Vanessa kissed his chest, lingering on a flat male nipple. He released a husky groan the instant she licked his tight peak. Pleased by his response, she repeatedly tongued the nipple, wanting to give him the utmost pleasure. With his eyes closed and nostrils flared, he kept his hands at his sides. As if unable to bear more of this exquisite torment, Ralph caught her shoulders, holding her away from him.
He shook his head. “You don’t need to arouse me.” He moved her hand over his rock-hard erection. “I don’t think I can get harder.”
She shivered, pleased to feel the strength of his need. It matched her own. She whispered, “Please…hurry.”
His kiss was urgent, demanding, nothing else mattered but the two of them. Ralph unbuttoned, unzipped, and unsnapped. Finally, Vanessa was bare to his hungry, hot eyes.
“Oh, baby. You’re so beautiful…so perfect for me,” Ralph whispered in her ear. After stripping back the velvet quilt and silk sheets, he picked her up and placed her in the center of the bed.
His voice was gruff with desire when he said, “Tell me, Vanessa. Tell me you want me as much as I want you.”
“Yes…oh yes,” she could barely get the words out. Engrossed in watching him, she couldn’t look away as he shoved both jeans and briefs down. But he wasn’t moving fast enough for her, so she held her arms out, insisting, “Hurry…sweet man.”
He reached for her, pulling her against him. He suckled her bottom lip until she opened enough to receive the bold thrust of his tongue against hers. Eager for more, she locked her arms around his neck. Their kisses were hot and needy, neither holding anything back.
Rubbing her aching breasts against his chest, she moaned her pleasure. He moved down to lick a hard nipple before taking it to suck. He took his time before he moved to the other dark nipple and repeated the titillation.
When he lifted his head, he kissed her, then said, “Please touch me.”
Responding to the husky need in his voice, Vanessa ran soft, silky hands over his broad shoulders to his taut midsection. She smoothed down his concave stomach, then encircled his hard shaft. He groaned her name as she caressed his pulsating length from the thick base to its ultrasensitive tip. She smoothed over the moist peak.
He released a heavy groan, catching her hand in his, holding it still. “No more.”
“But…”
Ralph cupped her nape, holding her still for his urgent kisses. His hand caressed over her petal-soft skin. He squeezed her breasts before sliding a hand though the thick curls at the apex of her thighs, moving lower into her soft moist folds. Ralph’s fingers were soon slippery with her feminine heat.
“Now…Ralph,” she begged.
“Soon,” he said through gritted teeth. He reached into the nightstand for a condom. “Open for me,” he said urgently.
Vanessa parted her legs even more, eager for his steely-hard length. Ralph settled between her soft thighs, running his caressing hands up and down her satin-smooth brown skin. She cried out his name as he used the broad tip of his sex to part her feminine folds. He moved against her damp opening until she cried out, as he boldly thrust forward, carefully, eliminating the emptiness, filling her sheath to the point of bursting.
She moaned, welcoming him and lifting her legs to encircle his waist. Responding to his hard, insistent thrust, she sighed with pleasure as her enjoyment continued to build, higher and faster, a sizzling flame. Sparks flared as they moved against each other. His control crumbled as she tightened her inner muscles around his throbbing shaft. All too soon they reached a white-hot peak, beyond anything either of them had ever experienced. Numb from sheer pleasure, he climaxed a heartbeat before she reached her own completion. They drifted down from the stars together. Both equally dazed and spent.
Ralph’s cell phone rang while he was out of the room, and Vanessa couldn’t stop herself from picking it up from the nightstand. Caller ID told her more than she wanted to know. It was the third call from one woman.
Her hands were shaking when she put it back down. She couldn’t say she was surprised. She had hoped she was wrong. That he was seeing only her, that he was really falling in love with her. She didn’t dare look in the closet, afraid of what she might find. She blinked back tears. No point in crying. They still had their friendship. It had to be enough.
Vanessa was down on all fours when Ralph walked out of the bathroom.
“Nice view. Can I help?”
She didn’t bother to glance over her shoulder; she heard the humor in his voice. He was struggling not to laugh. Hoping to preserve some dignity, she sank back on her heels and held up one sandal.
“I can only find one!”
With dark eyes flashing sparks of satisfaction, he dropped down beside her. Instead of crawling around the perimeter of the bed, he encircled her waist, pulling her close in order to place slow, drugging kisses on lips already swollen from his earlier kisses.
