Watch Me Take Your Girl (7 page)

For instance, Isabella Torres, the woman he
thought
he wanted had stated that she didn’t want kids because she didn’t want to mess up her figure. Dilvan wanted children. For any woman to
want
to have her husband’s children was an ultimate act of love. Isabella, however, was so concerned about her appearance that a family was out of the question.

For the first time
since he’d been bound and determined on getting her back, Dilvan realized that Gabrielle didn’t want him. Now, he had to live with it and he wasn’t sure how to do that. He was accustomed to getting any and everything he wanted, women included. He wanted Gabrielle. He didn’t want her when he had her, but he wanted her now. Too bad she didn’t want him. He knew who she wanted. He was hoping that bringing her here would make her forget about Tyson, but his strategy had failed.

Gabrielle stood up, gripping her phone in her
right hand and walked over near Dilvan, standing a few feet behind him. “Dilvan?”

“Yeah?”
he said, turning to face her.

“I want you to know that I forgive you for everything you did to me. I forgive you, but that doesn’t mean I want to try to make things work between us. It just means that I forgive you because I need to move on with my life. And I can’t do that by harboring resentment towards you.”

Dilvan stood expressionless.

“Um
, I’m going to go,” she told him, then headed back for the house.

“I guess, in the end, I’m the one who ends up hurt, huh?” he shouted over the
roaring water so she could hear him.

Gabrielle stopped walking, turned to look at him, then simply walked away.
She hoped that he finally had gotten the point – that she forgave him but didn’t want to get back with him.

She went to the room where she’d left her overnight bag, gathered her things and waited for a taxi.

Chapter 12

Tyson sat on
the beach, out in front of his home cradling his cell phone in the palm of his hand. He was anxiously waiting for a reply to the text message he’d sent Gabrielle a little over an hour ago, but she hadn’t responded. Worried, he dialed her number, but after a few rings, it went to voicemail.

Tyson
blew a perturbed breath and placed his phone back in the pocket of his shirt. He closed his eyes, listening to the waves moving back and forth, the cycle repeating. He could see Gabrielle in his vision – her walking towards him in a white gown with a bright smile and pretty flowers in her hair. He was ready to love again and he couldn’t wait for this trip, this little part of Gabrielle’s life to be over. He needed to be with her. Touch her. Taste her.

Even before he went to see her at her Father’s house, he knew he wanted to make her his. He’d already purchased the perfect engagement ring that would look nice on her finger, and actually, as she slept in his arms that night
in her Father’s home, he’d carefully slid it on her finger, making sure it was the right size. It fit flawlessly and he couldn’t wait to propose. But there were so many things he needed to do when it came to Gabrielle. She had to meet his parents, Rena and John as well as his sister, Tamera. Gabrielle knew some of his family already, but not his immediate family. His parents lived in Chesapeake, Virginia and it wouldn’t be too much for them to come down for a weekend trip to meet her. Tamera lived in Charlotte.

First things first, though, he had to
get his girl. He took his phone from his pocket and called her again.

“
Come on. Pick up, baby,” he said, listening to the phone ringing.

“Hey
, Tyson,” she answered.

“Gabrielle, h
ow’s it going? Are you okay?”

“Yes. I’m okay.”

“Well what’s going on? Why didn’t you answer my text? I’m worried about you, Gabrielle. Jeez. Do you know how worried I am right now?”

“Tyson, I’m fine.
”

“Then what’s going on?”
he asked, sounding agitated.

“Not much. We just talked.”

Tyson checked his watch. It was almost midnight. “I want to just come there and get you. You don’t need to be there. You need to be with me.”

“Why do I need to be with you, Tyson?” she asked, walking
up the deck to the back entrance of his beach house. She’d taken a taxi from Hatteras Island to Tyson’s home. She still had a key to his place, so she unlocked the door and walked in.

“Because you and I both know that Dilvan isn’t right for you.”

Upon opening the door, she smelled cinnamon, butter and bread. She missed those sweet smells and spices at his home. This was her first time back here in two months.

“That’s true. Dilvan isn’t right for me,
” she said, walking through his house, looking for him. She saw a bag of flour on the island countertop along with a bowl like he was in the middle of making something, but just left everything there. She knew he wasn’t upstairs because he didn’t use the upstairs much. He also wasn’t in his room. That’s when she knew he was on the beach.

