Savion didn’t respond to that. Instead, he ate some of his food. He was quiet for so long, Hadley thought he was done talking. She returned her attention to the contracting estimates she’d had drawn up for Della.
Finally, he spoke again. “Hadley, I have something to tell you.”
“What is it?” She glanced up from the estimates.
A deep sigh preceded his words. “I’m the one...who reached out to those photographers about Devon.”
Hadley’s eyes widened, her jaw tightening in anger. When she thought of what she’d lost because of her brother’s actions... “Savion. How could you?”
He wore a mask of regret, and it looked genuine. “I’m sorry, Hadley. I used your work email to contact them—you had left your computer on.”
She stood up, fists clenched at her sides. “I should pop you right upside your square head! I can’t believe you.”
“I know. It was childish and petty, and I really do regret it. I never expected things to blow up the way they did, but that doesn’t matter.” He pushed aside his half-eaten food. “I’d decided I didn’t like Devon, that he wasn’t good enough for you. I let the overprotective brother in me take over and did something against my better judgment.”
“You’re damn straight.” She sat down again, flexing her fingers before the stiffness set in.
“Seeing you unhappy is driving me crazy. I had to confess, and I hope you’ll forgive me. I promise I’ll never pull a stunt like this again.”
Della shook her head. “Honestly, Savion. I expect better of you.”
He sighed. “I know. And from now on, better is what you’ll get.”
Hadley took several deep breaths. While she was angry with her brother, she also felt vindicated. This revelation solved the mystery of who’d ratted Devon out. Now that she knew, she felt better. But Devon... “Savion, I’ll forgive you under one condition.”
“Anything. Just name it.” He seemed contrite, and eager to get back in her good graces.
“Reach out to Devon and tell him what you just told me.” She folded her arms over her chest. “This idea that I called in those photographers is what ruined things for us, so he needs to hear from the real culprit.”
Savion nodded. “That’s reasonable. I’ll get in touch with him right away.” He paused, as if he’d just thought of something. “But I can’t guarantee this will fix things between you two.”
“I’m not asking you to do that.” She wasn’t naive enough to think her brother had that ability. “Just tell him the truth. What he decides to do next is on him.”
“Then I’m on it.” He stood, tossing away his trash. “Is it too much to ask for a hug? Just so I know we’re cool and you’re not going to draw on my face while I’m asleep?”
She stood and hugged her brother, laughing at his reference to a prank she’d pulled on him when they were kids. “We’re cool, if you do what I’ve asked. Screw this up, though, and you’ll wake up looking like a Picasso.”
The siblings separated, and Savion left.
After he was gone, Della asked, “What do you think is going to happen next?”
Hadley shrugged. “Who knows? I’m just going to wait and see.”
“And keep living in the meantime.”
Hadley smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”
* * *
Devon rolled his bag across the polished floor of the concourse, moving at an easy pace. Spotting an empty seat in the terminal his connection would depart from, he strolled over and sat down. Jogging through airports was probably one of his least favorite ways to spend his time. But if the cause was worth it, he’d travel wherever it required.
He still had a good hour or so before his connecting flight, so he pulled out his tablet. He started putting together a virtual jigsaw puzzle to pass the time, but quickly lost interest in that. Turning off the tablet, he tucked it back into the outer pocket of his carry-on.
Absently watching the teeming crowd of people moving through the terminal, he couldn’t keep his thoughts off Hadley. Did she miss him? Was she even thinking about him? He’d been so harsh with her the night he’d left the island. In his mind’s eye, he could see her beautiful face, lined with worry as she tried to get through to him; he could see the tears coursing down her satin cheeks.
He’d hurt her, and he was having a hard time forgiving himself for that. She was about as sweet a woman as he’d ever encountered. Beneath the confidence she exuded lay sensitivity, and she’d made herself vulnerable by telling him how she felt about him. He’d repaid her bravery in revealing her innermost thoughts by basically calling her a liar and dismissing her attempts to explain herself.
He cursed under his breath, mentally kicking himself for being such an ass. Unfortunately, there was no way to go back and undo it now. All he could do was return to the island, and to her, and beg her forgiveness. He’d do whatever was necessary to prove that he loved her, tell her that he was sorry and that his life would be empty without her. He’d have to humble himself, let her inside to see the core of his being. He’d give her what he sensed she craved most: he’d trust her fully, the way she trusted him.
He’d been sitting there strategizing for about twenty minutes when his cell phone rang. Fishing it out of the hip pocket of his slacks, he answered it. “Hello?”
“Devon? It’s Savion Monroe.”
Surprise made him lean forward in his seat. “Hi, Savion.”
“You sound surprised to hear from me.”
“I am. I can’t think of any reason you’d be calling me.” And he couldn’t. Despite the caffeine buzz from the two cups of coffee he’d had before leaving LAX, he couldn’t think of a single motivation Savion would have for wanting to talk to him.
“I’ll get right to it, then. I have something to tell you, related to my sister.”
