What a Woman Wants (25 page)

“It does.”

Shannon wasn’t sure how she knew, but somehow she knew it really did. “For some reason, Adam Corbain, I think you can do anything you set your mind to doing.” Then, leaning up on tiptoe, she pressed a kiss against his lips.

That evidently wasn’t enough for Adam, and he pulled her into his arms and kissed her the way he figured she needed to be kissed. She thought it had to be one of the most erotic exchanges that had ever been performed on her mouth, the way he sucked her lips between his and then took his tongue and tortured her lips until they tingled. He was slowly but thoroughly arousing a deep hunger within her.

“Stay with me for a little while,” he whispered against her moist lips when he broke off the kiss.

She was tempted to tell him that yes, she would stay, but she knew a little while would extend to a long time and she would end up spending the night.

With all the control she could muster, she pulled back and shook her head. “I can’t. I shouldn’t. Besides, on the note I left for Monique and Faith, I told them that I would try getting back for the fireworks.” It was on the tip of her tongue to invite him, too, but she stopped herself from doing so.

The truth of the matter was that around Adam she tended to get a little crazy and was quick to forget things she should be remembering. She backed up a little, knowing she needed to leave while she had the chance. Her willpower with him wasn’t the strongest.

“Thanks for taking me to Savannah. I’ve got to go.” She turned to leave.

“Shannon?”

She turned back around. “Yes?”

“When will I see you again?”

His question made her stand there a moment, thinking of a response. She wished she hadn’t done so when he slowly walked over and gently touched her shoulder, then took that same hand and cupped the side of her face. “I want to see you again soon. I
need
to see you.”

She breathed in deeply and then leaned in for his kiss while thinking that she wanted and needed to see him as well. A shudder passed through her body the moment their mouths touched again. The merest brush of his lips against hers set her body aflame.

“Go,” he murmured softly moments later, taking a step back. “Go while I have the mind to let you.”

“
Lyle’s a cutie,”
Faith whispered to Monique when Lyle had walked off to get them some bottled water.

Monique smiled. “Thanks, I think so, too.”

Faith didn’t have to ask if the two of them were intimate. The glow on Monique’s face said it all. “Shannon should be here soon. She left a note saying she decided to go to Savannah with her mechanic.”

Monique then studied Faith. “What about you and your tennis guy?

Faith sighed deeply. “Shane left town to spend time with his brother’s family in Orlando. He’ll be back Sunday night, but it doesn’t matter. I think I blew things.”

Monique lifted a brow. “Why do you think that?”

“Because I did. He’s tried getting something going with me and I balked him at every turn, even when I told him I would give him a chance. I ended up telling him about Virgil, though.”

“Really? What did he say?”

“Not much, but it felt funny telling him.”

“You know what that means, don’t you?”

Faith shook her head. “No, what do you think it means?”

“You trust him.”

Faith shrugged. “I told him I did, but I don’t think he believed me.

“Then when he gets back, you’re going to have to prove it to him,” Monique said.

“Hey, everyone, am I late for all the fun?”

They turned when Shannon walked up. “No, you’re just in time,” Faith said. “I was hoping you were bringing your guy. Monique and I want to meet him.”

Shannon narrowed her eyes. “He’s not my guy. He’s someone I’m having an affair with, no biggie.” Shannon nearly swallowed her lie. It
was
a biggie and was turning into an even bigger biggie all the time. “So where is your Dr. Montgomery?”

“There he is, coming back with our bottled water.”

Shannon glanced over in the direction where Monique was looking. She let out a low whistle. “He’s gorgeous. You did good.”

Monique couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. “Thanks, and like I said, I plan to keep him.”

Faith had just
gotten into bed when her cell phone rang. She glanced at it and didn’t recognize the caller but decided to take the call anyway. “Hello.”

“Did you enjoy your day?”

Faith distinguished Shane’s sexy voice immediately. She couldn’t believe he had bothered to call her. She snuggled deeper in the bed. “Yes, it was nice. How about you?”

“It was good seeing family again but I missed you.”

“Really?” His words sent a warm feeling through her.

“Really. Had I known I would miss you this way, I would have asked you to come with me.” When she didn’t say anything, he asked, “So, did you go to the fireworks display?”

“Yes. It was nice.”

“I went to the one here in Orlando, but I missed seeing them shoot out toward the ocean like they do in Hilton Head, so it wasn’t the same.”

“Yeah, I can imagine.”

“Well, I don’t want to hold you. I just wanted to let you know that I was thinking about you.”

