Shane's POV

My father told me to let him handle my aunts. Well, I did at the party. But I didn't get a chance to say what I wanted to say. I need to cool off first. They pissed me off with what they said to Bliss.

I am proud of Bliss. She not only fought for herself but our relationship. And she did it respectfully. My aunts and cousin lost their minds.

While Bliss was still asleep, I drew circles on her back with my hands. It was cute how Bliss twitched when I drew circles on her back. It was almost like she felt herself being tickled. Thankfully, she did not have a nightmare.

It is after 8:00 am. Once Bliss wakes up, I'll grab my laptop and take care of the payroll.

We don't have any meetings scheduled until July. So, this time in London is about us spending time together. I may surprise Bliss and take her to Paris for a few days. She will like that.

9:00 am

Bliss was still asleep, but she started stirring around. Then, she started rubbing her eyes. "Good morning, Darling."

"Good morning, Lover Boy. Can we stay like this all day? Well, except to get something to eat and using the bathroom."

"How about we pick our wedding day and where we want to get married?"

"Let's pick somewhere warm, but where both of our grandparents can travel to. Since Nana and Grampa don't particularly care for flying, how about London? And, in the Springtime - April or May."

"That is almost a year from now. Are you sure? How about Barbados, in honor of your mom?"

"It may be too late, though, to pick a hotel and place for the ceremony and reception. Remember how we booked a hotel a year in advance for the company trip?"

"That's true. But if we start now, we can at least try. We can even get Jimmy to fly to Barbados to look at some locations."

"I would love to get married in Barbados. Are you sure? Shane, I don't want you to say yes just to make me happy. Our wedding is not just about me. It is our day."

"I'm sure. Sweetheart, I see how much you miss your mom. It would be the perfect tribute to not only her but your dad. So, Barbados would be the first choice, then London. Remember, we are picking a wedding coordinator."

"Are we picking one from New York or London? We might as well find one while we are here in London until July. And what about December for our wedding? That is only six months away."

"December is perfect. Let's search while we are here."

"Thank you, Lover Boy. Now, how about we practice our wedding kiss? You promised." Bliss rolled over, and now, I was on top. As soon as we started making out, someone just had to knock on the door.

"Good morning, lovebirds. Breakfast is ready." It was mum.

"Maybe if we are quiet, she will go away."

"Seriously, Shane? We are talking about mom. And we didn't lock the door. What if she opens it?"

"When everyone goes home next week, we will return to my house. Come, let's go downstairs."

"You want me to go downstairs with this outfit on?

Bliss had on a purple and white form-fitted gown with a white robe. Her sexy body is all mine. And, at this moment, it is giving me urges. And I can't wait to work it over and over again.

"March right in that bathroom and change into something else."

Hopefully, she will find something. Andrea packed her bag and likes to pack Bliss's sexy stuff that only I can see.

"Andrea packed some yoga pants and several other tank tops."

"Then, after searching for a wedding coordinator, we are going shopping."

I like to sleep bare-chested, so I grabbed a t-shirt. While Bliss was in the bathroom, I took care of the payroll for this week.

When Bliss came out of the bathroom, I knew we were going shopping later.

We need to get downstairs in a hurry. "Shane, this is what I have." She wore a purple t-shirt and black yoga pants that fit every curve.

Then, we made our way downstairs.

"Good morning, everyone."

"Good morning, Bliss and Shane. Bliss, how does it feel being an engaged woman?"

"It feels great, Nana. I love it. I am nervous because I hope I live up to Shane's expectations of me."

Bliss went to sit down while I fixed a plate for her and myself. I never had any expectations. The way Bliss carries herself is what drew me to her.

"Girl, please, you have already exceeded his expectations. And knowing Shane, I'm sure he didn't have any expectations."

"Kam is correct."

"Since we met each other, we instantly bonded and became best friends. You are very friendly and caring and have a smile some wish they had. Shane loves you very much. And my boys love you too, especially Rocco. I definitely saw the feisty side yesterday when you did your thing at the party last night. You made all of us proud. I was ready to smack that Mikayla chick."

