Promises to a Stallion (Kimani Romance) (16 page)

“This just has to be incredible!” Eden exclaimed excitedly.

“Better than incredible,” Marah concurred.

“I can’t believe how fast it happened,” Marla interjected. “Because it has happened really fast.”

“I’ve never seen Travis so happy,” John concluded. “He’s floating right now.”

Marah smiled. “Do you think they’re making a mistake? I mean, maybe they should wait.”

John shrugged ever so slightly. “You know, we’ve seen couples who’ve known each other for years marry, and the marriage fails. Do you remember meeting the Hale family at the company Christmas party?”

Marah nodded. “Yes, that couple with the twins, right?”

“Yeah, well, his parents lived together for some forty years without getting married. Happy as can be. Then they decided they needed to make it legal. They got married and six months later were separated and filing for divorce.

“You just never know. Travis and Tierra will probably be the type to get married and live happily ever after. I just think that if it’s going to make them happy then they should give it all they’ve got.”

The sisters all nodded in agreement.

“Well, I’ve got catering covered,” Eden said. “And I’m headed out right now to order the cake.”

“I called Tierra’s brother, and he’s going to let me into her apartment to get her wedding gown,” Marla said. “I also spoke to Mama Dee, and she’s on board.”

“Reverend Patrick is available, but they have to get a license, and the state of Texas requires a seventy-two-hour waiting period after the license is issued. Has Travis even thought about the license?” Marah questioned.

John nodded. “Matthew is taking care of everything. That new judge friend of his has pulled some strings or something. Since Travis is active military, they’ll waive the seventy-two hours.”

“Anything else?” Eden asked, looking at everyone around the room.

“The only other thing Travis asked for is that we try and get his friend Ross Knight here. Ross is a photographer out of Atlanta, and Travis wants him to do their wedding photos.”

“We have some great photographers here in Dallas, if that’s going to be a problem,” Marah said. “I know a few of them.”

John shook his head. “Travis wants Ross Oscar Knight, and only Ross. We’ll give the man whatever he wants to get him here. Travis gave me a blank check and said that we are to spare no expense.”

Marah smiled. “Now, if that doesn’t sound like a Stallion man, I don’t know what does.”

Her husband chuckled. “That’s how we do things, baby.”

“Then I think that takes care of everything,” Marla said with a wide smile. “All we need are the lovebirds.”

Hugging his wife tightly, John pressed a kiss to her forehead. “They get back Wednesday, the day after tomorrow. Once they’re here, we’re having us a wedding!”

T
he Cieba del Mar Beach and Spa Resort was minutes away from Cancún in Puerto Morelos. Stepping into the ocean-view room, Tierra and Travis were situated just minutes from their own private beach. The elegantly appointed suite was a laid-back, luxurious environment designed specifically for rest and relaxation, with its king-size bed, sitting area, terrace and private plunge pool.

“How long are we here for?” Tierra asked, clasping her hand in his.

Travis smiled. “Just a day or two. We have a commitment on Wednesday, and then I have to leave on Friday.”

Tierra wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. She was thrilled to be spending time with the man in such a beautiful place, but being reminded that it could only last but so long before Travis would be leaving her washed a wave of sadness through her spirit.

“So, what do you want to do first?” Travis asked, moving to open the patio doors.

Tierra followed behind him, dropping down onto one of the cushioned lounge chairs. She threw her hands up excitedly. “Absolutely nothing!”

Tierra lay in Travis’s arms, her head resting comfortably on his chest. A warm breeze billowed through the room, the oceanic wind light and teasing. Outside, the sun was shining brilliantly, shimmering light on the airy white sand and the deep blue of the ocean water.

The couple had been resting comfortably from their morning excursions. They’d started the day with a couple’s massage—an hour of having their muscles kneaded was pure euphoria—then a cocoon body wrap, scalp treatment and face massage. A short jaunt into Cancún to sightsee had left them spent by the time the midday heat had risen to full strength. Right after lunch they’d taken a slow stroll through the beautiful mangroves down to the meditation pier, where the birds serenaded guests through the afternoon.

Returning to the room, both were in need of a nap to prepare themselves for the dazzling experience the hotel staff had talked them into taking later that night. The Temazcal was an indigenous, ancestral ritual created to purify and renew their minds, bodies and spirits. It was performed at sunset, on the beach within a terra-cotta sweat lodge using hot volcanic stones and an infusion of aromatic herbs to obtain the steam. Travis imagined he needed much rest to prepare for steam and rituals.

