Weeping like someone stole her life because she could not believe he just proposed, she shook her head.
“I can’t believe what’s going on right now.”
The same day she lost her home and felt like life was against her, something wonderful followed.
“Marry me, Lola Stephanie Lawson. Make me the happiest and the luckiest man in the universe.”
Nodding as she pushed back against the balustrade, she stared agape at the ring that glowed like the sun. It was the most glamorous jewel she had ever seen.
“Say something, my cupcake. I’m still on my knee. I picked out a platinum 1.5-carat diamond-double-halo Princess ring for you. Do you love it?”
Giggling, she cried harder, nodding faster.
“Haven’t I said yes, already?”
“No.” He licked his lips. “Now is the time. Say yes.”
“Oh! Freaking, amazing yes, Maxwell!”
“Phew! For one moment there, I thought you were going to say no. That’s the freaking, biggest yes I’ve ever heard.”
Laughing, he slipped the expensive jewellery on to her fourth finger and kissed her palm.
“Come here!” she giggled, taking his hand.
Once he got on his feet, Maxwell folded his hands around her hips and cupped her butt with his palms. Hot desire sparked through her mound and she had a mind to rip off her clothes to get down and dirty. However, common sense prevailed. She kissed him with the fire flaring in the pit of her stomach.
“I love you, my woman, my special cupcake.”
“I love you, my sausage roll, my sweet, sweetheart.”
“I’ll take great care of you, Lola Stephanie Legend.”
They burst out laughing at the way her would-be new name rolled off his lips.
He moved his lips across hers, dipped his tongue inside her mouth and made her feel like a princess, no the Queen of Nigeria. Kissing him back was a sweet treat. She never passed up the opportunity to dine inside his mouth. Lunging her tongue past his teeth, she teased and poked every inch of his tender treat until they panted for air.
“Should we go and tell the kids and Grandy?” Maxwell asked, his eyes widening.
“They’re fast asleep. First thing in the morning?”
“Yeah. Let’s celebrate our engagement then.”
Tipping his long nose up with the pad of her forefinger, she pouted. “What do you have in mind?”
“Let’s pop champagne at Silverbird Cinema. I’ve booked a private screening for a late-night movie.”
Quaking against him as she laughed, she kissed his dreamy lips and explored his soft insides.
“I think I’m going to enjoy making love with you, Maxwell.”
Vibrating against her, he squeezed her butt cheeks and bit her neck softly.
“That’s sexy! I never thought I’d hear you say that. I’ll enjoy sliding inside you more.” He carried her inside and set her to sit on the side table.
Gasping, she hung on to his neck as he pinned her against the wooden top.
“You think?” She grazed his jawline with her teeth.
A knock sounded on the door moments later.
They exchanged quizzical gazes.
“Expecting someone?” She wondered who knew he was here.
“No. Could be Joe. He was with me earlier today.”
“Ow.”
“Wait here. I’ll go check.”
With long strides, he went to the front door. Not sure who it was, she slid down from the table.
Next thing, she heard Maxwell laughing before he walked in with his friend, Joe. Though the other man was pleasant, she had a feeling he did not approve of their relationship. It didn’t bother her too much but it still hurt a little.
“Hi Joe. Good to see you,” Lola greeted.
“Same here, Lola. How are you doing?”
“I’m good. And you?”
“Good, good. I hear congratulations are in order.”
Smiling, she nodded. “Yeah. He just proposed.”
Her boyfriend came to stand beside her. He pulled her closer to his side with one hand over her shoulder. It felt wonderful. Maxwell knew exactly how to make her feel secure and she loved that about him.
“Congratulations! Where’s the champagne?” Joe rubbed his hands together, a wide grin on his face.
“We’re about to go out to celebrate,” she told Joe to stop him from delaying their outing.
“Can I join in?”
“No way, bro. I’m leaving you out. This is a private party for my baby,” Maxwell applied the brakes.
