by Tina Martin
Her eyes bulged. “You’d do that?”
“I’ll do whatever’s necessary.”
“But that would involve construction? This house is large enough as it is.” Gianna narrowed her eyes as she tried to come up with a solution.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“As a short-term solution, maybe we should set up the crib in our room. We could even use some room dividers to make a designated area for the baby, then as she gets older, we can slowly transition her to the nursery on the second floor.”
Ramsey nodded. “We can give that a try.”
“Cool.”
“See what we can accomplish with teamwork?”
“Yes, and it also helps when your husband is a genius.”
“Finish your food, woman, so I can take you upstairs, and when I say take you upstairs I mean take you upstairs.”
Her cheeks reddened.
“I love how flustered you get when I talk like this to you. We’ve made love too many times to count, and I still have the ability to make you blush.”
“I don’t think that will ever change,” Gianna admitted.
“You don’t want it to change do you?” he asked, lightly stroking his fork down the length of her forearm, then bringing the fork to his mouth, pretending to eat.
She glanced over at him and saw the intentional smile on his face, but along with it, she felt the vibes between them – the heat. The love.
Chapter 9
Gianna undressed and stepped inside of the stand-up shower, feeling the warm water massage her tired body. Before bed, this was the routine for her and tonight wasn’t the exception. She especially needed it after being on her feet all day at the bakery. She closed her eyes while the water rained down on her hair and when her strands were fully saturated, she threw her head back, opened her eyes again and screamed.
Ramsey was standing just outside the glass doors like a shadow, completely naked and waiting.
“Ramsey!” Gianna panted, her heart beating so fast, it threw her breathing pattern off. “How—how long have you been standing there?”
“Too long,” he said, opening the door, joining her in the shower, immediately drawing her close to him, so close that his thickness was pressed snugly against her midsection.
Gianna placed kisses on his thick pecs, enjoying his hairy chest before looking up into his eyes as warm water connected their souls. Something else was about to deepen that connection – something only he could give her.
They were about to heat things up even more and it had nothing to do with the water’s temperature.
He took her mouth with enough skill and precision to immediately steal her tongue and she reciprocated by taking his, moaning desperately, feeling his hands grip and squeeze her backside. Feelings of submission – of letting go and freeing herself to all the love he had to give – immediately took over her mind. And then she heard the primitive groans he made, indicating his need was a raw, potent one. His groans alone made her body temperature soar a few degrees.
He temporarily broke the connection with her mouth to savor her neck. His lips grazed her breasts, sucked water from their peaks before he lowered himself to his knees, painted kisses on her stomach before resting his head there. Water rained down on him and he stayed there, on his knees. Face to belly. Hands still on her backside. Bonding. Absorbing love. Bathing in joy. Drowning in desire.
Without warning, he touched her most intimate spot. Made her gasp. Made her legs shake, then he quickly stood up to stabilize her.
“You okay?” he asked, reading her. Drops of water fell from the tip of his nose. Water drenched his hair and beard.
“Yes, I’m okay,” she said, breathless.
“Then, why did your whole body jump when I touched you here?” he asked, reaching to touch her there yet again with his middle finger.
For a second time, her body shook. Pleasure quaked through her. “I guess I’m just super-sensitive.” She swallowed hard. “I heard that was—um—normal during pregnancy.”
He deliberately fiddled with her femininity, playing her like an instrument while staring at her face, watching her attempt to control the pleasure he was delivering. He saw the moment she lost herself. Saw the blush creep over her face. Studied how her eyes closed. Saw a grimace. One of pleasure, not pain. She gasped. Moaned. Bit down on her lip. Gasped some more. Her fingers twitched as she held on to his wet, hairy arms.
“Ram—Ramsey,” she uttered in a soft, vacillating breath.
