You're All I Need (18 page)

Tia shut her eyes and relaxed in the shelter of his arms. The last thing she remembered was Chris whispering into her damp hair, “I love you,
chérie.”

Chris carried an exhausted, sated, and naked Tia back to the bedroom and placed her among the bedding. She turned on her side and snuggled into the pillow.

He sat on the edge of the bed and ran a caressing hand from her neck down to her spine, settling over her rear. He kneaded the warm flesh and leaned close to nibble along her neck and shoulder. Chris whispered close to her ear, “Come on, sleepyhead. It's time to get up. We've got things to do today. I'm going to make breakfast.”

Food!
Tia's eyes popped open and landed on Chris's derriere as he moved across the floor and picked up his trousers. She enjoyed the flash of flesh as he stepped into the pants and pulled the zipper into place.

“As much as I'd like to spend the day in bed with you, there are other things that need our attention. I'll see you downstairs in a few minutes.”

Nodding, Tia moaned. She didn't want to get up. Turning on her side, she shoved her face into the pillow as the pungent odor of sex rose from the sheet, permeating the room. She shut her eyes, and the image of Chris on his knees in front of her became vividly real. Water cascaded over his blond head and down his broad shoulders. It had been some of the best sex of her life, and she couldn't wait to have more.

She inhaled. Images of their time in the shower flashed before her. Heat rushed up her neck and settled into her cheeks when she thought of the things she had allowed Chris to do to her. Under the warm spray of the showerhead, she'd learned new and very enjoyable variations of lovemaking.

Chris was thorough and loving, which made Tia feel very special to him. He had created the most powerful sensations she had ever experienced. Maybe this was what it meant to love somebody completely. Or, perhaps it had been such a long time since she had made love that everything seemed new and different.

Whatever the reason, she enjoyed every moment with him and felt connected to him in a way that she had never felt with Darnell. She scoffed. Darnell had never taken her to the places Chris so effortessly had. She felt as if their bodies and their souls were connected when they made love. There were times during their intimate moments that she felt as if Chris anticipated her every need, giving to her unselfishly.

Once he left the room, Tia rolled off the bed to get dressed. She removed underwear, a pair of navy sweatpants, and a matching long-sleeve sweatshirt from her dresser drawers and slipped into them. With a hand on the side of the bed for support, she dropped to her knees to search for a pair of running shoes. Tia pulled pair after pair of work and play shoes from under the bed. “I've got to clean this up real soon,” she muttered, pushing aside several pairs of work pumps. Finally, she found her Nikes. Tia rose and put them on.

There were still a lot of questions that needed answers. Where were they headed next? Tia placed her right ankle on her left knee to tie her shoe. She reversed the procedure and did up the left shoe. Although they had admitted their true feelings for each other, nothing else had been settled. Did Chris expect her to wait until he returned from his assignment in France? That would be more than a year of waiting. She grunted. That idea didn't appeal to her. Was she supposed to visit him once he returned home? Maybe after breakfast they could sit down and hash out the particulars of their relationship so that she didn't feel as if her life would be in limbo.

Tia took a moment to tidy her bedroom. A flush of red heat colored her cheeks when she picked up their clothes and folded them. She laid the garments on a chair and left the room, bouncing down the stairs. On the first floor, the aroma of frying bacon and brewing coffee filled her nostrils.

Elton John's “Bennie and the Jets” was playing from the radio. Chris sang along to the tune, except his rendition was a little different. Tia giggled. It was really cute to hear the lyrics sung in a sexy French drawl.

Chris rounded the corner and took her into his arms, giving her another one of those kisses that sent her senses into space. “Good morning.”

Brushing her hands through his hair, she replied, “Hey.”

Chris asked, “What were you laughing at?”

“You. B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets,” she imitated his French accent.

“Keep it up and I'll get you.”

Grinning, Tia added, “As long as you get me like you did this morning, I'm all for it.”

He ran his tongue across her lips, savoring the taste of her like she was a precious chocolate. “My pleasure.”

