“I can’t believe you just said that. My love scenes are tasteful. Scandalous. I’ll show you scandalous.” She fought him playfully.
“I give, I give,” he said. “Seriously, though, I think it’s beautiful how much Gabriel enjoyed making love to Kimberly, and the fact that he made it his priority to know every single inch of her body. What she liked.” He dragged a finger along her arm. “What turned her on. Places she enjoyed being touched, teased.”
“That was why she loved when he made love to her. He made her feel things no man ever had before.” Her eyes lowered. “I wonder if he had been able to stop making love to her, would she have felt like—” she paused a moment, her gaze coming up to meet his “—like maybe she wasn’t fulfilling him in the same way he was satisfying her?”
“I’m not—” Gregor stopped abruptly. “Wait, is that what you think?”
Zahra glanced away, not believing she’d allowed the words to travel beyond the safety of her head.
“Look at me, Zahra.” When she did, he continued, “Is that what you think?”
Exhaling, she said, “I’m not sure what to think, Gregor. At week one, I was like okay. Week two, I was like hmm. We’re at week four now, and I’m confused. At the lake, it felt like you couldn’t get enough of me. Now, it’s like you don’t want me.”
“Do you think I’m cheating on you?”
“No. Not once have I felt that way,” she said without hesitation.
Gregor eyed her hard, possibly trying to decide whether or not to believe her. He could. If she’d thought for one minute that he had been unfaithful, they wouldn’t be here.
“I love making love to you. Love it. Like really love it,” Gregor said. “But for the first time in forever, sex hasn’t felt like a priority for me. I love just being with you, Zahra. Talking. Laughing. Just being. But don’t think for one second that you don’t turn me all the way on. That I don’t want you. Trust me, I do. Every single second we’re together I want you. But I also want more than just your body. And that’s what I was trying to show you. I’m—”
Zahra pressed her index finger to his lips. “Shh.” She grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled the material over her head. A second later, her bra followed. An exhilarating feeling washed over her when Gregor drew his bottom lip between his teeth.
Clinging to Gregor’s dark, hungry gaze, she smoothed her hands over her breasts, further stimulating her already aching nipples. As she continued to run them down her rib cage, Gregor placed his hands over hers and glided along with her.
Her movement stopped at her waist. Drawing her hand from underneath Gregor’s, she unfastened her jeans, then lowered the zipper. Gregor’s eyes lowered. His manhood hardened and pressed into her pulsing clitoris.
“You’ve shown me that we’re about more than just sex. Now show me how much you want me.”
It was a challenge he eagerly and swiftly accepted. Before she could take her next breath, he had her flat on her back. She raised her hips to allow him to remove her bottoms. He didn’t bother removing panties. Instead, he pushed them aside, lowered his head between her legs and worked potent black magic.
Gregor devoured her. She screamed his name, over and over again. Torn between wanting this sweet torture to last and needing it to end so that she could feel him inside her, she closed her eyes and rode the beautiful wave. Her body capsized when he curled two fingers inside her.
The powerful orgasm shattered her into a thousand tiny pieces. Her body still quivered when he removed his fingers, stood, undressed and sheathed himself. Returning to her, he removed her panties, then blanketed her body with his. His thick erection teased her opening, and she angled her hips to take him inside her.
He wouldn’t allow it.
A whimper rolled from her throat. “I need you,” she said. “Desperately.”
Gregor’s mouth lowered to her breast. He sucked one nipple between his lips, lapping and teasing it with his tongue, while he rolled the other between his thumb and forefinger. Kissing his way up her body, he glided his tongue across her bottom lip.
Zahra cried out when Gregor plunged deep inside her. His strokes were long and hard, giving her exactly what she’d craved for so long. Their bodies slapped together, filling the room with the sounds of untamed lovemaking.
Gregor withdrew long enough to flip Zahra onto her stomach and hike her hips. He entered her from behind. Securing a firm grip on her waist, he drove into her with speed, force, determination.
Heat pooled in her belly, signaling the onset of another orgasm. Her nails dug into the fibers of the carpet as she fought off the release. Unfortunately, neither of their bodies cooperated. Seconds after her body quaked, a growl tore from Gregor.
He collapsed on her, his damp chest resting against her back. The weight of him felt wonderful. His heavy breath tickled her shoulder. “That was amazing,” she said.
“That was just the beginning,” he said, kissing the back of her neck.
Her head shifted toward him. “What?”
“You said to show you how much I want you. I plan to do just that.” He kissed her shoulder. “You should probably get some rest, baby. It’s going to be a long night.”
Chapter 18
Zahra eyed the calendar on her office desk in disbelief. Was it really the first day of May? Where in the heck had the time gone? Her focus shifted to the large red circle drawn around the twenty-sixth. Her parents’ forty-second wedding anniversary. A warm sensation filled her chest thinking about how they were still so much in love and happy after all of these years.
“I was told I could find the most beautiful romance writer in the world inside this office. Is that true?”
Zahra glanced up, her lips curling into a wide smile. “Gregor. What are you doing here?”
