She's the only gift he wants…

After accepting a promotion to VP of
marketing for a chain of upscale
boutique hotels, Sasha Monroe is
thrilled to return to Atlanta in time for the holidays. Her first Christmas
purchase, a venerable Victorian style
home, is the perfect project for her
cousin, famed interior designer
Megan Chase-Monroe. But when
Megan discovers structural issues
with the house, she refers a
contracting company. Sasha is
speechless when her old college
sweetheart, the devastatingly
handsome Devin Montgomery, walks
through her door.

Devin, now in charge of his family's
construction business, never wanted
to let Sasha go. And he hasn't stopped yearning for her in the five
years since. When he intercepts an
email detailing plans on the
remodeling of Sasha's new home, he
makes his own plan to reclaim her
heart. All Devin ever wanted was for
Sasha to pursue her dreams, but this
time around he'll have to convince
the sensual beauty that he can build a future for them that will last forever.

Chapter One

"I'm ecstatic you're going to decorate
my new home," Sasha Monroe said to her cousin-in-law Megan Chase-
Monroe as the ladies stood on the
wraparound porch of Sasha's newly
purchased Victorian-style house.
"Me too." Megan answered, running
her leather-gloved hand down one of
the columns of the porch before the
ladies trekked inside to escape the
cold Atlanta air. "With Christmas
approaching in a few weeks, I have a
little room in my schedule to squeeze
you in. Besides, you're my husband's
baby cousin."
They skirted in between the maze of
boxes in the foyer and the family
room as they made their way into the
kitchen. Sasha wanted the space
upgraded with top of the line
appliances, new cabinets and a huge
work island in the center.
Megan glanced at her watch. "I have
to leave in an hour, but Jonathan and
I work together all the time. Plus, I've
already sent him the plans and the
structural issues."
"And you're positive the construction
company can have the renovations
done by the new year?"
"Of course, maybe even Christmas
Eve," Megan nodded with a
reassuring smile. "Supreme
Construction is the best in the south-
eastern states. You'll have no
worries."
Sasha exhaled, rummaging through a
box on the kitchen counter that she
couldn't wait to have ripped out and
replaced with black granite along with the hideous flowered wallpaper.
"Perfect. Would you like some apple
cider to warm you up?"
"Sounds delish," Megan said, sliding
into one of the chairs at the outdoor
bistro table that Sasha had
temporarily placed in the breakfast
area. "So how does it feel to be back
in Georgia after living in sunny Florida for five years?"
Sasha laughed, filling the tea kettle
with water. "Cold, but I kinda missed
being here. I enjoyed the city when I
attended Clark. Plus, Atlanta has
always been my second home since
majority of the Monroes live here—
except for my parents who have
chosen to stay in Savannah."
"I'm sure they're glad that you're now only a few hours away."
"Yeah, Tampa definitely isn't a four
hour drive…" she paused as the
doorbell chimed. "Must be the
contractor."
Megan stood. "I'll be right back."
The tea kettle whistled, and Sasha
poured the hot water over the cider
mix into the two mugs on the
counter. She heard Megan speak in a
pleasantly surprised tone and then a
man's voice. A deep baritone voice
that washed a load of fear through
Sasha's veins. She latched onto the
counter for support as her breathing
stifled while she continued to listen.
It couldn't possibly be him, she
thought. Just because the contractor
sounded like her ex's didn't mean it
was. A lot of men spoke alike such as
her cousins Steven and Bryce. She
shook her head. No, the contractor
wasn't her ex. He worked for his
father's company, Montgomery
Construction. She hadn't kept up with him after their break up five years ago, but she knew he would never leave the family business. With that affirmation, Sasha exhaled and
sipped on her apple cider, listening to their footsteps as he and Megan
walked toward the kitchen. It may not have been him, but the contractor's sexy tone was heating her up more than the beverage. She smoothed her pixie-cut hair style and hoped his looks matched his suave voice.

But as they entered the kitchen, the
fear Sasha had rushed back at an
accelerated rate when her gaze met
the light brown eyes of her ex, Devin
Montgomery.

Suppressed emotions rose to the
surface of her skin causing
goose bumps to prickle over her body and the once simple chore of
breathing became restricted in her
throat. Sasha's heart hammered
against her chest as she tried to
remain composed, leaning against
the counter. However, there was no
use as her eyes travelled over him,
soaking in every familiar feature of
his deliciously handsome face.

Her eyes wandered to his lips, those
luscious damn lips that use to drive
her crazy with passion as he would
kiss and tantalize every inch of her
body. She had the urge to run her
hand down his smooth, milk
chocolate face and trace his
mustache with her finger, then follow up with a satisfying deep kiss.
Devin raised an eyebrow along with
the devilish grin Sasha knew all too
well as if he sensed her thought
process. His stare raked over her
body as a cold shiver coursed
through her. Now she was kicking
herself for throwing on a pair of
jeans, a sweater and fuzzy pink
slippers. It wasn't at all the if-I-ever-
see-my-ex-again outfit, which was the form-fitting but tastefully sexy, red dress with stilettos and a thong so he would wonder whether or not I'm wearing panties.

