Deadly Satisfaction (21 page)

D
ONETTA

W
hen Donetta left Phillip the first message, she hadn't been too concerned that her call had gone straight to voice mail. She'd known that he'd been in the middle of some sort of family drama when they'd briefly spoken earlier, so she'd kept her message short and simple, asking him to call her when he got a moment. But after several hours went by and she still hadn't heard from him, she'd begun to worry. She left him another message, this time more detailed, letting him know she was worried and that she hoped everything with him and his family was okay. She knew that when he listened to the message he would hear the desperation in her voice, because despite trying to hide it, that was exactly how she'd felt, desperate and vulnerable. She longed to hear from him and be with him. The feeling had both excited and frightened her.

Geneva had texted her an hour ago to see how her conversation with Phillip had gone.

Geneva: Hey girl, how did it go? Is everything all right?

Donetta was glad she had Geneva in her corner, because no matter what Phillip's reaction might be, Donetta knew that her best friend would be there to either rejoice with her or wipe her tears.

She'd remained perched by her phone and her television all afternoon, watching news coverage of the unexpected record snowfall hitting Amber, and anticipating Phillip's call. Now it was dark outside, and she finally decided to stop moping because it wouldn't make Phillip dial her number any sooner. “I need to cheer myself up,” she'd said, “and I need to turn lemons into a lemonade martini.” She walked into her kitchen, pulled a lemon from her crisper and vodka from her wine refrigerator, and within a few minutes, she was sipping a delicious drink.

She was off from work for the next six days, which meant she could relax. She had a refrigerator and a pantry full of food, which meant she could eat good meals. And she had a huge supply of firewood, which meant she was going to be nice and cozy whether it was Phillip or her fireplace keeping her warm. She walked back to her living room and looked around. She needed something to do to occupy her mind and time. “This is a perfect time to pamper myself.”

Donetta took a long, hot shower, washed her hair, and gave herself a facial that made her glow with radiance. She smoothed sweetly scented body butter over her skin, layered it with one of her Victoria's Secret perfume mists, and then slipped on a brightly colored silk negligee and matching robe. “I might not have a man who I can look good for, but I can damn sure look good for myself,” she said as she peered into the mirror and applied her cocoa-tinted lip gloss to her perfect pout. She ran her hands through her wavy, freshly air-dried hair, looked into the mirror again, and blew herself a kiss. “Girl, you look fabulous, you know that?”

Donetta walked into her kitchen and started taking out ingredients to make a savory pot roast with potatoes, carrots, and onions. After she finished prepping the dish, she put it in the oven to let it slow-roast, and then took out a pack of noodles to boil once the roast was close to being done. She opened a bottle of red wine, poured herself a glass, and went into her living room to relax in front of her cozy fireplace.

She was about to switch the channel on her TV from the weather to HGTV, when her doorbell rang. “Who in the world could that be?”

Donetta looked through her living room window and didn't see a car out front that would indicate she had a visitor. As a matter of fact, her street was blanketed with snow from one end to the other and there wasn't a vehicle in sight, save for a few of her neighbors' who'd opted to leave their cars parked in their driveways, rather than their garages. But as she looked closer, with the help of the streetlights, she saw a set of tracks through her front yard leading up to her door. She thought it must be one of her neighbors stopping by to either check on her or borrow some food staples to help them while they were snowed in.

Donetta walked to her door, looked through the peephole, and couldn't believe her eyes. She opened her front door so quickly she nearly knocked herself over. “Phillip, what are you doing here?”

“It's nice to see you, too,” he said as he panted and huffed. “Can I come in?”

Donetta moved to the side and let him in, along with a rush of arctic-like air. His jeans were soaked from the waist down, and his shoes were covered in snow. He removed the bag he'd strapped across his body and let it fall to the floor. He was shivering, and his teeth were chattering.

“How did you get here?” Donetta asked. “I've been watching the news and they said the roads are impassable.”

Phillip peeled out of his coat and let it fall to the floor alongside his bag. “Yeah, they're right. I had to leave my car parked off the exit leading to your neighborhood.”

Donetta blinked. “That's about two miles away.”

“Tell me about it. It's a good thing I work out every day, because it was a rough walk getting here. Some of the snow drifts were taller than me, and I fell in one. It was hell crawling out of that thing, that's why I'm wet from head to toe.”

“Oh no. Come on, you need to get warmed up.”

Donetta and Phillip walked into her living room and stood in front of her fireplace.

“You have no idea how good this feels,” Phillip said. “It took me over an hour to get here from the time I left my car. For a minute I thought I was in real trouble because it's freezing and the wind and heavy snow made it hard to see. But I knew if I could make it here before it got completely dark, I'd be okay.”

Donetta nodded. She was glad he'd made it to her house safely, but she wanted to know what had happened to him earlier. “Why didn't you call me? I left you two messages.”

“I'm sorry, Donetta.” He took a few steps, moving closer to her, and reached for her hand. “I took a nap and slept longer than I thought I would.”

“Your hands feel like ice cubes,” she said with gentle concern. “You're freezing.”

He squeezed her palm. “I'm sure your touch will warm me up in no time.”

She blushed hard and shook her head. “You're a smooth talker.”

“I'm an honest man. You bring out the best in me.”

