The Sweetest Surrender (Falling For A Rose Book 8)

by Stephanie Nicole Norris

  “Ever,” Margaret agreed.

  Selena bit down on her teeth as a tear threatened to slip down her face.

  “Why did you want a divorce?”

  The question was directed at Margaret. Margaret shifted and stared her daughter head-on. “For the last decade, I’ve been going through the motions, playing a role I felt was expected of me because that’s the woman I was. I love your father, but along the way, I lost my identity. I was his wife and your mother and that wasn’t enough for me. Unfortunately, I didn’t talk to your father about my musings, and it only suppressed what I felt and made it grow larger than life. I couldn’t remember what it was I loved to do. I couldn’t see any opportunity outside of being Walter’s wife, and it scared me to death and made me feel like I was missing out on a good part of my existence.”

  Margaret sighed, and Walter patted her leg for encouragement. The gesture was small, but was the first sign of love that Selena’s parents had expressed in front of her since the announcement of their separation.

  “When I couldn’t take it any longer, I went to see a lawyer. Even years after that initial meeting, I waited and second guessed myself. But I need more, baby. My decision had nothing to do with either of you not being enough for me, so let me say that before it crosses your mind. It was about me redefining myself. It was something I didn’t think I could do if I stayed in this marriage.”

  “And now? What’s different?” Selena asked.

  “Now, I know I shouldn’t have gone down this road alone. If I had sought help upfront about what I was feeling, Walter and I could’ve gotten help long ago.”

  Selena exhaled, and her eyes skipped from her father to her mother.

  “Mom, I don’t ever want you to feel like you have to hold something so serious inside. I know I’m your daughter, and you don’t want to burden me, but you could never be a liability. I would actually be honored if you came to me with a problem. To help my mother fix anything would give me indescribable joy because you’re always trying to do it yourself.”

  A wave of happiness and sadness slipped over Margaret, and her face dropped as tears ran down her flushed cheeks. Selena left her spot in the chair, and Walter turned toward his wife. They all gathered around each other on the sofa and cried together. It was a welcomed relief for Selena to quench her soul with her family. Afterwards, they had dinner over a lighter conversation; sirloin steak with blue cheese compound butter offered with green beans and roasted fingerling potatoes. It came freshly prepared by a highly recommended chef.

  “Hey,” Selena began, “earlier you said it was brought to your attention that your divorce was having an effect on my sound mind. If not you, then who made you aware?”

  Margaret and Walter glanced at each other.

  “Jordan,” they said together.

  Selena shook her head and glanced through her rearview mirror. To hear both her parents admit Jordan was the one who brought them together was astonishing. It was the last thing she expected to hear. But what was funnier was the way in which he did it. Selena laughed with a slight shake of her head.

  Tricking them both was something Selena would’ve done. Jordan had reached right in and taken a page out of her handbook. Even while they were apart, Jordan took care of her in every possible way.

  “Duty calls me blind, but our connection is like soil intertwined in a vine. Because you were designed with me in mind.”

  He’d reached out to her heart through poems and spoken to her spirit with his elaborate scheme. What the hell was she thinking pushing him away?

  “Girrrrl, you ain’t never been this dumb,” Selena admitted to herself.

  She opened the car door, shut it behind her, and moseyed up her sidewalk. As she got closer to her door, Selena paused.

  “I don’t remember ordering anything,” she said aloud. Selena turned to peer down the street both ways then back at the package on her front porch.

  “Be careful, girl, you don’t want it to be anthrax waiting to take you out.”

  The ridiculous thought became comical, and Selena chuckled as she stepped closer. The box was thin but tall, almost taller than her. Selena frowned and reached into her purse to pull out a switchblade she kept for safety. She laid the box on the porch and opened the edges, deciding that even though it was cold as all get out, she wouldn’t take the package inside without knowing what it was.

  After taking the blade down the center, Selena popped the FedEx package open and removed the sheer paper that covered the gift. Its revelation made Selena sit back on her haunches and gasp.

  “Tell me how you really feel,” she crooned.

  It was the gown Jordan had purchased for her; the one she was supposed to wear when she accompanied him to his awards luncheon tomorrow. He was doing it again; reaching out to touch Selena without being anywhere near. It was her ultimate invitation and his silent language of love. Jordan wanted Selena, not Madison, and this time Selena was sure of it. A prodding smirk started at the corner of her lips then browsed into a wide smile.

  “Okay, baby, I hear you.”

  She gathered the dress and walked the box to the curb. After fumbling with her keys and getting inside, Selena wanted to call him, but there was so much she wanted to say that the words steered clear of her.

  “Tomorrow,” she promised. Tonight, she would sleep on it, and tomorrow afternoon, when she arrived at his luncheon, everything she needed to say would spill in one breath.

  That night, Selena showered and wrapped her hair, applying a moisturizing nightcap. After speaking to her Savior, Selena sat in the middle of the bed and thumbed the numbers on her phone. The need to talk to Jordan now was insurmountable, but after another long second, Selena decided being face-to-face would be the best way to go. She leaned to the side and put her phone on the charger then slipped under her duvet covers.

