by Cherry Kay
When her shaking subsided and they both recovered from that sensational fall from heaven, was when Mark slid out of her. Looking at the time, Mark saw it was already seven o’clock. Should he go another round… or get ready for dinner? It was a no-brainer, except Ari saw the time as well and she made to get out of bed. But Mark held on to her arm, pulling her back to him.
“Mark, dinner. Food. Humans run on it you know.”
He chuckled and then nibbled on her neck, she sighed and he smiled at its shakiness; he was winning. “I’ll make sure you survive, don’t worry,” Mark said into her neck as his hands cupped her breasts, squeezing gently.
“Mark…” she said breathlessly and he rolled her nipples between his fingers as he sucked on her neck. Mark had gotten to know all her sensitive areas and he knew that soon she wouldn’t be so hungry for food. One of Mark’s hands slid down her flat stomach to slip into the sensitive folds of her sex. He gently rubbed on her clitoris and she arched into his hand. “We’ll die here you know,” she said hoarsely and Mark chuckled.
“It’ll be such a sweet death, though, completely worth it.” All Ari could do was moan and Mark grinned like a little kid whose just gotten everything he ever wanted for Christmas. “Anyway, speaking of eating…”
***
Ari and Mark ended up ordering in some pretty good Chinese, even to a New Yorker’s standards, and cuddled in bed after they showered, while they watched a 'The Nanny' marathon on TV. Mark decided that tomorrow he really would take her out and they would have dinner, dance, and the whole nine.
Ari fell asleep and Mark took care of some work over the phone and made reservations at a good swing bar in Miami, according to Yelp, and Yelp was never wrong. Ari mentioned that she really liked swing music so he knew she’d enjoy herself. Just before Mark was about to put his phone down, he went through his missed calls and saw several from Roselyn. The last call was missed just five minutes ago. What was her deal? Mark sighed and then slipped into the bedroom once more to climb into the bed with Ari. He wouldn’t let anything pop his bubble with Ari, not until it was impossible to keep her around anymore; they would stay in their fantasy for as long as was possible.
Chapter4
Clarissa
Ari woke up in Mark's arms again and she must say it was a mighty fine way to start the day. She stretched against him and his arms tightened around her waist while he burrowed his head into her neck.
“Let’s sleep in longer,” he mumbled and she giggled. No, Ari had to show her face at me today or Brooklyn could show up at her condo later wondering if she had died. Ari hadn’t spoken to him or anyone really since that initial dinner with Mark.
“I’m sure you have to wake up at some point for your ground breaking ceremony today.”
Mark groaned and Ari laughed. “I don’t wanna go to school today, don’t make me.” He looked up at Ari, pouting adorably with his full bottom lip sticking out as his sleep-mussed hair fell into his face.
“I won’t make you, but you’ll piss a lot of people off if you don’t show up today.”
Mark sighed and finally loosened his hold on Ari and rolled away to get up.
“I just don’t want to spend one minute away from you if I don’t have to,” he admitted almost sullenly.
“Well, you do have to, this is your business. Anyway, I’ll be at me today looking in on things, so it’s not like I’ll be here staring at the wall while you’re gone.” Mark’s eyebrows furrowed and he put his hands on his hips in a dominant stance. He was completely naked and it did nothing to take away from the affect he intended.
“At me where other men will be looking at you and lusting after what’s mine?” Ari blinked at him in shock as it seemed he had turned into some sort of caveman right before her eyes; it was incredible.
“No, I’ll be at the lounge that I own, working. So what if other people see me Mark, don’t go beating your chest now when what we have isn’t even…” Ari sighed and rubbed her eyes. “Look you have work to do today and so do I, we’ll hook up afterwards, okay?” Ari told him and he gave one tight nod before walking into her bathroom.
She shook her head and took a deep breath, She didn’t understand those mixed signals from him and she didn’t know how much longer she could keep up that charade between them. They both knew it wasn’t going to last, he had alluded to that very clearly before.
