All That I Desire

by Francis Ray

  Ruth’s eyes widened. She turned to hug her daughter and Blade, then Skylar. Everyone was on their feet cheering. The students chanted, “Go, Professor Grayson,” over and over.

  Skylar spoke into the microphone. “What do you say we have one last dance, one last trip to the buffet, and one last drink if you’re not driving—to cap off this extraordinary night. Ladies, grab your dance partner because I’m grabbing mine.”

  Rio met Skylar halfway. “I suppose you want to dance?”

  “It will do for a start.” She grabbed his hand.

  She had a reckless look in her eyes. Rio felt his body harden and couldn’t wait until he had her alone. In the hall, he saw her father, his face tight with disapproval. He wasn’t finished with them.

  * * *

  They’d bid the last guest good night shortly after midnight. All the hired help was gone and just the family and close friends were relaxing in the great room. Women had kicked their shoes off, the men had loosened their ties and pulled off coats. Upstairs, the children slept peacefully.

  “I’d like to speak with you, Skylar.”

  If her father hadn’t looked so miserable, so alone, Skylar might have refused. Her father was a strong man. Tonight, he looked as if had lost everything and wasn’t sure how to get it back. She felt even more certain that he loved her mother.

  “Beau, please,” her mother said quietly from beside Skylar on the sofa. “Just let it go.”

  “I can’t. I’m sorry,” he said.

  Her mother seemed as shocked as Skylar. Her father wasn’t the apologizing type. He was a bulldozer in a Tom Ford suit. Skylar got to her feet. “Say what you have to say, but I won’t change my mind.”

  He glanced around the room. “I’d like to speak to you in private.”

  “This will have to do, Father. They all know about what happened tonight,” she told him.

  “All right.” He placed his untouched cup of coffee on a side table. “I’m asking you to come back to the hotel with me. You can have my bed. With Tennyson still free, it would make me feel better.”

  “He’s not free for long,” Rio promised

  “But the fact remains that he is now,” her father said. “I’m concerned about your safety.”

  Meredith stood. “Beau, can’t you see that she’s safe with Rio and that’s where she wants to be, here with him?”

  “Mother is right.” Skylar rounded the sofa to stand by Rio. “I’m staying here with Rio. If it hadn’t been for him, I’d be dead. I should have trusted him to take care of himself and stayed inside. My fault. Not his. I love my family, but my life is with Rio.”

  Skylar kept her head held high in the ensuing silence. She had to believe and trust in Rio, but just in case, she looked up at him. His face told her nothing. “If you make me regret what I just said, I’ll make your life miserable.”

  “Skylar, I…” His voice faltered.

  She took his hand. “I trusted you, now you have to trust in me.”

  He gazed down at her. Strong, fearless, the woman who had slowly stolen his heart. “Can we talk for a minute?”

  Her mutinous gaze narrowed, but she allowed him to lead her away from the others. Once he stopped, she pulled her hand back. Rio was in trouble and knew it. She was slipping away from him.

  “Skylar, you’re asking for something that I can’t give you.”

  “Bull,” she snapped, fighting the pain in her heart. “You can give me everything. If you love me.”

  Love didn’t begin to encompass all that he felt about her. She was his everything. That’s why he had to let her go. Eventually he’d fail her. He didn’t know anything about keeping a woman happy.

  “Skylar—” He faltered when he saw tears in her eyes. Anguish seared him. “Don’t.”

  “You’re going to miss me.” Her chin lifted. Angrily, she swiped away the tears. “But you better not wait too long to come to your senses. Good-bye.”

  The pain worsened. “No!” He didn’t know if he shouted the word or desperately needed to. He just knew he couldn’t let her walk away from him. He reached for her.

  She whirled, even in the wide skirt, her right hand going up to knock his hand away, and then she aimed at his face with the heel of her palm. Surprised, Rio’s instinct took over. He blocked her hand as gently as he could. She aimed for his chest.

  “Skylar, stop. You’re going to hurt yourself. I still have on the Kevlar vest.”

