Irresistible Forces (16 page)
Read Irresistible Forces Online
Authors: Brenda Jackson
Tags: #Contemporary, #Fiction, #Romance, #Businessmen, #Large Type Books, #African American, #General, #African Americans, #Love Stories
Then Dominic was back in front of her, reaching for her hand. “Will you dance with me Taylor?”
She was about to tell him that there was no music, when suddenly as if on cue, the orchestra started up again. “Yes, I’ll dance with you,” she responded, and she then found herself led out onto the dance floor.
He’s only being kind to me because of the baby,
she reminded herself when he took her into his arms. But still, she couldn’t stop the gratitude she felt in knowing that he had taken the first steps in putting animosity behind him and making up with his grandfather.
The moment Dominic pulled her into his arms, her body seemed to recognize him and melted against him. And she couldn’t help but take note that although he was holding her decently, he was doing so with such familiarity that made anyone who was watching aware that they were either past or present lovers.
“I miss you,” he whispered in her ear.
Those three words lifted her spirit, revived her hope. She was about to respond by telling him that she had missed him, as well, but stopped herself from doing so. She and Dominic needed to reach an understanding. It would be better if they stuck with their original plan. Once she got pregnant, they were to go back to executing business as usual.
So she didn’t say anything, didn’t bother acknowledging his words. Instead she kept her head resting on his chest with her eyes closed as she remembered better times between them: the seven days they had been on the island and how she had felt a connection to him in a way that even now heated her blood just thinking about it.
“Come on, let’s go for a walk outside,” he leaned down and whispered against her ear. It was then she noted the music had stopped playing. She pulled back and nodded. And then she allowed him to lead her out of the doors that led to the terrace.
For a few moments they didn’t say anything as they walked side by side along the stone walkway. It was a beautiful night in May. Stars were dotting the sky and a half moon sat in their wake.
“Why did you change your phone number, Taylor?”
His question intruded into her thoughts. “I thought, considering everything, it was best. You had my business number if you needed to contact me.”
He nodded. “And how have you been doing?” he asked in a tone that let her know he truly wanted to know.
“Fine.”
“And the baby?”
“Fine, as well. I went to the doctor last week and she said everything appears as it should be.”
“Good.” Then he stopped walking and turned to her. “I want to apologize for all those things I said that night to you. I had no right.”
No, he hadn’t. She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does. In order for us to move forward I think it does matter. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking over the past two weeks, and you were right. I can’t hold a grudge against my grandfather forever. He’s done more than enough over the years to let me know that he regretted the position he’d taken with my parents. I guess it was so easy just to dislike him rather than admit how much I actually wanted him in my life.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment and then, “I can vividly recall a kidnapping attempt when I was fourteen.”
Ignoring her flinch of surprise, he continued. “Luckily it wasn’t successful but soon after that Ryder appeared on the scene as my bodyguard and he’s been with me ever since, nearly twenty years now. It wasn’t until I was in college that I learned that Ryder had been sent by my grandfather to protect me, keep me out of harm’s way. Even then, I was too stubborn to admit that my grandfather had to have cared about me to do such a thing. I’ve suddenly come to realize that life is too short and that we should cherish each day that comes, along with the people who are there. My grandfather is seventy today, so many years have been wasted already and I don’t want to waste others. You were right. I shouldn’t deny him the chance to know his great-grandchild…or the woman whom his grandson has fallen in love with.”
Taylor went completely still with his words. “What did you say?” she whispered softly, absolutely sure she hadn’t heard him correctly.
“I said,” he muttered, leaning down closer to her lips, “that I don’t want to deny my grandfather the chance of getting to know his great-grandchild, or you, the woman I’ve fallen in love with. And I do love you,
chérie.
I’ve known it for some time now. I just realized how much over the past two weeks.”
Taylor inhaled sharply, held the air in her lungs and then released it to ask, “Are you sure?”
He smiled. “That’s the one thing I am sure about. What I’m not sure about is how you feel about me.”
She took a step closer to him. Reached up and cupped his face in her hands while tears glittered in her eyes. “I love you, too, Dominic. I thought I only wanted your baby, but then I discovered I wanted your love, as well.”