Sasha's thoughts were cut short
when she realized Megan was making introductions.
"Devin, this is my cousin Sasha
Monroe and Sasha, this is Devin
Montgomery. He's the owner of
Supreme Construction…who I didn't
realize was coming today," Megan
said slightly puzzled. "I know Sasha
very well," Devin stated, resting his
seductive glare on her. "And
Jonathan wasn't able to make it."
The way Devin said it, along with the
curl of his sly smile, made her realize
he had something to do with
Jonathan missing the appointment.
Sasha cleared her throat and prayed
that when she opened her mouth,
she didn't stammer or raise her voice
in a squeaky octave, which usually
happened when she was nervous.
She had to stay calm and composed.
Devin couldn't know that she was
flustered by his presence.
"Yes, we dated eons ago."
"Oh…" Megan looked back and forth
between them in disbelief. "Okay, this is awkward. I had no idea you two even knew each other, let alone
dated."
"No problem. Like Sassy said, it was
eons ago," Devin replied, using the
nickname he gave her when they first
met in the Clark Atlanta University
student union. She was a junior while
he'd just begun his master's degree
in business. According to him, she'd
sassed him about a library book she'd had on reserve that he checked out and hadn't returned. That night, he showed up at her dorm with the book and asked her on a date. They'd been inseparable then, for the next two and a half years.
"Yep. We were in college. Nothing
serious." She shrugged nonchalantly
while watching the smirk on his face
slowly disappear and his jaw tighten.
Their relationship was serious at least to Sasha, until he broke up with her the day after graduation.
Megan grabbed her iPad. "Let's get
started." She turned toward Devin. "I
marked the places where I saw some
issues I need you to address before
knocking down walls and ripping out
flooring."
"I perused over the information you
sent Jonathan. I'm concerned about
the plumbing in the master bath and
your design plans."
He removed his gray peacoat to
reveal a purple golf shirt exposing his
muscular arms that were even more
pronounced than they were five years ago. He'd always been in shape Äη∂ very athletic, but now he was more fine and debonair than she
remembered.

She honestly didn't know how she
was going to push through the next
few hours let alone the upcoming
weeks. However, since Devin was the
owner, she figured he probably
wouldn't have time to be there the
entire length of the project. It was
bad enough his scent was downright
intoxicating. Now his tantalizing
fragrance would linger in her house
once he left, and he would linger in
her thoughts keeping her awake at
night all while reminiscing about the
years they shared.
Sasha followed while Megan showed
Devin her vision and what she needed his crew to do to make it happen. For the next hour, he was very serious and focused. For a moment, Sasha felt at ease. Maybe she was overreacting.
"Well, I hate to run, but I have
another appointment," Megan
announced uneasily, glancing at
Sasha, whose heart had stopped
beating. "The only other area that
needs addressing is the sun porch
and the adjoining deck. Trust me
Devin you'll notice the issue as soon
as you see it."
He nodded. "No problem and stop
looking paranoid, Megan. Sasha and I can handle being alone. It's not like
I'm going to take her in my arms and
kiss her senseless when you leave."
Turning toward Sasha, he raked
intense eyes over her and then
winked.

Chapter Two

"You kiss me," Sasha started through
clenched teeth while pointing her
finger on Devin's hard chest, "and
you'll never kiss anyone ever again."
Megan had left moments before and
Sasha was hoping he would be next
as they stood face to face in the
foyer.

An amused smile inched up the left
side of his face showcasing a set of
perfect white teeth. "That's the whole idea isn't it?"
She screamed in her head when she
realized what she had said. "That's
not what I meant."
"Relax. I know how to be professional even though with all the mistletoe you have hanging over the doorways, I'm beginning to think it's an invitation." He stepped into her
personal space and lowered his lips a
mere inch from hers. "So don't get
caught under the mistletoe,
beautiful."
Sasha backed away before she gave
into what her heart wanted her to do.

His manly body so close to hers was
pure torture and his scent was
driving her mad. Sure, he'd been
irresistible in college, but now a
different air of confidence and power exuded from Devin and she couldn't handle being near him for much longer.
"You know what? This isn't going to
work. I'm sure Supreme Construction is one of the best, but I'll have to find someone else that I feel comfortable with. Trust me, you're the last person I want to see every day when I come home from work."
Devin threw his head back in a loud
roar of laughter.

"I own and run the company. I don't
have time to be here every day.
Jonathan Dexter will be your main go-to-guy. He'll be here early Monday
morning with a few other men to
start ripping and tearing things out."
"Oh yes, Jonathan who all of a
sudden couldn't make it today," she
said sarcastically.

He chuckled softly. "Okay, I did tell
him I would do the walk-through but
only because I wanted to see you. I
haven't seen or spoken to you in over
five years. I had sorta hoped you
would've been at Megan and Steven's wedding on New Year's Eve." "I was in New York doing some work for Pinnacle."
His eyes lit up with a twinkle. "I wasn't aware you still worked for that hotel chain. In fact, I didn't know you were back in Atlanta until I saw your ᶰ̲ᵃ̲ᵐ̲ᵉ̲ on an email this morning that was
BCC'd to me from Megan about her
concerns."
"Pinnacle moved their home office
here, and I was promoted to Vice
President of Marketing for the South-
Atlantic region a few months ago."
"Congrats on your promotion," he
said with a sincere smile. "Very well
deserved. I know you wanted to
advance within the company."
"Thank you. So why aren't you
working with your dad and brothers
in the family business?"
"I am," Devin answered matter-of-
factly. "Supreme is under the
umbrella of Montgomery
Construction. My division handles
residential renovations as well as
building houses from the ground up." "That's awesome." Her mind
rewound to the time when he
showed her the plans of the dream
home he'd promised to build for her.

They were silent for a moment as
they stared at each other. Sasha
began to feel at ease. It was natural
for her to be comfortable around
him. He'd been her first real
boyfriend, and her first lover. She'd
thought they were soulmates and
their connection could never be
broken. She was devastated when
he'd suggested they go their separate ways with no explanation and out of the blue.
"You weren't going to call?" he asked.
His question caught her off guard.
"Why?"
"To tell me you're back in Atlanta."
"Why would you care?"
"At one point in our lives we meant
the world to each other and even
though we aren't together, you're still very special to me. I've thought about you quite often during these past years, Sassy."
She cringed as the uneasiness crept
back "Please stop calling me that."
"Oh…is someone else calling you
Sassy?" he asked seriously as his
Adam's apple bounced.
"You know what? I'd still prefer
another construction company. Since I haven't signed anything with
Supreme, you can leave now."
"You're right. You didn't sign anything with my company, but you did with Chase and Whitmore Designs and my contract is with them."
"I don't believe this. Of all the
constructions companies in Atlanta
and I get stuck with yours," she said
in a curt tone, storming down the
hallway toward the back of the
house. Flinging the door open, Sasha
stepped over the threshold. At that
moment, she remembered the loose
floorboard and tripped over it. As she prepared herself to hit the floor,
strong hands pulled her up and
turned her into a warm embrace she
couldn't tangle out of. An embrace
she didn't want to tangle out of.
Being nestled with him had always
been her favorite place on earth.
*

