Page 61

My brain tingles with curiosity. Why does he want to get us all alone? What's he planning to talk about? If it's Dezmond, we can do it here in my parked car. Maybe he's worried his son will see us since we're near the courthouse. “Yeah. I know a place.”

It's a drive with a lot of swerves in the road. Each one makes me sway towards him, then away again, like I'm a top-heavy daisy in a breezy meadow. Jordan never moves. He resists gravity, his head canted toward his window, so when I glance over, I see the hockey-stick shape of his jaw where it connects with his ear. I never got to kiss him there. I'd like to.

“Here we are,” I say, pulling my car across the sand covered stretch of flat ground. Jordan sits forward, gauging the area with interest. My little cove rests at the base of a cliff, visible only from certain spots on the road and easily missed because of the rocks curling around like a pair of cupping hands.

“What is this place?” he asks.

“It's where I used to come when I was searching for special pieces of sea glass. The best ones wash up in areas like this, where other people can't find them first.”

He turns to squint at me. “Used to?”

Ignoring his question, I put the car in park, kill the engine. “We're as secreted away as we can be. What did you want to talk about?”

Everything,he'd said before we left the courthouse.

I wait, watching him closely, hand choking my seatbelt. The early day's sun bounces off my windshield, creating a halo-like glow around Jordan's head. But when he stares at me, his eyes remind me of devil's fire. “You can't marry Dezmond. I won't let you do it.”

My laugh comes out twisted and wrong. It's too loud for the car's interior. “When did you make this decision for me? Before or after you showed up to be his witness? No, wait, better—was it before you kissed me? Before you messed with my head in your little secret room?”

Jordan visibly recoils. “I wasn't messing with you.”

“Oh, you were. What else do you call teasing me until I beg, then turning me down and forcing me out the door in a last second rejection?”

“I didn't reject you!”

“Guess I remember everything wrong.”

He swings his head side to side, eyes tightening, creating little wrinkles. They remind me of his age, and that he should know better than to try and control me. “Lori, please listen.”

“Huh. I get why you liked it when I said please.” I manage a bitter smile. “It's satisfying making someone beg.” I wait for him to shoot something back at me. Instead, he goes quiet, his green eyes shining with something I can't place.

He whispers, “You're right. I should apologize for what I did. It seems pointless at this stage to do that, though.”

“Why would you say that?”

“The number of things I'm going to do that require an apology are about to stack up.” He gives me a light smile. “Best to get them out of the way so I can be efficient and grovel only once.” He unbuckles himself, I expect him to get out of my car.

Leaning forward, he consumes the empty air between us, eats my last breath, kisses me to feel how I yield. And I doyield, because as furious as I am, I prayed he'd do this. I want answers about why he rejected me … but I wanthimmost of all.

“Jordan,” I whimper.

He reaches down, unclips my seatbelt. “This is in the way,” he says, before kissing me again. Soft as possible he runs his tongue across mine. Pressing his tastebuds to the roof of my mouth, then along my teeth, until I'm shuddering with ecstasy from justkissing.My hands snatch at his sweatshirt. “No,” he commands, pinning my hands in one of his.

“Come on,” I complain, straining to kiss him again. There's not a lot of places for him to run away from me.

He lets out a rasp; his other hand solidly lands on my throat. If you'd asked me before now, I'd declare, with certainty, that I'd hate being choked. My pussy melts from the intensity of his grip. I've never been touched as savagely as this.

Watching me closely, judging my reactions, he whispers, “We go at my pace. Not yours, sweet bird.”

I can't move my head well. I give him the best nod I can manage. “Okay.”

“Good.” He smirks in a knowing way. That devilish look makes my core tighten, the rush of arousal and pressure of his palm creating haze on the edges of my vision. Jordan is in charge of the speed of our next kiss.

I'm trapped in my seat, under this gorgeous beast of a man, while he does what he wants. It's what I want, too, and he knows that. It's clear in his cocky grin whenever I whimper. My hips grind in the driver's seat, knees pushing together. He leans away to look me in the eye. “You're so ready, Lorikeet. Your pussy is aching right now.”

“Yes,” I admit.

“Does rubbing your thighs together like this remind you of when I pet your needy cunt before?”