Five Star Seduction

by Jacquelin Thomas

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Blaze, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “Mom and Dad are on the way. I haven’t called Sage because I don’t want her to get upset.”

  “She’s going to be upset, but I don’t think she needs to be at the hospital. Sage really needs her rest.”

  Zaire hung up and climbed out of bed. “Baby, I need to go to the hospital.”

  Tyrese got up and started to get dressed. “I’ll drive you.”

  “I can have Drayden pick me up. You can go back to sleep.”

  He shook his head. “I won’t be able to sleep with you dealing with this alone.”

  She looked up at Tyrese. “It’s too early for the babies.”

  “Twins coming early is not unusual,” he told her. “Natasha is going to have the best medical care, and the babies will be fine. We have to believe that.”

  Zaire hugged him. “Thanks for saying that. I needed to hear it.”

  “Hurry up and get dressed,” he told her. “We have to get to the hospital.”

  Chapter 18

  “Why don’t you go to bed?” Tyrese suggested when they arrived back at the apartment. They had been at the hospital since midnight. Both babies were breech; Natasha was six centimeters dilated and leaking amniotic fluid. The doctor informed Ari that there was no chance of stopping labor and that Natasha would have to deliver as soon as possible through cesarean section.

  Zaire sank down on the sofa. “I think I just want to sit here for a while.”

  He sat down beside her. “It’s amazing to see you with your family. I love the way you all support one another. My parents were a lot like that.”

  She touched his cheek. “You really miss them, don’t you?”

  Tyrese nodded. “It would have been great to have them supporting me when I was going through my storms.”

  “You’re not alone anymore,” Zaire reminded him. “You have me.”

  She called to check on Natasha and the babies a few minutes later.

  “Natasha’s sleeping, and the babies are fine,” she told Tyrese. “Ari won’t leave the nursery. He doesn’t want the babies alone.”

  “Are you planning to go back to the hospital?” Tyrese asked.

  “It will probably be later this evening. I know Sage will be going by to visit Natasha and the twins.”

  “Call me if you need me to pick you up from the hospital.” Tyrese rose to his feet. “I’m going to shower and change. If you decide that you’re coming into the office today—let me know. I’ll come pick you up.”

  Zaire shook her head. “Tyrese, I can do this. If I decide to go to the office, I will drive myself. I can do this.”

  He wore a look of concern. “Honey, I don’t want you to rush into this. I don’t mind driving you wherever you need to go, or I can send a car for you.”

  Zaire gave him a sharp look. “Tyrese, I love you, but I want my life back. I want to be completely free, and I won’t be if I can’t get behind the wheel of my car and drive to work or anywhere else.”

  * * *

  Zaire was not only driving to work, but parking in a well-lit parking spot designated for her near the newly restructured security office. She and Tyrese had driven separately most of the week as he resumed his early schedule. Zaire didn’t plan to come in until two hours later.

  After a week had passed, Zaire prepared a special dinner on the table to celebrate this recent milestone.

  Tyrese came home shortly after eight.

  He greeted her with a kiss. “How was your day?”

  “Great,” Zaire responded. “What about yours?”

  “It was busy, but I got a lot of work done.”

  “Well, tonight I don’t want you thinking about work,” she told him. “We are going to celebrate.”

  He smiled. “What are we celebrating, sweetheart?”

  “How about the fact that I am completely free from the terrors of my attack,” Zaire announced. “I am no longer a victim. Go upstairs and shower. I have something on the bed for you to slip into.”

  His eyebrows rose in surprise. “Oh, really?”

  “Just do what I tell you. I promise it will be worth it.”

  Tyrese grinned. “I’ll be right back.”

  He returned fifteen minutes later to the candlelit dining room, freshly showered and dressed in the pair of silk pajama pants she had laid out for him.

  The soft lighting caressed his complexion, giving it a smooth, creamy texture.

  He kissed her passionately.

  Zaire reluctantly pulled away. “We’d better eat before the food gets cold.”

  He groaned, “If you say so—but we could take it to the bedroom with us. I’m just saying....”

  Grinning, Zaire slowly untied her robe, displaying a beautiful red silk teddy. “But then you’d ruin the evening I have in mind. There’s only one thing I have in mind when it comes to the bedroom.”

  He sat down at the table. “Let’s eat quickly.”

  She laughed. “Baby, I don’t want you choking down your food. We have all night.”

  Although Zaire’s hunger had been sated, her appetite for Tyrese was insatiable. Her breathing quickened at the sight of him licking his full, sexy lips. She had to mentally shake herself in order to concentrate on her dinner.

  Zaire had planned to serve dessert, but the truth was that she had other things on her mind. She rose fluidly from her chair, removed her robe and then let it trail behind her as she headed to the master bedroom. Her hips swayed seductively from left to right as she walked.

  Tyrese got up and followed her.

  Inside the room, he traced a trail of scalding kisses along the rapid pulsation on her throat while his hand set out on a journey of intimate discovery. Zaire could read the promise of delicious magic in his eyes. She felt the fire spreading through every fiber of her being until fervent desire pounded in rhythm with her thundering heart.