“If you know that’s true, why did you go
away with him, Gabrielle?”

“So I could make it clear to
him that I have no intentions on getting back together with him.”

“Have you accomplished that?”

“Yes.”

“Then why can’t you come back home.”

“Home? Where is that, Tyson?”

“
With me. And trust me when I say that without you here, my house is no longer a home.”

Gabrielle took the stairs to the ground, then made a beeline for Tyson
across the sand. She could see him sitting on the beach holding the phone up to his ear. His beautiful words had tears falling from her eyes.

“That’s why I came b
ack,” she said loud enough for him to hear her from behind him. Once he turned around and locked eyes with her, she lowered the phone from her ear, watching him stand. She began a fast-paced walk towards him that turned into an all-out run. She leaped up into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist, squeezing his thick muscular frame while kissing him erratically around his neck, his earlobe, then staring him in the eyes, she went for his lips like they were hers, kissing and pulling them with the little skill she had – the little he’d taught her. This
was
home. Being in his arms was home. With Tyson, she felt safe, secure. She felt like she could be herself and not the image of what someone else wanted her to be. She was convinced that she was with the man she was meant to be with.

“Mmm...I miss your lips, girl,” he mumbled through kisses.

“I missed your lips, too,” she said smiling.

Not wanting to break the bond between them just yet, Tyson walked back towards the house, still holding and kissing her with each step. He even climbed the long row of stairs to get onto the deck and in the kitchen, he lowered her to the countertop and stood between her legs, looking at her.

“I’m glad you’re back. I was seconds away from coming there and bringing your home. How did you get here anyway?”

“I took a taxi.”

He leaned forward, took a kiss from her lips and asked, “So what happened?”

“I told Dilvan
it was over...that I didn’t want to be with him. I think he finally gets it now.”

“He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“No. He didn’t lay a hand on me.”

“He better not had
...I sure wouldn’t mind making him my personal punching bag again.”

“Again?”

Tyson grinned. “Yeah.  A week ago, he came to Padma’s restaurant talking about how I
stole
you from him. We exchanged words, next thing I know, he’s on the floor with a bloody nose.”

“Tyson...” Gabrielle said. She’d never seen or heard Tyson upset to the point where he’d harm somebody.

“What? He had it coming...standing in my face talking about you. All I could think about was holding you on the bathroom floor that day, thinking about all the bad things he did to you and I just lost it and hit him.”

“Well, like I said, hopefully, he gets it now. I
made it as simple as I could. Now I’m back where I belong,” she said, gripping Tyson’s hands.

Tyson embraced her again and let out a satisfying exhale. “Oh, baby, I was so worried about you.”

“I know you were,” she said looking at him now. “But I’m here and I won’t leave unless you want me to.”

“You know I don’t want you to.”
Tyson’s eyes zeroed in on her lips. He took a small kiss from them – a kiss that elevated into a mind-blowing one in which his tongue mated with her tongue, getting a taste from her in the kitchen, where he’d given her plenty of samples of his pastries. Now, he was getting a sample of her.

He took her from the countertop and once again, she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her to his bedroom. It was late. They were both spent from the day’s activities, and what better way to relax, unwind and get reacquainted than on his bed.

Once he lowered her there, he pulled the hoodie he was wearing over his head. Then he ridded himself of his T-shirt and slacks, standing there in a pair of thin boxers. His chest was even more defined than she remembered it, every muscle tight, firm and just right. Even his sculpted thighs demanded attention.

Standing in front of her, he unbuttoned her cardigan and she took it off. Then he fell on top of her like a quilt, kissing her lips. He couldn’t get enough of her
. She was very desirable to him, and her brown skin tasted better than any chocolate creation he’d whipped up in the kitchen.

“Mmm...” she breathed and moaned, her fingers stroking his back.

Tyson loved to hear her moan...that meant she liked it, but he wanted to make things clear between them, especially when he felt her become tense, the moment his hardness brushed up against her midsection.

“Gabrielle?”

Panting, she said, “Yes?”

He stared down into her brown eyes. “I love you.”

