Truly Yours Read online

  He had mixed brown sugar, heavy cream, butter and a pinch of baking soda together in a heavy saucepan. As the mixture simmered on the stove, Darryl had stirred it until it reached the perfect consistency, looking creamy and cloudy, and then he’d thrown in the pecans. With an ice cream scoop he’d dropped the treats onto parchment paper to cool.

  He’d been sexy as hell as he’d teased her with the decadent concoction, allowing her to lick the treat from his fingers. He’d brushed a damp finger coated with the raw sugar over her top lip and then he’d kissed her, both savoring the sweetness. As the mixture had thickened he’d pulled small spoonfuls out to taste, and once they were cooled, he’d dropped the treat onto her tongue. That first batch had almost failed when the two had become distracted with tasting each other. Camryn almost orgasmed at the memory.

  She crossed her legs, sitting Indian-style beneath the desk in her father’s office. She hadn’t gone home, knowing Darryl would look for her there first. She had also avoided her own office, figuring that was the next likely place he’d think to look for her. Instead, she’d gone to her father’s, seeking sanctuary in the familiar comforts of her childhood home. With Kenneth Charles being out of town, there was no way he could confirm or deny her whereabouts.

  Camryn took a deep breath. As a little girl, she had played beneath her father’s desk. It had been her favorite spot in the whole house. Supplied with crayons and coloring paper, she’d drawn pretty buildings just like her daddy. Her father had indulged every one of her wishes, from pen and paper to Popsicle sticks and Lego blocks. For each building her father had designed, she had designed two. Being as good an architect as her daddy had been the only thing she had ever aspired to. Until Darryl.

  Since meeting Darryl, Camryn had aspired to also be a great partner and an even better friend. Becoming Darryl’s wife, bearing his children and growing old with him would be proof of her success. And Asia Landry was trying hard to stand in her way. Camryn saw it. She had no understanding of why Darryl couldn’t. She popped another candy into her mouth, fighting back the tears that pressed hot against the backs of her eyelids.

  After the third piece of confection, Camryn felt her ire subsiding. By the fifth piece, she was missing Darryl, wishing that she were in his arms because she felt safe there. She reached for her cell phone, checking her missed calls. Her mailbox was full, Darryl having left his last message three hours earlier.

  Chapter 18

  He’d been tossing from side to side ever since he’d lain down for the night, finally giving up on finding Camryn. He’d been blowing up her telephone all day and she had not bothered to return one of his calls. For her to completely shut herself off told him that she was beyond angry with him. Camryn usually enjoyed a good fight and from the moment they’d met, they’d had one or two doozies. But Camryn also enjoyed the making up, and since they’d committed to each other, she’d been adamant that they would never go to bed angry. And now here he was, going to bed alone, no making up in sight.

  His cell phone rested on the pillow beside him. He took a quick glance, hoping against all odds that she had at least sent him a text to say that she was okay. But the screen was blank—no text, no voice mail, no nothing from her. He shook his head and stared up toward the ceiling.

  It was truly working his spirit to have Camryn so angry at him, and particularly over some other woman. It worked his spirit because there was no other woman he would ever allow to come between the two of them. There was no other woman who could ever have his heart the way Camryn had his heart, most especially not a woman like Asia Landry. Clearly, he’d not done a good job ensuring that Camryn knew that.

  Darryl suddenly sat straight up in the bed. It was the second time in a ten-minute span that he’d been certain that he’d heard something. The first time he’d attributed it to a new house settling, the creaks and squeaks happening as wood expanded and shrank. But this time he was less concerned about it being the house itself and more concerned with someone else being in the house with him.

  Reaching over to the nightstand, he turned on the light. Bright rays illuminated the roomy space. Camryn had picked out the lamps, contemporary table fixtures with shades made of paper and raw cotton. He’d initially balked at the price and then she’d set them in place, turning on the bulbs. They cast just enough light around the room to create a seductive ambiance. Darryl smiled as he reflected back to the moment when he’d been impressed.

