“What’s up, Franco? It’s good to see you, man,” Tyree said, walking over. He was filling out in the shoulders now. He must be working out more playing college football; it was more intense than high school. Tyree was a shade lighter than Janique and towered over her now. He looked a lot like Dez, but I could see a striking resemblance between him and the twins.
“Tyree, my man, how are you?” I gave him a quick hug. “How’s college life?”
“Good,” he said, smiling. “It’s no joke, though. My coach works us hard. You guys have to come down for one of our games.”
“For sure, dude,” I said, smiling, and then glanced over to greet Holt Jr. “What’s up, bro?”
“Hey Yankee, I see that you’re still putting a smile on my sister’s face,” he said, fist- bumping me.
“She’s worth it, man.” I grinned over at a blushing Dallas.
“I couldn’t believe it when Janique told me about you and my cousin,” Tyree said, slapping me on the shoulder.
“I couldn’t resist her,” I said, glancing over at Dallas again, whose cheeks were red. “She had me hooked from day one. Right, baby?”
She smiled and walked over to me, taking my hand. “You had me hooked too, suga.”
“Who had you hooked, baby girl?” a booming Texas twang said behind us. Damn, it has to be her father. I glanced over to see a tall, imposing figure walking towards us. He wore a gray Stetson hat and fitted pinstripe dark-gray suit. Dallas’s hand tightened around mine. I could tell my girl was tense. “You must be the boy that she’s been talking about.” He stared at me and I shifted around uneasily. I rarely met the parents of the women I dated in the past. This was new for me.
“Yes. Daddy, this is Franco,” Dallas introduced us. “His family lives next door to Aunt Dez.”
I cleared my throat and stretched my hand out to greet him. “Good to meet you, sir,” I said, straightening up. He looked at me for a second and then gripped my hand firmly. I could tell he would not make it easy for me. I understood, since poor Nat brought no boys to the house because of us.
“So, this is the boy you like, pudding?” he asked Dallas, but his eyes were on me. Dallas’s cheeks turned red again as she gazed over at me.
“Yes, and I am in love with him,” she said, looking bashful. “He treats me like a princess.”
Hearing Dallas declare her love in front of her dad gave me the confidence I was lacking. She loved me as much as I loved her.
“What about you, boy?” he asked, watching me. “Do you love my daughter?”
“Yes, sir,” I said, smiling over at Dallas. “I love her and would do anything for her.”
“Good to hear,” he said, but still had a frown. “Let’s go inside, dinner is about to start. You held us up long enough.”
“Daddy!” Dallas said, giving him a pointed look. “Don’t listen to him, Franco. He’s just trying to give you a hard time. That’s all. Come on, suga, I want you to meet my grandma.”
Everyone else had gone back to the dining area when Dallas’s father interrupted us, and I followed her into the room and saw a pleasant-looking older black woman smiling over at us.
“Mama Mabel, I want you to meet Franco,” she exclaimed, bringing me to her.
“Merry Christmas.” I smiled, reaching over to shake her hand, but she pushed it away and gave me a hug.
“It’s so good to finally meet you, Franco,” she said, smiling. She had a slight accent. Janique had mentioned that they had a Jamaican background. “I met your parents and other siblings when I visited Dez the last time I was here. You make my baby happy, and that’s what matters.”
“I love her,” I stated, glancing over at Dallas. “She makes me happy too. It’s great to finally meet you.” She smiled and glanced over at Dallas. Then she gasped when she saw my gift.
“What a beautiful locket,” she said, examining it.
“Franco gave it to me for Christmas.” Dallas smiled, touching it. “Isn’t he sweet?”
I watched them and saw a special bond. I saw it with her father too. He spoiled Dallas, but I would be the one to do that now. I was focused on Dallas and her grandmother and did not notice that someone else joined us.
“Dallas,” I heard a soft voice behind me. I turned and saw a woman walking towards us. Wow. She looked the same as Dez in the face, but her hair was long and luxurious, and she had more curves. So, this is her mother. She was wearing a long, silky red gown that fitted her body like a glove. Unlike Dez, you could tell that she was pampered and more refined. “Who do we have here?”
