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  Darius smirked. “All right,” he said. “Why don’t we do it tonight, before I lose my nerve.”

  Celina smiled at Darius. “I’ll be gentle,” she said, as she leaned over the table and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you.”

  After Darius and Celina finished their lunch, they headed back to the hospital. This time, Celina’s mother and stepfather were in Thomas’s room.

  “You guys are still here?” Rena said when they walked in the room.

  “Yes, we are,” Celina said as she hugged her mother. “We’re leaving soon, though.”

  John walked over to his stepdaughter and hugged her. “Hey, sweetie,” he said. “You look great. And happy.” John glanced sidelong at Darius, slipping into protective father mode. “And who are you?”

  Darius cleared his throat and introduced himself to John.

  Thomas sat up in the bed. “John, I’ve already checked him out. He lives next door. He might be good enough for our little girl,” Thomas said.

  Darius laughed because he hadn’t met a woman’s family in years, but here he was being scrutinized by Celina’s parents. He felt as if he were back in high school, about to head to the prom.

  After a few hours of the five of them laughing and talking, Celina and Darius headed back to Elmore. Celina slept all the way home and Darius replayed their lunch conversation over and over again. He knew she felt the connection that they had and he wasn’t going to let her run away from it. Now, how was he going to convince her to stay?

  As they pulled into the Elmore town limits, Celina sat up in the passenger seat. She hadn’t realized she was so tired. She looked over at Darius as he passed the road that led to their houses.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, raising her eyebrow with curiosity.

  “I have to make a quick run to the hardware store,” Darius said. “Then, I was hoping you’d watch the sun set with me.”

  Celina smiled. “Only if you take me to get my sketch pad first. Remember, you made a promise.”

  Darius chuckled and nodded. “Yes, I did. I’ll take you after we leave the store,” he said. He pulled around to the back of the hardware store and parked the car.

  Celina looked at the burned-out storage shed. “What happened here?” she asked.

  “Electrical problem, probably. I’ll be right back,” Darius said.

  She was skeptical about his explanation because she was sure if an electrical short had caused the damage that she saw, Darius would have let one of his staff members handle it. Celina watched Darius walk into the hardware store. Once he disappeared inside, she got out of the car to get the scoop on what was really going on. Though their voices were muffled, she could tell Darius was having a heated discussion with someone.

  “I don’t give a damn,” Darius bellowed. “Call the police now.”

  “D, how do you know it was her?” the man asked, his voice terse. “Everyone knows her and it will be a town scandal.”

  Celina wondered who they were talking about and what “she” did. The voices came to an abrupt halt. Celina stepped closer to the door to see what was going on. She saw the same woman who was on Darius’s porch walking toward them. “You keep running into trouble, don’t you?” she said.

  “Tiffany, don’t play coy like you didn’t set this fire,” Darius barked. “I told you to stay away from this store.”

  She placed her hand on her hip and rolled her eyes. “And I won’t be ignored,” Tiffany said. “You can’t toss me aside like I’m a piece of trash. Darius, we had a good thing.”

  “Had? Tiffany, we never had anything. When are you going to get it through your head that you and I never had a relationship and we are not going to?” Darius asked. Then he grabbed her by the arm and led her toward the front of the store.

  Celina was confused by Darius’s reaction to the woman and a little put off at the way she said Darius tossed her aside. Was that really his style—use a woman until he grew tired of her? Curiosity got the best of her and she walked into the store to find out what was going on. She crossed over to the man who Darius had been talking to and asked, “What’s going on?”

  “Little Celina Hart, is that you?” Richard asked.

  She smiled tensely. “Yes, it’s me. But I haven’t been called ‘little’ in a long time,” she said as she looked at him, trying to place who he was.

  Richard smiled at her again. “You don’t remember me, do you?”

  Celina shook her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t.”

  Richard took her hand in his. “Your father and I used to smoke cigars together in the back of your mother’s house.”

  Celina remembered him. “Mr. Ingram,” she said, then gave the man a hug.

