She Belongs to Me (5 page)

His eyes focused on the door every time it opened. He sat at a small table in the corner where she would sit
across from him. She would come,
he was certain. He saw something in her eyes. No doubt, she felt the instant attraction, too.

It was after nine o’clock. How long would he wait? Until they closed and if she didn’t show…what then? Would he return to the restaurant tomorrow and allow her to reject him again? Yes, without a moment’s hesitation.

The door opened again. He glanced up, and she was there.

Unable to masquerade his elation, he smiled wide and stood as she walked toward him. He pulled out the chair for her to sit. She was more reserved, but smiled back warmly.

Jaynee had removed her barrette, and her hair fell around her shoulders and down her back in light curls. Her full lips glistened, beckoning a kiss. He was wrong. She wasn’t just pretty, she was beautiful. How had he not noticed how breathtaking she was?

Jordan sat back down in his chair. “Thank you for not standing me up. I don’t think my self-esteem could have taken it,” he admitted.

“Well, you didn’t leave me any choice. I didn’t want you sitting here all night waiting, and it didn’t appear as if you were going to accept ‘no’ for an answer. Why is that?” She chuckled, shaking her head, clearly mystified by his insistence. It was nice to hear her laugh. She’d been so serious earlier.

“I honestly don’t know.” He smiled. “What would you like to drink?”

“A vanilla latte…”

Her answer was immediate but sounded more like a question, uncomfortable, as if she wasn’t accustomed to having things purchased for her.

Jordan walked to the counter to order her drink. He liked that she knew what she wanted. He hated when women couldn’t make simple decisions. Her selection was also uncomplicated, not a total frou-frou drink. He drank his coffee black. Years in the military warranted that practice. What most women consumed hardly resembled coffee
anymore.

He watched Jaynee while waiting for her beverage. Why
hadn’t
he accepted “no” for an answer? It wasn’t his first rejection. That wasn’t his motivation. It didn’t bother him she said “no”. What troubled him was the
idea of never seeing her again. He wanted to open her cover. He wanted to discover everything about her.

He couldn’t just tell her that. However, he’d attempt to be as straightforward as possible and could only hope he wouldn’t frighten her away.

He picked up her coffee when it was set on the counter and gave the lady behind the counter a thankful nod.

As h
e placed her steaming latte in front of her
,
Jordan couldn’t contain a chuckle when he thought about what he was doing. “Now I’m waiting on you,” he said, leaning closer, so close he could smell her. Darn, she smelled incredible. He detected a slight grin, but then she gnawed on her bottom lip. Something made her apprehensive.

“Thank you. And thank you for being such a gentleman. Men don’t stand when women enter a room, pull out chairs for them to sit or insist they have coffee with them anymore, do they? Though, I’m not sure that last aspect constitutes gentlemanly behavior.”

He took the seat across from her and just smiled at her comment. Her eyes flicked toward the door, then down at her coffee. Was she afraid of someone walking in and seeing her with him? She didn’t have a ring. That was the first thing he looked for before asking her out.

Her eyes returned to him. “Why did you want to have coffee with me when you don’t even live here?” She flashed a half-hearted attempt at a smile.

“I honestly don’t know.” He paused for an instant and gave some thought to what he wanted to tell her. “I don’t want to scare you, but I felt something from the
moment our eyes met.” She didn’t rocket from her chair again…a positive indication. So he continued. “It didn’t matter we didn’t know each other or if I lived in another country. I just couldn’t walk away always wondering, ‘What if’. Does that make sense?”

She gave him a real smile this time, but then fiddled with her stirrer stick, swirling her coffee. “I admit that is why I accepted your invitation, but it doesn’t make sense. Those things don’t happen in reality, only in movies. Real life is harsh
;
there are no fairytales.” Her eyes were worried, but she remained seated. She hadn’t darted for the door yet. She took a sip from her coffee. “This will keep me up all night you know.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, shaking his head and sighing. “So you don’t believe people can have an instant attraction to each other?”

“Sure I do.” She huffed. It almost sounded like a laugh.
“A physical one.
But then after the initial attraction wears off, they’ll show their real stripes.” Her eyes returned to her cup.

Just when he thought he
’d
broke
n
through her guard, she’d thrown him a curve ball. “
Wow
…it sounds
as if
someone did a number on your heart.” She shrugged, and he knew he’d stumbled onto something. “And since you’ll be up all night,” he grinned when her eyes grew wide,” I’d be happy to stay up with you and listen if you want to talk.”

Jaynee sucked in a deep breath then exhaled sharply, shaking her head. “I’m damaged goods, trust me. I’m not worth you staying up all night.” She took another deep
breath as if intending to say more but decided against it and turned her head away.

She probably anticipated him to charge the exit. Maybe she wanted him to retreat. Perhaps the majority of men would comply with her wishes, but he couldn’t force himself to budge. He wanted to know more.

“Jaynee…can I call you Jaynee?” He kept his voice low and soft.

“Yes…I suppose. I actually like it.” She returned her eyes to his. They were misty. He decided to change the subject.

“Perfect. I do too.” He kept his expression light, hoping he hadn’t pushed her. He really wanted to connect with her. “What do you like to do for fun, Jaynee?”

“Not much. I work and go to college. Spend my free days at the beach or with my grandmother. She is the only positive thing in my life.” She smiled at the mention of her grandmother. So they had at least one thing in common. They were both close with their grandmothers.

Jaynee felt herself relax as Jordan fired questions at her.

