Strictly Professional (24 page)

“Where’s Marcus?” she mumbled.

“With my mom,” he murmured as his lips brushed her hair.

“Good.”

“Good?”

She fisted his shirt in her hands and tugged until the bottom slipped free of his jeans. “Yeah.” The shirt fell to the floor and her lips grazed his chest.

“What are you doing?” he whispered, afraid he’d misinterpreted her intentions.

* * * *

She tipped her head back and looked into his eyes. “What do
you
think?

“Mmm...I’m thinking that bed looks mighty comfortable.”

“Me too.”

He walked backwards while she continued to lick the muscles beneath her mouth and flick his nipple with her tongue. The backs of his legs met the side of the bed and he took her down with him when he sprawled across it and she landed on top of his chest. She loved the taste of his skin and the musky smell that was all Brandon. She nipped at the side of his neck with her teeth and heard a groan rumble in his chest.

“Savannah?”

“Mmm.”

“I love you.”

Her head snapped up so fast, she banged it against his chin and his teeth clanked together.

“What did you say?”

His hands cupped her face and he looked straight into her eyes when he said, “I love you.”

After a moment she pushed against him and sat up. She bit her lip and stood.

“That’s not exactly the reaction I thought I’d get.”

She ran her shaking hands through her hair and returned to the spot near the window she'd taken when she came upstairs.

He’s only saying that because his mom asked if we were getting married. He doesn’t mean it. I know he doesn’t.

His hands came to rest on her shoulders and she stiffened.

“What’s wrong, baby?”

She shook her head while she fought the tears that threatened to fall.

He forced her to turn around and meet his eyes when he stuck his fingers under her chin and brought her face up. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing,” she whispered.

“Wrong answer, Vannah.”

He rarely called her that and she lost it. She couldn’t handle the sweet, considerate, loving man he could be when she tried to hold herself back from him. It just didn’t work.

She choked back a sob and shook her head. “You didn’t mean it.”

“Mean what, baby?”

Her answer was muffled against his chest.

“I didn’t catch that.”

She lifted her face and said, “You don’t love me, Brandon. We’re good in bed together and we have Marcus...” He pressed his fingers against her lips and stopped the flow of her words.

“Don’t tell me what I feel, Savannah. Yes, my mother’s questions bothered me, but what got me to really thinking was when she asked me if I loved you and my heart screamed yes. I love you, Savannah Arlene Gibson. You have my heart in the palm of your hand to do with as you wish.”

She searched his face for the truth and it shone bright in his eyes for her to see.

He loves me. He really loves me.

“If you can’t say it in return, it’s okay. I’m sure in time, it will come.”

“I don’t have to wait, Brandon. It’s already there and it has been for several months. Why do you think I agreed to move in here with you? It wasn’t only so you could be close to Marcus. I couldn’t stand being that far away from you. The time we spent together in Destiny only made me realize how much I wanted to be with you permanently. I love you with all of my heart.”

He left her side, strode to his dresser, and opened a drawer before he stood in front of her again. “Thank God! I thought I would have to take this back.” Her heart stopped when he held up a small ring box, dropped to his knees, and said, “Savannah? Will you marry me?”

She framed his face with her hands and traced the dimples in his cheeks with her fingers. “Yes, Brandon. I’ll marry you.”

Epilogue

“Come on, Vannah,” Sabrina said, twisting her sister’s hair into a pretty knot at the back of her head. “Sit still, darn it!”

“I can’t.” Savannah wiggled in the chair and shot a glance in the mirror that reflected her other two gorgeous sisters standing nearby in their bridesmaids dresses. She couldn’t believe it had finally arrived, the day she would become Mrs. Brandon Cooper. “Where are Mom and Dad?”

“I’m right here, honey,” her mother said when she came into the dressing room they shared to get ready. “Your father is keeping your fiancé from wearing a hole in the carpet.”

Savannah smiled when her mother came to her side with Marcus in her arms. He’d gotten so big in the last several months, but she shouldn’t be surprised since he was now almost a year old.

