Bound By Love
Prologue
Five years earlier
Sheree Hamilton sat on the hardwood floor of her one bedroom apartment, meticulously painting her well-pedicured feet. She skillfully applied the second coat of the silver nail enamel on toes that were separated by white cotton balls.
A gold-toned pendulum clock on the wall said
Although her new apartment was in a gated community with trusted staff, Sheree just didn’t feel comfortable with a strange person being in her home while she was away. So here she was waiting for him or her. And whoever it was, was over an hour late. Earlier Sheree had decided against phoning the main office to report the delay. She certainly wasn’t interested in creating a disgruntled relationship with someone who may have to fix something else for her in the future.
As a form of distraction from her increasing ire, Sheree continued to slowly paint her nails. From her outer appearance, she didn’t look angry at all. The ice blue, V-neck tank shirt and matching draw-cord shorts Sheree wore made her look like the lady of leisure today. Only her flashing hazel eyes gave her real feelings away. Only they alluded to the unspoken truth that she really couldn’t afford to miss work, today or any other day. Sheree needed the money.
Yet even though a missed day at work might set her back a bit, there was no way she was going to ask her family to reinstate her sizable allowance. Especially after she’d recently made such a big fuss about being independent.
Sheree was determined not to be like her older sister, Kelly, who was content to let their wealthy parents take care of her forever. Kelly already had five college degrees and no job to speak of yet. It seemed obvious that she wanted to be a perpetual student. Sheree lost track of which degree her sister had in what.
Although her older sister didn’t seem in the least bit interested in cutting their parents’ purse strings, Sheree was and did. Which was why she hoped that this repair job wouldn’t take more than one day. In all honestly, she wished that it wouldn’t take the rest of this day. She’d already been home all morning waiting and she really didn’t want to be locked up in the house all evening, too. She had a class to go to tonight. Sheree was in her last year of dental school and was eagerly looking forward to passing her boards and establishing a patient-friendly dental clinic, much like the one she worked for now.
Sheree finally painted the last toenail, tightened the silver polish top, and leaned against her golden pillow-back loveseat to let her nails dry. The raised woven leaf design of the loveseat felt cool against her cinnamon skin. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply, trying to release the tension that been building since
Opening her eyes, Sheree looked around the room for something else to do once her nails eventually dried. She smiled at her surroundings. Sheree liked her modest apartment with its well placed mirrors of different shapes and sizes that gave the room a sense of light and space. In her living room sat a comfortable golden loveseat and chair atop of a cinnamon-colored rug. Most of the things in her apartment were along the earthen tones. Browns, beiges, and specks of gold had always been soothing colors for Sheree.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Sheree leaped up and waddled to the door. Her nails weren’t fully dry yet. When she opened the double bolted safety door, she was confronted with eyes the color of winter gray clouds, mahogany skin the color of a rich coffee bean, and muscles that seemed to be carved out of stone. The man before Sheree was six feet of gorgeousness. And the sight of him caused her breath to catch in her throat.
Sheree wasn't the only one unexpectedly affected today. When Graham Leverett rang the doorbell, he was all ready and prepared to explain the cause of his delay. But when that door opened, his mouth was slammed shut. He couldn’t say anything as he took in the beauty facing him.
The woman at the door seemed to be engulfed in a billow of brownness. Her skin was cinnamon stick brown and her wide innocent eyes were hazel. And her hair. The woman’s sandy brown locks were parted on the side in cheek-length strands in the front, but were stylishly cut very close to her head in the back. Everything about her, except for her clothes was some shade of brown.
For a good ten seconds neither of them said a thing. They just stood there, gawking at each other. Finally, Graham spoke. “Uh... Ma’am, I’m sorry for the delay. There was a busted pipe in another apartment that I needed to deal with right away. I came as soon as I could.” His voice was deep and husky like Barry White’s, which made the woman across from him wonder if he could sing as well.
Still saying nothing, Sheree just nodded as her previous anger flew rapidly away. He was definitely worth the wait, she mused, moving out of the way to let the man enter her apartment.
As Graham walked past her, Sheree caught a whiff of his cologne. It was slightly masked beneath the smell of pipe sealant, but her sensitive nose could sniff out the faint traces of Contradiction for Men. She remembered reading an ad for the fragrance that said, ‘it embodies the many dimensions of the modern man.’ Suddenly Sheree wanted to explore every dimension this man had.
