by Taylor Love
Andrea picked up on his idea and approved. “It’s Mika, so yes. Plus, if I spin it as ‘broken hearted best friend has gone off the rails’, she’ll drop everything and come out. That’s what a bestie does.”
“Bet. Robert will fall for the same. He already thinks I’m a head case over you.”
“Glad to know we both suffered. However, I’m more ecstatic we’ll have our friends here to celebrate!”
* * *
Mika had gotten a text from Andrea around noon on Friday. Her friend claimed she had flown out to Vegas on a whim, as she just couldn’t take thinking about Cam anymore. She of course agreed to fly out Saturday morning to join her. Which is how she found herself on this early-ass flight to meet up with her for breakfast.
As she smothered a yawn, Mika couldn’t believe Andrea was so torn up that she basically ran away to the other side of the country. Did she ever want to fall in love so deep that it would hurt that much? She supposed she wanted love…just not all the drama that came with it. Who had time for that? Besides, this was about cheering up Andrea. She would get Andrea drunk and make sure she flirted with the cutest men in all the hottest clubs in Vegas. Mika had many talents, and one of them was being able to have a good time in any situation.
Settled on how she was going to drag Andrea out her funk, she took a look around the nearly empty first-class cabin. Andrea had insisted on paying and booking the short flight and she appreciated having more leg room this early in the morning. She was the only one in her two-person row and she had decided to stay in her window seat. Across the aisle from her was another single passenger.
It was a good looking brother sitting in the seat by the window as well. He was the color of dark chocolate, the kind she liked to eat to give herself an energy boost when she was running on fumes. He was sitting there in a three-piece day suit. He had on a pair of smart and if she had to admit it, sexy specs as he read a newspaper. Who the heck reads actual newspapers anymore?
She let her eyes take him in again and decided she didn’t like what she saw. She worked with professional men day in and day out. Inside her creative marketing office, they wore high-fashion or casual suits. The clients she worked with were more likely to wear the stuffy kind of professional cut like the guy across from her. Mika owed her clients her healthy salary, but they were usually a pain in her butt. They lacked creative vision, which was why they hired her.
The black men she met in and out of work that looked like the guy sitting across from her were the worst. Usually, they were arrogant and boring. She could tell he thought he was self-important and high and mighty. Just the kind of man her mother would want for her. She tried to stay away from men like that, at all costs. Her free-spirited ways seemed to irk their nerves, and their constant serious nature made her feel hemmed in. She was the type of woman who would always need a little fun in her life. Speaking of fun, she hoped she and Andrea would find some men as fine as “Mr. Newspaper” to party with. Only if they were minus the superiority complex she felt her fellow passenger had.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Andrea and Cam were sitting at a table in one of the hotel restaurants, waiting on their friends to arrive. They’d ordered some fruit, mimosas, and croissants to start. They had contacted the front desk earlier and knew that both Robert and Mika had checked in. Which meant they should be able to join them for the ten-thirty breakfast meeting.
Yesterday, the couple had spent the majority of the day making plans and talking. Cam put in another few hours finalizing his project, while she had touched base with her office, squaring away work for the next week. Then they had taken in Vegas, having fun and drinking in the sun. Reconnecting after the separation of the last two months.
When night fell, they both confessed to being semi worried about telling their friends their plans. They had high hopes that at the end of the day, their friends would be supportive. The worst-case scenario would be if one or both of them, were totally against it and refused to participate. Andrea and Camden were okay with that outcome as well. They were determined that nothing would keep them from getting married later today.
Andrea ate a few pieces of fruit. A satisfied smile on her lips as she thought back on last night.
“I don’t want you worrying about what happens tomorrow, so stop stressing.” Cam had kissed her. “I won’t let anyone ruin our day.” He took her lips again and eventually, she relaxed against him. “Let’s turn in for the night. We have another early morning tomorrow. I’d try to seduce you, but I bet you want to wait for your wedding night at this point.”