His reference to their interlude in the shower made Tia feel incredibly embarrassed and shy. Lowering her head, she brushed a lock of hair from her forehead. She stepped around him, entered the tiny dining area, and took a seat at the table. Chris followed behind her, stopped next to her, and brushed a caressing hand from her warm cheek to her neck before continuing to the kitchen.

Bare-chested and shoeless, Chris moved around her kitchen as if he'd cooked meals in her house for years. He smiled at Tia as he started another song in French. He watched her over the counter.

“Did you find everything you needed?” she asked, moving the cutlery from the left to the right and back again.

“
Oui.
Your kitchen is wonderfully stocked.” He picked up a pot holder and removed a pan from the range. “Breakfast is almost ready.”

Tia rose, intent on helping Chris in the kitchen.

Chris waved her back. “Sit, sit. I can handle this meal.”

Following his instructions, Tia sank back into her chair. The table was set for two, excluding plates. She picked up the pitcher of orange juice and filled his glass with vitamin C. She sipped the chilled beverage.

“We're having cheese and mushroom omelets, bacon, and English muffins,” he announced from the range. “I found strawberry jam in the fridge.”

“Sounds good.”

“Do you cook often?”

She shook her head. “No. Only when necessary.”

Frowning, Chris asked, “How do you eat?”

“Takeout.”

Grunting, Chris said, “That's not healthy.” He wagged a finger in Tia's direction. “We'll have to do something about that.”

Tia grinned and then added, “If you plan on cooking, I'm all for it. But it's not something I do on a regular basis.”

“Maybe we'll share the duties.”

She pretended to consider the issue, tapping a finger against her chin. “I can work with that.”

Chris strolled back and forth between the dining room and kitchen, placing plates of hot food on the table. Finally, he returned with two empty plates. He placed one on his place mat and the other in front of Tia.

She glanced down and frowned. Something small and glittering sat in the center of the plate. A ring. A huge pear-shaped diamond. Two smaller square diamonds flanked the larger one, and small diamonds surrounded the silver band.

Chris moved to her side, dropped to one knee, and grabbed her numb hand within both of his. “We got very busy and carried away last night. I didn't have a chance to ask you the question on my mind.”

The huskiness in his voice shook her to her core. She found her insides quivering in response to his voice.

“Tia Edwards, I love you. I know that we've got a lot of stuff to sort out, but I do believe that we can do it. Will you marry me and come to France?”

Tears pooled in Tia's eyes. She knew they needed to talk and work out details. Today wasn't the day for all of that. She dragged her tongue across her dry lips and cupped Chris's cheek. “I love you, too.”

His eyes glittered with hope and love. “Is that a yes?
Oui?
No?”

Tia nodded.

A spark of sheer joy ignited and spread across his face. Chris took the ring from the plate and slid it onto the ring finger of Tia's left hand and kissed it. “I promise to love you even when you're groggy.”

“I'll love you when you get up and act entirely too chipper and happy in the morning.” She giggled and leaned down for a quick kiss.

Helping Tia rise from her chair, Chris drew her into his arms and held her close against him. “Thank you for loving me.”

“No, thank you.”

Overcome with emotion, Chris's voice shook when he waved a hand at the table and said, “Come. Sit, sit. We need to eat before the food grows cold.”

Sitting down, Chris reached for her hand. “I have one more thing to say to you. No matter what happens between us or how angry you make me, I promise to end our evenings with a kiss.”

“Good, because you're a great kisser.” Grinning, Tia took his hand and kissed the palm. “I look forward to that.”

 

Nervously, Tia twisted her brand-new engagement ring back and forth on her finger as she glanced at the computer clock for the fifth time. Today was D-day. They had decided to make their engagement and future plans public.

Chris ambled out of his office and stopped at her desk, whispering in her ear, “Wish me luck.”

As usual, the sound of that husky, accented voice made her quiver inside. She touched his hand and squeezed it. “Good luck.”

He drew in a deep breath and let it out, showing her a not-so-steady hand. “Can you believe it? I'm nervous.”

