After The One (The One Series Duet) Read online

  Yes, I thought immediately. I didn’t even have to think about it. My honest answer was quick and instantaneous. Absolutely yes.

  I looked into his eyes and I felt so conflicted. I saw nothing but love and devotion in his eyes. I didn’t just trust him with my heart; I trusted him with my life.

  But I know what I heard.

  My mother always said to trust my gut. As I stared at Julian Winters kneeling down in front of me, my heart faltered. Weighing what I’d heard versus what I felt resulted in the extended silence that hung in the air between us.

  “Yes, I trust you,” I uttered softly.

  Julian grabbed my face, his thumbs stroking my cheeks. “I called her, but I swear to God that it was nothing inappropriate. It was nothing that would disrespect our relationship.”

  “Then why can’t you tell me? You travel a lot for work. I work late nights. In two years, I’ve never once thought you were sneaking around or lying to me about anything. I never doubted you, so please explain to me why you can’t tell me what you were talking about with your ex?”

  I saw the struggle play out in the storminess of his eyes. I could tell he was wrestling with the decision to tell me.

  “Please understand that I don’t want to keep anything from you, and just because I can’t tell you right now doesn’t mean I won’t be able to tell you soon.”

  I swallowed hard. I hated not knowing. “Soon? What’s soon?”

  “After we’re married.” He paused, a smirk playing on his lips. “Marital privilege and all.”

  Did he seriously just make a joke? A lawyer joke at that!

  I sighed, pursing my lips to keep from smiling. I tried to turn my face away from him, but he held my face steady.

  “I love you, Zoe. I wouldn’t jeopardize you for anything.” His voice was low and gravelly as he moved his forehead to mine. “But if this is going to be a problem, if this is going to come between us, I’ll tell you now.”

  Even though his eyes filled with disappointment, he opened his mouth to continue.

  I stopped him.

  I could see that he didn’t want to tell me, but more importantly, I could see that he would tell me. I didn’t know why he was keeping it from me, but his willingness to tell me pushed down the doubt that threatened to suffocate me.

  “No,” I murmured, swallowing my suspicion and apprehension. “I trust you.”

  When his lips touched mine, the uncertainty faded away. The force with which he kissed me made my entire body weak. I felt loved and cherished. With one kiss, he’d managed to fill me with so much of our love that doubt was forced out. In that kiss, I was reminded of what we had. When we finally broke away, we were both out of breath as we just gazed at one another.

  “I promise…you have nothing to worry about. It’s nothing bad and nothing you need to worry about. On Sunday, as soon as you come down the aisle, I will tell you everything.” He planted a kiss against my lips. “There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. I don’t want anyone but you. Remember that.”

  I nodded and it occurred to me that I really did trust him. My gut told me I could believe him despite what I’d heard outside that room.

  Feeling tired, I allowed Julian to tuck me in. He stroked my hair as he crouched beside the bed, staring at me. “Promise me that no matter what, you won’t forget that at the end of this weekend, when it’s all said and done, you’re who I’m spending my life with and I’d do anything for you,” he uttered so softly that my entire body reacted.

  “I love you,” I whispered sleepily. “Go change and come back to sleep with me. We won’t be able to sleep together tomorrow night.”

  A slow smile stretched across his face. “I love you too. I’ll be right back.”

  Chapter 13

  “Well, that was good,” Koko remarked as we approached the golf course clubhouse after the rehearsal dinner. She rubbed her belly. “Especially after a long day of swimming in a heated pool while the boys grilled and then walking down an aisle on Omar’s arm…and then the pasta at the rehearsal dinner.”

  “This has shaped up to be an amazing New Year’s Eve. I mean, the pasta alone,” Keisha sighed as she linked arms with Lenny. “But even more amazing is the fact that our Zoe is getting married tomorrow.”

  “I know.” I grinned. “Today made it all feel so real. In twenty-four hours, I’m going to be Mrs. Julian Winters.”

