CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
VELVETWASINthe kitchen about to pour coffee into cups when Jaye returned. The moment she saw him, she crossed the room to be engulfed in his arms. The kiss he gave her was toe-curling yummy, just like she knew it would be. When he finally released her mouth, she tilted her head up and looked at him. “You knew what Mr. Bordeaux wanted, didn’t you?”
Jaye nodded. “Yes, he told me. I guess he felt as your fiancé, I had a right to know. Trust me, I would not have left you here with him if I didn’t think he was sincere.”
She nodded. “I know.” She then gave him a curious look. “And are you my fiancé?” she asked him, grinning.
“I hope to be.” Then he said, “I miss sitting in the rocking chairs with you.”
“Same here. It’s a beautiful night.”
“Come sit out there with me a while.”
“Okay.”
Suddenly, Jaye swept her into his arms. “Jaye!” She laughed.
“It’s okay. I got you.”
Yes, you do, Velvet thought as he opened the back door and carried her out to the porch. Instead of placing her in her rocking chair, he eased down to his and cuddled her in his lap. With his warm arms, he held her as close to him as he could manage, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. That’s when he lowered his head to hers for another kiss.
The moment their lips connected, shivers raced through her body, and when his tongue eased into her mouth, she knew heaven. When he deepened the kiss, she groaned as blood rushed through her veins.
He abruptly broke off the kiss and she immediately felt the loss. “I love you, Velvet.”
She doubted she would ever tire of hearing those words from him. “I truly believe that you do, Jaye.”
“When did you accept it?” he asked.
“All that time I had alone to think while you were in Birmingham. I knew that I loved you and had never stopped loving you, even though I tried and at times convinced myself that I had. I thought about everything you said and everything you did and have done since moving to the cove. And I realized that you had done them just for me and to show me how much you loved me. I no longer saw it as manipulation but as a revelation. You were revealing to me in your own special way what I had come to mean to you.”
“It might have taken me a while, Velvet, but I came to realize just how much I loved you, and then I was determined to do whatever I needed to do to win back your heart and to prove how much I loved you. There was no way I could live without you.”
He paused a moment and then said, “I’m glad you realized the depth of my love for you. You don’t know how it made me feel when I arrived at that high school and saw you facing down that school board and declaring you knew that I loved you. At that moment, I could have hung the moon. It meant everything to me, knowing you believed me.”
He stood with her in his arms. He turned and placed her in the chair, and then got on bended knee. “I came to Catalina Cove to win back your heart, Velvet. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I also knew I wouldn’t give up. Whatever it took, I intended to do it.”
She chuckled. “Such arrogance.”
“I saw it as desperation and determination. I promised myself that if I ever got you back, I would never give you a reason to leave me again.”
He took her hand into the warmth of his and gazed directly into her eyes. What she saw in the dark depths made her draw in a trembling breath when he said, “Will you marry me, Velvet? I promise to love you always and make you happy.”
Filled with an abundance of emotions, she couldn’t stop the tears that rolled down her cheek. This was what she’d always wanted. His love and to be his wife. “Yes, Jaye. I will marry you.”
She felt him slide a ring on her finger and she looked down at her hand. Her eyes widened at the huge diamond. “Oh, my goodness. Jaye, it’s beautiful. When did you get this?”
“I’ve had it since the day I arrived in Catalina Cove. Like I said, I was determined to win your love. I had told myself that I wouldn’t leave the cove until you left here with me as my wife, and I meant it.”
Smiling broadly, he stood and pulled her into his arms. After a long drugging kiss, he released her mouth and she wrapped her arms around his neck and asked, “When do you want to get married?”
“This weekend.”
She laughed. “Sorry, we can’t marry before Ruthie and her wedding is in June. Besides, I want to finish the school year.” She then thought of something. “When is Dean getting married?”
“Not until December. And since I vowed not to return to Phoenix without you as my wife, that means I’ll remain here as well. The manager we hired for the bank starts here next month. That means I’ll be traveling back and forth to Birmingham to check on the progress there, so I will stay here with you until we get married. With Delisa coming back in a few months, I guess I’ll be moving in with you.”
She grinned. “And you are welcome to do so.”
“Thanks, and how about an August wedding?”
