Make You Mine (22 page)

“Who is it?” she called out barely able to hear herself over her pounding heartbeat.

“Julius.”

Caress opened the door wide and stepped back to let him in. She frowned behind his back when he barely gave her a second glance.
What…the…hell?

“I'll go get the baby,” she said, praying she didn't fall flat on her face as she walked back to her bedroom.

She kicked off those shoes as soon as she was out of his sight. “Your daddy's going to wind up with one of these shoes down his throat and the other one up his butt,” she muttered as she freed him from the swing and grabbed his snowsuit.

When she walked back into the living room with Justin in one arm and his baby bag in the other, she was surprised to see Julius standing by the door.

His nonchalant face shaped into a smile as he took Justin out of her arms. “There's Daddy's boy,” he exclaimed animatedly.

Justin squealed in response.

“I'm going to head out then,” Julius said, turning to open the door with his free hand.

“Julius!” Caress snapped in disbelief.

He turned and looked at her in confusion. “Huh?”

Caress fought the urge to pop him or stomp her foot in full Karina-diva mode. “You know what? Nothing. Never mind. Enjoy your weekend.”

“Okay. Cool. See you Sunday,” he said before walking out the door.

Caress grabbed the door and then slammed it forcefully. “I am seriously…
seriously
through with Julius Jones!”

 

Julius chuckled as he pressed a kiss to Justin's face. “I got your mama right where I want her,” he said, laughing as he made his way down the stairs and out of her apartment building.

 

“I'm not really hungry, Tamara,” Caress said the next night from her seat in the back of Mia's Tahoe as the car turned into the parking lot of Mahogany's.

“Well, tough because this is ladies' night and we are going to eat and drink and be merry.”

Mia just shot her an encouraging wink as they climbed out of the SUV. The ladies all gathered their coats around them to block the cold as they hurried inside.

Caress was so busy taking off her coat that she didn't even notice until she looked up that all eyes were on her. She immediately felt self-conscious and looked down to make sure she wasn't having a Janet Jackson boob moment in her fitted Apple Bottoms' denim dress.

“Girl, come on,” Tamara said, reaching for her hand to pull her forward through the crowd which was splitting like the Red Sea for them.

What is going on
? she wondered as they reached the front of the club.

Suddenly Julius, who was dressed to the nines in a
baaad
tuxedo and holding Justin who was similarly dressed, stepped forward into the center of the crowd. Caress felt the eyes on her as Tamara and Mia nudged her forward into the center with Julius and Justin.

Julius smiled at her before reaching for her hand and pulling her close. “Hi stranger,” he teased as he massaged the small of her back.

“Julius. What is going on?” she asked, forcing a smile.

Kendrick stepped forward and handed Julius a cordless mic, slapping his friend on the back before retreating.

Julius cleared his throat and raised the mic to his mouth as Justin reached out and opened his closed palms for Caress. “He wants to get to his mommy just like me,” Julius joked, drawing laughter from the crowd.

Caress hid her surprise at that remark as she reached up to appease Justin by playing with his pudgy little hands.

“So a little over a year ago a nosy little friend of mine—”

“Hey!” Tamara cried out with a playful pout.

The crowd laughed again but Caress had missed it and looked at Julius and now her eyes were locked with his. There was something in the depths that let her know that this was a serious matter.

“So Caress here—and this is the beautiful Caress for those who don't know her—and I came here for that date. I don't think either one of us was looking for love or happily ever after and for sure not our son here nine months later.”

More soft laughter.

“But that night was special for me, and I think it was special for her too.” Julius pointed the mic toward her mouth. “Was it special for you, baby?”

Caress pulled back a bit thinking the mic was ridiculously phallic. “Yes, it was,” she said huskily with honesty.

“We had the food, the music, and this connection that maybe we both took a little too lightly?” he asked working the mic back and forth between them as they spoke.

Caress nodded as she continued to stare at Julius. And only Julius.

“So I think Mahogany's will always be special to us.”

“Definitely,” Caress stressed, feeling some major excitement creeping up on her.

Julius looked at her for a long time like he wanted to get his words just right. “Lord knows we didn't have anything in common, but somehow we clicked. It worked. And we've had our ups and downs but in the end we both know that what we have together is way bigger than anything we'll ever have apart.”

Caress felt completely breathless as she listened to his words, looked into his eyes, and felt his emotions.

“A good friend told me that there is only one way to truly claim someone as your woman and he was right. So I thank him for that advice.”

“You're welcome,” Kendrick said behind a cough.

Julius motioned for Tamara, and she stepped right up to take a squirming Justin into her arms.

As if on cue that same jazzy rendition of “
I'm Going Down
” began to play softly as Julius bent down on one knee, taking Caress's trembling hand back in his. She smiled at the realization that he was trembling too.