“Thanks, Shane. That means a lot.”

“Does it, Faith?”

“Yes.”

“I’m glad. Good night.”

“Good night, Shane.”

“
How soon can
we get married?”

Anna’s laugh was warm as Zach wrapped his arms around her and brought her close to his side. That morning at breakfast they had made the announcement to everyone, and then when Zach’s parents and sister arrived later that day, they’d told them the news as well. Everyone was so happy for them.

Anna smiled, remembering how Zach had barely let her out of his sight all that day. They had walked around the island making plans. She would have to put in a transfer at work for her move to D.C. One good thing was that she had enjoyed working at the hospital where she’d worked before.

They also talked about the media and how they would handle them. Zach assured her again that she would make a good politician’s wife and that he would be proud to have her by his side.

They had grilled ribs and steaks and a number of delicious treats, and when everyone had sat down for dinner, her uncle Randolph had told the history of the Gullah people, which made her proud of her heritage all over again. Then later they all sat on the porch and watched the fireworks display from both Hilton Head and Savannah. It was beautiful how the explosion of lights seem to erupt into a beautiful ball of shimmering fire over the ocean.

“I talked to Grandmother Julia before the fireworks started,” Anna finally said, smiling. “And she made me promise not to set a date until she can contact a wedding planner. I have a feeling she wants to go all out for our wedding.”

Zach nodded. “And how do you feel about that?” he asked, bringing her closer to his side.

Anna shrugged. “All I want is to be married to you, Zach. How we go about doing it really isn’t all that important to me. I was to have a big wedding with Todd and it never happened and—”

“I’m not Todd, and it will happen for you this time, sweetheart. And maybe a big wedding isn’t a bad idea. I’ll stand before the entire nation if I could and let them know how much I love you.”

She turned and rested her head on his shoulder. “Oh, Zach, that’s so sweet.”

He leaned over to kiss her when there was a polite clearing of someone’s throat. They turned to find his father and her uncle standing there. “Sorry to interrupt things,” Randolph Fuller said, smiling. “But Noah and I wanted to talk to the both of you about something.”

Anna heard the seriousness in her uncle’s voice and glanced at Zach. He merely looked at the two men and nodded. “All right.”

Taking her hand, Zach led her over to the wicker sofa and they sat down side by side while he held it. Anna recalled the first time she had faced the two men in Noah Wainwright’s study. On that particular night as well, Zach had set next to her holding her hand just like this.

“Is something wrong?” Zach asked, his voice strong and sturdy.

Noah smiled warmly. “No, son, Randolph and I believe that everything is completely right, which is why we want to talk to you. But first I want to say how extremely happy we are for the two of you, as well as to tell you how happy you’ve made this family. I can just imagine how elated Ross is about this union.”

He leaned against the porch rail and continued by saying, “I was blessed in my lifetime to have three men that God placed in my life who were truly men I can consider as my best friends. First there was Leigh’s brother, Zachary, my childhood friend who was killed in the line of duty as a police officer, and the person for whom you’re named. And then there was Ross Fuller, a man I met my first day at Howard University. Both men touched me at different times, but their presence in my life was more profound than I can ever say.”

He was quiet for a brief moment before glancing over at Randolph. “And then there’s Randolph, who I consider as my best friend. He was the one who stuck by me in my quest to find you, Anna, and during the thirty-four years that it took, we’ve developed a rather close relationship. I trust him more than I trust any other man. That’s why it means so much to me for you and Zach to join our families together by your marriage.”

Anna nodded. She’d always known Zach’s father’s relationship to her uncle was a close one.

“I didn’t come out here to say all of that,” Noah then said in a deep voice filled with both emotion and the sheer exuberance of a spokesman. “But I think in saying that, the two of you will understand just how important this moment is for us.”

It was then that Randolph came forward. “The last letter I got from your father, Anna, told of his plans to bring your mother home to us that January and present her to the family as his wife. They had gotten married at a small church somewhere in Saigon and by an almost miracle, Noah was able to be there as Ross’s best man. That day your father presented your mother with a small, inexpensive wedding band, just something for the occasion. To give her anything expensive at the time would not have been wise because she was still living among her people, and the paperwork hadn’t been completed for her to be sent to the States. It was always his plan to purchase a more expensive ring for her later. One day while on a short leave in Paris, he did so. A particular ring caught his eye, and he purchased it and had it shipped to me for safekeeping.”

