“You know it’s impossible for me to resist a new pair of Christian Louboutin shoes, and these had my name written all over them,” I say, wiggling my foot.
“What I’d give to be as tall as you, Ciara.”
“It’s not everything it’s cracked up to be. Do you know how many stores I had to hit before finding a pair of these silver glitter jeans to fit these long legs and my round butt?”
“It was worth the shopping trip, because you should be arrested for looking this good. The blouse you’re wearing is dangerous. It’s so sheer, I nearly grabbed your nipples to scare Steven even more, but I thought I might be pushing it a bit.”
“I bought it exactly because it’s sheer. I love how men’s eyes pop out of their sockets when they realize they can see the color of my bra. It’s hilarious.”
“You’re right. There are plenty of fish in the sea. You even might make me forget all about my obsession with black men if we hook up with Justin or another sexy stud later tonight.”
“You’re just saying that, Harl. We both know it’s not going to happen any time soon—you love black cock way too much. Speaking of the devil, how are things with Jeremy?”
“Ah. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Oh, no. What happened?”
“The bastard was double-dipping. I showed up unannounced at his place after a business trip from Dallas. I was so horny the entire way back home and I could only think of eating his dick. I couldn’t go home alone to masturbate; I needed more. I asked the cab driver to drop me off at his place hoping after he’d fucked me hard, I’d feel like a new woman.”
“Things didn’t quite turn out as you expected?”
“You can say that again,” Harley snarls. “He looked so shocked when he opened the door. I was so happy to see him and so blinded by lust it took me a few minutes to realize he was blocking the door way.”
“Oh, shit, I think I know where this story is heading.”
“Yeah. He tried to concoct a half-assed story when I asked to come in and then I heard her voice. This half-naked tall leggy redhead opened the door to see what was going on and that was when I realized he was fucking someone else.”
“She didn’t bother covering herself up?”
“Nope. Her giant tits were swinging freely and she was only wearing a tiny pair of panties. I was shocked beyond belief. She was so out there. I bet she was willing to do things to him I wouldn’t.”
“Her tits must have been full of silicon.”
“Thanks, Ci, but it doesn’t matter anymore. She knew how to use her massive melons to her advantage. I can still see the stupid smirk on her face. She looked victorious—like she knew she had Jeremy where she wanted him and I didn’t.”
Harley looks so hurt and it pains me to see her so affected by Jeremy’s insatiable sexual appetite, but he never promised her forever.
“Harley, I’m so sorry, honey, but you didn’t expect anything exclusive, since Jeremy warned you he wasn’t a one-woman man?”
“I guess not, but since we’d been seeing each other for four months, things seemed to be going so well and I thought maybe…”
Harley smiles, feigning she’s okay, but I can tell Jeremy has gotten under her skin.
“Oh, well. His loss. The redheaded bitch should ask for her money back because her plastic surgeon botched her augmentation. For crying out loud, her nipples were looking at each other.”
“You’re evil.”
“Nah. I’m telling it like it is.”
“Well, you’re in luck. This is New York City and there are plenty of gorgeous black men living in the Big Apple.”
“You’re right. I bet you I’ll go home with one tonight.” Harley isn’t one to dwell on a past relationship for long. She’s already ready for her next victim. “Anyways, love is for pussies,” she cheers, lifting her glass.
“Amen, girlfriend,” I chime in as I high-five her.
“So what about you? Are you still seeing Dylan?”
“It’s going nowhere fast. When I left his place ten days ago in the middle of the night, I decided I was going to break it off with him when I got back.”
“Have you?”
“Well, I only got back yesterday late afternoon and I’ve had a million things to do since I arrived.”
“So, you haven’t called him and he still doesn’t know it’s officially over between the two of you?”
“I’m sure he knows, but he doesn’t want to face reality.”
“But you should still tell him, Ci.”
“Yeah, I will. I’ve already texted him and we’re meeting tomorrow.”
“Are you going to tell him at his place or yours?”
“Neither. I want to keep this as drama-free as possible, so I suggested we meet at Cafe Habana. Since he loves Cuban food, I hope a delicious Cubano sandwich will put him in a good mood and prepare him for the inevitable.”
“What? That place is tiny. Everyone in the eatery will hear you dump the poor man.”
“I’m not insensitive, Harley,” I say, smiling at her. “There’s nothing quite like eating in the park on a warm late-summer day, so I figured we can grab lunch there and we can sit in the park nearby and talk. I hope it will be easier on both of us because I can break up with him and we can both go on our merry ways. I know he won’t freak out in public.”
“What a great idea and he’ll be able to maintain his dignity.”
“I don’t want to crush him. I want out of this so-called relationship I started to prove my sister Sofia wrong.”
“I don’t understand what you mean?”
“She thinks I can’t handle a relationship for longer than a few months. But we can’t all be romantics like she is.”
“Amen! How are Canadian men? Are there any black men in Canada?”
“There are so many sexy black hunks up there. Canadian men are so hot, I thought I was going to have whiplash every time I stepped out of my hotel to venture in the streets. Girl, you’d lose your mind. I swear the two of us would cause a commotion that would leave Canadians talking for years to come.”
