When Love Comes Around (Love Conquers All) Page 15

  Covering her mouth, she yawned. “Night Kevin.”

  “Night baby.”

  Closing her eyes, Morpheus called to her and she followed. All night as she lay contently nestled in her husband’s arms, visions of sweet cherubs cooed and gurgled at her until dawn.

  A broad smile spread across her face as she remembered Kevin’s promise and her dream. Not even the horrendous week she had could take the joy away she was feeling at this moment. Placing her palm over her flat belly, she whispered a prayer. “Please let a little one be growing inside of me.”

  Chapter 25

  Three Months Later Saturday Afternoon

  “Girl, you know I love you.” Kevin grunted out between gasps. Starr was working him over big time.

  Straddled atop her man she was riding him like a jockey aiming for the finish line in the Kentucky Derby. The ride started off as a nice easy trot, the banging of the head board tap…tap…tap, keeping in rhythm with the trot. Soft feminine fingertips glided over hot, taunt abdominal muscles outlining a well-defined six-pack. Maintaining the easy pace Starr leaned forward, her tongue following the path of her fingertips.

  A rush of air exploded from Kevin’s lungs. Wet, butterfly kisses were lovingly planted over the expanse of his torso before settling over a pebbled nipple. Returning the favor from earlier, Starr drew the nipple between her teeth. A throaty, female giggle filled the air as Kevin hissed a passionate expletive. The way in which she was suckling him was driving him insane.

  No longer able to take any more of her wicked torturing, strong fingers threaded through soft curls. Starr groaned in protest as he pulled her away. “You better behave yourself Mrs. Dawson.”

  “I am behaving,” she softly challenged; the motion of her hips, moving up and then coming down.

  Needing something to do with his hands, Kevin filled his palms with firm breasts. Starr’s head fell back as experienced, confident fingers circled and massaged her. A sensation of warmth grew in the pit of her stomach, spreading throughout her limbs. Her body crying for release, she removed Kevin’s hands from her breasts and placed them on her hips.

  Gripping her waist, he got the message she wanted to take him on a fast and furious ride. Planting delicate palms on his sturdy chest, Starr moaned as she gradually picked up the pace. The leisurely trot gave way to a full speed gallop. Tap-Tap-Tap-Tap-Tap!

  As the first wave hit, Starr’s hands flew to grip the ones firmly holding her hips for stability. The second wave severely arched her back, while the third and final wave had her screaming Kevin’s name as her toes curled and her body bucked out of control.

  His dark eyes glued to this wild woman, he marveled at the intensity of pleasure sweeping through him as he meant her powerful strokes. Never before had any woman made him feel like this, made him feel that his whole universe depended upon her existence. The moment her body bucked above his was the turning point where he lost all control. Giving one final upward thrust, he tumbled over the cliff, crashing into an orgasmic wave.

  Falling forward, collapsing on his chest, she whispered, “You know I love you too, boy.”

  And she did love him. She loved him more than she thought humanly possible. Having been hurt by men practically her entire life, she was determined not to fall head over heels in love with Kevin. Yes, she enjoyed being with him, the idea of them having a baby together and having someone she could share all her fears, hopes and dreams with. She had even resolved to give their relationship a chance and not judge it or him according to past experiences. But to love him, she refused to allow her heart to do so. She told herself they could stay married and raise a family without being in love. Heck, folks have been doing it since the beginning of time.

  She believed she could have a safe relationship with Kevin if she didn’t allow her heart get in the way. Yeah, right! Kevin was the most romantic man she’d ever known. Not in the traditional since of romance like buying decadent confectionaries, flowers, or jewelry. It was little things like sending her text messages at work offering to make her dinner. Or instead of getting store bought cards, he’d pay his next-door neighbor’s granddaughter a couple bucks to make adorable, homemade cards out of construction paper and color markers. And when her garden had been massacred, every Saturday morning he was side by side with her digging and replanting until it was restored to its former beauty.

