Beautiful Tragedy/ Book three in the Beautiful Series/ A Jordan Knight Fanfic ✔️

3

"Thank you for making it home in time." I gesture to the wildflowers in the vase by the bed. "And for those. They're beautiful."

"I never pegged you as a flowers kind of girl." He gives me a searching look like he's trying to figure out if I'm lying about liking them.

"Never have been." I lean over to smell the flowers. "But I love anything you give me."

His eyes go softer before he leans in and whispers across my lips.

"You keep making me fall in love with you over and over and over. When does it stop?"

"It won't stop."

I drop my head to his shoulder and run my hand over his chest and down the muscled rung of abs. He pulls my head deeper into his neck, sniffing my hair and leaving a kiss on top.

"I missed waking up with you," I confess, like he didn't already know.

"You did?" The morning huskiness of his voice is so sexy. That's the first thing I missed.

"When you wake up, you're relaxed and open in a way I don't see at any other time of the day."

"Too much crap to do as soon as I'm out of bed," he mutters, scraping a hand over his sleep-mussed hair.

"Yeah, but I get to see it. I get to see you that way, and I think I'm the only one."

"That's because I save the best parts of myself for you. The mornings are for you." He angles his head until he's poised over my lips. "And you get them for the rest of our lives."

He takes my lips in a slow claiming, sliding his fingers into my hair and licking deeply into my mouth. He moans, or maybe it's me. Maybe it's a sound we make together. I slow the kiss until it's just a breath between our lips because I want to tell him something before I forget.

"Jordan, speaking of the rest of our lives." I pull back just enough to study his face. "When Chip interviewed you, he asked if you heard wedding bells."

Something flares in his eyes, but it comes and goes so quickly I don't have time to process it. I force myself to say what I've been thinking since the After Dark interview.

"I know we said a lot of things in Bora Bora."

"Which things do you mean, Pep?" The corners of his eyes crinkle with his grin. "Because we did say a lot of things. Like that one time you said, 'Oh, God. Right there, Jordan. That's it. Yes! Oh, God, yes!'"

A blush scalds my cheeks.

"And I do recall you saying, 'Don't you stop. Don't you dare stop, Jordan. I'm so close.'" He looks at me with false innocence. "You mean those things?"

"I love you," I grit out, fighting back my grin. "But I can't stand you."

Laughter shakes his shoulder against me. I punch him lightly before soldiering on.

"I was thinking more of what we said about . . . you know." I dip my head so my hair partially hides my face from him. "About getting married and having a wedding and all of that stuff."

Jordan's eyes narrow before he speaks. "You don't want that anymore?" he asks softly, carefully.

"Of course, I do." I smooth my hands over the sheets covering my knees. "I just . . . well, I just wanted to tell you I know building Prodigy takes so much time and effort and energy. I understand that. I don't want you to feel any pressure for that stuff to happen right away. That's all."

It's really quiet, and even though I can't make myself look at him, I feel the weight of his eyes on me. He uses a finger under my chin to turn my head until I can't avoid his eyes.

"Dallas, I feel no pressure to do anything."

My stomach free-falls a little. He feels no pressure? Well, dang . . .

"I don't feel pressure to make you my wife," he continues, "Because in my mind, you already are."

Jordan has this way of allaying my fears and easing my insecurities just by loving me. By telling me what's in his heart. He always seems to have just what I need, whether it's a word or a look. All the doubts that have been wound so tightly inside of me loosen until I'm smiling because I'm sure. I'm sure of him, of us. He smiles back, drops a kiss on my head, and tosses off the sheet, walking tall and naked toward the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" I try not to whine at his abrupt exit, but I probably fail.

"Appointments," he yells. "Most of the day."

But it's my birthday, I wail in my head.

I've never wanted much on my birthdays, but with Jordan being gone for over a week, I hoped I'd at least have him. I don't need gifts or anything. Just him. And now the only thing I want today is walking out on me. The sound of the shower deflates me.

Jordan pops his head back into the bedroom, and I fix my face, pulling my pouty bottom lip into a smile.

"Hey, I'm sorry about today," he says. "It's unavoidable stuff, but I want to take you out to dinner for your birthday. Would that be okay?"

We never go out. Not really.

"Like on a date?" I ask, my smile wide and hopeful.

"Yep, like on a date." He widens his eyes. "And no moustaches or disguises!"

"Now that's just crazy talk." I laugh and stretch to retrieve my iPad from the floor. "I'd love that. Thank you."

"What's that you're reading?" Jordan steps back into the room. He leans against the doorframe and crosses his arms over his broad chest. I have a clear view of the rest of his naked body. The golden slope of his shoulders and the flex of muscles in his stomach. The chiseled slits at his hips. My mouth waters because as exhausted as we were last night, we only made love once before dragging our tired bodies to bed. I'm so hungry for his dick, I'm surprised my stomach doesn't growl.

"Pep? I said what are you reading?"

He keeps a straight face, but I see that glint in his eye. He knows exactly how he's distracting me, especially since I still feel phantom swipes of his tongue between my legs before he abandoned me. I refuse to give him the satisfaction.

"It's a script Bristol wants me to audition for." I clear my throat and jerk my eyes away from the cock that is already half erect between the power of his thighs. "She says the director asked for me specifically."

"What kind of part?" Jordan scowls. "Is there nudity?"

I consider torturing him before shaking my head.

"No." I grin and draw my knees up to my chin, setting the tablet aside. "Not for my part. Not for me."

"Damn right not for you," he mumbles.

"You're such a caveman." I laugh and change the subject before he starts digging too deeply into it, and finds some excuse he doesn't want me to audition. "Where are we going tonight? How should I dress?"

"It's a surprise." He rubs his chin as if thinking about it. "Hmmm. How should you dress? Dress in such a way that when I see you, I'll immediately want to keep you here at home and fuck you all night. Make me regret having to leave the house."

I'm gonna need reinforcements. In my head I'm already formulating my pleas to Ella for assistance.

"I think I can do that."

"Good." He turns toward the bathroom, giving me an unobstructed view of that firm ass. "I need to get out of here. So much to do today."

Disappointment returns, turning my mouth down a little at the corners.

"Hey, Pep," he calls from the bathroom.

"Yeah?" I try to keep my voice light so he doesn't know how much I want him to stay with me in bed for the next eight hours.

"If you hurry up, you can suck my dick and then I'll eat you out and bend you over the counter and fuck you from behind."

I'm tripping over the sheets to get out of bed almost before his last word hits the air.

"Coming!"