“Not you,” Tia teased with a note of fake surprise in her tone. “Not my big, handsome Frenchman.” She grinned and stroked his cheek. “Poor baby. He's never nervous.”

“That's true.” Chris pulled on the tie knot. “Except for today. What about you? Do you want to wait until I get back and then we'll talk to Adam together?”

Shaking her head, she answered, “No. This is between him and me. I want to tell him by myself.”

“So certain?” His eyebrows rose. “Should I be jealous?”

“No. I love you. But Adam's been good to me, and he deserves to hear about our engagement from me. This is sort of like you with Reynolds. He's been your friend and a mentor for years. Reynolds deserves to get the news from you.”

“You're right.”

Tia tilted her head toward the hallway. “Now go.”

“Man. You are one bossy woman.”

“Am I? Well, at least you know it now. It gives you all the time in the world to renege on your proposal.”

“Never. See you later.” Chuckling, he squeezed her hand and started through the maze of cubicles, heading to the executive offices.

A part of her felt like a rat. Since coming to work for Adam, she'd learned so much. Plus, he always pushed her to do and be more. Without Adam's urging, she would never have finished her bachelor's degree. After all, she had a good job. Why bother wasting her time on furthering her education?

There wasn't anything else she could do until Adam returned from his breakfast meeting with Judge Archer. Tia focused on her routine duties for the time being.

Deep into her work, Tia didn't hear Adam when he returned. She looked up and there he stood with his cell phone attached to his ear.

He stopped at her desk and picked up his messages. Talking softly into the phone, he took several steps toward his office, halted, and returned to Tia's workstation with a puzzled expression on his face.

“I'll call you back.” He disconnected the call and slipped the phone into the breast pocket of his suit jacket.

“Hi,” Tia greeted.
What was he staring at?
she wondered.

“What's that on your finger?” Adam pointed at her left hand.

Oh, man! The time has come.
There wouldn't be any small talk before she hit him with the engagement stuff. “A ring.”

“Does it mean what I think it does?” he asked dubiously. “Yes.”

“To whom?” he asked in a soft tone.

Adam's question surprised Tia.

He added cautiously, “It's not Darnell, is it?”

Grimacing with distaste, Tia received a second shock. “God, no! Why would you ask that?”

He let out a hiss of disgust. “Sometimes things happen. People make up regardless of who they're seeing. I didn't want it to be Darnell, but I had to ask. It's Chris, correct?”

Nodding with a smile on her face, Tia twisted the ring around her finger. “Yes.”

Adam ran a hand over his face and then added, “That also means you'll be leaving Gautier and me within the month.”

“Yes.”

He circled the desk and came up behind her, lifting her from the chair. Adam took her into his arms and hugged her close. “I'm going to miss you. You've become an integral part of my day.” Grinning, Adam let her go and returned to his place on the other side of the workstation. “Well, I guess I should have expected it. That boy has been one step behind you since the day he arrived.”

Fighting back tears, Tia admitted, “I'll miss you, too.”

“Hey, what's going on here?” Chris asked, strolling up to Tia's workstation.

Adam turned to Chris and stuck out his hand. “I understand congratulations are in order.”

Grinning, Chris took Adam's hand and pumped it up and down. “Yes, they are.”

Adam pinched his chin with his forefinger and thumb. “I assume that you've just come from Reynolds's office.”

Chris nodded.

“When are you leaving and taking my favorite executive assistant with you?”

“Couple of weeks. A month at the latest,” Chris answered.

Adam nodded. “That's what I figured. Tia, I need your recommendations on who you think would make an adequate replacement, although no one can replace you.”

“Thank you.” Tears pooled in Tia's eyes. Telling Adam hadn't been as difficult as she had expected. Her boss always put the needs of his staff ahead of the company. She would miss him and the position. Adam gave her challenging work that allowed her to grow as an employee of Gautier.

Pulling herself together, Tia gazed at Chris and smiled. She moved to his side and slipped her fingers through his. Her future belonged with him. Although she felt nervous and a wee bit worried about what the future held for them, she belonged at his side.