A Man's Promise (26 page)

She reached out, wanting to undress him, as well. He was wearing a T-shirt, and she lifted it over his head, tossing it away. Her hand went to his chest, and she moaned when she ran her fingers through the curly hair there. It was soft to the touch. And then she let her fingers run down the planes of his stomach and heard his quick intake of breath. She marveled at the fact that she was responsible for the sound.

Her hand lowered, and when she realized he was wearing pj bottoms, she tugged downward to push them past his hips and thighs. He assisted by stepping out of them. Knowing he was now as naked as she was sent a sensual sensation rioting through her. It had been a long time since she’d been intimate with a man, and this was the first time since becoming blind. She would have to feel her way through this, and that was what she intended to do.

Her hand lowered still, and she boldly cupped him, finding him so aroused that her breath caught. His breathing changed. She liked that. She also liked how he felt in her hands. He was hard and hot, and the heat actually stirred her hunger. The same hunger she had kept a lid on for years.

“Let’s get into bed, sweetheart,” he whispered against her ear.

She nodded and released him. She lay on the bed and he followed, tugging her into his arms to lie beside her. She knew him. He intended to take things slowly, treat her as if she were a china doll, but she didn’t want that. She wanted him to handle her the way a man handled a woman he wanted intensely. She needed that and wanted to have it that way.

She sat up and ran her hands all over him, needing to continue to touch the skin she couldn’t see. He felt soft in some places and hard in others. He was hairy, and her fingers traced a path from the hair on his chest past his stomach muscles and all the way to his groin area. And then she took him into her hands again, loving the feel of him and the way his erection was hardening, stronger and stronger beneath her fingertips.

“Mona, baby, you’re killing me.”

She heard the words ground out through clenched teeth and wished she could see the expression on his face. She held on to hope that one day she would.

“I need you now, sweetheart.”

And she needed him. She heard and felt him shift in the bed, adjusting the pillows at her head. He shifted her onto her back and the heat from his body covered her own.

And when he leaned in and captured her mouth in his, she could only moan at all the sensations rapidly mounting inside of her. Sensations so far gone and out of control she could only lie there and savor them.

While he continued to kiss her, his knee nudged her legs apart, and he broke off the kiss long enough to say, “When the girls went off to college, I decided they would be the only two children I’d ever want. I had a vasectomy many years ago.”

She nodded and whispered, “I always wanted a baby but Fred never did.”

“I know.”

Yes, he knew, because she’d told him the score with her ex. “And if we were younger, Mona, I would give you the baby you wanted.”

His words set emotions off within her, because he’d offered to do something her own husband had refused to do. Just knowing he meant the words touched her deeply.

“Now you can share my grandbabies with me.”

Those words only added to the emotions she was feeling. He was talking as if he wanted her to not only be a part of his present but also a part of his future. “Grandbabies? You think your girls will give you more than one?”

He chuckled softly. “I figure I’ll get at least two or three from Shana. The jury’s still out on Jules. I can’t wait to meet the man who will topple her off that high horse she’s on.”

And then she felt his fingers making their way to her breasts, cupping each in his hand. Continuing the search, his hand found her stomach and then the area between her legs. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered, sliding a finger inside her.

His featherlight caresses sent more sensations escalating through her, and she closed her eyes to feel and savor his touch. As he kissed again she felt him gliding inside of her, not stopping until he was buried deep.

“You okay?” he asked with concern in his voice when their bodies were locked together.

“Yes, I’m fine.” And at that moment his features appeared before her eyes, an incredibly handsome face. The surprise of seeing it made her suck in a shocking breath before everything turned black again.

“What’s wrong, baby? Did I hurt you?” he asked in a concerned tone.

A part of her wanted to share what she had glimpsed, and then a part of her held back. If she never regained her sight, at least for that one brief second she had been blessed with a glimpse of the man who had her heart.

“No, I’m fine, and you’re beautiful,” she whispered, fighting back tears. “And I love you, Benjamin Bradford,” she said, reaching up and cupping his face in her hands.

She felt him smile against her hands. “And I love you, Mona Underwood.”

And then he began moving, slow at first. Gentle. Sensual forces that were rapidly taking control of her seized him, and he began moving in a rhythm that had her moaning while he leaned in and planted a row of kisses around her collarbone. His thrusts became hard, going deep, then deeper, and driving her over the edge. Wanting more, her body arched, her hips rose, and he came down with hard strokes each and every time.

