Book 22 Rescue After Dark #7
Jordan ponders that, giving his concerns serious consideration.
“I hear what you’re saying, and I’d be the first to tell you that getting involved with me is a risky proposition, especially right now.
My life is a bit of a mess at the moment.
I’m still technically married to a malignant narcissist and could get sued by my production company unless I continue my show when I really don’t want to. So, yeah, I hear what you’re saying.”
She glances at him, looking madly vulnerable, and holds his gaze as she continues. “But the thing of it is, Mason, I really like you—and not just because you saved my life. I like talking to you and pushing your buttons and kissing you. I like how I feel when I’m with you.”
“How do you feel when you’re with me?” He calls himself ten kinds of fool for asking, but he has to know.
“Comfortable. Safe. Entertained. Amused. Aroused.”
Mason closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and holds it for a long moment before releasing it.
“Those are things I hadn’t had with my husband in a very long time. Some of them I’ve never had.”
Jordan never felt safe with her husband and tried to make it work because she didn’t want to go through a divorce after her parents’ traumatic divorce. She shows Mason where Brendan broke her arm.
“If you blame yourself in any way for any of this, that’s not going to make me happy.”
“You’re very sweet when you’re pissed off.”
“I’m pissed off at him, not you.”
“I know that.” She glances at him again. “So, to answer your original question, I’m kind of a mess, and my life is a wreck, but I really like you, and I couldn’t wait to see you today.”
“I couldn’t wait to see you either. I left work hours earlier than I normally would. You want to come in?”
“Uh-huh.”
Mason tells Jordan to make herself at home while he jumps in the shower and tries to get himself together.
By the time he is dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, he is thoroughly annoyed and in pain from the effort it takes to do the simplest things with his injured arm. Maybe he should’ve let Jordan help him.
No, he shouldn’t have.
Eager to get back to her, he opens the door to the living room and comes to a dead stop at the sight of her completely naked and reclined on his sofa.
“I thought of something we can do.”
Mason worries he might’ve swallowed his tongue as his brain races to catch up with what is happening.
He’s so captivated by bare breasts and miles of smooth, tanned skin that he can’t find any other thoughts in his brain that don’t involve breasts and skin and legs and the come-hither look on her face.
She’s the Devil.
That thought sneaks past the others as he moves toward her like a metal object being pulled by the strongest of magnets.
She holds out her arms to him.
Before he accepts the many invitations she’s putting out, he whips the T-shirt over his head and comes down on top of her, taking care not to crush her since he’s easily twice her size.
He moves them to his extra-long king-sized bed, and after they make love, they talk about Jordan’s tumultuous childhood. “You’re due for a break, sweetheart.”
“How’d you get me to talk about this shit, anyway?
I never talk about this stuff.” And certainly not with a guy she’s just met.
This is supposed to be about fun and transitions and moving on, but in the scope of the last hour, it’s become so much more than that.
The realization leaves her feeling unnerved. “I should probably go.”
“Why? You got somewhere to be?”
“No, but…”
“What?”
“I… I don’t know.”
“I want you to stay. Unless you don’t want to.”
“I do want to.”
“Why do I hear a very loud ‘but’ in there?”
“I feel like I need to keep telling you that my life is a mess, Mason, and you’re a really, really nice guy. I’m afraid.”
With his fingers on her face, he gently turns her to look at him. “Of what?”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“While I appreciate that more than you could ever know, I’ve got my eyes open here. I know things are in transition for you right now in more ways than one. All I can tell you is that being with you is the most fun I’ve had in years.”
“Same,” she says, thrilled to know he feels the same way.
Jordan has no idea where she is when she wakes up in the dark with a heavy arm around her.
As the events from earlier come rushing back to remind her of the best sex she’d ever had, she shifts her position and winces from the bite of soreness between her legs.
The man is formidable in more than one way.
Smiling, she recalls how sweet and tender he’d been with her, even as he’d rocked her world right off its axis.
How is it possible that a man she’s only just met seems to “get” her in a way the man she’d been married to never had?
Mason stirs, his arm tightening around her, bringing her in closer to him and making her feel safe with his big body curved around hers.
“Mason.”
“Yes, Jordan?” He takes her hand and presses her palm against his, reminding her once again that his is easily twice the size of hers.
“I just wanted to say…” She’s never had to tell a guy not to get overly invested in her because it won’t be a good idea for him.