"Thank you, Kam. I wanted to smack her too. But I don't ever want to set foot in another courtroom again. People like her drive me crazy - thinking they are superior to others. Speaking of crazy, Shane, you have not told me what happened to him. Sorry, but I just can't say his name."

I set a plate of food in front of Bliss, then sat down with mine.

"I wasn't planning on telling you at all. I will handle it."

"And why not? What if I get a subpoena to testify?"

"Then we will cross that bridge when it happens."

"Shane, you can't stop me from testifying. I understand you want to protect me, but I want him behind bars forever. I don't want either Carly or Jessica testifying."

"Can we not do this now?"

I could tell Bliss was irritated. "Well, when are we going to address it?! I don't ever want to see his face on any street again! What part are you not listening to?! And, if I have to testify, I will do it!"

Now I am irritated. "Over my dead body, will you testify."

"Well, I guess you are going to have a dead body! Excuse me, everyone." Bliss grabbed her plate and left the table.

"Shane, if Bliss has to testify and she doesn't go to court, they could put out a warrant for her arrest. I know you do not want her going to jail, do you?" My Nana mentioned.

"No, I don't. I also don't want Bliss to get choked again if Alexander sees her. Or whatever else Alexander would think about doing. You all saw how hard it was getting his hands off her neck! He had her lifted off the ground, for goodness' sake!"

"I'm sorry, Nana, for raising my voice. It was traumatizing for both of us. I certainly do not want Bliss to go to jail, but I also do not want her going to an asylum because of nightmares or always thinking Alexander is going to choke her, either."

"Bliss will likely not need to be present for the July 8th court date. But, the prosecutor may ask or subpoena her for the July 15th court date. Then again, they may have enough evidence and will not call Bliss at all," my father interjected.

"Shane, we all want to see that creep behind bars. We will even fly over to support you both. Don't you think this is already hard on Bliss? You were going to have to have this talk anyway. Go find her now."

"Good morning, everyone. I just saw Bliss walk out to the patio upset. Is everything ok?"

"Good morning, Grampa. I'll go talk to her."

I placed my dishes in the sink and went outside.

Bliss had grabbed a blanket and laid down on the couch outside. She must have known it was me.

"I am not changing my mind, Shane. Yes, it will be hard, but I need to do this. And I want you by my side. They may not even call for me to testify. But, if need be, I will do it. We need to keep Mr. Mahoney off the streets."

"Alexander has two court dates - July 8th to determine how much compensation he has to pay you. And a trial date of July 15th for the choking incident. I'm sorry for what happened in the kitchen. I am terrified of seeing him choking you again in court. I thought I lost you in May. It finally took Kalani to pry his hands off your neck."

Bliss sat up, patted for me to sit, and laid her head on the pillow she placed in my lap.

"Shane, I understand how you feel. I am scared too. I need your support to help me make it through testifying. I don't want Mr. Mahoney to hurt anyone else. I am sorry too. I don't want you dead, Shane. I just want to be done with him."

"Of course, you have my support. How about we make a video conference call with Jacob and Hermione? I want him in shackles or something. Because if he touches you again, I will be the one going to jail - for murder."

Bliss stood up, then sat in my lap, with her arms wrapped around my neck. "I hate that we had a mini argument."

"We may have more arguments. Our marriage will not be perfect. We will be two imperfect people who love each other. The fun part will be making up." Bliss's hands were now running through my hair.

"Speaking of making up, how about we do it properly? Mr. Landes, how about we continue practicing?"

My right arm pulled Bliss closer to my chest, and my left hand went straight to her booty. She pulled back from our kiss and arched her eyebrows.

"How can I resist pinching that simply irresistible booty?"

"You are so nasty." We both chuckled.

"Only for you, baby."

"Better be only for me, or you will be in trouble, Mr. Landes."

"Ssh, less talking and more practicing."

Bliss' POV

'Happy Hands' Landes made his appearance. Shane's hands started exploring, causing me to start moaning.

