Taylor laughed. “I like this little fiery streak you have going here.”

  A slow smile spread across Jordan’s face. “I’m glad you like it,” she said. Suddenly, she felt her playful nature coming to life, and she wanted to flirt. It was a foreign feeling, but she liked it.

  She nudged Taylor’s arm. “Want to come over later? I’ll show you a little more of this fiery side.” For good measure, she added a wink and watched as unadulterated lust filled Taylor’s eyes.

  As Taylor struggled to keep her breathing even, she stiffened visibly. “That sounds like fun,” she said slowly. “I thought we’d agreed to keep our distance for a little while, though.”

  “You can keep your distance if you want,” Jordan said casually. “Just know that I’m ready and waiting. So, you can come over later, or you can decide not to. It’s your call.”

  With that, she decided that she’d said enough. She gave Taylor a long hug, making sure to press her breasts against her friend’s. It sent a shiver of excitement through her entire body and affected her in places that had only been awakened days before.

  “I’ll think about it,” Taylor said, although the longing in her voice made it perfectly clear that she would, in fact, be coming over later.

  Jordan gave her a smile and got into her car. As she drove away, she cast one look back into the rearview mirror. Seeing Taylor standing there, clearly undone, made her tremble. She didn’t know much, but she knew she was in deep trouble over her feelings for this woman.

  Chapter Ten

  Looking over the notes from their session, Janelle felt her anger rise. She wanted nothing more than to march into Taylor’s office and tell her to leave that girl alone.

  There was no doubt from Jordan’s quick and decisive defense that Taylor was more than just a casual acquaintance. Yet, Jordan had felt the need to hide it from her in their initial conversation. She couldn’t decide if that signaled something dangerous, or if it was merely at Taylor’s request that Jordan keep their friendship a secret. Either way, she didn’t like it, and she was determined to figure out what was happening. Once she did, she’d use whatever leverage she had to get Taylor out of the church office. It was one thing for her to masquerade around here on Sundays, acting like the perfect pastor’s daughter, but it was another thing altogether for her to act like it was her job to help run the church, to be behind the scenes of all the day-to-day operations, and to have a trusted place amongst the young adults group.

  Whatever it took, she would bring Taylor down. For now, though, she’d have to lay low.

  She had sat in deliberation for far too long, and it was time to take action. Casually, she strolled into the pastor’s office.

  “How did it go?” he asked, looking up over the top of his reading glasses.

  Janelle smiled. She made a point of not indulging the pastor in gossip, although it took every ounce of control she had not to do so.

  “It went well,” she said. “Very well. Is Taylor still in?”

  His brow furrowed in confusion, and she knew she should have played it a little cooler. She never asked to speak to Taylor, and she was aware that he probably knew about their difference in personalities.

  “I think she went out for a bit, but she should be back in shortly,” he said, craning his neck to look into her empty office.

  She supposed she could have done the same without creating an atmosphere of curiosity.

  “I’ll catch up with her soon,” she said before turning to leave.

  As she turned, she almost bumped into Taylor as she reentered the office.

  “Sorry,” Taylor said. “Excuse me.”

  Janelle attempted unsuccessfully to keep the icy edge out of her voice. “It’s fine.”

  “Looks like she’s back,” the pastor said, nodding in Taylor’s direction with an amused smile.

  “Thanks,” Janelle said, forcing a laugh and hating the way that he always thought he was funnier than he was in reality.

  Taylor walked past her, oblivious to the fact that Janelle had been waiting to talk to her. She followed Taylor to her office and stopped in the doorway, suddenly wishing this interaction could take place somewhere more private, without the watching eye of the pastor.

  “Do you have a minute?” she asked, knocking lightly on the doorframe.

  Although she was fairly certain she saw a look of disgust in Taylor’s eyes, Taylor smiled politely and nodded. Janelle was not going to give her time to change her mind. Instead, she stepped inside and pulled the door closer behind her.

  “What can you tell me about Jordan Weston?” she asked, deciding that the direct approach would probably be best.

  “She attends our Tuesday night group,” Taylor said. “She seems like a nice girl.”

