Devyn looked up at him, speechless. He pressed a kiss to her lips, just as Dr. Kozak and another doctor entered the room. It was time to find out when they would be expecting their baby.
* * * *
Six weeks later…
Nikola got his way, of course.
Damn near six weeks to the day, Devyn Williams became Mrs. Devyn Collins in a relatively small, but lavish ceremony on the edge of the city. They’d managed to keep the guest list to a few hundred people, though people from all around the world wanted to attend the wedding of Nikola Collins. As promised, Nikola flew in Devyn’s mother and sister to help plan the wedding in such a short period of time. Together, with the help of Iris and Mercedes they put together a stunning winter-wonderland themed wedding. When the newly married couple entered the reception, Devyn was overcome with emotion as she took in the darkly lit room, the beautiful decorations, and most important all the friends and family that were there to celebrate her and Nikola becoming one.
“You look ravishing, Mrs. Collins,” Nikola said against her lips as they began their first dance as husband and wife.
“Thank you, Mr. Collins. You look pretty good yourself,” she joked.
When their first dance ended, Nikola and Devyn walked around to their guests greeting each and thanking them for coming.
“Congratulations, doll. You are a sight for sore eyes,” Mistress Coco said in her usual exuberance. Devyn hugged the older woman.
“Thank you. I know you met my husband before,” Devyn said by way of introduction pointing at Nikola. He leaned down and placed a kiss on the older woman’s cheek.
“Yes, I have.”
“Oh, Diane, I’m so glad you didn’t try to sneak out of here before I caught you.” Devyn and Nikola turned to see Iris Collins, coming up from behind but she wasn’t looking at them. Her attention was focused on Mistress Coco.
“Iris you know I wouldn’t miss this for anything in the world. Our Black Pearl got married.”
Devyn looked at Nikola confused. His look mirrored hers. Iris just referred to Mistress Coco as Diane. Devyn didn’t even know that was her first name. No one ever called her anything but Mistress Coco, and here these two women were chatting as if they were old friends. And they referred to her as our Black Pearl, as if Iris knew Devyn danced burlesque at Mistress Coco’s club.
“Do you two know each other?” Nikola asked looking between the two women. They smiled conspiratorially at one another.
Iris wrapped her arm around Mistress Coco’s. “Of course, Nicky. Diane and I go back years.” Devyn gasped and everyone turned to look at her.
“The picture on your desk,” she said to Mistress Coco, and turned her gaze on Iris. “That’s why the person next to Mistress Coco looked so familiar. It’s you.” Iris’ smile widened.
At Nikola’s confused expression Devyn explained. “Did you see the picture in Mistress Coco’s office when you came to see me?” He shook his head.
“I uh…was more focused on other things,” he winked at her and they all laughed.
Devyn playfully slapped his arm. “Anyway, the picture is of Mistress Coco in her performance days with another burlesque dancer…” She trailed off and looked at Iris. Devyn watched as Nikola’s face turned from confused to awareness to shock.
“Mama…”
“You didn’t think your father only married me for my cooking did you?” Iris asked and everyone laughed at the look of horror that appeared on Nikola’s face.
“Oh, don’t look at me like that Nicky. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” She winked looking between him and Devyn. Devyn blushed and dipped her head.
“Don’t be shy dear. I’ve seen your performances. If this was forty years ago, you’d have given us a run for our money, right Diane?” Iris asked Mistress Coco. She nodded.
“Young man, you didn’t think I just let anyone backstage to see any of my girls did you? Do you know how many requests I get from men trying to visit my performers, especially this one right here,” Nikola raised an eyebrow realizing his mother and Mistress Coco must have been in on this all along.
He knew his mother always liked Devyn but never suspected she played a hand in them getting together.
“I see the light bulb coming on. And before you ask, yes I suggested to Andre that Devyn work for you while he was away all those months ago. Somebody had to do something. At the rate you two were going, you would have never gotten together and I’d never get a grandchild. Now we have one on the way.” Devyn and Nikola were speechless at all Iris and Mistress Coco had just revealed to them.
A few seconds later, over their initial shock, they looked and smiled knowingly at one another. Iris and Mistress Coco weren’t the only ones with a secret.
“What is that look?” Iris asked, knowing she was being kept out of something.
