by M. Clarke
I’ve been seeing a whole new side of Jenna lately. She was taking charge instead of living her life like a back seat driver. I loved that she was. She was not afraid to express her thoughts and feelings anymore, becoming the woman she was always meant to be.
Life experiences mold us into who we are today. Sometimes it’s not in a positive way, like when those experiences make us fear, lose hope, or crush our dreams. Jenna’s ex-boyfriend might have crippled her. What he pulled could have made her lose faith in real love and trust, but Max has helped her heal. He chipped those broken layers off, in more ways than she’ll ever realize, and for that, I was grateful. I couldn’t be happier for my friend.
Listening to soft music in the car, Max drove with one hand, while the other hand held mine. Whistling along to the song, his shoulders were relaxed and he looked happy. Wearing a dark suit and tie, looking oh-so handsome, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. All the time thinking, this amazing man is mine.
Max still held my hand while he helped me out of the car. I took a whiff of the ocean breeze, but I was unsure how close we were. After grabbing our overnight bags, I walked beside him towards the most amazing house. It looked like one of those homes you’d find in a magazine and I was completely in awe.
The pristine white mansion was two stories high, with tall windows. Various roses aligned the path leading to the front of the house, making it smell heavenly. “What are we doing here?” I asked, thinking how ridiculous my question was. Reading the note, I assumed we were staying at a hotel.
“It’s my surprise. I’m not about to share you with strangers at some restaurant. This is our place for the night. Happy Valentine’s Day, babe.” After a soft, long kiss, he opened the front door with the key, gesturing for me to walk in first.
Stepping on the white marble floor, I gazed up at the huge, crystal chandelier, watching as each teardrop shape sparkled like a diamond in the sunlight that poured in through the long windows. To my left and right were stairs, curving to meet at the center of the second floor. Directly under the chandelier, right in front of my view, was a large table with a colorful arrangement of flowers that added the perfect touch.
A man walked in, dressed in a simple black suit, and took the bags from Max. “Good evening, Mr. Knight,”
“Hello, Brandon. This is Jenna.”
“Brandon, hello,” I smiled.
“Hello, Ms. Jenna. I will be at your service today. We will be out of your way this evening.” With a quick nod, he headed upstairs with our bags.
“We? Are they staying till dinner?” I asked. Not that we needed anyone else to be here. Max was all I needed and I was beyond capable of taking care of things. I wasn’t used to having someone at my beck and call.
“Well, they’ll leave right after dinner is over.” Max wrapped his arms around me as he kissed my forehead, and then whispered. “I wouldn’t want him to hear how loud I’m going to make you scream from the things I’m going to do to you tonight.”
His words alone blasted pleasant shivers through me. I don’t know how he could do that to me every time he talked dirty, but I didn’t want him to ever stop.
“How loud, Max?” I asked, looking at him with my finger in my mouth, giving him the most enticing look I could give.
“Jenna….” His voice was low and hot. Oh man, I loved how he growled my name, as if he was going to punish me. “You want to skip dinner and eat dessert first?”
Max guided my finger out of my mouth. Just before it went to his, I stopped him. Walking backward, I sucked my fingers, pulling in and out seductively, and I found myself on the other side of a massive grand piano. I couldn’t believe what a tease I’d become. I liked this new side of me and I was sure Max did too.
“You’re so lucky I have a plan tonight or I would have you naked and sprawled out on that piano, in front of Jeff and his staff,” Max grunted, taking several steps toward me.
Pulling out my finger, I halted. “Staff?”
Max chuckled, his eyes sparkling with humor. “Yes, staff. Turn around Jenna. Meet Molly.”
Holy crap! I swallowed nervously, gulping down the air, and sure enough, there was Molly. She was a plump, friendly looking woman. I couldn’t help myself as my face flamed in heat. I parted my lips to greet her, but nothing came out.
“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am. I’ll be out of your hair in a second, but I wanted Mr. Knight to know that dinner was ready and if he didn’t want to miss the reason why it was to be served outside, he’d better go quick.”
