She needed her friends to take one for the team tonight and let her drown her sorrows in a tub of ice cream.
When Gabby and Robyn arrived on her doorstep wearing matching strapless red chiffon dresses to take her to Cole’s wedding, Kimberly dropped the bomb. “I’m not going.”
“Excuse me?” Gabrielle asked.
“I don’t understand,” Robyn said.
“I can’t watch two people vow to love each other for the rest of their days,” Kimberly responded. “Not now. It’s too much, too soon after Jaxon. I just need some time,” she said, walking back into her condo. “Time to get over him.”
Gabrielle and Robyn looked each other. “We’ll cover for you,” the both said nearly in unison.
“I know how hard it is when your heart’s been broken,” Robyn said. “But you will get through this.”
“Until then, we’ve got your back,” Gabrielle replied. “And I’ll bring you back a piece of that splendid cake I created.”
Kimberly smiled from the couch, where she’d parked herself with her favorite ice cream. “Thanks, girls, it means a lot to me.”
Seconds later, they were out the door, leaving Kimberly blessedly alone so she could cry in peace over the wedding she would never have with the man she loved. She reached for the remote and turned on the television.
She was just into her movie when she heard loud pounding on the door of her condo. Who the heck could that be? She’d told the girls she wasn’t going and they’d said they would take care of everything. Was there a problem? She rushed to her door and swung it open.
Cole was standing there, holding a garment bag. He was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, with a big C necklace hanging from his neck.
“Cole? What are you doing here?” She glanced down at her watch. The wedding was in an hour. “You should be getting dressed. The photographer will be at your suite any minute.”
He pointed at her attire. She was wearing a Belleza cashmere bathrobe, pajamas and her hair was tied up in a scarf as she usually did before she went to bed.
“You need to get dressed,” he said, storming into her condo.
“Why?”
“Because I’m not getting married unless you’re there to oversee everything.”
“You don’t need me. Robyn, the Belleza’s event manager, has everything under control. You’ll be in good hands.”
“I don’t want Robyn. I want you,” Cole stated. “Was Robyn the person I asked to pull off this wedding? No, I called you, because I went to the top. I knew you would ensure the event went off without a hitch.”
Kimberly thought about it. He was right. He had called her.
“You have twenty minutes to get your act together and get dressed,” Cole said, folding his arms across his chest. “Or you risk losing that substantial bonus I agreed to. Here’s a dress.” He handed her the garment bag. “I’ll see you in twenty.”
Kimberly’s eyes narrowed. Of course he would throw money into the mix. She gave a fake smile. “All right, I’ll be there.” She pushed him toward the door. “Go get dressed and I’ll see you at the lawn.”
She saw Cole’s triumphant smile as she closed the door. Just great! She had no choice but to put on the dress and attend the wedding.
After a quick shower, Kimberly got ready in record time. When she opened the garment bag, she was amazed at the dress inside. It wasn’t any old dress. It was a one-of-a-kind designer gown. The color wasn’t white or ivory, but was more like a ginger shade with tons of delicate floral beadwork over sheer lace on the cap-sleeved bodice. It was simply stunning and Kimberly let out a long breath.
Cole was giving her this designer gown to wear to his wedding? Wouldn’t she upstage his bride? But if she didn’t wear it, would he take offense? She couldn’t offend such a high-profile, influential client who could bring back plenty of repeat business, so she put it on.
The dress was made for her body. It fit her every curve and highlighted her slender figure. Kimberly felt like a million bucks in it and it certainly helped lift her spirits. Such an exceptional dress called for great hair, so she swept her hair into a simple updo with a few curls cascading down the back, applied some quick strokes of makeup, her favorite pair of chandelier earrings and silver sandals and headed out the door. She sped in her golf cart toward the main lawn, where the ceremony was being held. She’d taken longer than twenty minutes, but she hoped she wasn’t too late.
She parked the golf cart, grabbed the bottom of the dress and took off at a quick pace. That was when she heard the wedding march. When she arrived, she found Robyn and Gabrielle at the entrance to the ceremony, but they were blocking her view of the arch.
“Am I late?” Kimberly glanced at her smiling friends as she smoothed her dress. She hadn’t been prepared to come to this event tonight and felt rushed. “I just heard the music.”
“No, you’re fine,” Robyn answered. “Cole told us you were coming, so we held it off until you arrived. The wedding is just starting.”
“Thank God!” Kimberly let out a sigh of relief.
“Kim, you look amazing,” Gabrielle said.
“Do I really?” Kimberly blushed as she could see Gabrielle tearing up and it was so unlike Gabby. What was going on? “It isn’t too much, is it? I mean when I saw this dress, it looked like a wedding gown and I wouldn’t want to upstage the bride.”
Robyn grinned at her. “Wouldn’t be possible.”
“Let’s get going,” Gabrielle said, grasping her hand and giving it a quick squeeze. “We’ll go first and then you can follow behind us.”
Kimberly nodded. “Okay.”
Her friends walked down the aisle but Kimberly hesitated. It was a cruel twist of fate for her to walk down an aisle when she herself might never get the opportunity to do so for real. Would she ever find another man with whom she would share an easy camaraderie and earth-shattering orgasms?
Kimberly breathed in deep, reminding herself that this night wasn’t about her, but about Cole and his fiancée. She merely needed to get through the night and then she could go back home, crawl into her bed and cry her eyes out for the love she’d so freely given to Jaxon but that had not been reciprocated.
She turned around and with her head hung low began to follow her friends down the aisle strewn with white rose petals. When she finally glanced up, nothing could have prepared her for the scene in front of her.