And then she felt her body explode at the same time his did. He tightened his hold on her hips, and she dug her fingertips into his shoulders as she was pushed into waters that drowned her senses while every cell in her body erupted in deep, undiluted pleasure.

“Ben!”

“I’m here, baby. I will always be here.”

A promise she believed in, and at that moment, she knew how it felt to be loved both physically and mentally. He was destroying all the pain she’d ever endured in her life. Ben was replacing the pain with joy and hope.

And when she began to shake violently from the force of her orgasm, he held her, caught up in his own throes of ecstasy. And they scaled the walls of pleasure together.

Thirty-Nine

“S
till keeping secrets, I see,” Shiloh said as she stepped out of the bedroom of the suite they were sharing at the beautiful Venetian Hotel on the Strip. She was dressed for an evening that she was clueless about other than it would begin with dinner at Caesars Palace.

After getting settled at the hotel, he had taken her on a shopping spree, buying her everything, particularly the gown he had chosen for her to wear tonight. Green had always been his favorite color, and the moment they had walked into the exclusive shop and he’d seen the teal-green silk gown on a mannequin, he’d had the sales clerk bring one out in Shiloh’s size. And from the way he was looking at her, it was obvious he liked seeing her in it. She slowly twirled around, giving him a full view of the backless floor-length gown.

“Yes, I’m still keeping secrets,” he said, walking toward her while brazenly raking his gaze all over her. “But it’s all good, and I think at the end of our trip, you will agree with me.”

When he came to stand in front of her, he smiled and said, “Baby, you look good. No, better than good—you look simply gorgeous.”

She appreciated his compliment but rolled her eyes, knowing he was exaggerating. “You’re saying that only because your favorite color is green.”

He chuckled. “It was Granddad’s favorite color, too. I miss the old man.”

Shiloh reached up and caressed his cheek. “There’s no doubt in my mind that Richard Granger is proud of his grandsons for keeping the promise they made to him. The three of you are bringing the company around.”

“There’s a lot of work to do. And we still need to find out why Brandy was snooping around in Dalton’s office. Her memorial service was yesterday. Jace, Shana, Dalton and other employees attended. It’s still hard to believe she would commit suicide.”

Shiloh nodded. “Have you heard anything from Jules Bradford regarding Rita Crews’s whereabouts last Saturday night?”

“No, but I don’t want to think about Rita or anyone or anything else. This weekend belongs to us, and I intend to make it special with a few surprises.”

“What kind of surprises?”

He reached out and tweaked her nose. “If I told you, then it wouldn’t be a surprise now, would it?”

She playfully frowned up at him. “I guess not. And you look good in your tux, by the way. I assume since we’re all dressed up that after dinner we’re going to some fancy place.”

“I guess you can assume that.” He smiled when her frown deepened. “You look so pretty when you smile—remember that,” he said, taking her hand and leading her toward the door.

“I’ll try,” she said, deliberately giving him her best smile.

* * *

Shana hung up the phone and paused a moment before turning to Jace, who was coming into her kitchen. He’d been outside washing her car. “That was Bruce,” she said.

He glanced over at her. “And?”

“He said Brandy’s hard drive had been wiped clean from a remote location. Now the question is, by whom?”

Jace drew in a deep breath as he sat down at the table. “I felt like a hypocrite at Brandy’s memorial services yesterday when Barbara Holden from our HR department stood up and said what a model employee Brandy was. Now, less than a day later, we find out she might have been involved in heaven knows what.”

“Which makes me wonder if she really committed suicide,” Shana added. “What if someone...the person behind what she was doing or was looking for...decided she was a liability instead of an asset?”

“Then she would probably be eliminated without much thought,” Jace said, running his fingers over his chin. “And the D.C. police haven’t changed their minds about it being anything other than a suicide,” he added.

“That assumption might change if the FBI gets involved. I need to let Marcel know. He and his men will decide how they want to proceed in their handling of this.”

Jace stood up from the kitchen table. “And here I thought everything was over with the arrests of Arrington and Vidal. When do you plan to call Marcel?”

“First thing Monday morning. The sooner he is apprised of the situation, the better.” She paused a moment and then said, “Jules called while you were outside washing the car.”