"Bliss and Shane, you might want to take that upstairs. The kids almost came out after hearing you scream. Bliss, your phone was ringing off the hook. I brought it out for you."

"Sorry. Thanks, Jules." That is our nickname for him, courtesy of Carly. I am happy for those two. We found out they secretly started dating in January of this year.

When I saw who had called, I was nervous. It was my friend, Jayson, who was helping me with trying to get my makeup on the market.

Shane gave me a worried look, "What's wrong, Darling?"

"The phone call I am about to make could be one of two things - Yes, I can sell my makeup. Or, no, I can't sell my makeup. Shane, don't be mad. It is a guy. But he is happily married, and I am friends with his wife. I told him about you, and he said you were the perfect guy for me. And, he is happy for us."

"I'm not mad at all because you are mine."

I gave Shane a quick peck kiss, then dialed Jayson's number and put the call on speaker.

************

Jayson - "Hey, Bliss. You are in the news with your engagement, sis. I see congrats are in order. I am happy for you."

Bliss - "Thanks, Jay. Shane is with me now. I put you on speaker."

Jayson - "Take good care of my sis, Mr. Billionaire. She deserves the best."

Shane - "I will take excellent care of her."

Jayson - "Tina received every sample and lab result back. Congratulations, madam. You will soon be Mrs. Billionaire, along with Shane. And I have the patent documents for you to sign for your products. Let me know how soon you can sign them. We also have testimonials from two ladies who tried the makeup and absolutely loved it."

Bliss - "Thank you so much, Jay! I wish you both could come over so we can celebrate. Can you overnight the documents to London? I'll sign them and overnight them back to you in New York. I owe you both so much!"

Shane - "If you guys can make it this weekend, I can check with my pilot, and he will come to get you."

Jayson - "Sounds good. In the meantime, I will get everything together and overnight it to you."

Bliss - "Shane is going to give you his address."

While Shane gave Jayson his address, I was in shock and excited! My dream of becoming a business owner is coming true! Wait until I tell Andrea and Jessica!

Jayson - "Thanks for the address. One more question. What about your store location?"

Bliss - "I am close to having the money I need to lease or buy space. I should have it around wintertime. But, I would like to set up a website in the meantime to start selling the makeup."

Jayson - "Okay. I'll get to work on it. See you this weekend, Bliss. Talk to you later."

End phone call

************

"OH MY GOODNESS!! Sorry for screaming in your ear, but I am ecstatic, Lover Boy!! I have always dreamed about this day, and it is happening!" I started planting kisses all over Shane's face.

Afterward, I got out of Shane's lap so fast that I didn't notice he was in pain.

"Sweetheart, please remember to be careful when you get out of my lap. Precious cargo is down in the southern region of my body."

"I'm so sorry, Lover Boy." I accidentally kneed Shane in his jewels. "I'll give you a moment to come inside."

I went inside to find Jessica, Julian, and Andrea. Everybody was in the tv room watching Mr. Bean. I love that show! It is hilarious! I don't care if it is reruns.

"Sorry for standing in front of the television, but I just got great news!! I was given the go-ahead to sell my makeup!! My friend, Jayson, is sending the paperwork I need to sign!"

"That is great news, Bliss! Congratulations, sis!"

"Thanks, Andrea. Jayson will start working on a website where I can sell it until I have enough money to buy or lease store space."

"Hey Bliss, I just thought of a great idea. You could display your makeup in my store locations if you would like."

"Seriously, Layla?! Oh gosh, thank you! It can wait until after your maternity leave with Logan." I walked over to Layla and gave her a great, big hug. "Thank you, mama."

"You're welcome, girl."

"How about we go out to eat and celebrate?" Nana mentioned.

"That sounds great. Shane and I are going to search for a wedding coordinator. Mom, would you help me? We will look for one while we are here in London."

"Yes, indeed, I can help you,
" Mom proudly proclaimed.

"Speaking of Shane, where is he?" Dad asked.

"Uh, I accidentally kneed him in the jewels when I got out of his lap."

Shane came into the living room as I said that. They all looked at him, then started chuckling.

