Chapter 9

After the shower, I was chuckling while heading towards the balcony. The scent of girly lavender and wildflowers wafted from my freshly scrubbed skin and tingling scalp. Laura was correct; I needed to move some stuff to her place. Including a toothbrush.

Right as my foot lifted to step outside, I froze in the doorframe. There it was; my dream made reality. Under the bright sunshine slanting over the bamboo fencing, her sleek frame glistened in that microscopic golden bikini. With a grin I leaned, watching her chest rise and fall. Not in a creepy way. The utter calm after what we’d just done was mesmerizing.

And here’s another thing. The cutest little snores were escaping her lips. Long eyelashes sealed and wispy chestnut strands blowing across her face, she wore the most blissful expression. After a gentle sigh, I quietly shifted the other lounge chair into the shade and went in search of something to drink. Once I’d returned with two glasses of ice water, I placed one on the table beside her and settled in the shadows to scan my phone.

In short order, my brain spun once more. Business first. Two upcoming clients: Chicago, then the other up in Canada. They’d be quick and easy. The Canadian woman was in her 60s and enjoyed showing me off as her arm-candy. Oh, we’d fuck, and she quite enjoyed it rough, but wouldn’t last long.

Then there was Irina’s contact info staring at me. Which wasn’t business. Well, at least I doubted it. Nah, who was I kidding? The memory of those dark eyes kept returning to me as I played with the phone. Anything with her would be personal.

And that really bugged me. Why couldn’t I shake her from my thoughts? We hadn’t exchanged a single word other than my in-flight drink request and a passing “hello.” Yet, she wouldn’t leave my mind. Nor could I find it within myself to delete her number. Not even with Laura’s soft snores right beside me. It made no sense.

Pride? She’d approached me, so should I make it worth her while? Or perhaps the opposite; would I disappoint her? Except what were the odds of ever seeing her again? Undecided and waffling with my finger hovering, I still didn’t delete it.

With a quiet sigh, I started to open another text from Bea. But before I faced that, I glanced over at Laura. A frown crossed my face. Having been around enough fairer-skinned women, despite the tan, she was reddening. At last, with a muffled groan, my achy frame slipped from the chair to kneel by her side.

“Sweetie.” I gave her sweat and lotion-slick shoulder a gentle shove. “Laura, babe, you’re getting a little too much sun. Time to turn over.”

Christ on a cracker, I sounded like a proper boyfriend. Duh, perhaps because I really cared. Although her long, dark eyelashes flashed, her eyes remained slits. But after a slow nod, she lifted with a groan, and I helped her roll onto her stomach.

“Thank you, baby,” she whispered before settling on crossed arms.

While standing, I gathered her silken hair and draped it clear of her shoulders. However, right as my feet were about to step away, I scanned her shimmering form. She’d had no tan lines on her back. As gently as possible, I untied the top’s thin strings. After folding the ties along her ribs, I caught soft giggling. When she tugged and held out a palm with the pair of dangling golden triangles, I froze.

“Here. A souvenir.” Her next giggle was louder but was followed by a quiet yawn.

With a chuckle, I took it from her, but couldn’t resist a playful drag of my finger along her spine. As her entire body shook, rapid hitching breaths pumped from her.

“Oh. Oh, fuck. Don’t,” hissed from her as shaking hands creaked on the lounger’s sides.

Yeah, she was fried. As much as a large part of me wanted to tear away those bottoms to gnaw her firm little butt, I only smiled into her narrowed eyes. After a chuckle, I hung the top over the patio door handle and returned to my chair.

Right then, the tiredness hit me. To the sound of another quiet yawn from her, I let my eyelids drift closed.

By the time I awoke, the sun had drifted, and we were both in shadow. Still on her stomach, she had fixed me with her glimmering eyes. It was my turn to be inspected. When she noticed I was awake, those pearly whites sunk into her lower lip.

“God, you’re such a beautiful man,” she murmured.

“Hah.” I laughed. “I bet you say that to all the naked black men with big dicks.”

