by Kane, M. J.
I promised him I would come by. I always kept my promises.
The door opened. “I’m glad you came.”
For the first time, his eyes didn’t reveal his thoughts. He didn’t embrace or kiss me as I entered his home. My heart raced as I waited for him to close the door and followed him into the living room.
My gaze went to the kitchen. There wasn’t evidence of food preparations on the kitchen counter as I walked by.
“Would you like something to drink?”
My attention went to him as we neared the sofa. My mouth was dry, but not from the lack of a beverage. “No, thank you.”
Zack nodded, indicating he wanted me to take a seat. I did and he settled beside me. “First, I want to apologize for what happened last week.”
“You don’t have to...” The expression on his face made me pause.
“Yasmine, let me say this, okay?”
I nodded and shut my mouth.
“I do owe you an explanation. Since we’ve been together, my outlook on my past has changed. Yes, Melissa and I have a history. She was my first kiss, the one I lost my virginity to. We dated off and on as we got older, and when I decided marriage was what I wanted, she is who I chose.” He paused and looked at the floor. “When she decided she didn’t want to be with me because she didn’t have my undivided attention, she left. You have no idea what that did to me.”
He was wrong. I knew exactly how that would affect him. It reminded me of the way I felt when my first love, Carlos, cheated on me in college. I thought he would love me forever, too.
Zack’s gaze met mine. “Then I met you. I remember the day I came to the hotel to fix your computer.” He paused, reached out to touch my hair. “It was longer then, down to your shoulder. You had on this skin tight burgundy skirt and a pair of black pumps that made those legs of yours…well; let’s just say I dreamed about you that night.”
My eyebrows creased. “You remember my hair and my clothes?” Absently, my hand went to my shorn locks.
A small smile spread on his face. “I remember everything about that day. The fact you called me a geek the minute you saw me in your doorway. And the fact you told some man on the phone you loved him.”
I forced myself to ignore the memory of that conversation. “I remember, too. I thought you had the sexiest eyes, but you didn’t pay me any attention when I flirted with you.”
“I know. I was attracted to you, too, but you appeared to be in a relationship. Besides, I figured you were the kind of woman who demanded more than I would be willing to give.”
“Melissa had left by then?”
He nodded, then reached for my hand. “Then, two months later, you walk into my life again. I recognized you the moment you burst through the door, even though your hair was shorter,” he chuckled. “How could I forget eyes as beautiful as silver and a smart mouth that is sexy as hell?”
I fought the urge to laugh and lost. Zack ran a thumb over my hand. The contact sent chills through me, reminding me what this was. I sobered.
“I guess my proposal was exactly what you wanted, huh?”
His eyebrows creased in thought. “Yes…and no.”
“I don’t understand.” I drew my hand away; he made no move to hold it again.
Instead he stood in front of the large window overlooking the city and slipped his hands into the pockets of his slacks. The lights in the room were low, the light coming from outside illuminated Zack; his silhouetted form visible, his eyes hidden.
Yet, his words were clear.
“The night I kissed you, I knew I wanted more, Yasmine. Sex, yes, but more. I wanted the chance to see where building a relationship with you would go.” His hand went to his chest. “I felt it right here, the moment our lips touched. I’d been thinking about us the moment you walked down the aisle. I didn’t give a damn about what I said before, about not looking for someone. What I realized that night is that I wanted you in a way that had nothing to do with sex.” He crossed to where I sat.
“You wanted me before I asked you to sleep with me?” I was dumbstruck.
“Yes. I would have told you then, but you made your feelings clear. I wanted to have you in some way, so yeah, I kept it to myself. I figured if you wanted my body, I had no problem giving it to you.”
And all this time I thought he only wanted mine.
“What are you saying, Zack?”
He reached for my hand and guided me off of the sofa. “Let me show you.”
