa was right. She was only making herself - and Jordan - unhappy by this continued silence, and she needed to figure out in a hurry what her next course of action should be.

At the sound of footsteps, she glanced up from feeding Gilly to see Ian striding into the kitchen, a rather mysterious smile on his handsome face. Aubrey still didn’t feel quite at ease with her brother-in-law, finding his commanding, rather controlling presence more than a little intimidating. But he was obviously completely devoted to Tessa, treating her like a queen, as well as being a wonderful father. She supposed she’d get used to his dominant personality over time, and even learn how to relax in his presence.

“Hey, Ian. How was your workout?” she asked as she wiped Gilly’s hands and mouth off. The little girl was already clamoring for her father, holding her arms out to him.

Ian grinned at his daughter, swooping her off of the booster seat and up into his arms. “Very therapeutic, I would say. Thank you for asking, Aubrey. And how is Daddy’s little girl this morning, hmm? Ah, but no. It’s already afternoon, isn’t it? And we’ve just had our lunch, haven’t we?”

Gilly nodded, wrapping her arms around her father’s neck. “We had mac and cheese, Daddy,” she announced importantly. “Mummy made it.”

He brushed his knuckles tenderly against her rosy cheek. “That’s your favorite, isn’t it? And it was very nice of your Auntie Aubrey to feed you. Where’s Mummy?”

“Upstairs nursing Liam. Though I expect she’ll be down any minute now,” Aubrey told him as she cleared away the dishes. “Can I get you anything to eat or drink, Ian?”

He shook his head as he set Gilly down. “Thanks but no. I had breakfast after my workout with a - a friend. A friend named Jordan, to be exact.”

Aubrey’s spine stiffened as she began to load utensils into the dishwasher. “Oh? Was this something you planned ahead of time?”

“Not at all. We ran into each other by chance. And if you have a few minutes, I’d like to discuss something with you, Aubrey.”

She hesitated, glancing uncertainly at Gilly, but the little girl was already scampering off to play with some toys that were kept in a corner of the enormous kitchen/breakfast room. Wiping her hands off on a dish towel, she looked back at Ian, trying to feign a nonchalance she certainly didn’t feel right now.

“Sure. What’s on your mind, Ian?” she asked.

He smiled in amusement. “Actually, it’s not what’s on my mind but rather what’s on Jordan’s. He was quite penitent over breakfast a little while ago, and while I’m still not quite over my annoyance with him, I do believe he feels very badly about the chaos he caused. And in particular he feels terrible about keeping the truth from you, and possibly ruining any chance of reconciling with you.”

“Hmmph.” Aubrey crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back against the granite counter as she regarded Ian suspiciously. “So he asked you to plead his case for him, did he? Too much of a coward to do it himself?”

Ian’s smile deepened into a grin. “I think it’s more a case of Jordan treading in unknown waters. He’s somewhat of a novice when it comes to relationships, after all, and was looking for guidance on what to do next. And I don’t know if he caught me in a weak moment, but I offered to run interference for him.”

“What an ass,” she muttered. “Can’t even work up the nerve to call me himself.”

“Actually, he’s planning to launch an all-out assault,” corrected Ian. “You should expect to be bombarded with texts, voice mails, and gifts in the coming days. He decided that being patient and understanding wasn’t working, and that changing tactics was the only logical solution. You should know, Aubrey,” he added quietly, “that the very first thing he did after apologizing to me was to make sure that you would still get that interview. He didn’t want his actions to unfairly penalize you.”

She was somewhat mollified by this announcement. “That was decent of him, I guess,” she admitted grudgingly. “So, tell me. When should I expect this so-called bombardment to commence?”

Ian cleared his throat, looking a bit uncertain all of a sudden. “Well, I’m probably overstepping my boundaries here, so forgive me if that’s the case. But you might just have a visitor waiting to see you in the foyer. And he’s waiting very anxiously, I might add.”

Aubrey glanced at the faded jeans, sloppy T-shirt, and ancient rubber flip flops she was wearing today, wondering if she could possibly look any worse. “Jordan’s here?” she asked incredulously. “I mean, here in this house? Right this very minute?”

Ian nodded solemnly. “As we speak. And you don’t have to see him, Aubrey. I can tell him you’re not quite ready for that. But while it’s not my place to encourage you to give him another chance, I think you should at least hear the man out.”

