Raymond stared at Imani as he felt her come. She had a look of satisfaction and surprise on her face. As much as he wanted to strip her down and make love to her—especially after licking her essence from his finger—he put his want on ice and asked, “How do you feel?”
“Amazing,” she replied breathlessly. “I’ve never. Felt anything. Like that.”
“That’s just a taste, baby,” he whispered as he leaned into her, his lips inches from her ear. “One day soon, I’m going to make you feel even more amazing, if you want me too.”
She smiled and tingles danced up and down his spine. Raymond had to let her go because if he didn’t, he’d be tempted to spread her legs and bury his face in her sweetness. “All right,” he said, rising from the bed and taking a deep breath. “I have to call Keith.”
“And I’ll order our food,” she replied once her breathing returned to normal. As he headed for the balcony with his cell phone, Raymond watched Imani flip through the menu.
“What’s up?” his friend greeted. “Tell me you’re not calling because you’ve gotten kicked off the show already.”
“I’m still here,” Raymond said. “And so is the most intriguing woman I’ve ever met.”
Keith chuckled. “I should’ve known a woman was involved. Before you tell me about her, I got to tell you this. Let’s Get Married has a big buzz around the city. A crew from New York One came by here today to do a profile on the clinic and the bachelor doctor on the reality show.”
“Really?” Raymond asked. “Please tell me you didn’t make me sound—”
“No worries, man. I told the reporter you were desperate for a wife but you’re so ugly this was the only way you could find someone to give you the time of day.”
“Dude!”
“Kidding,” Keith replied. “I told the reporter about the clinic and our struggles with finances. Then we talked about what Marion G. Palmer means to the community and how you’re taking one for the team so that we can keep our doors open. Then, the phones started ringing off the hook. In the last two days, we’ve had about ten-thousand dollars in donations.”
“Are you serious? That’s great.”
“And, of course, there have been about fifteen marriage proposals since the billboard went up in Times Square with your face on it.”
“What?”
“But forget your ugly mug. I want to know if you have had a chance to get to know that sexy actress? She was in a horrible movie, something about a diva, but damn! She is wearing that pink wet suit in the ad.”
“That’s Imani and I know her,” Raymond replied, smiling as if he was sitting across from his friend.
“If you tell me that’s the woman you were going to rave about, I’m hanging up the phone. No way in hell you should be that lucky,” he quipped.
“Then I’ll holla at you when I come back to New York.”
“Lucky bastard,” Keith exclaimed. “So, what makes her so amazing?”
Before Raymond could say anything, he heard a commotion in the background on Keith’s end, followed by a string of profanities. “Ray, I got to call you back, slight emergency.”
“What’s wrong?”
“A water pipe just burst. I’ll call you back. Make sure you win some money before riding off into the sunset with the sexy actress.”
Raymond laughed, pressing the End button on his cell phone. Then he heard the balcony door open and Imani walked out, pushing the room service cart.
“I ordered pineapple slices, haupia and a Yalumba Antique Tawny. The room service attendant said this Tawny is the best wine to go with this coconut pudding,” she said.
Smiling, Raymond wanted to tell her that he knew what would go best with the pudding and the fruit and it wasn’t found on the room service menu or on that cart. Instead, he nodded and replied, “Let’s give it a taste.” Raymond took the bottle and filled the empty glasses as Imani stuck her finger in the pudding to sneak a taste.
“This is delicious,” she said as she swiped some more.
Raymond set the wine aside and gripped Imani’s wrist. “Let me try that,” he said, then slowly and methodically licked the thick pudding from Imani’s index finger. Even though the treat was gone, he still sucked her finger as if she was made of the coconut dessert.
“Oh, stop,” she moaned.
“Sorry,” Raymond said with a sly smirk. “But it just tasted so good, I couldn’t help it. Every part of you is delicious and sweeter than sugarcane.”
“Umm, you’re something else,” Imani said, grabbing a spoon and dipping it into the pudding. She held it out to Raymond and he dipped his finger in the heaping mound, then brushed it across her lips. He leaned into her and kissed the pudding away, using his tongue to lick the corners of her mouth. She shivered, her body flinching with delight as he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close. Imani wished they were just together on vacation or celebrating their honeymoon privately. Then she could allow him to peel her clothes off and teach her how to make him feel as good as he’d made her feel earlier in the room. She could share her body with him in the privacy of their honeymoon suite and scream his name. Sucking her bottom lip in as they broke their kiss, Imani wondered if this show was really worth it. Should she just take a real chance on love and leave?
Just because you decide to leave, it doesn’t mean that Raymond would follow you. He’s here to make money for his clinic, not chase the last virgin in New York.
“Are you all right?” Raymond asked.
“I was just thinking about being here and how different it would be if we weren’t being watched.”
He picked up his wineglass and took a sip. “I guess we have to deal with it, since we’re both here for reasons other than falling for each other.”
“I wonder, though, will this show actually help my career? Hell, if Juilliard didn’t, how can a reality show?”
“Well, maybe the billboard in Times Square might,” he replied after another sip of wine. “This is good.”