He led me to the loft, past the bed, and to the bathroom. He flipped on the light switch. Bouquets of lilac calla lilies were on the counter. I gasped; they were my favorite. A black silk robe and a gift basket filled with bath oil, body wash, and perfume were next to it. A wine glass and an unopened bottle of white wine rested in a bowl of ice.
I stared at Zack in amazement. “What is this?”
“This is me showing you how I feel. All the words in the English language could be spoken, but actions speak louder than words.” He reached for the wine, popped the cork, and poured me a glass. He ran water in the tub, adding the bath salts and oils. “Take your time; think about what I’ve said. When you’re ready, put on the robe and meet me in the bedroom.”
Saying no more, he lit a fragrant candle, shut off the light, and walked out, closing the door behind him.
I stood frozen, staring at the wooden panel. Ms. Belinda’s words came to mind.
‘Give love another try.’
I studied the work Zach had put into this evening. No man had ever done anything like this for me before.
Maybe the words were coming from his heart.
***
I felt like a new woman. My skin was as soft as velvet, the perfume Zack bought held a hint of jasmine, like the bubble bath, which left me feeling seductive and desirable in a way I’d never felt before. The lapel of the black robe gaped open - leaving a view he would appreciate - and stopped just below my hips, my long legs bare. Wearing the silk material felt as if I were being held in his arms.
I took a moment to stare at myself in the mirror. A hint of the make-up I’d worn still clung to my lashes. I took a moment to run water in the sink and took my washcloth to wipe away everything. What was left was the natural me. With no make-up, my skin appeared to glow from deep within.
Zack wanted me fresh and clean for whatever he had in store next. Then that’s what he’d get; the natural, real me. I took a moment to run fingers through my short mane. Satisfied, I opened the door and stopped dead in my tracks.
The bedroom had taken on a whole new life. Gone were the regular bed sheets, replaced with black satin. The overhead lights were off and instead, candles of various shapes and sizes lined the nightstand, dresser, and floor, illuminating the room in a warm, sensual glow that stole my breath, and a fragrance that soothed my soul. The melodic sounds of his favorite jazz band played; the perfect backdrop to the aura he’d created.
Zack leaned against the bed’s headboard, his eyes closed. The minute he heard the bathroom door open, he rose from the bed, clothed in a pair of black silk sleeping pants that matched my robe.
He took his time walking over to me, his hazel eyes perusing my body, making my skin tingle.
“How do you feel?”
I brushed a hand over my hair again. “Would it be cliché to say like a million bucks?”
“No, not at all.” He extended a hand. “Come here, beautiful.”
I complied, loving the way my hand felt in his. Appreciated, cherished…
He drew me into his arms and kissed me for the first time since I’d walked into the door. Softly, taking his time as if he wanted everything about what happened next to be perfect. I gave into him, absorbing everything he wanted to give.
His kiss traveled from my mouth to my ear. “Tonight, there are no more games,” he whispered. “Don’t hide what you feel…I am going to show you what you mean to me.”
I nodded as my stomach quivered in anticipation and nervousness.
&nbs
p; Zack untied the robe, and slid it gently from my shoulders. His lips replaced the fabric as he sampled my skin; his hands caressed my shoulders before sliding to my waist, pulling me against him. “You smell incredible.”
I closed my eyes and tilted my head to the side, allowing him full access to my throat. “You’ve got good taste. I love it.”
I felt his lips curve against my skin. He pulled away and guided me to the bed. “Lie on your stomach.”
Once in position, I rested my head in the cradle of my arms, glancing over my shoulder to watch him as he opened the nightstand drawer. He picked up a bottle of what appeared to be oil. He poured the liquid in his hand and rubbed his palms together. He started at my shoulders, massaging and releasing the unknown tension that remained after my luxurious bath.
I moaned in appreciation. His hands were masterful on my skin, kneading and testing, teasing and taunting me. I got lost in the music; the sound of piano and saxophone, and remembered the night we danced in the garden. The night we shared our first kiss. A kiss that never should have happened, yet led us here…to now.
