Kylie burst into laughter. "You think I eat life? … I like that!" Perhaps another thing to put on a t-shirt, she said, reminding him of the time he said she should put the phrase, 'I don't question, I just enjoy' on a t-shirt as a reminder of a life philosophy.
"Yes you do, and you make me want to eat it too instead of cringe away from it." Turning serious, he said, "I know I have a lot of emotional work to do Kylie, but I'm asking you to hang in there with me. I don't want to shut you out of my life ever again. I don't want to lose you. I can't lose you."
"I'm a brooder, so I need time and space to think sometimes, but I won't shut down and not communicate with you. I need you, as much as I need air in my lungs and food in my belly. I won't do anything to jeopardize losing you again."
"One more thing … will you promise me something?" he said.
"Yes, if I can," she said, still in shock over just how tumultuous his life had been and how openly he was sharing it with her now.
"I'm so used to shutting down that it's become habit; one I'm determined to break. So if you feel that I'm locking you out, make me aware of it and I promise you I'll let you back in."
"I promise," she said, squeezing the one hand she was holding with both of hers. "It's all I could ever ask of you Gatlin," she said, her watery smile lighting up her face.
"One more thing," he said.
"What's that?" she replied, fishing for a tissue in her handbag. The tears were flowing freely now … for what he'd been through as a child, for the possibilities the future held for them and for the love that overflowed for him right at this second.
Waiting for her to find her tissue, Gatlin scooted closer to her in the leather booth of the Irish pub. Cupping her face in his hands as she wiped her happy tears, he said, "I know this may seem a little out of left field, but will you marry me Kylie?"
"Some things you just know for sure … and what I know is that you are the only woman in the world for me. You literally brought me out of the darkness into the light. You breathed life into a being that existed as a shell of a person."
"I see how you light up like a Christmas tree when you talk about your parents. I want that for us. I know we can have it. So will you? Will you marry me?"
Kylie's eyes widened. She hadn't expected a proposal — not in a million years; not this soon. "You don't have to marry me Gatlin. You can have me any way you want me … as long as I know your heart is open to loving me and sharing with me."
"The way I want you is as my wife Kylie. It's the only way I could possibly have you. I need to know that you'll be mine — and only mine — forever."
Unable to speak, Kylie simply shook her head and leaned into Gatlin.
She'd never expected when she woke up that morning that she'd be engaged to the man she loved more than life itself by nightfall.
Each sought the other to solidify their future with a kiss. Gatlin's tongue caressed her bottom lip, slipping inside her cozy mouth in the forever dance of promised love.
Kylie returned his ardor, completely oblivious to where she was. Feeling the kiss getting out of hand, Gatlin eased back, still holding her in his arms. "Ready?" he said.
"I've never been more ready for anything in my life," she responded, her face in a rapturous smile.
The double meaning of her words weren't lost on him.
"Me neither, my love. Me neither," he said, looking forward to the promise of this night … and the rest of their lives together.
NEW RELEASE COMING THIS MONTH: Lust in Rome
PROLOGUE
"So, I'll be losing the condo to foreclosure unless I can come up with six month's mortgage payments, plus all the interest and fees they charge … and their lawyer's fees. Can you believe it. They're taking my home but they want me to pay their attorney's fee if I want to keep it."
"It's not fair. The big banks get the bailouts, while the struggling homeowners get thrown out," Charmaine said as she dug into her peach pie. Mrs. Smith makes the best 'homemade' peach pie on the market, she thought as she spooned the last piece into her mouth.
"Girl don't I know it. You're not the only one I know who's had to face this Char. Even though the so-called experts say that the foreclosure crisis officially ended last year, people are still struggling through it. … So how much exactly do you have to come up with? I have a couple of thousand I could loan you. I know it's not much, but …" Lisa said, her voice trailing off.
"Thanks Lisa, but I couldn't take your money. Money and friendship don't mix. Mama told me that a long time ago and I learned the hard way to keep the two separate. But I really appreciate your offer. I'm thinking of just throwing in the towel. Sometimes you need a fresh start, you know."
"But you love your condo," her friend sympathized.