  Janelle leaned in closer out of curiosity. “And the two of you are friends, right?”

  Taylor shrugged. “Yeah, we have spent a little time together. Why?”

  There was nothing to suggest that Taylor was uncomfortable or even that she found Janelle’s probing alarming, so Janelle continued.

  “I just wondered,” she said. “I am a little worried about her. I’m a friend of her mom’s, and she asked me to make sure that Jordan was doing okay lately.”

  “She seems fine to me,” Taylor said with a smile.

  “Well, when are you seeing her again?” Janelle questioned.

  A spark of suspicion flashed in Taylor’s eyes. “I’m not quite sure,” she said. “I bet she will be at the group Tuesday.”

  Janelle was hoping to get something deeper, something to explain the connection that Jordan obviously felt with Taylor, but this was fruitless.

  “What do you two do when you are together?” Janelle asked. “Is Jordan a partier? Has she been acting out?”

  Taylor laughed. “She’s a good kid,” she said. “Trust me, she’s doing fine. I don’t know why you’re asking all these questions.”

  “I’m just making sure she’s doing all right,” Janelle tried to reassure her. “I just wouldn’t want to see her fall in with the wrong crowd.”

  “Is the church the wrong crowd?” Taylor inquired.

  Janelle’s face flushed. She had been caught in her insinuation. “Not at all,” she said, rising with her words. “I just wanted to make sure. You know, she is young and impressionable and needs a good example. That responsibility follows whoever is older and wiser and placed in her path to help her out.”

  “I’ll make sure and take good care of her then,” Taylor said with a smile still plastered on her face. “I’ll make sure she stays away from the rest of the bad eggs at church, as well. Would that help?”

  The tension in the air was palpable, as Janelle looked directly into Taylor’s eyes. Taylor’s smile was unfaltering, as if a challenge hung in the balance between them.

  Janelle fought the urge to lash out in anger and instead nodded and exited Taylor’s office without another word.

  She made her way back to her office and grabbed her cell phone. She quickly opened up her messaging screen and sent Callie all of Jordan’s contact information with a note to get in touch with the girl.

  As she sat down at her desk, she felt her frustrations grow. All she wanted to do was help that poor girl and keep her away from the train wreck that was Taylor Reeves.

  * * *

  Stepping out of the office, Taylor put on her sunglasses. The summer sun shone brightly as she made her way to her truck. Once inside, she let out the breath that she hadn’t realized she was holding.

  There was too much pressure. She felt like she was trying to hold it together for everyone right now. Jordan was testing her. No doubt about that. It had taken every ounce of willpower to stay away from her, and now that she had endured the day—and inquisition—from hell, she was ready to blow off some steam.

  Knowing that wasn’t how she wanted her first encounter with Jordan to take place, she opted for a quick trip to a convenience store instead.

  A Red Bull and a cigarette later, she decided that maybe a stop at Jordan’s for dinner would be a good call. She picked up her phone to call, but decided against it. A little surprise never hurt anyone.

  Humming happily along with the radio, she let the frustrations of the day slip away from her. She would go have dinner with her new best friend, and all would be well. Janelle’s curiosity and her inquiries would be a thing of the past.

  Jordan had held her own in her counseling session today, and she could do the same next week. Somehow, Taylor had escaped anyone finding out private details of her life thus far, and she was not about to let this tiny Kansas town change that. Janelle could pry all she wanted, and Taylor was not going to give in. She knew Jordan wouldn’t either, so they might as well just enjoy themselves.

  When she pulled up in front of Jordan’s house, her nerves kicked into high gear. She wasn’t quite sure why Jordan made her this nervous. Normally, she was calm and collected. In every relationship she had ever been in previously, she had been the levelheaded one. Dating did not make her nervous, but Jordan severely unnerved her.

  Walking to the door, she tried to steady her breath. She needed to get it together. She knocked lightly. In the seconds it took for Jordan to answer the door, she regretted not taking an extra look in the mirror. She wanted to look perfect.

  Jordan peeked out the door. “Hey,” she said in surprise.