  “When did you get into town?” he asked as they separated.

  Celina told him that she had been back in Elmore for about a month and that she had come there to take care of her father.

  “I had no idea he was so sick,” Richard said solemnly.

  “No one did. He did a good job of hiding his illness from everyone,” she said. Richard patted her on the shoulder. “But he is doing better now. Darius and I went to the hospital to see him today.”

  Richard smiled at Celina. “So, that’s what’s different about my boss.”

  She furrowed her brows. “What do you mean?”

  Richard released a low chuckle. “You can tell when a man is in love and boss man is definitely smitten. I knew it wasn’t that one,” he said, nodding his head toward Tiffany. “Although she is having a problem taking ‘no’ for an answer.”

  Celina folded her arms underneath her breasts. “Is she doing something to hurt Darius’s business?”

  Richard shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know if she’s the one who broke the window and burned that shed back there, but Darius isn’t going to let her or anyone else get away with that. He has some temper.”

  She fell silent, not knowing what to make of what Richard told her. She had never seen Darius out of control or angry, until she saw him with Tiffany. Darius looked as if he could snap that woman’s neck as they argued in the distance. “A temper?”

  Richard nodded. “City residue. Where are you living now?”

  “New York.”

  Richard grunted at her reply. “You kids love leaving here for a big, dirty city. But somehow you come back. You come back for the homegrown food and the love,” he said.

  “What do you mean by that?” Celina asked.

  Richard smiled, then walked away without answering Celina’s question. Maybe he was right, but she certainly didn’t come home to fall in love. Darius’s temper didn’t quite sit well with her. Then again, maybe this woman had done something to him that elicited this kind of response from him. Could Darius become violent? Wait a minute, she thought, Darius isn’t like that. This woman is probably responsible for burning his shed and breaking that front window. Anyone would be angry about that.

  Celina walked to the front of the store where Darius and Tiffany were arguing. “Darius,” she said. “Is everything all right?”

  Tiffany looked at Celina, giving her the once-over as if she was sizing her up.

  Celina returned Tiffany’s glare with one of her own. “Problem?” Celina asked.

  Tiffany turned on her heels and headed out the door. Darius turned to Celina and pulled her into his arms.

  “I’m sorry you had to witness that,” he said. “There’s been a lot of stuff going on here and I’m 100 percent sure that Tiffany is behind this. She’s acting worse than a child but she’s taking things too far now.”

  “What have the police said?” she asked. Darius shrugged his shoulders. Celina hugged him tightly. “Let’s get out of here so we can still catch that sunset,” she whispered in his ear. “And don’t forget, you still have to strip for me.” Celina flashed Darius a devilish grin.

  “You don’t have to ask me twice,” he said. Darius waved to Richard. “See you in the morning.”

  Richard smiled. “Have fun, you two,
” he said.

  Darius drove Celina to her house so that she could retrieve her sketch pad. He sat in the car while Celina ran into the house. She grabbed her pad from the edge of the sofa, then walked into the kitchen and picked up her charcoal pencils. Celina was ready to go. Darius smiled at her as she walked to the car. He pushed the passenger side door open so that she could slide in. “All right,” she said. “Let’s go.”

  CHAPTER 11

  The sky began to change colors, fading from powder blue to burnt orange, then a faint purple. A lone star dotted the sky as the sun began to descend. A soft breeze blew across the lake, causing the tranquil water to ripple slightly. Celina pushed her hair back off her forehead and looked up at Darius as he leaned on the trunk of a nine-foot oak tree on the bank of Lake Elmore.

  “Move your arm a little to the left,” she ordered as she continued to sketch Darius’s image. Celina tried not to focus on his crotch, but his semi erect penis seemed to point directly at her. Celina swallowed hard as she forced herself to focus on his face.

  “How much longer?” he asked. “It’s starting to get cool over here.”

  “Not from where I’m sitting,” she mumbled. “Just a few more minutes.”

  Darius tried to hold his pose and a straight face, but he broke out into a smile.

