What the Heart Desires (Contemporary Erotic Romance)

by Adderly, Allora

  “Kimberly Iverson,” Kimberly replied, placing her hand in his. When Garrett shook it she could swear a jolt of electricity went through her body.

  “So, Kimmy, you mentioned you’re in forensics?”

  No one had ever called her Kimmy before, but apparently Garrett had made up his mind to do so. “Yes,” she replied. “I’m studying to be a forensic analyst. I work at a crime lab.”

  “Impressive,” Garrett replied. “Is Not-Husband also a forensic analyst?”

  “No,” Kimberly replied, inexplicably feeling flustered. “He’s in academia. He teaches a few first year classes, is finishing up his thesis and is hoping to be a science professor one day. What about you?” she added quickly. “What do you do?”

  “Blondes, mostly,” Garrett replied, not missing a beat. “But also the occasional redhead or brunette…I don’t discriminate.”

  Kimberly blushed, unsure of how to respond. She couldn’t even tell for sure if Garrett was making a joke or being a cocky bastard.

  “I’m in the music industry,” he added, finally giving her a straight, albeit short, answer.

  “So what, are you like a rock star or something?” Kimberly asked in a teasing tone. The booze really was starting to go to her head. She felt giddy and silly and giggly. The sadness she’d felt over moving away and leaving Felix behind was the furthest thing from her mind at the moment.

  “Nah, I couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket,” Garrett rasped with a dismissive wave of his hand. He finished off his drink and motioned to the bartender for another. Then he explained, “I work for a major record label. I find talent and sign it.”

  “That sounds pretty cool.”

  “I hang out at bars and clubs and listen to all sorts of noise,” Garrett smirked. “But,” he admitted, “eventually you learn to tune that all out – and there’s nothing quite like finding a gem amongst all the shit.”

  Garrett was the type of person who didn’t seem to care about much. He spoke with a laid back, easy-going tone. Nothing seemed to get to him. But when he spoke about his career, Kimberly heard pride in his voice. Clearly he was passionate about what he did for a living.

  “Do you travel for a work a lot?” she asked.

  “Yeah,” he glanced at his wristwatch, which looked expensive. “I fly to Barbados first thing tomorrow, actually. I’d love to stay and keep drinking with you, but there’s nothing quite as unbearable as traveling with a hangover…believe me, I’d know.”

  Kimberly smiled to hide her disappointment. She hated the thought of going back to an empty apartment, but what other choice did she have? “Well it’s been fun,” she said, reaching into her purse to pull out her wallet.

  Garrett reached out and touched her arm. She wasn’t sure he intended to actually make contact with her – all the alcohol he’d consumed could have just been affecting his coordination. Even so, the light touch sent a shockwave through Kimberly’s body.

  “Put it away,” he said, his tone authoritative. “I’ve got this.”

  “I can’t let you pay,” Kimberly protested.

  “Yes you can. I enjoyed the company.”

  She averted her eyes. “So did I,” she said softly.

  Garrett through a wad of bills down beside his empty glass and stood. “Where are you headed?” he asked, his breath smelling strongly of alcohol.

  “Ash Street.”

  “Perfect,” he declared, walking toward the exit. “You can catch a ride with me.”

  Chapter Seven

  Kimberly had to marvel at the authority with which Garrett hailed a cab. Taxis were notoriously difficult to stop in this district, yet he was able to get one almost immediately. She suspected it was the air of confidence he exuded from every pore that did the trick. His body language said “don’t mess with me” and people seemed to take note of that. Kimberly certainly did.

  Once they were in the cab headed toward Kimberly’s place, her cell phone started to vibrate. She pulled it out of her purse.

  “Is that Not-Husband?” Garrett asked teasingly.

  She blushed. “Yes.”

  Before she could so much as blink, Garrett snatched the phone from her much like he’d grabbed the menu from her earlier. Maybe it was rude of him, but it was evident he was just playing around and meant no harm.