He took the moment to connect their mouths – suctioning her bottom lip into his mouth while still looking at her possessively, then closed his eyes and went for the whole shebang – both lips, tongue, her whole mouth – kissing her hungrily while holding her steady between his muscular arms. He took a few steps back until his legs made contact with the built-in, tiled bench in the corner of the shower. He sat down, prompting her to straddle him. He carefully held on to her while she lowered herself to the size of him. Her legs circled around his waist as he filled her. Stretched her. Stretched some more. Filled her cave to capacity and then some.
She gasped.
He groaned.
She gasped more. Her nails automatically dug into his shoulders.
Their visions held for a moment after he was completely embedded inside of her – to the hilt with nowhere else to go although he could’ve gone further. He absorbed the feeling of being connected to her this way. He squeezed warm, wet flesh. She rocked her hips. He grazed her neck with his teeth. Circled his tongue in different spots. Licked water from her lips. Sucked on her tongue. Kissed her. He pulled back to see her face. He loved to see her in the heat of passion, on the verge of falling off of the cliff. He was right behind her. Falling.
“My sweet Gianna,” he whispered in a way that made her eyes instantly connect with his. “You don’t know what you do to me,” he told her. He captured her lips, tasting her sweetness. He felt the way her body squeezed him, released then squeezed again. He liked it. He tightened his arms around her, maintaining a closer fit, then whispered how much she turned him on as the tension inside of her collided with the mounting pressure building inside of him until she erupted the same time he did, making their own waves in the shower.
She screamed.
He wouldn’t let go.
She held on. More screams followed.
He still wouldn’t let go.
Arms around his neck, she touched her face to his, stroking his beard with her nose then kissed his wet lips briefly. She looked at him. Smiled. “I’m in love with you,” she panted. Every time they kissed, touched, made love or eye contact, she fell deeper.
“I’m in love with you, too, sweetness.”
Water sprayed down on them while they stayed intimately linked together. Mind, body, spirit. As close as a man and woman could get.
“I don’t want to let you go,” he admitted.
“Then, don’t let me go,” she told him kissing him all over again.
Ramsey was more than willing to go for seconds.
Chapter 10
Golf on acres of freshly cut, green grass is what Ramsey’s Friday consisted of. He was playing good, too – ahead of Regal by five strokes, but the men weren’t completely tracking scores. They both enjoyed the sport and sometimes used it to entertain some of St. Claire Architect’s clients. It was something they did at least once a month, and now that the weather was getting warmer, Ramsey was sure they’d add more golf days to their agendas.
“What’s your gut instinct regarding the location for the Paris project?” Regal asked. “Do you think Basile will like it?”
“He liked it on the map,” Ramsey said, “But it could be a different story in person, I suppose.” Ramsey got his stance right, preparing to take a swing. He whacked the ball, then behind a pair of Aviators, he stared off into the distance to see where the ball landed. “From what I know about Basile thus far is, he’s picky. He wants what he wants and for the amount of money he’s pay
ing us, he deserves to get what he wants.”
“Absolutely,” Regal said. He took a swing, then the men grabbed bags, hopped in the golf cart and rode down the course.
“What have you been up to lately?” Ramsey asked Regal. “The only time I see you nowadays is at the office.”
“Well, I can’t stop by the house as frequently as I used to, especially now that you’re married. I don’t want to walk in on something.”
Ramsey chuckled. “You’re not going to.”
“Who are you kidding, Ram? You can’t keep your eyes or hands off of Gianna.”
Ramsey smiled thinking about how true that was.
“And I’m not trying to walk up in your crib to find Gianna spread eagle on the dining room table with you holding a spoon in one hand and some cupcake frosting in the other.”
Ramsey erupted in laughter. “You’re funny.”
“Now that you and Royal are whipped, I guess I’ll have to start hanging out with Romulus.”
“Yeah, good luck with that,” Ramsey said, slowing the cart to a stop. They both got off. “Romulus already has a permanent kickin’-it buddy.”
“Oh, true.”
“And he ain’t breaking his plans with Siderra for nobody.”