“What was that for?” She studied eyes so dark brown that it was nearly impossible to make out his ebony pupils. Her heart accelerated as she recalled what they’d shared. She’d spent most of the afternoon lost in his magnetic gaze.
He let out a deep, throaty chuckle. “I don’t need an excuse, not when I thoroughly enjoy making love to you.” He cupped her elbows and lifted her to her feet.
“Hey, I thought you were going to help find the other shoe?” Thrown off-balance, she quickly wrapped her arms around his waist, using his sturdy frame to steady herself.
“No need. You lost it on the landing, at the top of the stairs.” He chuckled.
“Evidently you were too busy demanding I put you down to notice.”
Vanessa blushed, pressing a hot cheek against his broad shoulder. “Embarrass me, why don’t you!”
“Did you enjoy our time together as much as I did?” he quizzed softly as he kissed her on the forehead.
“I did. Our time alone always seems to speed by.” It was true. She was so weak for him. Lifting troubled eyes, she asked, even though she felt she shouldn’t, “Would I be monopolizing your time by inviting you to dinner with us?” Where was her pride? Why wasn’t she kicking him out of her life?
“Perhaps, but you will hear no objections from me. What if I picked up takeout from the seafood restaurant the kids like? Two orders of fish sticks and french fries, fried shrimp for Lana. And, lobster tails and baked potatoes for us.”
She nodded. “Don’t forget the coleslaw and garlic bread, enough for everyone.” She smiled, glad that he remembered. “Sounds wonderful.” She stood on tiptoes in order to brush her lips against his. “Shall I bring the kids here? Or are you coming our way?”
“I’ll come to you.” Grinning, he said, “Since I don’t like you driving at night, it means I will end up following you home anyway. I might as well save myself some time.”
She didn’t argue. Why bother? She didn’t particularly like driving at night. Besides, she was secretly pleased that he didn’t bother with concealing his thoughts. He was open about most things. Of the two, she was the one who tended to hold back.
As she recalled a certain look in his eyes while they were making love, she blushed. He’d been deep inside of her, urging her toward completion when suddenly, he whispered he loved her. He had the same look in his eyes the first time he’d said those magical words.
Suddenly, her eyes went wide as she realized Ralph hadn’t been teasing or playful or even charming when he said those three incredible words. He truly meant them. He was in love with her. She covered her mouth, shocked by the realization.
“What?” he said, brushing his lips over hers, then tucking thick curls behind each ear.
Holding back tears, Vanessa concealed her eyes behind lowered lids. Her heart pounded as she slowly accepted the depth of his feelings for her. What was she going to do?
As she struggled to find a plausible response, she couldn’t help weighing the painful truth that hung in the balance. Until now, she hadn’t believed he was capable of the emotion. But what did love really mean to him? There were many definitions for that remarkable word. To Vanessa, being in love meant commitment, fidelity, and forever, all three interwoven in an incredibly beautiful way.
Vanessa’s heart sank as she recognized and accepted that it simply was not his way. Judging by his caller ID, Vanessa accepted that love meant something entirely different to him. And she believed that to him it represented incredible sex and lots of it, including exquisite pleasure, pure joy, and sheer excitement. She also believed that when love became difficult, problematic, it would no longer be worth it, and he would turn his back and walk away. He already had someone waiting for his next move.
Had he ever been in this situation? Was this a new experience? She would be extremely naive to think she was the first, considering his history with woman. A much better question would be was how many women had he told he loved and meant it? Good question…no answer. Nonetheless, she had a feeling there weren’t many, only a precious few. Then again, she could be deluding herself.
This was Ralph, after all. No, she was not going to put on rose-colored glasses. With Ralph, love might never be enough. And she needed more, so much more. She had to be able to trust him. It seemed that love wasn’t the sweet joy that she’d read about in romance novels. Vanessa blinked as she suddenly realized she’d yearned for his love because she was in love with him. And because she loved him, she had no choice but to accept that his kind of love was sharp and cutting.
“You’re looking in my eyes, beautiful, but you’re saying absolutely nothing. What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”
“Would you believe chicken or fish?” she teased. He laughed just as she’d hoped. “I wasn’t going to tell you, but I looked at your caller ID when your cell rang. Who is Sue Smith?”
If he was surprised, he didn’t show it. “A woman I used to date. Nothing more.”
“Not even a friend?”
