Harlequin Kimani Romance January 2018 Box Set
Page 69
She’d heard the tears in his voice as he’d begged her to open the door for him that morning it all fell apart. And she’d stubbornly refused, thinking she was doing what was best for both of them.
Gloria squeezed her hand, pulled her into a tight hug. “I know you. I know Drake. You’ll always be friends. It’s awkward and hurts now, but it won’t be like this always. All is not lost.”
Love wasn’t so sure. She wanted to believe their friendship could survive. They were stupid to try and change the dynamic so fast. They hadn’t thought it through, and they would suffer for the rest of their lives.
“Listen.” Gloria pulled Love to her feet, patted her crunchy hair. “You need to get out of this bed and take a shower. You are ripe, daughter.”
Love laughed. “I bet you’ve been waiting to say that since yesterday.”
“I have, but I figured I’d give you some time before I pulled rank.” Her mother held her face in her hands. “You and Drake need to talk before he leaves the state. I spoke with him yesterday and he’s flying to Baltimore today to look for a place. His flight leaves at three o’clock. Now, if you want this friendship that you care about so much, go get him before he leaves.”
Her mother was right. She couldn’t let Drake leave without telling him she loved him. He had been so much of her world, a huge part of her life. They’d done everything together, been with each other through every life moment that mattered. And one thing stayed constant. They never gave up on each other. She had to get to him.
Love picked up her phone and dialed his number. No answer. Muttering a curse, she hung up and dialed again. It went straight to voice mail. Damn.
“Mother.” Love ran into the bathroom and started the shower. “Want to ride with me? I have to get to Drake.”
Gloria grinned and clapped. “I’m so glad you actually listened to me for once.”
Love hugged her. “I love you. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been here.”
“Lovely, I’ll always be here for you. Can I plan that reception now? I’ve been itching to get started on it.”
Love laughed and shook her head at her persistence. “Fine, Mother. If Drake takes me back, you can plan anything you want. I’ll be down in ten minutes.”
But it was only nine minutes later that Love was speeding toward Drake’s apartment, cutting through traffic like a madwoman. He lived in a huge apartment by Interstate 94, far from the hospital, which was why he was at her house, eating up her food, more often than not.
She arrived at the apartment and let out a huge sigh of relief that his car was still parked in his spot under the carport.
Love parked haphazardly in one of the visitor’s parking spots outside his place.
Wasting no time, she jumped out of her vehicle. “I’ll be back, Mom.”
“I’ll wait here,” Gloria said.
Love ran to the private outdoor entrance to his unit. But when she raised her hand to knock, the door swung open and she tumbled inside.
Drake grabbed her waist, steadying her. Just that contact made her stomach tighten and goose bumps spread up her arms.
“Love?” he asked. “What are you doing here?”
El stepped out from behind him. “Well, well, well. You came. I thought I was going to have to go over and coordinate an intervention.” She quickly realized that El was the “big guns” Lana had referred to.
Love winced, her gaze darting back and forth between the two men. Her husband was a sight for sore eyes, dressed in dark jeans and a pale blue button-down shirt. He looked good. She leaned in to catch a whiff of his cologne.
“Did you just smell him?” El asked, amusement flickering in his eyes.
Drake shot him a sideways glance. “Can you leave us alone?”
“Not before I say this. You two need to get it together.” He turned from Drake to Love. “You made it here first. We were on our way to your place.”
She drew in a sharp breath, meeting Drake’s gaze. “You were?”
He nodded.
El slipped out and joined her mother, who was now standing outside Love’s car watching everything unfold. “Fix it,” he yelled over his shoulder as he crossed to Gloria.
Love smiled sheepishly. “I guess they’re sick of us, huh?”
“Pretty much.”
Love motioned toward the inside of the apartment. “Can we sit down?”
He wordlessly led her in. Drake’s apartment was modern, as opposed to the traditional style of her condo. He didn’t like clutter, so there was very little furniture in his place, only what he needed. The pieces were was sleek, the design clean, the colors neutral, with only a flash of color here and there.
