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by Sweet Baby Girl Entertainment

  “Protocol?” Zoe smiled.

  “Protocol. When I can call, when I can’t call, when I should act a fool when I hear another man in the background…you know, protocol.” Joey winked.

  Zoe laughed and Joey noticed how the moonlight hit the irises of her eyes at just the right angle, bringing out the soft amber in them. “Do you do this with all of your girlfriends?”

  “I don’t, actually.” He ran a hand through her ebony hair. “Just one.”

  “And what’s her name?” Zoe inquired.

  Joey softly kissed Zoe’s jawline before meeting her lips. “Zoe.”

  Zoe closed her eyes as Joey’s lips once again devoured hers. She wasn’t supposed to get involved. She knew it was wrong on all accounts. It wasn’t going to work, said one voice in her head. You two will have no time for each other, said the other. Yet her body was yelling at her, practically screaming, let this man touch you everywhere and don’t let him stop until you’ve climaxed a few times.

  Once again, Joey’s hands wandered all over Zoe’s body and the only thing separating them besides their clothing was air and opportunity. If Zoe wanted to let Joey down, now was the time to do it and that would’ve been the end of it. But as his lips found yet another erogenous zone, Zoe felt her resolve become weaker and her panties moist. Her breathing became more laborious, and soft moans escaped her lips as she clutched his body, holding on for dear life.

  The heat between them was explosive as she felt his erection press into the vee of her sex.

  He growled each time she moaned as they slowly moved with each other, frustrated by their clothing, restricting them to full access.

  “Joey,” Zoe finally managed to whisper.

  “Yes, regina?” He breathed against her neck.

  “Fuck me.”

  Joey quickly pulled out the condom that was in his back pocket while Zoe quickly stepped out of her shoes so she can pull her jeans off. “I thought you would never ask.” He undid his jeans and pulled them down. He quickly sheathed the condom on his shaft. He hoisted Zoe up against her truck and wrapped one leg around his waist. With a quick movement, he was inside her.

  They both moaned upon instant contact. The friction and warmth of her as her walls

  deliciously welcomed his shaft. He slowly began to move inside her, gathering her other leg in the process as Zoe held onto his neck. They moved in unison, as if they’ve been lovers and knew each other’s bodies.

  Zoe lightly moaned against Joey’s neck, sneaking in passionate kisses to him. Their

  tongues danced in the same frenzied spirit as their bodies moved, joining again and again. They managed to pull away briefly and stare into each other’s eyes, seeing the hunger and want they had for one another. It was no longer two people who lusted after each other. No, they had surpassed that point a long while ago.

  They were in love. Deep, plunging, no-holds-barred in love.

  Zoe clenched tighter around Joey’s shaft and her breathing became shallow and sporadic.

  She clutched his back as he drove into her and soon, climaxed, her weak legs trembling as her body shook and a soft cry escaped from her lips.

  “Oh Joey…” she whimpered.

  Hearing her climax sent Joey over the edge and he drove into her a few more times before he came, his body still as he released into her. He buried his face into her neck as her slick folds continued to milk his shaft.

  “My god, Zoe…” he breathed.

  Joey continued to hold her as his mind processed what he just went through. He was so used to having good sex – great, even – with forgettable women that he didn’t realize how sex was with someone he loved. He no longer wanted to fight the feelings. He no longer wanted to make excuses as to why the relationship couldn’t work, why they couldn’t work. He was going to do whatever possible to make them work. He had to. His heart was inexplicably tangled with hers; too precious to undo and didn’t want to attempt.

  Instead, Joey accepted what happened.

  ****

  “Tell me something in Italian.”

  “Here’s something I hear often: che bel cazzo grosso! ”

  “And what does that mean?”

  “What a nice, big cock!”

