He figured she wasn’t going to the pool with everyone else because that’s where the majority of the cameras would be. Raymond couldn’t say that he was disappointed to find Imani alone on the beach. He smiled as he thought about the fantasy he’d had about her on that same stretch of sand that she was lying on right now. He quickly put on a pair of Speedos and dashed down the stairs. Raymond tried to make sense of what he was doing. He’d just said he didn’t want to be the reality show guy who had sex with a contestant, but Imani was too damned irresistible to leave alone. At least with Imani, he knew that she wasn’t on this show to find a husband and she probably didn’t believe in love at first sight like Lucy. He just wanted to talk to her, alone and away from the cameras. Yeah, right. He didn’t want to simply talk to her. He wanted to feel the crush of her breasts against his bare chest as he kissed her and explored her mouth. That’s what he wanted to do. Talking could come later.
When he reached the shore, Raymond was rendered speechless as he drank in her image in the waning sunlight. She looked like a mythical goddess who’d washed up on the seashore to find a man to put under her spell. Well, it was working because she had him mesmerized. Raymond cleared his throat to announce his presence. Imani pulled her sunglasses off her face and frowned at him. “You’re blocking my sun,” she said.
“Why aren’t you at the pool with everyone else?” he asked.
“Why are you concerned about what I’m doing? Where’s your friend?” Imani asked as she placed her glasses on her face and propped up on her elbows. Her body was elongated and he wanted to ski on those curves.
“My friend is right here. If she can forgive me for insulting her movie.”
Imani ran her hand down her throat. “I’m not your friend. I’m talking about the girl who was leaving your room looking all wet. Does she know you kicked her out of bed so you could come down here and block my sun?”
“See what happens when you assume things? I didn’t kick anyone out of bed,” he said.
Imani rolled her eyes, then looked at Raymond as if to say “are you kidding me?” “Either way,” she said, “you’re still blocking the sun.”
Raymond leaned down beside her and looked into her enchanting brown eyes. God, she was beautiful—but like a jagged coral reef. Raymond knew he was going to get hurt if he got too close.
“Are you getting into character?” he teased as he took up residence on her blanket. She formed her mouth into an O as if she was about to say something snappy; instead, she handed him her sunscreen bottle. “If you’re going to be out here, you really should make yourself useful.”
“You still didn’t answer my question,” he replied as he squirted a glob of cream into his palm. “Is this all about acting for you?”
She flung her leg onto his lap. “Maybe. But you’re here just for the money, so why don’t we make it work for both of us?”
Raymond began smoothing the lotion on her leg. Damn, her skin was smoother than his favorite John Coltrane jam and softer than Egyptian cotton. He couldn’t focus on what she was saying because he was transfixed by those lips. Luscious was the only way to describe them and as he finished smoothing the lotion on her legs, all he wanted to do was kiss her.
“So?” Imani questioned. “What do you think?”
“About?”
“You and me teaming up? You get the money you want and I get the screen time I need. We already have a story line. Were you listening to anything I said?” she asked as she sat up straight and placed her hands on her hips. “I can’t—”
He cut her off quickly as he captured her lips with his, swallowing whatever words she had been about to say. Her lips were sweeter than anything he’d ever tasted, and talk about soft. Her lips were like rose petals.
She’s going to slap me at any moment, he thought before slipping his tongue between her parted lips. And when Imani wrapped her arms around Raymond’s back, he moaned, easing closer to her. In his arms, she felt like heaven. Felt like the ripest mango ready to be peeled and devoured. Raymond kissed her deeply, sucking on her bottom lip, enjoying the feel of the curve of her breasts pressed into his chest. A wave crashed against the shore, covering them in a salty mist. She pulled back from him and their eyes locked.
“I have to go,” she said as she quickly rose to her feet and dashed back into the hotel. Raymond watched her run away and realized that she’d left her blanket, sarong, and beach bag. He could’ve caught up with her and returned her things, but he had to wait until his heart rate returned to normal and his erection faded. A single kiss had never caused him to be so aroused. Damn.
When he could breathe normally again, he gathered her things and walked slowly into the resort.
“Did you see that smolder? Oh, this is going to be a huge fire,” Tres said as she ripped the cap off a bottle of water and took a big swig. “Makes sure Lamont gets a bonus for following my directions to a tee.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Elliot said. “They do make a hot couple. But in fairness to the other contestants, how are we going to fix these two up without—”
Tres held up her hand, cutting him off. “If we don’t get good ratings on this show, you and I are going to be out of a job. Do you want to be on the unemployment line or do you want a successful show?” She pointed to the screen. “Those two are the key to success.”
“How are we going to make sure the people watching the show won’t think it’s fake? This is reality TV, Tres.”
She smacked her lips and shook her head. “Fiction without having to deal with writers—it’s the best television money can buy. Just remember that Imani and Raymond are our stars.” Tres rose from her chair. “But we can’t have stars without some villains. Play back some of the other footage and let’s see who we’re going to pit against the golden couple.”