“You thought wrong, Mr. Holden. Since I met a certain someone, I don’t like to wait for anything anymore. Besides…I’ve really missed being with you.”
“Well, if you’re sure…”
“I’m positive. You need to start practicing your husbandly duty.”
Grinning, Cam took hold of her again and they quickly spiraled into a feverish embrace. The taste of each other was so sweet after being apart for so long. Andrea ripped buttons off his shirt, trying to get to his skin. Her mouth soon followed what her hands had uncovered. How had she gone without his scent or the feeling of his arms around her, for two whole months? Never again, she promised herself.
“Damn, baby, I’m trying to go slow, but you not making this easy.”
“I don’t want slow…didn’t I just say I’m not a fan of waiting?” To prove it, she had tackled getting his pants off, and in the next moment, they were naked. Her sundress had been easy to dispose of. When they crashed to the bed, Andrea had wrangled her way on top of him. She held his thick member in her hand and shivered at the soft feeling of his most private skin. She went to position him at her entrance and he put a hand on her waist.
“Baby…we need…a condom.” Cam was panting like he’d ran a lap.
“Not tonight. I didn’t stop taking my birth control.” She eased just the tip of him inside of her, watching his gorgeous eyes glaze over. “I want to be with you…like this.” She slowly eased down his entire length. That was the last thing slow to happen that night.
Camden had reached up to caress, squeeze, and massage her breasts as she rode him hard. The closer she got to her climax, the wilder she got, digging into his abs for steadiness. Eventually, he had pulled her low to kiss her mouth as she ground her hips against his, going over the peak. He had barely let her recover before flipping her over and proceeding to take her as if his life depended on it. She had craved and loved every minute of it! They had gone at each other another time before finally falling asleep.
Now as she thought back on it, she couldn’t wait until their honeymoon! They’d always used condoms. However, back at the end January, once she had seen how much sex they were having, she had gone on birth control for double protection. They would probably continue to use one or both methods for a while. She had just wrapped her head around marriage, kids were a foreign thought for her at this point. She jerked to attention as Cam squeezed her leg.
“I bet I know what you were thinking about,” Cam said with a chuckle.
“I’m just waiting on them to show up.”
“You are a bad liar. You probably thinking about the same thing I am.”
“And what would that be?”
Cam leaned even closer until he was able to talk into her ear. “I was remembering when you slid down my bare shaft, and how wet and hot you were. How I’d never felt anything so good! My eyes actually rolled into the back of my head! Almost got stuck from the way you rode me like a-”
“Cam!” She pushed him away, looking around to see if anyone else had heard his outrageous comments. That’s when she noticed the greeter at the door pointing Mika in their direction. “Stop it, Mika’s here!” She stood up and waved, even though Mika had already seen them in the small establishment.
By the time Mika made it over to the table, she was giving them a grim look. Putting one hand on her hip, she addressed them in a thoughtful tone. “Let me say up front, I’m flatter
ed that you guys flew me out here to be your third. I know anything goes in Vegas, and usually, I’m all for it, but this time, I’m going to have to decline. I mean, you fine and all Cam, but you not worth losing my best friend over.”
While Cam just laughed, Andrea reached out and gave her a little shove. “You are just as bad as him!” Before Andrea could say more, a voice spoke from behind Mika.
“Well…I wasn’t expecting this.”
Mika turned to see the man from the plane, up close and personal. He’d changed into more causal wear, but that didn’t seem to diminish the air of arrogance that clung to him. “And who exactly are you?” she asked, unreasonably disturbed to see him again.
Robert flicked a quick glance down the front of her body. He had been behind her as they crossed the room. The woman had a well-rounded backside, that was for sure. Her face and chest were unexpectedly even better, though her attitude left a lot to be desired. “Robert…Robert Lorde, since you’re asking.”
“My man! You made it!” Cam interrupted their stare-off as he came around to give Robert a hearty hug. Andrea distracted Mika by giving her a hug of her own.
