"I wasn't talking to you!" Jordan yelled back. A sheepish grin spread across his face. "Anyway, beer? Or I think we have wine somewhere."
Charlotte gently grabbed his hand. "A beer would be fine."
"Bring me one too!"
Jordan rolled his eyes and handed her a bottle from the fridge before going back in for two more. Then he nodded his head in the direction of what Charlotte assumed was his dining room.
"Ethan!" he called. "I have someone you want to meet."
Charlotte gave him a questioning look. His brother had wanted to meet her? This could be either really bad or really good. She followed Jordan into the dining room, only to find a pool table in the middle with a man standing next to it who Charlotte assumed was Jordan's brother. Sure enough, as soon as he turned and smiled at her, she easily recognized the blue eyes that matched Jordan's.
"You must be Charlotte," Ethan said, walking over to shake her hand.
"And you must be Ethan," she replied.
"Guilty." He grabbed his bottle of beer from Jordan's hand and raised it in Charlotte's direction. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Stone."
"Finally? You make it sound like I've become a legend here," she said as she looked over Ethan's shoulder to see Jordan scowling a bit.
"Oh, you have," Ethan replied. "But I promise it's been mostly good."
"Mostly? Well, that's better than I expected."
Jordan cleared his throat and came up to her, putting his hand on her lower back and sending a shiver up her spine. "Don't listen to him. It's all been good. I promise."
Ethan put his beer down on a bar table in the corner and grabbed his pool cue. "Want to play, Charlotte?"
"Actually, I was going to give her a tour of the house," Jordan said. "I thought I would try and impress her with our big television."
Charlotte couldn't help but give him a teasing smile. "I do like a big television," she said demurely.
Ethan grinned widely, but it was Jordan's reaction that she preferred. It was a mixture of amusement and embarrassment, she couldn't figure out which, but she liked it. "Let's go."
"Later, Charlotte!" Ethan yelled at them as they walked out.
Jordan showed her the big television in their living room first, making inappropriate comments about pressing its buttons and finding just the right spot to enjoy it. She really did want to see the whole house, but there was something about his voice turning raspy that made her feel warm all over. She hoped the rest of this tour would go quick. Jordan showed off his office with a dark hardwood desk in the middle that she could definitely appreciate. She would love sitting behind it sometime to get some writing finished, or perhaps do a few more sinful things on top of it. The basement had been turned into the brothers' man cave, which was a little surprising considering the whole house was pretty much a bachelor pad. The walls were lined with framed hockey jerseys from Hall of Fame players and pictures of Jordan with various trophies and medals.
And then it was up the stairs to the bedrooms. A set of double doors at the end of a long hallway led into Jordan's suite, and he made sure to open them with a bit of extra showmanship.
"Where the magic happens," he said teasingly. "I specifically bought the place because it has two master bedrooms. That way Ethan and I each have our own space without having to argue about whose is bigger."
"More innuendo about size?" She grinned and downed the rest of her beer, taking particular care to let the bottle linger on her lips a little longer than it should have.
Jordan walked over to her with a wicked smile. "You can't blame a man for trying to have a beautiful woman compliment him."
"You don't need to fish for compliments from me."
He reached out and gently grabbed the bottle from her to set it down on his dresser, then walked over to quietly shut the doors. He swaggered back over, his hand sliding seductively around Charlotte's waist to pull her closer. His kiss against her lips was slow and steady and considering how weak her knees were feeling, she was thankful for his arm around her.
He pulled away slightly to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. "Would you like to stay here tonight?"
Jordan seemed to be so self-assured most times, but then there were moments like this when he was alone with her and let himself be vulnerable. She couldn't help but find it comforting to know that he was looking to her for reassurance, and she was more than happy to give it.
"I would like to stay here tonight." She kissed his cheek, his scruff teasing her lips. "I would like it very much." Her lips made their way to his neck, gaining her a low moan from him that reverberated against her. "So very very much."
Jordan growled, pulling himself away from her far enough to sweep her off her feet and carry her over to his bed, gently lowering her on the pile of pillows that took up half the space. Charlotte smiled as she pulled him down to her. She was going to like sleeping here tonight — and doing so much more.
Charlotte rolled over to find herself alone in bed. Again. She didn't mind though. This was Jordan's house and Jordan's bed and all of it reminded her of him. She stretched out under his covers before pulling them back and heading for his closet. Her clothes were somewhere on the floor in a pile, and it would take too long to find them. She needed coffee now.
