Brother to the night and right now I am
The blues in your left thigh, trying to be the funk in your right Is that alright?”
When he finished, Robyn stared in utter disbelief. She didn’t know what to say.
“This message was from Maxwell. He also asked that I give you this.” He reached inside his blazer jacket then handed a sealed envelope over to Robyn.
Robyn whispered, “You don’t really need your offices redecorated, do you?”
“No, I don’t. I’m just trying to help a friend in love.”
She pressed her lips together then responded. “Thank you.” Robyn handed the envelope back. “Please give this back to Maxwell and tell him that I wish him well.”
Chapter 17
Robyn had had a long day. She was exhausted and only recently returned from her three-day trip to New York. All she wanted to do was eat something, get comfortable, and watch a bit of television. After taking a long hot shower, she tied her hair up with a scarf, put on her favorite pajama bottoms, and college t-shirt that was so old it had holes in it.
Her phone rang. It was Maxwell . . . again. He’d been calling almost non-stop since he sent the monologue man to her office. Robyn turned it off. If she didn’t, she would be tempted to answer it as Robyn had so many times over the past week.
There wasn’t much to choose from in the refrigerator, so she warmed up some leftover shrimp fried rice in the microwave she picked up on her way home from the airport and plopped down on the couch in front of the television. After she’d finished eating, Robyn passed out only to be awakened by someone ringing the buzzer to her apartment. Startled, she sat up. It took a minute to realize what the sound was, and she quickly went over to answer it.
Cursing under her breath, she wondered who the hell would show up unannounced, ringing her buzzer at 9 p.m.
She pushed the button. “This better be an emergency!”
“It’s not, and I would have called, but you’re not answering them.”
Robyn froze at the sound of his voice. “Maxwell?”
He cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah. Open the door. We need to talk.”
Robyn glanced down at herself and patted her head only to realize she still had a scarf on it. She looked a mess. What was she thinking! No, she should send his ass packin’!”
“Go away, Maxwell.”
“We need to talk. I’ll stand out here all night if I have to.”
“Go ahead.”
“Okay, I’ll not only stand out here all night, I’ll start singing too. I’m sure this entire thing would be an nice Hot Topic for the Wendell Williams Show.”
“You wouldn’t?”
Maxwell cleared his voice and start to loudly do vocal exercises – horribly off key.
Was she honestly going to send him away? Her mind said yes. But, her heart said hell, no! The last thing she needed was the media focusing on her love life after her disastrous break-up with Chet Anderson. “It’s um . . . five minutes and I’ll um . . . buzz you up.”
Her condo was on the second floor, so there was no reason to even try to make herself look presentable. Why should she? She would hear him out and send him on his way.
He would be at her door in seconds. Thirty seconds later, before she could get her mind together, Maxwell was knocking on her door.
Robyn took a deep breath and opened it. She was slightly breathless when she spoke. “Maxwell, w-what are you doing here?”
Her eyes widened slightly as she took in the full sight of him. He stood there in another custom suit looking more delicious than any man had a right too. He also didn’t come empty handed. He carried two dozen red roses. They were the most beautiful flowers she’d ever seen.
“These are for you.”
One of the few times in her life, Robyn was speechless. She could ignore him when he was in another state. But, he was here, live and in person. Robyn reached for the flowers. “Thank you.” They weren’t going to change her mind.
Maxwell looked like a man on a mission. There was a steely determination in his eyes. “May I come in?”
Nervously, she moved back so that he could enter. “I didn’t know you were coming, so I’m not really dressed for company. I said five minutes and I mean it.”
“I’ve often told you, you would be perfect wearing a potato sack.”
She blushed. Nope. She was not falling for the charm. Robyn hesitated then asked the question burning her soul. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, after you didn’t accept my note or call me when Darius Lovehall left, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Tonight, I had this entire elaborate speech I wanted to say to you, but the honest answer is, I needed to see you. I tried to tell you before I left out of the country, but somehow my card ended up in the garbage.”
“Look, you’ve been gone six months, and you could have called from wherever you were going.”
“Right. I know it took me a while to get my shit together, but finally, I have. I know you think I could have contacted you, but, no, I couldn’t. My business is in technology. Some of my contracts are with different governments. The work I was doing this time was for the US government, and it was top secret. I couldn’t let anyone know where I was going or have any communication outside of a small unit while I was there.”
“That sounds made up.”
“Maybe, but it’s the truth.”
Robyn searched his eyes. He looked sincere. She folded her arms across her chest. Seconds ticked by before she responded. “What was so important in the notecard that you wanted me to know?”
“Only the most important things in my life. Look . . . ” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ve been running away from us for a while. I think it’s time I stop. I think it’s time we stop. I know you still care about me. I know it. I felt it the last time we were together.”
Robyn held her breath as she listened to every word. She didn’t want to miss anything. He was wrong, she didn’t just care about him, she still loved him.
Maxwell continued. “And if I weren’t so stubborn, I would have acknowledged it then that I still have feelings for you too. I’m here, in Romona, because you’re here. I know it’s been six months, but if you’re willing, I’d like to see what happens between us.”