A few tears rolled down her face. She hadn’t believed he actually said it. Although she knew Tyson had deep feelings for her, Dilvan made her believe she wasn’t good enough to be loved. He made her feel unworthy – brainwashing her to think that no one would want her. But now, she had undeniable love from a man who would do anything for her.

“I love you too, Tyson.”

“Good, because if you didn’t, this would be extremely awkward right now,” he said, flashing a heart-stopping smile.

Gabrielle laughed too.

“I...want you...to know...that,” he said between kisses. “I respect you and love you and I want to make love to you, Gabrielle, but only when the time is right.”

Gabrielle smiled.

“Tonight, I want to enjoy being close to you again and knowing that you belong to me and I to you.”

“I like the sound of that,” Gabrielle uttered in a soft breath. Tyson kissed her again, taking full advantage of her mouth and her spot in the middle of his bed. He’d never had a woman invade his life like this.
After the broken engagement with Desiree, he’d never let a woman close to him. His heart was closed for the business of love, impenetrable. But Gabrielle had broken down those walls and claimed it as hers.

Chapter
13

Tyson woke up
when he heard the light beeps chirping from his cell phone. He’d set the alarm for 4:00 a.m., as usual, so he could go for his normal morning jog. He looked over at Gabrielle, saw her stretched out on the bed, lying face up, her mouth open just slightly, her hair tousled about on her pillow. He smiled, thinking about their open and intimate communication last night, the way they kissed every time their eyes connected.

He didn’t want to wake her. She’d been through enough yesterday, going to Hatteras Island with Dilvan, only to wind up taking a taxi back to his home in Roanoke Island. No doubt she was tired
, plus, he needed this time to concentrate.

While he ran along the shore, he made a mental checklist. Item one –
call his parents. They hadn’t been to his home in a while and he wanted them to at least meet Gabrielle before they were married. It wasn’t that he was seeking their approval, per se. He knew Gabrielle was the woman God made for him and no one could convince him otherwise. He only wanted his parents to meet her because that was the proper order of things.

Item two on his list – propose.
He’d been thinking of ways to pop the question, since receiving her father’s blessing.

Item three – wedding plans. He didn’t want to drag it out.
He’d been through a long engagement before and that turned out to be a disaster. This time around, he wanted to get married as soon as possible. Heck, he would get married tomorrow if it were up to him.

Panting, Tyson jogged up the stairs and back into the house, heading straight for the refrigerator
. He chugged a bottle of Dasani, took off his shirt then after washing his hands, he began preparing to cook breakfast. He took two peaches, a package of blueberries and strawberries from the fridge. In a medium-sized bowl, he dropped in the blueberries, sliced up strawberries and peaches, then tossed them together.

After the fruit salad was prepared, he set the bowl in the refrigerator and began the hot portion of the meal – buttery pastries filled with cheddar cheese, topped with a slice of ham, scrambled eggs and spinach.

He started a pot of coffee, reminding himself to offer her some, because if they were going to spend the rest of their lives together, it would be nice if he could get her to like coffee as much as he did. He smiled at the thought of it.

Next, h
e took some plates, set them in place on the dining room table and after everything was ready, he sauntered to the bedroom.

Watching him walk in,
Gabrielle smiled when she realized she could potentially wake up every morning to this man.

“Good morning,” he said, sitting on the bed, then leaning down to kiss her lips.

“Good morning, Tyson.”

“You ge
t all the rest you needed to start this beautiful day?”

She smiled. “
I would’ve much rather started the day jogging with you. Why didn’t you wake me up at four?”

“Because I knew you were
exhausted. Believe me, I thought about it, but when I looked over at you, baby, I saw one leg thrown this way, the other one that way, your mouth was open, your hair was all over the place and you looked like you would execute the first person who touched you.”

Gabrielle laughed
. “I’m sure I wasn’t that bad.”

“You were. I should’ve taken a picture.” He leaned in and took a kiss from her lips. “
Breakfast is ready,” he told her.

“Okay. Let me run to the bathroom real quick and I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

“Okay.”

Once she finished up in the bathroom, she stepped in the dining room and said, “
Gosh, it smells so good. I really missed the smell in this house.”

Tyson pulled out a chair for her
. “Have a seat, my lady.”

“Thank you
, Tyson,” she said, blushing. Tyson had always treated her like a queen, like she was the most important person to him.

