What the...
Chapter 14
All Zahra could do was blink dumbly at Braswell down on one knee. In his hand was the gaudiest diamond ring she’d ever seen. This proved he’d never truly known her at all. For one, she’d never wear such a flashy piece of jewelry, even an engagement ring. For two, her ideal proposal was not in front of a room full of people. It also confirmed something else: Braswell Chesterfield had lost his damn mind.
Struggling to project an air of calm that she absolutely did not feel, she spoke through clenched teeth, “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Winning you back,” he said.
Braswell’s expression teetered between uncertainty and hopefulness. Why, in a trillion years, had he believed this was a good idea? Had he assumed an audience would influence the outcome? If so, he was sorely mistaken.
Her gaze rose from the sparkly diamonds and settled on the sea of gleefully anticipating observers. They may have been touched by the moment, but she wasn’t. Not one iota. A camera flashed, startling her. This was not a moment to be captured.
The first unmoved face Zahra connected with was Ava’s, whose stunned look morphed to one of sentiment. The second was Gregor’s. His inscrutable countenance gave little away. If she hadn’t already intended to reject Braswell’s ridiculous proposal, the way her heart swelled and stomach fluttered as she stared across the room at Gregor would have changed her mind. She just hoped this didn’t change his about her.
Before she was forced to embarrass Braswell in front of all of these people, the fire alarm blared, shifting the focus inside the space. As would be expected, everyone lost interest in the proposal and focused more on saving themselves from whatever potential peril lurked.
As people filed out of the building, Zahra grabbed Braswell by his arm and dragged him toward the back of the building.
“What are you doing? We have to get out of here. The place could go up in flames at any second.”
“There is no fire, Braswell, but there sure as hell are about to be some smoke and flames,” a shaken Zahra said.
Immediately after the alarm sounded, Zahra had caught a glimpse of Ava moving away from the pull station. Like any great sister, Ava had gotten her out of a sticky situation. While she hated her guests had fallen victim to the diversion, Zahra was glad she’d been taken off the hot seat.
Immediately crossing the threshold of her office, she laid into Braswell, damning him for placing her into such an awkward position. Blasting him for trying to force her hand. Blaming him for ruining her event.
“I just want you back. When we were together, you always dropped marriage hints. I just thought that if I gave you what you wanted, you’d forgive me, and I’d get a second chance.”
As usual, Braswell rattled off a hundred reasons why he’d done what he’d done, all of them in some way placing her at fault for his infidelity. All of them still not moving her one bit. He went on and on until she just couldn’t take it anymore.
“Stop it! Just stop. I’ve moved on, Braswell. I’m seeing someone.”
When his features hardened, Zahra knew the vulnerable-man routine had been a ruse. “Wow. That was quick. You didn’t waste any time replacing me, did you?”
Zahra’s face contorted into a ball of displeasure. “What did you think I was going to do, sit around and mourn you for the rest of my life?”
He slid his hands into his pockets and lowered his head briefly. “Who is he?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Is he out there tonight?”
“Yes.”
Zahra regretted her response instantly. All she needed was Braswell harassing every single man in attendance. And she definitely didn’t need him and Gregor coming to blows over her. Truthfully, she doubted she needed to worry. Gregor was probably long gone. And who could blame him? No one wanted to deal with someone’s crazy ex.
“I think you’ve caused enough damage for one night, Braswell. You should go.”
He closed the distance between them, pasting on one of those smiles that, at one point, had the ability to make her panties slide right off. Thankfully, it no longer had an effect on her.
“You want to throw away everything we have, Z?” He trailed a finger down the side of her face.
Jerking her head away, she said, “Had. And for the record, you threw everything away the moment you chose to sleep with another woman.”
“Dammit, Z, you know it meant nothing to me. She meant nothing to me.”
“Apparently, neither did I. Goodbye, Braswell.”
Lingering in silence for a long time, he finally moved away. Before leaving the room, he said, “He can’t make you happy because he’ll never be me.”
She laughed. “See, that’s where you’re wrong. Knowing he’ll never be you makes me extremely ecstatic.”
Something dark and menacing flashed across his face before he continued out the room. Zahra wasn’t sure what to make of the look. All she knew was she hadn’t liked it.
The roar of sirens refocused her attention and alerted her to the presence of the fire department. A short time later, Zahra joined Ava and an extremely attractive fireman out front. After a quick sweep, the building was given the all clear.
“Are you okay?” Ava asked in a gentle voice, smoothing a hand up and down Zahra’s back. “What that bastard did tonight was out of line.”
Zahra massaged the nagging headache at her temple. “I just want to forget the last hour and revert back to how happy I was before Braswell arrived.”
“Leslie and I can manage here if you need a moment,” Ava said.
Zahra knew she could trust both Ava and Leslie—Zahra’s part-time assistant—to handle things just as efficiently as she would. “You don’t mind? I could use a moment to catch my breath.” And prepare for the tons of questions she’d have to field.
“You know I’ve got your back. Always.”
“Thank you.” She paused, unsure about her next question. “Have you seen, Gregor?”
Ava’s features softened. “No.”