  Zoe laughed at her boyfriend as they were tangled up together in bed. After their tryst on the freeway, they went back to her condo and had several repeat performances, with each act becoming hotter than the last. Joey became a fan of Zoe’s gag reflex as she took him whole into her hot mouth over and over while Zoe almost ripped the hair out of Joey’s scalp as his tongue dived into her honey repeatedly as if he invented the art of eating pussy. Dirty talk was combined with hand-holding as they rocked back and forth, staring into each other’s eyes, silently pledging their love.

  “Did you teach your girls that?” She asked with a smile.

  “They learned it on their own,” Joey rubbed Zoe’s shoulders, “I didn’t have to teach them anything. Am I lying?” Zoe fell quiet and looked up at the ceiling. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

  Zoe turned to him. Her fingertips danced along his muscular chest. “Well, I would be lying if I said you didn’t.”

  “Tell me something in Chinese.”

  “Wo ai ni.”

  “And what does that mean?”

  Fuck! Zoe said the first thing that came to her mind, forgetting the actual meaning of the words. I love you. It was too soon to say that. Way too soon. Even if she did mean it. Even if she wanted to shout it from the rooftops. Even if her heart was bursting through her chest.

  “Olive juice.” Zoe quickly countered.

  “Olive juice?” Joey laughed.

  “Yeah,” Zoe’s eyes glanced everywhere in her bedroom, hoping to spot anything that had those words, along with a heart or anything heartwarming and fuzzy, wouldn’t be out in the open. “Olive juice.”

  “Okay,” Joey rubbed Zoe’s shoulders. “Hey, Z?”

  “Yeah, baby?”

  “Olive juice you too.”

  Fifteen

  Present time, New York

  Zoe smiled as the memory of her and Joey declaring their love to each other appeared. She remembered that entire week was just bliss. They went out to dinner a few times, were treated like royalty at the L.A. hotspots, rented a few movies at home, and made love like it was going out of style. The thought of how Joey pistoned in and out of Zoe’s tight heat while he held her arms above her head made her clit pulsate in desire.

  She’d never been with anyone else since their breakup, a year prior, nor did she want to.

  Between designing Tyson’s Heart and relocating to New York to pursue the fashion line full-time, Zoe simply didn’t have time for a relationship. She simply chuckled at the thought of moving to New York – it was that reason that set the break-up in motion and she ended up doing it anyway. The difference was clear, however, she moved to New York on her terms and not Joey’s.

  Not that it would’ve matter. She purposely went out of her way to avoid him and made sure any places she was a frequent guest, complimentary of Joey, she didn’t patron. The only person she kept in contact besides Kieran and Tiana was Nicola, who regularly encouraged the pair to get back together. She could never understand why the pair just didn’t bury the hatchet and work on their relationship but Zoe knew. She understood loud and clear.

  He hates me.

  The truth was hard to hear and more difficult to swallow. Zoe had given Joey plenty of reason to despise her and curse the ground she walked on. He was stubborn, to a fault, but he always fought for what he believed in. If someone told him no, Joey would exhaust the person into saying yes. He spent hours upon hours in business meetings, going over the finest details and making sure there weren’t any unforeseeable surprises. So when Zoe told him to let her go, a part of her didn’t think he would actually do it.

  But he did.

  It was a thought that disturbed her – the fact that Joey didn’t try to fight harder for their relationship or he simply gave up be
cause it wasn’t worth the effort anymore.

  Now he’s here.

  Joey was sitting front-row at the fashion show, getting a bird’s eye view of Tyson’s Heart.

  At the end of the show, Zoe was going to appear on the catwalk, holding Tyson’s hand as she smiled and waved at everyone. It was inevitable she was going to see Joey, should he stick around for the big finale. It was going to be the first time they would see each other since their fateful fight and breakup at Joey’s apartment.

  She purposely avoided his face because she knew the truth about her feelings towards him.

  She still loved him. She was still in love with him. She was in love with someone who hated her with all of his being. Knowing Joey, he probably showed up not out of support for his brother and sister-in-law, but out of pure spite. Zoe wouldn’t blame him in the least bit.

  She took another long glance at Joey and let out an exasperated sigh. She was going have to put on her big girl panties and just deal with it.

