Authors: Darrien Lee
The Last Chance (22 page)
As Ramsey's intestinal system seemed to calm down once again, his thoughts went to Keilah. He was thankful she wasn't hurt when she was attacked and was glad she showed them what Keilah Chance was made of. He smiled and wished he could've seen her fight off two men. The thought of her sweating and fighting caused him to become slightly aroused. He closed his eyes and reminisced about Keilah's fiery kisses, the softness of her skin and her sexy sense of humor. He lay there savoring his erotic thoughts of Keilah until they were interrupted.
“Ramsey, are you okay?” Andria asked as she stood in the doorway wearing one of his T-shirts. “Why are you sleeping all the way in here?”
Lying, he said, “I didn't want to disturb you. Besides, I'm not sure if what I have is contagious, and I don't want you to get sick, too.”
She walked over, sat on the side of the bed, and caressed his chest. “You're so thoughtful, Ramsey.”
As soon as she touched him, he immediately sat up and felt sick once again. He threw the covers back and hurried into the bathroom.
“Can I get you anything?” Andria yelled from the other side of the door.
Ramsey yelled, “No, just go back to bed. I'll be fine.”
Andria padded to the kitchen, got Ramsey a large glass of ginger ale, and left it on the nightstand before returning to bed. Once again, Ramsey slowly made his way back over to the bed. He sat there with his head in his hands. “My God. What is wrong with me?”
Noticing the large glass of ginger ale, he drank it down, crawled back under the covers, and fell fast asleep.
Chapter Twenty
Michael's ringing cell phone at four
AM
woke him and Keilah, causing him to curse as he reached for it. “Hello?”
AM
woke him and Keilah, causing him to curse as he reached for it. “Hello?”
“Michael, this is Colonel Bridgeforth. I'm sorry to call you at such an early hour, but there's been a development, and we need you in back in D.C. right away for a meeting in Iraq regarding future deployments.”
“Sir, I'm on the West Coast at the moment. Is there any way you could give me at least a week to get some personal business in order?”
“I wish I could, Major, but I can't. We're leaving as soon as we can.”
Michael sighed. “Yes, sir. I understand.”
“It should only be for a couple of weeks, Michael. Get back here as soon as you can so you can be briefed on the trip.”
Keilah listened quietly as Michael talked to the person on the other line. He didn't have to tell her what was going on because she was used to these types of calls.
“Will do, Colonel. Good-bye.”
Michael hung up the cell phone and fell backwards onto the bed. Keilah caressed his arm. “How soon do you have to leave?”
He turned and faced her. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. “Todayâif I can get a flight out. I have to go over to Iraq for a meeting, but I shouldn't be gone more than a couple of weeks.”
Keilah closed her eyes and whispered, “I can't believe they can call you at the spur of the moment like that and you have to pick up and go.”
He smiled. “Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll be back before you have time to miss me.”
She cupped his face and kissed him softly on the lips. “You're a good man, Michael.”
He chucked. “I'd like to think I am. I love you, Keilah, and when I get back, I want to make us official. Marry me, baby.”
“Are you serious, Michael?”
“You know I would never joke about something this serious,” he replied as he ran his finger over her full lips.
Keilah tried to swallow the lump in her throat. “But we haven't known each other very long. How can you be so sure about me?”
“You're the best thing that's ever happened to me,” he replied as he nibbled on her ear, causing her to suck in a breath. He smiled with pleasure and trailed kisses from her lips down to her navel, lingering there. He glanced up at her and winked when he heard a soft moan escape her lips. “Now that's what I'm talking about. I can't wait for you to have my babies, Keilah.”
“How many do you want, Michael?” she asked curiously.
“If I have my way, you'll be barefoot and pregnant every nine months,” he teased.
They both laughed, and then Michael kissed her greedily. Keilah could feel her lower region throbbing as Michael anxiously prepared himself to slide into her hot, moist body. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held onto him as he moved deeper and deeper into her body. Keilah's moans were starting to get louder and louder, and the last person she wanted to wake up was Malachi. Michael didn't care because he loved it when Keilah writhed and moaned beneath him. Seconds later he rolled onto his back, pulling Keilah on top of his body. He pushed her hair away from her face so he could look her in the eyes. “Are you going to be OK out here?”
