Blissfully Yours (Mills & Boon Kimani)

by Velvet Carter

  “What do you mean? What kind of scoop?”

  Naomi moved even closer to Brandon, their bodies nearly touching. “Tell us some juicy insider information. Like which guy out of all Saturday’s dates is she going to wind up with? I don’t see her with that nerdy-looking guy. And the man she had mad chemistry with, I think his name was Erick, never came back on the show. Do you think he’s coming back?”

  As Brandon hesitated, he wanted to say, Her name is Ayana, and she’s mine. But of course he couldn’t. As he sat there trying to decide how to steer the conversation away from Divorced Divas and Saturday’s choice of men, he heard a familiar voice from behind.

  “Oh, that’s why you couldn’t answer any of my calls. You’re on a flipping date!”

  He spun around and saw Ayana standing there with her hand on her hip, looking from him to Naomi.

  “We’re not on a...”

  “Oh, my God—Saturday Knight! I can’t believe it! We were just talking about you,” Naomi exclaimed.

  Ashley chimed in, “Saturday, is that Erick over there?”

  Saturday didn’t respond. She stood there and glared at Brandon.

  Before Brandon could explain, Ayana turned around and hurried away. He started to go after her, but Ed, Steve and Erick were waiting by the hostess podium. They probably couldn’t hear Ayana but they could clearly see her. Brandon watched Ayana as she walked to their table. She had a disappointed expression on her face. He wanted to rush over, take her in his arms and kiss her like he had done in Jamaica. However, one look at Erick, the Swiss banker, and the entire proposal played over in his mind. He got mad all over again. Brandon returned his attention to Naomi. He needed a distraction from his thoughts, and she was the perfect diversion.

  Chapter 25

  Ayana could barely sit through dinner with Ed, Steve and Erick. She was too busy stealing glances at the bar where Brandon sat with his date. Ed had wanted to go out with his star, her new fiancé and the executive producer to discuss plans for the season finale—Saturday and Erick’s lavish wedding.

  “You know, I’ve been thinking. I decided that The Plaza isn’t the best venue for the wedding to take place,” Ed told the group.

  “And why not?” Erick asked.

  “Although I love The Plaza, I think it’s been done enough. So many celebrities have had their weddings there. I’m envisioning a tropical locale,” Ed remarked.

  “Like Fiji?” Steve said.

  “No, some place closer.”

  “Like the Bahamas?” Erick asked.

  “Actually, I’m thinking Jamaica. It’s only a few hours from New York. What do you think, Saturday?” Ed asked.

  Although Ayana’s body was physically at the table, her mind was elsewhere. She was too busy wondering what Brandon was talking about with the beautiful woman sitting next to him. The woman now had her hand on his arm as she spoke. Ayana was seething. Brandon had all but blasted her about Erick, and now here he was entertaining another woman.

  “Saturday, did you hear what I said?” Ed asked when she didn’t respond to his question.

  Ayana refocused her attention, momentarily taking her eyes off of Brandon and his date. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

  “I said, I think Jamaica would be the perfect locale for the wedding.”

  “What wedding?” she asked, looking at him strangely.

  “Your wedding to Erick,” he responded.

  “What! Are you kidding? I thought you said the proposal was just for ratings and that I wasn’t expected to marry him,” Ayana said, slightly raising her voice. She turned to Erick and said, “Sorry, no offense, but we don’t know each other well enough to get married.”

  Erick didn’t say anything. He looked at Ed as if deferring the question to the show’s creator.

  “Don’t panic. The wedding will only look real. A marriage license won’t be filed. Therefore, you and Erick won’t officially be married,” he explained.

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to mistakenly marry a stranger.”

  “Yes, I’m certain. Your contract is coming up, so this wedding will be the perfect way for you to exit the show.”

  Ayana thought about Ed’s reasoning for a few moments. “I guess that does make sense.”

  “I plan to marry off each of you ladies one by one, depending on who wants out of their contract. And then I’ll start fresh with a new divorced diva each season. That way the show will remain fresh,” Ed explained.

