Bachelor Unforgiving (19 page)

He laid her down in the middle of her bed and began removing his shirt, but she put her hands on his to stop him.

“Let me.”

He dropped his hands to his sides while Kara continued unbuttoning his shirt. “I can't believe you came out in this bad weather,” she said softly as she worked the buttons.

“I came here straight from the airport.”

She leaned back and met his gaze, surprised. “I thought you got back late yesterday afternoon.”

“Flight was cancelled due to bad weather in Toronto. Had I gotten into town yesterday as planned, I would have come here before going home. Like I did today. I needed to see you just that bad.”

Those words coming from him meant all the world to Kara. “When did you realize you loved me?”

“After you moved out. My house felt so lonely. And then while I was in Canada, I missed you like crazy and the more I thought about you, the more I knew.”

She was going to ask him another question, the one about his twenty-year statement. But when she pushed the shirt from his shoulders and saw his hard-muscled chest, she couldn't say anything. His chest always was a turn-on for her. She liked touching it, running her fingers through the thatch of curly hair covering it. She looked down and saw how the hair tapered to a thin line as it trailed beneath the waistband of his jeans.

She looked up at him. “Remove your jeans, please.”

He stepped back and did as she'd asked, dragging the jeans slowly down his hips and muscular thighs, knowing she was watching him. He did the same with his briefs. Her heart picked up a beat when she gazed upon his engorged sex. Just thinking about what it would do to her, imagining the feel of it sliding in and out of her, sent heated sensations rushing all through her. Virgil Bougard was such a masculine man and seeing him naked made her appreciate being a woman. The woman he loved. The woman who loved him in return.

At that moment she couldn't help saying the words again. “I love you.”

He smiled and cupped her cheek, meeting her gaze. “And I love you. I intend to spend the rest of my days showing you how much and how deeply.”

Virgil then joined her on the bed. Skimming his hands down below her waist to the area between her legs, he felt her hot and ready. That was good because he was more than ready for her. All through the flight back to Charlotte, he'd thought of nothing but professing his love for her and then making love to her. Now that he was here, beside her, his entire body quivered in anticipation.

Positioning his body over hers, he glanced down at her and said the words he'd held back from saying all the times they'd made love this past month. “I love you, Kara.”

He lowered his head to kiss her at the same exact moment he slid inside of her. He deepened the kiss as he began moving, thrusting in and out of her, setting into motion a rhythm that had her digging her fingers into his shoulders. But he was too far gone to feel any pain. The sensation of her inner muscles clenching him made him break off the kiss and close his eyes and moan.

No woman had ever made him feel like this. As though he was ready to blast off to parts unknown, a galaxy not yet discovered. One that only Kara could take him to in a blaze of heat and desire. He felt his insides trembling, and when she arched her body and opened her thighs just a little wider, he convulsed in pleasure.

A growl of deep satisfaction escaped his throat as his body was wracked with intense spasms. When she screamed his name, he knew she had joined him over the edge. Perfect. She once said no one was perfect. Well, he had news for her. She was.

Years ago she had done something no other woman had done and that was getting him to fall in love with her. Not with manipulations, deceptions or schemes. She had made it clear that she would not let him or any man compromise her principles. Lord knows he'd tried. But in the end she had won him over and he'd fallen head over heels in love with her. And he would love her until the day he died.

* * *

Kara snuggled close to Virgil after having thoroughly been made love to. She felt his arms tighten around her as if he never intended to let her go. She had no problem with that because she never intended to let him go, either.

She heard his even breathing and for a minute she thought he'd dozed off, until he leaned over and placed a kiss on the side of her face. “I love you,” he whispered close to her ear. “And I intend to say it every chance I get.”

Kara shifted her body to look up at him and smiled. “I definitely don't have a problem with that.” She paused a moment then said, “Now tell me what you meant earlier about twenty years.”

He told her about his conversation with his father, about his dad's childhood friend Maurice Grant.

Kara sat up in bed and looked down at him. “Let me get this straight. Your father had ulterior motives for hiring me?”

“Yes. Granted, my image did need improving and you're the best in the field, but I believe that I could have handled things my way. York was already on it.”

Kara was so filled with love for Virgil. They'd been given another chance at love and she knew moving forward their love would only get stronger.

He pulled her into his arms and captured her mouth in a long and drugging kiss. When he released her mouth, he said, “This is the perfect weather to eat, sleep and make love.”

Kara snuggled closer to Virgil, thinking that she definitely agreed.

Epilogue

“W
elcome to our home and congratulations,” Ellie Lassiter said with her husband, Uriel, by her side. “And I love your ring. It's beautiful.”

“Thanks.” Kara couldn't help glancing down at her engagement ring. The one Virgil had slid on her finger two nights ago. It was a Zion exclusive and she thought it was beautiful, too.

“Have the two of you decided on a wedding date?” Uriel asked, grinning.

