Loving True (34 page)

“Nice to see you again Shaw,”
Hayward
drawled behind True.

He stopped dancing with True and offered
Hayward
his hand. “Good to see you again to
Hayward
.”
 
He watched
Hayward
’s fingers slid around
True’s
arm and ease her away from him.

He smiled at
Hayward
’s possessive gesture and dropped his hand. “As you can see I got the pleasure of dancing with your exquisite girlfriend. You’ve got a treasure. All she did was talk about how wonderful you are.”

“Well, I feel the same about her.”
 

“Mr. Shaw, I really enjoyed our dance,” True interrupted.

Daniel looked down at True from his six foot one inch frame. “I believe I asked you to call me Daniel. I’m not called Mr. Shaw by anyone. It makes me feel too old and since I don’t look old why should I feel old.”

“I’m sorry for my slip of tongue Daniel.”
 
True apologized.

“T
hank
you. Once again it good to see you again
Hayward
, after all these years,” Daniel said; then he walked away.
 

* * * *

The music started playing a slow ballad again and
Hayward
gathered True into his arms. “You give that amazing smile away to anyone, don’t you?”
 

“I was only being nice to him. I didn’t know who he was until he introduced himself. He gave me a wonderful compliment about the revisions I did for you.”
 

“Are you going to deny that Daniel offered you a job with more money to work for him instead of Campbell Construction and Design?”
 
He inquired.

“No, I’m not going to deny it and I told him I already had an amazing job working with a man I loved.”
 
True wrapped her arms around his neck as her body swayed to the music.

He covered her mouth with his and kissed her while her tempting body was pressed fully against his. His tongue traced the fullness of her lips, before he dipped inside for the treasure he wanted.
 
The kiss sent his entire body into a tornado of powerful desire that he wanted to explore more. After he was satisfied, he ended the kiss.

 
“I have to ask you something.” His words were smothered by the warm moisture of her mouth.

“What is it?” True breathed on his lips.

 
“What Stacey said, did that upset you?”
Hayward
buried his face at the side of
True’s
head. Unconsciously his arms closed around her, so she couldn’t leave the room. He wouldn’t let her run from him again. “If it did I want us to talk about it now and not later. I was trying to get her out of her so she couldn’t cause any problems for you.”

“
Hayward
, I think it’s so sweet that you always want to protect me for other people’s hate, but I learned how to take care of myself a long time ago.
 
Don’t worry about me I always land on my feet.”
 

Tilting her head back, he stared into her soft eyes, “Do you realize this is our first dance?” Using his index finger, he brushed it down the side of her smooth jaw. God how could he ever think he could resist her all those months ago. She was his in each and every sense of the word.

True’s
eyes danced behind her glasses. “No wonder I feel so happy in your arms right now.”
 

* * * *

After their dance ended, people started coming up to True, congratulating her for finally bringing back
Hayward
back to the land of the living. They never thought he would come back home again after his mother’s funeral.

“I didn’t realize you knew some many people.” She whispered to
Hayward
, when the last party guest walked away from her and
left .
‘You’re a very popular man.”

“The only popularity test I want to
win,
is with you, Kitten.” He stated, wrapping his arm around her waist.

Yawning,
True
covered her mouth and laid her head on
Hayward
’s arm. All the excitement of the surprise party tonight was finally getting to her. “Baby I’m wiped out. Do you mind if we turned in early?”

“Of course not.
Let’s go upstairs.”
Hayward
muttered. “I need to talk to
Clinton
. Why don’t you go upstairs without me? I’ll be up there in a few minutes.

“Good. I’ll meet you there.”
 
She withdrew from his arms and left the room.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Leaning against the wall for a moment,
Hayward
tried to gather his courage. Staring at the closed bedroom door, he ran different ideas over in his head on how he wanted to ask True, but nothing came to mind. He really didn’t need to talk to
Clinton
. That was just a ruse to get
True
to come upstairs. He stayed downstairs so he could have some time alone to think about his future.

Can I do this? Am I ready to share that part of my life with someone?

He never thought he would come to this point in his life. As far back as he could remember he only wanted to make money to prove himself to the people in his past. Now, he wanted to show
True
what a good man he was. What a loving husband and father he could be, despite his past.
 
It was too soon to show her the last two, but he could work on the first one.

True deserved a man who would love her from sunrise to sundown. She gave so freely of herself, with no strings attached. Most of all, she deserved a man who wasn’t still keeping secrets from her.

Hayward
stared at the bedroom door with rising fear. Could he really go in there and risk losing
True
over something stupid he did months ago? What if she got beyond upset and left him? What if she looked at him and he slowly saw the love she felt for him die from her eyes? Every emotion he experienced now came from loving True. She saw the man he was meant to be and dug deep, until she brought out the man, who now had hope. No, he wasn’t ready to face that hill yet.