  “Hey!” Kimberly protested, trying to get the phone back. He merely snickered and held it out of her reach. Kimberly could see the cab driver watching them in the rear view mirror with an amused grin on his face.

  “It says ‘I’ve never vomited so much in my life,’” Garrett announced, squinting to read the screen. “Wow, Not-Husband sure knows how to keep the romance alive,” he joked.

  Despite herself, Kimberly couldn’t help but smile. Her smile quickly faded, however, when she realized that Garrett was texting Felix back.

  “What are you doing?” she demanded, grabbing for the phone again. This time Garrett didn’t put up a fight. He handed the phone back to her and to her horror, she realized the message had already been sent.

  Kimberly blinked. “Are you…sexting my boyfriend?”

  Garrett burst out laughing. “Well when you put it like that it sounds pretty kinky. I guess I was sexting him,” he admitted, “but I was doing it as you. No matter how dreamy he is, I’m just not into dudes, Kimmy.”

  She joined in his laughter. Once she’d regained her composure somewhat, she asked, “but why are you sexting my boyfriend?”

  Garrett shrugged and stifled a yawn. “Clearly he’s not so adept at seducing you via text,” he observed, alluding to the vomit message. “I guess that means the ball is in your court, but you seem far too proper to sext, so I’m just helping you out. You’re welcome!”

  After a moment of contemplation, Kimberly asked, “Too proper…really?” For some reason she was mildly offended by the remark.

  Garrett shrugged again. “You seem pretty reserved and, well…classy,” he said. “But who am I to say? Maybe you have a hidden kinky side – I think a lot of the time it’s the quiet Nice Girls who do,” he predicted with a suggestive raise of his eyebrow.

  Before Kimberly could think of a response, the cab stopped.

  “I guess this is you,” Garrett said.

  “I guess it is.” She opened the door of the cab and got out with great reluctance.

  “Until next time, Kimmy,” Garrett said with a small wave. Then the cab pulled away from the curb and, just like that, he was gone.

  Chapter Eight

  Kimberly’s initial experience in the city was a good one. She lived a modest life in a tiny but comfortable apartment. She learned to use the public transit system and bought groceries every Saturday morning from a local farmer’s market in the middle of a bustling cosmopolitan center. Her night classes were fascinating and her new job was rewarding. She quickly settled into a new routine, immersing herself in her new life.

  It was fortunate that Kimberly was so busy. It kept her from missing Felix too badly, although she still found herself lonely at night. Most nights, she fell asleep with the phone on the pillow beside her, listening to Felix’s breathing as he slept hundreds of miles away.

  She wished they could be together, but their long distance relationship was workable.

  She counted down the days until Felix’s first visit.

  When she first laid eyes on Felix at the airport, excitement overwhelmed Kimberly. She’d looked forward to his arrival for so long! She rushed toward him and kissed him, not caring that they were in a public place.

  It was strange having Felix stay at her new apartment in the city. It was smaller than her previous place and, as much as Kimberly liked having him there, it felt like there wasn’t enough space for the both of them.

  What made the situation extra challenging was the silence. It wasn’t a comfortable silence. It was deafening. It screamed “we have nothing to say to each other” and made Kimberly feel terribly awkward. Maybe, she thought to herself, she and Felix should have spent a bit less tim
e talking on the phone. It seemed that now they were all talked out. She hated it.

