Her jaw dropped open and Preston turned and walked into the workroom. Tabitha paced a few more steps and then followed his path to the other room.
“You have no idea what type I am.”
“Sure I do. You’re a hard ass.”
“How dare you talk to me like that.” She walked across the room and pulled the next order off the wall. “You can’t peg a person in a week. Or two.”
“I can peg a person in the first minute I meet them.”
She snapped her head around and narrowed her gaze on him. “And what did you peg me for?”
“A hard ass.”
“Why don’t you just go home?” She turned back to the order.
He moved swiftly across the room and stood right next to her. “Because you and I had a deal. I sleep at your house tonight and tomorrow you are my escort to the wedding and you stay at my house.”
“I don’t want to anymore.”
“Too bad. We had a deal.”
She took a step away from him. “I’m not some luxury car sale. You can’t test drive me to see if I fit.”
“Isn’t that what you’re doing to me? Your testing me to see when I’m going to run away. How far can I push him until he’s just like all the men who have come in and out of my life?” He took a step back. “Trust me, I feel like I’m the one being test driven and you are a lead footed driver.”
Her shoulders rolled forward and she dipped her head. “I am testing you.” She felt the burning of tears in her throat. “You failed miserably by the way.” The first tears fell from her eyes. “Any other man would have headed for the door after I was so rude to them when they were trying to buy their mother a box of candy.
“I thought you were charming.”
She wiped away at the dampness on her cheeks. “I don’t want to love you.”
“It’s easier for you not think about forever isn’t it?” She nodded and he moved in closer. “Forever isn’t what’s scary. It’s never that is scary. I want to love you forever. I never want to be without you.”
His hand slid around her waist and she turned into his arms and rested her head against his broad chest. “I don’t know what to do.”
“You keep making progress in knowing I’m not leaving. I’ll be here forever if you’ll have me.”
“I want you.”
He slipped his finger under her chin and lifted her face. “Then stop trying so hard to hate me.”
He lowered his face and then his lips tenderly pressed against hers as she sucked back the last of her sobs. Preston pulled her closer to him. Her mind began to settle around the idea that she did love this man who held her so tightly. There was no reason to push him away again. Happiness was all around them. She deserved to enjoy it herself, and so did Preston.
With his mouth on hers and her body pliant to his touch she knew they weren’t going to escape the store without ravaging each other first.
Chapter Ten
Tabitha gripped hold of the worktable as Preston’s mouth moved against hers with a quickness which she knew would have her on her back right there in the workroom. As he pressed her against the table, her hand hit the bowl in which she’d been using to make frosting.
Preston’s lips left hers as he looked to see her hand covered in milk chocolate. He grabbed hold of her wrist, his body still pressed hard against hers, and lifted it to his mouth. His tongue made long lines on her palm as he licked the chocolate from her hand.
She’d never had a man kiss, or lick, the inside of her hand. It shot tingles up her arm and they filtered down through her whole body. Then his lips were back to hers and the sweet taste of chocolate was on his tongue. But when she felt his finger on her throat and the dripping sensation of liquid she jerked back to see him painting her skin with chocolate.
Her jaw quivered as he traced that same line he’d drawn with his finger, with his tongue. “You’re good enough to eat.” His voice was as low as the moan that resonated from her throat.
She reached beside her and dipped her finger into the chocolate as well. Tabitha pulled back from his mouth and traced his lips with the chocolate. Slowly, methodically, she used her tongue in quick movements, removing the tantalizing taste from him.
With every flick of her tongue, his body tensed against hers and his breath quickened. His hands gripped her hips and his fingers clawed into her skin. There wasn’t time for soft and slow. She engulfed his chocolate lips with her own. The swirl of chocolate danced on her tongue and she could taste it on his, making his candy kiss even sweeter.
Preston pulled her away from the table, his fingers still gripping her waist, and with their mouths still in a mad dance, he backed her through the workroom to her office where he kicked the door closed behind them.
Tabitha let out a laugh as he moved her to the desk, his mouth still hungry against hers. “No one is here. You didn’t have to close the door.”
His hands moved to the tie on her apron. “I assume Brie has a key.”
“Yep. Glad you closed the door.” His hands were on the button of her pants as she unfastened his belt.
Their mouths continued in a battle for breath, taste, and passion that drove them both nearly mad with anticipation. As soon as Tabitha had unbuttoned his pants, Preston kicked them to the floor and she did the same.
Both of them, half dressed pressed against each other. Tabitha sat back on the desk as, once again, Preston reached for a condom in his wallet.
Tabitha’s breath was rapid, but he wasn’t coming to her. He was still fumbling with his wallet. “Hurry.”
“We used them all.” He turned back to her. “I’m going to have to carry a box.”