Devin stared down at the beautiful
woman in his arms as her breasts
heaved up and down against him.
Holding her had always been one of
his favorite things. Sasha was the
perfect height for his six foot one,
medium built physique because at
five foot five, she fit into the puzzle
piece of his body, especially when
they made love. She was more
voluptuous now with curvier hips and a plump butt that made him want to pop it every time he was able to catch a glance.

He'd missed looking at her soft
bronzed face with her innocent doe-
shaped eyes that always lit up
whenever he entered the room. He'd
noticed a sparkle briefly as they saw
each other for the first time, but then
her stare turned cold as if she were
remembering he was the reason
she'd once had a broken heart.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly.
"I'm fine." She squirmed and pursed
her lips together with a huff. "Let me
go."
"I can't even get a hug?"
"You've held me longer than you
deserve." She pushed against his
chest, but he didn't budge.

Devin glanced up and spotted the
mistletoe above the doorway. A lazy
smile danced across his face. Sasha's
eyes widened as he lowered his head
and closed his mouth over hers. He
kissed her tenderly, only teasing her
succulent lips. Goodness he'd missed
them and all of the erotic, scandalous things she could do with her tongue.
When they'd started dating, she was
inexperienced in the sex department.

But he was patient with her and
waited six months until she was
ready to go all the way. Devin had
made her all his-programming her
body to only respond to his touches
and commands. The thought of
someone else reaping the benefits of
everything he'd taught her sent his
pulse racing. He then deepened his
kiss to erase her memories of anyone else.

Sasha lips quivered against his as he
sank further into her mouth and
senses. One of his hands travelled to
her butt as their tongues intertwined
in an ablaze inferno. She whispered
his name on his lips before reaching
her hands up to his head and
intensely sliding them down his face.
A frustrated moan escaped her
throat, and she forcefully pushed him off her. That's when he noticed a tear streaming down her cheek. Running her hands though her hair, she stormed to the middle of the room.

The expression on her face was the
same hurt and devastation from the
last time he saw her. It had haunted
his days and nights over the years.
"You waltz back into my life and I'm
supposed to be ecstatic to see you?"
She shook her head. "It doesn't work
like that. Please leave!"

dude, update

007Bruce:
dude, update

Ơ̴̴̴͡k Sir, tonight

Chapter Three

"Sasha…" Devin began in a
comforting tone, treading toward
her. But she held out her hand as if to stop him.
"Just leave. I'd still prefer another
contractor."
He sighed. He hated the fact that she
was practically in tears. He wanted to
talk to her about his decision to let
her go but now wasn't the time. She
was still in shock over seeing him
unexpectedly. It was wise to let her
calm down and give her the space he
knew she needed.
"I know you don't want to be around
me. However, my company is the best choice. Megan wouldn't use us
exclusively, otherwise. She's picky
about the people that she works with
especially now that she's married to
your cousin— the United States
senator. She trusts Jonathan and his
crew. I'm sure you've seen her show,
The Best Decorated Homes. If you've
noticed, I've never been on it nor has
my name ever been mentioned— just Supreme Construction. I rarely go to the work sites. I have over two
hundred projects in progress right
now. You aren't going to see me
unless it's very important. Jonathan
and Megan know what they're doing."
She washed her palms over her face
and shook her head. "I don't trust
you, but I trust Megan so…I'm going
to let Supreme do the renovations."
"Thank you." He glanced around the
sun porch that needed to be torn
down. He strode across the room to
peer out the window and realized the
deck needed to go as well. "I'm going
to leave, but I'll share my assessment
with Jonathan."
She nodded, avoiding direct eye
contact. "Okay," she said, walking
inside but not before ripping the
mistletoe down and tossing it on the
sun porch.

Devin followed, watching her jean-
clad hips and butt sway in a sensual
rhythm that was making it hard for
him not to pull her close to him once
more. She'd always had a confident
and sexy strut, and even in fuzzy
slippers, it exuded through. The
warmth of her lips was still on his Äη∂ her exotic fragrance was imbedded iϞ his skin. He'd missed her like crazy and sometimes regretted his decision to let her go. However, he was proud of her accomplishments with Pinnacle Boutique Hotels. Being born
into the prominent Monroe family
had its pros and cons. Sasha had
always wanted to make her own way
to success and not receive perks and
benefits of her family who were
compared to the Kennedys. But now
she was back in Atlanta and back in
his life. This time letting her go wasn't an option.

*
After work on Wednesday evening,
Sasha arrived home to see the crew's
trucks parked outside as well as an
unfamiliar Lexus SUV. Her fear for
the past two days had been to see
Devin's Mercedes in her driveway, but so far he'd kept his promise to stay away. Even though that Monday, two dozen calla lilies were waiting at her office from him with a card
congratulating her on her promotion.

She was pleased with the progress
thus far and the project was on
schedule. Today, the crew was to
remove everything from the kitchen.
Apparently they were successful
because the two huge trash bins
parked in her driveway were full of
cabinets and tile.