  Obsessed with the feel of each other’s hands and lips, the two fell back on the bed. Zaire’s arms slid over Tyrese’s sinewy shoulders to hold him close.

  Passion streamed through her like a river, sweeping her into a whirlpool of inexpressible splendor. The ever-changing, ever-growing sensations consumed her mind, body and soul.

  Their energy spent, Tyrese and Zaire lay entwined.

  Feeling more content than she had ever felt in her life, Zaire smiled tenderly.

  Gazing into her eyes, Tyrese kissed her softly. “You are my life, Zaire. I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost you.”

  “You’ve shown me what it’s like to be completely loved by a man. There’s nothing or no one who could ever make me abandon what I have with you.” Zaire meant it with her entire being.

  They showered together, then dressed in robes and went downstairs to have dessert.

  Tyrese nodded. “You really outdid yourself tonight. I can’t believe that you cooked all of this and baked a cake.”

  “Okay, I confess,” Zaire said. “I didn’t bake the cake. Ryan did.”

  Tyrese laughed. “I knew it.”

  “No, you didn’t,” she countered. “How did you know? It’s not like I had an empty box of cake mix in the garbage can.”

  “No, you didn’t,” he agreed. “But there wasn’t any evidence of anything for the cake.”

  “You went looking for proof that I’d made the cake?” she asked. Zaire couldn’t believe he would go through their trash bin just to prove or disprove her cake-baking skills.

  “I wasn’t looking for proof of anything,” he said. “I just happened to notice it.” Setting his champagne flute on the table, Tyrese added, “I could care less whether or not you can bake. I love you regardless.”

  She reached out across the table, lacing his fing
ers with her own. “I’m ready to go back to bed. What about you?”

  He rose to his feet in response.

  Zaire led him back to the bedroom.

  They got in bed and snuggled close.

  Burying her face against the corded muscles of his chest, Zaire murmured, “What I’m feeling is so extraordinary, it defies description.”

  Running his fingers through her hair, Tyrese asked, “Now, why is that?”

  “Well, I have this incredible man that I love with all of my heart and who loves me back. I’m so excited about our upcoming trip to New York. It’s going to be nice exploring the Big Apple with you.”

  “That’s why I wanted to fly in early. Pilar’s planning to keep us pretty busy with all of the prewedding celebrations, but I want to spend some quality time with you. Pilar thinks we’re flying in on Friday morning.”

  “You didn’t want to tell her that we’d be there on Wednesday?” Zaire inquired.

  “No,” Tyrese responded. “Trust me. She’d try to put me to work if she knew that we were coming in early.”

  “What if she calls you?”

  “She won’t be able to reach me.”

  Zaire was surprised by his response.

  “Actually, I told her that I would be out of town for a couple of days before the wedding. I just didn’t tell her that I would be in New York.”

  Zaire laughed. “Honey, Pilar knows you very well. She’s booked a hotel suite for us from Wednesday to Sunday.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. She figured that we might want to spend some time alone.”

  He kissed her. “How long were you going to keep this from me?”

  “I wasn’t,” she said. “I was just waiting for the right time to tell you.”

  Zaire saw the flicker of desire in Tyrese’s eyes and moved closer to him so that they were skin to skin. “I really believe that our meeting was fate. The day you came down to greet me...I felt an instant connection...like we were kindred spirits.”

  “Yeah, it’s a day I’ll never forget. I have always wanted a woman who was just as beautiful on the inside as well as the outside. I love the way you carry yourself and the way you go after what you want. We’re definitely kindred spirits, sweetheart. There are times when we’re down, but we’re never out.”

  She laid her head in the crook of his neck, contented. “You make me feel special, Tyrese.”

  “That’s because you are,” he responded.

  Zaire lifted her lips to his.

  Tyrese kissed her with a tender brushing of his lips that made her smile.

  “Our relationship feels solid as a rock,” she whispered. “Nothing can shake or break what we have. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so secure.”

  * * *

  Tyrese climbed into the limo behind Zaire. They were en route to the airport to board his company plane. Several of his employees were also joining them on the flight to New York for Pilar’s wedding.

  “I should have put all of the staff on the other plane so that you and I could be alone,” he whispered as the limo rolled to a stop in front of the hangar.

  “That’s not your style,” Zaire whispered back. “We’re going to have a good time.”

  He gave her a tight smile. She knew him so well, although there was one thing he was keeping from her—the phone calls he had been receiving. The ones he wished would stop. Tyrese did not like keeping secrets from her, but after all she had been through, he didn’t want to upset her with that.

  An hour later, they were lined up on the runway for takeoff.

  Zaire stole a peek at Max, who grinned and winked. She awarded him a smile before returning her attention to her iPad.

  As soon as they were in the air, a continental breakfast was served.

  Tyrese was going over some things with his assistant, so Zaire used the time to catch up on her reading. She glanced over at Max. He had his laptop open, and he appeared to be working on something.

  “Max, shut down your computer and relax,” she told him. “We have everything in target. Just enjoy the flight.”

