The Bachelorette's Secret Ch. 04

"You're headed to Jamaica!" Steve announced. Whoops of joy filled the empty mansion. Of the six contestants remaining, only three would be selected for hometown visits next week. Jamaica would be the final stop for half of them.

"Mikki in a bikini?" Abraham shifted in his seat.

"We're all goners." A slight blush touched Kevin's cheeks.

Steve stifled a grin. He and Mikki had been together almost every night since their first time together. Her sexual appetite was a formidable match for his own raging libido. And all the sneaking around was excellent foreplay for their lovemaking. Their latest rendezvous had involved a copious amount of bubbles in her private jacuzzi. Thoughts of her drenched skin peeking through white suds as he pounded into her from behind already had him imagining all the fun they could have in Jamaica.

"Don't get your dicks in a twist." Ronnie's booming voice commanded the room's attention. "The only one seeing that 'back for days' in a bikini is me. I'm getting the one-on-one."

Ronnie's postering rubbed Steve the wrong way. He'd tussled with hyper-masculine guys like him since high school and had found that a figurative kick in the balls usually put them down for the count. Steve planned to be the last man standing in the competition for Mikki's heart and he'd handle Ronnie when the time came. For now, he needed to focus on his duties as host. "Settle down, fellas. A beach getaway means you'll be the ones baring all for the cameras, not the Bachelorette."

"Got nothing to hide," Ronnie smirked.

"As we're all aware," Steve chimed.

Damon coughed, hiding a smile behind his fist. Kevin chuckled.

"Be sure to get your beauty sleep, gentlemen. Enjoy your meal." Steve planned on room service with Mikki later that night.

The contestants headed to the dining room for dinner. The chef had prepared a low-carb spread of steak and veggies, with fruit salad for dessert. The men would need to be in peak condition for their shirtless scenes.

"Steve. Can we talk for a second?" Matt asked, his expression almost apologetic.

"Of course." Of all the men in the house, Steve had the best rapport with Matt. They were both single dads raising girls in an increasingly misogynistic world. Matt had even turned him on to a few children's books for empowering young girls.

He led Matt out by the pool, away from the cameramen. They sat on the cushioned pool chairs. "What can I help you with?"

From the way Matt roughly rubbed his chin, Steve could already guess what he wanted to share with him. "I think it's time for me to leave." Matt's declaration prompted mixed emotions in Steve. He was glad to not have to compete with him for Mikki's heart, but sad to see his friend go.

"Are you sure?" Steve asked, concerned about what might be driving Matt to leave. "I thought you really wanted to get to know Mikki."

"There's no doubt about that, she's more than I could ever hope for in a wife. And she would be an amazing role model for Shea."

His words stirred up something in Steve. While Matt had only been on a few dates with Mikki, he could already see her as his wife. Steve, on the other hand, had taken their relationship to the most intimate level, but he was still wary about committing a lifetime to her. He was certain that their chemistry - both physical and intellectual - only came around once in a lifetime and he was hesitant to gamble it away because of his fear of falling in love again.

"Does this have to do with Ronnie?" He'd heard from Sarah that Ronnie had confronted Matt about his intentions for being on the show.

"Yes and no." Matt was a lot more gracious than he was. "I'd never even watched this show until I saw Mikki on GMA. I left my daughter to travel across the country. But as much as I'm interested in this singular woman, I miss my daughter too much to spend another day away from her. I think Ronnie figured that out."

"I see..." Steve could understand the dilemma Matt faced as a father. He wasn't sure what he'd have done if he had to be away from his children for even a few weeks.

"Plus, it's pretty clear her feelings are strongest for Ronnie."

"What makes you say that?" Steve kept his tone neutral.

"He's the only one she's kissed."

"When did this happen?" Steve was sure he hadn't seen anything on tape.

"According to him, late last night. He managed to dodge the night crew and sneak into her hotel room."

"That's a lie." Steve couldn't reveal that he'd been with Mikki that night and had snuck out just before dawn.

"Either way, there's something between them that I can't compete with. I figure I should cut my losses and fly back home to my baby girl."

"You do what you have to do, man." He respected his friend's decision. They shook hands and hugged, Steve following him back into the mansion. "Tell Shea hello for me."The two men parted ways for what Steve hoped wasn't the last time.