“Thank you, Molly.” Max nodded.
It was as if they were talking in a secret code. The reason? What did they mean by that? Before I could ask, Max hooked my arm and led me out the front door.
“Max? Where are we going? Why are you in such a hurry?”
“I want it to be perfect.” After walking along the sidewalk, we went up the stairs. The next house was quite a distance away, so I assumed this was a private beach. Max suddenly stopped and covered my eyes with the blindfold I had used on him.
“Max. What are you doing?”
“Jenna, I don’t want to miss this opportunity so please, just do as I asked and stop asking questions. It’s a surprise.”
Feeling all sorts of excitement rush through me, I couldn’t wait for whatever Max wanted to show me. Trying to walk blindfolded was almost impossible, even while Max had his arms around me. Just as I was getting used to it, he scooped me up.
“Max! Put me down,” I demanded, though I didn’t mean it. In fact, I loved being in his arms like that. Shortly after, he placed me down and I could hear the sound of soft waves. “I hope you’re not planning on going skinny dipping,” I giggled.
Max didn’t answer me but started speaking again. “Jenna, I’m going to take the blindfold off, but you have to promise me to keep your eyes on me.”
“Okay. I don’t think you’re giving me much choice right now,” I said.
The blindfold came off and I blinked to adjust my vision. Max embraced me so fast, I had no time to move. When he started to sing, I didn’t feel the need to do anything but listen to the words he was conveying to me.
Perfectly spellbound by his sexy voice and the words of Elvis Presley, he continued as he swayed us to his rhythm. “I can’t help falling in love with you.” The words to the song hit me in waves as his voice resonated in my ear straight through to my heart and soul. He filled me, reaching deeper, expanding my heart and I shuddered in his arms as that feeling spread through every single nerve in me.
His voice was full of passion and love. Why he decided to sing me this song right here, right now, I had no idea, but it didn’t matter. I could listen to his voice any time, day or night. His voice always compelled me to surrender to him.
Sliding his hands to my cheeks, he locked his eyes on mine with adoration. His sternness and sincerity told me he meant every word. “You’re my heart. It beats because yours beats. You’re my lungs. I breathe because you breathe. You were right Jenna; you’re not public. You’re my everything, and I will sing to you for the rest of my life if you want me to.”
His eyes continued to reach deeper, and I didn’t know what to say. In fact, I couldn’t believe what was happening right before my eyes. Before I could say a word, he turned me towards the ocean. We were actually on a cliff, overlooking the beach. The first thing I saw in front of me was the most amazing view of the horizon. The sun was just setting, giving its magnificent blending colors of yellows, oranges, and reds.
This vision absolutely hypnotized me, and I understood now, why he was in a rush. He wanted to share this precious moment with me. “Max,” I whispered, reaching for his hand without peeling my eyes off the horizon. “I don’t know what to say. This view is so perfect. Sharing this with you makes me want to cry happy tears.”
“Babe,” he laced his fingers through mine. “Look on the sand, to your right.”
“Huh?” I asked, shifting my eyes to where he directed. OH…MY…GOD!!! Was this real? The
re were thousands of candles lined up to form letters, spelling out the words. I threw my hands over my mouth. I didn’t want Max to see me cry, but I couldn’t help it. Tears pooled in my eyes, but I blinked and wiped them away, and then I read the words in my mind repeatedly.
I was in shock. I couldn’t speak. It felt like a dream, only it wasn’t. I was speechless and my hands were shaking. I think my whole body was shaking. These tiny fireworks crackled and popped in my stomach, tickling me from the tips of my fingers, down to my toes. Then the big ones ignited, filling me up with an overwhelming sense of euphoria, and I exploded with happiness.
“What do you say, babe. Yes or no?” Max asked sweetly. I was pretty sure his eyes never left mine, waiting for me to soak in what I was seeing.