  He gave her a smile of gratitude.

  “You’re making me look like a slave driver,” Tyrese whispered when he returned to his seat beside her.

  “I don’t think so,” she said. “Everyone knows how dedicated you are to the success of your company. There’s nothing wrong with that. If I had as many clients as you—I’d probably be the same way.”

  “VIP Client Services is just starting out,” Tyrese replied. “In six months, you will be looking to hire more staff.”

  Halfway through the flight, lunch was served.

  Zaire fell asleep shortly after she’d finished eating.

  The flight attendant brought a light blanket and a pillow for her. While she slept, Tyrese worked on his computer.

  He was keeping another secret from Zaire, but this one made him smile. Tyrese reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny black box. He wanted their trip to New York to be memorable.

  * * *

  “I love everything about New York,” Zaire declared the next day as she packed away her purchases. “Even this cold February weather. But I especially love the shopping.”

  “You’re very good at it,” Tyrese commented. “In fact, if they were giving out belts—you would be a black belt and your credit card a lethal weapon. You have pulling it out down to a skilled level.”

  She laughed. “If you think I’m good, you should see Sage at work.”

  Tyrese walked over to the huge window in their hotel suite and stared out. “I find myself looking for those glorious twin towers every time I’m here.” He shook his head sadly. “I lost a couple of good friends.”

  Zaire walked up and hugged him from behind. “I don’t think we will ever forget that day.”

  “We should never forget,” Tyrese said. “I almost joined the military after it happened, but Pilar talked me out of it.”

  “I’m glad she did,” Zaire said. “I think men who are soldiers are brave and courageous, but I could not be married to one. I can’t handle giving Uncle Sam that much control over my life, or having to pray for my husband’s safety. I’ve lost two cousins since 9/11.”

  Tyrese turned around to face her. “I’m sorry.”

  “If you had gone through with your decision to join, then I never would’ve met you.”

  He grinned. “And you wouldn’t be the luckiest woman alive.”

  “I love that you’re so humble, baby.”

  They settled down in the living room area of the suite.

  “I’m kind of surprised that we haven’t heard from Pilar,” Tyrese said.

  “She’s giving us these couple of days like we wanted,” Zaire explained. “Now, tomorrow...you’re all hers. You are giving her away and fulfilling all of the duties of a father of the bride.”

  “She’s really sad about her father not being here.”

  “When did he pass away?” Zaire asked.

  “Last year,” Tyrese responded. “Pilar was really close to him, and she took his death hard.”

  “I’m glad that she had you to help her through it.”

  “She and her mother have a closer relationship now, and that’s a good thing.”

  Zaire laid her head on his chest.

  “Why don’t you take a nap?” Tyrese suggested. “I know that you must be tired from all of the shopping.”

  “You think you’re so funny.” Zaire tossed a pillow in his direction. “However, I am going to take a power nap so that I can be rested before dinner and the play. This will be the first Broadway production I’ve ever seen.”

  Tyrese was surprised. “Really?”

  She nodded. “I’m from Aspen, Georgia. We didn’t come all the way up to
New York to watch a play on Broadway. My first visit to the Big Apple was a high school graduation present from my parents. We came up and did a bunch of sightseeing tours, but never saw anything other than the theater on the outside. My parents were about to have three kids in college and one in grad school. Blaze had just graduated with his master’s.”

  “I’d like to visit your hometown one day,” he said. “I don’t think I’d ever heard of it until it was mentioned in the papers after your father received his inheritance.”

  “Most people hadn’t heard of it,” Zaire replied. “Aspen is beautiful, with lots of tree-lined streets, sidewalks with children playing jump rope or shooting marbles. The smell of magnolias in the air...” She closed her eyes for a moment. “I miss seeing our neighbors sitting on their porches drinking lemonade or cola if it’s a really hot day.”

  “Aspen sounds like a Norman Rockwell painting.”

  Zaire smiled. “I guess it does. It is a beautiful town.”

  “Sounds like the perfect place to go when you’re looking for peace and quiet.”

  “I thought about going back to Aspen after the attack, but I didn’t want to run away because I probably would not have come back to Los Angeles.”

  “Then I would have come looking for you in Aspen.”

  “Yeah, right,” she uttered. “You were still in denial of your feelings for me.”

  “I would’ve come for you, Zaire.”

  “Well, we will never have to worry about that.” She planted a quick kiss on his lips. “I’m off to take that power nap now. I’ll see you in about an hour.”

  Chapter 19

  Pilar had chosen to get married at the Loeb Boathouse at Central Park, a popular spot to get married in New York. It was one of the places Tyrese had considered when he was going to get engaged before his life took a turn for the worse.

  “This is where the ceremony will be held,” Pilar said as they entered a huge room with windows overlooking the lake. “What do you think?”

  He smiled. “It’s perfect for you.”

  She surveyed his face. “Tyrese, is everything okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I know you,” Pilar replied as she ran a hand through her curling tendrils. “There’s something that’s been bothering you for a while. Does this have to do with—”