  Sixteen

  Two years earlier, New York

  “Welcome back from your vacation, boss!” Aneesa Sands greeted Joey as he entered

  Madre’s. She was a young Black woman, fresh out of college and still a little wet behind the ears. She wore her brown hair in a shoulder-length natural style, had a small gap between her front teeth that matched the dimple on her chin. Her build could be described as thick, yet she managed to cover up her assets to the best of her ability every day she was at work.

  Naturally bubbly and upbeat, Aneesa was one of the few women Joey could trust for the simple fact she was a lesbian and had absolutely no interest in him (or any man) whatsoever.

  “You look…tan. I take it you had a great vacation?”

  A proud smile spread on Joey’s face as he thought about Zoe. Great couldn’t possibly describe the vacation. Amazing. Fantastic. Incredible. Excellent.

  He didn’t have any expectations when he went on vacation, only hoping he would get

  lucky with Zoe and she didn’t bore him in bed. She was anything but boring. Her tongue was skilled, wrapping around his cock repeatedly as she sucked him. When she was on top, she rolled back and forth as if she already had his body memorized and knew where his erogenous zones were. He discovered a new one – his nipples.

  And her moans…her sweet, beautiful moans. They started off soft and almost demure,

  growing into something voracious and deep, encouraging Joey to fuck her harder and faster with each thrust.

  Own this pussy, baby. I want you to own it.

  Joey felt his slacks tighten around his cock and refocused his attention to work. It wasn’t just the sex that had Joey addicted; Zoe was everything he wanted in a woman. She was ambitious, didn’t bullshit him, and could talk to him about sports and current events. She challenged his mind along with his body and soul, making him question everything he ever believed in about love, life, and relationships.

  Sprung. That was the word that described Joey to a tee. He didn’t even feel ashamed about it. He loved Zoe. He was in love with her.

  I don’t do long-distance relationships, Joey.

  It was a threat Joey took seriously and didn’t dismiss it as falderal. He couldn’t see himself ever leaving New York and relocating to L.A. but if he could somehow convince Zoe to move…

  “I had a great time,” he finally answered Aneesa, shifting his attention back to his assistant. “I’ll be going back soon. I need you to arrange a flight for me in two weeks from today.

  I’ll handle business items from there.”

  Aneesa hastily jotted down the notes. “Preference on travel?”

  “Business-class.” Joey thought about if he wanted to reveal the burning request on the tip of his tongue. He wanted Aneesa to make travel arrangements for Zoe and in first-class. His girl was going to have the best of the best everything. He already thought about upgrading her SUV

  to something a little more high-class, though it drove just fine. “And I’ll be gone for a few days.

  I’ll let you know for sure, but I expect to leave on Thursday and possibly return on Monday evening.”

  “Sounds like a nice trip. Going to see Kieran and Tiana?”

  A slow smirk curled Joey’s lips. He successfully avoided seeing Kieran and Tiana, though he did feel a little guilty about it. Whenever he made a trip out to L.A., he always made it a point to see his brother, even if it was just for a few hours. If he played his cards right, he could avoid seeing Kieran and Tiana again. It was his goal to see where things went with Zoe first before he revealed their relationship to the rest of the family. He knew his reputation with women and could admit that didn’t help matters when he purposely brought home some unfavorable ones.

  All of that was going to change. Maybe sprung wasn’t an appropriate word. Twisted. Yes.

  Zoe definitely had him twisted.

  “Maybe,” Joey answered. It was an honest answer. He might see Kieran and Tiana. Or, he might spend all of his free time with Zoe.

  He could keep a secret. The question was, could Zoe?

  ****

  Lord, I am sore.

  Every step Zoe took seemed to be a battle. Her thighs felt like she just did a thousand squats. Her stomach was tight. Her pussy went through its own war with Joey’s cock, though he won every time.

  Six years of celibacy made her a born-again virgin. It was a good thing she had a sitz bath after Joey left or there was no way in hell she would’ve been able to climb the steps leading up to Fits and Giggles.

