Dominique rolled her eyes, hoping no one else in the restaurant had heard Michelle’s outburst. “If that’s your way of asking if I’m going to be sleeping in his bed tomorrow night, the answer is no. What it means is that I’ve agreed to go jogging with him again in the morning. Then I’ll see how things progress from there once we get to know each other better.”
“But you’re not interested in anything long-term and serious?”
“Right. I don’t want anything long-term and serious.”
Michelle took a sip of her soda. “I don’t know, Dom; not everyone is into recreational sex.”
“Recreational sex?”
“Yes, sex with no strings attached as long as the partner is safe. That’s just not your style. You’re the kind of woman destined to love any man you sleep with. To you sex and love go hand in hand. You’re definitely not into having sex just for the fun of it.”
Dominique cocked a brow.
Sex for the fun of it?
That sounded pretty much like another name for casual sex to her. “Is that the kind of sex you’re into these days?”
“Are you kidding? Who’s having sex these days?” Michelle asked, sounding totally frustrated. “I haven’t even slept with a man in over six months. Not since I told Marcus to go to hell and carry his interfering mama with him. Like I said, I have issues to work out before I become involved with anyone else.” She leaned back in her chair. “Now, getting back to Jordan. Did you say he has a brother?”
“Yes, and he’s a doctor in Atlanta.” Dominique raised a dark brow. “Why?”
“Ummm, no reason. Just curious.”
Dominique sharpened her gaze. Her sister was never “just curious” about anything. She was downright nosy. “Is there anything or anyone else you’re “just curious” about?”
Michelle smiled sheepishly. “Well, now that you’ve mentioned it, there is someone else. That well-dressed, extremely sharp, very good-looking brother who’s one of Danah Fairchild’s attorneys. Am I to understand that he works at the same law firm as Jordan?”
Dominique knew Michelle was referring to Royce Parker. “Yes.” She couldn’t help but smile. Parker had been impressive in the courtroom today. His legal skills had been exemplary. However, she wasn’t stupid. His finesse as an attorney had nothing to do with her sister’s interest. Shaking her head, Dominique glanced down at her watch. “I have to get to bed early tonight. And Michelle, I prefer if you didn’t say anything to the family just yet. I don’t want them getting their hopes up. It will be hard for them to understand that Jordan won’t be a permanent fixture in my life.”
“Too late. Ruth has already told Gramma. She was talking to her on the phone when we left.”
Dominique raised eyes to the ceiling. “Doesn’t Gramma have better things to do with her time than gossip with Ruth?”
Michelle shook her head. “Not on the days Grampa goes to his Masonic Lodge meetings. It’s my guess that Mom and Dad know by now, too.”
“Is there such a thing as privacy in our family?”
“No. So if you start sleeping with Jordan, I suggest you play it safe and stay overnight at his place. You never know when someone in the family might unexpectedly pop up.” She smiled wickedly. “Like I did today. It’s a good thing I interrupted things when I did. Five minutes longer and he would have had you stretched out on your desk.”
Dominique’s color darkened. “No, he would not have.”
“Wanna bet?”
Dominique shook her head. No, she didn’t want to bet. In fact, she didn’t want to talk about it anymore. Glancing around she caught the waiter’s attention and motioned for their check. She and Michelle made it a point to dine out together most Wednesday nights. And occasionally on Wednesdays they would join their parents and grandparents at church for dinner prior to the start of prayer meeting.
Later, as she drove toward home, Dominique smiled as she wondered if Jordan had taken a cold shower as she had suggested.
***
“Please tell me you’re kidding, man. Tell me Judge Kincaid is not your mystery lady.”
Jordan leaned back in his chair and looked across the room at Royce, who was apparently in shock over the news he had just delivered. He smiled and sipped his beer, deciding not to answer his friend’s question just yet. He felt refreshed after taking a cold shower. Refreshed and in a good mood.
“Jordan?”
Jordan tipped his beer to Royce and smiled. “You heard me right. The Honorable D. Kincaid is the same woman who’s been making me hot and bothered for the past two weeks.”
“Damn. And you’re going to pursue her?”
Jordan raised his eyes to the ceiling. “Royce, I’ve been pursuing her ever since I first saw her.”
“But that was before you knew she was a judge, man.”
“So what does that have to do with anything?”
“Need I remind you that after your divorce from Paula, you swore you would never get involved with another woman with a career in law?”
Jordan blinked at him, remembering. “Umm, I did say that, didn’t I?”
“Yes, in fact you were pretty damn adamant about it.”
Jordan nodded. Yes, he had been. “What I said was that I would never
marry
a woman who has a career in law again. There’s no way this thing with Dominique will ever get that serious.”
“It won’t?”
“No. What I’m dealing with here is a unique case of lust.
She has everything I like on a woman; big hips, big breasts, big legs and it’s obvious that she’s also big on intelligence. I’m really hot for her, man.”
“So what you want from her is a short-term meaningless affair?”
Jordan frowned. The way Royce said it made his intentions sound dishonorable. “I want the same thing you want from the women you date.”
“Sex. A good time. And more sex?”
Jordan shook his head. He’d always enjoyed sex like any other man, but Royce considered it a national pastime, right up there with baseball and apple pie. “Well, yeah, but I prefer staying with the same woman a lot longer than you do, Royce. I’d rather not change women as often as I change my shirts.”
Royce smiled. “If you stay with the same woman too long they start to get clingy, just like those shirts will get if you don’t throw a Bounty in the dryer with them. Then you’ll have one hell of a mess on your hands.”
Jordan took another sip of his beer and then met Royce’s gaze. “Does Judge Kincaid look like the clingy type?”