“I'm only going to be here another day or so. I want to see you off to Iraq, and I'm ready to get back to work. Ramsey's been holding things down for me long enough.”
Michael ran his hands over the length of her voluptuous body, resting them on her hips. “Ramsey's a big boy. You know he has no problem running the company while you're away, and vice versa. I'm sure you just miss being at work and at home.”
Just then, they heard a knock on the bedroom door.
“Michael, Malachi's at the door,” she whispered.
He raised his head and cursed. “I'll get it.”
“No, let me because I know he's not going to be happy that we woke him up,” she offered as she quickly slid into her bathrobe and made her way over to the door. She opened the door and came face to face with Malachi, who wore an obvious frown on his face.
“Good morning, big brother. What's up?” Keilah asked in a teasing tone as she stepped out into the hallway.
He folded his arms and leaned against the wall. “You know what's up. Could you guys do me a favor and hold it down in there? I'm trying to sleep.”
Keilah smiled mischievously as she tried to smooth down her tousled hair. “I'm sorry, Malachi. We didn't realize what time it was or that we were making a lot of noise. I'll tell Michael not to groan so loudly when we make love.”
Malachi's frown progressed even further. “I don't need to know that, Keilah, just keep it down in there.”
As he turned to walk away, Keilah called out to him. “Malachi?”
He turned to face her with a disgusted expression on his face. “Yes?”
“Michael has to fly to Washington today. They're sending him back over to Iraq.”
He lowered his head. “I'm sorry to hear that, sis, but I'm sure Michael is used to being shipped off at a moment's notice.”
“I guess you're right,” Keilah replied. “He asked me to marry him.”
Malachi's eyes widen. “Are you serious?”
She blushed. “Yes, but I haven't given him an answer yet because we haven't known each other very long.”
“That's the main reason you need to really think about this, sis. You shouldn't jump into anything as serious as marriage,” Malachi responded.
“I know,” she replied as she fumbled with the belt on her robe.
“Personally, I think you should wait and give this more thought. Michael might be cool and all, but I don't think he's the one for you.”
Keilah giggled. “Is anyone
the one
for me in your eyes, Malachi?”
the one
for me in your eyes, Malachi?”
Now it was his time to blush. “Not really.”
Keilah hugged Malachi and gave him a loving kiss. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Now if you don't mind I would like to get back to sleep,” he announced.
Keilah opened the door to her bedroom and smiled. “I'll see you in a couple of hours and we'll try to be a little quieter.”
“Whatever,” Malachi said with a smirk on his face. He disappeared inside his room and hoped his sister and Michael would allow him to get a few more hours of sleep.
Keilah walked back over to the bed and dropped her robe on the floor. She climbed under the comforter and snuggled close to Michael.
“Are we in trouble?” he joked.
She laid her head on his chest. “No, he's cool. I told him I would try to get you to be a little quieter.”
Michael wrapped his arms securely around her waist. “I knew you would blame it on me, but that's cool because I'll take the blame for being in love with you any day.”
They lay there in silence for a few seconds until Keilah spoke first.
“Michael, I can't give you an answer on marriage right now, but I will seriously think about it while you're in Iraq,” she said as she looked into his eyes.
“Don't stress over it, Keilah. The last thing I want to do is make you feel pressured,” he said as he kissed her neck. “You're the only woman who's ever made me feel the way I do, so take all the time you need.”
“Thank you, Michael. That means a lot to me. No one's ever proposed to me before.”
He cupped her face and kissed her slowly on the lips. “All I want is you, Keilah. Nothing else matters to me. You're perfect for everything I want and need in a woman.”
Keilah didn't know what to think. Michael was doing a good job convincing her to marry him, but something just didn't seem right. He was saying and doing all the right things, making her decision even more difficult. He seemed to be so sincere and genuine with his expression of love.
