by Tina Martin
In a quick maneuver, with their bodies still connected, he lowered her to her back, staring down at her. “Sherita, look at me, baby.” He watched her, panting softly. Still riding the wave before being swept under the current that was him. All him. “Sherita, baby, look at me.”
Sherita opened her eyes, staring directly into his as he had requested.
With his hands locked around her wrists, his body reclaiming her, he said, “I love you.”
She looked shocked for a moment as if she was unsure of what he’d said.
“I said, I love you,” he repeated as if reading her thoughts. “And yes, you should be flattered because I’ve never said those words to another woman. Only you, princess. I love you.”
“I love you too, Desmond.”
“Mmm,” he moaned as he kissed her again, satisfied she’d said it back. Her words triggered something explosive inside of him, prompting him to slam his eyes shut and sail off into paradise, taking her with him again.
He smiled, then kissed her again while holding her body hostage. And they made love once more until neither of them could hardly catch their breaths. Afterwards, she rested her head against his firm, moist chest while their bodies cooled off – while they struggled to breathe normally again.
Sherita closed her eyes, pulled in a breath full of his scent, then found his free hand, interlocking their fingers. His other hand was submerged in her hair.
“Desmond.”
“Yes, baby.”
“I have to leave tomorrow for work.”
He’d known that already, especially since she had written it in her planner. “You don’t have to.”
“I do. I have couples counting on me to capture their memories.”
“And where are you supposed to be going, Rita?”
“Myrtle Beach.”
“For the entire weekend?”
“No. I’m leaving tomorrow evening, and I won’t be back until next Friday.”
Desmond frowned. “Next Friday? You’re leaving for an entire week?”
“Why do you make it sound so bad? The time will go by quickly, and you need a break from me anyway.”
“No, I don’t.”
“You do. Desmond, you have work to do. Before I knew who you were, I realized you had a strong work ethic and since I’ve been here, I’ve been a constant distraction for you. So, use this week to get your work in order…finish phase two of the marketing plan you’ve been working on and Friday, I’ll be back.”
She was right. He couldn’t argue against it. She was a distraction, a good one, but still, a distraction. “Where are you staying?”
“I haven’t booked a place yet.”
He snickered. “You’re going to Myrtle Beach in July, and you haven’t booked a place yet?”
“I usually find some lil’ rinky-dink motel. I’m not worried about it.”
“I’m not worried about it either, because I have a vacation home there. That’s where you’ll stay.”
Sherita smiled. “That’s very generous of you, Desmond, but—”
“I’m not asking you to stay there, Sherita. I’m telling you. No wife of mine is staying at a motel.”
Sherita smiled against his chest, lifted her head just slightly to kiss him.
“I’ll give you the address and keys in the morning.”
“Okay, Des.”
“What time does your flight leave?”
“I’m driving.”
Desmond sat up, prompting Sherita to do the same. “That’s a five and a half hour drive.”
“It’s a drive I’ve taken many times before, Desmond.”
He shook his head. “No. I don’t want you driving.”
“I’ll be fine,” Sherita said. “I don’t want to fly. I need to take all of my equipment, and I don’t want to lug all that stuff around trying to get on and off a plane.”
“In that case, we can hop on the company jet.”
She looked at him, seeing the worry in his eyes. “I’ll be fine.” She kissed his lips, then slowly leaned against him so he was lying flat on his back again. She rested her head back onto his chest.
After releasing breath, he said, “Then you’ll take the Mercedes.”
“And what are you supposed to drive to work?”
“I’ll take your car.”
Sherita laughed. “Not with those long legs you have. Plus, my car doesn’t suit your style.”
“I’m not worried about myself. I’m worried about you. So you’ll take my car, and I’ll take your car.”
“If you insist.”
“Now get some sleep so you can be ready for that long drive.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, then giggled.
“I’m serious, Sherita,” Desmond said. She hadn’t even left yet, and he was already starting to worry.
“Okay, Desmond. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, princess.”
CHAPTER 25
In the morning, Sherita eased out of bed to prepare for her road trip, smiling when she saw that, at some point during the night, Desmond had slid her ring back onto her finger. She packed a suitcase with a week’s worth of clothes, some of which she had to take from the back seat of her car. She pulled the bag to Desmond’s jeep, opened the back door smelling the scent of him floating into the morning air. She pulled in a breath of it, feeling her body quiver by his smell alone, thinking about how he’d made love to her last night.
And he said he loved her…
She didn’t know if he meant it, or if he only said it to get her to stay. It was probably the latter. If she walked away, she’d put fifty-million dollars in jeopardy, and he couldn’t let that happen, right, especially after going through great lengths to ensure The Champion Corporation sealed this deal with Victor.
What man would marry a woman just to secure some business deal, anyway? It was hard enough to find a man who was willing to commit himself to a woman let alone marry one. Men married for one reason – they found their soul mate and for fear of losing her to someone else, they put a ring on it. Too bad the ring Desmond had given her had nothing to do with love.
