Just Can't Get Enough (24 page)

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Authors: Cheris Hodges

BOOK: Just Can't Get Enough
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“Let's make a toast,” he said as he released her from his arms and grabbed two glasses and what was left of the champagne.
Taking the glass, Celina thought that it was best if she didn't drink because she wasn't sure if she was pregnant or not.
Darius turned to Celina. “To love. Finding it, keeping it, and making it grow.”
Celina clanked her glass against his. She watched him as he sipped his champagne. “What's wrong?” he asked when he noticed Celina wasn't drinking.
“I—I don't think I should drink this.”
Darius furrowed his brows. “Why not? We are still celebrating, aren't we?”
Should I tell him?
she thought, looking into his eyes with a plastic smile plastered on her face. What if I'm not pregnant?
“Celina,” Darius said. “What's wrong?”
“I-I think I might be pregnant,” she blurted out, then quickly stood and walked over to one of the boarded-up windows. Darius followed her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.
“Are you telling me that I'm going to be a father?” he asked. His voice was peppered with excitement.
Celina covered her bare breasts with her arm. “I'm not really sure. Earlier, when you came by, I was in the bathroom about to take a pregnancy test.”
Darius planted a sloppy wet kiss on her forehead. “Why didn't you tell me?”
Her eyes met his and she said, “Because I'm not sure that I am pregnant and I wanted to be sure before I said anything. I'm not even sure I'm ready to be a mother.”
“What do you mean?”
Celina ran her hand up and down her throat. “Darius, I don't even know if I'm pregnant, so please, let's not turn this into an argument.”
He looked away from her as she walked over to the blanket and picked up her clothes. “You know,” Darius began, “I'm not trying to argue with you, but Celina, this child, if there is one, is mine, too, and any decision that you make . . .”
She pulled on her shorts and put on her bra. “I know that, Darius, but it is still my body. Besides, we're not even sure if there is a baby.”
“I don't want to hear that BS. If we created a child, then we need to make a decision together about what happens next.”
Celina bristled at Darius's harsh tone. “Did you think I was saying I wanted to have an abortion? Darius, I would never do that. You know what, just take me home.”
Darius walked over to her as she buttoned her blouse. “Baby, I'm sorry,” he said. “It's just . . . I've been here before, but it isn't fair for me to take this out on you.”
“You're right it isn't, especially when I don't even know if I'm pregnant or not. And what do you mean, you've been here before?”
“It doesn't matter. Let's just go,” he said as he pulled up his shorts. Celina grabbed his arm.
“You listen to me, now it's my turn,” she said. “We're not leaving until you talk to me.”
Darius sighed and looked at Celina. “All right, when I was in DC, you know I was involved with someone. Renita and I were going to get married. Not only did she cheat on me, she robbed me of my child.”
Celina gasped and placed her hand on his shoulder as if she was urging him to continue with the story.
Darius sighed and grabbed her hand. “The day I decided to come back to Elmore was when she and I had this confrontation. After nine-eleven, I wanted to put my life in order. I knew Renita was with another man that day, but I had to know why. So, I went to her to see if we could salvage our relationship. That's when she told me,” Darius said. His voice trailed off. Celina held on to him. She had never seen Darius like this before, so quiet and introspective. “She had an abortion because she said a child would get in the way of her career.”
“Darius,” Celina murmured.
“I can't go through that twice,” he said. “Celina, if you are pregnant, you have to know that I want you and our child. You won't be doing this alone. Family means everything to me. Even when I was working eighty hours a week, I still wanted a family, children, and a wife.”
“I know that, and if I am pregnant, I want this child. I would never do something that drastic, not with all that's happened,” she said referring to her father's death.
Darius seemed to brighten. “So, let's go take the test,” he said.
Celina exhaled and took his hand. “All right,” she said as they headed out the door.
CHAPTER 24
Darius paced back and forth waiting for the bathroom door to open. When they arrived at the house, Celina had dashed into the bathroom and told him to wait outside. As he waited, he questioned if he was actually ready for fatherhood.
Is anyone ever ready for fatherhood? It happens and you deal with it. I love her and I will love this child,
he thought.
The door to the bathroom opened and Darius held his breath as she came over to him with the white plastic test in her hand.
“I guess I was wrong. I'm not pregnant,” she said. Darius looked at the test; only one stripe had turned pink.
“Well,” he said. “Maybe this is for the best. We're going to have the rest of our lives to have a family.” Darius pulled Celina into his arms and hugged her tightly.
“Are you disappointed?” she asked.
“I don't know,” he replied. “You know what, it's okay. Now we should really talk about children and our future.”
Celina kissed Darius gently and led him into the living room to the sofa. “You're right. I do want children and all of that, but I will not be a stay-at-home mother.”
Darius nodded and kissed Celina's dainty hand. “I never thought you would be. My son will eat meat, though.”