Pushing his body away from the wall, he wiped his sweaty palms on the front of his slacks. “Okay, here goes nothing.” He muttered going to the closed door. He turned the knob, with a flick of his wrist and the door swung open.

Lingering in the hallway, he watched True walk out of the bathroom with her nightgown in one hand. “I was waiting up for you, but you were taking too long. So I decided to start getting undressed.” She kicked off her shoes and sat down in the edge of the bed.

“Sorry. I got caught up downstairs with something very important.” He lied, closing the bedroom door behind him. The faint scent of the perfume
True
used earlier, still clung in the air. She had turned down the lights while he was in the dining room and a soft glow from the lamp, highlighted the lush softness of her skin on the bed.
Hayward
couldn’t believe each time he laid eyes on True he fell more in love with her.

“Honey, is there something wrong?”

“No. Why?”

True leaned back on the bed and shrugged on shoulder. “I don’t know. You’re standing there with you back pressed against the door like you need to hold it up.”

Where his nerves that obvious? Laughing, he moved away from the door, “I’ve a lot of things on my mind.” He confessed, stopping in front of her.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

He stiffened at the question. Was there anything she could do to help him? Did he want to answer that question now or later?
Hayward
eased his right hand into the front pocket of his slacks. His fingers brushed the metal inside. The coolness rubbed over the tips of fingers and sent a tingle up his arm helping to clear his mind.

“Yes. You can do something for me.” He answered, as he wrapped his hand around the object. He slipped it from his pocket holding it in the palm of hand.

 
The light scent of vanilla tickled his nose as he sat down next to her on the bed. “I was trying to think of a romantic way to do this, but my mind went blank. If you don’t want to accept it I understand. This will be a big step for the both of us and our relationship.”
Hayward
knew he was rambling from nerves but he couldn’t stop. Looking
True
in the eye he opened his hand. “Here I want you to have this.”

She reached out and took the item from him. “Is this a key to your house?”
 

“Yes. You don’t have to move in with me or anything. I only wanted to give you the option to enter my home anytime you wanted.” He waited patiently for True to answer, but she didn’t say a word. “Baby, are you okay?”

Tears fell down
True’s
face like raindrops on a window. She brushed them away with the back of her hand. “I’m perfect.” Sliding over the white bedspread, she flung herself into his arms. “Of course, I’ll accept the key to your home.”

Taking the key ring from her hand, he laid it on the nightstand and tossed her back on the bed. He couldn’t ask for a better way to start the T
hank
sgiving holiday, but with the woman he loved, in his arms. “I guess we have something to celebrate.” He exclaimed, unzipping the back of her skirt

* * * *

Later the following afternoon,
True
sat in the middle of the bed, with
Hayward
’s old college T-shirt covering her body. She picked up the keychain off the nightstand and twirled it around her index finger. The new addition rattled against the other keys, already on there. “I think it looks pretty good on there. Don’t you, handsome?” Tossing the key chain to the side, she flipped over on her stomach and finished watching
Hayward
get ready for dinner.
Damn I’ve got one gorgeous looking man.

Hayward
stopped buttoning his white dress shirt, to look at her over his shoulder. “Yes, it does, but you look better.” He winked at her and then went back to working on his shirt. “This is the first T
hank
sgiving I have spent with a gorgeous woman in years, and I’m glad it’s with you, Kitten.”

True
laid
on the bed and finished ogling
Hayward
as he got ready for dinner. She hadn’t decided what to wear yet. It was a toss up between two dresses that she brought on her shopping trip with
Jenisha
. She didn’t want to be overly sexy at the dinner table.
Clinton
already had a crush on her and
Hayward
’s jealousy wasn’t good. What she wore tonight had to be cute enough for
Hayward
, but not encouraging to
Clinton
.

“I’m glad we’re spending T
hank
sgiving together too.” She replied. “A girl can only eat so many turkey and dressing T.V. dinners.”

Taking his jacket off the back of the chair,
Hayward
slid it over his shoulder and buttoned it. Facing her, he asked, “How do I look?”

Rising up on her knees, True tilted her head to the right and then tiled to the left. Nibbling at her bottom lip, she finally said. “You look very sexy. I’m glad I don’t have to fight another woman for your attention.”

Masculine blue eyes drilled into hers. “There wouldn’t be a fight. My attention is always focused totally on you,”

Sliding off the wide bed True strutted over to
Hayward
.
 
