Spark of Desire ; All for You

by Sheryl Lister

  A slight smile curved his lips. “I love you,” he said simply.

  Her heart pounded harder and faster. “You what?”

  “I love you, Randi. You’re everything I never knew I wanted. Falling for you has probably been the scariest thing that’s ever happened to me, but it’s also been the best. And I’m going to do all I can to make you fall right with me.”

  She stared at him, stunned. His passionate confession and tender expression were her undoing. Every emotion she had been trying to hold back rushed to the forefront, overwhelming her. She needed several seconds to form a reply. “I’m already there, Cedric, falling with you.” What looked like relief washed over his face and he pressed his mouth against hers in a kiss so achingly sweet, tears stung her eyes. With a sensual smile, he took his time stripping away her clothes, touching and kissing each part of her body as he bared it.

  “You take my breath away.” Cedric resumed his quest, pausing to suckle and tease her breasts, before moving lower to part her legs. “Every part of you turns me on—your mind, your spirit...” His head dropped between her thighs and his tongue grazed her core.

  Randi gasped and her hips flew off the bed.

  “Your smile, every part of your beautiful body, your eyes...”

  She moaned and shivered as his fingers probed her slick, wet folds. She arched against his hand, riding out his wicked rhythm. The pressure built and bolts of pleasure tore through her as she screamed his name.

  He stood, removed his clothes and donned a condom. “Are you warm yet?”

  “Getting there, but I’m still a little cool.” In reality, she was on fire and only he could quench it.

  He lowered his head and slid his tongue between her parted lips at the same time as he eased his shaft inside her. He thrust in and out with long, deliberate strokes. His hand roamed over her body as he whispered tender endearments.

  “Cedric,” she called on a ragged moan. He rocked into her over and over, varying the length of his strokes, but keeping the same languid tempo. Randi wrapped her arms around his broad back, clutching him tighter. “I love you.”

  He increased the pace. Their groans and cries intensified until they convulsed together. “You’re mine,” he whispered.

  All-consuming sensations spread throughout her body, electrifying her nerve endings and leaving her weak and dizzy. She wanted to be his for the rest of her life.

  Chapter 16

  On the drive home Sunday afternoon, Cedric couldn’t stop smiling. He hated to admit it, but his cousins had been right. This being-in-love thing isn’t so bad. And she loved him, too. The past thirty-six hours with Randi had been incredible, and he wished they could have stayed a little longer. Despite the cool temperatures, the sun had been shining and they’d enjoyed quiet time sitting on the beach, the porch or the balcony off his bedroom. They had also finally gotten around to making the s’mores and hot chocolate. Of course, the chocolate had tasted much better on her. Randi’s voice broke into his thoughts.

  “I had such a great time this weekend.” She sighed contentedly. “I wish we could’ve stayed longer.”

  “I was just thinking the same thing. Maybe we can come back soon.”

  She laid a hand on his arm. “I’d like that.” A few seconds later, she said, “I’ve been trying to come up with a way to tell you something, so I’m just going to say it.”

  When she paused, Cedric briefly glanced her way. “What?”

  She met his gaze. “My parents are in town and my dad wants to meet you. My sister mentioned us dating.”

  He refocused on the road and sighed. He loved her, but meeting her parents meant moving to a whole new level. Then again, he now knew where he wanted this relationship to end up—the one place he always said he would never go. “That’s fine. Where are they staying?”

  “At my sister’s. We can stop by on the way to my house, if that’s okay.”

  “Works for me.”

  “I have to warn you, my dad can be pretty intense.”

  “I’ll be fine.” Or so he hoped. He’d never done this before and almost wished he had more time so he could ask one of his cousins what to expect. It was probably for the best, though. His family was already going to tease him mercilessly. He didn’t need to give them any more ammunition. He could do this. All he had to do was tell the truth. He loved Randi and that should be enough. By the time they made it to Iyana’s house, he was confident he could win them over.

  “We’re not going to stay long because I have to get myself ready for the week and I know you do, too.”

  “Do you want to get some dinner after we leave here?” he asked as they walked along the path leading to her sister’s unit.

  “Can I have a rain check? I need to do laundry and a few other things before it gets too late.” She rang the doorbell.

  “Of course, sweetheart.” He kissed her.

  “I guess the two of you didn’t get enough of each other this weekend,” Iyana said when she opened the door.

  Randi jumped back and Cedric chuckled.

  “Come on in. It’s good to see you again, Cedric.”

  “Same here.” Iyana stood a couple of inches shorter than Randi and had a beautiful round face. Whereas Randi’s eyes were green, hers were a mixture of brown and green. Before they took two steps into the house, Randi and Iyana’s parents appeared. Their mother smiled and Cedric knew instantly what Randi would look like in twenty years, and where she had gotten her green eyes. Her father, on the other hand, wore a scowl Cedric figured was supposed to be intimidating. He smiled inwardly.

  “Hi, Mom and Dad,” Randi said, hugging each of them. “This is Cedric Hunter. Cedric, my parents, Andrew and Debra Nichols.”