“Mama,” Dallas said, rolling her eyes and glancing over at me. “Meet Franco, my new boyfriend. His folks live next door to Aunt Dez.”
“Really?” she said, glancing over at me, barely cracking a smile. “Honey, I didn’t know that you got into something so serious already. You were just engaged. Have you spoken to Cole? He’s been trying to reach you.”
Yeah, she is definitely not Dez. I knew she would have an issue with me. She still wanted Dallas to be with that ass wipe. And who the fuck is Cole?
“No, I haven’t. The boys didn’t mention that he was looking for me, either,” Dallas answered, sounding irritated.
“Dee, leave these kids alone!” her grandmother Mabel cut in. “Stop meddling in Dallas’s affairs and playing matchmaker. You know full well Dallas is seeing this fine young man, so stop it right now. It’s disrespectful bringing up Hank and that boy Cole. It’s Christmas, and we’re all here to celebrate.”
“It’s okay, Mama Mabel. I got this,” Dallas said, and glanced over at her mom, looking ticked off. “Mama, you know darn well I moved on. I love Franco, and he’s here to stay.” Her cheeks were red, and I did not like it when my girl got upset, but I had questions about this Cole guy her mother brought up.
I reined in my anger and smiled at her mom. “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Hollingsworth,” I said, reaching to shake her limp hand. “I love your daughter. I knew about her past and will do my best to make her happy.” I could tell that she was not pleased with me, but when Dallas looked at me with love in her eyes, I was on top of the world. I did not give a shit about her mother. She was the only one who mattered.
“Suga, let’s go into the dining room with everyone to eat. I’m starving,” she said, pulling me away from her mother.
“Who’s Cole?” I whispered in her ear. I was curious about this person her mother conveniently brought up
“Psst. It’s nothing to worry about, Yankee. He’s our neighbor back in Fort Worth,” Dallas said, smiling. “Let’s go eat.”
“Okay baby,” I said, feeling better. Thank God it wasn’t another ex-boyfriend her mother was trying to push on her again. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders as we walked into the dining room. I was happy to be here with my woman celebrating our first Christmas together. I missed being with my family for Christmas dinner, but I planned on taking Dallas over there later to finish our family celebration and to exchange gifts.
Chapter Twenty
Dallas, a week later
I skied down the slippery slopes in Aspen, Colorado with my Yankee right next to me. I was happy he got the time off to come out here with us. His sister, Natalia, and younger brothers Gino and Sean were here too. So was Janique. Tyree stayed in New York with Aunt Dez and Mama Mabel.
After our family dinner, Franco took me over to his folks’ place to exchange gifts. I bought everyone presents, and his mom and Natalia were overjoyed when they received matching Louis Vuitton signature handbags. Beth was there for Christmas with Patrick too; she went crazy when I gave her two pairs of Louboutin shoes. She also received a $5000 Christmas bonus for being the best assistant in the world. She was in shock when I gave her the shoes.
When I dropped the news about the trip to Aspen, the boys and Natalia swarmed me. They were so ecstatic to be going away with us, especially since we were taking daddy’s private jet.
“Are you ready to quit yet, baby?” Franco asked, interrupting my thoughts a
nd grinning over at me. We were in a close race to see who would reach the bottom of the hill first.
“Heck no,” I said, breathing hard as I tried to pass him. The finish line was approaching fast. “My daddy didn’t raise a quitter.” I was eager to pass him, but I knew he was in better shape than me. Heck, he was a firefighter, and I had not been working out much since I moved to New York. He probably slowed down on purpose to make me look good. Franco and his brothers were great athletes, and it showed on the slopes. Gino and Sean won against my brothers when they had a race down the hill earlier. I was happy everyone was having a fun. The only person who could cause problems was my mama. I was irritated that she had the nerve to bring up Cole’s name in front of Franco. Hell, I hadn’t spoken with him in ages. I didn’t know what game she was trying to play, but it wasn’t working. She knew darn well that Cole and I were only friends. Although I wanted it to be more at one time, he never showed any interest, and treated me like a little sister.
