Hearts Aflame Collection II: 4-Book Bundle

by Melissa F. Hart

  “Then most of my work is already done,” Eden said. “All I need are your measurements.”

  “The model awaits your command,” Aminah said, striking a regal pose.

  The effect was so stunning, Eden could only stare. “Don’t move,” she said, hurrying to her desk to retrieve her phone. Furiously snapping photos, she circled Aminah, who posed with fluid grace. “Are you sure you weren’t a model?” Eden asked, admiring the stunning images captured on her phone. “You’re a natural.”

  “I tried it for a while when I was younger,” Aminah said, glancing provocatively over her shoulder. “Reminded me too much of hyenas I once saw in Africa, scavenging the remains of a zebra. Not my kind of thing.”

  Eden paused. “You’re quite a woman of accomplishment,” she said. “I hope your husband appreciates that.”

  “He’s one of a kind,” Aminah said. “I consider myself very fortunate to have found such a soul mate. As an artist, he has one of the most unique perceptions of the world I’ve ever seen. His creations are expressions from the soul.”

  “Then he most definitely is one of a kind,” Eden said, feeling a surge of emotion. Once she had considered herself fortunate and a life without Gaylen seemed as remote as the outer solar system.

  “Eden, are you all right?” Aminah asked.

  “Of course,” she replied. “Why do you ask?”

  “You’re a beautiful, talented, successful woman living in a large home with a very empty room. It’s not my place to ask, but sometimes the eyes tell me everything I need to know.”

  Eden didn’t know how to respond. That Aminah was perceptive was not surprising, but right now, Eden felt as though she had glimpsed into her soul.

  “I hope I haven’t upset you,” Aminah said.

  “Not at all,” Eden said. “In fact...it’s almost liberating. At least now I don’t have to keep up the pretense.”

  “Recent separation?”

  “I actually just mailed the final divorce papers. We were married twelve years. I could have signed them sooner, but...”

  Eden’s words trailed off as she realized she didn’t really know why she had prolonged signing the divorce papers. Gaylen had moved out more than six months earlier, and had spent so much time traveling before their separation that she had actually been living alone for quite some time. Interestingly, she tended to be evasive when her friends asked the same question, yet she had easily opened up to someone she had only just met.

  “Sometimes it’s just hard to take that final step,” Aminah said. “Probably because you think you failed. It can be difficult to accept change no matter how ready or able you think you are to deal with it.”

  Eden glanced thoughtfully at the last image she had taken of Aminah.

  “I guess you’re like a camera, Aminah,” she said. “You certainly see below the surface.”

  “Living abroad changes your perspective,” Aminah said. “And I don’t mean in those pretty tourist places you find on television shows or travel sites. I’ve seen the world as it truly is; at its ugliest and most beautiful, peaceful and war-torn, a place of dreams and nightmares. It teaches you a great deal about human nature. That’s one of the reasons I enjoy being a realtor so much. I know how to deal with clients because I see more than they expect. Call it intuition or just a skill learned from all my travels.”

  “Then you also have a gift,” Eden said. “As for my ex-husband, I can only hope he finds what he’s looking for. It’s so ironic that it was his endless traveling that created the rift between us.”

  “We all have our journeys, Eden. Sometimes people and relationships simply change because they served their intended purpose.”

  “There’s a famous poem about that, I think,” Eden said.

  “People come into your life for a Reason, a Season or a Lifetime?”

  “That sounds like the one,” Eden said, wondering which category Aminah fit into. Somehow she knew her life wouldn’t be the same, but whichever role Aminah was intended to play, Eden was ready.

  She walked over to her desk, set her phone down and picked up one of her tablets. Later, she would upload the photos. Opening her customer database, she poised her fingers over the first blank entry and looked expectantly at Aminah.

  “As a new client, I’ll need to get some information before I take your measurements. You want to get started now?”

  Aminah’s smile was as dazzling as the gown. “Ready when you are, Eden.”

  ***

  Wrapping the measuring tape around Aminah’s bust line, Eden felt the scintillating heat of Aminah’s flesh beneath the shimmering gown and noticed the faint quickening of Aminah’s breath. Eden didn’t need to look into the mirrors to know that Aminah watched her every movement, and while Eden tried to concentrate on the measurements to enter into her client database, her fingers moved with a mind of their own, constantly brushing against the firm mounds of Aminah’s breasts.

