Jacinto insisted that Jared bring his family round on the following Friday night for a meal to discuss wedding plans, given Jared was insisting on getting married in six weeks time! That first week as a couple passed very quickly for many reasons. But it culminated in that meeting when all the key members of both 'families' met for the first time. Georgia, Elias, Sophie and baby Adam met Douglas, Ryan, Ryan's wife, Charlie, and Doug's grandmother a week after Adam was born. Jared's sister, Ailsa was in Australia and unable to be there. Jared was worried about that first meeting. It wasn't as if the two families had that much in common. But it hadn't taken them long to find commonality. Single parent families being one. Though the circumstances resulting in that status were far from shared. Doug's grandmother and Jacinto also appeared to have similar values and beliefs. Which they did not bother to hide when it came to discussing wedding plans. The importance of family, was probably the core value that was shared by all present in the room that first time they had all met. It only took a few stilted minutes before they broke the ice and settled in to an open discussion about the wedding.
Doug's grandmother and Jacinto had definite ideas about the wedding, including its scale. Jared and Caitlin found themselves having to justify why they wanted a low key small event. They were both relieved they had spent time when they met up during the week talking about the type of wedding they wanted. They wanted a small intimate wedding. Georgia, Elias, Doug, Ryan and Charlie just enjoyed watching Jared and Caitlin bring her father and Doug's grandmother's plans round to ensure that the wedding Jared and Caitlin wanted gradually took shape. It was a couple of hours into the gathering when they realized they hadn't arranged for the takeaway they had planned to have. So a hurried order was placed for a Vietnamese meal to be delivered by a local restaurant, and then the small party settled down to talk about other matters and to play with baby Adam. It was just fortunate that Adam was an accommodating, happy baby, for he was passed around as everyone was clucky, including Doug, and they all wanted to cuddle him.
That was a week ago. Since then Caitlin and Jared had met every night at the Fonseca house to discuss and work through arrangements for the wedding. But on Friday Jared had an office party to attend, and he'd asked Caitlin to come to the party with him. He wanted his workforce to meet his wife-to-be. Not surprisingly Jared and Caitlin were the centre of attention from the minute they'd arrived. At the party they had remained close to each other as Jared introduced her to various colleagues and staff. But given the scrutiny, Jared and Caitlin remained circumspect and touch was limited to a hand at her waist or holding hands occasionally. From all angles the party was a success and a lot of fun but it was only a couple of hours later before Jared and Caitlin decided to call it a night. Feeling like naughty children they snuck out before anyone really noticed.
Jared and Caitlin knew that going back to her house would have meant company as her father would be home. That had certainly been the case over the last couple of weeks. Jared and Caitlin had been out for meals, and to the theatre, and every time they had returned to her house, Jacinto was at home and awake!
Going back to Jared's house gave Jared and Caitlin a bit of personal space. It was Caitlin's suggestion that they head back to Jared's house for a night cap. He was only too happy to accommodate her request.
So it was hardly surprising that they had only just entered the house when Jared tugged her into a cuddle and drew her close for a kiss. He'd been wanting to do that throughout the evening. But with his entire workforce watching his every move at the party, he had settled for biding his time. "Did I tell you how gorgeous you look this evening?" He murmured against her lips.
"Yes." She giggled as his lips traced hers. This is what she had hoped for. This moment. Caitlin broke off the kiss and gathered her wits, "Night cap, remember?" She leaned back in his arms and smiled up at him.
"You really want a night cap?" He was pretty sure she had not proposed coming round to his house just so that they could have a night cap!
Caitlin bobbed her head slowly. She figured she'd need it for courage.
They walked along the hallway, with his arm around her waist, or so she thought until Caitlin realised he'd unzipped her dress. She felt his fingertips coast along her vertebrae. Caitlin turned to reprimand Jared with a teasing look, and wasn't at all surprised find herself snagged close as he took her lips in a scorching kiss. She barely noticed the dress slide off her shoulders as Jared peeled it off her, with his lips still in full contact with hers. The dress pooled on the floor at her ankles. Her silk and lace bra followed in quick succession.