More tears wetted my face. With my lips quivering, I turned to Max. He was down on one knee, holding a box with the most beautiful solitaire ring I’d ever seen. It looked to be a three-carat diamond, mounted high on a simple white gold band. Or maybe it was platinum. All I knew was it sparkled and shimmered in the glow of the sunset as we stood on that perfect spot. Though I couldn’t tell for sure, in my mind I was comparing it with Nicole’s, and hers was two-carat. Not that it would matter anyway. I knew it was way too expensive.
“Jeanella Mefferd, you’re the only woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. I’m going to spend every single day making you feel loved. I want your body, heart, and soul filled with everything I can give you. From now on, February 14th will not be Valentine’s Day for us. From now on it will be the day I proposed to the most beautiful, amazing woman in existence. I want the whole world to know that Valentine’s Day is ours now. Will you marry me, Jenna? I will spend the rest of my life making sure you never regret saying ‘yes’. Be mine, because I want to be yours. I want to give you forever.”
What else could this wonderful man say? “Yes, Maxwell Knight. I want to be yours forever,” I managed to say while my lips trembled. The tears I desperately tried to hold at bay came pouring down. I didn’t think I could possibly love him more than I already did, but tonight I did.
Max stood up, kissed me tenderly, and held me tight. The breeze was soft and cool, as we stood against the backdrop of the most beautiful sunset.
“We can take our time, babe. I’ll leave it up to you to pick the date. If it were up to me, we would’ve been married yesterday.” His eyes twinkled, looking so happy. I loved that I could make him feel this way.
Pulling away from me, he took out the ring, shoving the box into his pocket, and placed it on my finger. “I think I did a great job guessing the size of your finger.”
He sure did. It fit perfectly. “How did you guess?” I asked, admiring as it shined, still not believing Max had just proposed to me.
“Babe, I know every mole, every curve, and every scar on you. I bet I know your body better than you,” Max said, pulling me into him.
“And do you like what you see, Mr. Knight?”
“Yes, soon-to-be Mrs. Knight. I’m planning to do more studying tonight, but I have to warn you. It’s going to be a very extensive examination.”
I shivered from both the breeze that had gotten colder, and the thought of what Max was going to do to me tonight.
“We should head back. Dinner is waiting for us.”
“Was Molly your sunset keeper?”
“Yes, she was. I’d asked her to keep an eye out and let me know when it was at the most perfect point. I also prayed for no rain. I only had one chance.”
“How about the candles? I’d like to enjoy them a little big longer.” They were glowing brighter since the sun was almost out of view.
“You’ll be able to see them from the backyard. That’s where we’re having our dinner.
“Did you tell your parents and Matthew about what you were planning tonight?”
“Yes, I did. Oh, and before I forget to tell you, I asked your parents for their permission to ask for your hand in marriage the night I met them.”
“You did?” I asked, feeling completely stunned. No wonder my mom looked so excited and acted a bit off that night. I thought she was smiling way too much during our get-together. Now it all made sense. “How did you ask them?”
“I told your parents how much I loved you.” Max laced his fingers through my hair. “I told them I would provide for you and take care of you through the good and the bad. I promised that I would never look at or love another woman. And I would give them a minivan full of grandchildren,” Max chuckled. “I think they loved that part. I’m pretty sure that sealed the deal.”
“You’re sneaky,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “But I love that you are. Thank you for being who you are. I don’t know what I did to deserve you.” Meaning every word I said, I molded into his arms with a gratifying sigh. Max thought of everything tonight. It was definitely the most romantic night of my life. I will never look at Valentine’s Day the same ever again.
I took Jenna back into the house. She never once complained about how cold it was, but I could tell when she shivered in my arms. Her hair looked a bit wild from the breeze, making her look sexy as hell, but I wasn’t going to tell her. I was going to enjoy my view.
I wasn’t sure if proposing this early in our relationship was a good idea, but I didn’t want to wait another day. Besides, when was it ever a perfect time to propose? You just do it when you think the time is right, but who knew about these things. I never wanted to propose to anyone until I met Jenna.
