Perhaps Brooke needed a reminder of the scars an absentee father could leave on a child.
Jordan waited for the waitress to finish serving their after-dinner lattes before he reached across to take her hand. “Would you like to fly down to the Bahamas and get away from the paparazzi?”
Her eyes lit as bright as the oversized flickering candle between them. “Yes.”
His hand over hers, he thumbed along the soft inside of her palm. “Visit your half sister.”
“Definitely, yes.” She sagged back in her seat, the relaxed atmosphere of the nightclub and music appearing to calm her more than anything else this week.
Might as well go for broke. He explored the smooth skin and perfect manicure.
“And tie the knot.”
She snatched her hand away. “No, thank you.”
He kept his smile in place and chased her hand back down, soothing her with a kiss over her knuckles. He lingered to nip the gold band on her thumb. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I can stop dating a guy who won’t listen.”
That caught him off guard. He never overplayed his hand. Although it had been a while since he’d dated, after all. In fact, he’d broken things off with his last relationship shortly before that first night with Brooke.
And there hadn’t been anyone since then. A fact he wasn’t ready to consider for too long. “You would really cut us off from being together, after the great week we’ve had, just because I want to marry you?”
“I don’t like being manipulated.”
A smart man listened, and he’d never been accused of being stupid. “I asked you a simple question, which you answered. I’ll back off.”
“As long as you understand. I watched my parents live in a loveless marriage. It destroyed them and hurt all of us. Maybe that’s something you can’t grasp.”
Apparently he hadn’t overplayed at all. She’d just shared a vital piece of information with him. But Jordan also understood that he had pushed as far as he could for one night. He’d won on the dating issue, and that was going well. So he would continue with the dates. Have her sister Cassie add persuasive insights for Brooke. Let the romantic Bahamas work some magic.
And keep the engagement ring/wedding band set in his pocket ever-ready for use.
Chapter 5
The Bahamas midday sun baking overhead, Brooke stared out the limousine window and stretched her legs in front of her. The hem of her skirt teased her calves, her whole body hyperaware of the smallest caress ever since Jordan had reawakened every last hungry hormone inside her. Who would have thought a pregnant women could be so sensually focused on a nonstop basis?
Brooke plucked at her loose peasant blouse, the limo suddenly stuffy. Their morning flight had been early and a bit tiring, but already she could feel the tension seeping from her muscles with each mile closer to seeing her half sister. And how awesome to be away from all the media scrutiny.
If only her need for Jordan didn’t make her so physically edgy.
She couldn’t deny that Jordan had come up with the perfect way to spend their weekend. She only wished she could gauge his feelings. The man never gave anything away. He just kept that sexy smile and sleepy-eyed look focused on her, always lightly, teasingly touching her in some way.
Like now.
Jordan ’s thumb caressed the inside of her wrist. “How do you feel?”
Oh, if only he knew. She’d entertained the most vivid dreams about him just the night before, her imagination cut loose in sleep to imagine all the things he could do to her body with just his talented touch.
“I’m fine, just a little tired. But mellow, totally.” She swept a hand to encompass the seaside road leading up to her sister’s estate in an exclusive gated community of stucco homes. “Who wouldn’t be relaxed at a place like this?”
“You should take it easy,” he said for about the fiftieth time this week, making her wonder if he was avoiding her bed out of concern for her health.
“It’s not as if I worked this morning. I only flew in an airplane, for goodness’ sake.
I even called my doctor before we left to get an official okay to travel.
Remember?”
“I want to meet this guy.” A twitch flicked in the corner of his eye. “Check his credentials.”
She resisted the urge to go on the defensive. Of course he wanted to interview the physician who would deliver their child. She would feel the same way in his position.
“Her credentials, and you can come to the next appointment.”
“That’s it?” His tic stopped. “No arguing?”
“My family always says I’m the peacemaker type.”
“Peacemaker.” He frowned. “I would rather you be honest with me than hide your feelings.”
That sounded too much like the start of a conversation that could steal her deliciously pleasant imaginings of running her hands down his bare, sun-warmed chest. Thank goodness the limo pulled to a stop outside her sister Cassie’s rambling home. She’d seen Cassie often enough since their father’s will was read, but this was the first time Brooke had visited the Bahamas mansion.
The driver opened her car door, and she swung her legs out. Conversation would have to wait anyway as her sister already waited for her on the front porch, a towering man just behind her—Brandon Washington, Cassie’s fiancé and the Garrison family lawyer.
Gold-and-green garland framed the entranceway and the couple, reminding Brooke that holidays should be spent with relatives. Cassie had lost not only her father this year, but her mother, as well. Brooke was glad to see that Cassie appeared to be moving past the grief and on with her life.
If only they could have consoled each other. However, forging a relationship with Cassie had taken all the Garrison siblings time. Brooke resolved to lure Brittany here with her once things settled down after the wedding.
Jordan ’s shadow stretched over her. Was the man able to sense when she even thought the word wedding?
The realization reminded her how dangerous it might be to indulge her fantasies about Jordan this weekend. She needed to be careful not to wade in over her head with this man, something she feared would be all too easy to do given the magnetic spell he held over her.
Brooke angled her head back to whisper, “ Jordan , do you want to know what would honestly relax me the most right now?”
“Absolutely.”
“Could you and Brandon make yourselves scarce so I can have some low-key alone time with my sister?”