  “Please, please don’t smile,” Celina said.

  Darius tried not to smile, but he broke out laughing.

  Celina dropped her sketch pad and glared at him. “You’re not a good model.”

  Darius walked over to Celina, standing in front of her. “Really?”

  She slowly stood up, pressing her hand against his chest. “That’s right, because good models do as they’re told,” she said. “I guess I’ll have to finish this from memory.”

  Darius reached around Celina’s neck and unclasped her halter top. “Well, let me give you something else to memorize,” he whispered against her ear, then pressed her body against his as her breasts spilled from the flimsy shirt.

  She started to protest, because they were out in public and anyone could walk by and see them, not to mention the animals that she was sure they’d scared away. But when Darius assaulted her neck with the sweetest kisses, all her reservations flew away with a group of ducks that had floated into the air. She melted against him as his tongue brushed across her neck. Then Darius scooped Celina into his arms, gently laying her back on the plaid blanket that they had spread on the ground earlier. He straddled her body, his fingers dancing around the waistband of her denim cutoffs before he peeled her clothes from her body, kissing each piece of skin he revealed.

  Celina’s body writhed under the touch of his hands, the lick of his tongue, and his gentle biting. Though Darius’s hot erection pressed against her thighs, he didn’t glide into her body right away, which she desperately wanted him to do. Instead, he continued teasing her body with his hot kisses. As a cool breeze blew over their bodies, Celina shuddered, every nerve in her body standing on end. With her senses stimulated, all Darius needed to do was kiss her on her neck to bring her to a near climax. She gripped the back of his head as he suckled her breasts, tickling her nipple with his tongue. Arching her back, she pressed herself into his mouth, wanting and needing more of his lips, tongue, and teeth.

  Darius wrapped his hands around her back, giving her more of what she’d been silently begging for. Celina sat up, breaking off her kiss with Darius, and looked into his eyes, which were clouded with love, lust, and desire. For a second she wanted to stop and run away because the feelings were too intense. Darius wasn’t having that, though. It was as if he sensed her apprehension when he leaned in and said, “I need you.”

  Her chest heaved up and down as Darius molded her against him. She wrapped her legs around his waist, inching closer to his erection. He reached into the discarded canvas bag behind them and pulled out a condom package. Darius slid the protection across his erect penis in one quick motion. Celina’s breath caught in her chest as she felt Darius throbbing against her thighs and her body quivered with anticipation and fear. Being next to Darius ignited so many emotions in her. Her body ached for his kisses, his touch, and the feeling of him inside her. Her heart yearned for his love, his warmth, and his tenderness. Celina still wasn’t certain that she could give Darius everything he wanted or the love he deserved. She was still afraid of the hurt that she knew love caused. Seeing the change in her, he slowed his sensual assault on her body.

  “What’s wrong?” Darius asked, cupping her face, forcing her to look into his eyes. Celina tried to silence Darius by kissing him, but Darius turned away. “Talk to me,” he said. “If you don’t want to do this or . . .”

  “Nothing’s wrong,” she said, attempting to look away. But he held her face between his hands, not giving her a chance to turn away.

  “I know you’re holding back,” he said. “I just don’t understand why.” He ran his index finger down the side of her arm. “You don’t have to hold back from me.”

  “I’m not doing that,” she replied unconvincingly.

  Darius clutched her round bottom and pulled her closer to him. “Celina, I want more than your body. Why don’t you let me in here,” he said, pointing his finger to her chest. “This is what I want more than anything else.”

  Celina felt even more exposed and naked than ever with Darius lying on top of her. He’d seen her body before, but in this moment, it felt as if he saw right though her soul. He seemed to see every part that she’d tried so desperately to hide from him.

  She uttered the words, “I’m afraid,” as if she were a child stuck in a thunderstorm. “I don’t want to be hurt.”

  Darius pressed his lips against hers, pecking her gently. “You don’t have to worry, Celina. I’ll never hurt you.” He moved his mouth across hers, tracing her lips with his tongue. Celina closed her eyes, shutting out the voices of doubt in her head. Darius felt her body relax.