  “So you’re saying this will be the last antic I’ll ever have to enact,” Ayana said, warming up to the idea.

  “Yes, this wedding will be your final appearance, and then you’re off the show—free to do whatever you please.”

  That was music to Ayana’s ears. She could finally see the light at the end of this dreadful tunnel.

  “So what do you think about having the wedding in Jamaica?” Ed asked.

  “Jamaica!” Ayana shrieked. She had been lost in thought earlier and hadn’t heard him mention her homeland.

  Steve and Ed, noticing the way she reacted, said at the same time, “What’s wrong with Jamaica?”

  “Uh...nothing.” She couldn’t think of a fast answer, short of telling them the truth, which wasn’t an option. “Can we shoot in Montego Bay? It’s closer than Negril. If we shoot in Mo’Bay, we wouldn’t have to transport the cast and crew on a two-hour bus ride into the country.” As long as they didn’t film the wedding in her hometown of Negril, Ayana didn’t feel too anxious about being seen in Jamaica as her alter ego.

  “That’s a good idea. I want to shoot the wedding as soon as possible. I know Moses said on set that the show will follow you and the girls as you get ready for the wedding, but that’s too long to drag this out. The ratings are slipping fast, and this wedding will help salvage our positioning. Steve, can you oversee all of the arrangements?” Ed asked.

  “Sure thing. I have contacts at the Grand Palladium, so it won’t be a problem to expedite the shoot. The Grand Palladium is a fabulous five-star hotel and will be the perfect venue.”

  “Excellent!” Ed exclaimed.

  As the three men continued to talk about the upcoming wedding, Ayana tuned out again. News of her exit from the show was great, but she still had the fake proposal to deal with and the cold shoulder from Brandon. Finding him with another woman had totally caught her off guard. Ayana glanced over at the bar. She watched as another couple sitting next to Brandon raised their wineglasses and toasted with Brandon and his date. It was clear that the four of them were on a double date. Ayana had half a mind to go over there and break up their little party, but she didn’t want to cause a scene. Instead, she took out her cell phone and punched in a text to Brandon.

  I see you’ve moved on. So keep on moving. It’s over!

  She watched and waited for Brandon to acknowledge the text. A few minutes later, she saw him take his phone out of his pocket and look at it. She assumed he was reading her message. He didn’t text back—just put the phone back in his pocket and continued his conversation.

  Ayana felt hurt and dejected. A part of her—her heart—wanted to keep the relationship going, but another part of her—her pride—wouldn’t let her watch Brandon flirt with another woman in front of her face. She thought that after he read her text, he would come over to the table and ask to speak to her, but he didn’t. Her sitting there with Erick was probably keeping Brandon from coming over, she reasoned.

  The love that she and Brandon had shared in Jamaica seemed like a lifetime ago. Their enchanted time on the island was now nothing more than a distant memory. Ayana was shocked at how quickly everything had changed. She’d thought that Brandon was the one. Now he seemed to be the one who was slowly breaking her heart.

  Chapter 26

  The feel of his muscular arms wrapped around her body, engulfing her in a sensuous full-body hug, felt like a slice of heaven. Every inch of her being craved him. Ayana was hungry for Brandon’s touch. He awakened sexuality within her that she hadn’
t known she possessed.

  He nibbled on her earlobe and then whispered, “I’ve missed you.”

  “How much?” she asked softly in his ear.

  “I can show you better than I can tell you,” he said, holding her closer.

  Brandon trailed his lips from her earlobe to her neck, where he sucked ever so tenderly, before increasing the pressure, sucking harder and harder.

  Ayana closed her eyes and held on to his bald head. “Ohhh...” she moaned.

  He didn’t stop until his efforts produced a deep crimson spot, branding her with his personalized mark of love. Brandon then trailed his lips to her chest, stopping right between her breasts. He teased her right nipple with his tongue and played with her left nipple until it firmed to his touch. He alternated from one to the other, licking her ample breasts. Brandon continued down her body with his lips, stopping only to tickle her belly button with his tongue.