She entered the house from the side
door that led to the library. It was ᵗᴴᵋ only room that didn't need any
renovations thanks to the previous
owners. Luckily, it had a full bath
along with a small closet for some of
her clothes and one of the sofas was
a sleeper. Anything else she needed
were in storage crates along the wall
including the decorations for her
Christmas tree she'd brought home
yesterday. Christmas was her favorite holiday, and she still wanted to decorate as much as possible hence the mistletoe that she'd taken down just in case Devin ever returned. Not that it would stop him. He'd always been determined. If he wanted to kiss her again, he would.
She turned the key to the gas
fireplace and crashed on the couch,
staring straight ahead at the blaze.
Once alone with her thoughts, her
brain trekked to Devin's kiss. She
couldn't believe she responded and
didn't slap him clear across his
dangerously handsome face.
However, her lips had possessed a
mind of their own as Devin took siege over them. Not that she was
surprised. He always had a way of
being in control of their trysts.

He'd awakened a desire in her that
had been buried for years. She'd had
a few relationships but none of them
compared to the love and passion
she'd felt for him. She'd only had one
lover since Devin and being with the
rebound guy was horrible. He didn't
ignite the same fire within her and
having sex with him was just sex. No
passion. No emotion. No orgasm.
With Devin, they always made love
and each time was better than the
time before.

Sasha closed her eyes and leaned her
head back on the cushion as she
thought about the times of being
intertwined in his arms as the heat of
his skin warmed hers. His deep voice
whispering naughty words in her ear,
and breathing out her name as he
climaxed. A tingle coursed between
her thighs, and she giggled not
believing her mind was taking her
there. She breathed in deeply and let
out a soft moan as his familiar
fragrance engulfed her nostrils. She
couldn't believe daydreaming about
him could provoke his scent.
"Reminiscing about me?" a dark,
seductive voice asked.
Sasha's eyes flew open, landing on
Devin and all his magnificent fineness in a dark blue suit and wearing a sinister smile. His commanding presence overpowered the library as he stared down at her. He licked his bottom lip and took a step forward.
"What are you doing here?" She was
shocked the words flowed out. It
took everything she had not to pull
him on top of her so he could
extinguish the jolts of electricity that
pulsed through her.
"Well…at first I was coming to show
you something in the kitchen but
now…I'd rather continue watching
you moan and smile. It's the same
relaxed expression you used to wear
after the first of many orgasms."
She bounced up from the couch and
faced him. "I wasn't thinking about
you."
"Sasha, I know you very well. Your
round eyes grow wide as saucers
when you're flustered." He closed ᵗᴴᵋ gap between them and lifted her chin, wearing a haughty smirk as his
steady, wicked gaze met hers. "…or
lying."
Air caught in her throat at his
overwhelming closeness, but she
refused to break. She couldn't let on
to how she felt like silly putty in his
hands and that she was under his
mesmerizing spell.
"You don't know me anymore," she
said, while trying to stifle her body
from trembling.
"Really? I know your lips quiver when
you're nervous…like right now. I
know you get so busy with your life
that you forget to eat. I know you
love dogs, hate cats and have an
infatuation with turtles for some odd
reason. And I know that spot on the
side of your neck, just below your
right ear that drives you completely
insane."
She groaned, crossing her arms over
her chest. "Why are you here and
what do you want?"
"You. I want you, Sasha."

Chapter Five

"What did you say?" Sasha
demanded, stepping out of his
personal space.
"You heard me. I want you, and I
intend to get you back."
She laughed sarcastically. "That's the
funniest thing I've heard all day. If I
remember correctly you broke up
with me."
"And that was the biggest mistake of
my life."
"Humph. Mine was wasting almost
three years of my …" she trailed off
as she noticed Jonathan standing in
between the French doors with an
uncomfortable expression. She had
no idea how long he'd been there.
Devin turned around unaware of his
employee's presence.
"What's up, Jon?" he asked, slightly
irritated.
"I just wanted to show Sasha our
discovery before I left."
"Nah…I got it. Feel free to go home to your family.
Oh, great. Now I'll be alone with
Devin.
"Alright. See you in the morning, Ms.
Sasha," Jonathan said nodding in her
direction.
"Good night, Jonathan." She turned
her attention back to Devin once she
heard her front door open and close.
"Aren't you leaving, too?"
"No. I need to show you something iϞ the kitchen."
"Let's get this over with," she
mumbled, walking out of the library
with Devin close on her heel. When
they arrived, she stood in the middle
of the kitchen and glanced around
the bare room. "So?"
"The flooring. When the linoleum was pulled up it exposed the original
hardwood to the house just like the
other rooms. I know you're having it
all re-stained like the floor in the
library and the hallways. We weren't
sure if you wanted to keep it or go
with the original plan of the ceramic
tile."
"Hmmm…well what would you
suggest?"
"Honestly, I wouldn't advise using
real hardwood such as this in a
kitchen because it could become
water damaged. Probably why they
used linoleum tiles."
"Okay. I guess it goes." She glanced
around the empty space. "I wish I
had a keeping room in the kitchen but the breakfast nook is too small Fo̶̷̩̥̊͡Я anything else but a table and chairs."
"Hold on for a second." Devin left the
room momentarily and returned with his iPad. He opened it to the floor plans of her home. "If we knock this wall down where the spare bedroom is, it will open up more space. Luckily, it's not a load-bearing wall. Seems as if it was added on after the house was built. Do you need this room?"
"Honestly, I don't.Will this add on
more work for the fellas?"
"I can do it now. Shouldn't take long."
"I thought you owned the company,"
she teased.
"You forget I started working for my
dad in elementary school. I've built
plenty of houses and knocked down
walls."
"You're in a suit."
He snickered, unloosening his tie. "I
can take it off," he said with a wink.
She gulped and stepped back as the
idea of him stripping naked in front of her triggered another warm
sensation. It took everything she had
not to unbutton his shirt as he
handed her his tie and jacket.
"How long will it take?"
"An hour or so but stay out of the
way," Devin demanded, rolling up his
sleeves. He grabbed safety goggles,
work gloves and a hard hat from the
work table in the corner. "Go back to
the library."

"Excuse me? My house."