  “Make love to me,” she moaned. Darius was more than happy to oblige her request, reaching down and spreading her legs apart. Following a bead of sweat down her flat stomach, Darius’s tongue traveled down her body, causing her heightened senses to stand even further on end. When he slipped his hand between her thighs, her legs shook almost violently as he peeled apart the folds of wet skin hiding her tender bud. Then he pulled his finger out of her and sampled her womanly juice.

  “You taste so good,” he whispered as he pulled her against his erection.

  Celina was rendered speechless as Darius took control of her body. She clutched his shoulders and moaned his name as he took her to the heights of passion. The way he moved against her, stroking her body in all of the right places, she was sure he was a student of the Kama Sutra. As he dove deeper into her core, Celina pressed her hips into his, offering him more of her body, despite the fact that she was near climax.

  He went in for the kill as he leaned in and planted a sensual kiss on her neck. She melted against him, climaxing powerfully. Darius had branded her his and, as much as it excited her, Celina was still frightened by the prospect of falling deeper in love with him. Every day wouldn’t be like this, every day wouldn’t be just pleasure and bliss. When would he tire of her and walk away?

  Ignoring her negative thoughts, she rolled her hips into his. “Darius,” she moaned before burying her mouth in his neck.

  Now it was Darius’s turn to explode as her tongue danced across his neck. Just as he knew her body, Celina also knew his. Her tongue found every crease and crevice to drive him wild. Their bodies were in sync, but would their hearts ever be? Celina tried to push those thoughts out of her mind as they began to climax. Darius pulled the blanket around their naked bodies, using the edge of it to wipe the sweat from their faces. He drew the shape of a heart in the moisture that had collected above her breast.

  Celina laughed at the gesture. “What is that? You giving me your heart?”

  “Yes,” he replied seriously. “Can you return the favor?”

  Celina rolled ou
t of his embrace and picked up her discarded clothes. That was a question she wasn’t ready to answer. “It’s time for us to go,” she said, kicking out of the blanket.

  Darius stood up and pulled on his shorts, then turned his stare toward Celina. “It’s time for us to stop playing this game. This stopped being about sex a long time ago.”

  “Darius . . .”

  He threw his hand up stopping her from finishing. “Let me be totally honest with you. I never wanted this to happen. I didn’t mean to fall in love with you, but how could I not? You’re everything I’ve ever wanted and all the things I didn’t know I needed.”

  “How can you be sure?” she asked. “People fall in and out of love like the weather changes. I may be what you want now, but what happens tomorrow or when I return to New York?”

  “I love you, distance isn’t going to matter. I know you have your issues with relationships because of what you saw your father put your mother through, but I’m not him.”

  She turned her back to him and Darius grabbed her by the shoulder forcing her to face him. “I don’t play fair and I don’t give up on something that I want,” he said. “Your attitude about love may have pushed a lesser man away, but Celina Hart, mark my words, you will be mine.”

  I already am, she thought as she looked at him without saying a word.

  As Celina dressed, Darius struggled with his desire for her. Just the way she pulled her shorts up over her hips and reached around to tie her halter top turned him on like a light switch.

  Darius stood in front of her and pulled her into his arms. His heart was beating in overdrive. When Celina was that close to him, his body lit up like a firecracker. Every nerve stood on end. He somehow found the voice to say, “Celina, you and I will be together, all the way. I just have to make you believe that you can love me without being hurt or afraid.” Darius stroked her bare back. She fell silent. “Baby,” he whispered. “Talk to me. What’s on your mind?”

  “We need to get cleaned up,” she said, pulling away from him.

  Darius shook his head, he could feel his temper beginning to flare. She was hot and cold, holding back her true emotions from him and it was grating on his nerves. What more could he do to show Celina that he loved her and wanted to protect her from all harm? Hadn’t he shown her that he was someone she could depend on? Someone who loved her? Celina stared at him, seemingly reading his mind.