  Camryn had turned on the lights as he’d lain across the bed. As he lay watching, she’d slowly done a seductive striptease. With her body shadowed against the back wall, she’d danced out of her clothes. Her blouse had come off first, and then the pencil skirt she’d been wearing. Garters had held up her thigh-high stockings, and her bra and panties had been sheer white lace and silk. She’d crawled across the bed and had stood above him, the light accenting the warmth of her complexion. Standing atop the mattress, her body straddled above his, Camryn had done a slow gyration out of her remaining clothes and then beneath the shimmer of that light they had made the sweetest love. Reflecting back had incited a raging erection between his legs and Darryl resisted the urge to palm his hand across his crotch. His organ twitched in his shorts and he knew that if he didn’t get some release, he could possibly blow his load down his leg without even touching himself.

  The sound of the hardwood floors creaking beneath someone’s feet pulled him back to the moment. Lifting himself from the bed, he reached behind the nightstand for the 12-gauge he kept hidden from view. As he turned toward the door, Camryn suddenly stepped through it. Meeting her gaze, he breathed a deep sigh.

  “Hey,” he said softly.

  The young woman smiled, a gentle bend to her luscious mouth. She pointed at the weapon in his hands. “Are you going to shoot some bad guys?”

  “I was about to defend our home against an intruder,” he answered as he returned the shotgun to its hiding spot. “How did you get in?”

  “I’d taken the spare key to make copies, remember?”

  Darryl nodded his head. He hadn’t remembered.

  Camryn shrugged her shoulders, meeting his eyes. “I couldn’t sleep.”

  “I’m glad.”

  “That’s not nice.”

  He shrugged. “I’m glad that you couldn’t go to sleep mad at me.”

  She smiled ever so sweetly, her gaze still connected to his deep stare.

  “I’m sorry,” Darryl said quietly. “And I want you to know that I was angry with Asia. I was pissed that she would do what she did. But I took my frustrations out on you and I apologize for that.”

  “One day I’m going to get you to hoop and holler when you’re mad about something. You can’t be so calm and collected all the time.”

  “One day,” Darryl said with a chuckle.

  They continued to stare at each other.

  “Do you still want to marry me?” Camryn said.

  Darryl smiled. “More than you know. But I thought I’d be the one asking that question first.”

  “So what are you waiting for?”

  He paused, suddenly fighting back his emotion. Tears misted his eyes. “Do you still want to marry me, Camryn?” Darryl asked.

  Without a second’s hesitation she hurried into the room and stepped swiftly into his arms. She moved against him, her mouth lifting to his, and she kissed him very softly on the lips. It was heaven. Wrapping his arms around her, Darryl pulled her tightly to him, kissing her over and over again. He nuzzled his face against hers, his cheek caressing her cheek gently. He couldn’t begin to express just how much he’d missed her. He sighed, gratitude filling his spirit as he whispered a prayer of thanks.

  “We don’t have to have a wedding,” Camryn whispered. “I’d be happy if we went down to town hall in our pajamas. I just want to be your wife.”

  Darryl nodded with understanding. “A
nd I will be you husband. But you’re going to get your dream wedding, baby. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “My dress, too?” Camryn asked teasingly.

  Darryl chuckled. “Your dress, too!”

  After hours of conversation, the two came to an understanding about each other’s expectations and desires. Camryn had insisted on a game plan to deal with the issues between them and Darryl had been happy to oblige her. He’d also been sensitive to her shutting down and putting distance between them and she had promised to never again doubt his love for her. Both knew that without a line of communication there would be little they could accomplish as a team. And they were a team, partnering in business and in life. Whatever the challenges, they were committed to facing them together.

  He made love to her that night. He made love to her and Camryn loved him back as if both their lives depended on it. Back in Darryl’s arms, she slept well, once again feeling safe and secure. And Darryl couldn’t remember ever being so happy.

