The Sweetest Love (Love Conquers All Book 5) (12 page)

Roxy squealed in delight. This was the most fun she’d ever had on a date. She’d thought their first date was going to be in some fancy-pricey restaurant. That is until Adam showed up at her door dressed in jeans riding low on his lean hips, a black short sleeve polo shirt, and Nike shod feet.

“I thought we were going to dinner?”

Nonchalantly shrugging a shoulder, he said, “I changed my mind.”

Glancing down at her aqua halter dress and heels, she was way overdressed. Pivoting on her heels, she retreated to her bedroom, returning in less than ten minutes in jeans, a yellow t-shirt, sandals and a black leather wristlet containing her keys and some cash. “I’m ready.”

Twenty-five minutes later, Adam was pulling into the parking lot of Dave and Buster’s on Delaware Avenue. Like two overgrown kids they nearly skipped into the adult playground.

First they hit the simulated racing cars. Roxy rolled her eyes at Adam. The big showoff had selected the manual drive and was cruising around the track with ease. Meanwhile, she had crashed into the guardrail, hit three pedestrians, and spun out of control while in automatic drive.

Adam threw his head back and laughed when she grumbled, “This stupid game is rigged anyway.”

Next they played Night of the Living Dead. It didn’t take her long to get used to the toy gun. Adam may have out drove her, but she was holding her own blasting away gory, flesh-eating zombies.

Over the next ninety minutes they played Ms. PacMan, Pinball, skeet ball, Centipede, Galaxia, and now they were standing side by side shooting hoops. Squealing, she threw ball after ball. Some made the basket and some didn’t… well, most of them didn’t.

With fifteen seconds left on the clock, she glanced at her score and then Adam’s — 12 to 58. She rolled her eyes.
Showoff
.

There was no way she was going to beat him. But… she could always distract him.

An impish smile curved her glossy lips. With the swing of her curvy hips, she knocked Adam slightly off balance. She snickered when the ball dislodged from his large hands and the game’s buzzer went off signaling the game was over.

“Oh, it’s like that?” he asked, chuckling.

Swinging her hips, she nudged him again. Laughing she said, “Yeah, it’s like that! You’re beating the snot out of me! And at every game, too!”

“What? Did you think I was going to take it easy on you because you’re a
girl
?” he taunted.

Putting her hands on her hips, she gave him an incredulous glare. “You could have at least let me beat you at
one
game.”

Adam shrugged his broad shoulders. “Nah, I couldn’t let some
girl
beat me.”

What else could he say? His competitive nature wouldn’t let him go easy on her. Besides, he loved the fact that she wasn’t all prissy and had played each game with gusto, determined to give him a run for his money. She didn’t even flinch when she chipped a nail.

“Why you little…” This time when she swung her hips, he reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. Her arms slid up his broad chest and around his neck. She shivered when he leaned down and his soft lips brushed the shell of her ear. “I see someone is a poor sport.”

“Am not,” she pouted.

Trailing kisses from her ear, along her cheek and landing on her lips, he gave her a tender kiss. “Yes… you are.”

Just as Roxy was about to pout out another denial, loving every minute of how she felt in his arms, a group of high school guys strolled past them. She and Adam burst out laughing when one of them yelled over his shoulder, “Take shawty to da hotel!”

Grabbing Roxy by the hand, he gently tugged her along.

Following his lead, she smiled up at Adam. “Where are we off to now?”

“Da hotel, shawty,” he drawled, out giving her a sexy wink.

Swinging her arm, she playfully slapped him in his rock hard abs. “You wish,” she sassed as he led her toward the restaurant area.

“I had a really good time tonight, Adam.” Roxy said as she slid the key into the lock of her front door. She didn’t want the night to end, but knew she had to get inside and to bed. Tomorrow was the monthly staff meeting which took place at 7:30 a.m.

Although this wasn’t by any stretch of the imagination the typical first “romantic” date, she couldn’t have been happier with how the evening had gone. In between their good-natured competitiveness, the night had been peppered with his large hands on the small of her back, at her waist, and their fingers intertwined as they walked through the arcade area. She wondered how their legs would feel intertwined in passion. And when he stepped up close behind her, wrapping his muscular arms around her in the simulated batting cage to show her how to swing the bat, her knees had buckled like jelly. The feel and warmth of his solid body keeping her steady felt like heaven. That time she wondered how the weight of him would feel on top of her as he erotically moved in and out of her body.