"Yeah, I do. I can't imagine living any place else. I've been there almost a decade, but unless I can come up with $29,643.28 within the next 30 days, it's going up for auction on the courthouse steps month after next," Charmaine said. "Drink up girl, and let's start brainstorming cheap apartments. I'm gonna need a new place to live."
"You know Charmaine, I know this may seem like completely the wrong time for you to do this, but I want you to think about it before you say no. … I have a flight to Rome next week. Why don't you use my buddy pass and come with me? It won't cost you a dime. You can stay in the hotel room with me, which the airline pays for. We can stay a few extra days for little or nothing."
"After what you've been through, I know you could use a getaway, and since you won't take any cash from me, it's the least I can do. I've been to Rome probably a hundred times or more, but I've never really experienced it. And I don't know any body who'd appreciate all the history it has to offer more than you. Please, please, please say you'll come."
"You know Lisa, I don't regret taking time off to care for mama. These last few months, I don’t think I've ever laughed or cried so much in the 30 years I've been on this planet. Who knew having breast cancer could be funny! That little bald woman turned into some type of cancer yoda comedienne."
"Stop it Charmaine," Lisa said, laughing out loud. "It seems so inappropriate to laugh, but when you talk about Ms. Mabilene, it's so funny," she finished, referring to Charmaine's deceased mother.
"Now you know how I felt!" Charmaine said. "I wanted to be sad girl, I did; but she was having none of it. The sicker she got, the funnier she got. … I know now that she was preparing me for life without her, and she wanted it to be filled with laughter, not sadness."
"That sounds like Ms. Mabilene. She always adored you Char. I can see her giving you that gift."
"Yeah, it took me a minute to realize it. … So in spite of the fact that I lost my job, drained my savings and now face foreclosure, nothing … nothing could make me regret spending those last few months with her," Charmaine said, wiping silent tears that fell onto the empty saucer holding the remnants of her peach pie.
"See Char, you need this trip. Ms. Mabilene is gone now; she'd want you to let your hair down and have some fun. … And not to be totally inappropriate, but when was the last time you got laid?"
"Are you channeling my mother? I swear to God she said the exact same thing to me the day before she died!"
"Char you're kidding. She did not. She … did … not … go there on practically her death bed!" Lisa said incredulously, tears trickling out the corners of her eyes she was laughing so hard.
"Yes she did. The woman was a hoot right til the end! Bald, yoda comedienne, I tell ya. Bald, yoda comedienne."
"Stop," Lisa said. "Please stop. You're killing me!"
###
"Girl, that gorgeous hunk of a fine man is checking you out!" Lisa said excitedly.
After landing and checking into the hotel, Lisa and Charmaine had decided to go out for something to eat. As Italians ate dinner much later than Americans, the piazza which housed the quaint little restaurant was crowded. They'd been lucky to get a table, even at this advanced hour.
"Who?" Charmaine inquired
, looking about curiously.
"Who?" Lisa said. "Who?" she repeated incredulously. "Girl how can you miss him? The tall, dark one two tables over with the gold eyes. How can you not notice him?"
Charmaine looked in the direction of Lisa's gaze, directly into the fiery, coppery-colored eyes of the handsome stranger. She'd never seen eyes that color before. They were striking; like the eyes of a tiger.
Unflinching, he continued to stare right back at her, a barely-there smile curving his too-kissable lips.
Charmaine had never seen a more perfect specimen in all of her life. Jet black hair was smoothed back from a beautiful forehead.
Was it possible for a forehead to be beautiful? It is … and that's all there is to it, Charmaine thought.
The golden eyes were fringed by thick, black lashes; lashes so perfect, it was almost — almost — a crime they didn't belong to a woman. They'd need no adornment.
Rounding out his flawless features were high, angular cheekbones; a classic Roman nose; and a square, rawboned jaw; the line which was off just a bit. But even this only added to his appeal because this simple flaw kept his face from being picture-perfect.
"Oh my goodness he's headed this way," Lisa whispered, barely able to contain herself. "Looks like someone is in for some lust in Rome right away!"
"You're not exactly playing it cool Lisa. Pipe down, will you?" Charmaine said, her heart thumping in her chest.
