“But what?”
How could she explain her fears to him? Fears that cautioned her not to rush into anything, especially plans of marriage.
She’d done that once already…with Charles. She had loved him, believed in him and trusted him. At the time, she’d thought his asking her to marry him meant that she was as important to him as he was to her. She’d discovered how wrong that assumption was.
“But let’s not rush into anything,” she finally said. “Although we’ve admitted to loving each other, I suggest we continue as we are for now, Haddison, and not concentrate on the name change, babies, and forever just yet.”
He studied her for a moment, seeming to understand. “That’s fine, Kennedy. But I’m not like your ex-fiancé. If I have to prove my intentions are honorable, I don’t have a problem with that. You are the only woman I want in my life. More than anything I want you as my wife.”
Then he lowered his head and captured her lips in a kiss that promised her everything she’d ever wanted.
YOU ARE STARTING TO realize just how enjoyable life can be. Pay attention to your heart and act accordingly.
Kennedy placed the newspaper down and smiled. It had been a month since that day in Haddison’s office when he’d mentioned marriage, and she hadn’t given him a definite answer yet. But if she’d been waiting for a sign, then this was definitely it. Still, she hadn’t needed to read her horoscope to know Haddison was the best thing to ever happen to her.
Because of him, her life was magical. And it would be even better, once she finally gave Haddison the answer he wanted. It wasn’t that she’d told him ‘no’. She just hadn’t told him ‘yes’ yet. But honestly, did she really have to? Hadn’t she already shown him how much she loved him?
She glanced around his living room as she took a sip of coffee. Although she hadn’t officially moved into his condo, she spent more time here than she did at her own home. They had even put up a Christmas tree last weekend.
Her father had met Haddison when he’d gone home with her for Thanksgiving. It was obvious that both her dad and Taye had liked him, but they understood her caution. Because of security reasons, no one in her family would ever know about the first time she and Haddison had met — when he’d stolen her heart during a bank robbery.
She turned when she heard a noise behind her and smiled when she saw Haddison’s handsome face. He had flown in last night from Los Angeles, where he’d been the last couple of days. The Rivers’s merger had been finalized, and he was assisting his uncle in assembling a security team there.
She had officially taken over as junior executive of marketing at the St. Paul office. One of the first things she’d done was to promote Adelia to junior management — the position previously held by Larry Matthews.
“It’s morning already?” Haddison asked, looking at her through a pair of groggy eyes. She understood why. They hadn’t managed to get much sleep last night, making up for the time they’d been apart.
She smiled. “Yes, it’s morning, but I’m sure Maceo wouldn’t care if you’re late. Some of us don’t have your connections to the boss.”
He leaned in the doorway in what she thought was a sexy pose, with his PJ bottoms riding low on his hips. He really hadn’t needed to put them on just for her. She had no problem seeing him naked. In fact, she liked seeing him that way best.
“You’d have those same connections if you say ‘yes’.”
She slowly stood and walked over to him. In a clear voice, she said, “Yes.”
Groggy eyes widened, and he tilted his head to stare at her. “Did you just say ‘yes’?”
She chuckled. “Yes, I just said ‘yes’.”
He looked at her for a moment longer, as if not quite believing his ears. “Hold that answer and stay right here.”
He quickly disappeared back into the bedroom. She stayed where she was, and a few moments later, he returned with a small white box in his hand. While she stared at the box in surprise, he knelt in front of her, then opened the box to show her the beautiful ring he’d chosen for her. “Kennedy Bennett, will you marry me?”
Kennedy definitely hadn’t expected this. She figured she would let him know and they would talk about wedding plans. She hadn’t expected him to have an engagement ring ready to slip on her finger.
“Kennedy?”
She blinked back tears as a huge smile touched her lips. “Yes, Haddison. I will marry you. I love you.”
He slid the ring on her finger, and when he stood up, he said, “And I love you, too, sweetheart. So very much.”
Kennedy threw herself into his arms, remembering her horoscope of eight months ago…
Today might not start out as a good day, but don’t despair — in the end, you will remember it as the best day of your life.
That day had indeed ended up being the best day of her life because that had been the day she’d met Haddison. She was getting the man she loved and a June wedding after all.
IN THE MEETING ROOM of Bennett Nursery and Landscaping Corporation, in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, Victoria Bennett ignored the January thunderstorm outside her office window. Instead, she was studying the man across the conference table from her, his sleeves rolled up as he went through the contractual documents before him. Cortez Masters was her attorney. He was also the stuff of women’s fantasies. He’d certainly been hers when they’d first met four years ago in Paris.
It had been the summer before her last year in the master’s program at Tuskegee University. She’d been lucky enough to have been chosen to study in Paris while working at the botanical gardens there. She’d been a few months shy of her twenty-fourth birthday, and her trip to France marked the first time she’d traveled on her own. And she was loving every minute of it. She might have been a virgin when she got there, but she hadn’t intended to stay one for long. Her goal was to return to the States a liberated woman.
Thanks to Cortez, she had.
