by Tina Martin
“But you believe me now, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I was worried about that.”
“Worried?”
“Yeah. I didn’t know what I would do if I had to go back to Charlotte with you still hating me.”
She laughed. “I’m sure you would’ve figured something out. A fine, handsome, strapping man like yourself don’t stay unattached for long.”
“Sure he does. I’ve been unattached for four years.”
She smirked. “Correction. You haven’t been in a serious relationship for four years.”
He shook his head. “No, I had it right first. I’ve been unattached for four years. No dates. No one-night stands. I haven’t even ran across a woman who I found interesting enough. Well, that is, until now.”
Tamera felt a warm sensation flood her cheeks.
“I enjoy every, single moment we spend together, Tamera.”
“I enjoy spending time with you, too.”
“Then why are we spending our nights in separate bedrooms?”
“Because I think it’s appropriate that we do so, especially considering—”
“Your no sex before marriage rule. Yes, I get it. I told you, I respect it, but if we’re going to get the full benefit of this experience, I want to wake up with you in my arms every morning, Tamera.”
The first raindrops, huge swells, hit the table, then the downpour erupted. Tamera and Preston scrambled to dodge the rain, running for cover in the house. Standing in the kitchen, she laughed and said, “It’s a good thing we didn’t go for a swim.”
“I’ve gone swimming in the rain before, but not with lightning and thunder,” he said, walking closer to her. He opened a drawer, pulled out a matchbox and said, “We’ll probably lose power. According to news reports, the storm is supposed to be severe. They were talking hail and gale force winds.”
“Wow.”
He struck a match, lit a few candles in the kitchen and as soon as he did, thunder roared, popped and crackled. The lights flickered. Another loud boom of thunder and the room went dark except for the candles burning on the countertop. They’d officially lost power.
“Now what?” Tamera asked.
“It probably won’t be out for long,” he said. “Until then, would you like to take this party to the living room?”
“May as well, huh?”
Holding one of the candles, Preston led the way for Tamera. He set the candle on the coffee table and joined her on the couch. “So, we were talking about marriage,” he said.
Tamera grinned. “You’ve never been married, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“Then why do you want to talk about marriage now, at this point in your life, when you’ve been avoiding it?”
“I think it’s my time. I feel like now is the perfect time for me to fall in love and have some babies. You do like babies, don’t you?” He grinned.
She gave him a side-eye. “Stop doing that, Preston.”
“Doing what?” he asked, laughing.
“That. Making me feel like I’m your dream woman. Like I’m the woman you’ve been waiting for your whole life.”
“You are,” he said resolutely. He scooted closer to her. “Why do you think Tyson is suddenly okay with me seeing you? Not that I need his permission, but he knows how I feel for you. I told him as much. In the short time we’ve spent together, I’ve fallen in love with you, Tamera, and before you say I’m crazy, think about how you feel right now—right in this moment with me versus how you felt just a few days ago. With you, I feel right. My life feels right and I’m not afraid to go after what I want. And sweetheart, what I want is you.”
Through flickers of candle light, she held his vision as thunder reverberated from the rooftop. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she asked, “Have you lost your mind?”
He smiled. “No, sweetheart,” he said easing down to his knees in front of her so their faces were aligned. Eyes, nose, lips aligned. “But I have lost my heart. You have it.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.
The moment their lips touched, her entire body shook as if thunder ran through her veins. He had that kind of power – no – she’d given him that power because she’d fallen in love with him, too. Her lips parted with his bottom lip in between, he slowed the kiss to a sensual one, massaging their lips together while feeling the connection intensify with each breath he took. Each fast-paced, anticipatory heartbeat. Automatically, his hands settled at her waist while her hands cupped his face. Before he realized it, his hands meandered down her small waist and gripped her backside to pull her closer to him. She opened her legs and wrapped them around his torso.
He pulled back. Smiled.
Rain poured.
Desire burned in their eyes.
He dreamed about this – about kissing her again and didn’t think he would ever have the opportunity to do so, especially after the confrontation in the parking lot. But here they were, lips to lips, their bodies intertwined in a candlelit room. Caught in a storm. Inside and outside.
“This is crazy,” she said, staring into his eyes.
“I know, and I like it,” he admitted. “I love kissing you.” And then he went for her lips slowly, sampling again.
Lost in the moment, she reached for the fabric of his shirt and tugged at it.
“Tamera,” he said, leaving small pecks around and on her lips. “You shouldn’t do that,” he said.
“Why not?”
“Because I want you so bad, I can hardly breathe.”
“What do you propose we do about that?” she asked.
Silence and intensity filled the air around them. For a moment, neither of them said a word. Preston stared at her lips. At her eyes. He respected this woman. Wanted a future with her. He also wanted her in his arms tonight. How could he hold her close to him in bed when he was purely stimulated and hungry for her right now?
Pulling in a breath, he said, “I think we should go to bed, and as much as I want to hold you tonight, we’ll have to postpone it until I figure out a way to not want you so much.” He took a final kiss from her lips and stood up. He stretched his hand out to her, inviting her to stand with him.