“I know the woman we can put up against them. Look at this. Lucy has an eye for Raymond.” Elliot showed Tres footage from earlier when Lucy had arrived at Raymond’s room with the wine.
“I love it!” Tres exclaimed. “This is going to be ratings gold!”
Chapter 7
The moment Imani barreled into her room, she stripped off her clothes and headed for the shower. She had to cool the heated lust that Raymond had stirred up in her on the sand. She’d never been so thoroughly kissed, touched so intimately and so passionately. She hadn’t been ready for her body’s response to Raymond. The liquid lust that pooled between her thighs had shocked her and excited her at the same time. It was a new feeling for her. Never had she been that turned on from a kiss. The last guy she’d dated, Carlton something or other, had called her a frigid tease because she hadn’t even kissed him with tongue. Yet this stranger was able to make her body respond in ways that she’d only read about or heard her friends talk about.
Imani stepped underneath the cold shower spray, trying to clear her mind of the feel of Raymond’s lips and hands on her body. But as the water beat down on her, she couldn’t think of anything else but his hands roaming her body and she got all hot and bothered again. Was there a setting on the shower for ice?
Imani turned the water off, wrapped up in a towel, and sat on the edge of her bed, her wet hair hanging on her shoulders like seaweed. She exhaled loudly. This must be what sexual frustration feels like, she thought as she twisted her wet tresses into a sloppy braid and leaned back on the bed.
“Why did I kiss him? I should have slapped him,” she mumbled. Imani stood up and walked over to the door and placed the palm of her hand on the door as if she was stroking Raymond’s smooth, sculptured torso. His kiss was like a gourmet candy that she had never tasted.
Imani had protected her virginity. In her business, sleazy producers always tried to bed actresses. She never gave anyone a chance to force her on the casting couch. She didn’t mind playing a sexpot on screen, but she couldn’t do it in real life, wouldn’t do it in real life. But, if that was the case, why had it been so easy for Raymond to turn her on like a light switch?
Imani
went back to the bed, lay down and gazed at the ceiling. I am not going to lose my virginity on national TV, Imani thought as she pounded the pillow beside her.
Imani knew that avoiding him was going to be impossible, but she wasn’t going to tell him that she wanted him. Did he already know that?
So much had changed in a day. It wasn’t about the money anymore. It was about a desire to be with Raymond. “What have I gotten myself into?” she bemoaned.
Tres was beyond excited as she watched footage of Raymond and Imani on the beach again. There wasn’t even going to be a need for a lot of editing on this scene.
She hadn’t thought the couple would’ve connected this quickly, but she wasn’t upset about it. This show was make or break for her career after the last two scripted shows she’d produced were canceled after two episodes.
“I’ve got a feeling this show is going to be great,” Tres said more to herself than her staff. She began running promos in her head. She had to make sure the votes put Imani and Raymond together.
“Darcy,” Tres barked into her walkie-talkie cell phone, “bring me the bios on Imani and Raymond.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Darcy replied.
Within minutes, Tres had the information she had requested. She looked over the biographies. Both of them were from New York. And she wanted to play up the fact that Imani was an actress. The public needed to think this show was keeping it real. Tres laughed. If people only knew the truth about reality TV, how much was staged to get the most ratings. But Imani and Raymond had one thing that didn’t need to be staged, Tres knew, and that was real chemistry.
“I want interviews with Lucy, Raymond, and Imani, first thing in the morning. People, looks like we may have a hit,” she barked to her staff.
Raymond wanted to knock on her door. As he stood there with her bag and towel in his hand, he knew he looked ridiculous. Raising his fist, he thought about that kiss again. Was it play acting? Lucy said Imani was here for the fame and money and he knew she was an actress. She’d even tried to pull him in with the offer of an alliance. But, that kiss was real, wasn’t it?
Hanging her belongings on the door, he turned away because knocking on that door and entering her room would be walking into temptation and he wasn’t sure if he could resist it.
She could have been acting on the beach, he thought as he walked over to his room. He turned and looked back at the door. What if she wasn’t acting? Suppose that fire he felt had burned Imani too? Should he expect a knock on his door and a lustful thank-you kiss for returning her items? He wanted that, yearned for another chance to feel her lips on his and her body pressed against his. He didn’t believe in love at first sight, but he was definitely struck by lust at first taste. And Imani tasted so damned good. He wanted to lick her all over, slowly, methodically, until she screamed his name. Lost in the fantasy of feasting on Imani, he was shocked when he heard a woman call his name. Turning around, he’d hoped to see Imani, but it was Lucy.
She eyed him, in his near naked and aroused state, as if he were the main course for dinner.
“Were you heading to the pool?” she asked with a lick of her glossy lips.
Raymond shook his head. “I went down on the beach. Pools are nice, but it seems a little sinful not to dip in the ocean when it’s this close.”
Lucy smiled. “I never thought about it like that. What are you doing for dinner?”
“I think I’m going to order room service,” he said, though if he could have the perfect meal, it would involve his mouth between Imani’s thighs. “I may have overdone it on the beach.”
“You don’t want to eat alone,” Lucy said as she cozied up to him and ran her index finger down the center of his chest.
