Love In Arms_BWWM Romance

by Erica A. Davis

  “Peter told me to tell you to use his office, he is at a business luncheon.” The elegantly shod middle aged woman smiled at her pleasantly as she indicated for her to follow.

  There was a tall skinny pasty face woman waiting in the office and a young man who had on tight black pants and a pink shirt. “My dear!” the woman gushed, moving forward to meet her and holding out her hands for Kimone to take them. “You are stunning! And it would be a pleasure to dress you.”

  Kimone raised her brows curiously as she took the woman’s hands. “I can dress myself quite well thank you.”

  “Peter told me you would react this way,” she smiled, revealing slightly crooked teeth. She had raven black hair that looked quite startling against her extremely white face. Amy had stepped out of the office and told her to call if she needed anything. “Gustave show her the different gowns.” She gestured to the young man who sprang to attention, reaching for a huge suitcase and opening it. He took out a billowing white gown that reminded Kimone of a wedding cake.

  “Not even if I was mentally ill,” she told the woman who burst out laughing. After several dresses during which Kimone was getting impatient; she finally saw a simple off white dress that barely skimmed her ankle. It was exquisite in its simplicity with no flairs or artifice but was snug from the bodice all the way down. She went into the bathroom and tried it on and it was as if it was made especially for her.

  “It’s perfect!” The woman who said her name was Maxeen with accents on the ‘ees’ said in hushed tones.

  “Now all I need is a pair of shoes to go with it and we are done.” Kimone said briskly. “I want no veils or flowers in my hair.”

  “I have never met a more practical bride to be,” Maxeen said shaking her raven hair. “Fortunately for you my dear, you don’t need anything to enhance that beauty.”

  They made the arrangements and the woman promised to make sure everything was at Peter’s office to be delivered home by the end of the week.

  Kimone hesitated a little bit as Amy walked with her to the elevator. “How does he handle all of this?” she asked the woman.

  “He is quite the employer,” Amy told her with a smile. “He is a visionary and always thinking outside the box.”

  “What you just said went right over my head,” Kimone told her with a grin.

  “He has never brought a woman into his office space before so you must be quite special,” Amy said with a curious smile; her professionalism slipping just a notch.

  “I should hope so,” Kimone pressed the button for the elevator. “I am going to be his wife.”

  *****

  Peter had finished the business luncheon an hour ago but had deliberately stayed behind because he had not wanted to be there when Kimone was there. After all it was bad luck to see the bride in her wedding dress before the wedding, he thought with a grim smile. He played around with the bowl of soup he had ordered. He had been meeting with some Chinese locals about doing some business. He had seen the need to set up an Asian community center where young people would be taught the various ways to earn a living and it had went very well but his mind had not been entirely on the meeting. Kimone had told him point blank that she wanted no frivolity when it came to them getting married and he respected that; he had tried to respect her wishes of not wearing an engagement ring but it had killed him to do so. When she had told him that they were not a real couple he had wanted to die.

  He was beginning to wonder if marrying her was such a good idea. What if she never came to love him? What if he was making the biggest mistake of his life by expecting her to fall in love with him? He pushed aside the half eaten soup, his hands trembling slightly. He had been spending time with her when she could manage to tear herself away from the store; they had gone out to dinner and she had spent a few nights with him. Making love to her had become so addictive that when she was not at home with him he found himself roaming the rooms restlessly and touching the few items she left there; wanting her so much that he ached with the need. She was a free spirit and he dared not impose his love or his will on her, he hoped desperately that she would eventually come to love him.

  *****

  “So how are things with Gregory?” Kimone asked absently. She was setting up the doll house corner and she was going for a certain theme. A six year old child had come into the store a day ago and had told her she wanted to play dress up with the dolls so she was making a dress up corner. The work men had come in to install shelves and made a special case for the toys she considered ‘priceless’.

  It was past closing time and she had promised that she would go home with Peter after his late meeting.

  “Fair to fine,” Dawn said with a shrug.

  Kimone looked up at her friend curiously. The girl looked a shade unhappy from the other day and she had been meaning to ask her what was wrong but she had been so busy lately. She abandoned the doll she had been setting on the shelf and pulled up one of the little plastic chairs the children used when they were playing or reading and sat in front of her friend.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Dawn laughed ruefully. “Nothing gets past you does it? At least some things.” She said, cryptically shaking her head. “I am supposed to be happy.”

  “I thought you were,” Kimone said with a frown. She had been so involved with what was happening with the store that she hadn’t noticed that her best friend needed her.

  “I am supposed to be,” Dawn rubbed her chin absently. “But after seeing what you-“ she hesitated briefly. “What other people have, I am beginning to question if what we have is really it.”

  “Oh honey! I think that every couple is different,” Kimone protested, fighting the urge to really tell her best friend that she was in fact getting married for convenience. “I know Gregory loves you. You are thinking about what happened to you in the past and letting it color the way you look at the relationship now. I am not the best person to give relationship advice, I am afraid but I tend to think that we make our own happiness.”

