“No,” Shara and Reeba said in unison.
Mona jumped, startled by their exuberance. “Is it that serious?” she asked, looking at them like they were crazy.
“I want to make something just for you,” Reeba said with a glance at Shara. They both gave Mona a weird smile.
Mona’s eyes shifted back and forth between her sisters. “Why are y’all acting crazy?” she asked, her hand still on the door, holding it open.
“Just tired,” Shara said. “Tell us what kind of cake, so you can stop holding Anson up.”
“I’m sick of lemon, so maybe a strawberry shortcake, ReeRee?” she asked with a shrug.
“Whatever you want, sis,” Reeba said.
Shara elbowed her.
They gave her those weird smiles again.
“Night, y’all,” she said, after noting a few shifts of the eyes between the two of them.
Mona rushed across the sidewalk and climbed inside the warmth of the Jag. She instantly leaned over to kiss Anson with a press of her hand against his face. He winced.
“I forgot my hands are cold. Sorry about that,” she said.
He grabbed her hand and turned his face into it to kiss her palm. “No worries,” he said.
When he released it she settled her hand onto his thigh as Anson made short work of driving them from Walterboro to Holtsville.
The last five months of their life together had been everything they both wanted and more. Much more. She let him know that he was the love of her life and he proved every day that he cherished their relationship and her love.
As they pulled up to Anson’s house, workmen were still high on ladders putting the finishing touches on the Christmas decorations. Mona clapped excitedly and barely waited for Anson to stop the car before she climbed out of it. “It’s so beautiful,” she said. “I don’t know why we didn’t hire them to put it all up sooner.”
Anson came to stand beside her just as the lights of the garland were turned on. She glanced at his side profile and loved the twinkle of the lights in his eyes. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and said, “You look happy.”
He glanced over at her before wrapping one hand around her waist to pull her even closer. “I am happy,” he said. “The happiest I’ve ever been.”
She grabbed his face and planted a loud kiss on his lips. He swung her up into his arms and carried her inside the house.
Mona awakened quietly, on the bed, the darkness broken up by the moonlight, with Anson’s arms securely around her waist holding her body against his. She shook her head a bit to free it and turned on the bed. He grunted slightly in his sleep as Mona faced him and reached in the darkness to lightly touch his lips with first her fingertips, then her lips.
“Stop, Mo,” he said, his voice thick with sleep and his eyes still closed.
“But I need to ask you something,” she insisted.
“No, my dick is not awake either,” he said.
“Are my aunts coming to Holtsville?” she asked. “I just had the weirdest dream.”
Anson’s eyes popped open. “No, but since you woke me up,” he said, pushing her back down on the bed with his body.
Mona avoided his lips, twisting her head this way and that. “I didn’t wake you up for that—”
Anson captured her chin with his hand and pressed kisses to her mouth until all questions were completely forgotten. Then he slid his hand beneath her buttocks and lifted her high to slide himself inside her with one thrust.
Soon her questions where replaced with cries of pure passion.
“What are you up to today?”
Mona looked over at Anson across the island as they enjoyed a late breakfast. “Really nothing. I was just gon’ lay around the house all day while you fish with the Jamisons. Why?” she asked, looking at him over the rim of her pink spectacles.
“I thought we could have a date night,” he said.
Mona eyed him. He was looking everywhere—at his plate, at his phone, on his iPad—anywhere but at her. What’s that all about?
She popped a grape in her mouth and chewed on it until he looked up at her in silence. “What’s up? What’s going on?” she said, her eyes on him like a hawk’s on a field mouse.
“Nothing’s up,” he said, rising to come around the table. “We don’t do date nights anymore?”
Mona tilted her head back to look up at him as he loomed over her. “Of course,” she said, puckering her lips.
He kissed her as requested. “I’m heading out, but I’ll be home by six at the latest,” he said, already walking toward the archway.
Mona rose from the stool and walked over to the kitchen to peep through the thick wood slats of the blinds as he eventually drove off down the driveway. Something was definitely up.
Mona bit her lip as she reached across the island to pick up her cell phone. Mr. Cool Calm and Collected wouldn’t give it up, but she knew who would. “Reeba, hey, sis. What you doing?” she asked, leaning back against the island and twisting a curl around her pinky finger.
Mona tensed when she heard plenty of voices in the background. Was that a “hey there”?
“Nothing,” Reeba said.
“I’m about to ride down there. Girl, I’m so bored,” she lied with an arched eyebrow.
“No! No, we . . . uh . . . Shara and I are headed out the door—”
Child, please.
Mona studied her nails. “Well, come scoop me up. I wanna ride out too,” she said, rolling her eyes as she came around the island and picked up a piece of turkey bacon.
“Well, if you must know, we were going to get your gift,” she said.
Amateurs.
“My birthday’s not for another week,” she said. “Matter of fact, let me call you back and cancel this date night with Anson. I think I’m just gonna stay home all night and chill.”
“No!”
Reeba had no sense of chill.
“Let me call you back, ReeRee,” she said, raising her finger to end the call.
Boop.
