Games of the Heart Read online

  They sat in silence for a few minutes.

  “You were right, Sage. All these years, I’ve been resentful and angry at Roxanne for leaving us. For leaving me.”

  “And how do you feel about her now?”

  “I’m working on it. It’s going to take some time, but reuniting her with Khari is a step in the right direction.”

  “Khari wanted to share his good news with you himself, but I don’t think he’d mind if I told you.” Marshall beamed with pride. “Khari’s going to UCLA. Learning that Oakley’s living off campus sealed the deal.”

  “But you want him to study medicine.”

  “My son’s getting a degree and that’s all that matters.” He added, “And UCLA is a damn good school.”

  “You guys are really close. It’s going to be hard being so far apart.”

  “We’ll see how it goes. I might just pack up and move down here.”

  “Really?”

  “Why not? I can open up my own soul food restaurant. I remember a certain person telling me that Las Vegas was a gold mine for businesspeople.”

  Sage held his gaze. She couldn’t have wished for any more. Thoughts of him walking out on her had plagued her mind for the last hour. But he was here, with her, laughing like old times. Realizing she was getting way ahead of herself, she checked her excitement.

  “I’m glad you’re here,” he confessed. “I got used to you being around, and when you left I felt lost, like a part of me had died or something.”

  It was the sweetest, kindest thing anyone had ever said to her.

  The desire to kiss her was overwhelming, but Marshall didn’t act on his impulse. This wasn’t about sex. It was about being true to himself. He loved Sage and he was ready to commit to her. Not because she was beautiful or because they shared an intense physical attraction, but because she filled his days with love and laughter. Marshall couldn’t remember what she’d worn on their first date or how she’d styled her hair, but he would never forget how good it felt holding her in his arms.

  “What happens now?”

  “Sage, I want to be with you, but if this is going to work between us, I have to be able to trust you. Completely,” he stressed, taking her hands in his. “We have nothing if we don’t have trust.”

  “I know. I get that now.” She’d bottled up her feelings far too long, and Marshall deserved to know the truth. The whole truth. “I ran away when my foster mom got remarried. Her husband was…weird. He’d come into the bathroom while I was changing or brush up against me in the kitchen. When my foster mom started working nights, I knew I had to get out of there.” Head down, she smoothed the invisible wrinkles on her dress. “I can’t believe I’m telling you this. This is so embarrassing.”

  “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Sage.”

  Marshall understood her. She had to believe that he wouldn’t laugh at her, no matter what she said. “My looks and street smarts have gotten me where I am today. I know it’s not right, but I’ve gotten used to doing whatever it takes to be on top.”

  “And you’re okay with that?”

  Sage lowered her head. “I’m not a bad person, Marshall.”

  “I never thought for a second that you were.” He added with a smirk, “Not even when you swiped my wallet.”

  Opening her heart and her mind to what he had to say, she spoke freely, knowing he wouldn’t judge her or hold her past against her. “I’ve always had to do for myself, and aside from Tangela, I’ve never really had anyone I could rely on. I don’t have a huge network of family and friends like you do.”

  He cupped her chin affectionately, his eyes filled with love and his voice a gentle caress. “It’s okay to depend on other people, Sage, and I want you to know you can count on me. But it starts with respect. And trust.”

  “That goes both ways.”

  He was surprised by the sudden edge in her voice. In the silence, he gave himself an honest assessment. Sage wasn’t the only one who had some growing up to do. He couldn’t expect her to open up to him if he blew up at her whenever they argued. Khari deserved the same courtesy too. It took almost losing his son and the woman he loved to realize the error of his ways, but he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. “I’ve been lied to and cheated on by women more times than I care to admit. If we’re going to do this, I have to know that you’re serious about us, Sage. That you want this just as much as I do.”

  His confession validated her own feelings and bolstered her spirits, but doubt remained. “Marshall, I’m scared. Everyone I’ve ever loved has eventually left me. What happens the next time I mess up or do something you don’t like?”

  “We’ll deal with it together,” he replied fervently. “Munch, I need to know that you care, that you’re in this for the long haul and for all the right reasons.”

  She wasn’t afraid to admit she didn’t have all the answers, but she wanted Marshall to know she was willing to try. “It’s going to take a while for me to get this honesty thing down.” A sheepish expression clouded her face. “Just be patient with me, okay? I might fall off the wagon every now and then.”