Joe nodded. “Maybe now is a good time to air my reservations.”
She stiffened beside her fiancé, certain nothing good would come out of this confrontation.
“Don’t say anything, bro. Don’t upset my baby.”
“Please let me say my piece, bro,” Joe insisted and went ahead anyway. “Lola, Maxwell’s a great man. You’ve got two kids. You’re not who I thought he’ll settle for by a long shot. I don’t want you to take advantage of him, or bleed him dry–”
Maxwell lifted both hands. “That’s it! If you don’t want our friendship to fall apart this minute, you’ll end this conversation right now and apologize.”
“I love, Maxwell. Shouldn’t that give me the right to be with him, Joe?” she butted in with her own query.
The other man folded his arms.
Both men glared at each other.
This is ridiculous, thought Lola.
“The reason you have my respect no matter what is the fact you invited my fiancé to Nigeria. Believe it, or not, Joe we love each other,” Lola clarified.
The dark man swept his stare to her and nodded. “Fair enough. I’m glad you’re matured. Many women would have lost their temper.”
“Is that your apology? It’s not acceptable,” Maxwell insisted. “That’s no way to talk to Lola, someone you’ve not interacted with at all.”
“I apologize, Lola. I want my friend to be happy.”
“I’ll make him happy, by God’s grace. If you behave, you’ll get to meet my kids. They might even call you, Uncle Joe.”
A soft grin popped on Joe’s face.
“To be honest, it was tough to watch my friend slip away from the moment he stepped into the country. It took me over five years to convince him to fly down here. With the pain he’s been through in the past year, I wanted him to come over to have a great time partying with me and my friends.”
“I get it. Don’t worry. I’ve not replaced you.” Her head noted the reference to Maxwell’s pain–the pain he’s been through in the past year.
“He didn’t even enjoy his own party,” Joe persisted.
She grinned. “I remember.”
“Says who? I’d a great time with Lola. I don’t want to party with anyone else except with my cupcake.” Maxwell curved one arm around her back and pushed her into a close embrace. He kissed her lips. “I told you my baby is a great girl.”
“I’m proud of you, bro,” Joe finally admitted. “When is the wedding?”
“We’ll figure it out with Lola’s family,” her fiancé informed his friend.
Maxwell’s eyes stayed on hers for the longest time after that and she shivered in his arms.
“I’ll find my way out,” Joe said. “Lola, are we good?”
“Yeah.” She nodded. “No hard feelings.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting your kids.”
“Get ready to also meet her grandaunt,” her fiancé added.
Maxwell exchanged a funny look with Lola before they both cranked up laughing.
“What’s the joke?” Joe frowned completely at a loss.
Lola smiled. “Oh, it’s nothing.”
Joe chuckled. “Okay. See you two sometime.”
After Joe shut the door, she gripped Maxwell’s hand and dragged him to sit on the sofa in the living area.
“Start talking. What pain was Joe referring to exactly? You’ve not opened up to me about it.�
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His face reddened so fast she clutched his fingers.
“What was it?”
“I lost my mom.”
Her heart plummeted to her belly. “What?”
Maxwell nodded as his eyes filled with tears. “She was my world, my everything.”
“Ow! I’m so sorry, my love.” She squeezed his hand. “How did it happen?”
“She went on holiday with my best mate. They were involved in a skiing accident in Switzerland.”
“Your best mate? A guy?”
“Yeah. I’d no idea they were having an affair. His fiancée was devastated. She thought I knew about it and said nothing. How could my best friend have slept with my mom and I’d say nothing?”
“Quite a mess,” she muttered, unable to imagine the scenario.
“It was awful. I love my mom. But she crossed the line. Dean’s fiancée, Amy was also my friend. We all had dinner at my mom’s every now and then.”
“That’s something.” She did not know what to say. “How did you know they were having an affair?”