  She paused to input the measurements into her tablet, then wrapped the tape around Aminah’s narrow waist. It occurred to Eden that Aminah was a complete contrast to herself, from her color to the feline slimness of her body. She found it exciting, as though she were exploring virgin territory. The sheen of Aminah’s skin fascinated her, and she fought the temptation to run her fingers along its smoothness.

  “You okay, Eden?” Aminah asked.

  Eden started, realizing that she was staring at the ebony slope of Aminah’s bare back.

  “Sorry, just phased out for a moment. I tend to get lost in my creations and the dress looks almost like part of your body.”

  Aminah smiled. “And this isn’t even my size. Maybe you should stop before it goes to my head.”

  Eden laughed. “But that’s my goal, Aminah. I want to make every woman who wears my designs feel as beautiful as possible. The fashion industry has brainwashed us long enough into believing only size zero women fitting a narrow description of beauty are the icons to which we’re supposed to set our standards.”

  She felt her emotions flare, but industry bias had been one she had struggled against all her life, and she was determined to do her part in changing what she believed were outdated attitudes.

  “Bravo,” Aminah said. “A woman of passion. I like that. I can feel it in your voice. It’s time the definition of a woman wasn’t pigeonholed by a dress size.”

  Eden input Aminah’s waist measurements, then glanced at her. “I meant no offense, but as a model, you know firsthand what I’m referring to.”

  “None taken, Eden. Remember why I left that world. Also, as a black woman, I’ve dealt with my share of bias.”

  “I guess we all have,” Eden said. “That’s the problem.”

  She moved to measure Aminah’s hips, her fingers inadvertently brushing her pubic mound. The flat smoothness was unmistakable, and Eden had a sudden flash of Aminah’s clean-shaven pussy. She forced herself to focus on the measurements, then quickly broke away to enter them.

  “Just a few more,” Eden said. “Every figure is different, so I like to be precise.”

  “Take your time,” Aminah said, gazing into Eden’s eyes with almost disturbing intensity. “It’s just you and me here.”

  Eden half smiled, uncertain whether she had imagined the innuendo or not.

  “I never rush,” she said. “Slow and steady gets the job done much faster than rushing it.”

  “Slow and steady is good,” Aminah said with a smile that left no doubt in Eden’s mind that innuendo was brewing like a simmering pot about to burst its lid. “But I like it both ways...slow and steady, or hard and fast. Just depends on the mood.”

  Her liquid eyes snared Eden, mirroring emotions Eden felt had been yanked from her most secret place. For a moment, time suspended, and then Aminah’s silken lips found their way onto Eden’s. There was a fleeting moment of hesitation, then the crushed-fruit sensation of lips pressed together that melted into a deep, passionate kiss.

  Without a word, Aminah pulled Eden into a
n embrace, their bodies locked together in a sensual yin and yang. Their tongues fenced, their breasts pressed tightly together until the hearts beat against the frantic rhythm of tangled arms and discarded clothing. The exquisite gown fluttered over the back of Eden’s chair like a blossom caught on the wind.

  Gazing into the mirror, Aminah smiled at Eden’s naked reflection. Her eyes were dark with desire as they drank in the ripe perfection of Eden’s body. Eden stood motionless, captivated by Aminah’s sculpted beauty. The room seemed to grow warmer by the moment, or was it Eden’s own arousal fanning the flames?

  Suddenly, skin moved against silken skin, the delicious friction inflaming each nerve on Eden’s body like tiny sparks of electricity. The scent of perfume rose above the aroma of sexual musk, exciting both women even more. Their hands became bolder, trailing along the curves and valleys of backs, hips, and stomachs.

  Trailing her mouth down Aminah’s neck, Eden nuzzled satin skin and gently lapped at the slightly salty sheen. She continued kissing and licking until she reached Aminah’s erect fudge-dark nipples and circled them with her tongue.

  Aminah closed her eyes and sighed deeply while pressing Eden’s mouth tightly against her breasts. Uttering a guttural cry, she pulled Eden to the floor and engulfed her with her body. Entwined, mouths and hands a blur of motion, they writhed together in frenzied motion.

