by Zuri Day
Steady conversation made for a quick trip from San Diego to Temecula and Drake Wines Resort and Spa. Along the way, Atka appreciated the beauty of the changing landscape, the rock-laden mountains and foliage unlike he’d ever seen.
They reached the resort, bypassed the modern architecture of a boutique hotel and continued to a large, sprawling home that rivaled Teresa’s parents’ in style and grandeur. They parked and headed up the walkway. Halfway there, two women came out to greet them. Atka was immediately struck by their beauty and could see the resemblance between the two of them. Except for his princess, they were easily the most attractive women he’d ever seen.
“Diamond!”
“Teresa!”
“Aunt Jenny!”
The women hugged Teresa and Atka in turn.
Teresa kept her arm linked in the arm of the younger one and turned to him. “Atka, this is my beautiful cousin, Diamond Jackson, and my fabulous aunt, Genevieve Drake. Ladies, this is the souvenir I brought back from my trip to Alaska, Atka Sinclair.”
“Obviously from a high-end shop.” Atka smiled. Diamond held out her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too.”
Genevieve looked at Atka. “Don’t mind my niece and daughter. They’re full of jokes. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
“By any chance, are you at all connected to Sinclair Salmon?”
Atka’s brow raised. He glanced at Teresa before answering Genevieve. “I am.”
“That is without a doubt the best salmon I’ve ever tasted. My husband and I cruised to Alaska some years ago. In Anchorage, I went in search of the best salmon in the state. Sinclair Salmon was the recommendation. Tasting it was both the best and worst seafood experience I ever had.”
The concern Atka showed was genuine. “What happened?”
“The taste of that salmon ruined my taste buds for any other kind.” Atka laughed. “I’m serious! And because it’s my favorite type of fish, the discovery has cost me a fortune. My chef has a supply overnighted to us every single month.”
“I’ll be happy to handle that order from here on out.”
“You work for the company?”
“I do.”
“Atka is being quite humble, Aunt Genevieve. He’s the owner.”
The four moved the conversation inside and by evening, Atka had met Diamond’s brother, Dexter, and Faye, his wife. He’d also met Donald, Genevieve’s husband. Another brother, Donovan, was mentioned, but was currently out of town. The highlight of his day was meeting 105-year-old David Drake, who the family all affectionately called Papa Dee. He visited the home built by Papa Dee’s father, Nicodemus. It had been restored to its original state and was now the resort’s in-demand Honeymoon Suite that was sold out almost year-round.
After a luscious, five-course dinner with the family, Atka and Teresa were checked into the hotel. The rooms boasted names of various wines. They were given the Cabernet Suite.
Atka opened the door for Teresa to enter. He came behind her and plopped down on a king-size bed boasting a top-of-the-line mattress. “Baby, come here.”
“Oh, no. If I lie down, we’ll be in here till morning. You said if I agreed to go horseback riding tomorrow, you’d dance with me at the club tonight.”
“Princess, I told you. I can’t dance.”
“I told you it’s been years since I’ve sat a horse. But a deal is a deal.”
They showered, changed and went downstairs to the Grapevine, the swanky club that anchored the resort lobby and by far Temecula’s most popular club. Upon entering, Teresa was immediately aware of two things. Women outnumbered men about five-to-one. And four out of five of those women’s eyes were on her man.
They were seated at the booth Diamond had reserved for them. Within minutes, a bottle of Diamond, the resort’s most expensive champagne, arrived at their table. Sitting there, Teresa realized how long it had been since she’d relaxed and let loose, and was happy Atka had agreed to come downstairs. Lights pulsated and changed colors to the beat of the music. The DJ played a superb mix of hits new and old. But no matter how much Teresa cajoled him, Atka refused to dance.
Until the tempo slowed.
Then, with the country’s number-one love song floating through the speakers and two-thirds of the bottle of champagne flowing through his veins, Atka stood and extended his hand. His eyes burned with desire. The way he looked at her caused Teresa’s breath to catch. With a coy smile, she reached for his hand. They reached the middle of the dance floor and began a sexy sway. He wouldn’t win any awards for his soulful moves, but the way his hard body felt against hers more than made up for his lack of rhythm. Her nipples pebbled as he ran a lazy hand across the top of her backside. She tightened the arms around his neck. They fit together perfectly, like two parts to the same puzzle.
Teresa had the fleeting thought of getting used to boats, bears and snow.
Right now, enough heat passed between them to soften a glacier. The song ended. They didn’t return to their booth. Instead, he took her hand and led them to the elevator. The doors had barely closed before his passion was unleashed. He walked her to the wall, lifted her against it and initiated a bruising kiss. The brazen act, his full control, turned Teresa all the way on. She reached for the buttons on his shirt. He ran a hand between her legs, pulled it back and licked it.
The hotel only had ten floors and by the time they’d reached the top one, the couple was practically undressed. Lucky for them no strangers were encountered. Laughing, they ran down the hall like two horny teenagers, quickly unlocked the door and went inside.
“Ooh.” Atka kicked the door closed and wrapped his arms around Teresa. “I’m so thirsty!”
