Slow Seduction (27 page)

“Baby, what in the world are you doing?” Clinton asked, standing behind Jenisha in the living room of her house.

“I’m practicing some of the games I want to play with the children tomorrow at the field trip to the park. Tomorrow is the last day of school before the summer and I want them to remember the second grade as fun,” Jenisha answered, picking up the horseshoes off the floor.

“Sweetheart, your class loves you so much already and nothing will change that. You are the best teacher at Bryant and the staff knows it, too,” Clinton stated, sitting on the couch to stare at his girlfriend.

“Do you think you might want to volunteer as a chaperone at the park? I would love to see those sexy legs of yours in a pair of shorts,” Jenisha smiled.

“I don’t know,” Clinton stated. “I have a lot of paperwork to finish up, and then I have to pack all my stuff up at the house so I can leave at the end of the month.”

Placing the horseshoes back in the box they came in, Jenisha joined him on the couch. “I can’t believe you are leaving and going back home. Can’t I do anything to make you stay a little longer?”

“Precious, I want you to come back with me and spend the whole summer,” Clinton mumbled. He couldn’t bear to spend the rest of the summer without her at his side. “The crew is on vacation until the rest of those supplies come in, and the last of the remodeling won’t be completed until the first week of August.”

“Clinton, I don’t want you to think I’m pushing you into anything,” Jenisha replied in that soft voice he loved so much.

“Honey, wasn’t I the one who made all the moves? You haven’t done a thing to me. So, how about it? After our trip with Hayward and True, would you want to spend the rest of the summer with me back in Stamford?”

Jenisha stood up, remembering the last time she was there with him and what happened with Terri. “Jenisha, don’t worry what happened to you last time. It won’t happen this time, I promise.” He would sue the entire police station if another officer placed a pair of cuffs on his girlfriend….maybe future wife. He hadn’t asked Jenisha to marry him yet.

“Clinton, I want to be anywhere you are,” she answered lovingly.

“Good, next week start deciding on what you want at my house and I can have it sent. I’ll have the maid hang it up in my closet,” he replied. “Come back over here and sit down,” he asked, patting the seat beside him.

When Jenisha was beside him again he placed her legs in his lap and started to massage her bare feet. “Guess who talked to me today outside?”

“I don’t know, tell me.” Jenisha stared at him while he worked the tension from her feet.

“Robin, she cornered me outside and wanted to apologize for trying to break us up,” he muttered, caught up in the memory. “It was so strange. She wasn’t herself.”

“Did she smell like liquor?” Jenisha hissed.

“Come on, she can’t help it if she has an addiction. You shouldn’t make fun of her.”

“Sorry, but she has been a thorn in my side since the beginning of school,” Jenisha retorted. “Robin and I will never be friends.” She couldn’t believe Clinton was feeling sorry for that hussy after everything she had done to them.

“Okay, I didn’t mean to upset you. I just wanted to tell you about my day. How was yours? Did anything exciting happen?” he asked, moving his hands over the bottom of her feet.

Jenisha thought about the letter she got from Keith asking could he see her again. She didn’t want to mention it. However, she knew telling Clinton would make it better in the long run. “I got a letter in the mail from my ex-fiancée today,” she said.

Clinton continued massaging her feet. “What did he want?”

She knew he was upset from the soft way he asked the question. She removed her feet from his lap and slid them underneath her. “Clinton, I need to tell you about Keith. The last time I tried to tell you about him. You didn’t want to hear about it.”

Her pissed boyfriend started to rise from the couch. “I don’t want to hear about another man you were in love with. He is in your past. Let him stay there.”

“Clinton, Keith was more than my ex-boyfriend,” she stressed, pushing his tall body back down on the couch. “We were going to get married.”

Clinton shot his eyes over to her. “Why didn’t you get married?” he asked in a deceptively calm voice

“Something happened and it got cancelled,” she answered, crossing her fingers he wouldn’t ask anymore questions. Jenisha was clueless to the haunted look that passed over her face.