He turns on his side to face her, keeping his grip on her hand. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong. Tonight has been amazing.”
“For me, too. I’ll never forget it.”
His sweet words make her smile. “I won’t either. It’s just that being with you is so much fun, but it really can’t be anything more than that.” She swallows hard, suddenly feeling emotional for reasons she can’t begin to fathom. “I’m not able to promise you anything right now.”
“I get it, honey. Don’t worry. I know the deal.”
“I’ll understand if you want to stop this before it goes any further.”
“Is that what you want?”
“No, it’s not, but I want to be fair to you. I’m technically still married, and I have no idea how long it’ll be until I’m not, among other things.”
“What other things?”
“I’m still trying to get out of the contract for another season of the show, and if that doesn’t happen, I’ll have to go back to LA for a few months. Gigi is trying to get them to see that I’m in no condition to be stalked by cameras, but I’m also in no condition to be starting a new relationship.”
“I hear you.”
“I don’t want to hurt you, Mason, or get hurt myself by getting attached to you and then having to leave.”
“We won’t let that happen. We’ll hang out, have fun and maybe some more of this.” He leans over to kiss her. She’s said what needed to be said, told him the whole truth of her situation, and he heard her. Now there’s nothing left to do but enjoy whatever time they get to spend together.
Mason drops Jordan off the next morning, making plans for her to come over later that night.
Nikki and Riley are having breakfast. “Did you give her permission to stay out all night?” Riley asks Nikki.
“I did not, and I think we need to ground her.”
“Agreed. No boys for a week, young lady.”
Jordan rolls her eyes at them and helps herself to some of their coffee. “Spoken like the upstairs rabbits who make the bed squeak every night.”
“We do not!” Nikki sputters.
“Ah, yeah, we do, love.”
“Shut up, Riley.”
Jordan glances at them over the rim of her mug. “I’ve got you fighting. My work here is finished.”
“Get over here and tell us everything about where you’ve been and who you were doing.”
“Riley!”
Jordan nearly chokes on a sip of coffee. Her future brother-in-law is cute and funny. As she slides onto the bench across from them at the table Nikki had refinished, she gives Riley a pointed look. “None of your business.”
“As long as you’re living under my roof, young lady—”
Jordan looks to Nikki for help. “Will you please do something about him?”
“I’ve been waiting years to use my father’s best lines,” Riley says. “Let me have my fun, will you?”
“Did you have fun?” Nikki asks.
“Uh-huh.” If she’d had any more fun, she might never have walked straight again.
Nikki is about to say something when her phone chimes with a text that has her knitting her eyebrows.
“What?” Riley asks. “Work trouble already?”
“No,” Nik says as she types a response, her terse reply and the continued furrow of her brows putting Jordan on edge.
“What’s wrong?”
Nikki puts down her phone and looks at Jordan. “He is out of rehab and wants to know where you are.”
Jordan’s stomach drops and takes her good mood down with it. “He texted you?” Nikki is the last person Brendan would ever text—and that was true even before the altercation in Charlotte.
“No, Davy did. He said the only thing he wants is to see you, and Davy asked me to tell him where you are.”
“Tell Davy to pass this along to him. You ready?”
“Ready.”
“This is coming directly from Jordan. She has nothing to say to him now or ever. Now that he’s out of rehab, he’ll be receiving divorce papers.
She suggests he sign them to end this once and for all.
If he tries to contact her in any way, she won’t hesitate to call the police. It’s over. Put over in all caps.”
“Got it. Send?”
“Send it.”
“Done.”
Jordan calls Gigi and tells her Brendan has left rehab, so she can have him served with divorce papers.
She promises to get it done right away. Jordan’s grandmother, Evelyn, calls her.
She wants to send the bodyguards she hired before to protect Jordan, but Jordan declines because she feels safe on Gansett.
Evelyn is coming to the island next weekend to see her girls.
Jordan tells her about meeting Mason and that she’s trying not to get too excited.
Evelyn encourages her not to discount the possibilities that come with this new relationship.
Nikki brings Jordan another cup of coffee, and Jordan tells her about what their grandmother said about Mason. Nikki claps her hands and laughs. “I love this so much. He’s just what you need to get your mojo back.”
“My mojo is definitely back. In fact, I’m finding mojo I never knew I had.”