Tiana (Starkis Family #3)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “It’s not.” He shifted his chair so we were sitting beside each other instead of across the table. Taking my hand, he said, “I’ve been blessed in life, Tiana. I never thought I deserved even half of it.”

  Blake wasn’t normally humble, so I couldn’t help but wonder where he was going with this.

  “I had a loving family growing up.” His lips twitched. “For the most part.”

  I knew he was thinking about his father and wishing their relationship could have been stronger. It was eerie how easy it was for me to read his mind, as though we shared the same thoughts.

  “I went to the best schools, always had friends I could count on. I had good luck in business and…” He looked at our joined hands as though he was searching for the right words. “I never thought I had the right to want more.”

  “You deserve it all,” I whispered, hoping he understood how much I wanted to be the missing piece in the puzzle of his life.

  His broad shoulders curled as he leaned forward. “I realized what a coward I was when we made love the first time. Instead of going after you and letting you know how much that night had changed me, I just let you go.”

  “The timing wasn’t right.” I had been so young and naïve then. I wasn’t sure I could have handled a man as intense and passionate as Blake. “It is now.”

  “I swore if I ever got another chance with you, I’d be fearless.” He chuckled. “Yet right now, my stomach is tied up in knots.”

  “What is it?” I withdrew my hand, grasped his chin, and forced him to look at me. “What are you afraid of?”

  “Losing you.”

  “Hey,” I said, when I saw the sheen in his eyes, “you’re not going to lose me. I love you. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Commitment has always been a four-letter word to me, Ti.”

  I laughed. “I know.”

  “But now it’s the one thing I want more than anything.”

  “We are committed to each other.”

  “I know, but I want… more.” He withdrew a black velvet box from his pocket, and I saw his hand tremble as he opened it. “I want to be with you forever and know that no one and nothing can tear us apart.”

  Completely speechless, I stared at the huge diamond flanked by rows of baguettes. I couldn’t pretend I hadn’t imagined what it would be like to be Blake’s wife. I just hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.

  “Tiana, you’re my world. Without you, I’m nothing.”

  I felt the same way. Without him, I wouldn’t have had the courage to stand up to my father or the spirit to pursue my own dream. This man brought out the best in me. How could I not want to be his wife?

  “I’m so much better with you than I could ever be without you, and I know we’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible. I want our life together to begin right now, today.” He withdrew the sparkling ring from its black velvet pillow. “Tiana, will you marry me? Tonight?”

  “Tonight?” My gaze darted back and forth between him and the ring clasped in his unsteady hand. “Are you serious?”

  “As serious as I’ve ever been.” He kissed my hand. “I know you’d rather have Deacon and Damon, Mia and Eleni here to celebrate with us. Your cousins and mother too, but we can throw an amazing party when we get home, if that’s what you want.”

  Like most little girls, I used to fantasize about having a big white wedding, but staring into the eyes of the man I loved, I realized none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was becoming his wife. I swallowed the urge to scream and laugh and cry all at the same time. “Can we really do this tonight?”

  “It’s all set. All you have to do is say yes.”

  “Yes!” I screamed, throwing my arms around his neck. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

  Blake laughed while holding me tightly. He slipped the ring on my finger and kissed me before tearing himself away to pour the champagne. Handing me a flute while holding up the other, he said, “Thank you for giving me the chance to make all of your dreams come true, Tiana. I promise you I will. ”

  ***

  We were in a small chapel, only myself, Blake, the officiant, and the wedding planner, who’d agreed to serve as our witness. We’d already tended to the marriage license, and in just a few short minutes, I would be a different person. I’d no longer be Tiana Starkis but Mrs. Tiana Kessler. And I couldn’t wait.

  The officiant gave us a chance to say a few words to each other. Since I hadn’t had time to prepare anything, I simply had to speak from the heart and hope it was enough.

  I clasped his hands as I struggled to speak through my tears. “Blake, you’ve changed me. Knowing you has made me stronger and braver. You’ve taught me how to be fearless, to take risks I never would have had the courage to take without your love and support.”

  He brought my hands to his lips, smiling through his own tears.

  “I always believed when I found the perfect partner, he would complement me in the best possible way, being strong where I’m weak and weak where I’m strong.”

  Most people wouldn’t look at Blake and see a trace of vulnerability, but they didn’t know him the way I did. They didn’t know the kid who’d lost his beloved mother and just wanted a family of his own to make him feel he belonged. I wanted to give him that. A family. A place to belong.

  “You make all of my insecurities seem insignificant. You love me so much that you’ve convinced me I need to love myself more, and I can’t tell you what a gift that is,” I said.

  When the officiant invited Blake to speak, Blake looked a bit like a deer in the headlights before a confident chuckle permeated his nervousness.

  “What can I say to the woman who’s given me my life back?” He smiled. “I wouldn’t have said I’d been going through the motions for the past couple of decades, but it’s obvious to me now that I have been.” His hand circled the ring on my finger as though he needed to remind himself that this was real, that it wasn’t a dream. “I thought I had it all, but I had nothing.”