Nikola kissed Devyn before smiling. “We’re just pleased you’re excited about your grandbabies,” he said placing emphasis on the last word.
Iris slapped a hand over her mouth. “Did you say grandbabies?” She squealed.
Devyn nodded. “Yup, we’re having twins,” Devyn confessed just as excitedly. She was approximately thirteen weeks pregnant with twin boys. Iris laughed and shed a couple of tears, embracing both of them, before Mistress Coco reached in to hug them both. Iris and Mistress Coco pulled Devyn away from Nikola to get all the details of her pregnancy. He made them promise to return her soon.
Nikola sipped his champagne as they walked away. He sighed and shook his head at what he’d just found out about his mother. Not only did she have a hand in his getting together with Devyn, but she was a burlesque dancer when she met his father. He and his father apparently had more in common than even he realized. He looked around the room at all his guests and smiled at the sight of Andre whispering something into the ear of a beautiful blond haired woman. Andre could rival Nikola when it came to women, but that was all over for Nikola. Only one woman held his attention now, and she was all he needed.
Nikola felt a hand clap the back of his shoulder and instinctively knew who it was.
“What’s up Dad?” Raul joked. Nikola smiled liking the idea of someone calling him dad soon.
“Did you get rid of that issue from earlier?” Nikola asked Raul.
Apparently, Cindy had somehow snuck her way into the reception, saying she was with a date. It turns out, she had come as the date of one of his actual guests, but Nikola was not having Cindy or any woman from his past at his wedding. He would not disrespect Devyn like that. Raul, whose company was handling security had Cindy escorted out of the reception hall.
“Of course.”
“I see you’re enjoying the company of Devyn’s maid of honor.” Even though his focus was on Devyn throughout the day, Nikola and Devyn had noticed the flirtation between Mercedes and Raul during the wedding rehearsal and tonight at the reception.
“She’s nice and not bad to look at,” Raul shrugged.
Nikola raised an eyebrow at the way Raul tried to downplay his attraction to Mercedes. Raul wasn’t usually shy or coy about his attraction to a woman. The fact that he was trying to downplay it to Nikola was telling.
“If you say so. I’m going to go get my wife. I’m ready to leave,” Nikola said, placing his champagne glass on the tray of a passing waiter.
“Yeah, well I would say don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, but you just got married and you’re about to be a father so… I’ll just say have a safe flight.”
Even though Nikola purchased a second home for the couple in Rio, he decided to take Devyn to the Greek island of Santorini for their honeymoon. He wanted to share his mother’s culture with her.
Nikola looked at his friend and followed the direction of his gaze and found Mercedes who was now talking and laughing with Devyn. Nikola clapped Raul on the shoulder and began walking towards his bride. His friend might be headed in the same direction sooner than he thought.
Epilogue
One year later…
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“Girl, that was some class,” Mercedes sighed as she entered the door behind Devyn. She and Nikola had moved into the mansion he’d grown up in. Iris insisted they move in and she would take Nikola’s old condo and redecorate. Although Devyn told Iris she could stay in the mansion, her mother-in-law insisted that no newly married couple should have to deal with a mother-in-law in the home. Iris still spent a great deal of time at the home anyway, to visit her grandsons.
Mercedes and Devyn had just returned from their Saturday kickboxing class for lunch. Devyn was taking extra classes to try and lose the rest of her baby weight. Six months after the birth of Theodore Andre Collins and Jacques Raul Collins—named after their uncle and godfather of course—she had about eight more pounds to get down to her pre-pregnancy weight. Not that her husband seemed to mind. He’d barely been able to wait the six weeks of recovery time after she gave birth and ever since, there wasn’t a day that went by that he wasn’t telling her—with his words and actions—how much he loved her or thanking her for making him a father.
“Yeah, it sure was. I made sandwiches and salad beforehand. Let’s eat on the patio.” It was late in fall, but the weather was nice enough to sit outside for lunch.
“Sounds good to me. Where are my god babies anyway?” Just as Mercedes finished her question, Devyn heard her favorite sounds ever, the laughter of one of her babies followed by the laughter of their father. Nikola strolled from the hallway with Jacques tucked under one arm. She marveled at how much he already looked like his father. His skin only slightly darker than Nikola’s. She often commented on how it looked like Nikola was the one who gave birth to the boys instead of her. Jacque laughed as his daddy tickled him under his chin.