He slowly caressed Tierra’s shoulders and back, tickling the soft flesh beneath her clothes. The sensation was causing a ripple through her body, warmth settling comfortably within her. The last few days had bonded the two even closer together. He marveled at how much he’d come to know about the woman and, even more important, how much he wanted to know.

Tierra had opened herself to him, permitting him to witness those moments when she was most vulnerable, and he’d been moved by her passion for life and her sincere, loving spirit. He marveled at her energy and was inspired by her compassion. And what moved him most was feeling completely and totally confident that he had found his soul mate.

He hugged her closer, Tierra wrapping her leg around his, her body cradled against him. Leaning to kiss her forehead, Travis trailed a line of damp kisses along her profile, resting his mouth atop her mouth. His kiss was probing, his tongue snaking past the line of her lips to seek out hers. Dancing in hers, he was suddenly consumed with desire. Cupping the back of her neck, his thumb caressed her just under her ear. He felt her pulse jump, a smile widening across her face.

“You’re trying to start something, Sergeant Stallion,” she said, her demure tone teasing.

Travis continued to trail his hands across her flesh. “Yes, baby, I am.” He kissed her hungrily. “I can’t get enough of you, Tierra. Every time I touch you, I want more and more of you,” he whispered huskily.

Returning his fervor, Tierra could only nod her head, understanding seeping through her. He hugged her tightly, his arms surrounding her in a gesture of comfort and protection.

Every time they made love, it was a thing of beauty. Their movements were fluid and natural, their instincts in perfect sync. Tierra marveled at the strength of his touch, his fingers inciting her nerve endings to explode with pleasure. Travis couldn’t imagine the woman’s kisses being more passionate. Each time he kissed her rivaled that first time he found himself kissing her. He couldn’t begin to imagine anything sweeter.

His hand moved over her cheek, the soft skin teasing the pads of his fingers. When Tierra smiled, meeting his gaze evenly, he felt as if his heart might break with love. Her dark eyes shimmered in the light and he kissed her again. Wallowing in the embrace, Travis allowed her to take over the kiss, skin moving against skin, her lips and tongue moving with intensity as Tierra sucked and licked and tasted the sweetness of him. Her body arched and ached for more of his touch.

Travis moved his fingers across her forehead, brushing the strands of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes. He wanted to see her eyes as he brushed his lips over her checks and nuzzled the curve beneath her chin. He was awed by her beauty, consumed by the magnitude of her spirit and energy. A tear teased the corners of his eyes and he closed them tightly, fighting back the emotion. Closing his lids tightly, Travis inhaled the scent of her. The aroma of her perfume teased him, shivers quivering up his spine.

Lying beneath him, the crinkle of a smile pulled at Tierra’s mouth. The man’s touch was consuming, moving her to places and heights she didn’t know possible. She gasped for air as Travis’s hands moved to unbutton the buttons on her shirt. His touch was silk as his fingers skated along the line of her lace bra. Reaching behind her, Travis unclasped her bra and her breath quickened with anticipation. The sudden release of her breasts was overshadowed by his palms cupping them, heat coursing from his fingers straight into her heart. He tweaked her nipples until they hardened and Tierra bit down against her bottom lip at the sensation.

The sound of his belt being unbuckled and the zipper being pulled excited her. Travis’s hands moved back to her body, gliding across her stomach to that sweet spot between her legs, taunting the swollen nub. His breath was heated against her, his lips following where his hands had led. Tierra moaned, pleasure sweeping through the room.

Their loving was bliss. Neither could begin to imagine that their intimate act would feel like the first time each time they were together. As Tierra clung to him hungrily, holding on for dear life, she knew that nothing and no one could ever move Travis Stallion from her heart.

After a wonderful meal of Caribbean shrimp and sweet potatoes in a spicy coconut sauce, the two had sat before an open fireplace, sipping on glasses of warm sherry, enjoying the ocean air. Travis had suggested they take a walk before retiring for the night.

A full moon sat high in the darkened midnight sky. Tierra and Travis strolled along the beachfront, hand in hand, the cool waves washing over their bare feet. In the distance lights flickered with a soft intensity, beckoning them forward.

“We have to leave tomorrow,” Travis said softly, breaking the silence that had settled around them. “Then I’m back to Afghanistan.”

Tierra nodded. “I don’t want you to go.”

“I don’t want to go, either, but I have to.”

Tierra squeezed his hand, her other palm lightly caressing his arm. “If I haven’t told you already, Travis, I want you to know how much the last few weeks have meant to me. Even with all that drama with my ex, I would do it all over again if I had to.”

