Bolstered by his short pep talk, he chose a Carolina blue and white polka dot tie to accompany his heather gray suit and white oxford shirt. He pinned his 82nd Airborne decal pin on his lapel, then brushed his hand across his face. It was time to learn his fate. Jackson headed down to the ballroom, where the party was in full swing. Waiters floated around the room with trays of wine and champagne. The first people to approach him were Carlton and Barbara.
“Hey, Sarge!” Carlton said, his eyes bright. Jackson was so happy to see him in good spirits, and the smile on Barbara’s face told him that the therapy was working.
“Carlton, I’m glad you guys could make it.” He gave the couple a hug.
“You know we had to come celebrate with you,” Barbara said. “I drove about thirty people to the polls today.”
“Thank you so much,” he replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
“It was my pleasure.”
Carlton nudged him in the ribs. “So, what’s really going on with you and the lady you were hugging on the news?”
Just as he was about to say her name, Jackson spotted Liza from across the room. God, she looked amazing in that yellow dress hugging her like a second skin. The silver hoops that hung from her ears made her look like a 1970s sex symbol. If she’d had a wide Afro and she would’ve been Cleopatra Jones reincarnated. Carlton and Barbara followed his stare.
“You’re a lucky man,” Carlton said. “Almost as lucky as I am.” Barbara punched her husband on the arm.
“Good save, soldier,” she said. “Jackson, I hope she keeps that smile on your face.”
“She will,” Jackson replied. “Excuse me.”
He quickly crossed the room and stood in front of Liza as she chatted away with Chante. Jackson touched her shoulder. “It should be a crime to look this good.”
“Jackson,” she said as she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. “You look great as well. Very senatorial.”
“Hi, Chante,” he said. “You look great too.”
“Thank you,” she said with a small bow. “Excuse me for a moment.” Chante took off in search of a glass of wine, leaving Jackson and Liza in each other’s arms.
“Are you ready to get up on that stage and be introduced as the first senator from district forty-five?” Liza asked as she stroked his lapel.
“You know something that I don’t?” he quipped. “The results aren’t official yet.”
“I know in my heart that you won. You are the best man for every job.” She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
“You sure know how to stroke a brother’s ego,” he said with a wink. “Win or lose, I still got the victory tonight.”
“Is that so?” she asked.
“I got you and that’s all I need.”
Liza beamed. “But you want that seat, I can see it in your eyes.”
“I’m not going to lie and say no. This has been a long, hard battle.”
“And you kept your integrity intact. You should be proud of that.”
He nodded. He was proud of how he and Teresa ran his campaign. He was proud of the way they stayed above the fray and kept it clean. Stroking her smooth arms, Jackson smiled, then brushed his lips against hers. “Thank you,” he said.
“For what?”
“Coming into my life and being special.”
“I should be thanking you. You had no reason to trust me or believe that I wasn’t some kind of spy. And then when all of that . . .”
He placed his finger to her lips. “That doesn’t matter and I never believed any of the rumors about you for a second.”
She looked out at the crowd and smiled. “I hope the voters felt the same way.”
“Here it is, here it is,” Natalie called out as she turned up the volume on the big-screen TV.
WSOC’s anchorman Blair Miller’s image filled the screen. “With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, North Carolina’s new district forty-five has its first senator. Former Army Sergeant Jackson Franklin is predicted to be the winner, with 60 percent of the vote.”
A roar erupted from the crowd as cameras snapped and balloons fell from the ceiling. Jackson kissed Liza as the crowd shouted his name. “I love you,” he said, then ran to the stage in the middle of the ballroom. The applause was deafening and Jackson felt tears burning in his eyes.
“Thank you! Thank you!” Jackson said. “This is only the beginning. I’m going to Raleigh to represent every last one of you. Everything I said as I asked for your vote, I want you to hold me accountable for it. I’m your senator, not big business and not the people who want to take away your rights. Being on this stage is surreal to me.”
