Lavish Love: A Second Chance Romance (Blazin' Love Book 9)

by Ja'Nese Dixon

  What would he say now? My mother's words cloud my thoughts, and this fucked up holiday. My parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews, and the woman I love are under one roof, yet this is not what I expected. Nothing is going as I hoped. Nothing.

  Maybe Alexandria really is over our love, and what we had is a fond but distant memory.

  Rage colors my sight red, and it's overshadowing the pure love I have for her. My mother's words make more sense than I want to admit. The door opens to my penthouse, and I glance inside.

  I cross through my place. I've kept the team waiting long enough. I quickly shower, and the moment I step out of the bathroom, I see Alexandria waiting for me.

  I stop, and a place in me softens until I remember we haven't talked since she left me alone in the shower five days ago. The women in my life are conspiring against my sanity, except Tia Marie. She's the MVP this week. She took Alexandria to visit several quilt shops, and they've worked nonstop for a couple of days.

  This is supposed to be a week of family, food, and fun. Instead, it's stressful and falls short of my vision. I need to call Liam and schedule flights to send everyone home. I want my life back. The voice in my head asks, Without Alexandria? I walk past her into the closet. She’s on my heels.

  “If you’re waiting for an apology, I apologize,” her voice holds a tremor.

  “I don’t want anything from you.” I remove a dress shirt and reach for my favorite suit needing to feel some sort of control in my life. But I can’t stop my eyes from caressing her. She’s wearing her signature leggings, revealing every curve of her toned legs, and a Kiss Me I’m Dominican t-shirt that's covered in little bits of string. Her hair is still plaited from the other day, and there's a long white string hanging. I remove it.

  "Thank you." I drop the thread in her hand, careful not to touch her.

  Our eyes hold, and I realize there is something I want from her. I want to hear about her day. I want to go back to the Alexandria and Mateo we were at the engagement party. But that’s not possible.

  "We're here on a transactional basis. You helped get my parents here, and now I'll help assist with Platinum Prestige."

  Her head jerks back as if she were slapped, and the faint glimmer of light fades from her eyes. I step around her to find a tie because I'm done trying.

  I’m done extending myself for Alexandria. I’m done begging her to talk. I’m done asking her to see things from a different perspective.

  I've tried to talk to her for days. My penthouse is big enough for us to coexist without disrupting each other.

  Had I not witnessed the exchanges between Alexandria and my mother, I would have thought this holiday gathering is precisely as I've always dreamed. The family has shared every meal. She's smiled and kept up her end of the agreement.

  "You can accompany me to the office. I'll be ready to leave in twenty minutes." I rake my eyes over her one last time wanting to hold her. I leave the closet.

  I get dressed and wait in the car for thirty minutes. I dreamed of introducing her to my mother and to watch them merely coexist leaves me with more questions than answers. Alexandria is driving me insane. My body is not my own, my mind is not my own, and she's not mine either.

  Alexandria hasn't come out, and I'm not going back inside. I stare at my phone, debating whether to call her. There's a silent war being waged, and I hate losing.

  Why fight the evitable? She doesn’t want to be here, she doesn’t feel comfortable here, and she obviously doesn’t want me. I might as well stop torturing us both.

  “Take me to the office.”

  Chapter 11

  I stand at the window, watching the car leave, and I return to the closet. Tia Marie and Mateo's nieces and nephews are the only salvageable parts of this trip. I remove my phone and start calling the guys one by one. Then we managed to gather on a group call.

  “Merry Christmas!!!”

  I swipe at the tears, and a dull ache fills my body. I miss my guys. I miss my life in Austin. I'm not sure I can complete this assignment. Living through six months with Mateo isn't possible, not like this. They wait quietly as I try to wrangle my tears.

  "Do we need to kick his ass?" Charlee jokes, and I can't laugh.

  “Why’d I do this?” I hold the air in my chest. I hiccup and exhale. My body shaking violently, I hug my knees to my chest. “And his mother hates me.”

  “Hate is a strong word, honey.” Harper’s level tone doesn’t work.

