Dream Lover (16 page)

“Everything smells great,” he called out to her.

She jumped and screamed at the top of her lungs. She grasped her hand over her chest.

“Johnny,” she breathed, “You scared me half to death!”

He looked at her with questioning eyes and she gave him an exasperated sigh. “I figured you would still be asleep.”

“How could I sleep with the smells of such great foods coming from in here?” He looked around. “Where did you get it from?”

“I will have you know, Johnathon Parker, that I cooked all of this food myself.”

“You don't cook Peaches.”

She looked down at the ground, swaying from side to side. “I've been taking lessons.”

“Lessons?” he repeated.

She snapped her head up, slightly irritated.

“Yes. I've been going to a class once a week. Plus I've been watching some stuff on the
Internet.”

A slow grin spread across his face. “Why are you taking cooking lessons Peaches?”

She sighed. “You have been cooking for me for five years John. I just figured if I learned a little more, I could cook for you sometimes.”

He pulled her into his arms and lifted her chin to look her in the eyes. He kissed the tip of her nose. “If I didn't enjoy cooking, I would have gone into a different profession. I love cooking for you. I love taking care of you. But I do appreciate you doing this for me.”

He kissed her softly on the lips. “Is everything ready?”

She smiled. “Just about! Sit down.”

She served him and hearty breakfast and he was impressed on how well everything turned out. “Wow Peaches,” he said finishing off his second helping of pancakes, cheese eggs, bacon and sausage. “You did an outstanding job on this breakfast. Looks like I'll be coming over here to eat from now on.”

She laughed. “How about next time we work as a team?”

He laughed with her as he stood. “Working as a team with you will be great.”

She began to stand, but he gently pushed her back down. “You will not get up from here until I finish taking care of these dishes.”

“But-”

“No buts. You just made me a wonderful breakfast, you're going to sit here and enjoy your coffee, while I clean this up.”

He quickly cleared off the table, then rinsed off the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Once he started the dishwasher, Liz got up from the table and went to John. He stared at her lovingly. “I can't believe with all you've been busy with lately, you'd take time out to take cooking lessons.”

She had no other reply other than to shrug her shoulders. “Now,” he said as he leaned over her pressing her hips against the island. “It's time for dessert.”

She looked at him confused. “What do you mean? I didn't make any kind of dessert.”

He nimbly lifted her up and sat her on the island. Standing in between her legs, he held her face in his hands and gave her a kiss that seared her from her head all the way to her toes.

He gave her an intensely passionate stare, then leaned forward kissing the base of her neck. He inhaled her scent that was now scorched into his memory and would be able to determine blindfolded. As he continued to kiss her neck he murmured, “Haven't you figured it out yet? I'm having Peaches for dessert.”

Liz sat at the kitchen table with a cup of tea in her hand, staring at the island. She knew she would never look at that island the same again. She blushed every time she thought of the things they'd done.

When John told her he was having 'Peaches' for dessert, he had not exaggerated. He'd literally tasted her from head to toe, taking his time in between.

He left shortly after their impromptu kitchen rendezvous, because he had to go back to his apartment to get cleaned up and dressed for work.

She stood and walked over to the sink to rinse out her cup, deep in thought. Maybe it was time for John to start leaving clothes at her place. Sure they'd only began being intimate for the first time the night before, but they'd been dating for nearly two months now and had been friends for many years.

She didn't know how he would feel about her proposition, but she figured it couldn't hurt to ask. She doubted he would break up with her. She felt their bond had grown even stronger since giving themselves to each other.

She'd felt complete when they were making love and even after they'd finished, it seemed like they were one entity instead of two separate people. He hadn't been gone for very long and she missed him so much she ached for him. She'd been afraid to call him as soon as he left, because she didn't want to come off as too clingy; but she was quite happy when she heard her phone's designated ringtone for John.

They talked until he reached his apartment. Before he hung up, he paused for a moment then said, “I love you Peaches.” She didn't hesitate in her response when she said, “I love you too Johnny.”

Her thoughts shifted to the events that occurred in her apartment before John had showed up. She pulled the sleeve of sweater up to look at her arm. The purple bruising on her mocha colored skin had set John off into a flying rage.

She knew he hadn't embellished when he'd threatened to go and kill the man. However, her begging him not to leave had been the catalyst of them taking their relationship to the next level.

She sighed pulling her sleeve down on her arm. She was extremely relieved that John had showed up, but she pondered what would have happened if he hadn't gotten there when he did.

She became enraged at the thought that the man had the nerve to even think about taking one of her pieces of art to sell in an attempt to make some money off of her.

She left the kitchen, taking her cell phone with her and sat down on the couch. She exhaled deeply as she spoke her
sister’s name into the voice control. She didn't want to burden her mother with the events that happened, at least not at moment.

“Hello?” Leigh answered after the third ring.

“Dad showed up at my apartment last night.”

“What?!”

“Yep,” she replied, nodding even though her sister couldn't see her.

“What...how...what?” her sister seemed to be unable to form a complete sentence.

Instead of waiting for her to get her bearings, Liz began to tell Leigh about what had happened the night before, including John showing up.

“I'm glad John showed up when he did,” Leigh said after Liz had finished retelling the story.

“Me too.”

“Did he stay over to make sure Dad didn't come back?”

She paused, smiling then answered. “Yes.”

