Her Christmas Wish ; Designed by Love

by Sherelle Green

  “More like what haven’t I found,” she said with a chuckle. “Are you in a hurry? I want to sit for a few minutes and check these out.” She held up the four books.

  “Nope. Take your time.” He loved the bookstore’s comfortable and homey feeling. R & B and jazz flowed through hidden speakers, and a sofa, matching chair and coffee table sat on the far side of the store, beckoning one to stay and relax. They sat reading and talking about the different books for a good half hour. In Jeremy’s mind, it added to his growing list of evidence that she was indeed the one for him.

  Chapter 8

  Serita strolled through Jeremy’s two-story home as he gave her a tour. “This is gorgeous.” Every room in the four-bedroom four-and-a-half-bath home, with the shiny wood floors, elegant furnishings and spacious size, attested to his success. But his extensive library set in an alcove on the second floor left her breathless. “How long have you lived here? It’s rather large for one person, unless you just like having lots of space.”

  “Almost five years. And I figured once I got married and started a family, I wouldn’t have to move.”

  She whirled around and narrowed her eyes. She ignored that last sentence, not wanting to read anything into it. “Exactly how old are you?”

  Jeremy chuckled. “Thirty-six, and you?”

  “Thirty-two.” That would somewhat explain his reference to being in the field for so long. She had thought about purchasing a house when she lived in Reno, but didn’t want to have to worry about the upkeep or paying someone to do it. Her condo had suited her fine. But, glancing around the room now, she thought she might change her mind when she started looking this time. Of course, she didn’t think she’d need such a big house, especially since she’d have to clean it. She scanned the many bookshelves and saw genres ranging from robotics and thrillers to biographies and cookbooks, and even a romance title or two. “Romance?”

  “What? Men can’t read romance?”

  “Yes, but I just didn’t expect...um...think you read that sort of thing.”

  He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and dropped a kiss on her hair. “Well, now you know I read romance. You never know when some of those things heroes do for their women might come in handy.”

  In her estimation, he did just fine in that department. Actually, from what he’d shown her already, he could have written the manual. “Like maybe you don’t already do some of those things.”

  “I had good examples to follow.”

  Serita recalled Jeremy mentioning his father’s role in his upbringing and wondered if his parents’ marriage factored into the way he approached his own relationships. Watching the way her father had treated her mother had certainly influenced Serita’s thinking, and that was why she had decided to let men take a back seat in her life. She hadn’t found one that measured up. Until now. She followed Jeremy back downstairs to the kitchen. “What’s for dinner?”

  “I’m making that five-star meal you requested—seared sea scallops in a wine-and-herb-butter sauce, sautéed broccoli and mushrooms, roasted honey gold potatoes and homemade French bread.”

  Her mouth dropped. “I don’t know what to say, other than wow. Five-star, indeed. You’re going to make the French bread, too?”

  “Yep.” Jeremy walked over to the refrigerator, retrieved a pan and peeled back a towel covering a rising loaf of bread. “All I have to do is pop it in the oven.”

  “Where did you learn to make bread?”

  “My mom. Before I went to science camp, I had planned to grow up and own a bakery.”

  She smiled. “One out of two ain’t bad. You own your business.”

  “True. Would you like something to drink. Since we’re having seafood, I opted for chardonnay or champagne.”

  “Either is fine.” He opened the champagne, poured them both glasses and held his aloft.

  “To the beginning of something beautiful.”

  She touched her glass against his. Their eyes held as they sipped. Yep, this man was setting the bar pretty high. She watched him pull several things from the refrigerator. “Do you need my help with anything?” she asked, taking a seat on a stool on the other side of the island.

  He glanced at her over his shoulder. “Not this time. First visit gets a guest pass, but next time, we’ll do it together.”

  “There’s going to be a next time?”

  Jeremy placed the ingredients on the counter and came to where she sat. He tilted her chin and placed a sweet, lingering kiss on her lips. “There are going to be many next times.” Straightening, he went over and started the dinner preparations.

  Serita wasn’t aware she had been holding her breath until she felt the pressure in her chest. The kiss and his words had shaken her. She was falling for him, and fast. The realization scared her on one level because her feelings for Jeremy had taken on a life of their own. Despite her best efforts to slow this headlong rush down a path that could lead to heartbreak, the emotions kept gaining speed and she felt like a car careening out of control. She took a long drink with trembling hands and prayed things didn’t end as they always had for her. Soon, the combined smells of bread baking and the food cooking filled the kitchen. The wonderful aroma made her stomach growl. “It smells so good in here.”

  “Thanks. Hopefully, it’ll taste even better.” Jeremy slid the pan with the quartered potatoes into a second oven and wiped his hands on a towel. He picked up a remote and held it out. The smooth sound of Maxwell singing about a little “Sumthin’ Sumthin’” flowed from hidden speakers. This one happened to be the remixed slower version that had been featured on the Love Jones movie soundtrack. “Come dance with me.”

  She met him halfway, and he pulled her into his arms and started a slow sway. With their height difference, her head came to the middle of his chest and she could hear the strong, steady beat of his heart beneath her ear. The scent of whatever bodywash or cologne he wore floated into her nostrils and she moved closer to inhale the potent, warm fragrance.