“In March. That gives you and the other godbrothers six months to clear your calendars,” Virgil said, pulling Kara closer to his side.

Virgil's parents had been ecstatic when they were told of their engagement. Her parents had been overjoyed, as well. Marti—who had finally confided to her parents what Malcolm had done years ago, had entered counseling and was doing well—had agreed to be Kara's maid of honor. Kara had told Virgil what had happened to Marti and she'd appreciated his understanding in her wanting to rebuild a relationship with her sister. Florence Asbury had been thrilled to get the exclusive about the engagement for her
Flo on the Ro
column.

An hour later Kara decided she liked all the wives of the four married bachelors as well as Virgil's five godfathers and their wives. Most of them she remembered from the last time she and Virgil had dated. All of them were still married except for Uriel's parents. They had gotten a divorce.

“I wonder where Carolyn's boy-toy is tonight. She looks out of place without him,” Virgil said.

“What do you mean?”

Virgil then told Kara how, after over thirty years of marriage, Carolyn Lassiter had shocked her husband and son when she announced she didn't want to be married anymore and had begun seeing a man twenty-six years her junior.

From the looks of things, Kara thought Carolyn Lassiter might be regretting those actions. Kara noticed how every so often Carolyn would glance over at her ex-husband and the beautiful woman by his side. According to Virgil, Anthony had begun dating the widowed Claire Steele, the aunt to Mayor Morgan Steele, around three years ago. She was an extremely beautiful woman. When she stood with her daughters—Vanessa, Taylor and Cheyenne—she could pass for their sister. Like her youngest daughter Cheyenne, Claire's Native American features—the dark eyes, high cheekbones and straight black hair—gave her a distinguished look.

“May I have everyone's attention?”

Kara turned to see Anthony Lassiter stand in the middle of the room.

“He's probably about to toast Uriel for his birthday,” Virgil said as he leaned over to her.

“Before I toast the birthday boy,” Anthony said with a grin. “who I think is the best son any man could have, I want to acknowledge that another one of my godsons will be getting married in six months, and I just want to say, Virgil, all your godfathers are proud of you. And, Kara, welcome to the family.”

They accepted the applause and Kara could hardly believe her good fortune. She had to look down at her shiny new ring again to believe she'd actually become Virgil's fiancée.

Anthony then glanced around, spotted Zion across the room and chuckled. “You can't be in that club by yourself, Zion.”

Zion laughed. “Want to bet?”

That caused everyone to burst into laughter. It seemed Zion Blackstone had no problem being the lone bachelor in the Guarded Hearts Club. The last bachelor.

Then, while everyone watched, Anthony reached out his hand and Claire joined him. “I'm happy to tell you that we've decided to take our relationship to another level, and with the blessings of my son and Claire's daughters, we've decided to marry. It will be a Thanksgiving wedding. We felt that day was appropriate since the two of us have a lot to be thankful for.”

When he leaned over and kissed Claire on the lips, everyone clapped and cheered. Everyone except for Anthony's ex-wife, Carolyn. Kara wondered if she was the only one who noticed the regret in Carolyn's eyes before she slipped off to the ladies' room.

Before anyone could approach the couple to offer more congratulations, another godfather took center stage. This time it was Matthew.

“May I have everyone's attention?”

The noise level lowered as a beaming Matthew held up his hands. “You aren't the only one with good news to share, Anthony. I just want to announce that as of January first, I will be officially retiring from Bougard Enterprises and leaving the company in my son's capable hands. I know he will do well, especially since he'll have a good woman by his side.”

Virgil, who hadn't known about his father's decision, was momentarily speechless. When he finally found his voice, he crossed the room to his father and gave him a bear hug. The torch had officially been passed. He then crossed the room back to Kara and pulled her into his arms. He could hardly believe the way things had worked out. He'd gotten the helm of Bougard Enterprises and, more important, the woman he loved. Overcome with emotion, he leaned down to give his future wife a kiss, not even hearing the cheers of their audience.

* * *

“I can't wait for March to get here,” Virgil said later that night with Kara snuggled up close to his side.

Uriel and Ellie had put most of the attendees up for the night at their lake house. But Virgil and Kara had decided to stay at a hotel in Gatlinburg a few miles away.

“I can't wait, either,” Kara said, staring up at him.

Last week they decided for Kara to move back into his home. He loved waking up with her each morning and going to bed with her at night. They had flown to California to talk to her parents and decided the wedding would take place at Kara's home in San Francisco. He and Marti were trying to build a better relationship. After all, they would be in-laws.

Unable to help himself, Virgil lowered his mouth to Kara's and began kissing her with all the love he felt in his heart.

When he finally released her mouth, she smiled up at him. “What was that for?”

“No reason. That's my way to say I love you.”

She wrapped her arms round his neck. “In that case you can use that way to tell me anytime.”

He chuckled. “I'm glad.”

He then proceeded to kiss her again.

* * * * *

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