She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, cursing herself for not having washed it this morning. Or putting on even a lick of makeup. “I look a mess,” she protested. “Is there a way I could sneak upstairs and freshen up for a few minutes?”

He shook his head. “There’s no way of avoiding him, Aubrey. And you look just fine. I guarantee you Jordan isn’t going to give a damn anyway. So, go. Talk to the man. But don’t you dare let him off too easily, hmm?”

Aubrey laughed. “Not even a possibility. But, okay. You’ve convinced me. I’ll go listen to what he has to say. Though maybe you should move anything breakable out of the way in case I’m tempted to throw it at his head.”

Ian glanced around the kitchen, then smiled triumphantly as he picked up a large fuzzy ball that belonged to Liam. “Here. If you’ve got to toss something at him, use this. That way nothing will get broken, including Jordan’s head.”

She shared a conspiratorial smile with her brother-in-law as she took the ball from him. “Got it. And - thanks, Ian. Before you came in a few minutes ago I was trying to work up the nerve to contact Jordan myself. And while I’m not sure if this makes it easier or harder, at least it takes the decision making out of my hands.”

As she made her way out of the kitchen towards the front entrance of the house, Aubrey tossed the fuzzy ball up into the air and caught it multiple times, a welcome distraction from the confrontation that was about to occur. With each uncertain step that would bring her that much closer to Jordan, she rehearsed in her mind exactly what she would say to him, visualized how she’d keep her distance and, more importantly, keep her cool. She smiled wickedly as she imagined herself snapping her fingers and commanding him to crawl to her on his hands and knees, and then maybe kiss her feet for good measure. She would not, under any circumstances, fall for any of his corny pick-up lines or suave compliments, would not allow herself to be swayed by his declarations of love or pleas for forgiveness. And she would definitely, absolutely, not let herself go weak in the knees at the sight of his handsome face, wicked grin, or leanly muscled body.

But all of her good intentions, every single damned one of them, went straight out the window the moment she saw him standing in the entryway. He looked a little thinner, and the tan he’d acquired in Maui had all but faded now. His black hair was longer than she recalled, and that one stubborn lock was falling over his forehead, tempting her to brush it back with her fingers. He was wearing black track pants and a lightweight gray hoodie over a cotton T-shirt, his shoulders hunched forward as he stared off into space. He looked tired, depressed, and maybe even a little defeated, and Aubrey cursed beneath her breath as she felt her stern resolve weakening second by second.

And when he lifted his head, as though aware of her gaze upon him, he smiled broadly, his dark gray eyes twinkling with renewed life. His smile faltered a bit, however, when he realized she wasn’t returning his greeting, and his eyes widened in alarm as he noticed the fuzzy ball in her hands.

“Uh, are you planning to throw that at me?” he asked dryly. “If so, I guess I should be grateful that Ian’s kids are too young to play basketball just yet. And you can go ahead and toss that thing if you really want to. God knows I deserve it. But, well, maybe these will change your mind.”

He held out a bouquet of the most perfect long-stemmed yellow roses she’d ever seen, the ones he knew were her favorite. And with that gesture, the last of Aubrey’s self-control disintegrated and she found herself dropping the fuzzy ball and running straight into his arms.

Jordan grunted as she flung herself against him full force, but quickly recovered, wrapping his arms around her so tightly she could scarcely breathe. She buried her face against the side of his neck, breathing in the wonderfully familiar scents of his soap and skin, and dimly tried to recall exactly why she was supposed to be mad at him.

“Does this mean all is forgiven?” he whispered teasingly. “And after I was prepared to grovel and beg and be your willing slave for as long as it took to make things right.”

Aubrey gazed up at him, smirking a little as she took the roses from his grasp. “Oh, you’re still going to do all of that, mark my words. As far as the forgiveness bit goes, I suppose the roses are a good start. We can discuss everything in further detail when you buy me a really expensive dinner tonight. Pick me up at here at seven o’clock.”

Jordan grinned, giving her a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am. Whatever you say, ma’am. I’ll make a reservation at one of the best restaurants in the city. Anything else I can do for you until then? Name it and it’s yours.”

“Just this.”

Without warning Aubrey picked up Liam’s ball and threw it at Jordan’s head, smiling in satisfaction when it smacked him right in the middle of his forehead.

“I’ve been wanting to do something like that for the past two and a half weeks,” she announced cheerfully. “I feel much better now. See you tonight.”