  “Hate…hate…hate...” I grind the words out. I feel it every time she looks at me.

  "Come home," Hunter demands.

  "Liam…" Harper calls out, disappearing from her screen.

  “I’m not quitting. I told him I’d stay through Christmas. But I decided I won’t stay for the mentorship.” I can’t look at them because it’s not all Mateo’s fault.

  The chatter of them talking over each other blurs the actual words. Don't worry about it. You'll be okay. Keep your head up. We'll work it out. And I miss the rest of the conversation because I'm caught in my own trap. I wanted to push him away, and I did, except this time, I pushed him too far.

  “Fuck him.” Charlee’s tone cuts through the line.

  "Dayum, who pied in your cereal and told you it was milk?" Payton chimes in, and we all freeze, staring at each other. I laugh for the first time in days. I fall back on his expensive plush carpet, in his big ass closet.

  "You need to stop hanging around those bikers." I manage to say around my aching side. Payton is engaged to the president of a motorcycle club, and they're turning our pamper princess into a polished gem with a potty mouth.

  “Not a chance. Cade has some single friends.”

  I glance down at my boulder. Mateo picked a beautiful ring. It's like he embedded a source of light in the heart of it, making the diamond shine even in the dark.

  “How can I salvage this situation?” I ask, glancing up at my guys.

  "Start by telling us what happened." Ryann states.

  I tell them about the shower and his family’s arrival. Then I tell them about his mother’s attitude.

  “Talk to her. Woman to woman.” Hunter concludes. “You both love the same man. You’re probably more alike than not.”

  “What would I do without y’all?” I’m not sold on talking with Gloria, but I’ll try. I notice the time. “I have to run. The Christmas party is starting in ten minutes.”

  “The plane will be on standby. Call us tonight.” Harper adds.

  “I will. Love you!”

  I disconnect the line feeling better than before. I wash my face and change into a fresh shirt with no thread clinging to it. I finally finished repairing Mateo's quilt today. We visited a few shops, and I bought some New York inspired fabrics to patch up the holes. Then I used the leftovers to add a new scrappy binding with a mixture of Texas, New York, and Christmas designs.

  I ride the elevator down to the main floor. The elevator opens, and everything is covered in white decorations. All except the adults in ugly sweaters.

  “Hey, sobrina.” Tia Marie walks over with a glass of wine. “Where’s your sweater?”

  “I don’t have one.” I’m floored by the transformation. “The food smells amazing.”

  "We're eating early. I'm too old to wait up until midnight." She laughs at her own joke. "Recheck the closet. Hurry, we'll wait for you."

  “You guys can start.” I turn to the elevator.

  “Mateo will not have that. Go change.” Tia Marie flicks a hand in my direction, and I return to the elevator.

  I ride back up to the penthouse and return to the closet. There are several bags with my name on it. How had I missed them? Inside are wrapped gifts with names on the tags for the kids, lovingly signed Love Uncle Mateo and Alex. I've pissed him off, yet he's still looking out for me.

  My throat thickens with emotion. These are our gifts for the exchange. I inspect the other bag and find the white elephant gifts. I pull out my phone to text Mateo and decide to call him a
fter I call Susan.

  “Thank you!” I say the moment she answers the line.

  “You’re welcome. Does the sweater fit?”

  I put the phone on speaker and slip it on. "Yes, and I think I'll win the prize for the best ugly sweater." I laugh, looking in the mirror. "This is awful."

  Susan laughs, “You better split the prize with me.”

  “Split what?”

  “The hundred dollars,” she squeals.

  "Deal." I didn't know about the prize, but I'm down. We disconnect, and I call Mateo. He doesn't answer. I send a text message with a picture of me in the sweater, Thank you!

  Seconds later, he responds, You’re welcome. I’ll see you after my meeting. Have fun!

  I return downstairs.

  The partying begins, and I forget I'm upset. There's something about Christmas. The lights, food, and family. They pull out board games, and I'm pulled into the fold. No one allows me to remain a bystander.