Randolph took a step back, and Noah took up the story. “It was Ross’s dream that he and Gia have another wedding once they got here in the States and that would be the ring he placed on her finger. As the two of you know, none of that took place because Ross lost his life in the war and Gia died months later while giving birth to you, Anna. But Ross’s ring to her has been in my and Randolph’s possession since that time, and considering the occasion, I think Ross would have wanted us to give it to the two of you.”

Noah pulled a small white box out of his pocket and handed it to Zach. “I brought it with me because I felt that you would be asking Anna to be your wife soon.”

Zach took the small box out of his father’s hand and slowly opened it up. He heard Anna’s gasp the exact moment he sucked in a deep breath. The ring Ross Fuller intended to give his wife was simply stunning and beautiful in every sense of the words.

“It’s breathtaking,” Anna said, wiping a tear from her eye, knowing such a gift would have made her mother happy.

“Yes, it is, and now it belongs to you and Zach.”

Zach met Anna’s eyes as he took the ring out of the box, the diamond’s brilliance shone brightly for all them to see. He then reached for Anna’s hand and slipped the engagement ring on her finger, knowing very soon the wedding band would follow.

“I love you, Anna, just as much as Ross loved his Gia,” Zach said, leaning down and kissing her lips.

His words were too much for Anna, and she began crying. Zach pulled her into the comfort of his arms and held her while murmuring more words of love to her.

Noah glanced over at Randolph, and the two men nodded. They both knew that somewhere Ross, Gia, and Murphy and Mattie Denison were extremely happy. It was a joyous time for the Fuller and Wainwright families, which was fitting after so many years of betrayal and bitterness. Now it was a time of love, devotion, and peace.

“
You’re quiet, Shane.”

Shane glanced up at his brother, Grey, who was younger but almost just as tall as he was. And Grey, a former FBI agent, was very observant. “I don’t have a lot to say, Grey.”

Grey chuckled. “All right, then let me ask, what’s your opinion of Brandy’s cousin?”

Shane took a sip of his drink as he glanced across the room at the woman who was engaged in conversation with Grey’s wife, Brandy; Quinn’s wife, Alexia; Brandy’s mother, Valerie; and Brandy’s cousins, Taye and Rae’jean. He then looked at his brother. “Do you want my honest opinion?”

“Yes, that would be nice,” Grey said, taking a sip of his own drink.

“She surprised me by being a looker, I’ll give her that. But she has one major flaw.”

“Which is?”

“She talks too damn much.”

His words, spoken so candidly, straight to the point and direct, had Grey bursting out laughing. The group of women across the room turned to stare at him. He gave them, especially his wife, an apologetic smile. “Do you have to be so damn blunt, Shane?” he asked.

“Hey, you asked.”

“Well, for a man who always fancied himself as marriage material, I don’t see you making any progress.”

“Trust me, I’m working on it.”

“Working on what?” his other brother, Quinn, came up to ask, along with his other brother, Lake. “We heard Grey laughing and wondered what was so funny.”

Grey smiled. “Shane thinks Brandy’s cousin, Linda, talks too much.”

Both Quinn and Lake were amused. “He’s not far from hitting the mark. She talks just as much as Valerie, and that’s scary.” The four men who had gotten to know Brandy’s mother all nodded.

Quinn Masters then turned to Shane. “You never said what you were working on.”

Shane smiled as he took another sip of his drink. “Giving Mom another daughter-in-law.”

Lake Masters stared at Shane. “You’ve met someone?”

“Yes.”

“In Hilton Head?” Quinn asked curiously.

“Yes, but she’s from Minnesota.”

“And you want to marry her?” Grey asked. Everyone knew that although Shane had always been marriage material, his last engagement had soured him.

“Yes, although it will take some time to work up to that point with her, since we met less than a month ago. But I’m past the age of wanting a chase. I’d rather go straight for the capture, and she’s trying to be difficult at the moment. But then you know how I feel about difficult women.”

“A lot better toward them than a talkative one, evidently,” Quinn said, grinning.

Shane glanced down at his watch. “Do you think Brandy would get upset if I left early to return to Hilton Head?” he asked Grey.

Grey was surprised by the question. “How early?”

“Just as soon as I can pack.”

Grey smiled in understanding. “No, not after I explain to her the reason why.”

“Thanks.” He then looked at his brothers. “Wish me luck.” Lake tipped his wineglass up to him. “You’re a Masters. You don’t need it. Just pull out that Masters charm.”

Shane nodded as he walked off. He intended to do just that.