“It’s different.” I close my eyes and take a long breath. “I’ll marry you, Jericho,” I say, opening my eyes. “While I would do anything to keep Asher, when I marry you it’s going to be because I want to marry you. While for you it might be—”
He presses his mouth to mine in a hard kiss, silencing me. “Let me make something very clear,” he says against my lips, his hand slipping up my dress and grabbing my panties. I gasp when in one tug he rips them from my body. “I don’t do anything I don’t want to do.” His hand fumbles between us as he frees his cock from his slacks. “I’m marrying you because I’ve wanted to make you mine in every way since the first day I found you.”
“Jericho.” I breathe out his name. Is he saying what I think he’s saying?
“You’ll marry me,” he growls, thrusting all the way inside of me. “This body.” He pulls out and thrusts back in. “Belongs to me. Now say it,” he orders as he starts to pump faster. My mouth opens, but only moans come out. I’m so lost in the pleasure. He stops thrusting, waiting for me to answer him.
“Don’t stop.” I lock my legs around him.
“Say it.”
“You know I belong to you! I love you damn it,” I shout.
“That’s my girl,” he says before giving us both what we need. Within seconds, we’re both coming. I cling to him. My emotions are all over the place. “We’ll get married tomorrow.” I nod my head. “Don’t move.” He slowly pulls out of me before standing from the sofa.
He fixes his pants before walking back over to the desk. He opens one of the drawers, grabbing something out of it before coming back over to me. I sit up when I see he has a velvet box in his hand. I can’t believe he already has a ring. A lump forms in my throat. I know he said he wanted to marry me just to marry me, but to see that he already has a ring is overwhelming.
He drops to his knee on the side of the sofa. “I vow to you that no one will ever rip our family apart, Sera.” He opens the box to reveal a beautiful pear-shaped diamond. I hold my hand out and let him slip it onto my finger. “I love you.” My entire body relaxes with his admission.
“You love me?”
“So much so that it scares me.” I fling myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He holds me close.
I pray nothing takes either of them away from me. I don’t think I could bear it.
17
JERICHO
“Where should we set up?” questions a woman in stilettos so high and thin they could be nails.
“There is good.” I point to the study. “It’s private, but you can open the curtains for some natural light. I’ll get your customer.”
While the stylist unpacks or whatever she has to do, I fetch Sera.
“You hired people to bring the wedding dresses here?” she asks as I bring her into the house.
“Dretheth?” wonders Asher. He cocks his head as if he’s trying to conjure up a picture in his head.
“Your mommy and I are having a party, and she needs a special dress,” I explain. We walk into the study where the stylist has set up four different clothing racks with what appears to be a hundred different gowns.
Sera gasps. I set Asher on the floor. The woman in the stilettos narrows her eyes at the child.
“I’ll pay for any dress that is unsellable,” I inform her.
“Some of these gowns are fifty thousand.”
“And if they get ruined because Asher has some interest in them that renders them in an unusable state, I’ll cover it.”
“Jericho, that’s unnecessary. I’ll have Dora watch him,” interjects Sera.
I shrug. “Whatever you like. If you want him with you, he should be with you. If you want this time for yourself, then Dora can assist. I’ve got an appointment.” I bend and kiss her cheek. “It’s bad luck for the groom to see the dress before the wedding so I’ll leave you to your task. Do not ask about the price. You know I don’t give a rat’s ass about that.” I turn toward the stylist. “No talk of money. The only criteria for selection is Sera’s satisfaction.”
“Mine.” Asher points to Sera.
“Ours, buddy. If I have to learn to share, so do you.” I ruffle his hair and give Sera a nice long kiss before taking my leave.
Sera assumes I’m doing some business, and I don’t disabuse her of that notion. It is business. The business of fixing the mess of Asher’s parenthood. Charles gave me the name of a good family lawyer. I meet with him, Troy Collins, and explain the situation.