“Nope. You’re my friend and my lover. I don’t want Sue.”
“Okay,” she said, walking out of his room.
“That’s it?” he asked.
Deciding to keep her fears inside, Vanessa nodded, taking his proffered hand.
They walked down the stairs and collected her shoe, before hand in hand, they went out to her car parked in the drive. When he reached for the door handle, she stopped him with a hand on his arm. He arched a brow but didn’t voice his question.
She forced herself to ask, “Do you think it’s wrong for me to go on fighting the twins’ father for custody? Maybe I’m letting my own selfish needs overshadow what is best for them.”
“What?”
Vanessa slipped her hand into his, needing his strength.
“Crazy, huh?”
“No, not crazy. How long have you had these doubts?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “No doubts. It’s just that he’s their father. If he had stepped in when they were babies, I would not have been able to take them home.”
“That was his call. Are you having regrets?”
“Not even one. In everything I’ve done for them, I’ve always tried to make sure that I was doing what was best for them. I want them to grow up surrounded by love. I don’t want them to grow up not knowing their father. It would be wrong of me to prevent them from seeing him. And that certainly wouldn’t be what my mother wanted for them.” She sighed tiredly, before she said, “This may sound like a contradiction, but I don’t want them to grow up resenting me because I stopped them from being with Greg Cummingham. I couldn’t bear that!”
Ralph wrapped his arms around her and held her. She held on to him, needing not only his physical support, but to know he was on her side. She wanted to do the right thing. And she knew he would tell her the truth, not just what she wanted to hear.
“I know I’m a bit jealous that the twins like his wife. She’s good to them. And jealous of the very expensive toys they bring home. Things I can’t afford. They are spoiling them.”
“Money comes easy for Cummingham. Just look at how he has tried to buy you off.”
Eventually, she asked, “Do you think I was wrong to seek custody?”
Cupping her shoulders, he insisted, “You didn’t start this battle. That was Cummingham’s call. Can you honestly tell me of a time when you stopped the twins from talking to him on the telephone or seeing him?”
Vanessa attempted to speak through a throat clogged with tears and failed. She just shook her head.
“Have you?” Ralph demanded.
“No,” she finally managed to get out.
“If he had come to you and asked to see the twins, what would you have said?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation.
“So why are you accepting the blame for this custody mess? This is all about Cummingham. He’s always known how to get in touch with you. You live in the same house that your mother lived in when he was seeing her. Probably have the same telephone number, don’t you?”
Vanessa nodded, looking into his dark eyes. “I hadn’t thought about that. Thank you.” She brushed her mouth against his in a brief kiss.
“Why are you thanking me?”
“For being you.”
Ralph grinned. “You are more than welcome. You haven’t forgotten Sunday dinner with my folks?”
Smiling, she said, “I’m looking forward to it. Although I may not be at my best because the twins are spending the weekend with the Cumminghams. I can’t stop worrying.”
“They are going to be fine. And so are you. Cummingham hasn’t won yet. Ready to go?”
Vanessa hugged him for a long moment, not wanting to ever let go. Good or bad, wrong or right, Ralph understood how she felt. He had been both friend and lover. She had come to depend on him without even realizing it. No, she wanted to hang on for dear life, but common sense prevailed. Easing away, she smiled, reminding herself that he wasn’t really hers for the keeping. Not for even a second would she let herself forget that Ralph wasn’t a one-woman kind of guy. His caller ID proved it. When it came to women, he had an extremely short attention span.
For now, he was devoting himself to helping her and the children. For that, she was grateful no matter how long it lasted. She’d made a promise to herself. She wouldn’t make the mistake of trying to hold on when he was ready to move on. In the end, she would watch him walk away with a smile on her face. She was determined that he’d never suspect her heart was broken. She had the rest of her life to mourn his loss.
“Beautiful?”
Brushing her lips against his, she said. “Yes, I’m ready.”
Sheila was bubbling with delight, as she leaned back against the plush leather of the limousine her husband insisted she needed. He spoiled her rotten, and she secretly loved every minute. How had she gotten so lucky and found such a wonderful man. Greg Cummingham was also filthy rich, handsome, and smart. Most important, besides being a partner in a prestigious and lucrative law firm, he adored her as much as she adored him. They nearly had it all…careers they loved, beautifully furnished homes in Detroit, Paris, and St. Thomas.
