by Tina Martin
He stopped walking, then stood at the black, metal railings, looking out into the distance.
“What body of water is this?” she inquired.
He looked at her. Smiled.
“What?” she asked, laughing.
“Only you would inquire about such things.”
“I know. I know. I’m nerdy that way. I like to know what things are, what purpose they serve and how they work.”
Harding stood up tall and asked, “I would like to know how we are going to work with you being in Charleston and me living here in Wilmington?”
“This is only our second date, Harding. You don’t even know if I like you yet.”
He grinned and looked back at the water. He didn’t know, but he had an idea. She was willing to drive all the way here to see him after only knowing him for the better part of two weeks and then she didn’t really know him. Her willingness to come here said a lot. Said he had a good shot. “It’s the Cape Fear River. I remember my mother used to bring us down here as kids – not at night when it’s crawling with couples like this, but during the day. And we’d eat ice cream and run along. She’d yell at us not to get too close to the railings and we were so hardheaded, we didn’t listen.”
“Nobody fell in, did they?”
“No, but by the time mother got finished with us from being disobedient, we wished we had. Trust me.”
Savannah chuckled. “Mama don’t play, huh?”
“No, she does not.” He stood up tall again and turned to look at her, taking her hands into his.
The already radiant smile on her face was enhanced by the dock lights as she gazed into his eyes.
“Savannah?”
“Yes?”
“Tell me.”
“Tell you what, Harding Champion?” she asked playfully.
“Do I have a real chance with you?”
She stared up into his eyes and said, “Well, that’s up to you, isn’t it?”
“How so?”
“I’ve been waiting for you to kiss me for forever, it seems.”
A grin settled in the corner of his lips. “I don’t want to start something we can’t finish. Besides, I’m not the relationship type of guy.”
“I figured that out when I first met you. You were kinda mean to me.”
He laughed. “I was mean to you? You almost had a stroke when you saw me sitting behind your desk and I was doing you a favor.”
She giggled.
“But I mean it, Savannah. I usually don’t do this. I’ve never had this kind of attachment to a woman, but I have it with you and I don’t want to go down this path if it’s a dead end. If that’s the case, I may as well stay like I am and you stay like you are and we go our separate ways.”
She grinned. “This is not second date conversation, Harding, but I’m going to give you a pass since, in your words, you’re not the relationship type. If it makes you feel any better, I don’t do this either.”
“Why not?”
“My schedule,” she said. “I don’t have time for relationships.”
“But somehow, you make time in your schedule for this—for us.”
“Yes. For us,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist, angling her head up to see him. To zero in on his lips. “Kiss me.”
He stared at the pair of luscious lips he’d been tempted to kiss after their first date. Now, she was practically giving them to him. He leaned down as she rose up on her tiptoes to meet her lips with his and then he, as if this was what he’d been missing, stepped up his kissing game by sliding his tongue into her mouth and consuming her taste – the warmth of her mouth, of their tongues touching, driving him to the edge of desire. His large hand settled at the nape of her neck and gripped her there while he pulled her closer to him and delved even deeper into a pit of darkness spurred on by his own desire – by her hunger.
She was kissing him as hard as he was kissing her, moaning and gripping him tighter, frowning when he broke off the kiss. It was getting too intense and he had to end it.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, breathlessly.
He was losing his mind, forgetting they were in public and ready to devour every part of her – not just her mouth – that’s what was wrong! But he couldn’t shake the urge to rejoin their lips, and so he did taking a soft kiss, then parted her lips with his tongue, desperately seeking another taste. He slowly ended the kiss and looked at her, his hand settling at her jawline while his thumb brushed across her swollen lips.
He smiled. She looked flushed, beautiful nonetheless, and seemed like she was in a daze. “How was that for a first kiss?”
“Um…uh—”
He laughed. “Don’t tell me the lawyer is at a loss for words,” he said, reaching to hold her hand again as they resumed walking.
The lawyer was indeed at a loss for words. He’d kissed the sense right out of her – taking lips, her tongue, her words…everything. And she felt dizzy. One glass of red wine at dinner wasn’t enough to cause her steps to be this unsteady, but an amazing kiss from a handsome, amazing man was more than enough to cause her legs to go wobbly.
“You okay?” he asked.
She blinked slowly and looked at him. She’d never been kissed like that before. Never been kissed at all. She didn’t want him to know that, at least not yet.
_________
Staring nostalgically at Savannah as she lay in bed, Harding felt a strong urge to reach out and stroke her hair – the force so strong, his hand trembled as he fought the magnetism pulling him to her. He looked at her lips, remembering the last time he kissed them. He looked at her closed eyes, imagining seeing them opened and yearning for him. He had to fight the urge to kiss her. To touch her. To once again give in to her. He was too close.
He stood up and headed downstairs in search of a midnight snack and a sofa to sleep on. In a few hours, he had to be up and alert, ready to know and learn more about his family and he couldn’t do that by staying up most of the night, staring at his wife, wondering what could’ve been.
