“Are you accusing me of something?” The man sprang from the seat as if a hot iron had poked him.
“Sit down,” Peter said mildly. “Have you done something I should be accusing you of?” he asked as soon as the man had taken his seat.
“I have given a lot of time and effort to this company as if it is my own,” Bradley shifted on the seat, his eyes not quite meeting Peter’s. “I have worked tirelessly to make sure that profits are shown and this is the thanks I get?”
“It is not your company, it is mine,” Peter corrected him, his voice like flint. “I have had you investigated,” he saw when the man blanched and his suspicions were confirmed. “You are in over your head and although I do not fully understand why someone would spend what they do not earn; I would have respected you more if you had come to me and told me you were in a plight instead of stealing from me.”
“You are calling me a thief-“
“Shut your mouth!” Peter’s voice had not raised one octave but Bradley felt the fear shimmering through his body as he saw the expression on the other man’s face. He had thought he was dealing with a schmuck. A Japanese man who had inherited his parents’ company and who had no idea what was going on even though he had been in meetings. He’d wheeled and dealed with some of the richest businessmen in the country but he just figured that he would not be smart enough to know what was going on in his company. He had been wrong.
“Look Peter,” he leaned forward, trying to practice the charm he used on most people but Peter held up a hand to stop him.
Just then his buzzer sounded and with an impatient movement he depressed the key. “Not now Amy-“
“Sorry Peter but it’s your wife on the line she said she was calling your cell phone but you did not pick up.”
“Put her through.”
“I think I will make a great mother don’t you?” her beautiful husky voice came over the line; the voice that had the power to turn him into a puddle.
“Are you trying to tell me something?” he asked her; his heart slowing down.
“Of course I am darling,” she teased. “I am trying to tell you that I want us to start a family soon.”
“And you choose now to tell me when we are miles apart?” he asked her huskily, acutely aware of the situation he had in his office to deal with but it did not stop him from feeling the heat rise inside him.
“I can always come over or you can,” she said suggestively. “Oh crap! I have this fashion show and all that so it will have to wait until later.”
“You are driving me crazy,” he told her softly, his heart beating hard inside his chest. He had all but forgotten about the man in his office but she had always had the power to distract him.
“I know,” she told him huskily. “I love you darling.”
“Kimone,” he all but groaned. “You are going to pay for this later.”
“Looking forward to it.” She told him impishly before disconnecting the call.
“My wife saved you from doing time in prison,” Peter put away the phone and his indulgent smile disappeared rapidly as he turned to face the man in front of him.
“You can’t prove anything,” he said defiantly, his palms sweating.
“Oh, yes I can,” Peter held up a report he had gotten from the P.I. firm he had on retainer. “It’s all documented here and I want you to be smart for the first time in your lousy life and back away without a fight. My wife saved you from getting a prison sentence but unfortunately for you she did not save you from losing your job. Now get out of my sight before I change my mind.”
Bradley Matthews scurried out of the office without another word and when he reached the door Peter’s voice stopped him. “I have advised security to escort you out the building. Don’t even think of taking anything with you.” The man left without a backward glance.
With a sudden decision he picked up his suit jacket and headed towards the door. “Amy cancel my four o’clock meeting; I will be over my wife’s store.”
*****
The place was full of children and mothers and to Peter’s amusement he saw a few fathers there as well. Samantha greeted him as soon as he came in as apparently she was the official ‘greeter’ stationed at the door. He glimpsed his wife somewhere in one corner of the room where an impromptu stage had been set up. He also saw his mother in law, Sandra and Dawn at the refreshment table piling up finger foods onto paper plates. He could hardly find room to squeeze in. He had been here since the place had been renovated but he found himself admiring what his wife had done with colors and the theme she had created; she was a true artist.
He found a seat beside one of the father’s whose attention was intent on the stage where a little girl was helping Kimone to display the dolls. There was music playing and the atmosphere was lively.
*****
Kimone saw him the minute he walked in and even though she was busy with what she was doing, she took the time to give him a quick peek when he was not looking. She had not expected him to be here and she felt her heart race in pride and appreciation for her smart handsome husband as he took a seat beside Sally’s dad. He looked so out of place in the little store and Kimone noticed him watching and applauding like the rest of them.
When she had called him earlier she had wanted to remind him that her big event was today but she had not bothered; because although she knew they were at a stage in their relationship where they supported each other, she knew his work load was heavy and he had a lot on his plate so she refrain from saying anything.
But he was here. And she felt as if she had been handed the greatest gift in the world. With a bright smile she moved aside to display the work of art she had spent most of the morning creating along with her little helper Sally. By the time they were finished at about six; most of the fashionable dolls were gone and she and Samantha were kept busy ringing up sales at the cash register. Her mother, Sandra and Dawn were milling around handing out refreshments and chatting up the parents; her own P.R. team; Kimone thought in amusement. It was almost seven p.m. when the last person left and Kimone felt as if her feet were on fire and her body ached but it was a good ache and she felt as if they had made quite a success.