He’d been twenty-seven and in Paris celebrating — he’d just finished law school and had passed the bar on the first try. She recalled the first time she’d seen him, and her heart fluttered. Unfortunately for her peace of mind, he hadn’t changed much over the years. He was still drop-dead gorgeous. Although he was older now, around thirty, she figured, he still possessed an almost visible sexuality that made women drool.
He had traveled from his office in Los Angeles to St. Paul for today’s meeting. One of her clients, the Lampshade Group, was causing problems for her, and her father had suggested she bring in the big guns.
The Lampshade Group was located in South Carolina and had hired her company to landscape their new office park. She’d taken the job, and completed it, without issue. But now, they were complaining that the plants and foliage she’d put in had died.
When she’d looked into the matter, she’d discovered that they had failed to install an adequate water sprinkler system. They’d been told more than once, both verbally and in written documentation, that they needed a sprinkler system to cover their entire area.
They’d failed to maintain one, and now were demanding that she replace all of the plants, or they would take her to court. Well, let them try.
When Cortez had removed his jacket earlier, she couldn’t help noticing how his white business shirt bulged over impressive biceps. The minute he’d walked into her office, she’d been caught off guard by his scent. It brought back so many memories. And the way his trousers fit, almost too well, made her swallow. Hard-muscled thighs were in sync with the material with his every heart-pounding stride. Everything about Cortez exuded power, endurance, and strength. Even those gorgeous bedroom brown eyes.
But what had changed about him, and what she missed more than anything, was his roguish smile. She’d seen it a lot in Paris. But these days, he would frown when he saw her. She knew it was because of the way things had ended between them.
She wished she could say she didn’t care, but she did. They’d had something special, and as much a
s she didn’t want to, she missed him. What made things especially awkward was the fact that his cousin, Quinn Masters, a well-known entertainment attorney in Los Angeles, was married to her cousin, Alexia Bennett Masters, a Grammy-award-winning singer and songwriter.
Quinn and Alexia were big on family, and it hadn’t taken them long to pick up on the bad vibes between Victoria and Cortez. When Alexia had asked her about it, Victoria had brushed it off and Alexia had let it go…for now. But with another family function happening in a couple of months — her Uncle Grey’s birthday party in Orlando — she knew they needed to put their bad feelings behind them. She and Cortez were expected to get along, both professionally and personally. But considering their history, she wasn’t sure how that was going to be possible.
He glanced up and caught her staring, and their gazes locked for one intense moment. He was starting to get to her. Those bedroom eyes, that handsome face… He was one of a set of triplets. All three were good looking, but there was something about Cortez that had hit her hard, right from the start.
“So, what do you think? Am I going to have a problem?” she asked, clearing her throat to try and break the sexual chemistry flowing between them. It was always there, whether they wanted to acknowledge it or not. They usually didn’t. Instead, they had built a wall, which unfortunately, only seemed to increase the animosity between them.
And it had all started in Paris, which was something neither of them ever talked about.
He tossed the documents aside. “The Lampshade Group doesn’t have a leg to stand on. You fulfilled the terms of your contract. They signed off that the plants you delivered to them were alive and healthy. If they failed to do what was necessary to keep them that way, it’s not your fault. And if it goes to court, they will have a hard time proving otherwise.”
She nodded. “And if they follow through on their threats to ruin my company and sabotage my business reputation?”
“To make sure that doesn’t happen, I’ll send a letter informing them of the consequences if they carry out such a threat. And if they still persist, you will end up owning their company. I will see to it.”
She felt relieved. Although she didn’t want to own any company other than the one she already had, just the thought that Cortez would instill that much fear into her opponent was enough to satisfy her.
Victoria had seen him in action before in the courtroom. Quinn had allowed him to be lead counsel on a case involving Alexia and a disreputable music company trying to pirate one of her songs. Cortez had gone for blood, and in the end, he’d gotten it. He hadn’t used any courtroom theatrics. Nor had he tried dazzling the jury. He had simply presented himself as a competent and knowledgeable attorney who was there not only to represent his client, but to fight for them to the bitter end.
She had been amazed and impressed. And part of her had also been proud. Back in Paris, he’d told her about his goal of becoming a first-class attorney. And he’d definitely become a success. In fact, he was the top attorney in Quinn’s law firm.
That was probably why Quinn had asked him to handle her legal business. Only the best would do for Quinn’s wife’s family.
Bennett Nursery and Landscaping was a Macon, Georgia, company founded by her grandfather, Victor Bennett, Sr. and her father, Victor Junior. For years, father and son had worked together to run the company. The two had been satisfied to keep it regional, but when she’d come on board, she’d encouraged them to take it to the next level, going nationwide.
When business began slowing down, they had considered closing down. Instead, she’d convinced them to turn operations over to her. After putting their blood, sweat, and tears into the company for over forty years, Victoria’s father and grandfather had been more than ready to let her take over. She had appreciated their vote of confidence in her abilities and had done everything in her power to turn things around. And she had.