Mona loved surprises. Ever since she was a little girl she got the greatest tickle out of surprises of any size or nature. But what she loved more than a surprise was doubling back and surprising those who thought they were surprising her.
With a hearty laugh she walked into the bedroom to plan just what outfit she would wear to her surprise party—which wasn’t a surprise at all anymore.
“You really look beautiful, Mona,” Anson said as he opened up the passenger door to the Jaguar and held out his hand to help Mona from the car.
Under her coat she wore a gold strapless jumpsuit which gleamed next to her cinnamon brown complexion. Her curly hair was up in a topknot showing off the large gold hoop earrings, and her makeup was smoky and sexy. “Thank you,” she said, taking his hand and standing.
He decided not to fight the urge to press a kiss to the base of her neck. He loved that he felt a shiver race across her body from that simple gesture. He had much more planned for her later that night. “Ready?” Anson asked, closing the passenger door behind her.
Mona nodded as they walked across the lot and into their favorite soul food restaurant, YaYa’s. She loved the dishes that reminded her of the good and spicy Louisiana cooking she grew up on.
“Wait, Anson,” she said, grabbing his arm before he opened the door to the restaurant. She removed her coat and folded it over her arm. “How do I look? Is everything where it’s supposed to be?”
Anson fought the urge to chuckle in her face. “I already said you look good, baby. What are you worrying about?”
Mona released a little laugh and released the death grip she had on his arm. “I just want to look good for you,” she said.
Yeah, right.
“I am dying for some of those fried gator bites,” Anson said, holding the door as she entered.
Mona gave him some side-eye. “Aren’t you glad I bribed you into trying one?”
“For what you were offering that night I would’ve tried a
nything,” he said, his cheeks warming at the memory. Mona was just as spontaneous and free-spirited in bed. She’d taught him a few things—and that was saying a lot.
“Welcome to YaYa’s,” the hostess said, already holding two large leather bound menus in her hand. “Two?”
“Yes. Thank you,” Anson said.
“Huh?” Mona said in low voice.
He saw the confused look on Mona’s face as she looked at the patrons seated around the restaurant enjoying their food. “Something wrong?” he asked, motioning for her to precede him in following the hostess to their table.
Mona forced a smile. “No . . . no. Nope.”
She led them to the back of the restaurant. They came to a stop by a set of wooden double doors. “The table needs to be cleaned. Let me get a busboy for you,” the hostess said, giving them an apologetic smile before she turned and walked away.
Mona continued to cast surreptitious glances around as she smoothed her hair upward. “The restaurant is pretty packed,” she said, her expression a little pained. “We barely got a seat.”
Anson pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder. “I’m going to the bathroom. Be right back,” he said, before striding away.
He chuckled as he moved around the corner leading to the restrooms but instead opened another set of double doors leading into a large room filled with balloons and streamers and nearly fifty people. All eyes fell on him but everyone remained quiet as he moved through the crowd to reach the other double doors. Anson’s heart was pounding in anticipation as he grabbed both handles, looked over his shoulders. “One . . . two . . . three,” he mouthed before opening the doors wide.
Mona stood there and jumped a bit as her eyes widened like a deer caught in bright headlights.
“Surprise! Happy birthday!” they all exclaimed in unison.
Anson pressed a hand to her lower back to guide her into the room. “Happy birthday, baby,” he told her warmly in her ear with a kiss to her cheek as all of their family and friends began to surround them. “You surprised?”
Mona wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him close. “Yes, baby, thank you.”
Mona’s heart was pounding. She felt silly for correctly guessing the party and still being surprised like crazy when those doors opened. She released Anson as she felt herself pulled into a small circle of hugs made by her two sisters and two aunts.
“Hey there,” her aunts said in unison, looking lively and regal with their silver hair and colorful dresses. “Happy birthday, Mona.”
Mona hugged them both at once, her head between both of theirs. She enjoyed their scent and their eternal positive energy. “Thank you for coming all this way,” she whispered to both. “And thanks for being the guardians of our gift. We are forever blessed by having you both in our lives.”
“Hey, what did you say to them?” Reeba asked, as both aunts wiped at their eyes.
“None of ya business,” Mona said, pulling her sister close and then wiggling their bodies like they were making shakes. Just as they did when they were teens.
She hugged her littlest sister next and did the same. “You’re my fav, you know,” she said playfully.
“I know,” Shara said.
Mona turned and surveyed the room of smiling faces and bright decorations. “Oh,” she said, turning back to the Ballinger women. “I knew all about the surprise.”
She did a little victory dance as their faces filled with remorse.
“Who gave it away?” one of them asked.
“One guess,” Mona said with a long stare at Reeba before she stepped away from them to playfully bicker.
There were a large group of people waiting to wish her well and Mona reached back for Anson. His hand slid right into hers. They both made the rounds around the room together. Everything felt right with them. Complete. Happy.
“Where’s Hunter?” she asked, looking around the room once they claimed a quiet corner for themselves.
“He couldn’t get time off from his residency,” Anson told her. “Trust me he is crazy disappointed he is missing the chance to hand pick which of your sisters he wants.”
Mona just rolled her eyes playfully and laughed.
“So you knew all about it, huh?” he asked.