“What did Keith do?”

If Clinton ever found out, he would leave her. She wouldn’t allow that to happen. Clinton was everything to her and it would stay that way. “Keith didn’t do anything. We just decided not to get married.”

“I know there’s something you are hiding from me.” Clinton tapped his finger against the bridge of her nose. “I can see it in your eyes and hear it in your voice. Precious, is it that traumatic that you can’t tell me? If he harmed you physically or mentally, I’ll hurt him,” Clinton choked out.

He grabbed her arms pulling her closer, “Tell me what that bastard did.”

Shaking her head, Jenisha pushed out of his grip, “It’s all in the past now and I want to leave it there. I never loved him the way I love you.”

Clinton pressed her head against his chest. “You’re right. Keith is a part of your past and we are going to leave him there.”

Sniffing, Jenisha took several breaths to calm down her racing heart. “You promise not to ask me anymore questions,” she questioned hopefully.

“Darling, I swear your past will stay in the past,” Clinton assured her with a hug.

“T
hank
you.” Jenisha snuggled closer to Clinton’s body and slowly fell to sleep.

Clinton held Jenisha, rubbing her back while she slept. He would keep his promise to her and not ask her another question. Hell, he didn’t say he wouldn’t ask Keith about the break-up. Clinton needed to know why Jenisha kept this part of her life so hidden. He picked Jenisha up and carried her to bed. He left a note saying he would see her tomorrow night then he left.

Waiting a few minutes, Jenisha made sure Clinton had left before she opened her eyes. Clinton wasn’t about to leave Keith in the past now. She needed to get to him before Clinton did. Getting off the bed, she went into the kitchen and pulled his letter out of the trash. She dialed the number at the bottom of the letter. Keith needed to be warned not to speak to Clinton no matter what he said. Keith had kept his promise in the past; Jenisha prayed he would do it this time too.

“Miss Roman,” Ginger Newman said, pulling at her arm.

Jenisha looked down at the red headed little girl with freckles across the bridge of her nose. “Yes, what is it, Ginger?”

“I wanted to tell you how much fun I’m having and I’ll miss having you as my teacher next year,” Ginger grinned, looking up at her. “So, I brought you a present,” she said, handing Jenisha a purple box.

“Oh, t
hank
you so much.” She took the present, touched that Ginger thought to buy her a gift. “Stay right here while I open it.” She opened the box and pulled out sterling silver charm bracelet. A “World’s Best Teacher” charm shined back at her.

“This is so beautiful. I’ll put it on right now.” Laying the box on the picnic table, Jenisha slid the bracelet on. “I’ll wear it all the time.”

Ginger’s blue eyes lit up with delight. “I’m glad you like it Miss Roman,” she said then she ran back to the swing set for her turn.

“Do I have to be jealous of cute children with single dads bringing you gifts,” Clinton muttered, kissing the back of Jenisha’s neck.

“Clinton,” she gasped, spinning around to kiss him on the mouth. “I thought you had to work.”

“I finished early,” he said, eyeing the red summer dress she wearing, “Isn’t this dress a little sexy for a school picnic?” The red dress ended below her knees and was fitted at the waist, bringing attention to her full breasts and nicely round butt: the two parts he loved on her the most.

“You need to stop that,” Jenisha laughed, hitting him on the arm. “Who am I trying to flirt with at a school activity? The only men here are the parents of my kids and most of them have wives,” she continued.

“See, the single ones worry me,” he explained, looking at two men staring at his Jenisha. Narrowing his eyes, Clinton wrapped an arm around her waist and glared at them.

“Clinton, what in the world are you doing?” She followed his stare, spotting two single dads looking at her. Smiling, she waved at them, causing them to smile and wave back.

“Don’t encourage them,” Clinton scolded, bringing her arm down.

“Sweetheart, I can’t encourage them with a wave.” Removing Clinton’s arm from her waist, Jenisha finished setting the table for the children’s lunch with her overprotective boyfriend standing to the left, watching the families having fun with their children.

