A Billionaire's Obsession 3 (BWWM Interracial Romance): Claiming Her Heart (6 page)

"I
later earned my spot at
an Ivy League college. I played sports for the heck of it. It was never my plan
to make a serious career out of it. I struck a decent balance of hanging out
with the 'cool kids' and with the academia crowd. Eventually, I met this ri
diculously talented,
and beautiful artist who seemed to have
the same outlook on life that I did. The only problem was that she pretty much
held the same outlook on life as whichever dude she cared to charm, and
manipulate." Colin drops his head for a shor
t
moment. He lifts it again, and walks to the other side of his office where
Renee chose to stand. He stands directly across from her, barely leaving any
space between them, and looks at her in her eyes.

"Renee, I loved her then. She was full of life, car
efree, creative, and I assumed, everything that I was not.
When I learned of her betrayal, I was devastated. I decided to become someone
else. Someone who I thought could never be hurt again." Colin explains.
"Now you have changed all that. I see you, and
I
see someone special. A true angel sent by God, to help me return to
my true self, and focus on what really
matters."

Renee listens to every word...every syllable.
However, she still stands frozen in
place, and allows the words to wash over her. "How can
I help you change? I am just as human as you are."
Renee tells him.

"Well, you've already begun. Just knowing you is
enough. If it is alright with you, I would like to get to know you
more." Colin proposes. Renee looks
up at him, and into his captivating
green eyes. She
watches as his straight sandy brown hair constantly falls on to his forehead.

"I...I'm not sure that I can help. I'm just a simple
girl, from a small town who loves to create art, and
develop ideas." Renee begins.
"But I do know what it is like to be betrayed. I remember it like
yesterday although it was more than six months ago." Colin's eyes widen.

"You understand the pain of it, yet it hasn't changed
you. You continue to make a posi
tive impact on
people's...and animals' lives. You shed light wherever you go. I need some of
that light Renee. I need you. I am falling for you each day." Colin
expresses
emphatically. "I am also prepared to wait for
you."

Renee studies Colin's face a lit
tle
longer than usual. He stands quietly looking into her bright brown eyes
himself. He sees a kind woman. A woman who sticks to her convictions, even if
she is made to wonder off, she has the ability to get back up and continue the
original journey.

"Col
in, I will allow you to
get to know me better." Renee has decided. "However, it will be on my
terms, and
my terms alone." Colin smiles. He is familiar with
negotiations.

"Okay." He says softly, and nods.

"Well first off, you need to apologize to my mothe
r for showing up on her door step like that." Renee
demands. Colin laughs.

"Certainly Miss Wainwright! I will be sure to do that
right away. Shall we go now?" Colin plays with Renee.

"Seriously, you could have given her a heart attack,
or something." Ren
ee says pretending to
reprimand Colin. Colin laughs even more. Soon his laughter becomes infectious,
and Renee begins to laugh as well. They both laugh together for about two
minutes continuously. It is
as though knowing the same pain has
enabled them to u
nderstand one other more
instinctively.

Suddenly the laughter stops, and there is nothing between
them but silence. Then Colin gently steps forward and holds Renee in his arms.
He embraces her, and she lets him. A light hug leads to a deeper one, and the
two begin kissing passionately on the lips. After a short
while, Colin steps back.

"I never want to be without you again. If I ever do
anything
that causes you to want to be apart
from me, please tell me immediately!" Colin expresses with intense
feeling.

Renee listens closely.
Is this who he was all along, hidden
under the bad boy image?
Her face grows warm. She is drawn to him. She has been
drawn to him.
I think that I maybe falling for him too.

"I will be sure to tell you, but please...
please
do not hu
rt
me. I couldn't bear it." Renee says, from the very depths of her soul.

"It will be my life'
s work, to never hurt you again Renee. I
promise." Colin tells Renee while reaching for both her hands, and placing
it in his own. "If I hurt you, I will be hurt
ing
my own self. I don't want to hurt anymore. I am ready to heal. Will you help me
heal Renee? Can we heal together? Will you stay with me forever?"

Renee cannot believe what she is hearing, and who she is
hearing it from. While she always admired the Co
lin
Winston who created an edgy branding agency, she never in her wildest, of
wildest dreams excepted to hear these words from his lips.

"Forever?" She asks.

"Yes, forever!" He repeats. "I would be a
fool to ever let you go again. You are what my soul ne
eds.
You are my soul mate."

Renee takes one step back. She is in shock. Soul mate? Did
he just say soul mate? She raises her bowed head. She looks into his caring
eyes.
He
did say it. He is being earnest. I have never seen that look in his eyes
before.
Re
nee thinks to herself.

"I love you Renee." He finally says. "Will
you stay with me forever. Will you marry me?" Those words have never left
Colin's lips before.
Just like in business, he doesn't propose one single deal
that he has no intention of followin
g through with.
Hence, why he had such a reputation as a playboy. All the women knew what they
were getting into. There were no delusions of pinning Colin Winston down.

Now, Renee stands frozen in her spot. "Marry me?"

"Yes." Colin confirms. Renee loves l
ooking in Colin's eyes, and searching them for her own
answers.

She leaps into his arms, and begins kissing him softly.
Apologize to my mother first, and I will think about it." She tells him in
between kisses. Colin laughs out loud, then picks Renee up a
nd spins her around.

He begins to lower her and kisses her neck, then their lips
meet, and they become enraptured in one another. No one else, or nothing else
mattered for the rest of the afternoon, and into the evening as they kissed,
then talked - and s
hared more about themselves, and
their families - then kissed deeply some more. By the end of the night, they
drew closer, understood one another, and learned to love again.

-END-