Leigh could clearly hear the change in her younger sister's voice. “What was that?”

Liz looked at the phone. “What?”

“Your whole mood just changed. I'm assuming things went well between the two of you.”

“Yes.”

“What's with the monosyllabic responses all of a sudden Lizzie?”

“What?”

“There you go again with the one liners.” She let a gasp. “Did you and John...” She didn't finish the question.

The pregnant silence spoke volumes.

“You did!” she screamed into the phone. Liz moved the phone away from her ear until her sister calmed down.

It was no secret to Leigh that Liz had been a virgin, so she knew it was a big deal for her to have been intimate with someone. Liz sighed as she began to tell her sister what happened, without revealing too many details.

“After daddy left, John saw the bruise on my arm and went ballistic. Leigh, I really thought John was going to go after him and kill him.”

Leigh gave an unladylike snort; which, for lack of better words, was her way of saying “good riddance”.

Liz continued. “He was ready to go out and hunt him down, but I stopped him. The last thing I wanted then was to be alone. One thing led to another and...” She trailed off, letting her sister use her own imagination.

“And what?”

“You know Leigh. I don't have to tell you
every
single thing.”

“Some how I always knew he'd be the one,” she replied quietly.

Liz smiled, thinking again about how it seemed everyone except for her had known that it was only a matter of time before she and John became more than friends.

She continued talking to Leigh for a few more minutes before hanging up and heading to her studio. She was ahead of schedule with her work and wanted to finish so she could have a few days to relax before they began setting up the gallery.

She walked by the kitchen and blushed again as she glanced at the island.

John was in the kitchen of Johnny's in tyrant mode. He'd counted the bottles of wine twice, made sure all of the food was prepped. He'd called a staff meeting for his catering crew to let them know that this job had to be better than any job they'd done before.

The staff was not blind to the fact that this job was for the woman they knew belonged to him and if anything went wrong on their end for her big night, heads would roll.

As he was finishing up with the meeting, his cell phone rang.

“How ya doin' baby?” he asked as he answered his phone. He'd known she been on edge for the last few days. She'd wanted so badly for the show to go well. He didn't have a doubt that it would be a perfect night and he was doing his part to ensure it.

“Where are you?” she asked breathily.

“I'm heading back to the dry cleaners.” She was at the gallery, making sure everything was in its place. She'd finished her new pieces ahead of schedule and her reproduced pieces had arrived a few days before. Liz was pleased with how everything turned out, but none of that had eased her anxiousness. John had even sent her to a spa to have the works done and she still returned home jittery. The only time she was relaxed was when they made love.

Since she was still at the gallery, he'd agreed to pick up her dress from the dry cleaners since his suit was there as well. “As soon as I pick up our clothes, I will be on my way to your place. I figured I could get dressed there.”

“That's fine,” she said.

“Hey Lizzie.”

“Yeah?”

“Relax baby, everything is going to be fine.”

“But what if-”

“No 'but what if'. Trust me?”

“Always.”

“Then just relax. I'll see you in twenty minutes.”

Liz stood in Anjelah Martin's gallery and looked around at the room filled exclusively with her
artwork. Her family and the man she loved with all of her heart surrounded her. She was so thankful for what they'd become together. He looked down at her and smiled.

Leaning down he whispered in her ear. “Breath Lizzie.”

She exhaled deeply, feeling the tension dissipate. Everything was going well, just as he'd said it would. She'd meant it when she said she'd always trusted him. She always had and she always would. She also knew that there would never be another man she would ever love. She wanted to be with him forever. She wanted to be his wife.

John noticed the strange look on her face. Placing his hand on the small of her back, he asked her, “Are you alright?”

She blinked then blinked again. “Yes!” she exclaimed breathlessly.

He tilted his head to the side. “Are you sure?”

She nodded, trying to keep her emotions in control. “Yes. I'm wonderful. Everything is wonderful. Even the food.”

He stood tall, sticking his chest out. “Well of course the food is wonderful.” He winked at her. “I told you to trust me.”

“And I told you I always do.”

He looked around then stole a quick kiss on the lips.

“Lizzie!” They turned at the sound of Miranda's voice. Liz was surprised to see John's parents trailing behind Randi. She turned and glanced at him. He simply smiled at her. Randi quickly hugged Liz.

“Randi, you look stunning!” Liz exclaimed holding her at arms length to look at her. Randi was wearing a black
one-shoulder dress that cinched her waist and floated lovingly around her knees. She'd paired the dress with a pair of four-inch strappy black heels.

Randi smiled and returned the compliment. “Not as gorgeous as you are though,” she said of the red strapless dress Liz was wearing.
She'd known how much John liked how she looked in red so she chose the dress carefully. When she stepped out of her bedroom so they could leave for the art show, she could see the raw passion in his eyes.

“I can't miss my own gallery opening,” she said to him.

He'd smiled, kissed her on the cheek and made a comment about having the rest of the night to themselves.

Liz looked over to Randi and John's parents. “Mr. and Mrs. Parker, thank you
so
much for coming. I had no idea.”

“Of course we'd be here,” John Parker Sr. replied.

“That's right dear,” Sondra Parker added. “Everything looks wonderful. We are very proud of you.” She looked around then whispered to Randi. “Miranda, there are a lot of nice
single
looking men here. Maybe you should-”