And he’s bowlegged, too, she thought, staring at the man’s legs as he walked towards her bathroom. Sheree also couldn’t help noticing his round bottom.
If her friend Tiffany could see her now, she would be shocked. Sheree was the virgin in the bunch. The ‘twenty-five-year-old prune’ as they all liked to call her. Even she could hardly believe that she was thinking these things about a man she didn’t even know. For all she knew, he could be married with children. As a result, Sheree desperately tried to get a handle on herself as she silently followed him.
In the bathroom, Sheree finally spoke. But when she did, she wished she hadn’t. “Thanks for coming.” That was stupid. The man hasn’t even started the job yet and already I’m thanking him, she mused, mentally kicking herself.
Sheree decided to try again, hopefully with some sense this time. “I understand about your delay. A busted pipe is certainly more important than a couple of loose door hinges on a vanity.” She smiled at him through the tri-view mirror on the white top-lighted medicine cabinet.
A lump formed in Graham’s throat as he put his black tool box on the counter. The woman in his midst was exquisite with a voluptuous body to boot. Graham loved his women full-breasted and hippy. Both of which this stunning woman was.
What is her name? he mused, glancing down at the yellow work order taped to his tool box. Sheree Hamilton. The name definitely goes with the face - beautiful and sexy, Graham thought, suddenly wanting to hear his name on her lips.
“By the way, my name is Graham Leverett,” he said, extending his hand as he turned to face her.
Sheree took his strong, capable hand and shook it. “Very nice to meet you, Graham. I’m Sheree.” As she wrapped her mouth around his name, her voice was soft and mellow like whip cream on sweet potato pie. “How long have you worked for this company?”
“Three years.” Graham’s deep voice seemed to vibrate the air in the space between them. His presence filled the room. Still they held hands. Neither seemed ready to let the other go.
Sheree shuddered as the effects of Graham’s voice coursed through her body. Quickly releasing his hand, she promptly folded her arms across her chest to hide the evidence of her desire for him. She hoped he didn’t notice.
He had. Graham had noticed everything about Sheree since she opened that front door. He was aroused, too, and he wanted to kiss her so badly. His hands ached to touch her. He quickly shoved them into his jean pockets, lest they do just that.
Sheree had been paying attention to some things, too. She immediately noticed the effect she’d had on Graham when he put his hands in his pockets. That action only made the tight jeans he wore even tighter, thus thoroughly emphasizing the rigid change in his body. Sheree gasped and blushed at what she saw. That was her cue to leave.
“Well, let me allow you to do your work,” Sheree said as she quickly vacated the room.
The cotton balls on Sheree’s feet were long forgotten as she practically ran back into the living room. However, she remembered them as soon as she sat down and tried to gain control over herself. Taking deep, calming breaths, she slowly removed the white balls, one by one.
Although she’d rushed out of the bathroom, Sheree actually wanted Graham to take as long as he needed. Longer even. She was in no rush for either of them to leave now.
***
In the bathroom, Graham did take his time. He wasn’t ready to go, either. The damage to the vanity was minor, only requiring a little glue and a few select screws to put everything back in place. He stretched out his time by replacing the bulbs in Sheree’s medicine cabinet and then readjusting its shelves.
Next, Graham checked all of her bathroom pipes. One can never be too sure, he mused, still not ready to go, still stalling for time. In actuality, he was trying to build up the nerve to ask Sheree out.
Finally, when Graham had done all he could in the bathroom without arousing suspicion, he called for her. “Sheree…uh…Ms. Hamilton, can you step back in here for a moment?”
Sheree had to force herself not to run as she re-entered the bathroom. As soon as she crossed the threshold, she immediately noticed that the room was much brighter than before. Did Graham change the bulbs? Or was his smile that illuminating?
As Graham bent down to show Sheree what he’d done to her vanity, she noticed how straight his hair was in the tight ethnic braids he wore. Does he have a perm? she wondered, wanting to know that and more about him.
Then Sheree did the most unexpected thing. “Will you go out with me tomorrow night, Graham? That’s if you’re not married or already seeing someone,” she blurted out in a rush, as if she had no control of her tongue.