  She didn’t stop. For every chop he countered, she came back with another that pushed him backward. “Skylar.” She was royally pissed at him. “Stop before you hurt yourself.” It wasn’t happening.

  “If I didn’t have this dress on, I’d put you on your stubborn butt!”

  “Blade. Shane. If she hits me, she’ll hurt her hands.”

  “I never interfere between a man and a woman,” Blade said.

  “Same here,” was Shane’s response.

  Rio glanced up to see if her father would help, but her family held him. She caught him square in the nose.

  “Got you.”

  She said the words with such pride, he dropped his hands. Perhaps she deserved to give him a few licks.

  She dropped hers. “You fight, or I’m going to play dirty.”

  She already had. She’d swooped in and stolen his heart.

  Her eyes softening, she moved closer. “Didn’t the Man With No Name teach you to reach out and fight for what you want?”

  His hand lifted to touch her face, then curled into a fist instead. “Strong, courageous, beautiful. You deserve so much.”

  Her smile trembled. “And that’s what I’ll have with you.”

  “I—”

  “There’s probably not a couple in this room who hasn’t hit a bump or two, but look at them now. Happy. Deeply in love. Think about the children sleeping upstairs, Rio.” Her arms slid around his neck. “That’s what I want for us. I want to be the mother of your children.”

  His eyes shut tightly. He’d already pictured it. She was killing him. He couldn’t have it all.

  “But you have to reach for it. Reach for me.” On tiptoes, she brushed her lips across his. “I’ll always be there. I’ll never let you down. I’ll love you forever.”

  Reach for me. Her words reverberated in his mind and opened his heart to the possibility of a lifetime with this one special woman. I’ll never let you down.

  “Fear has never ruled you, Rio. Don’t let it keep us apart. Dare to love me.”

  He’d dare anything, risk anything for this woman. He stared into her steady gaze and saw his future. If he was brave enough to reach for it.

  Doubts slipped away. His heart gladly surrendered. Without a moment’s hesitation, he reached for her. “I love you, Skylar.”

  “What’s the rest?”

  “Rest? You said—”

  “I lied.”

  Rio threw back his head and laughed until his sides ached, then lifted Skylar until their faces were inches apart. “I’ll be gray before I’m forty.”

  Her hands tenderly cupped his face. “I’ll do my best to behave.”

  He cocked a brow. “I seriously doubt that.”

  “We’ll have love and happiness and each other.”

  All that he desired and never thought to have. “Skylar, will you marry me?”

  She beamed. “Yes! Yes! Now put me down so I can put my arms around your neck and really kiss you.”

  He kissed her lightly on the lips, then placed her on the floor. “That will have to do.”

  “Giving orders already?” She grinned up at him. “Here’s one for you. Find out where we can get married the quickest.”

  “I better go ask you father for your hand first.” He figured she wanted the traditional approach. At least he knew that much.

  “If he says no?”

  “It will be his choice if he wants to come to the wedding or not,” Rio answered, his voice flat.

  She threw her arms him and kissed him until he felt himself teetering on t
he brink of losing control. He’d been afraid of that happening. Skylar put her entire body into a kiss, wrapping a man in pleasure. He removed her arms and didn’t waste his time scowling at her. Skylar had a mind of her own, and thank God and the Master of Breath for it. He curved his arm around her slim waist and went to her father.

  “Mr. Dupree, I want to marry Skylar. I’d like to ask for your consent.”

  “And if I say no?” Mr. Dupree asked.

  “Beau,” Meredith said softly. “Mess this up, and you’ll lose everything.”

  There were shadows and regret in his eyes when he briefly turned to her. “I lost that long ago. I know what it feels like not to be with the one you love. I wouldn’t do that to Skylar.” He extended his hand to Rio. “You both have my blessings.”

  “Father, thank you.” Skylar hugged him, then her grandparents.

  People gathered around to congratulate the couple and take pictures with their cell phones. With his arm around Skylar, this time Rio smiled.

