Chadwick's Rare Find (An Intriguing Romance Novel) (18 page)

The music was still going and people were still scrambling around.  Chadwick saw a woman in a black dress run past him.  Her hair was wild and she screamed as she ran.  A tall black guy who looked like a football player was right behind her.  He passed her smoothly and filled the chair she had aimed for just before she fell into his lap laughing.  He grabbed her around her waist to steady her as her feet flew from under her.  Her hands instinctively landed over his as she tried to get off of him.  It was then Chadwick recognized Brittany.  

The sight of Brittany laughing and sitting in another man’s lap was too much.  Chadwick’s ears began to ring.  All the frustration of wanting her and not being able to have her came to a head.  Chadwick felt as if he was on fire.   He was across the room in seconds.  

Adanna had seen it all.  As a hostess, she tried to keep her eyes on everything that went on.  When she realized what Chadwick was looking at, she ran.  She reached him at the same time he reached Brittany.  Sliding between Brittany, who was still in the man’s lap and Chadwick, Adanna put her hands flat against Chadwick’s chest. 

“Get out of my way, Adanna.”  Chadwick ground out. 

Brittany still sat perched on the guy’s knees.  She was so intent on Chadwick’s face, she forgot where she was.  She stared as if mesmerized at the man she loved.  His face was contorted and he looked different.  It was Chadwick who stood before her, but then again, it wasn’t him.  

“Brittany get off.”  Chadwick bit out.  Brittany almost fell on her head as the man let her go and she tumbled out of his lap.  

“It’s just a game, man.  I went to college with Brittany.  No harm intended.  Just relax.”  The guy whose name was Jason was trying to diffuse the situation.  Adanna was pressing her hands into Chadwick’s chest soothingly.  Brittany was just standing and staring wondering what was gong to happen next.   

“I’m fine.” Chadwick said as he backed up.  He looked past Adanna’s shoulder into Brittany’s eyes.  Her caramel cat eyes stared back at him.  He couldn’t read her expression, but there was no apology or shame in it.  He had overreacted.  He stared back at her and without a word turned and left the room.  

“He’ll be fine.  Let him go, Brittany.  He just loves you; that’s all.  I’m starting to wish you guys would go ahead and get married or something.  I have never seen Chadwick so wound up.  Lord, I thought he was going to tear somebody’s head off.”  Adanna was glad to see Chadwick leave.  He was not exactly party-material tonight.  The tension between him and Brittany was thick enough to cut.  They were single-handedly ruining her party.   Adanna gave the signal for the game to start up again.  Brittany thankfully left the room too.  

Amber had seen everything.  She felt sorry for Chadwick. Any man would have been upset.  She wondered what he was thinking.  He had to know that it was only a game and there was nothing between Brittany and Jason.  Jason had gone to massage school with Brittany.  They were just friends.  Brittany loved Chadwick and Amber could only hope that he knew how much. 

#

Chadwick didn’t stop until he reached his bedroom.  He stood outside his bedroom door and took deep breaths to calm himself.  He had very nearly lost control.  If it had not been for Adanna, he would have done something that would have pushed Brittany away from him.  He shook his head at the memory of her in that dress; all legs and breasts.  Her body was beautiful. Her skin was creamy.  He could still see the faint layer of sweat on her face from running.  Her hair was sticking to her temples.  Even in his anger he had wanted to wipe her hair back.  Chadwick’s hand trembled as he reached for the knob to his door. 

“Chadwick, wait.”  It was Brittany. 

Chadwick groaned and left his back turned to her.  He laid his forehead against the door and waited. 

“Chadwick are you okay?”  Brittany had moved closer.  He could feel her heat at his back.  Turning around slowly he looked at her.  His gaze started at her manicured feet in dainty black sandals and traveled up her thick legs lingering on her exposed thighs.  Finally, his gaze reached the swell of her breasts.  

Brittany stood very still under his perusal.  She had come to understand the power of Chadwick’s passion.  She sensed that he barely held it in check whenever he was with her.  She wondered if it would always be this way between them.  She hoped it would.   His eyes were on her lips.  Reflexively she licked them.  His eyes slammed into hers.

“God, help me.”  Chadwick whispered.  His hands were fists at his side.  His mind screamed for Brittany to just go away, but she couldn’t read his mind and he would never tell her to go away.  What did she want from him?  Why was she still here?  