  Ayana lay helpless, enjoying his luscious lips.

  He gripped her hips as he slid between her legs, resting his head in the center of her neatly shaven triangle. Brandon eased his tongue between the folds of her vagina and found her clitoris. He positioned his lips around the tiny head and gently sucked.

  “Oohh...oohh...”

  Brandon was on a mission to bring her to new heights of orgasm. He wanted to ensure she hungered for no other man. He sucked deeper and harder, his wet mouth engulfing her pleasure button. Saliva dripped from his mouth onto his chin and down her thighs as he worked his magic.

  Ayana clenched his head tighter as he made love to her clit.

  He reached underneath and took hold of her buttocks, bringing her lady lips closer to his mouth. Brandon’s deft lips and tongue were working in concert at a rapid pace. Her essence was like sweet cream in his mouth.

  Ayana was in a sexual trance and couldn’t speak. Her body was doing all the talking. Her head was tilted toward the headboard. Her back was arched and her toes were clenching the sheets as she surrendered to him. She climaxed hard. Her body jerked as she released. The tension that had been building in her body was now gone.

  Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, jolting Ayana out of her delicious dream. She opened her eyes and looked down, half expecting to see Brandon in between her legs, but all she saw was a moistened sheet. The oral encounter with Brandon may have been a dream, but her orgasm had indeed been real. She sighed, frustrated that he wasn’t there in the flesh.

  “Yes, who is it?” she yelled.

  “It’s Gabby. Ed wanted me to remind you that rehearsal is in twenty minutes. We’re meeting downstairs in the restaurant,” she said through the door.

  “Okay. Thanks. I’ll be right down.”

  Ayana stretched, climbed out of bed and made her way to the shower. Fifteen minutes later, she was dressed in a white flowing maxi sundress. Her hair was brushed into a ponytail, and her makeup was minimal. Being in Jamaica with the heat and humidity, she didn’t feel like putting on the entire Saturday Knight ensemble—wig, heavy makeup, designer duds, jewelry and heels. She would save all of that for the “big day.” Ayana put on a pair of oversize sunglasses, took her key card and headed out the door.

  When she reached the restaurant with its ocean views and fresh-cut birds-of-paradise, hibiscus and ginger, she felt a sense of home, but that feeling quickly dissipated when Brooke, Trista and Petra came walking into the room. They rolled their eyes in Ayana’s direction and went straight to the buffet. Ayana wanted to go over and explain why she had treated them so badly and apologize for her behavior. Unfortunately, she couldn’t—not yet. She didn’t like being ostracized by the cast and crew, but it was too late now. Ayana walked in the opposite direction, over to the coffee station.

  “Where’s the groom-to-be?”

  Ayana turned around and faced Brandon. She looked through the dark shades into his handsome face and envisioned him making love to her, like he had done in her dream. She wanted to take him by the hand and lead him upstairs to her bed so they could make that dream a reality. They hadn’t spoken since that day in New York, and all Ayana wanted to do was make amends. She regretted sending that text when they were at Serafina, but she had gotten upset seeing him talking with another woman and had reacted without thinking it through. The woman at the bar could have just been a casual friend, for all she knew. Being back in Jamaica, where they’d fallen in love, had brought her back to her senses. She truly loved Brandon and didn’t want to break up with him. This was all a huge misunderstanding, and she planned on clearing things up and getting their relationship back on track.

  She swallowed hard. “Hi, Brandon.”

  “Look at you in all white.” He eyed her from head to toe. “Don’t you look like the bride-to-be?” he said with sarcasm in his voice.

  “It’s not what you think. This wedding isn’t...”

  Before she could tell Brandon that the marriage was a charade and that she was leaving the show when it was over, Erick came up from behind and hugged her around the waist. “Good morning, sweetheart.”

  Brandon stood there for a moment, staring at him holding his woman, and then walked away without saying a word.

