No woman had ever made him feel like this. As though he was ready to blast off to parts unknown, a galaxy not yet discovered. One that only Kara could take him to in a blaze of heat and desire. He felt his insides trembling, and when she arched her body and opened her thighs just a little wider, he convulsed in pleasure.
A growl of deep satisfaction escaped his throat as his body was wracked with intense spasms. When she screamed his name, he knew she had joined him over the edge. Perfect. She once said no one was perfect. Well, he had news for her. She was.
Years ago she had done something no other woman had done and that was getting him to fall in love with her. Not with manipulations, deceptions or schemes. She had made it clear that she would not let him or any man compromise her principles. Lord knows he’d tried. But in the end she had won him over and he’d fallen head over heels in love with her. And he would love her until the day he died.
* * *
Kara snuggled close to Virgil after having thoroughly been made love to. She felt his arms tighten around her as if he never intended to let her go. She had no problem with that because she never intended to let him go, either.
She heard his even breathing and for a minute she thought he’d dozed off, until he leaned over and placed a kiss on the side of her face. “I love you,” he whispered close to her ear. “And I intend to say it every chance I get.”
Kara shifted her body to look up at him and smiled. “I definitely don’t have a problem with that.” She paused a moment then said, “Now tell me what you meant earlier about twenty years.”
He told her about his conversation with his father, about his dad’s childhood friend Maurice Grant.
Kara sat up in bed and looked down at him. “Let me get this straight. Your father had ulterior motives for hiring me?”
“Yes. Granted, my image did need improving and you’re the best in the field, but I believe that I could have handled things my way. York was already on it.”
Kara was so filled with love for Virgil. They’d been given another chance at love and she knew moving forward their love would only get stronger.
He pulled her into his arms and captured her mouth in a long and drugging kiss. When he released her mouth, he said, “This is the perfect weather to eat, sleep and make love.”
Kara snuggled closer to Virgil, thinking that she definitely agreed.
Epilogue
“Welcome to our home and congratulations,” Ellie Lassiter said with her husband, Uriel, by her side. “And I love your ring. It’s beautiful.”
“Thanks.” Kara couldn’t help glancing down at her engagement ring. The one Virgil had slid on her finger two nights ago. It was a Zion exclusive and she thought it was beautiful, too.
“Have the two of you decided on a wedding date?” Uriel asked, grinning.
“In March. That gives you and the other godbrothers six months to clear your calendars,” Virgil said, pulling Kara closer to his side.
Virgil’s parents had been ecstatic when they were told of their engagement. Her parents had been overjoyed, as well. Marti—who had finally confided to her parents what Malcolm had done years ago, had entered counseling and was doing well—had agreed to be Kara’s maid of honor. Kara had told Virgil what had happened to Marti and she’d appreciated his understanding in her wanting to rebuild a relationship with her sister. Florence Asbury had been thrilled to get the exclusive about the engagement for her Flo on the Ro column.
An hour later Kara decided she liked all the wives of the four married bachelors as well as Virgil’s five godfathers and their wives. Most of them she remembered from the last time she and Virgil had dated. All of them were still married except for Uriel’s parents. They had gotten a divorce.
“I wonder where Carolyn’s boy-toy is tonight. She looks out of place without him,” Virgil said.
“What do you mean?”
Virgil then told Kara how, after over thirty years of marriage, Carolyn Lassiter had shocked her husband and son when she announced she didn’t want to be married anymore and had begun seeing a man twenty-six years her junior.
From the looks of things, Kara thought Carolyn Lassiter might be regretting those actions. Kara noticed how every so often Carolyn would glance over at her ex-husband and the beautiful woman by his side. According to Virgil, Anthony had begun dating the widowed Claire Steele, the aunt to Mayor Morgan Steele, around three years ago. She was an extremely beautiful woman. When she stood with her daughters—Vanessa, Taylor and Cheyenne—she could pass for their sister. Like her youngest daughter Cheyenne, Claire’s Native American features—the dark eyes, high cheekbones and straight black hair—gave her a distinguished look.
“May I have everyone’s attention?”
Kara turned to see Anthony Lassiter stand in the middle of the room.
“He’s probably about to toast Uriel for his birthday,” Virgil said as he leaned over to her.
“Before I toast the birthday boy,” Anthony said with a grin. “who I think is the best son any man could have, I want to acknowledge that another one of my godsons will be getting married in six months, and I just want to say, Virgil, all your godfathers are proud of you. And, Kara, welcome to the family.”
They accepted the applause and Kara could hardly believe her good fortune. She had to look down at her shiny new ring again to believe she’d actually become Virgil’s fiancée.
Anthony then glanced around, spotted Zion across the room and chuckled. “You can’t be in that club by yourself, Zion.”
Zion laughed. “Want to bet?”
That caused everyone to burst into laughter. It seemed Zion Blackstone had no problem being the lone bachelor in the Guarded Hearts Club. The last bachelor.
Then, while everyone watched, Anthony reached out his hand and Claire joined him. “I’m happy to tell you that we’ve decided to take our relationship to another level, and with the blessings of my son and Claire’s daughters, we’ve decided to marry. It will be a Thanksgiving wedding. We felt that day was appropriate since the two of us have a lot to be thankful for.”
When he leaned over and kissed Claire on the lips, everyone clapped and cheered. Everyone except for Anthony’s ex-wife, Carolyn. Kara wondered if she was the only one who noticed the regret in Carolyn’s eyes before she slipped off to the ladies’ room.
Before anyone could approach the couple to offer more congratulations, another godfather took center stage. This time it was Matthew.
“May I have everyone’s attention?”
The noise level lowered as a beaming Matthew held up his hands. “You aren’t the only one with good news to share, Anthony. I just want to announce that as of January first, I will be officially retiring from Bougard Enterprises and leaving the company in my son’s capable hands. I know he will do well, especially since he’ll have a good woman by his side.”
Virgil, who hadn’t known about his father’s decision, was momentarily speechless. When he finally found his voice, he crossed the room to his father and gave him a bear hug. The torch had officially been passed. He then crossed the room back to Kara and pulled her into his arms. He could hardly believe the way things had worked out. He’d gotten the helm of Bougard Enterprises and, more important, the woman he loved. Overcome with emotion, he leaned down to give his future wife a kiss, not even hearing the cheers of their audience.
* * *
“I can’t wait for March to get here,” Virgil said later that night with Kara snuggled up close to his side.
Uriel and Ellie had put most of the attendees up for the night at their lake house. But Virgil and Kara had decided to stay at a hotel in Gatlinburg a few miles away.
“I can’t wait, either,” Kara said, staring up at him.
Last week they decided for Kara to move back into his home. He loved waking up with her each morning and
going to bed with her at night. They had flown to California to talk to her parents and decided the wedding would take place at Kara’s home in San Francisco. He and Marti were trying to build a better relationship. After all, they would be in-laws.
Unable to help himself, Virgil lowered his mouth to Kara’s and began kissing her with all the love he felt in his heart.
When he finally released her mouth, she smiled up at him. “What was that for?”
“No reason. That’s my way to say I love you.”
She wrapped her arms round his neck. “In that case you can use that way to tell me anytime.”
He chuckled. “I’m glad.”
He then proceeded to kiss her again.
* * * * *
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ISBN-13: 9781488003646
Bachelor Unforgiving
Copyright © 2016 by Brenda Streater Jackson
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Bachelor Unforgiving Page 19