“Because you didn’t trust yourself.”
Her smile confirmed his guess. “I already told you I was stepping out on a limb with no kind of expertise to guide me in this sort of thing. The last two months I know you’ve left the ball in my court.” She shook her head and seemed to bristle. “I didn’t want to do anything that would mess that up.”
“You wouldn’t have,” he swore.
Davia didn’t look convinced. “When you distanced yourself...I thought maybe I had, but you were just trying to give me time to figure out what I wanted. To take the leap in making a decision. To believe I had the ability to make a good one. I get that now. It didn’t help at first. I spent a lot of time second-guessing every move...still obsessing over whether I was even worthy of a relationship with you after the way I misjudged you.
“All that...” She sighed. “It clouded things, kept me from seeing as clearly what you were able to so easily.”
Kale shifted, only allowing her to see his profile then. “I guess my final push with the proposal didn’t help things, either, did it?”
She smiled. “You knew what you wanted. I couldn’t fault you for that.”
“And you?” He faced her fully. “Is this what you want, Davi?”
She scooted a little closer to him. “Between the two of us, I think I was the first to have my thoughts head in this direction. You said once that I surprised you. You surprised me, too. I think I knew a future with you was what I wanted before I could even admit it. I think that’s why I could never let go of the fact that it was you I was feeling this for. That part I just couldn’t wrap my head around even after I knew the truth, even after you forgave me for labeling you the way I did. I want you, Kale. I want a life with you more than I want to give any more of my energy to the past—real or imagined.”
Her smile was one that spoke of helplessness. “I know there’s a lot more I could say—a lot more I should say. I just hope you can believe that now, here, where it’s just the two of us—no town hall meetings and crisis, no meddlesome but well-meaning friends, no distance.”
“No distance.” Kale’s voice was firm as he echoed her words. He took her hand, squeezed, kissed it. “Will you marry me, Davia Sands?”
She squeezed his hand, clutched it hard. “In case you have thoughts on running before you hear my answer.” She scooted closer. “Yes, yes, Kale, yes.” Her gaze was long and unwavering as it searched his.
“Yes, yes...” she continued even as he kissed her.
“So will we be Kale and Davia Asante of San Francisco, California or Kale and Davia Asante of Miami, Florida?” he asked once he released her mouth.
Davia linked her arms around his neck when he set her to his lap. “Gosh, I can’t seem to think past the Kale and Davia Asante part. But if you need an answer right away, I do believe that I’m old-fashioned enough to let my husband decide on our mailing address.”
“Are you sure?” He spoke the question against her temple.
“You can run your business from anywhere,” Davia said. “So can I... Hmm, maybe this distance issue isn’t nearly as big of a deal as we were making it out to be. Not nearly as big of a deal as us belonging to each other.”
“I love you,” Kale said.
“I love you.” Davia hugged him to her and said, “Wherever we call home.”
Epilogue
Mullins, Iowa
Two and half years later
“Asante Sands,” Davia announced as she stood looking out at the dazzling marquee that towered in the center of a newly paved parking lot. If the night played out as all the others had over the course of their opening week, the theater would be almost filled to capacity when it opened later.
She smiled, feeling Kale’s arms sliding around her waist when he moved behind her.
“No second thoughts, I hope? I didn’t think you’d mind the name,” he said.
“Oh, no.” Davia rubbed the back of his hand. “It sounds like a destination. I think it’s got a nice ring to it.”
“So do a lot of things.” Kale gnawed her ear and then lifted her hand. He kissed the ring adorning his wife’s finger.
Davia turned in her husband’s arms before she looked up to survey the lobby, washed in golden light by a never-ending sky of recessed spotlights occupying the theater’s ceiling. Next, she observed the eye-catching design of the carpet—a sea of navy diamonds in the center of a rich purple base. The diamonds were outlined in white with the design set against a black background. The artwork repeated across every square inch of the theater’s flooring.
The irresistible and unmistakable aroma of popcorn permeated the air and drew the eye to the wooden concession stand that had the look and allure of a turn-of-the-century pub.
“Do you think they’d approve?” Davia leaned into Kale’s chest and sighed.
He smiled, knowing she was referring to their lost loved ones. “I believe they would.” His voice was soft with reverence.
Arm in arm, the newlyweds made their way through the lobby and into one of the four theaters the establishment boasted. Each of the venues held the look of a cozy living room—one that could seat up to fifty-two people. Instead of labeling the four venues by number, each bore the name of those who had inspired it. The Chase. The Bryant. The Gloria. The Tella.
“Think we could do this again?” Kale asked when they entered the Tella theater and he pulled Davia back against him.
“Hmm.” Feigning skepticism, Davia studied the room’s cozy old-world beauty. “I’m not sure. We had a lot of motivation for this one.”
