When Jacklyn mentioned their staying over at her house, she wondered what Langston had told his sister about their relationship. Even though they hadn’t slept together she wanted to be an adult if they were assigned the same bedroom in his sister’s house. “I’m free, but you’ll have to ask your brother.” She smiled when Langston elbowed her gently in the ribs.
“When do you need us to be there?” he asked his sister.
“Either Friday night or Saturday morning. As soon as I get off the phone with you, I’m going to send Amelia a text to let her know you’re going to be in town. Once she confirms I’ll text you back to let you know what day we’re going to meet.”
“That sounds good, Jackie.”
“Thanks, Georgi, for agreeing to let me use your illustrations for my new series. I know it’s going to do well, and that means you’ll become my personal Tomie dePaola.”
Georgina laughed. Tomie dePaola had written and illustrated more than two hundred fifty books, many she’d read as a child. “Tomie is definitely an icon.”
Jacklyn waved. “I’m going to hang up now and contact Amelia. Lang, look for my text so we can plan the weekend accordingly.”
“Okay, sis.”
Georgina waited for him to set down the phone and then asked, “What did you tell your sister about us?”
“I didn’t tell her anything other than I saw your sketches and thought she should look at them. Why?”
“Okay.”
“Just okay, Georgi?”
“Yes.”
He shifted closer to her, close enough for her to feel his breath in her ear. “You know I don’t like public displays of affection and I’m also not one to kiss and tell. What goes on between you and me is not a topic for discussion. Not even with my family.”
Georgina closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. It would take her a while before she would get used to a man mature enough to know who he was and what he wanted. “I like your surprise,” she said after a comfortable silence.
“I’m glad you did.”
“How will I ever thank you, Langston?”
He chuckled softly. “I’m sure I’ll think of something that we both like.”
“I’m going to have to hang out here a little longer because I exceeded my two-drink limit.” The bubbly wine had temporarily dulled her reflexes and she didn’t trust herself to get behind the wheel.
Langston kissed her hair. “You can spend the night if you want. I can put you up in one of the spare bedrooms.”
“If that’s the case, then I’m going to need a toothbrush and a T-shirt.”
“Your wish is my command, princess.”
Georgina shifted until their mouths were only inches apart. At that moment not only did she want him to kiss her again but also to make love to her. “I’m also going to need you to give me a raincheck for that movie.”
He nuzzled her ear. “Consider it done. What else do you need from me?”
She knew if she didn’t say it, then the time would pass, and she would be left chiding herself for being a coward. “I want you to make love to me.” The words were out, and she couldn’t retract them. Since becoming involved with Langston she’d found herself fantasizing about his making love to her.
Langston blinked slowly. “Is that what you really want, babe?”
“Yes. And please don’t make me beg you.”
“That’s something I don’t ever want you to do. And you have no idea how long I’ve waited for you to say those words.”
“How long?”
“Too long. I have to clean up out here, and then I’m going to show you just how much I’ve come to love you.”
Chapter Twelve
Langston didn’t want to believe his fantasy was going to become a reality when he reentered the bedroom to find Georgina in his bed. However, he knew making love to her tonight was not a possibility because she’d fallen asleep waiting for him while he’d extinguished candles and put away the remains of their dinner. Light from a bedside lamp provided enough illumination for him to observe the rhythmic rise and fall of firm breasts under his T-shirt. He smiled. It was apparent the clothes she’d chosen to wear had artfully concealed a lithe, lush, very feminine body. She had loosened the braid and a profusion of wayward curls covered her pillow. To say she was sexy was an understatement.
He walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth and when he returned to the bedroom Georgina rolled over on her side, facing away from him. Slipping into bed next to her, Langston reached over and turned off the lamp, plunging the room into darkness. Georgina stirred slightly when he pressed his chest to her back, but did not wake up. Resting an arm over her hip, he closed his eyes and sank into a deep, dreamless slumber.
* * *
Georgina woke with a start, eyelids fluttering as she tried focusing on her surroundings. Suddenly, she remembered she was in Langston’s bed. She tried sitting up, but the arm on her midsection weighed her down.
“Stop wiggling, babe.”
“What time is it?”
“Why?”
“Because I need to know.” Georgina was so disoriented that she felt like Alice in Wonderland who’d fallen down the rabbit hole.”
Langston removed his arm and reached over to peer at his cell phone. “It’s 11:14.”
She sighed audibly. “I thought it was much later.”
He kissed the nape of her neck. “What’s the matter, Cinderella? Do you still have to get home before midnight?” he teased.
Georgina laughed as she shifted into a more comfortable position. “I’ve transitioned from Cinderella to Sleeping Beauty. I can’t believe I drank that champagne.”
“You only had two glasses because you didn’t finish the third one.”
“That’s where I went wrong because I never should’ve accepted the third one. Shame on you, Langston Cooper, for trying to get me tipsy so you could take advantage of me.”