  Drifting through surreal layers of pleasure, Eden’s eyes fluttered as she surrendered to Aminah’s body. Emotions churned within her and released along with any doubts and inhibitions. It was as though a beautiful butterfly had emerged from the chrysalis, but for Eden, it was breaking through the shell of her past.

  Aminah rose, paused to gaze down at Eden’s damp, flushed body, and spread Eden’s thighs wide apart. She knelt between them as if in prayer.

  Eden felt the heat of Aminah’s gaze scour her body until it rested on the exposed petals of her pussy.

  “You’re so beautiful,” Aminah said, “like a perfect shell washed up on a beach.”

  She reached to caress the sensitive inner flesh of Eden’s thighs. A delicious languor overcame Eden, transforming into raw heat as Aminah’s questing fingers strayed to Eden’s pussy.

  Eden jerked at the electric sensation of Aminah’s touch. Liquid heat throbbed from her core, eliciting a gush of sticky wetness. Moaning softly, she raised her spread thighs and parted her ass, inviting Aminah’s hands to further explore. Long, slender fingers caressed Eden’s engorged folds of flesh, tickling and teasing until her body arched from the agonizing pleasure sparking through every cell.

  Now Aminah’s fingers probed Eden’s hole, slipping inside slowly at first, then relentlessly until only her knuckles showed. Deeply pumping Eden’s turgid flesh, Aminah teased Eden’s clit with her free hand. Her eyes shut so tightly that tears edged them, Eden bucked furiously against Aminah’s thrusts. The pressure of Eden’s impending orgasm rose like a cresting tsunami. It exploded so abruptly that she had only time to cry out before Aminah abruptly withdrew her fingers.

  Eden’s body jerked, her breasts swaying with each spasm. She squirted until her juice saturated her thighs. Gasping for breath, her heart beat so rapidly that she felt faint. She had experienced intense orgasms before, including through her own hands, but never to the point where it was almost an out-of-body experience.

  Aminah sat on her haunches and studied Eden as if memorizing every detail of her body. Panting like an animal in heat, her skin glowed with the sheen of black alabaster. To Eden, Aminah was perfection in the flesh. Large, dusky nipples rose proudly from taut breasts, her slim, tapered torso culminating in rounded hips and a cleanly-shaven pussy, displaying plump, succulent lips. Her legs revealed toned musculature, her smooth feet beautifully proportioned.

  Holding Aminah’s gaze, Eden’s hands trailed across her body with soft, feathery strokes, circling her areolas and teasing her nipples the same way she had caressed Aminah. Her body began to respond to her sensual touch, and her hands found their way to her thighs where she pushed them open to offer Aminah a tantalizing view of the juicy pussy she had just enjoyed.

  Smiling softly through her spread legs, Eden began teasing her pussy with her fingers, stroking her dusky folds and swollen clit. Aminah’s breath quickened as she watched Eden’s expression transform to ecstasy. Inserting her fingers deep inside her dripping hole, she shut her eyes tightly, her body swaying to the relentless thrusting.

  Watching raptly, Aminah’s fingers drifted to her own pouting flesh. Spreading her thighs, she parted her swollen slit and began to mimic Eden’s movements. Together they pleasured themselves, their hips bucking in rhythm with their soft, urgent moans.

  Eden glanced at Aminah. Drawing her thighs high over her shoulders to open herself to Aminah even further, her fingers worked her pussy and penetrated the tight, twitching ring of her ass. She cried out, her body jerking as she shuddered from an intense orgasm, her breasts swaying in time with her spasms.

  Aminah made a sound like a wounded animal and crawled toward Eden. Straddling her face, Aminah spread her dripping pussy and lowered it onto Eden’s mouth. Eden squirmed and raised her hands to grip Aminah’s ass, her tongue probing, sucking, and licking the sweet, salty flesh filling her mouth.

  Gripping Eden’s shoulders, Aminah writhed and ground her hips against Eden’s face in tight circles. Eden’s fingers joined her probing tongue and slid into Aminah’s pussy, causing her to gasp as Eden stroked her g-spot. The sensation of Aminah’s tightly-clutching flesh felt like a hand gripping Eden’s fingers, and, gagging on Aminah’s flowing juice, Eden trailed the fingers of her other hand to Aminah’s twitching asshole.

