Eternally Yours - Brenda Jackson [94]
“Make sure you pick out the most expensive ring,” Clayton’s youngest sister, Christy, suggested. “By the way, Syneda, who’s giving you away at the wedding?”
Syneda met Clayton’s eyes and smiled. “No one is giving me away, Christy. I’m giving myself away.”
Dex laughed. “That should be interesting. But knowing you and Clayton, I guess we shouldn’t expect the norm, should we?”
Syneda smiled at him. “No. As you can see, we’re full of surprises.”
Clayton watched as the morning light shone through his bedroom window. Its rays highlighted Syneda, who still slept soundly in his arms.
He moved, shifting her closer to him, wanting to be a part of her again, but knowing that she needed to rest. They had spent the entire Thanksgiving Day at his parents’ home. It had been after midnight before they had returned to his apartment.
His lovemaking last night, just like it had been the night before when she’d shown up at his place wearing only his dress shirt, had been aggressive, demanding. It was as though he couldn’t get enough of her. And she had only added fuel to his fire by meeting him kiss for kiss, stroke for stroke, matching his demands with equal fervor.
He leaned over and whispered in her ear. “I love you.”
A smile touched Syneda’s lips as she struggled to open her eyes. “And I love you, too, Madaris. Now kiss me awake.”
“My pleasure.” His mouth found hers in a passionate kiss that she returned.
Moments later, after he had broken off the kiss, she rested against him, feeling like the luckiest woman in the world. All the past fears, doubts, disappointments and pain seemed to have left her under the onslaught of Clayton’s love. And she knew that as long as he was a part of her life, she could deal with just about anything.
She sat up, ignoring the morning chill that was in the room. “I went to the cemetery to visit my mother last week, Clayton.”
Clayton gently pulled her back down beside him. He understood that must have been an important undertaking for her. She had once told him that she had never visited her mother’s grave, and had shared with him the reason why.
He raised himself up and looked down at her, concern on his face. “How did it go?”
“It went okay. I had to go there in order to close a chapter in my life forever. I knew I loved you and didn’t want to deal with my father in my life any longer. I wanted to get rid of it once and for all.”
“And did you?”
“Yes.”
“I’m glad.” He kissed her again, this kiss longer than before. Afterward when she lay in his arms snuggled close to him, he wondered if he should tell her about hiring Alex to find her father. It had been his original plan, right after she had broken things off with him, to find the man and beat the hell out of him for what he had done to her, and for being the cause of all their problems. But then, after rationality had set in, he had kept Alex looking for the man just out of pure curiosity. He wanted a name. He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of man would do what her father had done to a child.
But now, there was a whole new element to everything with Alex’s revelation that two other investigative agencies were looking into Syneda’s past.
“Syneda?”
“Hmm?”
“Have you ever tried finding your father?”
He felt her tense. She looked up at him, frowning. “Of course not. Why would I?”
“And you know nothing about him?”
“Nothing other than the little bit I told you.”
“So you have no idea how he looks? Your mother never kept a picture of him around the house?”
Syneda sat up again. “Why all the questions, Clayton?”
“Just curious. We don’t have to talk about it if discussing him upsets you.”
She shook her head. “No, discussing him doesn’t bother me now.” She lay back down in his arms. “I don’t know how he looks, and I don’t recall Mama ever having a picture of him. I assume he’s some light-skinned brother with light-colored eyes since my mother’s coloring was darker than