THE CRITIC (29 page)

“How did you do this, how did you know?” she asked, walking toward them.

“How do you think,” Jared teased, sliding his arm around her waist.

“You?”

“Of course.”

“But how, Jared? I didn’t even ask you until the last second and when would you have had time? You almost didn’t come.”

“Now there you’re wrong. Did you think I was going to leave you to that Brian Johnson? No way. I got your parents’ number from information and I called and asked your father for permission to marry you. I did it the old fashioned Southern way, the way you kept pretending you hated. I didn’t believe you.”

“But this weekend, why so soon?”

She could feel his hand pressing gently on her back, caressing her. She didn’t dare look up.

“Because it was perfect. Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks. It’s a time for family and friends and those we love. I thought it was a good time for us to begin a new life as husband and wife.

“But what if I had said no?”

“You didn’t.”

“But what if I had?”

“In that case I would have had to convince you that we belonged together.” He stared at her for a moment before kissing her until her knees turned weak.

When she could breathe again, Toreas looked at each member of her family in turn. “I can’t believe you all went along with this scheme.”

“He loved you and we could tell something was up with you in the past months. We just didn’t know it was love. That’s why I drilled you and that’s why I cancelled Brian.”  Her mother looked up at Jared. “Your husband told me in no uncertain terms that he didn’t want you anywhere near Brian Johnson or any other man. Once he asked your father for your hand, things just kind of snowballed. You were the only fly in the ointment.

“But, Mom, you did all of this not knowing what I would do.”

“Believe me, there were a dozen urgent calls between us and Jared. Why do you think I was suddenly calling you every fifteen minutes. That morning when you were all packed and ready to leave I almost had a heart attack. Jared never called to say that you’d agreed, just that he was coming.”

Toreas couldn’t help laughing. “So that’s why you asked me if I was sure my gas was off or if I was sure I didn’t want to bring a friend.” Toreas laughed harder. “I was wondering if you were beginning to lose your memory. You’d already asked me that a dozen times.” She looked at Jared. “I should have known.”

“You should have known I loved you and I had no plans on your moving anywhere without me by your side.”

Someone had put on music and was yelling for the bride and groom to dance. When they were cheek to cheek, Toreas looked around the gaily decorated church community room and whispered to Jared. “You know you’ve outsmarted yourself, don’t you? There is no way we’re doing what’s on your mind in my parents’ basement.”

“How about upstairs in your bedroom?”

“Ha ha, don’t think so, buddy.”

“But we’re married now.”

“I don’t care,” Toreas answered. “If you’re planning on making my eyes roll back in my head, I think we need to be alone.”

“Then I guess when we get back to your parents’ home you’d better help your mom make dinner so the preparations can go quicker.”

“I can’t believe you’re not rushing me out of here.”

“Why not? I have you and we have a lifetime together.” He pulled her hard against him.

“I don’t believe you.”

“You shouldn’t.” Jared laughed. “We have a honeymoon suite here in town, I made reservations. As soon as we have Thanksgiving dinner with your family we’re off.” He leered at her.

He could see the wheels turning and shook his head. “No, Tesa, I didn’t sleep with anyone when I was so angry with you. How could I when all I could think about was you and the fact that if I had you’d probably tack on another year and make me retake the test and fill out another questionnaire.”

“Jared?”

“Okay, baby, I didn’t want anyone else but you. I love you.”

“Say it again,” Toreas purred, looking up at him with adoring eyes.

“I love you, Toreas Rose Stone. There is something I’ve been meaning to ask you about that first time when you were glaring at me as though you hated me. It was so personal. Why?

“You don’t know?” Toreas teased.

“No.”

“I’d had a little crush on you for months and then you opened your mouth and spoiled it.”

“Now?”

“Well, now is now.”

“How about telling me how much you love me and that you wouldn’t think of living without me.”

At that moment the music ended and Toreas smiled at Jared and walked toward her father.

“Toreas,” Jared called, and she ignored him, taking her father’s hand and leading him to the dance floor. Of course she loved him but she couldn’t let him get a big head, now could she? “I love you, Jared, and I can’t think of living my life without you,” she yelled at him from the dance floor. She looked at her father and grinned, surprised not to feel the heat from embarrassment that she normally would have felt.

“I like him, Tesa.”

“So do I, Daddy,” Toreas said as she leaned against her father’s chest. “So do I.”

After the dancing they sat and ate and talked with old friends until everyone began cleaning.  It was time for them to go home to prepare their own Thanksgiving dinner.

Several people walked up and kissed her goodbye, pressing envelopes that she knew contained money into her hands.  Some of them gave her rolls of film and three different people gave her video cassettes of the wedding.