“That’s no problem. We can call room service and get a couple bottles of water and maybe a bottle of wine.”
“I’m afraid that’s not going to satisfy me.”
Teresa leaned back to look into his eyes. “Then what will satisfy you?”
“I want—” he kissed her nose “—a taste—” went across and kissed her cheek “—of Teresa.” He ended up at her mouth, a couple quick pecks before plunging his tongue into her mouth like a miner looking for gold. Teresa reacted quickly, her arms traveling to his neck and around it as she met his tongue with hers, stroke for stroke.
Atka stepped back only long enough to rid himself of shirt, shoes, pants and underwear. Teresa did the same. They came back together, skin to skin, their hands touching, rubbing, exploring each other’s bodies, their tongues continuing a delicious duel, their senses exploding.
He picked her up. Determined strides quickly ate up the distance to the king-size four-poster bed. He laid her down gently, spread her legs and ran a forefinger along the folds of her feminine flower.
“You’re already wet,” he whispered, his eyes at half-mast, his penis fully hardened and bobbing before him.
Teresa, emboldened, feeling wanton, spread her legs farther. “Then quench your thirst.”
He moaned and dropped to his knees before her, placed her leg over his shoulder and his face in her heat. His tongue followed the trail that his finger had blazed just seconds before, lapping, nipping, kissing those lips with as much fervency as he’d done the ones on her face. Teresa gasped for breath, her pelvis swirling of its own accord, pressing herself against his skilled tongue, encouraging him to take as much of her as he needed, as much as he could stand.
“Atka, wait,” she panted. “I want you, too.”
“In time, my love.” He pulled her nub into his mouth.
“No, now.” She guided his leg toward her face.
“What are you doing?”
“You’ve never heard of sixty-nine?”
A pause, and then it clicked. Atka hurriedly positioned himself above Teresa
’s waiting, warm mouth. She drew him in slowly, swirled her tongue around his perfectly mushroomed tip, tickled his sac to heighten the pleasure. He hissed. She smiled. They embraced each other orally until the sexual tension reached a peak and bubbled over into orgasmic ecstasy.
Atka turned until he was next to Teresa, and took her in his arms. They cuddled only long enough for him to get a second wind. Then silently, fervently, he thrust himself inside her, and they began the dance all over again.
Chapter 17
Friday morning, and Atka’s flight to Anchorage was scheduled to leave that afternoon. He and Teresa sat at a restaurant near the water. The ocean breeze was chilly, but the heat lamps strategically placed across the patio allowed diners to enjoy both their food and the breeze.
Teresa sat back with a glass of sparkling Moscato. “I can’t believe the week’s over and you’re going back.”
“Are you going to miss me?”
“Immensely. It’s crazy, but in this short week I’ve gotten used to expecting to see you every night. The Tuesday night we spent apart was excruciating. Who knows when we’ll see each other again.”
“You can always get on the plane with me.”
“And send my next article from Alaska? Ha! I’d definitely get fired.”
“Would that really be a problem?”
“It definitely wouldn’t be a bright spot on my résumé.”
“I’m not trying to belittle your job, babe. But it’s a small paper in a small town. With your education, skill and connections, you could probably get hired anywhere.”
“Probably. Except I wouldn’t use my connections to get hired anywhere. I want to make it in journalism on my own merit, my own name. The Chronicle is small but strategically powerful. It serves a county with a high number of millionaires, government officials, movers and shakers. The Campbells are a well-known family in journalistic circles. Benny owns more than two dozen papers in markets like ours, and in this field has far better connections than I do. If he decided to make things difficult for me...he could.
“I’m not going to worry about any of that, though. I want to spend the last bit of time we have together convincing you to move here.”
“Oh! I’m supposed to move.”
“Yes.”
“Even though you’re the one with a job that can be done from anywhere and I’m running a company with stationary offices in the state where I live.”
“Yes.”
“Ha!”
She sighed. “What are we going to do?”
“It’s a question I’ve asked myself the whole time I’ve been here, especially after seeing you with Russell.”
He said the name like a curse word. Teresa was shocked that he’d learned the identity of Terrell’s college buddy.
“You’re still thinking about the guy I danced with at the fund-raiser ball?”
“It was clear that he was interested in much more than dancing. Bottom line, if he tries to get any closer to you, he and I will need to have a conversation.”
“Those guys are all friends of Terrell’s who I’ve known since grade school. Wait. You asked him about Russell, didn’t you? You talked to my twin!”
Atka nodded, his smile a bit sheepish. “In some cases, business tactics can be effective in one’s personal life, as well. I checked out the competition so I’d know how to eliminate him.”
Teresa sat back, impressed by a swagger she’d rarely seen. “Not that he’s competition, but how would you do that?”
He reached across the table for her hand and held it. “It’s simple, papoota princess. By being the better man.”
“This is hard. I’m not good at long-distance relationships.”
“You’ve tried before?” She nodded. “I know why it would be difficult.”
“Why?”
“Because of your appetite. Girl, you love sex.”
