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  Raymond groaned and dropped his head on the table, and then he sat up quickly. “There is good news today,” he said as he reached into his pocket and handed Keith the check Imani had given him before he left the house. “We can buy the MRI machine that we need.”

  “Wow. How did she swing this?”

  Raymond shrugged. “Her director thinks we’re a worthy cause.”

  “Thank you, Imani,” Keith said as he kissed the check. “So, when’s the wedding?”

  “A better question is how are we going to get married without the whole world and those damned blogs watching our every move? When are you and Celeste tying the knot? You can’t keep milking the ‘I’m in therapy angle’,” he said.

  “December thirty-first,” Keith said with a slow smile. “What better way to put this year of ups and downs behind us than to step into the new year as husband and wife?”

  Raymond nodded. “That is so sweet. Celeste told you to say that, didn’t she?” Keith and Raymond laughed.

  “But it’s the truth. Look at this place. We thought we were going to have to close. Thought we were going to let Mrs. Palmer down, and now we’re finally in the black,” Keith said. “So what if we have to kick some photographers and reporters out because you can’t keep your hands off your fiancée.”

  “You just gave me a great idea,” Raymond said as he reached for his cell phone.

  Keith shot him a confused look and shrugged his shoulders. “I’m a genius and didn’t even know it.”

  “Edward Funderburke.”

  “Mr. Funderburke, this is Raymond Thomas.”

  “Hey, congratulations. Imani left here with a smile on her face and a sparkling rock on her finger. She’s happy.”

  “And I want to keep her that way. I know her career is important to her and I fully support her on that,” he said. “But I want our wedding to be about us.”

  “She said the same thing when she was here. I have an idea that may work.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Have you two set a date?”

  “Not yet,” Raymond replied.

  “When you do, let me know and we will coordinate the plans.”

  “You mean plan my wedding around her film projects?” Raymond quipped.

  “Well, yes. But I also know how you two want to keep your nuptials out of the media spotlight.”

  Raymond looked up and saw Imani standing in the doorway of the break room. She waved at him and smiled.

  “I have to go, but we will talk about this later,” he told Edward.

  “I guess Imani is there? We’ll get the details worked out.”

  “All right.” Raymond hung up the phone and crossed over to Imani. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her cheek. “Is it still crazy out there?”

  “You mean all of the photographers and reporters asking if it’s true that you proposed to me? Yes. Dana’s out front telling them she has exclusive photo rights.” Imani smiled and leaned her head against his chest. “This was never a part of my dreams of fame.”

  “So, what are we going to do?” he asked as he brushed her hair off her forehead.

  “I know what we’re not going to do. We’re not turning our upcoming wedding into a feeding frenzy,” she said angrily. “I think we should elope tomorrow.”

  “No,” he said. “We’re only doing this once and it’s going to be special.”

  Later that evening, when Raymond walked into his house, greeted by the smell of jasmine and lavender. He dropped his bag in the foyer. The lights were low inside the living room and candles flickered in the distance. “Imani,” he called out.

  “In the kitchen. But I want you to have a seat in the living room,” she commanded. Raymond took his jacket off and draped it on the arm of the sofa.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said.

  A few seconds later, Imani walked into the living room, dressed in an ivory lace and satin teddy with a matching garter belt and thigh-high stockings. She carried a tray of raw oysters on the half shell, shrimp cocktail, chocolate-covered strawberries, and a chilled bottle of white wine.

  Raymond couldn’t take his eyes off Imani’s body. The food didn’t matter. His feast was setting the tray on his oak coffee table. “Wow,” he said as she walked over to him with an oyster in her hand.

  “Don’t talk, I need you to eat. You’re going to need your strength,” she said as she placed the shell to his lips. Raymond took the succulent meat into his mouth, then pulled Imani against his chest.

  He smacked his lips and looked into her eyes. “There’s something I want a little more than an oyster,” he said before covering her lips with his.