Ari got up and donned her robe to go fix some coffee. Mark came up silently behind her, kissing her shoulder and she closed her eyes, stifling a sigh.
“I’m sorry, I know… I know I don’t really have a right to say what I said. I’d really like for you to be at the groundbreaking ceremony today, before you have to go into me.”
Like Ari could say no to this man. When he left, she would be nursing quite the empty heart. She had tried to keep her heart at a distance, but it proved to be an impossible feat where Mark Robinson was concerned.
Ari turned around and handed him a cup of coffee and he smiled at her like a little boy who wanted to be forgiven, but knew he was too cute and already was forgiven. “Fine, I’ll come to the ceremony. When is it?” she asked and his small smile turned into a full on grin.
“It’s in an hour… and a half.” He continued grinning and Ari laughed at his happy expression, he was completely unconcerned with the fact that they had next to no time to get ready and drive out to the site.
“Okay, you go ahead to your hotel and I’ll meet you there. I don’t you want you late because of me.”
Mark rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically.
“I’m the boss Ari, I can be as late as I want; I’m paying mostly everyone there.” Ari wanted to put some distance between them to try and recover some of her emotions from him, but he was determined to hold on to her tightly.
“Mark, please… I’ll meet you there,” she told him, serious this time as she looked into his golden eyes. They grew anxious and then he looked away, nodding.
“Okay, you’re right. Well, I’ll see you soon then and later I’m picking you up for dinner, I made reservations at someplace you’ll really like.”
“Sounds fun, I’ll be looking forward to it,” was Ari’s simple reply and Mark took his mug of coffee into the living room where his phone was, as it had started to go off.
Ari fixed herself a cup when enough coffee was ready in the coffee pot. Mark finished his call and his coffee quickly then washed his mug before he put it in the dish rack to dry.
“All right, I’m off. I’ll see you soon, baby.” Mark kissed Ari firmly on the mouth before heading out of the door in clothes from the day before.
Finally, Ari took a moment to breathe and tried to collect herself from the whirlwind that was Mark Robinson. When he had his mind set on something, he truly was driven to obtain and keep it. No wonder he was so successful. Ari finished her coffee while she watched the news and then went to get ready for the day. Ari’s mom called her as she was stepping out to go to Mark’s ceremony. As Ari answered, she put on the most innocent “I love you, mommy” voice she could manage.
“Oh please, spare me, Clarissa. I know you’re a busy woman nowadays, but at least you can call me if you can’t visit. If not for the pictures around the house, I would have forgotten what you looked like.” She was really laying on the guilt and Ari did feel bad. She hadn’t spoken to her mom in at least a week; she was behaving like a terrible daughter, truly.
“I’m sorry, Mommy. I promise to call more, I do miss you.” Marie gave one humph and then reluctantly asked Ari how she had been, though Ari knew it was only a front. She loved Ari and missed her too, the humph said it all.
“I just worry about you, Clarissa, you have no man to take care of you and I just get sad thinking of you being lonely.” Here we go, Ari thought. She knew this was coming at some point. Ari got into her car and switched the call to hands-free so she could focus on driving to the beach.
“You don’t have to worry, Mommy, you raised us to be strong independent women who don�
��t need a man for everything.”
“Oh hush, I said that only pertaining to your career and well-being. What about keeping you warm at night and hearing that someone loves you every once and a while, hm?” Ari sighed audibly and weighed the consequences of hanging up and saying that the call dropped.
“Don’t you sigh at me young woman. I know what I’m talking about, I’ve been on this Earth longer than you; no woman is an island, Clarissa.” Great, now her 'no woman was an island' speech.
“I know, Mommy, I know you want my life to be full and right now it is, in my own time I’ll find the right one and then I promise you’ll get your grandbabies.” She laughed at her and Ari smiled at the infectious sound.
“Okay darling, you know I just worry about you.” Ari knew she did, her mom was one of the most loving people on the planet and she worried after her three daughters constantly, wanting them to be completely happy in life.
“I love you, Mommy,” Ari told her mom and Marie told her the same before they ended the call.