“Dean lied about going to a work training in New York. They checked in as Mr. and Mrs. Hawk, that’s Dean’s last name. According to the hotel staff, they acted like honeymooners and were treated as such.”
She pursed her lips. “My heart goes out to Amy. But you’re not responsible for your mum’s actions.”
“Having my mom’s memory smeared by something like that hurts. That’s why I made the remark, the lies we tell the first time we had dinner.”
Sighing, she nodded. “I remember. That’s also why you avoided talking about your mum when I asked.”
“Yeah. But my pain didn’t end there.”
“What else?”
“My girlfriend decided to elope with her ex, five months ago. She said I was too troubled with grief to be any good to her. It was seven months after my mom passed.”
“Ouch!” She caressed his forearm. “That’s a sharp thrust. I’m so sorry, Maxwell.”
Bobbing his head, he swallowed. “Of course, I was grief-stricken after my mom passed. I didn’t know that was a crime. Now I’ve met you, when I look back, I can say it was a good thing she took a walk out of my life. My ex didn’t deserve me at all.”
“Oh yes!” She leaned forward and trapped his mouth in a turn-it-on kiss she hoped he would never forget. “You’re the best man in the world and the love of my life, Maxwell Gael Legend.”
Maxwell teased her lips with his tongue and their love sparkles hit the hotel roof almost setting it ablaze.
“The gold necklace was my mom’s,” he confided. “It’s one of few things I decided to keep. Giving it to you meant the world to me.”
She immediately pinched the jewellery around her neck. “Thank you for giving me something that means so much to you.”
“I’m pleased you have it around your neck.”
About ten minutes later, Lola received a text. When she opened it, the content almost broke her heart. The text stated; Whispering Palms manager confirmed there has been no robbery incident at the resort.
“What is it?” Maxwell asked, his eyes narrowing.
“Read it,” she whispered, handing her phone over.
After he did, Maxwell reached out to touch her.
“I can explain, Lola.”
But she dodged his hand, moved aside and walked out to stand on the balcony. She needed fresh air to sponge out what she just read. Anxiety built up in her heart. What the heck was going on?
“Give me a straight answer, Maxwell. Was there a robbery incident at Whispering Palms Hotel & Resort when you were a guest there, yes or no? You said there had been a robbery and it was the reason you asked to stay at my place during that weekend.”
He lifted both hands. “No. There was no robbery.”
Her chest swelled with confusion. She made to move past him, but Maxwell caught her with both hands.
“Listen to me,” he urged. “Please.”
“No!” she snapped. “You lied to me from the start. I asked the office to follow up on the incident. So, if David at our office reception had not texted me, you would’ve continued to lie. Take your hands off me!”
Maxwell straightened his mouth. “Look, I did that because I needed to see you at the time. I couldn’t sleep after our first encounter. It was as if you had possessed my thoughts, brain and my body. I couldn’t get you out of my mind. I’d to see you, spend time with you with the hope that I’ll get over you–forever.”
“Are you not listening? Get your hands off me!”
Wanting to keep some distance, she jerked against him.
“Please. I’m so sorry I lied to you. It was the only way I thought I could get you to listen to me. Recall that we were literarily at war. I felt guilty and idiotic over the way I’d treated you.”
In that moment, her memory bank snapped open and her head flashed to their first meeting. She recalled how her stomach tightened up at his thought. And how excited she had been when he asked to stay with her. Inside her chest, her anger slowed. She drew in a sharp breath and stared into his eyes.
Maxwell’s blue eyes and flushed face told her what she needed to know. He looked terribly scared to lose her. That meant more to her than anything he said.
“Please forgive me for lying to you, Lola. I fell under your spell so fast, I decided to pursue you.”
“With a lie? Our relationship is based on a lie, do you know that?”
“No. Our relationship is based on two truths. I love you with my heart and soul and you love me with your heart and soul. Isn’t that what you just told, Joe?”
She averted her gaze while considering his words.