Realizing what she’d just done, Sheree snapped her mouth shut. Why did I do that? she thought with horror.
Graham went from smiling to grinning like a Cheshire cat, exposing straight white teeth and healthy gums. Then that magnificent voice said, “I’m not married or involved with anyone.” As he leaned closer to Sheree, his gray eyes twinkled. “At least not yet,” he added. He might as well be honest. Graham was very interested in becoming involved with Sheree. Only Sheree.
Sheree got his message loud and clear. Again, she fought with herself, this time she fought not to kiss that delectable mouth of his. Graham’s full lips were the perfect color of her favorite mocha cappuccino. I wonder if they taste as good, she mused with a smile.
Aloud she said, “Is
“That’s fine. I’ll be here to pick you up at
Sheree laughed. “That’s great, but I’ve just changed my mind about going out.” When she noticed the crestfallen look spreading across Graham’s face, she immediately clarified herself. “I mean, I’ve just decided to cook dinner for us here. I still want to see you again, Graham,” Sheree said, feeling oddly very comfortable in his presence.
Instantly, his smile returned. “Good. You had me nervous for a minute there. I really want to get to know you better, if you’ll let me.” He locked his tool box and grabbed the sturdy handle.
“I will,” Sheree replied. Then acting as if they’d known each other for years, she reached for his other hand and walked towards the living room with him. This would be the first class Sheree had ever missed. But Graham was so worth it.
Three weeks later they were married.
Chapter 1
Five years later
Dr. Sheree Leverett sat in her office contemplating whether she should drive or fly to
Sheree’s closeness with Graham’s mother started during the early days of their marriage. It was then that Betty reached out to her and embraced her as one of her very own. She even led Sheree to the Lord. On top of that, Betty and her daughter, Juanita, also planned a women’s weekend with Sheree in mind.
That was the weekend that all of their husbands had gone on a hunting trip, leaving the women to entertain themselves. And they did just that. During the day, Sheree was taught how to cook every last one of Graham’s favorite dishes. Betty took her time walking her daughter-in-law through each step until the new wife was confident in her culinary skills and was equipped with all kinds of delicious recipes to fix for her husband. Those recipes proved to be invaluable and they helped to draw Sheree and Graham closer together.
At night, Sheree and her new sister-in-law shared a bedroom. They grew very close as they stayed up late every night, talking about their childhoods and, of course, men. Juanita told Sheree how she met her 6’5 husband, Harvey. She was a cheerleader in college and he was the captain of the basketball team.
Sheree, in turn, shared how she and Graham had met. How their attraction for each other had been unmistakably overpowering for the both of them. How even though they had gotten married so quickly, she hoped that their marriage would last forever. But it hadn’t.
Over the years, the older Mrs. Leverett continued to maintain contact with Sheree, despite the divorce. Sometimes it seemed as if Betty never even acknowledged the fact that there had ever been one. Up to the day she died, Mrs. Leverett called Sheree her daughter and had steadfastly believed that the young woman would one day reconcile with her son.
Sheree had seriously doubted that back then, even more so as the years continued to roll on. But while Betty had lived, she dared not dash her hopes.
Then two nights ago, Horace Leverett called to say that his wife of forty years had died in her sleep at the hospital. Sheree had felt a great sense of loss at that news. Betty had truly been someone special to her. In all honesty, so had her son, Graham. Sheree still loved him after all these years. It was almost unbelievable how that could be possible now. Yet there were signs of it everywhere.
One potent sign was the fact that she’d kept Graham’s last name. At the time Sheree made that decision, she reasoned that that was another way to symbolize her independence from her father’s controlling behavior. But on the inside, she knew that she’d really kept Graham’s name as a means to hold on to at least one small piece of him.
Another indication that Sheree’s love for her ex-husband was still prevalent was her pitiful romantic life. She’d been dating a guy named Hunter Lott for the last eight months and she still hadn’t exchanged more than a few lackluster kisses with him. Hunter was tall and attractive with the kindest dark brown eyes Sheree had even seen. He was also a junior partner in her father’s law firm. But no matter how nice or attractive he was, Hunter just didn’t ‘do it’ for her.
Sheree suspected that her bland feelings towards Hunter had something to do with the fact that her father liked him. That was part of it, but the major reason was the fact that Hunter just wasn’t Graham. Besides her spiritual convictions, Sheree just couldn’t see herself sleeping with someone she didn’t love. And she didn’t love her current beau at all.
