Enticing Winter
Page 17
She smiled, but her eyes were pleading for him to tell her what was going on.
“You see, I brought Winter onstage because I lost a dare.” She squinted her eyes together in confusion. He winked at her before turning toward the audience again.
“We had a social media battle and I told her that I had won and she had lost, when in actuality, I was the one who lost.”
“You’re kidding me,” she said into the mic. “You cheated?”
“Not how you think. You were right. The only reason I won is that I implied that there was something more going on between us and my tweet blew up.”
“Ah, I see. Well, I still believe that is exactly why you won.”
“It is, so I figured a public apology was in order.”
She shook her head with a laugh when he grabbed her free hand. “Winter Dupree, I am so sorry for tweeting that message to solidify my win for our bet. And I apologize for thinking that you are the sexiest woman I’ve ever met with the biggest heart I’ve ever seen.”
Her eyes got bigger and the crowd, which had been cheering him on, grew quiet.
“I’m sorry that you’re the main star of all my naughty fantasies...” That got a few howls out of the audience. “And I’m sorry that even when I’m supposed to be working, I can’t help but think about you.”
“You ain’t lying,” his friend Jaleen yelled from his seat. Winter’s gaze didn’t falter.
“I’m sorry that I’m a better man when I’m around you and I’m extra sorry that we understand each other and connect in ways I’d never imagined.”
Taheim hadn’t really contemplated how his entire speech would play out, but now that he was onstage putting his feelings on display for his friends, family and damn near all of Chicago to see, there was no stopping what he would say next.
“And most of all, I’m sorry that I fell in love with you, because I’m sure you never saw that coming.” She searched his eyes before her mouth curled in a smile.
“But you should be sorry, too.” He raised an eyebrow at her, which got a few laughs from the audience. His face grew more serious as the laughter subsided. Her hand tightened in his and he wondered if she suspected his next move. Only his Winter would know what he was going to do next. His... He liked the sound of that.
“You should be sorry that you taught me how to be more spontaneous, because had you let that side of me remain hidden, I’m sure you would have gotten a much better proposal.”
She gasped and her eyes filled with tears. “Are you proposing?” If her mouth hadn’t been close to the microphone, he wasn’t sure he would have heard her.
“You bet your ass I’m proposing,” he said with a smile. “Guess our secret’s out in the open.”
She glanced around the audience before swiping a few tears from her eyes. “I guess you’re right.” She turned back to him wearing the sexiest smile he’d ever seen.
“I love you more than my next breath, Taheim Reed. You may make me laugh and make me cry, and you’re right—I will never understand how this happened.” She pointed her hand from him to her and the crowd erupted in laughter.
“But I know that there isn’t anyone I’d rather fight with or laugh with...or even cry with than you.” The eyes locked to his were full of emotion.
Feeling like the moment had arrived, Taheim kneeled on one knee.
“So my question to you, Winter Dupree, is... Will you marry me so we can continue to fight and love one another? Assuming that the fighting results in makeup sex?”
She playfully hit him on the arm as the crowd laughed. “I’d love the honor of being your wife, so my answer is an absolute yes.”
Taheim’s lips were on hers in seconds. The crowd was going crazy, and right on cue, the DJ began playing music and the staff began clearing the chairs off the floor to offer more space. As he stood onstage kissing Winter, his fiancée, he realized that after years of searching for happiness, he had finally found it...in Winter.
* * *
Four hours passed before they were able to sneak away from Inferno and head to Taheim’s condo. Now, in Taheim’s SUV on the short ten-minute drive, she felt it was still ten minutes too long.
“Are we crazy for getting engaged?”
“Yes,” she said with a laugh.
“Are you happy?” His voice was hesitant, as if he wasn’t sure what she’d say.
“I couldn’t be happier.” She leaned over to him and placed her lips on his cheek.
“Sorry I proposed without a ring. We can pick one up tomorrow unless you want me to surprise you with the one I saw last week that reminded me of you.”
Her heart swelled at the fact that he’d actively looked at rings. “You can surprise me, but there is no need to apologize. The ring is just an object. Having your love is enough.”