She came from behind her desk. Once she was within arm’s reach, he pulled her into him. God, she loved when he did that. Acted as if he could never be this close to her and not touch her. Instantly, her body relaxed against his as it always did.
“I was in the neighborhood and was hoping you were free for lunch.”
“Just so happens, I am.” Her noon appointment had canceled, freeing up her schedule until two. “In the neighborhood, huh?”
He flashed one of those killer smiles. “Okay, I may have exaggerated. I just wanted to see you. And...” His mouth moved within inches of hers. “I really needed to do this.”
Gregor captured Zahra’s mouth in the all-consuming manner she’d grown accustomed to. Their tongues engaged in a tantalizing battle. Gregor’s hands snaked down her body and rested on her backside, giving it a gentle caress. She moaned softly into his mouth, their delicious exchange awakening her body. Why couldn’t she control herself around him?
A minute or two later, Gregor groaned and pulled away. “Quit trying to seduce me, woman. I am not a piece of meat.”
Zahra laughed. She loved his wacky sense of humor. “You are full of it. Let’s go before you get me in trouble.”
After overindulging at her favorite sushi restaurant, Zahra was all too willing when Gregor suggested they take a stroll through Freedom Park. She needed the energy the walk would give her because she had a long evening ahead of her.
All of the unsolicited publicity dating Gregor had garnered her had caused her studio bookings to triple. She wasn’t complaining. She was grateful for all of the new business.
“I love it here,” she said as they moved along the trail. “It’s even better being here with you,” she added, bumping Gregor playfully.
“Keep on, you’re going to make me feel special,” he said.
“You are.” She pulled her gaze away from him and eyed the water. Far more special than she’d ever dreamed he’d be. “Do you come here often?”
“Not often. Me and a couple of the guys run here sometimes. We mostly do Laurel Loop at Lake Norman Park. I
like it because most of the trail is shaded. On occasion, we’ll do Booty Loop in Myers Park.”
“For the life of me, I don’t understand why people run if no one is chasing them,” Zahra said.
Gregor chuckled. “It helps me clear my mind. And helps me stay in shape during the off-season. I like to eat.”
“Yes, you do.” She recalled how he’d polished off her leftovers at the restaurant. “But with that chiseled body, no one would ever know it.” She ironed a hand over his midsection and moaned.
“All right. You better quit before you start something.”
Gregor draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. She loved being close to him. It was hard to believe that the Gregor the public experienced and the one she’d gotten to know so well were one and the same. Shading her eyes, she said, “I wish I would have had the foresight to bring my sunglasses. It’s bright out here.”
Gregor stopped, removed his designer eyewear and slid them onto her face.
“Trust me. You don’t want me wearing these. I’ve gone through about twenty pairs already this year. I’m not sure I can afford to replace these.”
A roguish grin spread across his face. “If you break them, I can think of one or two ways to recoup the cost.” His brows bounced twice.
“You’re bad.” She adjusted the glasses. “Ooo, I like these. How do I look?”
“Like a goddess.”
When he winked at her, butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She was a grown-ass woman, so why did Gregor constantly make her feel like an inexperienced teenager in love with the star quarterback? Maybe because she was. Not the teenager part. The thought rattled her, so she pushed it aside for now.
“So, one of my boys is having a birthday party for his girl in a couple of weeks. What do you think?”
“What do I think about what?”
“About going with me?”
Whoa. He wanted her to meet his friends. That was a huge step for them both. “Are you asking if I’d like to accompany you to a star-studded affair to celebrate with your football buddies and their significant others?”
Gregor’s brow furrowed as if she’d confused him. “I’m not sure about the star-studded part, but the rest sounds about right.”
Zahra pressed a finger into her cheek and glanced heavenward. “Hmm.” A second later, she grinned. “I would love to attend with you, Mr. Carter.”
“Good.”
Gregor turned away and washed his hand over his lips, a troubled look on his face. Had he hoped she’d say no to his invitation? Was he apprehensive about her meeting his friends? Did he think she wouldn’t fit in? A thousand questions pulsed through her head. Ugh. Stop it, Zahra. You’re being ridiculous. If he hadn’t wanted her to go, he wouldn’t have extended the invitation. Right?
“Is there something else?” she asked.
“Hmm?”
“Was there something else you wanted to tell me?”
A tense beat of silence played between them before he said, “No. There’s nothing else,” then flashed a smile.
So why did her gut tell her there was? Quieting her instincts, she said, “I’ll go under one condition.”
Gregor stopped, then shifted to face her. His eyes narrowed in obvious curiosity. “What’s the condition?”
“You have dinner with my parents and me at the end of the month. It’s their anniversary.”
Gregor’s lips parted, then closed as if he reconsidered what he was about to say. His gaze slid away briefly. When he eyed her again, an uncertain look was on his face.
“I, um...” He rested his hands on his hips and dropped his head.
“You think it’s too soon,” she said as more of a statement than a question. If that was the case, she would understand. Never would she force him into an uncomfortable situation.
His head rose. “It’s not that. I’ve never...” His words trailed. “I’ve never met a woman’s parents before. No one has ever invited me to meet their parents.”
