Chadwick's Rare Find (An Intriguing Romance Novel)

by Heidi Sexton

  Vana and Brittany were making a salad. They had gotten over their differences completely. They were laughing loudly over how inept Vana was at cooking. Instead of cutting the boiled eggs into round, appealing pieces, she had butchered them. It looked as if she had an egg-spread before her rather than condiments for the salad.

  Brittany was laughing so hard at Vana, she didn’t realize she had gotten tomato juice on her leg. Her khaki shorts barely missed being ruined. A big clump of tomato juice with seeds was sliding down her leg. She reached for a towel on the counter and was bending over to wipe it off when she heard a deep voice say, “Let me do that, please.”

  Brittany jerked upright and screamed. Standing behind her was none other than Chadwick Jordan in all his glory. She hit Chadwick twice across the chest with the towel.

  “Sneaking up on people!” She burst out happily.

  Chadwick grabbed her around the waist, pulling her close to him. At the same time he took the towel from her. Looking deeply into her eyes, he reached down between them and wiped the tomato off her leg. Everyone watched this intimate display without a word. Chadwick had caught everyone off guard. They watched as Brittany became pudding in Chadwick’s arms. His face was pressed against the curve of her neck and he was saying something. They couldn’t hear what he was saying.

  “Speak up. We can’t hear you.” Vana said.

  Chadwick stepped away from Brittany and turned to look at Vana. “It’s not for you to hear, Mrs. Nosey.”

  “Why not? Nobody likes silent movies. Watching you guys is like looking at a movie. You two should just go on and get married,” Vana challenged.

  Chadwick was in full agreement, but he knew better than to push Brittany. Even though they had known each other for two months, most of the time had been filled with contentions of one sort of another. They needed more time. Well, Brittany needed more time. Chadwick’s mind was already made up. He would marry her. That was the one thing in life that he was unequivocally sure about. Brittany Bradfield would be his wife.

  “Well, I see everyone is still alive. I’m proud.” Chadwick announced with just enough arrogance to be irritating. Maybe this would get Vana’s mind on something else. Sometimes being the only guy in a world full of sisters and their friends was a wonderful thing. It made him feel manly. All of their beautiful eyes were on him and he loved it.

  “Chadwick go away. Go take a shower and change. Supper will be ready shortly.” Adanna and Amber went through the sliding doors beside the kitchen booth. Chadwick could smell the steaks simmering on the grill. He decided he would hurry and change. He was hungry for food and Brittany.

  “Brittany you want to come upstairs with me?” Chadwick turned around and put his cheek against hers.

  Brittany was quivering, but she wasn’t senseless. She knew better than to go anywhere near those stairs with Chadwick. First of all, she wanted him in her arms too badly. She wasn’t sure she could control herself. Second of all, Amber would be raising her eyebrows and glaring steel darts into her already damaged conscience. Putting her arms around his neck she turned her mouth onto his cheek and kissed him.

  “No, Chadwick. That doesn’t sound like a good idea. Would you please behave?”

  Chadwick let her go and left the room laughing. He was glad to be back. He had missed seeing Brittany. He stood in the doorway of the kitchen for several minutes just watching her before he had made his presence known. She was beautiful with her hair swooped across her forehead and up with ringlets dangling everywhere. She would be the prettiest woman at the party tomorrow. He was glad it was a girlie party. He didn’t know if he could take other men looking at Brittany and dancing with her. He was so on edge with wanting her. The thought of another guy touching her raised his hackles. He knew there would be mostly women considering the list consisted of Brittany and her sister’s friends along with a few of Adanna’s.

  CHAPTER 18

  Chaos was the only word Chadwick could use to describe the scene before him. The girls had gone crazy. They were running, literally running through the house. Chadwick didn’t share their sense of expectation and wondered if he had somehow missed out on key facts concerning this party. He had never seen Adanna so out of sorts. She was screaming and demanding that everything be perfect. The most worrisome thing was the fact that everything was perfect.

