ALL HE DESIRES (Voluptuous Woman Series) (39 page)

Ben was three years younger than Jamison and was the baby of the five males. But he was also the tallest at six-five. He’d played basketball in high school and college, but a hand injury had kept him from going to the pros.

“Have you spoken to Kendal?” Jamison asked his cousin.

A serious expression took over Ben’s face. “Yes, and she told me about the plan the two of you concocted. I know it was her idea, but I see you’re going right along with it.”

“Yes, I’m going along with it,” Jamison said, leaning back in his chair and building a steeple with his fingers.

“Why?”

He spent the next ten minutes outlining his reasons, and when he finished, Ben nodded in understanding. “Okay, I can see how marriage will work for both of you, but I know you, and for some reason, I feel you have some misgivings.”

Yes, he did have a major one. “I truly believe it’s a good plan, but my only misgiving is about Kendal.”

Ben lifted a brow. “Kendal? What kind of misgiving could you have about her? She’s a nice girl and a looker. I thought about hitting on her myself once.”

He wondered if Ben even considered that that information was not something one needed to share with a man about his future wife. “It’s not really a misgiving but more of a concern.”

“Then what’s your concern?”

Jamison straightened up in his chair to get his cousin’s undivided attention. “For some reason, Kendal thinks no one will buy the story of our marriage because no one will believe she’s my type.”

Ben nodded and then said. “To be honest with you, man, I can see how she would think that. Kendal is a gorgeous woman, but everyone knows it’s an unwritten rule with you to date model-type women, those with little or no meat on their bones.” He chuckled. “The only time I take one of those types out on a date is when I’m low on funds and know they won’t cost me in the way of a meal since they won’t eat much. But when I want a good time, I prefer a woman who doesn’t look anorexic.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Jamison asked frowning.

“Kidding about what? Admitting that I prefer a date with less meat on her bones for economic reasons?”

Jamison rolled his eyes. “No, I’m talking about everyone’s assumption that there’s an unwritten rule that I prefer model types. That’s not true.”

Ben chuckled. “Sure it is.”

Jamison stared his cousin down. “No, it’s not.”

“You could have fooled us. In school, those were the girls you were drawn to, and need I remind you that’s the type you married.”

“But it wasn’t that I deliberately sought out that kind of woman,” Jamison said in defense. “To me, a beautiful woman is a beautiful woman no matter how much meat she has on her bones.”

“You’re going to have a hard time convincing Kendal of that,” Ben said, standing and shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Why?”

“Because her last boyfriend dumped her for a model-size woman. Of course, the model-size woman was only interested in his finances, and as soon as they dried up, she dumped him. He had the nerve to try to hook back up with Kendal, but she was smart enough to tell him where he could go.”

“I’m glad.” Jamison wondered what was it with exes who thought they could treat you like damn dirt and figured when they got ready to come back, you were supposed to take them in with open arms.

“Yes, but it’s going to make it hard on you. She probably won’t let another pretty boy get too close, which is why I never hit on her.”

“And you think you’re a pretty boy?”

“Sure,” he said smiling. “Kendal is my girl-buddy. Always has been, so you better do right by her.”

“You don’t think that I will?”

Ben shrugged. “The jury is still out on that. Not that I think you’ll deliberately hurt her, but there are some…not calling any names…who still think you’re in love with your ex. She had you wrapped around her finger pretty damn tight.”

“I’m not in love with Vonetta any longer. If anyone thinks otherwise, then they are wrong. Any love I had for Vonetta went down the tube the moment she admitted she had cheated on me and used our home as the place for her little trysts. The only good thing from my marriage is Kia. And the only decent thing Vonetta did at the time of our divorce, besides giving me full custody of our daughter, was signing a waiver releasing me from California’s Community Property Law. She wanted to make sure I didn’t contest the divorce.”

“She really thought her lover boy was going to take care of her for life? And now he’s split and has probably left her with nothing,” Ben surmised.

“That’s what I’m hearing. I contacted a couple who used to be friends of ours in L.A. yesterday, and rumor has it that good old filthy rich Omar has gone back to his wife. If that’s true, then I need to make sure my marriage to Kendal is solid in case Vonetta was serious about wanting Kia back.”

Ben nodded. “So when is the wedding?”

“This Thursday at the courthouse. I’d like you to stand as my best man, and Tonya will be there for Kendal.”

“And I take it only a few people will know about it until after the ceremony is over.”

“Yes.”

Ben headed for the door. “I’ll be there and hope things work out,” he said over his shoulder.

Jamison released a deep sigh. “I hope so, too.”

When Ben reached the door, he turned around before opening it. “And if I were you, I’d make it my business to do whatever it takes to assure Kendal that you aren’t the asshole her ex-boyfriend was.”

Kendal tried keeping a calm smile on her face when Jamison walked into the judge’s chamber with Ben at his side. She ran a nervous hand through her hair. Lordy, did the man have to look so good? She’d seen him in a suit before, so why did the one he had on today make him stand out and make her attraction to him that much stronger?

And yes, she had finally admitted she was attracted to him in a big way and that day at Parker’s hadn’t been fluke. Just this past week, they’d met a number of times to work out a game plan to assure today went off without a hitch.

Two days ago, they had introduced the girls and hadn’t been surprised by how well they had taken to each other. Just that morning at breakfast, Carr, with a huge grin on her face, had told her she had a new best friend whose name was Kia. That had made Kendal feel good and reinforced her belief that she and Jamison were doing the right thing if for no other reason than to assure the girls’ futures.