  Dawn stared at the beautiful girl in front of her. She had always felt that Kimone sailed through life without allowing anything or anyone to hurt her. She’d had men in college stumbling over themselves to try and be with her but she had turned them down diplomatically. Instead of hating her, they had ended up being her friends who would do anything for her. Now she had this gorgeous man who was so obviously in love with her and she did not even know it.

  “You are right,” Dawn forced a smile to her lips. “We make our own happiness, I must remember that.” She stood up to leave, wanting to get away and just be by herself. She was not in love with Gregory and she knew that and even when they made love she had to fight not to tell him to stop. She had been making excuses not to go to bed with him again but she was afraid they were running out and she did not know what to do.

  “How is the planning coming?” she asked as she picked up her coat.

  “It’s coming,” Kimone said with a slight shrug, her mind already on what to do about the old dolls in the corner. “Thank God I don’t have to do the actual planning; I just have to show up.”

  “You know Kimone, most women would be ecstatic in planning their wedding but not you because you are not like us normal everyday women are you?” Dawn could not stop the trace of bitterness from seeping into her voice and Kimone stared at her in surprise.

  “Excuse me?”

  “I’ll see you,” the girl said briefly and pushed the door open. Kimone was about to go after her but just then several customers came in at the same time.

  It was not until later in the evening and she had gone up to Peter’s office that she remembered her friend’s strange words. It was a little past seven and the office staff had left but Peter had stayed back because he wanted to go over some files.

  Kimone had jumped on his desk and was there swinging her legs, distracting him. “I think Dawn is upset with me about something,” she told him absently. He had looked at her in amusement as sh
e jumped up on his desk without the slightest thought of decorum. He turned his chair around so that he was facing her; working with her so near was like fighting a losing battle anyway.

  “What could she possibly be upset with you about?” he asked her.

  “Are you making fun of me?” she narrowed her eyes at him. For the first time since coming into his office she noticed how attractive and relaxed he looked in a black and white cardigan and black pants with his hair falling onto his forehead. She reached over and pushed it away, her hand lingering on his face. He really was quite handsome, she thought with an inward smile.

  “I would never do that,” he said softly, capturing her hand against his face. With a gentle movement he pulled her off the desk and onto his lap.

  “What are you doing?” she squealed, bracing her hands against his chest to balance herself.

  “Trying to get a proper greeting from you.” He murmured.

  “So why didn’t you just asked?” she wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “I am asking now,” he bent his head and reached for her mouth; his heart pounding as she opened her mouth underneath his. He had spent the last few days beating himself up and wondering if he was doing the right thing but he knew that no matter what she did or how she felt about him; he was not able to let her go. She wriggled her butt on him and he groaned; his erection growing. With a shaky laugh he pulled up her sweater and reached for her breasts, passing over her nipples.

  “Tell me what you want,” he urged, pushing her sweater up and over her head, revealing a flesh colored lace bra.

  “I want you,” she gasped; gripping his shoulders.

  “You have me,” he bent his head and using his tongue; he licked her nipple, not even bothering to push aside the bra. He gripped her hips as she moved against him restlessly; his erection boring into her.

  He eased her up a little and pulled down the zipper of his pants, releasing his erection. Kimone pulled up her skirt and he eased her panties away and entered her slowly, tentatively as if afraid to hurt her. But she was having none of that. With a hoarse cry she pulled him inside her, moving on top of him frenziedly. Peter held her hips firmly and thrust inside her over and over again, his breathing shallow as she closed around him tightly. He pushed aside her bra and fastened his mouth on one of her nipples, swirling his tongue around it before pulling it inside his mouth. He felt her body shudder as the orgasm ripped through her body and his own body responded and he felt his seed spilling inside her.

  They held on tightly as their bodies shivered in unison and with a deep shuddering sigh, Peter held her closer to him; knowing he could never let her go.

  Chapter 7

  The wedding took place at a chapel that her mother attended and it had snowed the day before, leaving a dazzling backdrop of white that hurt the eyes. Peter had bought her an ankle length white leather coat that was buttery soft on the inside and very warm to put over her dress. Even though she had decided not wear a veil; Maxeen had put on a beautiful white barrette entwined with baby’s breath in her ruthlessly upswept curls. Tiny diamond knobs winked at her earlobes and her make-up was flawless.

  Peter was dressed in a dark blue suit with a white gardenia in his lapel; he was handsome and looked what he was: a successful businessman and soon to be her husband. There were more people there than she had expected and to her surprise the little chapel was full to overflowing. Dawn was her only attendant and Peter had asked his best friend Michael Malcolm to be his best man. He had overridden her protests of this being a sham and they should have just gone to the courts office and done it.

  “I want a real wedding because it is the only one I will ever do, so please humor me,” he had told her coolly with an unreadable expression on his face.

