Bachelor Unleashed Read online

  He shrugged. “And?”

  That one word seemed to make her angrier. “And that was enough.”

  He chuckled. “I care to differ. Marti Goshay gave me that business card at Morgan and Lena’s party.”

  “But you kept it.”

  “Only because I’d forgotten about it. I had intended to throw it away.” Now it was his eyes that darkened with anger. “And just what are you accusing me of?”

  “What do you think?”

  For a few seconds Xavier just stared down at her, and then a smile replaced his anger. “You’re jealous.”

  That observation really riled her. “I am not jealous. I detest men who can’t be trusted. Now get off of me.”

  Xavier released her and eased off the bed. He moved across the room and slumped down in the chair. “So you’re saying I can’t be trusted because you found a business card in my jacket?”

  She sat up in bed. “A business card from an old girlfriend who said to call her.”

  “And you figured I would?”

  “You kept the card, Xavier.”

  She fought back the tears. She wouldn’t tell him that was the first sign she’d gotten that Dustin was cheating. It was the first one she’d gotten and the main one she’d overlooked, thinking there was nothing to it. She had been a fool not to catch the early warning signs. She wouldn’t be a fool ever again.

  “Does your mistrust of me have anything to do with that ass you were married to?”

  “And if it does?”

  He held her gaze. “Then I want you to stop.”

  “Stop?”

  “Yes. Stop comparing me to him, Farrah.” He slowly shook his head. “You still don’t get it, do you?”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “And just what am I supposed to be getting?”

  “The fact that no other woman interests me because I love you.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “Love me? That’s crazy.”

  He eased to his feet. “Maybe. And what’s even crazier is that I believe you love me back. You’re just afraid to admit it. However, your overblown jealousy just proved I’m right.”

  She glared over at him. “You’re not right. I don’t love you.”

  He smiled. “Yes, you do and please don’t say what we’ve been sharing was nothing but sex. Sex between us is good—hell, it’s unbelievable, Farrah. But nothing can be that good unless there’s some heavy-duty love thrown into the mix. For the past three weeks I’ve deliberately and painstakingly tried proving to you that we’re good together, in or out of bed. Think about it.” He then moved to walk away.

  She floundered for a response and then asked, “And just where do you think you’re going?”

  “To take a shower,” he called over his shoulder as he kept walking. He went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

  A frustrated Farrah reclined on her back and stared up at the ceiling when she heard the shower going. How dare he insinuate that she loved him just because she’d gotten tiffed over finding that business card. Any woman would be upset. Wouldn’t she?

  She turned her head toward his pillow and breathed in deeply to inhale the scent he’d left behind. And then she closed her eyes, and memories began flooding her brain. The magic of everything she and Xavier had shared touched her deeply. Did he really mean it when he said that he loved her?

  She considered the possibility for a second and knew it was true. What other man would have taken the time to deliberately take their affair out of the bedroom? And each and every time she’d gone out on a date with him, she had enjoyed it immensely. He’d been adept at balancing the physical part of their relationship with the emotional.

  And she knew, believed in her heart, that he was nothing like Dustin. Xavier could be trusted. He would never deliberately hurt her, use her or abuse what they had together. He would only love her.

  Tears sprang into her eyes, and she wiped them away as she eased off the bed and headed toward the bathroom. He was so right. He wasn’t Dustin, and her ex couldn’t compare to Xavier in any way.

  He was right about something else, too. She did love him, and it was about time she showed him how much.

  A spray of water poured over Xavier’s body as he stood underneath the showerhead. A part of him always regretted washing away Farrah’s scent; he much preferred to wear it all day.

  He hoped he’d given her something to think about, although that was not how he’d wanted to blurt out that he loved her. He’d pretty much envisioned a romantic candlelit dinner on Christmas night where he would pour his heart and soul out to her before asking her to marry him. But at least now she knew how he felt, and the way she’d gotten in a tiff about Marti’s business card had sent hopeful chills up his spine.

  If she thought for one minute he was going to let her end things between them again, she had another thought coming. He was in for the long haul, and the sooner she admitted to herself that she loved him, the better it would be for the both of them. Then they could get on with their lives. Together.

  He reached up to turn off the water when the shower door opened and she stood there. Naked. Beautiful. He leaned against the tile wall. His heart began doing jumping jacks in his chest when she stepped into the shower stall with him. “I didn’t know you planned to take a shower with me,” he said throatily, feeling every word torn deep in his lungs.

