Love's Paradise (11 page)

J
ordan watched her leave. He considered going after her, but knew it would be a mistake for both of them. Instead, he gathered up his things, locked the office and headed out. Cleveland was coming toward the trailer just as he locked the door. “Good night, Cleveland.”

“Jordan, I was just coming to get you, got a minute?”

“Sure, what's up?”

“I think you might want to see this.”

Jordan walked with Cleveland to the secondary site. It was obvious even in the darkness that someone had been there. The ground around the area
was dug up in several places and one of the other security guards was carefully putting a metal flashlight into a Ziploc bag. “Did you find anybody?”

“No, just the flashlight. The battery was dead,” Cleveland said. “Whoever did this was unprepared this time.”

Jordan shook his head. “Close the circle on this.”

Cleveland nodded his head to the other security guard.

Jordan turned and headed back to the front of the site.

“Whoever did this knows exactly what they're doing and what's going on up here,” said Cleveland. “They're looking for something and I don't think they found it, which means they'll be back. And we'll be ready. I suggest we install some surveillance cameras along the back fence over there. It looks like that was the point of entry.”

Jordan nodded. Cleveland was the best of the best when it came to security. He intended to leave everything up to him. “I'll talk to Ian and Tamika tomorrow. I want you to get whatever you need to finish this. Put it in yourself. I want this done quietly, just the four of us.”

Cleveland nodded. “Understood. I'll take care of it.”

Jordan went back to the office, picked up a box and closed the office door behind him. Maybe he would do as Ian suggested and take the weekend
off. It was something he hadn't done in a long time. Maybe a little R & R was just what he needed. He locked the door, waved to the security guards and headed to his truck. He put the box on the passenger seat and took off for the night.

He caught the last ferry off the island that evening. On the way back to the mainland he usually made calls or followed up on emails during the twenty-minute boat ride across the bay, but tonight his mood was introspective.

Making love to Sheri Summers was a calculated move. He had decided to catch her off guard. He succeeded. What he hadn't expected was to feel the way he felt afterward. He wanted more. He liked the way she tasted and felt in his arms. Women were usually putty in his hands. A little charm and charisma and he could get them to do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. He needed to find a way to charm Sheri. If she made a big deal about this, his plan would have failed and he had no intention of letting that happen.

He thought about the first night he met Sheri at Mamma Lou's house months ago. He had liked her instantly and that was the problem. It was an obvious setup and he refused to be manipulated like a pawn in a chess game and yield to Mamma Lou's matchmaking. So he dismissed her without giving her a chance. He knew he had hurt her feelings, and he regretted it. Now he wasn't sure if this was more
about that moment than her desire to claim some artifacts that he wasn't sure were even there.

He stood out on the deck of the ferry, leaned on the railing and looked out into the darkness as the boat cut through the water. The clouds were heavy and a thin veil of moisture hung in the air. The sound of thunder rolled in the distance and his thoughts seemed to roll with them. He knew Aunt Ellen and Mamma Lou both had his best interests at heart. They just didn't understand. What was so wrong with being single? A thought immediately popped into his head. What was so right?

As soon as the ferry docked he got off and headed to his car. He often drove Interstate 95 like it was his own personal autobahn. Tonight was no exception. He zipped in and out of traffic with the skill of a Formula 1 driver. Thankfully the highway was nearly empty. It wasn't the fact that he was running late that pushed him so hard tonight. It was thinking about Sheri. Something happened between them. He felt it and he knew she felt it, too.

Admitting that he liked her when he saw her months ago was easy. He did. What red-blooded man wouldn't? Sheri was beautiful, intelligent and passionate. She had a perfect body with just right curves to make a man drool, a stunning face and she exuded enough sexual appeal to have a man walking sideways for weeks. But it was her unassuming nature, her innocence that got him. She was
a woman that needed to have a man by her side, but it wouldn't be him.

He liked his freedom and enjoyed his lifestyle just the way it was. The women he usually dated were glamorous businesswomen who worked around-the-clock like he did. Their relationships had been mainly physical with little or no emotional attachment. In the past two years he had dated a CEO, a doctor, a lawyer and a model. They all fit perfectly into his well-ordered life. As soon as one got too clingy he broke it off. He was never in any danger of falling in love. Things never got serious. He made sure of that.

He smiled. He had certainly thought about Sheri from time to time, but never contacted her. But now, after their sexual tryst, he couldn't stop thinking about her. The kiss they shared had started a fire burning inside of him. And this time, he wasn't willing to walk away. He wanted more.