  Her mind settled around Jordan before she finally drifted off into slumber.

  “Oh, come on.”

  Selena ran back down the hallway and grabbed her purse off the bed. In a flash, she turned and fled back to the front door and wrapped herself in the mink coat that had arrived at her doorstep that morning along with the purple and white Manolo Blahniks. Jordan was in a league of his own, romancing her to the point that when they finally reconnected, she would teeter over with euphoria. He could’ve simply sent the coat and shoes with the dress, but this was just another way for him to claim her, thoroughly. Once again, his moves were calculated, and every intricate detail laid out in his own blueprint. Selena didn’t mind, but what if she’d decided not to go?

  He made sure that wasn’t an option.

  That he did. She closed her door, locked it, then dropped her keys in her clutch and twirled on her heels. Selena didn’t take a step when her eyes fell on the limo parked just beyond her porch. At the back door, the chauffeur stood with a smile on his face. The five-inch Manolo Blahniks clapped as she strolled down the walkway and stood in front of the limousine.

  “I didn’t order car service,” she said, already knowing who’d sent it for her.

  “Mr. Rose, Madame,” the chauffeur said, opening the door to let her inside.

  Selena compressed her lips but didn’t make a fuss. She was already fashionably late from fighting with Octavia about her hair.

  “You always have your hair wrapped,” Octavia had argued. “Let’s flip it back off your face with tight curls instead. It’ll still lay down in the back. But the flip, honey, will be everything.”

  Selena slipped into the limo and rechecked her appearance for the one-thousandth time. The hair flip was executed well, holding a bounce that made her feel like Farrah Fawcett. A dazzling set of diamond earrings hung from her lobes, and her pecan brown eyes complemented the light foundation she applied.

  The limo moved down the street and precipitously Selena’s pulse quickened. It felt like forever since she’d seen Jordan, and now her nerves were kicking into overdrive. With everything he set out accomplished, Selena assumed Jord
an would be just as happy to see her as she was him. But, there was still that lingering feeling in her gut. What if he was perturbed by the way she’d run out on him?

  It would be only fair if he thought she wasn’t a woman who knew how to work things out or talk things through, much like her mother. Selena frowned. She loved Margaret Strauss more than anything in this world, but she didn’t aspire to be like her. In that moment, Selena decided she would do better. Her own demons had sent her running for the hills, and she didn’t even know she had them. She sighed and hoped, for her sake, Jordan would be understanding enough to give her another chance and not dub her the runaway girlfriend.

  Traffic was ironically smooth, and twenty minutes later she arrived at the Marriott Hotel where a host of camera crews stood on the outer edges of the red carpet, waiting to get a shot at whoever was coming in or out. Selena took in a deep breath.

  “This is it, girl. Go get your man.”

  The door opened on a hail of snaps as paparazzi went into a frenzy.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  He’d done everything in his power to get her there. Jordan sat at a round table of twelve attendees, some couples, and some singles. To his left, an empty chair taunted him as the seconds grew into minutes of Selena’s no-show. He kept a calm demeanor and tried not to show his frustration, but inside melancholy, unlike anything he’d experienced, tussled with his soul. Never before had he been stood up, and he hoped Selena would make his day. Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case.

  Jordan scanned the room again, taking in the royal blue and white colors. The banquet hall was designed beautifully all the way down to the details in the napkins that sat wrapped around the silverware on top of China dishes. The man on stage had given out two awards, and now he was giving out a third. Jordan clapped along with everyone else, oblivious to the name that had just been called. It was when a room full of eyes turned his way, and Phoebe nudged him in the shoulder did Jordan realize it had been his name.

  Snapping out of his reverie, Jordan boasted a strapping smile and rose to his feet. On the way to the stage, he shook hands with a few attorneys and nodded at others who were too far out of his reach. He took the three steps onto the stage and shook the hand of the presenter.

  “Thank you.” Jordan accepted the plaque.

  Straightening his shoulders, he stepped in front of the podium as the host stood off to the side and everyone watched, waiting for his words of appreciations and recognition.

  “Thank you,” he said into the mic. “Honestly, I never expected to get the Leonard Jay Schrager Award of Excellence. There are so many great firms in Chicago, a lot of them are undermanned, and if I could share this honor, it would be with all of you.”

  Claps surrounded the room, and Jordan’s gaze continued to scan.

  “To the Chicago Bar Foundation, I…”

  Jordan’s words died on his lip as a buzz crawled down his thick neck. There standing in the far-right corner of the room was his dream come true. Jordan blinked to make sure he hadn’t envisioned her only to be disappointed later. There she stood. Although her face was dressed with a soft smile, from his place on the stage, Jordan saw it just as if Selena was standing right under him. He exhaled, soft, long, and slow. He’d elaborately picked out the royal purple gown because he knew the color would make her stand out in the sea of blue and white. And that was his intent, to make sure no one missed the beautiful angel she was while delighting in the fact that she was there for him alone.