“You’re right.” Kale pressed his face into the back of Davia’s head, enjoying the fragrance clinging to her cropped cut. “But I kind of like working with my wife.”
“Well, there’re a lot of perks,” Davia said as she gave a quick, saucy shrug, “but it’d be a little difficult. I’m still handling business out of San Francisco while you’re in Miami.”
The couple had yet to decide where they wanted to put down stakes. They had divided their time equally on opposing coasts over the eight, blissful months of their marriage.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about that, you know. Where we handle our business.” Kale entertained himself by rubbing a spot along her nape. “I kind of like the office space here,” he said.
Davia turned, speechless and clueless until growing awareness brightened her eyes. “Are you serious?” She laughed when he only looked at her. “I didn’t think a place like this would be your cup of tea.”
Kale brushed his nose along her temple. “Guess I found a flavor I like. Can you say the same?”
Davia slapped his shoulder. “You know I love it here! But—I mean, it’s so quiet.” Faint uneasiness narrowed her light eyes. “Won’t you go a little crazy? You won’t find the same things here that are in Miami.”
“Damn straight. I didn’t find you in Miami, remember? I found you here. I’m afraid that’s kind of sold me on the place.”
“Well...technically you found me in San Francisco,” she teased as excitement kindled in her tummy.
Kale gave a noncommittal shrug. “I never would’ve come to San Francisco if it hadn’t been for this place.”
Davia closed her eyes and nodded. “It would seem you’ve exhausted all my arguments.”
“Finally.” Kale looked up as if to offer thanks. “So do you think we’ll work as well together building our house as we did on this theater?”
“Well, husband of mine, houses are different. There’s more to consider and I may find myself having to convince you of things in my own sweet way, of course.”
“I’m sold,” Kale murmured seconds before they were losing themselves in a lusty kiss.
The moment was interrupted by the sound of a throat clearing. Ending their kiss, Kale and Davia saw their young theater
manager, Alan Crump, on the other side of the viewing room.
“Sorry for the interruption, Mr. and Mrs. Asante. Just doing my walk-through.”
“It’s okay, Alan, you’re just the guy I wanted to see.” Kale took Davia’s hand and pulled her a brief distance behind him. “How long till our first showing?”
“Just over three hours, sir.”
“Sounds good. I’m trying to convince my wife of something and I need help setting the mood.”
“Yes, sir.” Alan seemed eager to assist.
“Thought we’d check out something on-screen,” Kale told the young man.
“Yes, sir. Any preferences?”
“None, as long as the lights are down, Alan,” Kale said.
Alan chuckled. “Not a problem, sir. We’ve got a new love story that just opened this week.”
Kale gave a wave. “That’ll work.”
Alan left while his employers selected their seats and moved the cushioned rolling armchairs closer.
Kale, preferring to share a seat, pulled Davia into his lap. “Think this’ll be a good movie?” He nodded toward the screen as the lights went down.
“Good.” Davia got comfortable on her husband’s lap and then sighed. “Not spectacular, though. I think that label should be reserved for our love story.”
Kale nuzzled the soft spot behind his wife’s ear and kissed her there. “I think you’re right,” he whispered as the movie began.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from ROAD TO TEMPTATION by Terra Little.
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Road to Temptation
by Terra Little
Chapter 1
“I have a present for you,” a sultry feline voice said, breaking the early-morning silence.
Elise Carrington looked up from her computer screen and frowned at the petite woman heading across the reception area in her direction. Curly sandy-brown hair with copper highlights flew wildly around her heart-shaped face and bounced against her shoulders with every step she took. Her plump lips were shellacked to perfection with a frosty fuchsia-tinted gloss and curved into a smile wide enough to sink the matching dimples in her cheeks. And the naturally arched brows above her deep-set, amber-colored eyes were poised, as if they expected to take flight at any moment.
Elise was immediately suspicious of the woman’s intentions and slightly amused at the same time. Looking at another person and seeing an exact replica of herself still startled her every now and then, even though she’d been doing it for over thirty years and should’ve long since grown used to it. “Only you could manage to look bright and chipper at seven o’clock in the morning,” she drawled, reaching for a mug of steaming coffee on the tabletop. “The rest of us poor schmucks are still cracking our eyelids open.” She sipped the hot liquid gingerly, taking a moment to appreciate the creamy, caramel-flavored blend as she eyed her identical twin over the rim of the mug. She knew without having to be told that the file folder in her sister’s hand didn’t contain good news. The ones that tended to land in either of their laps these days rarely did. “What’s up?”
“We have a runaway on our hands,” Olivia Carrington said. “Well, I guess I should say you have a runaway on your hands.”