  “Hey yourself,” Taylor said with a smile. “Mind if I stop by for a few?”

  Jordan laughed and opened the door all the way. “Be my guest.”

  The playful smile that danced on Jordan’s lips caught Taylor’s breath for a second. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she said, even though Jordan was dressed comfily in a pair of white basketball shorts and a T-shirt from her old basketball team.

  “Just my dinner party,” Jordan said, pointing to the kitchen.

  Taylor looked around to where Jordan was pointing to see all the ingredients laid out on the counter to make tacos. “Are you having someone over for dinner?” she asked, suddenly regretting her decision to make it a surprise visit.

  “Just my best friend,” Jordan said, pulling Taylor into the kitchen. “I was just going to have dinner by myself, which explains my fancy attire.”

  Jordan pretended to model the basketball shorts and T-shirt she was wearing, and Taylor felt her smile grow. This girl put any Victoria’s Secret model to shame in whatever she wore.

  “Damn,” Taylor said. “I didn’t know there was a dress code.”

  They laughed as Jordan moved around the kitchen, grabbing the necessary items to prepare the food. “If you want to help me slice the vegetables, we can make this go twice as fast,” Jordan said.

  “I’m happy to help,” Taylor said, taking the knife and cutting board from Jordan. As their hands brushed, Taylor felt the sensation all over her body.

  Jordan looked into Taylor’s eyes, sensing the tension she felt. The intensity of her stare made it clear exactly what Jordan wanted. Instead of taking the moment further, though, Jordan bit her bottom lip and turned away. Watching her bite her lip sent a shiver through Taylor’s entire body and made her catch her breath. Jordan’s ability to quickly go from confident, sassy and sexy to unsure and cautious was sending her on a roller coaster and making her hormones rage like a teenager. Closing her eyes for just a second to will the thoughts away, she regained her composure.

  “It’s not a dinner party without some good music,” Jordan said as she clicked into the iTunes account on her laptop computer, which sat open on the counter.

  “What are we listening to tonight?” Taylor asked as she chopped onion. She loved how easily they had fallen into a comfortable friendship. It just felt natural to be here, in Jordan’s kitchen, making dinner as they casually chatted about music. It felt almost as natural as Taylor imagined it would feel to take Jordan into her arms and fuck her senseless. She shook her head to clear the image from her mind and looked up to find Jordan watching her carefully.

  “What?” Taylor asked, hoping that her thoughts hadn’t been transcribed on her forehead as she feared they probably had been.

  Jordan wordlessly shook her head and smiled coyly. “Nothing,” she said finally. “What were you thinking about?”

  “Nothing,” Taylor said too quickly.

  “Mmmhmm,” Jordan said. “Well, whatever it was, it made you sigh.”

  Taylor felt herself blush slightly, a new sensation for her. Yet, she decided to stick to her story. “It was nothing,” she said. “Did you decide on music?”

  “I asked you what you wanted to listen to,” Jordan said. “But, when you didn’t answer, I made up my mind on my own.”

  “Okay. What will it be?”

  “Wait for it,” Jordan said with a wink.

  Gone was the girl who had acted somewhat shy at first. Jordan was now in full-blown vixen mode, and it was driving Taylor crazy. Her heart raced as she watched the scene in front of her unfold. It was better than any lap dance or striptease she had ever seen. Just sitting there with a half smirk, her dimple showing, and her eyes dancing with lust, Jordan was undoing every nerve in Taylor’s body.

  Jordan clicked the play button before dancing across the kitchen to stir the meat. Taylor watched in awe as she added seasonings and smiled over her shoulder.

  The music started to play, and immediately Taylor let out a small giggle.

  “Anything wrong?” Jordan asked.

  “Nice song choice,” Taylor said, listening as the beginning of “Taste” by Josh Abbott Band started to play.

  Jordan turned to face Taylor, her smile growing. “You know it?” she asked, obviously amused.

  Taylor nodded. “I like my share of obscure country bands,” she said. “It’s part of this fitting in thing here in Kansas. Besides, my friend Amy loves Texas country. Last year, we’d drink and listen to this all the time, amazed that country music could be so sexy—so dirty.”