She rubbed her palms over his hard chest, feeling his strength beneath her hands. “You are so good for my self-esteem with all these compliments. Nonetheless, you’d better head downstairs so you can check on everyone.” She pushed him backwards toward the bedroom door. “Hopefully, your father and Clinton are getting along with the new chef. I don’t want our first T
hank
sgiving ruined.”

Arching an eyebrow,
Hayward
asked. “Are you trying to shove me out of my own bedroom?”

“Of course not,” she lied. “I thought you might like to spend some time with your father and brother while I get dressed.” Crossing her fingers behind her back, True prayed
Hayward
would leave.

Leaning over her shoulder,
Hayward
looked at her hand placed behind her back. He barely missed her uncrossing her fingers. Easing
back ,he
cocked one eyebrow at her. A skeptical look passed over his handsome features.
 
“Why do I get the feeling that you’re up to something?” His comment was part question and part accusation.

She shifted from one foot to the other. Why would
Hayward
think she was up to something? She only wanted him to leave so she could get dressed in private. “Honey, I’m not up to anything. I only wanted you to go downstairs so I can get dressed.” Damn, if he didn’t stop being so protective. It was enough to drive her up the wall. Yes, they were a couple now, but sometimes she still wanted her own private time away from him.

“Okay.
 
I’ll leave so you can get dressed.”
Hayward
kissed her quickly and left.

After the door closed behind him,
True
sprinted over to the closet, shoving all her clothes to the front, she pulled a black dress bag from the back. It contained the dress she brought for her dinner with
Hayward
. Rushing to the bathroom True got ready for T
hank
sgiving with the
Campbell
men.

* * * *

Hayward
found
Clinton
in the den staring at an 8 X 10 black and white picture of their mother, beautifully displayed on a baby grand piano. His mother gathered them all around the piano during Christmas and they would all sing Christmas carols while she played. He still remembered her stories about leaving the stage to marry his father, and how her parents disowned her for embarrassing the family. With her dimpled smile, she always said when you loved a person you’ll do anything to be with them. He didn’t understand it back then, but now he knew what his mother’s words meant. He would do anything for True, without giving it a second thought.

“It’s strange without her here isn’t it?” He asked, staring at the picture over
Clinton
’s shoulders.
 

“Yes, it is.”
Clinton
agreed.

“
Hayward
, would you like a drink?” Lance asked from the bar, over by the patio doors.
 

“A brandy would be fine dad.”

Moving from behind the bar, his father handed him his drink. “If you’ll excuse me I’m going to see how things are coming along in the kitchen.” With long purpose strides, Lance walked around the piano and then went out the door.

Hayward
waited until the door closed behind his father, before he continued. Taking a sip of his drink, he strolled over to the couch and sat down.
Clinton
seated himself in a chair across from him. “I gave
True
a key to my house last night.”

“Damn, what did she do?”
Clinton
asked crossing his legs.

“It came as a total shock to her.”
 
It scared him a little when she stared at it a few minutes before saying anything. “I’m one step closer to making her a permanent part of my life.
 
I never thought I could love anyone after the number Brooke did on me.” He confessed.

“I can’t believe how in love you are.”
Clinton
replied. “True has really changed you for the better. You aren’t the same man, who married Brooke all those years ago. I think I like this
Hayward
so much better.”
 

“I think I do too.”
Hayward
agreed. “True makes me feel so much younger than my thirty-eight years. I’m happy all the time now. I get up with a smile on my face.”

Clinton
’s moss green eyes looked at his brother with awe.
Hayward
was talking like True knew the truth about everything when in reality she was in the dark about so much. “I know you don’t want to hear this especially on T
hank
sgiving Day, but you need to tell her the truth.” He stressed.
 
“I have said this again and again I wish you would listen to me about this. I have a bad feeling is she finds out on her own things won’t ever be the same between the two of you.”
 

“Promise me you won’t tell True.” He urged leaning forward on the couch.
Hayward
was worried that his brother’s good-natured side couldn’t resist telling True about his mistake.

* * * *

“Don’t tell me what?” True uttered from the doorway.

Hayward
spun around on the couch so fast, that his hand knocked the brandy glass to the floor.
 
It landed with a soft thump on the thick rich carpet. True looked at him and Clinton with a confused expression, covering her face. God, the sight of her beautiful face always stole another piece of his heart.
 

“Kitten, you look amazing.” He complimented from the couch. A lovely lace bodice topped a silk chiffon skirt. Silk ruffled flounce trims the luxurious textures of the black dress. The most sophisticated color a woman could wear to enhance her feminine silhouette. She looked stunning to his bias eyes.

“I have to agree with my brother True. You do look very beautiful.”
 
Clinton
chimed in.