Now, he had to deal with the man with his woman's name in his mouth.

"Ronnie, we need to talk." Steve found him at the dining table with the other men, finishing off a rare steak, blood staining his plate. He didn't bother explaining himself before walking back out to the pool.

As he'd expected, Ronnie joined him in no time. "It's bad manners to come between a man and his meat," his smile lost on Steve.

"We're here to talk as men, there're no cameras rolling."

"From all that bass in your voice, I'm guessing this has something to do with Mikki."

Steve faced Ronnie, who had at least six inches on him. "I won't tolerate you spreading lies about her."

"What lies exactly?"

His smirk alone made Steve want to clock him.

He had to tow the line carefully, he didn't want to hint at his midnight rendezvous with Mikki last night.

"There's absolutely no footage of a kiss between you two."

"I slipped into her room without anyone noticing. It really wasn't that hard."

"Bullshit. The producers never lose track of a contestant." Steve straightened, looking Ronnie square in the eye. "I don't know what second-rate reality TV shows you've built a career on, but ruining someone's reputation is unacceptable here."

Ronnie leaned down. "And does that rule apply to you?"

His question temporarily shook him. "What are you implying?" Steve needed to know exactly what he knew, or thought he knew.

"I'm implying," Ronnie bounced, "that the only one capable of ruining Mikki is you. I saw you with her last night."

Steve's eyes watered in both fear and anger. He held back the urge to use his fists to fight a battle for the first time in his life. "Another lie."

He studied Steve, as though this was what he'd been seeking all along. "She deserves a man who will protect her, not put her in harm's way. That's obviously not you."

"Mikki's a grown woman, she doesn't need a man to protect her."

Ronnie shook his finger at Steve. "Every woman wants a man to protect her. It's in their wiring. Only a pussy would think otherwise."

Steve imagined his right hook connecting with Ronnie square on the chin, sending him flying backwards into the pool. But he remained level-headed, knowing it was Ronnie's intention to get him to do just that.

Ronnie crowded him. "Not even willing to fight for her, huh?"

They were suddenly interrupted by a drunken Peter. "Ya'll having a party without me?" He took a long gulp of his beer.

Steve turned his attention to Peter, glad for the distraction. "How about you call it a night, buddy? Looks like you've had more than enough to drink."

"First off, I ain't your buddy. Second, ain't no such thing as enough to drink." Peter downed the rest of his beer and burped with the finesse of a hobo.

Ronnie grabbed Peter by the shoulders, leading him back inside. "You still owe me a game of poker. Hope you're ready to lose."

"The only one losing tonight is you," Peter slurred his words.

Ronnie laughed. "I doubt that." He roughly brushed Steve's shoulder on his way back into the house.

Steve realized this was his first time almost coming to blows over a woman. It was exhilarating.

#

Mikki reveled in the tropical breeze stirring her locs as she mixed two rum and Cokes. The salty aroma of the ocean tickled her senses, making her feel as light as a feather for the first time in a while.

Usually around this time of year, she was up to her neck in cases, trying to complete as much work as possible before the holidays started. If she missed even one holiday dinner, her mother would guilt her well into the new year.

She quartered a lime, squeezing the juice of two sections into each drink before dropping the wedges in as well. She licked the tangy juice from her fingers and wiped her hands down with a damp dish towel.

She joined her guest on the spacious balcony, which overlooked the clear blue waters and white sand of the private beach surrounding the resort.

"Mmm, my favorite," Sasha hummed, accepting the drink Mikki handed her.

"Hands down the best rum in the world," Mikki said, joining her on the double chaise lounge. She leaned back into the white cushions. This was everything she never realized she needed.

"I could get used to this." Sasha grinned underneath her floppy straw hat.

Mikki basked in the sun. "We're only here a few days, so enjoy it while you can."

"You don't need to tell me twice. I've got a date with the fine brotha working the front desk. I almost died and went to heaven when he called me a queen with that accent."

Mikki chuckled. If she'd been in Jamaica alone, she would've been checking out the nightlife right alongside Sasha, enjoying everything the island had to offer, including the wealth of ridiculously gorgeous men.

"You work hard. You deserve to enjoy yourself. Let's head down to the boutique later and pick out an outfit for your date."

