He stood and swung her up into his arms. “Okay, you twisted my arm, but I’m changing your name to Delilah.”
“Lead the way, my Samson.”
Drew drove her home afterward, and as she entered the quiet house, everything she felt for him seemed to come to a head. She loved him from head to toe and knew the time had come to make a decision. With her mind made up, she put on her sleep sweats, sat on the bed and called Monty to tell him what she wanted to do so he could get the ball rolling.
* * *
By mid-December the Freighters were still winning, and from the way things looked it would be them against the Lumberjacks for the championship. Tasha and her team were ecstatic.
One morning a few days before Christmas, Drew drove out to Woodlawn Cemetery. It was his mom’s birthday. Tooling slowly down the pathways leading to her resting place, he thought back on growing up under her love, their life together and how much he missed her. He visited her grave at least once a season and always made a special trip out to wish her a happy birthday.
Getting out of the truck, he made his way over the solemn grounds to her grave site. He used a gloved hand to brush away a few leaves before gently placing the dozen white roses he’d brought with him at the base of her headstone. They’d been her favorite. “Happy Birthday, Mom,” he whispered and felt his heart sadden as it always did. “Still missing you.”
For a few moments he simply stood there in the silence and let the grief rise. Even though she’d been gone six years and the pain of losing her had dulled somewhat, it still hurt, probably always would, he supposed. “Need to tell you about this lady I’m seeing. Her name’s Tasha and she’s rich as the old Rockefellers, but she’s kind, smart and so gorgeous my teeth ache just looking at her. There’s nothing I can give her that she doesn’t already have, except my love, so I’m hoping that’ll be enough for her to marry me.”
He got no reply, of course, but truthfully, now that he’d admitted his true feelings out loud, he knew what needed to be done. “Hope you’re resting well and staying out of trouble up there in heaven. Love you, lady.”
Giving the headstone a parting squeeze, he left the roses and returned to his truck, but instead of driving home he headed to the mall to pick out a ring.
* * *
On Christmas Eve, as he and Tasha sat in his suite at the club eating dinner and enjoying the vocalist on stage, she said, “I’m thinking about flipping the script on my life.”
He studied her for a silent moment. “Meaning?”
“Going to sell my firm and start a foundation.”
“When did you decide this?”
“A few weeks ago. Talked to Monty. He’s handling the paperwork. Talked to my staff about it already, too. I want to help kids and entrepreneurs and schools and whoever else might need all this money my grandfather left me.”
“Sounds great, but selling your firm? This is all pretty sudden.”
“Not really. I’ve been brooding on things for a while now, and this is what I want to do.”
Drew studied her and wondered what this meant for the two of them. “And the team?”
“No changes there. I’ll run the foundation and the team, with your help, of course.”
“Where are you going to be based?”
“Right here. I may take off during the winters after the season ends because I am so not liking this ice and snow, but the rest of the time, I’ll be in the D.”
“And us?”
“I would like to have you in my life for the rest of my life, even if we never commit.”
He watched her grab her purse and fish around for something inside. She pulled out a small black velvet box and said, “But in case you would like to commit—will you marry me?”
He chuckled softly at the ballsy Ms. Natasha Bloom.
“No? Sorry then.” Her lips were tight and she looked very unhappy.
He covered her hand before she could put the box back in her purse. “Hold on a minute. Didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. The only reason I laughed was because of this—” He withdrew his own little black velvet box from the pocket of his coat and watched her eyes widen. “I planned to propose to you, but you being you, you’d, of course, try and beat me to the punch.”
There were now tears standing in her eyes.
“I love you, Natasha Bloom. Will you marry me?”
“Yes, I love you, too. Will you marry me, Drew Davis?”
“Yes.”
They exchanged rings and then spent a very long time trading celebratory kisses. When they finally came up for air, she said, “I want to get married New Year’s Day, right after we win the championship.”
He laughed. “Okay, you’re on.”
But on New Year’s Day, the Freighters lost the championship to Colonel Powell’s team fourteen to ten. Tasha didn’t care. After the game, they had a huge party at the mansion to celebrate the New Year and the successful season, then she and Drew were married in the conference room that was transformed into a chapel. True to his word, Monty flew in to give her away but ended up sharing the honor with Tony. Carmen and the wives cried, the team raised glasses in a toast and the cheerleaders shook their silver pom-poms.
Later, lying in bed next to her sleeping husband, Tasha thought herself to be the luckiest woman in the world. She had a winning football team, the respect and admiration of her players and most importantly, she had the love of a good man. And she had her grandfather to thank. Who’d’ve thought on that day the will was read that he actually knew what he was talking about? She shook her head and whispered, “Thank you, Walker Bloom. Wherever you are, I love you.” And with that, she cuddled closer, closed her eyes and slept.
* * * * *
Ex-mas Reunion
Kayla Perrin
This story is for you—my readers!
Thanks for your support over the years.
You rock!
