Black Hearts Red

by Leigh, Anne

  What a slave driver.

  I was officially done fifteen minutes ago. Done in a way that my head could no longer handle the influx of information, and done with missing her when she was only within walking distance.

  She sent me a message that she was lounging by Desert Keyes so here I was, hunting for her.

  I saw eyes on me as I neared the pool area.

  Some of the staff said hi and I stopped by for casual chats. Mom had instilled in me from a very young age that loyal employees stayed loyal when their families were provided for and when the employers showed that they cared.

  Reece and I had grown up talking to the staff from all over the world. We weren’t strangers to conversations and the older I got, the more I saw the value in the way our parents brought us up. Mom’s closest friend when she was a child was her nanny, Naomi. Naomi had taught Reece and I the other side of the world. Her stories echoed in our young minds that even when we were surrounded by wealth, we’d also spent a lot of time in soup kitchens and with underprivileged children.

  Another part of Ali that endeared her to me was her dedication to help orphans and foster kids. On the weekends that we didn’t see each other, she spent time reading stories to the children of Walk the Path House in the fringes of San Francisco. She’d already jumpstarted her grandfathers’ and her own dad’s charities to funnel funds to Walk the Path.

  A familiar laugh cut through my thoughts and I excused myself from Tina and Dave, the general managers of the Keyes’ bar, who’d stopped by to chat.

  I saw two young blonde guys crouching by the side of her lounge chair and I hurried my steps.

  I’d always been a jealous man.

  I wasn’t like Kassius or Nic who kept their cool when it came to girls that they liked.

  Nope.

  I inherited my father’s Italian blood – hot-tempered and quickly triggered when I saw other guys hovering over what was mine.

  It was obvious that the guys were trying to hit on my girl by the way they were checking her out in her swimsuit.

  I hadn’t seen Ali in a swimsuit since I’d stopped hanging around her.

  Back then, she’d worn sporty suits.

  Now…now.

  Goddamn.

  My cock woke up from its sleepy state when I caught sight of her boobs encased in a sleek triangle bikini top with red, white, and light blue binding.

  She wore an off white cover, but it did nothing, absolutely nothing to hide the generous curves that her body had transformed into as a woman.

  I’d gotten her naked many, many times and every single time, I was enthralled at how sexy she was.

  Her long legs were comfortably situated on top of the white plastic chair as she kept talking to the guys who I judged to be around her age.

  “You go to Berkeley?” I heard the guy in black board shorts ask.

  “Yeah.” Ali nodded her blonde head, her eyes shielded by her favorite sunglasses. “You?”

  “Both of us go to University of Miami.” The other guy in the red and green shorts said, “We’re on the football team.”

  “Oh. That’s cool,” Ali said, and I heard the congeniality in her voice. She’d always been friendly. She thought everyone in the world was her friend. She was oblivious to their flirting or if she had any indication that they were coming onto her, I couldn’t detect it in her voice.

  She still hadn’t spotted me. If she wasn’t too busy talking to these jackasses, then she would have seen me approaching her side.

  “Hey, can I offer you a drink?” Black board shorts guy asked, “We need to cool you off because you’re pretty hot.”

  What a lame ass pick up line.

  “Do you want a fruity margarita?” Red and green shorts asshole offered.

  “Oh no –“ Ali countered, but I was already done with these idiots.

  “She’s underage, giving her alcohol would send you to the slammer,” I blurted out as the two jack holes abruptly stood from their sitting positions.

  “Shit.” Red and green cussed and the other one scampered away before I got to their sides.

  Black board shorts managed to say, “Call me when you’re 21, babe.”

  I hissed, “Fuck off,” before gesturing a swatting motion.

  I heard a gasp from one of the servers I’d been chatting up earlier, and I just ignored him. My blood was boiling from the college guys who were trying to pick up Ali. It was a good thing that they’d run as fast as they did, or I would have ended up kicking them towards the pool.

  Meditation did nothing to tamp down my jealous streak.