  We laugh and get to know each other. Once we disperse, I head toward Gloria, thankful she meets me in the middle. She sits on the couch, patting the cushion beside her, and I sit.

  Tia Marie throws up a thumb, and I smile. The others head to the kitchen to refill their drinks. I take a deep breath, ready to grovel if necessary. Then Gloria stops me.

  "To the world, Mateo is this big, powerful businessman. To me, he's my firstborn and my baby. I'm sorry for the way I've behaved but not for looking out for my son. I've managed to ruin my son's Christmas, and I'm hoping you'll help me turn this thing around. Can we agree to try again?" Instead of extending a hand like before she opens her arms.

  "I'd love to." I accept her apology and hug.

  She holds me tight, and I hold her tighter. The moment we pull back, I feel Mateo's presence behind me. I turn around, and we're wearing matching ugly sweaters.

  “I’ll leave you two alone.” She pats my knee. She stops whispering in his ear before kissing him on the cheek.

  “Thank you, Gloria.”

  "Call me, Mamá, mi hija.” Hearing her call me daughter has me emotional.

  Mateo opens his arms, and I find myself smothered in his embrace. "Are you okay?"

  “I am now.” I exhale.

  I glance up, searching for the anger I've seen in the eyes all week. But up close, his anger looks more like what I'm feeling inside, disappointment.

  “Can we talk later?” I ask.

  “I’d like that.”

  "It's time for the gift exchange." Someone calls out, and we head into the family room.

  We party until three in the morning. The kids open gifts and slowly start dropping one by one. Mateo and I say our goodnights and head up to his place. The elevator opens, and I'm on the couch before the door closes.

  “I have a gift for you.”

  Chapter 12

  Alexandria sits up alert. “I thought we don’t exchange gifts until tomorrow.”

  "I want to give you this now." I pass her the envelope.

  She slips her fingers underneath the fold and stops. The contents may change us forever. But I think it's the missing piece. The piece she's longed for from the moment I met her and I'm hoping by giving her him that she'll let me in.

  I know my mother will come around, but will Alexandria give us a second chance?

  She stares at the envelope, and I stare are her. I flex my antsy fingers, wanting to touch her. Then she sits it on the table, reaching for the hem of her sweater. I lose sight of her eyes for a moment as she slowly removes her clothes. Each garment lands on the floor, and she sits back waiting. Not saying a word.

  I reach for my sweater and add it to hers. The items fall to the floor until we’re naked. Eyes roaming.

  "This is how I feel when I'm with you. Naked. Exposed. Vulnerable. Until tonight I saw it as a bad thing." Her knees curl up to her chest, and she releases them as if catching herself. "I don't want to pretend that I don't love you. Or that I don't miss you when you're gone. Or that seeing you and not being with you isn't the closest I've been to death."

  I gather her head in my hands, and our mouths collide. I'm kissing her for the first time in almost a week, and I know how she feels.

  I pull back, looking into her eyes. "I love you too."

  Mateo lowers me to the bed, and his lips start at my toes. The kisses begin with a brush on my ankle cradled in his hand. His tongue blazes a trail up my calf until his lips kiss mine. I squirm under the power of his tongue. I can't hear the words over the adrenaline and untamed desire overtaking my body. He teases my clit, unlocking my thighs from around his neck.

  My fingers run through his hair as he continues his journey, swirling his tongue in my bellybutton, nibbling on my nipples. He wraps my legs around his waist, and his thick cock brushes my waiting wetness, and he stops.

  Tonight, for the first time in my entire life, I felt at home. And it was a feeling I longed for when I purchased my home and built my career and tirelessly pursued peace with every ounce of my will and power and independence. It was fleeting, never staying long, always close, but I could never convince it to stay. Then tonight, it came as I sat on the floor beside a white Christmas tree, in an ugly sweater wrapped in Mateo's arms.

  I boldly brush my body against his. He sits back, staring down at me. His large hands spread my legs like wings, massaging my inner thighs. His finger swipes down my moist pussy, and I cry out.

  "More of your four play, mi querida?" His eyes burn with hunger, and I want it all.

  “No, love. Make love to me.”