"My rules."
Sasha couldn't help but laugh. No
matter how angry she was at him, he
always found some way to ease the
tension and make her smile.
"I have a tree to finish decorating and
dinner to order since I'm kitchenless
for the next few weeks." She paused,
tilting her head to the side. "Um…
there's this Italian restaurant around
the corner that delivers. They have
really great food…I'm sure you'll be
famished after knocking down the
wall."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you
inviting me to dinner?"
"Yes, as a thank you. I've always
wanted a keeping room."
"I know," he answered tenderly.
Heat rushed into her cheeks as she
stifled an exhale and a knowing gleam passed between them. The fact †ЂA̶̲̥̅† he remembered spoke volumes. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she'd missed him. Maybe he was serious about wanting her back, but it wasn't going to happen overnight.

Now that he was back in her life, the
idea of him not being in it wrecked
her heart again.
"I'll let you get to work." She dashed
from the kitchen. Her emotions were
rising, and she had to restrain herself
from zooming across the room to
continue their kiss from a few days
ago.

Once back in the library, she called
the restaurant and ordered chicken
Alfredo with broccoli and lasagna
along with a salad. It was enough for
both of them to share even though
he'd probably eat most of the lasagna since it was one of his favorite dishes.

Once the food arrived, she peeked
around to the kitchen to see him
stacking pieces of sheet rock in a
corner. He'd taken off his dress shirt
and was wearing a ribbed T-shirt with his dress slacks that were now
covered in white dust. His milk
chocolate muscles flexed as he picked up the wall pieces. Her heart fluttered uncontrollably as her mind traveled to the times when he would lift her up to kiss or make love to her as she grasped his strong biceps.

Devin stopped in his tracks but didn't
turn around.
"Sasha?"
She remained silent for a couple of
seconds. "How did you know I was
here?"
"I can smell your perfume." He
turned around and picked up the
sledge hammer from the floor. "Go
back to the library. I'll be there soon."
Twenty minutes later, Devin entered
the library wearing his dress shirt
once again. She had sort of hoped he
would've left it off. He cracked a
mischievous smile as his gaze went to her seated on a blanket in front of ᵗᴴᵋ fireplace with their food spread out as the Vince Guaraldi Trio played
Christmas songs in the background.
"So we're having a romantic dinner?"
he asked, settling in the spot reserved for him.
"No," she said with a teasing grin.
"You're dusty."
"I cleaned up a bit in the hall
bathroom. I see you remembered I
love lasagna."
They ate while catching up but stayed
on safe topics such as family and
mutual friends. Talking about their
past relationship wasn't a
conversation Sasha wanted to have
as of yet. Even though she knew it
was coming just by the way he was
gazing at her and wearing a yummy
smile that she wanted to lean over
and kiss. While he helped himself to
seconds, Sasha retreated to finish
decorating the tree. Being so close to
him on the blanket in front of the
fireplace while listening to Christmas
jazz was indeed romantic and that
wasn't her intent.
"Need some help?" he offered.
"No. Relax." She reached into a
storage box and unwrapped an
ornament while keeping her eyes on
him. "You just knocked down a wall."
He leaned his head to the side as a
thoughtful expression reached his
face. "You still have it," he stated
softly.
"What…" she stopped and looked at
her hand. A small gasp arose from
her throat as she saw the Ferris
wheel ornament. He'd given it to her
on their first Christmas together. For
their second date, he'd taken her to a
traveling carnival, and they'd shared
their first kiss on top of the Ferris
wheel.

Her hand began to tremble as her
eyes welled with tears. "I…I've always cherished it. It's very special to me."
She placed the ornament on one of
the branches."You were special to
me…"
Devin sprung up and jetted toward
her. He drew her into his arms and
lowered his lips to hers.
"Not a day goes by that I haven't
thought of you, Sassy."
"Kiss me," she whispered.
"I intend to do more than that."

Chapter Six
Sasha stared up at the only man
she'd ever loved. A devastating cold
shiver soared through her while she
replayed his words in her head. She
couldn't believe he broke up with her
just so she could take a job in
another state. It didn't make sense.
And while she did work hard to
achieve all of her goals, her main goal
at that time was not a job at Pinnacle.

It was being with him. Being his wife
and building a family with him. That's
all they'd discussed their last
semester of college. He'd hinted at
rings, honeymoon trips and had given her plans to the beautiful dream home that she'd described to him.

He'd promised to have it finished by
their wedding day.

"I don't believe you."

"What?" he asked somewhat stunned.

"I don't believe a word you're saying.
You're lying to me."

"Sasha…I…"

"If you didn't want to be with me
anymore than just say that. Don't use my job and sacrificing for me because you loved me as an excuse. If you supposedly loved me we could've figured something out. We'd made plans, Devin. In fact, I honestly
thought you were going to ask me to
marry you at our graduation party
not dump me the next day."
"I was going to ask you to marry me
that night. But after thinking it over
for the week leading up to graduation and then speaking with our friends, ℓ̊ knew you really wanted that position.

You were so sad about having to turn
it down. I just wanted you to be
happy."

"I was happy with you!" she
screamed at the top of her lungs. "I
was in it for the long haul, no matter
what!"
He stepped toward her and reached
out his hand to her cheek but she
moved back.
"Don't touch me. In fact…" she
halted, scooping his jacket and tie
from the chair, "I need you to leave."
She shoved his clothes into his hands.
"Just listen to me for a second."
"Why are you still here?" She walked
out of the library toward the foyer
and could feel Devin following behind on her heel. She opened one of the double doors of the front door as the cool night air blew in. "Hurry up.

You're letting my heat out."
With little effort, he yanked her
toward him as a feeble, surprised cry
escaped her. As she was about to
protest, he possessed her lips, kissing them hard and fervently. Devin showed no mercy as he pushed her against the door, their bodies closing it in the process. Letting him sink in further, she yearned to be released from the pent-up cravings she'd held for him. Sasha was livid at herself for allowing him to kiss her in such a manner. I'm still angry with him, she protested silently. But of course, †ЂA̶̲̥̅† just turned her on even more. As he
twirled his tongue into her mouth,
she met it in an erotic tango.