Lately, she’d been thinking about breaking it off with him. Hunter deserved to have a woman who could love him the way he should be loved. Sheree just wasn’t that woman and she knew that she couldn’t make herself be that woman, either.
As Sheree went home to pack for her trip, she decided that calling it quits with Hunter really was the best thing to do for the both of them. She purposed in her heart to tell him about her decision as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Hunter was out of town on business this week and she didn’t want to do it over the phone. Especially not while they were in other cities. Thus Sheree decided to wait until after they both returned home to officially dissolve their relationship. Yet in her heart, it was already over.
Suddenly, Sheree made another decision. She decided to drive to Handley instead of fly. I’m gonna need my car to get around once I get there, she deduced, ignoring the main reason she wanted to turn this journey into a road trip. Sheree needed time to mentally prepare to see Graham again. That four-hour drive would give her that time.
***
Once she was all packed and ready to go, Sheree got back in her car, turned her favorite CD on, and headed towards Graham’s hometown. She had bittersweet memories of Handley. It was the first place she’d acted and lived independently of her family. It was also where Sheree had attended dental school. But most of all, it was the place where she'd met Graham Leverett.
As Barry White sang, ‘Whatever we had, we had,” Sheree thought of her ex-husband.
Their love had been intense from the very beginning. Then when they eloped, it had only intensified. They couldn’t seem to get enough of each other. Although money had been tight throughout their marriage, they didn’t seem to mind as long as they had each other. In fact, Sheree and Graham stayed in marital bliss for nine months straight with very few problems, very few disagreements. They were proud of their growth as a couple and when they progressed to the point of buying their first home, they were ecstatic. True, the house was a handyman’s dream, but Graham was more than up for the challenges it presented.
On the extended family front, Graham and Sheree spent a lot of time with his folks. Because the Leveretts thoroughly embraced her as one of their own, Sheree found that she actually wanted to be around them all the time. She even got along better with her sister-in-law, Juanita, than with her own blood sister, Kelly. Everything was lovely and Sheree and Graham naively thought that it always would be.
The newlyweds’ problems started when Sheree tried to initiate the same kind of unity with her own family that she’d experienced with the Leveretts. Her first and last attempt to incorporate her family into their married lives failed miserably.
It was the year of Sheree and Graham’s first Thanksgiving together. They’d decided to spend it with the
Allen immediately began to interrogate Graham about his plans for the future. He was thoroughly frustrated when his new son-in-law refused to allow him to steer him towards a more lucrative career path, specifically – land development.
By the second day, it was obvious that Mr. Hamilton had a strong dislike for Graham. This was one more person in his life that refused to be dominated by him and Allen couldn’t stand it. He saw Graham as just a simple handyman, totally unfit to join the prestigious
However, his wife, Harriet, adored Graham and that seemed to anger Allen even more. On the third day, the battle lines had been drawn and Sheree found herself smack in the middle of a family feud. Harriet stayed neutral while Kelly and Grandma Emma clearly chose the side with the money – Allen’s side.
The boiling point occurred when two of Sheree’s high school friends came to town for the holidays and wanted her to go shopping with them. Sheree knew that she had little money to go shopping with, but she decided to join her friends anyway. On her way out of the house, her father stopped her in the hall and slipped her a wad of spending money. There was no way Allen was going to allow his daughter to go out with her wealthy friends without at least $3,000 in her purse. He had a reputation to protect.
Unwittingly, Sheree took the money from her father. It was an involuntary action, one that she’d repeated many times during her teenage years. But at the time, Sheree had no idea how that one act would affect her husband, how that one act would threaten the very existence of her marriage.
While she was out with her friends, Allen took that opportunity to rub it in Graham’s face how inadequate he was as a husband. He chided the young man about not being able to take care of Sheree in the manner to which she was accustomed to. Allen taunted Graham with the fact that he couldn’t even afford to finance his own wife’s shopping spree.
Those words pierced Graham deeply as he had already been struggling with strong feelings of that nature. Then when Sheree came back beaming from ear to ear and bearing expensive gifts in her hands, Graham just went off. He insisted that she return everything. When Sheree stubbornly refused, he stormed out of her parents’ home and drove off in their car.