“I would never take advantage of you, babe. And I would never do anything to you that you don’t want me to do.” His hand splayed over her flat belly moved lower to the waistband of her panties, and still lower to cover her mound under the lacy fabric. “Does it bother you if I do this?”
Georgina sucked in her breath. “No,” she gasped.
His hand slipped under the waistband and it was flesh against flesh. “What about this?”
She closed her eyes and liquid fire shot through her. “That feels so good.”
* * *
Langston buried his face in her soft, scented hair, breathing a kiss on the fragrant curls. His mouth moved slowly to the side of her neck, pressing a kiss to the velvety flesh. Using a minimum of effort, he turned her over on her back and moved lower, down to her throat, tasting the sweetness of her skin. Even in the dark, she was a visual feast. He continued his oral exploration when he divested her of the T-shirt and his mouth closed over her breast, suckling until the areola pebbled like tiny seeds. His hands were as busy as his mouth when he relieved her of the scrap of lace that made up her panties.
The moans coming from Georgina’s throat were Langston’s undoing. He’d hardened so quickly that it made him light-headed. He knew he had to slow down or his making love with her would be over before it began. Taking deep breaths, he flicked his tongue over her nipples, worshipping the flesh covering her perfectly formed full breasts. Langston loved her smell, the way she tasted, and now that he’d openly acknowledged he was in love with her he wanted her to be the last woman in his life.
He wanted to taste every inch of Georgina’s fragrant body, but wasn’t certain whether she had experienced a full range of lovemaking. She may have had sexual intercourse, but he wondered if she’d ever been made love to. And that was what he wanted to do—make love to her. His touch and kisses became bolder as his tongue dipped into the indentation of her belly button. Attuned to th
e changes in her breathing, the slight movement of her body, Langston took his time giving and receiving pleasure. Her hands went to his head when he buried his face between her thighs to inhale her distinctive feminine warmth and scent.
Her fingernails bit into his scalp as her hips lifted. “Easy, baby,” he crooned softly. “Let me make you feel good.” She tried to sit up, but his right hand splayed over her belly stopped her. “Relax, darling. I’m not going to hurt you.”
* * *
Georgina wanted to tell Langston there was no way she could relax when she was drowning in erotic sensations that heated the blood coursing through her veins, taking her to a place where she had never been. She’d had only one man by whom to judge Langston’s lovemaking, and there was no comparison. This was no frantic coupling, but a slow, measured seduction that had her craving his caress, his kiss. Everywhere he touched her ignited a burning passion that grew hotter and hotter until she found herself gasping in the sweetest agony.
The barrier she had erected after she had ended her relationship with Sean was swept away with the onslaught of desire that weakened her defenses, and she opened her heart to welcome the pleasure that had eluded her for years.
He lessened his sensual assault on her flesh when he reached into the drawer of the bedside table and removed a condom. It took only seconds for him to protect her from an unplanned pregnancy. Currently having a baby was certain to short-circuit all her plans.
“It’s all right, sweetheart,” Langston whispered in her ear, when he positioned his erection at the entrance of her femininity. She grew stiff when he pushed against her long-celibate flesh. “Breathe, baby. Just breathe,” he crooned over and over.
Georgina felt the increasing pressure as he finally eased his sex into her body, which flamed with fire one minute, and then she trembled uncontrollably from cold the next. The hot and cold sensations continued until the heat won and love flowed through her like thick, warm, sweet honey. Her arms went around Langston’s strong neck, holding him where they’d become heart to heart, flesh to flesh and soul to soul. Establishing a rhythm as if they’d choreographed their dance of desire, she discovered a pleasure that sent shivers of delight up and down her spine. He had promised to make her feel good, and she did.
She felt the contractions. They began slowly, increasing and growing stronger until she was mindless with an ecstasy that shattered her into a million little particles. Georgina screamed! Once, twice, and then lost count as the orgasms kept coming, overlapping one another. She dissolved into an abyss of satisfaction that swallowed her whole. She was too caught up in her own whirling sensations of fulfillment to register the low growl exploding from Langston as they climaxed simultaneously. They lay together, savoring the feeling that made them one with the other.
Georgina moaned in protest when Langston pulled out. Turning over on her side, she lay drowning in a maelstrom of lingering passion that lulled her into a sated sleep reserved for lovers. She was unaware when he had left the bed to discard the condom, or when he returned to the bed, eased her against his body and joined her in a slumber that was a long time coming.
* * *
Georgina opened her eyes, her breathing faltering. The slight ache between her legs and the hard body pressed to her back silently communicated she wasn’t the same woman who’d awoken the day before.
“Good morning, baby.”
“How did you know I was awake?” she asked, because she hadn’t moved. A sliver of light came through the drawn drapes.
Langston pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder. “Your breathing changed.”
She smiled. “How long have you been awake?”
Rising on an elbow, Langston leaned over and brushed a wealth of curls off her cheek. “Not too long. I was waiting for you to wake up to ask what you’d like for breakfast.”
Turning over she smiled at him. The emerging stubble on his lean face only enhanced his overall masculinity. “Surprise me.”