He drove past Hamilton Development's Virginia office and decided to go home instead. It had been a long day and an even longer week. He needed to relax with a nice hot shower and a comfortable bed.

T
he dreams came in an endless parade of erotic fantasies one right after the other, each more arousing and steamy than the last. In the first dream, Jordan was back on the deck of the ferry. Sheri was there in the darkness waiting for him when he walked out. He couldn't see her, but knew she was there. He sensed her. And then he felt her. She touched him. Her hand seemed to pass right through him. Almost immediately their clothes vanished. He reached out to her and felt the softness of her naked body.

He pressed her closer to him and they immediately connected. In an instant they were in
each other's arms. He lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his body and there on the ferry deck, against the rail, they began to make sweet, precious love. It was a slow, seductive pleasure. In and out he dipped with every stroke, taking his time with each long, torturous withdrawal, then alternating with deep, penetrating thrusts. His eyelids were shut tightly as the seductive images faded in and out of his mind.

In his dream, they were outside on the beach under the stars. He lay back, still inside of her as she sat astride him, impaled atop his body. He felt her warmth and tightness surround him. He reached up and touched her face then let his hand gently roam down to her neck and shoulders. He cupped her breasts and ran his thumbs over her taut nipples. She gasped and arched her back. He leaned upward, captured and tasted the sweet flavor of her skin, the rounded flesh of her breasts and the pebbled bud of her nipple.

She gasped then plunged down onto him again and again, riding him in slow motion like the gentle waves that crested against their bodies. He watched her hips gyrate and felt his own need surge as their pace quickened. The rhythm of her body matched the beating of his heart. Soon they were insatiable in their pursuit of pleasure. Her body hovered low over his. He took her breasts into his mouth, tormenting her with the tip of his tongue as his hands
massaged her rear, pressing her closer, deeper and harder.

He closed his eyes as his body tensed, drawing strength as he came closer to his climax. In the next dream the setting had changed again. They were in the trailer. He plunged into her with reckless abandon, pinning her back against his drawing table, which was almost at a right angle. They were a frantic coupling of raging desire. He suckled, she nibbled. He kissed, she burned. He felt the pain of her nails gouging his shoulders, but it didn't matter. Grinding, pumping, surging, their bodies were joined as their passions were the verge of an explosive release. Harder and deeper he thrust, angling his body just enough with each plunge to stimulate her engorged clitoris.

She moaned and groaned in fevered delight as he watched her come. Her eyes blazed with passion and desire as she seemed to beg for more, in fact demanded more. He readily obliged, watching her come again and again. He gave relentlessly. Then with unabashed need, he filled her with everything inside of him. They screamed their pleasure as his body stiffened and exploded, just as her image vanished. He reached out for her, but there was nothing—just air.

He awoke tangled in his bedsheets, while the dreams still echoed in his mind. He lay awake the rest of the night listening to the rain hitting the sky
lights above his bed. He reached out across the bed to the emptiness beside him, knowing he was alone and wondering what she was doing right now.

 

Sheri lay back, took a deep breath and released it slowly. Her heart still trembled. The dream was a mix of erotic foreplay and unsatisfied lust. It came out of nowhere and took her by surprise. She closed her eyes and willed her body to relax, but still her thoughts wandered back to her somnolent fantasy.

That's when she smelled it. It was a light woodsy scent. It was warm and comforting and it surrounded her. It seemed to reach out and touch her. She remembered it. Jordan wore that scent. She opened her eyes quickly, sat up and looked around. There was no one there, of course. But it seemed so real, felt so real, like he was actually there in the room with her.

She lay back down and closed her eyes again, this time letting the feeling overtake her. The scent was back and there was more. She felt his arm around her waist pulling her to his body just like before. This time she went willingly. The warmth of his breath caressed the nape of her neck. A superheated fluid that felt like molten lava flowed through her body. Then she felt his mouth on her neck—kissing her, teasing her and tasting her everywhere. She felt her body begin to warm.

She eased back as her body relaxed in what
seemed like slow motion. He was there with her. Their bodies merged and they began to move in a slow, undulating motion. Her thighs tensed as Jordan's desire began to seep inside her. She screamed his name over and over again as his sexual pleasure drove her beyond the brink of ecstasy.