As we ate dinner on the balcony, under the heat lamp, Jenna couldn’t stop staring at the candlelight. Seeing her smile and in awe of everything I did for her tonight confirmed I had made the right decision. The thought of her saying “no” did cross my mind. However, after what we’d been through this past month, I knew our love for each other had grown. I guess this would be the arrogant side of me, but how could she refuse?
Knowing Jenna, I may have to wait a year to get her down the aisle, but I’m fine with that. I want her to feel comfortable. Scaring her off is the last thing I want to do. I knew that if I was patient with her, we could work out the kinks, the trust issues, and her insecurity.
“Are you cold?” I asked, seeing her tremble as I took a bite of my steak.
“I’m fine,” she said, taking a sip of her tea, and pulling her black shawl over her shoulders. Her new black dress had a touch of lace around the neckline, and looked fantastic on her. With her hair in soft curls, though the curls had straightened somewhat due to the breeze, she looked edible and I couldn’t help thinking about the things I was going to do to her later.
I also observed the diamond earrings and necklace set I had bought for her for Christmas. They looked lovely on her and I’m glad that I chose them. A woman like Jenna deserved all the finer things in life, though she would disagree; all the more reason I wanted to do it for her.
Looking into her eyes, they radiated against the candlelight, just like her ring. I loved seeing her this happy. Knowing Jenna as well as I did, I figured she would want something simple yet elegant, and that is what I bought for her. She couldn’t stop staring at it, though she tried to hide the fact that she was.
As I took my last bite, I noticed she only ate half her dinner and I knew the reason why. She must be feeling as giddy as I was.
“Babe, eat your dinner, or I’ll have to feed you myself.”
Jenna let out a slight giggle, looking at me wickedly and deviously. “I’m not that hungry. I can’t think about food when I’m thinking about getting you naked in bed.”
Holy shit! She did not just say that to me. Then her finger went straight to her mouth purposely giving me that innocent, sexy grin that made me come unglued. That look that can make me do anything for her.
Jenna was a lot more flirtatious these days. She was getting more comfortable, and opening up more. I knew there was a wild, sexy goddess in there. I just had to help her ease into her new skin. Absorbing her words, I gulped down my last sip of wine. Though I had poured some wine for Jenn
a, she hadn’t even taken a sip.
Leaning into her, I gave her a challenging stare. “You want to make that come true?”
“I dare you to,” she teased, holding up an asparagus stalk, gliding her tongue on it with a long stroke. As I watched, I could swear I just felt her tongue on my dick.
It took every ounce of restraint not to clear this table and take her right here.
“You know what would make me eat more, Max?” she continued. “If I could eat my dinner off your naked body.”
That did it! She had no idea how much self-control I had been utilizing since the minute we walked through that door this afternoon. Jenna gasped when I pushed back my chair suddenly. Did she think I wasn’t going to take her up on her offer? Knowing Jenna, that’s exactly what she thought.
“Come on, I’m taking you up on your offer right now,” I said, as I swatted her ass. I flung her over my shoulder. It happened so fast she didn’t know what hit her.
“Max!” Jenna laughed out loud. “Put me down.”
“Don’t move. I’ll drop you.” I wasn’t going to, but the way she was wiggling, I knew I possibly could. “If you don’t listen, I’m going to spank your ass all the way to our room,” I said in a forceful tone, giving her a good smack on her ass again.
“Max, don’t forget my plate,” she giggled.
She didn’t know I was already holding it. She also didn’t know I had a can of whipped cream upstairs and I was planning on licking it off her. “Prepare yourself, babe. You’re not getting much sleep tonight.”
Becca looked absolutely stunning in her form-fitted black dress. It looked very similar to Jenna’s. Becca looked relaxed as I held her hand while driving. When we reached our destination, I told Becca to stay seated, as I ran around the car and opened her door for her.
“There are so many boats here,” Becca gushed, gazing around, looking amazed.
“We’re in Long Beach. The best place to look at them,” I commented, embracing her in my arms as we headed to our yacht.