This is no dream, no lie. This is real, and she feels it too. I have to have faith this will last forever.
“Reed?”
“Yes?”
“That wasn’t normal, was it?”
“I’ve never experienced anything like that,” I lay back and put my arm around her and pull her to me then kiss the side of her head. “Ever!”
“I only have the one to compare to and that was beyond comparison.”
The fact I know the only other one was my brother makes me kind of grossed out but at least she said I was beyond comparison.
“Good to hear,” I say with a chuckle.
“This is so weird,” she says and I flinch as if she’s punched me.
“Weird? I wouldn’t use that word to describe what this is.”
“I guess weird isn’t accurate. This is just a thing I had a few fantasies about over the years and it happened and it was better than any of them.”
“I had more than a few fantasies about this and you’re right, it was way beyond any I had too.”
“Think it’ll stay this great?” she asks as she runs her hand over my stomach.
I run my hand up her arm. “I do. And I can promise you I will do my best to make sure it stays this way and that you’re always happy. You’re my angel and I will always treat you like one.”
I can feel her smile against my chest. “You’re my prince and I will always treat you like one.”
At least we’re on the same page!
“You want to get up and eat or get something to drink or anything like that?” I ask her.
“I’d really like to stay right here in your arms and fall asleep if you don’t mind. I’ve never felt more relaxed and comfortable in my life.”
My heart fills with what I suppose is joy that this woman finds my arms the most relaxing and comfortable place for her.
“Then here we shall stay for as long as you want, Angel.”
“Good. I want to stay like this for as long as we can. I want this time to be etched into my brain for all of eternity. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.”
Me too!
Chapter 17
JENNA
Each one of Reed’s breaths falls softly against the back of my shoulder as he holds me loosely in his strong arms. I fell into the deepest and best sleep I’ve ever had and it’s all because of him.
With the love we made, I know I have to tell my parents about him and face his parents. The fact is, I’d face anyone and let them know I am with this man.
I feel like he’s a part of me now. And it makes no sense. That was the first time we made love and I’m ready to marry the man. I’m ready to get on to building a life and family with this man.
Everyone we know is going to freak out and tell us we’re moving way too fast. But the fact is we’ve had this thing simmering just beneath our surfaces for many years.
A chill runs through my body as Rod’s face makes a brief appearance in my mind before I send it away. The fact is, he will be mad when he finds out. But the chances of us being in Jerome when he finally makes an appearance there are very slim.
And then there’s the matter of the contract and what that might mean to him. The thought has often plagued me that he would go to great lengths to get me back under his control.
With Reed, though, I do feel safe. For the first time in a long time, I feel safe.
And to find out this man is a billionaire is mind shattering. I have no idea what that really even means. No financial worries to bog down a relationship. No waiting for paychecks to come in before we can buy groceries. No more tiny houses that are falling apart.
But that life went away when Rod did, anyway.
Reed’s body shakes a little then he groans and his lips touch my neck. I run my hand back to run over his head. “Ready to wake up?” I ask him.
“Not if this is a dream, I’m not,” he says with a light laugh.
I turn in his arms and run mine around him. His short blonde hair shines in the light coming through the windows. Sheer tan curtains hang over them but let in just the right amount of sunlight.
His dark blue eyes blink a few times as he looks back at me. “I want to take you somewhere.”
“K,” I say as I run my hand through his hair.
“I want you to find a job teaching here. I know there’s a private school not far from here and I bet you could get a job there. If you want one. If you don’t want to work of course you don’t have to. It’s all up to you.”
“You sure are making plans quickly,” I say with a smile.
“I know. If I go too fast tell me. But I’ve wanted this for so long, I feel a need to get to where we would be if I had made you mine that summer when you turned eighteen.”
I close my eyes with the reality of my eighteenth summer. The introduction to Rod’s needs.
It’s been a long time since I allowed myself to go back there. It’s a place that makes my heart ache for so many reasons.
I open my eyes. “So, where is it you want to take me?”
“If we take a shower and get dressed, I can show you.”
“A shower with you sounds pretty great.”
His hand moves over my arm. “Everything with you sounds pretty great.”
A mere three hours later Reed has me in his red BMW and we’re pulling into the parking garage of some downtown place in Los Angeles. “Let me get your door, Angel.”
Reed gets out and I wait so he can be the gentleman he wants to be. This gentleman stuff is pretty awesome and I’m loving it.
After he helps me out, we walk into the side door of some business and once inside I see we’ve entered a jewelry shop. I hesitate and he looks at me. “Too soon?”
“Reed,” I say and he puts his finger to my lips.
“I want you to wear my ring. We can get married whenever you want, but I want you wearing my ring and everyone knowing you’re taken.”
“I’m not in the kind of demand you may think I am,” I say with a laugh.
“I just want you to wear it. I want you to have a constant reminder of what I want for us. A happy life together. That’s all. So pick out the engagement ring you love and later we’ll buy our wedding rings.” He ends his sentence with a kiss on my cheek.