Chapter 23
Savannah remained sitting at the massive, black dining room table near the end of breakfast at Desmond’s and Sherita’s place along with the rest of the crew. The Champions were a decent sized family after adding their half siblings to the count, and they were growing. Dante and his wife Emily had an adorable little boy, Ezra, and Emily was pregnant with their second child – another boy. Dimitrius and Melanie had a daughter named Grace and Desmond and Sherita had a set of fraternal twins – Celeste and Nolan. Savannah thought it was a sweet touch that they’d named the twins after their grandparents.
She smiled. What a family!
She always wanted this – a real family – not a pretentious mother whose idea of a family was rubbing elbows with the elite people in the city, or a father who fell in line with everything his mother wanted. She had to hand it to him for being supportive, but did he have to be a pushover?
Savannah glanced up at Amira, holding Grace. Grace had a piece of bacon wrapped tight in her fist and she’d been gnawing at it for a while – drooling and all. Savannah smiled. She couldn’t help but wonder if the baby she was carrying inside of her was a girl or a boy and if he or she would have those signature hazel eyes like the rest of the Champion children.
Harding’s gaze was fixed on Savannah as she looked around the table with an expression of admiration on her face. He tried not to stare, but he couldn’t help it. He wanted to know what she was thinking and reading her this way without having to actually talk to her was the only way he knew how to do that at the moment.
While Harding was busy staring at Savannah, Dante was secretly watching Harding, doing some reading of his own. He had a feeling their relationship wasn’t over no matter how many times Harding said otherwise. Now, he had proof that he was right.
“So, plans for this evening…what do we have lined up?” Dimitrius asked.
“I think the fellas should all get together and shoot some pool,” Desmo
nd suggested.
“And the ladies will watch the kids and have some girl talk,” Emily said.
“You know what that means,” Dante said with a slight chuckle. “They’re going to be talking about us.”
Emily playfully nudged him, then he leaned over and left a kiss on her cheek.
“I don’t mind if my baby talks about me,” Dimitrius said, looking at Melanie. “She’ll only have good things to say. Ain’t that right, sweet lips?”
“That’s right,” Melanie said smiling. She leaned close to him and pressed her lips against his.
“Is a few rounds of pool okay with you, Harding? Mordecai?” Desmond asked.
“Yeah. I’m down,” Mordecai said.
“Me, too,” Harding told him. He wasn’t much of a pool player, but any break he could get from Savannah was a welcomed one.
Savannah glanced up at him, catching his gaze before he quickly turned away. When her cell phone rang, she looked at it and said, “Excuse me,” and got up from the table.
Harding watched every step she took towards the direction of the door. His mind couldn’t help but wonder who was calling her – if it was a work-related call, her parents, or maybe it was Dudley. Those two seemed to hit it off when he’d caught them together. A frown came to his forehead as he leaned back in his chair, sighed deeply and crossed his arms.
And Dante watched his every move…
* * *
“Hello,” Savannah said with her phone to her ear.
“Have you come to your senses yet?”
Savannah rolled her eyes. Every time she talked to her mother she felt like pulling globs of hair out of her head to lessen her frustration. “Mother, why can’t you be like a normal mother and call me to see how I’m doing?”
“What do you think I’m doing right now? Huh? I didn’t have to call at all.”
Savannah rolled her eyes. And you shouldn’t have. “What do you want?”
“I want to know if you’ve come to your senses.”
Savannah shook her head. “I told you and dad—I’m done with letting you control my life. I can make it on my own. I should’ve been on my own anyway instead of relying on your so-called fame and prestige…listening to you rant on and on about money and wealth, securing this deal…making that deal. Have you ever considered the possibility that your life is not what I wanted for my life?”
“Have you considered the fact that you’re throwing your life away for a measly man?”
“You don’t know him.”
“I know whoever he is, he ain’t good enough for my daughter.”
“Well, I’m sorry you feel that way, Mother. If you ever want a real mother-daughter relationship with me, you might want to stop talking to me like a child. And by the way, I’m pregnant and it’s too bad my baby won’t have grandparents to love it. Bye, Mom.”
Savannah closed her eyes and sighed heavily. “God, help me,” she said and when she turned around to step back inside, Dante was standing right there behind her.
Crap!
She wondered how much he’d heard. Why did he come outside in the first place? She was so perturbed by the mere sound of her mother’s voice, so distracted by her that she didn’t hear when Dante had eased the door open.
“Does he know?” Dante asked her.
“What?” she asked, seeking clarification.
“Does Harding know about the baby?”
She shook her head. “No, and I would prefer to keep it that way.”
His eyes narrowed. “How is that fair to him?”
“It’s not. I realize that, but in case you hadn’t noticed, me and my husband are not on good terms and I don’t want the fact that I’m carrying his child be the motivating factor for him to make an attempt to rekindle what we have.”
“That’s all well and good, but have you considered the stress component of what you’re going through and the negative effects it could have on an unborn child?”