“Look at me, cupcake. I’m not perfect. I admit I made a mistake. But I’ll never lie to you again.”
Her heart melted at his sincere apology. What could she do?
“The truth is, I’ve not had any reason to doubt how I feel about you, or how you feel about me, Maxwell.”
“Then don’t start to doubt now. Please.”
“What happens if I find out you’ve lied again?”
“I’ll never be caught in this mess again. But do what you want. This was at the start and I was just looking for an opportunity to make things right between us.”
She could not fault that. “Oh, so you agree you were a rude client and I should’ve dumped you?”
He chuckled. “Yeah. But don’t dump me now. I’ve fallen in love with my irresistibly beautiful driver.”
Smiling, she nodded. “Really? Are you saying we’re stuck then?”
“Truly stuck, yeah! You’re wearing my ring.”
Laughter surged out of her lips as she stared at the gem on her finger. Maxwell lifted her left hand and kissed her knuckle, pulling out the thorny lie.
“Are we good?” he asked, begging her with his eyes.
“On one condition.”
“What is it?” His eyes widened. “Anything.”
“This is the last time you’ll lie to me, or it’s over.”
“It’s my last lie, I promise.”
Lola lifted her face and pouted her lips.
And Maxwell smooched her lips with his mouth until she forgot what the argument was about in the first place.
Chapter 13 – My Everything
Maxwell
The next day, Maxwell showed up in his fiancée’s suite. His chest thundered with anticipation. He needed Lola’s kids and grandaunt to accept him as part of their family for real. Getting their approval meant the world to him. He also hoped Lola had not shared his white lie with her family.
“Uncle Maxwell’s here everyone!” Amaka squealed as soon as she sighted him from the doorway.
The eight-year-old girl ran toward him, and his heart melted as well as his anxiety. It meant Amaka had not opposed their engagement. Last night, Lola suggested she had to break the news to her family first in private.
Laughing, he crouched low and picked up the young girl in his arms. It was the first time and
he felt like an instant dad.
“Hey Princess, how are you doing?”
Giggling, Amaka kissed his cheek. “I’m fine. Are you really going to marry my mummy?”
“Yes. Would you like that?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “I’m going to give you a gift.”
“Amaka?” Lola called from inside, coming to a halt when she saw her daughter in his arms. She mouthed, “Thank you,” behind Amaka’s back.
“Hi love,” his fiancée said out loud, pressing against him. “Nonso! Come say hello.”
Maxwell placed one arm around Lola’s shoulders.
Amaka grinned. “Marry my mummy tomorrow.”
Lola slipped her arm around Maxwell’s waist. “That’s not possible, Amaka,” she told her daughter.
“Hello Grandy,” he greeted the old lady leaning against the dining table in the living area. “I know I should’ve asked for your permission to marry your granddaughter. I’m sorry I went ahead to ask.”
Grandy lifted one hand. “I knew it was going to happen anyway. Congratulations!”
They all lifted their eyebrows.
“How did you know?” Lola asked, smiling.
“The day you two fought under the same roof. It felt like I was watching an old married couple. That was why I allowed you to carry on. I was comforted my granddaughter was going to be in good hands.”
“Young lady, I’m going to set you down,” he said to Amaka, who nodded, still giggling.
Free from her young weight, he went over to Grandy who already had her arms wide open.
“Welcome to my family.” The old lady laughed.
“Thank you very much. It means a lot to me that you approve of our engagement.”
“Oh! I approve with my heart,” she confirmed. “Come here, Lola.” When his fiancée came into the circle, she instructed. “Hold hands. I’m going to pray.”
He clasped, Lola’s hands.
“May our God bless you with good gifts, lasting peace, happiness and abundant love. May your joy as a family with Amaka and Nonso never end in Jesus name. And may the Lord bless you with more children, as many as you can take care of, in Jesus mighty name, Amen.”
Irresistible Driver ~ A BWWM Sexy Romance Page 14