Bittersweet Deceit (38 page)

“Neither do I. I can drive you back here on Monday morning before work.” Stay and I strolled to his car down the street.

“Did you park this far so I wouldn’t see your Corvette?”

“Yes. Lainie?”

“Yes, love?” I said, hugging his arm to me as we walked.

“I love you so much.”

We stopped moving and I said, “I love you too, Stay. When I was with Mason, I realized that I had started loving you the night you took care of me.”

“So did I.
That mother of yours,” he said, shaking his head. “Phew, I know you warned me but she is—”

“A bitch. Did she try to change your mind?”

“She actually said I must be blind or stupid.”

I cracked up, I couldn’t help myself.

We continued down the sidewalk to Stay’s car.

He opened the door for me and said, “You father on the other hand is great. I would love to spend more time with him.”

“We will. Now take me to your place and take me hard and fast.”

“It’s our place now,” he said as he started the engine.

“Damn that sounds good.”

W
hen Wednesday rolled around, I couldn’t wait for our get together at Red’s. No one knew of our plans to move in together, which was a minor miracle amongst our chatty group. I was excited to let them know. Stay seemed to be up to something and I could sense another surprise on the horizon.

I left work early
to go with Stay to visit his grandmother.

Once in the Prius, I said,
“Let’s stop and get some flowers. You said she has her own apartment, right?”

“
Yes. That’s a great idea.” He made a right turn onto the main drag.

“Do you know her favorites?”

“Roses and lilies.”

“That just reminded me of the card you left for me at work. I laughed so hard.”

“I love making you laugh. Do you still have it?”

“I do.”

“We should frame it.”

“That’
s a great idea.” I loved that we were creating memories together. “I’ll search for a flower shop along the way,” I said, waking up my phone.

After we picked up a bouquet with a vase, Stay drove us to meet Granny.

“I’m a bit nervous,” I said to him when he opened the door to the assisted living complex.

“I understand. I’m sure you’ll hit it off with her.”

He knocked on her apartment door and she let us in. I stood in shock for a minute. For some reason I had envisioned a tiny, elderly woman with white hair, maybe even stooped over a bit. Granny was a vital woman, life brimming in her blue eyes just like Stay. She stood almost as tall as me and hugged me immediately.

“Gorgeous
, just like I imagined,” she said to me as she accepted the flowers. “Very nice bouquet.”

“Thank you. You’re nothing like I expected,” I said with a laugh. “The name Granny threw me off.”

She laughed with me. “You can call me Edith.”

“It’s very nice to meet you
, Edith. I hear I owe you a huge debt of thanks.”

“I think it’s the other way
around, honey. My Stayman is happier than I have ever seen him.” She patted his leg.

Edith showed us around the complex and I understood why she chose to live there. It was like a vacation resort with apartments.

Both Edith and Stay went into the back bedroom for a bit, leaving me to look at all the pictures on the wall. Some were photographs that Stay had taken and many were pictures of him as a kid. I didn’t see any pictures of his parents or baby pictures of him.

We had a wonderful visit
, and while spending time with Edith it was easy to see how Stay turned out to be the wonderful man I knew.

“Please come back and see me again,” she said as we hugged goodbye.

“You can count on it.” Once we were back in the car I said, “I had no idea.”

“She’s amazing, right?” he said as he drove out of the complex parking lot.

“Totally. A force of nature.”

“Like you.” He glanced at me and smiled.

“Like me? You’re crazy.”

“Not at all. You’ll make a great mom, just like her.”

I shook my head and asked, “Do you think of her as your mother?”

“I do.”

By the time we made it to Red’s I was busting out with excitement.

“What is it?” Jacqs said as soon as she saw me.

“We
are going to move in together. We’re telling the gang tonight.”

“Whoop, whoop,” she shouted, dancing around. “I hate to gloat but I knew it. You guys are perfect for each other.” She patted her own back.

“You told her,” Stay said as he joined us outside.

“I couldn’t keep it from her.”

Jacqs jumped up and hugged Stay. “I’m so happy for you guys.”

After hugging Jacqs, he straightened up, “Is everyone here yet?”

“I’m not sure about Bond,” she started.

“I’m here,” he said, “So is the rest of the group.” He picked up Jacqs and gave her a quick kiss.

