“When you recovered and you were able to handle things again, you’d closed yourself off from anything resembling a man but that actually didn’t worry me as much because I knew in my heart that when you met the right person you’d come around. I never told you this because daughters have a habit of doing the opposite of what their mothers say,” she said with a warm smile, “but the first time I saw the way Roland looked at you I wanted to do a happy dance because I knew that he was the one. And he knew it, too. It took you a little while to catch up, but you’re there now and that’s all that matters.”
Alana was staring at her mother in amazement while Aretha went back to admiring her reflection in the mirror. “So when is the wedding? Have you talked about it?”
“No, not really. We’ve only been together for a couple of months, Mama. I’m sure the topic will come up at some point.”
“Oh, it certainly will. Just don’t let me get down the aisle before you do,” Aretha said with a wink.
“Huh?”
“Your father and I are getting married again,” she said cheerfully.
“Seriously? That’s wonderful news, Mama. You never should have gotten divorced in the first place.”
“I know but I’m a stubborn woman and your daddy can be a donkey when he wants to, so there you have it. We’re probably going to have a very small ceremony and then take a cruise to Alaska to see the northern lights next January or February. It’ll be nice and cold and I can wear fabulous sweaters and we can cuddle all night,” she said gleefully. “I was kidding about me beating you to the altar, but I really can’t wait to see the two of you happily married.”
Alana gave her a salute. “I’ll do my best, General.”
Aretha continued to preen in the mirror, turning to look over her shoulder. “I’m more of a queen, don’t you think?”
“Absolutely, Your Majesty, I hear and obey. Come show Adrienne how the dress looks,” she urged.
“You know, I’m worried about Adrienne. I don’t care what she says about those flighty bird-brained people being her friends, she needs legal representation. It was a huge mistake to enter into that damned surrogacy with those idiots and no matter how much they claim to not want the baby, she needs the counsel of a good lawyer. I’m going to ask Royce Griffin to have a talk with her.”
“Sounds like a good idea, Mama.”
“Of course it is. Mama knows best,” she said airily as she sashayed back to the solarium.
Chapter 11
A
lana checked her reflection in the mirror one more time. After the swap meet at Alexis’s house, she’d come home loaded with swag and decided to take a long bubble bath to get ready for her evening with Roland.
Now she was moisturized, creamed, lotioned and perfumed and ready for an evening of intimacy. She had a surprise for him, too, in the form of another of Adrienne’s creations. It was undoubtedly the sexiest thing she’d ever worn and she loved the fact that her sister had made it.
The fabric was silk, hand-dyed by Adrienne in a fantastic ombre range of pink from the palest to a deep rose. The bodice was halter-necked and slightly bloused before crossing over into the waistband. The skirt was cut on the bias and opened on the side with a leg-revealing thigh-high split. It flared out to the ankle and it was so soft and sexy that she decided to go bare underneath it all. The back was so low-cut she couldn’t have worn a bra anyway, so she went for it.
She wore her hair up in a twist adorned with some pretty pink chopsticks she’d gotten from Adrienne as a trade for a leather tote bag. Her only jewelry was her rose gold necklace from Roland, along with the matching earrings he’d also given her. She even polished her fingernails, something she did very rarely.
As a last touch, she used the bottle of Mademoiselle Piguet, another gift from Roland. He spoiled her something awful and she loved it. He was the most generous man she’d ever known. Sam had been a caring and giving man, but he hadn’t had the same kind of inclinations that Roland possessed. He even doted on Domino, treating her like she was a family member and not just a pet.
Roland was just...everything. And tonight was her chance to dote on him for a change.
She didn’t get a chance to cook for him very often because he always took over the kitchen chores. Sometimes they went out to Seven-Seventeen, or he took her to someplace else with fabulous food and great music.
But tonight, she’d fixed him a meal that she was sure he’d enjoy. He liked good food, not fancy food. Nouvelle cuisine and micro gastronomy and other fads were of no interest to him. He preferred home-style food, as long as it was properly prepared. She was no gourmet cook, but she was good with the basics. Aretha had made sure that her girls would be able to take care of themselves when they left the nest and that included being able to cook.
Braised short ribs, macaroni and cheese and greens were on the menu tonight, along with homemade yeast rolls and a chocolate cake for dessert. Everything had been made before she’d left for the swap meet and all she had to do was warm it up, toss a salad and make the salad dressing. She was about to begin the dressing when two brief rings of the bell signaled that Roland was home with Domino.
She hurried to the door and tried to look seductive as she opened it. Judging by the look on his face, she succeeded.
While Domino did her happy dance of love around Alana’s feet, Roland stared at her with deep admiration. She picked up Domino, who wriggled happily in her arms while he walked around her in total awe.