A few hours later, Malachi drove Keilah and Michael to the airport. She stood outside the car and tried her best not to cry, but she was not successful. Michael, all decked out in his military uniform, took her left hand and seductively kissed her ring finger before pulling her into his arms.
“Miss Chance, take care of this finger, because the next time I see you, I'll have something very special to put on it. I have big plans for you.”
Malachi interrupted the couple. “Keilah, come on. You're going to make Michael miss his plane, and I have to move this car.”
Michael looked at Malachi and shook his head. “I have plenty of time, Malachi. Just let me hold my baby a little longer.”
Malachi shook his head and then closed the trunk of the car. “You guys need to hurry up, because I don't need any more parking tickets.”
Irritated, Michael yelled, “Give me a second, Malachi. Please!”
Malachi stormed around to the driver's-side door and opened it. “OK, I'll be in the car, but if the police come over here it's on you.”
Keilah and Michael ignored Malachi completely as he cupped her face and covered her lips with his.
Malachi had had enough, so he blew the horn. “Michael, Keilah, come on, man. I have to move my car.”
Michael kissed Keilah a couple of more times before reaching over to open the car door for her. “Stop stressing, Malachi. It's hard for me to leave your sister right now.”
Malachi started the engine on the car. “Yeah, man, I feel you, but I have to go.”
Michael reached inside his pocket and pulled out a key. He placed it in the palm of her hand and said, “When I get back from Iraq, I would love to have you in my bed waiting on me.”
Keilah's throat was dry. She couldn't believe Michael was giving her a key to his house. No man would do that so soon in a relationship. “Are you sure about this, Michael?”
He kissed her on the lips and said, “Yes, I'm sure. Besides, I was going to ask you to check on my house while I was in Iraq anyway. Would you?”
She slid inside the car allowing him the close her door for her. “Of course I will. Have a safe flight, Michael, and call me when you land.”
Michael leaned inside the window of the car and gave Keilah one more kiss before walking away. “No doubt, sweetheart. Enjoy the rest of your stay here with your family and I'll see you in a couple of weeks.”
“I will,” she said as Malachi pulled away from the curb.
After they drove off, Malachi looked over at his sister. “Are you okay, sis?”
Without looking back at him, she whispered, “I don't know what to do, Malachi.”
“You don't know what to do about what? Michael?”
She sighed and said, “Yes. He just gave me a key to his house.”
“Don't rush into this, Keilah. If you have doubt, that's a sign to take it slow and really look at this,” Malachi replied. “Michael seems to be moving a little fast to me.”
She looked over at Malachi and lowered her head. “Can I tell you something without you running your mouth?”
He smiled. “Sure, what's up?”
“I think I'm in love with Ramsey,” she admitted.
Upon hearing Keilah's confession, Malachi swerved into another lane of traffic. Keilah and Ramsey had never given him or his brothers any indication that they were romantically involved or even interested in each other. “What do you mean you think? Where is this coming from?”
Keilah looked out the passenger-side window and said, “We've been messing around for several months. It was all my idea, and it was supposed to be strictly recreational at my request, but something happened.”
Malachi smiled. “First of all, you shouldn't be having casual sex like that. Secondly, you shouldn't have multiple partners, and lastly you shouldn't have sex with your business partner.”
“Don't worry, Malachi. I stopped sleeping with Ramsey once I met Michael. My little liaison with him was only supposed to be a temporary arrangement.”
“I don't know what to say, sis. I mean, you know we all like Ramsey and think he's cool. If it's causing you to have some anxiety about your relationship with Michael, you need to find out how Ramsey feels so you'll know where you stand.”
She nodded in agreement. “It's hard though. Michael tells me he loves me so much, and even though I don't feel the same way, I have no doubt that I could grow to love him.”
Malachi frowned. “Did we grow up in the same house?”
Keilah softly replied, “Yes.”
Malachi was angry now. “Then you know as a Chance, we don't settle. Damn, Keilah! You're making this harder than it really is. Does Ramsey have any idea of know how you feel?”
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