He lifted his lips from hers and stared down at her with dark eyes. "You will be mine again. Plain and simple." He released her, threw on his suit jacket, opened the door and left.

She retreated back to the comforts of the library and lay on the blanket †ЂA̶̲̥̅† was now engulfed with his
intoxicating scent. She sighed. No
matter how much he'd hurt her,
Sasha's heart still belonged to him,
and he was fully aware of that.

*
"This is such a nice Christmas party,"
Sydney Chase, Megan's identical twin
sister said, scanning the room with
tons of tables, an overflow of food
and bars in each corner of the
ballroom. "Thank you for inviting me,
Sas."
"You're welcome," Sasha responded,
impressed with the holiday ambience.
"Pinnacle always throws the best
parties."
It was a few days after her tryst with
Devin. However, she'd had the
misfortune of seeing him upon
arriving home from work every single
day that week. He'd flash a devious
grin or a knowing wink before
continuing his conversations about
the progress with the work crew.
They were ahead of schedule thanks
to him and for that she was
appreciative. She just wished she
knew what to do about her emotions
and feelings for him. It was easy for
her to fall in love with him again
because she had never truly stopped.

Instead, she'd buried it in her
memories and kept on with her life.
"Don't forget, Steven and I are having an intimate get-together for our one-year anniversary on New Year's Eve,"
Megan said, interrupting Sasha's
thoughts.
"I'll be there." Sasha sipped on her
rum eggnog and glimpsed around the room only to land on the piercing, light brown eyes of Devin.

He was charismatic and sharp in a black tuxedo with a red bow tie. His jaws clenched as his sexy stare bore into her causing a stimulating force to jolt through her body. She caught his eyes roaming over her from head to toe as if he hadn't eaten in days, Äη∂ she was going to be his first meal.

She gulped and turned away from
him but she could still sense his hot
gaze on her back. She smoothed her
red, fitted dress—the perfect outfit to wear when the ex is present. He'd
always been addicted to the curves of her hips and the long, strapless dress amplified every flawless aspect of her frame.
"I'm surprised to see Devin here,"
Sasha said casually, even though she
was delighted he was there. Due to
the party, she'd never made it home
from work and had missed seeing
him.

Megan nodded, taking a sip of her
drink. "When I remodeled the lobbies
of the Atlanta Pinnacles, Supreme
Construction was the company I
used."
"Of course…" Sasha downed her
drink, wishing it was something
stronger like a shot or two of tequila.
She glanced around the room and
spotted her cousin Bryce Monroe
talking to a group of people.
"Bryce is here," Megan said joyfully,
as her brother-in-law trekked in their
direction.

Sydney groaned. "Oh great. Mr.
Arrogant-ass has arrived."
"He's a really nice guy, Syd," Sasha
stated. "Don't believe all the rumors
about him being some spoiled, rich
brat."
"I'm going to go to the buffet table,"
Syd, said dashing away just as Bryce
approached.
He made small talk with them but
Sasha could barely concentrate
because she had no clue where Devin was. He was no longer in her view anymore, and she was terrified if she turned around, she'd find him glaring at her. However, when his stimulating
scent filled her nose, a tingle rushed
down to her thighs. Her breath
wedged into her throat, as a warm
hand rested on her shoulder. Slowly
pivoting, she faced him as a
scrumptious smile appeared across
his face. Seductive eyes ran over her
body as he took her hand and
without saying a word, led them out
into the atrium of the ballroom.
"You look radiant, Sassy. Red
definitely compliments your smooth,
bronze skin."
"Thank you. You look very handsome
as well."
"I missed seeing you today, but I
figured you'd be here preparing for
the party even though I did wait
around a bit."
"I was a given a complimentary suite
for the evening." As soon as she said
it, an amorous expression swept over his chiseled features.
Closing the gap between them, he
effortlessly pulled her by the waist to
him. "Oh really?" he whispered on her lips.

She cracked a wicked smile. "Yes. You
wanna see it?"

"Lead the way."

Chapter Seven

Sasha barely stepped into the suite
and closed the door before Devin's
mouth hastily imprisoned hers as his
hands squeezed around her, pulling
her hard against him. She gladly
received the joy of his hot tongue on
her lips as he delved in deeper. Wave
after wave of pure ecstasy soared
through her, arousing the passion
and love she'd always had for him.
Grasping his shoulders for support,
her body and soul sank into the kiss
while her heart pounded at an
abnormally high-speed.

He weaved his hand into her hair,
pushing her further into him as her
mouth eagerly accepted. With the
other hand, he yanked down the
zipper of her evening gown and let it
fall to her feet. Lifting his lips from
hers, he scanned his heated eyes
sensually over her body causing her
to tremble at the thought of what
was to come. She recognized his
intense stare and knew there
wouldn't be a lot of pre-intimacy this go
around. And she was ready. She'd
been deprived for far too long of this
man who could unravel her with just
a simple kiss or his seductive, dark
gaze.

Devin licked his tongue over bottom
his lip. "You're so damn sexy." He slid
a finger along her string thong and
trailed it down her leg. ""Driving me
crazy all night whether or not you
were wearing any panties."
Mission accomplished. She made a
note to pat herself on the back later.
"I'm not now, thanks to you."
Their lips met once again, escalating
to a height of force that she'd never
witnessed before, even with him.
She'd never longed and craved for
him as she did at that very moment.
Sasha had missed him more than she
deemed possible, and now she could
show him just how much.