He rolled his eyes. “If this is about us seeing each other, I don’t want to hear it.”
Savion cleared his throat. “No, no. Nothing like that. I just want to clear up something about this whole paparazzi thing.”
He shifted, seeking comfort on the chair’s hard seat. This ought to be interesting. “And what’s that?”
“I’m the one who tipped them off.”
Devon frowned but said nothing. If Savion was feeling guilty enough to confess, he wanted to hear the whole story.
“Hadley has this bad habit of leaving her computer on at work, logged in to everything. So I used her email address to reach out to them.”
He groaned. “You wanna tell me when you did this?”
“Christmas Eve. Took them a few days to get their crew together and make it to town, though. Then it was just a matter of figuring out where you would be.” Savion paused. “I’m sorry, man. I really didn’t expect things to turn out like this.”
He was pretty sure Savion hadn’t spent much time at all thinking about how things might turn out. It seemed the brother had mostly been concerned with driving a wedge between his sister and her new man. “I gotta say, man, this was a pretty childish stunt to pull. What are you, fourteen?”
Savion released a sigh. “I deserve that. I thought I was protecting my sister. The truth is, what I did was wrong. I shouldn’t have interfered with her relationship, and it won’t happen again.”
“Did you tell Hadley what you did?”
“Yes. And she insisted I let you know, though I intended to do that anyway.” Savion paused again, as if choosing his next words carefully.
Devon thought that wise.
“Look, she misses you. She’s probably not going to call you, but if you do reach out to her, I know she’d be receptive.”
Devon chuckled. “Oh, so you like me now?”
“In a word, yes. You make my sister happy, and that’s all I ever really wanted for her.”
He t
ook a moment to let that settle in. Hearing Savion say those words made Devon feel good, maybe even a bit smug and self-righteous. But he was mature enough not to say any of that aloud.
“Would you consider giving her a call, Devon?”
He snorted a laugh. “I’ll do you one better. I’m coming back for her.”
Savion’s tone brightened. “Really? When?”
Looking around the terminal, he smiled. “Actually, I’m at Chicago O’Hare right now. Should be there before nightfall, if all goes well.”
“Awesome.” Savion sounded genuinely pleased. “Listen, Devon, again, I’m sorry about all this.”
“It’s water under the bridge. As long as she’s willing to take me back, I don’t have any beef with you, Savion.”
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”
“Yeah. I respect your ability to admit to me that you acted like an idiot.” He laughed. “Just don’t do it again, and we’re cool.”
Savion laughed in response to that. “Trust me, my days of butting in on Hadley’s life are over. Listen, when you get in town and have some time, call me. I’ll take you out for a beer.”
“Bet. Later, Savion.” He disconnected the call, tucking his phone away. Sitting there in the terminal, he thought back on his mother’s stern lecture. She’d been right about everything—Hadley had been telling the truth, but he’d been too blinded by his anger to see that. It had been a long time since he’d been this wrong, and he was almost certain he’d have some tall apologizing to do when he arrived—if she would even talk to him.
It didn’t matter, though. Being without her had taught him how much he needed her in his life. He needed her softness, her sweetness and, yes, even her sass. If she took him back, she could give him lip every day for the rest of his life if she wanted to, and he’d gladly accept it. She was the key to his future happiness, the only woman who’d managed to work her way into his heart since he’d become a widower.
Yes, Hadley Monroe was meant to be Mrs. Granger.
Now he just needed to get back to Sapphire Shores and prove it to her.
Chapter 20
As day turned into night, Hadley settled in on her couch for a marathon of Eddie Murphy movies. Belinda had pestered her most of the day about going out to participate in the revelry of the night and bring in the New Year with some drinks and shenanigans. Hadley had turned her down, choosing a quiet night at home instead. The Beverly Hills Cop movies, Coming to America and 48 Hrs. were on tap and sure to lift her mood. Besides, the New Year would come anyway, so she’d decided to spend the night in the comfort of her home rather than being pushed around some smoky club.
She started Coming to America, humming along with the iconic chant in the opening sequence as she fetched her popcorn and wine from the kitchen. Sitting down on the sofa, she placed the bowl in her lap.
During the scene where Prince Akeem and Semmi were deciding where to look for a suitable bride, a knock sounded at her door. She shook her head as she set her popcorn aside and climbed to her feet. It’s probably Belinda, trying to convince me to go out. Her friend was about to be out of luck, because she’d removed her bra already and donned a rather matronly nightgown. Hadley wasn’t going anywhere and no amount of convincing would change her mind.
Since it was dark outside, she stood on the tips of her toes to check the peephole as a precaution. Her brothers often lectured her about that.
When she saw Devon standing on the doorstep, her heart stopped. She dropped back down, wondering if she were seeing things. There was only one way to find out.
Opening the door, she saw that he really was standing there. Not only that, but he had another armful of roses—this time they were sterling. “Hi, baby.”
Standing there in wide-eyed amazement, she managed to mutter a greeting. She let her hungry eyes devour his tall, handsome frame, draped in a pair of charcoal-gray slacks and a crisp white button-down shirt.