Zahra flashed a low-wattage smile, then headed to the back and out of one of the side doors to get some fresh air, using a tripod to prop it open. Hugging her arms around her waist for warmth and comfort, she closed her eyes and focused on the sounds of the night—mostly the swoosh of cars buzzing by. Gregor’s was probably one of them.
When the door banged closed behind her, her eyes flew open. Whipping around, she nearly stumbled over her own two feet. Large, warm hands shot up to brace her.
“Careful.”
Zahra was sure astonishment showed on her face. “You’re still here. After all of that commotion, I was sure you’d raced to your car and hightailed it out of here.”
“And miss all of this excitement? It’s not every day your girlfriend gets proposed to in front of you. Then fire trucks. I can’t wait to see what else you have in store. You really know how to throw a party.”
Zahra gave a dry laugh. “I’m glad you were entertained. I wasn’t.”
“Come here. I’m only messing with you,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “So that was Braswell, huh?”
She grumbled, “Yes.”
“I understand his addiction. You’re one helluva drug, Zahra Hart. I imagine he’s going through withdrawal.”
He removed his coat and draped it over her shoulders. His scent—manly and fresh—saturated the expensive fabric, soothing her frayed nerves. While she would have preferred his arms around her, the coat was an acceptable substitute. “Are you addicted?”
All he offered was a cheeky grin. Zahra meshed her body against his, rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Gregor’s strong arms encased her. She could stay like this forever.
“He left in an awful hurry. You’re not wearing an engagement ring. Is it safe to assume you
turned down his proposal?”
She reared her head back. “Of course, I did. Braswell’s not the man I want in my life.”
One side of his mouth lifted into a smile. “Being with me won’t be easy, Zahra. It’s not what you’re used to. There’ll always be media. There’ll always be cameras. There’ll always be rumors. It’s going to take patience and a whole lot of trust. But I’m going to do my best to make you happy.”
She knew he would.
Chapter 15
To Zahra, this day felt like it would never come, but it was finally Saturday and date night. Her official first date with Gregor. The way butterflies fluttered in her stomach, one would think it was prom night, and she had plans to lose her virginity.
In less than an hour, he would be ringing her doorbell, and she couldn’t wait to see him. With his insane schedule—a trip to Indianapolis to finalize the new endorsement deal, a photo shoot for his menswear apparel line, and Thoroughbred obligations, they hadn’t seen one another since her charity event the previous weekend.
Well, that was if you didn’t include video chatting—and she didn’t—because it wasn’t the same as Gregor physically being there with her.
“Ow, Ava. It’s too tight. It feels like my forehead is peeling back.” Zahra lifted her hand to the bun her sister was fashioning on top of her head, but Ava swatted it away.
“Stay still, Zah. You’re like an antsy five-year-old.”
Zahra sighed. “You act like I’m about to walk down the aisle. We’re just going to dinner and—” She paused, having no idea what came after the and because Gregor had refused to tell her. Truthfully, it didn’t matter what he had in store. They would be together and that was enough for her.
“Well, I’m going to get you closer to the altar. Once he sees you, he’ll be ready to propose.”
Zahra groaned at Ava’s mention of the word propose. “Please don’t say that word. Flashbacks.”
Every time she thought about the stunt Braswell had pulled at her studio, she seethed with anger. That alone should have soured her to men, but Gregor was the kind of sweet your body craved.
Ava cringed. “Sorry. And speaking of lowlife bastards, has he tried to contact you?”
“No, thank goodness. I think he’s finally gotten the hint that we’re never getting back together.”
Ava pretended to spit. “Good riddance.”
Zahra hoped.
“Do you think I’m being naive, Ava?”
She held Zahra’s gaze through the mirror, a bemused look on her face. “About?”
“Gregor. We are from two totally different worlds and—”
“Stop right there.” Ava moved around to face her. “Does Gregor strike you as the type of man who would invest the level of energy he’s investing in you on a woman he’s not interested in being with? The man came to claim you, for goodness’ sakes. He could have simply chosen to go on with his life, but he wanted you to be a part of it. This is not a coincidence, Zah. It’s destiny.”
Maybe she was right.
Ava returned to tussling with Zahra’s hair. “You really do like him, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I do. I’ve never experienced a connection this strong, this intense with anyone. It thrills and scares me.”
“Scares you? Why?”
“As crazy as it sounds, I’m already feeling something for Gregor, Ava. Not love, but something that suggests I am going to fall in love with him. I don’t want to be hurt again.”
Ava bent at the waist, wrapped her arms around Zahra’s neck. “He’s your one, big sis. I can feel it. And I have the sneaky suspicion that he does, too.”
* * *
Gregor scrutinized himself in the mirror for the fourth time in the last twenty minutes. Why in the hell was he so nervous? It wasn’t like he was about to walk down the aisle. A vision of Zahra all radiant in white filled his head. He shook the image away.
What the hell was that?
Had he really just visualized Zahra as his wife? More urgently, why hadn’t the thought terrified the shit out of him? Marriage wasn’t something that often bleeped on his radar. Which had been another source of tension in his and Selene’s relationship. She’d wanted to be Mrs. Carter; he’d been content with her staying Ms. Hampton.
