“Sorry,” Latonya whispered with a soft giggle.

Carlton pulled her close. “Don’t worry. She’ll forgive him,” he whispered in her ear. “I don’t know much about chick flicks, but I’m pretty sure these things always have a happy ending.”

Chapter 27

Taking off her clothing, Latonya found herself doing a little spin. The date with Carlton had been perfect. She couldn’t wait to go on another. In fact, she hadn’t wanted the evening to end. When they finally returned from the movie she tried to think of an excuse to prolong the evening. The soft, seductive kiss that he’d given her at the bottom of the stairs just before he said he was going to head into the study to try to do a little work, told her that he’d had just as nice a time as she.

She stared aimlessly at the bed and her nightgown before reaching for the garment. She had to get her mind off of Carlton and his sweet kisses or she would toss and turn the entire night. If she got any sleep at all.

As soon as she reached for the gown, she heard the bedroom door softly open and shut. Naked, she turned to find Carlton in her room. She quickly moved to put her nightgown on.

Carlton inhaled sharply. “Don’t…do that.” Taking three brisk steps, he stood directly in front of her. Removing the silk garment from her clasped hands, he let it fall to the ground. She turned toward the bed, not able to face the white-hot desire in his eyes when she knew that it matched her own. She also knew that giving into it wouldn’t solve any of the problems between them.

His hand trailed her skin from her hips to her arms and shoulders. Bending his head into her neck, he inhaled deeply. His breath sent a shiver down her spine, and she swore she felt her heart skip a beat. She closed her eyes and leaned back into his embrace against her better judgment. Wrapping his arms around her, he caressed the front of her body. One hand found her nipple and the other traveled down her belly, farther still until two of his fingers entered the slick folds of her womanhood. She moaned and instinctively moved her hips in rhythm with his probing fingers.

Rising on her toes and leaning farther into him, she felt his erection pressing into her back. His hands slowly and methodically worked her body, and she felt the beginnings of her explosion working in the pit of her stomach. She sucked in her breath and shook as the tingling release shot from her stomach to her toes. Her knees buckled and her body went limp.

Letting her slide onto the bed, Carlton proceeded to trail soft kisses all over her body. Kisses followed by teasing nips that seemed to go on for hours. His mouth had a mind of its own as it trailed her body. First soft pecks. Then sensuous nibbling. Then torturous tongue flicks. His mouth found her breast, earlobes, wrists, ankles, inner thigh and then the core of her. Her body racked with another orgasm and she screamed.

Even in the middle of the most incredible orgasm she had ever had, her mind was at war with her body and her heart. Two parts of her wanted the man to love her and make love to her more than she wanted anything. And the other part, the thinking part, kept telling her she could have the lovemaking but she would never have the love. That’s why her heart ached in the midst of such incredible splendor.

Everything became suddenly too intense, almost as if her body had been waiting for his touch to awaken it. She guessed, but she never really knew how much she missed him touching her and making love to her, until that moment. Every nerve ending in her body stood at full attention. And he, still fully clothed, continued to pay homage to her body with his luscious lips. Closing her eyes, and no longer having the ability to speak, she moaned softly.

He didn’t say a word and she couldn’t say a word. She realized that she didn’t know what she would say. Wanting him so intensely, she willed him to continue licking and kissing and nipping. More than anything, she needed him inside of her with a desire so ferocious it scared her.

When the kisses stopped, the mattress lifted. She opened her eyes, and they immediately locked with his. His hooded gaze probed her as he removed his clothing.

She followed his strong hands with her eyes. Watched as they removed the shirt and gave her a full view of his glorious chest. The ripples beckoned her, and she wanted to run her hands across them.

The kicking off of his shoes and removal of his socks brought her gaze to his feet, and she nibbled on her lips just thinking about how sexy she still found them. She wanted to be his hands as they trailed down his firm washboard stomach before undoing his belt and removing his pants. As he stepped out of them, she relished the muscles in his thighs and imagined grabbing onto the muscular behind that she couldn’t see but knew full well was there. Carlton’s naked body was a sight to behold. And when she finished letting her eyes drink in every single dark-chocolate-with-a-smidgen-of-milk-covered muscle, she turned her gaze to his sexy, sensual eyes.

His eyes held hers and didn’t leave her, even when he moved between her spread legs. She could feel the tip of his erection, but he made no move to penetrate. Remaining still and poised, he simply stared into her eyes.

He still wouldn’t speak, and she thought for a frightened second that he wouldn’t complete the act and end the sweet torture that he began on her body. She felt simultaneously wanton and panicked.

“Carlton…please.”

“Are you sure you want this, Tonya?”

“Carlton—”

“I need you to tell me you want this, Tonya. Do you want me?”