Jace could tell by the look on Shana’s face he would not like what she was going to say.

“And?”

“And Jules checked the major airlines.”

“Go on.”

“She found out that Rita Crews did purchase a ticket from Dallas to Charlottesville the same weekend of Caden’s accident.”

“Damn.”

“I know the feeling.”

“I need to let Caden know,” Jace said.

“Jules hired someone to keep an eye on Rita. She’s back in Dallas, so Caden isn’t in any immediate danger for now.”

“I’m glad I don’t have to call him, then. He’s planned a special weekend for Shiloh, and I wouldn’t want to ruin it by calling to tell him about Rita Crews.”

Shana nodded, understanding completely. “Thanks to Jules placing surveillance on her, you won’t have to.”

* * *

“You’re a beautiful sight for sore eyes.”

Shiloh turned and smiled at the older gentleman standing in front of her. “Grover, this is a nice surprise. It’s good seeing you again.” Caden had introduced him years ago as the manager of his group, and she knew Caden thought the world of him. Grover had always been nice to her, even during those times when she hadn’t been Caden’s favorite person.

“Same here, Shiloh, and you look ravishing tonight.”

And she felt ravishing. Caden hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off her during most of dinner and kept complimenting her on how she looked. “Thanks. Caden was here a few minutes ago. We had dinner together, and then he had to go to the gentlemen’s room and hasn’t returned yet. That was almost ten minutes ago.” She glanced around. “You haven’t seen him, have you?”

A wide grin covered Grover’s face. “Yes, I ran into him, and he gave me orders to take you to him.”

She lifted a brow. “He did? Why? Where is he?”

“All he told me to tell you was that it was part of this weekend’s secret surprise.”

A smile touched Shiloh’s lips. “He’s been so secretive. I didn’t know we were coming to Vegas until we landed. It was quite a surprise.”

“Well, if you’ll come with me, I’ll take you to him,” he said, offering his arm to her.

“Okay,” she said.

They walked through the beautiful Caesars Palace, past the area where all the slot machines were located before taking the escalator to another section of the Colosseum—a smaller concert room referred to as the Arena.

Grover opened large double doors to a room that could probably seat a thousand people. When she glanced questioningly up at Grover, he said, “You’re attending a concert.”

She lifted a brow. “I am?”

“Yes. Caden will join you in a minute.”

“We’re kind of early, aren’t we?” she said, looking around. “There’s not another soul in here.” Because it was empty, the beautiful room seemed kind of eerie.

Grover chuckled. “No. In fact, you’re right on time. Take a seat up front and enjoy the concert.”

And then he left, closing the door behind him, and she frowned when she heard a distinctive click. Had he just locked her in this room? Why? She had to be mistaken. She was about to try the door when a female voice came across the speaker and said, “Please take your seat. The show is about to begin.”

“What in the world?” Shiloh muttered when the houselights dimmed. How could the show start with no one in attendance but her? She was about to pull her cell phone out of her purse and call Caden when the room got dark and the stage lit up. That was when she walked up the aisle and took a seat in the fourth row from the front.

Within moments, the huge curtain came up, and she caught her breath when she saw that Caden’s band members were onstage. Then that same female announcer who’d told her to take her seat earlier said, “Let’s give a round of applause for the man who has become one of the greatest saxophone players of all time, Caden Granger.”

Shiloh’s breath caught when Caden walked onstage amid the bright lights. He looked so good in his tux, and when he turned toward the audience, namely her, the huge smile that curved his lips made him look even more handsome.

And then he spoke. “I’m here tonight in the Arena of Caesars Palace to do a once-in-a-lifetime performance. I have only one number to perform, a number I wrote years ago after being inspired by a certain beautiful woman. Thus, this tune is aptly titled ‘Shiloh, My Love.’”

And then he lifted the sax to his mouth, and the moment he belted out the first note, tears ran down Shiloh’s cheeks. He was playing the song he had named after her, undoing all the painful memories of their past and replacing them with these—memories of a Vegas she would remember forever.

Usually, during a Caden Granger concert, he would close his eyes while performing to block out the view of the audience and concentrate solely on his music. But not tonight. Tonight, he was performing with both eyes open and he was staring at her. He not only wanted her to listen to what he was playing, but he wanted her to look past the sax and into his soul, as well.