  Eden had barely teased the tight ring when Aminah uttered a guttural cry and violently came. Every jerk and spasm of her body resonated through Eden, transporting her to a realm of utter mind-numbing pleasure. Aminah’s fingers gripped Eden’s shoulders so tightly that red indentations began to appear.

  Wincing, Eden was about to push Aminah’s hands free when Aminah collapsed with a grunt beside her. Limbs entangled, their hair and bodies damp with sweat and juice, they lay panting for breath, their flesh sensitized to the slightest touch.

  Bobbing along a sea of chaotic sensations, Eden stared up at the birds soaring past the skylight. She felt as though she could float up and touch them. Turning toward Aminah, who lay on her side like a recumbent Venus, a slight smile touched Eden’s lips. She wondered how it could be possible to share such a connection to someone as quickly as a lightning strike.

  In the twelve years Eden had shared with Gaylen, there had been moments of incredible passion, but also painful lows. Their relationship had ebbed and flowed, and like a river after a prolonged drought, it had finally dried up. Questions plagued her; answers eluded her.

  Then, Eden turned, as she fell into the limpid depths of Aminah’s eyes, the answers she sought were captured in Aminah’s gaze. Only one question remained...where it went from here...

  ***

  Sipping glasses of delightfully crisp Chardonnay on the patio, Eden and Aminah relaxed on loungers overlooking the sparkling infinity edge pool and the lushly planted yard beyond offering complete privacy. The afternoon had transformed into an early evening bathed by blushing salmon skies tinted with mauve. A new moon grinned from the east, and the trees shimmied from a cool ocean breeze.

  Aminah stared at the deepening shadows of the surrounding hills. Reluctantly, she reached for her phone and checked the time.

  “I’ve had the most wonderful day, Eden,” she said. “I’m so excited about the dress. I can hardly wait to see it.”

  Eden smiled and nibbled on a creamy piece of brie. “I’m really looking forward to starting on it. I have to admit I haven’t felt this enthusiastic about a project for a while. I mean, I’ve been working, but now it’s more than just an order to fill for a client, I actually feel that passion again.”

  Aminah rose and watched the landscape lighting glow to life. In the soft focus hue of the evening, h
er profile resembled that of an Egyptian queen.

  “Passion is what keeps the blood flowing,” she said.

  The trilling of her phone distracted her. Eden noticed the image of a handsome, ebony-skinned man appear on Aminah’s phone. Though she didn’t mean to stare, she was captivated by the man’s striking features.

  “Hey, baby,” Aminah said as she turned away and answered. “Yes...I know. I’m sorry. I meant to call earlier but things got...a little crazy. You know how it gets sometimes.”

  Aminah listened for a moment and laughed, the resonance like the tinkle of fine crystal.

  “You’re so bad,” she said teasingly. “What am I going to do with you?”

  Eden sipped her wine, trying not to listen, but absorbed Aminah’s every word, every nuance. She wondered about the conversation she wasn’t hearing, and something about Aminah’s demeanor suggested that the call was sexually charged.

  “Really?” Aminah said. “That sounds wonderful. I’m looking forward to it.”

  She glanced toward Eden and caught her look of curiosity. Smiling, she returned her attention to the phone.

  “So you won’t believe who I met after I saw my client today.” Aminah laughed. “No...be serious, Lekan.”

  Lekan...Eden thought. The name had a commanding, primitive sound.

  “Okay, there’s no way you’re going to guess so let me tell you,” Aminah said. “You know my mom’s crazy about those Boldly Bodacious designs, right? So guess who I’m here with now.”

  Aminah approached, and Eden caught the deep resonance of laughter.

  “I’m here with the designer, Eden Valmont. Really! I’m not kidding. Mom would be screaming like a little girl if she was listening right now.”

  Eden smiled to herself. It was truly amazing how serendipity worked. Earlier today, she had felt emotionally adrift and uncertain about her future. Now, thanks to a chance encounter, her life had taken a completely different direction. She had almost considered asking Aminah about listing the house, the bittersweet echoes of the past more of a burden than she wanted to deal with.