  Instead of saying anything, she grabbed the soap and lathered her hands and then reached for his chest. He grabbed her hands to stop her. Whenever they showered together, she always lathered him all over. She was acting as if nothing had changed between them. But things had, and it was time for her to acknowledge that fact.

  He held her hands tightly in his and met her gaze. “Tell me, Farrah. Don’t show me anymore. Whether you wanted to or not, you’ve been showing me each and every time we made love. Now I want you to tell me.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t.”

  He rubbed a finger gently across her cheek. “Yes, you can, baby. You’re not the only one who’s ever been hurt by love.”

  Her mouth pressed into a thin line, and for a minute he thought that maybe he had pushed her too far, had asked too much of her. But then she took a step toward him and reached up to wrap her arms around his neck while water sprayed down on them both. He reached behind him and turned off the water and turned back to her. “Tell me.”

  She inhaled deeply and met his gaze. “I love you, Xavier,” she then said softly. “I’ve loved you for a long time. I’ve been too scared to admit it to myself. I tried denying it by sending you away. And then when I ran into you in New York, I convinced myself that a holiday fling was all I wanted. But I know now that would not have been the case. I will always love you and I want you.”

  He lowered his mouth to hers at the same time his hands spread across her backside to bring her closer to him. He fully understood what she’d been going through. It had taken him a while to recover from Dionne, so he knew why she’d been hesitant to give her love freely again. But each and every day he would show her, tell her, prove to her just how much she was loved, wanted and cherished.

  He continued to take her mouth in agonizing pleasure, tasting her as their tongues tangled, mated in a dance of possession and non-restraint. He wasn’t the only one coming unleashed. She was deliberately tempting him by rubbing her body against his, cradling his manhood between her open thighs. She moaned into his mouth, and the sound sent sensuous shivers all the way up his spine.

  Xavier broke off the kiss and drew in a deep breath. He studied the face staring up at him, and it was all he could do to maintain his control and not sweep her into his arms and take her back to bed.

  “I was determined to prove to you it wasn’t just about sex with us, Farrah,” he said, reaching out to brush back wet hair from her face.

  “And you did.” A smile touched her lips. “But the sex was still good.”

  He chuckled. “It will always be good between us. I love you.”


  “And I love you, too.”

  Xavier lowered his head, capturing her mouth again. He knew at that moment that their life together was just beginning.

  Epilogue

  Six months later

  “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride, Xavier.”

  Xavier pulled Farrah into his arms and kissed her deeply. Moments later when he felt one of his godbrothers poke him in the side, he winced before releasing her mouth. He’d gotten carried away, but that was okay. It was his wedding day, and he intended to let everyone know just what a happy man he was.

  A short while later at the wedding reception, he stood on the sidelines watching Farrah toss her bouquet to all the single ladies when one of the men standing by his side said, “You’re officially out of the club now, X.”

  He glanced over to his godbrothers, the ones who were still bachelors in demand—Virgil, Winston, York and Zion. “I know, but I have no regrets.”

  He glanced back to Farrah. In her wedding gown, she looked simply beautiful. She met his gaze and smiled. He hoped one day each of his godbrothers would have a reason to lose membership in the club as well. He was convinced that nothing could replace a good woman in a man’s life. Nothing.

  “It’s time for our dance,” Farrah said, walking straight into his outstretched arms.

  Her small hands felt secure in his as he led her to the dance floor. He couldn’t wait until later tonight when he had her alone. In the morning, they would leave for a two-week honeymoon in Hawaii.

  Xavier caught the eye of his friend Galen Steele, who was also one of Donovan’s cousins from Phoenix. Galen, who’d been a devout bachelor, had gotten married himself a few months ago. From the smile he still wore on his face, Galen, like Xavier, had no regrets about moving from a being single man to a truly happily married one.

  Farrah smiled up at him when they reached the dance floor. “Are you happy, sweetheart?” he asked her.

  “Yes, I am truly happy. What about you?”

  Instead of answering he leaned down and kissed her. After hearing a number of catcalls and whistles he figured he would let her mouth go.

  “Did that answer your question?” he asked, whispering against her moist lips.

  She laughed softly as she looked up at him. “Oh, yes, that pretty much summed it up.”

  Xavier pulled her tighter into his arms, feeling all of the love in his heart. He would have to agree. That pretty much summed it up.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-7614-1

  BACHELOR UNLEASHED

  Copyright © 2010 by Brenda Streater Jackson

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