BeJeweled: What A Tangled Web We Weave (Book 2)
Olivia’s dreams have finally begun to come true, as she marries the man who’s held her heart for twenty years. Her beauty salon is prospering, and she has begun rebuilding her team, after seeds of discord were sowed and bonds were broken. Everything is beginning to look up, or so she thinks. When a scandal is leaked to the media, Olivia’s dream of expanding is in jeopardy. She must step up and play hard ball in a game with which she’s unfamiliar.
Nikki had dreams of building a beautiful family with a loving husband. But after looking at the shattered pieces of her broken life, she is losing hope and desires more. She wants more than the shame of barrenness, and more than physical abuse from his drinking binges. One phone call gives her courage to escape the deadly clutches of her husband. Yet, when she finds strength in another’s arms she finds herself spinning more lies. Nikki’s web of deceit is going to cost all those who are close and it could just cost her, her life.
When deception is the name of the game, who all will have to share the pain?
Nikki had dreams of building a beautiful family with a loving husband. But after looking at the shattered pieces of her broken life, she is losing hope and desires more. She wants more than the shame of barrenness, and more than physical abuse from his drinking binges. One phone call gives her courage to escape the deadly clutches of her husband. Yet, when she finds strength in another’s arms she finds herself spinning more lies. Nikki’s web of deceit is going to cost all those who are close and it could just cost her, her life.
When deception is the name of the game, who all will have to share the pain?
Below are the actors and models that I envision portraying the characters if this were to be made into a movie. Just a glimpse inside my head...
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Valarie Pettiford as Olivia
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Darrin Henson as Raymond
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Lance Gross as Wes
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Jwaundace Candece as Nikki
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Dietrich Riley as Carlos
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BEJEWELED II EXCERPT:
She tried to fight back the tears, but they betrayed her. Sucking in her sobs, she stood and walked to his dresser and began looking at his pictures, anything that would take her mind off her problems. There were a couple of him and his father at various stages of his life, a few of some children, and one of a lady she assumed to be his mother. She stood up and walked to the bed, staring at the amazing likeness he had to this woman.
“That’s my mom.”
She jumped at the sound of his voice; she hadn’t heard him return to the bedroom.
“Oh, I didn’t hear you come up. Are you always so quiet?” she asked as he came and stood beside her. She still had not looked at him, wishing she could make the tears disappear from her eyes and face.
“No. Are you always so scary?” he teased. He regretted the words almost the moment he said them. Her body tensed up, and she looked down. Her fear had come as a result of the relationship she was in. She was always tense and on edge, because she never knew what fuse Carlos was about to blow.
“Hey, it’s okay. I’m sorry. Here, look at me,” he said, turning her face up towards him. “Why are you crying?” he asked as he wiped her tears away with his fingers.
“I’m sorry. I just…I don’t know.” She couldn’t explain if she wanted to. No one would understand her confusion or pain. She could forgive Carlos if he just had not left her. Didn’t he love her? Didn’t he want to work things out? Maybe he didn’t love her, after all. If he did, he would not have left her there like that.
“Don’t be sorry. You haven’t done anything wrong. I have the feeling you have spent many years apologizing,” Wesley stated.
He lovingly caressed the bruise that had formed on the right side of her face.
“Too beautiful,” Wesley said, being drawn into the power of her presence in his bedroom.
“Huh?”
“You. You’re too beautiful for this. I don’t want you to be scared every time people come near you. Relax, okay? Just be…I promise I won’t ever do nothing to hurt you,” he said as he drew her nearer to him. Looking down into her big, dark brown eyes, he felt himself getting lost.
Nikki didn’t know what she was feeling or what was happening between the two of them. And she couldn’t contain herself as he pressed his full firm lips against her soft, lush ones. As their foreheads touched, he continued to gently apply pressure to her lips, asking for permission to enter in.
She slightly parted her lips allowing him to tug her bottom one between his teeth. He wrapped big hands lovingly around her small waist, rubbing his thumbs in little circles on her sides. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer. Her slight moans of encouragement had him pressing her back against the bedroom door. She could feel the rising pressure of his penis pushing against her crotch.
The heat rising in her body and the firmness of his hands encircling her was enough to drive her over the edge. Yet, it wasn’t her who pulled back first, it was him.
“Damn!” he said, slapping his palm against the doorframe.
“What, Wes?” she asked, in a tone riddled with desire. She was shocked to realize she hadn’t wanted him to stop. Just being here with him in this moment was more than she had ever dared to think about in her wildest dreams.
“I can’t do this, girl. You got my head all screwed up. All I wanna do is take you in that bed right there,” he said, turning sideways to point at his bed. “I want to love away the hurt and the pain.” He still had not released her and had his right arm circled around her.
“Whaa…” she couldn’t find the words to speak. How could she tell him she wanted that, too, when she knew it was so wrong? She knew, as a married woman, she shouldn’t be in this situation. She had no reason to be yearning for any man other than her husband…even if he did beat the crap out of her.