Celina pinched the meaty part of his arm. “I don't think so, carnivore. And don't try to sneak chopped steak into our daughter's applesauce.”
Laughing, he pulled Celina down on his lap. “Let's talk about the gallery. Maybe we should have a big opening around the same time as the azalea festival. There will be a lot of people in town and you could do some paintings of these famed bushes.”
“Well, I need to call Millicent and get her to ship
H2Love
here. I have some other paintings in New York I want to go in the gallery and I need to do something as a tribute to my father.”
Darius nodded. “That would be good,” he said. “Listen, I need to go and check on the store. Dinner, tonight?” he said.
“Sure, I'll cook.”
“Why don't we just go to Rudy's? Remember, I'm a carnivore.” Darius said, then kissed Celina on the forehead. “I'll see you in a couple of hours.”
As Darius walked out of the house, he tried not to think about the fact that Celina wasn't pregnant. He didn't know why he was so upset that she wasn't going to have a child. They had years to start a family and it wasn't as if she had deceived him about the pregnancy; she just simply wasn't pregnant. Darius got into his car and headed downtown. He looked at his watch and saw that it was almost time for the store to close. Richard had been there all day and the least Darius could do was close up for him. Darius pulled up to the front of the store and parked his car. He walked into the empty store. “Richard,” he called out.
“In the back,” the man called out. Darius walked to the storage room where Richard was stacking boxes of fertilizer. He leaned against the wall and looked at the man who was more like a second father than an employee.
“Why don't you clear out of here?” he said, as he began to stack the other boxes.
Richard furrowed his brows. “She turned you down?” he asked as he stopped stacking the boxes.
Darius smiled. “No, she didn't. We're going to Rudy's for dinner tonight.”
Richard looked at him shook his head. “So what's with the sour face? I know that I'm old, but when most people get engaged, the last thing they normally do is come to work and load manure.”
“I found out something today and I just need a little time to clear my head,” Darius said as he moved a few boxes. “Celina thought she was pregnant, but it turned out to be a false alarm.”
“Well, Darius, you should be thankful. I know your generation thinks it's okay to have kids and not be married, but maybe it is just best that you two tie the knot first, then start a family.”
“I know that and that's what I'm trying to tell myself, but I wanted her to be pregnant. I'm just not so sure she wanted to be. She said all the right things about wanting a family, but when that test was negative, I could see the relief on her face.”
“That's why you shouldn't rush into having a family. You and Celina have time to start a family. What's the rush? Marriage is hard enough without starting off with kids in tow.”
Darius shrugged his shoulders. “I was robbed of the chance to be a father before and I just didn't want history to repeat itself. I thought that, I don't know, that she was trying to hide it from me.”
“Do you really think Celina is the kind of woman who would do that to you?” Richard asked as he patted Darius on the shoulder. “When it's time to have a family, you both will know it. I think I'm going to take you up on that offer to go home early.”
Darius smiled. “All right, I'll see you tomorrow.”
Once Darius was alone in the store, Richard's words began to sink in. He and Celina did have time to start a family and she would include him in any decision that would deal with their child.
What am I worried about?
he thought as he closed the door to the storage room. Darius was about to lock up the store when the door chime went off, signaling that someone had walked into the store. He looked up and saw Celina standing there.
“I didn't like the way we left things at the house,” she said as she closed the door behind her and flipped the lock.
“Celina, I'm sorry. This wasn't even about you. I know what kind of woman you are and you would never do what Renita did.”
Celina reached out to Darius. “You're right. I wouldn't do that. And when I said that I wasn't ready to be a mother, it didn't mean I would go out and have an abortion. I'm not that cold. To be honest, I don't think anyone is ready to become a mother until the doctor places her baby in her arms.”
He squeezed her tightly. “I know, baby,” he whispered in her ear. “I didn't mean to dump all of that on you. I guess I didn't realize that I was still carrying those demons with me.”
“I'm glad you told me. I do want to have your baby, but I can't say that I'm devastated that I'm not pregnant. I'd like to be Mrs. McRae before we bring any babies into the world.”
Darius tweaked her nose. “I'm going to hold you to that,” he said. “Because I want lots of babies.”
“Why don't we get out of here and have dinner, then we can have some dessert in bed,” she said seductively.
Darius smiled. “I like the sound of that. Let me shut off the lights and we're out of here.”
A short time later, Darius and Celina were settling into a booth at Rudy's.
“Hey there, you two,” Miss Rudy said when she spotted Darius and Celina. “I got something special cooking for you.”
“Thank you so much,” Darius said as she placed silverware on their table.
“You all look so cute together,” she commented. “It's like you were planted here at the same time just so you could fall in love. I'll send a waiter over here with menus.”
Darius stared into Celina's eyes as Miss Rudy strolled away. “She's right, you know.”
“I know we look cute together.”
“No, we have been all over looking for something that grew right here,” he said.
Darius took her hand in his.