“My, God, Carlton—”

When he inched away slightly, her eyes went wide.

“Okay, Carlton. Yes, I want this. I want you. Damn you!”

Moving forward, his erection teased her. He entered her then, fully, completely. She purred and his lips closed in on hers. With each thrust forward his tongue purged into her mouth, deeper and deeper each time.

Wrapping her legs around his waist, she arched her back, meeting his passion with her own. She circled her arms around him and held on for dear life. They continued without words until they both found release.

Carlton continued to plant soft kisses down her neck and behind her earlobes. He nibbled on her ear a bit before rolling over on his back. Pulling her close, he ran his fingers through her sweat-soaked hair. She felt him gently kiss the bridge of her nose just before she closed her eyes and snuggled into his embrace.

Staring at his wife while she slept peacefully in his arms, Carlton silently chastised himself. He’d done it again, moved too fast, made love to her before getting to a space where they were certain about each other. He’d promised himself that this time he would take greater care, practice restraint.

He’d come in the room because he hadn’t wanted their evening to end. He figured they could talk or watch television or something that would have kept her in his presence just a little while longer. But seeing her wearing nothing made him remember all too fully what it had been like to touch her. He swore he felt a piece of heaven each time she was in his arms. He’d just wanted to hold her again and he ended up making love to her instead. He mentally kicked himself for not having the proper patience.

He didn’t want to mess things up like he did before, by moving too fast. He’d wanted to woo her the way she deserved to be wooed. He needed her more than he needed air and was determined to do it right this time. Needing time to clear his head, he left the bed before she awoke and returned to the office.

Chapter 28

When Latonya woke up alone in the bed, she didn’t know what to think. She’d thought for sure that Carlton would have at least woken her and given her a kiss goodbye before he left for work, the way he used to. Letting out a shuddering breath, she reminded herself that they were far from those days. He had left her in the bed alone just like he’d done the entire week before he kicked her out.

Having no idea where they stood at that moment, she figured she’d have to be a fool to think that just because they’d had sex, they were somehow back on track. Sex alone could not accomplish that.

The sex between them had always been glorious, but she knew that if great sex was all it took to keep a marriage together, they wouldn’t have had problems in the first place. By allowing her body its desire, she had foolishly put her heart in peril again.

She loved Carlton, but he did not love her. She had to face that fact, as sobering as it was.

The phone on the nightstand started to ring and she leaped for it, thinking it was Carlton calling to say that he was sorry for leaving without waking her. They needed to talk. She dreaded where the conversation would lead, but she knew it had to happen. Answering the phone hesitantly, she found Gran on the other end of the line.

“Hey, Peanut. How are you?”

“Hi, Gran. I’m doing okay. How are you?”

“I’m fine, baby. I’m more than fine.” Excitement pulsed from Gran’s voice through the line. “Cicely is taking me on a Caribbean cruise. At first I was a little leery, because I’ve never been on a boat. But then I spoke to Jillian and she told me I wasn’t getting any younger and I’d better start trying some new things. So, I said why not. I called Cicely and told her I’d go. We’ll be gone for two weeks. We leave today.”

Latonya had forgotten that Cicely had mentioned she wanted to surprise Gran with a cruise. Torn, she didn’t know how to respond. On the one hand she felt happy that her sister was treating their grandmother to a much-needed vacation. On the other hand, she wanted to be leaving for the Caribbean with them. She wished she could just take the boys and head off on the cruise. Struck by the urgent need to get as far away from Carlton as she could, she knew that if she stayed she would end up heartbroken again.

But it wasn’t her vacation and she didn’t want to ruin her sister’s and Gran’s great time by taking all her problems and baggage on their trip.

She forced pleasantness in her voice and responded, “That’s wonderful, Gran. I bet you and Cicely will have a fabulous time.”

“Oh, we plan to. We plan to. I tried to call you and tell you the other day, but you must have been out and about with the boys. And Jillian told me that you had a hot date last night with Carlton. So, I didn’t even bother to call then.”

Not wanting to think about the hot date that ended up with her waking up to an empty bed, Latonya changed the subject. “So what time are you and Cicely leaving? I’d love to bring the boys down so that they could see. They’d get a kick out of seeing the boat leave the dock. Plus, I’d get a chance to say goodbye.”

Latonya didn’t think her grandmother’s voice could become more gleeful, but it did.

“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea. Then I can see my precious baby boys before I leave. The cruise docks off at three-thirty this afternoon.”

“We’ll be there.”

“Oh, and one more thing, baby. Would you mind checking up on the house a couple of times while I’m gone? I know it’s not much of a house, but it’s my home.”

“Of course, Gran. Don’t worry. I’ll be glad to check on the house for you.” A light bulb went off in her head. “Maybe I’ll even house-sit until you get back.”