“Look, it’s unfair for me to do this to you right now. Some would say I’m taking advantage of you, and I promised you I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. Right now, you just went through some stuff with your husband, and your emotions are fragile. I gotta step back. You gotta get your situation cleared up. I’m sorry, I’m supposed to be one of your closest friends.” He searched her eyes, imploring her to stand strong with him.
They both were aware that the first sign of weakness she showed, would cause him to lose control. That’s precisely why she grabbed the back of his head and pulled him down towards her. This time, it was her turn to press her soft, pliable lips against his full ones.
“Mmm, Wes, I need you,” she murmured between kisses. Nikki needed to feel beautiful, loved, and desired. She had not felt this way in such a long time. And standing here at this moment in her friend’s arms, she found everything she craved from her husband.
He held her face between his hands as he trailed his chocolate kisses down her caramel-colored face to her neck. She squirmed against him as she wanted to feel his desire for her pressing against her once more. When his hands pulled her tight black fitted t-shirt free from her Khaki pants, he eased his hands up her back and around to her breasts.
“Oh, God, I can’t do this,” he said, pulling away from her once more, as if he had just been seared by a branding iron.
“Why not?” she begged to know. She wanted him right now more than she had wanted anything else, of that much she was sure. It was a struggle she knew she needed to fight off, because she knew it was wrong. She never expected to find herself in this situation. Now that she was, it was too difficult to turn back. She wanted and needed love and protection.
“Damn, girl, you’re married. I can’t do this. I’m not the type of man that can go creeping around with another man’s woman.”
She tried to fight back the tears, but they betrayed her. Sucking in her sobs, she stood and walked to his dresser and began looking at his pictures, anything that would take her mind off her problems. There were a couple of him and his father at various stages of his life, a few of some children, and one of a lady she assumed to be his mother. She stood up and walked to the bed, staring at the amazing likeness he had to this woman.
“That’s my mom.”
She jumped at the sound of his voice; she hadn’t heard him return to the bedroom.
“Oh, I didn’t hear you come up. Are you always so quiet?” she asked as he came and stood beside her. She still had not looked at him, wishing she could make the tears disappear from her eyes and face.
“No. Are you always so scary?” he teased. He regretted the words almost the moment he said them. Her body tensed up, and she looked down. Her fear had come as a result of the relationship she was in. She was always tense and on edge, because she never knew what fuse Carlos was about to blow.
“Hey, it’s okay. I’m sorry. Here, look at me,” he said, turning her face up towards him. “Why are you crying?” he asked as he wiped her tears away with his fingers.
“I’m sorry. I just…I don’t know.” She couldn’t explain if she wanted to. No one would understand her confusion or pain. She could forgive Carlos if he just had not left her. Didn’t he love her? Didn’t he want to work things out? Maybe he didn’t love her, after all. If he did, he would not have left her there like that.
“Don’t be sorry. You haven’t done anything wrong. I have the feeling you have spent many years apologizing,” Wesley stated.
He lovingly caressed the bruise that had formed on the right side of her face.
“Too beautiful,” Wesley said, being drawn into the power of her presence in his bedroom.
“Huh?”
“You. You’re too beautiful for this. I don’t want you to be scared every time people come near you. Relax, okay? Just be…I promise I won’t ever do nothing to hurt you,” he said as he drew her nearer to him. Looking down into her big, dark brown eyes, he felt himself getting lost.
Nikki didn’t know what she was feeling or what was happening between the two of them. And she couldn’t contain herself as he pressed his full firm lips against her soft, lush ones. As their foreheads touched, he continued to gently apply pressure to her lips, asking for permission to enter in.
She slightly parted her lips allowing him to tug her bottom one between his teeth. He wrapped big hands lovingly around her small waist, rubbing his thumbs in little circles on her sides. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer. Her slight moans of encouragement had him pressing her back against the bedroom door. She could feel the rising pressure of his penis pushing against her crotch.
The heat rising in her body and the firmness of his hands encircling her was enough to drive her over the edge. Yet, it wasn’t her who pulled back first, it was him.
“Damn!” he said, slapping his palm against the doorframe.
“What, Wes?” she asked, in a tone riddled with desire. She was shocked to realize she hadn’t wanted him to stop. Just being here with him in this moment was more than she had ever dared to think about in her wildest dreams.
“I can’t do this, girl. You got my head all screwed up. All I wanna do is take you in that bed right there,” he said, turning sideways to point at his bed. “I want to love away the hurt and the pain.” He still had not released her and had his right arm circled around her.
“Whaa…” she couldn’t find the words to speak. How could she tell him she wanted that, too, when she knew it was so wrong? She knew, as a married woman, she shouldn’t be in this situation. She had no reason to be yearning for any man other than her husband…even if he did beat the crap out of her.
“Look, it’s unfair for me to do this to you right now. Some would say I’m taking advantage of you, and I promised you I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. Right now, you just went through some stuff with your husband, and your emotions are fragile. I gotta step back. You gotta get your situation cleared up. I’m sorry, I’m supposed to be one of your closest friends.” He searched her eyes, imploring her to stand strong with him.