He guided them further into the suite
as he began to hurriedly rip off his
bow tie and throw his tux jacket on
the floor, their lips still connected in a forbidden tongue dance. Sasha
fought hard to suppress the shudder
that tore through her, but it was no
use as a loud moan escaped between
their kiss. Devin's lips explored her
neck, circling around to her ear and
down to her collarbone. More sensual moans erupted from her as
she yearned for him to be naked with
her. She'd missed the touch of his
hands on her and the feel of his
warm body completely covering hers
like a blanket. Her hands hurriedly
unfastened the buttons of his shirt as they spun around and around finally making their way to the bed. Tearing off his shirt and tugging down his pants and boxers, she was pleased that he was finally naked. She then slammed them down to the bed as if they were wrestlers, and took a position on top of him.

He chuckled. "You sure are in a hurry Me too."
"I've missed you so much," she
whispered, stroking his face.
"I've missed you too," he answered iϞ a gruff, yet loving manner provoking heat to rush through her. "In fact, ℓ̊ plan to show you over and over…"
He possessed her lips in a powerful,
raging kiss claiming the breath from
her windpipes. Pressing herself
against his hard and comforting
chest, she felt the fervor of his
heartbeat, and returned the kiss with
an urgency that had been buried in
her heart for five years. His hands slid down her back and clasped her butt, flipping her onto the mattress.

Devin was keenly aware of the
pleasurable ways to caress and tease
ever millimeter of her skin while
eliciting sounds and words from her
she couldn't quite comprehend. Not
that she cared—-she was lost in a
tantalizing bliss whenever she was
with him. The only other man she'd
been intimate with didn't have a clue
on how to find her hot spots much
less kiss and touch her in a way that
was meaningful and special. Devin
had wired her body to only belong to
him.He'd succeeded for now she was
in complete sync with the passion he
bestowed upon her.

When they'd dated years ago, he
would always tell her she'd been the
only woman he'd ever made love to.
She believed him. And the way he
hungrily kissed her and held her
perfectly close to him now, she still
believed him. Except now he was all
man. A magnificent piece of milk
chocolate that had her salivating.
Sasha quivered with delight that her
abandoned body would be fulfilled
again by the one lover that made her
his years ago.

He jumped from the bed and dug
around in his pants on the floor until
she heard the rumbling of foil. He
rejoined her, sliding his body on her
and gently reuniting their lips in an
unhurried, sensual pace. Sasha's eyes fluttered shut as she was immersed in the desire of Devin's mouth. She'd often daydreamed of him over the years to become one with the only man she'd truly ever loved. Beautiful. Cherished. Alive. Those were some of the ways he'd made her feel. She was overwhelmed with the fact that she was finally living them again.

Wrapping her legs around his trim
waist, her hands cupped his clean-
shaven face and moved up to his
head as their slow kissing deepened
with every erotic moan from the both of them. He travelled his hand down to her waiting center that was ready with eagerness. He circled his
erection around her as she impatiently raised her hips up a
notch.
"I'm taking the hint," he responded,
gazing at her with adoring eyes and
sliding into her an inch at time as she
gulped and held unto his shoulders
tightly while he nestled inside of her.

*
Devin stoked in and out as Sasha's
muscles tightened around him with
every pull from her. The deeper he
explored, the firmer her walls
became as he fell into an abyss of
pleasure. Goodness he'd miss this
woman and every single little thing
about her. His sexual life over the
years had been pleasing, but those
women hadn't been the love of his
life. They hadn't made him feel at
peace as Sasha had. He loved the fact that all of her still belonged to him as he delved deeper into her body Äη∂ heart. He stared at her face evolving into an exquisite bliss, and her amorous, emotional cries spiraled throughout the suite.
Her hips rotated in the same rhythm
as his thrusts, and he clutched her
tightly to him as he sped up while she
didn't miss a beat. Her ardent moans
reverberated in his ears, awakening
an untamed desire in him as he
drifted farther into her ecstasy.

Latching onto his shoulders, she
breathed out loudly as their
lovemaking exploded and she buried
her head into his chest. Trembling
hard against him, she panted his
name over and over as the sound of
her orgasm filled the air. She
contracted around his manhood
tightly once again, and he couldn't
hold on any longer as she continued
to clutch and release around him. The unbearable yet wonderful torture of being lost in her, caused him to tremor violently and yell out her name along with a few curse words he rarely used.

He eased out of her but didn't let go
as he wrapped her in his embrace.
She was all his once more and he
would never be so foolish to let her
get away again.

Chapter Eight

Sasha lay still against Devin's chest as
he breathed in deeply and let out a
light snore every now and then. They
had made love two more times, and it was now four in the morning. She
hadn't fallen asleep as her mind
reflected on their night. She loved
being next to him, listening to him
breathe and being engulfed in his
comforting embrace. However, she'd
been here before with her thinking
they were going to be together
forever. He'd promised that years
ago so why was now different? He
could pull the same stunt and break
up with her whenever he felt like it
just as he'd done before.

Easing away, she slid from the bed.
Using the moonlight that seeped
through the sheers, she grabbed her
dress and slipped it on. Sasha rested
a nervous gaze on him, but he was
still asleep. He'd always been a sound sleeper especially after a night filled with sex. She tip toed to the living room of the suite where her
overnight bag sat by the door. She'd
never intended to stay at the party
long and had plans to go home to
wrap presents. Glancing at the desk
topped with Pinnacle Hotel
stationary, she decided to leave him a note. She scribbled that she couldn't go down a path of hurt of again from him and snuck out quickly before he could realize she'd left.

The following day while last minute
shopping on Christmas Eve, Sasha
avoided Devin's phone calls and text
messages. He kept explaining he
would never leave her again and just
wanted to be with her. She deleted all of the messages without answering any of them and hoped that he would just leave her alone. Luckily, Supreme had completed their renovations and
Megan and her decorating team were busy moving in furniture and other accessories. Sasha was ecstatic to finally go home and see everything in its place.

Her phone rang, and she dreaded
looking at the screen but it was
Megan calling. She let out a relieved
sigh.

"Hey cousin."

"Hurry home! Hurry home!" Megan
squealed. "It's all completed."