Ari reached the beach and parked in the marina parking lot then walked to Mark’s hotel site. There was a little crowd of people and a few cameras snapping pictures. Ari made it just in time to see Mark drive the shovel into the ground and dig out a good chunk. Everyone clapped and a few pictures of him were taken as he held the shovel and afterward as he shook hands with people. Mark spotted Ari and his professional smile widened into a real and breathtaking one as he walked toward her.
“I almost thought you wouldn’t come.” He hugged Ari intimately and kissed her on the cheek in plain view of everyone including the cameras.
“Of course, I said I would. I got delayed a bit though, I was on the phone with my mom. I haven’t been to visit her in a while.” Mark’s expression was understanding and he smiled, probably remembering his own doting mother.
“Yeah, I understand that completely.” Mark chuckled and Ari grew uneasy at the fact that they were obviously intimate with each other and there were so many eyes around. Ari took a step out of Mark’s personal space and he simply gave her a look, seeming to knowing exactly what was running through her head.
“So what do you have to do after this?” Ari asked and Mark glanced back at the people milling around the site talking and the construction crew getting ready to actually start. “They are going to start today?” Ari asked and Mark nodded.
“Yep, I want this place to be open by this time next year so they have to start right away… I have something I want to propose to you about the hotel. Later tonight, though, as I have to get going now,” Mark said as his eyes met the nods and gestures of several men in the small crowd.
“Okay, you’ll pick me up at my place around what time?” she asked and he turned his attention back toward her.
“I’ll be there around seven or eight, but we won’t be leaving until a couple hours after.” Mark’s eyes took on that familiar heated gleam and Ari sucked in a quick breath.
“Okay, I’ll be back by then,” was her simple reply and Mark nodded, his eyes still hot on hers.
“Good, I’m looking forward to seeing you later,” he said and pulled her close for a kiss on the cheek and then he let her go, turning around to go speak to the people that were there for him.
Ari watched him walk away while she pulled herself together. me; she needed to go and check in on things. Ari forced her feet to move, even though she wanted to stay there and be with Mark. He was rubbing off on her in the worst way; Ari found she wanted to soak up every ounce of him that she possibly could.
“Excuse me, miss?” Ari looked up from the ground, startled out of her introspection by a man with a press lanyard around his neck and a camera hanging from its strap around his shoulder. He was holding a pen and pad in his hand.
“Can I have your name for a caption to a few photos I snapped of you and Mr. Robinson?” he asked politely, his pen poised and his expression expectant.
“Um, are you sure?” Ari asked, a bit thrown that he was talking about a caption, which meant a picture of Mark and Ari was definitely going to show up somewhere.
“Yes, Mr. Robinson sent me here himself to see if you wouldn’t mind being mentioned.”
Ari wanted to ask him where exactly she would be “mentioned,” but was too girlishly pleased that Mark wanted to acknowledge her in association with him publicly. Maybe she could have some hope for them after all. Ari glanced behind her to see Mark sending them furtive glances; he nodded towards the photographer and then mouthed to her, asking if it was okay. Ari nodded and he grinned boyishly.
“Uh, my name is Clarissa Francis,” Ari told the photographer and he double-checked the spelling before thanking Ari, then walking off back towards the people on the site.
Ari walked to her car with the biggest smile on her face and drove to me feeling giddy. As soon as she walked through the doors, Brooklyn spotted her from behind the main level bar and made a beeline to her.
“What’s happened to you? I haven’t heard from you in days. I thought you died!” Ari broke out into a girly grin and Brooklyn looked at her as if she had lost it before realization dawned on him. “You bitch, you met a man. Tell me every single thing.” Brooklyn pulled her aside and into the manager’s office.
“Please don’t murder me… but it’s Mark…” Ari told him and Brooklyn’s eyes widened as if he was thinking about throttling her, Ari held her breath for his impending explosion.
“I cannot. Believe. You,” was his measured and ominously calm reply. “You better fess up right now, tell me everything.” Brooklyn looked at her, waiting, as he sat down at his desk.
