“Outside talking to the butler,” Claudia smirked, and we all took a seat at the table.
“What is she talking to the butler about?” Phoebe rose the question before I could.
Claudia shrugged. “I’m not sure, but he was talking in a whisper, and Carla was giving him a schoolgirl smile.”
Jasmine gasped. “Oh my God, that girl.”
We all laughed and shook our heads.
“Let’s pray over this food,” I said.
“Come on, hands,” Phoebe ordered, holding her arms out.
We all joined and bowed our heads.
“Heavenly Father, thank you for this meal we are about to receive. Bless this food for the nourishment of our bodies—”
“Carla’s body too, even though she’s outside flirting with the butler,” Eden added, and we all snickered.
“Yes, Lord, Carla’s body, too,” Phoebe agreed. “In Jesus Christ’s name, we pray, Amen.”
“Amen!” we chorused.
“Jasmine, will you pass the syrup?” Desiree asked.
The syrup was passed down the table one by one.
“So, what’s on the agenda today, ladies?” It was Desiree who spoke up.
“Oh, I’m not telling you anything after you kept a secret from me,” I fussed.
“Come on, seriously. I’m the bride, and she is, too. You can’t get mad at either of us,” Desiree determined.
I twisted my lips. “You only get to use that one time, so if this is it, I’ll move on, but I’m telling you. One time.”
The other ladies chuckled, and Claudia spoke, “Well, what are we doing tonight?”
“Strippers!” Octavia said.
The girls whooped and whistled, and the triplets stood and bumped hips in excitement.
“No!” Claudia said. “No strippers, please.”
We all stopped our celebration and stared at her like she’d been bitten by a snake.
“I don’t know if you’re running a fever or not, Claudia, but you can bet your ass there will be strippers,” Samiyah said. “This will be your last night as a single woman, do you hear me? No more one-night stands and late nights out at the club. I’m surprised you of all people would say no to strippers.”
“I promised Jaden he would be my one and only stripper,” she whined.
“Aaaah!” We all yelled.
“Why would you do that?” Selena asked.
“I just lost my appetite,” Phoebe surmised.
“Speak for yourself,” Selena said. “I bet Jaden would make an excellent stripper.”
“Definitely,” Octavia offered, half-purr.
“Wait,” Claudia held her hands up, “are you two imagining my husband in stripper gear because if you are, we’re about to have a problem.”
We all cracked a smile and burst out laughing. Well everyone but Claudia. She folded her arms and scowled.
“Ewww,” Phoebe, Eden, and Jasmine all chimed.
“You gals wouldn’t love it because he’s your brother,” Selena said, “but come on. You know Jaden would put all male strippers to shame.”
“Okay, heffa, you need to get a man of your own,” Claudia said, rolling her neck.
We laughed some more, and even the triplets couldn’t help but chuckle at that. When Carla finally entered the room to find us all half-bent over laughing, she held out her arms.
“What I miss?”
Chapter Two
“I love you, girl, and I want to thank you for being here with me.” Desiree tugged at the form-fitting skirt she wore.
“Why do I feel a but coming on?”
“But, this thing can’t last all night. The wedding is at 4 o’clock tomorrow, and I need my beauty rest.”
I smiled softly at my friend. We were standing on a narrow brick pathway outside the Bellefield Plaza surrounded by a rose garden. The smell of the fresh flowers sat heavily in the air, and each breath I pulled in gave me another gust of the potent fragrance.
“Desiree, tonight I want you to have a blast. I know you’re nervous and anticipating becoming Mrs. Julian Alexander Rose. You know I have your best interest at heart, don’t you?”
Desiree nibbled on her bottom lip.
“Stop that. You’ll mess up your lipstick,” I reprimanded.
“Yes, of course.”
“Okay, then trust me.”
