Wrapped In Pleasure - Brenda Jackson [135]
“Are you sure?” she asked, seemingly through a forced breath.
Rasheed saw the ray of hope that glimmered in her eyes but she was still holding back. “I’m sure, Johari. I am positive. I want the type of marriage with you that will last forever.” He reached out and placed her hand on his chest, right on his heart. “Every beat is for you and will be always. This has been the longest week but I knew I had to give you time to adjust to being back home before I stated my plea to your father. I have to marry you tonight, Johari. I can’t live another single night without you.”
His gaze burned into hers when he added, “You are my heart. You are my soul. You are my woman. You will be my queen. Please say that you will be.”
More tears came into Johari’s eyes, but Rasheed knew these were tears of happiness. She shifted her body to wrap her arms around his neck, held his gaze and said, “Yes, I will be your queen. I want to be your everything.”
A satisfied smile touched Rasheed’s lips. “You are already that, sweetheart.”
And then he lowered his mouth, sank down into the pleasures he knew awaited him there. Her response was immediate, her passion quick. He kissed her like a starving man. A man who needed this and her to survive. And she clung to him, returned his kiss with the same fire and passion he was displaying. The same pleasure.
Reluctantly, he pulled his mouth back and smiled down at her. “Now you understand why I wanted to marry you tonight? If there was a bed in here you and I would definitely be in trouble. I can guarantee you that we would have fun.”
She threw her head back and laughed and tightened her arms around him. “Oh, Monty. I love you so much. I will have plenty of fun as your wife.”
He liked the sound of that. “So you are in agreement. We marry tonight to make things legal and then six months from now we have a huge celebration in Mowaiti and invite others.”
She nodded. “Yes. The only problem with that is if I am pregnant now, I will be very much pregnant at our celebration. What will everyone think?”
“That I am a man who’s found favor with Allah.” He then lowered his head to reclaim her mouth once again.
Epilogue
“Your wife is a very beautiful woman, Rasheed.”
Rasheed smiled up at Jake Madaris. A number of his American friends and those he considered family had traveled to Mowaiti to attend his wedding celebration.
He followed Jake’s gaze and saw Johari as she stood talking to Jake’s wife, Diamond, his sister-in-law, Delaney, her friend Celine and several other women. Jake was right; Johari was beautiful and the six months since their wedding had been the best ever. She hadn’t gotten pregnant during their New York adventure but she had awakened him that very morning with the news that they would be expecting their first child, so he had double the reasons to celebrate.
“Thanks, Jake, and you are right. She is very beautiful.”
Rasheed continued to stare at her, thinking of all the happiness she had brought to him. All the wonderful moments they had shared. “Excuse me a moment, Jake. I need to grab my wife for a moment.”
He moved in her direction, ignoring the interested looks other women were giving him. There was only one woman who had his heart, body and soul. And now she had his baby growing inside of her, as well.
Johari turned and smiled at Rasheed. She’d known he was headed her way. It was as if certain parts of her body were like radar and had honed in on him. Already she felt the tightening of her breasts and the sensitive nipples pressing against the fabric of her gown.
She studied him as he made his way toward her. Studied him and appreciated him as a man. He had the ability to steal any woman’s breath away, just as he was doing now.