Chapter Seven
After I had changed into more formal pants and a blouse, Axel and I decided to dine at one of the resort’s beautiful cafes. I remembered seeing it on the brochure. It was so regal but not intimidating as it was painted the prettiest blue I had seen in a restaurant. Axel pulled my chair out again before taking his seat across the table from me.
We ordered a light but delicious breakfast that didn’t fill us but satisfied us none the least. When the bill came, I offered to pay, but Axel smoothly declined and sent the waitress on her way with his card in tow. He was now shaking his head at me in a playful manner.
“I believe in chivalry. I know you were used to footing the bill in your previous relationship, and I know we aren’t an item, but I’m old fashioned in the sense that a man should pay the bill.”
I was taken aback slightly by his accuracy. His intellect was impressive, but it did bring up feelings that I was trying to suppress.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” he said sincerely as he leaned forward, his hand reached out to touch my elbow as I brought my hand to my mouth.
I didn’t realize how his words would hit me until they were spoken. It wasn’t as if he were intentionally trying to hurt me. I was just super sensitive; it did just happen this week. Taking a deep breath and collecting myself before I gave in to the tears that were building pressure behind my eyes, I put on a smile and faced him.
“I know. It’s just fresh…I…I’m sorry Axel, I have to go,” I said and abruptly stood. I hit the table with my legs and caused water to spill in his lap, but I only said sorry as I retreated to my room. I was almost running by the time I got to my door, it was as if I were going to throw up, but in actuality, I was only coming in here to cry.
I threw myself on my bed and immediately began to sob. All the tears that I had kept in came pouring out like raindrops as they streaked my cheeks and soaked my pillow. I grabbed the pillow and held it close as I wrapped my arms around it.
I thought about Ethan. Instead of pushing him to the back of my mind, I thought about him. I recalled every little detail about him. The way he smelled, the way his lips tasted and the way he talked to me. I remembered how he was in our relationship. I remembered how caring he seemed and how sweet he was.
I then thought about how our relationship used to be when we were truly happy. Before the first woman and before the second woman or however many there were. I thought about the happiness we shared and he threw away over some other women I thought about everything that we’d ever built together and how he didn’t feel that it was as important as I did.
As I sobbed, I then started to think about all the little things that used to annoy me about him. I thought of the stupid way he would chew, how sloppy of a kisser he could be during sex, and the fact that he very rarely ever footed the bill. And this was well after he was hired to work for the hospital and making six figures.
I remembered how he was only affectionate during sex, but after he would just roll over and go to sleep. He has never kissed the back of my hand, never once had he pulled out my chair for me, and he definitely wasn’t a gentlemen. Axel was though, and I had just run away from him after splashing a drink on his lap. Good thing it was water, but it was still just as insulting. He’d just paid for my breakfast for goodness sakes!
A gentle knock on my door caused me to jerk upright; I wasn’t expecting any visitors. I figured that it would be the maid service, or even Sonya. But it wasn’t either of them.
“Oh, hi…uh-Axel,” I said looking down at the ground. I tried my best to cover my face. I hadn’t even dried my tears.
“I probably should just stay in here for a while to give myself a chance to calm down…” My voice trailed off as all I felt were two sturdy arms wrapped around me. The door slammed shut, and all I could feel was warmth. I’d collected myself, but only for a few moments before I instantly started sobbing again. My arms came up to wrap around his body as he smoothed his hand over my hair. He held me so tenderly I felt as though he actually cared. This man, that I had known for only a few days, showed more concern in this embrace than Ethan ever had in the entirety of our relationship.
This hit me, and I began to sob harder. I buried my face deeper into his sturdy chest, breathing him in with every sob, holding him closer with every beating of our hearts. His fingers made their way from the tendrils of my hair to my cheek to dry my tears. He wiped them away so gingerly, so tenderly…so sweetly.
At that moment, I grew closer to him than I had to Ethan in the years we’d been together. I’d stopped sobbing as soon as his fingers caressed my cheek. My hands were wrinkling the back of his shirt I was gripping it so tightly. As I lifted my head, I notice that the front of his shirt clung to his chest being that my tears had soaked them. Navy blue looked so good on him, especially against his gray slacks and beige cardigan.
He dressed so sharp, and he smelled like a fantasy come true. As I looked further up, I noticed that his chin was tilted; his eyes were on me, but did I dare look up? As I felt his breath against my forehead, my eyes clamped shut as I felt his soft lips against my skin.