“Now you have both. But there is one more thing I want you to have. My name.”
Reaching into the back pocket of his pants, he pulled out a white velvet box. Her eyes widened and she stared in amazement at the huge diamond ring.
“Pretty soon your stomach will grow, declaring to all the degree of my passion for you. I want them to know the depth of my love for you, as well.”
He took the ring out the box and slid it onto her finger. “Will you marry me, Taylor?” he asked softly.
More tears came into her eyes and complete happiness filled her entire being. “Oh, yes, I will marry you,” she said, smiling through her tears.
“Tomorrow.”
She blinked. “Tomorrow?”
“Yes, I want us to marry tomorrow. We can arrange a reception later in the States with our families, but I don’t want to leave Paris without binding you to me. I love you so much I can’t imagine my life not joined with yours. Will you let me marry you tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
He smiled before lowering his mouth to hers. The moment their lips touched she knew in her heart that this would be the start of the rest of their lives.
Epilogue
June
T
ears formed in Taylor’s eyes as she stood as a bridesmaid and watched her sister join in marriage with the man she loved. She could recall when Cameron had begun showing an interest in Vanessa and how Vanessa had refused to even consider him as a man she wanted to love.
But today she was pledging her life to him and Vanessa’s eyes were filled with so much love that Taylor could actually feel it. Her gaze left Vanessa and Cameron momentarily to search out a man sitting in the audience.
Her husband.
She and Dominic’s eyes connected and she knew like her, he was remembering that day in Paris when they had done what Vanessa and Cameron were doing now. Franco had been more than happy to make the arrangements and Dominic’s parents had stood in as witnesses, and Dominic’s best friend, Matt, had flown in to be his best man.
That night he had whisked her away to his island off the Normandy coast where they had spent the next three nights more in bed than out. They had returned to Paris and spent a few more days with Dominic’s parents and grandfather. Dominic and Franco talked, spent a lot of time together as they tried to accept what happened years ago as history and move on. A wedding reception was planned for them here in Charlotte in August and she was very happy about it. They had also made plans to return to Latois again in a couple of years. They wanted at least two more children and thought the island had proven to be the perfect place for future Saxons to be conceived.
Taylor then glanced sideways at Cheyenne, who at the last minute had to have her bridesmaid dress altered due to her already protruding stomach. According to Cheyenne the doctor suspected she was having twins, possibly triplets, which was the reason at three months she looked like she was actually six. A sonogram was scheduled for next week. As far as they knew, there was no record of twins ever being born in the Steele family, so everyone was wondering about the man who had fathered Cheyenne’s child. Was there a history of multiple births in his? Cheyenne still refused to even give the man’s name.
“I now pronounce you man and wife.”
Her gaze returned to Cameron and Vanessa just as Cameron kissed his bride, finally claiming her as his. Vanessa Steele was now Vanessa Steele Cody.
“It was a beautiful wedding, wasn’t it?” she asked Dominic later as she lay curled up in his arms in bed. One of the wedding gifts Dominic had bought for her was this beautiful home not far from where Morgan and Lena lived. It would be available for them to use whenever she wanted to visit home.
“Yes, but nothing is more beautiful than a Paris wedding,” he said, leaning down and kissing her lips. “You looked simply stunning that day.”
Taylor had to agree. Thanks to the Megan Saxon original she’d been wearing. His mother was simply incredible. Megan had made a few phone calls and the dress had been delivered to the Saxon Estate just hours before the wedding. Franco had hired a photographer and numerous photos were taken. Every time she glanced through the wedding album she was reminded of the day that she married the man who now meant the world to her.
“And you looked handsome yourself,” she added. And he had. “I love you,” she whispered, doubting she would ever tire of telling him that.
“And I love you and I plan on spending the rest of my life showing you how much.”
And then he spoke those same words to her in French as she stared into the depths of his green eyes. And she knew that she would spend the rest of her life showing him how much she loved him, as well.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-3068-6
IRRESISTIBLE FORCES
Copyright © 2008 by Brenda Streater Jackson
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