AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Suddenly, she felt utterly deflated, completely weary. Why hadn’t she just left as soon as Sonya got out of the pool? Her heart would at least be in one piece right now, if somewhat wounded, if only she’d done just that. Instead, now it was completely in shatters. “What exactly is it that you want from me, Jordan? Can you just come out and say it?”
“Damn it, Jess. I didn’t mean—”
He didn’t get a chance to finish. For the second time that afternoon, Elise happened to interrupt them. She opened the screen door again and popped her head out.
“Jess, any interest in staying for dinner? We’d love to have you.”
Jess didn’t take her eyes off Jordan’s face when she answered. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”
* * *
Jordan could only watch Jess as she stormed past him. By the time she reached the side of the house she was at a near jog. She couldn’t wait to get away from him.
“Please tell Sonya I had to leave and that I said goodbye,” she threw over her shoulder to Elise. The fury emanating off her could be felt even from this distance. What the hell had he done?
Elise came to stand next to him and they both watched her leave. “What did I miss?” she asked.
“Damned if I know.”
“Any chance you would know if you’d been paying attention?”
Jordan pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m not sure what that means but I had an idea the other day that I decided to share with her.”
“What kind of idea?”
Jordan explained in general terms. He barely had time to finish before Elise whirled on him. “You did what?”
“I don’t understand why my suggestion is so wrong.” The sound of Jess’s car door slamming echoed through the air from the driveway. “Why did it warrant that reaction?”
But Elise didn’t answer, simply rubbed her fingers over her forehead. “Oh, Jordan. What are we to do with you?”
* * *
Jordan was still wondering about the answer to Elise’s question as he walked back onto the patio later that evening. He was on his second glass of wine but the alcohol wasn’t doing much to dull the feeling of restlessness deep within his chest. Sonya was in bed for the night. Elise was apparently done dealing with him. She’d barely spoken during and after dinner. Then she’d retired to her cottage two hours ago.
Jess’s angry words resonated in his head. She’d said he had found a way to keep her at arm’s length while still close.
Was that really what he’d been trying to do when he’d made his offer? Even in some small way?
But that notion made no sense, regardless of what Jess thought his motives were. He would have tried to explain if she hadn’t stormed off the way she did. He’d simply seen how happy Sonya was to have Jess here. He’d seen the way Jess was genuinely invested in Sonya’s progress, the genuine affection in her eyes as she applauded his sisters efforts just this afternoon as she swam.
And Jess seemed so uncertain about her own future path. He figured he could help her along. It all seemed to fall into place as far as he was concerned.
Jordan swallowed another swig of the aged cabernet and cursed out loud. If there was even a possibility that he’d somehow used Jess’s affection for Sonya as any kind of leverage, even subconsciously, what did that say about him?
He didn’t want to examine that question too closely.
And there was also something else she’d said that he was trying not to examine. In her fury, she’d blurted out that she’d fallen in love with him. But surely she had to be exaggerating the sense of attraction she was feeling. Nothing more than that, he was certain. She didn’t know him well enough to be in love with him. Jess was confusing attraction and passion for love. He knew better. They may have been intimate in New York but their actions had been the result of an intense heat-of-the-moment passion where they’d both succumbed to desire.
He thought about calling her. To try and explain. Maybe he should even go over there to her apartment to do so face-to-face. That idea was nixed in an instant. He couldn’t explain what he didn’t have the words for. Plus, there was a high probability she would slam the door in his face.