Holding her hand, he walked to the kitchen so she could retrieve the second candle for her room. Then, together, they went upstairs. Once he made sure she was settled, he said, “Do you want me to crack the window for you? It may get a little warm since the AC is out.”
“Yes. Thanks.”
Preston set his candle on her nightstand, then walked over to the window, opening it for her. “Yep, it’s still pouring out there.”
“Wonderful. I usually sleep good when it’s raining.”
“Me, too,” Preston said, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep much tonight. He walked back over to the bed where she was sitting, held her head delicately between his hands and tilted her head up to give her another slow kiss. Then, pulling away, and it took everything he had inside of him to do so, he said, “Good night.”
“Good night, Preston,” she said softly.
He released her, picked up his candle and walked away, closing her door behind him. In his bedroom, he set the candle on his nightstand, exhaled sharply and pulled his shirt over his head. Had he ever wanted a woman so much? He sat down, slid out of his loafers and thought about it. Never had he wanted a woman as much as he wanted this one, and it went beyond just wanting her physically. He wanted her permanently.
He stood up from the bed, walked over to the windows in his room and opened them. Then he pulled his shorts down, walking across the bedroom floor in the nude, heading for the bathroom. Thank goodness the water still worked, even though the power was out. At least now, he could take a cold shower.
Jumping right in, he allowed the water to spray on his face and hit every part of his body, especially his mid-section – the part that needed cooling off the most. Only problem was, the water wasn’t helping the situation. He grunted and leaned
forward with his forehead touching the wet tiles. Giving himself a pep talk, he said, “Okay, pull yourself together, Preston. This is the woman you want to spend the rest of your life with. You have to show a little more restraint.”
He shut the water off, then stepped out, towel-dried and laid on the bed, on top of the covers completely naked, staring up at the ceiling. It was going to be a rough, long, hard, lonely night, especially being that the woman he wanted so much was only a few steps down the hall.
Chapter 33
Tamera was up before Preston – at least she thought she was. His bedroom door was still closed. She wasn’t sure if he was inside or not. Her senses told her he was, although, some mornings, he’d go for a jog. She doubted that was the case this morning.
Still, she was up and refreshed after a good night’s sleep and had gotten a phone call from Gabrielle, wanting to meet up for breakfast. She jumped at the chance. She and Preston needed some time apart to cool things down and she could use some good ol’ fashioned girl talk.
“So, how has it been going?” Gabrielle asked after Tamera sat down.
“It’s been going good. I, um…I’ve never done anything like this in my life. It’s a little crazy.”
“I know, but Preston seems like a good guy.”
“He is, but I feel like our relationship is moving too fast.”
“How so?”
“I haven’t known him for a long time, but I’m experiencing an incredible attraction to him like he’s the one, you know.”
“That’s how I felt about your brother—how I still feel about him.”
Tamera smiled. “Aw. That’s sweet.”
Gabrielle smiled, too, reminiscing. “I’ve been in your shoes, Tamera. I know how hard it is to come out of an abusive relationship and make yourself vulnerable all over again for someone else, but if the guy is worth it, then there’s no need to pass up a good thing or keep on second-guessing yourself.”
“You’re right, but I’m also at a different phase in my life where I want to start over completely, you know. I want to start my own company and follow my own dreams and aspirations. Preston has done that already, so it’s like we’re not on an even playing field. Does that make sense?”
Gabrielle nodded. “Yes, I get it, but maybe that’s the adventure of it.”
“You know what the messed up part is, Gabrielle?”
“What’s that?”
“His last relationship was with this woman who didn’t support him when he wanted to start his own business. She left him because of it. It’s the very same reason why a relationship won’t work between us. He has no idea I’m not going back to Charlotte. I want to stay here. Close to family. How can I ask him to leave his company and move here to be with me? I can’t, not that he would, anyway.”
“That’s a tough one, Tamera.”
Tamera’s phone buzzed. She took it out of her purse and looked at the display, seeing Preston’s name. “It’s Preston,” she whispered to Gabrielle while smiling. “Hello,” she answered.
“Hey. Where are you?” he asked.
“I’m out to breakfast with Gabrielle.”
“A note would’ve been nice.”
“Sorry. I’ll remember that next time.”
“When can I expect you back?”
“Um…” Tamera glanced at her watch. “We haven’t eaten yet, and I think we’re going to do a little shopping after this.”
“And tell him Tyson’s cooking dinner this evening,” Gabrielle said.
“Did you hear that, Preston?” Tamera asked him.
“What?”
“Gabrielle said Tyson is cooking dinner this evening.”
“So, will I not see you between now and then?”
“Um…I’m not sure, but we could use the time apart, don’t you think?”
He hated to admit it now, but she was right. Still, he wanted to lay eyes on her. Kiss her senseless.
“Yeah. You’re right. Just call me later.”
“Okay. I will.”
Tamera smiled as she slid her phone back inside of her purse.
“I suggest you tell him about your decision to stay here permanently as soon as you can, Tamera.”