He sat down across from her and studied her for a moment. His intense, analytical stares made her uncomfortable, he knew, but he liked
having the ability to make a woman feel this way for him.

He served her a bowl of fruit, then scooped up one of the cheese-stuffed pastries and placed it
on her plate.

“How do you keep coming up with these pastries? I haven’t seen this one before.”

“It’s what I do, sugar lips.”

Gab
rielle blushed again. Then turning her attention to her meal, she picked up the pastry, bit into it and watched as strings of melted cheese hung between the piece she’d bitten into and the remainder that she put back onto the plate.

“Mmm...oh
my,” she said, scooping up cheese. “Tyson...this is phenomenal.”

Tyson smiled, glad he was able to
seduce her palate with another one of his creations. Truth be told, he wouldn’t mind seducing it this very second with his tongue.

“The spinach adds flavor that goes well with the eggs, ham and cheese,” she said.

He nodded. “I’m glad you like it.”

Gabrielle dabbed her mouth with a napkin.
“So how was your run this morning?”

“It was nice...
thought about a woman who’s completely taken over my mind and heart during the entire run,” he said, taking the last bite of his pastry and staring at her. Hard.

“Really
?” she asked, hardly looking at him.

“
Yes, Gabrielle. That should come as no surprise to you.”

“It doesn’t,” she said and she could not take the smile off of her face, even if she manually tried to do it. “It’s just flattering.”

Tyson hid a smirk, then took a sip of coffee.

Gabrielle tried to resume eating, but she was so nervous, she couldn’
t take another bite.

“So as
I was saying, I was thinking about you...about how much I love you and how quickly I fell in love with you.”

“
It was pretty quick, huh?”

Tyson nodded.

“Do you think it’s real?”

Tyson frowned.
“No, I don’t
think
it’s real, Gabrielle. I
know
what I feel for you is real. You better know it, too.”

Gabrielle smiled.
“I do.”

Tyson pushed his cup of coffee
across the table to her. “Taste.”

“Do I have to?”

“No, but it would be nice,” he replied. “Plus, I fixed it up real good...sugar, cream, a dash of cinnamon...”

“Cinnamon?”

“Yes.”

With her eyebrows raised, she asked, “You put cinnamon in your coffee?”

“Yes...just about every morning. It’s good, and cinnamon is good for the body...has a lot of health benefits.”

“Like what?”

He smirked. Food was his specialty. She knew that. Yet, she still challenged him. “Okay, well mixed with the right oil, it can relieve sore muscles. Cinnamon is also an antioxidant. It helps control blood sugar, cures the stomach bug
and
it can be used to fight a cold due to its strong anti-bacterial properties.”

“
How do you know that?”

“I studied food
, baby.”

“Oh, right.”
Duh
, she thought.

“
Now, taste.”

“If you insist.” She picked up his cup and took a sip. “Hmm...not bad.”

“Good. I see it won’t take much for me to get you addicted.”

“Are you still talking about coffee?”

Tyson bit his bottom lip in a seductive type way, watching a sneaky grin form on her face.

Gabrielle took another sip of coffee. “This is pretty good.”

“Thought you might like it.” Tyson started on his fruit salad.

“At some point this week, I have to go back to my
Father’s house to get my things,” Gabrielle said.

Tyson nodded.

“He’s going to think I’m a nutcase...moving in then moving right back out.”

“He’ll understand. Your Father, I can tell, is a very reasonable man.”

“Should I tell him about us?” she inquired.

Tyson could only smile. Unbeknownst to her, he’d already asked her Father for permission to marry her.

“Why are you smiling, Tyson?”

“No reason,” he said, taking a fork full of strawberries to his mouth.

“You’re always up to something.”

He grinned. “No I’m not. In answer to your question, if you feel inclined to tell your Father about us, sweetheart, please do. Now, what day do you think you’ll be going to get your things?”

“Probably tomorrow afternoon. I’ll stay the night and come back on Wednesday.”

“
Let’s talk about today,” Tyson said. “Do you have any plans?”

“I need to talk to Padma, so I’ll probably be over there
for a while. You?”

“I
’m going by the food house to make desserts. Of course I plan on cooking dinner for my lady tonight.”

“Gosh...what a lucky woman.”

Tyson smiled. He was the lucky one.