  * * *

  They slept late the next morning, awakening in a tangle of flesh and limbs. Rising first, Camryn splashed water on her face and brushed her teeth. Darryl entered the bathroom as she stood staring at her reflection in the large mirror. He relieved himself in the commode, then washed his own face and rinsed his mouth out. Both returned to the bed and Darryl stacked the pillows beneath his head as he pulled Camryn to him. She rested her head on his chest, pressing a palm against his abdomen.

  “Good morning, Mr. Boudreaux.”

  “Good morning, Ms. Charles,” Darryl answered.

  “How did you sleep?”

  He hugged her closer. “I slept like a baby. How about you?”

  “Me too!”

  “We need to get up,” Darryl professed.

  Camryn shrugged. “Do we?”

  He chuckled softly. “At some point!”

  “But not right now,” she said as she kissed his warm flesh, drawing random circles against his skin.

  Darryl tipped her face to his with his hand, cupping his fingers beneath her chin. He kissed her deeply, sucking her lower lip in between his own lips, his tongue gliding over it, down between her lip and teeth, then into her mouth to engage her tongue. He sucked her entire upper lip in between his own, his tongue continuing to probe her mouth excitedly, sliding deeply into the oral cavity and against her tongue. She tasted like the minty mouthwash and toothpaste they’d used. Her lips were soft and delicate and the sweetness of them had him shivering with desire. When Darryl finally broke the kiss, they were both panting heavily.

  “It’s definitely a good morning,” Camryn muttered. She snuggled closer against him.

  Darryl traced his hand across her upper torso, grazing her shoulders and down the length of her arm. His fingers entwining with hers, he pulled her hand to his lips and gently kissed her palm and each one of her fingers. Camryn tilted her face back to his and gently kissed him on each of his cheeks. She waited a heartbeat and then kissed him full on the lips again, nudging her body closer to his as she did.

  The gentleness of the kiss quickly progressed from gentle to ardent. She felt him brush his tongue against her lips and with automatic reflex she opened her mouth to greet it with her own. Her nipples hardened between them, pressing hard against the tight line of his chest. When he pulled his mouth from her mouth, her lips were still tingling from the heat. Camryn knew that the memory of Darryl’s lips would be with her for the rest of her day. An involuntary smile filled her face at the thought.

  She slid farther into his arms and they continued to share light butterfly kisses and the gentle touch of each other’s hands. Up and down their respective bodies they teased and explored each other’s hidden treasures. Camryn suddenly let out a loud gasp as Darryl’s hand ventured between her legs, coming to rest on her bare mound. His touch sent an erotic surge rippling through her.

  Reaching between them, Camryn ran her index finger along his rising length, gently tapping against his shaft. When she swirled the pad of her finger slowly across the head, it made him gasp, sucking air in swiftly as his body tingled with pleasure. In response he trailed his tongue over the curve of her ear and left a path of damp kisses as Camryn leaned her neck toward him.

  Darryl rolled himself forward until he was resting above her, kissing her deeply. Kisses that Camryn returned with equal passion as her small hands trailed the length of his back. His fingers danced a pathway from her neck across her brown flesh to the bountiful breast, and where his fingers danced, his lips followed. His touch was tender and determined, marking her with every ounce of love he had for her.

  Camryn moaned appreciatively as Darryl’s mouth latched around her right nipple, his tongue darting playfully across the rock hard treat as his fingers tugged and kneaded the other. He alternated between the two, the demonstrative gestures causing her feminine spirit to pulse with a vengeance. Camryn cried out softly as she felt the warmth of his mouth becoming heated against her flesh. Darryl paused, shifting his gaze to her face, wanting to admire the lust-filled glow that painted her expression. Her breathing was coming in short, easy gasps as he returned his attention to her breasts, his tongue running around the dark circle, tickling the swollen nipple. He softly squeezed the fullness of her, complementing the ripples of joy his mouth produced. He shifted to the identical mound on the other side, lavishing it with equal attention as he moved back and forth, both delighting in the exhilaration.