“You’re funny. So did you sample any of those Canadian hunks?”
“Nah, I was too busy fucking a delicious Danish billionaire.”
“Shut the fuck up. Only you can score such a heavy hitter,” she says as she puts her hand up for a high-five.
“Why do you think I wanted us to have drinks, Harl?”
“He’s so freaking good we needed to have drinks and talk about him?” she teases.
“It’s a bit more complicated than that.”
“Shit, did you say complicated? What’s going on with you? Remember, we keep things nice and simple. He fucks me, makes me come hard and I return the favor.”
“Yeah, I know the drill, I’ve been perfecting it for a long time… and then I meet Nikolaj.”
“Nikolaj? His name screams sexy.”
“You don’t know the half of it. Harl, he’s scrumptious. He’s at least six-three, he has the bluest eyes, his messy dark hair makes him look like a bad boy, he’s so fit he makes Olympic athletes look like slackers and he’s an amazing lover. I can’t get enough of his nine-inch delight.”
“No way. Men like him walk the earth?”
“If I had to paint a more vivid picture for you, I’d say he has the body of American fitness model Jase Dean, the smoldering eyes of sexy Brazilian male supermodel Pedro Soltz and the voice of Australia’s gift to women—Chris Hemsworth. Nikolaj has this deep smoky intoxicating voice and his accent makes me instantly wet.”
“How the hell did you score a demigod on a business trip to a foreign country? And better yet, how can I get myself to Toronto to get me some?”
For the next hour I spill my guts about my steamy weekend in Toronto with Nikolaj in minute detail while we sip our martinis and munch on nachos. Harley eats up every word and I find myself aroused reliving our sexual interludes.
“Oh my God, Ciara, I’m so turned on listening to your
story. The sex sounds like it’s off the charts.”
“It’s as if it was a gift from above to make up for the past eighteen months of mediocre sex.”
“He has it all—fast cars, money, good looks, a sexy accent and a cock that would make women lose their marbles.”
“I know what to expect when a guy just wants sex, I can deliver in spades, but this morning when I opened the door to my office, I realized I didn’t know how to deal with a guy I might like.”
“Jesus, did you say you might like this guy?” She looks at me in disbelief.
“I don’t know, Harley.” I’m unable to find the words to continue.
“Ciara, you are the most self-assured person I know and you’re using language I’ve never heard leave your lips before. What happened this morning? You didn’t finish your thought.”
“He sent me twenty-five bouquets of this fragrant white flower. When I texted him to thank him, he insisted on speaking to me to hear my voice. I was all prepared for an early-morning session of raunchy phone sex, but he wanted to know if he could see me again when he gets back from his trip to the Far East. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. Everything is different with him, Harley.”
“It’s obvious the two of you have a strong sexual connection and it seems he’s looking for more.”
“Yeah. It’s unsettling for me.”
“Hmmm, you’re talking to the wrong person. Why don’t you talk to your sister about this? She’s the romantic one. You and I believe in casual sex and she’s the one who’s been looking for her Prince Charming for all these years.”
“Yeah, and now she’s married to him.”
“Okay, let me take a stab at it. I’m not the best at this, but here’s my take on things.” Harley inhales, locks eyes with me and takes my hand in hers. “Ciara, both of you like uncomplicated relationships, right?”
“Yes.”
“Precisely. That might be how he liked things in the past because he’d never met a woman he wanted to know better. In your case, it’s different. I know you won’t allow any man to get as close as Luke did and I totally understand. You don’t want anyone to ever walk all over your heart like he did. God knows, I couldn’t deal with the turmoil after Nathan decided he wasn’t going to go against his mother’s wishes and broke off the wedding four months before we were supposed to walk down the aisle to marry a black woman… like his mama. They were assholes and we can’t hold all men on this planet responsible for the actions of these two idiots until the end of time.”
“Why not? It’s worked well for us until now.”
“Has it?”
“Men make us messy, Harley.”
“They do, sweetheart, but maybe this one is worth getting messy over. I almost believed I could have something solid with Jeremy and trust me, I was willing to go there with him. Don’t allow that dickhead Luke to rob you of seeing where things can go with Nikolaj. I’ve never heard you speak this way about any guy and maybe he’s worth knowing a bit more. Honey, Luke was a long time ago.”
In many ways, it still feels like yesterday.
BOOK 2—THE BILLIONAIRE’S DESIRE
Chapter Two
I can’t believe I drank so much. I look worse than I did yesterday morning. At this rate, I’m going to need to book a facial peel to perk up my skin.
I walk out of the elevator holding an extra-large cup of double-shot espresso latte, hoping the caffeine will boost my energy. Harley and I had way too much to drink last night. We got caught in my melodrama and her recent breakup and we lost track of time and martinis. I wobbled home at four o’clock in the morning and I couldn’t sleep a wink.
Damn him for consuming my thoughts.
When I arrive in front of the glass doors, I turn on my heel and push the door open with my butt trying to avoid burning myself with the piping hot coffee. When I turn around a cheerful receptionist greets me.