For a long second, she was quiet. Then that famous knitted-brow visage appeared. But at last, she let one of the cutest giggles slip free.

“You know you’re the first black man I’ve ever, uh, dated, Deke.” After a slow smack of those shiny lips, she grinned, and another giggle left her. “And that magnificent woman-wrecking beast between your legs? That is not big. I told you, it’s fucking enormous. Every millimeter of my poor pussy is alive right now. Hmm, so is my ass. Fuck, baby, you’re amazing.”

As I nodded, she fell silent before clearing her throat. Again, her eyebrows tightened. “Does it bother you, Deke? Me, being white.”

“Nope.”

Of course, I’d known the topic would arise. Especially after her ex had mentioned she could no longer be labeled a racist.

“You know what attracted me to you?” Her voice was so low I struggled to hear it. “Those eyes. Such a pretty hazel. They glint and change color in the sunlight. You probably don’t remember, but I stepped aside so you could carry stuff into your place. And, um, I kinda got lost right then. Couldn’t get them or you out of my mind.”

“Hmm, so not—”

“No, nothing to do with your skin color, Deke.” Another giggle erupted, but became a hitching, quiet whimper. “Mmm, but maybe that wonderful body. Is that weird?”

“Nah.” I shook my head and smiled. “To be honest, it’s refreshing. Now, don’t get me wrong, a bunch of my clients want to be wrecked by a muscular BBC. Big black cock. That’s more of a fetish thing. To them, I’m just some black guy. But hey, they pay a lot of money, and I’m pretty good. I can—”

“Oh, yes, you can.” A louder laugh escaped her. “Jesus, you’re a real beast in bed.” She snorted, and those eyes twinkled as she glanced at the thin bamboo screen. Her handprints remained glossy on its top. “Or on a balcony.”

“Yeah, I am.” I joined in. “But skin color has nothing to do with it.” Even as the next words formed in my brain, the world staggered. “I, uh, like you, Laura. A lot.”

At that, she gulped. With those brown pools watering, she nodded and cleared her throat—twice.

“I’m kinda falling for you too, Deke.” She managed a quieter laugh. “In case you hadn’t noticed.”

And that had me thinking. As the silence dragged, she lifted from the lounger. With her eyes still on me, she tilted the glass to her lips and drank. When she caught my glance at those perfect tits, she rose higher to give me a better view. Which got my brain really whizzing.

Bea. The next week’s appointments. Hell, all my clients. Oh, and Irina. Everything tumbled around inside my skull as I also took a long drink of ice water. Yeah, I was buying time. I did not want to fuck up whatever we had.

“I’ve gotta leave soon, Deke.”

Woah, she’d beaten me to it. At my brow tightening, she shifted to lie on her back. Oh, and yes, she made sure to move slowly while watching me track her swaying tits. But she wore a worried expression.

“Not like, um, for the day.” After a second, longer drink, she placed the glass on the table and raked a hand through her shiny, chestnut tresses. “But this session’s almost over. I’ve got to ... Uh, the constituents back home. Plus, my boys are there. Also mom. But ... Um, I don’t want this to end, Deke.”

“It won’t.” I sighed and glanced at my phone. “I’m on the road as well next week.”

“Oh.” She gulped. “More, um, women?” She pushed a wispy strand of hair behind her ear and exhaled. “Never mind, I shouldn’t ask. That’s your business.”

“Yes. Chicago and the Vancouver area.” With my pulse doing the strangest warbling, I smacked my lips. “It’s only ... I fuck for money, Laura, like I said.”

“That’s okay, Deke. Um, not a problem.” Although those were her words, her tone was loaded with concern. “You’re not like ... Well, other men. If, uh ... I’d like to know ahead of time. Um, if you can share it. But as long as you’re not sneaking—”

“That’ll never happen,” I replied despite visions of both Bea and the mysterious Irina slamming into my spiraling skull.

“Oh, what...” Yeah, even by then we knew each other way too well. After catching my expression, she’d locked onto my shaft’s sudden twinging. “What’s going on, Deke?”