My breath caught in my throat because my heart started beating so rapidly that I could barely remember to breathe. The second kiss came just like the first; soft and sweet as it landed on my cheek. He kissed me there twice before I finally lifted my head to look at him.
His lips were on the tip of my nose for just a second before he pulled away. My heart was beating so fast I knew there was no way he couldn’t feel it. My eyes trailed from his hairline down his strong, sturdy nose, to his lips, and finally to connect with his eyes.
His eyes were darker as I looked into them. They were dilated and spoke a clear message as they bore into mine. I kept his gaze, inviting him, coaxing him, as I titled my head back slightly; my lips were there for the taking. I wanted him to kiss me so bad that I could almost taste him.
Slowly he bent his head; his lips grazed mine so softly I could’ve mistaken their presence for the slight whisper of his breath. His lips pressed against mine so tenderly, so gingerly it was almost as if he’d never kissed before. Not that it didn’t seem like he didn’t know what he was doing, it was more like tasting the forbidden fruit. He wanted it with all of the lust in his body, but he knew that it was not his for the taking.
This made him crave for it more and more as he deepened the kiss. His tongue began to prod and tease before I accepted it in my mouth. It swirled and danced with mine sensually as his hands began to roam. They were sick with wanderlust as they roamed every inch of my body. I felt them down my back, over my shoulders, and over the swell of my ass. I pressed my body against his as he began to tease my nipples. I gasped at the intensity of the sensations that pulsed through my veins making my blood grow hot. He was driving me crazy, I wanted more of him, and I could tell by the stiffness in his pants that he craved me as well.
I moaned into his mouth as he began to caress my breasts with such vigor that I started to quiver internally. He began to walk forward, leading me backward to the bed before we fell down in a heap of black and white. Our arms wrapping around each other, our hands exploring, and our lips locking as our tongues tasted. This was going so fast that I didn’t even realize that my pants were unbuttoned.
My eyes opened slightly as I felt Axel begin to pull my pants down past my thighs, over my knees, and down my calves. I bit my lip as he came up to place his lips on my smooth stomach. I sucked in my breath at the feel of his lips against my skin as they connected with the flesh of my breasts. My shirt was above my head, off, and across the room with one flick of the wrist.
He paused for a moment to admire my skin. His hand came up to touch it softly as though my body was beautiful marble. He took time to appreciate and remember each and every curve. He admired every inch of me, as he seemed to taste and caress each spot. I’d never been admired like this before; never.
He finally turned his attention back to my lips as he sank his
into mine. His lips passed over mine over and over again as I writhed against his body. I craved him and I ached for him as he kneaded my breasts firmly. I lifted his shirt above his head and had to take a moment to admire the intricate pattern of his washboard abs. His hands were beginning to unbutton his pants before he stopped to reach into his pocket.
“What are you looking for?” I asked as he searched through his wallet. I don’t know what he was looking for, but I knew he couldn’t find it. Closing his wallet his hands came down on either side of me as he hung his head in shame.
“The missing condom,” he said.
“Oh…” I said feeling the disappointment crawl up through my abdomen. It’s not like we couldn’t get one, but the moment was over.
“I’m sorry, Jaida. I would really love to rip those panties off with my teeth but, we don’t have any birth control.”
“Yeah, I haven’t been on it for a while now. Ethan and I were supposed to have a baby after we got married…” I stopped talking and cleared my throat. “Nothing, sorry,” I mumbled before turning away and crawling up the bed towards the pillows. I immediately flipped the soaked plush over to hide it from Axel’s scrutiny.
“So, Ethan is the name of the man who put those tears on that pillow,” he said as he came up to sit next to me. I felt like a child as I crossed my arms underneath my breasts and turned my head slightly away from him. How could I just blurt that out like that?
“Why are you so observant?” I asked trying not to laugh but ultimately failing. He laughed along with me before wrapping his arms around my waist as he pulled me into him.
“I was really nosey as a kid,” he said with a chuckle as I leaned my head against his bare chest. His heartbeat was so melodic I could get lost in the rhythm of it.
“We were supposed to get married and have three kids,” I said quietly as the laughter died down. Axel just listened to me as I began to talk.
“We met when we were freshmen in High School. We were such nerds, small and feeble. We looked out for each other when we could. We always got picked on; I had braces and he had glasses and braces, so we weren’t the popular ones in school. Then as we got older, our bodies started changing. By sophomore year I had boobs and he started bulking up; we also realized that we had feelings for each other. He was my first kiss, my first boyfriend, and my first lover.”