“Yeah. I think you’re right,” Tamera said.
“That was some storm that rolled through here last night, man,” Tyson said. He was in the kitchen, preparing to sear tilapia fillets. Preston had driven to his house, waiting for Tamera to arrive.
“Yeah, it was,” Preston said, thinking about the storm that erupted outside concurrently with the storm that raged inside of him – one that proved to be much more potent and well-developed than the elemental storm. It was even harder trying to contain it – his desire, that is.
“How’s my sister?”
“She’s fine. We talked for a little while last night.”
“And what do you think? You think your attraction to my sister is just a phase, or—”
“No. It’s not a phase. I love her.”
Tyson looked at him. Smirked. Preston had it bad. He could see it all over his face. “Okay, then. What are you going to do about it?”
“What do you mean? We have another week at the cabin, and—”
“And then what, man?” Tyson interrupted. “You’re back in Charlotte and she’s still here?”
“Still here? Why would she still be here?”
“She didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“Tamera isn’t going back to Charlotte. She’s staying here. She’s starting a website and all.” Tyson dropped a spoonful of butter in the cast iron pan, listening to it sizzle. He dashed in chopped garlic from a small, glass prep bowl, shaved thyme fresh off of the sprigs and squeezed in lemon juice. The aroma took over the kitchen. He looked back at Preston, seeing the blood drain from his face.
Before he could say anything, he heard the commotion at the door. The women were back.
“Honey, we’re home,” Gabrielle said, dropping a few bags on the living room sofa then heading back for the kitchen. “Hey, Preston.”
“Hi, Gabrielle,” Preston said.
Gabrielle continued on to the stove where Tyson was standing, cooking, giving him a kiss on the lips.
“Hey, Preston,” Tamera said, walking into the kitchen. “Long time, no see.”
He smiled just barely and said, “Did you have fun shopping?”
“I did. How was your day?”
It was fine, up until a few minutes ago. “It was okay.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. I’m sure. Why?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. You seem different.”
“I’m fine.”
* * *
Tyson placed a dish of tilapia on the table and the sides he’d cooked with it – green beans with roasted tomatoes and fried red potatoes tossed with onions. Once everyone had their plates filled, Tamera asked, “Hey, where are the kids?”
“With Lalita and Prasad,” Gabrielle said. Prasad was Tyson and Tamera’s first cousin, married to Lalita. “They wanted to watch them to give us a night of adult conversation free of diaper changing.”
“That was nice of them.” Tamera glanced across the table. Preston was sitting next to Tyson, barely eating. “So, Preston, what are your first impressions of Tyson’s grilled fish?”
He forced a smile. “Tastes phenomenal. The combination of lemon and garlic is pleasing to the palate.”
“I second that,” Tamera said. “I’m going to be sure to feature an article on you when I get my website up and running, Tyson.”
“I’m sure you will.”
Tamera looked up at Preston, watching him use his fork to move around green beans on his plate—not eat them—just rake them around. She looked away when he glanced up at her, catching her looking at him. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask her about her plans, but he’d wait until they were alone.
Chapter 34
Tamera sat in the passenger seat of the car while Preston backed o
ut of the yard. She’d rode with Gabrielle here, so she’d ride back with Preston to the cabin.
She glanced over at him. Something was off and had been off the entire night. Was he upset that she hadn’t left him a note this morning as to her whereabouts, or that she’d spent the majority of the day with Gabrielle instead of him? Whatever it was, he was tight-lipped about it as he drove quietly.
“Hey, you want to try that ice cream shop up here since we didn’t have dessert?”
“No. Not in the mood for dessert. If you want some I’ll stop, but—”
“Never mind,” she said. “Let’s just go to the cabin.”
He continued driving there, then parked, exited the car along with her and followed her up the stairs.
Tamera walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water and grabbed a small pack of Oreos for a snack. She turned around as she bit into a cookie, noticing Preston relaxed against the doorframe with his thumbs in the pockets of the jean shorts he had on.
“You look like you want to ask me something,” she said, mumbling. Eating.
“Why didn’t you tell me you had no plans to come back to Charlotte?”
So that’s why he’s been acting strange all evening. Tyson must’ve told him. Dang it! “I had planned on telling you.”
“When?”
“I don’t know when.”
“So, let me get this straight,” he said, standing up tall. “You come to this cabin for the purpose of finding out if we’re compatible, knowing that this was a way we could get to know each other more intimately, but you fail to tell me that it’s all for nothing.”
“It’s not all for nothing, Preston.”
He frowned. Face reddened in irritation. “It is isn’t it? I live in Charlotte. It’s where I’ve built my life. My company. My home.”
“I know that.”
His frown deepened. “Then what do you expect of me? To move here?”
“I don’t expect anything of you, Preston.”
Preston rubbed his temple. “Maybe you don’t understand, Tamera,” he said, taking a few steps into the kitchen. “I want you. I don’t need another day, another week, another month to figure that out. You’re the one, my one, and I want you. How much clearer do I need to be?”