  “Regardless of the cameras tonight, we’re going to have a good time,” Keisha reassured us, her voice definitive. “I can’t wait to finally meet the people who were on your session.”

  “So you can see who’s really crazy in real life. I’ll give you a hint: all of those bitches are crazy,” Koko muttered in a snarky tone.

  I laughed, bumping her with my hip. “Sounds like someone is frustrated with her job.”

  She let out a grumbling noise. “I just need a break. It seems like as the show keeps going, the producers have become less concerned with what the guy is looking for and more concerned with what’s going to get ratings. I mean, the crop of women get more and more conniving and just plain mean. They feel like I work for them personally and not the show.” She shook her head. “We’re not getting into that tonight because I’m going to act like I don’t know half of those bitches. It is not only New Year’s Eve, but also Zoe’s wedding eve!”

  “And in preparation for a beautiful day tomorrow, we will party tonight. Bringing in the new year right!” Lenny shook her ass in front of us as she climbed the steps to the back door. “This is kind of like your bachelorette party,” she realized as she opened the door for us.

  “Bachelorette party!” Koko screeched, throwing her hands in the air and twirling into the clubhouse.

  I laughed as my three best friends danced their way inside.

  They really are the best. I smiled as I watched the women in front of me dressed in sexy club dresses and tiaras with the words ‘bridesmaids’ blazoned across the front. After the day I’ve had, I don’t think I even care that they’re filming tonight.

  After some of the best sleep of my life, I’d woken up in Julian’s arms. Once the two of us had played in the shower for nearly an hour, we’d walked downstairs to see the makings of a pool party. Older members of our families and Beverly and her family had worn jackets and were eating burgers from the grill. Our best friends had already gotten in the pool, my brother, his girlfriend, and our cousins were getting in the pool, and we were the last ones to join the party.

  After a few hours, we’d gone back into our villas to get ready for the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal had been effortless. The fabulous Peri Moore had everything together so when we’d arrived, we just fell into place. We’d gone through the ceremony five different times—the fifth time resulting out of an argument between Beverly and Peri versus Robert Brady and the chief camera operator.

  Once we’d finally finished, everyone, except for The One crew, had headed to the restaurant where we ate and laughed and talked. It was the perfect day. Our parents and grandparents decided to call it a night, but everyone else wanted to party.

  A creaking noise behind me caught my attention. I glanced over my shoulder just as I felt myself being grabbed from behind. “Julian!” I exclaimed as he lifted me briefly. “I didn’t even hear you come in.”

  With his arms locked around my waist, Julian kissed my neck. “We saw you so we snuck in behind you.”

  He let me go and I spun around to face him, kissing all over his face. Something about the rehearsal had made me incredibly giddy around Julian. I had been unable to stop getting moony-eyed around him at dinner.

  “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were drunk,” he joked.

  “I’m seriously surprised she’s not. I want to know when my sister stopped drinking,” Zach teased from behind Julian.

  I quickly pressed my lips against Julian’s and then walked around him to stand in front of the others.

  “Zach.” I glared at my brother, who looked exac
tly like our father. Smiling at the rest of the group, I gave Zach’s girlfriend a hug first.

  “You should’ve ridden with us,” I whispered loudly, causing her to giggle shyly.

  Slapping Zach’s arm, I narrowed my eyes at my brother. “What?! I don’t drink all the time! How dare you?!” My voice was comically indignant.

  He laughed. “No seriously, I can’t remember the last holiday you didn’t have a new drink concoction you’d picked up from the bar that you wanted everyone to drink. It’s New Year’s Eve—better yet, it’s the night before your wedding and I don’t think I’ve seen you drink all weekend.”

  If the look on Omar, James and Scott’s faces were any indication, I was positive my best friends and Julian’s faces were just as bad.

  Way to keep it cool, guys.

  I planned to tell the rest of my family after the weekend was over. The producers could be sneaky and I didn’t want any of them to slip up and tell anyone.