"Hey Bliss, before I forget, tomorrow I scheduled you for an afternoon photoshoot for your headshots. It is around 2:00 pm, and here is the address."

Marco passed a business card my way with the address.

"Thanks, Marco. Will you go with me tomorrow?"

"Of course."

"Thank you because I am a nervous wreck. Shane, will you take a few pictures with me? It could be our engagement shots. And I really am sorry."

"I would love to take pictures with you, Darling. Is everyone up for celebrating tonight?"

"Nana stepped away to make reservations for dinner tonight."

Shane looked down at me and said, "This one is my treat."

"Thank you, Lover Boy."

Shane's POV

"You're welcome, love."

Mum was already dressed, so Bliss and I went upstairs to get a shower and get dressed.

**************

When we returned downstairs, mum told us, "Bliss and Shane, I found a wedding planner that is the best in London. Here is the address. I printed it for you."

Mum handed me the printout of the company, Blushes and Sparks Wedding Consulting. They are an excellent company. I have heard a lot about them.

"Shane, I made reservations for everyone at The Savory Brothers restaurant. The reservation is for 6:00 pm and under your name."

"Thank you, Nana. Let's go, ladies."

************

The company was not too far from Buckingham Palace. So, I told Bliss we were going for a tour before leaving London.

After about a 20-minute ride, I parked outside Blushes and Sparks Wedding Consulting. Once we stepped inside, we were greeted by a wedding consultant.

"Welcome to Blushes and Sparks Wedding Consulting. My name is Laura. How can I help you?"

"My name is Shane Landes, and this is my fiancée, Bliss Sanders. We are looking for a wedding planner to help us with our wedding."

Suddenly, almost every female in the office raised their head to take a peak. I just shook my head in disbelief. I don't care how good this company is, but I am taken. So, I pulled Bliss close to me and wrapped my right arm around her waist.

"Also with us is my mum, Adrian Landes, to help my bride-to-be select things she wants for our wedding."

"Follow me, please."

My arm stayed around Bliss's waist as we followed the consultant. My mum scowled at everybody we passed. It was hilarious!

Laura showed us to a conference room. "Please have a seat, and I will be right back with a planner kit for your wedding." She closed the door.

While we waited for Laura to come back, I could not sit still. So, my hands went exploring right on Bliss's thighs. She kept swatting my hands, "Stop it, Shane." Bliss was giggling while she said it.

Laura came back with a planner and sat across from us. "I apologize for the wait. The first question I would like to ask is, do you have a specific budget for your wedding?"

That question just irritated the heck out of me. "Certainly not! Whatever my woman wants, it is hers!"

Bliss smacked my arm. "Shane, seriously? That is a valid question."

"Your bride is right, Mr. Landes. I assure you that is a standard question we ask couples. We go above and beyond to ensure our clients' weddings are special. I apologize if it seemed offensive."

"I'm sorry, and you're right. It is a valid question. There is no budget for our wedding."

"Okay. The next question is, where would you like your wedding location to be?"

Bliss' POV

"Our first choice is Saint Lucy in Barbados. That is where my mom was born. She passed away, so my lovely husband-to-be thought it would be a tribute to her if we got married there. But the only thing is we want to get married in December. We understand that may be a challenge because it is six months away. So, our second choice would be here in London, where Shane was born."

We chatted with Laura for about 2 hours. Thank goodness mom came with us because she helped us pick so many things - how many guests to invite, the details of how our ceremony will go, decorations, etc. We also told her how many hotel rooms to book for the wedding. Shane and I came up with a number of 250 guests. It may not be that many, but it is better to over-guess an amount than under-guess.

Once we chose our locations, we would decide on the food, cake, favors, DJ, photographer, and whatever else we needed for the reception.

Shane paid Laura her fee for being our coordinator. We thanked her for her time, then left the office to go shopping.

***********

Once we finished shopping, it was time to head to the restaurant.

Shane gave his name to the hostess. Then, she led us to a room where everyone was.

We all had a great time at the restaurant.

I wish our time in London would never end, but I know we will have to return to New York.