“Continental or American?”
“American of course.” When given the choice Georgina always preferred a traditional Southern breakfast with bacon, eggs, grits and biscuits, but usually waited for the weekends when she did not have to work Sundays. Now that she no longer worked at Powell’s she had a lot more options when it came to her meals. “I need to shower before I eat.”
The words were barely off her tongue when Langston scooped her up as if she weighed no more than a small child. “We’ll shower together so I can wash your back.”
She buried her face against the column of his neck, pressing a kiss under his ear. “Be careful, because I spoil easily.”
“Princesses are born to be spoiled. And the next time we have a sleepover, don’t forget to bring a few changes of clothes.”
“You do the same whenever you stay over at my place.”
“It’s like that?”
“Yes, Langston, it’s like that.”
“What do you think about us living together? You give up the guesthouse and move in here with me.”
Georgina wanted to scream at him because they’d made love only once and he was ready to shack up with her. Well, that wasn’t happening because she’d just moved out of her parents’ home and she wasn’t about to give up her newfound freedom to cohabitate with a man.
“I can’t, Langston.”
He stopped at the entrance to the bathroom and met her eyes. “You can’t or you won’t?”
“Both. I wasn’t raised to shack up with a man and don’t forget that I just moved out from my parents’ house and it feels good not to answer to anyone but myself as to my whereabouts.”
His lids lowered as a wry smile twisted his mouth. “Point taken. Forgive me for bringing it up.”
“There’s nothing to forgive. Something must have prompted to you ask, so I want you to feel free to say whatever is on your mind.”
Georgina felt something had changed between them when Langston set her on her feet. The intimacy they’d shared had vanished quickly, and in its place was a wariness that communicated to her that her lover wasn’t happy with her response. What he needed to understand was that she did not move out of her parents’ home just to move into a man’s. The days when women moved out of their father’s house and into their husband’s were over.
Perhaps if Langston had become involved with her when he first returned to the Falls she would’ve jumped at his offer, but now it was too late. Currently she wasn’t willing to sacrifice her newfound freedom, not even for love.
* * *
Georgina realized she’d misjudged Langston’s reaction to turning down his suggestion they live together when he’d send her funny emojis to begin and end her day. He’d called to inform her they would be leaving the Falls to drive to DC late Friday afternoon. The Fourth of July fell on a Monday, which indicated the three-day celebration would begin Saturday morning.
Red, white and blue bunting and American flags were in abundance in the downtown business district. There was an excitement in the air that was almost palpable as a caravan of trunks with carnival rides, games and food vendors arrived to set up in a field that had been left undeveloped to accommodate the number of carnival trailers and the increasing number of vehicles belonging to out-of-towners willing to pay the parking fee.
Georgina was spending more time at the shop when, after several trips, she had transported all the bins from her house to the store. She wanted to be ready when the shelving was finally installed. She’d placed labeled removable adhesive tape on the tiled floor where she wanted the furniture arranged.
The bell rang and she peered through the solar shades. A shriek of excitement escaped her when she unlocked the door and reached for her cousin’s hand. “Please come in before folks realize I’m still not open.” The words were barely off her tongue when Sutton Reed picked her up and spun her around and around.
Sutton’s large, dark
eyes were filled with amusement. “I still can’t believe that my little cousin is going into business for herself.”
She kissed his smooth-shaven cheek. “Believe it. And when did you get in?”
“Less than a half an hour ago. Aunt Evelyn told me I could probably find you here.”
Georgina stared at the man who had women waiting at stadium doors and in hotel lobbies to get him to notice them. His brown complexion with shades ranging from rosewood to alizarin, and features, which appeared almost too delicate for a man, were qualifications for Sutton when he’d appeared in People magazine in their most beautiful issue. And seeing him up close and personal was a testament to that description. Whenever he looked at someone, they seemed mesmerized by eyes that gave them his full, undivided attention, and with his towering height and muscled physique he was an imposing figure.
“I can’t believe you’re no longer on house arrest.”
Georgina narrowed her eyes at him. “That’s not funny.”
Sutton reached for her, but she managed to avoid him. “I’m sorry, Georgi. That was uncalled for. I know how long you’ve wanted to move out on your own.”
She crossed her arms under her breasts. “What’s the saying? Better late than never. Enough about me. How’s your knee?” He’d shattered his right knee sliding into a base, and was subsequently placed on the injured list. Sutton underwent a serious of surgeries, and then notified his agent that as a free agent he was retiring from the game.
Sutton ran a hand over the stubble on his recently shaved pate. “It’s a barometer. It tells me every time we’re going to have inclement weather.”
“How long has it been since your last surgery?”
“Seven months followed by countless weeks of rehab. At thirty-six I’m too old for baseball and too young to retire and sit back to do nothing. I’m going to wait a year before I decide what I want to do with the rest of my life. Meanwhile, I plan to do what I can to help out at the store.”
Starting Over In Wickham Falls (Wickham Falls Weddings Book 9) Page 17