 

***

 

“You look gorgeous in that dress, darlin’. But then, you looked gorgeous in your old jeans and wrinkled T-shirt earlier today, too.”

Aubrey groaned, holding her head in her hands. “Oh, God! So you did notice how awful I looked! I wanted to go change, you know, but Ian pointed out that there was no way to go around you in order to get to my bedroom. Ugh, I’m not even sure I combed my hair this morning.”

Across the dinner table, Jordan chuckled, then took her hands in his. “I didn’t notice. Nor would I have given a damn, because I was so happy to see you it didn’t matter in the least what you were wearing. Though if I’m being honest, this dress is a whole lot sexier than a faded San Diego Padres T-shirt.”

“Actually,” admitted Aubrey, “this is one of Tessa’s dresses. When I was trying to decide what to wear tonight, I realized I’d left all the nice things you’d bought me back at your place. And since I didn’t think one of my sundresses would be appropriate, she dragged me into her closet and helped me pick something out. Good thing we’re the same size, including the shoes.”

Aubrey had been incredulous to see the neatly organized contents of the enormous walk-in closet her sister shared with Ian. Tessa had readily admitted that her husband liked to spoil her to excess, and that she had far more clothes, shoes, bags, and accessories than she could ever possibly wear. And when Aubrey hadn’t even known where to begin to select an outfit for tonight, Tessa had quickly chosen this form fitting red sheath dress and a pair of black patent stiletto pumps. The dress had fit Aubrey like a glove, and she’d instantly felt both beautiful and sexy in the obviously expensive garment. Tessa had also grabbed a matching black clutch bag, and some discreet gold jewelry to accessorize the simple but stunning dress.

“Well, you can tell Tessa thank you for me,” drawled Jordan. “Because you look like sin in that red dress. Lucky for you sinning is something I’ve always enjoyed doing, especially with a gorgeous woman.”

She arched a dark blonde brow at him. “And here I thought you had mended your naughty ways, Doctor Reeves. Have you had a relapse since the last time I saw you?”

“No.” Jordan shook his head adamantly. “I swear to God, Aubrey, I haven’t even looked at another woman, much less had any interest in dating one. You’re all I’ve been able to think about, darlin’, and I’ve been a wreck without you.” He brought her hand to his lips. “You do believe me, don’t you?”

There was such an earnest, worried look on his face that he reminded her of a little boy who was trying to convince his mother he hadn’t been the one to knock over her precious vase, and Aubrey couldn’t help smiling at him reassuringly.

“Yes, I believe you. Because if I find out you’re lying to me, this time I will find a basketball and throw it at your head. And as you might have noticed, I have very accurate aim,” she replied sweetly.

He winced, then rubbed his temple. “Yeah, I definitely noticed. Is that a skill you acquired from playing basketball or baseball?”

“Actually, it was probably dodgeball,” she mused, reaching for her wineglass. “Though of course we were never allowed to aim for the head. Didn’t mean we weren’t tempted, though.”

“Speaking of being tempted,” he began, in a very seductive voice. “All I’ve been able to think about since I saw you in this dress is what you might - or might not - be wearing underneath. It, uh, doesn’t look as though you’ve got any visible panty lines, which of course makes me wonder if you’ve got any on.”

Aubrey winked at him saucily. “Well, if you play your cards right, Doctor Reeves, you might get to find that bit of information out for yourself. But not until you answer a few questions for me first. And I’ll warn you now, Jordan. No bullshit, okay? I expect you to be completely and totally honest with me, an open book all the way. Got it?”

Jordan spread his arms wide. “Baby, consider this book open to whatever page you want to flip it to. So ask away.”

She nodded, then drank the rest of her wine down in a single gulp. “Okay. First question, and it’s a doozy. Was the fact that I looked exactly like my sister the only reason you first approached me on the beach?”

He hesitated, as though carefully thinking over his answer. “That’s a tricky one to answer, Aubrey. I mean, of course, I was shocked to see another woman with the same face and body as Tessa several hundred miles from home. I think even if I wasn’t instantly attracted to you I would have approached you, to find out if there was some connection between the two of you. So let me answer your question this way. If I had never met your sister, I would have certainly still been attracted to you. No doubt about it. You were and continue to be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and I would have had to be a complete idiot to pass up the opportunity of meeting you.”

