it
was a dumb-ass thing to do. I admit okay. If I could undo it, I
would."
"What made you do it?" Henry prodded.
"Henry, I need your help here, not your
crap."
"Then answer the question."
"Which one?"
"Take your pick."
"Okay, fine. I chose Reed because I like
her. She's smart. She's funny. She's loyal to her family, I saw
that clearly at the museum. She doesn't tear up every time I raise
my voice or say something that isn't perfect. And when I asked her
to marry me and she said yes I felt powerful, complete. There's
just something about her that calls to me. I can't explain it any
better."
"So why embarrass her?"
Jordon stood up and began to pace. "I wasn't
trying to embarrass her. It just sort of happened. First she
flirted with you, then I saw her wearing that shirt with another
man's name on it. I don't know why Henry. I just snapped."
"I've never seen you 'snap' with a woman
before."
Jordon made a sound that wasn't quite a
laugh and kept on pacing. "Apparently losing it doesn't require
practice. It's easy to get right the first time."
"So why keep the shirt?"
"Henry we've been over this. I swear to God
if you don't leave it alone we'll get some sparring practice done
right here. You'll be picking gravel out of your skin the rest of
the day."
"Going all caveman didn't get you very far
with Reed. I'm trying to help you here." Henry said, hoping Reed
could hear them.
"You could always petition to get the
marriage annulled. You could find someone to take her place in
enough time if you pushed the issue. Give the shirt back, keep your
bags in the van, and let's go home."
"No."
Henry's gaze shifted from Reed's window back
to Jordon who continued to wear out his shoes on the concrete
patio. When Jordon was alone with only Henry and he wanted to
think, he paced until his head cleared. When he negotiated a deal,
whether it was on the golf course or in the boardroom or over the
phone, Jordon remained as still as his environment would allow. No
emotion crept into his voice and no unnecessary movement took away
from his absolute concentration. Henry waited him out, knowing
Jordon would work through it in his own good time.
"I don't want my marriage annulled. There
aren't any grounds. We did sleep together. Not enough, but once is
all it takes. I want to keep her, Henry. I want her back in my bed.
Divorce or annulment isn't going to further either cause."
"Okay. Now we're getting somewhere. You know
you don't want an annulment. You know you like her. You know you
want her. What else do you know?"
Jordon stopped pacing. "I know I'd like to
take her over my knee for being so damned stubborn. Then, I'd like
to lock her in the bedroom until I can forget about William and
B.H. for a while. Three or four weeks ought to do for a start. I
know I'd like to see you with two black eyes. My elf wouldn't think
you were so studly then."
Henry got up and slapped Jordon's shoulder a
little harder than he would with any other man. "I don't know about
that. Chicks dig scars and black eyes. Gives them something to kiss
as they ooh and ahh over how stud-like you are."
Jordon punched him in the solar plexus. Not
hard enough to do any real damage but hard enough to take Henry's
breath. "Reed Bennett is no chick. She's my wife. And as long as
she is, the only stud she's going to be kissing is me."
Henry straightened, rubbing between his
upper ribs. "You'd better convince her of that. Clock's
ticking."
Henry looked up at Reed's window as Jordon
spun and walked away. Behind the sheer curtain swaying lightly in
the summer morning breeze, the elf-sized silhouette was still
visible. Henry smiled to himself hoping the stinging in his abdomen
was worth it.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Let the lover be disgraceful, crazy,
absentminded. Someone sober
will worry about things going badly.
Let the lover be.
Rumi~ 13th Century
He kept her tank top, close to his skin.
Reed watched Jordon pull it out of his shirt
after he hit
was a dumb-ass thing to do. I admit okay. If I could undo it, I
would."
"What made you do it?" Henry prodded.
"Henry, I need your help here, not your
crap."
"Then answer the question."
"Which one?"
"Take your pick."
"Okay, fine. I chose Reed because I like
her. She's smart. She's funny. She's loyal to her family, I saw
that clearly at the museum. She doesn't tear up every time I raise
my voice or say something that isn't perfect. And when I asked her
to marry me and she said yes I felt powerful, complete. There's
just something about her that calls to me. I can't explain it any
better."
"So why embarrass her?"
Jordon stood up and began to pace. "I wasn't
trying to embarrass her. It just sort of happened. First she
flirted with you, then I saw her wearing that shirt with another
man's name on it. I don't know why Henry. I just snapped."
"I've never seen you 'snap' with a woman
before."
Jordon made a sound that wasn't quite a
laugh and kept on pacing. "Apparently losing it doesn't require
practice. It's easy to get right the first time."
"So why keep the shirt?"
"Henry we've been over this. I swear to God
if you don't leave it alone we'll get some sparring practice done
right here. You'll be picking gravel out of your skin the rest of
the day."
"Going all caveman didn't get you very far
with Reed. I'm trying to help you here." Henry said, hoping Reed
could hear them.
"You could always petition to get the
marriage annulled. You could find someone to take her place in
enough time if you pushed the issue. Give the shirt back, keep your
bags in the van, and let's go home."
"No."
Henry's gaze shifted from Reed's window back
to Jordon who continued to wear out his shoes on the concrete
patio. When Jordon was alone with only Henry and he wanted to
think, he paced until his head cleared. When he negotiated a deal,
whether it was on the golf course or in the boardroom or over the
phone, Jordon remained as still as his environment would allow. No
emotion crept into his voice and no unnecessary movement took away
from his absolute concentration. Henry waited him out, knowing
Jordon would work through it in his own good time.
"I don't want my marriage annulled. There
aren't any grounds. We did sleep together. Not enough, but once is
all it takes. I want to keep her, Henry. I want her back in my bed.
Divorce or annulment isn't going to further either cause."
"Okay. Now we're getting somewhere. You know
you don't want an annulment. You know you like her. You know you
want her. What else do you know?"
Jordon stopped pacing. "I know I'd like to
take her over my knee for being so damned stubborn. Then, I'd like
to lock her in the bedroom until I can forget about William and
B.H. for a while. Three or four weeks ought to do for a start. I
know I'd like to see you with two black eyes. My elf wouldn't think
you were so studly then."
Henry got up and slapped Jordon's shoulder a
little harder than he would with any other man. "I don't know about
that. Chicks dig scars and black eyes. Gives them something to kiss
as they ooh and ahh over how stud-like you are."
Jordon punched him in the solar plexus. Not
hard enough to do any real damage but hard enough to take Henry's
breath. "Reed Bennett is no chick. She's my wife. And as long as
she is, the only stud she's going to be kissing is me."
Henry straightened, rubbing between his
upper ribs. "You'd better convince her of that. Clock's
ticking."
Henry looked up at Reed's window as Jordon
spun and walked away. Behind the sheer curtain swaying lightly in
the summer morning breeze, the elf-sized silhouette was still
visible. Henry smiled to himself hoping the stinging in his abdomen
was worth it.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Let the lover be disgraceful, crazy,
absentminded. Someone sober
will worry about things going badly.
Let the lover be.
Rumi~ 13th Century
He kept her tank top, close to his skin.
Reed watched Jordon pull it out of his shirt
after he hit
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