  Cedric extended his hand to Randi’s father. “It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Nichols.” He repeated the gesture with her mother. “I see where Randi gets her beauty from.”

  Mrs. Nichols laughed. “Oh, he’s a charming one, Randi.”

  Randi shook her head and smiled. “Yeah, I know.”

  They all went into the living room and before Cedric could sit down good, Mr. Nichols asked, “Where did you meet my daughter?”

  “A fire at one of my construction sites.”

  His brow lifted. “So you work in construction? How long have you been with the company?”

  “I’ve been there since I could hold a hammer in my hand, but I didn’t officially start working there until I was sixteen. My cousin and I assumed ownership of our family’s construction business a little over a year ago.”

  “I see. And what are your intentions toward Randi?”

  Taking Randi’s hand, Cedric spoke to her father, but his eyes never left hers. “I intend to love and protect her for as long as she’ll have me.” Okay, so that wasn’t what he’d planned to say. He was supposed to say something like they were still getting to know each other and he’d treat her with the utmost respect. But now he’d laid all his cards on the table.

  Her father grunted.

  Mrs. Nichols patted her husband’s hand. “Oh, that’s enough, Drew.” She smiled Cedric’s way. “I’m so glad my baby found someone like you.”

  “If I ever find a man who looks at me like that...” Iyana said, wistfully.

  Everyone laughed and it broke the tension. Cedric told them a little more about his family and company.

  “We need to get going,” Randi said about twenty minutes later. “Cedric has an early morning tomorrow.”

  Smiling, Cedric stood and helped her up.

  Mr. Nichols came to his feet. “It was really good to meet you, Cedric, and I hope to see you again soon.”

  “Same here, sir.” He shook the proffered hand. “Mrs. Nichols, it was a pleasure.” Instead of shaking his hand, she gathered him in a warm embrace.

  “The pleasure was all mine.”

  They said thei
r goodbyes and headed back to the car. “Well, how did I do?”

  “This is the first time my dad has ever smiled at a guy I was dating. Did you mean what you said?”

  “Every word, baby.” He drove out of the lot and went toward the freeway.

  “Where are you going? I only live a few minutes away.”

  “I figure since it’s meet-the-parents day, you might as well meet mine. I don’t want to be the only one on the hot seat.”

  Randi’s mouth fell open. “You...” She punched him in the arm. “You can’t just go over there and say, ‘surprise.’”

  “Sure I can. Watch me.” He burst out laughing at the stunned look on her face. She didn’t need to worry, his mother was going to love her. She didn’t say another word for the rest of the drive.

  When they arrived, she got out of the car and fidgeted with her clothes and hair. “Do I look okay?”

  “Why are you so worried? You look beautiful.” Since his parents weren’t expecting him, he didn’t use his key but rang the doorbell instead. Randi stepped behind him as if trying to hide, and he smiled.

  “Cedric. I didn’t know you were coming by,” his mother said when she opened the door. “Come in, honey.” Her questioning gaze met his.

  “Hey, Mom. I didn’t know I was coming until a few minutes ago. I have someone I want you to meet.” He stepped aside. “Mom, this is Randi Nichols.” His mother didn’t even let him finish the rest of the introduction before she grabbed Randi’s hands and pulled her into the house. Randi turned his way and he shrugged.

  “Oh, my goodness. Please, come in. I’m so happy to meet you.”

  “It’s nice to meet you too, Mrs. Hunter.”

  “She’s a doll, Cedric.”

  She took Randi past the foyer and living room to the family room, leaving an amused Cedric to follow.

  “Reuben, look who’s here. And this is Randi. Isn’t this wonderful?”

  His father set aside the newspaper and came to his feet. “Randi, it’s lovely to meet you.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Hunter.”

  He gestured to the sofa. “Please have a seat.” He turned to Cedric. “I’m glad to see you got everything straightened out, son.”

  “So am I. Mom, Randi and I are dating, but can you not call everybody in the family tonight to tell them?”

  She feigned innocence. “I wasn’t going to call everybody.”

  “Uh-huh. Randi, don’t let that innocent look fool you. She’s been waiting for I don’t know how long for this moment. My entire family is going to know I brought you here before we make it out of the driveway.”

  Randi laughed. “It’s okay. My mom is probably going to do the same thing.”

  “See,” his mother said, “she said it’s okay. This is what mothers do. How did you two meet?”

  They ran down the same information they’d shared with Randi’s parents and the fact that Randi used to work as a firefighter.

  “I applaud you, Randi. We women can do whatever we put our minds to. Forgive me, I was so excited about meeting you I forgot to offer you anything. Would you like something to eat or drink?”

  “No, thank you.”

  “We can’t stay,” Cedric said. “I just wanted you to meet Randi and to let you know that you’ve gotten your wish.”

  His mother’s brows knitted in confusion. “What wish?”

  “That I’d find someone.” He brought Randi’s hand to his lips and placed a kiss on the back. “I did and I’m in love with her.” Cedric had never seen his mother rendered speechless, but his announcement had done just that.