His sexy voice and endearing words made her smile. “Okay, Mr. Honesty. Tell me why you didn't call me back after your nap.”

“By the time I woke up five inches had already fallen. I tried to call you, but my battery had died and I forgot to pack my phone charger. My mom and sister have Androids, so there was no way for me to charge my phone. I would've called you from my sister's phone, but I couldn't remember your cell number.”

Donetta's voice became soft with relief. “Oh.”

“You didn't think I was avoiding you on purpose, did you?”

“I didn't know what to think. I left you two messages, and each time my call went straight to voice mail, so . . .”

Phillip pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her waist. He held her tightly and gently kissed her lips. “I walked through a snowstorm to get to you. That should tell you all you need to know.”

Donetta enjoyed the way his cool lips felt pressed against her warm ones. After they shared a long, sensual kiss she looked into his eyes. “I missed you,” she whispered.

“I missed you, too.” Phillip inhaled deeply. “You smell good.” He let his eyes roam her body, and he smiled. “Look at you, snowed in and looking all sexy.” He touched her hair, letting his thick fingers glide across her silky waves. “I like your hair like this.”

“Thanks, I washed it.”

His eyes landed on the glass of wine sitting on a crystal-studded coaster atop the coffee table. “I can see you've been having a good afternoon.”

“I figured since I was going to be alone, I might as well make the most of my evening.” She paused for a moment, then looked into his eyes again. “I treat myself well, Phillip, and I know how to have a good time all by myself. I've learned that I'm the only one who's gonna take care of me.”

“It doesn't have to be that way, you know?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don't you think it would be nice to have a companion, a mate . . . um, maybe even a husband, to help take care of you?”

Donetta's heart started beating fast.
Husband
was the only word that rang in her ears. Although she'd tried to remain hopeful over the years, one bad relationship after another had soured her faith on finding love, let alone a husband. Now here it was, a handsome man standing in front of her had just hinted of a commitment—which would've been a dream come true, except for the larger-than-life detail that Phillip didn't know about her background. Donetta wondered if he would still be as interested once he found out everything there was to know about who she really was.

“Are you okay?” Phillip asked, drawing her even closer to him.

“Yes, I'm fine.”

“You don't sound convincing. We haven't known each other long, but I already know you well enough to see that you're not. What's wrong, baby?”

She wanted to melt when he called her that. So many things had gone wrong in her life, but this whirlwind romance felt right, and for now she was determined to enjoy every second of it. So instead of fretting and stressing, she decided to live in the moment that was right in front of her. “You're right. I have something on my mind that I need to tell you.”

“I'm listening.”

“I think you need to get out of those wet clothes and let me take care of you first.”

“Now you're talking.”

Phillip followed Donetta into her bedroom and undressed while she turned the bronze-colored faucet on her soaker tube. She poured a combination of fragrant sea salts, vanilla-scented bath foam, eucalyptus Epsom salt, and lavender bath oil under the running water. The combination of scents were light, with a hint of musky amber that smelled deliciously inviting. While the water continued to run, Donetta lit several pillar candles scattered throughout the room, and the end result was a warm, sensuous spa-like retreat that was fit for a photo spread in any home décor magazine.

Phillip walked into the bathroom wearing nothing but a smile, and Donetta had to literally contain herself.
Damn, this man is fine!
She looked at Phillip's sculpted body and thought his broad chest, well-defined abs, muscular arms, and toned legs were a delight to her eyes. His Adonis-like body was complemented by his ruggedly handsome face, which made his outside package even more alluring. But as Donetta watched him walk into the room with a casual air, she knew that it was what lay inside Phillip that made him so attractive, and in fact, beautiful. He was unpretentious, without an arrogant bone in his body. He was open and honest, making it easy to place her trust in him. He was gentle and kind with a caring spirit. And he was intelligent, with a desire to learn new things. Donetta smiled inside when she thought about how good she felt in this moment.

“Wow,” Phillip said. He was standing in glorious nakedness with his legs spread hips-width apart and his long arms dangling by his side. He looked around the room, taking in the décor, candles, and scent. “You really know how to decorate and set a mood.”

“Thank you. It's one of my passions.”

“I can see. This is like walking into a spa. Are you going to soak in those bubbles while I shower?”

Donetta shook her head. “No, I took a long, hot shower before you got here. These suds are for you.”

“Me? I haven't taken a bubble bath since I was ten.”

“Trust me, once you sink down into this tub, you won't want to come out.”

Phillip walked over to Donetta and kissed her on her forehead. “Thanks, baby.”

She watched him as he carefully lifted one leg into the tub and then the other. Slowly, he eased his body down, submerging himself in the white bubbles. When he closed his eyes, leaned back, and let out a relaxing groan, Donetta knew he was enjoying himself. “I'll be right back,” she said.

When she returned, she was carrying two glasses in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. She poured Phillip a glass and handed it to him. “Here, I think you'll like this.”

Phillip reached for the glass and took a sip. “Thanks, this is good, and this bubble bath is incredible.” He placed his glass on the edge of the large tub and reclined again. “What did you put in the water?”

“It's my secret potion.”

“This is well worth a two-mile walk in the snow. If I'd known bubble baths felt this good, I would've been taking them a long time ago.”