Easing in behind her, Adam closed the door. Roxy willingly went into his embrace when he turned her around to face him. He was pleased when she encircled his neck with her delicate arms. Leaning down, he brushed his lips to hers. “You sure you had a good time?”

It wasn’t that he was trying to test her reaction by showing up leisurely dressed and ready to play. For some reason all throughout the day, his thoughts had been centered around the Rosario family, particularly, Mr. Rosario. How was the man supposed to pick up the pieces of his shattered life without his beautiful wife and lovable little girls? No amount of money would ever compensate his loss.

He didn’t know if it was the right thing to do. But he found himself picking up the phone and dialing his former client. During their conversation he shared Abby’s story with Mr. Rosario. His throat constricted from the lump of emotion when Mr. Rosario said, “Now I know why you cared so much.”

Sitting in a dimly lit restaurant wasn’t what he was in the mood for. He needed something to lighten his morose spirit. And subjecting Roxy to his brooding all evening would not have been fair, let alone a romantic date.

His heart had skipped a beat when she opened the door looking simply gorgeous. The aqua dress against her cinnamon skin made him want to reach out and touch her to see if she was really as satiny as she appeared. His fingers had itched to be threaded through the thick curls resting against her shoulders.

Previous women he dated would have been incensed and thrown a hissy fit with his change of plans, but not Roxy. She had gone with the flow.

Looking up at Adam, she smiled before standing on tippy-toes and kissing his full lips. “Yes, I’m sure. I had a lot of fun even though you beat me at every game,” she reminded him again for the umpteenth time.

“Aw… stop being a poor sport.”

“I’m not—”

Adam glided his tongue inside her opened mouth, cutting off her retort. Roxy moaned, pressing her lush body into his as he deepened the kiss. She moaned even louder when his hands slid down her back and cupped her bottom, pulling her against the huge bulge in his pants.

Roxy’s heart began to beat faster at the intimate feel of him. The pulse between her legs was an aching throb pleading to be satisfied. She wantonly pressed her pelvis into his. But it wasn’t good enough. She needed more, she wanted more. To heck with getting to sleep… who needed sleep anyway?

She groaned in disappointment when his hands left her bottom. Her disappointment was short lived as he threaded his fingers through her mass of curls and began massaging her scalp, causing her to whimper.

Roxy didn’t know which was more erotic, the way his tongue was making love to her mouth or the way his large hands were massaging her scalp. Both were making her panties wet with need.

Breaking the kiss he whispered against her lips, “Feel good?’

“Mmmm-hmmm,” she purred, having no control over her neck muscles as her head lolled back in his large hands.

His erection grew even harder. And why wouldn’t it? Here this woman was in his arms, eyes closed, lips kissed swollen, and breasts heaving in want of him. Pulling her face closer, he crushed his mouth against hers, showing her mouth no mercy as he devoured her.

Tonight. Tonight would be the night he’d make Roxy his woman. Tonight would be the night he’d kiss every inch of her body.

Lowering her to the floor, he began trailing kisses up and down the column of her neck. “Roxy, I want you so bad right now I can’t even think straight,” he huskily whispered between kisses.

“I know and I want you, too,” she breathed out, quivering in anticipation.

That was all he needed to hear as he reached for the hem of her t-shirt and began peeling it off. Her bra was next to go. Leaning down, his lips tenderly closed around a pebbled nipple.

“Mmmm…” Roxy moaned. The suckling, nipping and tender nibbling was driving her insane.

Licking and kissing his way over to the other breast, Adam wanted to know, “Do you have any protection here?”

“Huh? What?” she answered in a heated haze.

“Protection? Condoms?” Adam didn’t walk around with condoms in his wallet. His days of indulging in one night stands were far behind him.

Letting out a long, disappointing sigh, she answered. “No. I haven’t had sex with anyone in a really long time.” She didn’t bother to tell him the last time she’d been with a man was five years ago.