  Felix was keen to see the city, but unfortunately his visit coincided with the end of her semester. She had papers due and classes to attend in addition to her day job. Part of her was tempted to skip them and spend her time with Felix but another part of her was secretly relieved to escape the awkward silence.

  ~~~

  Unfortunately, Felix’s visit had distracted Kimberly from her school obligations. She’d completely forgotten about one particular deadline: a term paper that was due bright and early Saturday morning.

  And it was now Friday evening.

  When her professor mentioned it at the beginning of her 6 p.m. night class, Kimberly’s heart sank and a feeling of dread overtook her. As discreetly as she could, she packed up her books and quietly slipped out the door.

  “Hey.”

  Kimberly was so preoccupied that she barely noticed the man standing across the hall until he spoke. She looked up and her jaw dropped. It was Garrett Strong.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, stunned to see the handsome, arrogant record producer leaning against the brick wall outside of her forensics classroom.

  “Looking for you,” Garrett replied matter-of-factly.

  “But…why? How…?”

  “I’m supposed to be checking out a band at the campus bar tonight,” Garrett informed her, “but let’s be honest: I’m sure they’re shit. I figured why make my ears bleed when I could have coffee with you instead? I had a hell of a time finding the forensics classroom in this joint, but here I am. Oh,” he added as an afterthought, “I brought you coffee.”

  He held out a large white Styrofoam cup. Kimberly recognized the logo – it was from the sandwich kiosk on the second floor of the university.

  “Um…thanks,” she said, taking the cup from him.

  “No problem. But I have to warn you, it tastes like shit. I’m afraid we’ll have to go to a real coffee joint to get something decent.”

  “I can’t,” Kimberly replied. She took a sip and wrinkled her nose. Garrett was right, the coffee was kind of disgusting.

  “Why can’t you?”

  “I need to go to the campus library,” she informed him.

  “What, you don’t have enough books here?” Garrett asked, eyeing her armful of large hardback textbooks incredulously. “Blech, reading.” He reached out and took them from her. She let out a sigh of relief, as carrying the heavy books had been starting to make her back ache. He held them with ease, slinging them under his arm casually as though they were nothing more than a bag of feathers.

  “I need a specific book.”

  “Well okay. We’ll go for coffee after we hit up the library,” he said agreeably.

  “But I can’t.”

  “And why is that, Kimmy?” She wasn’t sure if she liked or hated his nickname for her. Sometimes it seemed like a term of endearment and other times it struck her as being condescending.

  “I have a boyfriend,” she reminded him, feeling somewhat sheepish as the words left her lips. It was one of those things she wished she could take back immediately after blurting it out.

  “Is that all?” Garrett smirked. “I asked you to grab a cup of coffee with me, Kimmy. I didn’t invite you to my hotel room for coffee and fucking. Relax.” He leaned over as though about to reveal a secret, and conspiratorially stage whispered, “Even girls with boyfriends are allowed to drink coffee, Kimmy.”

  Kimberly felt her face go red. Garrett seemed to have that effect on her; he could make her blush at the drop of a hat. She felt silly for protesting about the coffee.

  And that was how she found rushing to the campus library alongside Garrett Strong, whose long stride allowed him to match her hurried pace with ease. Once she got her book, he confidently assured her that he’d take her to the best coffee joint in the city.

  ~~~

  “Um, excuse me,” Kimberly said, trying to get the campus library assistant’s attention. He was a young, bored looking college kid with a ridiculous haircut and jeans so baggy they looked like they might fall down at any moment. He seemed more interested in texting on his phone than helping her.

  Garrett let out a loud whistle that caused everyone within earshot to look up. “Hey, buddy,” he said, not caring who was looking, “she’s talking to you.”

  Reluctantly, the less-than-helpful college kid looked up. “What is it?” he asked.

  “I’m looking for this textbook,” Kimberly said, pointing to the title on her course syllabus. “The online catalog says it’s checked in, but it’s not on the shelf. Can you help me find it? It’s really important.”

  He shrugged, indifferent to her plight. “It was probably shelved in the wrong place,” he said. “Or maybe someone took it without bothering to check it out. That happens a lot.”

  Kimberly was so frustrated that she wanted to shake him. As Garrett took a menacing step forward, she held up a hand, signaling that he should back off. She was afraid Garrett might actually shake the guy, and she was a firm believer that one can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

  “Please,” she begged, giving him her most charming smile. “I need your help.”

  Her plea must have had some effect, because the library assistant reached for her syllabus. “What was that name again?” he asked, looking at the paper. Then he retreated to the far end of the counter and picked up a phone.

  His conversation was out of Kimberly’s earshot, but when he returned he looked rather pleased with himself. “The public library has it,” he informed her. “But they close at 7:00 p.m. on Fridays, so you’ll have to hurry if you want it tonight.”