She took a deep breath and started pacing the room while she told Brooklyn everything, from when Mark pushed Darrel into the street until the whole thing with the photographer a few minutes ago. Brooklyn was silent, his expression inscrutable. Ari held her breath yet again as she waited for his impending explosion.
“Oh my God!” he yelled while he exploded up from his desk chair. “You’re with Mark fucking Robinson!” Brooklyn crossed the room and hugged her tight. “He’s so in love with you, it’s obvious. Oh my goodness, I can see the wedding already. I’m freaking out, I can’t believe you waited so long to tell me! Well, then again I can’t really blame you because you’ve been in love land with Mark Robinson.” Brooklyn gushed with excitement and Ari laughed, most of the time he was your everyday guy, but times like this, his true colors burst from the seams.
“Calm down, Brooklyn, calm down! You can’t tell my mother—especially not my mother—or my sisters. This thing between Mark and me might not even last, the photographer thing might not even amount to anything. So don’t tell my family or else,” Ari threatened him and Brooklyn waved it away with a gesture of his hand.
“Fine, I can keep a secret, but you have to promise to keep me updated. If he leaves and breaks your heart I’m not afraid to kick a billionaire’s ass,” Brooklyn promised and Ari sighed.
“But Brooklyn he has to leave at some point. His life is in New York, his family, and his business. I can’t possibly expect him to move here for… me.” Ari could finally vent her true feelings and she realized Brooklyn was right, she should have told him long ago; this was cathartic.
“Yes, but he can come back, he can move his headquarters, no problem, it’s not like he doesn’t have the resources. Plus how old is he anyway? He’ll leave if he’s not that close to his parents everyday.” Brooklyn was a romantic and often didn’t think realistically; she couldn’t let herself get caught up in his fantasy for Mark and Ari.
“So what do you think he wants to talk to me about pertaining to his hotel?” Ari asked Brooklyn, wanting to change the subject a little bit.
“I don’t know, that’s a little puzzling to me, too. It could be anything. He obviously values your opinion since you practically picked out his house for him.” Yeah, that was true. Ari guessed that there was only one way to find out and that was tonight when she saw him.
“I’m just so… my mind is b
lown from all of this, Ari. See, I knew he was looking at you all sexy-like when he was here the other night.” Brooklyn sighed and looked at her as if she held all the secrets to attracting billionaires.
“So how are things here? Are we getting good lunch and happy hour crowds?” Ari asked and Brooklyn nodded, his eyes lit up with renewed excitement.
“Yes, we’re doing so well that we can possibly book some guest performers for happy hour on our busy days like Monday, today, and Friday.”
Ari talked about the possibility of doing that with Brooklyn. It was a good idea if the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, crowds kept up. After her talk with Brooklyn, she stayed in the office to settle some paperwork before she went out to the main floors to help here and there.
Around five thirty, Ari got a text message, all it said was: I’m on the way. A rush of heat and excitement quickened her pace as she finished things off there and then sped home.
Mark
Mark parked in Ari’s garage when Roselyn called him yet again. Maybe if he threw her another bone it would satisfy her for a while.
“Rose, how are you?” he answered on the fourth ring and pinched the bridge of his nose, anxious to get upstairs to Ari already.
“Missing you, how is everything going down there in Florida?” Her tone was annoying and antagonizing, as if she knew something and was just waiting to bring it up somehow.
“Going smoothly, I can’t complain,” Mark replied and there was a beat of silence.
“I’m glad, this must mean you’ll be coming back to New York on time then, and we can finally continue what we have going…” She said this suggestively and Mark sighed. Somehow she knew about Ari. Mark stifled his sigh of realization. That paparazzi photographer the other day at the site. The picture must have surfaced in some gossip line.
“Yeah, no worries. I should be back in New York Sunday and we’ll have that dinner I promised,” Mark replied. He was not bringing up Ari with Rose because if she said any negative thing about Ari, Mark didn’t know if he could control his reaction to it.