  What really won her heart over was the evening he blindfolded her and led her into his bedroom. Once the blindfolds were removed and she took in her surroundings, she squealed in pure delight. The master bedroom had been completely redone. The old wallpaper had been pulled away. Remnants were sand blasted to a smooth finish. The walls were freshly painted in cream silk, with the crown molding, windowsills, baseboards, and archway done in ivory mist. His old furniture had been replaced with Ethan Allen furniture crafted from rich mahogany.

  Starr leaped on the massive sleigh California king size bed bouncing up and down like a kid. Leaping back off the bed, she jumped in his arms wrapping her legs around his waist, showering kisses all over his face. “I can’t believe you did this!”

  “Anything for my Queen.” Kevin knew it bothered Starr that he had yet to make love to her in his own bedroom. She didn’t have to say anything, he noticed every time they made their way to the second floor her eyes would travel to the closed master bedroom door.

  How could she not love a man like this? However, every single time she wanted to tell him she’d fallen in love with him, the words refused to come out. As hard as she forced herself to say the words, she just couldn’t make herself confess what her heart was feeling. It was the unknown, which kept her feelings locked deep inside. Every man she’d ever confessed her love to, had recklessly trampled over it.

  An astute lover, Kevin was aware of her inability to fully put her trust in him. He very well understood that his past womanizing ways possibly added to her leeriness. He’d been aware every time she wanted to confess her love, but held back. He’d been aware of every kiss, touch and caress that attested to how much she indeed loved him. He’d also been aware of how stubbornness held her back, waiting for him to be the first to make a declaration of love.

  Putting an end to her struggle, one evening as they strolled hand in hand window-shopping on Main Street in Manyunk, Kevin came to a stop. Peering into the large glass window of a fashionable maternity boutique, he wrapped an arm around Starr’s waist. He wondered if she truly comprehended how much he loved her and wanted her to be the mother of his children. Didn’t she have any idea that she was the only woman he wanted? Many nights as he held her he’d questioned God, Why didn’t I meet her sooner? A still quiet voice would gently remind him, You weren’t ready.

  Leaning down, he whispered the words that made her heart quiver. “Starr Dawson, I love you.”

  Dazed and confused she’d thought she misheard him. “Huh?”

  Pulling her to his chest, he wrapped her in his arms, engulfing her in a tight embrace. Kissing her forehead, he whispered, “I said I love you.” Giving her a few moments to let his confession seep into her heart and soul, he added, “And I can’t wait for the day you’re carrying my baby.”

  Burying her face in his chest her body shook as she silently sobbed. He loved her. He’d actually told her he loved her and wanted her to be the mother of child. Had he any inkling of how she prayed he’d be the first to say those words? How she was so afraid of letting her guard down, only to have him tell her he didn’t feel the same. With much trepidation she also confessed, “I love you, too.”

  After confessing their love, they no longer felt it necessary to keep their marriage a secret. Beverly Dawson was all too thrilled to have Starr as a daughter-in-law. She didn’t even give her youngest child a good tongue-lashing for running off to Vegas to get married. The elderly woman was too enthralled admiring the emerald cut diamond with tapered baguettes totaling three carats set in platinum, on Starr’s ring finger. Kevin sheepishly blushed as his mother took his hand in hers rubbing
her thumb over the plain platinum wedding band which matched his wife’s. Neither of the newlyweds had the heart to correct the elderly woman. Nor did they want to tell her they’d gotten hitched in a drunken stupor. She was happy for the young couple so who were they to put a damper on her happiness?

  Initially she had been hesitant on telling her own mother. Starr desperately wanted to, but wasn’t quite sure how her mom would take the news. For years she made it very well known that she was anti-men. According to her, they were all the same, “worthless.” It would break her heart if her mother thought that of Kevin.

  However, her sister, friends and Kevin encouraged her to call her mother. To her surprise, Donna was in an upbeat mood. Usually when Starr did make contact with her mom, she was pleasant, yet somewhat withdrawn. She couldn’t help but to beam when her mom told her, “Baby, you deserve to have a good man’s love.” And when Donna requested to speak with Kevin, Starr was as giddy as a child seeing Santa on Christmas morning.