Royce thought on Jordan’s question for a minute and then said, “No.” Seconds later he added, “But any woman can turn into the clingy type, Jordan.”
Jordan shrugged. “Then it’s up to me to be honest and up-front so she’ll know what to expect. All I want from her is something solid and exclusive.”
“Solid and exclusive?”
“Yes. Solid enough to know that we understand what we want out of the relationship, and exclusive to the point that while the two of us are dating, we won’t be seeing other people.”
“For how long?”
“Until either of us feel it’s time to move on.”
Royce nodded. “Those conditions seem fair.”
Jordan leaned back in his chair and took another sip of beer. He hoped Dominique thought they seemed fair as well.
J
ordan’s gaze fastened on the woman who was slowly walking toward him. Throughout the night he had thought about her, thinking about the kiss they had shared and anticipating when he would see her again.
As he continued to look at her, he wondered just what was there about her that elicited such profound lust from him. He decided it could be a number of things, like her walk. She moved in a way that looked more like she was actually gliding than walking. But then it may have been the gentle sway of her voluptuous hips, or the bouncy fullness of her large breasts. Whatever it was, she definitely had his attention.
He sighed; fascinated by the way the early morning light captured her nut-brown features and her full figure. She was wearing a pair of jogging shorts and a large T-shirt, but neither could block from his mind the allurement of the body they covered. Her hair was pinned up in a knot like it had been yesterday. And he knew he would be tempted to let it down and run his fingers through each dark, thick and glossy strand.
He felt his body harden. Just that quickly he wanted her with a desperation that no longer surprised or annoyed him. And to be quite honest, it no longer bothered him that he lacked control where she was concerned. After all, she was seductive and enticing, and his body appreciated everything about her. But this morning he had taken necessary measures, since his body seemed to have a mind of its own. Instead of wearing running shorts as he normally did, he had worn loose-fitting sweats. They did a good job of not flagrantly revealing a certain body part.
He glanced down at his watch. She was early. But then, he thought with a smile, so was he. He wondered if that meant they had been eager to see each other. He breathed in the early morning air. It was a perfect morning, he thought, because the person he considered the perfect woman was less than five feet away.
“Good morning, Jordan.”
“Good morning, Dominique.” Up close he couldn’t help but appreciate her features that were contained in the round shape of her face. Her mouth was curved into a warm smile, and delicately arched eyebrows crowned a pair of the most beautiful dark eyes he had ever seen. Then there were her high cheekbones and straight nose. Everything about her totally disarmed him.
“Are you ready to run?” she asked expectantly.
Jordan thought that her low and throaty voice was hot enough to warm his blood. And she was staring up at him with eyes so captivating it nearly took his breath away to look into them. His gaze then slowly moved from her eyes to her mouth, and he couldn’t help but remember just how good that mouth had tasted.
“No, not yet,” he finally answered, taking her hand in his.
He had chosen this particular spot to meet her because the limbs of the huge oak tree blocked from view anyone standing directly under it. Dominique offered no resistance when he gently pulled her under the shadows of a large overhanging branch.
“First, I’ve got to taste you again,” was all he said just seconds before his mouth came down on hers.
Dominique automatically lifted her arms around Jordan’s neck the moment his lips touched hers. He captured her tongue and drew it into his mouth. Blood gushed to her head, making her feel dizzy as his tongue began mating with hers. Urgent need raced up her spine and clouded her senses except for two – taste and smell. She was mesmerized by his delicious taste and entranced by his masculine scent.
They broke off the kiss when they heard the approach of other joggers. Panting, Dominique leaned against Jordan to get her breath back and wondered if she would ever breathe normally again. When the joggers passed she glanced up at him, her expression dazed and her lips still parted. “I can’t believe we just did that,” she whispered, speaking of their torrid, stolen kiss that still had her head spinning.
He took a deep breath and responded, “When it comes to you and me, I can believe anything.” He released his arms from around her waist. “Come on, let’s start jogging.”
Dominique took another deep breath and shook her head. “I don’t think I can, since I have no breath left. You took my breath away.”
He leaned down and gently placed a kiss on her lips. “That about makes us even, because you took my breath away the very first time I laid eyes on you, sweetheart.”
Dominique stared up at him. Jordan always said nice things to her and gave her compliments, which was something Kenneth had never done. Jordan had a way of making her feel special, all woman and sexy. She was smart enough to know that some men were capable of delivering just any line to a woman if it would get them from point A to point B. But whenever Jordan spoke, there was always a deep sincerity in his voice, as though he really meant what he was saying.
She started to say something in the way of a thank-you, but he didn’t let her. Instead he took her hand in his and together they began jogging. And once again he slowed his pace to keep up with hers.
***
Bending over with his hands on his knees, Jordan began taking deep, slow breaths. They had jogged an extra thirty minutes, and although sweaty and hot, his body felt good, like it usually did after a good workout.
He glanced over at Dominique, who was also bent over and breathing deeply. Her eyes were closed and a few loose strands of hair had come undone and were stuck to the perspiration on her face. He wondered just how her heated and damp skin would taste on his tongue. He was tempted to cover the distance between them and began lapping her up to find out.
He closed his eyes when he felt his body get harder. He forced himself to take another slow, deep breath as his nostrils flared and his mind became tormented with vivid images of the two of them in his bed naked and making love in the wildest kinds of ways.
Slowly, still struggling for breath, as well as for sanity, he opened his eyes and straightened his body. She had already straightened and was staring at him. In that instant, at that moment, he felt the same awareness and connection he’d felt when their gazes had met yesterday across the span of the courtroom. Warmth that he was beginning to get used to began increasing in slow degrees and sluggishly expanded to every part of his body. He had never been this caught up, bewitched, enchanted and fascinated by a woman. Not even with Paula.