Robyn’s eyes shimmered, and her voice was barely a whisper. “I don’t know, Maxwell. You can’t just waltz back into my life now that you’re ready, and I’m supposed to just fall at your feet. It’s not going to be that easy.”
He was disappointed but willing to do anything. In business, he was ruthless. When it came to getting Robyn back, he was fully prepared to do whatever it took. “Fair enough. But you already know, I don’t play fair when it’s something I want, and I’ve never wanted anything more than you. I’ve wanted you since sophomore year of high school.”
Maxwell was saying all the right things. Robyn didn’t think she’d last a week before she succumbed to his charms, but she would try.
“I’d like to take you out on a date.”
Robyn looked down at her clothes. “Even if I were to say yes, which I’m not sure I would, I'm not dressed to go anywhere.”
Maxwell felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. She was softening a little and possibly open to going out with him. A grin spread across his face. “No, not tonight, tomorrow. I know it’s late, but I was hoping if you weren’t busy tonight, we could just chill, talk, and watch a movie.”
Robyn bit her bottom lip. “Let’s see. You show up to my house unannounced and want me to drop what I’m doing to watch a movie?”
“When you say it like that, the element of spontaneousness does seem to get lost.”
Robyn pursed her lips as she looked at what was in his hands. Her defenses were crumbling like snow in heat. “What movie did you bring?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes. Wrong movie and all of your plans for tonight evaporate.”
Maxwell stepped close. His voice was
seductive. “That’s a lot of pressure on a guy.”
Robyn put her hands up against his chest as Maxwell inched closer. “No, no, no. You can’t do that.”
He played innocent. “Do what?”
“Play the sexiness card.”
Maxwell encircled her waist and pulled her body into his. “I told you; I don’t play fair.”
She breathed him in.
He used his thumb to caress her bottom lip. “It seems as if I’ve waited a lifetime to do this.”
She was curious. “What?”
He brought his head down and placed his lips over Robyn’s kissing her until her knees gave out. This time, compared to their time in the Room, it was sweet and tender.
Robyn was done. Her goose was cooked. She couldn’t resist him even if she wanted to, and if she were really honest, she didn’t want to.
When they finally pulled apart, Maxwell answered, “That.” He wanted to do a lot more than kiss her but thought better of it. They should take it slow. “We should probably watch a movie before we get ahead of ourselves.”
It took a moment for Robyn to catch her breath. He was right, but she wished they could watch whatever he brought after they had reconciliation sex. However, this time she wasn’t going to be that easy. Her heart and head were not in sync. Robyn knew if she were going to give Maxwell a chance, taking things slow was best. But, she hadn’t made that decision. If Maxwell want to reconcile he would need to work for it.
Instead of following her usual instincts when it came to him, Robyn focused on slowing her heart rate. “What movie did you bring?”
He smiled knowingly at her. “Love Jones, what else?”
Chapter 18
Maxwell arrived to pick Robyn up for their date mid-morning. She’d been excited and hadn’t been able to sleep since he’d left the night before. They’d both exercised superhuman restraint as they watched the movie.
Slow and steady was the name of the game.
The weather was beautiful. It was warm, and the sun sat high in the sky. It felt good on her skin as they drove around in his drop-top convertible Mercedes Benz.
As they made their way all around town, to his surprise, people were smiling and waving at them. Every time they looked at each other, they couldn’t seem to keep their own goofy smiles off of their faces.
Robyn turned to Maxwell as the wind whipped her hair all over the place. “Okay, so exactly where are you taking me?”
He kept his eyes on the road. “Patience has never been a virtue for you. Be patient. It’ll be worth the wait, I promise.”
“Will there be food and wine?”
He nodded and chuckled. “I’d be a fool to take you anywhere where there is not food and wine.”
“Okay. Is there . . .”
Maxwell cut her off and tipped her nose with his finger. “I’m not telling you anything else. We’ll be there shortly.”
True to his word, Maxwell drove her to their spot. Only this time, there was a road leading from the highway to a beautiful cottage style home.
Her hands went to her throat. “Oh, my God.” She looked over at him. “This is the house!”
Maxwell parked the car and gazed lovingly at Robyn. “Yes. This is the house.” For a moment, neither of them could tear their eyes away from the other. He spoke first. “Let’s go inside.” He got out and went over to open her door.
Robyn slid out of her seat and placed her hand in his as they walked hand in hand. When they arrived at the threshold of the door, she was about to walk inside, but Maxwell stopped her. “Wait.”
She looked on curiously.
“I know this might sound crazy, but I planned for my bride to walk into this house.” He placed his arms at the base of her knees and swept her up into his arms.
Robyn gasped and looked into his eyes. “We’re not married.”
“No, not yet, but at the end of proving myself to you and getting reacquainted, it’s my hope that we will be.”
Maxwell opened the door and carried Robyn over the threshold. The curtains were pulled, so that it was dark inside except from the glow of candles all around the room.