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 1
“I know this is easier said than done, sir,” Kendra Harris began in the gentlest voice possible. “But I think you shouldn’t read any more of these articles. They’re only going to upset you.”
“I’m already upset,” Senator Morris Chambers snapped. Moving the newspaper he was holding closer to his face, he began to read aloud. “This latest allegation is yet more proof that some elected officials believe they are gods. That they are untouchable. That they can do whatever they want without consequence. We call for an immediate audit of Senator Chambers’s books, and if it’s true that he did use campaign funds for personal expenses, then he needs to be punished to the fullest extent of the law. The people of Maryland deserve a senator who is honest and one who has their best interests at heart. I’ve always believed that I was the best person for the job, a belief that is now stronger than ever.”
“Of course she’s going to say that,” Kendra said, trying to keep her tone and facial expression dispassionate, even though she was inwardly cringing. A month after being re-elected to office, this was the last thing the senator needed.
The last thing she needed.
“Allison Durant is a vulture,” Morris said with a scoff. “I won by a landslide, and now she’s going to try to get the senate seat through this ridiculous story.”
The way Kendra saw it, that was the least of Morris’s concerns. If the investigation proved that funds had been improperly used, he would be facing criminal charges.
But she didn’t say that. Instead she said, “I think her motivation is clear. That’s why she’s chatting up a storm to every media outlet she can.”
“This was in the New York Times… People believe the New York Times,” Morris said, tossing the newsp
aper aside in disgust. “But Allison’s the one who’s going to face the repercussions when it comes to light that she would stoop this low to fabricate this story.”
“Do you really think she would do this?” Kendra asked doubtfully. Surely Allison wouldn’t be so foolish. She would have to know that there would be negative political repercussions for this kind of lie.
“Who else stands to gain from this kind of an attack?” Morris countered.
“I haven’t a clue, sir,” Kendra said. But she was lying. Lying to spare him because she had a good suspicion. She wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Mrs. Chambers, enraged over the affair that Morris had recently admitted to, had leaked this damaging news to the press. But Cynthia Chambers wouldn’t be concerned about repercussions—she would only be concerned about revenge.
“It’s not true,” Morris said, his voice now holding a pleading quality as his eyes steadfastly held hers.
“Of course it’s not true,” Kendra agreed. And if it was, she had no knowledge of it.
What she did know was that the dark cloud of this scandal would now hang over them during the holiday season, and although the senator had just been elected to another term, she suddenly didn’t have much confidence that she would have a job in the new year.
“Cynthia,” Morris said suddenly, his voice sounding as though the proverbial lightbulb had gone off in his head. “Damn it, she told me she’d make me pay.”
“You really think—”
“She’s angry,” Morris said. “Damn it.”
Kendra said nothing. She knew the adage was true—that a woman scorned was a very dangerous individual.
Morris dragged a hand over his face. “I’ll smooth things over with her. Maybe take her to St. Bart’s for a few days.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t be seen taking an expensive trip,” Kendra suggested.
Morris frowned as he stared at her. “Hmm, maybe you’re right.” He sighed, then added, “I’ll figure something out. Because if Cynthia is behind this, then I have to get her to make this right. Heck, I suppose the ball’s already rolling. The books will be audited, but that’ll only prove that I did nothing nefarious.”
“This will all blow over,” Kendra assured him. Just like the smear campaign about your affair when you were running for reelection, she thought to herself before commenting, “Especially with the Christmas holidays. People will forget—and then the next scandal will hit.”
Kendra spoke the words, but she wasn’t convinced of them. If Cynthia Chambers was behind this leak, was she simply being vindictive or did she know something Kendra did not? There was a possibility that Morris had borrowed from campaign funds and returned the money before fiscal reporting—something Kendra suspected happened in many political offices. It would be a gray area, but the books would balance properly, so an audit wouldn’t prove any misconduct.
At one time Kendra had aspirations of becoming Senator Chambers’s chief of staff; it had been her goal when she’d become his senatorial aide. But now she was no longer so sure. With this latest scandal about the misappropriation of funds, she was becoming all too familiar with the ugly side of politics. A side she didn’t particularly like.
There were times when she wasn’t even sure she wanted to continue working for Senator Chambers, though she did believe that he was a good man overall. At least she believed in his political platform, and he in turn supported the bills she was passionate about. But she’d be lying if she said she agreed with everything he had done during the time she had been working for him. He was a great orator and had campaigned on several key issues, all the while knowing he would only pursue a few of them. Yes, politics was a dance of sorts. It was all about “If I do this for you, what will you do for me?” so Kendra knew there had to be some bending and wiggling on positions within the senate. But she didn’t like the dance and the doublespeak.
Perhaps what bothered her more was the fact that Senator Chambers had had at least three affairs that she’d been aware of, though Cynthia only knew of two. Sadly, Morris had even come on to her, but Kendra had made it clear to him in no uncertain terms that she didn’t wish to muddy the waters of their business relationship with anything personal.