“Damn, I love you,” he said with a laugh before his face grew serious. “There’s something I have to tell you. Something I should have told you right when I landed back in Chicago yesterday.”
“What is it?”
He glanced at her before returning his eyes to the road. “The DNA test results came back for Andrea’s son.”
Ah, now I understand his change of mood. “Taheim, I knew it was a possibility and I’m fine with that. The only thing I don’t like about the situation is the fact that you’ve been away from him for eight years.”
The relief on Taheim’s face was immediate. “That’s another reason why I love you. You’d love me even if you had to deal with a crazy baby mama like Andrea?”
“Of course,” she said with a smile. He returned her smile.
“Well, no worries, because he’s not my son.”
“What!” Winter shrieked. “So she was sleeping around on you and her ex?”
“Sure was,” Taheim said with a laugh.
“Um, why do you think this is funny? The nerve of her.”
Taheim placed his hand on Winter’s knee. “I’m laughing because I don’t care about her enough to be pissed, and to be honest, I dodged a bullet because she would have been hard for both of us to deal with.”
“I could have handled her,” Winter said defensively. “In fact, I wish I could give her a piece of my mind.”
“How about we forget about her and never talk about her again?”
“Works for me,” she said with a smile. She waited until he was focused on the road again before she studied his features. “Then what’s upsetting you?”
He stole a glance in her direction. “It’s going to sound crazy.”
“Try me.”
He didn’t speak right away. “I was looking forward to being a father. I definitely didn’t want to have to deal with Andrea’s crazy ass, but I realized how much I wanted children of my own.”
She nodded her head in understanding as she placed her hand over his hand, which was resting on her leg. “If you hadn’t been disappointed, you wouldn’t be the man I know you are. There’s nothing wrong with the way you’re feeling. And I definitely want a lot of children, so you just happen to be in luck.”
He gave her a sly smile as he pulled into the parking garage of his building. “I know we just got engaged, but you want to start practicing on making those babies?”
She playfully swatted him on the arm. “Is your mind always in the gutter?”
“Baby, I’m sorry, but there will never be a time that I’m not thinking about spreading you out on the bed and making love to you...cherishing your mind and body. I mean, you create sexy lingerie for a living and you expect me to think about anything else?”
She suddenly remembered a very important part about the night that had slipped her mind. “Which reminds me. We have to get out of this car and head to your bedroom so I can show you what I have for you.”
His eyes lifted enticingly.
“Is it something under your dress? Something I can take off...preferably with my teeth.” He nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck.
“Maybe,” she said breathlessly as he began trailing kisses along her collarbone.
“Is it something with lace?” His hand slipped in between her thighs.
“Yes.” Her voice sounded far away, as if she were yelling down a long hallway.
“Hmm, I like where this is going.” Without further warning, his hand cupped her and he rubbed his thumb up and down her center. Her moans filled the car, mingling with his grunts. “Tell me what it is, and I’ll stop torturing you so we can finish this in my condo.”
Her mouth curved to form a sentence, but words escaped her when his fingers stopped rubbing on the outside of the material and slipped past the band of her thong.
“Taheim,” she breathed. “It’s the lingerie from that night.”
His fingers slowed slightly. “What night?”
“The night in your condo. The night you walked into your bedroom and saw me standing there. I’m wearing it.”
His eyes flew to hers and what she saw in them literally stole her breath. There was no laughter. No playfulness. No amusement. His gaze was lethal, unapologetic and consuming every part of her. She’d unleashed the beast he was trying to hold back and her body quivered in excitement at what was yet to come.
With skill and precision that made her gasp in surprise, he eased them both into the backseat to give them more space.
“There’s no way I can wait,” he said as he expertly began removing their clothes. Winter didn’t know how to process how much pleasure she was feeling, but she also realized that she didn’t need to process anything. All she needed to do was feel. And so she did. She let go of everything except for the way that Taheim was making her feel.
“This is the beginning of the rest of our lives,” he whispered in her ear. She didn’t respond. She didn’t need to. Her body did all the talking. Best. Night. Ever.
* * * * *
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ISBN-13: 9781460387405
Enticing Winter
Copyright © 2015 by Sherelle Green
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