  I was touched that someone who had more material possessions than most people could dream of could say that. If I needed confirmation that I was choosing the right man, that was it.

  “You came into my life and reminded me of what’s important. It’s not houses or cars, successful businesses or impressive contacts. It’s love. You love me unconditionally, in a way that I haven’t been loved in years and never thought I could be again.”

  With every quiet admission, I fell more in love with him. The tears streaming down my face were a testament to the depth of my emotion.

  “I never wanted to think about the future before,” he said. “It was too painful because it made me think about all of the things I could never have. Now I can’t help but think about the future, and every time I do, I smile because I know that you’ll be right by my side, helping me make all my dreams come true. Thank you for that, Tiana. Thank you for loving me and making me believe I deserve happiness as much as anyone.”

  “More,” I whispered, making our witness smile and brush away a tear.

  I listened to the man who’d been summoned to join us in matrimony do just that. He made me Blake’s wife, and as his lips met mine, I knew without question it was the happiest moment of my life.

  ***

  Blake

  I’d imagined this night so many times, but now that it was finally here, I was nervous. I wanted it to be perfect, a night Tiana would never forget. I’d had the hotel deliver the requisite champagne, flowers, and chocolate-dipped berries. I’d had the bed covered in rose petals and the large tub filled with decadent bubbles. Her favorite music filtered through the speakers, and a gorgeous negligee hung on the door. I’d thought of everything, yet I still feared it wasn’t enough.

  She held my hands as we walked backward into the bathroom. “I want you to join me.”

  “Champagne first?”

  “Later.” She drew my hand to her zipper. “Undress me.”

  Her beauty had always overwhe
lmed me, but tonight she simply took my breath away. She was radiant, happier than I’d ever seen her, and it humbled me to realize I was the reason for her happiness. Planning our wedding had been the right decision. This was the perfect time to solidify our bond so the world, namely Tiana’s family, would no longer question my intentions.

  As I slipped off her dress, I let my lips wander over the slope of her shoulder, down her neck, to her luscious mouth. She moaned as she kissed me, threading her hands through my hair as though she couldn’t get close enough. I could relate. Even when I was buried deep inside her, it wasn’t close enough.

  She pushed off my blazer before loosening my tie and the buttons on my shirt. Her actions were slow, methodical, almost hypnotizing, and I realized that neither of us wanted to rush this night. It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment we would never get back. The night our lives together began.

  When we were both naked, the kissing intensified, making it difficult for me to remember why it was so important to go slowly. She giggled as she led me to the huge tub dominating the spa-like bathroom. Candles glowed around it, giving the space a warm, soft light that made her look even more beautiful, if that was possible.

  We sank into the water, her back to my chest, and she linked her hands through mine. “I don’t know how you knew this was exactly what I needed, but I’m so grateful you did.”

  I was surprised that she wanted to talk, but it must be important if she was willing to delay our mutual gratification. I kissed her cheek, closing my eyes, as my love and adoration for this woman flooded me. The fact that she was thanking me when she’d just given me the greatest gift of my life seemed surreal to me.

  “I needed an anchor, someone, something to make me feel grounded in this new life of mine, and you provided that.” She kissed the platinum wedding ring on my finger as a slow smile spread across her face. “You seem to know what I need even before I do, Blake.”

  “I’m not a mind reader,” I said, kissing her neck. “I just know you. I know what you need, what you’ve been afraid to ask for.”

  “I never thought I’d choose a man like you.”

  My heart stuttered as I imagined her choosing someone else, anyone else. “Why’s that?”

  “I’ve been surrounded by opinionated, domineering men my whole life. I thought when the time came for me to get married, it would be to someone who was a little less…” She laughed. “Everything.”

  “I would never try to control or manipulate you, Ti. That’s not what love is about.” I didn’t know how I knew that, since I was a novice when it came to romantic love, but I supposed some wiser, inner knowing guided me.

  “I know you wouldn’t, and that’s why I love you so much. You let me be me, and somehow that doesn’t alter who you are, which is crazy. We shouldn’t work, but we do. So perfectly.”

  “You’re right.” My hands glided down her ribs. I loved talking to my gorgeous new wife, but at the moment, I’d much rather be doing something else.

  She giggled as her hands covered mine. “We should probably get out of here. Last thing I need is to slip and break a leg. That would put my business plans on hold for too long.”

  I sighed dramatically. “Fine.”

  As she got out of the tub, I looked my fill, making a pretty blush bloom on her cheeks. I loved that she was still so innocent instead of displaying her sexuality blatantly, the way most women who looked like her would. She would always be modest, understated, and elegant, and I wouldn’t change a single thing about her.

  She walked to the bathroom cabinet and uncapped a bottle of water before reaching into her cosmetic bag for a plastic disc. I got out of the tub and dried off quickly before coming up behind her. She was tipping a little pill into her hand when I grabbed her wrist.

  “Do we need that?” I held my breath as I waited for her response. We’d never talked about when we wanted to start a family, but now that she was wearing my ring, I didn’t want to wait. I didn’t care if it took a while—just knowing that we were committed to trying would be enough.