  Someone cleared their throat, and Jordan blinked and made his speech shorter than he planned. He didn’t even remember what he said. All Jordan cared about was getting her back in his arms, in his life, in his bed. When the crowd erupted with cheers, Jordan was satisfied that he’d said enough, and without giving the host another look, he sauntered off the stage with his gaze burning a blaze right over to her.

  “Selena…” his thick voice drummed.

  She grinned and stared up into his debonair profile. The Roses and their strong genes were muscular, sharp, and keen. It was the thing that put the icing on an already perfectly baked cake.

  “Jordan…” she responded.

  His hand slipped to her face, his fingers fiddling just across the curve of her chin. “You’re so beautiful. I’ve missed you terribly.”

  Selena’s pulse quickened, and she was sure her eyes dilated.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m not the person who ran out on you. I know it may be hard for you to see that, but...”

  “I know, Selena. Are you okay?”

  Selena exhaled and nodded. “Yes, and I have you to thank for it.”

  He stepped closer to her. “If you really want to thank me,” Jordan glanced over her shoulder and leaned closer to her face, “let’s get out of here, and we can talk about it on the way upstairs.”

  His words were layered and thick with concentration, causing a storm to rage in Selena’s stomach. Her lips curved just as her nipples retracted.

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to be rude or interrupt.”

  “Unless you want to stay and listen to everyone else give their speech.”

  “What if you get another award?”

  Jordan smirked. “Then they can send it up to my room.”

  Excitement took over Selena, and she bit down on her lip as a pathway of heat cruised down her belly. She squirmed. “Let’s go,” she whispered with a giggle.

  Jordan took Selena’s hand, and together they left in a hurry. The simple connection of their fingers tingled with sulfuric awareness. When they wrapped around the corner and headed down a long corridor, neither of them could stand it any longer. In an abrupt stop, Selena turned to Jordan and fisted his collar in her hands, pushing his strong body against the wall. On her toes, she lifted to meet his protracted height just as Jordan clutched her wrist and held her arms above her head. With precision, they switched positions and now Jordan locked her in.

  A wicked growl trekked from his vocals as his hands slipped down her outstretched arms. The moment went on in slow motion; both of them breathing each other in as they stood with no gap between them.

  With his mouth just above hers, Jordan’s heavy lids coasted over her face as his grizzly voice spoke, “Marry me, Selena…”

  Her entire body stilled immediately. Had she imagined the words? Was it just the moment? Selena’s eyes followed Jordan, and he crouched down to one knee. His head fell into the apex of her thighs. Selena’s eyes widened, and she pinched herself, had to, just to be certain.

  Jordan lifted his head and produced a glass box that housed a diamond that sparkled through. Selena’s mouth dropped, and a rain of chills poured down her skin in a web of heat.

  “Jordan!” she screamed and trembled, her hands flying to her mouth.

  “I love you, baby,” Jordan’s voice drummed. “Marry me.”

  Tears sprang from Selena’s eyes, and she hurriedly nodded. Jordan popped the box and slipped the diamond on her finger.

  “Oh my God, what the fuck!” Selena said, staring at the size of the rock. “Oooh baby, I love you, too!”

  Jordan lifted her as he stood to his feet, and they crushed their mouths together. With the speed of a cheetah, they were out of the hallway and inside the elevator, ripping their clothes to pieces.

  “Ah!” Selena shouted as Jordan pinned her arms and face against the wall, taking her hard from behind. “Aaaah! Baby!”

  His ravenous mouth took in her ear as he thrust in and out of her sanctum in long propelling wet strokes.

  “You turn me into a monster, girl.”

  Jordan lifted her leg and dissolved inside her while his other hand took in a mound-full of her breasts.

  “Aaah shi-it!” Selena shouted as they rocked the steel cables of the elevator shaft.

  Jordan sucked in her earlobe, and his nibble caused a waylay of heat to shoot down Selena’s spine. “I love you,” his thick voice growled. “Forever.”

  A single tear cruised from Se
lena’s eye. “I love you, too,” she panted. “Forever…”

  The End

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  Note from the Author

  Thank you so much for reading The Sweetest Surrender, Falling for a Rose Book Eight. I hope you enjoyed Jordan and Selena’s story! Reviews are the lifeblood of independent writers. The more reviews we get, the more Amazon and others promote the book. If you want to see more books by me, Stephanie Nicole Norris, a review would let me know that you’re enjoying the series. If you liked the book, I ask you to write a review on Amazon.com, Goodreads or wherever you go for your book information. Thank you so much. Doing so means a lot to me.

  XOXO - Stephanie

  More Books by Stephanie Nicole Norris

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  Everything I Always Wanted (A Friends to Lovers Romance)

  Safe With Me (Falling for a Rose Book One)

  Enough (Falling for a Rose Book Two)

  Only If You Dare (Falling for a Rose Book Three)

  Fever (Falling for a Rose Book Four)

  A Lifetime With You (Falling for a Rose Book Five)

  She said Yes (Falling for a Rose Holiday Edition Book Six)

  Mine (Falling for a Rose Book Seven)

  Romantic Suspense Thrillers

  Beautiful Assassin

  Beautiful Assassin 2 Revelations

  Mistaken Identity

  Trouble In Paradise