Sandy - Vested Interest

I blinked. Then again. I sipped the last of my wine. I looked down where our fingers were still clasped together. I wasn’t worried about Jordan pressuring me, and given what a thoughtful man he was, it shouldn’t surprise me he had thought about our future. He would consider all factors in such a major decision.

“All right, then.”

“Good. Glad we cleared the air.” He winked. “I told Gina we’d been on a date.”

“How did she take it?”

He smiled. “She was shocked I’d waited as long as I did to ask you. Apparently, Sandy, I talk about you a lot.”

I had no response to that statement. “Oh.”

“She is fine with it, by the way. She just wants me to be happy.”

“And I make you happy?”

He smiled, and once again, I felt the reassuring press of his fingers. “You do.”

I was surprised at the words I uttered.

“You make me happy too, Jordan.”Two hours later, we headed to the car. Neither of us was exactly drunk, but we weren’t sober either. The food was wonderful, the wine delicious, and the courses more decadent as the night progressed. The final pairing of a Canadian ice wine with a rich, thick brownie dipped in the darkest of chocolate was addictive. We enjoyed the ice wine so much, Jordan announced we were going to go to the winery and purchase some this weekend. I had no problem with his decision.

He nodded, his voice firm. “It can count as one of the dates.”

I was sure I giggled, but I must have been mistaken. I never giggled.

Once in the car, Jordan slipped his arm around me, holding me close to his side. The driver told us a concert had just let out and the traffic was heavier than usual this time of night. Jordan waved him off.

“Not a problem.”

The driver chuckled and raised the partition. I frowned.

“Why did he do that?”

“Maybe because he knew I was going to do this,” Jordan’s voice was pitched low. He slipped his hand under my chin, turning my face to his. Then his lips—those full, soft lips—were on mine.

He kissed me gently, our mouths moving together seamlessly. He slanted his head, cupping the back of my neck and bringing me closer. The kiss deepened. His tongue twisted with mine, stroking and tasting.

Chocolate. Cinnamon. Jordan.

The combination was heady, and I wanted more of it. I wrapped my hands around his neck and pulled him closer, letting him lead. The effect of the earlier alcohol was nothing compared to how drunk I was on his caresses. Endlessly, we kissed, sharing touches and whispered words of wonder. He discovered the spot behind my ear that drove me crazy. I found that he loved the feel of my tongue on his neck.

We both determined we lost track of time, and when the car stopped. I realized we’d been making out like teenagers for thirty minutes. We broke apart, both of us breathing hard. Jordan straightened his tie, shook his head to clear it, and slipped from the car, offering me his hand. He walked me to my door, waiting as I unlocked it. I felt the heat of him behind me, caught a whiff of his sexy cologne that was now soaked into my clothing from being pressed against him. His breath drifted across my neck, making me shiver. My fingers shook as I tried to get the key into the lock, and with a low chuckle, he covered my hand with his and steadied it.

He followed me inside, shutting the door. His gaze was warm, his smile indulgent. He traced one finger down my cheek, stopping at my mouth. Lazily, he ran his finger along my bottom lip.

“You are sweet. Addictive.” He lifted his eyebrow. “Dangerous.”

“I could say the same.”

He leaned down and kissed me. The lightest brush of his mouth on mine. “Then I guess it’s a good thing we’re together.”

I barely recognized my voice. “I guess so.”

He stepped away. “It amazes me how difficult it is to walk away from you already.”

I swallowed. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Text me when you get home.”

He lifted my hand and kissed it. “Goodnight.”JordanBentley and Aiden glanced at each other after I explained what I was interested in.

“How big a condo unit do you want, Jordan?” Bentley asked.

“I was thinking a two-bedroom. I can use the spare room as an office and a guest room for when my daughter visits.”

He nodded, concentrating on the screen in front of him. “We have three left. Plus a three-bedroom. It’s on the top floor, great views, and is actually the best value for money, square-foot wise.”

“I’m trying to downsize, Bentley. The three-bedrooms are over twenty-two-hundred square feet.”

Aiden spoke up. “Some, like Maddox’s, are larger. The one we have is in building B and was made a little smaller because the person who shares that part wanted a larger unit. The three- bedroom is just under two-thousand square feet.”