  Imani pushed back from him. “Slow down,” she said. “I have something I have to tell you.” Imani sat down beside him and held his hand.

  “I don’t know if I’m going to be able to concentrate,” he said as he lustfully eyed her.

  “Focus,” she said as she squeezed his hand. “Listen, I have the role of a lifetime. David Hershon’s new film, Watch Over Me, is going to start filming in two weeks. Guess who has the lead?”

  Raymond pulled Imani in his arms and kissed her face repeatedly. “I’m so proud of you. This is what you wanted.”

  She nodded, then bit her bottom lip. “The movie is going to be filmed in LA for the next six months,” Imani said somberly.

  Raymond loosened his embrace. “Six months? Whoa. I, um, that’s a long time.” He started thinking about the plans for the wedding. He couldn’t tell her that he wanted to whisk her away to Jamaica and get married now.

  “I know, but I have to do this,” she said. “This will definitely make up for Fearless Diva.”

  Raymond looked at the excitement in her eyes. He was thrilled for her. Imani had told him how she’d struggled to make it as an actress, and when they first met how she was nearly kicked out of her apartment. Raymond wanted to take care of her and make sure that she never faced those kinds of situations again. But he also knew Imani had every right to bask in the glow of her success. While she gushed about the movie, Raymond swelled with pride. His fiancée was going to live her dream. “I’m talking too much, right?” she asked.

  “No,” he said as he stroked her cheek. “I’m going to miss you.”

  She leaned against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist. “You can come visit me on the set. And just think, when we walk down the red carpet at the premiere, everyone is going to know what we have is real.” Raymond kissed Imani’s left hand and glanced at her engagement ring. “I don’t think anyone will be looking at me,” he said as he leaned over and picked up a piece of fruit. “I see you in some hot designer number with all the photographers snapping your picture.”

  “Please,” she quipped, “you’re going to be the hottest arm candy ever. They might forget about me.” Raymond bit into the strawberry, then placed it to her lips. She bit into the berry. “Then,” he said, “I guess we’re going to be the heat of Hollywood.”

  “I love you so much,” she said. “Thanks for supporting me.”

  “How could I not?” Raymond kissed her lips gently at first, but she turned up the intensity on the kiss, slinking her tongue in his mouth, pulling his tongue into her mouth. Imani climbed on top of him, wrapping her legs around him. Raymond felt heat radiating from Imani’s center. He placed his hands between her legs and discovered that her outfit was crotchless. He slid his finger in the valley of her womanly mound, causing her to moan in delight. Raymond loved the feel of Imani. She was hot, soft, and moist. Her body seemed to be tailored to fit his. He knew where to touch to make her smile, make her scream, make her melt in his arms. He was going to that spot with his finger, wiggling it inside her. Imani clutched his shoulders as Raymond seemed to brand his initials inside her with his finger. With his other hand, Raymond fondled her breasts as they spilled out of her skimpy outfit.

  Food was forgotten. The only thing that mattered was the aching in the pit of his stomach. Imani reached down and unbuttoned his pants, f
inding his manhood was poised and ready to burst out of his boxers. Raymond continued stroking her G-spot, making her shiver. He removed his finger as he felt her legs beginning to shake. He scooped her up in his arms and stood up. If he didn’t feel her around him, he was going to explode. He needed her, longed for her, and ached for her. Imani rested her head against his shoulder and kissed his neck, setting him on fire. Raymond couldn’t make it to the bedroom fast enough with her tongue gliding up and down the side of his neck.

  Once inside the darkened bedroom, Raymond laid Imani on the bed. He drank in her image. This was going to be what he woke up to every morning and what he fell asleep with in his arms every night. He licked his lips as he joined her on the bed. He spread her legs apart, kissing her inner thighs. Raymond headed for Imani’s sweet nectar. He lapped up her delectable juices, sliding his tongue across her most sensitive spot. Imani moaned in delight as Raymond lashed her with his tongue and squeezed her breasts gently. Her nipples perked as his fingers grazed the tips of them. Raymond turned his kiss to her flat stomach. He couldn’t wait until it was swollen with his child; their first son, maybe a daughter, but she would have to look like her mother. Imani wrapped her legs around Raymond as if she was urging and inviting him into her essence. Raymond kicked out of his boxers, pressing his hot, bulging manhood against Imani’s thighs. He looked deep into her dark eyes. “I love you,” he said. “More than I thought I could ever love anyone.”