Sasha almost fell out of her seat. "I couldn't. Those dresses are like hundreds of dollars."

"It's my treat. Well, the show's treat. They're covering everything, including my wardrobe. There's no way I could spend the entire allowance on my own."

Under circumstances that were stressful at best and chaotic at worst, Sasha had become the younger sister she'd always wanted. Buying her a new wardrobe was the least she could do for her.

"I don't know, it's too much, Mikki. You don't even know me like that."

She noticed the almost pensive shift in Sasha's mood. Her confidante hadn't been her chatty self lately. She not only enjoyed her company but she'd been extremely grateful for having someone to confide in during this whole process. Deciding on who would join her in Jamaica, in addition to sneaking around with Steve, had been almost as taxing as cramming for her bar exam.

"I honestly might have quit this whole thing by now, if it weren't for you. With all this Peter nonsense, I was ready to tell everyone on this show to kiss my black ass."

Before selecting the six guys who would join her in Jamaica, she'd been visited by the Executive Producer of the show. Phillip had wanted to meet with her personally to discuss Peter.

Although he'd been nothing less than a gentleman, something about being alone with him kept her on edge. He'd congratulated her on being the first African American Bachelorette, understanding the weight of being in this position.

"You have an opportunity to bring people together in this country," he'd said. "If you could find common ground with someone like Peter, maybe that could help others do the same."

Mikki had decided to give Peter a chance, on the condition that he be completely sober for the rest of the show. Phillip agreed, telling her to come directly to him with any issues.

She was now wondering if she'd made the right decision. Peter had only lasted this long because he'd flown under the radar and was always on his best behavior when they'd been together.

However, according to Steve, he drank nonstop and got in frequent arguments with the men. He'd even accused Kevin of being a Chinese spy. Kevin was Korean American.

She wasn't sure about giving someone like him a platform, even if she could run circles around him mentally. Her 2-on-1 date with the two men would help her play out a few of her own ulterior motives and hopefully give Kevin a chance to put Peter is his place.

"I have something to tell you," Sasha pulled her back into the present. "And I'm not sure how you're going to take it."

For a split second, she considered that Sasha may have accidentally spilled the beans about her and Steve. But if that were the case, Sarah would have been the first one knocking on her door.

She removed her sunglasses, looking Mikki straight in the eye. "Terence is my brother."

Mikki removed her sunglasses in turn, swinging her legs over the chaise to face her head on. "What do you mean he's your brother? You two know each other?"

"He's my older brother."

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"I didn't want our friendship to affect your relationship with him."

She did a mental rewind of all of their past conversations, hoping she hadn't said anything disparaging about Terence in Sasha's presence. She was relieved to recall that she'd only mentioned the two of them not having much chemistry and hadn't gone any further than that.

"I get it."

Honestly, though, her trust in the woman she'd considered a friend was wavering a tiny bit. Had she been too impulsive in confiding in her about Steve? She hoped this wouldn't come back to bite her in the ass. "It must've been tough to find out I eliminated him."

"I was surprised." Sasha crinkled her brow. "Terence was really into you, more than any other woman he's been with."

"Really?" She found this tidbit of information both surprising and confusing. She was even more uncertain of Terence than she'd been before.

"Whenever I had the chance to see him on set, he would go on and on about how beautiful and intelligent you were. How he never believed in love at first sight until he met you that first night, outside the mansion."

Mikki's heart fluttered with guilt. She'd felt an immediate connection with him that night as well, but for some reason they hadn't clicked beyond that. Maybe that reason was Steve.

"He really is an amazing man. He was by far the most difficult one to say goodbye to." She'd cried herself to sleep the night she eliminated him.

Sasha took Mikki's hands in earnest. "I'm not saying this just because he's my brother. You two would be perfect together. He's honestly the best human being I know, with more heart than is good for him sometimes."

"I don't think I'm what he's looking for."

"But he would complement you in so many ways. If you could just spend some more time with him, I'm sure you would see it for yourself."

The conflict between her head and heart raged. When Mikki imagined her future husband, it was someone exactly like Terence. Successful, kind, a good sense of humor - and black. "I'll think about it."