She breathed a sigh of relief, and I grabbed her hand, holding on firmly. Easily we glided down the walkway into an open hut. Blue lights hung overhead, casting a royal shadow over the venue. Leather sofas and modern eclectic chairs sat around an opened floor. A Jamaica tune beat through speakers embedded inside the hut’s structure. Three bartenders stood behind a counter, all natives with welcoming smiles dressing their faces. A personal chef stood flanked in an apron behind a makeshift open range. Flames flickered through the grill where the chef prepared steak samplers for those in attendance.
When we made it past him, we came upon a stage that stretched the room from one end to the other. All the girls plus a few cousins, aunts, and friends smiled up at us.
“Well, it’s about damn time.” That was Eden’s sassy aunt Matilda.
“Oh hush,” Tracie another one of the triplet’s aunts inserted. “She can take as long as she likes. Come on over here, girl, and give me a hug, I ain’t seen you all day.”
We smiled and hugged everyone. Once Desiree made her rounds, Samiyah and I pulled Claudia and Desiree to a stand.
“Okay, ladies, close your eyes. They both obeyed, and we held their hands while Octavia and Selena tied a silk garment around their eyes.
“You’re blindfolding us,” Claudia said, stating the obvious.
“Mmhmm,” Samiyah and I crooned before we all burst into laughter.
“Are you nervous?” Octavia asked.
“I’m not sure yet, I’ll let you know,” Claudia replied.
We all giggled again as they finished their task then Samiyah and I pulled them to the stage and sat them in chairs. Desiree’s hands trembled slightly in mine.
“You are nervous,” I said.
“Just a little. More excited than anything.”
“And what else?”
“Hoping my soon-to-be husband doesn’t kill me for letting a stripper dance in my face.”
“I second that,” Claudia said.
“Technically, the strippers won’t be in your faces since you’re both blindfolded. They’ll just be in your hands, lap, and everywhere else.”
“Oh my God!” Desiree and Claudia screeched.
“Relax,” I said. “Julian and Jaden know what this night is about. I’m sure it’ll be the farthest thing from their minds come tomorrow when they’re both gazing at you walking down that aisle. Plus, they’re men. I’m sure their strippers are nastier.”
“Oh thanks. That makes us feel so much better,” Desiree almost snapped.
The ladies and I giggled, and we moved off the stage. The Jamaican music changed to a sexy bombastic tune. Seconds later, a side door opened, and Jaden and Julian entered the room wearing only a pair of boxer briefs. All the girls swooned, and I could tell the anticipation was killing Claudia and Desiree.
I turned to the girls to shoo them out of the room and into another where the real strippers were because, let’s face it, we still had to have the real deal. Eden, Phoebe, and Jasmine along with their aunts were already gone. I laughed, thinking they must have flown out as soon as Jaden and Julian entered. Samiyah shook her head slowly and gave two thumbs up while Octavia, Carla, and Selena practically drooled, keeping their eyes on the handsome men.
I traipsed toward them and whispered, “There are plenty of gorgeous men in the other room, trust me, now book it!”
“I hardly doubt they are as fine as those two,” Carla said while Octavia and Selena agreed with a nod.
I chuckled and stole another look at the stage. The men were right in Claudia’s and Desiree’s faces. Their hands trailed over the ridges of their abs as the men moved and pumped around th
em.
Shit, I thought.
“Mmhmm,” Octavia mumbled, noticing me linger.
“Come on,” Samiyah fussed, grabbing us all.
“Aaah!” One of the girls screamed before we could fully disappear. We all turned once more to see what had happened.
Julian had put Desiree’s hand down his pants, and she was two seconds from passing out. We all howled with laughter, unable to contain ourselves as we finally left the room.
Walking through the door hit us with another beautiful sight. Several islanders gyrated around the girls in Speedos, their bodies oiled and abs ripped. Muscled thighs and pedicured toes set off their stripper looks, but nothing fit the part more than the firefighter hats, police straps around their waist, and formal ties that hung from their necks.
Each played a role of a different gentleman but what stopped me in my tracks was Josiah. The ripples in his broad shoulders glistened as the muscles faded into the abs of his perfectly oiled chest. My eyes traveled down to the white cargo shorts that stopped below his toned knees but just above his solid calves. The penny loafer shoes were just as crisp as they completed his sexy Islander appearance.
