Seducing Megan: Prossers Bay Series Novella (13 page)

Her breasts were perfect, and he bent his head to kiss the erect nipple of one while he cupped the other.

With a sound of surrender, Megan’s head went back and her hands gripped his head, her nails raking his scalp, making him hornier if that were at all possible. With one arm he held her so that his other was free to trace down her ribs, then her hips, and finally across her heat. She had begun to moan softly and as much as he wanted the first time to be good for her, he knew he wasn’t going to last too long. He picked her up, carried her to the bed and began to take his clothes off as fast as he could.

“Let me,” she whispered.

“Not this time. I need you now, and if you touch me, I wouldn’t last a minute. I hope you don’t mind the hurry.”

She laughed throatily. “Mind? I was wondering what was taking so long.”

Jordan grinned and went to his side table to retrieve a condom, which decided to be the hardest one ever to be opened. Frustrated and hearing Megan giggle as he struggled with the wrapper, he ripped it open with his teeth.

Back at the bed, the laughter died as he reached out and pulled her thong down and off. Then he knelt between her legs, placing his erection along her opening. She was wet for him and when she began to squirm he entered her with little finesse. In turn she wound her legs around his waist, her heels digging into his back, as she bucked against every thrust.

It was intense, and like he’d feared, over far too quickly but at least they had peaked simultaneously. Their breathing was labored as they gazed into each other’s eyes.

“That was ridiculously good.” Megan trailed a finger across the tattoo on his arm while she nuzzled his neck.

“Just good?” He kissed her nose.

“Better than good.” She bit his ear lobe.

He felt himself harden again. “Hmmm. If that’s your best critique, I think you might need to give me a second chance to prove that I can do better than good.”

“I think we have enough time for that, and then we can recap,” she purred into his ear.

***

The next morning Jordan woke to the sun streaming in through his vast expanse of window. He rolled over, but the space beside him was empty. It was disappointing but not unexpected. She had come back to him only because she knew Lisa was staying the night, which didn’t mean that Megan could.

The second and third time had been just as intense and hopefully the next time she made love with him she might consider how amazing they had been together and it would be reason enough to orchestrate a sleepover.

Thinking of Megan, and the way she had abandoned any modesty, made his blood simmer. This wouldn’t do him any good because he wouldn’t see her until work on Monday and even then he probably couldn’t kiss her or touch her the way he’d like to.

He rubbed his hand across the new stubble on his chin and jumped out of bed to take a cold shower. He had some issues that needed attention this morning, so that should keep his mind off Megan for at least… Who was he kidding? He would think about her every damn minute until he could see her.

Whatever they had going, and it might be too soon to say what, it would most certainly involve the four of them, so he needed to get his head around that.

He’d thought himself incapable of giving a woman anything but security, and goodness knew he could give her that, but what he hadn’t counted on was losing his heart. When you made love instead of having sex things changed. Questions arose that he’d never imagined would need an answer.

Could he love her the way she deserved? And did she even want his love? He’d never thought about having children, at least not in any serious way. Could he be a father? His parents had loved him in a detached way: sending him to all the best schools and making sure he wanted for nothing. But, Megan and her adorable girls deserved more.

As he ran down the stairs, the first person he saw was Loretta. She was sitting under a large pohutukawa but stood up as he approached like she’d been waiting for him.

He felt sorry that she’d had to witness her husband’s behavior before a room full of people, but Jordan was not about to be disappointed by losing such a large contract. There hadn’t been any guarantees he would get it anyway, and not having to deal with a scum bag like Sainsbury was a huge relief.

“How are you doing this morning? Can I get you anything?”

Loretta smiled at him. “I’m touched by your concern, Jordan, but rest assured I haven’t come to cry on your shoulder. As I expected, my husband had passed out by the time I got back to the room, and the others were happy to move on with Amanda, whoever she is. I was hoping for a bit of assistance, though.”

“Whatever I can do to help you, consider it done.”

“I’m not sure if you realize it or not, but my husband’s organized to leave on his private jet straight after breakfast, and as he’s giving Amanda a lift, which means that there isn’t enough room for me.”

Jordan was outraged. “What? Sorry, I just can’t believe he’d do that to you. Do you want me to talk to Amanda or your husband?”

“You sweet man, he’s done a lot worse, believe me. I think we’ll leave them to it. On the plus side, not traveling with him will be a relief, so don’t trouble yourself. Anyway, could you put me up for another couple of nights? My father’s flying down from Auckland to collect me, and perhaps stay a night himself, if you have room.”

“I’ll check with Chelsea, but if there are no vacancies you’re more than welcome to take over my house.”

“That’s very kind of you, and I wouldn’t say no. I love the view from up there.” She stood and placed a large hat on her head. “I’m sure you’ve got plenty to do, so I’ll leave you to it.”

“I won’t hear of it. Please join me for breakfast up at my place. I’ll send an order down, then you won’t have to eat with your husband’s entourage.”

“You certainly know how to look after your guests. Yes, that would be lovely. I should wait for my father, but I do have a few things I’d like to discuss with you, and now is as good a time as any.”

Jordan was puzzled, but Loretta seemed to know what she wanted and not at all worried about the fallout from last night. He walked her back up the stairs to his house feeling that sharing breakfast with her was the least he could do.

***

Megan almost bounced up the stairs to Jordan’s place. She couldn’t sleep, so she had crept out after leaving a note for Lisa. It was still early, but she had to tell Jordan how she felt about him and find out if last night meant the same to him. Waiting until Monday, and maybe then only being able to steal a few minutes, wasn’t an option. Neither was pretending to be patient.