  The need in his eye transforms into a ball of flames. He grabs the protection out of the side drawer, rolling it down his thick shaft and positions himself at my door. The rub of his head against my throbbing heat makes my hips move, I need him inside me, and I tell him.

  "I told you, you'd want this. Didn't I?" A sinister smile spreads across his face matching the challenge in his eyes.

  “Yes…” My pussy flickers. I’m done with this conversation.

  “I want to hear you beg,” he growls.

  “After you.” I push him back and take him in my mouth.

  “Oh…fuck!”

  I would laugh, but my mouth is busy. I take him until he fills the walls of my mouth. I work him until he can't utter another cocky word.

  I want him to feel the earth move. I want to him to feel the insanity of us. I want to relieve the ache of the pain I caused him. I want to fill him with pleasure and joy, and wholeness. I want him to love me.

  Walking around mad at the world taught me a lot about myself. What if this is my second chance? What if I can be wholly accepted and completely loved? The veins of his cock quiver against my tongue. He growls, trying to slip away, but I grip the base, massaging his balls in my hands, still taking all of him.

  “My turn.”

  I'm on my back so fast a laugh escapes. His face is between my thighs, tongue diving deep. My legs start shaking, and the pleasure of release is drawing closer.

  “Aaahhhh….”

  “Beg…” He demands. “Now…mi alma.”

  I buck off the bed, but my hips are locked in his strong embrace. "Matty…"

  He sits back, and it all stops. He grips the shift of his cock, teasing my pulsing heat.

  “This is torture.”

  "No, it's four play." He crawls up my body, his hot skin blazing mine until his mouth hovers over mine. I kiss him tasting myself. I wiggle my hands between us, trying to slip his cock inside, but he stops me. "Say please, mi alma.”

  “Please…” If I’m his soul, he’s mine. And I knew it from the moment we met.

  He slides in, and my eyes fill with tears. He strokes the fire he started, we're both groaning, lost in the moment. Words of love are whispered over my skin. I bite, scratch, and brand his body as mine until he races us to our death.

  "Fuck…." He growls, falling beside me. My eyes dip closed. "Alexandria, you're mine. Here or Texas, I don't care. But we do it together."

  “I know…”

>   Chapter 13

  Alexandria clenches the sheet to her chest. The tension etched across her beautiful face threatens to scrub this exhilarating moment from my mind. We broke her one rule. Not deliberately, but we killed it. I made love to her all night, and we can't take it back.

  "Merry Christmas, mi amour," I whisper. Her head turns, her black waves spill across my sheets. She holds the sheet tighter, her eyes search mine.

  I could have denied her request, but the moment her sweet lips locked around my cock compulsion took over. She didn't beg or plead the way I envisioned. But her soft request erased the fight in me.

  "Merry Christmas, Mateo." The words are strained.

  I can apologize and say I never intended for this to happen, but it would be a blatant lie. I was made to make love to her. So, instead of lying to her, I'll feed her and show her my love.

  “How about we have breakfast tacos?”

  She shakes her head, and I see the softest smile. "You can't cook, and Mama shouldn’t be asked to cook. It’s Christmas.”

  "I got the keys to the city. I can find some Tex-Mex tacos even on Christmas Day." I wait and feel compelled to add. "We'll be okay, love."

  Her eyes fill with tears. “Promesa?”

  I cover her body with mine. “What is it?”

  "Promise me, Mateo."

  We’re back here. What did I expect? That she'd be thrilled to be back in my life. That I'd make love to her, and she'd see the error in her thinking. That she'd see we belong together. No existe gran talento sin gran voluntad.

  I gather her face in my hands. My will and my love will overpower her doubts. "I promise. Now tell me you'll stay." I kiss her. Praying, I quiet the fears in her, and she’ll trust that our love can banish anything trying to keep us apart.

  “I’ll stay.”

  I snuggle back into my ugly sweater and head to the main floor in search of coffee. Mateo has a full kitchen in his penthouse with no food. But I know Gloria won’t fail me. She usually has the first pot of coffee brewing by five.