“We love you!” a chorus of voices yelled out. “You’re our hero!”
Jackson smiled. “I hope I can live up to that,” he quipped. “I’m not a hero. I’m just a man who wants to make a difference. I’ve seen too many people hurt by indifference. Watched good men die because of red tape and bureaucracy. It’s time for that to stop. It’s time for the government to be for the people, not just for the rich, not just the business owners and corporations who want to do business with our state at your expense. There has to be a balance. There has to be growth that doesn’t choke the life out of the rest of us. That’s what I’m going to fight for.”
More applause erupted.
“I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank the people who helped me run this campaign. Teresa Flores,” he said, then pointed her out in the crowd. “Thank you for having my back and wanting the best for me. Daniel Keter, your support and encouragement means as much today as it did when I said I was going to take this crazy ride. He could’ve told me that I didn’t have a chance in hell. What did I know about politics or running for office? But he said I was just what this district needed and helped me put a team in place that taught me more than I thought I could learn in this time span. Hoorah!”
Daniel lifted his glass to Jackson.
“To all of you who stood by me, led rallies, and took your friends and family to vote—either early or today—thank you seems too hollow to say. But you made this happen.” Jackson locked eyes with Liza. Her smile radiated warmth and happiness. Made him feel like he was the luckiest man in the world because she was smiling at him.
“There’s one more person I’d like to say something to,” he said, then motioned for Liza to join him at the platform. “Liza Palmer.”
Whispers whirled through the crowd as she headed toward the stage to join him. If she was feeling any kind of way about what was being said or if she paid it any attention, it didn’t show in her cool demeanor as she walked up and stood beside him. Jackson took her hand in his. “The way we met wasn’t the stuff that dreams are made of,” he said, then smiled. Liza shook her head. “The closer I got to you, the more it seemed to hurt you. The lies and rumors that circulated about you to hurt me were unfair. But you stood tall through it all and there’s one thing that I have to ask of you.”
Liza kept smiling at Jackson even though her heart was pounding like a drum corp. After all of the attention she’d received during the election cycle, she should’ve been calm, cool, and collected. But she felt as if she was going to faint at any minute as Jackson and the thousands of people in the room looked at her.
“I love you, Miss Palmer.”
Awws and ooohs filled the air.
“I love you too,” Liza replied with a shaky voice.
“Will you do me the honor of being my wife?” he asked.
“Say yes, before I do,” an older lady called out as Liza stood there with her mouth wide open.
“Shut up, Gladys,” another woman said, causing the crowd to break into laughter.
Liza looked into his emerald eyes as tears filled hers. “Jackson, I-I . . . I don’t know what to say. I’m speechless.”
“I haven’t heard the one word that I’m waiting for,” he said with a smile. He reached out and wiped a single tear from her cheek. Liza smiled at his tender touch. Was she crazy to be standing up th
ere in silence? Pretty much.
“Yes. Yes. Yes! I will be more than happy to be your wife.” Jackson pulled her into his arms, dropping the microphone and kissing her to thunderous applause.
As the party began to wrap up, Liza hung in the background, smiling at her fiancé as he shook hands with his supporters. But she was ready for these people to go home. Teresa crossed over to her and smiled.
“I have to give it to you, Miss Palmer,” she began. “You’re a class act.”
“Really?”
“Since the campaigning is over, I can be real. If Robert and Nic had tried to smear my name the way they did yours, the story would be about how their bodies were found floating in Lake Norman.”
“Oh, I had those thoughts but orange has never been my color.”
“He’s a great guy. And I can imagine the moves you two are going to make in the state.”
“I kind of like not mixing business with pleasure.”
“And just how long is that going to last? Jackson is lucky to have you on his team—professionally and personally. Don’t let him forget that.”
“I feel like this is a dangerous combination right here,” Jackson said as he approached Liza and Teresa.
“Not at all,” Teresa said. “I was just telling Liza how much I look forward to watching you two grow as a power couple.”
Jackson glanced from Teresa to Liza. “If you say so.”