“I imagine they’ll be married next, huh,” Regal said.
“Not according to Romulus. Siderra is just a friend, he says, yet she can’t make a move without him knowing about it.”
Regal studied the hole, then took a swing. “Yep. They’ll be married next. When it happens, remember, I called it.”
Ramsey chuckled. As stubborn as Romulus was he doubted if marriage was for him, but stranger things have happened. After all, he never thought he’d get married again then Gianna came along. “While we’re on the subject of marriage, when are you going to take the leap?”
“I’m not,” Regal responded. “My life is good as a bachelor. I can’t have a woman wrecking my flow.”
“So a woman would interrupt your life is what you’re saying.”
“Ab-so-freakin’-lutely, and I don’t need any interruptions.”
Ramsey shook his head. “I’m sure Wedded Bliss could find you a woman who wouldn’t be too much of an interruption. In fact, I’ve noticed you’ve taken a liking to the woman who runs it.”
Regal’s forehead scrunched up. He lowered his dark sunglasses when he asked, “Who are you talking about? WB?”
Ramsey smirked. “Her name is Felicity James.”
“Nah, Ram.” Regal pushed his sunglasses back into position to cover his eyes. “I told you before—she’s not my type.”
“Then why are you always picking on her? Teasing her?”
“Because she’s an easy target. She can’t handle me.”
“That’s what you think.”
“No, that’s what I know. Can’t no woman lock your boy down.”
Ramsey laughed into the air. “You’re in denial, Regal, if you think there isn’t a woman out there who can handle you.”
“Look, just because you got a lil’ cupcake beauty—”
“Wait, timeout…did you say booty or beauty?”
Regal chuckled. “I said beauty, but ay, since Gianna’s pregnant, we all know you got the—”
“Shut up, Regal. We’re talking about you, not me. So, back to Felicity…she’s a hard-working, black woman. An entrepreneur. I think she’s just what you need.”
“Sure you would, but only because your wife has her own business.”
“True, but I’m not suggesting you find a woman like Felicity worthy of a shot because she has her own business. I’m merely suggesting that women as such should be looked at as valuable. The world places more value on women’s physical traits. Who would’ve ever thought strippers would be looked at as more valuable and worthy of marriage than an entrepreneur with a good head on her shoulders? It could be just me, but there’s nothing sexier than a woman who goes after what she wants and isn’t afraid to be brave.”
“Hey, it’s pretty brave to get on a stage in a room full of men and take off your clothes, man. Give the strippers some credit.”
Ramsey shook his head. “You’re a strong man, Regal, but you avoid strong women.”
“How would you know?”
“I know everything.”
“Oh. Right...because you’re Ramsey the Great.”
Ramsey chuckled. “Don’t deflect. Why is that Regal?”
“I’m not sure what you mean,” Regal said when he knew exactly what his brother was hinting at.
“Okay, well you continue playing dumb, no pun intended, and I’ll continue whipping your butt at this game.”
“Don’t for a second think you got this in the bag. They call me the comeback kid.”
“Who’s they?” Ramsey asked, mildly amused.
“Don’t worry about all that. Just prepare for a last-minute upset.”
“If you say so, man.”
Chapter 11
It was close to 3:00 p.m. when Gianna finally got a chance to sit down and eat her lunch – a turkey club with a side of potato salad. Felicity had brought her the food and stayed to help out around the bakery. As usual for a Friday, the place was pretty busy. There weren’t any vacant tables. Some people had laptops. Others, books and cell phones. They all had coffee and cupcakes.
“G, you got a full house out here, girl,” Felicity said standing at the entrance of Gianna’s office.
Gianna looked up at her. Felicity was dressed cute as usual, wearing a black and white striped skirt with a denim shirt and a pair of gold flats. “That’s a good thing,” Gianna said garbling a mouthful of food.
“I bet if Ramsey knew you were just now eating, he’d be the one having a baby.”