"Okay, I can't wait. I'm a few minutes
from the house. See you soon."

When she pulled up to her driveway,
she didn't see Megan's car. Instead,
she spotted Devin sitting on the trunk of his Mercedes.

She groaned and made a mental note to curse Megan out later.
Sasha squeezed the steering wheel
tightly before sliding out of the car.
"What are you doing here? I thought I was meeting Megan to see the
finished project," she asked sternly.
"It's done. She did a wonderful job.
I'm here to give you your Christmas
gift."
"You didn't have to get me anything."
"Mmm…well…no, I did." He grabbed
her hands and held them against his
chest. "I know you don't trust me Äη∂ you think I'm going to find some
reason to break-up with you again
but I promise you I won't. Just let me
give you this one little gift for
Christmas."
"Fine, Devin, as long as we go inside.
It's freezing." She stopped as her
eyes diverted over her house at the
green and red lights shining from the
backyard. "I guess the neighbor's
behind me decided to put lights on
their roof."
"Let's go take a look."
"How about we go inside? It's cold."
"In a minute."

Devin pulled her along to the privacy
fence and opened the gate. He
stepped back to let her pass through.
Sasha out a loud gasp and covered
her mouth with a trembling hand.
She was astonished to see in her
backyard a Ferris wheel lit up in
Christmas colors along with a
concession stand with cotton candy,
elephant ears, corndogs and hot
apple cider. There were also a few
booths with games complete with
stuffed animals and a Merry-Go-
Round. She turned toward Devin as
the tears welled in her eyes and then
rotated back to the beautiful scene in
front of her. She was speechless.
"You did this for me?" She could
barely croak out the words.
He slid his arms around her waist Äη∂ kissed the back of her neck.

"Yes," he whispered.

"Can we really ride it?"

"Yeah, the operator is in the booth."
He pointed toward the white booth
and a guy stuck his head out and
waved.

She laughed, waving back. "This is
unreal."

"Come on."

"Can we get a corn dog first?"
He laughed. "You can have whatever
you want."
After Devin made her a corn dog, he
led her to one of the bottom Ferris
wheel cars that already had a blanket
waiting. Moments later, the ride
began to turn slowly as Sasha smiled
at him. "You're something else, you
know that?" She bit into the warm
corn dog still in shock that she was
actually sitting next to him again on a
Ferris wheel when just two weeks ago she hadn't seen him in years.
"I just wanted to see that
breathtaking smile of yours light up. I
love you, Sasha. I never stopped. I
promise you I never want to be
without you ever again. I loved you
then and I love you now. I honestly
thought letting you go to explore
your dreams was best. I never meant
to hurt you. I'm just asking for one
more chance."
"I love you, Devin but one more is all
you get," she stated seriously.
"That's all I need, Sas. I'm never
letting you go again."

She glanced around and noticed they
were at the top but weren't moving
anymore. "Is this supposed to be
déjà vu?"

"Mmm…not quite yet," he answered.
Leaning in, he kissed her gently as he
had done on their first date, and her
lips trembled just the same. He
grinned momentarily as if he
remembered, before crashing his lips
on hers in an alluring kiss. He swirled
his tongue deeply around with hers
making her forget it was forty
degrees outside. He sat back, and she let out a lengthy exhale.

"I have something to show you."He
pulled out a small carbon copy
receipt and handed it to her.

Her eyes scanned over it. It was a
receipt for a one carat, princess-cut
solitaire.
"What's this?" she asked with a
wrinkled brow.
"This is the receipt for your ring. It's
the same one you used to admire in
the window whenever we passed the
store. Look at the date. It's a month
before graduation."

She touched his face. "You really
were going to ask me to marry you?"
"Baby, yes." He reached into his
jacket pocket and pulled out a small
black box and placed it in her hand.
"The ring is in here. I've kept it in my
safe hoping one day to give it to you.
Of course now I think I can definitely
give you a bigger one."

She opened the box and the beautiful ring shone brightly. Joyful tears ran down her cheeks. She was in awe.
Devin had always been full of
surprises but he'd outdone himself
this time with the mini Christmas
carnival and the ring. "Can we please
start over again?" he sincerely asked.
"Yes. I'd love too, Devin."
She snuggled close to him as the
Ferris wheel started once more. Now
she really believed miracles happened on Christmas.

Okay....lemme start reading.

vonn:
Okay....lemme start reading.

Indicate whǝ̥̥Ω̴̩̩̩̥ you're done!
Tnx

gottoboy:

Indicate whǝ̥̥Ω̴̩̩̩̥ you're done!
Tnx

I'm done!!!!
Very nice story dear......but..........





























Short.

vonn:

I'm done!!!!
Very nice story dear......but..........





























Short.

Ill tag you in anoda of my story

vonn:

I'm done!!!!
Very nice story dear......but..........





























Short.

Sorry

vonn:

I'm done!!!!
Very nice story dear......but..........

Short.

devin & sasha, baby that could be us

Very lovely story

007Bruce:
devin & sasha, baby that could be us

ℓǎ̜̣̍u̶̲̥̅̊g̶̲̥̅ђº¤°`ơu̶̲̥̅̊tº¤°`ℓơu̶̲̥̅̊d̶̲̥̅̊º¤°

gottoboy:

Ill tag you in anoda of my story

007Bruce:
devin & sasha, baby that could be us

You wish

vonn:

You wish

you can grant the wish you know
devin & sasha - bruce & vonn

almacherish:
Very lovely story

Tnx мα'am

007bruce kai

gottoboy:
007bruce kai

Loool

007Bruce:
Loool

How did you see the story

vonn:

Apromise

gottoboy:

How did you see the story

how vonn sees it

007Bruce:
how vonn sees it

Ibelieve you've seen a crush om NL

gottoboy:

Ibelieve you've seen a crush om NL

007Bruce:

Bad Boy

gottoboy:

Bad Boy

vonn