  Chadwick had awakened to find Adanna’s home filled with people. The caterer literally had an army of employees. The employees ranged from gorgeous young girls to dapper young guys. A man who announced to everyone upon arrival that he was the DJ, was hauling in huge speakers and boxes and boxes or DVDs, as if the dancing would last months instead of one evening. Chadwick wondered how much money Adanna was spending on this shindig. It was beginning to look like a pretty darn extravagant event.

  The girls were perfect as well. Chadwick had always been proud of his sisters appearance. He was more proud of their personalities though. People gravitated to them. Adanna attracted a totally different group of people than Vana, but their friends loved them. Standing on the stairwell and feeling a little in the way, Chadwick watched Adanna, who was normally docile and sweet, commandeering the help. She was dressed for business in a pants suit and heels. Everything about her demanded respect. Her hair was not pinned up as she normally wore it, but instead it hung loosely around her shoulders. Her hair had been flat ironed and Chadwick thought she looked beautiful.

  He watched with interest as Adanna and Vana conferred in the foyer over something. Adanna’s face lit up at whatever Vana was saying. He heard a faint, “Ooh, girl that’s a good idea!” Then Adanna whirled away, rushing into the dining room. Brittany and Christy came walking swiftly around the corner from the direction of the kitchen. Chadwick’s eyes narrowed when he noticed one of the young waiters staring. Brittany’s shorts were very short. As a matter of fact, he was almost sure they were what she slept in. It was still early. He and Adanna were the only ones dressed. Christy and Vana had on pajamas, but Brittany wore a t-shirt and short-shorts. She was barefoot too. Chadwick headed towards the staircase. Brittany drew him like a magnet.

  #

  “Guess what game we are going to play tonight?” Vana stopped Brittany and Christy before they could go upstairs.

  “What? Spit it out!” Brittany was very excited about the evening. She couldn’t wait to see what else Adanna had added to the itinerary. She was quickly realizing that Adanna was a hostess wizard. This would be the classiest event she and her sisters had ever attended.

  “Musical chairs! I can’t wait!” Vana was running in place and clapping her hands like a child. She started laughing with a wicked glee.

  “Isn’t that a child’s game?” Christy had a very confused look on her face.

  “Oh, honey no. Not when you’re playing with grown men. What it is, is a contact sport!” Vana screamed and laughed the witch’s laugh again. Christy and Brittany finally figured out why she was so excited. They couldn’t help but join in her laughter. Brittany could see Vana’s hip against some tall handsome guy’s hard muscled thigh as they battled for the last available chair before the music stopped. Turning to look at Christy, she could see that Christy understood clearly what all the excitement was about too. She had a shy, but definitely mischievous grin on her face. Little Miss Christy was in for some real fun tonight.

  “What are you girls so excited about?” Chadwick walked into the middle of their conversation.

  “None of your business. You just worry about Brittany. Christy and I are single.” Vana grabbed Christy’s hand and dragged her up the staircase with her.

  “What was that all about? Adanna didn’t hire a stripper did she?” Chadwick said jokingly. He knew better, but he was really beginning to wonder if he had missed something. He looked at Brittany who was fidgeting and looking everywhere but at him. She looked wicked. Brittany’s slanted eyes and luscious lips belied her virginity in every way. She was unbelievably sensual. Her thick legs, round bottom, and full breasts were decadent. Ch
adwick couldn’t help himself. He scooped her up into his arms and turned toward the staircase with her.

  “What are you doing?” Brittany bit her lip to keep from screaming. She didn’t want Adanna to come out from wherever she was and see this. She definitely didn’t want Amber to see. She held on as Chadwick kept walking like a crazed man up the stairs with her in his arms. He didn’t stop until he was in his bedroom. He dropped her on his unmade bed and stalked back across the room to flip the lock.

  “Chadwick! Let me out of here before we both do something we’ll regret.” Brittany was frantically trying to get out of the bed, but was getting tangled in the sheets more than anything.