Stay threw his arm over Bond’s shoulder and led him back inside.

“Jacqs, I’m so in love,” I said. “It’s feels completely different than my love for Mason
did.”

“I can tell. You look really happy.”

“I am.”

Bond returned a moment later and asked us to come
back in.

Everyone had gathered on the couches in the front sitting area. Sam, Cat
, and I sat on the right couch, Red, Jacqs, and Bond sat on the left. Kev and Blue sat in the loveseat, and Stay stood before us.

“Lainie and I have some news,” Stay said.

Sam clapped before he even finished.

“Lainie and I are moving
into my place together.”

Everyone cheered and my silly eyes watered over their support.

Bond rose and slid the coffee table away from the couch I sat upon and sat back down.

I looked up and Stay caught my eyes. “You
’re everything and so much more than I ever hoped to find in a lover, a friend, and soul mate. There is no doubt in my mind that I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” He knelt down before me and opened up a box. Inside nestled an oval opal ring with ruby petals lining the perimeter. “Lainie, would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife.”

I scanned his face and
the smiles of my friends, and I knew there would never be another man for me. “Yes, definitely, but on one condition.”

Everyone in the room held their breath
, or so it seemed.

“Which is?” His smile lit up his face giving me the idea he might know.

I tugged on his shoulder so I could whisper in his ear. I quietly said, “No fisting.”

He laughed so hard he nearly fell over. “Deal,” he said aloud.

Everyone cheered as Stay slipped the ring on my finger. As he hugged me he said, “It’s not my grandmother’s engagement ring, but a family heirloom her mother passed on to her. If you don’t like—”

“I love it.
It’s perfect. Thank you so much.” I put my arms around his neck and kissed him, not at all caring about the audience surrounding us.

“Thank you, Lainie
, for saying yes.” He sat in my spot and shifted me onto his lap.

I watched our friends chatter about the news. Reclining back
on Stay I asked, “Is this because we’re moving in together?”

“Partly yes,
you know I’m old fashioned. But mostly it’s that you’re mine and I want everyone to know it. We can set the date when we’re ready.”

I whispered into his ear, “I’m ready.”

“Sorry folks for the short visit but I need to get Lainie home.”

The group laughed as we hugged everyone goodbye.

We manage
d to get very little packing done over the next few days. We couldn’t get enough of each other. With Stay I found a joy I hadn’t thought possible.

I never responded to Mason’s texts and emails.
Internally, I thanked him for his love. I learned a lot about myself with him and he helped me release some of the hang ups I had about my body. He also opened my mind to trying new sexual experiences, which Stay benefited from.

I thought that when all the drama of my life passed by I would go back to being less emotional. Somehow Stay had opened my heart and now my emotions lived at the surface. I was getting used to getting teary eyed over a moving show
, or a song that really touched me, or even the joys of my friends.

Sometimes the very worst
experiences in life have a way of transforming into exactly what you need at the time. I felt grateful every day for the wonderful people in my life. I even found a true place of love for Bond, which I never thought could happen.

Stay and I decided to wait a year to get married and planned to do it at Butterfly World.

Blakely Bennett
grew up in Southeast Florida and has been residing in the great Northwest for over nine years. She graduated from Nova Southeastern University with a degree in psychology, which accounts for her particular interest in crafting the personalities, struggles, and motivations of her characters. She is an avid reader of many genres of fiction, but especially enjoys erotica and romance. Writing has always been her bliss.

Blakely is married to a wonderful, loving, and supportive husband, who is also a writer, and who helps to keep her grounded. She is a mother, a communitarian, a lover of music (it is always on while she is writing thanks to Pandora), and a good friend. An advocate of love and female empowerment, she is also a facilitator for a women’s group. She loves to walk and hike for exercise, and finds that, since moving to Seattle, Washington, she is now one of those crazy people who walk in the rain.

Bittersweet Deceit
is her sixth novel. She is also the author of the dark erotic suspense My Body Trilogy
(My Body-His, My Body-His (Marcello) and My Body-Mine
) and the co-authored of the contemporary romance,
The Demarcation of Jack,
which she wrote with her husband, Dana Bennett.

You can find Blakely on the web at:

www.blakelybennett.com

COMING SOON

The third novel

in the

Bound by Your Love series

Blue Persuasion