"Buona sera signores," Alexandre said as he towered over the table. He was at least 6'2", maybe an inch or so taller.
"Good evening," Lisa said.
"American?" he asked in perfect English.
"Yes," Lisa answered for the both of them. "Italian?" she continued, craning her neck to take in the hulking stranger.
Charmaine wanted a black hole to open up and swallow her she was so embarrassed at Lisa's bold sense of humour and overt ogling of the handsome stranger.
"You're quite funny," he said to Lisa, all the while keeping his golden gaze locked on Charmaine.
"And you're quite gorgeous," Lisa said.
She did not just stay that, Charmaine said to herself. No, she did not just say that.
"I'm Lisa and this is my friend, Charmaine."
He extended his large hand and declared, "I'm Alexandre. Nice to meet you Lisa … and Charmaine."
Charmaine had to physically stop herself from jerking her hand out of the stranger's warm handshake. The blood rushed to every one of her pulse points. She was sure he could see the throbbing vein at her wrist as he held her hand.
As he continued speaking, she could still feel the warmth of his palm on her skin. "Forgive me if this seems forward, but my friend and I would love it if you ladies would join us for dinner. That is, unless you are expecting other … guests?" he finished, questioningly.
Before Charmaine could even begin to formulate a response, Lisa had accepted.
. . .
As they made their way through the cobble-stoned streets of late-night Rome, Charmaine couldn't believe how much she and this handsome stranger had in common, and how intuitive he was. It's like he had a map, not only to her brain, but to her heart.
"And your mother, tell me, what is the thing you will miss the most about her?" he asked. The question brought tears to her eyes, which she tried to hide by averting her gaze.
"Oh, mia bella, I did not wish to make you cry."
"No, no. They're happy tears, really. .. and to answer your question, her sense of humor. She was one of the most ridiculously funny people I've ever met — even with cancer."
"How about you? What is it you're going to miss most about your mom?"
"Oh, so much. But really, her advice. She was the only person I could talk to from my heart," he finished in his silken baritone.
She adored how open he seemed to be with his emotions. Charmaine touched his arm, feeling the cord-like strength of his bicep, even through the cloth of his navy blue suit jacket.
Alexandre turned to her, suddenly tense with need. The golden color of his eyes had deepened to a rich amber. "I want very much to kiss you Charmaine," he said, brushing her right cheek with the ridge of his thumb. Searching for, and sensing, no resistance, he lowered his head to claim his prize.
Time was suspended as he made love to her mouth. His lips, so soft and warm, still tasted of the wine from dinner. It was an added aphrodisiac that escalated the passion between them.
"Ah mio amore. How natural you feel in my arms," Alexandre whispered between soul-searing kisses. "I want to do so much more than kiss you," he said, his need evident as he pressed his body into hers.
Charmaine's need was every bit as intense. But, could she give to herself to the handsome Italian … and leave with her heart intact?
END NOTES
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Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Many of the names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons — living or dead — organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I've been a reader of romance novels since I was about 12 years old. I've read hundreds of them.
"Everybody wants to be loved."
This is the enduring theme of all romance novels. We all want to be loved and accepted for exactly who and what we are.
And that's the beauty of love – it keeps the hope alive in each of us that there is someone out there, somewhere, who will love what is unique about us. This is what keeps me reading romance, after romance, after romance.
About Me
I've been a freelance writer – for businesses – since 1993. More about my businesses can be found below.
A Romance Writer Is Born
3 Weeks 'til Forever was my first romance n
ovel. I decided to give this type of writing a try because the title popped into my head one day and just wouldn't let go.
Before I sat down to write a word, the characters were talking to me; hence, I had to write this book. Janey and Redmond – the main characters – just wouldn't shut up! And you know what, to my great surprise, the book practically wrote itself. Half the time, I didn't even know what they were going to do. Truly!
After finishing up several more romances, I realize that I've finally found my calling. I love reading – and now writing – about love. I wake up excited to sit down at my laptop to see where the desire that blossoms between the characters will transport me on any given day.
Any Way You Want Me Page 6