I snuggled closer to him as I wrapped my arms around his torso. I smiled slightly when his hand came up to reach my hair as he gently stroked it. He didn’t say anything but I knew that he was listening.
“There came a point in high school when we were the popular kids. A lot of girls tried to hit on him, but he never batted an eye. He only saw me. Two eight years after our graduation, Ethan proposed to me. Two years after that we started planning our wedding. Ethan wanted to be established in his career before we were married; he wanted to be able to provide for our kids and not struggle like our parents.
“The night before our wedding he calls me to the same place he proposed to me, and tells me that he cheated on me with two different women. He calls off the wedding, and I put an end to our lives together. The next day, I pack my bags, get the ‘ok’ from my boss, and hoped on the flight that we were supposed to take together. Now I’m here,” I finally finished with a sigh.
“I’m a very understanding person, but some people just baffle me. I would kill to be able to have a woman loyal enough to stay by my side for so many years,” he said with such sincerity.
“Axel, why are you single?” I asked as I picked my head off of his chest to look into his eyes. My hair was falling down in front of my face, and smoothing it back, I tossed it to the side as I waited for his reply.
“I’m thirty five years old, I think I am attractive, I’m educated, and I love to cater to the woman in my life. But when women see me, they are only interested in the fact that I’m wealthy.”
“Oh, right. You’re having a hard time finding someone who’s there for you and not you money. I get it,” I said looking away and at the sun as it peeked through the balcony doors.
“But then there’s you,” he said causing me to stare back into his eyes.
“Me?” I asked perplexed.
“You. When you first saw me, you didn’t recognize me. But when you finally did, you weren’t star struck. You didn’t seem like it mattered to you that I was featured in Forbes magazine. When you saw me for the first time, you only saw what was in front of you, not what was in my pocket,” he said, easing my confusion.
“I have my own money. I’m not a billionaire, but I don’t have to be. I have more than enough to live comfortably on my own without help from anybody else,” I said simply.
“Spoken like a real woman,” he said causing me to smile proudly.
“Well…” I said animatedly shrugging my shoulders like it was no big deal.
“You know, this might make you feel weird but, I’ve never dated anyone…like you,” he said simply.
“You mean…short?” I asked giving him a little wink.
“You know exactly what I mean, I’m trying not to sound offensive here!” he said giving me a little poke in my side.
“You mean somebody who is black?” I asked him as the word ‘Bingo’ all but appeared in big red letters on his forehead.
“There you go. Good, now I don’t have to say it.”
“What? You were nearly in my cookie jar and you were afraid of telling me you’d never had chocolate chip?” I asked putting my hands on my hips. He chuckled, embarrassed at my brashness.
“I have never been romantically involved with a black woman. Not by choice, but by circumstance.”
“That’s okay, I’ve never been with a man who wasn’t Ethan and Ethan was pure chocolate,” I said as I came close enough to him that if I leaned forward I could easily peck his lips.
“So are you normally attracted to white men?” he asked complacently, though I could tell that he seemed a little uncomfortable.
“To be honest I’m not. But, I think it was more along the lines of I just wasn’t really looking. I had my mind set to one person; I treated the rest of the world as though they were off limits. But, to tell you the complete truth,” I said as I leaned close enough to the point where we were sharing breaths, “I’ve never felt this attracted to any man before. It’s like you’re the forbidden fruit,” I said softly against his lips.
Licking his lips before he spoke, I could tell that he was fighting himself to keep composure. But if he’d had a condom, the look he gave me told me that he would’ve torn me apart right then and there. He reached up to touch my bottom lip softly.
“The feeling is mutual,” he said seductively.
I smiled against his caress and closed my eyes as his lips replaced his finger. He was slow and passionate as his fingers roamed my scalp and tousled my silky locks. As the kiss grew deeper, I knew that we were in the danger zone. But so did Axel, and before the kiss lead us any further, he broke it off by placing his hands on either sides of my face.
“Jaida, do I need to go to the store?” he asked.
“Maybe,” I said as I began to straddle his lap, “I’m finding it hard to resist you, Axel,” I said before nibbling at his bottom lip.
“How about we go to lunch, and then we go to dinner, and then you come back with me to my hotel where I can taste that brown skin all night long,” he said reaching up to smack my ass, shocking me at the intensity of the hit.
“Damn that felt good. If you keep that up I might not be able to last until dinner.”
“Get dressed, I’ll meet you back here after I change. I still have a wet spot that I walked all the way back from the restaurant with,” he teased while standing up.
