Shine Your Love on Me (21 page)

“Ten years from now would be too soon. They
insisted. Especially mom. She wants to make sure you’re not a
Martian with three heads.”

Brooke laughed. “Some might say I’m worse.”
She leaned over and kissed him.

Pres pulled her closer and deepened the kiss.
Brooke melted against him, closing her fingers around his shoulder.
When they broke, his eyes were bright with lust.

“Slow down. We have to do dinner.”

“I’d like to do you for dinner,” he
whispered.

She sensed the heat in her cheeks. “Down,
boy. Family, food, then you and me.”

“I can hardly wait.”

Brooke reapplied her lipstick after wiping
Pres’s mouth.

The doorman at the restaurant offered her his
hand. Inside, the Club was dark. Mahogany walls with imitation Old
Masters oil paintings and a thick, dark red carpet kept the
elegant, hushed quality of the small, intimate dining room.

The head waiter showed them to a table in an
alcove. Pres’s parents were already seated. His father rose when
Brooke approached. He kissed her hand. Pres held her chair. His
mother nodded.
He’s taller and more distinguished than I
thought. Fairly slim for a man his age. His mom’s pretty. Blonde,
petite. Aqua dress matches her eyes, same color as Pres’s.

An open bottle of fine champagne, wrapped in
a linen towel, sat nestled in a bed of ice in a silver bucket.
Jonathan nodded at the waiter, who then filled the empty flutes in
front of Pres and Brooke. They raised them.

“To the tremendous success of Night Cops and
Preston Carpenter.” They clinked glasses.

Brooke took several sips to bolster her
courage. Jonathan asked her questions about what she did. When she
revealed she ran a dinner and movie night at her grandmother’s
house, he raised his eyebrows.
Not the corporate chickie making
a mil you envisioned for your son, am I?
She shoved a piece of
bread in her mouth to stifle a chuckle.

“This place is known for the tenderest
steaks, Brooke, if you like meat.”

A sexual connotation with the word entered
her head, and she bit her lip to keep from laughing.
Hell, yeah,
I like meat.
She avoided Pres’s gaze, too, knowing he’d read
her mind. “I love steak,” she replied.

Jonathan smiled. “Good. Excellent. How do you
like it?”

Again, Brooke had to pinch herself to keep
from laughing.
I like it from your son, right between my
legs.
She sensed Pres staring at her and fought to control
herself. After another sip of champagne, she realized drinking
might not be the best idea.

“Medium. I like it medium, Jonathan,” she
squeaked out, avoiding direct eye contact.

Pres leaned over and whispered in her ear.
“You okay?”

She nodded, allowing herself a wide grin,
which was met with a quizzical look from him.

Jumbo shrimp cocktails to start were followed
by steak, Lyonnaise potatoes, and salad with artichoke hearts.
Pres’s mom complimented Brooke on her dress and her pearls. She
explained where she got the necklace, and Carolyn’s eyes
misted.

“I don’t have a daughter to hand down my
jewelry to.”

Brooke instinctively reached over and
squeezed her hand. “No, but you have a wonderful son.” Pres’s mom
looked up, clearly startled, and smiled.

This is going okay. Jonathan thinks I’m a
bloodsucker, but Carolyn likes me.
Under the table, Pres took
her hand and rested it, laced with his, on his thigh. His simple
gesture of support put her at ease. The warmth of his fingers
surrounding hers signaled his love. She kept up with the
conversation, answering his parents’ questions without
hesitation.

Brooke dug into her steak with glee.
Suddenly, she was starving. They killed the rest of the champagne,
and Jonathan was ready to order another bottle when Pres raised his
hand.

“I have to work tomorrow. Can’t be hung over.
I’ve had enough.”

“Me, too. I’ve got a ton to do, shopping,
cooking. It’s better for me to stop.”

Jonathan chuckled. “I could drink you young
people under the table.”

Carolyn put her hand on his arm and leaned
over to whisper in his ear. He blushed and signaled to the waiter
not to bring another bottle. Brooke wasn’t sure, but she thought
Pres’s mom was telling Jonathan not to get drunk so they could have
sex later. The idea made blood rush to her face. She lowered her
gaze to her food and tried to push the idea out of her head.
What’s the matter with me? I have sex on the brain.

