My mother lived in my house, had a new man, ten years her junior, and took care of Brianna while we worked. We had a babysitter when she or Brianna’s older siblings couldn’t keep her. And my mother finally stopped praying for my common sense and giving me advice about men.
And my and Carter’s relationship moved smoothly like butter after the blip at the start of us. We took care of each other, and he remained my comfort. We still had our squabbles because we were both stubborn. He could be demanding over nothing, and I’d been accustomed to doing things on my own for years and wasn’t always the best communicator. Yet, we vowed to never go to bed angry, even if it meant we had to be up all night. It usually worked to my advantage because the poor man still couldn’t keep his eyes open past ten.
“Wait, that’s the old cartoon that had an AI video of that black kid going off on being separated from the white kids, and that Snoopy prepared the meal. It’s so stupid and accurate.” Sekani stood by the TV, bopping his head toLittle Birdie. “That is a nice song, though.”
I smirked at Carter. “See, I told you.”
He rolled his eyes playfully.
I leaned over to him. “Two years ago, on my first night with you, I sat right here, hoping that one day we would be sitting here with our children. Now, you see why you are my dream.”
Carter’s lips curved into a soft smile. “And you are the dream I didn’t know I had.”
I rose from the sofa and held my hand out to Sekani. “It’s one of my favorite songs. You want to dance?”
Sekani chuckled and took my hand. We danced around the room while a beaming Carter watched us.
In retrospect, I wish I had thanked Bishop for standing me up at the altar that Christmas night he showed up at the hospital. If he hadn’t, I wouldn’t have taken the residency at L.A. Pacific.
And I wouldn’t have met the man who was truly meant for me.
I guess our love might just be fated after all.
Keep reading for an excerpt ofTempted, FANtasy Series, Book 4.
BLURB:
Troubled hip-hop country star Freedom Cade once broke her heart when they were teenagers. He abandoned her on the night of their prom because of choices that landed him on the wrong side of the law. Disappointed because she believed he’d changed his hustling means of survival, she vowed never to love him again, though she carried his child.
Even created a family with his former best friend, who was there for her when Freedom chose superstardom.
For years, Jamaica Bennett put the past behind her and focused on loving her husband and family, convinced she and a baby would have only held Freedom back from his destiny.
Until a determined Freedom returns home for their class reunion, demanding to be a father to the son he swears he knew nothing about, and tempting Jamaica with what they once meant to each other and what they could be.
As Jamaica struggles to resist his allure and the blushing memories of first love, dark secrets from the past begin to tumble into the light, and vows become meant to be broken.
TemptedExcerpt:
“Can I have this dance?” I asked, and she nodded with an exasperated expression. “Now, all y’all dance and stop staring at us so she can loosen up. It’s a party, right?”
People fell in line around us in the darkened room, though I knew eyes and cameras were zoned in on the hometown star dancing with his high school sweetheart.
Up close, I could see the pale white telltale spots on her cheeks. She’d been crying. My gut twisted. I pulled her close enough so she could hear me, but still respectable because she did have a husband. My arms went around her waist, and hers circled my neck. “I had no choice. I thought you might have run again.”
“Iwasheaded out the door before you started singing, and suddenly I couldn’t move. I haven’t heard you sing in years.” Jamaica looked at me long enough for me to see that I had affected her deeply.
“You were my motivation.” I clasped my hands tighter around her waist. “Don’t be mad with me for wanting to spend a little more time with you.
“I’m trying not to be. Everyone’s staring. It’s going to get back to Kody, and I’ll have to hear his mouth.”
I glanced around the room at the watchful faces, probably reading our lips. “Yeah, Kodyisgoing to be pissed. Just not enough to turn down the contract to build my homestead and the studio downtown. He always did love money.”
“What did you say?” Her doe eyes narrowed.
“Kody agreed to the terms of a contract that my lawyer drew up.” I tilted my head, assessing her. “He didn’t tell you, did he?”
She shook her head in disbelief. “You must have used an alias.”
