Wrapped In Pleasure - Brenda Jackson [134]
A heavy frown settled on Rasheed’s expression when he saw the tears forming in her eyes. “We are getting married tonight, Johari.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “No, we’re not.”
“Yes, we are.”
She glared at him. “You can’t make me.”
He couldn’t restrain his smile. “Yes, I can and I will. Have you forgotten that I have a knack when it comes to seduction? I will keep you in here and by the time I’m finished with you, you will agree to just about anything.”
She narrowed her eyes. “My father and brother will not let you touch me.”
A smile touched his lips. “Your father and brother are probably aware that I’ve already touched you. They knew I was going to use my resources to find you and they were told the moment you were found. So they know you were with me the entire time, the majority of those two weeks.”
She snatched away from him, livid. “Which means, considering your reputation with women and my naiveté, that they knew I was in your bed.”
“And with my full intent on marrying you, no matter what.”
She threw up her hands. “Why? Why do you want to marry me when you know I will cause you nothing but trouble? I refuse to compete with your mistresses. I couldn’t tolerate being with you knowing others have been with you, as well.”
“So you’ve told me, several times, and that is something you don’t have to worry about. There won’t be anyone but you.”
Johari rolled her eyes and nearly laughed out loud at the same time. “And you expect me to believe that?”
“Yes, I expect you to believe that and you can believe this, as well. I love you and I don’t intend for any other man to have you or our baby.”
He saw the stunned look on her face. “What did you just say?” she asked him in a shaky voice.
Rasheed had no problem repeating it. In fact he would shout it to the entire world if he had to. “I said that I love you, Johari, and I don’t intend for any man to have you or our baby.”
She lifted her chin. “That’s not love. That’s possession.”
He couldn’t help but grin. His future wife was a spitfire and there would not be a dull day around her. “Actually, it’s both,” he decided to clarify. “But love has the higher percentage. I, Rasheed Amin Valdemon, have never loved a woman until I fell in love with you. I had no desire to love one or a need to love one. But my need for you, my desire for you, Johari, leaves me vulnerable to things I’ve never experienced before.”
Rasheed paused, knowing he had to make her not only understand but believe. “When I see you, I am filled with exceeding joy, happiness, so much it is staggering. And when I’m with you intimately, inside of you, making love to you, you pleasure me more so than any woman. That includes any woman before and there will be none after, because you’ve taken away my desire for any others. I only want you. I love you.”
He could tell by the look in her eyes that she wanted to believe him but still wasn’t fully convinced. Probably because of his past reputation with women, she couldn’t imagine such a thing as being true. But he knew he had spoken the truth. She was the only woman he wanted. Now he understood what his good friend Jake Madaris meant when he’d said that although he hadn’t been interested in having a wife, since marrying Diamond he couldn’t imagine his life without her.
Rasheed could admit that he felt the same way about Johari. He couldn’t imagine a life without her. He couldn’t bear it if she was not by his side, in his bed, the mother of his babies. His queen.
He reached out and captured Johari’s wrist and gently pulled her to him. “I am possessive with you so I know you will be possessive with me. I have no problem with that. In fact, I want exclusivity. Totally. I haven’t touched another