Samantha left shortly, along with Dawn, her mother and Sandra. Dawn had a date with Donald and Sandra and her mom had a meeting at the residential home.
“Thanks a million guys, I owe you,” she told them as walked towards the door.
“You owe us nothing,” her mother said firmly going over to kiss Peter on the cheek. “Just dinner at my house on Sunday.”
“We will be there,” Peter told her giving her a hug.
“We will call you tomorrow honey,” Dawn said with a wave as they left.
“My wife the businesswoman,” Peter teased as soon as she locked the doors behind them.
“Are you making fun of me?” she looked at him with a narrowed gaze. She had taken off the sandals she had been wearing and the dress she had worn swung against her bare legs gently. Her hair was pinned haphazardly on top of her head with several curls escaping around her face and the back of her neck.
“I would never do that.” He told her solemnly, pulling her into his arms. “I am extremely proud of you and am thinking of giving you a seat on the board.” He bent his head to kiss the tip of her nose gently.
“No thank you, big business is not for me.” Kimone wrapped her arms around his neck and rested inside his arms with a satisfied sigh. “I leave those things to you.”
“Can we at least discuss it?” he asked her seriously, tilting her chin to look at him.
“Were you serious?”
“I am,” he told her with a small smile. “I want you involved my sweet; even if you don’t want to be involved in the day to day running. It would require you sitting on the board and attending board meetings when required.”
“Peter I am inundated with the store as it is and you want me involved in a billion dollar company as well? I meant what I said to you earlier abo
ut us starting a family soon and I want to be there to raise that child or children.”
“How many are we talking about?” he asked her huskily, his heart swelling inside him.
“Two maybe three,” she lifted her head to look up at him. “Is that okay with you?”
“Want us to start now?” his hands moved to cup her face, his dark eyes shimmering with what he was feeling.
“We don’t have to start right now.” She told him softly. “I still want to get to know you better and I want to spend some time with my husband.”
“I love when you call me that,” he bent his head and captured her lips with his. Kimone opened her mouth to accommodate his, her tongue reaching for his hungrily as he deepened the kiss. He felt her breast against his chest and he lifted her into his arms tenderly as if she was the most precious cargo in the world. He placed her on top of one of the little desks and knelt in front of her. “I want us to renew our vows.” Her eyes widened at his words and he continued hastily. “When we got married before it was not for the right reason at least not for you.” He grinned at her whimsically. “It would just be us and your friends and your mom, but I want us to do it at the little chapel we got married in. It would mean so much to me. I want to say the things I did not get to say to you before; I want to say it before your family and friends.”
Kimone sat there looking at him as he knelt there staring up at her and asking her to renew their vows; this man who had been in love with her even when she had not been thinking about him; this powerful handsome man was kneeling in front of her and she could not bear it.
“I don’t deserve you,” she said thickly, her throat clogged up with emotions and tears she wanted to shed. “I don’t deserve you,” she repeated, clearing her throat and continuing. “But I am going to do my best to make it up to you; to be the best wife a man could ever hope for and if you ask me to marry you a million times I would say yes and I am saying yes now my darling Peter, I will marry you again.”
Chapter 12
“I can’t believe you are getting married again and to the same man,” Sandra said shaking her blonde head. “I really envy you honey.”
They were in her room helping her get dressed for the ceremony. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon with bright sunshine and the smell of flowers rioting. She had bought a dress for the occasion; although her closet was filled with the many clothes her husband had continued to buy her; knowing that she would not be buying them herself. It was a pale shell pink with small cap sleeves and narrow hem that came just above her knees and molded her curvaceous body like a second skin. The entire bodice was made of delicate Venetian lace and she was wearing the pearls he had given her some time ago with matching earrings at her lobes. Her hair was ruthlessly tamed in an elegant chignon at the nape of her neck and a matching hat with a tiny veil perched on the side of her head.
“It’s okay to envy me,” Kimone said with an impish smile as she peered at herself in the large oval mirror; satisfied that her makeup was flawless. “I am so happy I could burst!”
“Don’t, I am sure the dress would not contain it.” Dawn teased her. She was wearing an olive green dress which suited her to perfection and Donald was waiting for her downstairs. They had been going out every day and were planning on getting engaged soon.
Kimberley bustled inside the room, blue silk swirling around her petite frame. “We need to head to the chapel before your husband thinks you have changed your mind. The limo is waiting.”
*****
He was standing at the aisle waiting for her as she entered through the doorway and she could not help but remember the first ceremony and how he had been looking at her. She could not believe that he had loved her even then and she had not been aware of it. He had refused to be away from her during the night and had exhausted her with his lovemaking; holding her in his arms all through the night as if making sure she was still there when he woke up.
She had picked out his suit; a silver gray silk with a pale pink shirt and a rose pink tie and he had dressed and gotten out of their way; going to the chapel to wait for her. He had a sprig of calla lily in his lapel that had been taken from her bouquet of calla lily, dahlia and gerbera daisy.