She returned to her parents’ home a married woman.  Through it all she was in a daze, helping her mother with the meal while listening to her husband.
Her husband
. She loved the way it sounded in her head.

Her husband was now a part of her family and it also felt right. She couldn’t wait until she told Liz and Kelle. They would never believe it.

No matter how talented, she didn’t believe any writer could have come up with such a wonderful beginning for her new life.

Hours later when they were climbing into the car she held each of her brothers tightly to her. She would never forget again how much she loved them or how much they loved her. She would remember always.

“Tesa, thank God you went shopping with Mom. Your outfit looks beautiful.”

Toreas hit at Billy but he grabbed her and gave her a hug. She twirled around for them in her new outfit the same as she’d done in her thrift store clothes.  She had to admit the purple silk dress melded to her curves like a glove. Her mother had even insisted on buying her a stylish new black coat. It all made sense now why her mother had taken her from store to store on a manic shopping frenzy, telling her to hush up every time she’d attempted to pay.

Her father reached out a hand and touched her hair. “I thought I would have a stroke when your mom called to warn me that you’d cut off your beautiful, long hair. But you look just as beautiful in an afro.”

Throwing her arms around her father Toreas hugged him as hard as she could. “Thank you, Daddy, for everything,” she said and kissed his cheek.

“Tesa, I’ll still pay for that year for you to find your dream.” Michael hugged his sister close.

“So will I,” Billy chimed in.

Jared grinned at them both. “Sorry, guys, she’s my wife and I’ll take care of her.”

Toreas shook her head at the men in her life. “You’re all the greatest but I’ve decided to go back to work.” She took in their looks. “Don’t worry, I have no plans on giving up but I also have no plans on not doing some of the real struggling to get there. I truly thank all of you but I need to go about this in a different way. I have the inspiration I need and I have the passion.” Toreas grinned. “I don’t think it will be nearly as hard to write now.”

Her father was the last one to kiss her goodbye. “You no longer have a debt to me,” he whispered into her ear.  “It’s paid in full.”

“No, Daddy, I’ll keep my word on that.”

“Consider it a wedding gift. After all, I didn’t have the expense of giving you a wedding.  This is a fair trade.”  He hugged her, hard.  And she felt his body shake.

“Be happy,” he said to her, then pushed her toward Jared.  A few more waves and they were off. 

“Now, Toreas Tesa Rose Stone, let’s see what I can do about making your eyes roll to the back of your head,” Jared whispered as they got in the car.

“In the car, Jared.”

“Baby, before we’re done we’re going to make love in places you’ve never before imagined.” He glanced at her and saw her grin. “What?” he asked.

“I’m a writer, Jared, I have a very vivid imagination.” She fished in the dash box for a piece of paper and a pencil, then started writing, listing some places worth considering.

“What are you doing?” Jared asked.

“Oh, just starting a list. You’ll be lucky if you manage to do even half of the things on my list.”

When he laughed out loud she laughed with him and continued writing.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Sitting next to Jared as he drove, Toreas wondered a few minutes later if she was dreaming it all. She was married to Jared and her family had been in on it.  It was too unbelievable. She chuckled softly and pinched herself.

“What now?” Jared asked, grinning.

“Just pinching myself to see if this is real.”

“It’s real, baby. You can’t run from me any longer.”

“I have no plans to run, Jared.”

“How do you feel, Mrs. Stone?”

“Wonderful. How about you?”

“I feel lucky.”

“Does any of this strike you as hokey?”

“Yeah, but who the hell cares? I have you in my life and nothing else matters. I knew from the moment I began falling for you that I would have to work my ass off to get you.”

“You haven’t worked it off yet, Jared,” Toreas joked.

She couldn’t believe she’d laughed with her mother only a couple of days before about the denseness of men.  This was without a doubt the most romantic thing Jared could have done.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“How much I love you and how much like a dream this all seems. I found my family, the church, God and a husband all in one neat bundle.”

“You didn’t find us.  We were never lost. We were just waiting for you to want us.” He smiled. “I’m speaking for myself.  As soon as we get home I’m going to prove that to you.”

She leaned into his body, as close to him as she could possibly get. When we get home, she thought. Okay, Toreas, she coached herself. It’s up to you to change your husband’s mind about waiting till you reach Chicago. Just once more. Just a little wifely manipulation.

“I can hardly wait until we get home.” She tried to sound innocent as her hand began roaming up his thigh.  “I wish we didn’t have to wait so long. I thought you had the honeymoon suite here in town.”

She felt Jared looking at her and she looked up into his eyes.  They were finally on the same page.

“I wasn’t talking about waiting to make love to you. I was talking about proving we belong together. But you’re right, and I think I can prove that to you in just a few minutes.” 

