Chapter 26
Kensie
“Baby, hurry up. We’re going to have to buckle up soon. The driver is going to check on us any moment,” I panted, trying to catch my breath after I orgasmed.
He was close to finishing, and I was facedown in one of the seats of his leased Navigator.
We’d spent the day exploring the Bahamas and would end the night at the Atlantis Resort, where we were staying.
The driver hadn’t yet made it back to the car, and he had convinced me to do a quickie before he returned. “Kens, I’m almost there . . .”
I pressed my ass deeper into him, and he gripped my hips as he hammered into me until his very essence emptied inside of me.
We’d thrown caution to the wind when Canaan realized he used all the condoms he usually kept in his wallet, and neither of us wanted to wait.
The feel of his throbbing, thick dick inside my slippery walls only quickened my inner spiraling tornado, and I’d come almost as soon as he started stroking.
A minute later, he fell beside me, his pants still around his ankle. I pushed down my dress and turned around in my seat. “Can you pull up your pants?”
“My drivers and pilots know not to interrupt me when I have a woman with me,” he said, immediately frowning with regret after speaking.
I demanded, “How many women?”
Canaan countered, “Are you ready to tell me how many men you’ve been with?”
“Do you really want to know because I have no shame?”
“Hell no,” Canaan answered promptly. “In my head, you were an innocent virgin until I stole it from you in Jamaica.”
“I want to know how often you were sailing women around in your yacht or sexing them in Navigators?” I folded my arms.
He raised a sardonic brow. “You want to know if Emme has ever been on my yacht or if we did it in the backseat of a car.”
I waved my hand dismissively. “No. I want to know how many women you swept off their feet, jet-setting them anywhere across the globe on a whim. How many women are desperately waiting for your return to Texas?”
Canaan sighed, “Kensie, whatever I did with other women, that was the past. It’s only you for me moving forward.”
I pointed out, “You’ve never been monogamous. And we fell in love in paradise. What happens when we return to the real world?”
“Where is this coming from? I thought you trusted me.” He pulled up his pants and buckled the seat belt.
“How can I explain it so you’re not mad?”
He touched my thigh. “Just say what you need to say. Don’t change up on me because I want to marry you. You never cared if you pissed me off before.”
My heart melted in a pool of warmth with the ease with which he expressed his desire to marry me. The race was twelve days away, and he impulsively took the day off to spend quality time with me. He’d been ignoring Malcolm’s angry calls all day.
I met his caring gaze. “I’m scared to lose you. To lose what we found. It’s been so perfect, and I’m terrified that once we go home, we’ll remember why we didn’t think we would work in the first place.”
“We might be in paradise, but we never stopped our grind. We brought reality to Miami. We weren’t vacationing this whole time.
We both worked long hours and were apart most of the three months we’d been in Miami.
I’ve been around women who tried me. Some tried to get at me with you on the other side of me at the party.
Women will always try, and I will always stop them.
I gave you a ring because I don’t have doubts about us.
Not anymore. Being away from our shady history allowed us to create a clear present and bright future.
Going back home won’t change that if we don’t let it. ”
I nodded with a long sigh.
“I’m not your ex. Your heart is safe with me, and I get the apprehension. I really do. I know your parents’ story, and you know mine. I have also seen real love and commitment from my grandparents and Ms. Murielle. I want that.” He chuckled suddenly.
“What’s funny?”
“Not funny. More ironic, really.” He leaned against my shoulder.
“I never thought I would get married or even care about it. My Pops would always say that I hadn’t met that woman I wanted to call my wife, that the right woman isn’t a distraction.
He was right. I never wanted to call any woman my wife until you. ”
I admitted softly, “And to think I thought a love like ours was impossible.”
“Still don’t know how you have a whole-ass love book, hooking people up, but didn’t believe you would have it for yourself.” Canaan settled back against the plush leather.
I adjusted my seat belt. “Relationships, love, and romance will always attract attention. Even those who aren’t ready for commitment still need that human connection. To fulfill wants, desires, and needs. As much as I love and am grateful for you, I still believe I’m good alone.”
He smiled. “You seemed happy, or at least satisfied, when I met you. It’s what drew me to you . . . well, and that your naked body fell on top of mine.” We laughed together at the memory.