“Excuse me?” Elise watched incredulously as Olivia smoothed her silk tunic over her hips, plopped into one of the upholstered chairs across the table from her and crossed her legs. The blouse’s bright fuchsia color matched Olivia’s lip gloss perfectly, reminding Elise that she hadn’t bothered with anything more than leggings, a tunic-style hoodie and a fresh-scrubbed face this morning.
“I’m in the middle of the Donaldson case,” her sister began, “but since you wrapped up your last case a few days ago, I figured that it was okay to accept a new case for you.”
Elise’s frown deepened. “That’s my present? A new case?”
“Yep,” Olivia chirped, dimpling prettily.
“Seriously. I don’t know why I put up with you.” Unconsciously mimicking her sibling’s pose, Elise sat back in her chair and crossed her legs. “It’s not like I don’t have enough paperwork to do before I can finally close the file on my last case. Plus, I was hoping to take a break before I accepted another assignment, maybe sneak off to the Bahamas for a few days with a few of the girls and relax.”
“Okay, first of all, you put up with me because we’re twins. I’m two minutes older than you are, so you have to. Secondly, you don’t have any girls. Plus, I couldn’t have turned this one down if I wanted to and, believe me, I really wanted to. Do you remember Joel Barclay?”
“Sure, I remember Joel.” How could she forget him? He and Olivia had carried on a scorching affair for several months back in high school. Despite the fact that he was twenty at the time, almost twenty-one, and a junior in college, and Olivia was barely seventeen and a high-school senior, what had started out as a carefree summer fling had quickly turned into an intense, nearly year-long relationship. Up to that point, Elise had never known a member of the opposite sex to hold Olivia’s attention for longer than a few weeks at a time, and, as far as she knew, there had only been one or two others who’d managed to accomplish the feat since. It was a toss-up as to which of them—Joel or Elise—was more shocked when Olivia turned down Joel’s marriage proposal and then broke up with him shortly afterward. “How is he?”
“He’s on the verge of a nervous breakdown,” Olivia said, suddenly serious. “His daughter is missing, and we have to find her.”
Surprised for the second time in as many minutes, Elise stared at her sister as she reached across the table for the file folder that Olivia held out to her. Setting her coffee aside, she opened the folder and scanned the 5x7 color photo that was clipped to a thin stack of written notes inside. The teenage girl staring back at her was the spitting image of the Joel she remembered—raven-haired, with classic features and a warm smile. According to the notes in the file, her name was Meagan, she had just turned eighteen a little over a month ago and she’d been missing for nearly twenty-four hours.
“I remember when he got married right after college,” Elise remarked absently as she continued scanning the case notes. “You had the nerve to be upset because you weren’t invited to the wedding, as if you hadn’t just broken the poor guy’s heart ten minutes before he walked down the aisle.”
&nb
sp; “It did seem like he got over me rather quickly, now that you mention it.”
Elise’s gaze flickered up to her sister’s briefly and then skated away. No way was she touching that subject. Of the two of them, Olivia, bless her heart, was by far the vainest. As a teenager, Elise had always preferred the company of a good crime-fiction novel and a steaming mug of chamomile tea over that of chattering girls and hormonal boys. But Olivia was the exact opposite. She’d always been smart and had ultimately graduated cum laude from Loyola University, but only after their parents had spent most of their daughters’ adolescent years worrying themselves sick over whether or not Olivia would ever get serious about something other than boys, lip gloss and gossip.
She’d also dated enough for the both of them in high school, which was just fine with Elise, since it had taken most of the pressure of adolescent expectations off her. But Olivia’s tendency to make everything about herself could be a bit much if you didn’t know her well enough to know that her heart was just as big as her head.
“So this is their kid, huh?”
“Their one and only,” Olivia said. “So you can see why I couldn’t say no to the case, but I couldn’t exactly take it on myself, right? It would be...weird.”
“Yes, I can see how it might be.”
It was a high-profile case, one that would definitely get its fifteen minutes worth of fame if the media caught wind of it. After marrying his pregnant rebound girlfriend right out of college, Joel had set his sights on a career in politics and law. He was currently in his first term as a circuit court judge, a seat that he’d just barely won in the last election, thanks to his teenage daughter’s penchant for scandalous public exploits. Add that to the fact that, before he’d become a judge, he was the kind of young brash defense attorney who himself had a tendency to take on the kinds of controversial cases that kept him in the public eye, and the result was a private life that didn’t exactly lend itself to voter sympathy. The last thing he or his wife needed was the kind of publicity that a presumably out-of-control runaway child would attract, especially since his name was now on the short list for appointment to the Illinois Appellate Court. That had to be why he’d bitten the bullet and reached out to Olivia. His was just the kind of case that Carrington Consulting specialized in.
Silver Screen Romance Page 17
