A Merry Little Christmas(22)

"Excuse my manners-I just don't like the idea of you getting set on by my beasts," he said

Angelique smiled to herself at his thoughtfulness. In a few minutes they  were greeted by the happy, dancing dogs who were thrilled with her  unexpected visit. Donnie calmed them down after she petted and praised  them.

"Go lay down. Go," he said sternly and they went to their big pillows in  his laundry room, albeit with great reluctance. Then Donnie turned to  Angelique and asked if she'd like to see his house.

"Yes, I would," she said thoughtfully. "I've never seen your house, Adonis."

He looked surprised for a moment and then thought about it. "I guess you  haven't. I've never invited you over here before, I wonder why?" he  mumbled more to himself than to Angelique. "Okay, Angel, you're now  going to get the grand tour. Come with me."

He took her hand and led her through the kitchen, the dining room, the  living room and the three bedrooms. One of the bedrooms was completely  unfurnished, one was set up like an office and one was apparently  Donnie's bedroom, judging from the mammoth unmade bed. Like her very  tall brothers, Cochran men had a need for a huge bed. There was a  bathroom with a big claw-foot tub, and a powder room he deemed unworthy  of a visit. They talked about the house as they toured it. It was a  typical Arts and Crafts-styled bungalow typical of Detroit in the 1930s.  There were hardwood floors throughout and big fireplaces in the master  bedroom and the living room. It was nicely furnished in a masculine  manner, but it lacked a real personality, although Angelique prudently  kept this thought to herself. They ended up in the basement game room,  with Angelique walking around and admiring the arcade games. Donnie,  meanwhile, was admiring her. She walked over to the bar and sat on one  of the tall stools. Playfully, she patted her hand on the counter and  called, "Bartender!"                       
       
           



       

Donnie walked slowly across the room and stood behind her stool, leaning  in so that he pressed against her back. Their eyes met in the big  mirror behind the bar. "Are you thirsty? I can fix you something to  drink, if you like," he said in a husky voice. Still staring into his  reflected eyes, she shook her head no. Donnie pressed even closer and  wrapped one arm around her. "Are you sure you don't want anything?" he  asked, his warm breath bathing her cheek.

She whispered, "No, I don't want anything," and Donnie nodded absently,  removing her red hat and stroking her silky hair while he kept his other  arm locked around her. "Well, I want something, Angel. Something only  you can give me," he whispered.

Instead of tensing up, Angelique felt her body melt against Donnie's and  she leaned back into him. "What do you want?" she whispered.

He let her go long enough to turn her around on the bar stool and pull  her into his embrace. "I want this," he murmured as he brought his mouth  down on hers. He kissed her softly at first. Once, twice, three times  their lips touched each other, and then his tongue traced the same path  hers had followed earlier. He painted her lips with the moisture from  his mouth, softly and thoroughly learning the curves of her soft lips.  Then they began kissing in earnest, harder and wilder as they reveled in  die taste of each other, the feel of each other. Kissing her mouth  wasn't enough; Donnie pulled her from the stool and held her as close to  him as their coats would allow. He kissed her temple, her cheek, her  neck, and moaned as her warm scent drove him crazy. Kissing his way back  up to her lips, he parted them slightly with his hot tongue and  initiated the intimate contact again, the sweet, tender explosion  satisfying him like nothing else ever had. They might have gone on  kissing for hours, if it hadn't been for the insistent noise of a cell  phone. Angelique finally recognized the persistent buzzing as her own  phone, which she snatched out of her pocket with a look of extreme  irritation. "What is it?" she snapped into the little phone.

Paris answered with her usual good humor. "Just letting you know the  coast is clear and it looks like the mission was accomplished. I think  we have some lovebirds over here," she said cheerfully. After a  monosyllabic grunt from Angelique, Paris's nimble mind put two and two  together. "Ah-ha! You two been gettin' busy, haven't you? And it was  good, too! Ooh, wait till I get you home!"

All Angelique could do was stare wordlessly into Donnie's sexy eyes. Now  what have I gotten myself into? And do I even want to get out? Before  she could answer her own question, Donnie pulled her back into his arms  and his lips put an end to any more thoughts.





Chapter Nine

Days after the Super Bowl party, the attendees were still talking about  what a good time it was. The food, the company, and the general  atmosphere of fun made it a day to remember. The guest list was varied  and included some of Paris's coworkers at Cochran Communications, a few  neighbors and those members of the Cochran family who could make it.  Renee and Andrew were in Renee's hometown of Cleveland that weekend for  her parents' anniversary and couldn't attend; Alan and Andre Cochran had  already made plans with their fraternity brothers for Super Bowl Sunday  and were also absent. But Adam was there with Alicia, as was the  patriarch of the family, Big Benny Cochran, along with his bride,  Martha. And of course, A.J. attended with one of his female friends.

The evening was a complete success in all ways, especially the  matchmaking part. Warren and Lisette appeared well on their way to  bliss, something Paris continued to talk about to Angelique's chagrin.  "Chagrin" because Paris would start talking about the couple who  belonged together, Warren and Lisette, and end up interrogating  Angelique about Donnie. No matter how many times Angelique changed the  subject, issued outright denials or threatened Paris's life, the end  result was the same. She was being treated to it again this very morning  while Paris was having a late cup of coffee in Angelique's studio on  the first floor of the Cochran building. Paris had come back to the  building from a business meeting and dropped in to see her cousin before  heading upstairs. And, once again, the normal conversation led right  into what Angelique thought of as Paris's Fantasy Land.

"Angel, I don't know how you do it, but this is the greatest coffee in  the world. You make the best coffee I've ever tasted," Paris said  appreciatively. She watched Angelique at work and they talked about this  and that, until-like the homing pigeon she was beginning to  emulate-Paris went right back to the topic Angelique wanted to avoid  more than anything.                       
       
           



       

"So, Angel, when are you going to admit that something happened between  you and Donnie? I could see the way you two were looking at each other  all afternoon; something happened and you and I both know it. Y'all came  back here looking like two sixteen-year-olds on your first date and you  were all moony-eyed the rest of the day. Lisette didn't notice because  she and Warren were doing the same thing, but I certainly saw it. Even  Willis asked me if you two were an item," she added slyly.

That gave Angelique pause and she narrowed her eyes at Paris. Willis  Gaffney was a friend and occasional date of Paris's, an advertising  account executive who did business with Cochran Communications. "I  certainly hope you told him there was nothing between us," she snapped.

"Actually, you'd better be glad he thinks there's something going on. He  was just about to make a move on you that night and Donnie put an  immediate stop to that." Paris chuckled. "All he did was look at him,  but I think it made poor Willis's heart stop. That's when he asked me if  you two were a couple."

Angelique dropped her head into her hands and gave a muffled shriek.  "What did you tell him? You didn't tell him we're dating, did you?"

Paris enjoyed her cousin's discomfort for a few seconds, and then showed  her mercy. "No, I didn't. All I said was, ‘What do you think?' and let  him draw his own conclusions. He's not going to say anything to anybody  about it because Donnie scared him half to death with one look. I was  pretty impressed, actually. Nobody's ever looked at anybody like that on  my behalf," she reflected. Arching a neatly shaped brow, she gave  Angelique a wicked grin and said, "Which brings me back to my original  question: what's going on with you and Donnie? You know how nosy I am;  put me out of my misery."

Lifting her head up, Angelique shot a mean look at Paris, which didn't  scare her one bit. "I'd like to put you out of your misery, all right.  Permanently. For the last time, there is nothing, I repeat, nothing,  going on between me and Adonis Bennett Cochran," she said with a  grimace.