Sasha hugged Mikki. "Thank you. If you bring him back, I promise you won't regret it." She jumped up, grabbing their empty glasses. "Next round is on me." She disappeared inside.

Mikki sighed. She'd purposefully avoided making Sasha any promises, but she could at least take what she'd said into consideration.

She watched the sun dip below the horizon, the purple and orange of the sunset contrasting brilliantly with the cobalt blue of the sea. She licked her lips as her thoughts strayed deliciously to Steve and making love to him with the lull of the waves for ambience.

#

Mikki could barely hold back the laughter as she watched Peter struggle to get free of Kevin's hold. The knee digging into the larger man's back kept him pinned face down, one half of his face caked with mud.

Security arrived, relieving Kevin and carting off a red-faced Peter.

"You'll pay for this, bitch!" he screeched.

Mikki held back Kevin, who looked ready to put Peter down for the second time that day.

"Don't worry about him," she assured. "He'll get what he deserves. Men like him always do."

"Are you okay?" Kevin asked, brushing the dirt from her knees.

Even before their 2-on-1 date, Mikki had planned on sending Peter home, but not before taking him on an arduous 5-mile hike in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Regardless of Phillip's assurances that Peter would be sober for the rest of the show, he'd shown up ruddy-cheeked and wasted, as she'd expected.

During the hike, she and Kevin chatted about his family, while Peter tripped and slipped and grunted behind them, barely keeping up. At one point, they'd even lost sight of him, only to find that he'd fallen into a ditch.

The satisfied smirk on Kevin's face, as Peter finally emerged from the trail an hour after he and Mikki had finished the hike, was enough to make keeping him on the show worth it. She summarily awarded Kevin with the group rose date, eliminating Peter in a blaze of glory.

"Hate has no home on this show, or anywhere else in this country. I want you to remember that a black woman rejected you for the insignificant human being you are."

Steve, who'd managed to join them for the date today and was off on the sidelines, looked very pleased with that last bit.

"I can't believe he put his hands on you," Kevin squinted at the small gash on her knee. He was referring to the aftermath of the elimination, when instead of leaving with what little dignity he had left, Peter decided to lash out instead, waiting until her back was turned to shove her to the ground. Kevin had stepped in right away, debilitating Peter with a sucker punch and pinning him to the ground.

"It's a good thing you were here," Mikki said, massaging his pride, even though she could have taken Peter down if she wanted to. She was a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

"I'm just glad to be rid of that piece of trash, once and for all. Now I can focus on what really matters." He pulled an alcohol swab and bandaid from his pocket, proceeding to clean up and bandage her cut.

She laughed. "You brought your own mini first aid kit?"

"I was a Boy Scout, I'm always prepared."

Kevin never failed to surprise her. As the crew packed up their gear, they talked more about his hometown.

"I'd really love the chance to introduce you to my mom. She would love you."

"Are you sure about that?" Mikki asked, eyebrows raised. She'd only dated a few Asian men in her life, but none had ever brought her home.

"My first girlfriend was Black," Kevin said, addressing her unspoken concerns like a pro.

"Alright then," she smiled, trusting that he would never put her in harm's way.

"I don't know what to say," Sarah interrupted them, looking mildly impressed. "I couldn't have asked for a better shoot."

"We aim to please," Kevin joked.

"I hope you give Peter the edit he deserves," she said to Sarah.

"By the time I'm done with him, the only support he'll have is his AA group."

Mikki could tell she meant it. Before she could thank her, the woman was off to handle the next logistic. She really was a tough nut to crack.

"Ready to head out?" Steve asked when she and Kevin reached the parking lot. "I'll be driving you back to your hotel. Your driver had a family emergency."

From the glint in his eye, she suspected Steve had paid off the driver to take the rest of the day off.

"Sure," she nodded, trying to mask her giddiness. She hugged Kevin before jumping into backseat of the black Jeep Wrangler, Steve shutting the door behind her.

I guess he wants to keep up appearances. she thought, wanting to join him in the front seat.

Steve's blue eyes sparkled in the rearview mirror. "Buckle up, ma'am. It's going to be a rocky ride."

"The rougher the better," she smirked, her desire mounting.

"Good to know." His eyes lowered to her breasts. The thin sports bra did little to mask her pebbled nipples.