Chapter 76：Trust Issues

"Wow!" Jordan said out of breath,. "Where did you learn how to do that?!" Jordan fell back onto the bed and held his head in disbelief.

"I've been attending sessions with Maya," Lana smiled slyly.

"Maya knows how to do that?? Wait there are classes for that kind of thing??!"

"Yeahh..Maya probably does it better because she has like a personal trainer-"

"It all makes sense now.." Jordan leaned over her and kissed her.

"What?" she frowned.

"Why Kyle can't keep his hands off her." Lana laughed and he grinned as he looked down at her.

"I'm going to take a shower, then I'm going to head out. Want to join me? " He slid out of bed and slipped into his boxers.

"You're leaving already?" Lana sat up and pulled the sheet up to her chest.

"I don't really want to...but-I have a meeting with some director that wants me in his movie." He sat back on the bed and kissed her forehead.

"Oh.." Lana berated herself for sounding clingy.

"How about we do brunch or something when I'm done?" he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at her expectantly.

"Okay.." she pushed her lip out, sulking.

"I'll text you later?" He kissed her and sucked on her bottom lip. "You're so cute when you're sulking." He laughed.

"I'm not sulking-"

"Yes you are." He teased.

"Just go Carter." She pushed back against his chest.

"We need to talk later. You know that right?" He interlaced their fingers.

"Just because we had sex all night doesn't mean-I don't expect you to-you don't owe me anything Carter-"

"That's where you're wrong Lana." He countered; a look of solemn determination on his face. "We both know last night-and a greater part of this morning-was more than just sex...I know you felt it too.." As if she were conscious of his scrutiny, she lifted her head and glanced toward him.

"I don't know-"

"I'm sorry to cut this short but, can we pick this up later baby? I really need to go-Ryan is blowing up my phone." He cut off the call and gave her a chaste kiss before dashing off to the bathroom.

There was a knock on the door, so she wrapped her gown around her body and went to check who it was.

"Morning Lana.."Ryan grinned widely.

"Ryan," she replied dryly.

"I've brought JC's clothes..and-uhm-sorry about-but you know-"

"Just give me the clothes Ry. I'll tell him you're here when he gets out of the shower."

"Thanks-great-uh-you guys were really loud and I must say even I was convinced-the reporter was blushing so hard. I'm sure she was totally turned on- "

"Bye Ry." She shut the door in his face and went to put the clothes in the dressing room.

Lana sank back onto the bed, a huge smile on her face. Things were going to be okay after all. Just when she decided to go and join him in the shower, his phone slipped off the bed and a message notification popped up on his screen. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach and she was back on ground zero again.

"Good morning pretty-boy. Since last night was a non-event you promised to make it up to me-so how about tonight? Call me when you can. Can't wait to see your pretty blue eyes that are almost as nice as mine.. Blue

She threw off the covers and got dressed quickly; her mind was in turmoil. She could hear Jordan crooning in the shower and it made her even angrier. He was singing Love On the Brain and she thought it was so ironic that he chose that particular song. Was he thinking about Blu? Or her???

How could he do this to her again? In a fit of rage, she concluded that she would confront him. He always said a naked man was a vulnerable man so she was going to use his own tactic on him. She barged into the shower just as he was turning off the faucet.

"Did Ryan bring me a change of clothes?" He slid the glass door open and she nodded wordlessly. "Please pass me a towel baby?"

She didn't move but stood there glaring at him. "Who's Blu?" She furrowed her brows.

"Thought you said I didn't owe you any explanations?" He smirked as he quirked an eyebrow.

"I'm not playing Carter! Who is she?" She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes into slits.

"Are we seriously going to have this conversation now? In case you didn't notice.. " he stepped out of the glass cubicle and closed the distance between them, "you're kind of at a disadvantage sweets.."

"H-how?" She stepped back until her back was against the wall.

He pushed her against the tiled wall and caged her in with his arms. "I see what you're trying to do here..and it's not going to work..." His hair was dripping with water, his body was still wet andslippery-he was a vision of what a girl's wet dreams are made off. Lana knew she didn't stand a chance against him as he trailed kisses down her neck and she was like putty in his hands.

"This naked man is not at all vulnerable baby.." His voice was low pitched, penetrating, and of the most seductive gentleness. "Quite the opposite actually.." On his lips was a smile, impudent, provocative, extremely attractive. "This one is very..very dangerous.." he pushed his full length against her as he captured her lips.

"You're not playing fair Carter.." She pushed him away with great effort and managed to escape from his clutches.

"Touché baby." He stepped back slightly; a tide of secret joy swept through him, as he realized his victory. "Let me get dressed then we can talk?" He released her and grabbed the towel on the rail. She returned to the bedroom in a huff; Jordan smiled to himself.

"Who is she?" Lana asked again as he walked back into the room, fully clothed.

He went over to her and sat on the edge of the bed. "She's a friend baby."

"What kind of friend Carter?"

"The kind that was there for me when you weren't."

"So it's my fault now?" she pulled her hands out of his grasp.

"Baby..I didn't mean it that way. Don't make this an issue? Please?" He sighed and ran his fingers through his damp hair.