Clinton couldn’t wait until it was his chance to be a father. It was something he had wanted for years with the right woman, and now she was standing five feet behind him.

Last night he had decided he would propose to her that night before the arrival of Hayward and True for the trip. He wanted his ring on her finger so all the men knew she was taken. He stared at her until she turned around to wink at him. Damn, he loved her so much it scared him. If anything happened to her, he knew he couldn’t go on.

He was actually thinking about having a talk with Hayward about opening up two more Campbell Construction and design businesses. One would be in Florida so Dave could have a trial run at overseeing it. He wanted a man he could trust with this new idea, and Dave was the most trustworthy person he had working for him besides Jim.

He wanted to head the other business out here, so he could be closer to Jenisha after the wedding. They could turn his house in Stamford into a little getaway place for them. Pleased with that part of his plan, Clinton allowed his mind to focus on tonight’s agenda. Jenisha needed to be kept in the dark. She knew he wanted to ask the big question, just not when.

Tonight was the night he hoped she was as ready for as he was. “Can I help you with something?” he asked Jenisha, hoping to make the time move faster.

“I want us to visit the place I know made you fall in love with me,” Clinton confessed, glancing over at Jenisha inside the car.

Jenisha laid her hand on his thigh and her fingers were caressing the inside of his leg. He was having a hard time concentrating on the road. “I fell in love with you the first time you kissed me in the hallway. I grew deeper in love the more I was around you.”

Clinton squeezed her hand tenderly. “I think you will enjoy this.” At least he hoped that she would.

Pulling into the parking lot, Jenisha saw a paradise set up on the beach. Once they got out of the car, she noticed a platform had been set up on the sand with a table setting for two. Soft music played in the background, but she didn’t see a musician in sight. The night air blew at her long, off-the-shoulder cream-colored dress. She wore a matching cameo choker and bracelet.

“Oh, Clinton, this is where we had out first date,” Jenisha gushed, looking out at the sand and the ocean. “I don’t know how you made it more beautiful, but you did.”

Clinton led her across the sand to the table and held out a chair for her. “Jenisha, you look so heavenly tonight,” he whispered into her ear. “You make me so proud to have you on my arm. I’m an extremely lucky man.” He strolled around the table and took a seat across from her.

“No, Clinton I’m the lucky person in this relationship,” she disagreed with a shake of her head. “You have brought me out of my shell so much. I used to get up every morning go to work and then come home to read or watch television until bedtime.”

“I was happy with my work life, but my personal life was so lonely,” she admitted. “I never thought I would find a man like you.”

Clinton opened his mouth to speak, but Jenisha stopped him by holding up her hand. “Please, let me finish,” she asked. “I want to just say I love you more now than I ever thought possible, and I hope we can be together forever.”

Resting his back on the chair, Clinton gazed at the caring woman sitting in front of him. She always thought about everyone else but herself. Oh, how he loved his Jenisha with a ardor usually foreign to him. How could he not propose after what she just said to him? Jenisha wanted him to love her, and his love would be for a life time.

His heart started to pound at the possibility of her saying no.
What if she didn’t want to be his wife?
He needed to calm down so he wouldn’t blow the most important moment of his life. Pushing his chair away from the table, Clinton said, “Stay right here, I’ll be back.” H moved to stand on the beach with his back to her.

Jenisha sat at the table sipping her drink and staring at Clinton with a frown. He wasn’t acting right. There was something going on and she couldn’t figure it out. Clinton usually had a ready smile and a gentle touch for her, yet tonight he had barely made a move on her.

She had taken extra care with her hair and make-up. Like always, he had kissed her and said how gorgeous she looked.
What if he had found out the truth about her?
Jenisha’s hands started to shake and almost spilled water on her dress. Taking a quick glance at Clinton, she noticed he still had his back to her. She placed the glass on the table and wiped her sweaty hand on the napkin in her lap. The aroma of food blowing toward her made her stomach growl. She wondered when it would be time to eat.