  After the ice was broken with the necessary pleasantries, Donna and Kevin went on to have an engaging conversation. Every now and then Kevin would erupt into a fit of laughter over something Donna had said. Knowing her mother had immediately accepted Kevin filled her with so much joy and happiness.

  Lying on their sides facing each other Kevin reached out and gently stroked the side of Starr’s face. She smiled and returned the tender gesture. “You’re too good to me,” she softly whispered.

  “That’s because I love you more than life.” Telling her this came as natural as breathing.

  Scooting closer to her husband, she snuggled against him. “I love you more.”

  Chapter 26

  Pacing back and forth, she wanted to throw something against the wall. If she hadn’t been at work in her boss’ office, she would have. However, such an outburst would get her thrown out in the street on her butt, the minute he’d return from his weekly Monday morning meeting. When her smug coworker dropped the paper on her desk, nearly hitting the tip of her nose, she smirked, “Did you see this?” Trina had shot up from her desk and ran straight into her boss’ office, locking the door.

  How could he do this to me! She had loved him for years. Never made any demands, always went along with his program. And now he had the audacity to let someone else take her place as his wife.

  Anger violently shook her as she stared at the happy couple in the Lifestyles section of the Sunday Inquirer. The headline boasted Philadelphia’s Most Eligible Bachelor Secretly Takes A Bride.

  Ripping the paper in shreds, “I should be his wife!” And she would have too, only if she hadn’t left him that last time to be with that jerk Tyrel Timmons.

  When the handsome, larger than life professional football player came along showering her with beautiful gifts and taking her to the hottest clubs in the tri-state area, Trina forgot all about Kevin. She’d told herself she didn’t want to be bothered with that bourgeois Negro anyway. With Tyrel, she didn’t have to worry about if her dress was too short, or if her blouse was cut too low. He didn’t care. Matter of fact, he’d always fawn all over her telling her how good she looked. But that damn Kevin and his stuck up, insufferable friends always looked down their noses at her when it came to what she wore.

  Humph, it wasn’t like Kevin was trying to be with her for real anyway. He only wanted her because the sex was off the hook. Probably the best he’d ever had. That’s why most men latched onto her like a leech. Trina had some serious bedroom skills.

  In the beginning, that’s how it was with Tyrel. He couldn’t get enough of her either. They had met at the end of the season during a time when his schedule wasn’t as demanding. No longer traveling from city to city, Tyrel became obsessed with his new conquest. At first, she thought the attention was flattering. It didn’t hurt either that he was constantly buying her designer label clothes, shoes and handbags along with weekend getaways to the Caribbean. She was living large at his expense and loving every minute of it. You couldn’t tell her she wasn’t Miss Thing. It hadn’t even bothered her that Kevin hadn’t tried to contact her, which he usually did during their on again, off again relationship. In the past, she anticipated his calls and wouldn’t hesitate to go running to him. The sex was just that good. Although the sex with Tyrel was blah, even if Kevin had called, she wasn’t about to mess up her gravy train by jumping back in his bed. Shoot, Trina was living the lifestyle of the rich and famous and she wasn’t about to give it up for Kevin or any other man.

  The more money Tyrel lavished on her, the more his attitude changed. And it wasn’t for the better. No longer did he help her in and out his super expensive sports car. When she protested, standing on the curb with her arms crossed over her chest and glossy lips in a pout, he’d yell, “Come on and get in if you want to go!” Letting out an expletive, “You ain’t crippled so move it!” Now instead of opening doors for her, he was going through them first, rudely leaving her to lag behind.

  The icing on the cake, which made her come to her senses, was the night he accused her of coming onto another player while at a team party. “What are you doing, Tyrel? She hissed between clenched teeth as he roughly yanked her by the arm, dragging her outside through a crowded room. She had never been so humiliated in her entire life.