“These are for you.” He handed her the flowers. “Mind if I come in?”
She took the roses, cradling them against her chest. Looking down at her nightgown, she sighed. “Here you are, looking like a million dollars, and I’m dressed like this.”
He smiled. “You look beautiful to me.”
She stepped back. “Come on in out of the cold.”
Once he was inside and she shut and locked the door, he leaned against it. “Thank you for letting me in. After the way I treated you, I’m not sure I deserve your courtesy.”
She blinked a few times. “I can’t believe you’re really here.”
He reached out, dragging his fingertip over her jawline. “I’m here, baby. For real.”
The tingle that went through her confirmed his words. Thinking of the flowers she still clutched, she took them to the kitchen. “Let me put these in water.”
Once she’d taken care of the roses, she returned to the living room, where Devon remained in the same place, leaning against the door. He seemed to be waiting for her to say something. “Come over to the sofa and sit down.”
Seated next to him, with the popcorn between them, she watched him, waiting.
He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Hadley. So very, very sorry.”
She wanted to make him work for this, she really did. But the reality was that she’d missed him terribly. Hearing him apologize made happy tears spring to her eyes.
“Your brother called me today and admitted what he did. But even if he hadn’t called, I was still wrong for the way I treated you, for not believing you.”
Their gazes met.
“How did you get here so fast?”
He smiled. “Easy. I was already on my way—I was sitting in the terminal at O’Hare when he called.”
She sniffled then as the tears continued to spill. Confusion mixed with her joy at seeing him again. “You were?”
“Yes.” He moved the popcorn bowl, setting it on the coffee table. Before he moved, he asked, “Do you mind?”
She shook her head to let him know it was all right.
He scooted next to her, and his first move when he entered her personal space was to brush away her tears with the gentle touch of his fingertips. “I was on my way back already because I missed you. I realized how much I need you in my life, Hadley.”
“I missed you, too.” She could hear the emotion in her own voice, so she assumed he could hear it, as well.
He laid his hand against her cheek. “Again, I’m sorry, baby. Please forgive me. Regardless of what happened, I should have believed you. I should have trusted you.”
She sobbed then, overwhelmed by the rising emotions of the moment.
“Please, don’t cry. You’ve shown me what it means to truly trust someone.” He tilted her face up, looked into her eyes. “And I trust you now. Completely and without reservation.”
He kissed her then, and she welcomed it. Her lips parted immediately, allowing his tongue to search the depths of her mouth as she explored his. By the time she broke the kiss to catch her breath, she was panting as if she’d just run a fifty-yard dash.
He reached into his hip pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box.
She recognized the size and shape of it right away, and her hand flew to her mouth.
“I know this may seem sudden,” he began as he rocked the lid open on its hinge. Inside was a cushion-cut sparkler on a rose-gold band. “But since you waited so long to tell me how you felt, I don’t want to waste any more time. Hadley Aria Monroe, will you be my wife?”
“Yes!” She nodded, sticking her hand out for the ring. He slipped it on to her finger, and she admired its immense beauty. “This is gorgeous, Devon. How did you know that I like rose gold, and that my middle name is Aria?”
He shrugged. “Your brothers gave me all the information I needed.”
He pulled her into his arms then, letting his desire show through in his gaze. “Fancy a little celebration, baby?”
She smiled a wicked smile. “Oh, hell yes. What better way to bring in the New Year than making love with my husband-to-be?”
He whistled. “See, that’s why I love you. Beautiful, intelligent and freaky.”
“Only when it comes to you.” She leaned up for his kiss.
The kiss deepened, escalating into more, as passion rose between them. She straddled his lap, splaying her fingers across the back of his head as he brushed his lips over the tops of her breasts where the gown revealed them. She popped the buttons off his shirt in her eagerness to get him out of it, but neither of them cared.
Shirtless and breathing heavily, he stood, holding her close to him. She locked her legs around his waist, peppering his face and neck with kisses and licks. He felt a twinge in his back, but it was slight. It might mean taking an extra dose of his meds tomorrow. He moved across the room to the bare wall in the hallway, his big hands cupping her ass to support her body weight. In the hall, he pressed her back against the wall. He used one hand to rip open the snaps running down the front of her gown, and moments later, he drew her nipple into his warm mouth.
She sank her nails into his shoulders, her head coming to rest against the wall as the ecstasy built. They’d made love before, but nothing compared to this primal, passion-fueled encounter.
When he lifted his head from her breasts, he asked huskily, “Can I...”
She knew what he was asking, and she wanted it just as badly as he did. “Yes, Devon. Yes...” To further encourage him, she reached between them to undo the button and zipper on his trousers. Working them down around his powerful thighs, she groaned when he rubbed his hardness against her.
A few quick movements later, he’d freed his erection from his silk boxers. His searching fingers slid her panties aside, finding her center. She was hot with desire, and as he teased her a bit with his fingertips, her passion only grew.
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