Very soon their wonderful life would be perfect…they would have a family of their own. Curtis and Courtney were so sweet. So well behaved. Sheila already loved them because they were a part of Greg. His very own flesh and blood. And soon she would be their mother.
Gleefully, she hugged herself, barely able to contain her joy. It was a dream come true, without the hardship and discomfort of losing her figure and labor pains. Finally, she’d have everything she’d ever wanted…every one of the fairy-tale dreams she’d longed for as a girl. A rich, loving husband, a beautiful home, children, and a successful career.
Friday evening would be a new beginning. The twins would spend the entire weekend with them! She was so excited, she could hardly stand it. Soon, they would be together always. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they could somehow preserve this magical beginning? A new life for all of them.
Suddenly, Sheila’s dark eyes went wide. Why hadn’t she thought of it before? Friday just had to be recorded! That way, whenever they wanted, they could look back on their first night as a real family. She imagined that many adopting families wished they had recorded those first, precious moments of connection as a family.
Her television viewers would be thrilled to share her and Greg’s happiness. And there were bound to be adopting families interested in seeing it, as well as infertile couples struggling to decide what was best for them…to keep trying or consider adoption. Heavens, so many children, especially African-Americans in the foster-care system, longing for a family of their own. It was so sad. Just one airing of her and Greg’s story might help. They just had to do it!
Clapping her hands, Sheila laughed out loud. For someone like her, it was a simple matter to get a film crew together. She was surprised her cohost Thomas Redman, hadn’t suggested it. But then again, she should be recalling how difficult it had been to talk Greg into allowing their wedding photographs to be in Jet and Ebony magazines.
While he never hesitated to give interviews about his work, she had no doubts Greg would strongly object to this interview. He’d insisted on keeping their private life…private. He could be stubborn. But it really would be such a wonderful, heartwarming story of a man’s fondest wish to become a father finally come true! He might not admit it, but she knew he loved the twins and wanted nothing more than to be a great dad. And she loved that about him. When he had learned he was a father, he stepped up and did right by them.
Greg wasn’t like the deadbeat man who fathered her. Her mother had to work two jobs the entire time Sheila was growing up. She missed Sheila’s school programs, plays, and concerts because of work. By the time Sheila finished high school, her mother’s health was deteriorating. When Sheila was close to finishing her last year of college, the hope of finally being able to make things easy for her mother was destroyed. She died of heart failure, at the age of forty-two.
The heartbroken Sheila put the blame squarely on her father’s shoulders. He reentered her life only when she became well-known as a television journalist at CNN, which was about the time she met Greg.
The day they brought the twins home to live with them for good was fast approaching. This weekend’s sleepover was the first major step toward that goal. No way was she going to let it go down without a film crew standing by, even if she had to hide them in the bushes. Sheila giggled, deciding she would deal with Greg later in the bedroom.
But for now, she had a lot of work to do in a very short period of time. Sheila asked her chauffeur to turn the car around. She had a huge job ahead of her, the first part being to convince her boss that this story was a priority. Once Sheila had Darlene Brownski on her side, what seemed impossible would be done. Darlene was a first-rate newswoman. Even Jeffery Howard, the station owner, would listen. After all, Darlene had a display case full of awards to her credit.
Sheila had a huge grin on her face as she began jotting down notes. If they filmed on Friday night, she’d have the rest of the weekend to convince Greg to let the piece air the following week. Even though he was a criminal attorney, Greg was being courted by the party to run in the upcoming governor’s race. Sheila, for one, wouldn’t be surprised if Greg made it all the way to the top. He had the credentials and powerful friends. And she planned to be at his side at the podium when he made his acceptance speech. Life was sweet.
On Sunday, during the evening meal, Anna surprised everyone when she said, “Vanessa, is everything all right? You haven’t touched the stew.”
From one end of the long, round dining table, Donna scolded, “Let her be, Anna. She has enough on her mind.”
Vanessa, had been staring at her food on her plate, looked up when Anna said her name. The food wasn’t the problem. She’d been self-absorbed since they had waved good-bye to the kids on Friday. It had been even harder than she’d anticipated. It had been so painful just to stand there and do nothing to stop them from leaving. She wanted to run after the big, sleek car as it pulled away. She was grateful for the comforting squeeze Ralph had given her hand from beneath the table.
Vanessa quickly said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset anyone. Maybe I should go?”