The disappointment pumped through her veins as quickly as the heat from his kisses had. It shouldn’t matter. She could just throw the caution to the wind.
He must have known what she was thinking when she looked back up at him and he shook his head. “Not after today. I know your reaction wouldn’t be as accepting as Brie’s.” He handed her back her pants from the floor and pulled his to his waist. “When we get home,” he reached his hand to her cheek. “I’ll make love to you until you can’t stay awake.”
She managed a smile.
He was admirable to say the least. A gentleman in the truest form of the word. Hadn’t she waited her whole life for a man like that? A man who knew when to pull back? A man who knew when to stay. He wasn’t afraid of her. He wasn’t afraid of quick romances and long relationship.
She looked at him as he buckled his belt and turned to open the door. She quickly jumped to her feet and found her pants and pulled them on. As he stepped out the door, she made a move toward him. “Preston.” Her voice teetered on the edge of panic and he turned. “Marry me.”
“What?”
“Marry me.”
His mouth, smeared in chocolate, slowly turned up at the edges and then his smile grew wider. “Did I hit your head on the desk?”
“Don’t make fun of me.” She was desperate. She needed him to take her seriously before she came to her senses and realized just what she was saying. “Marry me.”
His smile faded and a crease formed between his eyebrows. “You’re not kidding.”
“No. I’m always serious, but I’ve never been more serious than I am at this very moment.”
He reached for her hands and laced their fingers together. Dried chocolate crumbled to the floor. “Tabitha, this is a very serious matter. One I would have over done for you if I thought you’d been thinking about it.”
“I’m not thinking. Don’t you understand?” She wasn’t sure she did either. “I’m afraid of flowers and words. I don’t want promises that are empty. I want the real thing.” She squeezed her fingers around his. “I’m not about wedding dresses and huge engagement rings. They scare me. I see people all the time get caught up in the planning and they forget what it’s all about.” He only looked at her with a glazed over stare. “Preston, say you’ll marry me.”
He didn’t answer. H
e stood there with his mouth open.
The silence was like a knife in her chest.
Finally, he took a breath and a step back. “Tabitha, I do believe in it all. This wasn’t how I wanted it.”
The air whooshed from her lungs and he let go of her hands and turned from her. She watched as he wiped his hands on a towel at a worktable, took his coat from the rack, and walked out of her store.
She hadn’t moved in an hour. She was still perched on her desk, covered in dried chocolate, when Brie burst through the front door of the store at ten o’clock that night with a duffle bag over her shoulder.
“Are you okay?” She ran into the office and enveloped her into her arms.
Tabitha sobbed, the taste of chocolate was still on her tongue and bitter. “No. I asked him to marry me and he ran out.”
“It’s okay.” Brie helped her to one of the chairs and then set the bag down next to her. “He called and said you were upset so I raced over.”
“He’s gone.”
“No. He just needed time to think.” Brie reached for the box of tissue from her desk and pulled one out. She dabbed Tabitha’s eyes and wiped away the chocolate that smeared on her face. “Listen, the bars are open for four more hours and for the first time in your life I’m your designated driver.”
Through her tears Tabitha laughed. “I’m not going out.”
“I’m not giving you a choice. I brought you a dress and some makeup and I want to do this so please don’t make me beg.”
“I just want to go home and sulk.”
“And you’ve drug my sorry ass out of this bakery for less, so I’m doing it to you. Paybacks, sister.”
Brie opened the bag and unloaded its contents. She handed her the dress and Tabitha shook her head. “It’s February at night. I’m going to freeze my butt off in this.” She held up the short dress with the thin straps. It was a royal blue and she thought Brie had worn it in her sister’s wedding. “I can go in my jeans.”
“Oh, no you can’t. Do you want to sulk, or do you want to make him sorry?”
Couldn’t she do both?
The next thing she knew Brie was pulling the band from her hair and running a brush through her locks. The humor of the moment took over and she began to laugh. Brie was right. There had been many times she’d ambushed her like this and for the first time she needed it.
By eleven o’clock Tabitha looked like she was going to prom, but Brie was smiling widely. “Let’s hit the town.”
Tabitha had locked up and met Brie out front. Thank goodness she’d taken the time to warm up the car. The dress was ridiculous and how did Brie walk in heels like the ones she’d brought Tabitha to wear? Oh she was going to impress the masses when she fell on her face the moment she walked into the bar, she thought.
“You look better all cleaned up and not smeared in chocolate,” Brie shook her head at Tabitha. “If I’d have known better I’d think that fight started in the middle of something very fun.”