“The what?” she asked, excitement brimming in her voice.
“When I was talking to Keith, he told me that the show has a billboard with you on it in Times Square,” he said.
Imani clasped her hands together and bounced happily. “That is amazing. Do you know how many people are going to see my face?”
Raymond stopped short of telling her that it wasn’t her face that would grab the most attention.
“I need a favor,” Imani said. “May I use your cell phone for a minute? I need to call my agent.”
He handed her the phone, then took another sip of wine. His old thoughts of Imani using him for her career resurfaced in his head. He couldn’t begrudge her for wanting to take advantage of the opportunity to be a star, but he wanted more from her. He couldn’t help but wonder if everything would always be second to her quest for stardom.
“Funderburke,” Edward said when he answered.
“Edward, it’s Imani,” she said.
“Imani,” he said excitedly. “I’ve been trying to reach you but your cell phone is disconnected.”
“I know,” she said. “I heard that I’m in Times Square.”
“Yes, you are, and that’s not where the good news ends,” he said. “I have three scripts on my desk with your name on them. Didn’t I tell you this show was going to be a great shot in the arm for your career?”
“Yes, you did. Three scripts! I can’t believe it.”
“Two are really good, one is so-so. And I got a call from Alex Timbers. He wants to work with you.”
“Are you serious?”
“My dear, you are on your way. Whatever you’re doing on that show, keep doing it, because you’re making an impact.”
A smile spread across her face. “Remember all of that stuff I said about being too good for reality TV? I take it back. Is there any way you can get those scripts to me?”
“Sure, just give me the hotel’s address and I’ll have them overnighted to you,” Edward said. “T
his is just what you needed, Imani. Oh, and New York One did a feature on you and the show. Since it aired, I’ve been getting calls about you. Of course, some of them are just men who love your picture in Times Square. Someone even mailed an engagement ring and said if you came back to New York, he’d marry you.”
“Well, if it wasn’t Kelsey Grammer or Denzel, then there is no need for me to leave,” she said, looking directly at Raymond. “Whoever sent the ring can’t compare to the man that’s meant for me.”
Raymond smiled and shook his head.
“Well,” Edward said, “I’m sure hearts will be breaking all over New York when that gets out. Give me that address and I’ll have my assistant send these to you. Oh, and one more thing. Can I get that apology in writing?”
Imani laughed, then rattled off the address of the hotel and told her agent good-bye. “Thanks,” she told Raymond as she handed him his cell phone back.
“I take it that things are looking good for your career,” he said.
Imani nodded happily. “Scripts are rolling in, I’m getting press, and one of Broadway’s hottest directors wants to meet with me.” Imani picked up her wineglass and clinked it against Raymond’s glass, not noticing that he didn’t seem to be reveling in her excitement. “Now, I’ll get a chance to make up for Fearless Diva.”
“This is what you wanted, right?” he said. But when you get it, what is that going to mean for us? Raymond thought as he sipped his wine and watched Imani seemingly glow underneath her good news.
Chapter 14
After Imani and Raymond finished their midnight snack, he walked her to her room. He wasn’t surprised that she hadn’t noticed his change in mood because all she could talk about were the scripts that would be waiting for her to go over in the morning. As much as he wanted to share in her excitement, he couldn’t help but think everything would change now. When the show went live, he was certain that Imani would be on, acting every chance she got, and he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between what was real and what was part of her audition for America.
“I had a great time with you tonight,” she said, then kissed him on the cheek. “And thank you for letting me borrow your phone.”
“Anytime,” he replied. “Sweet dreams, Imani.” Somehow, he knew the man in her dreams wouldn’t be him, but a thirteen-and-a-half-inch golden statue named Oscar. He returned to his room and thought about calling Keith back, but he kicked back in the bed and looked up at the ceiling, willing himself to believe that Imani wouldn’t change because her career was on the uptick.
But what if she does? he thought. What if she decides that she’s gotten everything she needed and wanted from me and this show and leaves to do one of those movies or a Broadway show? Then what? She made it clear from the start that she was here to become famous and she’s well on her way to that. Still, if that was her main objective, why would she have shared her secret with me? Raymond hopped out of bed and decided to take a walk on the beach. As he headed out the door, he ran into Lucy.
“Well, hello there,” she said with a slick smile. “All alone tonight?”
“What’s up, Lucy?” he asked flatly.
She looked him up and down and licked her lips. “That’s a question I’d like the answer to. Where are you heading at this hour? Sneaking over to the little actress’s room for—”
Raymond held up his hand to cut her off. “Don’t do that.”
“What?”
“Every time I see you, you’re trashing Imani and you don’t even know her.”
“I really don’t give a damn about her. It’s you I’m trying to get to know, but she’s always in the way.” She took two steps closer to him. “Why don’t you give me a chance?”
“It would never work.”
She slipped her hands around his waist and stood on her tiptoes. Just as she was about to kiss him, Imani’s door swung open and the cold and heartbroken look on her face nearly ripped his heart to shreds. He pushed Lucy aside and started toward Imani, but she forcefully slammed the door in his face.