His voice was husky with desire. Toreas smiled. She was aware of what he was thinking.  She could feel it. Her hand was directly covering a huge bulge. “Now that’s more like it, Mr. Stone.”

Jared was grinning. “By the way, there is something I want to tell you.”

“What’s that?” Toreas asked coyly, waiting to hear him tell her he loved her.

“I want you to keep a few of those bulky sweaters.  I want to bury my head under them and taste my own private buried treasure.”

His hand touched her face and she burned. When he tried to use his right hand to burrow through her coat he gave up after a few seconds and grinned at her. “I can’t caress you and drive, at least not while you have on that darn coat. Please tell me what you’re dressed for. It’s not that cold.”

“Cold enough for a coat,” Toreas replied, smiling at Jared.

“But I don’t have on a coat.”

“That’s your body, I get cold easily.”

“Do you heat easily?”

“I think you know the answer to that.”

“I’m not sure, not really. You could have been lying to me. After all, you always managed to say no. Are you planning on saying no to me today?”

“Would it do any good if I were?” Toreas laid her head on his shoulder, her hand feeling once again for the evidence of his arousal, finding it and feeling emboldened. She stroked him, laughing as his body shuddered and his foot pressed harder on the gas pedal. 

“You like teasing me, don’t you?” Jared placed his hand over Toreas’s. “We’re going to see how well you like it in about thirty seconds.”

He pulled off the highway and turned into the parking lot of a hotel that looked liked heaven to Toreas.

“Now I’m going on a treasure hunt,” Jared informed her, “and I get to keep the prize.”

Before Toreas could count to ten, they were out of the car, in the lobby and being led to the honeymoon suite. When the door closed behind them, Toreas turned and saw the way her husband was looking at her.

“Jared,” she whispered. Before another word could leave her mouth he was beside her. The moan died in her throat. Jared was kissing her, and her body surrendered to his touch. This time when the feeling of floating overcame her she opened her eyes and grinned. “I love you, Jared,” Toreas said softly as she gazed into her husband’s eyes.

“No more interruptions,” Jared rasped hoarsely.

Both their eyes fell on the phone. Toreas laughed and took it off the hook. “Is that better?”

“Much.”

“Jared, this is all so crazy. Liz is going to think I’m nuts.”

“Do you care?”

“Not really.”

Then why are we discussing your friends on our honeymoon?”

“Maybe I’m just a little nervous.” She looked toward the bed, then at Jared.

Jared raised a brow. “Do you doubt that you love me, that you want to be married to me, or do you doubt that I can fulfill your request?” He too glanced toward the bed.

Toreas smiled and turned toward the window. Her breath was coming in short pants and she was feeling flushed. She’d waited her entire life for this moment, for Jared. It was hard to believe this wasn’t a dream.

She heard him move, felt the rustle of air. Then his hands were on her, pulling her close. He pulled her into him and she went willingly.

Jared’s lips traversed her neck, his tongue licking a path of fire, of want and need. Toreas shivered as he continued raining kisses along her jawline, his fingers caressing the side of her face.

A slight breeze caressed her skin as he moved the zipper of her dress an inch. More kisses rained down on her back and the pull came from her womb while her knees buckled.

“This is one of the few times I’ve seen you in a dress,” Jared teased. The wedding gown and now this one. Your body is suited to silk.  It feels almost as soft as you but not quite,” he purred and slipped the zipper down a little lower. “Did I happen to mention that purple is your color?”

“Jared…”
That was the only word she could utter. He nuzzled into her so close that not even air could get between them. She felt his erection pressing into her, and his groan shook her body as he attempted to hold her even closer. He was moving so slowly, only taking her zipper down an inch at a time, laving her skin with liquid fire, his tongue doing magical things to her libido.

Toreas didn’t know how much longer she could remain standing. He’d once again turned her into melting butter. “Jared,” she moaned softly, “what are you doing?”

“I’m tasting every inch of you, just like I promised myself I would. I had to make sure I wasn’t crazy.”

“For marrying me?” Toreas sucked in a breath and felt him nip her lightly with his teeth.

“No, silly, for thinking you tasted like strawberries. I thought I must have been losing my mind, that no one’s body could taste like fruit. But guess what, Toreas, yours does. It’s so yummy. Have you ever tasted it?”

With that Jared licked a path from her neck to the three inches of skin he’d exposed. If he continued to go that slowly she’d surely die.

Jared’s hands were trembling. He’d waited so long to be able to touch his wife in just the way he was doing. He’d thought for sure he would enter her the moment the door closed behind them. 

This wasn’t in his plan, this slow seduction of his wife. But when she’d turned her back to him it hit him squarely in the gut how much he truly loved her and wanted to make her his in every way. Every inch of her he wanted to touch, taste and savor and he was doing just that.

