Chapter Nine

She'll Never Know How Much I Love Her

"Woody…" Later, Jordan would be proud of the way her voice didn't waver and rose above a timid whisper to tone of voice that registered somewhere between disbelief and disapproval.

The single word registered with Jack, too, as he saw a tall, blue-eyed man at his front door. So this is the other man, he thought, watching Jordan's reaction closely. Her face showed no emotion. Maybe Jordan had more of a poker player in her than he gave her credit for. Far be it from him to hinder her in anyway…he'd help her play this guy…he joined her at the front door, his shirt only partially buttoned. "Detective Hoyt?" he asked, extending his hand. "You'll have to excuse me…we weren't expecting company." Jack put a subtle emphasis on the we as he looked at Jordan. He finished buttoning his shirt and dropped his arm around Jordan's waist. "Won't you come in?"

"Yes," Jordan replied, somewhat stilted, pushing the door open a bit wider. "Come in…please, sit down, Woody."

Looking uncomfortable and feeling worse, Woody sat down in a chair in the living room, his emotions mixing between wondering if he interrupted something between the DA and Jordan and relief if he possibly did.

"What brings you to New York?" Jack asked, sitting on the couch in front of Woody and pulling Jordan down to sit beside him.

"I…we…heard that Jordan's apartment was broken into…and that it had an Albanian connection. Dr. Macy…and some of us were worried about her. I had a few days off coming to me, so I thought I'd make a road trip to see if she was safe…and to go over a few more things with you that our investigations have turned up about the mob."

"That was good of you," Jack said, taking Jordan's hand in his. "It's nice to know that she has people back in Boston that care that much. Briscoe, Curtis, and I were worried over her, too. Especially after what I read in your initial file….Would you like some coffee, Detective?"

"I'll go make some," Jordan said suddenly, uttering her first words since greeting Woody at the door. She pulled her hand from Jack's and gave him a small, tight smile.

"Thanks, sweetheart," Jack replied.

Jordan nearly ran to the kitchen, taking her time, putting on a pot of strong coffee and letting it brew. She had worked with men too long not to recognize the signs of two possessive, alpha males circling each other.

And Jack's overprotective attitude she could understand. They had just about made love this evening…they were heading towards the bedroom and Jordan didn't have any regrets…or many second thoughts, assuming that this was not only the next step in their relationship, but also the next step in her getting on with her life without Woody.

Then guess who shows up on her doorstep with no real reason? Farm Boy. As far as her safety was concerned, he could have called. As far as additional information on the Albanians, he could have faxed or e-mailed.

So exactly why was he here?

Sighing, she got down the creamer, sugar, and cups and stacked them on a tray. She added the coffee pot and carried them into the living room. Whatever happened, she had a feeling it was going to be a long night…and most of it wouldn't be spent in Jack's bed.

Woody left about two hours later, after talking at length with Jack about the Albanian mob and their crime history – past and present – in Boston. He described, in detail, his logical reasoning of how they migrated to New York and why. And while Jordan was somewhat proud of his deductions, she said nothing, sitting back on the couch, Jack's arm draped over the back around her shoulders, calmly sipping coffee as if it were an everyday occurrence for her future lover to be in the same room as the man she once would have sworn would have been her future lover.

When Woody finally rose to leave, Jack stood and shook his hand. "You've got some good theories there, Hoyt. I'd like it if you could come by my office before you leave to go back to Boston tomorrow and talk to detectives Briscoe and Curtis."

"Sure. That will be no problem, seeing as I'm going to be in New York until the end of the week," Woody replied, trying to catch Jordan's eye.

Jordan quickly swallowed the coffee that was in her mouth before she spewed it on Jack's white living room rug.

"End of the week? Good. We'll have lots of time to talk…and I'm sure you and Jordan will want to catch up," Jack replied. Jordan sat her cup down on the coffee table before she dropped it.

"Yes. I'd like that," Woody said, addressing his last comment to Jordan, whose eyes had widened, both in surprise and anger. How dare both of these men make plans for her…as if she wasn't even in the same room?

"Jordan?" Jack gently prompted.

"Who? Me? Oh, sure….sure Woody. Just give me a call." She began putting the cups and things back on the tray and took it back to the kitchen. Jack followed her in a few minutes later, after having shown Woody the door and told him good night.

"That wasn't fair," she told Jack in a low voice, trying to control her anger.

"What's fair about your old boyfriend showing up at our door five minutes before I was ready to take you to bed?"

"You think I called him? You…think…I called him, don't you?"

Jack shook his head and gently took her hands. "No, Jo. I don't. I don't think you called Woody. All I've heard from you is that you were over him and were ready to move on with your life. But I do believe that things happen for a reason…so whether it was karma, fate, the powers that be….whatever you believe in….There was a reason that Woody showed up here."

"And what would that reason be?"

Jack pulled her to him and gently hugged her. "To make you think. To give you everything you need – time, any questions you want answered from Woody, material you need to dissolve any possible doubt you may have – that this….between us…is what you really want…and need. So that there's no second thoughts about us. Sometimes…when you're away from what is really bothering you, it's easy to make what you think are right decisions without really dealing with your issues. When I take you to bed….if I take you to bed and make love to you…I want you to be absolutely sure that is what you want…that I'm not just a tool to help you exorcise Woody Hoyt out of your life."

Jordan sighed and hugged him back. "I guess that this means…that it's not going to happen tonight?"

Jack couldn't tell if she was disappointed or relieved. "No…not tonight. Why?"

"I'm tired of being by myself, Jack. I just…I don't know…"

He caught the edge of frustration in her voice. "You want to sleep with me tonight? And I mean, just sleep, Jordan."

Thinking quickly, Jordan slowly nodded against his chest. The night was going to be a long one, anyway. Spending it alone would make it seem even longer.

"Okay…come on," he whispered taking her hand and tugging her towards his bedroom, stopping by her room long enough to swipe her girl boxers and tank top from the top of her bed. "The sooner we get to bed, the sooner we both get some rest. And I have a feeling you're going to need it more than I will."

He could have taken a cab from Jack's penthouse to his hotel, but Woody felt the need to work off some stress. A long walk was just what he needed…even if it was on the late night streets of New York. Jamming his hands deep in his pants pockets, he began the long trek back to his room.

Jordan was with Jack. He'd bet any money he interrupted an intimate romantic interlude between the two.

Jordan. Jack. Together. Intimately.

Something Woody had never been.

Something he had always wanted, though. Despite the fact that he had shut her down and shut her out, deep in her heart he always knew Jordan was the one. Despite her issues, despite everything…Jordan was the love of his life.

Only now, she was the love of someone else's life. He saw the way Jack looked at her. He saw the way the DA acted around her…arm around the waist, around the shoulders, calling her sweetheart…

Well, despite the fact that he did have information on the Albanian mob that Jack and the New York detectives needed to know, Woody had found out everything he sat out to discover on this out-of-state field trip.

Jordan was happy. She was content. She was with a man that she obviously had great affection for. Remembering his promise to himself, Woody vowed he would do nothing to upset Jordan's new found happiness and contentment.

He'd leave New York without saying a word to her about what he was feeling.

Jordan would never know how much he loved her.