I followed CJ back into the kitchen. “You need help with anything?” I asked, leaning against the counter.
“No, just sit down and relax, man. Everything is done.”
“This is the first year you’ve hosted this right?”
CJ nodded slowly, crossing his arms over his chest. “Yeah, I just felt like it was time.”
I nodded and the corner of my mouth turned upward. “It happened like that with me, too.”
“What do you mean?” He looked a little confused.
“Come on, man. You’re happy. You’re living again. That’s not a coincidence.” His face didn’t change expressions so I continued. “After my grandfather died, it took falling in love to bring me back to life. But it took falling in love with the right woman, the woman I will spend the rest of my life with, to bring me peace.” I let the words sink in before I told him the obvious. “You are at peace. Looks good on you, man.”
Before he had a chance to respond, Mr. and Mrs. Addo walked in with a cake that read ‘Happy Birthday Aja.’
Chapter 25
Emily Mills
Sunday, December 30th – 2:18pm
Another Year Later
“Honey, I’m home,” I sang as I walked through the door of our new home in the Buckhead district of Atlanta.
Dropping my luggage by the door, I stretched my arms far above my head. Pulling off my coat and hanging it up in the closet, I listened closely.
I heard nothing.
Is he sleeping?
I’d had a winter showcase at Studio E that couldn’t be missed. Although CJ was incredibly supportive, the showcase fell on the same weekend he had to be at December since Addison was in Maryland and it was his week. I was sad to have missed the event at December since I’d choreographed the dance the dancers performed, but I needed to be with my dancers. My beginners, intermediate and advanced dancers performed their best pieces for their friends and family to celebrate a year of hard work.
Living in Atlanta, I was able to work out a situation similar to what CJ and Addison set up. I still owned and choreographed for Studio E, but I commuted as needed. I’d promoted Abigail to run the business side while I promoted Rodney to run the dance side. The changes went into effect in March when my lease was up on the townhouse I was renting and I moved in with CJ. He sold his place in October and we’d closed on our house in November.
I still spent a few days a month in Thomasville to stay abreast of what was going on with Studio E, but Abigail and Rodney were excellent and business was booming. It was a little difficult to let go of the reins until some prime real estate opened up and I was able to move on opening up an Atlanta-based Studio E. The grand opening was slated for Valentine’s Day and I was bubbling with excitement.
And it feels good to have someone who supports my goals and isn’t intimidated by my boss mentality.
Slipping out of my flats, I padded across the freshly waxed hardwood floor. “Cedi?”
I heard the back door open and Cedi’s deep voice sounded frustrated. “Addy, we’ve only been together for two years so stop.”
Smiling, I tiptoed toward the kitchen to surprise him.
“That’s not the issue! I’m not dragging my feet to marry her. I would marry her today,” he snapped. “Addy, I plan on…”
Heart pounding in my chest, I froze.
Eavesdropping wasn’t something I typically did, but I needed him to finish his sentence. I needed to know how the conversation was going to play out.
He plans on what?
I heard him noisily grabbing stuff out of the refrigerator. I pressed my body up against the wall and held my breath.
“I know what I’m doing, Addy. I called to speak to Ty anyway.” He paused and then sighed loudly. “I love you, too and I appreciate you looking out for me, but the constant hints you’re dropping, especially around the holidays has got to stop.” He paused, listening. I heard a chair pull away from the kitchen table. “No she didn’t. My mother didn’t call you and ask you to ask me what I was waiting for.” He paused. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m done. Please put Ty on the phone.”
As he fell quiet, I couldn’t hear anything, but my heart ricocheting against my chest.
“Yo! Man, your wife is killing me.” The annoyed tone that he’d been using with Addison changed. He laughed at whatever Ty said before asking, “What is the name of the manager at Cree? Thanks for the hook up, man. The table we had was good; the table you set up is epic.”
The chair slid against the floor again and a few seconds later, the door that led to the backyard opened and closed.
Even though I knew he was outside on the deck, I remained with my back flattened against the wall. My head was spinning. My heart was racing. My gut was twisting. I kept repeating his words and each time the emotions welled up inside of me.
I loved CJ more than I’d ever loved anyone in my life. He was everything I was and everything I wasn’t. I didn’t just want him in my life; I needed him in my life—but not in a codependent way. My divorce from Anthony proved that I was capable of being on my own. I flourished on my own.
I grew my business.
I grew my bank account.
I grew my bangs out.
I grew into the woman I compromised for the sake of the relationship.
I loved Anthony, but I only stayed with him after finding out he was drugging me out of obligation. I stayed because I thought I should. I stayed because we were married. I stayed because I wanted it to work. But if I was being honest with myself, our marriage never really recovered from that incident. I couldn’t trust him.
With CJ, I trusted him from the beginning. I probably fell in love with him the first night we spent together. I wanted to know everything there was to know about him. I confided in him and him in me. It was easy—well, not the act of spilling my deepest secrets, but the desire to tell him. I wanted him to know me. I wanted him to know all of me because I wanted to know all of him.