  “If you saw my dress, you’d understand why I can’t afford the empty calories. Why don’t you worry about your alcohol intake so you aren’t wasted escorting Mom down the aisle?”

  “It’s New Year’s Eve; I can’t make any promises,” he returned.

  Everyone laughed but my cousin and her boyfriend laughed a little too hard as I hugged and then slapped their arms as well.

  “Okay, let’s do this,” Julian called out, intertwining his fingers with mine.

  We let everyone else in front of us so they could lead the way down the main corridor that led to the ballroom hallway. The steady beat of a pop song pulsed through the air. Julian’s hand slipped from my grasp as he positioned himself behind me. He grabbed onto my hips and I started swaying to the music as we walked. We managed to avoid members of the camera crews until we crossed the threshold of the ballroom.

  “Zoe!” Bailey Anderson screamed, inadvertently grabbing the attention of a crowd of people around her.

  “Bailey!” I called back as she threw her arms around me. “I love your hair like that. You look amazing!”

  She hugged me tightly. “It’s been way too long,” she said as we pulled apart. She eyed my low-cut, black metallic dress that showed off my curves. “You look gorgeous.” She looked over my shoulder and gestured to me. “Julian, your fiancé is gorgeous!”

  He laughed. “I know.”

  Throwing one of her two cornrowed braids over her shoulder, the blonde beauty made a face. “Oh and you look okay, too, I guess.”

  With a laugh, they hugged and by the time they pulled apart, a camera crew was set up with cameras in our faces. Our friends and family were bumped out of the way as we were backed up through the door we’d just come in through.

  “We’re going to head to the VIP area,” Koko screamed over the head of the producer who positioned herself in front of her.

  The VIP area was literally a reserved section of tables that had a velvet rope around it. Only one camera crew at a time was allowed in that area so it wasn’t really as private as it had been presented to us before we’d agreed to it.

  But tonight is about having a good time, ringing in the New Year, and then marrying the love of my life tomorrow.

  I mouthed an apology to my friends and they waved it off and smiled. Julian’s friends and the rest of our family followed Koko.

  “Hi! I’m Pepper,” the producer announced cheerily. She proceeded to introduce the rest of her crew. She smiled brightly at us. “It’s so good to catch you all together. We know you are just walking in and we already have you back in the hallway, but we have a couple of quick questions before the party really gets started. We’ll let you go as soon as we get a couple of things. Is that all right?”

  “Fine with me,” Bailey replied quickly, adjusting her sexy, blue dress that matched the color of her eyes and showcased an ample amount of cleavage.

  Julian’s hand rested on my hip as he pulled me into his side. I looked up at him as he looked down at me. He lifted an eyebrow fractionally and I nodded indiscriminately. The corner of my lip quirked up and his slow, easy grin spread across his face. He looked at the producer and answered, “Yes, that’s fine with us.”

  Pepper the Producer gestured to crew and then counted down.

  “You three were the clear winners of your session. Congratulations on everything you’ve accomplished and the success you’ve had courtesy of the show.”

  “Thank you,” the three of us said in unison.

  Pepper the Producer looked at Bailey. “How does it feel to see your ex-boyfriend about to marry the woman who used to be your rival?”

  I inhaled sharply. I was not only caught off guard by the question, but also by the purpose of the question. Turning my head, I looked up at Julian and saw his jaw clenched tightly, expression blank.

  Bailey pulled at her braid and flashed a smile. “Zoe and I were never rivals. We’re both busy, but we have a great relationship. I host Summer Fling and I also have a new movie coming out. Zoe is an attorney and thriving in her career.”

  I nodded in agreement. “We see each other at least once a month… well except for the last few months, but that’s because of my schedule. But, the point is, Bailey and I are friends.”

  Pepper tapped her chin. “Sounds good,” she murmured, even though she sounded skeptical. “But at one point in time, you two were competing for the same man. Doesn’t that negatively impact your friendship?”

  Before I could open my mouth to respond, Bailey started talking. “From the moment these two met, they were fated. Julian was never my boyfriend. He always belonged to Zoe. I mean, come on…look at them.”