Sitting up, he rubbed a frustrated hand over his head. What she told him just seemed to make his erection that much more painful, aching to be inside of her. She had to be exquisitely tight.

She sat up and crossed her arms over her naked breasts. It had never occurred to her to have condoms at her place. There wasn’t a need to have them there until now.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, somehow feeling this was her fault when she knew neither was at fault.

Pulling her to him, he gulfed her in his arms and kissed her forehead. “Baby, there’s nothing for you to be sorry about. Tonight just wasn’t our night.”

His male ego wasn’t ashamed to admit he was thrilled that she didn’t have a box of condoms laying around waiting for the next man to jump in her bed.

Roxy snuggled in the embrace. “No, tonight wasn’t our night.”
But you better believe I’ll be ready the next time.
Tomorrow she was making a stop at CVS on the way home from work.

“Oh Mommy! Look at you! You are gorgeous!” Roxy gushed in excitement as she fluttered around her mother like a butterfly. The new hairstyle and modest makeup was just enough to make her sparkle. As she continued to circle her mom, she clapped her hands like an overjoyed child at Christmas.

Her mother had actually taken her suggestion and done something with her hair. She hadn’t done anything radical like chop all her hair off. Her tresses were flat ironed, cut in long layers, flowing around her shoulder and down her mid-back.

“Turn your head from side to side, like this…” Roxy swung her head imitating the hair models on the shampoo commercials.

Reba profusely blushed, playing along. Rotating her slender neck and gracefully swinging her head from left to right, and back left again, she definitely could’ve been the next Pantene model.

“So you like?” Reba beamed at her daughter’s reaction over her new look.

“I don’t like it… I love it, Mom! People will
really
think we’re sisters now,” Roxy laughed. “Mom, I always thought you were beautiful… but wow!”

Reba’s face flushed with the compliment. From the moment she stepped out of the salon, she’d been turning heads. Not only had her new stylist given her a well overdue haircut, she’d also given her a complimentary mini-makeover. “You have naturally pretty eyes,” the stylist had said. She continued to speak as she applied the makeup. “All you have to do is put on a little eye shadow in a neutral color and some black eyeliner, to make them pop. Add a little bit of a neutral lip gloss to your lips,” turning Reba in the chair toward the mirror, “and wa-la! You’ve accentuated your natural beauty.”

It felt so good having just about every man she passed on the street earlier that afternoon take notice of her. Having so much attention showered on her touched an empty space in her heart and soul. Reba needed some male companionship.

“Oh, cut it out, little girl.” Reba blushed again. She did have to admit, her new look did have her looking a lot younger than her forty-five years.

And besides, she wanted to look good for dinner this evening with Donna and her family. One of the things she noticed about Donna that day she ran into her, was that the woman was well coiffed. Not a hair was out of place and her simple outfit of designer jeans and a pink blouse was flattering to her figure. The woman in no way had the appearance of a frumpy housewife and grandmother of six.

She’d stay home barricaded in her bedroom before she’d go anywhere looking like a rag-a-muffin, embarrassing herself or her child. She’d taken a much needed day off, and was at the door when Stein Mart opened. It didn’t take her long to find the perfect outfit; a classic light-weight knit shell in tangerine, tan cuffed slacks and matching leather sandals. Next she was off to the hair salon in the strip mall down the road.

Reba smoothed her delicate hands down the front of her slacks. With a little bit of sass, she informed her daughter, “You know I couldn’t go to this dinner looking any ole’ kind of way.”

Laughing, Roxy agreed. “I know that’s right Mom.”

Kissing Roxy’s cheek she asked, “You ready?”

Roxy smiled. “Yup, I’m ready.”

So this is what having a big family feels like.
Donna and the rest of the family had made her and Reba feel welcome from the moment they crossed the threshold. She had been tense about meeting Donna, but when the older woman pulled her into a motherly embrace all of her nervous energy melted away.

Patrick Wahl, Donna’s husband had given her a big bear hug and insisted on her calling him Poppa Patrick. Her eyes misted, when he boasted, “You’re one of my daughters now, too; can’t have you walking around calling me Mr. Patrick, when your sisters are calling me Poppa.”