“I’ve spent the entire day trying to devise a way to make you understand how much you mean to me,” his hands left my shoulders and traveled to my lower back. “It should have been easy, but you, Yasmine, are a complicated woman. I respect and appreciate that. I appreciate the selfless way you stepped in to help me with my mother. Your laugh, your smile, your quick wit, and intelligence drew me to you. The past week of not seeing you, hearing your voice, feeling my heart race whenever our eyes meet…it didn’t take long to realize my feelings are real. This is not lust or the result of a chemical need. It’s mental; it’s physical, and so much more. I need you, Yasmine, in every sense of the word.”
Until then, my eyes had been closed. I leaned up on my elbows and looked around to see him. Those hazel eyes were intent on me, darkened ever so slightly by the passion in his voice, in his words. My heart raced in hope while my body ignited with need.
“Roll over…,” his voice had deepened.
The moment I turned over, he worshiped me with his hands. My eyes lowered in appreciation for the soft strokes of strong, sure hands that traveled over my breasts, teasing the peaks, to my knees, and everywhere in between.
The fragrant smell of the oil he used mesmerized me as much as his words. My body was on fire. In our short time of sleeping together, Zack had learned every one of my hot spots and how to make me beg for the release he could give. Yet none of those things made me feel as good as I did now. The need to have him become a part of me took hold in a way I’d never experienced before.
“Yasmine…,” his voice was husky, drawing my heavily lidded eyes to meet his.
“Yes?” I gripped the sheets in an effort to keep from reaching out and dragging him on top of me.
“I see you, the real you. I’m in love with you.” His eyes said it as much as his mouth did.
He didn’t wait for my response. Zack parted my thighs and slipped in-between. His hands slid over my breasts as his mouth took possession of mine, taking me to a place I’d never been before; a place where nothing else mattered except the two of us.
I gasped the moment his lips touched the side of my throat. Yes! This is what I wanted. No, not wanted, needed. What we needed. Zack had as much at stake in confessing his true feelings for me as I did in accepting them.
“I love you, Zack…I love you.” My confession ripped the heart out of me. The moment the words hit the air, my eyes watered uncontrollably. I broke my rule and gave in to the one thing I swore to never give again: full control of my heart, my soul, and my body. This was my last chance, the last ounce of myself I had left. If anything went wrong between us, I would be a ruined woman.
Zack pushed back and gazed deep into my eyes. What I saw in the hazel well was hope, love, and the promise of forever. “You love me?”
“Yes…I love you.” I put my hands to the side of his face, holding his gaze so he would know what I felt was real.
Relief flooded his features. He rested his forehead against mine. “I suspected, but wasn’t sure…Yasmine, baby…”
He didn’t speak again. Instead he removed the silk bottoms he wore, slipped on a condom, and slid inside of me. Both of us cried out as our bodies melded together as one, our mouths mated, our souls joined. I wrapped myself around him and held on as if my life depended on him.
This was love, true love. I knew without a doubt my decision to give myself to him would be one I would never regret. No man who professed his love for me had ever touched me the way Zachariah Givens did.
Physically. Mentally. Spiritually.
We panted and sweated, working to fulfill our desire and needs. All the while he continued to tell me how much he wanted me, how much he needed me, how he would make me happy for the rest of my life.
“I’m yours, Zack, all of me…everything, it’s yours…,” I promised, on the verge of another mind-blowing orgasm.
He stopped in mid-stroke, panting as beads of sweat glistened on his face, shoulders, and chest in the glow of the candlelight. “Baby…make me happy for the rest of my life…marry me.”
Chapter 26
Yasmine’s earth shaking response drew me along with her. I collapsed onto her body, fought to catch my breath, and willed my limbs to function so I could stop crushing her with my weight.
I rolled onto my back, pulling her with me, not wanting our bodies to separate.