“Well,” Teresa said, hugging Jackson and then Liza, “I’m going to take off and give you two some quiet time. Then the real work begins!”
Once they were alone, Liza looked into Jackson’s eyes and smiled. “Mr. Senator.”
“I like the sound of that. But you know what sounds even better?”
“What?”
“The future Mrs. Jackson Franklin.”
She smiled, feeling her cheeks heat up. “I’m still in shock. You know, I’ve never made love to a senator before.” Liza licked her bottom lip and smiled saucily at him.
“Then I say let’s head to my room upstairs and change that.” He took her hand in his and they headed for the elevator. Although Liza wanted to kiss her man in the elevator, she was well aware of videos from security cameras being leaked to the press. So when Jackson drew her into his arms and kissed her with a steaming passion, she was shocked, but after about five seconds, she succumbed to the sweetness of his kiss.
A soft moan escaped her throat as he sucked her bottom lip. “We probably shouldn’t be . . .”
Jackson pulled back and brought his finger to her lips. “I know. But I couldn’t resist. You know what I thought when I saw you walk in?”
“Tell me,” she said as he cupped her bottom.
“I thought that is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and yellow is her color. Then I wondered, is she wearing panties and how amazing that dress is going to look—off that amazing body.”
“And here I was thinking that you hadn’t even noticed me.”
He ran his hands down her sides. “A blind man would’ve regained his sight to notice you in that dress.” The bell dinged and the doors of the elevator opened. Jackson pulled his key card out of his pocket as they headed down the hall to his room. He couldn’t get the door open fast enough. As soon as they were inside, he pressed Liza against the door and slipped his hands underneath her dress. There were panties, lace and barely there panties.
“Disappointed?” she quipped as his fingers slipped inside the waistband of the lace boy shorts.
Jackson grinned. “Not at all.” He pulled the underwear down and Liza stepped out of them. “Now, let’s lose the dress.”
“Nope. You strip first,” she said, then slipped her hands inside his jacket and pushed it off his broad shoulders.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied as he untied his tie. Liza unbuttoned his shirt once he tossed the tie away. She rubbed her hand across his chest and smiled.
“Looking good, Senator.”
Jackson took her hand and placed it on his belt. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”
Unhooking his belt, she shivered with anticipation as she felt his erection growing. Jackson took hold of her hands and made quick work of unzipping and stepping out of his slacks. He stepped back from her and did some flexing. “You see something you like?”
“Oh, yeah,” she replied with a smile. She stepped closer to him, then pulled his boxers down his hips and eased down to her knees. Taking his thick erection in her hands, she stroked him slowly, back and forth. He threw his head back in ecstasy as her lips took the place of her warm hands. Licking. Sucking. Kissing. She made his knees quiver as she took him deeper and deeper inside her hot mouth.
“Liza, Liza, Liza,” he moaned as he ran his fingers through her hair. When she flicked her tongue across the tip of his penis, Jackson had to fight the urge to climax. Pulling back from her, he gripped her shoulders. “Now, it’s time for you to shimmy out of this dress,” he groaned. Liza rose to her feet and unzipped the back of her gown. With two quick shakes, the dress pooled at her stiletto-clad feet. Jackson released an appreciative whistle. “Simply beautiful,” he said, then drew her into his arms. Liza wrapped her leg around his waist and brought her lips to his.
“Make love to me,” she moaned, then ground against him. Jackson plunged into her wet valley. She was so hot and felt so good as he thrust in and out. She kissed and licked his neck as they matched each other thrust for thrust. Liza moaned, gritted out his name, and reached her climax as he gripped her round cheeks.
“That’s it, baby,” he cried. “Come for me.”
Liza shivered as her orgasm took hold. “Oh, Jackson. Oh, Jackson,” she cried. Her body shook and she felt as if she was about to collapse. He walked them back to the bed and they fell into each other’s arms. Sweat poured from their bodies and their hearts began to beat in sync.