“I’m trying to deal with the stress as best as I can. I love my husband, Dante, and I’m hoping I can get through to him without bringing up my pregnancy. Please keep it to yourself.”
Dante hissed his displeasure with her request. “Okay. No worries, but the women are pretty good at picking up on the signs and symptoms. Your secret may not be a secret too much longer, anyway.”
She nodded and continued back inside.
“Everything all right, sis?” Zoya asked looking at Savannah.
Taking her seat, Savannah plastered on a smile and said, “Yeah. Everything’s okay.”
Staring at her, reading her, seeing the sadness in her eyes that others probably couldn’t pick up on, Harding knew her answer was a lie. Now he wondered what her phone call was about.
Chapter 24
Later in the evening after they’d had dinner, the men returned to Dante’s house for a few games of pool while the women stayed at Desmond and Sherita’s place for some girl talk.
“Tomorrow, we’re heading to the Arboretum,” Sherita said.
“We’re still leaving the kids here with your sitter, right?” Melanie asked her.
“Yep, especially since we’re doing a trail,” Sherita said. “You know the trail was all Desmond’s idea, girl. Hope you ladies brought some comfortable shoes.”
“Wait, what are we doing tomorrow?” Amira asked, holding baby Celeste on her lap.
“We’re going to the NC Arboretum,” Sherita said. “They have hiking trails there. A lot of people go there to exercise and take in the scenery. It’s beautiful this time of year, especially with the leaves changing colors and all.”
“Are you ladies up for it?” Emily asked Zoya, Amira and Savannah. “Don’t let the belly fool you. I stay active. Plus, we won’t go so fast. It’ll give us a chance to get acquainted and get some exercise.”
“I’m up for it,” Savannah said.
“Me, too,” Zoya added.
“I’m down,” Amira said.
“Awesome,” Melanie said. “We’re going to have a great time.”
“Is everyone comfortable right now? Does anyone need anything to drink?” Sherita asked, looking around the family room at the women.
“I’m okay,” Savannah said.
Amira and Zoya had the same response.
“Well, if you need anything, feel free. My house is your house.”
“Thanks, Sherita,” Zoya said, appreciating Sherita and Desmond’s hospitality. They had provided two bedrooms for her and Amira for the duration of their stay.
“So, Savannah, how long have you and Harding been married?” Melanie inquired.
“A year, and I know you all noticed that we’re not necessarily on good terms, but I’m trying.”
Zoya shook her head. “You two used to be so happy.”
Savannah’s lips quivered. “I’ve foolishly allowed my parents to complicate a lot of things in my life, including my marriage.”
“That’s why you two never lived together?” Amira asked.
“You’ve never lived together?” Melanie asked, surprise lighting up her eyes.
Savannah sighed. This wasn’t necessarily the girl talk she wanted to have, but it would do her a world of good to get this off of her chest and maybe even get some advice from the women who were married to Champion men. “No. We’ve never lived together. I feel like a fool for letting my parents dictate my life to me for so long. They’ve even picked out the perfect man for me—well that’s what they call him—perfect. His name is Dudley. They wanted me to marry him.”
Zoya scrunched up her face. “What?”
“Dudley’s parents are wealthy, and he’s a lawyer. As far as my parents are concerned that’s the only necessary requirement for a man to be perfect for me. I knew they wouldn’t accept Harding, so I put off telling them about him until recently. Harding begged me to tell them about us months ago, but I struggled with it and he grew tired of waiting.”
“What now?” Amira asked. “Is it really over?”
“He says i
t is, but I don’t want it to be. I came here to fix our relationship, but I feel like it’s too late.” Tears came to her eyes. “I honestly don’t think he loves me anymore.”
Zoya got up and walked over to where Savannah was sitting then threw a caring arm around her. “It’ll be okay, Savannah. Don’t leave. My brother does love you. He’s just so freakin’ stubborn.”
“You’re right about the stubborn part,” Savannah said, sniffling. “He’s fed up. I kept him a secret from my parents for two years.”
“That must’ve been extremely difficult to do,” Emily said.
“It was, and I shouldn’t have done it to start with. But I tried to make things right. I told my parents I was married, packed up my bags and left, ready to finally make a new life with Harding and now he can barely stand to look at me.” She trembled as more tears fell from her eyes. “I don’t know what else to do.”
Amira frowned. “I know what to do…drive over there and slap some sense into him.”
Zoya shook her head.
“I say you’re already on the right path,” Emily said. “Be persistent and make him see how much you really love him.”
“Yeah,” Melanie said. “One thing I can tell you for sure about these Champion men we love is, when they know the woman they want, nothing can keep them apart, even if they are angry.”
“Yep,” Sherita concurred. “And when they love, they love for life. He’ll come around. Just be ready when he does.”
Savannah smiled softly and hoped they were right.
Chapter 25
“Man, I need a break,” Dante said.
Mordecai yawned. “Me, too.”
“Ay, let’s go grab a beer,” Dante told Mordecai and they left the room.