  “I thought it got the point across,” Jordan said, biting her lip once more as she turned back to the frying pan.

  The singer started to croon about kissing various parts of the body, and Taylor felt her knees weaken slightly at the sight of Jordan dancing seductively along with the music.

  Unable to resist the temptation any longer, Taylor moved to stand directly behind Jordan. She reached around Jordan’s waist and moved Jordan away from the stove, turning off the burner.

  She kissed Jordan’s neck softly and gently. Caressing the tender area with her tongue, she heard Jordan moan and felt her shiver in her arms.

  “Is that what you wanted?” Taylor asked breathlessly.

  “That,” Jordan said huskily. “And so much more.”

  Needing no further invitation, Taylor spun her around and pushed her up against a section of the counter and let herself get lost in the complete pleasure of lust.

  Their lips intertwined and their tongues danced as both of them let out small moans of pleasure.

  Jordan pulled back slightly, and Taylor worried she had done something wrong. “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “Fuck,” Jordan said breathlessly. “I’m more than okay. I’m pretty damn good.”

  “Why did you stop, then?” Taylor asked.

  Jordan smiled. “I just wanted to let you know how much I love it when you kiss me like you want to fuck me.”

  The words sent Taylor over the edge, and she pressed her body up closer to Jordan’s so that Jordan could feel every movement she made as she moved her hips slowly in a grinding motion.

  As she deepened the kiss, she felt Jordan’s body shake. They both felt the passion, and Taylor knew she couldn’t fight it if she tried.

  Jordan wrapped her arms around Taylor’s head, and as Taylor moved back down to kiss her neck one more time, she felt Jordan practically melt into her arms. Jordan tangled her fingers in Taylor’s hair and pulled her in closer as Taylor nibbled on her earlobes. Taking her time, Taylor returned to kiss Jordan’s lips before removing her shirt. Silently, she gazed into Jordan’s eyes to ask for permission.

  Nodding her head vehemently, Jordan in response ripped off Taylor’s shirt. There was a hunger in her eyes that Taylor needed no help to understand.

  As they tore at each other’s clothes, Taylor lifted Jordan up and sat her on the counter.

  “Tell me what you want,” Taylor coaxed, needing to hear the words come directly from Jordan.

  “I already told you,” Jordan said, her voice darkened by lust. “I want you to fuck me.”

  The low moan of passion that slid out of Taylor’s throat as she kissed Jordan again surprised even her. She moved Jordan off the counter and took her by the hand.

  “Not here,” she said. “Someday, maybe, but I want your first time to be special.”

  Jordan smiled as she moved ahead of Taylor and practically dragged her into the bedroom.

  “Will this work?” Jordan asked seductively.

  Taylor was unable to speak at the sight of Jordan standing before her in nothing but a bra and basketball shorts. She simply nodded. Taking Jordan in her arms once more, she pulled off the last remaining articles of clothing before taking a step back to revel in the sight before her.

  There was no doubt Jordan was the most beautiful girl she had ever seen. Her eyes widened as she took it all in. From her perfect, rounded breasts to her long, lean legs, every part of her looked attractive. Taylor let out a sigh of contentment mixed with sheer desire and ran her fingers over Jordan’s flat stomach and up across her toned arms, before wrapping her arms around her and moving her onto the bed.

  She laid Jordan on her back and moved to straddle her. Leaning down, she took one of Jordan’s hardened nipples into her mouth and caressed it with her tongue, causing Jordan to cry out. She continued to suck, while running her hands up and down Jordan’s body.

  “I can’t take it anymore,” Jordan said, much later, through pants. “I need you to fuck me now. I’m wet. Wetter than I’ve ever been.”

  Taylor smiled at the words and pulled back to look deep into Jordan’s eyes, before sliding her hand down in between Jordan’s thighs. Gently circling, she found that Jordan had given an accurate description of how turned on she was. Slowly, she slid one finger inside, easing Jordan into the experience, before sliding down on the bed to taste her. Jordan moaned at the contact, arching her hips and throwing her head back against the pillows.