“You look...incredible, Alana,” he said slowly. “You look fantastic. And I hate to do this to you because you’ve obviously gone to a lot of trouble, but I hope whatever smells so good can be heated up because dinner is going to be late.”
He took Domino from her and placed her on the floor. “Bedtime, sweetie. Go to bed.”
Alana’s eyes widened as he reached for her and pulled her into a passionate kiss before picking her up and carrying her to the bedroom while still making love to her mouth every step of the way.
The kiss ended as he deposited her on the bed and the soft silk of the dress parted to reveal her equally silky legs. He was smiling and unbuttoning his shirt at the same time, not saying a word.
“Aren’t you hungry?” Laughter colored her voice as she asked the question.
“Starving,” he answered.
“Don’t you want to eat?”
“I plan to,” he said, tossing his shirt over his shoulder. His body looked magnificent in the soft light of the lamp on the dresser. With every step he took towards her, she felt a pulse of anticipation ripple through her body.
Alana scooted up to the head of the bed and watched with great anticipation as Roland kicked off his loafers before removing his jeans. He looked wild and ravenous as he mounted the bed like a jungle cat stalking his prey. She crossed her arms to unhook the straps behind her neck but he was too quick for her. His hands grasped her ankles and pulled her towards him until she was on her back with her knees bent slightly. Roland took one of her feet and kissed it, running his tongue along the instep. A breathy laugh escaped her and she rose up on her elbows to stare at her lover.
“What are you doing?”
“I love your feet. They’re so sexy, just like the rest of you.”
Profoundly glad she’d also polished her toenails, Alana gasped as he sucked her toes gently before turning his attention to her long legs. He rubbed his face against her calf while stroking her thigh, licking his way up to the tender treasure that awaited him.
Sliding his hands up to her hips, he was both surprised and delighted to find that his lady was going commando under the dreamy dress. He turned his full attention to her at once, aiming to satisfy her hunger completely. It was a part of making love to Alana that he loved, paying homage to her with the most intimate kiss possible.
His tongue explored her, adored her and brought her the ultimate pleasure so quickly that he couldn’t stop until he felt the throbbing of her jewel begin again. Her hips were twisting wildly and the sounds that came from her throat were like a mating cry that he had to answer.
In seconds he was deep inside his woman, pushing and thrusting. He was so big and hard that every move stroked her clit and hit her G-spot at the same time, causing her tight inner muscles to clench and release, clench and release until his body jerked and held while the magic exploded into a bliss-filled climax shared by both of them.
He held on tight, pulling her up so that he was kneeling and she was astride him with the folds of pink fabric drifting around their hips. His fingers fumbled with the hook at the back of her neck until he unfastened it while she struggled to undo the waist and she was free from the garment and their naked bodies rubbed against each other.
He thought about stopping for a moment because he didn’t want to hurt her, but she was giving as good as she got and they kept on going. The new position gave them even better friction and their mouths locked together for a wildly passionate kiss as their reward rained down on them like liquid fire.
It took every bit of Roland’s considerable strength to keep holding on to her trembling, wet body until they were finally at rest. Her hair was wrecked, the dress was a casualty of love and they were covered with sweat, but it was the most profound act of love two people could ever have. Now he knew beyond any certainty what it meant to be complete.
* * *
Roland was getting more animated as they got closer to the exit that would lead them to his parents’ house. Alana was much less so. She’d met Roland’s family on several occasions and they were lovely people, but lovely was a subjective state, prone to a huge sea of change when relationships changed.
When she was just the sister-in-law of the woman who married Roland’s best friend, that was one thing. Well-bred people could always behave themselves at festive events like weddings.
Now things were different. She was coming to Chicago as Roland’s woman. She was sure it would be a nice weekend, and his family would be happy to see her. Roland had told her so at least a hundred times.
“Are you sure, absolutely sure, that it’s okay to bring Domino? I could have left her with Sherri or Mama. She and Sparkle get along like BFFs, it would have been fine,” Alana said worriedly.
Roland took his right hand off the steering wheel and wrapped it around her neck. “You really need to chill, baby, I keep telling you that everything is going to be fine. We’re going to be staying at my condo so Domino won’t be underfoot. As a matter of fact, we may have trouble prying her away from my sisters. I’ve never seen you so jumpy and I promise you there’s no reason for it. You’ve met my family before and they haven’t changed. They’re really excited about your visit.”
Alana smiled wanly, but Roland couldn’t see her ambivalent expression in the dark. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Domino was still asleep in her doggie car seat. She’d proved to be an excellent traveler so far and there was no reason to think the worst, but she was uncharacteristically worried.
She didn’t say anything else as they drove through a very nice residential area full of large brick houses with lawns that were undoubtedly well-kept, or would be when the weather got warmer.