  “From the moment I saw you sitting in the hallway in that hotel, I imagined us here just like this, me holding you in my arms. It’s as if you were made to fit right here,” he whispered as his hands made a slow path up and down her back. “Your soft curves pressed against my body... Can you feel what you do to me?”

  Have mercy! His words sent a jolt of electricity through her strong enough to power a room full of robots. And, yeah, she felt exactly what she did to him. The hard ridge of his erection sitting at her belly left no doubt.

  “This thing between us was meant to be, specifically designed for the two of us.”

  Serita’s pulse skipped. What did he mean? She lifted her head and searched his face. She read naked desire in his eyes—and something else she couldn’t define. Jeremy’s movements slowed until they stopped. He framed her face between his big hands and kissed her until the room spun. Her knees went weak and only his strong arm kept her from sliding to the floor.

  “I need to check the bread and potatoes, and start on the rest of the meal.” He kissed her again, then went over to the oven.

  She stood in the middle of the kitchen, her heart racing and her body trembling. She sucked in several gulps of air, trying to get her breathing back to somewhere near normal, but it took a while. Finally she trusted her feet enough to move. He was waging an all-out assault on her senses and she was losing. By the time they sat down to dinner, she had managed to regain some measure of control.

  Jeremy placed the serving dishes on the table he had set on his enclosed patio, topped off their champagne and sat opposite Serita. “You go first.”

  “Everything looks so good. Thank you.” She filled her plate, got a piece of the still-warm bread and added butter. She moaned with the first bite. The scallops were tender and flavorful, as were the vegetables and potatoes. If she could get food like this every day, she might seriously consider never eating
out at a restaurant again. “You wouldn’t happen to be looking for a job as a personal chef?”

  He laughed. “No, and you wouldn’t be able to afford my rates,” he added with a wink. “You don’t cook?”

  “Sure, I cook. But not like this.” Cooking had never been high on her list of things to learn, much to her mother’s chagrin. Serita tended to spend her time in the garage working on her latest robotic invention instead of being in the kitchen. As a result, her skills were sorely lacking. And she didn’t even think about baking beyond what it took to follow directions to make a boxed dessert. “What other secret talents do you have—famous musician, world-renowned artist, sports star?”

  Jeremy laughed so hard he choked on his champagne. He coughed and coughed. “You’re going to make me hurt myself,” he croaked. He cleared his throat and took a small sip of the drink. “None of those, although I did play saxophone in the middle school band and basketball in high school. Did you do any sports or band?”

  Serita shook her head. “I led a pretty boring high school existence.” She’d had friends, but not many dates. The boys had always considered her too nerdy for their tastes. She had pretended that it never bothered her, but in reality every time one of her girlfriends mentioned some great date or how well some boy kissed, it did. She didn’t get her first kiss until senior prom, and it had been an awkward experience, one she’d buried and tried to forget.

  “It doesn’t seem boring now. Where do you see yourself in the next five years?”

  She ate another bite of the melt-in-your-mouth scallops before answering. “Eventually, I’d like to do what you did and start my own company. In a perfect world, I’d teach part-time for the next two or three years while working somewhere else, then stop teaching to start my business. The field is growing and I want to capitalize on it before the market gets saturated. I still haven’t decided whether that’ll be here or back in Reno.”

  Jeremy frowned. “I thought you’d moved back permanently.”

  “It could be. I just don’t know for sure right now.”

  He nodded. “About starting your own company, you should do it. I won’t lie... Running a business is tough, but the ability to be your own boss makes all the hard work worth it. I’d be more than happy to help you when you’re ready.”

  “I’d appreciate that. You really should think about teaching. You’d be great.”

  “I already do. I run a six-week robotics camp for middle schoolers three times a year. If you’re not busy next Saturday, I’d love for you to come. There are four young ladies in the class and seeing you would be a huge boost to their confidence.”

  “I would absolutely love to come. Just let me know the time and place.” Gabby had said Jeremy might be a keeper. Serita was beginning to think her friend was right.

  * * *

  Sunday afternoon, Jeremy sat in Cedric’s enclosed patio with Randi and her sister Iyana eating dinner. They had taken advantage of the midseventies temperatures and cooked a tri-tip and some corn on the grill. Iyana had made the potato salad and baked beans.

  “How was your date with Serita last night?” Randi asked.

  “Great. I cooked dinner for her.”

  “Aww, that’s so sweet. Your brother cooked for me, too, when we started dating.”

  Cedric placed a bottle of water in front of his wife. “And he cooks far better than I do.”

  “Really?” Iyana divided a glance between the brothers. “Randi told me that Cedric can throw down in the kitchen. See, this just ain’t right.” She pointed her fork Jeremy’s way. “It’s too bad I think of you as a brother. Otherwise, I’d be figuring out how to build one of those robots you work with to carry her off to another planet.” They all fell out laughing. “I’m serious. I need y’all to hook me up with a friend, distant cousin or whatever.”