  Smiling at her, his heart overflowing with love, he bent down and kissed her. “I thought I’d lost you.”

  “Boy, please! You have to do a lot more than yell to get rid of me.”

  Marshall wrapped his arms around her. He was ready to build a new life for himself, and he wanted Sage by his side. Gazing lovingly at her, he decided his girlfriend and future wife was the sexiest, most captivating woman he had ever met. “You’re some kind of woman, Sage Collins.”

  “Did I ever tell you I was an amateur palm reader?” she asked, opening his right hand. Peering at the waves and creases, her face lined with concentration, she traced her index finger down the thinnest, darkest line. “I predict a significant change in your life this year, and afterward you’ll be not just comfortable but well-off.”

  “Well, that settles it. I’m moving to Las Vegas!” Chuckling heartily, he leaned forward until their heads were touching. “What else do you see in there?”

  “Success, a long life and all that good stuff.” Sage giggled when he scooped her up in his arms and spun her around the room. “Marshall, you’re going to rip my dress—and it’s a Prada design!”

  “Do you know what I see?” he asked, lowering her to the ground. “A life filled with lots and lots of passion.”

  Her eyes were full of love. “I love you, Marshall, and there’s nowhere I’d rather be and no one I’d rather be with than you.”

  He tilted his head to the left and covered her with his mouth. Her lips parted, welcoming him and fueling her desire for more. A tantalizing mixture of kissing, licking and touching drove her over the edge. Pleasure flowed through her and she felt herself unraveling. The feel of his hot, wet mouth on her lips was too much for her to stand. Infused with lust, she clung to him, deepening the kiss. Sage had a hand inside Marshall’s shirt when she heard someone clear their throat.

  They reluctantly broke off the kiss and burst out laughing when they saw Khari. He had his hands over his eyes and was standing in the doorway, his wooden crutches propped against the wall. “Are you guys decent?” he asked, laughing. “I don’t want to repeat what happened at the hotel!”

  “Get in here, boy!” Sage waved him inside. It felt good seeing Khari smile again. He still had bruises on his hands and face, but he looked cuter than ever. With the aid of his crutches, he hopped slowly into the room and plunked down on the edge of the bed. “Let’s blow this joint. I’m going to throw myself out of the window if I have to stay cooped up in here another second!”

  “Khari, you’re on the first floor,” Marshall pointed out. “You’re going to land in the bushes and tick off the groundskeepers. And you don’t want to mess with anybody sentenced to do community service!”

  The trio laughed.

  “I brought you a cheese bagel from the cafeteria,” Marshall said, motioning to the brown paper bag on the wooden tray. “An
d there’s a chocolate bar in there too.”

  “No, I want to go to IHOP restaurant.” Rubbing a hand over his stomach, he closed his eyes and licked his lips like he was eating an imaginary stack of buttermilk pancakes. “I need real food and I need it now. I’ll die if I don’t eat soon.”

  “Oh, brother.” Sage stood and picked up Khari’s duffel bag at the foot of the bed. “You’re going to do well in this town. You’ve caught the acting bug already!”

  As they strolled down the hall toward the elevators, Sage spotted the nurse she’d tangled with earlier. To gain access to Khari’s room, she’d concocted an elaborate but convincing story. She was Marshall Grant’s long-lost sister who’d returned just yesterday from a six-month missionary trip to Kenya.

  Eyes tapered, gaze piercing, the silver-haired black lady stood behind the desk, watching them, every vein in her forehead popping.

  “I have to stop at the nurses’ station to let them know we’re leaving,” Marshall explained, steering her to the right. “It won’t take five minutes.”

  Sage tightened her grip around his waist. “About that honesty thing,” she began, biting the inside of her cheek. “The head supervisor wouldn’t let me into Khari’s room, so I sort of told her you and I were…um, brother and sister.”

  Marshall exploded into laughter. Noticing the elderly woman eyeballing them, he stopped abruptly and yanked her hard to his chest. “All right, ‘Sis.’ Let’s really give her something to talk about!” Curling his arms around her waist, he lowered his mouth and kissed her. And for the second time that day, Sage thought she’d die of pleasure.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-3806-4

  GAMES OF THE HEART

  Copyright © 2009 by Pamela Sadadi

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