  It wasn’t something that made up a constant appearance, but when it did, it was a force to be reckoned with.

  “Ass wipes,” I was still murmuring when I sat down on the long chair that stupid one and stupid two vacated.

  Turning my head towards Ali, I breathed out, “Babe, I thought you were studying. I didn’t know you were here to flirt and shit. If I did I’d have come down instead of working upstairs.”

  Ali’s face was flexed away from me.

  What the hell was wrong?

  I put my right hand softly against her chin and pivoted her face towards me.

  “Stop talking right now, Matteo.” Her voice was laced with anger, her beautiful stare was curtailed by her sunglasses, but the furious vibe she was emitting could not be missed.

  What the fuck?

  “So now you’re angry at me? Because you were flirting with them?”

  “If you believe that – then you don’t know me.” Slapping my hand away from her chin, she closed the laptop that was opened on the left side of the small table.

  There weren’t many people around the pool today.

  Except for the lady in a white swimsuit sunbathing across from us and a couple swimming in the pool, we had a modicum of privacy for an argument.

  But I didn’t even want an argument.

  I didn’t even know why we were arguing.

  I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes, I should have worn my sunglasses because the sun’s glare was just adding another layer to my annoyance, anger, and frustration.

  I watched as Ali gathered her computer and two books and put them inside the cloth bag that she’d folded and placed below the chair.

  “Babe,” I said, at a loss for something to say. This was the first time we were having a disagreement like this. Of course we’d had minor ones, but they were mostly resolved within minutes.

  “Don’t ‘babe’ me.” She hissed, waves of tension bouncing off of her, “I’m going to stand up and walk away from you right now. Don’t follow me. Don’t text me. I’ll see you at dinner.”

  “Ali…baby.”

  Her mouth was set in a grim line and her back was straight as she put on her red-and-white flip flops. They were the female version of the slippers on my feet that were digging a hole through the concrete beneath me. I was blanking out on what to do, what to say; if I said something, would she throw it back at me?

  “What did I do?” We were having so much fun last night, and I knew that she was enjoying being with me. Was I too harsh on her? Did I insult her? “Tell me, babe. Why are you angry at me? I don’t like guys flirting with you. If that’s what you want, then you’re just gonna be disappointed. Like hell would I ever apologize for that.”

  She was now standing up. Her glorious body on show for me, and I must be sick because I was so fucking turned on. Her swimsuit was definitely sporty, but Ali’s figure filled it out to the point that the bottoms highlighted the flare of her hips and her ass, making her silhouette sinfully sexy.

  I wasn’t a purveyor of swimsuits and shit.

  But I knew when a woman looked great.

  And Ali in a swimsuit was fucking magnificent.

  I adjusted myself on the chair, my hard-on was making it difficult for me to sit.

  “Unbelievable.” Ali shook her head, the mass of honey blonde locks falling down her shoulders. She was an angel. But right now she was Medusa, a
temptress meant to torture me from whatever transgression I committed against her. “Are you turned on right now?”

  I gave her a sheepish grin, “I can’t help it. You in a bikini is visual overload for me.”

  Her face gentled for a moment then her hand touched my hair.

  I was still sitting so I pulled her closer to me, my hands on her ass with her pussy covered by the bikini right in front of my face.

  “What did I do, babe?” In business, I looked at everything – all the areas that could affect my decision. But with Ali – my mind was one track and she was all I saw. “I’m not good at this.”

  Her hand moved, my head following the motion so now I was looking up at her and her pink lips moved, “Next time you call me a kid, you better be ready for a bat swinging at your junk.”

  When did I say – oh shit.

  “You didn’t have to tell them I was underage. I was going to refuse their offer.” Her demeanor was calm, but the message in her voice was an ocean of hurt. “I was handling them; I wasn’t flirting with them. I was just biding my time so I could let them down easy. You’re the man I’m with and even if you were thousands of miles away from me, I’d never disrespect you like that. I get that you’re jealous. You forget that I know you. You don’t share easily. But don’t forget that I can handle things too.”