She awoke moments later still calling his name. She opened her eyes and looked around. She realized she was alone in her bed in the middle of the night, her erotic dream interrupted by the rumble of thunder in the distance. She got up slowly and went to the balcony of her apartment. She opened the door and stepped outside.

The cool breeze immediately swept through her. There had been another brief rain shower and the temperature had dropped considerably. She wrapped her hands around her body and looked out across the courtyard. The quiet surroundings always gave her a sense of peace. Being on the top floor, she had the perfect view of downtown Crescent. Even with the heavy cloud cover and the cold, misty rain, she found the panoramic view comforting.

She tried to imagine what it was like almost a hundred and fifty years ago. Newly freed slaves were arriving on the island, hoping for a new life, a better life. They left a legacy of perseverance and determination—not just to survive but thrive—behind, providing historians a glimpse into their
daily lives. She thought about Crescent Point. She had to do something. Future generations were depending on her to preserve that legacy.

What she didn't want to do was think about the dream she'd just had. But ignoring it wasn't working. Jordan was still on her mind. She licked her lips and almost tasted him. This was what her grandmother called her sensory gift. It was when she had a feeling inside that was so strong it took her to another place. She could sense what was about to happen. She could sense the future. But Sheri didn't want this future. As far as she was concerned, she and Jordan were never going to be together.

She turned abruptly and went back inside, closing and locking the balcony doors securely as if to close off her feelings. She lay back on the bed and willed herself to dream about something else, anything else. She drifted back to sleep, but couldn't shake his presence. So she gave in and dreamed about Jordan all over again.

A
t about six o'clock, dawn finally pierced the Northern Virginia darkness. The day promised to be breezy, warm and partly sunny after a passing early-morning shower, according to the weatherman. Jordan was doubtful, however, despite the forecast. Lately, everything seemed to be conspiring against him.

It was still dark when he hit the road at half past six. He dipped his head low as the rain poured from the visor of his cap like a waterfall. The shower was more than he'd expected. But it didn't bother him. He barely noticed. Breathe in, breathe out. The four-mile jog he'd intended to make that morning
had turned into a ten-mile run at marathon-speed. He needed this. Unfortunately, the harder he pushed the less he felt it. What was he thinking asking a question like that? No wonder he'd had erotic dreams last night.

He never gave in to emotion. It was a weakness he couldn't afford. And women were usually the cause of men becoming weak. His father had had a weakness for his mother until the day she walked out on him. Even after she left, he wanted her back. Jordan never could understand that. If that was love, he didn't want any part of it. He'd always told himself that it was against his nature to fall in love, and this was no time to start thinking otherwise.

He pressed harder still, running, working his body until he felt his legs begin to burn. A sleepless night could do that to a man. A troubled night could do that, too. But a restless, sleepless night thinking about Sheri Summers had done him in. Never had he experienced such a night of lustful torment before.

He ran across the open field, taking the long way back to his house. Set high in the hills of Northern Virginia, his home—which was originally an old farmhouse—was on an expansive four-acre lot with a creek and a pond. He'd bought the property and was taking his time restoring it. There was the main house, which he'd almost finished reno
vating—and a barn that he hoped to turn into his office and studio. It was a lengthy process, but one that he enjoyed immensely.

He ran along the outer perimeter of his property. A few years ago he'd paved a wide running path with motion detectors that turned on and off as he approached. From afar, it looked like a ring of lights rotating in a clockwise or counterclockwise sequence depending on which direction he ran. Since he loved to run outdoors and never had time, this was the perfect solution.

He made his last pass around the back lawn and headed toward the rear of the house. He slowed his pace as he approached, stretched and then climbed the stairs and went inside. He was exhausted, but he felt invigorated. His thoughts were clear and his mind was focused again. He headed up the back stairs to his large bedroom, peeled off his clothing then stepped into a hot shower. The steamy water pounded his body in a pulsating rhythm. It instantly reminded him of one of his dreams. He switched to cold water. A few minutes later he was feeling like his old self again. Afterward he shaved, dressed and headed into the office.

Jordan breezed into the headquarters of Hamilton Development as he had done a thousand times before. He was feeling good. Suddenly he felt a renewed sense of confidence that he knew exactly
what he was going to do. He'd end their stalemate and get Sheri off his mind in the next few days.