She pondered his response briefly, then nodded in satisfaction. “I guess that’s a fair response. So, next question. When you realized that aside from our physical resemblance Tessa and I really weren’t all that much alike, were you - well, disappointed?”

Jordan stared at her incredulously. “Disappointed? Are you nuts? Why the hell would I have been disappointed? Just the opposite, in fact. You were so much better suited to me than your sister could have ever been that I couldn’t quite believe my luck. You’re funny and outgoing and fearless. You make me laugh, and even better you laugh at my stupid jokes. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who was so joyful and carefree, and who made me smile just by being in the same room. So, in a nutshell, darlin’, I was over the moon at meeting a woman who turned out to be so absolutely perfect for me. The only woman who will ever be perfect for me.”

Aubrey felt a warm sensation spreading from her chest down to her belly, and knew it wasn’t entirely due to the glass of red wine she’d just gulped down. Jordan’s earnest, heartfelt words, along with the glow in his gray eyes, had touched her deeply, and she knew with every instinct she possessed that he was being completely honest with her, was opening up not just his heart to her but his soul as well.

“Good answer,” she replied faintly. “In case you were wondering, so far you’re passing the test with flying colors. But I do have a couple of more questions. Namely, are you - were you - really in love with my sister? I know how Tessa feels since we’ve had more than one discussion on the subject. But I’d like to know what your feelings are, Jordan. I want to hear the whole truth from your lips.”

“Fair question,” he acknowledged. “And I’ll be totally honest with you. At one point in time I probably did imagine myself in love with Tessa, but I’m also not sure I knew what being in love actually felt like. I thought she was beautiful, of course, but mere beauty isn’t a reason to have those sort of feelings for someone. As I got to know her a little better, mostly as my patient and then at social events, I found her to be very different from any of the other women I’d dated in the past. Sweet and shy, a little on the innocent side, and, well, just plain nice, I suppose. I’d unfortunately met a lot of not so nice women over the years, predatory, catty, self-centered ones. Tessa intrigued me, I think, just because she seemed like such a breath of fresh air from what I’d been used to. But my feelings, as you refer to them, never really progressed much beyond that sort of intrigue or fascination. I always knew I never had a chance with her, not so long as she was with Ian. And I would never, never have made a move on her. Not only would Ian have beat me to a bloody pulp, but I would have upset Tessa terribly.”

“So you continued to admire her from afar, something like that,” observed Aubrey. “Wishing she was yours but accepting the fact that she belonged to another man.”

“I also wished,” he murmured huskily, “that somewhere in the universe Tessa had a twin sister. One who hopefully wasn’t already spoken for. And I guess someone up high finally heard my wish and decided for some crazy reason that I had earned the right for it to be granted. Because when I met you in Maui, it felt like every wish and dream and hope I’d ever had in my whole life was coming true all at the same time. And believe me, darlin’, it was the best damned day of my life when I met you.”

She blinked furiously, determined not to start crying in a public place, no matter that they were mostly happy tears. “That’s so sweet,” she whispered. “I’d almost forgotten that in addition to being such a dirty talker you can also say such sweet things. Now, one last question, okay?”

Jordan placed a kiss to the hand he still held tightly in his. “Anything at all, baby. I told you. Open book here.”

“All right. Then answer this one. When you took me to bed the first time, did you ever pretend - even for a minute - that it was Tessa you were making love to and not me? Be-because I don’t think I could handle the thought of being a substitute for her in any way, and especially not that way.”

A tear did trickle down her cheek this time, and when he reached over and kissed it away it was nearly her undoing.

“Aubrey.” The way he said her name was more caress than spoken word. “You could never be a substitute for any woman for any reason. And when we make love, the entire world around me ceases to exist because the only thing that matters is being with you. So the answer to your question is no. Unequivocally, absolutely, positively no. And just to be perfectly clear here - you’re also the only woman I want in my bed from here on out. Got it?”

She nodded, brushing away the last of her tears and giving him a wobbly smile. “Got it.”

“So, tell me. I’m dying to know. Were those the right answers? More importantly,” he added with a goofy grin, “did I pass your test?”

Aubrey reached across the table and grabbed hold of his dark blue silk tie, then pulled him towards her until their lips met in a long, slow kiss. “Aced it,” she replied huskily.