“Watch this and weep, baby.” Franco laughed, bringing me back to the present as he sped past me. I was taking deep breaths when I reached the finish line. Franco dropped the ski poles and lifted me up in the air. “Sorry, gorgeous, but it’s my competitive nature. I had to do it.”
“Yeah right,” I said, hitting him as he set me on the ground. “I almost had you.”
“I promise to make it up to you tonight,” he said, rubbing our noses together and reaching down to kiss me. My insides trembled with need, and I could not wait for him to sneak into my room tonight to make love. It was a family vacation, and we had separate rooms on different floors. “Let’s meet with the crew at the ski lodge,” he said after we broke the kiss. “They must be getting hot cocoa. You game, baby?”
“Heck yeah,” I said, smiling into his beautiful green eyes. “Let’s get out of the cold, suga. I want hot cocoa too.” We picked up our ski poles and skied over towards the lift. Thirty minutes later, I was sitting in front of the fireplace at the Rocky Mountain Lodge, sipping hot cocoa with Janique and Natalia. The boys were in the game room, playing pool and hanging out.
“I was freezing my butt off out there today,” Janique said, sipping her drink. “Hell, I was wondering what was taking you and Franco so long to get back up here. I don’t know why you couldn’t convince Uncle Holt to take us to Hawaii instead.”
“Texas is hot,” I said, glancing over at her. “We always come to Colorado around the holidays. You know that.”
“I’m having a good time, Dallas,” Natalia said, smiling over at me. “I can’t believe that I’m here hobnobbing with the rich and famous. It was surreal when I bumped into the cutie from that television show, Arrow. He is so hot. And I love your house. I thought your penthouse was fancy, but that place is crazy.”
“Darlin’, I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.” I smiled over at Natalia and sipped the hot cocoa. The hot drink slid down my throat, warming my insides up. Then I heard someone calling out my name. I glanced around and gasped when I saw Cole walking over towards me. I shouldn’t be shocked to see him, as his family vacationed here too and had a house not far from ours. The last few years, they had been going to Hawaii or the Caribbean for Christmas.
“Dallas, as I live and breathe,” he said, grinning at me. It was good to see him. I had not seen him in a long time, but the boys had kept up with him. Happiness spread through me as I glanced at my old crush. It felt good to be in his presence again. I was so caught up with Hank that I did not have time to spend with my other friends, and Cole had always been special.
“Cole,” I said, smiling. I stood up to embrace him, and he lifted me up in his strong arms. “Put me down, you fool.” I punched him on his shoulders. “I didn’t know you were coming to Aspen this year.” I heard Janique clearing her throat behind me. She always had a crush on him too. He set me down and turned towards her and Natalia. Their cheeks were red as they gawked at him.
“Who are these two beautiful ladies we got here?” he asked, flashing them a movie star smile. “Wait, ain’t that your little cousin, Janique? Girl, what you waitin’ for? Get on over here.” He opened his arms and Janique ran into them. She had a big smile on her face.
“Hi, Cole,” she said, looking shy. I chuckled and glanced over to see Natalia with her mouth hanging open. Cole was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. He was about the same height as Franco, with straight black hair and sky-blue eyes. He was two years older than I was, but we had always been close. I had a major crush on him when I was a teenager, up until I met Hank. He was a welcome sight and was a ladies’ man from what the boys told me.
“You’re all grown up now. Last time I saw you and your brother, you were this high,” he said, gesturing with his hands. Janique giggled and then Cole glanced over at Natalia, who was biting her lips. “Who’s this pretty little filly we got here? I have never seen you before, doll face.”
“Stop playing, Cole.” I smacked him on the arm. “She’s too young for you. This is my good friend Natalia from New York, and Janique’s best friend.”
He stared at her for a moment and smiled. “Nice meeting you, darlin’.” Her cheeks flushed, and then he glanced back over at me. “Where are the boys?”
“They’re inside the game room,” I said, grinning at him. He was such a flirt, and Natalia and Janique looked beside themselves as they watched him. “You haven’t answered my question?”
“What question is that, darlin’?” he asked, looking at me with mischievous eyes. “Okay. Your mama mentioned that y’all would be here for the holidays and to come on through. Since the folks were in Texas for Christmas, I decided to come out here.”