He hadn’t run away when she tried to frighten him off. He seemed generally interested in her boring existence.

He asked her about her favorite movies, books and music. He asked about her major in school, her family—but that was a short subject—where she had visited and where she wanted to go.

Jordan’s life was much more interesting. He was an army brat. He had lived all over the world as a kid and then joined the service himself when he was nineteen. He liked scuba diving, camping, hiking, kayaking and countless of other activities she
’d
never dreamed of but now found herself wanting to learn.

But the most impressive quality she learned about Jordan was why he was in Clearwater.

Several hurricanes had struck Florida in the last couple of months. Jordan had been working in South West Florida after Hurricane Charlie hit Punta
Gorda
, doing construction work. He was on his way home when Frances came through this area. There wasn’t a lot of damage, but he stopped by a local church to see if he could offer assistance before he left town. He
’d
spent the last two days cleaning up and making small repairs.

Who was this man, and how had he turned up in her booth? He seemed genuinely good, but she had thought that before. None of the guys she dated were good. If he really was a good man, what did he see in her? If he knew everything, would he still be interested?

“So, Jaynee,” Jordan drawled after they had talked for hours. “Will you honor me with a
real
date?” His accent and smile flabbergasted her. How could she resist? She couldn’t help but notice the erratic beating of her heart every time he smiled.

“I’m not off again until Saturday. Will you still be around?” She hoped, but then wondered if seeing Jordan again would be an intelligent decision.

“I don’t think I have a choice. I would like to finish the book.”

“What does that mean?” Her look of confusion must have humored him. His smile broadened.

“It’s just something I learned from my mother.” He ignored her question and continued. “Can I see you before Saturday…breakfast, lunch or coffee again?” His voice was low and intense, his eyes persuasive. Her heart reacted again without warning. This was not good. If she was feeling like this now, she could only imagine how she would feel on a
real
date, and then he would leave.

“I have school tomorrow and work again tomorrow night.” The words flowed on their own accord, as if she didn’t know her own mind. “But I will meet you for coffee again tomorrow evening if that’s all right. I’ll try to be here by nine. It depends on how busy we are.”

Suddenly, she was thrilled at the idea of him wanting to see her again but managed to keep her emotions intact. She couldn’t mistake desire for something else. He was a stranger from out of town. Where could this possibly lead?

She gathered up her purse and keys. It was late. They had talked for hours and time had slipped away from her.

Jordan stood up and held the chair for her again. They walked out of the coffee shop, and he walked her through the parking lot. He held his arm behind the small of her back, barely touching her as he escorted her to her car. It was more of a protective action than a romantic gesture, but a feeling of warmth soared through her at his slight touch.

She paused at her vehicle before opening the door. Would he kiss her, she wondered. She licked her lips in anticipation.

Jordan inhaled deeply as he lowered his head. He brushed his fingertips under her chin and pulled her face within inches of his. “You are lovelier than words, Jaynee, and you don’t smell like a restaurant…actually, you smell like vanilla. I’ll be waiting to see you tomorrow.” He took a step backward.

She opened the car door and climbed in, sighing. Jordan shut the door and gave her a little wave. Jaynee stared at him in her rearview mirror. He stood there watching her as she drove away.

Embarrassed at her reaction to his words and touch, she felt her cheeks burn. She’d wanted him to kiss her. Her entire body felt as if it
were
on fire. This is bad. This is not smart, Jaynee. She giggled at the name he bestowed, now in the privacy of her car. “Jaynee
,
” she repeated, aloud this
time, liking the way it sounded
but then proceeded to rebuke herself swiftly, “What have you gotten yourself into this time?”

Jordan jumped into his truck and followed Jaynee home, careful to keep his distance.

He hated the idea of following her. No doubt what she would think if she detected his shadowing. But he couldn’t bear for her to drive home alone, unprotected.

What was he thinking? She drove herself home every night. Why did he feel this overwhelming need to protect her? He couldn’t explain it, but there was something about her, and he wasn’t about to leave
without having a chance to finish the book. He just hoped there would be an opportunity to write himself into her story.

He had wanted to kiss her something fierce. His entire being longed for her, and he could see she was attracted to him as well, but he’d restrained himself. Something told him this might be his last first-kiss. It should be special, not standing in a parking lot. Still, the emotions were powerful.

He wanted to sprint up to her once she pulled in her driveway
,
but he couldn’t. She’d run in terror. She would definitely think he was stalking her. He would have to be patient. But he didn’t know if he could. Jaynee had gotten under his skin, unlike no women ever had. Letting her go wasn’t an option.

63

Jaynee spent extra time getting ready the next morning. She decided to toss a change of clothes, a little makeup and her vanilla-scented body spray and lotion in her bag. It had surprised her that Jordan noticed the fragrance.

For not wanting to see him again, she was certainly going through a lot of trouble. She blow-dried and straightened her hair, an undertaking that took an extra twenty minutes, only to end up pulling it back; it wasn’t permissible to work with it down. The Florida humidity would have it curling up by this evening, but at least the curls would be soft, not wild looking.

The day at school dragged. She found herself checking the clock every five minutes. She wanted to call in sick to work but needed the money. Besides, he hadn’t given her his number. So he could have already left town, and she may never see him again. She couldn’t blame him if he decided to stand her up. After all, she
’d
tried to warn him off.

Her words hadn’t seemed to bother him. He even tried to make her feel better when he saw her eyes water up. He couldn’t have missed her reaction, and yet, he remained seated, even managed to turn the conversation to a more pleasant topic.