  “Why are you walking around in those shorts, Brittany? I can see your ----.” Chadwick had enough training from his mom to know to refrain from coarseness when talking to females. He took a deep breath and put his back against the door and stared at Brittany. Why had he brought her up here? Now he was alone with her; the worst position he could be in under the circumstances. She was on her knees trying to kick the covers from around her ankles. Too much of her flesh was exposed as she flailed around. He hadn’t noticed that she was clumsy before. He had been too busy lusting after her. Pushing away from the door he walked to the bed and snatched the covers away before she hurt herself. She instantly curled her legs beneath herself and became still. She watched him.

  “I want you Brittany. I don’t know how to control this. Tell me how to do this.” Chadwick stood with both hands at his side waiting. He needed to hear some miraculous formulation for controlling one’s desire at its height of intensity.

  “If you love someone, you don’t hurt them. I made a vow that I would be a virginal bride to my mother. My father was killed by a man in a rage because he found my father in bed with his wife. My mother explained without leaving out one detail what happened to my dad. I vowed that I would give myself to one man only through marriage and that I would be a faithful wife. It’s in your best interest as well as mine, that I keep that vow, Chadwick.” Brittany had spoken quickly and breathlessly sensing Chadwick needed to be reeled in. He seemed way out of control.

  As she was speaking, Chadwick had backed away. With his back against the door once again, his eyes bore into Brittany’s. This beautiful woman was not superficial. Her values ran strong and deep. She would be his virginal bride and she would be true to him for life. He would get all of this by being patient and gaining control of himself and his feelings. He did not need anymore convincing to know what was best in this case. Unlocking the door, he did a sweeping motion with his hand for Brittany to leave.

  Brittany climbed out of the bed and crossed the room. Chadwick stopped her with a hand at her elbow.

  “I’m sorry, Brittany. I love you and I need you, but I want you whole and I want you to always be who you are right now. I know what I have to do. You don’t have to worry about anything like this happening again.” His hand fell away from her elbow. Suddenly, Brittany felt cold. She wondered what his last words meant and worried as she left his room.

  #

  It was time to get dressed for the party. The girls had taken all their beauty supplies, dresses, shoes, accessories and everything up to the third floor to the gym. The wall to wall glass mirrors and huge bathroom gave them ample space to get ready together. They were listening to Pink’s CD and having the time of their lives.

  Amber and Adanna had a surprise. Christy sat on the floor rubbing lotion on her legs. Brittany stood before the mirror plucking unwanted hairs from unmentionable places. Vana straddled a bench press with a jewelry bag between her legs sifting through jewelry in search for the perfect necklace to wear with her indecent dress. Amber and Adanna each had a thin garment bag in their hands.

  “We have to show you girls something,” Adanna said.

  “Adanna, quit the drama and get on with it,” Vana drawled impatiently.

  “Remember those old tired dresses you guys thought we were going to wear? Well, we changed our minds about that.” Amber had a Girls-Gone-Wild look on her face.

  They unzipped their bags at the same time and pulled out scandalous but beautiful dresses. Amber’s dress was the same color as her tanned skin. It was designed to be form-fitting. She would look naked in it. Brittany put her hand across her mouth and screamed.

  “Oh my goodness!” Christy yelled as she jumped up and grabbed the dress to get a closer look.

  Adanna’s dress was the color of fire. Brittany couldn’t figure out if her breasts would be in or out of the dress. There seemed to be no place for her breasts.

  “You guys are so bad,” Brittany said, as she shook her finger at them.

  “What is this all about? How does one go from an old-maid dress to a hooker-on-Fifth Avenue dress?” Vana laughed as she hugged Adanna up into her arms. “I am so glad you’re going to be gorgeous tonight. With your skin this red dress is gone set it off tonight.”

  The dresses were definitely a hit. It seemed the dresses lead to more revelry, loud laughter, and boisterousness amongst the girls.

  “Chadwick thinks this is one of your tea parties doesn’t he Adanna?” Vana couldn’t help but laugh. She had not missed his confused look throughout the day.