  The camera panned to just us and I was already grinning at Bailey’s words as Julian had me tucked protectively into his side.

  “I dated everyone in the house per the game, but the heart wants what the heart wants.” Julian kissed me on the top of my head. “And my heart belonged to Zoe from the moment we met.”

  Turning, I wrapped my arms around Julian and gazed up at him. “And Julian will have mine until the day I die.”

  “You see what I’m saying?” Bailey pointed out. “They are the real deal.”

  “I see.” Pepper smiled and nodded. “Well, Julian, do you keep up or speak to anyone who was on the show?”

  “No…” His eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. “Why would I? I mean, besides Bryce, I didn’t spend much time getting to know anyone, but the women. And I am about to marry the only woman I needed to keep in touch with.”

  Something in Pepper the Producer’s eyes looked sneaky and maybe even a little devious. “I just meant as friends,” she clarified.

  “Zoe keeps up with Bailey and if I’m in the room when they are speaking, I say hello. But like I said, no, I don’t have a need or desire to keep up with any woman I’ve had a romantic past with.”

  I discreetly squeezed his side to let him know that his answer was good and that I loved him.

  Pepper’s smile widened. “Good, good, this is good.” She signaled toward me with her head. “So Zoe, a question for you: how do you feel about Julian being surrounded by so many women tonight?”

  “Well I would hope the guests at our wedding wouldn’t hit on the groom, but bottom line, I trust Julian, so there’s nothing for me to worry about.”

  Pepper bit her bottom lip as she grinned. “That’s good. Trust is good.” She looked at Bailey. “Do you speak with anyone from the show besides Zoe?”

  “No, but I’m looking forward to seeing how everyone is doing tonight,” she responded diplomatically.

  Pepper nodded, signaling to her cameraman to stop rolling. She cast her gaze over the three of us. “Do you mind if I find you a little later to talk more?”

  “Okay,” Julian responded.

  “Sure,” Bailey answered.

  I just nodded because something felt off.

  “Wonderful,” Pepper cheered mischievously.

  As soon as the camera crew scurried back into the ballroom, the three of us looked at each ot
her.

  “Did that seem off to you?” I asked, looking between them.

  Before either of them could answer, the DJ made an announcement that I didn’t completely understand and then the music pumped through the speakers louder. As the hip hop beat vibrated through the air, the few people still hanging out in the corridor ran inside the ballroom.

  A good-looking man with a great smile wearing a nice suit waved at Bailey, inviting her over to where he was standing.

  I looked from him to Bailey. Her eyes lit up and her pretty face flushed.

  “I’m going to meet up with you guys in a little bit,” Bailey mumbled distractedly as she stared straight ahead.

  I smiled up at Julian. “I think Bailey may have found—umph!” A yelp escaped me as I got bumped hard. “What the hell?” I snapped as Julian caught me, keeping me from falling into the door. My hand protectively covered my belly as I remained unsteady on my spiked heels.

  “Who was that?” Julian barked to no one in particular as he eyed the people hanging around the doorway.

  One of the security guards approached us. “Mr. Winters, can I speak with you for a second?”

  “Yes. Give me a second.” He threw the response over his shoulder as he looked at me. “Are you okay?” He ran his hands up and down my arms. “Did you see who did it?”

  I put my hand on my belly briefly and nodded. I lifted my foot and rotated my ankle in a circle. “I’m fine. It really just surprised me.”

  “Who was it?”

  I reached up and touched his hardened face. “I don’t know. I know it was a woman. I’m sure it was an accident though.” I gestured with my head to the anxious-looking security guard. “Handle your business, my love.”

  Julian watched me for a second before dropping a kiss to my lips. “This won’t take long and I’ll be right here.” He turned around, taking maybe one step away from me to have his conversation.

  My smile slipped after Julian’s back was to me.

  Who pushed me?

  I knew it wasn’t an accident. It was a legitimate push in the center of my back and it felt intentional.