Sighing softly, Kendra glanced at her watch. She was ready to put the senator’s personal and professional woes on the back burner until the new year. It was now minutes to one, and she had a flight to catch at four. She had to get going.
“Is that it, sir?” Kendra asked.
Morris, who had been biting the end of a pencil—something he did when he was stressed—met her gaze. “Oh, that’s right. You have to head back to Louisville for your parents’ anniversary party.”
“My aunt and uncle,” Kendra corrected. She hadn’t seen her father since the day after her third birthday.
“Yes, that’s all. I think we’ve gotten to everything that needs to be sorted before the holiday. Great work on that abortion bill, by the way. Please—go catch your flight.”
“Thank you.” Kendra felt relief as she turned and started for the door. She could see the snow was coming down heavily outside, which would make the trek to the airport even longer. At least she still had a few hours before her flight would be departing, and she had already checked in online. She’d also had the foresight to bring her luggage to the office, which would save her from having to return to her home in neighboring Virginia before heading to Ronald Reagan National Airport.
“But before you go,” Morris said.
Kendra closed her eyes for a moment, not wanting any further delay. Then she turned, hoping that she didn’t look annoyed.
But her annoyance turned to pleasure when she saw that the senator had produced an elegantly wrapped Christmas present.
She grinned. “For me?”
“Of course for you. Especially with all the added pressure over the past few weeks, it’s clear I couldn’t do my job without you. It’s a small token of my thanks.”
She thought he might’ve forgotten to put her on his Christmas list, and it did feel good to know that he hadn’t. She had already given him a present when she’d gotten to the office earlier, a necktie. It was cerulean blue, and image experts said that a blue tie helped project a truthful appearance.
“Here,” Morris said, standing.
Kendra walked toward him as he rounded the desk. He gave her the small box wrapped in gold foil, then hugged her—a hug that was nothing more than friendly. It was good to know that his one-time pass at her a year ago was no longer an issue.
“Thank you,” Kendra told him.
Morris smiled. “Go on. Open it.”
Kendra had figured she would take the gift with her, but another couple minutes wouldn’t hurt, would it? And besides, it would be nice to thank Morris here and now for whatever the gift was.
She tore off the wrapping paper and was excited to open the box and find two tickets to an African musical she had been dying to see. Work had kept her too busy to get to it. As well as the fact that Kendra wanted a man to attend the show with. She knew she could go with one of her girlfriends, but it had been so long since she’d been on a date.
On a decent date, anyway. The last guy she’d gone out with, Trevor, had talked nonstop about himself and it had turned Kendra off. He’d been tall and attractive but totally uninteresting. At least he’d talked, unlike Clive, whom she would have mistaken for mute if he hadn’t responded to some of her questions.
After both of those dates, Kendra had found herself drawing a comparison between those men and her first serious boyfriend, Damien Monroe.
Damien had liked to talk…but he also liked to listen. Why couldn’t Kendra find another guy like that?
“You don’t look happy,” Morris said, his lips curling in a slight frown.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Kendra said, realizing she had drifted off into a daydream. “I’m thrilled! Thank you. Thank you for getting me such a thoughtful gift.”
“You’re welcome.”
Kendra di
dn’t know why Damien had even entered her mind after thoughts of her failed dates, and certainly not now in Morris’s office. She didn’t want to think about her true love from ten years ago. Damien had been a summer love after her senior year of high school, and she’d been crazy about him, but then they had gone to colleges in different states and though they had promised to continue dating, Damien had soon stopped returning her calls.
In retrospect, she supposed it was bound to happen, but she had been crushed at the time. And with sudden clarity, she knew why Damien had entered her thoughts. Because what she hoped for, after their relationship, was to find someone she could converse with the way she used to converse with Damien.
“The tickets are open,” Morris explained. “You can pick the date you like.”
“I can’t wait.” Kendra gave him a wide smile to show her appreciation. “Now I really do have to leave.”
“Enjoy your holiday,” Morris told her. “You have definitely earned this time off.”
“Thank you, sir. Have a wonderful Christmas vacation yourself.” Though Kendra wondered how wonderful it might be, given that his wife was at odds with him.
“Be safe.” Morris jerked his head toward the window. “It’s getting pretty ugly out there.”
“I know,” Kendra said, following his line of sight to the window. Snow was swirling in huge gusts. It looked like a blizzard outside.
She gathered her belongings and then went downstairs, where she huddled into her coat and hailed a cab.
Thankfully, it didn’t take more than a minute for one to stop, though with the wind blowing the snow like crazy, she was frozen within that brief amount of time.
The taxi truly was shelter from the storm. “Ronald Reagan National Airport,” Kendra told the driver as she settled into the backseat. “As fast as you can, please.”
Chapter 2
Kendra felt as though she had aged twenty years in the back of the taxi with the amount of time it was taking. To say the car was merely creeping along the D.C. streets was an understatement. It took slightly more than an hour to get to the airport—a trip that would normally have taken fifteen minutes.
Merry Sexy Christmas Page 10