My heart hammered as I breathed deep, inhaling her scent into my heart and mind. This was the point of no return. I laid my feelings on the line and showed her what I wanted.
I told her how much I loved her.
And she loved me back.
I’d taken a huge risk, unsure if my admission would result in her leaving or wanting as much as I did.
Her declaration of love filled me to the point of proposing in the middle of making love. My original plan was to tell her how I felt and convince her to stay until morning. I’d serve her breakfast in bed, then propose.
Hearing her say she gave herself to me completely was all the catalyst I needed.
Yet, she hadn’t yelled ‘yes’ as she came.
Yasmine straddled me, and stared at me with wide eyes. She panted just as hard. “Did you just ask me to marry you?”
I caressed her cheek. “Yes.”
Her fear was unmasked. She’d been down this road before; so had I.
“I will never hurt you, baby. I want you, no, not just want, I need you in my life.”
“I want you too, Zack, and you already have me…it’s just…my previous marriage proposals ended in disaster. What we have is good enough. Acknowledging our feelings is enough. Can’t we keep it like it is?”
I shook my head, guided her to my mouth, and kissed her softly. “That’s not good enough. I want you as my wife, not just my lover. I want to give you my name and make babies with you. I want to make what we have official in every sense of the word. You deserve more than just a place in my bed. You deserve everything. We deserve that kind of happiness for the rest of our lives.”
Yasmine bit her lip, the wheels visibly spinning in her head with reasons why she should disagree.
“Are you sure, Zack? Are you absolutely sure being with me is what you want?”
“I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.”
Yasmine stared at me. At that moment I realized I hadn’t thought this entire scenario through. What if she denied me? Could I keep our weekly arrangement if she refused? Nick’s words haunted me as visions of three years from now, I lie in this bed, physically satisfied, yet mentally and emotionally empty as she put her clothes on and walked out of the door. Pain hit my chest.
My mother’s confidence in knowing Yasmine could want more made me assume everything would work out the way I wanted.
Assumptions didn’t always have the best results. I would feel like such an ass if—
“Yes, I’ll marry you.” Yasmine kissed me, and held on as
if she never intended to let go. Fine by me, because I had no plans of ever losing her.
“You are going to be the happiest woman on earth.” I whispered in her hair.
Yasmine leaned back and laughed. “I’m so happy right now I’m not even sure it’s possible.”
My cheeks felt as if they would split wide from smiling. “Oh, yeah? I’m about to make you happier. I have something that belongs to you. You’ll have to move so I can get it.”
Disappointment flashed over her face before she rolled off me and onto the bed. Missing our physical connection, I quickly made my way over to my closet and dug around until I found it. I sat on the bed next to my wife-to-be.
In the glow of the candlelight, her skin was liquid gold, her eyes a gift from the stars, and her smile a precious commodity never to be ignored. This was the woman I would go to bed with, wake up next to, make love to, and expand our family with for the rest of my life.
What more could a man possibly ask for?
I held the small red box for her inspection, then lifted the lid. “This belongs to you.”
Yasmine covered her mouth as she stared at the circle of gold and encrusted diamonds.
“Oh, Zack…you’ve got a ring?”
“Yes,” I removed the ring from the box, slipped it onto her finger, and smiled. It was a perfect fit.
“Zack, it’s beautiful…” She held it up to the candlelight and watched the gems sparkle. “How did you…when…?”
“This was my mother’s wedding ring,” I paused as her mouth dropped open and her eyes flew between the ring and me.
“Your mother’s?”
“Yes. She gave it to me when she knew I was going to ask you. I guess she figured you’d say yes.”
Yasmine’s laugh filled my heart. “That’s why she had so much to say to me this morning.”
“What?”
She waved it off. “Your mother is one smart woman. I love her to death.”
“So do I.” She continued to study the ring, until a shadow passed over her face. “No, it’s not what I gave Melissa. She wouldn’t have deserved it. You do. That’s why she offered it to me.”