“Now that everyone is here, let’s sit.” Andrea gestured for everyone to sit down as she continued to babble. “We got some basics, but we can place a real order now if you want.”
“Nice to see you again Andrea.” Robert gave her a big genuine smile before turning to look at Cam. “What’s going on here? Looks like you brought me out here on false pretenses.”
Andrea grabbed Camden’s hand nervously, on top of the table. She saw Mika’s eyes shift to follow the gesture. She figured she’d better rush to explain before Mika beat her to it. “We’re getting married and we wanted our best friends by our sides. Surprise!”
When they were met with silence for a few seconds, Cam picked up the spiel. “What do you two think? Will you stand up with us when we get married today?”
Mika was the first to react letting out a squeal that had heads turning, before jumping up and launching herself at Andrea. “Of course I will! This is so amazing!”
Robert stood up as well giving Cam another hug, complete with back thumps. “Congrats my brother! I’m glad to see you came around and asked her to marry you again.”
Cam was grinning ear to ear as he clarified. “It wasn’t me. This time, she was doing all the asking.”
Mika turned back to the men. “Wait, what? My cautious, overthinking Andrea proposed?”
“Yes. All of this…” Cam gestured to their surroundings. “Was her idea.”
“Well getting them out here, was your original idea.”
“True,” Cam shot back.
“You two are nauseatingly cute,” Mika cut in. “Sit down and explain how all this happened. I’m so excited, but I’m also a detail hoarder!”
They all set down and started to eat, finally calling the waitress over to place a more substantial order. Cam and Andrea told them about the events of the last two days, leading up to their decision to get married this evening at seven.
“This is awesome!” Mika exclaimed as they finished telling the tale. “The first wedding I’m going to be in!”
“What are you talking about? You were in your cousins’ weddings.”
Mika waved that pesky little fact away. “Fine, the first wedding of someone I actually like that I’ll be in.” Mika looked down at her phone and saw that it was almost noon. “We don’t have much time. Do you have your colors picked out? Your dress?”
Andrea cut her exuberant friend off by grabbing her hand. “The venue is booked, the honeymoon is booked. I have everything I need, now that you’re here.”
Mika squeezed Andrea’s hand. “Stop it! You’re going to make me cry.”
“Don’t do that, save the tears for the ceremony. Confession time, I was hoping you would help me pick out a dress.”
“Why would you save that for last? We have to go!” Mika tugged Andrea up.
Andrea looked at Cam helplessly. “I guess we’ll meet up later.” Scooping up her phone and purse, she added, “I’ll text or call you with details, or if I need anything.”
Mika was pulling her away from the table. “Girl come on and leave that man alone. We have work to do. You’ll have the rest of your life with him, if we can find you a dress.”
The two men watched as the women rushed towards the exit, Andrea waving at them over her shoulder as Mika dragged her along. Cam was laughing, while Robert shook his head, a little frown on his face. “She seems like a handful.”
“Mika? Yeah, probably. Play nice, though. She’s my future wife’s BFF. They are extremely close.”
Robert held up his hands. “Yeah, I remember you might have mentioned her a time or two. She’s not my business…trust me, I plan to keep it that way.”
“Good, I owe Mika. If it wasn’t for her, it might have taken me several months before I got a real date out of my stubborn woman.”
“I got you. Today will be about you two. So, anything we need to do on our end to make this happen?”
“Man, Andrea is an efficiency machine. You would appreciate her skills. We can go relax and live up my last day as a free man until Andrea sends me instructions.”
“I see you already got ‘staying out the way’ like a husband down pat.”
Cam smirked unabashedly. “You know it.”
“Smart. I got breakfast. Think of it as a wedding gift. Let’s pay, so I can buy you a drink in a strip club.”
Andrea had shortlisted a few shops to look for something to wear. Las Vegas was definitely the city to do a wedding on the fly. They had many places that catered to both planned weddings and the last-minute folks like her. She wanted something light and not particularly traditional. She figured since she was going to Hawaii, they could hire someone to do some real wedding photos when they got to the tropical paradise. Therefore, she wanted to be able to wear the same dress.