They both were aware that the first sign of weakness she showed, would cause him to lose control. That’s precisely why she grabbed the back of his head and pulled him down towards her. This time, it was her turn to press her soft, pliable lips against his full ones.
“Mmm, Wes, I need you,” she murmured between kisses. Nikki needed to feel beautiful, loved, and desired. She had not felt this way in such a long time. And standing here at this moment in her friend’s arms, she found everything she craved from her husband.
He held her face between his hands as he trailed his chocolate kisses down her caramel-colored face to her neck. She squirmed against him as she wanted to feel his desire for her pressing against her once more. When his hands pulled her tight black fitted t-shirt free from her Khaki pants, he eased his hands up her back and around to her breasts.
“Oh, God, I can’t do this,” he said, pulling away from her once more, as if he had just been seared by a branding iron.
“Why not?” she begged to know. She wanted him right now more than she had wanted anything else, of that much she was sure. It was a struggle she knew she needed to fight off, because she knew it was wrong. She never expected to find herself in this situation. Now that she was, it was too difficult to turn back. She wanted and needed love and protection.
“Damn, girl, you’re married. I can’t do this. I’m not the type of man that can go creeping around with another man’s woman.”
REVIEWS:
A Tangled Web Indeed!
By Severine_Addicted2Reading on June 24, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
Chelle Ramsey delivers a great follow up in this second book of the BeJeweled series.
This cast of characters were so intriguing and true to life that I felt like I was right there with them, experiencing what they experienced. I shook my head and screamed at Nikki AND Wesley. Cheered Angel and her new responsibilities. What can I say about Tyrone...he kept me laughing. And woven through it all was Olivia who kept everyone on track despite the seeming setbacks she was experiencing in her business and love life.
The unexpected developments in this story added up to a really great read. Loved the unpredictability!
Riveting! Hated for it to end!
ByWriter&Readeron July 20, 2015
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I am a new fan of this author, this is the first story I read of hers. I LOVED IT!
I fell in love with the vivid characters Ms. Ramsey created. The inspirational Ms. Olivia, Raymond, her steadfast new husband and the very colorful characters of those who work in her shop formed a great backdrop for Nikki's story--which is an emotional roller coaster. This story captures so many issues that many women experience in life, low self-esteem, domestic violence, envy and self-sabotage are just a few. What I love about this story is the fact that all the drama is interwoven with inspiration, giving hope and showing what love and friendship can accomplish. I laughed, cried, screamed, shook my head and then was so sorry to see this story end. I am anxiously awaiting the next installment in this series. Oh and by the way, I am Team Wesley!
A Tangled, Twisted, Toxic Web For Sure...
ByRaeon July 8, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
Picking up right where Book #1 left off, I was pulled right back into the drama from the women of Bejeweled. Although Olivia is still the glue that holds everyone together, WATWWW is definitely Nikki’s story and to say it's heartbreaking is an understatement. The author did not shy away from the difficult subject matter as she delved even further into Nikki’s marriage and family life. I can’t wait to find out how Nikki survives this messy love triangle in Book #3 and also and how Olivia and Raymond will manage now that the honeymoon is over. No doubt there is way more drama to come. Well done, Chelle!
A Tangled Web Indeed!
By Severine_Addicted2Reading on June 24, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
Chelle Ramsey delivers a great follow up in this second book of the BeJeweled series.
This cast of characters were so intriguing and true to life that I felt like I was right there with them, experiencing what they experienced. I shook my head and screamed at Nikki AND Wesley. Cheered Angel and her new responsibilities. What can I say about Tyrone...he kept me laughing. And woven through it all was Olivia who kept everyone on track despite the seeming setbacks she was experiencing in her business and love life.
The unexpected developments in this story added up to a really great read. Loved the unpredictability!
Riveting! Hated for it to end!
ByWriter&Readeron July 20, 2015
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I am a new fan of this author, this is the first story I read of hers. I LOVED IT!
I fell in love with the vivid characters Ms. Ramsey created. The inspirational Ms. Olivia, Raymond, her steadfast new husband and the very colorful characters of those who work in her shop formed a great backdrop for Nikki's story--which is an emotional roller coaster. This story captures so many issues that many women experience in life, low self-esteem, domestic violence, envy and self-sabotage are just a few. What I love about this story is the fact that all the drama is interwoven with inspiration, giving hope and showing what love and friendship can accomplish. I laughed, cried, screamed, shook my head and then was so sorry to see this story end. I am anxiously awaiting the next installment in this series. Oh and by the way, I am Team Wesley!
A Tangled, Twisted, Toxic Web For Sure...
ByRaeon July 8, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
Picking up right where Book #1 left off, I was pulled right back into the drama from the women of Bejeweled. Although Olivia is still the glue that holds everyone together, WATWWW is definitely Nikki’s story and to say it's heartbreaking is an understatement. The author did not shy away from the difficult subject matter as she delved even further into Nikki’s marriage and family life. I can’t wait to find out how Nikki survives this messy love triangle in Book #3 and also and how Olivia and Raymond will manage now that the honeymoon is over. No doubt there is way more drama to come. Well done, Chelle!
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