Help came from the most unlikely place.  Christy had seen everything too.  She followed Brittany and was watching Brittany and Chadwick in the hallway.  It was clear to her that Chadwick was trying not to touch Brittany.  He was trying to stay in control.  Brittany was not making it easy for him.  In fact, it looked like she was torturing him.  Christy often wondered how it was that Brittany and Amber were so unaware of their affect on men.   They seemed not to understand men too well.  

“Brittany, come with me.” Christy said softly taking Brittany by the hand.  

Brittany resisted and before he could restrain himself, Chadwick blurted out, “Go with her, Brittany.  Please.”  

Brittany looked hurt but she left with Christy.  Christy held her hand as she led her to her own room which was several rooms away from Chadwick’s.  Christy didn’t think it was a good idea for Brittany to be so close to Chadwick’s room under the circumstances.  Things were definitely heating up to the boiling point.  

“Brittany, can’t you see what he is trying to do?  He’s trying not to touch you.  You and Amber made those vows to momma and Chadwick is trying to honor that.  Don’t push him.  He is a man who is used to having his way with women.  He wants you badly and he is trying to wait on you.  Just give him some space.  Men can only take so much.”   Brittany knew what Christy was saying, but she couldn’t help selfishly wanting to be kissed and held by Chadwick.  She thought about going back to his room and asking him to marry her, because she was definitely ready to be his wife.  

Christy and Brittany looked at each other as if to say, “What next?”  Rolling her eyes Brittany fell back on Christy’s bed.  

“Go on back to the party little girl.  I am going to sleep in your bed tonight.  I can’t bear to be in my room next to Chadwick.”  Brittany had already stepped out of her dress and was snuggling underneath Christy’s covers.   Christy dimmed the lights and left the room feeling sorry for her big sister.  Who knew that being in love could be such a tangle?  Christy hoped fervently that when she fell in love, it would not be like this.  Of course, she hadn’t made a vow to her mom.  So, she didn’t have abstinence to worry about.  In a way she was relieved.  Her young mind felt that the whole abstinence thing was more burden than value.  

The cold water was doing its job.  Chadwick was freezing.  His body was no longer throbbing and pulsating with heated desire for Brittany.  Stepping out of the shower, his mood was contemplative.  He dried off and wrapped the towel around his waist.  Picking up his bottle of body oil, he poured some in his palm and began rubbing it into his arms.  As he absentmindedly oiled himself down, he thought more about his and Brittany’s predicament.  It was clear the situation would have to be resolved soon.  Marriage was inevitable.  Why drag it out any longer?  

Chadwick brushed his teeth and snatched the towel from around his waist to dry his hands and face.  Tossing the towel into the tub, he turned the light off in the bathroom.  Crossing the room he turned the bedroom light off too and climbed into bed.  He wondered if it would bother Brittany that he preferred sleeping in the nude.  Turning onto his side he propped his head in his hand and thought more about what their marriage would be like. Brittany was fun-loving, kind, and sweet-tempered.  He loved her quiet, but firm ways.  She was not a pushover, but she wasn’t a Jezebel either.  She was a woman that he would enjoy sleeping with, but could also enjoy living with.  

Chadwick decided that he couldn’t and wouldn’t wait any longer.  He would ask Brittany to marry him.  He had no idea how he would go about doing this.  He did know one thing for sure.  Brittany was special and she was rare.  He would treat the situation with as much finesse as he could muster.  It was obvious that Brittany had not come from a cabbage patch field.  Precious time and energy had been put into the making and shaping of Brittany.  He would have to ask Amber’s permission for Brittany’s hand in marriage.  Amber deserved that much from him and he would give it to her and much more.  

Chadwick lay on his back staring at the ceiling.  His new resolution was going a long way towards calming him down.  He thought about all the goodness that would come with Brittany and felt thankful.  He wished there was a way to show her that he too would bring something special to the marriage.  He thought about his mom and dad and how special their marriage was.  Chadwick would be happy with half the devotion from Brittany that his mother had given his father.  Suddenly an idea formed in his mind.  His face broke into a huge smile in the darkness as he realized a way to prove to Brittany that he had no ordinary beginning and that his life had been a little different too.   

