He handed her the earrings. “Your ears have been a little bare.”
She took a deep breath and put the diamond studs on as he continued to stand behind her and watch her in the mirror. Taking her by the shoulders, he turned her around and took a sharp breath.
Gazing in his eyes, she saw what caused him to inhale so sharply. Desire.
He held her gaze, and she was sure that he wanted her to see how much he desired her. The passion and need held in his stare made her breath catch.
“We’d better go,” Carlton said. His slow steps toward the door let Latonya know without a doubt that he was as torn as she was.
She didn’t know whether she should pull him into her arms and kiss him or go out on the date that they had agreed on.
As she followed him down the stairs, she gathered they had both decided to stick to the plans and go on the date.
They took one of Carlton’s luxury cars instead of having a driver for the night. Twisting her hands the entire ride, she calmed herself by thinking about the boys and how she hoped that the date would be the start of a new beginning for their family.
Even though she felt silly hoping for it, the more she lived under the same roof with Carlton and their children, the more she wanted to be a family, wanted her husband to love her.
After talking with Jillian about Carlton’s past and his parents’ relationship, she felt less and less confident that they were going to be able to make it.
“Are you as nervous as I am?” Carlton asked.
Latonya laughed. “You would think we were in high school or something, huh?”
Carlton joined her in laughter as he pulled up to Manny’s, the Cuban restaurant that he’d taken her to on their first date. “I figured that this was as good a place as any for us to try to start over.”
“Yes. It is, and this time, I’ll order,” Latonya offered with a smile.
Dinner went well, and Carlton felt himself relaxing just a little bit more with each moment of their date. He had a lot riding on getting it right this time. He planned to court and woo his wife properly. Even if it meant sitting through the latest romantic comedy that he would never have selected on his own. But Cee Cee told him that as hard-core as Latonya pretended to be, she had a soft spot for the lighthearted love stories.
Judging from the way Latonya’s eyes stayed glued to the screen, Cicely was right. Oddly, Carlton even found himself being pulled into the story. He shocked Latonya and himself when he found himself talking aloud and coaching the hero in the film, “Oh, come on, man! Go after her!”
The two women sitting in front of them turned around and shushed him. Latonya leaned over and whispered, “Somebody is getting into this little, what did you call it, oh yes, chick flick.”
Carlton put his arm around her as he filled his mouth with popcorn and continued to watch the film. He couldn’t help it if the guy in the movie was an idiot and was on the verge of losing the love of his life.
They enjoyed the rest of the film in silence until Latonya shouted out in frustration, “Oh, come on, girl. Forgive him! Can’t you see that he loves you? Good grief!”
The women turned around and glared at them again.
“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?”