“And just what do you think you’re doing?”
Sherita spun around quickly, startled by Desmond’s voice. She looked him over, watching the smirk form in the corner of his lips. He’d come outside in a pair of white boxers. Nothing more. He wasn’t even wearing shoes. With hard-as-concrete abs on display and well-pedicured feet, he stared at her, his eyes more focused on her lips more so than her eyes.
She had to blink a few times to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Finally, she said, “Umm, I’m putting my things in your car.”
“I’ll do that for you, sweetheart.” Desmond lifted her suitcase, placing it on the backseat. “What else do you need?”
You. She smiled when the thought came to her mind.
“Sherita?”
She blinked quickly and said, “Oh, I need my photography equipment.”
“Is it all still in the back seat of your car?”
“Yes.”
She watched as he scooped it all up, placing her equipment in the back of his jeep.
“Is that everything you need?”
Lips closed tightly, she nodded.
He smiled and narrowed his eyes at her. “What’s going on with you this morning?”
Feeling her cheeks redden, she said, “Nothing.”
He smirked. “I have to go grab the keys for the house. Be right back.”
“Okay.” She felt silly. How could she be so shy around him, especially after last night? Still, she could admit he made her nervous in ways no one else had the power to, and as she watched him walk back to the house, she could see the muscles running through his back, his arms and the muscular thighs she’d wrapped her legs around last night.
While she waited for him, she walked around to the driver side of his jeep, opened the door and got in, sitting there running through her mental checklist, making sure she had everything she needed for the week.
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“Oh, that’s right…I have to leave my car keys for him,” she said in a monotone.
She turned to the right, seeing him head back to the car as her eyes keenly watched every step he took.
When he made it back to the car, he walked around to the driver side where she was sitting, opened the door and said, “Out.”
She grinned. “What?”
“You heard me. You think I’m going to let you leave without feeling your arms around me…without leaving a kiss on those juicy lips of yours?”
She felt goose bumps travel down her body. At his request, she stepped out of the jeep and stood there, sandwiched between Desmond and the car. “Here are the keys to my car,” she said, handing them to him.
He took them from her grasp. “Here are the keys to the vacation home.”
She reached for them, taking the keys from his grasp.
“I wrote the address on this envelope,” he said, handing it to her.
She looked it over.
“And I gave you a little spending money, too.”
“I don’t need any money, Desmond,” she said holding his gaze, before looking down at the address of his vacation home, only so she could break away from his hungry eyes.
He took a step closer to her, standing domineeringly tall, cinching her waist with his large hands. “Take it and buy yourself something nice.” Using his index finger, he lifted her chin and brought his lips to meet hers, kissing her with an intentional greed, feeling her moan in the process. He pulled away from her, held her head in between his palms and said, “You know I don’t want you to go, don’t you?”
She smiled. “Yes. I’m aware of that.”
“Then why are you leaving me?” he asked, leaning forward, leaving kisses on her neck, feeling her body shudder.
“D-Des, we…we talked about this already.”
“I know. I’m just not ready to turn you loose.” He sighed heavily then connected his sight with hers again. “I want you to call me every hour on the hour. Okay.”
“Okay.”
He pulled her into his embrace again. When he let her go, he said, “Drive safe, baby.”
“I will.” She turned around, climbed up into the jeep while reaching for the seatbelt, securing it. When Desmond closed the door, she started the jeep, driving slowly down the driveway, heading for the road when she heard Desmond scream her name. She applied the brakes, checked the rearview mirror and saw him standing in the driveway.
He must’ve forgotten something.
Shifting the jeep into reverse, she backed up, stopping a few feet from where he was standing then shifted the car in park. She pressed a button to unlock the doors, reached for the handle to open the door, but the door flung open before her hand could touch it.
Desmond reached in, undid her seatbelt then snatched her from the vehicle and into his arms, kissing her again. Gosh he hated to let her go, but just like his work was important to him, her job was important to her, too.
“Why do you do this to me, girl?” he asked, taking her in his arms again.
“Aw, Des…you’re a big boy. You’ll be just fine without me.”
He leaned down so his forehead touched hers. “I don’t want you to go. Stay with me.”
“Des.”
He sighed heavily and moaned voraciously when he lowered his mouth to hers again. “Drive safe for me.”
“I will.”
“I love you, Sherita.”
“I love you, too, Desmond.”
He took a final kiss, then after jumping back inside of the jeep, she drove away.
CHAPTER 26
She hadn’t been gone for an hour and he’d already missed her. When she left, he went inside, took a twenty-minute shower and now, sitting at the table with his laptop in front of him, he wanted to catch up on work but a nagging urge to call her had him folding his laptop closed. He took out his phone, dialed her number then heard three loud beeps followed by a message:
The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected or is no longer in service.