Moving his head, a little Clinton noticed Jenisha staring at him with a scared look on her striking face. He knew she wondered what was going on. Closing his eyes, he felt the brush of the wind on his face, blowing away the last doubts clouding his mind. Whirling around on his heel, Clinton stalked over to claim his woman.

Jenisha took a sip of water, watching Clinton on his way back to the table. His face was closed, so she couldn’t read his emotions or asset his moods. Grabbing his chair, Clinton slid it closer to hers. “Jenisha, I don’t where to begin. Everything is running around in my mind and trying to find a way out. I’m not much for speeches or things like that, so please bear with me. I promise it will be worth it in the end.”

“Sweetheart, I used to be a man who loved partying and seeing what hot date I could bring home from the bar. Things were going fine, or at least I thought so, until I saw the undying love Hayward and True shared.” He paused and stared into her eyes. “It was an eye opener that caused me to step back and reexamine my sorry life,” he confessed, wanting Jenisha to understand him.

“I knew if I didn’t stop my ways of living, along with hanging out with negative people, I wouldn’t find the right woman for me. The next month True brought a vision into my life named Jenisha Roman.”

“Baby, I had wanted to snatch you up and run away with you. Right then, however, you looked terrified of me. So, I calmed down, trusting in fate to bring us back together and it did. Honey, what I’m trying to say is I don’t want to spend another month, week, day, hour, minute, or second without you at my side.”

Bending down on one knee, Clinton pulled a ring box from his pants pocket. “Jenisha, will you marry me,” he asked, opening the ring box.

Tears slid down her cheeks as she reached out and touched the ring as if it were an allusion not meant for her. “Yes,” she whispered in a small voice.

He took the ring out and slipped it on her finger. “I’ll make you the happiest woman in the world for the rest of your life,” he said, kissing Jenisha and wrapping her in his arms.

Over his shoulder, Jenisha looked out into the ocean thinking,
Please don’t let me lose him once he finds out
.

After Clinton dropped her off from their date, Jenisha called True to tell her about the engagement and other things.

“Jenisha, I can’t believe you are saying this,” True said over the phone.

“I know. He shocked me too with this. Here I was ready to come home and make love to my fiancée and he said no. He wants us to wait until the wedding night. It will be more special,” Jenisha complained quite loudly until she heard True’s laughter.

“True Campbell, are you laughing at me?”

“No, I’m not, Jenisha,” True answered, trying to cover up the laughing with her hand.

“Yes, you are, and I want you to stop,” Jenisha said with a laugh of her own.

“So, what time are you leaving tomorrow?”

“We should be in Los Angeles around three o’clock. Hayward will stay with Clinton and I’ll stay with you until we leave on Thursday.” True had to end the call because Hayward walked in with the boys and Lance.

Placing the phone back in the cradle, Jenisha picked up the bride magazine and stared at the dress she wanted to wear. The wedding date was set for two weeks before school started. Panic set in almost instantly with her. She kept telling Clinton there was no way they could plan a wedding while on vacation too.

Clinton told her not to worry because everything was set and ready to go. All she had to go was pick out her dress, True’s dress, and the flowers she wanted. Jenisha asked him how it was possible when he just proposed to her that night.

When Clinton finally confessed that he had been planning the wedding since the night they first made love it shocked the hell out of her. She laid the magazine to the side and picked up the invitations that Clinton handed her. It was a sample that he made on the computer. Jenisha smiled and ran her fingers over the butterfly on the left-hand side. She read the engraving at the bottom.

Jenisha Roman

And

Clinton Campbell

Two souls meant to be together for a lifetime.

Touching the invitations lightly again one last time, Jenisha placed them back in the box Clinton had handed her before she got out of the car. She rubbed her thumb across the huge diamond on her left hand. Jenisha was terrified something may happen to end her bliss. She knew Clinton adored her with every breath in his body. A wedding was taking place next month. All her dreams were coming true except one, and that one could shatter everything she had worked so hard for.