If she thought the slowness wasn’t having an effect on him, she was nuts. Still, he was determined to know her body. Jared’s hand found the clasp of her bra and he undid it. He sucked in huge gulps of air as his hands found her breasts and he cupped them.

Toreas was moaning his name, wanting more and truly he wanted to turn her to face him, bury his lips in her breasts, pull her plump nipples into his mouth, but he’d forgo it for now. He was finding too much pleasure in the tremors he was producing in his wife’s body.

For once Jared was glad of the difference in their height. He didn’t have to remove his hands from Toreas’s breasts as he used his teeth to slide the zipper farther down her back.

He groaned, kissing her skin, licking it, making his own flesh harder. For a moment he stopped and held her, nuzzling her close, afraid of coming right then and there. What kind of honeymoon would that be?

“Jared.”

He heard her whispering his name so softly that it gave him goose bumps. She was close to the edge. He could feel the vibration of her body clear to her legs.

Jared chuckled and picked up the pace just a bit, pulling the zipper farther down. When the dress pooled about her waist, he dropped to his knees and laid his head in the small of her back, his hands trading her breasts for other areas.

He moaned as his fingers came into contact with silk. He smiled. So they weren’t cotton. Jared rubbed one hand up and down over his wife’s nether regions, not wanting to go there yet, just enjoying the feel of her through the material.

He moved lower, bringing his hand around to trace the roundness of her firm buttocks. Jared kissed each cheek. His hand trembled as his fingers traced a path up and down her before going into the dip of her behind. He felt her heat, her shiver, and her effort to pull away but he groaned and held her close, and shook away the need. Then he turned Toreas to face him. Her face was contorted by lust and she was shivering so hard that Jared remembered her leg hitting the table when she’d propositioned him.

“Toreas, baby, are you scared? You did tell me you weren’t a virgin, right?”

“No, I’m not a virgin, I’ve done it eleven and a half times.”

“Eleven and a half,” Jared chuckled. “How the half?”

“Don’t ask.”

“How long has it been?” He thought at first she wasn’t going to answer, but then her voice came, trembling and breathy.

“It’s been three and a half years.”

“You’re kidding!”

“No, I’m not.

“So you’re probably ready by now,” Jared teased.

“What do you think?”

“I think I haven’t finished with the taste test. He pressed his face into her abdomen and flicked his tongue into her navel and swirled it around, again feeling her heat. Her scent was rising up to meet him as he moved farther south, his mouth kissing her through the silk, his nose nudging the material aside. He had to have a taste. Toreas had gone still and was pulling back.

“Have you ever done this before?”

“No.”

“Do you want me to?”

“Jared, how am I supposed to answer that?”

“Honestly.”

“I can’t.”

“Why can’t you?”

“Jared.”

He grinned. “I’ll make the decision then, how’s that?” he said and this time used a hand to move the material aside. Before he could taste her, she’d scooted out of his grip and made for the bed.

“Just for that, Mrs. Stone, you’re going to have to tell me what you want.”

Toreas stepped out of her dress and crawled across the bed, kicking out as Jared’s hand pulled on her ankle, trying to bring her back to him.

“You’re trying to get away from me?”

“If you think that you really are dense. I’m just trying to get in a more comfortable position.” Toreas flopped on the pillow, expecting Jared to come alongside her. When he didn’t she raised up and glanced downward. He was eyeing her foot.

“Jared, what the heck are you thinking of doing?”

“Like I said, I want to know if you taste like strawberries all over.” His hand snaked out and grabbed her leg as she tried to get away.

“Jared, if your mouth goes anywhere near my foot, I’m not kissing you.”

“I don’t believe you. Besides, I don’t think if I do it right you’ll object. And I’m planning to do it right. I’m going to taste every inch of you, Mrs. Stone.”

Before Toreas could object further Jared was kissing her foot as his hand caressed her leg. Then he moved upwards. He felt her shiver as his tongue connected with her bare skin.

“Jared?”

“Tesa, you said you wanted your eyes to roll back in your head. I’m trying to make that happen but you’re interrupting me.”

“But, Jared, you’re having all the fun.”

“I waited long enough. I deserve to have fun, don’t you agree?”

“But you’re only going for the appetizers. What about the entrées?”

Jared shook his head and grinned in disbelief. His little Baptist bride was a fast learner. “I have patience. I had to in order to wait all these months and you’re not going to deter me. I intend to finish.”

“Do I?”

“Do you what?” Jared smiled, lowering his head to lick her brown skin, heading higher toward her thigh.

“Do I taste like strawberries?”

“That you do, baby.” He moved higher still and the faint wetness tickled his nostril. He moved the silk aside with one finger and touched her wetness. A sigh filled the room and he smiled, thinking how hard he’d worked before to get her out of her pants and now here she was.