Tabitha climbed in the car. “Shut up and drive.” She shut the door and fastened her seatbelt. Slowly she let out a breath. Still, she wasn’t sure she wanted to hit the bar and forget about the night, but she owed it to Brie to try. After all she hadn’t been too kind to her either.
Brie hit the highway and headed out of town.
“Where are you going? We work less than a mile from at least six bars.”
“More swanky. Trust me.”
Brie exited the highway to Golden. But as she passed under the large welcoming arch she passed another three bars. “Are we going to a frat party?”
“Now you’re talking.”
“Are you kidding me?” Leave it to Brie to be sitting next to her pregnant, by a man she didn’t know, and now she wanted to party with college boys. The woman had lost her mind. Well, it wasn’t going to last long. They would be out of there the moment Tabitha fell off the shoes.
Brie parked the car just on the side of the Green Room center and Tabitha winced at the memories of dancing with Preston there. Now, she was just being mean to bring her there and even more where was she going to make her walk to for this party? Who built a college town on such steep hills? Didn’t they assume people would fall down them when they’d partied too much?
Brie hurried out of the car and up the steep walk. Tabitha scurried quickly behind Brie, trying not to fall, as she headed for the side door of the center. “Where are you going? This is closed.”
“I have to pee. They always have someone here. The door has to be open. But I have to pee, the party can wait.”
“You’re going to get us arrested.”
“And then he’ll have to come and get you. C’mon. I can’t hold it.”
Tabitha looked around as if to make sure no one would catch them. Brie tugged on the door and it flew open. God, she was madder at Preston Banks than she had been when he walked away. Because of him, she was going to land in jail with her crazy friend and business was much too busy to spend time in jail.
As the door closed behind her, she realized she didn’t see Brie anywhere. The center was dark, except for the lights coming from the Green Room.
Tabitha stood for a moment longer, but Brie didn’t emerge from wherever she had disappeared.
Curiosity had the better of Tabitha as she inched her way through the building toward the room. It was her favorite place of all. Even if her last memory there was of Preston, it could still be her favorite.
She looked around again and saw that no one had seen her. She opened the door and looked in. There at her feet were the grand stairs that led to the dance floor. Thoughts of her mother walking down those stairs filled her with happiness. How lucky her mother had been to love so many times. Tabitha now understood that.
A man emerged from the shadows and walked onto the dance floor. Tabitha took a step back before she realized the man was Preston.
She looked behind her and there was Brie grinning wide.
Preston walked up the steps to the landing below her and held out his hand to her. Again, she exchanged a glance with Brie as her hands began to shake and the heels under her feet began to wobble.
Brie nudged her slightly. “Go. He’s waiting for you.”
“You set me up,” she whispered.
“Of course I did.”
Tabitha held tightly to the rail and took each of the nearly hundred steps slowly toward the man who only a moment ago, she hated, but now here he stood in her favorite place in a suit looking more amazing than he’d ever looked before.
She batted back the tears that stung her eyes. In the shadows, others emerged. Her mother and Peter. Claire Banks and her husband. There were others and she assumed those were his brothers and sister.
Preston held out his hand to her when she reached him. “What’s going on?”
“You asked me to marry you and that just wasn’t right.”
She nodded and the first tear fell and was warm on her cheek.
Preston brushed it away and then knelt down on one knee in front of her. She lifted her fingers to her lips and tried to keep them from trembling, but it was no use.
“Tabitha Knight, I believe in tradition. I believe in love at first sight. Falling madly in love with the first kiss, and I believe in the man proposing on one knee.” He took her hand and kissed it gently. His eyes met hers and she sucked in a breath as he smiled and his eyes shimmered in the dimly lit room. “Will you marry me? Right here. Right now in your favorite place with your favorite people surrounding us?”
The word was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t make a sound. All she could do was nod.
Preston stood and cupped her face in his hands. “I’ll never leave. I’ll never fall out of love with you. And I’ll never stop wanting to give you candy kisses.”
She felt the heat rise in her cheeks as she looked beyond him to their families looking up at them wondering if they understood his last statement.
Never in her wildest dream would Tabitha ever have imagined
that she’d be marrying a man after knowing him only two weeks. She looked at her mother whose smile was brilliant. Finally, Tabitha decided, she was as happy in love has her mother had always been and looking back at Preston she finally believed in happily ever after.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bernadette Marie grew up obsessed with pens and notebooks, each one filled with lists and ideas for stories. Not much has changed. This wife and mother of five sons has a passion for writing stories about falling in love, finding love where you left it, and strong families.
Bernadette Marie is an accomplished martial artist who holds a Black Belt in Tang Soo Do and she is a chronic entrepreneur. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Colorado Romance Writers.
Visit her website at www.bernadettemarie.com for news on upcoming releases, signings, appearances, and contests.
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