“I’m so proud of you,” she whispered as she followed a bead of sweat down his chest with her finger.
“Mmm, I’m just glad you stood by me during all of this.”
“It wasn’t easy,” she admitted. “I thought you’d chosen this seat over us. And I couldn’t blame you.”
“I wanted both, you and this senate seat. But if I had to choose, Liza, you would’ve won. I can’t see my future without you.”
“Jackson,” she intoned.
He stroked her cheek. “I love you. I love everything about you. From the way you smile at me to the fierce way you protect those you care about. One thing I know for sure, I’m never going to let you go.”
Tears of joy filled her eyes as she rested her head against his chest. This man had opened her heart and showed her that real love could come into her life and this was something she’d cherish forever.
“Thank you,” she said.
“For what?”
“For loving me, for accepting me flaws and all. Jackson, you’ve made me happier than I thought I deserved to be.”
“Baby, this is just the beginning. You haven’t seen anything yet.”
Smiling, she hugged him tightly, knowing that the best was yet to come and she’d spend the rest of her life wrapped in the warmth of Jackson’s love.
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Marie Charles is still Charlotte’s number-one party girl. But when she adds a DWI arrest and a totaled Jaguar to her list of tabloid news–making escapades, her daddy is done bailing her out. Sentenced to five hundred hours of community service at My Sister’s Keeper, a homeless shelter for women, Marie won’t have much time left for partying....
Renowned chef and TV star Devon Harris volunteers at My Sister’s Keeper. And he’s not happy Marie is joining him. He may be single—and she may be gorgeous—but the last thing he’s interested in is a superficial southern belle. But as Marie outgrows the selfish girl she was, Devon is turned on by the woman she’s becoming....
Marie kicked off her shoes when she walked into her Uptown condo and promised herself to never take a cab again. The driver seemed to be
driving with his eyes closed, barely following traffic guidelines. And then he had the gall to ask her if he could pick up another fare while she was in the car! Shivering, she grabbed her BlackBerry, which her father had insisted that she leave at home, to check her messages. Of course there was a message from her personal buyer at Neiman Marcus, asking where she was. But the next message caught her off guard. Maybe it was the bass in the caller’s voice or what she’d taken as a seductive timbre that made her knees quiver and her heart jump and skip a beat. Who was this man? And, boy, did she like the sound of her name coming out of his mouth. Sitting on the edge of the sofa, Marie listened to the message again—this time hearing every word he said.
“Good evening, Marie Charles, I’m sorry to call you so late. But I just got your file from My Sister’s Keeper and I understand we’re going to be working together. My name is Devon Harris and I’ll be supervising your community service. We should get together so that I can tell you what I need and expect from you. Please give me a call at seven-oh-four, five-five-five, two-three-four-four.”
Marie pressed the End button on her BlackBerry. This was about her damned community service? Ugh! “But Devon Harris, that name sounded so familiar,” she said as she lifted her iPad from the edge of her coffee table. She typed his name in her Google search menu and waited for the links to populate.
When the Web site for Devon’s cooking show came up, Marie remembered where she knew him from: the Food Network and Hometown Delights. That restaurant was almost as notorious as she was, with it being the scene of a murder involving mogul Solomon Crawford, and where director Emerson Bradford lost his mind and tried to kill his ex. She clicked on a picture of Devon, drinking in his chocolate brown skin, short wavy hair, and big hands. Of course he had big hands; he was a chef and probably knew how to knead a body just like bread dough. Still, it wasn’t as if they were meeting for a social engagement or to have a nice dinner. He was going to be her community service supervisor. He probably had all kinds of negative thoughts about her.Why do I care? she thought as she tore her eyes from his picture. It was five minutes after eight, so Marie figured it wasn’t too late to return Devon’s call. But did she really want to? The last thing she needed was to be judged by this man. Again, she wondered why she cared what Devon Harris thought about her. She’d never met the man. Marie dialed his number and waited for him to answer.
Rumor Has It Page 26