  “I’m sorry.” This time she let me pull her down as I tugged on the tiny cloth covering her ass. I caressed the smooth skin and even with the amount of chlorine hovering in the air, I scented Ali’s flowery scent. It was a scent embedded in my veins.

  I moved so that she could sit down beside me, my eyes never leaving her face.

  I touched my nose to hers and I whispered, “I was looking for you. When I saw them, I wanted to pick them off the floor and throw them into the water. I’m crazy for you, Ali. I crave you when you’re not with me. And I crave you even more when you’re close to me.”

  The tiny lift of her head indicated that she’d heard everything that I said.

  “I may be younger than you, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to take whatever you dish out and not say anything.” Ali never backed down from me. She was the only woman who could have me on my knees and walk away if I didn’t clean my act up. “You made my age sound like an insult. Like I’m just a child who doesn’t know anything.”

  “I’ll do better.” There was no way I was going to lose her over something stupid like this. I’ve always respected her and the last thing I wanted was for her to think that I thought she was an idiot. “I didn’t know what I was saying. Or maybe I did. I was just annoyed that they were lingering around you.”

  “Annoyed?” The dark blonde brows rose in disbelief.

  “Angry.” I checked myself and asked, “Do you forgive me?”

  She made me wait for five beats and then she said, “Yes.”

  “You’re not leaving me here?” Now that I’d seen the infinity pool and the drinks that were being offered by the bar, I wanted her to finish whatever she was doing, and then go up to our suite together. “Please. Stay?”

  “I still have to finish my part for the discussion.” She reasoned, but she’d set her feet on my lap and I was already removing the flip flops that contained her cute toes.

  She had them painted red, white, and some shade of pink and I’d never really been obsessed with women’s feet until now.

  Anything Ali did, I was into it.

  Any body part that Ali had, I was engrossed in.

  The sun’s rays were still on me and Ali saw my eyes squint, “Do you want to move to that side?” She pointed to the area where a huge yellow and white umbrella sat, creating shade over the lounge chairs.

  “Okay.”

  Before she could protest, I carried her over to the shaded area and when I set her down, I placed a soft kiss on her lips.

  She welcomed me without any hindrance and our kiss had immediately turned into searing, passionate, and filled with tongue.

  A dry cough pulled us back into reality.

  A male server dressed in a white shirt and dark khakis asked, “Would you like to order anything Mister Tanner?”

  Ali slowly pulled away from me, I missed her skin on mine, but I knew that we were in public and employees’ eyes were on us. “Sure. Can you grab me a cold Coors’ and a plate of the appetizer sampler?”

  Ali loved appetizers. Fried mozzarella cheese sticks and homemade potato chips were the key to her happiness.

  Ali asked for a peach lemonade, and I was just relieved that she wasn’t leaving.

  “Stay here, babe,” I said as she settled her back on the light yellow lounge pillow. “I’m gonna grab your stuff.”

  “Thanks.”

  I grabbed the bag that had her things and walked the short distance to where she was lying on her back, her cover-up tossed to the side.

  Gorgeous.

  Ali’s body wasn’t stick thin.

  She had generous curves in all the right places. Her toned legs were proof that she ran when she could. Time on the mat was also evident in their toned arms and thighs.

  I bent down to give her another kiss before the server came with our orders.

  But I should’ve known better.

  Our kiss lasted longer than the time it took for the server to place our orders by the small metal table on the left side of my lounger.

  My cock wanted another go-around in her pussy, but Ali put a stop to it. “Matty, lemme finish my stuff, okay?”

  Hesitantly, I pulled my lips away from hers, and as I caressed the skin on the side of her mouth, slightly reddened from my rough whiskers, I declared like a petulant child. “Okay.”

  I fished out my phone from the right side pocket of my shorts. I could answer e-mails while she studied. And it was how we spent the rest of the afternoon.