“Good morning, Ciara.”
“Good morning, Jody,” I smile as I head to my office.
“I think you’re going to enjoy the morning even more once you open the door to your office,” she chimes like a schoolgirl.
I turn around and look at her beaming smile. She looks so excited. She’s way too young to know what heartbreak feels like and she doesn’t know how men can screw with your head. “Oh, is there a surprise waiting for me inside?”
“Let’s just say you’ll need a bigger office soon at this rate,” she says, winking at me.
What did he do now?
When I open the door, I’m greeted by a colorful assortment of flowers. These new bouquets are a perfect accent to the white flowers he sent yesterday. I look on my desk and see a small box.
Dear Ciara,
From Sweden with love! By the time you read this, I should have sent you a text message.
Nikolaj
I run to the handbag I had dropped on the chair near the door and search for my phone.
Why does this darn thing always end up at the very bottom of my handbag when I need it most?
I pull out my iPhone to read his message.
Since I’m far away, I have to text the message I wanted to accompany the flowers I sent you. This one is too intimate to share, love.
-----
What do you mean?
-----
Can I call you now and explain?
-----
Yes.
A few minutes later, my phone rings.
“The rest of this conversation will be a lot more pleasurable over the phone than via text.”
“I agree. I don’t understand your message.”
“I called my favorite florist in Sweden and asked her to send their most popular variety. It seems the Swedes love Gerberas… even the royals. I did a quick Google search and found out you have a penchant for blue-blooded Swedish men. Luckily for me, I can trace my noble ancestors. I hope my cock was as worthy as the Count’s.”
“Damn you.”
“You can’t blame a man for having a little fun. This is way too juicy to ignore.”
This story is haunting me like a bad dream.
“This story is behind me now.”
“I’m thinking of getting these photos framed.”
“Do you time this?” How does he always manage to catch me at the right time? “I barely walked into my office and read your note that you texted me.”
“Call it royal intuition,” he mocks.
“I should have known you’d Google my name.”
“What did you expect?”
“I desperately want this story behind me.”
“Has it hurt your business or have men been banging down your door hoping to seduce you with fake tales of royal lineage?”
“Oh, you’re so funny. If you must know, most people in America were oblivious to the scandal, but our phones were ringing off the hook for months. I expanded overnight into the European market thanks to those scandalous photos.”
“Had I not met you in Toronto, and had I landed on these outrageous photos, I would have hired a jet and flown to New York to find you and beg you to redecorate our offices. Those are some pretty sexy poses. You seemed to be enjoying yourself on top of his royal cock. I particularly fancied the photo of you naked straddling the Count with your hands tied behind your back. That one was precious.”
“Oh, God, please don’t remind me,” I say, hiding my face in the palm of my hand. “I still don’t know who leaked the address of our hotel to the press. I’m still puzzled over who else might have known we were spending a weekend together in London.”
“I’m not a count, but if I had been able to convince a woman like you to spend a few days locked up in a hotel room, I would personally send the invitations to the British smut papers to make sure they had a front-row seat to the show. I’m sure the Count must have considered ratting you out for his own benefit. It’s not as if he’s had anything of substance in his life since his cousin has been sitting on the throne. An affair with a sizzling hot American wil
l get you on the front page of the British papers fast, especially when you are linked to the monarchy.”
“I don’t know if he would have gone so far as to purposefully sabotage my reputation, but his cow of a sister despised me so much I wouldn’t put it past her to call the press to humiliate me.”
“If she’s the one behind this, it’s because she’s jealous she’ll never leave men begging for more.”
“You’re such a sweet talker.”
“Seeing those photos reminded me how much I missed you. Damn, I’m stuck here for another thirteen days. Can I convince you to fly here for a few days? I’ll send the jet.”
“What a tempting offer, but this scandal is the gift that keeps on giving. There’s another potential client who saw these articles and he wants to fly me to Barcelona, all expenses paid, to help him shape his vision. I’m still not sure if it’s for a restaurant or a hotel, but my team assures me he’s a heavy hitter.”
“Barcelona? What an enchanting city. The nightlife there is dangerously addictive. You never want to go to bed. You want to stay up all night soaking up the food, wine and entertainment.”
“Yeah, I feel the same way and I’m looking forward to going back.”
“When will you be there and where will you be staying?”
“I was trying to postpone the trip to next week because I just got back to New York, but since my assistant couldn’t find a flight for another two weeks, I decided to take care of this client sooner rather than later. I’m leaving in two days and I have a suite at the Alma Barcelona Hotel.”
“Your potential client picked a great spot. I usually stay at the Mandarin Oriental, but I’ve had many meetings where you’ll be staying. How many days will you be there?”
“Why are you asking? Do you plan on invading my space there by sending me flowers?”
“Brilliant idea. I hadn’t thought about it, but since you brought it up…”
He has a wicked sense of humor that’s irresistible. “I was teasing you,” I say, secretly hoping he’ll continue sending me flowers.
The Billionaire's Desire Page 3