He walked up the steps to the executive office level and as soon as he entered the main floor he could tell something was up. Wilamina Parker was sitting at the receptionist desk. As office manager she was in charge of nearly everything pertaining to the daily operations of the company. She was always meticulously organized and had impeccable judgment. She routinely hired and fired office staff, and apparently she'd gotten rid of another receptionist. She was on the phone and looked up as Jordan walked in.

Good morning,
Jordan mouthed.

She ended her phone call and smiled happily. “Good morning, Jordan. How are you?”

“Fine, how's everything here?”

“Thankfully no drama so far, but as you know the day is just starting. But then again it's Friday, it's usually quiet by the end of the week.” Just then her intercom feature beeped and one of the on-site managers spoke.

“Wilamina, we have a problem,” the disembodied voice declared. She looked at Jordan and shook her head as she picked up the phone. “I guess I spoke too soon.”

Jordan smiled and shook his head as he headed to his office. Once inside he dropped his briefcase and rolled the architectural plans out onto his desk
then headed to the main conference room down the hall. His brothers sat around the table, waiting, while the company attorney, Kenneth, stood at the window talking on his cell phone.

Julian and Darius looked up as soon as Jordan walked in. Kenneth turned around, nodded and wrapped up the conversation. Both brothers looked at their watches. “It's about time,” Julian said. “You're late. Our meetings start at seven o'clock.”

“Of course he was late,” Darius chuckled knowingly. “He was busy, weren't you, little brother?” They both laughed. It was obvious there was something he didn't know. He glanced over at Kenneth, who just shook his head. All three had grins on their faces as if they'd burst into laughter in the next second.

“What?” Jordan said, looking from one brother to another. Darius looked innocent. Julian chuckled and Kenneth looked away. “Okay, I get it. You know something I don't. Are you gonna tell me what it is or what?”

“I think we should let our little brother in on the joke.”

Julian picked up a remote control, aimed it at the laptop computer on the conference room table and pressed a button. Jordan turned and waited. As soon as the picture came on he reached for the remote. Julian tossed it to Darius across the table. He caught it easily. Jordan just shook his head and
waited to see the inevitable. It was exactly what he'd expected. It was the video of him and Sheri arguing, and him saving her from the backhoe. The look of passion in their eyes when they turned around was unmistakable. For the second time in less than a week Jordan's perfectly ordered life had been upended.

 

Sheri headed to work no closer to a solution to her problem than the night before. And now the problem had gotten even worse, of course. The fact that she and Jordan had been intimate definitely added to her dilemma. In just four days she'd lost her focus and couldn't stop thinking about him.

She'd been on edge all morning. Every time the phone rang she jumped, thinking it might be Jordan calling. She waited anxiously, but there was no word from him. She wasn't sure if she was relieved or not. Of course, she didn't tell anyone about what had happened between them. After all, it was a mistake, twice. But avoiding him wasn't going to solve her problem. By midmorning she gave in and called Hamilton Development. Tamika answered and told her that Jordan was out of the office. She didn't leave a message.

She tried to avoid thinking about him the rest of the morning, but the image of their affair crept into her thoughts at the most inopportune moments. She was on a conference call with another museum
making arrangements for an exhibit transfer and noted the curator had the same last name. She even asked if they might be related. It was crazy. It was insane. What in the world was she doing and what did she expect to happen—for him to be thinking about her, too? Clearly he had to have at least a dozen women who were after him.

The thing is, if he hadn't gotten her so upset she never would have kissed him in the first place, and things wouldn't have gotten out of hand. It was unprofessional and totally out of character for her. But deep down inside she enjoyed it. Just thinking about it made her insides quiver even now.

She could see why women probably swooned when he walked by. He practically swept her off her feet. Heaven knows the man was an incredible lover. He was insatiable. They both had given as much as they took. There was no asking or wondering about the sexual ground rules. She just did whatever her body dictated and she liked it. She liked it too much.

Now all she kept thinking about was what happened in Jordan's trailer. She imagined them on his drafting table, in his private quarters; the memories were vivid and sensuous. It was fantasy, but it was also much more. It seemed as if all of her senses were attuned to him. His scent, his taste, his touch was in perfect harmony with her body. They made love in every position and every place
imaginable. “Good Lord,” she muttered to herself, feeling a sudden surge of heat course through her body.

“Huh, what?” Genie said.

Sheri looked up. Her mind had wandered again. She was in her office and Genie was across the room.

“Did you say something to me?” Genie asked.

“No, nothing,” Sheri muttered.