“Absolutely not,” Ralph said as he looked at Lana, who was as upset as her big sister. “Lana and Vanessa are really missing Curtis and Courtney. It’s the first time the twins have spent an entire weekend with the Cumminghams.”
Lester said, “Donna and I both think you’ve done a fine job of taking care of those twins and sweet Lana on your own. If you need us to testify to that in court, we will be happy to do so.”
The tears Vanessa had been fighting all weekend filled her eyes. “Thank you.” Brushing them away, she smiled. “You have no idea how much that means to me.” She glanced at her sister. “Lana and I have had a rough weekend, but we’ve managed to get through it. Ralph has been doing his best to keep us from moping around.”
Although she appreciated the Prescotts’ concern, she was nonetheless relieved when the telephone rang. It was Brynne and Shanna calling to say hello. Vanessa was basically shy and wasn’t used to being the center of attention.
Like Kelli’s and Anna’s, Brynne’s man was on the road since the football season was in full swing. After dinner, Wayne and Kyle challenged Lana to play a video game while Ralph and Lester helped with the cleanup. Vanessa joined the ladies in the living room.
The Grant sisters left early. Both were eager to get home before the twins returned. Vanessa didn’t protest when Ralph volunteered to wait with them. Even though she tried not to, Vanessa couldn’t help worrying that she was becoming too dependent on Ralph. She wasn’t willing to examine their situation at the moment. For now, she shoved that thought aside. All that mattered to her was that he was there for her.
Both sisters were restless until the Cumminghams’ limousine pulled into their driveway. They didn’t wait for the uniformed chauffeur to escort the children to the front door but hurried out to the sidewalk, greeting the twins with hugs and kisses. Courtney and Curtis were happy to see them and were lugging home more toys and luggage than they had left with two days earlier. Vanessa was too happy to see them to worry over the way the Cumminghams were spoiling them with material things.
Later, when they were finally alone, Ralph gave Vanessa a long kiss. He whispered in her ear, “Beautiful, it’s really good to finally see a smile on those pretty, red lips.”
She laughed softly. “Was I that bad? I didn’t realize I was so pitiful.” She lifted her arms up to his neck, urging his head down for another kiss.
“Mmm,” he murmured. “Now, that’s more like it.”
She couldn’t stop smiling. “I apologize for monopolizing your weekend. You’ve been so patient with us. And your family was wonderful. I know I’ve said it before, but I want you to know that I genuinely appreciate all the things you’ve done to help. I don’t know how I would have gotten through the past few weeks without you. Starting with—” She stopped abruptly. “Why are you scowling?”
“You’ve already thanked me. Drop it, okay.” Ralph reached up to gently free himself.
Shocked by what felt like a rejection, she quizzed, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s late. And we both have work in the morning.”
“Wait. I don’t want you to leave angry.” Vanessa hated the way she hung on his arm but couldn’t make herself stop.
“I’m not angry, Vanessa.”
His mouth said one thing while his taut features and the stiff way he held his torso said just the opposite. Folding her arms beneath her plump breasts, she said, “You’re not happy either. Tell me what’s wrong.”
He leaned down and quickly crushed her lips beneath his in a possessive kiss. “I know you appreciate that I’ve been there for you. What I don’t want is for you to feel as if you owe me a damn thing, including a thank-you.”
“When someone goes out of his or her way to be nice, I was taught to at least say thank you.”
“Yeah, I got that. So consider it said.” He squeezed her hand. “Talk to you tomorrow. Lock up behind me,” he said as he went to the door.
“Good night,” Vanessa, called after him, automatically locking up and activating the alarm system. She listened to his footsteps as he swiftly descended the porch stairs.
Hurrying to the window, she watched until he drove away. Ralph wasn’t the only one upset. She was angry with him for wanting so much from her. He wouldn’t be satisfied until she admitted he owned her heart. It was something she was never going to do. She hated showing her weakness, as if her heart were on display. Thank goodness he hadn’t guessed the depth of her feelings. Why did it have to be so complicated?
She didn’t want to love him! She couldn’t stand how it made her feel…so incredibly confused and vulnerable. She was determined not to let him so much as suspect how she truly felt about him. Not ever!
Expressing her appreciation was light-years away from what he really wanted. That was fine with her. She had her eyes wide open. He was not going to trap her into a tearful confession. They both knew love signaled the end. No matter what he said—the instant he heard the word “love,” he’d run for the hills. He didn’t want love, he wanted the challenge of winning, then he could move on to the next conquest.