Jordan was breathing a little unsteadily after that torrid kiss. “Uh, so what else do I need to do to make it all up to you? Begging? Pleading? Telling you that my balls are starting to turn blue because I haven’t had sex in over two weeks? Hey, I haven’t got down on my knees yet to kiss your feet, but I’m more than happy to do it.”

“Tell you what, Doctor Dreamboat,” she teased. “You can definitely kneel down before me, but it isn’t my feet I want you to kiss.”

 

***

 

“Are - are you sure you haven’t been - oh, God! - practicing, because I swear - oh, yeah - that - that you’ve got some new moves there.”

Jordan deliberately flicked his tongue against her clitoris, knowing that it always drove her wild. His hands were splayed across her naked buttocks, having made short work of the red silk thong that she’d indeed been wearing beneath the form fitting dress, and he was trying his best to hold her still while using every skill in his considerable book of tricks to bring her pleasure. But holding her in place was anything but easy, given how she bucked and wiggled and squirmed with every lick of his tongue, every nibble of his lips, every thrust of his fingers inside that delectably tight, hot pussy that he’d had nightly wet dreams about for the past two and a half weeks.

“Mmm, no new moves, darlin’. Just some old ones I haven’t had the pleasure of using on you before,” he purred, trailing a line of kisses across her taut belly. “And since I’m a little out of practice, you might have to have a little patience with me. For example, you’re going to have to tell me if this feels good or not.”

“Ohhh!”

He winced as she dug her fingers into his scalp, pulling his head in closer as he thrust his tongue inside the slick opening to her body. God, he’d missed this, he thought wildly, missed hearing her moans and pants, missed the sweet, musky taste of her on his lips, missed caressing the soft, lush curves of her sexy body. But more than anything, he had missed bringing her pleasure, taking her to the edge and then keeping her there as she screamed and trembled and cried out in release.

“Wow,” was all she could say faintly, her legs visibly shaking in reaction from the climax he’d just wrung from her body. Her hands hung limply by her sides as he continued to kneel before her, and then she squealed in surprise as he hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her fireman-style to the bedroom. Unsurprisingly, thought Jordan with a satisfied grin, they hadn’t been able to make it any farther than the living room before falling into each others arms and kissing as though they’d been separated for years instead of a couple of weeks.

“Hey,” protested Aubrey as he gently tossed her on the bed. “No fair. I was all ready to return the favor you just did for me. If you know what I mean.”

He snickered as he began to undo his tie and unbutton his shirt. “Yeah, darlin’. I know exactly what you mean. And as much as I’m dying to feel that sexy mouth of yours sucking my dick again, tonight’s about me taking care of you. After all, I still have an awful lot of groveling to do, don’t I?”

Her blue eyes darkened with arousal as they watched him finish undressing, his painfully aroused cock tenting his black cotton briefs. “You, um, might have earned yourself some points a few minutes ago,” she breathed, licking her lips as he shucked his underwear. “That was a pretty awesome demonstration of your very impressive oral skills, after all. Not to mention a really, really fabulous orgasm. So I might be prepared to, ah, overlook any additional groveling I’d originally planned for you to do.”

Jordan crawled onto the bed beside her, with the slow, precise movements of a big, lazy jungle cat. “Tough,” he told her as he straddled her thighs. “Because I’ve just begun to grovel, baby. Just begun to worship you. To show you just how much I missed you.” He bent and kissed her tenderly, softly. “And to make sure you know exactly how much I love you.”

He rolled onto his side then, taking her with him as he kissed her again, but this time with unabashed hunger, his mouth opening against hers as his tongue explored every inch of her mouth. Aubrey moaned beneath his lips, her tongue tangling with his as she kissed him back. He unhooked the red lace bra that matched her discarded thong, and sighed in bliss as her warm, naked breasts tumbled free into his palms. He pinched her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, tugging on them lightly until she was squirming in reaction.

He tumbled her onto her back, ignoring the small sound of protest she made, a sound that quickly became a gasp of pleasure as he sucked first one and then the other nipple between his teeth. He lingered over those incredible breasts, cupping and squeezing them, licking the nipples before sucking the entire areola into his mouth. By the time he lifted his head from her swollen, glistening tits, Aubrey was almost frantic with need, her hips lifting off the mattress in a silent plea for satisfaction.

But instead of giving her what she so obviously craved, Jordan gave her breasts another light squeeze, making a little “tsk tsk” sound as he did so.