“Where–?” Devyn’s question was answered when Raul strolled up behind Nikola holding a bouncing Theodore. Devyn noticed a look she couldn’t quite figure out, pass over Mercedes’ face when she saw Raul, before it turned into a mask of indifference.
“Hi, baby. Raul stopped by for a little while to visit his godsons,” Nikola said pressing a kiss to her lips.
“Killer, it’s a good thing these babies got your looks. They’re adorable.” Devyn knew that was a lie. Those babies were a mirror image of their father.
Raul had taken to calling Devyn ‘Killer’ after the night he and Nikola walked in on her kicking the shit out of Marcus. Devyn thought about how much her life had changed since that night. Marcus was rearrested, but had to spend a week in the hospital after having surgery on his ruptured testes. He was placed back in jail, but only a month after he was there, he was placed in the general population, which literally meant murder for a former cop. A week later he was found shanked to death in his cell. Devyn suspected that Nikola and Raul were behind his moving from solitary to general population, but she didn’t bring it up.
“They do look like me, don’t they?” Devyn teased, eyeing her husband and grabbing Jacques who squealed and reached for her. As soon as he saw Devyn take Jacques, Theodore started squirming in Raul’s arms and reaching for his mommy. Devyn took him from Raul. Mercedes shook her head.
“Three demanding men in your life. Couldn’t be me,” she said aloud. Devyn laughed.
“Well, I was heading out. Good to see you, Killer. Nik, I’ll call you. Mercedes.” Raul gave her a curt nod.
“Mr. Santiago,” Mercedes returned his greeting just as curtly before turning and walking to the kitchen. Devyn looked at Nikola and his look let her know he was still clueless as to what went on between their two best friends. He walked Raul out to his car, and Devyn set up lunch on their back patio. She settled her boys in their play pen next to the table, while she and Mercedes ate.
“Are you ever going to tell me what happened between you two?” Devyn asked Mercedes.
“Nope. Water under the bridge,” Mercedes waved off the question. Devyn knew it was deeper than that, but didn’t push.
Later that afternoon Iris had picked up the boys for a sleepover. She’d said every healthy marriage needs a lot of private time for just the couple without the kids, so she volunteered to take the boys overnight. Devyn suspected that was just an excuse to keep her grandchildren with her as much as possible, but Devyn wasn’t complaining. She happily packed up plenty of pumped breast milk, diapers, and clothing to make sure Iris had everything she needed for the sleepover.
Devyn had a special treat planned for her husband that night. That evening, after dinner, she arranged for a driver to pick them up at 8:00 p.m. She refused to tell Nikola where they going. When they arrived at The Black Kitty, it looked completely dark. Nikola looked curiously at Devyn.
“Mistress Coco let me rent out the place tonight for an audience of one.” She eyed him and winked.
Devyn planned it months ahead of time. They had just celebrated their one year anniversary a few weeks prior with a surprise trip to Rio with the boys. Devyn hadn’t gone back to performing as of yet, but she still planned on performing. For now, she was comfortable coming up with new routines for her husband.
They entered The Black Kitty to find it lit with candles leading up to a table right in the center of the room and a spotlight on the stage. Devyn escorted Nikola to the table and pressed him into the seat.
“I love you, Mrs. Collins,” Nikola said pulling her onto his lap. Before she could even protest she moaned as he trailed kisses down her neck.
“I love you too, Mr. Collins,” she reached down and rubbed his growing erection through the fabric of his pants.
“Forever?” He asked biting her earlobe.
“Forever,” she sighed before stepping back.
“Ah, ah, ah. You know the rules. Hands to yourself,” she began walking to the stage.
“I was thinking of a new routine and wanted you to see it. This one may not go into my performances though,” she said stepping on the stage.
Under her long trench coat she wore a revealing sexy pink lace lingerie and corset, complete with stockings and garter belt. As soon as she stepped on the stage, the opening notes of Rihanna’s Skin began to play. She swirled her hips seductively, as her husband sat back in his chair with a rapt expression on his face.
Black Pearl was in her element.
The End
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
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Black Pearl: a BBW, BWWM, Alpha Male romance Page 19