While I was going through a rough separation and divorce, I pushed him away but I couldn’t stop how I felt. The connection between us was powerful and burned our souls. Even though he felt it too, he didn’t pressure me. He didn’t try to force me to be ready for something I wasn’t ready for. He just let me be.
Since we met, he never wanted me to be anything I wasn’t. He didn’t want or need anything from me except for me to be exactly who I was. He allowed me to grow without being intimidated by my growth. He pushed me to be better without making me feel like I wasn’t good enough. He encouraged me to do more without making me feel like I wasn’t doing enough. He supported me and respected me without bounds or conditions. He didn’t want me to be the perfect version of me. He just wanted me to be me. And he loved me—flaws and all.
My stomach flipped as realization hit me.
I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I’m just not ready to get married again.
I closed my eyes and swallowed around the lump in my throat.
I didn’t want things to change. I loved the life we had. I loved our relationship the way that it was. I didn’t want anything to change in that regard because my last marriage didn’t work out. I was scared that if CJ and I married, we wouldn’t work out.
Is that fair to him though? He’s never been married. He said he would marry me today…am I keeping him from—
The sound of the door opening yanked me out of my thoughts. Letting out a breath, I pushed myself away from the wall and forced a smile onto my face as I strolled into the kitchen.
Wearing a navy blue t-shirt that fit a little snug around his biceps and across his chest and a pair of jeans that encased his long legs, CJ was hot. The smile I forced as I overthought the fate of my relationship transformed the moment I laid eyes on him.
I sucked in a sharp breath and my lips spread wider naturally. My cheeks warmed and my stomach fluttered lightly. Good looks aside, CJ’s presence filled me, astounded me. A spiritual connection bonded us.
; With eyes so brown, they looked black surrounded by long thick lashes, he raked my jeans and off-the-shoulder sweater clad body. His skin was the color of hazelnut and the hair on his head was short and thick with oceanic waves. He was ruggedly handsome and apparently completely affected by my presence. I saw love in him. I sought love in him. And I wasn’t afraid anymore—I still didn’t want to get married, but I wasn’t afraid anymore.
Breaking the silence, CJ smirked as he pointed out the obvious. “The love of my life is home.”
“The love of my life made burgers,” I greeted him, bounding across the room.
He put the plate of freshly grilled burgers down on the counter so he could scoop me up with both arms. Our lips met in short, reverent kisses as we murmured ‘I love yous’ back and forth. He squeezed me so hard that I giggled, pulling out of the kiss and burying my head in his neck. Being in his arms never failed to make me feel safe, loved, and protected.
I was home. He was home.
I breathed in his essence. The masculine smell of his body wash mixed with the charcoal smell to create something oddly delicious.
My stomach rumbled.
“You’re hungry.”
“I didn’t stop to get anything to eat because I wanted to get to you faster,” I admitted as I held him tighter. “I missed you, Cedi.”
“I missed you, too.”
A few seconds of blissful silence passed as we just held one another.
Loosening our embrace, I locked my hands behind his neck and gazed up at him. “I also didn’t stop because no fast food joint is going to make better burgers than you.”
He chuckled. “You love me for my meat.”
“You can say that again,” I joked, wiggling my eyebrows.
His head fell back and we laughed together.
After we fixed up our burgers and grabbed some chips, we sat down at the kitchen table to eat.
“That was delicious,” I sighed, sitting back in my chair. “You grill me burgers in the middle of winter with no coat on. You’re a catch, you know that?”
He stood up and grabbed our plates. “I do.” He kissed the top of my head.
I laughed and slapped his ass. “Who says that?”
“The man who has the ultimate New Year’s celebration planned.” He put the dishes in the sink and then leaned against the counter with a smirk.
I stood up and made my way toward him. “Ooooh, do tell.”
“It’s a surprise.” He met me halfway across the kitchen. “But you should probably pack an overnight bag.”
“So I should probably unpack the overnight bag that I left by the door.”
He nodded, planting a kiss against my lips. “But after we take care of a little business.” His next kiss, like his voice, was slower, sexier. “It will take a while.” His mouth moved over mine in a way that rattled my entire body. “I don’t have to be in tonight until eight so we have hours.” His hand slid from my hip to my ass. “Hours,” he repeated as he pulled me against him.
“I like the way that sounds.” My voice was breathy as I felt him hardening.
We were upstairs two minutes later. We were naked in a minute after that.
I was already tired from the drive in. But after my body was worked over and I was given two Earth-shattering orgasms, I slept for hours. I didn’t remember waking up until CJ returned home from work.
“Hey,” I croaked sleepily. Yawning, I rolled over and looked at him. He smelled fresh from the shower he had to have just taken. I snuggled up close to him. “I’ve been sleep this whole time?”
“It looks like it.” His voice was as soft as his touch. His fingertips skated across my skin as he brushed hair from my face. “Are you okay?”
I yawned. “Yeah, just sleepy from a long night and then a long drive and then the delicious dinner—”
“That was lunch, beautiful.”
I giggled. “Well, it was the last meal I ate. And then we came to the bedroom and you wore me out.”
He chuckled lightly. “I love you, Em.”
“I love you, too.” Nuzzling into his warm embrace, I put my cheek against his bare chest and sighed. “You feel so good.”