“Will you leave your hair alone?” Tonya leaned over and hissed in her ear. ”You have no reason to be nervous.”

Kendal was about to tell Tonya that she didn’t know the half of it when Ben and Jamison reached them. Automatically, as if it was the most natural thing to do, Jamison leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek. The masculine scent of his cologne infiltrated her nostrils. Before he moved back, he leaned close to her ear and whispered, “You look beautiful, Kendal.”

She swallowed and wished his words hadn’t sent a spray of flurries through her stomach and pushed her heart to beat that much faster. “Thank you. And you look good yourself,” she said, smiling up at him.

Jamison felt a tightness in his chest with her smile. He’d actually awakened this morning with no misgivings or apprehensions about what he intended to do here today. He and Kendal had agreed on this plan, and he was more determined than ever to make it work.

And he meant what he’d said about her looking beautiful. It didn’t matter one iota what type of woman might have appealed to him before, but this woman he was about to marry was definitely appealing to him now. While Kendal stood there joking with Ben and Tonya, Jamison couldn’t stop his gaze from roaming up and down the length of her body. He was definitely drawn to her curves. There was something about them that was bringing out the primitive male in him.

She was wearing an off-white lace dress that stopped a little past the knees and showed what a gorgeous pair of legs she had. And he appreciated the way the top fit her bosom, pushing her breasts up to reveal a very enticing cleavage. A pair of cute silver earrings dangled from her ears, and the matching necklace hung around her neck. She was definitely one voluptuous beauty.

He hoped she knew his compliment had been genuine, because she truly looked beautiful. He was about to tell her again when Judge Washington appeared. “Is everyone ready?” he asked.

Ben answered. “Yes, sir, everyone is accounted for.”

He smiled at everyone. “Then let’s begin.”

***

Kendal hoped no one heard her knees knocking together from nervousness as Judge Washington began the ceremony. He had instructed Jamison to hold her hand, and it was hard to take her mind off the sensations flowing through her from Jamison’s touch. And then he was staring at her, and the intensity of that stare began radiating heat all through her.

She blinked when his grip on her hand tightened, and it was then that she realized he was sliding a ring on her finger. They had come to that part of the ceremony already? She glanced over at Tonya, who was giving her a stern “pay attention” look.

Kendal did. It was now her time to slide the ring she had purchased for Jamison on his finger. He had long fingers, and her heart began beating faster when she followed the judge’s instructions and repeated the words. “With this ring, I thee wed.” Jamison smiled over at her, and she couldn’t help but smile back.

“Now by the power invested in me by this great state of Virginia,” Judge Washington was saying, “I now pronounce you man and wife. Mr. Savoy, you may kiss your bride.”

Kendal looked up at Jamison, fully expecting him to lean in and place a kiss on her cheek…or possibly brush a light one across her lips. When he reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, just seconds before lowering his mouth down to hers in an open-mouth kiss, she almost melted to the floor.

***

He hadn’t meant to do this, Jamison thought, but there was no way he could resist. Judge Washington had given him the opportunity, and the primitive male in him had seized it. Immediately, he was stunned by the rush of sensations he felt ramming through his body. At that moment, it had been erased from his mind that their marriage was not just one of convenience but also one of necessity. Instead, he concentrated on kissing the woman who was legally his wife.

He suddenly remembered where he was and what he was doing. When he released Kendal’s mouth, she almost stumbled back. He heard the “wow” from both Ben and Tonya at the same time, and the shocked look on both of their faces was too comical.

“Well, I must say,” Judge Washington spoke up and said, smiling from ear to ear while patting him on the shoulder. “If that kiss is anything to go by, it seems the two of you are off to a good start.”

***

“Are we on our way to pick up the girls?” Kendal asked when she looked out the car window and noticed they were taking a different route than she’d expected.

For a quick second, Jamison averted his gaze from the traffic to glance over at her and smiled. “Not yet.”

She lifted a brow. “Then where are we going?”

His smile widened. “It’s a surprise. After realizing that after today there will rarely be a moment when it will be just the two of us, I decided to take advantage of it.”

“To do what?”

He chuckled and spoke up again. “You’ll see.”

She stared back at him, not sure what to make of what he’d said. There was that tingling sensation that had returned to her stomach. If she was really honest with herself, she would admit that it had never left. And what was that kiss all about in the judge’s chamber? It had definitely been more than she’d expected and had left her in a daze and off-balance…with all sorts of hot tamale thoughts rampaging through her mind.

Deciding she didn’t like the quiet stillness inside the car, she spoke up and said, “I think it was a nice ceremony, don’t you?”

“Yes, and you made a beautiful bride.”

Of course that was something every bride wanted to hear, but today, in her case, it wasn’t necessary. “You don’t have to say that, Jamison.”

He came to a traffic light and glanced over at her and smiled. “But I did. You’re going to have to stop doing that, you know.”

Now it was her brow that lifted. “Doing what?”

“Taking my compliments with a grain of salt. You did make a beautiful bride. There, I said it again and meant it, so take it and run with it. But don’t question my sincerity in making it.”

She didn’t any say anything as she continued to look into the dark piercing eyes staring back at her. He was serious. “All right,” she said quietly. “Thank you.”

“And you’re welcome.”

Kendal broke eye contact with him to glance out the window, and it was then she saw he had crossed over into D.C. and was pulling into a very exclusive restaurant that sat on the Potomac. She’d heard about the place but had never dined there. Reservations were booked six months in advance. And she’d heard they were usually closed during the week and were open only on Fridays and weekends.

She glanced back over at him. “Isn’t Arcana’s closed on Thursdays?”