After we were done at the restaurant, we all returned to Nana's house.

************

Tuesday, June 4th, 2019

Bliss' POV

Well, like Marco said, "Just give it a try."

That is what I am going to do. But, I am still nervous. Thank goodness Marco and Shane are going to the studio with me. I know one thing - the shirt Shane had on showed off his muscular chest and abs.

I could not stop gawking at him. Shane knew I was staring, so he started smirking. "Like what you see?"

"Oh, you will find out when we take pictures, buddy." We pulled into the studio parking lot.

Marco took the lead while we walked inside. The receptionist recognized Marco.

"Mr. Fiore, how can I help you?"

"My friend, Ms. Bliss Sanders, is here to take her headshots."

"Go right ahead. Tom is ready and waiting for you. Ms. Sanders, don't be nervous. I just met you, and I can tell you are going places as a model. My name is Ryleigh."

"Thank you, Ryleigh. That is really sweet of you."

We then headed to the elevators for a short ride to the 6th floor. Once we stepped off, the studio we were going to was to the right.

"Hey Tom, meet my friends - Bliss and Shane. Bliss is here for her headshots."

"Hey, Marco. It's nice to meet you, Bliss and Shane. I also understand you will take some engagement pictures, correct?"

"Yes, we are."

"Okay. How about we do the headshots first? Stand over near the white screen for me."

"Okay."

Shane's POV

Bliss was nervous the whole ride to the studio. She not only has a killer body, but her smile could brighten up anyone's day. I hope she takes to modeling.

The photographer told Bliss, "Ms. Bliss, you have a beautiful smile. Are you photogenic?"

She answered, "Yes, I am. I love taking pictures."

Then, he said, "Okay. Act natural and do your thing. You can do whatever pose you would like. I'll take about thirty shots."

Bliss took several different poses in each area. With the white background, she took a few with her arms crossed and her head tilted. She even took one where she blew a kiss my way. Then, the photographer had Bliss looking towards the ceiling with her hand on her right cheek.

Bliss sat on the block in the pink area, crossed her legs, placed her hands on her knees, and flashed the smile that I love. The photographer also had Bliss look toward the screen and pose like she was thinking.

The last few were on the couch. Bliss sat with her legs stretched out and did several poses.

"That will conclude the headshot photos. Marco gave me the address of where to send them. And I'll get you a set also. Now, fiancé, it is picture time with your bride-to-be. Where would you guys like to take your pictures?"

Bliss' POV

"Over near the pink screen first, then the couch."

I grabbed Shane's hand to sit him on the block. First, I stood behind him and wrapped my arms around his neck. While the photographer snapped the picture, I stole a kiss on his cheek.

Next, I sat in Shane's lap. We had our foreheads touching and stared into each other's eyes. My hands made their way to those abs. "You're just as ticklish as me."

We took a few standing up. I stood in front of Shane as he wrapped his arms around me. He leaned in to kiss my cheek.

The photographer brought out another block. Shane and I sat opposite, then turned our heads to face each other. Then we kissed each other.

We almost made out on the couch. Shane lay down on the couch then I laid on top of him. We then faced the camera. He always talks about my smile, but his smile makes me blush too.

After a few more shots, our photo session was finished.

"Do you all have time to wait for your pictures? It will only take me about 30 minutes."

Shane told the photographer, "Yes, we can wait."

"Okay. Hey Marco, how about you give Bliss and Shane a tour? And congratulations, you two."

"Thank you." I grabbed Shane's hand, and we followed Marco out of the room.

"Bliss, you did a good job. You didn't seem nervous at all."

"Thanks, Marco."

We saw trouble across the hall as we exited the studio.

***********

Thank you for reading chapter 30.

1. Bliss' photography outfit is courtesy of PNG Tree - ©pngtree.com / wonx

2. Shane's shirt picture is courtesy of PNG Tree - ©pngtree.com / k

3. Photography studio is courtesy of Can Stock Photos - © Can Stock Photo / Paha_L

Thank you all for the votes and comments. 😘