  “Rio is going to find out where we can get married the quickest,” Skylar said, giddy with happiness.

  “No!” Her mother shook her head emphatically. “You’re going to have a proper wedding.”

  “Mother.”

  “You’re my only daughter.” Mrs. Dupree sought help elsewhere. “Rio, please. I’ve thought about this since she was in high school. She’ll listen to you.”

  “Up to a point,” he replied.

  “Please,” she repeated.

  Rio thought of how long it took Blade and Shane to get married. “Define proper time-wise?”

  “A year at the very least,” she responded.

  “Four to six months seems better,” Rio told her.

  “Even with a wedding planner we can’t possibly plan a wedding in that length of time,” her mother almost shrieked. “There’s too much to do.”

  “What if you had help?” he asked.

  “Who?”

  Rio looked straight at Mrs. Grayson and Felicia Falcon, who were smiling. “Well, you started this.”

  “Thank you,” Skylar said, grinning at the women. “Although you had me worried you’d picked out someone else for Rio.”

  Amid groans from Brandon and Pierce, Mrs. Grayson said, “We’d be delighted to help. Felicia and I both have had experience planning weddings.”

  “It will be the most fabulous event of the season,” Felicia said excitedly.

  Other women in the room volunteered to help as well.

  “Count me in.” Sierra shook her head. “Although I hope you know what you’re getting into, Skylar.”

  “Same question I asked Blade,” Rio shot back

  Skylar laughed. “I do, and I couldn’t be happier.”

  Blade’s laughter joined Skylar’s. “That’s the same thing I told Rio.” He stood, bringing Sierra with him. “Now let’s toast the happy couple. I know Martin will make the brunch even more spectacular to celebrate the engagement of Rio and Skylar, and Mrs. Grayson’s perfect record continuing.”

  Groans, cheers, and laughter filled the room.

  Chapter 20

  Arms wrapped around each other, Rio and Skylar walked her family out to the waiting limousine. She motioned to the driver standing by the open back door that he could get back inside.

  She and Rio had just gotten off the phone with her paternal grandparents in Spain. Skylar e-mailed pictures of her and Rio to them. They couldn’t be happier for her and were cutting their vacation short so they could return to meet Rio in person and help plan the wedding. Skylar was shipping Pure Bliss to their home.

  “I don’t see my car,” Mr. Dupree said.

  “I tipped the driver and dismissed him.” Skylar went to her father. “You can ride with Mother.”

  His gaze cut sharply to his ex-wife. “I don’t think she wants me near her.”

  “Perhaps if you told her you loved her, she’d change her mind,” Rio told him.

  A soft gasp came from Meredith. “You’re wrong, Rio.”

  “Father, this might be your last chance,” Skylar warned. “Tell her. Do whatever it takes to get her back.” She swallowed. “I can’t imagine being away from Rio for three years. I would have gone insane.”

  “If it hadn’t been for you and work, I would have,” her father admitted softly. “It’s the parents who are supposed to teach the children, but tonight you taught me to fight.” He went to his ex-wife. “I’m telling you again, I didn’t have a one-night stand with the woman I met in the bar. Yes, I was foolish to go up to her hotel room because she said she wasn’t feeling well.” His mouth tightened.

  “I didn’t expect her to come out of the bedroom in her lingerie or for her to grab me. I certainly didn’t expect someone to be taking pictures. I got out of there as fast as I could. My mistake was in not calling and telling you what had happened,” Beau finished.

  “The pictures didn’t look like you were resisting,” Meredith said, agony in her voice.

  “Pictures can be altered, Mrs. Dupree,” Rio told her.

  Meredith swallowed. “She tried to blackmail me when Beau refused to pay up.”

  His handsome face twisted in anger. “I put the fear of God in her when she came to see me. I had security escort her out of the building, and I made a police report. I have faults, Meredith. You know that better than anyone,” he said. “If it suits my purpose in court I will bend the truth, but I didn’t cheat on you then or since the divorce.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “I figured if I ever got the chance to ask for forgiveness, I better be able to tell you there hadn’t been another woman in my life.” He blew out a breath. “I know you’ve dated and I under—”

  “Dates. Just dates,” she murmured. “You broke my heart. You broke my heart.”