  Camryn was heated, perspiration beading in all of her creases. Darryl’s weight felt good to her, his body pressed above hers. She opened her legs, spreading herself wide in invitation. Her moans were coming quicker and in greater volume.

  Camryn leaned to murmur in Darryl’s ear. “I need to feel you inside me,” she whispered anxiously.

  Darryl kissed his way back to her mouth, his hands still cradling each of her breasts. He was heavy, his body pressing her tight to the mattress. The heat and pressure felt incredible, the phenomenal pleasure intense.

  He reclaimed her mouth, his lips skating over hers as he entered her easily, sliding his engorged member deep into her folds. He stroked her over and over again, gliding in and out of her as her muscles tightened sweetly around him. Her insides were hot and throbbing, pulsing wildly around his hardness. He was covered in her nectar, her moisture flooding between them as he penetrated her in a mix of slow and rapid movement.

  Camryn let out a long low sigh as she savored the sweetness of their connection. Her eyes were closed, her head thrown back against the pillows as the first waves of passion washed over her. Her body quaked with desire as she grabbed the sheet beneath her, bunching it in her hand. Darryl felt her coming, her muscles so tight around his that she drew him in deeper and deeper with each thrust. He was covered in sweat, unsuccessful in his efforts to hold back. The forces raging across his flesh refused to let either of them go and when Camryn screamed, her orgasm inciting his, Darryl screamed with her. It was the sweetest surrender for them both.

  Chapter 19

  With Christmas only days away and her wedding happening in just over a week, Camryn couldn’t believe that she and Darryl were headed to London to meet with Sheikh Muhammad. The sheikh had requested the meeting just hours earlier, this time sending his own private aircraft, a massive Boeing 747, to transport them. London was deemed a convenient location since the junior wife wanted to do her holiday shopping at Harrods. Despite the inconvenience of it all, Camryn had found the prospect of shopping at Harrods intriguing, as well.

  She flipped through her copy of the formal prospectus that she’d submitted to the monarch, revisiting her notes and concerns to ensure she was well informed for the meeting. Darryl dropped his hand on top of hers and gently squeezed her fingers.

  “Are you excited?” Darryl asked, having already reviewed his own notes.

  Camryn shrugged. “To be honest, I�
��m not sure. I honestly don’t know if I’m ready for all the change that will have to take place if he awards us the project.”

  “Well, baby, you better get ready because I don’t think he’s flying us to London to not award us the project.”

  “You’ve got a point,” she said nonchalantly as she shifted in her seat.

  Darryl laughed. “I’m impressed with how calm you are!”

  “I can’t afford to be nervous. If I let my nerves get to me, I might make a mistake.”

  Darryl leaned to kiss her cheek. “You won’t make a mistake.”

  Camryn shifted forward in her seat, turning to stare at the man. “What about you, Darryl? You’re concerned about me but are you nervous?”

  “Hell, yeah! My knees haven’t stopped shaking since we got the call from Sheikh Muhammad this morning.”

  “It is pretty intimidating the way he calls and commands your presence when he wants you.”

  “He’s a powerful man and powerful men have their own way of doing things.”

  “I’m discovering that,” she said, brushing a finger down the side of his face, her eyebrows raised.

  Darryl laughed again. “What are you trying to say?”

  “I’m saying that it does a body good to know a powerful man. And it’s even better when you’re in love with one.” Her seductive smile was enticing.

  Darryl smiled with her, reaching for her hand a second time. “No matter what happens, Camryn, I love me some you, too.”

  * * *

  London was dazzling. After another exciting day Camryn and Darryl returned to their hotel room at Boudreaux Hotel & Resort London, one of the hotels his brother Mason had founded. They were ready for hot showers and some serious sleep. After closing and locking the door to their suite, Darryl pulled his jacket off and his turtleneck sweater up and over his head and dropped both to the floor. Moving behind him, Camryn retrieved his garments and followed him from the living space into the bedroom, where she hung them in the closet. She shook her head at him and he smiled, shrugging his shoulders in apology.