Kevin and Dom had given her hearty brotherly hugs, too.

It didn’t go unnoticed how Reba and Donna greeted each other in a friendly embrace. Roxy was so pleased at how the other family members accepted her mother, especially her sisters. She gave Starr the thumbs up sign when she declared, “You’re even prettier than my mother described you.”

After dinner and dessert, the men cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher. Alicia and Kyle pleaded to be excused to go upstairs in their grandparents’ bedroom to watch a movie. Although they’d been excited about meeting their new aunt, they found the adult discussion rather boring.

The adults along with the toddlers moved into the living room where they comfortably lounged. The conversation was easy flowing as the families became acquainted. Eventually the conversation made its way around to Harold.

“Have you decided when you’re going to meet our father?” Starr inquired as she wiped a chocolate smudge off Shayla’s chin.

Roxy squeezed her mother’s hand when she felt her stiffen beside her. “I’ve been so busy I haven’t thought about it. But I guess I need to go ahead and get it over with.”

“You won’t be meeting much,” Patrick all but hissed, angrier than a rattler.

“Now Patrick, you stop that,” Donna gently chided. “If Roxy wants to meet Harold she should meet him.”

Speaking up, Reba came to Patrick’s defense. “I know Harold is up to something. He never wanted any parts of Roxy until now.”

Starr and Karen cracked up when Patrick looked both Roxy and Reba in the face, gruffly imploring, “Sugah, you stay away from that scoundrel. That devil’s probably dying and wants one of your kidneys or something. I don’t trust him.”

“A kidney!” Roxy screeched.

Chuckling, Kevin said, “Poppa Patrick cut it out. You’re scaring poor Roxy.”

And she was scared too! These people knew more about her father than she did. Maybe he did want to see her because he was sick and needed an organ.

“Nah, Kevin. Pop Patrick may have a point. After all, he did have to pay the man to give Mom Donna a divorce.”

“Whaaaaat?” Roxy screeched again, gawking at Donna and Patrick for confirmation. What kind of a man was her biological father?

Donna nodded her head, confirming what her son-in-law had just revealed. It was Patrick who further confirmed, “I paid that son-of-b—”

“Poppa!” Karen shrieked pointing to the toddlers crawling around on the floor.

Flushing a shade of red, he mumbled an apology. “Sorry, daughter.” Clearing his throat he focused again on Reba and Roxy. “I paid that…
man,
and I use that term lightly, a quarter million dollars to sign divorce papers so I could marry my love.”

Roxy dropped her face in her hands. This just kept getting worse and worse. Lifting her head, she again gazed at Patrick and Donna who were sitting side by side. They were so much in love. And Harold had put a price on them being able to share that love as husband and wife. Did she really want to know someone like that?

In disbelief, Reba cut in, “You mean to tell me you had to pay him to sign divorce papers?” Clucking her tongue, she stated, “That man is just evil. Sorry, no offense,” she added, looking over at Starr and Karen.

Karen put her hands up. “Hey, none taken.”

“Lord, have mercy… I have a headache,” Roxy murmured, rubbing her temples. “Let’s talk about something else.”

The best part of the evening was meeting her nieces and nephews. Alicia and Kyle were sweethearts. She had promised that they could have a movie night at her place as long as it was okay with their mom and dad.

And she couldn’t stop kissing Sydney’s, Shayla’s, Kalvin’s and Noah’s chubby little cheeks. She wanted to box them up and take them home with her. Maybe Jen and Sonia’s pact wasn’t so coo-ca-loo. Being around all these babies was stirring every one of her maternal yearnings.

“You know you can always babysit,” Starr teased as Roxy made herself comfortable on the floor, playing with the toddlers.

Bouncing Kalvin on her lap, she smiled up at her sister. “Anytime. Right, little man?” she said in a baby talk before tickling his tummy. She was rewarded with a fit of baby giggles.

Reba was no more immune to the children than Roxy had been. Bending down, she picked up Noah as he crawled across the floor. Burying her nose in his chunky neck, she inhaled his sweet baby scent. “And if she can’t, just let me know. I’ll babysit for you.”