Because it was a mild November night, Sheree waited up for her husband on the veranda, not even changing out of the stylish animal print caftan she’d worn shopping. She just could not go inside. It was as the walls of her parents’ house were stifling. Plus, Sheree really didn’t want to look at her father’s disdaining face or hear his condemnatory words about her husband.
It was well after
That set another chain of events into motion as Graham then demanded to talk with his wife. When Sheree tried to go with him, her father physically restrained her. A tug of war began. Her husband grabbed one of her arms while her father held the other. Both were squeezing her wrists so tightly that tears instantly sprung to her eyes.
When Graham noticed Sheree’s pain, he immediately released her. Her tears had halted him in his tracks. Although intoxicated, he couldn’t stand to see his wife in any pain. But her father still held her tightly. Allen refused to let his daughter go, no matter how much it hurt her.
Then Graham said something that continued to haunt Sheree to this day. His demeanor was suddenly completely sober as he stared at her intently. “What’s it going to be, Sheree? Me or your family?” His gray eyes turned almost a dark blue with emotion.
Suddenly, Sheree jerked away from her father. She became lit with anger. She was angry at herself for ever accepting her father’s money in the first place. She was angry with her father for interfering and making her husband feel so inadequate. Sheree was also angry with Graham for overreacting and going out drinking instead of staying to talk with her. But most of all, she resented the ultimatum he’d just given her. It sounded too much like her domineering father.
When Sheree finally spoke, it was out of her sweltering ire. “I’m not going anywhere!” As soon as the words fall out of her mouth, she regretted them.
Graham’s face went from shock to dismay, then finally to anger. He’d thought for sure that his beautiful wife would choose him. When she didn’t, he fought hard to hide his devastation behind the only emotion that he could still have with any dignity – anger. Graham’s pride wouldn’t allow him to beg, which was what he really wanted to do. Instead he turned around and walked off the colonial style porch and strode silently into the darkness.
Graham didn’t even take their car. Why would he? The tan Mercedes had been yet another thing Allen had given Sheree during their marriage. Plus, it had served as a constant reminder of Graham’s inability to care for his wife in the manner to wish she’d been raised. Never mind how many extra hours he had to put in at work, just to pay for the car’s costly repairs.
Graham hitchhiked all the way back to Handley. With each mile that he rode on the back of various trucks and jeeps, his anger grew. When he finally made it home, it was late Thanksgiving evening. Although he was dog-tired, he checked the phone messages. When he realized that none of them were from Sheree, his anger increased even more.
Graham spent the rest of that day eating cold cereal and sulking. He didn’t even call to tell his parents that he was back in town. Over the course of the weekend, Graham didn’t shave or bathe. He just sat by the phone, waiting for his wife to call. But she never did.
Chapter 2
As Sheree remembered that painful time, she switched the current CD. Barry White’s voice just reminded her too much of Graham for comfort right now. Although classical music now played, her mind still returned to that fateful Thanksgiving Day.
Sheree had waited all weekend for Graham to call her. When he didn’t, she grew angrier and depressed. By Monday, she’d finally given in to the poisonous words her father had continuously poured into her ears since her husband’s departure. In short, Sheree had become convinced that her marriage was over. Why else hadn’t Graham contacted her yet?
Soon after that, Sheree’s father quickly drafted up divorce papers. He also sent someone to her home in Handley to collect her things. The house itself would remain with her husband. Two months later, Sheree was a divorced woman. Sadly, she never saw Graham again.
By March of the following year, she’d found a new job. Sheree had also found a new place to live. Although she’d allowed her father to step in when she was hurt and confused, she quickly grew weary of his endless controlling behavior and decided to try to reestablish her independence.
When Sheree finally separated herself from her father’s control, Allen stubbornly declared that she was cut off from his money altogether until she wised up and acted like a true
Sheree shook her head in the car as she switched back to her Barry White CD. If she was going to think about Graham anyway, she might as well listen to her favorite CD where doing it. Yet before Sheree allowed her mind to focus completely upon her ex-husband, she took a moment to think about her sister.
Sheree disapproved of the way Kelly had sold herself short by marrying for money. To this day, her sister was thoroughly miserable with the man their father handpicked for her. Jeremy Wright was a wealthy lawyer from Allen’s law firm, but he was completely bankrupt in backbone. Jeremy was clearly their father’s yes-man. He was also the biggest wimp Sheree had ever met in her life. Jeremy would never challenge Allen on anything.