Zahra Carter. It had a nice ring to it.
“Slow down,” he told the impeccably dressed man that stared back at him. “You’re taking it slow, remember?” But Zahra made him want to move at the speed of light.
Gregor ran his hand over his clean-shaven face. While he’d chopped off the beard, he’d kept the curls. At least for now. He liked the way Zahra’s hands felt running through them. They, too, would have to go once workouts started. It was hot enough under his helmet without the added mass further blocking air circulation.
Checking his watch, he gave himself one last once-over, then headed downstairs to the waiting sedan. There was one stop he needed to make before Zahra’s, so he headed out a little early. He didn’t want to chance being late for their first date.
Gregor slid in back of the Mercedes-Maybach and relaxed against the heated leather seat. Damn. Was it normal to be this anxious about seeing a woman? No, he answered quickly. But in his defense, Zahra wasn’t just any woman. She was special. He’d realized it the first time he’d seen her. Okay, maybe not the first time. Definitely, the second time. Hell, he’d eventually realized it.
Special. He’d used that term plenty in the past, but this time he actually meant it. Zahra was the exception to the one rule he’d sworn to never break again: falling. A rule that had flown out the window before he’d ever left Lake Lamont. What was so different about Zahra? He didn’t tax his brain trying to figure it out. Knowing in his gut was explanation enough.
Gregor engaged the massaging seat function, eased his head back against the rest and closed his eyes. The entrancing vibration nearly put him to sleep, and probably would have had the driver not announced they’d reached their destination. With all the traveling he’d done the past week, he was exhausted.
It took Gregor only several minutes to retrieve the gift he’d purchased for Zahra. He hoped she liked it. A short time later, he arrived at her townhome in historic West End. Tucking the gift-wrapped box under his arms, he moved to her door and rang the bell.
Ava answered and invited him inside. Gregor remembered Zahra telling him that her sister spent more time here than she did at her own place. Zahra had also confessed to enjoying her company. From what he gathered, the two were close. He wished he had siblings with whom to share the good and bad times. The closest he had to family were his teammates and Thad.
Scrutinizing his surroundings, Gregor nodded his approval. He favored open floor plans like this, too, and the high, vaulted ceiling. It made him feel less boxed in. Zahra’s choice of vibrant colors—blues, greens, yellows—suited her personality. Colorful and cheery.
“Can I get you anything?” Ava asked.
“No, I’m good, but thanks.”
“In that case...” She grabbed her purse off the counter. “Zah will be down shortly. Make yourself at home. I hope you two have a lovely evening. And it’s nice seeing you again. I hope to see more of you.”
“Thank you,” he said. “It was nice seeing you again, too. And you definitely will.”
Ava headed toward the door. Snapping her fingers, she stopped and faced him. “Silly me, I almost forgot to tell you something.” Her voice changed to a sinister pitch and the jovial expression morphed into a sneer when she said, “If you break my sister’s heart, I’ll come full-throttle for you.”
Damn. “Um. Got it?”
She reverted back to the smiling, upbeat woman who’d welcomed him in. “Great. Tootles.”
Gregor wasn’t sure if he should be touched by Ava’s dedication to her sister’s happiness or fearful for his own safety. Conversely, she had said
if he broke Zahra’s heart. He definitely had no intentions of doing that. In theory, he was safe.
His eyes were still pinned to the front door when Zahra descended the stairs.
“Sorry for keeping you waiting,” she said. “Ooo, you shaved your beard. Why? I liked it.”
“It—” Zahra’s appearance paralyzed him, causing his words to evaporate in his head. “Wow.” Just when he thought she couldn’t get any more beautiful.
If he had been a dog, his tongue would be wagging. Her hair was fashioned in a perfectly symmetrical bun on top of her head, exposing a neck that begged for his kisses. While she didn’t need any at all, her face was lightly dusted with makeup. Not overdone, but just right. Her lips were glossy, yet bare of color.
Her lips were so tempting he had to fight the urge to dart across the room and crush his mouth to hers. His eyes drifted down the column of her neck and along her exposed shoulder. When he imagined peppering her soft skin with kisses, a shiver crept up his spine. The black and dark gray dress she wore clung as magnificently to her body as a priceless painting hung on the wall of a museum. And just like a curator would do, he planned to protect Zahra at all cost.
“You look absolutely amazing. I’ll be the envy of every man.”
She neared him, pressing her body against his. He hooked an arm around her waist.
“Since being envied is probably no different tonight than from any other day in the life and times of Gregor freaking Carter, I think you can handle it.”
Yes, he could. He could handle it and her. No sex, Carter. No sex. The reminder didn’t keep him from wanting the hell out of her right now. “I’m a lucky man.”
Zahra smiled. “Kiss me, Mr. Lucky.”
She didn’t have to tell him twice.
The instant their mouths touched, they moaned in unison. As with each time her lips met his, a shock of awareness sparked through his entire body. His hand glided over the dip in the small of her back and came to rest on her butt, giving it a teasing squeeze. A tiny whimper slipped from her.
Then Came You ; Written with Love Page 26