  “Honey, please forgive me.” He pulled her into his arms, kissing the tears away before finding her mouth. She clung to him as much as he clung to her. “I never stopped loving you, Meredith. Just let me prove it to you. Please, don’t push me away again. I’m not sure I could survive this time.”

  “Give him a chance, Meredith,” Skylar’s grandmother said. “You know you want to.”

  “Beau made a mistake, Meredith. Don’t you make one by holding on to anger or pride,” Meredith’s father told her. “I believe him.”

  “Trust your heart, Mother,” Skylar advised. “That’s what I did.”

  “One chance, Beau.” Meredith’s voice trembled, then firmed. “That’s all you’ll get.”

  He held her hand tenderly. “Thank you. That’s all I’ll need.”

  “Let’s get going. We’ll see you at celebration brunch in the morning.” Skylar’s grandfather helped his wife into the limo, then carefully handed her his signed baseball, and the box with her diamond-and-ruby brooch. Beau assisted Meredith after she gave a quick hug to Skylar and Rio. They waved as the car pulled off, then went back inside.

  Arms in the air, Skylar twirled in a circle. “I’m so happy.”

  Rio picked her up in her arms and headed for the stairs, taking them two at a time. “I’m about to make both of us a lot happier.”

  Skylar bit on his earlobe, suckled. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  “I know.” He stopped in front of her door. “The code.”

  Skylar pushed her skirt of her dress out of the way and punched in the code. Rio was inside in seconds, closing the door after him, turning her away from him. His warm lips brushed over the velvet smoothness of her skin as his arms circled her waist to cup her breasts. Even through the material he felt the nipples harden, reaching for him.

  He quickly undressed. Once he touched her again, he wasn’t going to let her go for a long, long time. Finished, he pulled the zipper of her gown down, enjoying the material slowly opening to reveal more of her bare skin to him. As it did, his mouth, tongue, hands followed every dip and curve. By the time he reached the bend of her knees, she was trembling so badly she could hardly stand.

  Knee
ling, he glanced up at the flawlessness of her body. His hardened even more. All she wore were the earrings he had given her, lacy panties, thigh-high stockings, and her heels. He stood and walked in front of her. She took his breath away. His hands were unsteady when he unclamped her hair, ran his fingers though the thickness.

  His fingers still in her hair, he took her mouth with passion and greed. She moaned deep in her throat. He lifted her out of the dress. She clamped her legs around his waist. He heard her shoes hit the floor. Gauging his steps, he walked backward until he reached the bed. The covers were turned down.

  With her securely in his arms, he lay down and scooted until they were crosswise on the bed. He took her nipple into his mouth, sucking and teasing. His hands slid downward. The lace gave under his strong hand. She was bare and open to him, her woman’s softness rubbing against his erection. He sucked in a breath.

  She leaned over to lick the hard point of his nipple. “I’m going to make it better.” Her fingers trailed over his length, brushing, rubbing, skimming. He lifted his hips to increase the incredible pleasure of her touching him.

  She reached beneath the pillow, pulled out a condom, and rolled it onto his stiff erection. She’d barely finished when he lifted, guided her onto him. The fit was tight, the sensation exquisite.

  Her hands splayed in the middle of his chest, her eyes closed as pleasure rippled through her. She rocked against him. Each tantalizing movement took him deeper. She rode him with wild abandon, savoring the feelings rippling though her until she could hold back no longer. She stiffened, calling out his name as she went over, taking him with her.

  * * *

  “I have a surprise for you.” Her chin propped on her folded hands, Skylar lay stretched out on top of Rio.

  “I’m not sure I can handle it.” His hand lazily swept up and down her bare silken back to her hips.

  “I bet you can.” She rocked against him, felt him respond. They’d made love twice. It was after one in the morning. “See, but I’m talking about another kind of surprise.”