So I let him lead me to the first glass covered showcase of expensive rings and we begin the process of trying to find the most gorgeous thing I will be looking at on my finger forever.
A gorgeous saleswoman wearing heels and dripping in diamonds comes out of a backroom. “Hello. How can I help you today?”
Reed gives her a smile. “By showing us what you have in her size.”
She reaches out for my left hand so I hold it out and with one glance she says, “A five. It is an engagement ring, right?”
Reed nods. “So what do you have in that size?”
She moves around from case to case and gathers up a nice assortment of engagement rings and comes back to us. “All of these are fives.”
“Wow! That’s a lot of shiny rocks right there.” I look at Reed. “You sure?”
He nods. “More than sure.”
The sales lady asks, “I can slim down the choices if you have a price limit.”
Reed shakes his head. “Anything she wants. And do me a favor don’t tell us any of their prices. If she knows them, she’ll go cheap and I don’t want that.”
He does know me!
The lady gives a nod and steps back to let me look at all the gorgeous rings. After a mere hour I pick out the one. The one ring which will stay on my finger forever. Once Reed slides it on that is.
A nice large solitaire. It’s grand enough for a billionaire’s wife yet subtle enough for a girl like I am.
Reed lets the woman put it in a box and a bag then he takes it and we leave. As he opens the car door for me he stops me before I get in. “Jenna, am I doing this all too fast?”
“I suppose we could slow way down. I could take a job here and get my own place.”
He shakes his head. “You’d never be able to afford a place here. Even a shitty one. And I want you in my bed from now on.”
My heart speeds up. “Oh yeah?”
He nods. “I want to fall asleep with you every night and wake up with you every morning from now on, Angel.”
“Then I think the pace we’re going is fine. We can be engaged for a decent amount of time. Say a year and we can start to make our wedding plans. How does that sound to you? I mean we aren’t roped into anything with being engaged. If things aren’t working out, I’ll simply give you your ring back. No hard feelings.”
His lips quirk up to the left as he frowns. “Don’t even say, if things don’t work out. They will. I’ll make sure of that.”
I get into the car and he closes the door behind me. Maybe it is moving fast. Maybe it will be like a storm that forms too quickly and blows fast and furious only for a short time.
But whatever this is, I want it all for as long as I can have it.
Reed gets in and I just go for broke. “Okay, so we have things to talk about, you and I.”
He looks over at me with a nervous smile. “Shoot.”
“How many kids are we having and how long are we waiting to have them? And how many years are we going to put between each one?”
He laughs. “And for a second there I thought you were going to talking about something hard. That’s easy. Four kids spaced two years apart. Next question.”
He starts the car and pulls away. As I look over at him something inside me tells me this is going to work.
Maybe my first love didn’t work out but my second will. So what if the loves happen to be brothers? There have to be odder things.
I think I saw on some trashy daytime television show once there was a woman who left her young husband who she had children with and married his father and had kids with him too.
Like that made the kids she had with her first husband, the siblings and nieces and nephews of the kids she had with the second husband. At least there are no kids who will be siblings and cousins.
But there will be this very angry brother-in-law for me.
A very, very angry one!
Reed pulls up at some cool looking place and goes to the valet service. He looks over at me. “Ever try sushi?”
I shake my head. “Raw fish, right?” I know I’m making a face because he starts laughing.
“Not all of it.”
Some guys opens both of our doors and we get out. Reed has me scooped up next to him quickly and in we go to my first California culinary experience. “You sure about this, Reed. I’m a small-town girl you know.”
“I’m a small-town boy if you will recall, Angel. And I like it so I bet you will too.”
“Mr. Manning, hello,” a tiny Asian woman greets him. “Who do you have on your arm?”
“Shimota, let me introduce you to my fiancé, Jenna Foster. Soon to be Jenna Manning.”
Her eyes go wide. “Fiancé? Congratulations! You must use us as your caterer for the wedding. You must!” She claps her hands and kind of hops up and down a few times.
“Well, if you can impress the bride to be then we just might do that. We haven’t got that far into our plans yet. But a memorable experience tonight might put your place forefront in her mind,” Reed says, and she gives him a knowing nod.
“You two follow me to our VIP, private dining area. Romantic, secluded, and allow me to get our chef to prepare you something memorable.” The little woman leads us through the crowded restaurant and back to a curtained off area.
When she pulls the black curtain back I can see a small square table and two chairs on one side of it. Soft music drowns out the noise of the other diners and the lights are low.
She lights a candle on the table. When she turns to us, she looks right at me. “May I say to you that Mr. Manning has been our valued customer and friend for years and he even sold my husband and I a home for a very reasonable price. He’s well loved by our family and I have never seen him this happy. He glows. I cannot wait to get to know you, Jenna. We will all be great friends.”
I give her a smile. “Thank you. I’m sure we will. Tell your chef I’m a newbie at this sushi stuff so to take it easy on me.”
