Designed for Love (10 page)

     
“Oh,
sweetheart.” Pain filled his eyes, making them darker.

     
She
had done this to him. “I remembered holding my cell phone in the ER after they
told me I’d lost the baby that I didn’t even know I was carrying, and I wanted to
hear your voice. I wanted to tell you.”

     
He
caressed her cheek. “It killed me every day, Chelsi, not to pick up the phone
and call you. If I’d have known about the baby, I never would’ve let you go
through it alone. I would’ve been there, by your side, to hell with anything
else.”

     
Her
knees gave way as she sobbed. Vincent pulled her to his chest, holding her
tight. The embrace she had wanted twelve years ago now surrounded her.

     
“Don’t
cry. Please don’t cry. I promise I’ll give you as many babies as you want if
you’ll let me.” He stroked her back until her tears subsided. Then he lifted
her face to his. “I love you. Nothing you have said has done anything but make
me love you more.”

“Are
you sure?” she whimpered.

     
“Absolutely.”
He released her from his embrace only to drop to the ground on one knee and
take hold of her hand.

     
Chills
raced down her spine and caused the hairs on her arms to rise.

     
“Chelsi
Renee Halifax will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” With his free hand,
he reached in his pocket, pulled out a ring, and held it up.

     
The
street light caught the diamond, reflecting a prism of color onto the ground.
He was serious. Vincent had come here in his limo and tuxedo to propose to her.

“I’m
getting nervous here, sweetheart.”

     
She
nodded then threw herself at him and started kissing him. “Yes! Yes!” she
screamed between kisses.

     
He
began to chuckle, and behind her she heard clapping. Turning, she saw not only
Becky at her door, but several of her neighbors had come out of their condos as
well. There were even a few wolf calls and whistles filling the night air.

“When?”

“Right
now.” he declared.

     
“What?”
She rose off his lap. “We can’t get married now.”

     
“Yes,
we can.” Rising with her, he winked then turned and nodded at Thomas who was
now standing like a sentry beside the back door.

     
Grinning,
Thomas opened the door. Out stepped Peter first, still in his tux from the
benefit. He rushed to her and gave her a hug. Next was Manuel followed by
Pierre
. Then an older
white man and another white man that looked like an older version of Vincent’s
friend Zeth from high school. The Zeth look-a-like helped a pregnant black
woman from his car. Chelsi assumed that was Tamara, the cook and brains behind
the mother/baby store idea.

     
“This
man knows how to do a proposal right.” Becky said, joining them in the parking
lot.

“Not
a proposal, a wedding,” Peter cheered.

     
“I
still don’t know how we can do this,” she stared up at Vincent.

     
Waving
over the older man, he said, “This is David, Zeth’s uncle. He’s a minister and
has agreed to marry us.”

     
“I’d
be honored to finally see this man tie the knot.” David gave her a warm smile,
holding a big black Bible curled against his side.

     
“What
do you say, sweetheart? Marry me tonight?” Vincent squeezed her hand. “With our
closest friends as witnesses to our love?”

     
“Come
on, Chelsi, make this nerd a happy man,” Zeth chimed in, advocating for his
friend.

     
Her
heart swelled, and staring into the dark blue eyes guarded by dark thick
lashes, she saw the love shining there. “I’ll marry you anytime, anywhere,
Vincent.”

     
He
pulled her into a hug and groaned, pressing his lips to her ear, he said, “I
love it when you say my name. Tonight I’m going to make you scream it over and
over again, my beautiful designer.”

     
“I’ll
hold you to that, Vincent,” she whispered back.

     
“What
do you think about a honeymoon in Italy during fashion week?” Vincent held her
body along his.

     
Oh,
my God. Chelsi wanted to burst. The knowledge that she not only had the man of
her dreams back in her life, but that she would be able to see the
Spring/Summer fashion show in Milan made her life complete. Wrapping her arms
around him neck she pulled his face down to hers. “I think you’re wonderful,
and I love you.”

     
“Don’t ever stop.” Closing the gap, he
kissed her.

Epilogue

“You know what I like to call this?”
her mother asked her.

Her parents
were joining her and Vincent for dinner. Right now, her father and husband were
in the kitchen discussing business while Vincent checked on the lamb in the
oven.

Glancing at
the dual crystal frame her mother was stroking with a manicured nail. One side
of the frame held a picture of her and Vincent the night of their wedding in
the pavilion in the center of the jogging park at her old condominium community.

The other side
of the frame held the marriage license they’d gotten that following Monday,
making their wedding official. Six months they had been married and that
picture never ceased to cause chills to race along her spine. Even now,
standing before the roaring fire in the fireplace, goose bumps were popping up
on her arms.

“What do you
call it, mom?”

Sylvia
Halifax’s brown gaze met her own. “The first day of happiness.”