The Minister was the same elderly gentleman who had performed the ceremony and he waited patiently as she made her way towards them. He met her halfway as if he was not willing to wait any longer and took her hand in his bringing it to his lips.
“My wife,” he said huskily and just stood there staring at her. It took the clearing of the minister’s throat for him to move and he tucked her hand in his arm and they went up together.
“The couple has requested to repeat their own vows so we will let them go ahead as this is just a renewal of vows we will dispense with all the other formalities.” The Minister said with a genial smile.
They turned to face each other. “Kimone Makeida, my wife, my love, the woman who completes me; the one who turns my legs to liquid; the first time I saw you I fell in love with you and I knew you were the one and the only one and if it was not you then I would die alone. I love you my darling and loving you has made me a better man. I promise you that I will love you with my very last breath. I will honor and respect you with every fiber of my being and I will somehow prove to you that it is you and it will always be you.”
Kimone could not speak; she found herself out of words for the first time in her life and the magnitude of what he felt for her coursed through her body.
“Peter Makeida,” she said huskily. “My husband, the best part of me, my love; the main stay of my life. I love you so much that it’s hard for me to tell you how much. Before you came into my life, when I almost branded you with my hot coffee,” she paused as she heard the quiet laughter from the small gathering. “I went about my life without thought of anything like the love of a man but knowing that I wanted something wonderful and would not settle for less. I have found something wonderful and I want to shout with the joy of it. I promise to submit myself to you and to respect you and to be faithful to you because you complete me and for me there is no one else. I love you my husband, my darling, my best friend and always will.”
He had been holding both of her hands in his and as she looked up at him she saw the shimmer of tears before he pulled her into his arms and ignoring the others including the minister in front of them he took her lips with his, holding her close to him as he kissed her passionately, his tongue delving inside her mouth.
They heard the applause as if it was a mile away and he pulled away from her reluctantly as the minister pronounced their vows renewed and prayed for them. He had bought her an oval diamond eternity ring in platinum to replace the simple ring he had given her the first time and told her that she could always wear the other one when she was going to work. The ring was exquisite and shone in the afternoon light coming through the stained glass windows of the chapel.
They made their way after the ceremony, to the house where Annabelle had prepared a veritable feast and chairs had been set up outside in the gazebo for them to eat and socialize.
Kimone went upstairs to change into a floral silk dress with a figure hugging bodice with thin straps and flared from the waist down to above her knees.
He had come up with her to take off his jacket and tie and left the others underneath the gazebo where there was music playing.
“I want to be alone with you,” he told her as he knelt in front of her while she sat on the side of the bed with the intention of slipping on her wedge heeled sandals. He ran his hands up the sides of her bare legs. “I want to feel you on me.” He pushed up her dress to reveal her scrap of pink silk that barely covered her pubic. “I want to taste you,” he continued; easing away the material and touching her.
Kimone gasped as his finger toyed with her mound. “They are waiting for us,” she held on to his hand.
“Let them wait,” he pushed two fingers inside her, his eyes on her face as he continued to go deeper inside her; moving his finge
rs slowly within her; his eyes a liquid pool as he thrust inside her. With a groan he removed his fingers and bent his head to use his tongue on her.
Kimone went back on her elbows, opening her legs wider as he worked his tongue inside her. She felt the rush going through her and she knew what was coming next. With a tortured cry she gave in as the tide rushed through her, threatening to engulf her in its wake.
He stood up as soon as the shudder had eased from her body and went for the towel to clean her out gently, fixing her underwear and placing her sandals on her feet without saying a word.
Kimone sat there and felt the love for him bloom inside her and she wanted to cry. He pulled her up against him tenderly and kissed her lips lightly. “Let’s go and see to our guests.”
She stopped him as he made to take her arm and lead her out. “I never knew something like this exists,” she raised her hands and cupped his face. “I am afraid I am going to disappoint you but I love you so much that I can’t breathe in thinking of you.”
“Welcome to the club,” he told her softly, wiping the glint of tear from the corner of her eyes. “You are not alone in this.”
*****
“I thought you two had gone off somewhere and forgotten about us,” Sandra looked at them searchingly, noticing the glow on her friend and the way her husband kept looking at her.
“We almost did,” Kimone said looking up at Peter as he held out the chair for her to sit.
They had fun. The gazebo was large enough to accommodate dancing and after the sumptuous meal they had their first dance as husband and wife. They were joined after by Dawn and Donald who looked so happy together that Kimone could not help but feel totally responsible for that happiness.
“I can hear you congratulating yourself,” Peter whispered in her ear.
“I am not!” she retorted, looking up at him, her captivating smile coming forth. He never failed to be stunned by her exquisite beauty and he always felt the pull in his lower region. “Okay maybe just a little. Don’t they look happy together?”
Love In Arms_BWWM Romance Page 25