Page 106 of At Her Will

You can also call me yours.

“Do you believe Tisha, that I can corrupt your soul, change it? Make it less godly, more worldly, where you think less about praising the Divine and more about reward on earth, instead of heaven?

He hummed another few notes, then subsided. “If God give us that full table I talked about, a well-lived life is our thanks and praise to Him, too. Earthly joys have their place. Maybe everything life offers, all the choices we make, how we help, love, fail and succeed…how we grow from all that, that’s another way we praise him.”

He shifted so he leaned over her, his head a silhouette above her. “No, Veracity. I don’t think you corrupt my soul. I think you make it stronger. I been in a hard place this week. God and praying have helped, but so has knowing I have you, your care…your…”

She gazed up at him. “You can say it. Because it’s true.”

“Your love,” he said. “Thank you, Mistress.”

She slid a finger along his waistband, a mute demand. He removed the cotton boxers, his hands finding her under her silken nightgown, pushing up the fabric as she guided him over her to settle between her legs, press himself between them. He brought his mouth to hers, a long, swimming kiss, full of everything they both needed. When they came together, it was such an easy coupling, an easy rhythm. They fell intothat rising and falling breath together with the same effortless coordination, everything anticipated and accepted, offered and given.

She arched her back and he helped her take off the nightgown, so they were skin to skin, moving together as he went deeper, thrusting, her heels coming up to lock over his buttocks, her hands latched on his shoulders.

They rocked together. He’d learned from her, so that rocking went on and on and on until at long last, she whispered “now,” and they rode that strong river current to a climax that left them shuddering and boneless in one another’s arms, no need to move or doubt the Universe’s plan in bringing them together.

As they drove to Tiger’s the next morning, Rev told Vera he’d agreed to do another gig or two with Sy and Trey.

“Their lead singer called in and said he’ll be back soon, but they have a couple commitments they’d like to keep before then.”

“Good. Sy says the club owner where you performed the other night is interested in having you come back. Do you think you’d do that, if they play there again?”

“If they need me and I can make it work with my job and the church, sure. I like helping out.” He shrugged, his fingers coiled over the Aston Martin’s open window frame as he turned his face toward the wind. “But I’m not interested in becoming a rock star.”

“Well, that’s disappointing. I had a whole fantasy going. You, shirtless, in leather pants, hugging up to a mic. Your muscles gleaming with sweat, hand reaching out to the crowd but your eyes looking for me…”

A slow smile slid across his face. She continued. “I see all those young groupies in the audience, trying to catch your attention by screaming their love for you, wearing their tight shirts and short skirts. Maybe throwing some underwear onto the stage.”

He blinked. “Maybe I been working at a school too long. I be thinking, what would their daddies think?”

“I think most fathers abdicate the teen years to the mothers, to save the lives of young men and reduce the chances of early onset gray.”

The grin deepened. “You’d be a good mother, Veracity. No nonsense, patient. You want kids?”

She sucked in a breath. Rev immediately reached out to touch her hand. “Mistress?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” She didn’t say anything for a few miles. He waited her out, but kept his hand near hers, knuckles brushing her wrist where she gripped the gear shift.

“I had a plan. I’d have one and adopt two, when he or she was about three years old. Out of diapers but starting to need siblings.”

“How old would the adopted siblings be?” he asked.

“I’d look at six or seven years old for one, nine or ten for the other. But I’d likely just let the adoption counselor tell me who most needed a home and see if my reaction to their story tells me that’s who belongs with me. Who my found family is, like Ros and the rest are.”

She took a more leveling breath. “How about you? Do you want children?”

“Yes,” he said simply. “But if all I’m given are my schoolkids, I’d be all right with that. I’ve thought about having a kid of my own, though, plenty of times. I like the feel of it. Maybe a son, and we’d both dote on his momma. Drive her a little crazy.”

“Probably drive her a lot crazy.”

His fingers tightened on hers. “Why did it hurt you, me asking?”

“It didn’t hurt, not exactly. Guess I never expected a man to ask me that. Not the way you just did. Most men stay away from the topic until the woman brings it up, even deep into the relationship. You asked like the answer mattered. And you liked my response.” She sent him a half smile. “Which thrilled and terrified me at the same time.”

“I don’t know where the Lord is going to take us, Veracity. But if He take us down that road together, I feel nothing but right about it, no matter how soon it seems.”

She thought of the other four members of their group. With the exception of Skye and Tiger, their men had come into their lives and, in a remarkably short time, each woman had known. And the group usually knew before the woman herself had believed in it.

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