  “I don’t know,” she said, fisting the pill. “Do we?”

  I turned her to face me, gripping her shoulders. “This is a big decision, baby—especially since you’re starting a dance studio—but I’m ready if you are.”

  She opened her hand and let the pill fall on the counter. “I’m so ready.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Blake

  Making love to Tiana was different than it had ever been. Knowing that she was mine forever added a new dimension, making me even more invested in her pleasure.

  Our hands were locked, her back pressed to the mattress as she arched, hanging onto the edge and trying to prolong the ecstasy. But I had other ideas. Drawing out just enough to torture her and sliding back in just enough to tease, I smiled at her growl of frustration. It was all part of my game plan to make her weak before making her feel invincible.

  Learning to use her body as a tool of pleasure was new to Tiana. It would take time for her to realize how powerful she was, that she not only held my pleasure in her palm but her own as well.

  “Please, Blake,” she whispered. “Don’t tease me. I need…”

  “I’m not the one holding back,” I whispered.

  It was important for her to understand that she was calling the shots. I was just the lucky bastard who got to watch her come undone… every night for the rest of our lives. That thought made it difficult to control the tempo, to hold back when I would have preferred to thrust harder, deeper, relentlessly.

  “You’re standing in your own way, baby.” I released her hands and folded my body over hers as I cradled her head. “You have to learn to be present. Nothing’s more important than what’s going on right here and now.” My kiss was deep and intense, enough to help her lose herself in me.

  It had been a crazy night. Her mind was probably racing with thoughts of what would happen when we returned home, how her family would react to the news we’d married without talking to them first or including them in the ceremony. But this was my way of convincing her that the only thing that mattered was learning how to shut out the outside world. Other people’s opinions and judgments didn’t matter as long as we had each other.

  This was more than just sex—it was the start of our new lives together—and I wanted her to be as invested as I was.

  “Oh God,” she cried, sinking her teeth into my shoulder as she lifted her hips, digging her heels into the mattress.

  Her nails raked my back, but I barely noticed the pain. I was too focused on her pleasure. Her bliss was drawn on her beautiful face: her lush lips parted in a hushed declaration, her eyes half-closed but trying so hard to focus on me, her cheeks flushed with a slight sheen of perspiration clinging to her heated skin. She was the most stunning woman I had ever seen, and she was mine. My wife. Soon to be the mother of my children. My everything.

  That awareness shattered my restraint, forcing me to let go instead of holding back, surrender when I would have preferred to hold on just a little longer. “Ti, are you sure…?” Trying for a baby was a big decision, and I needed to know she didn’t feel pressured.

  “I’m positive,” she whispered, wrapping her arm around my neck. Her lips pressed to my hair as my body shook with the effort of trying to contain my release. “I want to have your baby, Blake.”

  Those words marked the beginning and end for me. The beginning of the best phase of my life with the woman I’d always loved, and the end of the life I’d always known and never wanted.

  As the hot eruption filled her, my shaft pulsing inside her, she moaned in my ear, whispering, “Yes.”

  We held each other tight as our breathing returned to normal.

  “I love you so much.” I kissed her face repeatedly until she giggled and slapped my back.

  Our phones were charging on the bedside table, and both started ringing at the same time. I glanced at the clock. It was 1:20 a.m. Who the hell would be calling us in the middle of the nigh
t?

  “Oh my God,” Tiana said, glancing at her call display. “It’s my father. Do you think I should answer it?”

  “Deacon’s calling me.” I had complete faith in the discretion of the people we’d dealt with at the hotel. Only one person who knew we had married had an axe to grind and would benefit from selling our story to the tabloids—Beverly. “I have a feeling they know.”

  Tiana gripped the phone before swiping her finger across the screen. “Might as well get it over with.”

  I chose to ignore Deacon’s call in favor of supporting Tiana through hers. I knew Demi would try to tear her apart, and I didn’t intend to let him get away with it. He’d put her through enough, and I wouldn’t stand for it anymore.

  “Hi, Dad.” She held the phone away from her ear when he shouted at her. “No, it’s true. I married Blake tonight.” She rolled her eyes. “Because I love him, that’s why.” She sighed, pulling her knees up to her chest and letting her head fall forward on them. “I’m sorry if you don’t approve, but I decided I had to start doing what makes me happy, and being with Blake makes me happy. I’m sorry you feel that way, but you’re not going to intimidate me anymore—”

  I held out my hand, silently asking her to give me the phone. She seemed reluctant but finally handed it over.

  “You listen to me, Demi. I know you get off on bullying people, but you’re crazy if you think you can intimidate me or your daughter. We’re going to be together whether you like it or not.”

  “That’s what you think, you smug son of a bitch! You think you’ve won? You think you’ve beat me? Then you underestimate me!”

  “This isn’t a game. Tiana and I didn’t fall in love to punish you. We didn’t get married to send you a message.”

  “You think you can take her away from me?” he said. “You’re wrong! Dead wrong! And you’re going to find out what happens to people who cross me.”