Donna’s lip curled into a mischievous smile. “Do you really mean that?”

“I sure do,” Reba said as she bent down to scoop up Sydney, who was holding onto her leg.

“Good. You can help me babysit this Saturday while the girls go down to D.C. for the day to visit Ava, Dom’s sister.”

“I can help babysit, too,” Roxy offered.

“Oh no, you can’t. You’re coming with us,” Starr informed her as she began picking up toys off the floor.

“That’s right. Unless you have other plans,” Karen added with a wink.

She had hoped she and Adam would be getting together over the weekend. But he would be going out of town Friday morning to attend a week-long conference. Shaking her head in the negative, “I don’t have any plans. I’d love to go with you to D.C.”

“Cool. I can’t wait for you to meet Ava and Summer. Summer’s taking the train down with us,” Starr said as she picked up a stuffed animal and stuffed it in one of the diaper bags.

“I’m looking forward to meeting them, too.”

Stupid bitch!
Harold seethed as he sat watching the two women enter the home. Stepping out of his vehicle, he slammed the door shut, rattling the windows. For weeks he called, only to have Reba either hang up on him or let the call roll over to voice mail. The last time he called she threatened to have him arrested for harassment.

It probably was that damn bitter Donna who filled Reba’s head with poison against him. Matter of fact, that’s where she probably got that harassment talk from. She had threatened him with the same when he tried to get their family back together.

Threats or not, he was going to see his daughter. He’d been patient long enough. How long did she think he was supposed to wait? Until he had one foot in the grave? After all, he was her father and deserved her love, too. He needed her love.

And with those thoughts, Harold Avery made his way to Reba’s front door.

“Mom, are you expecting anyone?” Roxy yelled up the stairs to her mother.

Kicking off her shoes in her bedroom, Reba headed back downstairs. “No, I’m not.” Going over to the door, curious to see who would be stopping by so late, she looked out the peephole.

Roxy didn’t know what was going on, but whoever was on the other side of the door was not a welcomed visitor. Her mom’s face turned deep crimson and her hands balled up into fists.

Tonight had been a great evening. She and her baby had met their newly blended family. And she and Donna had managed to spend some one-on-one time together as Roxy became better acquainted with her sisters, brothers-in-law and Patrick.

Surprisingly, they had a number of things in common. They both enjoyed romantic comedies, old school music, crocheting, and shopping. “We probably would’ve been the best of friends if we’d met under different circumstances,” Donna joked.

If she had known Beelzebub was going to show up at her door, she would have begged them not to mention his dreaded name. Reba didn’t even bother to use brain energy to connect the dots, he found out where she lived from the internet.

He was creative to find her now, but the bastard had managed to never find her as she struggled to feed and clothe their child.

In less than zero-point-two seconds, Reba had disengaged the locks and wildly swung the door open. “What do you want Harold? I’ve already told you to leave me alone!”

Well damn! Did she have to come out with her claws fully extended and swinging? “You know what I want, Reba. I want to meet
my
daughter,” Harold gritted out between clenched teeth.

Reba put a fisted hand on her hip. Who in the world did this Negro think he was trying to intimidate? He had a nerve to be standing there like she was the one who kept him away from his child.

Standing rooted to the floor, Roxy didn’t know if she should step around her mom and say something. Or should she stay out of sight and let the two of them continue to go at it. Her mood was so high. The last thing she wanted to do was spoil it by seeing a father she was teetering on the fence about whether she wanted to meet or not.

She decided on the latter as her parents argued back and forth. Reba had taken the stance that Harold didn’t have any rights to know
her
daughter while Harold demanded he did have rights as Roxy’s biological father.

“The only right you have is to get your raggedy ass off my porch! Maybe
your
daughter doesn’t want to know you! Lord knows you’ve never done a damn thing for her!” Reba shrieked at the top of her lungs, her arms wildly flaying in the air.

Her angry, brutally honest words hit a nerve with Harold. Why did she keep throwing this up in his face? Both Reba and Roxy jumped when he banged his fist against the wooded door. “Bitch! I will come in that house and snap your neck in half!”

That did it for Roxy. Stepping around her mother she came face to face with the man who called himself her father.