Sheree suddenly smiled. Graham had certainly challenged her father. And he had definitely been his own man. Sheree sighed wistfully. A part of her wished that he were still her man. But as Barry White said, ‘Whatever we had, we had.’ It was over between them.
On the last stretch of her trip, Sheree stopped at a small roadside diner to rest and eat. She ordered one of her favorite meals - corned beef and cabbage. As she applied salt and pepper to her food, she remembered the first time she’d cooked this same meal for Graham. It had been on their first date.
***
That long ago and fateful night of their first date, Graham had arrived at Sheree’s apartment at
Sheree exhaled deeply of the flower and ushered him in. As Graham followed her swaying hips inside, he had to fight with his body for control. The brown bamboo print dress Sheree wore emphasized just how curvaceous she really was. After she put her flower in a small vase of water, they sat down in the living room and made small talk, conversing like old friends. After awhile, she brought dinner out and served it.
In the small dining room, Graham and Sheree sat across from each other and held hands as they said grace. Their touch was electric.
As they promptly started to eat their meal, Sheree found it increasingly hard to concentrate. Suddenly she wasn’t hungry anymore. When she looked up from her plate, she discovered that Graham wasn’t hungry anymore, either. His gray eyes were watching her intently, focused on her lips, not his food, as she self-consciously licked them.
That innocent action prompted Graham to clear his suddenly dry throat. He reached to take a sip of his drink just as Sheree reached for hers. Again, their fingers touched, but this time there was no stopping the inevitable. Sheree moved her chair closer and leaned into Graham’s lips. Even while it was happening, she couldn’t believe that she’d made the first move like this. Around him, she seemed to always make the first move.
Graham couldn’t believe it, either. He had come quite prepared to exercise some restraint all night, but with Sheree kissing him like this, he didn’t know what to do. Yet after the second delightful smack, his instincts took over and he scooped her up into his arms and took her to the bedroom, never even breaking the kiss.
Inside of the brown-colored room, Graham and Sheree rapidly tore at each other’s clothes. They couldn’t undress fast enough. Suddenly time seemed to stand still as they became trapped in a dreamlike state as they stood there looking at each other’s magnificence. Wanting to savor the moment, Graham withdrew a bit so that they could really look at each other.
The meal on the table was now long forgotten as his gray eyes roamed Sheree’s stunning birthday suit. “You’re so beautiful,” Graham said as he moved closer again. Yet as soon as he looked up into her face, he suddenly stopped short. The wide-eyed way Sheree stared at his rigid body spoke of inexperience and that unsettled him.
Graham had to ask, “Are you a virgin?” His tone was soft and gentle just like the touch of his hand on her cheek.
Sheree nodded as her face flushed with color. Now feeling self-conscious, she reached for the robe that lay draped across the wicker chair by the door and started to cover herself. “I’m…sorry,” Sheree began, not sure if she was apologizing for remaining virtuous or for leading him on like this.
Graham removed his hand from her cheek and brought her to his pounding bare chest. When he spoke again, his voice was thick with emotion. “You don’t have anything to be sorry about, Sheree. I appreciate your honesty. In fact, I’m glad you told me, because that is one gift that’s better off given in marriage.”
Then right there in Sheree’s bedroom, on their very first date, Graham dropped to his knees and proposed to her. “Will you marry me, Sheree?”
Of course, she said, “Yes.”
***
Sheree finished the rest of her meal, smiling as she remembered how fast she’d said ‘yes’ to Graham’s proposal. The only reason they waited three weeks later to elope was because he insisted on giving her an expensive ring that he’d picked out for her. He needed the extra time to finish several odd jobs that he’d taken on to pay for it. Graham was always willing to do things like that to please her.
As Sheree paid the elderly waitress for her meal, along with a generous tip, her mind stayed on Graham. That man sure loved me, she mused. Then she shook her head to clear it. But that was then and this is now. Who is he loving now?
Then after visiting the facilities, Sheree went out to her car and started on her way. This time she let the Barry White CD play continuously.
Chapter 3
When Sheree finally arrived in Handley, she immediately went to her former home on
bravenet.com