  “And I love him, too,” Randi said, smiling at Cedric.

  Apparently, that was all his mother needed to hear because she started crying. “I’m so happy. Hallelujah!”

  Cedric’s father shook his head and chuckled. “I’m glad you found your special girl, Cedric.”

  Cedric focused his gaze on the woman who had come into his life and turned it on its head. “So am I, Dad.” They chatted a few minutes longer, but when his mother started talking about lunches and spa days, Randi’s shell-shocked face told all. “Ah, Mom, we’ll have to talk about this another time,” Cedric said. “I need to take Randi home.”

  “Oh, okay. But I expect you to bring her to dinner next week.”

  “We’ll let you know.” He grabbed Randi’s hand, said a hasty goodbye and hustled them out of the house.

  On the drive, Randi said, “Your mom was a little excited.”

  “Sorry about that. I should’ve warned you. You’re the first woman I’ve introduced to them, so she’s going to be a little over the top for a while. All my other cousins are married and she’d been on me and Jeremy.”

  She laughed. “Well, my mom does the same. I guess it’s a mama thing.”

  “I guess.” As he’d predicted, his parents loved her. Just like him. He was reluctant to leave once they made it back to her place. Waking up to her for the past two mornings had him really considering spending the night. He carried her bag inside and placed it on the chair, then followed her to the kitchen.

  “You want something to drink?”

  “Nah, I’m good.”

  She got a glass of water and came to the breakfast bar where he stood. “I don’t know how I’m going to sleep by myself tonight. I kind of like snuggling next to you.”

  Cedric did, too. He’d awakened several times to find her sprawled across his body, her arm draped around his middle. In the past, he’d always avoided lingering after his encounters because intimacy was never the goal. With her, he found he enjoyed that almost as much as the physical parts. “I can always stay the night.”

  Randi laughed and flipped through the mail. “Yeah, but I don’t think we’d get too much sleep.”

  “That’s the point,” he said, nuzzling her neck.

  She stiffened and gasped.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I... This came for me at work and I thought it was some information I requested.”

  He glanced over her shoulder and read the letter. Someone was warning her off the arson case. It didn’t have a signature. “I don’t like this.”

  “Neither do I. Why would they send this?”

  “We need to call the police and I think you should let someone else handle the case.”

  She rounded on him, her eyes blazing. “Excuse me? I will call Detective Warner and let him know, but this is my job and I’m not handing it off to someone else.”

  “No, you could get hurt.”

  “Cedric, I went into burning buildings for over six years. This is not even close to being that dangerous. And if I’m able to get an agent position within the ATF, I’ll be in far more intense situations.”

  “Baby, look.” He couldn’t take it if something happened to her.

  “No, you look. You don’t get to tell me how to do my job.”

  He took a deep, calming breath. “Randi, I’m not telling you how to do your job or saying you need to find another one. I love you and I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  She snorted. “So, if I told you I didn’t want you to climb another ladder or scaffold, would you do it?”

  “That’s different.”

  “Is it really? You could fall off the damn thing and get hurt, too, or even killed. But I wouldn’t ask you to stop doing the job you love. Yes, what I do comes with risk, but it’s my choice. If I get a similar case down the line, am I supposed to say, ‘Sorry, I can’t take it, it’s too dangerous’?” She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes. “Is this another one of those chivalrous rules you grew up with? I thought you were all for women doing whatever job made them happy.”

  “What? No. I am.” Cedric ran a frustrated hand over his head. Obviously, he wasn’t explaining himself well. He reached for her and she pushed his hand awa
y. “Randi—”

  “You said you admired me for doing what makes me happy. That has to include me staying on this case. I need to know that you can deal with my choice.”

  He remained silent. If he said yes, it could mean her getting injured or killed. However, if he said no... Their eyes held for a long moment, then she turned away.

  “I see. I love you, Cedric, but I don’t know if this is going to work. Maybe we both need to take some time and figure out what we really want.”

  “I already know what I want—you.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “But that means having all of me, not just the safe parts. And I don’t think you’re ready for that right now.”

  He opened his mouth to tell her he was ready, but she held up a hand.

  “Just go, Cedric. Let’s not make this any worse than it is.”

  “Randi, I—” She shook her head. He sighed. “No matter what you think, I do love you.” He placed a soft kiss on her lips and walked out. In less than ten minutes, his world had come crashing down and he had no idea how to fix it.

  * * *

  The next few days went by in a blur. Randi had called Brian Sunday night after Cedric left and turned over the letter. After that she’d cried herself to sleep. Instead of things getting better as the days passed, they had gotten worse. She missed Cedric so much. She totally understood his concerns because they mirrored her family’s. But her family had learned to respect her career choice in spite of those fears. The fact that Cedric didn’t answer her question about being able to deal with this aspect of her job had solidified her decision to end the relationship. If he had issues with one letter, he certainly wouldn’t be able to take it if she got a position with the ATF. By Friday, the hurt hadn’t lessened, but she tried to bury her heartbreak and focus on her job.