#

Amber awakened to a persistent knocking on her door.  She was sure she was having a nightmare.  Squinting her eyes she could just make out the time on the clock.  It was seven-thirty in the morning.  It seemed she had only just stumbled up the stairs a minute ago.  The party had lasted longer than Adanna had stipulated.  The guys were reluctant to leave.  The alcohol had flowed a little too freely and people were either too inebriated to drive or fast asleep in a chair somewhere.  It had taken both her and Adanna’s effort with the help of the highly resourceful butler to get everyone out and safely off to home.  The party had been a blast but it’s after effects were unkind.  The persistent knocking was making Amber’s teeth rattle in her head. 

“Come in whoever you are, before I kill you,” she moaned. 

“Amber, it’s me, Chadwick.  Are you decent?”  Chadwick whispered through the crack in the door.  He didn’t want to wake anyone else up. 

“What do you want, boy?  I need sleep.  Please go away.”  Amber put the pillow over head as Chadwick came into the room and shut the door.  The click of the door shutting had her sitting up quickly.  What was going on here?

“Amber, I need to talk to you.”  Chadwick felt badly for waking her up.  She looked pitiful.  She still had make-up on and her hair was all over her head.  

“What Chadwick?”  Amber’s voice was flat.  She was trying to be patient.  She knew all about Chadwick and Brittany’s problems and personally she was sick of it all.  She wanted them married and living in another city as soon as possible.  They were beginning to really get on her nerves.  

“I would like to ask your permission to marry Brittany.”  Chadwick said quickly, hoping Amber would give her blessing.  

Amber was stunned.  Even though she had wanted this to be done and over with, the fact that he was actually asking her for Brittany’s hand in marriage made her heart flutter.  She stared at Chadwick as her emotions began to vacillate between joy, sadness, and pure grief at the eminent loss of not only her sister but her companion as well.  She and Brittany had been everything to one another since the death of their parents.  Tears began to stream down Amber’s face. 

“Amber, please don’t start bawling and to think I thought you were the strong one.”  Chadwick got up and went into Amber’s bathroom to get her some tissue.   Coming back into the room he handed it to her and sat back in the chair by her bed.  

“I will be good to her.  I love her, Amber.   I need your sister in my life.”  

“I know what you need, you ole nasty thing.  Chadwick, I know you love her and of course you can have her.”  Amber was laughing and crying as she gave Chadwick her blessing. 

“I have something else for you.”  Chadwick said quietly as he put an eight by eleven manilla envelop into her hands.   Amber opened it and pulled out some papers.  As she read it, she couldn’t believe her eyes.  

“Chadwick, I will never forget this.  You have gone way past the call of duty with this.   Thank you for relieving me with this information.”   

Amber sat with the papers in her hand long after Chadwick had left.  She was still in disbelief that Chadwick would go through such lengths to reassure her.  He showed an uncanny understanding and empathy to actually have gone to the doctor and gotten a complete laboratory workup to bring the results to her.  He had a clean bill of health.  Amber could only rejoice for Brittany from this moment on.  It was finally over.  Amber could relax a little.  She only had herself and the shrewd Christy to worry about now.  Somehow worrying about Christy seemed ridiculous to Amber.  Falling back onto her pillow with the papers clutched to her chest, Amber fell into a sound sleep. 

Chadwick’s second course of action was to buy two airplane tickets to Jackson, Mississippi. The flight was set for that very afternoon at seven-thirty.  He called his mom and dad.  They were ecstatic and would be eagerly awaiting their arrival.  Now he had the monumental task of convincing Brittany to trust him enough to take her literally across country without an explanation.  He wanted everything to be a surprise.  He had everything worked out in his head.  He knew his plan was fool proof, if only Brittany would cooperate. 

   By the time he met the girls downstairs for breakfast, he had everything in order.  He walked into the kitchen to find everyone except for Amber sitting in the booth.  Brittany’s eye widened when she saw him.  She raised an eyebrow silently questioning if he was okay.  He smiled at her.  She looked relieved and grinned back at him. 

“Brittany, I need to talk to you.  You want to sit on the patio with me?” Chadwick asked. 

“Well, I guess you don’t see the rest of us sitting here,” Vana said irritably.  She had never in her entire life seen her brother so distracted.