Hmm… knew Mama was up to something, that was why she was walking around smiling. Anyway, Cole only thought about me as a friend, so she was wasting her time trying to stir up trouble.
“I’m having a New Year’s Eve party at my house,” Cole continued, cutting through my thoughts. “I want y’all to come on through.” He moved to wrap his arms around my shoulders, giving me a tight squeeze. “I haven’t seen you in so long, darlin’. It’s good seeing you again. Mama told me that you finally kicked that son of a bitch Hank to the wayside.” The girls laughed when they heard him talking bad about Hank. I shook my head. Cole hated Hank. Heck, most of my friends disliked him, but I was too blind to see it. “Well, he never deserved a woman like you, sunshine,” he said, reaching down to kiss me on the forehead. I should move away from him. Franco was in the next room, and I did not want him getting the wrong impression. Cole was harmless, though, and I was happy to see him again. Franco did not have anything to worry about because he was the man that I loved.
Franco
I had just finished kicking my brothers and the twins’ ass playing pool and went to find Dallas. She was in the lounge with my sister and Janique. I stepped into the lounge area and paused for a moment. What the fuck? Some asshole had his arms wrapped around my woman. Damn, I cannot leave her alone for a second.
Jealousy spread through me, and I stomped into the room. I should not jump to conclusions, but it was hard reining in my emotions. I did not want any other man near Dallas. She knew many people, and since we got here, I met plenty of her rich friends. I clenched my fists and then I saw her looking over at me. Her face lit up with up with a beautiful smile. I approached her and she stepped away from the ass wipe.
“Franco,” she said, rushing over to greet me.
“Hey, baby,” I said, reaching down to capture her juicy lips into a hot kiss. I wanted the asshole to know that she was my woman and to back off. The motherfucker was watching us with a smirk on his face. I ignored him and kept kissing Dallas, who responded by opening her mouth wider as I devoured her lips.
“Who have we got here, Dallas?” the asshole said, interrupting us. I lifted my head slowly, challenging him with my gaze. Nat and Janique giggled in the background. I straightened up. We were about the same height and build, but I knew that I could take the asshole down if I had to. I worked out hard
; it was part of my job as a firefighter to be in good shape physically.
“Franco, I want you to meet Cole, my good friend and neighbor back in Texas,” she drawled. “We grew up together.” So this is Cole. Fucking great. I tried my best not to let my insecurities be in the way, but I knew that he came from money if he was Dallas’s neighbor. I could tell that she was close to him too. That was why he looked so goddamned cocky. “Cole, meet Franco. He’s very important to me.” I felt better when Dallas let him know what the deal was between us, but still did not trust him. I saw him eye-fucking her when I walked into the room.
He looked fixedly at me for a second and then walked over, stretching out his hand. “Howdy. Any friend of Dallas is a friend of mine.” He gripped my hand in a firm shake. “So, you must be the new guy from New York that she’s been smitten with. The boys told me all about you. I’m glad that she’s happy now.” I was not sure what to think about him until he said, “Heck, I’m always too late, aren’t I, darlin’?” I glared at him after he made that stupid comment. Yeah, motherfucker, you are too late. Dallas is my woman now.
“Stop it, Cole!” Dallas giggled and pushed him. “Don’t listen to him, Franco. He’s just messing with you.” She might brush it off, but I knew he was serious. It was obvious that he had a thing for her, even if she did not want to acknowledge it.
“I hope y’all can make it to my New Year’s Eve party tomorrow,” he drawled, eyeballing me. His brow furrowed when he glanced at the expensive Rolex watch on his wrist. “Dallas, I’m hitting the slopes now.” She nodded, and he glanced at me again. “I’m going to steal a little kiss if you don’t mind. I haven’t seen this girl in eons.” The asshole had nerve, asking me permission to kiss my woman. Fuck, I did not want his lips anywhere near hers, but conceded when she peeked over at me. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “See y’all tomorrow,” he said and strutted out of the room as if he owned the place. I glanced over to see Dallas watching me.
The Sweetest Encounter Page 13