“Guilty as charged! But it’s not just that. When I love, and am in love, I like to be with the person, not only sharing major moments but enjoying the little things. Like this week, hanging out with my brothers and their wives and flying to see my cousins, was so much more enjoyable for me because I was with you.”
“I see.”
“What? Why are you smiling like that?”
“Because you’ve finally admitted what I’ve known all along.”
“What?”
“You’re in love with me. Go ahead and admit it, girl. You’ve caught feelings for a native boy. Soon, you’ll be ready to tackle the wild frontier.”
She denied it, told Atka that nothing had changed, and there was no way she could ever live in a place with that much snow and isolation. So far from her family and cosmopolitan living. She told him this, but later that night as she tossed and turned from missing him...she knew it wasn’t true.
She was deeply, madly, inexplicably in love with him.
Everything had changed.
Chapter 18
Had it only been two days since she’d kissed Atka goodbye and returned home to Paradise Cove? Was it only a month ago that she’d met him? She still marveled that they’d hooked up at all. He was not her type, though she easily admitted that he cleaned up very well. When she had ended the dance with Russell only to look up into the eyes of the man of her dreams, standing in a Paradise Cove ballroom without the scruffy beard, it had been all she could do to maintain her calm demeanor. Except for the rare times she wanted total privacy, she enjoyed living in her parents’ estate. She and Terrell had their own wing with its own entrance, enjoyed the creations of their mother’s chef, could come and go as they pleased, and it was all free. She’d been basically happy working PR and marketing for the family business. Even after being used by a man trying to climb the social and economic ladder, and her father had given approval to take a leave from the company, she’d embraced her job as writer for the paper and began sending freelance articles to national magazines. She’d reconnected with a couple girlfriends who’d ashamedly taken a backseat to the climber she’d once considered marriage material. She was working out and in great shape.
But she had met a guardian angel and since doing so, her life had not been the same.
Teresa reached for her crutches and left the suite. Terrell wasn’t in his apartment, so she continued to the main floor. She found Jennifer lounging in the great room.
“I thought I heard someone coming.”
Teresa huffed as she plopped onto the couch and let her crutches drop. “It’s not like I can sneak up on anybody.”
“How are you feeling, Teresa? No more pain, correct?”
“No, I think it’s healing nicely. I’m just so tired of the brace and crutches.”
“I know you are, dear, but you need to follow doctor’s orders and not do anything prematurely. To do so may negate the progress you’ve already made.”
Teresa huffed, grabbed a throw pillow and rested her chin on it.
“I have a feeling your ankle isn’t what’s bothering you.” Silence. “Have you heard from him?”
“We talk every night.”
“But that isn’t enough.”
“That isn’t the only issue.”
“What else is bothering you?”
Teresa shared with her mother what was happening at work, and how the atmosphere had shifted. “I’m writing the third article for the Alaska series, keeping with my original outline. This piece is on the land itself, particularly glaciers, even though I didn’t get the chance to visit one, admire their beauty or determine why they’re slowly disappearing. I’m not sure how the piece will be received, considering what Mr. Campbell wants, especially where his son is concerned. But I refuse to ignore my conscience or mar my integrity to get on his good side. I met Paul, and if I was living in Anchorage, he wouldn’t be the candidat
e I’d vote for.”
“I’m proud of your choice, daughter, but your position might cost you.”
“For peace of mind when I look in the mirror, it’s a price I’m willing to pay.”
“Are you also willing to do whatever it takes to be happy?”
She hesitated. “I don’t know. But I want to be happy. I know that.”
“Then it sounds like you’ve got some decisions to make, one of which is how soon you can arrange to see that sexy man in Alaska. He’s a keeper, Teresa. I can’t believe he isn’t already taken. But from what I observed during the week he was here, from the women at the ball to comments from your sis-in-laws, Atka Sinclair won’t continue to fly under the romance radar for long.”
That night, when Atka called, Teresa bypassed small talk and got right down to business. “I want to see you.”
“That’s good to hear, papoota, because I want to see you, too.”
“So you can fly to California?”
“No, but I was hoping you could come to Seattle.”
“What’s in Seattle?”
“Me, this Friday, on business. If you come up, I’ll stay the weekend. Have you ever been there?”
“No, I haven’t. The trip to Alaska was my first foray into the Pacific Northwest.”
“Then you should definitely come up. It’s the rainy season, so bring an umbrella. But still, I think you’ll like it.”
“I’ll enjoy seeing you. The weather doesn’t matter. What I have in mind for entertainment won’t be spoiled because of rain.”
A knowing chuckle escaped his lips. “From the sound of it, you’re already wet.”
Teresa moaned. “I hate long-distance relationships!”
“What would it take to get you to move?”
“Atka, I can’t live in the wilderness!”
“Anchorage isn’t the wilderness and while I’d much rather live outside the city, as I do now, I’d buy a house within its limits for you.”
“Okay, so I’ve got a place to stay. What do I do with free time while you’re working? What do I do for fun? For culture? Shopping? My spa dates? Oh, my goodness, just the thought of being stuck up there gives me the willies.”