He took her hand in his and before he could say a word, Imani’s room door opened. Lucy smiled when she saw the scowl on Imani’s face as she stared at her and Raymond.
“I’m going to eat alone,” Raymond said, quickly dropping Lucy’s hand. He tried to catch Imani’s glance, but she slammed into her room and that pretty much killed his fantasy of having her for dinner.
He unlocked his room door, hoping that Lucy would leave, but she stood there as if she was waiting for an invitation to come in. Sighing, because he couldn’t have what he really wanted, he wished Lucy could take a hint. “Well. I’ll see you later,” he said.
Lucy was visibly disappointed as she said good-bye to him. “Hey,” she said, “if you want to have breakfast together, you know how to reach me.”
Raymond closed the door and lay on the bed. He looked out the window and watched the waves crash against the shore. He closed his eyes and remembered his interlude with Imani on the beach. The memory of her kiss made his body tingle, his body harden. And it frustrated him. No other woman had ever made his body so alive with desire. Get a grip, he thought. You have to focus on what you’re here for and it isn’t to get that woman into your bed. Besides, you’ve probably blown any chance you had with her because she saw Lucy with you.
Raymond wondered what would happen once the cameras started to roll. Did Imani still want to team up with him or was she going to saddle up to someone else because she saw him with Lucy? Maybe she’s in her room working on her character right now, he thought. Raymond pondered if he should go across the hall and . . . do what? She wasn’t his woman and he didn’t have to explain anything to her. Rising from the bed, he headed for the balcony and watched the setting sun. The sky was painted with hues of orange, lavender, and deep blue. He noticed a set of clouds in the distance that looked like two lovers intertwined in a deep kiss. As if he needed another reminder of her. He thought about walking across the hall and clearing everything up with Imani or better yet, just kissing her again.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. Thinking it was Lucy, Raymond almost didn’t answer. But he did and to his surprise, it was Imani. “Hi,” he said.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but I thought it would be rude if I didn’t thank you for returning my bag,” she said with her arms folded across her chest.
Raymond’s gaze slowly meandered across her body. She’d changed into a bandeau dress that hugged her delectable curves as he wished he could. Her feet were bare, toes polished a cherry red color that made his mouth water.
“Well,” he said once he found his voice, “I didn’t want to leave your things on the beach and I wasn’t sure if you—”
“Just tell the truth, you were distracted by silicone and sex,” she said in a tone that sounded as if she was jealous.
No way, he thought. “I wasn’t distracted,” he replied with a smirk. “Had you given it about three more seconds, you would’ve gotten an invitation to dinner.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m nobody’s second choice. Did she turn down your offer?”
“You got it backward. I turned her down. And you’re right—you’re not second choice. We’re partners, remember?”
Her lips curved into a bright smile that sent a shiver from the base of his neck to the tips of his toes. “That’s good to know,” she said. “So, I guess when filming starts, we should really work on how we’re going to play off each other. There should be some conflict, some tension, and some . . .”
“Kissing,” he said as he pulled her against his chest. Imani tilted her head upward and stared into his eyes. Her lips quivered, telling Raymond that she wanted to kiss him as much as he yearned to kiss her. So when she gave him a stiff arm that would put Jets’ running back LaDainian Tomlinson to shame, he was taken aback.
“Why don’t we wait until someone’s watching?” she said, then wiggled out of his embrace. “So, you want to talk strategy over dinner?” Imani backed against the door and Raymond took a deep breath, deciding that he would stop torturing himself.
“Why not,” he said. “I’m here for the money and you’re here for the fame,” he lied, because now that he had a taste of Imani, he wanted so much more than money. “But I will kiss you again. Not right now, because you want
the camera to capture it.”
Imani turned her head away from Raymond because she wanted to kiss him, wanted his lips on hers so badly that her body ached and her mouth watered. And now, she was supposed to sit there and have dinner with him while keeping her hands, lips, and tongue to herself.
Where are these thoughts coming from? Imani wondered as she watched Raymond reach for a room service menu. Those arms. When he wrapped them around her, she felt heat. She felt both protected and horny. At least that’s what she thought she was feeling. She had all the symptoms she’d heard other women talk about: wet panties, shortness of breath, and a craving for skin to skin contact.
She expelled a sigh and headed out to Raymond’s balcony, glancing over her shoulder at him as he ordered dinner. “I didn’t even tell him what I wanted,” she muttered. “And he doesn’t know me well enough to . . . Who am I kidding? If I go in that room, it’s not going to be pretty.”
She turned around and watched the waves of the ocean beat the shoreline as the full moon shone down on the beach. Imani was beginning to become a fan of the beach. She closed her eyes imagining being down there underneath the stars and wrapped in Raymond’s arms as he kissed her and, parting her thighs, tenderly entered her valley. With slow and gentle strokes, he’d introduce her body to the art of lovemaking. Asking her if she felt all right as he touched those secret places that made her weak. Places no one had ever come close to touching in her past. Lost in the fantasy of Raymond thrusting in and out of her awaiting body, she moaned and whispered his name.
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