So much for taking all that trouble to choose some sexy lingerie! He was clearly more interested in what lay beneath that layer of lingerie! With her bra discarded, somewhere along the hallway, Caitlin was bare from the waist up. Jared lifted his head. His lips left hers and he began a slow descent along her jaw, down the column of her arched neck, past the hammering pulse, to her shoulder, the curve of her breast and one bullet hard nipple. She gasped. Sensation flooded every cell. As his tongue flicked over the tip, her back arched and Caitlin's eyes flew open. She looked at him, with his mouth at one breast and his fingers gently massaging the other he looked at her.
Then he kissed his way back up the column of her neck, kissed softly along her jaw line, inching toward her earlobe. He kissed his way back to her lips. Caitlin felt herself melt. Literally melt. Jared kissed her with open demand and wasn't at all surprised to find that she matched him move for move.
"Oh." The sigh left her lips breathlessly when he released her lips for a microsecond. His fingers played with her breasts, their eyes on each other as silent questions were asked and answered. Jared lowed his head and kissed her again. Then tracked kisses across her cheek, before kissing his way back down her neck. With desperate fingers she clutched at his head, tugged at his hair, pulling him up, urging Jordan to return to her lips. Caitlin needed his lips on hers. "Yes." Caitlin whispered against his lips, just before he touched his lips to hers.
Jared inched back. "Yes?" He asked in bemusement, brushing lightly against her swollen lips, "Yes, what?" He nibbled along her jaw line again, nuzzling her ear before tracking back to her lips. Kissing Caitlin was something he could spend his entire life doing.
"Tonight." Caitlin breathed against his lips. She had dressed for this night, purchased special lingerie just for this. Not that he had taken much notice of the silk and lace lingerie!
Jared froze, wondering whether he understood what she meant. Slowly Jared lifted his head and looked at her, with clear speculation in his eyes. "Tonight?" He knew she was telling him they could take things to the next level.
"Yes." She said. Softly. She wanted tonight to be special.
A smiled ghosted the corner of his lips. "You're sure?" Caitlin nodded. Elation flooded his eyes. They'd talked about this. He wanted her to decide. No pressure. If she wanted to wait until after they got married, that was ok. It was going to be her decision. Caitlin smiled, nerves and excitement warring for precedence. Then he quirked a brow and suggested with a broad grin, "Could you pretend you aren't ready for another half hour?"
"What?" Puzzled she arched back and looked up at him.
"I'm really enjoying this foreplay." Jared told her with a twinkle in his eye.
Caitlin giggled. That's what she loved about being with this man. She could be herself. She could trust this man to be honest with her. She trusted him with her life. She grinned at him and challenged, "And you think you'll last half an hour without coming?" Where she found the confidence to be that cheeky she did not know. All she knew what that with this man she just had to be herself. Because that is who he loved.
Jared laughed, then hauled her close and kissed her. "It depends on how easy you are!" He murmured against her lips. He had dreamed about this moment every night for the last two weeks. Now that it was here he fully intended to make sure that it was perfect for Caitlin. He knew she was probably nervous, the pulse at her neck gave that away. So he was determined to go slow and make sure that this night was absolutely magical.
"What?" She snorted in feigned disdain.
"Does how responsive sound better?" Jared asked with a broad grin. Being with Caitlin was better than he had ever thought possible. The last couple of weeks were better than expected. She made him feel things he had never thought possible. Never expected to love anyone as much as he loved her. She liked him the way he was. She made him feel special.
"No!" Caitlin said with a chuckle. This was another reason why she loved this man. He made her feel powerful and strong and loved. And he made her laugh. She was also going to trust him to make this evening wonderful. She knew he would. Even now he was trying to ease her nerves.
"How about, how good I am." Jared suggested with a wiggle of his eyebrows. "Yeah. That sounds a bit better!" He swung her up into his arms. "Ok. Time for bed!"
Caitlin threw her arm around his shoulder and burrowed into chest. "Please." Jared strode along the hallway. She snuggled closer and her fingers teased apart the buttons to his shirt and then her fingers slid beneath the cotton. Jared's arms held her more securely, even as her tentative foray beneath his shirt almost had him loose control. It was that mix of innocence and lust that was an aphrodisiac. Her finger nails tracked across the expanse of his chest and accidentally glanced across a nipple. Jared's indrawn breath was drowned by the hammering of his heart.
"What was it you said about lack of experience?" Jared murmured against her hair and used his foot to push open his bedroom door.
Caitlin giggled. Striding into the room, Jared made short work of the distance from door to bed.