Disconnected? He pulled up her name in his contacts again and, with a thumping heart, he dialed her number again.
The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected or is no longer in service.
That’s when he remembered she told him she’d gotten a new phone and a new number. The problem was, she hadn’t given him the number.
He picked up his cell phone again, dialed Emily’s number, and as soon as she answered, he asked, “Do you have Sherita’s new phone number?”
Detecting a hint of panic in his voice, she said, “No. Why, Desmond? Is everything all right?”
“Yes. I’ll call you back.”
“Des—”
Desmond glanced at his phone when he heard the call-waiting indicator. He hoped it was Sherita, but when he saw Dante’s name, he grew crestfallen. “Emily, I’ll call you back,” he told her and didn’t give her any time to respond before he clicked over. “What’s up, Dante?”
“I’m sitting in front of your house. Where are you this morning?”
“I’m here. Come on in.” Desmond, ended the call, but held on to his phone. When he heard Dante walk in, he yelled, “I’m in the kitchen.”
Dante headed that way and when he saw his brother sitting at the table, he asked, “Hey, where is your jeep? Didn’t think you parked it in the garage.”
His jeep…Sherita had been driving his jeep. He’d never let a woman do that before. He wanted her to be safe, which is why he requested she take his vehicle, but that didn’t stop random images of her dozing off, running off the road, or crashing into a guard rail from popping in his head. Each time it did, it rattled him. Unnerved him.
“Des?”
Withdrawing from his trance, his leg bouncing up and down underneath the table, he looked at Dante. “What?”
“Where’s your jeep?”
“Sherita has it.”
The visions were eating at his soul. Sherita was in his head, her voice calling for help: Help me, Des! Her face was covered in blood. A semi had slammed into her, trapping her inside the vehicle. And she couldn’t get out. She was dying, and she couldn’t get out.
Dante took a seat close to him. “What do you mean she can’t get out?” he asked.
Had he said that out loud? It wasn’t intentional, and since he didn’t want his brother to know how petrified he was, how troubled he was, he said, “Nothing. So what brings you to the Southside, Dante?” Desmond asked. He wasn’t in the mood for company, especially unannounced company.
“I was concerned after what happened at dinner last night.”
Help me, Desmond, he heard her say, reaching out to him with a bloody hand. He glanced at his phone. She needed to call him now. This needed to stop. “There’s…no need to be concerned.”
“Oh, I think there is,” Dante said. “You requested to speak to Sherita alone and the next thing I know, she’s in tears.”
“Well, she’s—” Lying in the road, bleeding from her mouth while paramedics try to stabilize her, attempt to secure her on a stretcher and…
“She’s what, Des?”
Desmond glanced up at Dante again for before glancing at his phone. “She’s fine.” He checked the volume. Sherita was due to call any minute now.
“Where is she, by the way?” Dante asked.
“Who?”
Okay, something was definitely wrong with his brother, Dante knew. He was completely aloof, in the same room with him, but not really. Something had him shook, and he had a feeling it all centered around Sherita. “Sherita, Des. Where is she?”
“She’s on her way to Myrtle Beach to work,” he answered, setting his phone on the table and wiping his sweaty palms on his pants.
“And what was last night about?”
Desmond sighed. “Why are you asking so many questions, Dante?”
“Because I’m worried about Sherita. And you.”
Shattered glass and blood was in her hair. D
esmond glanced at his phone. “Sherita is…Sherita is fine. There’s nothing for you to be concerned about.”
“Then I need to talk to you about something.”
Fingers tapping against the table, leg steadily bouncing, Desmond asked, “About what?”
“Mom and Dad.”
Desmond shook his head. “Not in the mood.”
“Des—”
“I don’t want to talk about them, man. Why do you insist on bringing them up like you can miraculously make them come back? They’re gone. Dead. Done. They’re not coming…” Desmond stood up, walked to the sink and stared out of a window into the backyard. “They’re not coming back.”
“Come on, Des, man, talk to me. Every time I bring up anything about Mom and Dad you dismiss it. I know it’s affecting your life.”
He glanced at his phone again. “It’s not affecting my life.”
“It is, and why are you so fidgety right now?”
Desmond turned around and met his brother’s inquisitive gaze. “Because I’m waiting on a phone call.”
“From who?”
“From Sherita.” Desmond walked back over to the table and sat down again. After taking a moment to get his thoughts together, he said, “I think about them a lot…Mom and Dad. I don’t talk about it because it’s difficult. I remember…I remember Dad playing the piano and singing to her. He loved her and when he died, something inside of her died, too. It’s like the light had went out. I tried to make her happy, but…” He took a breath and shook his head. “Dimitrius tried playing the piano for her, but she wasn’t happy because she didn’t have him anymore. She didn’t have Dad.”
Dante nodded, reminiscing on what Desmond was saying.
“She had us,” Desmond continued, “But we weren’t enough.”