Chapter Ten

They sat there on his couch, staring at each other, each one mentally weighing the words that had just been said to each other …

What Jordan had just done.

She moved the ring…and moved the relationship along by several steps that Woody wasn't expecting. At least, not tonight. He stared at the diamond cluster, now winking at him from her left hand. "Are you sure?" he asked, still looking at the ring and not her.

She caught him by the chin and drew his eyes back up to hers. "I am…what about you?"

Woody swallowed hard. "If….if….this happens….you do realize there's no turning back?"

She nodded and began feather light kisses along his jaw line.

"And…and…you realize that this is just not about sex?"

"Ummmhummm," she whispered, her lips working their way up to his ear, softly kissing that spot just beneath his lobe that made him forget nearly everything he was saying.

"I can't think when you do that, Jordan," he whispered, still desperately trying to keep some control of the situation. "And I think that … we still need to talk some things over…"

"What?" she asked, lightly touching her lips to his. "I love you…I told you that. And if you really heard what I said at the hospital, you know I'm ready….been ready…"

He pulled her hands from his face and held them in his larger ones. "Are you sure, Jordan? Absolutely, positively sure….this is what you want? There's no pressure from me here at all. If you want to wait a while…I understand."

"Do you? Want to wait, that is?"

How was he supposed to tell her he had wanted her from the minute he saw her at that bank robbery four years ago. No… the best thing to do is let her be in charge…or let her think she was in control. "Tonight…I want what you want. You're the boss," he said, watching the lights in her brown eyes glow from brown to a honey-color with mischief.

"So …. I'm the boss, hmmmmm." A small smile flickered across her face. She knew this was his way of easing her into a new level of their relationship…letting her be at comfortable and set the pace.

Then, the thought flickered through her head ….did he have any idea how much she wanted him? Obviously not or Farm Boy there wouldn't be looking so smug. "Okay," she replied, pulling her hands from his. They landed on his chest and lightly traveled upwards to his neck, pulling him down for a kiss. She kissed him chastely for a few seconds, until she realized he was serious about letting her set the pace…the boundaries for tonight. Tentatively she traced his lips with her tongue and felt him respond by opening his mouth. She kissed him fully then …. In a way he knew she meant business. She was rewarded with a groan coming from his throat.

Jordan smiled to herself as her hands slowly loosened his tie and slid it from his neck…and then slowly…one by one….unfastened the buttons on his shirt…letting her fingers linger just for a second longer than necessary on his skin between buttons. She felt him shiver. Finally, she pushed the sides of the shirt open and allowed her hands to trace the contours of his chest.

She was rewarded with another groan. "Am I still in charge?" she teased, knowing a thin layer of sweat was already evident on his forehead.

"For the moment, Cavanaugh," he answered, his voice huskier than normal, his hands clutching the couch pillows in an effort to control his reactions….in an effort to stop from taking her on his small living room couch.

"Good." She kissed her way down his chest and then back up, moving to plant more kisses along his neck, unconsciously scooting closer to him, nearly on his lap now.

Woody had taken all he could handle. And with the way she was sitting, the short, black, halter dress was riding higher on her thighs. "Jordan…" he said, pulling her face away from him, holding it one of his hands. "It's over."

"Over?" She looked at him uncertainly.

"Yeah. Your turn's over. Now I'm the boss." His hand grazed from her face down her side, then under the hem of her dress and slid up her bare thigh, her eyes widening at the intimate contact. "You're still sure?" he asked, his lips against hers. He only felt her nodding agreement before he kissed her this time….this one full of the emotions he had kept at bay for four years.

Jordan was just barely aware of his other hand softly skimming the underside of her breast with his thumb. This time she heard herself moan against his lips. "Woody…" she said on a sharp intake of breath.

"Hmmmm?" was his mumbled reply.

"Take me to bed?"

"Thought you'd never ask." He picked her up then, making his way to the bedroom, closing the door behind them, and letting her slide to her feet, next to the bed. He shrugged out of his shirt, only to catch her beginning to untie the back of her dress. "No…let me," he said turning her around, his fingers working on the tie. When it was undone, he turned her back to face him and slowly slid the top of her dress to her waist.

She was beautiful. His mouth went dry just looking at her. And when she reached for him again, the world stopped spinning. Then when he felt her fingers beginning to work on his belt, he knew it was all but over…he pushed her dress the rest of the way down and tugged her to the bed.

She lay beneath him, looking up into his blue eyes…that now were darker than the blue of the ocean. He ran a hand through her curls, loosing them from the clips that held them up, then running his fingers through the length of her hair. Then slowly he lowered his lips to hers one more time…once more before he made her his…and all the what if questions they both had were answered.

Those really didn't matter now. What was important was the ring was on her left hand and Woody planned to make sure it stayed there. And when Jordan finally sighed in surrender, he knew ultimately his plan had worked…maybe not exactly like he thought it would, but it had worked. He had her now. She had him.

And in the future, the questions weren't going to begin with what if, but whenWhen can I see you again? When did you first realize you loved me?

When can we trade the friendship ring in for something a little more…serious?