Slowly, her body slid down his as her feet touched the floor. Her eyes were filled with wonder. “You did all of this for me.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement of fact.
Maxwell had recreated the romantic celebratory feeling from nine years ago and added to it by duplicating, on a smaller scale, the set-up he’d had the night of the party.
Her eyes were glassy. “You’re making this hard.”
He caressed her cheek. “It doesn’t have to be.
Robyn looked down at the floor. “We’ve been running around in circles for nine years. What makes you think us, as a couple, would work?”
“Because you own me. I’m better with you in my life, and I want to spend the rest of it with you.” Maxwell dropped down on one knee wearing his heart on his sleeve. He spoke. “I couldn’t afford all of the trappings back then that I can now. But I promised myself, one day, I would give you everything.”
Robyn knew what her mind was saying but decided to listen to her heart. She dropped down on her knees as well as she looked deeply into his eyes. Her voice was soft, as she whispered into his lips. “All I want is you. That’s all the everything I’ll ever need.”
Maxwell placed his lips on hers, and tenderly kissed her with all the love he’d long held inside. Robyn let all of her fears go and kissed him back.
This moment between them was special not only because it was a new beginning but because it was the final resolution to a love that had stood the test of time. There was no need to search to fill the nagging emptiness that plagued them both. Who needed just The Room when being in each other’s arms finally felt like home?
Epilogue
Robyn was standing in the bedroom of the House on the Hill staring at her reflection in the mirror. Eva was fussing over her veil.
“You look so beautiful. Maxwell is going to lose his shit when he sees you.”
Robyn touched her face. “I hope so. None of this even feels real to me. It’s like I’m a fairy princess or something.”
“That might have something to do with the fact that Maxwell’s been treating you as if you were Princess Diana. Anyway, this wedding is well overdue—like ten years overdue, and I love that it’s so over the top!”
“Who would have thought a year ago we would be getting married in our dream home.”
“Hell, not me. After two months of being back together, I figured the two of you would have snuck off and eloped. But, you waited longer than I would have expected.” Eva’s eyes began to water. “I’m just so glad you found your way back to each other.”
Robyn’s own voice was thick with emotion as she responded thoughtfully. “Me too.”
Eva’s tears continued to fall. “The love you have is rare and has already stood the test of time. Uh, I’m going to mess up my make-up.” She reached for a tissue. “These damn baby hormones are driving me insane.”
“Can you pass me one too? So, are mine.”
Eva stilled. “What?”
Robyn nodded her head up-and-down. “Yeah, we’ll finally get to raise our children together.”
“Oh. My. Gawwwd!” Eva threw her arms around Robyn.
“We haven’t told anyone yet. We just found out last week.”
Eva cried and said the words in a sing-songy voice. “I’m so happy for you.”
“I’m scared to death, but I couldn’t be happier.”
The wedding planner knocked on the door and interrupted their private moment as she peeked her head inside. “Are you ready, Ms. Levy, because it’s time.”
Eva handed Robyn her bouquet. “Are you ready to become Mrs. Ian Maxwell Bryant?”
Robyn smiled. “I’ve never been more ready for anything in my entire life.”
*****
It seemed as if everyone Robyn and Maxwell had ever known wanted to attend their wedding. The Great Room was packed. They d
anced and celebrated with friends and family.
Maxwell held Robyn in his arms. “I’ve been certain of many things in my life, but wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to call you, Mrs. Bryant.”
“I’ve waited my entire life for this moment. Although it didn’t take a marriage certificate for me to feel connected to you, I’m glad I have it.”
Neither of them heard the tapping of the silverware on the crystal wine glasses. Even so, he kissed her briefly on the lips. “We’ve been connected since the day you walked into my life.”
“I’m just glad I had the courage to enter the room with you all those months ago. I was so nervous, but now I know, that was the best decision of my life.”
“I love you, Mrs. Bryant.”
“I love you too, Ian.”
Other Books by LaShawn Vasser
A RESERVATION FOR ONE (The Untamed Love Series Book 1)
Haven Shaw wouldn’t consider her love life a tragedy romance just . . . tragic. A disaster. A catastrophe. She wanted off the break-up and make-up crazy train that left her unable to recognize herself.
Her plan. End the ridiculousness and focus on getting control of her life.
His plan. Which one?
Love’s plan. Amp up the crazy.
Love and life were about to get much more complicated.
A RESERVATION FOR TWO (The Untamed Love Series Book 2)
Haven Shaw learned the hard way that even after messy break-ups, broken hearts, and the loss of loved ones . . . life goes on.
She was fully prepared to meet the challenges of her future alone. That was her plan.
Too bad her plan, his plan, and love’s plan were never on the same page.
Find out how it all unfolds in part 2 of the Untamed Love Series - A Reservation for Two
FEVERISH UNBROKEN
Imani Jones Hadley thought she’d made the best decision of her life by marrying Garrett Tristan Hadley. The second she laid eyes on him, he made her body tingle and her toes curl.
The Room - A Sensuous Experience Page 11