Travis stopped, turning to face her. He clasped her face between his palms, staring deep into her eyes. “Tierra, I love you. And I think you know how much I love you. So…” Travis dropped down to one knee. Reaching into his jacket pocket he pulled a small velvet box into his hand, flipping it open to expose a stunning emerald-cut diamond ring in a lavish platinum setting.

He pulled Tierra’s left hand into his own, staring up into her eyes as he continued. “At this moment, I am kneeling before you with my heart in my palms, offering it to you, Tierra Braddy. I love you. I want to spend my life with you. I need you by my side as I leap into the future. I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?”

Tierra gasped, the moment surreal. She dropped to her knees beside him, her mouth meeting his in a divine kiss. “I do love you, Travis. I didn’t know it was possible to feel what I’m feeling for anyone. But you have it like no one has ever had my heart before. Yes. Yes. I would be honored to be your wife.”

Travis’s grin was a mile wide as he slipped the ring onto Tierra’s ring finger and placed a kiss into the palm of her hand. He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her into a deep embrace. He kissed her excitedly, joy filling his spirit as it danced in sync with hers.

They’d talked and walked the length of the beach for hours. Out of nowhere a sudden rain storm showered down from the sky. The downpour was heavy, the kind of rain that soaks deep into a body within minutes. Neither of them seemed to notice as they kicked their way through the sand, still holding hands. The sky had grown even darker, so much so that Travis could barely see Tierra standing beside him. A flash of lighting suddenly illuminated her exquisite face.

Enamored, Travis pulled Tierra to him, kissing her deeply as rain ran like a river over their heads. Tierra kissed him back, her tongue pushing eagerly past his lips into his mouth to dance alongside his own. Bolstered by her enthusiasm, Travis slid his hand beneath her skirt, her clothing saturated through to her panties. Tierra moaned her excitement into his mouth as he slid his fingers beneath the fabric, pressing his thumb over the hardened nub between her legs. As he drew slow circles against her flesh, making her draw her breath through her teeth, Tierra slid her leg up his, her knee resting against his hip.

Moving his mouth to her neck, Travis nuzzled the soft flesh, his tongue teasing the lobe of one ear and trailing the line of her chin to the other lobe. Tierra popped the buttons to his shirt, her hands moving across his broad chest.

With his hand still dancing against her secret garden, Travis kissed her again, their connection so sweet that Tierra couldn’t imagine anyone moving her spirit the way he did. No one before him had ever kissed her like Travis kissed her. Travis’s lips ignited fires deep in her belly, shooting fireworks through every nerve ending and turning her knees to jelly. If it were not for his strong arms encircling her waist or her arms latched around his neck, she’d have melted to the ground. Instead, she strained against him, needing him fiercely, longing to be one with him. The feelings were so strong they scared her, yet she couldn’t break free. She would have stopped breathing first.

She wanted to protest when he drew away. The cool evening air chapped her sore, swollen lips. Travis’s gaze smoldered into hers. “Let’s take this back to our room,” he whispered. “It’s too cold out here for you.” His teeth nipped her earlobe, and then his tongue bathed her ear. Arching her neck, she shivered against him.

Lifting her into his arms, Travis leaned his head back, his raspy breathing mimicking hers. Tierra nuzzled her face into his neck, her arms draped around his shoulders. With the rain still falling around them, he carried her back across the beach to the patio outside their room. By the time he maneuvered them through the sliding-glass doors to lay her across the bed’s comforter, Tierra was completely naked beneath him. Standing back to take in the view, he was totally enamored with the sight of her.

Travis wanted her badly, and he sensed that Tierra wanted him just as much. He rubbed the goose flesh of her cold skin as he admired her body. Tearing his wet clothes away from his own body, he stood completely naked. Leaning over her, he took her face into his hand, kissing her lips passionately. Her hands whispered across his skin, tracing the powerful muscles of his back.

Cupping her small breasts, he kissed them gently. Her nipples hardened beneath his touch as he ringed first one and then the other, teasing back and forth with his tongue. Tierra moaned expressively, unable to contain her excitement.

Moving her hands to grasp his manhood, she stroked him easily. When her ministrations became too much, Travis pushed her hands away and reached for a condom that rested atop the nightstand. As Tierra helped him with the prophylactic, he gasped for air. Rolling her back against the bed, Travis supported himself on his forearms and began to slowly pump his body back and forth. With each stroke he drove into her, crushing her soft breasts against his hard chest. Tierra whimpered faintly, urging him in with her hands.

As release claimed them, both sheened in sweat despite the chill in the air, the rain outside continued to dance down, tapping eagerly at the window.