Tres was nearly asleep at her desk, then she saw Lucy and Raymond meet in the hallway. It was golden when Imani walked out of her room and Tres couldn’t help but cheer a little. The evening had been horrible because for whatever reason, the video feed from Imani’s and Raymond’s room was off-line. If Elliot didn’t tighten up, he was going to be looking for a new job. But this—the hallway confrontation—would be the clip of the day. Still, she needed to know what Imani’s secret was and how she could use it to increase the show’s ratings. Elize had already told her about the buzz the show had in New York, a billboard in Times Square, a feature on NY1 and CBS. There was even talk about a feature on The Early Show and Today.
“If you keep Raymond and Imani in the forefront of this show,” Elize had said, “you’re going to be on your way to getting your drama series produced.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” she’d replied. Things were looking really good for her getting that show now if all she had to do was keep Raymond and Imani in front of the camera.
Tres picked up the phone and called Elliot. “Yeah?” he said.
“Have you checked the equipment? We can’t lose footage of Raymond and Imani anymore.”
“The engineers are looking into it right now,” he said with a sigh.
“Make sure it’s taken care of,” she said, then slammed the phone down. Tres needed to see what was going on in Imani’s room after she caught Lucy and Raymond together.
Imani pounded her pillow and vowed not to cry. Raymond was no different than any other man she’d been around. As soon as she turned her back, there he was pressed against that tramp Lucy. I guess he wanted instant sexual gratification, and he’s not getting that from me.
This should’ve been one of the happiest days of her life and because she couldn’t sleep, she’d wanted to ask Raymond to join her for a walk on the beach. Seeing him in Lucy’s grasp made her heart break and her stomach churn with anger and disgust. Why did she think that a man like Raymond would wait for her to decide that she wanted to give him the most intimate part of herself? Especially when Lucy was offering it up on a platter?
Damn it, she was crying. Her cheeks were damp with disappointed tears and when she heard a knock at the door, she made no effort to move.
“Imani, open the door,” Raymond called out after the banging continued.
“Don’t you have somewhere to go with Lucy?” she yelled.
“Not this again. Will you open the door so that we can talk like adults?”
Despite wanting to curse him out and tell him that he should go bang Lucy since it was obvious that that’s what he wanted to do, she bounced from the bed and opened the door, glaring at him. “What in the hell do you want?”
“First of all, it wasn’t what it looked like,” Raymond said.
“Then what was it and why does it happen so often? She’s always around you and we both know what she wants.”
He closed the space between them and placed his hands on her shoulders. Though Imani wanted to push him away, take a step back and get out of his reach, she stayed rooted in place.
“I really don’t give a damn what she wants, because I know what I want and that’s you. Why don’t you believe that? What have I done to make you think that I have any interest in that woman or that I want anyone but you?”
“Raymond, just be serious with yourself,” she said. “You want to—”
“Now you’re reading my mind?”
“I don’t have to read your mind. If you didn’t want anything to do with that woman, then she wouldn’t always be around you!”
He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. “What more can I do? If you want to make me pay for what someone else did to you, fine. Have a good night.”
Watching him walk away, Imani wondered if she’d messed up, made a mistake thinking that Raymond was just like the losers who’d hurt her and made her hold on to her virginity as if it were a security bla
nket. If she didn’t have sex, she wouldn’t get hurt. If she didn’t give her heart away, she wouldn’t be hurt. Wouldn’t be like her mother, who never got over the end of her marriage to Imani’s father.
Love was about as practical to Imani’s mother as an acting career. Though Imani planned to prove her mother wrong about the acting, she might have taken her view on love to heart.
You’re here to make a name for yourself and it seems to be working. Let this thing with Raymond go, she thought. “But how can I let it go when I’m falling for this man so hard?”
Imani sat on the edge of the bed and dropped her head. Why did everything have to be so damned complicated?
The next morning, Imani was awakened with a knock on the door. Yawning, she kicked out of the covers and padded toward the door without putting her robe on. But then she remembered the last time that she opened the door in just her gown, so she grabbed her bathrobe and snatched it on before opening the door.
Just as she suspected, it was a production assistant from the show. “Yes?” Imani asked with her hand on her hip.
“You’re needed in the confessional and I’ll wait for you to change,” he said with an exasperated tone in his voice.
Imani fluffed her hair and shrugged. “I’ll go like this. The sooner we do this interview, the sooner it’s over.”
“All right. But you’re actually going to be doing your interview with someone else today.” He looked down at the clipboard. “Raymond Thomas. Are you sure you don’t want to put some clothes on?”
Imani grabbed her room key card and stuffed it in her robe pocket. “Let’s go.”
The last thing she wanted to do was see Raymond this morning. Part of her wanted to believe that he spent the night with Lucy and had sex with her. She wanted to believe that seeing him this morning wouldn’t bring back the memories of his hand between her thighs and the sweet feeling of an orgasm. Closing her eyes as she and the production assistant waited for the elevator, she listened to the sound of Raymond’s voice. His presence ramped up her emotions and caused her to shiver inwardly. How could she keep up the pretense of being angry, disappointed, or done with him?
Too Hot for TV Page 14