Tilting her
head, she assessed her mother, not sure is she wanted to ask question floating
through her mind. Her parents had been there that night, Vincent had already
called her father and asked for her hand in marriage, then gave them the time
to show up. By the time she had gone back into the condo with Becky and her
Densa family to get into the simple chiffon sheath halter dress Peter had
brought from the studio, her parents had arrived. The only people who were not
there were her siblings, but they’d spent time with them over Christmas at her
parent’s house. Curiosity got the better of Chelsi, so she plunged ahead.
“Why’s that?”

“Because the
little girl your father and I raised went off to college and changed. You
didn’t smile anymore. Yes, you pretended to be happy and your career brought
you some joy, but nothing caused your eyes to light up like they did when you
were around Vincent.”

All those
years, she thought she had been good at burying her emotions, but she hadn’t. She
loved her parents and they were close, but the truth of what had happened all
those years ago was something private between her and Vincent. “He does make me
very happy.”

“You don’t
need to tell us that.” Her father, Kent, entered the living room beside her
husband.

Chelsi couldn’t
help but smile at the two men she loved most in the world. “How much longer
until dinner?” She asked Vincent when he came up behind her and wrapped her
arms around her waist as her parents crossed the room and claimed their seats
on the couch.

“Are you hungry?”
He kissed her lightly on the lips.

“You know I
am.” She and food had become best friends; she knew part of that reason was
because her husband was an extraordinary cook. The other reason had more to do
with the fact Vincent was a devoted and passionate lover.

“Another
twenty minutes and everything should be ready.”

“Perfect. Did
you and dad have a good talk?”

Glancing over
her shoulder at her dad, Vincent said, “Absolutely, your father even helped me
figure out something for a new business venture. Kent Halifax is a very smart
man.”

“Yes, he is.”
Her mother echoed as she rubbed the knee of the man she’d been married to for
thirty years.

Vincent’s
fingers lightly brushed along the side of her stomach. Pretending to kiss her
cheek, he whispered, “So, do want to tell them now or wait until dinner?”

Joining her
hand with his, she absorbed all of the warmth and support of the man she loved.
They had been through years of misunderstandings and a loss of something
precious, but now their bond was strong than when they were teenagers. She was
looking forward to the rest of her life with him. “My vote is now. You may do
the honors.”

Nodding, he
kissed her on the cheek and then gazed at her parents. “Mom and Dad Halifax,
you’re going to be grandparents in seven months.”

Her mother was
the first one up off the couch, shrieking in joy as she rushed towards her.

Vincent
stepped back so her mother could hug her. Her father was only a few steps
behind her mom, but he went to Vincent first, shaking his hand and patting her
husband on the back congratulating him.

When her
mother finally let her go, her father embraced her, swallowing her up in his
big strong arms.

“You know how
much your mother and I love grandchildren. To have you and Vincent adding to
the family is enough to warm an old man’s heart.”

She kissed her
father’s cheek. “With the broods my siblings are putting out, I don’t know if
you two will have time for another one.”

“God has given
grandparents more hours in the day and big arms, there’s always room for more.”
Her mother smiled.

“I guess that
new store of yours will open up right on time, Vincent,” he dad commented.

“Chelsi, will
be wearing her own designs,” Her mother added.

As Vincent
pulled Chelsi back against his side, his pool blue eyes captured hers. “Yes,
she will. I’ve already started picking out a few items from the collection.”

Smiling at her
husband, she felt heat blossom in her cheeks as she recalled the conversation
she’d had with him last night, he’d held her after their loving making and
questioned when she’d planned to bring home the smoke gray charmeuese lingerie
because he couldn’t wait to see her dressed in it, round and plump with his
child. It was a heady feeling to have Vincent’s adoration.

All the years
she had been lonely she had never imagined that she’d find Vincent again, marry
him and one day stand in their home before her parents expecting a child. She
would have been too afraid to even dream it. However, now, in the arms of the
man she loved, she wasn’t apprehensive about the future not as long as she knew
this man loved her and would forever be by her side.

About the
Author

Yvette loves romance and writing it is one of her
greatest and guiltiest pleasures. She enjoys creating happily ever after
stories with lots of HEAT. The hotter the better! Life is busy, it would be
great to have a chance to sit down and enjoy a long read. Since that is often
not the case, she brings you Short and Sexy, Sensual Erotica. Just long enough
to help you meet the need. She was talking about your reading need…where’s your
mind? As an erotic romance author, she tries to show that every woman no matter
color, age, shape or size deserves a high level of passion in their life.
Whether you like to see them spanked, tangled in a ménage or simply falling in
love, she’s got it. So, if you like diversity and a good read, check out one of
her books. Then send her a few words through e-mail about it so you all can
chat. She runs a newsletter group where she posts contests, excerpts, blurbs,
covers and news about where she is and what she’s doing.

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