  Ayana saw the disgusted expression on Brandon’s face and knew that he was pissed. She wanted to back out of the arrangement right then and there. This sham wedding was ruining her life. Watching him walk away brought her to tears. Ayana was thankful for the sunglasses so that no one could see her red-rimmed eyes. She wiggled out of Erick’s embrace. “Please don’t hug me like that again,” she told him.

  “Why not? We’re a happy couple on the eve of our wedding,” he said with a huge smile on his face.

  “Okay, everyone, finish your breakfast,” Ed said, coming into the room with Gabby trailing behind him holding a clipboard. “We’ll be heading out to the pool area to rehearse in a few.”

  Petra rushed over to Ed and said, “Reunion show supposed to be about all of us dating experience, but it the Saturday Knight show. Why she only one get lavish wedding in Jamaica?” she asked in her broken English.

  “Cool it,” Ed said, waving his floral chiffon scarf in her face. “I plan to marry you off one by one—no worries. You’ll get your chance to waltz down the aisle. Now come on, everyone. Down to the pool.”

  Outside, the pool was enormous and inviting, with crystal clear, ice-blue water. It was the perfect backdrop to the turquoise ocean. A grandiose white-columned gazebo stood at the end of the pool with stunning views of the island.

  Ed stepped up on the marble platform of the gazebo. “Saturday and Erick, come up here. You two will stand here with the minister.”

  Ayana glanced at Brandon, who was standing near the edge of the pool. He was staring into the water, appearing deep in thought.

  “Brandon, can you come up here?” Ed called out.

  Ayana watched Brandon slowly make his way over. He kept his eyes straight ahead without giving her a second look.

  “Stand next to Saturday. I want you to see the vantage point from here. I want a camera at the end of the row of chairs so that it can capture the ocean. A camera will also be in the front to film their faces as the minister conducts the ceremony. Got it?” Ed asked.

  “Yep.”

  As Brandon stood close to her, Ayana became anxious. He still had no idea that the wedding was a sham, and she could see the anger in his eyes as Ed spoke. Ayana was afraid that the longer Brandon went on without knowing the truth, the wider the rift between them would become until it was beyond repair.

  “Saturday, I want you looking deeply into Erick’s eyes as the minister asks you to recite your vows so that the camera can capture your sincerity,” Ed instructed.

  The beautiful surroundings were the perfect venue for a wedding. Ayana had always dreamed of having an ocean-side ceremony, but she’d never thought her second wedding would be a sham. Ayana cut her eyes at Brandon and watched his nonexpression as Ed spoke. Brandon looked as though he’d rather be anywhere else but there.

  “Excuse
me, Ed. Can I talk to you for a second?” she asked.

  “Not now, Saturday. I want to run through everything so we’ll be ready to shoot tomorrow.”

  Ayana wanted to tell Ed to ease up and not focus so hard on her reactions during the ceremony. He was talking as if the wedding was going to be the real deal. The more Ed spoke, the harder it was going to be for her to explain to Brandon the truth about the wedding.

  Ayana stepped a bit closer to Brandon so that her arm was touching his. She wanted to convey with body language what she couldn’t say with words, but he moved away from her the moment her arm touched his. What’s the use? He’s over me.

  The rest of the morning and afternoon was filled with details for the televised nuptials. Ed left nothing to chance. He planned on this being the event of the season. The cast and crew all had their orders, and he expected them to carry out his vision flawlessly. Everyone was excited about the extravaganza except Petra and Saturday. The only thing she could think about was telling Brandon the truth—that the wedding wasn’t legal—before she lost him once and for all.

  Chapter 27

  Ed had hired the best wedding planner on the island, and she arranged everything from ordering the bouquets for the bride and her attendants to selecting the delicious cuisine and champagne for the reception. She even had a designer wedding gown and shoes flown in from New York.

  Today was the big day. All the minute details that comprised a wedding were taken care of with all the speed and ease money could buy. To expedite the magical day, Ed used some of his personal funds and told the wedding planner to spare no expense.