It had been months since she’d been at his place. She picked up a throw pillow as she sat on the sofa with him. “I like this,” she said lamely.
“You bought it.”
“Oh,” she said with a quick roll of her eyes. Deciding that now was the time, she added, “I wanted to catch you before you went to Baltimore. I feel like we need to talk, sort things out.”
“I’m not going to Baltimore.”
Her eyes snapped to his and her heart raced. “Really?”
“I turned them down.”
Love smiled and tears filled her eyes. “I… Why?”
“You know why.”
“But you gave your resignation at the hospital.”
“Your dad offered me my position back. He called this morning, apologized to me for interfering.”
“I know.” She still couldn’t believe her father actually apologized to Drake. Especially since he rarely admitted when he was wrong. “I’m shocked.”
“I know, right?”
Love picked at her pants, focused on the corner of the rug. Basically she looked everywhere but at Drake. “I’m glad you didn’t take the job.”
“Why?”
She met his gaze then, and didn’t look away. “I want you to stay. I want to work this out.”
* * *
Drake let out a shaky breath. Over the past few days, he’d imagined this conversation a million times. Except he’d always thought he’d be the one making the overtures. But now his wife was at his house, telling him that she wanted to be with him.
“I realize how wrong I was,” she said. “That I can trust this. I can trust my feelings for you, and yours for me. Because they’ve always been there. I was just afraid.”
“Of me?”
“Of us.”
“And you’re not anymore?”
She shook her head. “I want you to get rid of your apartment, and let’s make this official.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “Are you proposing to me?”
Laughing nervously, she shrugged. “Would you accept?”
He stared at her, marveled at the way she nibbled on her lip. When he inhaled, she smelled like lilacs and peaches. “What do you think?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I want to hear what you have to say. You’re just staring at me.”
He hooked a hand around her head and pulled her into a kiss. She slid her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him and melting in his embrace. It felt good having her in his arms again.
She drew away first. “Is that your final answer?”
Drake chuckled. “If you’d seen me over the past few days, then you’d know it is.”
He’d been the “asshole of the century” according to his little sister. She’d overheard the fight between him and his father, and tried to be there for Drake. Unfortunately, she’d caught the brunt of his anger because she was the closest. He’d eventually run her away, but not before she gave him a piece of her mind and punched him in the arm.
Love had been stuck in his head like a melody. Many times he’d been tem
pted to drive to her house and lock her in the room until they figured everything out, but he’d always convinced himself to leave it be. And now that she was sitting in front of him, putting her heart on the line, he realized that him moving to Baltimore without her would have never worked, anyway. She’d made it clear that she wanted to complete her residency in Ann Arbor a while ago. There was no way he would have been able to live without her. He was hers for the taking.
“Marry me, Love.”
Her mouth fell open. “What? We’re already married.”
“No, for real.”
Drake wanted her to have the wedding that she’d always dreamed of, complete with cake, bridesmaids and a white dress that he hoped fitted her like a second skin.
“You’re serious?”
“Trust me, I’ve never been more serious.”
She beamed at him, and he closed his eyes to soak in the warmth of her smile. When she looked at him like that, his whole world opened up.
Since she was being honest, he figured he’d tell her some truths. “Love, you’re the only one for me. There is no one else that I would rather…get rid of my apartment for.”
Love smacked him on the knee playfully. “You’re silly.”
“I want to say those vows again, in front of our family and friends, sober. And I want to have a redo of our wedding night, sober.” He picked up her hand, brushed his lips against her fingertips, over her palm, then her wrist. Then he pulled a ring box out of his pocket.
“Drake?”
He swallowed before he opened it. The ring he’d purchased in Vegas had been sitting in his safe since they’d arrived home. It was time that she wore it. Slipping it on her finger, he kissed it before he kissed her.
“I love you,” he murmured.
“I love you more.” She winked. “Yes, I’ll marry you again, in front of everybody and their mamas.”