“Don’t rush me, darlin”,” he admonished gently. “Let me enjoy this, hmm? After all, I’ve dreamed about these beauties every single night since you left. But there’s nothing quite as spectacular as the real thing.”

She whimpered as he bent his head to her breasts again, running his tongue over each nipple until it was glistening. “Jordan, please,” she begged. “As good as that feels, I need - I need you more. I need you inside me.”

He trailed a fingertip down between her breasts, then splayed his hand over her quivering belly. “How badly do you need me?” he whispered, his fingers teasing the damp curls between her thighs. “How badly do you need to get fucked, baby?” He bent over her, his teeth nibbling at her earlobe. “Bad enough to forgive me for all my past transgressions?”

He yelped as she smacked him on the ass - hard - and then gulped when she took a firm hold of his cock.

“I need this inside of me now,” she demanded. “And whether or not I decide to forgive and forget is going to depend on how hard you can make me come.”

He threw back his head and laughed, even as Aubrey guided the head of his penis inside her eager pussy. “Well, then, looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me, don’t I? Hold on tight, darlin’, cause that sure sounded like a challenge to me.”

But in spite of her impatience, he refused to rush. Instead of slamming his cock inside of her with one swift motion, he entered her a little at a time, savoring each slow thrust, gritting his teeth at how tight she felt around him. When he was all the way in, he remained perfectly still for long seconds, his hand clamping down on her hips when she would have begun to move.

“Shh,” he soothed her, rubbing her hip. “Easy, baby. Just give me a minute, okay? You feel so fucking good, Aubrey. The best feeling I’ve ever known. And I was afraid for awhile that I’d never have this again, would never have you again.”

Silently she acquiesced to his pleas, even though he could clearly sense her impatience, could feel her need. And because he was every bit as needy and impatient, he didn’t make her wait any longer, beginning to move in and out of her pliant body with long, slow strokes.

Her breath expelled in a low hiss. “Ah, God, that’s so good,” she panted, her hips flexing in perfect synchronization with his. “I missed this. Missed you. So much.”

He lifted her legs to wrap around his hips. “Understatement of the century, darlin’,” he rasped as he began to fuck her harder, bracing his hands on either side of her body for leverage.

Aubrey’s moans increased in volume just as Jordan increased the force and rapidity of his thrusts. He unwound her legs from around his hips, only to bend her knees up towards her shoulders, spreading her thighs wider apart. The position allowed him to gain even deeper access to her body, the head of his cock hitting the edge of her womb with each fierce thrust. He changed the angle of his thrusts at some point, aiming for that sweet spot on the front wall of her vagina, the spot where all of her sensations would be magnified, intensified. Sweat dripped from his brow as he continued to pound inside of her, and both of their bodies were slick with perspiration as they writhed against each other, desperately seeking release.

He knew she was close, could tell by the way she gasped for breath, and by the fierce grip of her hands around his biceps. He held off his own release so that he could watch her come, could see her blue eyes glaze over with desire, and her lush pink lips open in a wide “O” of surprise. But once he felt her vaginal muscles begin to spasm around his cock, he lost what little remained of his control, giving himself up to the most intense pleasure he’d ever known. His orgasm seemed to last forever, his cock still thrusting inside of her body long after he was empty.

Jordan slumped onto the mattress beside her when it was finally over, too drained to do more than turn his head and press his lips to her bare shoulder. Aubrey’s hand sifted through the damp strands of his black hair, both of them content to let these subtle touches communicate the depth of their emotions.

He cupped her cheek at some point, then touched his lips to hers lightly. “I love you, Aubrey,” he murmured hoarsely. “And I’m sorry as hell for everything I put you through. For not being honest with you from the beginning. I was too afraid of losing you if I told you about Tessa, and yet by keeping quiet about it I came way too close to losing you for good. And I will continue to grovel and beg and I promise to give you multiple orgasms every single day if you can possibly find a way to - ”

Aubrey placed her index finger over his mouth. “Shh. If you’d give me a chance, you silly man, I was just about to tell you that given how hard you made me come a few minutes ago, I’ve decided that all is forgiven. Which means you don’t need to beg and grovel any longer.” She replaced her finger with her lips, whispering against them, “I will, however, hold you to that promise you just made me. And right now seems like a very, very good time to start fulfilling that promise, don’t you think?”