And she was, and she did. The music was as beautiful and moving as it could possibly be. She could feel deep emotions in what he was playing—the love, the commitment, the promise—all in heartrending clarity. Caden was a gifted saxophonist, and tonight he was playing from his heart and soul just for her. And only for her.

The music continued, and so did her tears—she couldn’t stop. The man onstage, immaculately dressed in an expensive black tux, was her world. He always had been and always would be.

And then the music ended, and she got to her feet to give him a one-woman standing ovation, clapping as loudly as she could. He smiled before taking a bow. She watched as he set his sax aside to leave the stage and walk toward her, his steps as sexy as he looked himself. He came to a stop in front of her, and her breath caught when he took her hand in his and lowered down on bended knee.

Looking back up at her, he asked, “Shiloh, will you marry me? Not next month. Not next year. But now, this weekend, in Vegas. Let’s do what we should have done four years ago—what we had planned to do. More than anything, I want you as my wife. We’ll have a reception later at home, but I want to marry you now. Will you marry me and return to Charlottesville as my wife?”

Shiloh stared down at him in shock as she swiped at her tears. Her heart soared at the thought that Caden wanted to marry her. Now. This weekend in Vegas. His proposal wasn’t just a surprise; it was a gift. The precious gift of a second chance for both of them.

She smiled down at him. “Yes. I’ll marry you, here in Vegas like we always planned to do.”

There was clapping, whistles and catcalls. She glanced around to see Caden’s band members, along with Grover, smiling, then lifting their instruments up in salute. Smiling, Caden stood, pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

Less than two hours later, they were married. Part of the Arena was transformed into a wedding chapel, and with Grover and his band as witnesses, they became man and wife.

* * *

“I’m waiting for you to get out of that gown.”

She glanced down at the ring Caden had slid on her finger hours ago. It was a stunner, absolutely gorgeous. She then looked across their room to where Caden sat in a chair, his legs stretched out in front of him. His tie was undone, his jacket tossed aside and his shirtsleeves rolled up. Her husband was ready for business.

Her husband. She liked the sound of that.

With his hands casually resting on his knees, he was looking at her in a way that let her know just what he wanted. “I thought you liked this gown on me,” she said, smiling over at him, feeling his heat from across the room.

“I do. You look damned good in it. But I know you’re going to look just as good out of it...so take it off.”

He wanted her to strip, and he had a good seat to watch her do it. She decided to tease him a bit. “You sure you want me to take it off? You’re absolutely certain?”

Without smiling, with a look on his face that was as serious as he could get, he said, “You either take it off or I’ll take it off for you. But be warned—I don’t know what shape the gown will be in when I finish, because I intend to tear it off of you.”

Shiloh looked down at her gown, knowing he meant every word. She definitely didn’t want that. This was her wedding dress, the one he had purchased for her, and she had already planned to keep it and cherish it forever. “In that case, I will take it off myself.”

And she did, making it pure torture for him to watch as she slowly exposed her body to him inch by inch. Caden wasn’t sure how many times he shifted in his seat when his erection became almost unbearable. Its insistent pressing against his zipper was pure torment.

Her breasts were full, inviting, and the juncture of her thighs made his mouth water. She shimmied out of the gown and took the time to lay it across the arm of the love seat. When she was left in nothing but her thong and high heels, he felt his pulse rate increase. His wife was perfectly made from the top of her head to the soles of her feet.

He watched as she slid her thong down a pair of gorgeous thighs. She tossed it to him and he caught it, bringing the flimsy piece of black lace to his nose, inhaling her scent. His manhood throbbed even more.

And when she stood totally naked in front of him, he stood and began stripping off his own clothes. He crossed the room and picked her up, and instead of carrying her over to the bed, he carried her over to the desk in the room.

“Can’t make it to the bedroom,” he said, pushing everything out of the way and sitting her on the edge of the desk, spreading her legs in the process.

“I understand. Let me help you,” she said, reaching out and taking hold of his erection and guiding it to her womanly core.

He was glad she understood, and she definitely had things under control. The moment he entered her, he thrust hard and went deep. Grabbing hold of her hips, he began thrusting inside of her again and again. The urgency, the need and greed that drove him, could not be defined or explained. It just was, and he doubted he would ever tire of making love to his wife.