  “Shit,” Kimberly muttered under her breath.

  Garrett looked very amused to hear the prim, proper young woman swear. “Oh?”

  “The next bus isn’t until 6:45 p.m. – there’s no way I can make it to the library in time.”

  Nothing seemed to faze Garrett. “So we’ll call a cab,” he said, pulling out his phone. “It will be fine – relax, Kimmy.”

  “A cab will cost a fortune,” Kimberly replied. “We need to go halfway across the city!”

  Again, Garrett was unconcerned. “It’s on me,” he said, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth. “But that means you’re buying the coffee!”

  And that’s how Kimberly found herself in the backseat of a cab with Garrett Strong.

  ~~~

  When Kimberly emerged from the library, book in hand, she was surprised to see Garrett casually leaning against the cab. He was having a smoke with the cab driver.

  “You didn’t have to wait for me,” she said as he opened the back door and motioned for her to get in. “I could have caught a bus.”

  “Believe me, you don’t want to do that in this part of the city,” Garrett replied, climbing into the cab beside her. “It gets dangerous here at night. Cabbie here and I will take you home so you can write your paper and we’ll do coffee another time,” he told her. “Where are we headed?”

  “Grey Street and 47th Avenue,” she replied.

  “Well at least you live in a decent area.”

  “I take it you’re from here?” Kimberly asked as she idly flipped through her library book.

  “Here, there…I’m sort of from everywhere. But I know which parts of every major city are the dodgy ones,” he boasted. “It’s mainly because I frequent them.” He chuckled when he saw Kimberly’s expression of alarm. “Relax. It’s not like I’m a drug dealer or anything. It’s just that the dive bars in shitty parts of town tend to be where the talent is. The world’s fucked up like that.”

  “Oh.”

  Garrett grabbed the library book from Kimberly’s hand and turned it over to study the cover. “So why so much panic over what looks like a boring as hell book?” he asked.

  “I need it to finish a forensics paper that’s due tomorrow.”

  “Your paper is due on a Saturday?”

  “Yes.”

 
Garrett eyed her curiously. “So then why did you wait until Friday night to get the book? Are you a procrastinator, Kimmy?”

  Kimberly blushed. “I’m not usually a procrastinator,” she said, inexplicably eager to defend herself. “But I guess this time I was. I’ve been…busy.”

  Garrett clucked in disapproval. “Naughty girl,” he said. “You ought to be punished.” Then he flashed Kimberly another one of his cocky yet endearing grins to let her know he was just messing with her.

  Even though Kimberly knew Garrett was joking, his words sent a shiver up her spine – and to other places. She couldn’t help but wonder what sort of punishment he had in mind.

  “We’re here,” the cab driver announced as they pulled up in front of Kimberly’s apartment.

  “Oh!” Kimberly had been so engrossed in her conversation with Garrett that she hadn’t even noticed. “Just a second,” she said, rummaging through her purse in search of her wallet.

  “I’ve got it,” Garrett said, leaning forward and handing the cab driver a wad of money.

  “I can’t let you do that,” Kimberly protested. “You already paid for the cab ride to the library.”

  “Yes you can.”

  Garrett’s words had a quiet authoritative quality to them. Kimberly didn’t dare argue with him because she could tell he wasn’t the sort of man accustomed to losing an argument. Instead, she thanked him profusely and hurried into her apartment to finish her paper.

  ~~~

  “Is everything okay?” Felix asked when he heard Kimberly come in. “I thought your class doesn’t finish for another hour?” He was sitting in the living room playing chess on his phone.

  “Yeah,” Kimberly assured him, “but I forgot about a paper I have to write. I’m sorry. I know I said we’d hang out tonight, but…”

  “I understand,” Felix said. “Go. Write.”

  As Kimberly holed herself up in her spare room with her laptop and a pile of textbooks, she reminded herself how lucky she was to have Felix. Even if they’d temporarily run out of things to say to one another, he was still a caring, understanding boyfriend.