Velvet smiled up at him. “August will work fine. That way I’ll be ready to return to the classroom in September.”
“Good. Plan on a month-long honeymoon.” He paused, then asked, “So where do you want to live after we get married? I bought that land for you. We can live here or we can live in Phoenix. I’ll let you decide.”
She knew how much he loved Phoenix. It was his home and for years it had been hers as well. “I want to move back to Phoenix. The house we build here on the gulf will be our vacation home.”
“That sounds like a plan.”
“And thanks for buying that property for me.”
“You are welcome, baby.” He swept her into his arms again and carried her into the house and straight to the bedroom.
AFTERPLACING VELVETon the bed, Jaye stepped back and watched her. He loved seeing her undress for him. He had a feeling that tonight she would be naughty, and nothing could stimulate him more than a naughty Velvet.
He watched her slowly remove her blouse, taking her time to unbutton it. Then came her bra. Then she reached up and ran her fingers through her hair that fell around her shoulders. The gesture made her breasts lift. Just seeing her like this filled him with even more desire and almost pushed him over the edge.
He moaned. When she heard it, she chuckled, and the sound carried through the room and played havoc on his senses.
Jaye watched as she removed her shoes before proceeding to take off her skirt and panties. Seeing her completely naked sent heat rushing through his entire body. Her scent was strong and extremely alluring, causing the ache below his belt to intensify.
“Your turn, Jaye.”
Yes, it was his turn, and he didn’t waste time getting out of his clothes. He gazed at her for a long time before moving toward the bed to join her. The physical chemistry they’d always shared was even more powerful tonight.
Easing on the bed, he drew her into his arms. “I love you, Velvet.”
“And I love you.”
Her words caused a deep pounding in his heart, and brushing back a lock of hair that had fallen in her face, he said it again, “I love you.” Jaye loved saying it and knew he would keep saying it for the rest of his life.
Leaning in, he captured her lips and took her mouth with a greed he’d never felt before. Tonight, he felt like the luckiest man in the world because this beautiful woman, who he loved more than life itself, had agreed to be his wife.
Releasing her mouth he eased into position over her; he needed to be connected to her, inside her. Deep. With their gazes locked, he whispered her name as he slowly entered her, loving the feel of her inner muscles clenching him. And then he felt her legs wrap around him, tight.
“Say my name,” she whispered, her gaze still locked with his.
“Velvet. Now say mine.”
“Jaye.”
He began moving with hard but slow thrusts. He increased the pace of his strokes, and then when he knew neither of them could handle holding back any longer, he whispered, “Come with me, baby. Now.”
An explosion ripped through them, and he knew their lives together would be filled with all the love and happiness any couple could possibly endure—and then some. They had the rest of their lives to prove him right.
THEALARMWOKEVelvet early the next morning. Sitting up in bed, she found she was alone. Where was Jaye?
“Looking for me?”
She glanced to the doorway. He was standing there dressed in his jogging attire. She rubbed sleep from her eyes and yawned. “You’re going jogging?”
He smiled. “We’re going jogging. Now get up, sleepyhead.”
She dropped back down in bed and buried her head in the pillow. “How can you expect me to have energy left for anything after a night like last night?”
“You’ll manage. Meet me outside in thirty minutes or you’ll be late getting to school. Remember, I’m taking you to get your car on my way to the airport.”
Unfortunately, she remembered.
Thirty-five minutes later, she joined him outside. When she noticed the huge blanket he carried, she asked, “What’s the blanket for?”
He smiled at her. “You’ll see.”
She should have suspected something when he told her there was no need to do warm-ups today. But she got an idea of his intent as he led her deep into the fields without bothering to start jogging. Then he ventured off the path to a small patch of grass surrounded by a thicket of tall blueberry bushes and trees. Still, she decided to play dumb. “And just where are you taking me?”
He chuckled. “Just where you are. The blueberry fields.” He obviously felt they’d gone deep enough and he spread the blanket on the ground. Easing down on it he said, “Blueberry fields forever,” and extended his hand to her.
She laughed as she took it and joined him on the blanket. “I think it was strawberry fields.”
Jaye pulled her into his arms and kissed her neck. “Whatever. For us, it will always be blueberries.”
And then he proceeded to show her why.