  She gently stroked his cheek. “I love you too,” she replied in a throaty whisper.

  The phone rang before Raymond could say anything. He reached over to his nightstand and picked it up on the fourth ring.

  “Hello?”

  “Dr. Thomas?”

  “Who is this?”

  “This is Elize Harrington from APC Network. How are you?”

  “I’m just fine,” Raymond said as he wrinkled his nose. What did the network want? “What can I help you with?”

  “I understand that congratulations are in order. You and Imani are getting married, right?”

  I’m going to kill Keith, he thought before saying yes.

  “Well, I would love to meet with you two and maybe discuss you getting married on our morning show.”

  “I don’t know if that is such a great idea,” he said. “Imani and I are happy in our private lives.”

  “We will pay for the entire wedding,” Elize said. “And it is totally up to you how the wedding proceeds.”

  Imani was listening to the conversation now. “Just think about it before you say no,” Elize continued.

  Raymond looked at Imani and shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll run it by Imani.” Raymond hung up the phone and turned to his future bride.

  “Who was that?” she asked.

  “Elize Harrington. She found out about our engagement and she wants us to get married on Wake Up, New York.”

  “How in the world did the network find out about us?” Imani asked as she swung her feet over the side of the bed.

  Raymond raised his eyebrow. “Keith. He can’t hold water. I should have known better than to let him see me with this ring.”

  “Well,” Imani said as she fingered her hair, “it could be fun. The world saw us fall in love, why not let them watch us get married?” She walked over to him as he stood up and wrapped her arms around his waist. “And you can make the studio donate a big hunk of change to the clinic.”

  Raymond turned around and kissed Imani gently on the lips. “I like the way you think, lovely,” he said.

  “We should just run away to an island and get married without anyone watching,” she said with a far-off look in her eyes.

  “Mmm, what island would you choose,” he asked, thinking of his plan to take her away for their wedding.

  Imani shrugged. “Hawaii would be expected. But I love the sound of the ocean, almost as much as I love you.”

  “Do you want to sneak out of here and go eat some slices?” he asked.

  “I’d love to,” she said. “Let me call Dana. We were supposed to get together for a photo shoot, but I’m not really feeling it today.” Imani reached for her cell phone and dialed Dana’s number.

  “Hello,” Dana said when she answered.

  “Hey, girl,” Imani said as Raymond nuzzled her neck. “Would you hate me if I told you I wanted to reschedule the photo shoot?”

  “Umm, diva behavior already,” she quipped. “No, I’m cool with it. Guess what some tabloid offered me for pictures of you and Raymond?”

  “A million dollars?”

  “A measly ten-thousand. Like I would risk our friendship for that? Ugh. And your movie hasn’t even been released yet.”

  Imani shook her head. “You know I love you, right,” she said. “And I hope this movie lives up to the hype and I don’t get a new nickname.”

  “Please, the script was better and it wasn’t shot with a HandyCam, you should be good.”

  Raymond whispered for the phone. “Dana,” Imani said, “Raymond wants to talk to you.” She handed the phone to him and he climbed out of the bed, speaking in hushed tones. As he headed out the room, Imani called out, “What are you two up to?”

  “An exit strategy,” he said over his shoulder. Returning to the call, he whispered, “Call Edward, tell him Imani and I want to get married in Jamaica next week and he needs to help me execute my plan.”

  “All right,” she said. “But why are you whispering?”

  “Imani doesn’t know.”

  “I love it. She’s not going to know what hit her,” Dana exclaimed.