“I was happy, or at least content. Right before you walked up to the table at the restaurant, I told Saraj I was okay with being single. He didn’t believe me and said I would lose readers and followers sooner or later if I didn’t at least appear to have a man.
His idea was for me to ask you to take a few selfies and give the illusion we were together since he could tell I was caught up. ”
“Oh, so you were just as sprung as me.” He grinned. “My ego couldn’t handle you not calling me, and even that night, you were so dismissive. I had to make you remember me.”
“And, sweet baby, did you do that. Had my head swimming and my body aching. Had me terrified out of my mind that I would lose myself in you and never return.” I tilted my head to see his face. “I just wanted a selfie of us and to let my followers speculate. You gave me so much more.”
“Never thought I would say this,” he wryly shook his head, “but I’m glad that video got leaked.”
“Yeah, me too.” I rested my head on his shoulder. My life really couldn’t get any better than being with Canaan Jackson.
“Kensie, your cell,” Ms. Murielle said. “It’s Dr. Radi. I can get it for you.”
Flour covered my hands as we baked fresh French bread. “Yes, please.”
She wiped her hands on her apron and picked up my cell off the counter. “Hello.” She paused. “Kensie is about to answer. Thank you.”
I quickly washed and dried my hands, wondering why he called on a Wednesday evening. “Dr. Radi?”
“Kensie, why haven’t you answered my emails?” he demanded.
I moved out of the kitchen before I responded. “I’ve been on the grind and haven’t paid any attention to my emails.”
In the brief silence that followed, I wanted to remind him that if he hadn’t tried me, he would’ve been comfortable texting or calling instead of emailing me like he had in the past.
“Well, you’ve won the graduate award for sociological research.”
“Really?” I squealed and jumped around. “Out of all the doctoral students in the country, I won?”
“Yes,” he chuckled. “You’ve worked hard for this and deserve it. Congratulations.” The sincerity in his tone erased any residual ill feelings. He hadn’t been inappropriate in the five years I’d known him, and once I rejected him, he’d only been strictly professional.
“Thank you.” Blinking back tears, I gripped the cell. “What happens next?”
“They’ve been reaching out to you for the past three weeks and need to know if you’ll be able to fly to Raleigh. The ceremony is on April 30th. Don’t you remember it was moved up from July this year because of budget cuts?”
“I didn’t think I would win.” I wilted against the hall table. “That’s the day before Canaan’s race.”
“I thought the races were on the weekends.”
“It’s a four-day weekend celebration.” My mind spun with plans. I could fly to Raleigh and catch a late flight back. “What time is the ceremony?”
“Probably won’t give out the award until the end of the night.”
I closed my eyes. If I went, I wouldn’t be able to get back to Miami until Friday morning, missing the opening night to announce the Miami Grand Prix.
“Kensie, you’ll be there in time for the actual race.
You can’t miss this chance to be honored by the National Association.
Fly in Thursday morning and leave as soon as you can.
” He paused. “If you’re worried that I will act in any way besides professionally, you don’t need to worry. Please make time to be there.”
“I’ll be there,” I promised and clicked off the cell.
With a mixed heart, I walked back into the kitchen. Ms. Murielle placed the bread pan in the oven. “Everything okay?”
“Just great,” I sighed, and she held open her arms.
Tears streamed down my cheeks in her motherly embrace. My mother hadn’t been the most affectionate person, reserving hugs for celebratory moments.
“I won one of the most important awards in my field,” I sobbed on her shoulders. “But the ceremony is the same night as the opening Grand Prix gala.”
Ferrari invited Canaan to stay in Miami for all the events and festivities leading to the Grand Prix. The entire team, including Ms. Murielle, would relocate from Fisher Island to the city.
Ms. Murielle tensed. “Where is it?”
“Raleigh and it’s that Thursday night, which means I can’t return until sometime on Friday.” I stepped back. “You think Canaan will be mad?”
Lines furrowed on her forehead. “He will be disappointed. May even be angry, but you can’t miss it.”
“I don’t plan on missing it.” I shifted from one foot to another. “The last time I had to leave for my work, we had a huge fight, and I left anyway. That was just for his practice and birthday, but this is what he’s been working toward for the last three months.”
She squeezed my shoulders. “And you have been working toward your award too. This is one of those bumps that test your relationship. Marriage is for the long haul, and if you can’t figure out how to resolve conflict, you won’t make it.”