  Once outside he barked, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  Trina stared at him dumbfounded as she looked up into his face contorted in anger. “What are you talking about?” She questioned, attempting to pull away from his firm hold of her.

  Tightening his grip, he all but growled like a rabid dog.“Why you all up in my teammate’s face?”

  Okay, he was losing his mind. Yeah, he had taken her to the party; however, once there he left her alone, ignoring her while he went off chatting with his buddies. What was she supposed to do? The other girlfriends and wives hadn’t welcomed her into their little clique. So when his teammate struck up a conversation with her, she indulged him. What was so wrong with that?

  “Well, what was I supposed to do? You left me all alone!” Becoming angrier by the second, she mustered up enough strength to snatch away from his grip. “And those stuck up witches in there act like they’re too good to talk to me!”

  Tyrel let out a harsh laugh. “They probably thought you were up in there trying to take their men. Look at you.” Disgust curled his upper lip, as he sneered, “Looking like a ho. Dress all up your stank behind.”

  Stunned, Trina’s lips trembled and her eyes watered. Before she knew it she drew back, and a loud crack rippled through the night air as her right palm made contact with his left cheek.

  If it hadn’t happened so fast, she wouldn’t have believed it herself. He smacked her back! The stars floating in front of her eyes and blood trickling from her nose made her a believer. Not to mention that the six-foot six, two hundred ninety pound maniac was screaming so loud, the others came outside to see what was going on. In a daze, she watched as several of the men rushed over escorting Tyrel back inside. “Come on man, what’s wrong with you hitting that girl like that in public?” the team’s quarterback admonished as they rushed Tyrel inside looking over their shoulders making sure no one had witnessed the scene. Not one of those bastards even bothered to come over to see if she was okay.

  The next day Tyrel left frantic message after message apologizing. “Listen, baby I just got a little jealous. I didn’t mean to hit you…Come on pick up the phone.” This went on for days until he finally got tired and stopped calling.

  In the meantime, Trina wasn’t about to let grass grow under her feet. Uh-huh, nope. She was through with Tyrel. Her main mission in life had become to set out on a campaign to win Kevin back. She had pulled out every seductive trick to get him back. But it was to no avail. He just wasn’t interested in her anymore. She knew she had crossed the line on more than a few occasions. Each time he was furious with her demanding she stay away. The last time he showed up banging on her door she thought he had gone crazy. When he pushed past her th
rowing a pair of red lacey thongs in her face and ranting about slashing some tires on his new woman’s car, she denied everything.

  “Trina, you’re such a liar!”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

  “Yeah, whatever, Trina.” Stalking to the door, he stopped, turned and glared at her.

  “I’ve warned you.”

  “What’s wrong with him?” Trina’s cousin Keisha asked, turning up her nose as Kevin pushed past her, storming out the door as she was coming in.

  Flopping down in the chair in front of her boss’ massive oak desk, her face fell in her hands. “My life is such a waste. Why did I have to mess things up with Kevin?” she sobbed. As hard as it was for her to admit, she had lost and there wasn’t a thing she could do about it. Or was there? Lifting up her head, Trina dried her eyes. She remembered something her cousin had suggested. Smiling, the wheels in her head begin to turn. “If I’m miserable you’re going to be miserable right along with me.”

  Skipping out of her boss’ office, Trina dumped the remains of the newspaper in the trashcan. It was time for some sweet revenge.

  Chapter 27

  “So, Missy how are you enjoying married life?”

  Starr’s dark sparkling eyes lifted over the brim of the menu she was studying to peer at her sister. Although she hadn’t gotten pregnant yet, life was good. After the announcement of their marriage, Starr moved in with Kevin. Now that the cat was out the bag, it didn’t make sense for them to reside in different locations. Heaven was smiling on Starr. Ava agreed to move into her place taking over the mortgage payments. This worked out well for the both of them. Starr didn’t have to pay a mortgage on a place she no longer lived. And Ava had a whole house to herself with payments less than the one bedroom condo she was renting in center city.