She shrugged one shoulder. “I still love it though and it’s the best surprise birthday party ever. My family. My friends. My favorite food. My man.”
Mona leaned against the strength of his chest and looked up at him as she stroked his chin with her thumb. “Thank you for everything, including showing me that love—being in love—is even better than I ever imagined,” she said to him softly, her eyes filling with emotion as she bit her bottom lip.
Anson bent his head enough to kiss her mouth several times—short and sweet and with the promise of more when they were alone.
Both of their hearts pounded at the thought of more. Much more.
Mona felt slightly shy at the love she had for this man and rested her head on his chest as she smiled.
Suddenly everyone began to sing happy birthday.
She looked and turned. The room was slightly darkened and the crowd parted as her sisters rolled up to her with a cake lit with tall thin candles. She gasped at the 3-D heart-shaped cake and grasped Anson’s arm after he wrapped it around her waist from behind.
“Happy birthday, Mona,” he whispered before releasing her.
She stepped forward to look down at the cake and then looked up to meet the eyes of her sister Reeba. “You are my fav, you know?” she said.
Reeba looked bashful as she nodded. “I know.”
“Make a wish,” one of the aunts said.
The room went quiet.
Mona reached her hand back for Anson’s. She stiffened when she felt an object pressed against her palm instead. She looked down at it as he came around to stand before her beside the lit cake. It was a bright red suede-covered ring box.
She gasped and then just as quickly released the breath as she looked up to him. “Anson,” she whispered as he lowered himself before her on one knee.
“Mona, you are everything I ever needed and didn’t even know I wanted. You make me laugh. You make me have fun. You make me think. You have made me believe in things I never could have imagined were possible. And you make me a better man. We have come a long way since that first time we met in your office—”
“Thank God,” she inserted with a smile, wiping away a tear that raced down her cheek.
“Yes, thank God,” he agreed.
The party goers lightly laughed.
“I went from wanting you, to needing you, and now loving you with everything I am. I simply want to spend the rest of my life loving you and I ask you to want the same with me.” He reached for her hand and gently took the box from her to open and reveal a beautiful three carat heart-shaped solitaire set on an intricately designed gold band.
“Good job, Anson,” Shara said.
“Hey there,” the aunts agreed.
The crowd laughed again before settling back into a respectful silence.
“I was meant for you and you were meant for me, Mona Ballinger. Will you be mine?” he asked, holding the ring at the tip of her finger.
She felt a slight tremble in his hand and his nervousness made her love him even more. She nodded and clutched at his hand as she began to tremble. “For forever and a day,” she swore as he slid the ring onto her finger.
He rose to his feet with ease and pulled her body close to his to kiss her as everyone around them applauded. They began with light touches of their lips and it deepened with a moan as they held each other tightly and enjoyed the taste of each other without a care in the world.
They were forced to end the precursor to the night ahead as the crowd swelled forward to congratulate them.
“Oh, and your aunts told me you knew about the party,” Anson said.
Mona’s mouth gaped. She didn’t even bother to ponder how they knew she knew.
“And your sisters tell me
how you love interceding a surprise,” he continued as he turned and held up his hand high in the air while holding on to one of hers with the other. “But I do believe now that the ring is on your finger, and you have said yes, that we got you. So . . . one, two, three!”
“Surprise! You’re engaged,” everyone exclaimed in unison.
It was Anson’s turn to do a little jazzy two-step as Mona looked bashful. “It’s not your birthday party it’s your engagement party. You were wrong. Stop guessing. You were wrong. Stop snooping. You were wrong,” he chanted.
Mona’s mock serious expression broke when her aunts came around the cake to do the bump with Anson as they joined him in their chant. “You were wrong. Stop guessing. You were wrong. Stop snooping.”
She couldn’t do anything but laugh and turn to dance herself back into the middle of their frivolity.
“Forever and a day, huh?” Anson asked as he lay still and enjoyed the beating of her heart echoing the pulsing of her core against the hard length of him inside of her.
Mona nodded as she rubbed her legs down his calves and arched her back as she tightened her walls around his dick with a moan.
He hissed in pleasure and hotly licked the sweat from the length of her neck up to her chin before biting her lightly as he slowly worked his hips in tight little circles that sent his hardness deeper inside of her. Easing his hands beneath her soft buttocks to cup her deeply he rose up just enough on his spread knees to stroke inside of her. Deeply. Powerfully. Quickly.
Mona cried out and turned her face on the pillow causing her hair to cover her face as she dug her nails into his shoulders and enjoyed the passionate onslaught. She shivered with an explosive climax that pushed her so far over the edge that her nails lightly scratched his back as she shifted her hands down to grip his hard buttocks, enjoying the clench and release of his ass as he delivered each delicious stroke.
Anson looked down at her, consumed by his love and desire for her. “My wife,” he said thickly, enjoying the pleasure on her face.
“Not yet,” she reminded him.
“But soon,” he promised her, just before he quickened the pace to unleash his own climax. He released a cry from deep within his chest as he closed his eyes and stroked inside of her until they were both weak, and so spent, that moments later they were in a deep sleep.
Want, Need, Love Page 21