Cole was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Jaxon was standing under the arch in a white tuxedo.
Jaxon? She hadn’t seen him in over a week and her heart skipped a beat. What was he doing here? She didn’t understand. Was he Cole’s best man? And why did he have to look so darn good in that tuxedo?
Slowly, she made her way down the aisle and when she made it to the arch, Jaxon was smiling at her.
“What are you doing here?” she whispered.
“I’m sorry for the subterfuge,” he replied, “but Cole isn’t coming.”
“I don’t understand.” Kimberly stared at Jaxon and then glanced to her left at her friends. That was when she saw the two of them holding bouquets. “What’s going on?” she asked them.
Jaxon answered her. “There is no wedding. That is, unless you want one.”
“Me?” Kimberly stared at him, perplexed, not sure she’d heard right. It didn’t make any sense. What did she have to do with any of this?
“I guess my message isn’t clear,” Jaxon responded. “I was an idiot.”
“He’s right on that point,” she heard one of her friends say behind her.
Kimberly’s stomach began to form knots and her heart began palpitating loudly in her chest. What did all of this mean?
Jaxon took herin his. “Kimberly, I’m sorry I left here the way I did. I was confused and scared of my feelings for you.”
“Yo
u broke my heart,” she murmured as a solitary tear escaped down her cheeks.
“I know and I’m sorry.” He wiped away her tear with the pad of his thumb. “But I had a lot of things to work out. You see, I never thought real love was possible. And then I met you. And I began to feel emotions I’d never felt before and it scared me.”
“Don’t you think I was scared, too?” Kimberly said.
“You scared?” Jaxon shook his head. “No, you were fearless. You told me how you felt and that you would accept nothing less. By breaking up with me, you gave me the kick in the butt I needed. While I was away, spending lonely days and nights without you, it made me crazy. It made me realize that I couldn’t live without you, Kim.”
“You can’t?” Could she hope that he had the same feelings for her that she had for him?
He shook his head. “And now I’m ready to tell you without any fears, without any doubts, that I love you, Kimberly Parker.”
Kimberly’s heart filled with joy.
“And once I knew I loved you, I knew what I had to do.” He motioned to the intimate ceremony he’d created. “I reached out to Cole and told him my elaborate plan to win you back and he agreed to help me. Who would have known that’s he’s a die-hard romantic?”
“A wedding?” Kim sputtered, glancing around her. “Don’t you think that’s going a bit too far?”
“Maybe,” Jaxon conceded, shrugging his shoulders. “But I know in my heart it’s where we are going to wind up one day. I understand this may be a bit surreal and if you’re not ready yet, I understand. I will wait for you.”
Kimberly couldn’t believe her ears. A week ago, Jaxon hadn’t been able to bring himself to say the L word and now this?
The next thing she knew Jaxon was getting down on one knee. He opened his tuxedo jacket and pulled a ring box out of his pocket.
“Kimberly, I love you. I probably have since the first day I laid eyes on you. And I’m ready to spend the rest of my life proving to you just how much I love you. Will you marry me?”
Kimberly was floored, not just by his words, but by his proposal. She didn’t want to waste another minute being away from him and flung herself into his arms. “Yes, yes, yes, I’ll marry you. I love you. I love you, Jaxon.” She kissed his mouth repeatedly.
“You will?” Jaxon asked, rising to his feet and bringing her with him.
“Yes, I’ll marry you, but not today.”
“Fair enough.” Jaxon beamed, kissing her cheek, her nose and then her forehead. “Just as long as I know that you’ll have me for the rest of our days.”
“Oh, I’ll have you.” Kimberly beamed.
From behind them, she heard Gabrielle say, “We now pronounce you fiancé and fiancée.”
Kimberly and Jaxon kissed each other with the passion they’d held inside over the past week.
When they separated, they looked at each other for several long moments. “I love you, Jaxon Dunham.”
“And I love you, Kimberly Parker.”
“I guess this means I’m going to have to throw you a real wedding when the time is right?” Robyn asked, interrupting the happy newly engaged couple.
“And beat this?” Kimberly asked, motioning down to her almost-wedding dress.
“I had some help picking out the dress you’re wearing,” Jaxon said.
“You did?” Kimberly asked.
Jaxon smiled. “Sure did.” He glanced at Robyn and Gabby. “Your friends helped me out.”
Kimberly turned to them and her eyes filled with tears. She should have known her best friends had a hand in this.
Robyn gestured to the gown and the surroundings. “If I did all of this in twenty-four hours, imagine what I can do with more time.”
“And the cake?” Kimberly turned to Gabrielle with Jaxon’s arm still around her. Her friend’s eyes were brimming with tears; Kimberly couldn’t recall ever seeing Gabby so affected.
“Oh, did you think I pulled out all the stops?” Gabrielle asked. “Oh, no, I always have a few more tricks up my sleeve.”
Just then, Cole came out from behind the arch and began serenading them with a love ballad.
“May I have this dance, soon-to-be Mrs. Jaxon Dunham?” Jaxon stepped away from her and held out his hand.
Kimberly happily accepted it. “You can have this dance and every one after that.”
Jaxon took her in his arms and together they swayed to the music.
* * * * *
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Kimani Romance.
You dream in vibrant hues! Harlequin Kimani Romance stories feature sophisticated, soulful and sensual African-American and multicultural heroes and heroines who develop fulfilling relationships as they lead lives full of drama, glamour and passion.
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ISBN-13: 9781460382004
Heat Wave of Desire
Copyright © 2015 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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Heat Wave of Desire Page 19