The meal was delicious. Dessert dazzled. She
split a warm lava cake with Pres. As she watched him lick the
chocolate off his kissable lip, she could feel heat begin inside
her. By nine, the bill was paid, Brooke had said her thanks, hugged
Carolyn, shook hands with Jonathan, and was pressed snugly against
Pres in a cab.

He nibbled on her ear. “Can’t wait to get you
home. You’re staying tonight, right?”

“I have so much to do tomorrow. It’s
Friday.”

“But I’m leaving on Sunday. We only have two
more nights.”

“What?” She pushed him back and locked his
gaze with hers. “Leaving? For where?”

“L.A. I didn’t tell you. Didn’t want my
parents to know. They’ll freak out if they think I’m going to be
away for two or three months.”

“Three months!” Brooke’s heart began to beat
faster. Her pulse kicked up, and her mouth went dry.

“I’m sorry, honey. I meant to tell you
sooner, but I only found out yesterday.”

The vehicle stopped. Pres shoved some bills
in the driver’s hand while Brooke got out. Tears clouded her eyes.
He’s leaving. Damn. Three months? Might as well be a
lifetime.

Pres came up behind her, directing her to his
door with his palm on the small of her back. Once inside, her
control dissolved, and tears ran down her cheeks.

“Oh, baby. Don’t cry. Please don’t cry. I’ll
be back. Maybe two months. Three at the outside. It depends on how
long it takes to write the scripts.”

“What about us?”

“Will you come with me?”

“I can’t leave Nan. I’m all she has.”

“She has a ton of friends at the senior
center.”

“It’d kill her. I can’t. Don’t make me
choose.”

“I have to go, Brooke. They said they want me
out there to write the first three scripts. I’ve already got them
plotted out. If they agree with my ideas, or I can agree to their
changes, we can do them in no time.”

“What about us?” she asked, reaching for a
tissue.

“Will you wait for me?” She turned tearful
eyes to his. His brow was puckered and a worried look swept over
his face. “I don’t want to lose you, kitten. I love you. Once I get
going on this, we’ll have enough money to make it permanent.”

“Do you mean that?”

He nodded.

“I’ll wait for you if you wait for me,” she
replied.

“Deal.” He kissed her.

Brooke hugged him tight then buried her face
in his chest.
Everything was so good. Now this. So good and so
bad at the same time.
Her heart hurt. Distrust and fear filled
her veins.
Out in L.A., where beautiful women are
everywhere.
Buddy barked.

“Come on, let’s take the dogs then go back to
my place for the night.”

“Okay.”

Pres leashed his pug then went along with her
to Ruth’s. Freddy and Ginger ran out of the bedroom when Brooke
opened the door. She fastened them into their harnesses, and they
joined Pres and Buddy.

As they walked, Pres laid out his hopes and
plans for his career. “I want you with me for everything.”

“Really? Long distance? I’ll be your
cheerleader. I know you’ll succeed. I hope you don’t forget me.”
Successful, sexy, handsome, single writer in the land of
bronzed, bikini-clad beauties.

He turned to face her. “How could I ever
forget you? The girl who made me stand up to my father?”

“I didn’t. You did that on your own.”

“Brooke, I mean it when I say I want you with
me.”

She ran her finger down his cheek and stared
into his eyes, shadowed by the night. “I love you, Pres. I’ll be
here.”

“As soon as I leave, a bunch of guys are
going to swoop down on you. You have to be strong. I won’t be here
to punch them out.”

She giggled. “Such an imagination.”

He pulled her close, slinging his arm over
her shoulders. Before long, the pugs were tired and turned around,
heading for home. Brooke grabbed a change of clothes and slipped
quietly out of the apartment, so as not to wake Nan. Pres took her
hand as they ambled back to his place. Once there, Buddy curled up
on the bed after eating his late-night treat.

“Come here, kitten,” Pres said, the light of
desire shining in his eyes.

Brooke toed off her pumps and sauntered over
slowly. “Hey, handsome, what did you have in mind?” She ran her
palms slowly up his chest.

Pres ripped his tie off and unbuttoned the
top button of his shirt. Brooke smacked his hand away and slowly
undid the rest. After each one, she slipped a finger inside and
slid it through his chest hair.

“No undershirt tonight?”

“Didn’t want to waste time.”

