The #1 Bestsellers Collection 2011(191)

And left.

Watching from the veil of her eyelashes, she saw him tug on his boxer shorts before padding across the room to open the French doors. Her muscles pretty much mush after round two, she couldn’t bring herself to slide from the bed, but that certainly wouldn’t stop her from enjoying the view. Moonlight streamed over his golden nakedness, the broad planks of his steely shoulders.

He seemed so solid and exciting. Could she trust her judgment? Jordan had such sound arguments for why they should be together, and without a doubt what they’d shared in the bed had been beyond compare.

She’d thought she could be happy simply enjoying the sexual side of their relationship, but with the cool splash of air bringing a dose of reality, she couldn’t ignore more rational thoughts nudging her as firmly as the tiny foot under her ribs.

Was she greedy to want more from Jordan? What she saw in Cassie and Brandon’s eyes for each other?

Not that she begrudged her half sister her happiness. Heaven knew, Cassie deserved every bit of her hard-won peace after the tumultuous childhood she’d suffered as John Garrison’s illegitimate child.

Brooke wrapped her arms around her own baby protectively and rolled from her side to her back.

Her parents’ mixed-up union   had caused so much pain for so many. John Garrison had hurt Cassie by never committing to her mother in much the same way Bonita and John had torn each other to shreds—yet never letting each other go.

Relationships were complicated enough in and of themselves. Add children and the issues multiplied exponentially.

Brooke turned back to stare at Jordan’s toned body clad only in his boxers. He could take over her life as fully as his long-limbed body had sprawled over the bed after he finished loving her.

She needed to be more careful than ever to keep a close guard on her emotions.





Seven


Jordan usually hated those first few moments of waking when he had no guard over his thoughts.

This morning, however, he could find plenty to be happy about. Starting with the woman whose bottom snuggled against him, her warm bare skin and the rustle of sheets stirring memories of the night before.

Being with Brooke had been even more amazing than he’d remembered—and his recollections were mighty amazing. His plan for her to grow closer to him was working.

He hadn’t, however, expected how much he would be drawn to her.

For about five seconds he tried to convince himself it had to be because he’d been without since the night they’d shared in the Garrison Grand. Even when his ex-girlfriend had tried to lure him back into her bed, he hadn’t been tempted. They’d been connected through business dealings, but that’s all it could be. Memories of Brooke had tormented him then and now, ensuring his ex-lover held no more appeal.

Fresh flowers by the bed wafted sweet scents and an idea his way. He reached past her to snag an orchid from the vase. She’d told him once that she no longer suffered from morning sickness, so he figured it was safe to approach her.

Jordan sketched the flower along her jaw. “Are you awake?”

“Little bit.” She inhaled with a low hum of appreciation.

Nuzzling her ear, he grazed the flower along her arm, teasing the inside of her elbow. “Wanna be more so?”

She mumbled something half-intelligible. He grazed the flower around her breasts until she peered over her shoulder at him with sultry sleepy eyes. He recalled well that same expression as he stared back at her on top of him when they’d explored more of the positions that best accommodated her pregnancy.

He grinned back at her. “I was thinking we could start working on another of those inventive positions.”

She tried to roll to face him, but he kept her trapped in place with his legs.

“Don’t I get to touch you?”

“We can touch very soon, beautiful, very soon.” His throbbing body echoed the sentiment.

Jordan skimmed the flower lower, along her stomach, over her hip to the very top of her thigh. She wriggled with eagerness. At the glide of her hair against his chest, he almost dropped the orchid.

She snatched the flower from him. “Enough. More.”

He couldn’t help but smile at her contradictory words. Her intent, though, he understood. He slid his fingers between the juncture of her thighs, teasing the core of her and finding her ready for him. She arched against his fingers with that sweet whimper of hers that made him want more—more of her, more time to explore all of those positions. Even the less inventive ones as long as she was the woman under him.

She grabbed his wrist to halt his play, her fingernails stabbing into his skin and not distracting him in the least from what he wanted. “Jordan, either you finish or let me take over.”