They stood, and he pulled her into another kiss.
“Drake,” she panted a long while later, tearing her mouth away from his. “We can’t do this here. My mom is waiting outside. El is, too. Let’s finish this later.”
“Hopefully, not too much later.” He nibbled on her earlobe.
“You’re crazy.”
“You love it.”
“Oh. One thing,” she said, holding up her index finger.
Frowning, he asked, “What?”
“You can’t ever leave again.”
Drake let his gaze travel over his wife’s face. “You don’t have to worry about that. I won’t.”
“Good.”
“Good.”
She slid her hand into his, lacing their fingers together. “Let’s go, then.”
EPILOGUE
One month later, Drake and Love renewed their vows in front of their families and friends. Both fathers were in attendance and on their best behavior, and Love’s mother had planned an elegant, yet simple reception.
The ceremony was quick, because they’d already gone through that. They’d written their own vows. And Love had cried like a big baby when Drake told her that he’d follow her anywhere, go through anything, as long as she was with him. There was no minister, just them talking to each other as if there was no one else in the room.
When he’d kissed her, the crowd roared with applause—until Gloria muttered “stop” under her breath, three times.
It was a memorable day, filled with laughter and tears. Once everyone left, Drake whisked her away to their honeymoon in Saint Thomas, paid for by Dr. Law. It was, according to him, the least he could do.
They’d spent the first hour making love on their private beach, which had always been a fantasy of hers. And they’d just returned to their suite from dinner.
Love stood outside on the hotel balcony, letting the sea breeze caress her face. Weddings were fun and everything, but she never wanted to do that again. Between floral arrangements, caterers, invitations and color schemes, she was exhausted. But she wouldn’t have changed anything for the world.
“Where did you go?” Drake asked, stepping outside and sliding his arms around her waist.
Tilting her head back, she kissed his chin. “Just wanted some fresh air. Can you believe we got married—again?”
“Twice within three months. Go figure.”
Drake had been her pillar of strength during the hasty planning. She’d come home countless times with tears in her eyes and surrender on her brain. But he’d soothed her, plied her with wet kisses, massages and more.
“Come back to me,” he murmured against her mouth. “You’re so distracted.”
“Just thinking about everything we’ve been through. It’s been a wild few months.”
“I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Not even one tiny detail?”
He leaned back, eyed her with curiosity. “Are you trying to give me a hint?”
“Well…” She turned in his arms and snaked her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a quick kiss. “We’ve been right in front of each other the whole time. Don’t you think about what would have happened had we got our heads out of our asses years ago?”
“No.” He buried his face in her neck, laved the sensitive skin under her earlobe with his tongue. “I think if we’d discovered this years ago, it would have ruined us. We had to wait for the right place and time.”
And that was why she loved him. He was calm, dependable and rationale. And sexy as hell. “Drake?”
“Yes, Love.”
“I love you.” She yelped when he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder.
He smacked her on her butt, and she laughed with delight. “How about you love me in bed, all night?” Dropping her on the mattress, he bent down, placing a lingering kiss on her swollen lips. “I love you, too… Mrs. Jackson.”
* * * * *
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ISBN-13: 9781488081286
It’s Always Been You
Copyright © 2018 by Leslie Wright
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This is a work of fiction. Names, ch
aracters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and in other countries.
www.Harlequin.com
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Kimani Romance.
You dream in vibrant hues! Harlequin Kimani Romance stories feature sophisticated, soulful and sensual African-American and multicultural heroes and heroines who develop fulfilling relationships as they lead lives full of drama, glamour and passion.
Enjoy four new stories from Harlequin Kimani Romance every month!
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ISBN-13: 9781488081316
The publisher acknowledges the copyright holders of the individual works as follows:
Playing with Seduction
Copyright © 2018 by Roxanne Ravenel
It’s Always Been You
Copyright © 2018 by Leslie Wright
Overtime for Love
Copyright © 2018 by Synithia R. Williams
Soaring on Love
Copyright © 2018 by Joy Avery
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.