The American Goddess

Chapter 25

When Winona arrived at her new home, she wasn't expecting Yemaja to be outside on the porch wearing a peach dress and flower crown. She was throwing rose petals in the air as Nasha opened the passenger side of the vehicle to let Winona out. She glanced at Queen who was grinning in the driver seat and then Savanna in the backseat who had the same amount of joy on her face.

Nasha extended his arm to Winona, encouraging her to take it. "Immanuel is waiting for you," he said, gesturing to the fenced backyard. "Would you like to join him now?"

"Please," Winona responded eagerly. The lack of communication between her and Immanuel that day was unbearable. She never wanted to suffer through their silence again.

Yemaja followed, sprinkling the petals across the grass. "You're very pretty, Nana."

Winona smiled at her. "Thank you, baby. Do you know what Immanuel has planned?"

Yemaja responded by shaking her head and then ran ahead of her sister, giggling. Nasha followed his daughter, allowing Winona to enter the space on her own.

When Winona passed the threshold of the backyard, she gasped at what she saw. The large cherry tree in the corner of the yard had been decorated with string lights and underneath it, a speaker played a romantic orchestral piece. Pictures of her and Immanuel dangled from twine, and the subtle night breeze carried each photo with it. On the deck, a table had been set for two. Immanuel was filling the wine glasses when Winona stepped up onto the deck and laid a hand on his arm, making her presence known.

Her touch made his hands tingle. Immanuel wanted to explore every part of her, but he knew he would have to wait until the end of the night when they were alone. He plucked a single rose from the bouquet on the table and took her hand in his, placing the stem between her fingers.

"Did you miss me, my sweet peach?" he asked, studying her quivering lips. She was impatient to taste him. He knew that.

"More than anything," she confessed. She leaned forward to kiss him, but he held a finger to her lips and shook his head. "Immanuel, please."

"Be patient," he said, slipping a finger underneath the thin strap of the white satin dress. It accentuated her curves just as he had envisioned and hugged her body snuggly. "Do you like my gift?"

She nodded. "I love it. Thank you."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke up. I will make it up to you tonight."

"You had to work," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Not exactly, but I was at the office," he admitted. A boyish smile appeared on his lips. He looked nervous. "I want this night to be perfect for you."

"It is," she told him. Against his wishes, she pressed a kiss to his lips and moaned. She wanted to kiss him longer, but when Colt and Maddox walked through the sliding glass doors, she pulled away. They were wearing aprons, and both boys held serving size plates of food to their chest.

"Your appetizer is served," Maddox said to the couple as they plated the dish. "Enjoy, your highness."

Winona laughed. "Thank you, gentlemen. I hope Uncle Immanuel pays you well for your excellent service."

Maddox smirked and then nodded at his uncle before walking back into the house with Colt.

"I promised them cake already," Immanuel said, chuckling. He pulled a chair out for Winona, and once she was situated, he slid her closer to the table. He joined her on the other side and picked his fork up. He had promised dinner, but he didn't have the appetite to eat when the meal he truly wanted was at the other end of the table. It didn't help that Winona moaned when she bit into her food and washed it down with a sip of wine.