Zahra was sure her face flashed utter confusion. “Really? Never?”
He shook his head.
“But you were with your ex, what, close to two years. You never met her parents? Ever?” How was that even possible?
“Her parents were extremely religious and didn’t approve of some of her life choices. Namely, me. I was a bad boy and not good enough for their daughter, they thought.”
“She gave up her family for you?” The thought of such a sacrifice was jarring to Zahra because she was so close to hers. The idea of being forced to choose was tormenting.
“No, nothing like that. I would have never stood between her and her family. Family is everything.”
Zahra noted a hint of sadness in Gregor’s eyes. He was right; family was everything. Maybe one day he’d get to know the joys and blessings of having one. Maybe she would give him that.
“She visited them,” Gregor continued. “I was just never welcomed with her.” He shrugged. “I respected her parents’ position. That was their daughter. They were just doing what they felt was necessary.”
“And your ex was okay with their judging you like that?”
He shrugged. “Apparently.”
Wow. To think his ex’s parents had labeled him without ever taking the time to get to know him. They’d blown the opportunity to know a kind, gentle man. Had his ex even stood up for him? Had she not loved him enough to ask her parents to get to know him before casting him aside like garbage?
Zahra threaded her arm through his and started moving again. “Don’t worry. My parents won’t judge you. They’re going to love you.” Just as much as she did.
God, she couldn’t believe she’d just admitted that. Even to herself. She was in love with Gregor. Wow. She was in love with Gregor, she repeated as if the first time hadn’t rattled her enough. Okay. This was real.
She was in love with Gregor. And it couldn’t have felt more right.
* * *
Zahra’s jaw had touched the floor when they’d entered the Sanctuary South Ballroom for the birthday bash close to two hours ago. The lavishly decorated room looked as if it had been snatched from the pages of a child’s fairy-tale book. No expense had been spared transforming the space into an enchanted garden.
Flowers dangling from the ceiling. Makeshift grassy knolls. Sculpted topiaries everywhere. The scene was absolutely breathtaking. She’d desperately wanted to take a picture, but cameras and cell phones had been prohibited.
Honestly, she couldn’t believe how much fun she was having at the birthday celebration. And to think she’d been nervous about attending. To her delight, everyone had turned out to be great. Well, almost everyone. There had been two wives who’d been dismissive. That was okay. Gregor hadn’t seemed overly fond of their husbands anyway, so she doubted they’d be spending much time around either of them. Which was fine with her.
Gregor turned her in a spin, then pulled her to him, her back resting against his chest, his arms secured snuggly around her. They’d spent the past half hour on the dance floor. The good thing about being here was the fact that most of the attendees held some level of celebrity, so there were no awestruck fans wanting autographs or selfies. In this setting, she had Gregor all to herself.
“Are you having a good time?” he asked over the roar of the cover band, who’d performed everyone from Anthony Hamilton to Marvin Gaye.
“The best,” she said in an equally elevated tone.
“Good,” Gregor said, kissing the side of her neck. “Just so you know, the second we’re home, that dress is coming off,” he whispered close to her ear.
“Promises, promises.”
Dancing through several more songs, Zahra excused herself to the restroom. She marveled at the marble-laden room. The theme had spilled over into the elegant space, with the ten or so mirrors draped in greenery
and dotted with butterflies.
A check of her makeup reminded her of the spine-tingling kiss Gregor had given her before she’d left him on the dance floor. Touching her lips with two fingers, she smiled. Was this really her life? Was it truly possible that she could be this happy with someone?
Giving herself a once-over, she admired the dropped V-neck, sequined, champagne-colored party dress she wore. The one Gregor had promised to rip off her the second they got home. Home. It was the exact word he’d used. It had rolled off his tongue so effortlessly that she wasn’t sure he’d even realized what he’d said. But hey, she’d spent so much time in his bed that his place felt like a second home.
She latched the stall door just as someone entered. Several someones, judging by the click-clack of heels against the floor.
“The nerve of him to bring his rebound to my cousin’s birthday party. Who in the hell does he think he is? That wasn’t cool. Not cool at all.”
Uh-oh. Sounded like someone was upset. Zahra usually tended to her own business, but her ears perked to the fuming woman’s rant. Someone attempted to speak but was cut off by her raging friend.
“And Janay. Smiling all in her face. If it wasn’t for me, she wouldn’t even be having this whack-ass adolescent birthday party. She’d still be back in Riegelwood, scrubbing pots and pans. Ungrateful heffa. Family. They’re worse than foes sometimes.”
From the sounds of it, someone here had really pissed her off, including Janay, whom the party was for.
“You know the only reason he brought her here is to make you jealous,” one of the females said.
Zahra stilled, recognizing the voice as belonging to one of the women who’d given her the cold shoulder earlier.
“Yeah, he had to know you’d be here. You should have listened to me and brought your new boo. That would have messed him up for sure.”
And that was the voice of Cold-shoulder-giver number two.
“He had to work,” the ranter said. “He’s always working,” she grumbled. “But he has to be able to properly take care of me.”
Then Came You ; Written with Love Page 29