Gianna chuckled. “I know. He’s particular that way. He puts my prenatal vitamins on the nightstand every morning.”
“That’s pretty, freakin’ awesome.”
Gianna was sipping water. She placed the bottle on the desk and said, “I know. He’s just sweet that way. I just don’t want him to worry so much, though.”
“You can’t stop a man like Ramsey St. Claire from doing what he wants to do. If he’s going to worry, he’s going to worry…simple as that. You could try telling him not to, but let’s be real Gianna—the man was completely smitten with you before you were pregnant. Now, you’re carrying RTG junior—”
“RTG junior?”
“Yes. Ramsey The Great, Junior.”
Gianna chuckled. “I’m having a girl. Girls can’t be juniors.”
“Yeah, but they can be great.”
“I can’t argue with that,” Gianna said. She took a bite of her sandwich.
“And I swear Ramsey gives off vibes when he’s near you—like some sort of weird, uncontrollable euphoria takes over his being anytime you’re around. That’s only going to increase. So, let the man worry. You can’t stop him.”
“You’re probably right.”
“Ain’t no probably in it. I am right. How’s my little tater tot doing, by the way?”
Gianna smiled, knowing Felicity was talking about the baby. “She’s good. The doctor says she thinks she’s bigger than what she should be at this stage, though, but she didn’t seem overly concerned about it...just said my due date could be a little off.”
“Probably so or it could just mean she’s going to be a tall girl like her daddy.”
“Exactly. My own child is going to be taller than me.” Gianna shook her head.
Felicity grinned. “How’s the rest of the fam?”
“They’re doing good. Gemma and Royal are going strong. They are so cute together.”
“They are,” Felicity agreed. “I’m so happy for Gemma.”
“Me, too. And talk about being overprotective—girl, Royal has Gemma on his radar twenty-four-seven,” Gianna said.
“Good. At least you have the assurance that he ain’t going to let anything happen to his precious Gem.”
“That’s for certain.” Gianna took another bite o
f her sandwich.
“What’s the latest on baby shower plans?”
“There are none yet. I have to talk to Bernadette on Sunday about it. I’ll have her call you to help coordinate it.”
“Please do. The mother-in-law shouldn’t have first dibs when it comes to the baby shower. Doesn’t she know you have a best friend? Is she not aware that I exist?”
“Oh, she knows. I’m sure she can still recall you and Regal going back and forth at my marriage celebration.”
Felicity smiled, then waved it off. “Nobody was paying us any attention.” Gianna leaned over in the chair laughing.
“Yes, they were. I still can’t believe you gave Regal a Rice Krispies as a peace offering.”
“If only I could use my powers for good.”
Gianna had an inkling that Felicity may have liked Regal more than she led on, but she never came out and said it. “Hey, next time I see Regal, I’ll tell him you said, hi.”
“No, don’t do that,” Felicity said. “He already told me he would come by Wedded Bliss so I can find him a wife. I don’t want you making him recall that.”
Gianna giggled. “He’s full of it. Regal doesn’t want a wife, but he does like you.”
“How you figure?”
“Oh, come on, Felicity. Y’all can’t get along, yet every time you’re close to each other, you can’t keep your eyes off of one another.”
“Not true.”
“Oh, yes it is,” Gianna said. “If I’m not mistaken, I saw you giving him google eyes.”
Felicity laughed. “Did you say google eyes?”
“Yep, and don’t deny it.”
Felicity was still laughing. “Let me go back to the front. I think I heard the bell.”
Gianna giggled. “I didn’t hear a bell.”
“I did. Ding, dong,” Felicity said, amused. “Did you hear it that time?”
“Whatever, Felicity.” Gianna finished her water, then resumed the task of checking inventory. She already had a list of items she needed to order – milk, sugar, cups, plates, coffee – seemed she was running low on everything these days, the result of having a profitable bakery. And it was all thanks to Ramsey.