She knocked on the door and Jordan opened it looking as handsome in his casual shirt and pants as he had last night in his suit.

“I thought I might check out your tattoo. Having a black fern on your arm almost makes you a New Zealander,” she teased.

“Come in, beautiful,” he said quietly.

He gave her his delicious smile, but didn’t kiss her the way she’d been looking forward to, and when she walked inside she could see why. Through the open bi-fold doors, she could see Loretta sitting on his deck nursing a coffee. The woman gave a small wave, the remnants of a shared breakfast littered the table beside her.

“I didn’t realize you had a guest. I can come back later.” She was already backing out the door, feeling a little sick.

“Don’t be silly. Loretta’s staying on for a few days and needs a room. Unfortunately, we’re fully booked, so she’ll be staying here.”

“I see.”

To her surprise Loretta began to laugh. “If you could only see the look on your pretty face. Your boyfriend’s doing me a kind favor, and that’s the extent of it. I promise you.”

Megan stiffened. “I wasn’t implying…”

“That he was being inappropriate? My dear girl, I’m nearly old enough to be his mother, and while I envy your taste in men, Jordan is an honorable man. Let me tell you, in this day and age, he’s a keeper if I ever saw one.”

She laughed again and Megan relaxed, wondering whether it was the money or the age of a person that gave them the ability to tell you what they thought, and to hell with niceties. Still, Loretta was right, Jordan was a keeper. Something that she’d decided when she’d woken up this morning alone and frustrated as hell.

Jordan had watched the exchange, looking anxious as the comprehension finally hit him that it might have looked like Loretta had spent the night. With him. It was actually very cute when he blushed.

They went out on the deck where Jordan pulled out a chair for Megan. Jordan sat on her other side, sharing a secretive smile with Loretta.

There was something going on here even if it wasn’t about sex.

“You tell her,” he said to Loretta.

“No, it’s your news.”

Megan looked from one grinning face to the other. “For goodness sake, someone tell me.”

Jordan took one of her hands between both of his. “It’s all supposition, but your answer will make a difference to my decision.”

He was positively beaming and he was squeezing her hand as if willing her to agree to whatever he was about to propose.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Jordan,” Loretta admonished.

“Stop talking in riddles. What’s going on?”

Jordan took a deep breath. “Loretta just told me that it’s her father who owns Global Plastics, not Sainsbury. A fact her husband forgot to mention and he may regret since as of Monday he will be handing the title over to Loretta.”

“I’ve been in the shadows too long and my father and I don’t want his sort of publicity any more. It’s time for a change, maybe for all of us,” Loretta added.

Megan was glad for their company but what did this have to do with her? “Where are both going with this?”

“Loretta would like to invest in Haven for her father’s company. She’d like me to manage it and train more managers like Chelsea. Then I’d look around for another place to do the same thing. Potentially in other countries.”

“Like a franchise?”

“Exactly. What do you think?”

What did she think? Jordan was excited but all Megan understood was that he would be leaving the resort and probably New Zealand.

“I think if that’s what you want, then you should do it. It certainly sounds like a wonderful opportunity. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really must get home.”

She stood, but Jordan was on his feet blocking her exit.

“Wait. Don’t you get it? You and the girls can come with me. We could travel all around the world. It would be an adventure.”

She wanted to do it; he made it sound so easy. To give up her life in Prossers Bay to travel with him when it suited him, dragging the girl’s from place to place, just like that. And then, when it got too hard with two children to cart around, would he move on? With Loretta sitting here, she couldn’t tell him what she thought, but she was incapable of hiding her anger or of putting her thoughts into a coherent sentence.

“No.”

Her heart racing and the blood pounding in her ears, Megan pushed past him and ran across the deck and down the path to her car.

Chapter Thirteen

“Megan! Don’t run away from me.”

Jordan’s hand grasped hers as she tried to put the key in the lock. Her hands shook so violently that the keys dropped to the ground and she rounded on him in frustration, furious that she could feel the tears about to spill.

“Don’t tell me what to do. I can’t believe you thought that you could dangle some money in front of me and I’d follow you around the world. I thought you finally understood me, but you’re like every other rich guy – you think you can have whatever and whoever you want.”

Jordan reeled like she’d slapped him. “How could you throw me into an overused cliché? What we’ve had lately, and what we had last night, should show you what you mean to me, and what I’d hoped to mean to you. Clearly I was wrong. Just like everything I’ve tried to do for you, you have to fight me at every damn step.”

“I don’t need anyone to help me. I can manage on my own. I managed for years without you to prop me up.”

“Managing? Is that what you call it? That house you live in needs everything doing to it, your bills were crippling you, and you had no life.”

“How dare you! You know nothing about me.”

“Don’t I? I know how different you’ve been, working in a job that satisfies you. Happier. I know how you feel in my arms. The way your body fits so perfectly with mine. The way you smell – like summer and roses. The sounds you make when we make love.”

“Stop it! If you’re talking about sex, you could be talking about any woman. Go and find yourself someone who wants to be ordered around and is happy to take your money, because I am not that woman.”

Jordan stepped back, the passion and excitement drained, and he looked at her coolly.

“You’ve made that clear. So many bloody times I’ve lost count, but I thought you would see me for who I am, if I just hung in there. I saw glimpses of the woman I wanted to share my life with, and yes, I’m terribly sorry, but I do have money. How incredibly crass of me to think that giving because I can might mean something to someone I love. I was stupid to think that it would be received in the same light. But then how could it, when your bias and insecurity, however justified in the past, blinds you to a happiness and a future we could have had.”