They got lucky at the second place they went, when she found an empire-styled floor-length, chiffon dress in purple. It flowed around her, yet emphasized her breasts. Because it was sleeveless, the amethyst necklace Cam had given her would be front and center and would look lovely. It was kept from being extra simple by the color, which faded into lighter shades of purple in an ombré style, as it neared her feet. She loved it! For Mika, they found a sleeveless, short sheath dress with the same ombré colors, except they were going in the opposite direction. Mika insisted on taking a picture of Andrea’s chest and sending it to Camden so he could coordinate some part of his and Robert’s outfits to match.
“What did you do that for?” Andrea asked, snatching back her phone.
“To give him something to think about for the rest of the day. Besides, he can’t see the whole dress. It’s bad luck.”
They moved on and finally found some white shoes that were neither flats nor stripper height. Seeing that it was nearing three o’clock, Mika dragged her back to the hotel and took her directly to the spa. At the register, she gave the clerk her credit card and looked back at Andrea. “My wedding gift to you. Can’t have you out there on your honeymoon, walking the beaches with crusty elbows and feet.”
“Hey, I take offense to that. I take care of my feet.”
“Usually. But we both know you were letting a lot go over the last couple of months. This way Cam will get to enjoy soft, sexy skin all over.” Turning back to the clerk, Mika continued, “Give me a simple mani and pedi. I need to change my nail color. Plus, a thirty-minute massage. Give her a full body treatment, a shellac mani and pedi, and the same massage. Oh, and get her some champagne…she’s going to be a bride today.”
“Cam had no problem with my skin last night,” a chagrined Andrea mumbled under her breath before they were rushed off to their appointments.
By the time they finished it was after five. Mika convinced Andrea to get dressed in her room so that the first time Cam saw the dress would be at the wedding. She made sure he was still out and ran up to get the few things sh
e needed. They planned to change after the wedding and go out to eat and celebrate, so she could pack everything then.
Cam had texted her about his outfit while she was in the middle of her massage. He and Robert would be wearing white linen summer suits with purple accents. She texted him the video link to send to his family and did the same for hers. That led to getting a phone call from her excited parents. They were thrilled for her, and of course upset they would miss the event, but they promised to be watching. Now with everything settled, she was tired. Mika noticed of course.
“Take a thirty minute nap. I have another quick thing I want to check downstairs, then I’ll probably take one too.”
“Good idea. My god Mika, I’m getting married!”
“I know. This is what you want, right?”
“It is. I’ve never been surer of anything before. I love him. Everything else will work out.”
“I’m so glad you took this chance! I know you’re going to be happy. You know that man loves you a lot. Now, go to bed, you making me cry again.”
* * *
Andrea had wanted her wedding to take place right before sunset, which was a quarter after seven on this particular day. At seven on the dot, she found herself walking down the outside path in her purple dress, with a white bouquet. She knew that their friends were present. That there was a video camera somewhere, and a photographer who would try selling them pictures after the fact, but all she had eyes for was Cam. He was so gorgeous, and he was all hers.
She reached him and they held hands as he gave her his customary smile. They listened to the ordained minister go through the basic marriage ceremony. It seemed to be a blur of words that she barely heard over the pounding of her own heart. Her focus sharpened as the minister told Cam it was time for his vows.
“It hasn’t escaped my notice that today is exactly a year from when we met last August. I knew you were going to change my life, when you looked up at me, with your pretty eyes on that sidewalk. Loving you has taught me patience, and to put someone else’s needs before my own. It brings me incredible joy to make you smile, and I promise to always find new ways to do so. I know we have more things to learn about each other, and tribulations to overcome as well. More fun to be had and memories to be made. All those things I look forward to, as long as I get to do them with you. With you by my side, we’ll make a house a home. I love you Andrea Renee Cole, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”