Reed pulls out the chair for me. “Don’t tell him that. This woman will love whatever he makes. She’s never had anything like your chef makes yet and she’s timid about it. But she and I love almost everything the same. Let him do as he wants. I want to see what he comes up with for us on this special night.”
She bows and leaves as he sits next to me. I look at him as we’re so close our shoulders are touching. “Kind of an alpha move there.”
His arm moves over my shoulders and he kisses the top of mine. “No reason to be afraid of food. And I am kind of alpha. How do you think I got to be where I am?”
I sit back and have to really think about things. And in an effort to never repeat my mistakes, I think it’s important to be acutely aware of what I’m getting into.
Rod had me unable to trust other men not to take control of me. This is more than just another man. This is another, Manning. His brother. Raised the same.
Though I never saw a thing in their parents’ marriage to think any kind of controlling behavior was bred into them, it is odd to have two alpha-male boys in one family.
So I ask what I honestly want to know, “Reed, do you think because what you’ve seen me do with your brother I’m still that weak young woman who you can push around like he did?”
The hurt in his eyes makes me feel instantly bad. But I stop that quickly. This is my well-being here.
“Jenna, no. I mean, I am who I am, but I’m not mean. I know what I want and when I see someone who has no idea what they want then I do kind of jump in and lead them. Not in a bad way, though.” His hand moves over my cheek. “And if I get too pushy let me know. I am a salesman after all and I can be pushy.”
“The real estate thing. Yeah. I get it. Helping people find what they want even when they aren’t sure what it is they want,” I say with a smile.
He nods and presses his forehead to mine. “But I know you were lead down a dark path and I swear to you I’m not trying to lead you anywhere you don’t want to go. No bad things, Jenna. Only good. Trust me, Angel. I only want to be a good person in your life.”
“I should probably stop being so afraid and untrusting, huh?” My eyes hold his.
“Probably, but I do understand why it will take you some time to see me as the man I truly am. A man who has cared for you for many years. A man who has dreamt of having you in his life as a partner for many years. A man who if he ever hurts you it will be unintentional and I want you to let me know anytime I do hurt you in any way. Do you understand me?”
Rod used to end his sentences with that very question!
I look away as my mind races. Then a waitress comes in with some little teacups and a teapot. “Congratulations you two! So happy to see Mr. Manning has found his soul mate and will be getting married! So happy!”
Reed clears his throat and smiles at the young Asian woman. “Leelee, this is Jenna.”
She bows as I turn to her. “Jenna, so nice to meet you.”
I give a little bow from my chair. “You too, Leelee.”
“I’ll be right back with your appetizer. Here’s a hint, it has lobster!” she says as she claps her hands and goes back out of the curtain.
I have to laugh. “She’s adorable!”
Reed takes me by the chin. “I want to hear you tell me you understand and will tell me if I hurt or upset you in any way, Jenna. I know you kept quiet when Rod did things to you that hurt you and I do not want a repeat of that. I want you to know you can talk to me about anything.”
“I do understand you and I promise I won’t keep anything bottled up when I’m unhappy or hurt by you. And you do the same for me. K?”
He smiles and lifts the steaming cup to my mouth. “K.”
And I hope this is the start of a gr
eat relationship!
Chapter 18
REED
Back in Jerome and on the front porch of my parents’ house, I have Jenna’s left hand in mine and look at the ring on her beautiful finger.
We told her parents about us and our plans and to my surprise they were happy about it. They commented on how Jenna has never looked or acted better and they had an idea there was a man involved in the change in their daughter.
I could see in their eyes a little worry over my brother but they didn’t say anything. I think everyone knows there will be some kind of scene when he finds out. But there’s no reason not to have this relationship because of what might happen.
“Ready?” I ask her as she looks nervous.
She nods then shakes her head. “Reed, I know your mom isn’t going to like this.”
I wrap my arms around her and sway back and forth with a gentle rocking motion. “She may be kind of shocked at first but she loves you, Jenna.”
She rests her head on my chest for a moment, gathering courage then lifts it up and smiles at me. “Everything will be alright, I guess. But don’t just blurt it out like I did with my parents. They went all pale, and it took them a few minutes to digest it. Let’s go a little slower with your parents, okay?”
I slip the ring off her finger and put it into my pocket. She looks at her finger with a frown. Taking her chin, I make her look at me. “I’ll be putting it right back on when we tell them.”
She nods as I take her hand and take her into the house she’s only ever visited as my brother’s girlfriend. And I know this has to be odd to her and somewhat hard as well.
“We’re here,” I call out as we walk into the living room.
Mom comes running out of the kitchen and grabs Jenna up in her arms. “Jenna! I’m so glad you came!” She holds her back and looks her over. “My goodness, Sweetheart, I’ve never seen you look so good!”
Jenna blushes and says, “Thank you. You’re looking good too.” She touches Mom’s blonde hair. “You did something different with your hair.”
Mom palms her short, now blonde, curls. “I thought the silver was a bit much. So I dyed it back to the blonde I was before the silver invaded.”
The Reconstruction of Cyprian Page 49