The woman who leaned into his ear said something that made him smile. She was a friend of the Rose family, and I had a possessive moment where I wanted to snatch him away. I was seconds from pulling my eyes when his gaze connected with mine. The smile Josiah wore faded a bit, and his tongue ran across his teeth. The temperature in the room seemed slightly warmer than moments ago, and I pushed out a laden breath. He spoke to her but kept his eyes on me before leaving her side to trail across the room. As he neared, my body changed. The warmth I felt grew hotter, and my nipples became sore after they hardened. A pulse between my thighs made me want to cross my legs, but I never moved.
I wondered if it had anything to do with his intoxicating stare and muscled arms, coupled with the swagger in his walk. When he was upon me, an electrifying smile covered his face, sending a shockwave through me as if I’d been struck by lightning. I was certain if he touched me I’d melt between his fingers.
“Good evening, beautiful.”
His dark voice sizzled my flesh, and chills populated across my skin. I offered him a smile that I hoped wasn’t awkward.
“How are you, handsome?”
His smile widened. “Couldn’t be better now that you’re here.”
I arched a brow and smiled wistfully. “Somehow, I think you were enjoying yourself just fine before I arrived. What are you doing here? The summons was only for Jaden and Julian.”
He rubbed his chin then crossed his muscular arms.
“I didn’t get the memo.”
But the wicked smile on his face told me he indeed did get it.
“What are you up to?” I asked.
His tongue trailed across his teeth again, and I demanded my body not to react. Josiah unfolded his arms and rubbed his hands together methodically.
“I’m feeling a little… reckless tonight, and I was wondering if maybe you might be feeling the same.”
It was an invitation. To do something neither of us had any business doing. The insinuation sent a plethora of ideas running through my mind. I’d have to get rid of the thong I wore since it was now drenched from the panting of my pussy.
I inhaled. “What did you have in mind?”
The Next Morning
I woke up to warm soft kisses against my cheek and thin prickly hair tickling my chin. I smiled and moaned softly as the kisses trailed down my neck, chest, then swirled around my breasts. Instantly, my eyes shot open and gradually I glanced down. The sight of Josiah’s sexy, muscular physique and tempting mouth sent a flame burning through me within seconds. I wore only a bikini top and bottoms. It was then that I noticed my surroundings.
“Oh my God,” I said.
Josiah continued to kiss down my body as I took it all in. We were laying in a hammock that hung from the entrance of what appeared to be a cave. A waterfall fell over us, and interestingly enough, we weren’t wet, nor were we cold. I moaned when his lips touched my sex, even threw the lacy material.
“Where are we?”
Josiah paused and peered up at me.
“The blue hole,” his baritone voice rumbled.
Then I remembered last night’s activities. Once I’d agreed to go with him, Josiah had taken me by the hand, and we’d driven for about an hour before coming to Ocho Rios. We stopped at a local nightclub for a few drinks and talked about our time in Jamaica, neither of us wanting to see it come to an end with the two days remaining on our trip.
“We’ll come back, just you and I,” Josiah had promised.
That started it. We left the bar and strolled to the entrance of a creek and found access to a river raft. As we sailed downstream, we kissed. It began moderate but gradually intensified into a passionate dance between our tongues that melted my bones and scorched my skin. I was not the type of woman to hold back. I still wasn’t sure if that’s a good or bad thing. I hadn’t had any complaints, so I took it in stride. However, in that moment, I second-guessed myself. It lasted all of two seconds before I found my way on top of his lap, grinding through our clothes. They disappeared, piece by piece, and the raft rocked as it traveled to somewhere I didn’t give a damn about. My only focus was on Josiah.
It was apparent that we’d ventured off to the blue hole, and the sex I wanted to believe we had was absent from my memory. I wanted to ask him as he laid a trail of kisses back up my thighs, but I was afraid if we had and I’d forgotten, it would ruin his ego.