“Oh, okay. Well, as I was saying, Jamie just texted me again. I guess whatever you said to Mr. Hamilton the last time must have worked. No one's been up at the site since we left. At least that's good news, right?” she said.

Sheri nodded. “Did your boyfriend mention if Jordan was at work today?”

“No, he just said they've stopped working on the site for the time being. He tried to go up there, but one of the guards told him he couldn't.” She started texting again then a few minutes later replied. “He said he thinks Jordan Hamilton left the island last night.”

“He left last night?” Sheri repeated.

“Yeah, Jamie just texted that he doesn't work on Fridays and Mondays,” she added. “It must be nice.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Sheri said in a distracted voice, realizing that Jordan had probably been on
his way off the island when she went over there yesterday.

“Okay.” Genie stood and brought the books back over to Sheri's desk. “I looked up everything you wanted me to. I gotta get back down to the gift shop. My shift begins in five minutes. Let me know if you hear anything. Don't forget you have a program scheduled for middle-school students this afternoon.”

“I won't,” Sheri said. “See you later.” As soon as Genie left, Sheri turned back to her computer. She was relieved, but her mind was still far away. At least he was off the island until Monday, she thought. She didn't have to worry about him stopping by the museum or bumping into him someplace else.

Thankfully it was Friday, which was almost always her busiest day, and today there were two groups of students coming in. She enjoyed talking to the kids and getting them interested in local history. She also had several back-to-back meetings scheduled in the morning and she planned to be out of the museum that afternoon. Keeping busy was the perfect distraction.

Sheri decided to go to see her former stepfather again and ask if he could come up with a solution to her dispute with Jordan Hamilton. After all, he was head of the city council. Surely there was something he could do. It was the council that had ap
proved Hamilton to develop the resort on the land in the first place. She knew the historical significance of the site probably wouldn't sway him. If it was about making money he was all too happy to go along.

After her meeting with Nolan Chambers she headed back to the museum. She waved to the museum security guards as she entered. As she always did, she glanced up at the museum's sign-age. A feeling of pride and satisfaction suffused her every time she entered the museum. The building was old and in need of repair, and at times it seemed to be crumbling down around them. But it was a monument to those who founded Crescent Island.

There were two floors of exhibition space and an archival storage area that was almost a century old. The main wing was dedicated to
Mabella Louisa
and was sponsored by the Gates Heritage Foundation. Two of the smaller exhibits were being returned. She was working on the transfer now. She had immersed herself in work until she was interrupted by her cell phone ringing. She picked it up without looking at the caller ID. “Sheri Summers.”

“Hi. I hear you called looking for me.”

She stopped working and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She knew exactly who it was. She hadn't left a message and there was no way
Tamika, his office assistant, could have known it was her. Still… She paused briefly. “Hi. Thanks for returning my call.”

“I would have called sooner had you left a message.”

“I hope I'm not disturbing you.”

“No, not at all, Sheri. How are you?”

“Good, and you?”

“Much better now, what can I do for you?”

“I think perhaps we should talk and I mean really talk. I'd like to meet with you this afternoon and discuss this situation.”

“I'm afraid that won't be possible.”

“I understand you're busy, but…”

“Yes, I am busy. But I'm also no longer on the island,” Jordan explained.

“Oh, I see,” she said softly. “Well, is there someone else I can speak to about this matter?”

“Sheri, like I said last night, I understand your position. Please understand mine. I cannot and will not shut down my construction site for you or anyone else.”

She paused a moment. “I see. Thank you for your time. Goodbye.” She hung up. A moment later her cell phone rang again. She looked at the caller ID. It was Jordan. “Hello.”

“Meet me tonight,” he said.

“I can't. I'm going to a party this evening.”

“At Gates Manor?” he guessed.

“Yes.”

“Good. I'll meet you there.”

Sheri hung up the phone and stared at it. “What just happened?” she said.

Genie stopped at the open door to Sheri's office. “Are you still here? Don't you have a meeting in town?”

Sheri glanced at her watch. She was already five minutes late. “I gotta go.” She grabbed her bag and headed out.

 

The day had turned out to be a slow-paced Friday instead. After the morning meeting with his brothers and Kenneth and the little sideshow they pulled, Jordan spent the rest of the morning signing off on paperwork and sat at his desk researching his next project. He called and talked to Tamika and Ian about the break-in he and Cleveland had discussed the night before. The return call from Tamika was unexpected. Her message was even more unexpected.