“I never thought I would feel this way, I never thought I would fall in love and not be hurt,” she said. “Darius, I thank God for you coming into my life.”
He kissed her hand gently. “I'm really not hungry for food right now,” he said. “I want to skip straight to dessert.”
Celina blushed. “You are so bad, although I was thinking the same thing,” she whispered as the waiter walked over to the table. Darius told the waiter that he and Celina would be taking their food to go.
They couldn't get out of the restaurant fast enough. Darius wanted to be with Celina in the worst way. They sped to his house, ignoring the posted speed limits. When they got to his place, they both hopped out of the car, leaving their dinner on the backseat, and were all over each other. Darius fumbled with his keys as the two of them kissed the whole way to the steps leading to the front door. She pulled at the buttons on his shirt as he unlocked the door. He pushed the door open and they tumbled to the floor. Darius pulled Celina's tank top over her head, then unsnapped her bra, causing her breasts to spill forward. Darius took her succulent breasts into his mouth, kissing and sucking on her nipples, making her moan in delight.
Celina unbuttoned his jeans, sliding them off his body. His arousal was evident as she slid her hands inside his satin boxers. Darius grabbed her hands and held them above her head as he peered at her, drinking in the image of her perfect body. Despite himself, he pictured her swelled with their child. He was sure that she'd glow like pregnant women do and her beauty would be even more radiant.
“I love you,” Darius said before uniting her mouth with his. Celina melted against him as he peeled her linen shorts off. Heat radiated from his body as her skin touched his. She buried her face in his neck and her lips grazed his skin slightly, unleashing an inferno inside him.
When she wrapped her legs around his waist, he felt how hot and wet she was and he was ready to take her instantly, but not on the floor. Instead, he scooped her into his arms and rushed into the bedroom, gently laying her on the bed. He kicked out of his boxers and reached over on the nightstand to grab a condom. Celina watched him as he placed the protection on his hard penis. He then turned to her with a smile on his face, one that she returned as she wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, “Je t'aime,” which means “I love you” in French, in his ear. Darius was unable to resist her anymore. He buried himself deep inside of her, finding every spot that made her moan and shiver. Her muscles tightened around him, making him quake. Burying his face in her breasts, he suckled on her tender nipples, making her whimper in delight. Darius felt her trembling and he knew she was on the brink of an orgasm. He pressed deeper into her, wanting to make her feel the deep passion he'd been holding back. As she called out his name, he captured her mouth with his, muffling her expressions of desire, which were a mix of primal groans and declarations of love. Darius sucked in her tongue, pulling the words out of her mouth. His body felt like a rocket about to explode. He tried in vain to hold back his own orgasm until he was certain that she'd been pleased. But when she pressed her hips into his, he gave in to the feeling.
“Oh Celina,” he called out as he exploded in her valley, then collapsed on top of her. Pushing her hair back from her forehead, he kissed her gently. Celina smiled and ran her finger up and down his spine and he pulled her closer as electric jolts ran through his body. “You have to stop,” he whispered.
She responded by gently biting him on the earlobe. Darius groaned with pleasure and was instantly aroused as her tongue darted in and out of his ear. She positioned her body to receive his love and Darius rotated his hips to give her what she desired. Celina inhaled sharply as he entered her and continued his sensual dance, making her call out his name as he stroked her up and down. She clutched his back and placed her mouth against his neck. The heat from her breath sent chills up and down his spine. Darius felt his hardness constrict and he was ready to explode again.
Once they were spent from hours of lovemaking, Darius and Celina fell asleep in each other's arms. Darius snuggled his face in his favorite spot, Celina's bushy hair.
Celina woke up smiling, though it was the middle of the night. She stroked the side of his face, trying not to wake him and wished she had her sketch pad so that she could draw his sleeping frame. He looked angelic as he slumbered. Slipping out of the bed, she headed for the bathroom to take a shower. Quietly, she stepped in the shower and turned the spray on. She hadn't felt this at peace since her father died, she thought, as she closed her eyes and let the water seep through her hair, down to her scalp. It reminded her of Darius's touch, the feel of his tongue against her skin. She closed her eyes and smiled as she relived the passion they'd just shared hours ago. It was so real, it was as if Darius was right there in the shower with her. She turned around and there he was. “I just thought you needed some help washing your back,” he whispered as he rubbed her back with a bar of soap.
“And here I thought I was in the middle of a fantasy,” she said as she turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I was hoping I could sneak out of here and catch you sleeping.”
Darius kissed her collarbone. “Why is that?”
“I wanted to draw you. You inspired me.”
Darius raised his eyebrow. “How did I do that?”
“Just by being you,” she said, then splashed some water in his face.
Darius laughed. “Oh, you're going to pay for that,” he said as he grabbed her and held her under the shower spray. Celina squealed like a little girl as the water ran down her back. She threw her hands up to protect herself from the shower spray.

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