With the entire business officially hers, she’d expanded into other states. Now she owned several landscaping companies around the country, with a workforce of more than a thousand employees. The biggest part of her business involved handling the landscaping for major corporations.
“I’ll be sending a cease and desist letter with a strong warning of what will happen if they resort to slander,” he said.
“Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I’m merely doing my job,” he replied, closing the folder and sliding it toward her.
“Of course.” She knew there was no other reason for him to be here. Or was there? She had to admit, she was somewhat puzzled by his request for this meeting. She was certain a copy of her contract with Lampshade was on file at the Masters Law firm in Los Angeles. So why had he come to talk to her personally?
Victoria watched him stand and roll down his sleeves. She remembered those arms well — especially how they’d once cradled her close to his chest, how those same hands would grip her thighs when they’d made love. It might have been nearly four years ago, but he was never far from her mind.
“Victoria?”
She blinked, realizing she’d been staring. He had his jacket on and appeared ready to leave. “Yes?”
“I asked you something.”
He had? “Sorry, I’m a little preoccupied. What did you say?”
“I asked if you would have dinner with me tonight?”
Dinner? With him? He had to be kidding. “I thought you would be flying back out to L.A. today.”
“No, my flight isn’t until tomorrow. So, are you free?”
She nibbled on her bottom lip for a moment, contemplating his question. “Why?” she finally asked. “We don’t get along, Cortez. Why would you want to spend any more time with me than you have to?”
“It’s not that we don’t get along, Victoria. What we do is work hard at avoiding each other. And we both know why. I think it’s time we resolve those issues, don’t you?”
She drew in a deep breath knowing Cortez was right. If their avoidance of each other was making things difficult for their family, they had to do something about it. It was time to face this, and put it to bed, one way or the other. “You’re right.” She let out a breath. “So, yes, I’ll have dinner with you. Just tell me when and where.”
Cortez entered his hotel suite and removed his jacket, thinking about the two hours he’d spent with Victoria at her office. It hadn’t been enough time. At least he had dinner to look forward to later. Tossing the jacket on the back of a chair, he went to the bar in the suite to pour himself a shot of vodka. He needed it.
Then again, maybe he should be careful. He’d had far too much vodka the night he’d told his brothers about everything that had happened in Paris so long ago…including confessing his true feelings for Victoria. Feelings he hadn’t managed to move past, feelings that were getting the best of him, even now.
He closed his eyes. In his mind, Cortez could vividly recall the way he’d felt nearly four years ago after making love to her, inhaling the soft scent of her skin, appreciating the way she cuddled so close to him in afterglow, and the way she would return his kisses. She had been a virgin, and he had done his best to be tender and gentle with her. After making love for the final time that night, they’d drifted to sleep. He’d loved having her in his arms and had slept better than he’d ever done in his life. She’d promised to spend the weekend with him, and he was looking forward to two more passion-filled nights. But when he woke up the next morning, the spot beside him had been empty.
Cortez quickly opened his eyes. Memories of waking up and finding her gone still shook him to the core. Determined to find her, he had searched the city that entire day. It was as if she’d disappeared without a trace. He had finally accepted that she hadn’t wanted to be found. In fact, he’d doubted that she’d even given him her real name.
Left with no other option, he’d finally given up the thought of ever seeing her again…until he’d run into her again nearly two years later, not in Paris but in the U.S., at a family
event.
Seeing her had shaken him. And then when she’d pretended they didn’t know each other, it had made him madder than hell.
After giving Victoria’s reaction to seeing him again some serious thought, and after replaying every aspect of the time they’d spent together in Paris in his mind, he could only reach one conclusion — she had wanted to lose her virginity and had used him to do it.
He’d never felt more betrayed.
He had to give credit to Quinece, Quinn’s twin, for putting the virginity theory in his head. Pretending he was inquiring for a friend — although he figured Quinece knew the truth — he asked why a woman, who’d been a virgin, would be so anxious to sleep with a man and then take off.
According to Quinece, there could be several reasons, but given the young woman’s age, the decision to lose her virginity made the most sense. In fact, Quinece told him how she’d selected her husband Kendall for that same purpose. She’d been nearing thirty years old, and wanted her pesky virginity over and done with. And when she’d seen him, she’d immediately known he would be the one.
Cortez’s cousin was a true woman’s libber — he could easily see her doing something as outlandish as that. When he’d asked how Kendall had felt being used that way, Quinece had admitted that her husband had been furious and hadn’t wanted to see her again. However, during their separation, Kendall had reached a very important conclusion. He figured there had to be a reason Quinece had chosen him and not anyone else, even if she hadn’t figured it out yet. She’d obviously seen something good and worthwhile in him, something she hadn’t seen in other men that had made her want him to be the first, the one. Of course, things had ended well between Quinece and Kendall since they’d been happily married for years and had three beautiful kids.
That had got him to wondering if like Quinece, Victoria had subconsciously chosen him for a reason. He began looking at the situation in a whole new light. But if he was going to find any answers, he had to make sure their paths crossed more often.
THE BENNETTS' WEDDING (The Bennett Family and the Masters Family Book 5) Page 14
