Their exotic island idyll is only the beginningâ¦
Whoâs the real Saturday Knight? Is she the tempestuous, in-your-face star of Divorced Divas, the small screenâs hottest reality series? Or is she the sultry, au naturel temptress Brandon Gilliam meets in Jamaica? It isnât long before the New York director and the woman known off set as Ayana are sharing a passionate interlude that he never wants to end.
Back in the city, Ayana gets a reality checkâwhen her sexy isle lover turns back into the no-nonsense director on her show. If the secret about her romantic interlude with Brandon gets out, it could ruin her career as the single vamp fans love to hate. There are people who depend on Ayana and the financial gains earned through her TV persona. Is she willing to risk everything for a seductive fantasy, or could what she shares with Brandon be the truest bliss of all?
âOh, my God, are you all right?â asked a handsome man, straddling a bright orange Jet Ski. âIâm so sorry, but I didnât see you. What are you doing floating all the way out here by yourself?â
Ayana glanced around the vast body of water and didnât see the beach. She had drifted out farther than anticipated. âI hadnât planned on floating this farâguess the waves carried me away,â she said, treading water.
He reached out his hand to her. âGet on. Iâll take you back to shore, so you donât have to swim so far.â
She brushed her hair out of her face, rubbed the salt water out of her eyes and looked up into his face. She couldnât believe her eyes. Behind a pair of dark aviator shades was Brandon. âUhâ¦sure.â She took hold of his hand, climbed out of the water and settled on the back of the Jet Ski. Ayana wrapped her arms around his bare chest and held on tight as he sped off.
âWhere are you staying?â he yelled.
With the Jet Ski creating a cascade of waves and the roar of the motor, she could barely hear him. âWhatâd you say?â
âI said where are you staying?â he asked more loudly.
âJust keep straight,â she responded, finally hearing him.
He doesnât know itâs me.
VELVET CARTER
is not just the name of a luxurious fabric, but itâs also the name of one of the worldâs leading writers of âexotica.â Sheâs a prolific novelist, who paints pictures with her words. Velvet has her finger on the pulse and knows how to make your heart race with her tantalizing stories filled with romance and seduction. Her novels have been translated into German, and released in London to critical acclaim. Velvet uses the world as her muse, traveling the globe for provocative inspiration.
Dear Reader,
Iâd like to thank you for purchasing Blissfully Yours, my first of many novels under the Harlequin Kimani imprint. I had an absolute ball writing Blissfully Yours. The characters I created seemed more like close friends than fictional peopleâ¦.
You might notice a piece of yourself in Ayana, who is multifaceted, resourceful and fiercely independent. Brandon is such a strong yet sweet man that I wanted to immerse myself in the novel and date him! Since that wasnât possible, I left the dating to Ayana, who does a fantastic job of showing Brandon around her native island of Jamaica. They party on the beach, have romantic picnics in the Blue Mountains and make love with the sounds of the ocean as a soundtrack. I hope that Blissfully Yours transports you to a romantic state of relaxation.
Velvet
To those who found bliss when they least expected,
and to those who are still joyfully looking!
Chapter 1
Ayana awoke to a gentle breeze flowing through the screened French doors of her parentsâ Jamaican hillside home. The delicious smell of ackee and saltfish tickled her nose as she stirred underneath the white cotton sheet. She yawned wide and stretched her long limbs before climbing out of bed. Today was her last full day in Negril and she planned to make the most of her time before heading back to her hectic New York life.
She showered and dressed in cutoff blue jean shorts, a T-shirt and flip-flops. Anaâas she was known in Jamaicaâpulled her long raven hair into a ponytail before trotting down the small back staircase that led to the kitchen.
âHmm, something sure smells good,â Ana said to her mother, who was laboring over the stove.
âI made ya favoriteâackee and saltfish, callaloo and johnnycakes,â her mother answered in a thick Jamaican accent.
Ayana looked at the plate of food that her mother had dished up. âMa, I canât eat all of that.â Having lived in New York for more than ten years, Ayana had adjusted her eating habits and now ate mostly salads, fish and very few carbs.
âYa too skinny, gurl. Gotta fatten ya up.â Mrs. Tosh was a traditional Jamaican mother who believed in eating heartily at every meal.