  “I’d better get back to her before she gets suspicious,” Raymond said as he headed back to the bedroom.

  “Tell Imani I’ll call her later,” Dana said. Raymond clicked the phone off and handed it to Imani.

  “So, what was that all about?” she asked.

  “Dana said we’re going to have to climb down the fire escape.”

  Imani looked down at her shoes and held her left foot out to Raymond. “That’s not going to happen.”

  He lifted her in his arms. “Baby, I got a strong back. I’ll carry you.”

  She kissed him. “You know what to say to make a girl feel so good.”

  Chapter 24

  When Raymond woke up with Imani in his arms, he couldn’t help but smile, because tomorrow was their wedding day—only she didn’t know it. He was amazed at how in less than a week, Edward Funderburke had pulled off the coup of the century.

  Dana had been a godsend as well. She’d kept Imani busy with photo shoots and secret bridal gown shopping trips. While the plans for the wedding were being set into place, Raymond and Keith came up with a medical conference story so that they could take off for Jamaica before Imani and Dana arrived. He, Celeste, and Keith were scheduled to arrive in Negril this afternoon. He’d told Imani that he and Keith were going to a geriatric medical conference in New Orleans. It had taken everything in him to convince Imani not to join him in New Orleans.

  “Come on,” she’d said as they lay in bed. “I’ve never been to New Orleans and I would love to see the city. I hear it is magical.”

  “Baby, I’m going to be in meetings all day and this trip would not allow us to spend any time together,” he’d said. “I’m not going to be gone long, just two days.”

  “As much as I want to complain, I did leave you for three months.”

  He’d kissed her on the forehead. “Look at it this way. When I come back, we can put these wedding plans behind us and you’ll probably have some new role that you will be excited about.”

  Imani had agreed with him. She had been scheduled to meet with Elize Harrington about her appearance on the network’s soap opera. While she hadn’t been excited about doing the show, Imani had agreed to make an appearance because Edward had told her that it would continue to help her career and would build an interest in her upcoming movie.

  Raymond kissed Imani, waking her. “Good morning.”

  “What’s good about it? You’re leavi
ng me,” she pouted.

  “Why are you acting like that?” he asked as he stroked her cheek. “I’m going to be bored and thinking about you every minute that I’m gone.”

  “You’d better,” she said with a smile.

  Raymond kissed her slowly and deeply, struggling to keep his excitement of their upcoming nuptials to himself. “I hate to do this,” he said as he pulled back from her. “But I have to get to the airport.”

  “You’re really going to leave me hanging like this?” she asked as she pulled him back in the bed by his shoulders.

  “Baby, I’m going to miss my flight,” he said, pulling away again.

  Imani rolled her eyes and turned over on her side, watching Raymond grab his already packed bags from the closet. “Maybe I’ll try that the next time I have to go out of town.”

  “What?” he asked as he pulled out his traveling outfit.

  “Packing first, then going out for hot dogs,” she said. Before Raymond could reply, Imani’s cell phone went off with a call he’d been expecting.

  “Hello,” she sighed when she answered the phone.

  “Imani, I need to see you in my office today,” Edward said. “You will not believe this opportunity that just fell into my lap for you.”

  “What time should I be there?” she asked as Raymond padded into the bathroom.

  “Noon works for me. I’m meeting with some potential clients this morning,” he said.

  “All right,” she said. “I will see you then.” After hanging up the phone, Imani decided that she would join Raymond in the shower. Walking into the steamy bathroom, she stripped out of her nightgown and stepped into the spray behind Raymond.

  “I’ll wash your back if you wash mine,” she said as she took the soap from his hands.

  “Talk about an offer I can’t or won’t refuse,” he said as he turned around to face her. “But I’d rather wash your front.” He pulled her underneath the spray and let the water rain down over her, then he took his soapy rag and rubbed her breasts until her nipples perked and called out for his lips. Raymond licked and sucked her breasts until she moaned and her knees went weak.