  Jeremy couldn’t stop laughing. He had found out that Iyana was the total opposite of Randi. Where Randi had some introverted tendencies, her sister gave outgoing a new meaning. She would probably do well acting in some movie instead of being one of the makeup artists. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “When are you going to introduce her to the family?” Cedric asked. “Mom stopped by yesterday afternoon and asked the same thing.”

  “I don’t know, and I told her that I’d come this evening after I leave here.” Though he and Serita had been intimate and were dating, he still sensed some hesitancy on her part. She had also mentioned the possibility of moving back to Reno, and he realized he needed to slow down. He would probably scare her to death if he told her what he was feeling. Last night, as they danced in his kitchen, he’d had to catch himself after telling her they were meant to be. He saw the fear. “Hopefully, soon. I’m trying to take my time with her.”

  “Yeah, I don’t think telling her ‘I know we just met, but you’re the woman I’ve been waiting for’ is a good idea. It’ll probably send her running for the hills.”

  “Thanks for the confidence,” he said sarcastically. “That’s just what I want to hear from my big brother.”

  Cedric shrugged. “I’m just sayin’.”

  “I know I would have,” Randi said. “I’d met so many frogs, I didn’t think there was a prince out there. Maybe Serita has experienced the same thing. If that’s the case, then slow is better. But if you ever need to heat things up, you should visit Desiree’s shop,” she added with a grin.

  Cedric skewered her with a look. “Please don’t bring that up. Do you know how long it’s been since—”

  “Cedric!”

  “What? They know what we’re doing...or not doing,” he grumbled.

  Jeremy and Iyana laughed. Iyana said, “Wasn’t it that massage oil from Desiree’s shop that got you two in your current predicament?”

  “Yes, yes, it was.” The satisfied look he sent his wife this time gave the impression that he couldn’t wait to do it all again.

  Jeremy made a mental note to pay a visit to the shop at his earliest convenience. He’d heard a lot about that oil—warming, edible, flavored—yeah, he was all for that. An image of him licking the oil off Serita’s skin surfaced in his mind and his body reacted in kind. He hopped up. “I’m going to get another bottle of tea. Anybody else want one?” They all declined. “Be right back.” In the kitchen, he took several deep breaths. He’d never had a woman who invaded his thoughts the way Serita did or aroused him with just a mention. He reached into the fridge for the tea, opened it and drank deeply, hoping it would calm his body.

  “You’re going to need a little more than that to help you out.”

  He spun around and met Cedric’s amused gaze. “What are you talking about?”

  “You know exactly what I’m talking about. I’ve never seen you this obsessed with a woman. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you were falling in love with her.”

  He didn’t respond. He’d wondered that himself several times. The logical part of him said it couldn’t be possible this soon in the game, but his heart told him something entirely different. Jeremy had always jumped into his relationships with both feet, only to come away unfulfilled. But not this time. This time everything felt right. The notion didn’t scare him—he’d been looking for love—but he didn’t want to make one misstep that would cause him to lose Serita.

  “I take it by your silence that I’m right. I can’t say I’m surprised, and I really hope it turns out the way you want. I never thought I wanted to settle down with one woman, but you were right about finding that one special woman. I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life.”

  “I know you are and I’m glad. You know, it’s pretty ironic that you and our cousins were all against falling in love and every one of you has taken the plunge into matrimony.”

  “You were the only one who thought differently. Your time is coming, Jeremy, and we’ll all be there to celebrate with you.”

  He smiled
faintly. “I hope so.” They went back out to the patio and finished dinner. Afterward he helped Cedric clean up and left to visit his parents.

  Jeremy’s father answered the door. “Hey, son. Come on in.”

  “Hey, Dad.” They shared a hug and Jeremy followed him back to the family room. His mother was seated in her favorite recliner doing one of her word search puzzles. “How are you, Mom?” He placed a kiss on her upturned cheek.

  “I’m doing alright.” She put the pen in the book to hold her place and set it, along with her reading glasses, on the small table next to her. “How are things at work? I remember you mentioning needing to hire another engineer.”

  “It’s going pretty good.” He told them about his and Chris’s idea about the trial period. “We’re only planning to hire two of them permanently and, so far, three out of the four are working out well.”

  “Well, there’s always that one who can’t seem to get it together. How’s Serita, and when are you going to bring her down to visit?”

  Leave it to his mother to cut right to the chase. “I’m not sure. She doesn’t live in Reno anymore.”

  “Oh, honey, I’m sorry. I’d hoped you would have some good news.”

  Jeremy smiled. “I never said I didn’t. She lives here now and just happened to be one of our new hires.”

  “What?” His dad’s eyebrows shot up. Then he laughed. “Talk about bringing fate to your door.”

  His mother beamed. “That’s wonderful, sweetheart. Then it shouldn’t take long for you to bring her around.”

  “Mom, you do realize Serita and I only met a about a month ago?”

  “I know. But at the hospital, you made it sound like she’s the special woman you’ve been trying to find.”

  “I still believe that she is, but that doesn’t mean she shares the same feelings. As soon as I know where this is going, I’ll be happy to introduce her because I know you’ll like her.”