In this very romantic novel, we hear that Keira Ryan has never been the kind of girl to fall in love. In fact love was the furthest thing from her mind... until she met Jason Jacobs, a caterer from Louisiana with the most gorgeous blue eyes.
Just as Jason sweeps her off her feet, Keira's best friend Christopher confesses his true feelings, catching Keira completely off guard.
Everything should be perfect, but it's all about to come falling down.
Excerpt:
I think I fell in love with Jason Jacobs from the very first moment I saw him. No. In fact, I know I did. He smiled at me with delicate cornflower blue eyes and a flash of perfect white teeth. I saw him out the corner of my eye. He was supposed to be making sure the food was adequately prepared but every now and then I caught him stealing glances at me. It made my nerves stand on end with anticipation. The way he moved intrigued me. He ran his fingers through his messy light brown hair. He was exceptionally tall and ruggedly handsome... Every ounce of him oozed sex. I was a bit taken aback by the attraction I felt for him. I wasn't at all experienced with such notions. He wasn't like any of the guys I had gone to school with; boisterous and hiding behind bravado. His confidence seemed natural. There was something inviting about him.
My best friend Emery MacKay (soon to be Dale) had briefly introduced us earlier that morning; His name was Jason Jacobs and he was the caterer for her wedding. Emery was always playing matchmaker to me. I knew she had her uncertainties about me and my flailing attempts with the opposite sex. At the age of 20, I had never really had a boyfriend. Of course I was interested in the opposite sex. I was just a bit reluctant to take any relationship past friendship. Love and Romance were the furthest things from my mind....that is, until I met Jason.
Even as he worked, I could feel his eyes on me. I self-consciously twisted one of the few dreadlocks that were free from the flawless up-do Emery had coaxed my hair into. I usually wore my hair straight down my back or in a pony tail, but wanted to look somewhat polished for Emery's big day as I was her maid of honor. I was beyond the moon when she asked me. I always assumed when Emery got married, her older sister Samara would be her maid of honor.
I just had no idea of how uncomfortable I would be in the attire. The lacy fabric aggravated my skin and I absolutely hated the way I looked in the dress as it was a bit revealing. It was lavender and utterly horrendous, even for a bridesmaid dress. It was just wrong on so many levels although it fit me perfectly. The purple monstrosity made my almost non existent boobs appear quite ample and accentuated the roundness of my bottom. Emery had complimented on how great my ass looked in the dress when she picked it out. The dress even brought out the intense color of my mostly green eyes. Emery was always trying to glam me up. I preferred low key styles. Jeans and T-shirts were a staple of mine.
Emery had sent me to the reception hall to check on things before the ceremony. I had a sneaking suspicion she wanted the caterer and I to have some alone time. She was hoping for sparks, hiding behind the pretense of typical pre-wedding jitters.
I had known Emery since Elementary School. She and her family had moved from London to San Diego when we were in the third grade. Emery's mother was South African and her father was of Scottish decent, which attributed to her curly fiery red hair and freckles. Her heart shaped face was delicate like her mother's. The exoticness of Emery's features and the uniqueness of her accent always found her in the center of attention.
I took a tentative glance around the reception hall avoiding his eyes. We weren't entirely alone. Servers, a few bartenders and other stragglers, all bustled at the task at hand with the impending ceremony looming over their heads. Everything appeared as it should. Everything was in its rightful place. Flowers, candles, table linens, settings, d?cor....absolutely stunning. It was then that I inhaled. I took a moment to absorb the atmosphere and I really took notice of the aromas floating from the dishes that Jacob was working so hard to make presentable.
Emery couldn't stop raving about all of the French Creole dishes that she had sampled and now I knew why, the smell was heavenly and inviting just like his eyes. I couldn't help myself any longer. I had to approach him
"What's that, that smells so delicious?"
He looked up, his eyes intent, focusing on me completely for the first time. My whole body tingled....
"Everything.." he smiled, a crocked little grin, then added,
"Your eyes are the most amazing shade of green I have ever seen."
I almost burst into a million pieces. I couldn't imagine what he was thinking
I reached out to finger a lilac Jason was gingerly placing in front of the chafing dishes he had arranged, I admired the contrast of our skin tones, his skin ivory, like piano keys and mine smooth and the color of rich chocolate. I smiled up at him, my eyes sparkling and piercing green.
Jason reached out and placed one of the Lilacs behind my ear. "What's that for?" I asked appreciating the gesture.
"Aren't you full of questions?" he continued working quietly. I admired his craftsmanship.
"Good ones, I hope," I paused slowly taking him in with my eyes, then added as an after thought,
"Thank you"
"You're welcome." He spoke with a hint of a southern drawl that was pleasing to my ears. Everything about him was perfect, even the way he smelled.
We stared at each other for a moment. I could feel the blood rushing through my veins. My face was growing warm, a blush coming into my checks. I didn't know how to act around him. I felt silly. Like a school girl.
"Where are you from?" I nervously shuffled my feet.
"Baton Rouge. I've lived here for about 6 years though"
"I've never been to Louisiana before. My voice trailing off
"You should go for a visit, there's no place like it."
"Maybe I will one day, especially if they all look like you."
It was his turn to blush.
"I'm looking forward to trying all the dishes you made. I guess I should get going...back to the Church I mean"
"Hurry back"
He looked at me again and it took every fiber of my being to propel myself towards the exit. I wanted to stay, but I had to keep moving. I had a wedding to attend.
Emery looked beautiful walking down the isle. Beautiful wasn't even the word for it. She was stunning. The light found the crystal beading in the bodice of her dress and she absolutely beamed. Her hair had been straightened and flowed just below her shoulders in loose waves.
Emery met Drake Dale one crazy weekend in Vegas 3 years before. We were both underage but had no trouble getting into clubs or casinos of our choice...we had a friend who hooked us up with fake IDs that were pretty severe. Emery called herself cheering me up. I had been in a funk and she wanted to have some wild crazy fun. We were both running away from turbulence in our lives. It seemed like a grand idea, us taking a road trip to get away from the pain in our lives.
We met Drake outside of a bar. He and his entourage where leaving trying to find some action. Drake was famous in his own right but at the time neither one of us had the faintest idea of who he was.
I guess you could say it was lust at first site. Emery couldn't stop gushing; I think Drake's flashy ways piqued her interest more than his obvious good looks at first. Drake was a race car driver and everything about him was ostentatious and fast. He caught so much attention being one of the few African American race car drivers to compete in NASCAR.
As we were about to go inside, Drake grabbed Emery's hand. He was so used to getting everything he wanted, he figured Emery would be just as easy but she put up quite the fight. Their relationship was tumultuous but their love was also strong. Drake would move heaven and earth for Emery if he could.
Samara, Emery's sister couldn't stand Drake. She was convinced he was nothing more than a thug or a play boy at best. Drake was neither. It was true he was flashy, but he honestly just liked to have a good time. He figured if he had the money he might as well spend it. It wasn't like he could take it with him. He wasn't exactly reckless with his earnings. Drake Dale was quite the businessman.
I glanced in Drake's direction. The only thing I saw in his face was love. My heart leaped for Emery. She deserved to be happy.
The ceremony went without a hitch. Emery and Drake had written their own vows. Emery's full of humor and flair while Drake was straight to the point. They jumped the broom and kissed passionately after the Minister pronounced them Husband and Wife.. The congregation exploded in applause and light bulbs flashed as pictures were taken. I became so caught up in the moment that I found myself tearing up.
Emery reached out to hug me and I squeezed her tight in return before she and her new husband dashed back down the aisle.