  “I guess so, but that’s what he gets for assuming things all the time. He hasn’t asked me one question about anything. He didn’t even ask the dress code.”

  “He is going to have on appropriate attire isn’t he?” Brittany was getting worried. She didn’t want him upset. She wasn’t entirely sure what kind of mood she had left him in earlier.

  “Oh girl yes, I took care of that before he even got here from Atlanta. Chadwick is used to being taken care of. I hope you know what you are getting into with him. He’s a big ole baby when he is with us. I don’t know how he lives in Atlanta, but he is helpless when he is here or at Momma and Daddy’s.” Adanna, in her red panty and bra set waltzed past Brittany making a “tut tut” sound that Brittany had become used to.

  “She’s not exaggerating, Brittany. He is a baby.” Vana said as she clamped a diamond necklace around her neck.

  “That’s okay. Brittany is the nurturing type. She and Chadwick will do fine.” Christy had already claimed Chadwick as a brother-in-law and it didn’t matter to her what they said about him. She had already made up her mind Brittany would have Chadwick. She liked his sisters as well. Christy was excited about being in this family of far ranging personalities. She and her sisters had colorful personalities as well. It should be a seamless merging of families for them all.

  Eventually they were all dressed and ready. They stood before the mirrors in the gym and “ooohed” and “aaahed” all over each other. They were heading down the stairs when the doorbell started ringing. Adanna had also hired a butler for the evening. The middle-aged man was a disappointment from the moment he arrived. He was totally unfriendly. He did not smile or frown. His facial expression was simply flat. Adanna hoped that her guest wouldn’t take one look at him and decide to leave, but it was too late to change anything, let alone employees. She invited him on in and gave him the list of guests. No one was to be let in if they were not on the list. Leaving him with her one and only rule for the evening, Adanna had shuffled away feeling a little anxious about the expressionless man she had hired.

  The guests were filing in quickly. The doorbell seemed to be constantly ringing. Adanna knew there would be a lull after a while as people started having to park further away. Eventually, they would have to send out the shuttle. No one wanted to climb a hill to get to a party in this day and age. Adanna had wisely prepared for everything.

  Adanna informed the girls they would not be making their appearances early. They would wait until the dining room had filled up slightly before entering. The caterer and the butler had everything under control. Christy’s eyes had gone round. They were to make a grand entrance. All eyes would be on them. This excited everyone but Christy. She hated to be the center of attention.

  As they watched guest after guest
arrive, it became clear the majority of people on the invitation list were arriving. Everyone was dressed according to code. The men were gorgeous in their tuxedos and the young women were beautiful in their gowns. Adanna’s home now housed some of the most fashionably attired men and women in San Diego Valley. A lavish party had been planned on their behalf and they were in attendance and ready to dance and play as hardily as their hostess would allow.

  CHAPTER 19

  Chadwick heard the music and what sounded like debauchery going on downstairs. He finished dressing and put on his tuxedo coat. His thoughts were on Brittany as they had been all day. The speech she had given about her father had touched the core of him. How she found the right words was beyond him, but it had been a pivotal moment for him. Everything in his life had come full circle. Marriage was a huge commitment. It should be a choice based on character rather than looks and lust. Brittany in her own innocence had made it all crystal clear for him.

  Their courtship would prove their character. Brittany had vowed to stay a virgin until marriage. If she broke that vow she made to her mother, it would only signify that she would break any vow, including her marriage vow. If Chadwick manipulated her into breaking that vow, it would only prove that he had no regard for vows and would not hold his own marital vows of any importance. The bottom line was that they had to keep their courtship free of sex, if they would have any real future together. Chadwick now understood clearly.

  He opened his door and headed towards the staircase with a new determination. He would keep his hands to himself. There would be no more touching, kissing or any intimacy that could cause him to lose control. Brittany was off limits. He would talk to her, but he would keep a physical distance between them. It was up to him to make sure they didn’t mess up. He knew she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. She could break under pressure from him. He wouldn’t do it to her. He could be strong for both of them.