“Didn’t get enough?” I asked, trying to pick his brain without being obvious.
He paused again and cocked his head, amused.
“Didn’t get any,” his deep voice barked. “We fell off the raft, remember?”
My mind roamed for the memory.
“You probably don’t,” he continued. “We shouldn’t have had anything to drink before our excursion.”
“What happened?”
“When we fell overboard, I had to find you and bring you back to the surface. You weren’t breathing.” His eyes darkened. “So, I gave you mouth to mouth resuscitation. You came to, choking up water and laughing.” He pierced a look at me. “I wanted to head back, but you refused, running into the water like you’d lost your mind. That’s how we ended up here.”
I looked over at the waterfall. It hid us from anyone or anything. Watching it from behind was surreal. I then turned to the open cave. Rigid edges hung from the ceiling, and the claylike structure darkened the deeper it went.
“This is nuts,” I said.
“You’re adventurous,” he said. “I like it, albeit a bit out of control at times.”
“Free-spirited,” I defended. “Besides, I remember someone asking me if I was feeling reckless.”
“Mmm, I’ll take that.”
“Sure you will.” I smiled and bit my lip. “So what time is it?”
“I’m not sure,” he mused.
My eyes widened. “What do you mean you’re not sure? Oh my God, we have a wedding to attend. Desiree is going to kill me if I’m late!”
“That’s true,” he said more calmly than I liked.
“How the hell do we get down from here?”
That wicked smile crept along his mouth. “We get wet.”
My body heated at the same time I blubbered, “Wha-what?”
His deep laughed echoed through the open cave, then he tilted his head toward the water below.
“We jump, beloved.”
My eyes rose in surprise. Without warning, Josiah grabbed me, wrapping his arms around my waist, sealing us together.
“On the third kiss, hold your breath,” he said.
“What!?”
He jumped, and I couldn’t believe it. His wet mouth found my face and neck, and by the third kiss, my feet hit the water, and we were underneath the aqua blue lake. His hold remained strong as he swam with me clutching him for dear life to the surface. When we pulled up
, I took in a massive breath.
“You’re crazy!” I yelled.
Josiah splashed me with water.
“Yeah, and you love it.”
Five minutes. It was all the time we had left before the wedding started. My nerves were on edge as I ran through the double doors and parked myself in the maid of honor position, which Octavia currently occupied. It had taken too long for us to get back, get dressed, and make our entrance. I was sure Desiree would have my neck, but I couldn’t think about that now. Entering the room from a different direction, Josiah adjusted his tie and winked at me as he found his place among the groomsmen. We didn’t arrive unnoticed. Curious stares, glares, and eyes of mischief followed us as we adjusted ourselves. I must have cleared my throat a million times before finally glancing at Samiyah.
She was squinting at me with a soft shake of her head. A silent chastisement. My stomach flipped. I’m sorry. I mouthed. She pursed her lips as if to say, “It’s not me you need to apologize to.” I sighed and let out a deep breath when the music sounded, and both Claudia and Desiree appeared standing a few inches away from each other. They looked at one another and smiled then reached out and squeezed each other’s hands before making their way down the aisle to their grooms. Everyone was dressed to the nines, and I didn’t miss the glare on Desiree’s face when she moved closer.
I swallowed, hoping she would forgive me later. The ceremony went off without a hitch, and all was well. However, at the reception, I made myself scarce, not ready for the stern talking to I knew was coming. When Josiah approached me again, I said the first thing I should’ve said the night before.
“No.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “Oh come on, you haven’t even heard my plea, sweetheart.”
“Still no.”
“I promise to make it worth your while.”
Damn it, I thought, fighting internally with myself. Needless to say, we disappeared again, and this time for the duration of the trip.
Chapter Three
Josiah
Chicago, Illinois
“Good morning, Mr. Rose. It’s good to see you today. I was worried about you for a second.”
Fever (Falling For A Rose Book 4) Page 2