"I think you should go." She shuffled over to the window and turned her back to him.

"Lana-" he put his hands on her shoulders but she shrugged them off.

"Leave!" Cried Lana, in an irritated tone.

"No!" His arctic eyes gleamed, immovable. He was used to dealing with pique in women and had found it the most manageable of weaknesses.

"I said go!" She yelled.

"And I said NO!" He marched over to her and grabbed her wrists. "You asked me a question and I told you the answer-which is the truth. Blu is my friend." He said with a very expressive smile and emphasis.

"I don't care." She lied.

"I do." He turned her around and tilted her chin up with his hand. "Don't do this baby? We just found each other again. Can't we build on that?"

"To be honest Lana...I didn't-I had written us off okay? I didn't think we would find our way back to each other. So...I was trying to move on but-"

"With Blu?!"

"Not necessarily sweets-"

"But you thought about it?!"

"She knows how I feel about you-it was never going to happen-"

"So she wants you then?"

"I'm Jordan 'freakin' Carter baby-who doesn't want me baby?" he stated, with arrogant self-assurance.

"We'll talk about this later Carter. You need to go." Lana set her hands on her hips, flared her elbows, and lifted her chin.

"That joke was in bad taste." He made a grimace, and then seemed to be ashamed of his selfishness.

"You think?" She shot back.

"Do you want me to stop seeing Blu? Does it bother you that we're spending time together?"

"Do whatever you want Carter."

"Come here..sit?" He sat on the chaise and patted the spot next to him. Then, mechanically, she went and dropped onto the couch.

Ryan knocked on the door and peeped in. "JC we've got to get going-"

"Can you move the meeting forward or reschedule? I'm in the middle of something-"

"But we can't-"

"Just do it Ry!" He directed in his authoritative manner.

"I'm on it," Ryan replied, acquiescing in the request.

"You don't have to stay. Go to your meeting Carter," she mumbled.

"I thought we could hash this out later but... I think we need to have that talk now. Don't you think so too?" A questioning look came into his eyes.

"It won't change anything." Lana saw she was in for it, and resigned himself to an inquisition.

"You always ask me to be upfront with you and when I do, you get your tit in a wringer." He heaved a sigh of despair and looked upwards.

"You were entertaining another woman-"

"Only because I thought we were done Lana!" He cut in, exasperated. "Like I said: she is just a good friend...and I thought you didn't want to be with me anymore...so I think it was only fair for me to see other people." He responded in the tone of one who is willing to argue a point. "But if you really must know-I don't feel for her-for anyone-what I feel for you. You're the only one that I want baby." He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, and she looked up with a quivering face.

"And...you're the only man I want to be with Carter." She admitted as she placed her hand over his.

"Then I need you to trust me Lana...and I feel like you don't.." he cupped her face and forced her to look into his eyes. "This will never work if you don't trust me baby. Do you get that?"

"I want to..I do.."

"Then act like it baby. Show me that you believe in me-in us? Can you do that for me?" His blue eyes pleaded with her. They seared her very soul, and she began to know the meaning of shame.

"I'm sorry for..jumping into conclusions-"

"And..?"

"For not trusting you-"

"And..?"

"From now on I'm going to trust- to believe in you..in our love.." she fixed her eyes on him and he smiled.

"Fi-'freakin'-nally!" He threw back his head and laughed. "I've waited so long to hear you say that!" He pressed his lips on hers.

"You have no idea how it makes me feel to hear you say that." He cupped her face in his hands and looked deep into her eyes.

"I'm sorry I've been behaving like a-

"Brat?"

"My mother.."

"I'm sorry about that..I shouldn't have-" His strongest feeling just then was one of self-reproach, mingled with humiliation.

"I'm sorry for saying that you were like your father-"

"You were right sweets. I was behaving like him-"

"I shouldn't have thrown it in your face Carter. I'm sorry." She turned to him with a pitiful, apologetic smile.

"All good baby?" She nodded a quiet assent before he brushed his lips with hers.

"I love you, Lana Carter." He declared as he looked at her with the light of passion in his eyes. "I want us to be a family.." He gazed at her with a radiant expression and placed his hand on her midsection. "A real family."

"I love you too Carter..and I'd like that." Tears welled in her eyes as he buried his face in her lap and began to sing to their unborn child. Her dream was turning into a reality right before her very eyes and it made her a bit emotional.

Maybe it's intuition

But some things you just don't question

Like in your eyes, I see my future in an instant

And there it goes,

I think I found my best friend

I know that it might sound

More than a little crazy

But I believe

I knew I loved you before I met you

I think I dreamed you into life

I knew I loved you before I met you

I have been waiting all my life

There's just no rhyme or reason

And in your eyes, I see

The missing pieces I'm searching for

I think I've found my way home

I know that it might sound

More than a little crazy

But I believe

I knew I loved you before I met you

I think I dreamed you into life

I knew I loved you before I met you

I have been waiting all my life

A thousand angels dance around you

I am complete now that I've found you

(Source: LyricFind)

(I Knew I Loved You lyrics Savage Garden © Warner Chappell Music, Inc)