“I feel the same way.”
I yawned, starting to drift to sleep. “I could stay right here forever.”
I could feel his breathing change as he whispered, “I feel the same way.”
Chapter 26
Emily Mills
Monday, December 31st – 10:56pm
“This place is magnificent,” I gushed as we overlooked the activity below us on the beach from the roof of the upscale restaurant and lounge, Cree.
“It really is,” CJ said softly against my ear. With his arms around me, his front pressed into my back, he pinned me between his hard body and the railing. “This view is incredible.”
“You are incredible.” I turned my head so that I could kiss him. “Your nose is ice cold!”
He nuzzled his nose into my neck. “Is it?”
I laughed as I tried to squirm away from him. Twisting and turning, I ended up facing him, with my back against the black metal railing.
“Truce, truce,” I giggled happily, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Do you want to go back inside?”
CJ looked over my head to the beautiful scene below. “No.” He locked eyes with me. “Not unless you do.”
My stomach fluttered. Between the wine and the way the night had played out thus far, I was giddy with happiness.
After a day of sleeping, I had awakened early and shut off the alarm so CJ could sleep in. Around eleven o’clock, he was greeted with bacon, sausage, waffles, and the fruit I’d chopped up in delicious bits. After breakfast, we showered together, which took longer than it should have since things took a sexual turn.
We didn’t get on the road until around one o’clock. The four and a half hours of singing, talking, and laughing together made the trip from Atlanta to Hilton Head, South Carolina fly by.
We’d arrived for our eight o’clock reservations at Cree and we were seated at one of the best tables in the building. He’d explained that the reservations had been made for a couple of months, but upon finding out Tyree knew the owner, we were able to get our reservation upgraded to the second floor.
Our new table had access to a private, wrap around balcony, separate DJ, and separate bar. Cree screamed class and elegance. We danced on the balcony, under the moonlight. We ate a gluttonous amount of food from scrumptious sirloins to decadent desserts. Conversation and champagne flowed freely and I’d never felt more happiness and peace as I did over the candlelit dinner with my love. It was truly a night to remember.
“As long as I’m in your arms, I’m good,” I finally answered, planting a sweet kiss against his lips. “This was amazing.”
“You’re amazing.” Pulling me closer, CJ reconnected our lips and deepened the kiss.
“Thank you for tonight,” I whispered against his lips, between kisses. “You are seriously the man of my dreams. I am so happy, Cedi. I’m so…”
My sentence trailed off as he parted my lips with his tongue. Chills ran down my spine and goosebumps prickled my skin. His hands moved up and down my back until he cradled my face.
He drew back slightly, our lips still hovering close and his dark eyes burning into my light ones. “You are the woman that I’ve waited my entire life for”
There was a tightness in my chest that wasn’t there before and there was a fire burning inside me. Between my heavy coat and that kiss, I was warm all over. “I love you.”
“I love you.” He kissed my lips and then the tip of my nose. “I love everything about you, Em.” He peered over my head. “The fireworks should start soon so I should make this quick.”
I glanced over my shoulder and then back at him. “The fireworks have already started,” I flirted as I stole a kiss from him.
He smirked and I could tell he was trying not to laugh.
I grinned at him and he shook his head.
&n
bsp; “I love you,” I sang, tickling his sides.
He wasn’t ticklish so when he grabbed my hands and held them, it was my turn to smirk.
“Oooooh…so you were about to laugh and that’s why you stopped me,” I teased playfully.
There was something in his expression that sobered my playful mood and made my heart skip two beats. His hands shook slightly as they held mine. His chest rose and fell at a rapid pace and the air between us shifted.
I felt suddenly lightheaded.
“The last two years have been the best of my life,” CJ started softly, his words an octave away from being swallowed by the crowd on the beach.
Additionally, I struggled to hear him over the sound of my heart pounding in my chest.
“I love you and I love what we have together. I love what we’ve built. I love your drive and determination. You built a company from the ground up and are about to open your second location. You work hard and you’re so good at what you do. I love your resilience and your strength. Your loyalty, your heart...” He shook his head. “I probably should’ve written something down, but I just wanted you to know that I love you. I love you more than you could possibly know.”
My eyes watered, but the chill in the air kept any tears from falling. “I love those same things about you,” I admitted, my heart in my throat. “I love you more and more each day. You are the best man that I’ve ever known and you make me better.”
His eyes poured emotion as the silence stretched between us. He squeezed my hands and I saw his feelings flit across his usually expressionless face. He swallowed hard.
“Cedi…” I exhaled his name.
“I hate that the celebration of a new year is still kind of tied to your ex-husband. I hate that for the last two years, no matter how much fun we have bringing in the New Year, it’s still the day you married a man who didn’t deserve you.”
I shook my head, my throat burned with unshed tears.
Letting my hand go, he continued. “I love you. We own a home together. We’ve planned our lives together. We’re building this life together. I know that you’re it for me, Emily.” He smirked. “But I also know that whenever we talk about our future and our commitment to one another, you never bring up marriage. I don’t know if you’re scared because of what happened the first time, but baby, you don’t have to be scared with me.”
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