“So I wanted to prove to you, Caress, that I do love you. I am so in love with you, and there is one way to truly make you mine. And what better spot than right here where it all began, on this very dance floor, to ask you to please do me the honor of becoming my wife?” he asked, holding a glittering diamond solitaire in his hand.

At this point Caress hardly knew how her legs supported her, so she lowered herself to her knees before him—equal with him—and breathlessly, with all the love she had for him, answered, “Yes.”

The crowd erupted in applause and sighs as Julius noisily dropped the mic and lifted his hands to cup her face, kissing her with all the passion and promise he could muster.

 

Caress didn't think—in fact she knew she never had been made love to before tonight. Julius had made a bold move to commit and devote himself to her, but the way he relished, adored, and stimulated her body let her know he was making yet another statement.

Time was endless.

Pleasure unbound.

Love blissfully infinite.

As his strong, muscled arms held her body tightly—almost until she couldn't breathe—Caress laid back against the lushness of the hotel suite's bed and enjoyed the hard and slow push of each of his delicious thrusts. Every circular wind of his narrow hips pressed his rod against her walls as he blessed her from shoulder to shoulder with loving kisses and hot words that blew against her heated skin.

She knew she was wanted.

Caress tilted her chin up and licked her lips as she brought her hands up to hold his face. Her tongue flickered out to hotly trace the outline of his lips. She felt him shiver from his head to his toes and even deep within her. Their eyes locked as his tongue darted out to stroke hers. They moaned as Caress suckled his tongue sensuously, deep into her own mouth. She felt his rod stiffen as he continued to stroke her deeply.

She knew she was desired.

As his thrusts deepened with intensity until she felt like he truly wanted them to be merged as one, Julius leaned up enough to look down into her sex-glazed eyes with clear intent to please. She gasped. He thrust. She moaned. He thrust again. She sighed. And he thrust again. A mind blowing cycle that left her panting and breathless, working hard, but energized all at once.

She knew she was irresistible.

Caress brought her hands up to wrap around his neck as she brought her legs up to tightly wrap around his waist. Moving in sync with one another to their own primal rhythm they felt as if it was the most natural thing in the world. They stroked the fires within each other at a slow and sensuous pace. The chemistry that neither could fight from the very beginning built around them as they clung to each other tightly in sweet anticipation of their oncoming climaxes. No words were spoken. None were needed.

She knew she was loved.

Five Months Later

Life was beyond good.

Caress looked away from the minister and up at Julius. She smiled beneath her shoulder-length veil to find his eyes already on her as they stood framed by candlelight at the altar. He squeezed her hands and she squeezed back.

I really love this man
, she thought, unable to believe how blessed and happy she felt for having him in her life.

Even as they spoke their vows of love, commitment, and devotion, and pledged their vows, Caress blossomed in the midst of not only Julius's love but that of her family and her friends.

Julius had taken the lead and hired a private detective to locate her father. Unfortunately they hadn't been successful so far, but she had faith and she loved Julius all the more for even trying to fulfill her dreams.

“May I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Julius Jones.”

Caress and Julius ended their passionate first kiss as a married couple to the thunderous applause of the wedding goers. They smiled as they turned to face everyone. Mia released Justin, and he came waddling up to his parents for Julius to scoop his tuxedo-clad body up into his arms.

Just as the pianist began to play and the soloist belted out an upbeat rendition of
“You're All I Need”
by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Caress wrapped her arm around Julius's as they strutted down the aisle and into their future together.

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Prologue

Holtsville, SC

Careful not to alert anyone to his presence, he moved in the darkness across the wild and grassy field with speed. He was nervous that he would be caught before his mission was complete. Like thunder and drums all rolled into one, his heart pounded in his chest. Sweat dampened his shirt, making it cling to his shoulders and back.

A sudden noise echoed from the surrounding darkness. He caught his breath and held it as nerves caused his bladder to fill. He quickly dropped down, pressing his stomach and knees to the cool earth surrounded by weeds and grass that was nearly three to four feet tall.

Holding his breath…he waited. Listening. Scared of being caught.

He heard nothing but the normal night sounds of the country: owls hooting, frogs singing their tunes, crickets busy scratching their legs.

Warily, he rose and moved ahead.

When the barn—already worn and torn from age and shameful neglect—came into view, he paused. For a second he looked up at the massive structure framed by the full moonlight.

It was almost majestic.

Swallowing any regret, he dashed inside.

He emerged moments later and ran as quickly as he could away from it. His feet thudded against the earth, his chest heaved with pain from his exertion.

He dared turning around only when he was cloaked by the trees—trees that welcomed and hid him.

The flames engulfing the barn were reflected in his ebony eyes.