  She had looked at him curiously and then nodded. She had been aware that there was something he was not telling her but figured he would tell her when he was ready. She had not spent the night with him but had spent it at her mother’s with Dawn who had told her that the next day was her wedding day so that anything they needed to discuss about what she had said before; it would stay until after.

  The ceremony went off without a hitch and as she repeated her vows and listened to his; she found herself looking into his intense dark brown eyes; and she discovered that she could not look away. They exchanged rings and she stared down at the small yet beautifully tasteful gold band with tiny diamonds all around it and even though she had told him that she had not wanted a flashy ring, the one he had chosen cost more than she dared to think about. She had bought a simple gold band for him when he had told her he expected to be given one. Very soon she was Mrs. Peter Makeida and it felt very strange to be referred to as Peter’s wife.

  The reception was held at one of the hotels he had shares in; a beautiful five star building that had been renovated only recently. They would be staying in the honeymoon suite after and Kimone had very wisely kept her opinions to herself. She had changed out of the lovely yet restricting wedding dress and had put on a dark blue dress that came just above her knees and hugged her bodice and swirled from her waist down. She had been surprised yet resigned to find out that there had been several packages delivered to his house with dresses, chic suits, belts, shoes and even lingerie. She had called to thank Amy even though she had not wanted all of it but to her surprise, Amy had told her that Peter had done the shopping himself.

  “You shopped for me?” They were twirling around the dance floor; their first dance as husband and wife and she closed her arms around his neck as they moved to the beat of the song playing. She was wearing impossibly high black shoes that brought her up to almost eye level with him. “I thought Amy did the shopping.”

  “I wanted to shop for my wife,” he told her lightly; tightening his arms around her small waist. He had stared at her coming towards him in the church and had wanted to run to meet her and sweep her into his arms.

  “Even if your wife does not care for all the expensive clothes that could outfit an entire store?” she asked him in amusement, her heart jumping a little at his possessive tone.

  “You are going to have to entertain occasionally, I hope you are okay with that,” Peter reminded her. He had told her from the start but she had totally forgotten about that aspect of it.

  “Are you sure I can make adequate dinner conversation,” she asked him tilting her head to the side and her delightful smile coming forth, revealing the cute space between her teeth.

  He felt weak with relief that she was not objecting and he wanted to kiss her there and then.

  “I have all confidence in you,” he told her softly, giving in to his desire and bending his head to take her lips with his. With a sigh, Kimone opened her mouth under his and moved closer to him, her tongue touching his. He deepened the kiss and for a magical moment he pretended that she felt the same way about him and that they were a couple deeply in love.

  Across the room; Dawn sat there at one of the tables; her eyes on them wistfully. Gregory was beside her but she could barely look at him and had not wanted him to come. He had reached for her hand as they were sitting around the table and she had allowed him to take it but she had wanted to pull away. What was wrong with her that a perfectly sweet man like Gregory was interested in her, loved her even but all she could do is look at her best friend and her husband and feel the envy twisting her inside? When had she become this person?

  “Want to dance?” he asked her, giving her hand a squeeze. She started to say no but after feeling like the lowest person on earth, she told him yes and let him led her onto the dance floor. Other couples had joined the newlywed as well and Kimone waved to her gaily, before turning to laugh at something her husband said.

  Dawn placed her hands on Gregory’s solid shoulders and with a bolstering smile she started following his steps.

  Kimone made the rounds as Mrs. Peter Makeida; smiling and greeting his employees and business associates and making the necessary small chatter. Peter was right beside her and he
held onto her or otherwise she would have taken a seat long ago. Her feet were killing her; these shoes were definitely not made for walking.

  He sensed that she was wilting and with a charming smile he told the guests that they were going to retire for the night because it was time for the honeymoon to start. With a lot of laughter and ribaldry and friendly suggestions they went to the pent house suite.

  Kimone barely noticed the sheer luxury of the gold and white suite as she kicked off her shoes just inside the doorway and sank her feet into the luxuriant carpet. “If I had to stand another minute in those killer heels, I would have collapsed.” She said with a grimace, giving him a curious look as he took up the shoes she had left at the doorway and placing them neatly in a corner of the room. She had noticed that he did that with her things when she left them lying around at his house. “I warned you about my untidiness,” she murmured as she sat on the side.

  “You don’t hear me complaining do you?” he commented as he walked over to join her. “Want a foot rub?” he sat beside her on the bed. He had not changed like she had done and was still in the suit he got married in but when they had come into the room he had shed his jacket and loosened his shirt buttons.

  “Does this come with being married to you?” she asked teasingly giving a sigh as he reached for her feet and put them in his lap.

  “Absolutely.” He told her with a smile. He started with her instep and worked his way towards her toes which had been painted a pale shade of pink for the occasion and Kimone felt the tension easing away like some magical ointment had been poured on her feet.

  “Goodness, how did you learn how to do that?” she asked him as he continued to rub her feet gently. She was starting to feel relaxed and comfortable.