It was much chillier in Chicago than in South Carolina, but Alana had dressed for the occasion. She wore a beautiful three-piece cashmere jogging set that she’d scored from her mother at the swap meet. Aretha had gotten it for an indecently low price when Neiman Marcus had its after-after Christmas sale and she’d worn it once.
“I have no idea why I thought that a cashmere outfit was a good idea for me—I’m the poster child for hot flashes these days. But I might want to borrow it for the Alaskan cruise,” she’d warned as she’d swapped it for a Coach bag that Alana never used.
Roland turned into a long driveway with no warning and Alana felt her heart leap into her throat. Domino woke up when the soothing movement of the car stopped, and yawned widely before giving a little bark to let them know that it was time for a bathroom break.
“We’re here,” Roland said unnecessarily. He slid out of the SUV with his usual masculine grace and opened the back door of the car, putting Domino’s leash on before lifting her out of the car seat.
He walked her around to Alana’s side and while she was taking a dainty pee, he opened the door and held out his free hand so Alana could get out of the vehicle. Hoping that he couldn’t feel her hand shaking through her leather glove, Alana finally put her feet on the cold concrete of his parents’ driveway. She was at a loss for words, which was just as well because the multi-paned glass door of the big house opened and his family came out on the porch to greet them.
The next few minutes were like an ambush of affection as his sisters surrounded the couple with hugs and kisses and squeals of adoration for Domino. The next thing she knew, they were in the house and his father was taking her coat while his mother complimented her ensemble.
“Come on in, please come in and get warm. I know it’s much warmer in Columbia, so let’s get you a nice cup of coffee or cocoa,” she said with a big smile. “You look so lovely, dear,” she added, cupping Alana’s face and giving her a big kiss on the cheek.
Glendora was so pretty and sweet it was easy to see that her welcome was genuine, which made Alana feel much more relaxed. Her husband, Renard, came into the living room to join them and again, the warmth and affection that radiated from him was plain to see. They sat down on the sofa together with Alana in the middle. Pamela was still cooing over Domino as she carried her into the room.
“Mommy, look! Have you ever seen anything so cute?” She placed Domino on the floor and she immediately preened and showed off her fluffy red turtleneck sweater and red booties. “Look at how Alana dressed her up! That is too much!” Pamela laughed.
Roland wandered over to a wing chair and tried to look nonchalant, but Alana ratted him out. “Pamela, your big brother bought that little ensemble for Domino. He ordered it from this really snazzy store called Canine Styles in New York and it cost more than one of my sweaters.”
Laughter filled the room while Roland tried to defend himself. “She’s not used to this weather. I couldn’t have her getting a cold. And she has delicate feet, the salt here will bother them so she needs the boots,” he protested.
All five of his sisters turned their large, bright eyes on him and laughed even harder. “He’s just a big pushover,” Pandora said. “Such a softie.”
Glendora had given birth to a set of twins, Marisa and Megan, and a set of triplets, Pamela, Portia and Pandora. No fertility drugs of any kind were used, it was just a blessing. Multiple births were frequent in her family and she took it in stride, although her first husband had not. Pamela was always referred to as the baby, because she was the last one to leave the hospital after they were born.
They were a glorious bunch, tall and with skin the same rich brown shade as Roland, with thick, well-cared-for dark brown hair. They all seemed to be down-to-earth and friendly as well as being funny because they continued to tease Roland without mercy. While Domino got acquainted with Glendora and Renard, they alternated between chatting up Alana and needling their beloved brother. He looked completely relieved when his brother, Glenn, came in the room, followed by a big dog.
“Ooh, what a beauty,” Alana said. “Is he a Bernese mountain dog?” she asked, holding out a hand to the newcomer. He sniffed her fingers and gave her hand a lick.
“Yes, but this is a she. This is Lady Guinevere, but we call her Gwennie. She’s a big softie as you can see.”
It was true; Gwennie was touching noses with Domino while Renard removed her boots and sweater. She leaped off the sofa and after a few sniffs, the two dogs became instant BFFs and they trotted off for adventure.
It was beginning to feel like she was visiting her own family, not a group of strangers who might not like her. Glendora went to the kitchen to make Alana’s hot chocolate and Portia showed her the powder room where she could freshen up. Minutes later they were all in the huge kitchen where Renard served up a big bowl of gumbo over rice with corn bread that had just come out of the oven. Roland sat next to her and it was impossible to disguise the fact that they were a couple in love.
“This is the best gumbo I’ve ever eaten in my life,” Alana said happily. “And this chocolate is just plain sinful. Thank you so much.”
Renard grinned proudly. “I grew up in New Orleans and Creole cooking is my specialty. I taught Roland everything he knows about down-home food.”