âAre you sure about this?â he wanted to know. His steady gaze bore into her in silent expectation.
In response, she led him by the hand to her bedroom. Steven swept her, weightless, into his arms and carried her to the bed.
Cherise could feel his heavy breathing on her cheek as he held her close. The touch of his hand was almost unbearable in its wanton desire. His mouth covered hers hungrily, leaving her burning with need.
Another touch of his lips on hers sent a shock wave throughout her entire body with an intensity she had never known. Steven planted kisses on her shoulders, neck and face. As he became more passionate, her own need grew stronger.
Desire pounded through her heart, chest and head, causing Cherise to breathe in deep, soul-drenching drafts. She had never felt as good as she did in this moment, and she didnât want it to end.
Dear Reader,
A lot of women feel pressured to lose weight because of the way women are often portrayed in some of pop cultureâs magazines, movies and television shows. Cherise Ransom has never been thin, but it isnât until sheâs an adult that she understands the importance of loving herself and being a size healthy.
My inspiration for this story was an article I read about an eleven-year-old who committed suicide after being teased by classmates because he was overweight. This tragedy prompted me to highlight Cheriseâs struggles as an overweight teen and her desire to fit in with her peers, which leads to a mistake that haunts her many years later as an adult. But will it come between her and the man she falls in love with?
I hope you enjoy You and I. I am also looking forward to introducing you to the Alexander family of Beverly Hills in the coming months.
I love hearing from my readers, so please feel free to contact me on the following:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jacquelinthomas
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jacquelinthomas Web: www.jacquelinthomas.com Email: [email protected]
Blessings to you,
Jacquelin Thomas
âI canât believe you have another brother and that I have another cousin,â Cherise Ransom told Elle as they stood in line for the duck with chocolate sauce that everyone at the wedding reception had been raving about.
âI know,â Elle murmured. âItâs eleven of us now.â
âWell, we call ourselves a clanâI guess itâs true. Especially with all of the marriages and childrenâthereâs a bunch of Ransoms running around Los Angeles.â Cheriseâs gaze traveled once more to where Ransom Winters was standing with his bride, Coco, holding court.
âHeâs definitely related, though,â she said. âHe looks just like us. I think itâs pretty cool that his mother named him Ransom. I guess she wanted him to have his fatherâs name in some way.â
Cherise glanced over her shoulder at a woman standing nearby and said in a low voice, âAunt Amanda sure seems to be taking it well.â
Elle gave a slight shrug. âHeâs not hard to love at all. Ransom is a really neat guy, and he was an instant fit with the family. As for my mama, she wants to leave the past behind. Ransom was conceived when she and my dad were separated.â
âSometimes the past definitely has a way of catching up with you,â Cherise responded, staring straight ahead, watching the bride and groom, but her mind was somewhere else, in another place and time.
Elle followed her gaze and said, âRansom and Coco make a beautiful couple, donât you think?â
Cherise nodded, bringing her thoughts back to the present. âI want someone to come knock me off my feet like that.â
âThe right guy is going to show up when you least expect it, cousin.â
She met Elleâs smile with one of her own. âI really hope so. You and Brennen are crazy in love, and youâve just had another baby. All of youâ¦well, all except Ivy, are deliriously happy. To be honest with you, sometimes I get a little sad being around all the love and happiness.â
âNow you sound like Ivy,â Elle pointed out with a light chuckle.
âSee, thatâs who I need to start hanging out with,â Cherise said. âShe and I are on the same page. We can be lonely together.â
Elle passed on the chocolate-dusted scallops with vanilla butter sauce, while Cherise decided to give them a try. âNot too much,â she told the server. âThanks.â
Cherise made her way back to the table, following Elle. She sat down next to her.