“Hey, little man.” Marcus grinned and the dimples that were so much like his father’s peeked out of his chubby cheeks. She kissed him on the mouth and he giggled.

“There. Done,” Sabrina said before she sprayed the coiffure with several layers of hairspray.

“You are so beautiful, Savannah,” her mother whispered and kissed her cheek. “Never has there been such a pretty bride.”

“It helps being in love with a gorgeous doctor,” Serena added with a smirk. “With a hot bod, to boot.”

“Get your own little sister.”

“I plan to,” Serena giggled. “Eventually.”

“You look fabulous, Vannah,” Susannah said as she hugged her. “Be happy. That’s all I ask.”

Savannah’s eyes started to tear. “Stop. All of you. You’ll make me cry and ruin my makeup.”

They all laughed and headed for the door when the music began to play.

Each one of the Gibson women took their place and her father appeared at her side. “Ready?”

She nodded and smiled. Her heart clogged her throat when they stepped to the doorway and she got her first glimpse of her husband-to-be in his wedding finery. He stood at the front of the church in his tux shirt, black jacket, black dress pants, cowboy boots, and his Stetson. A small giggle left her mouth when she remembered their argument about his wedding attire. It turned out to be less of an argument that a pre-cursor to a raunchy bout of sex.

"I'm wearing my boots and hat and that's all there is to it, sweetheart."

"But Brandon…"

"No buts, Savannah." Blue eyes skimmed from her head to her toes and her belly quivered in anticipation. "Well maybe one butt—yours. You do have such a magnificent ass." One palm slipped over the curve before he squeezed and tugged her tight against his chest.

Her fingertip danced down the enticing muscles until she reached the hem of his t-shirt. Hands slipped underneath and bunched the material up as her palms whispered over his heated flesh.

Peeking through her lashes, she said, "Does that mean you want me?"

"Oh, baby, do I ever. I want your ass, want your tits, want your sweet pussy, want your mouth…I want everything you have, for our entire lives."

In one swift motion, he lifted her in his arms and she wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing her heat into scorching distance of his proud cock. Without preamble, he backed her against the door of their room and entered her in one plunge.

"God, Savannah. You are so sexy. I could do this all day." His lips buried in her neck while his hips rocked slowly. It drove her past the point of reason when he made love to her like this, whether it be in their bed, in the shower, in the barn or lying along the banks of the stream running through their property.

Her father squeezed her hand and brought her back to the inside of the large church and her wedding ceremony.

My cowboy! Good grief! How did I get so lucky?

Their eyes met as she made her way to his side and he held her spellbound with the love shining in his gaze.

When her father relinquished her hand to Brandon, he leaned down, kissed her cheek, and whispered, “I love you.”

The entire ceremony zipped by in a blur. She hardly remembered saying her vows, but the heat of his kiss when the preacher said “you may kiss your bride,” ignited the desire smoldering inside her to a raging inferno. And they still had to attend the reception before they could disappear.

The music started for the bride and groom’s first dance and he swept her up in his arms and twirled her effortlessly around the dance floor. She stared into his face with a secretive smile, just waiting for the right time.

“You’d better stop looking at me like that, Mrs. Cooper.”

“Like what Doctor Cooper?”

“Like you have a secret.”

“Who, me?”

“Yes, you.” He nuzzled her neck and nibbled her earlobe. “Spill it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Brandon.”

“Mmm. You’re going to make me torture it out of you?”

She sighed and tipped her head to the side. “Depends on what you have in mind. I might like it, you know.”

“Aaron gave me a set of furry handcuffs during my bachelor party and I know one beautiful woman who likes adventure.”

“Oh. Sounds promising.”

“That’s what I’m thinking, but before that...”

She blinked innocently. “What?”

His hand trailed down the front of her wedding dress with just enough pressure to illicit a soft moan.

“All right, I’ll tell.” She inhaled his unique scent, loving every minute of the affection shining in his eyes. “What shall we name this one if it’s a girl?”

THE END

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