  Once in a while, Ali and I admired the beautiful view in front of us. The puffy, blue clouds floating in the sky, above the waters that were so inviting that it would be a sin not to swim in it before we left the city.

  When the sun threatened to settle in the horizon, I pulled her body from the other chair and we both watched the glorious view unfold around us.

  “Sunsets are so beautiful,” she exclaimed in an awed whisper.

  I kissed the top of her head and agreed, “They are.”

  Her head found a home on my left shoulder, and as we watched the cavalry of clouds loom over the ocean waters, I whispered. “They’re even more beautiful when you’re with me.”

  She’d replied with a giggle and a snort, “You’re corny when you’re horny.”

  “I’m definitely horny.” We had an hour and a half before our dinner with Carter.

  It was plenty of time to unwind myself inside of her.

  As we stood up, and I held her hand, her bag of stuff on my left shoulder, I couldn’t help but think, ‘I could do this all the time. With Ali.’

  And for the first time in a long while, I looked forward to a business dinner.

  I’d sat on countless business dinners throughout my life.

  And I was sure I was going to sit through hundreds more.

  But this was the first time I had Ali by my side.

  And just like everything else, she made everything beautiful just because she was around.

  “It’s nice to finally meet you in person.” Carter Chan stood from his chair and shook my hand. The handshake was firm, the kind that a businessman honed with experience.

  “Yes, finally,” I voiced my assent and introduced my favorite companion. The woman who had just given me a delicious orgasm in the shower and I repaid the favor by not letting go of her pussy with my savage mouth and tongue until she was boneless in my arms. “Carter, this is Alissa Zobowski. My girlfriend.”

  I could have said business colleague, but I was feeling on top of the world tonight, and Ali was here because of me. I didn’t regularly bring women to my business dinners, but Carter’s secretary had sent an email that Carter himself might be bringing someone with him, s
o I figured he wouldn’t mind. After all, tonight was just for formality’s sake, the deal looked good on paper. This meeting was for both business and pleasure.

  “Nice you meet you, Alissa.” Carter took Ali’s left hand and kissed the outside of her palm.

  Smooth move.

  Ali gave him a big smile and as I pulled the chair out for my woman, Carter said. “I thought Americans didn’t practice chivalry anymore.”

  Ali thanked me and replied, “Matteo does. All the time.”

  I squeezed her hand from under the table. I could have gone without her, but I didn’t want to spend two to three hours of our last night away from her, so I’d invited her to come with me at the last minute.

  She was initially affronted because she didn’t bring any dresses for dinner. This morning, I’d asked Elaine to have two dresses that Ali could pick from sent to the room because I already planned on surprising her.

  Ali chose the off-the-shoulder sheath dress that hugged her figure like it was second skin. The lilac color made her eyes pop and she looked amazing. I was a second away from cancelling my meeting with Carter, but Ali had taken my phone and put a stop to my ridiculous idea.

  A partnership with Chan Inc. would make a huge headway for T & T’s plans in Asia.

  The server came to bring us the wine list.

  I declined because when it came to deals like the one I was going to present to Carter, I wanted all of my wits intact. Maybe after the heavy talk I’d imbibe, but a clear head was something that always favored the wise.

  Ren was a restaurant famed for its Japanese cuisine. In Miami where Michelin stars were handed out like it was Christmas morning, in order to stand out from the masses, you had to be on your game at all times.

  The simple décor was intentionally minimal to act as an empty canvas where the food was the prime center of the whole dining experience.

  I’d eaten there once and I liked it.

  Carter chose a great place to talk.

  “What do you do, Alissa?” Carter addressed the woman on my left whose eyes were taking in the black and red walls with interest. She couldn’t look at the menu because there was no menu.

  The sous chef was in charge of our food literally and figuratively. Elaine communicated with the dining staff that my companion preferred no sharks on her plate. Ali liked sushi, but she stayed within the confines of tuna, eel, and shrimp. In places like this, exotic seafood creatures were at the top of the list. I wanted Ali to enjoy dinner too and not be grossed out.