I sat back and admired every muscle as they rippled beneath his smooth skin. Something as simple as buttoning his jeans was so sexy as the action caused his biceps to bulge. I found myself missing his abs as he pulled his shirt down over his head to conceal them. A smile was on his face as he picked up his
cardigan; he knew I was watching his every move.
“You’re watching me like I’m a movie,” he noted as he came over to plant a kiss on my lips.
“You’re better,” I said with a smile.
“Get dressed, I’ll be back in fifteen,” he said before running his fingers through my hair and disappearing out of the doorway.
I instantly felt a moment of glee that caused me to throw myself back on the bed with a squeal. The excitement was tenfold and I couldn’t stop the raging feeling of lust as I replayed our little visit. I felt like I was in a teenage dream. This feeling isn’t something that I have experienced in a long time.
As I collected my discarded clothes, I decided on my bathing suit and sheer cover up. Its design was dark blue and wrapped around my body perfectly. The contrast of my tribal print white and black bikini set it off seamlessly. My hair was swept back in a messy ponytail that sat on top of my head as I went to the door to find my sandals.
Just as I reached it, I heard a knock and a familiar voice. When I opened the door, it was Sonya with a pleased look on her face. No doubt she saw Axel leave the room, and looking at the sheepish grin on my face, she knew exactly what went down. Only she really didn’t being that we hadn’t done anything.
“So…how was it?” she asked as I let her in.
“We didn’t go that far,” I said as we took a seat in the living area of the suite.
“Oh sure you didn’t, a man doesn’t leave a room that happy if he hasn’t sampled the goods, but that’s ok, I won’t pressure you into telling me anything,” she said as I rolled my eyes with a smile.
“Whatever! How is Matthias?” I asked remembering his play date yesterday.
“Cute and fat,” she said with a giggle.
“Can I see pictures?” I asked her.
“Of course,” she said as she snatched her phone out of her back pocket and flipped through her photo gallery.
Matthias looked nothing like his father who was standing behind him in the picture. He was all Sonya. From the dirty blonde hair to the dark gray eyes. Maybe his father carried a little extra weight, that or Sonya kept in the gym. That was the only thing that I could say was anything like his father.
“Wow, what does he get from his father? He’s all you,” I said handing her back the phone. She grew silent for a moment, almost as if I had struck a nerve. Clearing her throat, she looked over at me with a sheepish look on her face.
“Nothing. That’s not his father,” she said with an ashamed look on her face.
“Oh, is that your brother?” I asked trying to figure it out.
“No, that is my Ex-husband. He and I split when Matthias was two.”
I knew what she was telling me even though she didn’t say it. Matthias didn’t look anything like her husband because she’d had Matthias with another man. What made it click was the shame written all over her face. She’d conceived Matthias with another man during their marriage.
“I know you probably think that I am a terrible woman. Who does things like this? I had a choice, but I chose wrong,” she said somberly.
“Sonya…” I started but stopped. This woman had been so kind to me. From making sure that I made it back to my room alright, to stopping by to check on me, to fixing my hair up before my date with Axel.
Though what she did was wrong, I felt that I couldn’t hold it against her. Here she was trying to live better and away from her past. I felt that I shouldn’t judge her wrongly.
“Don’t worry, though I’ve been cheated on myself, I don’t see you any differently. You're still a good person,” I said with my hand on her shoulder.
“He reminds me of it every time I drop off Matthias.”
“Why do you drop him off to your ex-husband if that’s not his son?” I asked confused at the whole setup.
“He loves that little boy with all his heart. Even after I told him the truth he still said that no matter what, that was his son. We have joint custody; I have him three days his father has him three days and on Thursday we alternate. Whoever’s parent’s house he slept at on a Wednesday, he slept with the other parent Thursday night,” she said.
“Is that what you agreed on?” I asked thinking that was so unheard of.
“It is. I wanted to be fair because I had been unfaithful and tore our family apart.”
The room was quiet for a few moments before a knock at the door alerted us of another presence. I knew that it was Axel, but I didn’t want to let him in until Sonya felt comfortable. I placed my hand on hers and gave it a squeeze before she smiled.
“You have a great date, don’t worry about me. Worry about that hunk outside your door,” she said with a smile as she greeted him.
It was obvious that he wasn’t expecting the receptionist and his expression of shocked confusion caused all three of us to laugh.
“Don’t worry, you’re at the right room. I was just leaving, you two have a wonderful evening, call me if you need anything. Hasta luego, see you soon.” she said with a wave over her shoulder as she walked away.
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