  Joey. Her new boyfriend. The man who turned her on and turned her out. The way he

  dominated her in their trysts, taunting her with ‘ Whose is it? ’ and ‘ Is this my pussy? ’ as he drove in and out of her like he was fucking to save her life.

  When they didn’t make love, they watched football on TV, drank beers as they rooted for their respective teams. They talked current events and found they shared the same beliefs on many issues. She felt comfortable enough to show him her sketches and he asked questions about her designs, trying to understand her thought and creative processes.

  He was her heart. Her soul. Her everything.

  Their relationship changed dramatically when he proved his love to her not through sex but by tossing out his cell phone and discarding the others. It was uncharted territory for him and Zoe could tell there was fear and uncertainty in his eyes when he did it. But what became certain was his love for her throughout the week. He held hands with her publicly and continued his New York chivalry in Los Angeles. They went shopping and he asked her honest opinion on a few pieces.

  Zoe got the feeling Joey treated her different for one reason: he finally saw someone who was his equal. It warmed her heart.

  She never casually said I love you to a boyfriend, knowing the power behind that phrase and didn’t want to say it just because he said it first or it was expected. Yet, Joey brought it out of her as if he non-verbally told her it was okay for her to feel that way and not be ashamed about it.

  She was in love. Heart-stopping, breathtaking, everything’s-coming-up-roses in love. It was going to be difficult – a long-distance relationship. It wasn’t that she lived in New Jersey; she was clear across the country. A different time zone. She told her mind it wasn’t going to work but her heart wouldn’t listen. She just hoped it would all be worth it.

  She also hoped Kieran wouldn’t have a bitch fit and a half when he found out.

  “There’s my girl!” Kieran greeted Zoe with a hug as he entered Fits and Giggles. “You look refreshed. I see that vacation worked out for you.”

  Did it ever. Besides Joey breaking her celibacy drought, Zoe needed a break from Fits and Giggles to clear her head. It took some convincing – in large part from another D’Amato brother

  – to make Zoe realize that there was more to her life than being a personal assistant and nanny.

  Fashion was something she was innately passionate about it and she wanted to pursue it with everything
she had. With Tiana and Kieran backing her up and Joey supporting her every step of the way, Zoe couldn’t go wrong.

  “Yes,” she smiled, her grin spreading from ear to ear. “It was a great vacay. I just needed to clear my head and be focused on the clothing line. I came up with a lot of great designs and I worked on a few pieces as well.” She could credit that to Joey but Kieran could never know about it.

  “Great!” Kieran smiled as they walked to his office. “I would love to see them. Oh, and we decided on a name – Tyson’s Heart.”

  “How beautiful,” Zoe nodded, “do you have a logo yet?”

  “Not yet but it’ll be something simple like a heart,” Kieran shrugged, “it was Tee’s idea and I just went along with it.”

  “Ah, smart man.”

  “She married me for a reason.” He set down his messenger bag and sat behind his desk.

  “So what did you do during your vacation? Just stayed here in town?”

  “Um…” Zoe did a lot of things during her vacation – namely Kieran’s brother. “I went out shopping a little, had dinner, and visited some places I’ve haven’t been to in a while. And I slept in every day of this week!” All of that was true. She and Joey went out every day and made love into the wee hours of morning every night. It was some of the best sleep she’s had in a long while.

  She and Joey agreed to keep their relationship a secret until they found a way to share the news with Kieran and other D’Amato family members when it was appropriate. With the drama surrounding Faith and Eli, not to mention Kieran’s impending disappointment and disapproval, the couple agreed to keep it quiet.

  Not that it would be a problem. Zoe never really discussed her personal life with Kieran other than occasional rants about the dating scene and lack of quality men in Los Angeles.

  There’s someone for everyone, he would always remind her. She was pretty sure he didn’t think that someone would be his player younger brother.

  “Well, you look great. Maybe that vacation was what you needed. You’ve put in a lot of hours here, Zo. You should reward yourself and go out and have some fun.” Kieran mentioned.