He understood the doubts and uncertainties that had assailed her after everyone had left. Her lousy marriage had robbed her of the confidence she’d once had in spades. He intended to give it back to her.
Admittedly, though, he’d had his own moment of panic earlier, when he’d seen her coming down the stairs in a swirl of silk and lace. The tomboy he’d grown up with, the best friend he’d always relied on had been transformed into a fairy-tale princess, just as Dani had confided to him seconds before her mother had appeared.
The hope and trust he’d seen shining in Kelly’s eyes at that moment had frightened him. What if he couldn’t be the husband she deserved? What if his impulsive decision to claim her for himself shortchanged her? He’d been thinking mostly of himself when he’d proposed marriage. He’d tired of the chase, of the unceasing test of wills with women he never seemed to understand. He’d been anxious to settle down. Most of all, he’d wanted to do that with someone he knew and understood, someone uncomplicated.
From that instant on, however, he’d discovered that Kelly was perhaps the most complicated of any of the women he’d ever known and his feelings for her were far more complex than he’d ever imagined. When she’d appeared before him in her wedding gown, a vision of unexpectedly fragile loveliness, he’d wondered for the space of a heartbeat what he’d gotten himself into, if he was up to the challenge of making her happy.
And then she had been beside him, her hand tucked trustingly in his and he had known not another second’s doubt. He smiled to himself, satisfied that the gut instinct that often led him to take quick, decisive action in business had served him well in choosing a mate.
She stirred slightly in his arms, drawing his attention to the way her breasts shifted against his chest. Her wedding dress was hiked well up her shapely calves.
He thought again of her misplaced doubts and smiled to himself. Oh, he wanted her all right! For days now he’d been able to think of little else but making her his. He’d wanted to caress and explore and inflame. He’d wanted her to come apart beneath him and he wanted to see the flare of excitement and satisfaction in her eyes. He wanted to discover all of the facets to this woman, who’d suddenly become so incredibly intriguing to him, so sweetly, unexpectedly desirable.
“Jordan?”
“Hmm?”
“This is nice.”
“What is?”
“Sitting like this, with your arms around me.”
Nice? It was killing him. “Aren’t you hot with that dress on?” He’d stripped off his tuxedo jacket and tie long ago, but the room still felt stifling to him. To be honest, though, maybe the heat was emanating from him. Each time Kelly squirmed even a little, his body temperature rose another degree. Given the flush in her cheeks, she had to be feeling the same sort of heat, as well.
“I am hot,” she confirmed. “But I’m too comfortable to move.”
“What if I were to carry you upstairs?” he suggested in a choked voice.
“An interesting idea,” she replied, a teasing glint in her eyes.
“Was that a yes or a no?”
“I think a yes,” she said, then hesitated, before bestowing a tremulous smile on him. “Definitely a yes.”
Jordan’s heart was suddenly beating so hard he wasn’t sure he’d heard her correctly. “Now?”
“Now.”
With an eagerness that was far too telling, he scooped her into his arms. Cuddled against his chest, she looped her arms around his neck and settled her head against his shoulder. Her sweet breath fanned against his cheek. He was so stunned by the sensations spinning through him, he almost dropped her. A primitive need combined with an instinctive protectiveness swelled inside him.
Tightening his hold on her, he carried her up the stairs and headed straight for her bedroom. In the doorway, he came to a shocked and dismayed halt. The room was in chaos, filled with the scattered, feminine debris of two women and one child getting ready for a wedding.
“Whoops!” she murmured, then chuckled at the sight. “I’m sorry, Jordan. Put me down. I’ll have it all cleaned up in no time.”
“Isn’t there a guest room?” he asked, not even trying to hide his sense of urgency.
She grinned. “Sure there is. You know this house as well as I do, Jordan.”
“Well, then?”
“Twin beds,” she reminded him.
He groaned. “We’ll manage.”
“Jordan, you’re over six feet tall and I’m not exactly petite. If you think I’m sleeping in a twin bed with you, you’re nuts.”
“Who’s talking about sleeping?”
“Okay, doing anything with you in a twin bed. One of us is bound to topple to the floor.”
At the image she’d created, he felt a chuckle begin deep in his throat. “Exactly how energetic, are you?”
She blushed to the roots of her hair. “Jordan!”
“Okay, okay, I’ll help you straighten up in here.” He reluctantly lowered her to her feet. Before she could even move, he was tossing things off the bed and onto the floor. To his sincere regret, she was trailing along behind him, picking up each item and folding it neatly before tucking it away in a drawer or closet or laundry basket.
“Do you have to do that now?” he demanded impatiently.
“Jordan, you have waited years to get me into bed. In fact, for years, you didn’t appear the slightest bit interested in getting me to bed. Can’t you wait a few more minutes so it will be perfect?”
He found the equation between tidiness and perfection a bit disconcerting. “As long as you don’t decide to start ironing, too, I suppose I can wait.” He caught her gaze and held it. “And just so you know, I did think about getting you in bed back then. I just figured your father or mine would aim a shotgun straight at my backside if I did. I thought I was displaying admirable restraint in treating you like a lady.”
She grinned at him, obviously pleased by the discovery