“I like the way you plan ahead.” She shot a
flirtatious glance at him. Pres’s palms smoothed down the sides of
her dress. Stepping closer, he reached around behind and grabbed
her rear end. His hot breath warmed her forehead. She opened his
shirt and pushed it off his shoulders before placing her lips on
his pecs. She clasped his sides as she slowly kissed her way down.
God, he’s gorgeous.

Pres moaned and didn’t move. As she got
lower, his hands moved up her back. He combed his fingers through
her long locks. When she got to his belt, she undid it and unzipped
his pants, which fell to the floor.

“Ummmm. Yeah,” she murmured as she inched his
boxers down his hips to his thighs. His erection sprang free.
Brooke caressed it before she took him in her mouth.

“Holy shit, baby. Honey. Oh, God.” He closed
his eyes and moaned as she moved on him. “Stop, stop. Kitten. I’m
gonna come if you don’t.” He bent over, cupping his hands under her
arms, and lifted her to her feet. His lips descended on hers,
tongue demanding entrance, devouring her. He crushed her breasts
into his chest and ground his hips against hers.
If he gets any
hotter, he’ll burst into flame.

While unzipping her, he whispered in her ear,
“Take it off for me. Slowly, ya know?”

Brooke threw a wicked smile at him as she
stepped back. She hummed the tune “The Stripper” as she eased her
dress up over her rear. When her hem hit her waist, Pres put his
hands on her hips, glided them up and down her sides, and then down
her hips to her outer thighs.

She wiggled and bumped in time to the song.
When he slipped his fingers under the waistband of her panties,
closed them over her bottom, and squeezed, a bolt of desire shot
through her body. His touch sent heat through her.

He awakened something new in her. Her passion
for him was so strong, she couldn’t refuse him, no matter what. Her
knees weakened when she saw the fiery look of lust in his eyes. At
first, she had resisted because he wasn’t the type of man she
thought she should be with, but as she got to know him, she changed
her mind. When he turned up the heat, she melted like a candle in
the sun.

Sure, he wanted her. So did all men. Lloyd
had, and she knew it. But Pres wanted her in a different way. He
wanted her heart along with her body, whereas she had never thought
Lloyd cared about that part of her anatomy. Pres wanted love. Lloyd
had only wanted to get laid.

She lifted the dress over her head, but left
it there for a few moments. He cupped her breasts and squeezed. It
was like a direct jolt to her core. “May I?” He reached for the
garment.

“Uh, uh, uh, naughty boy. Patience.”

He dropped his hands and laughed. She resumed
humming, slipped it off, and tossed it on a chair. Then, she stood
in front of him, gyrating to the beat in black lace panties and a
push-up bra so small it was almost not there. His gaze scorched her
skin. He stepped closer, but she stepped back. Reaching around
behind her with one hand, she popped the bra open.

His mouth hung open a little as she eased the
straps down and removed it so slowly he was almost drooling. He
hooked his thumbs in the waistband of her panties and slid them
down.

“Don’t rush me.” She stepped out of them and
moved away from him.

“I can’t stand it. Come here you…you…vixen.”
Brooke tossed her bra in the air and took off, running through the
apartment with Pres in hot pursuit. Buddy awoke and stood up,
barking. Brooke took a flying leap for the bed. Pres came sailing
after her. He landed half on top of her, causing a big
“
ooph!
” from her.

“Did I hurt you? Are you okay?”

She licked her lips and smiled at him. “Come
and get me, handsome.”

Pres dove for her, his mouth working hers,
his hands roaming her body. Brooke gripped his back, digging her
fingertips into his muscles. She ground her hips against his. “I
could just…” he began, after taking a breath. Instead, he lowered
his head, kissing her neck, working his way down. When he reached
her bosom, he stopped. Closing his hands around her breasts, his
fingers pinched her nipples and rolled them. Then, he attacked with
his mouth.

“God, Pres. That’s so good. So good.” Her
eyes closed as passion grew inside her. She opened her legs,
allowing him to settle between them. Cracking an eye open, she
watched him forsake her chest and move down to her belly.

“I’m gonna make you scream. Scream for me.
Scream my name.”

She shivered at the thought of how he’d do
that. The ache to have him inside her grew, twisting her guts,
wetting her core. “Pres, I’m ready. Soooo ready.”

“Nope. Not yet.” He slid his hand down her
belly and cupped her. He explored her with his fingers, circling
her hot flesh. “Oh, yeah. You think you’re ready. But you’re
not.”