Undertones: A June Indulgence (An Indulgences Novella Book 7)

by Xyla Turner

  On my way back to the hotel, I texted Bianca to see if she wanted to nab lunch at one of the offshore spots. There was no way I was mentioning that we'd need to paddle to the restaurant. My girl might lose her mind and freeze up on me again.

  When it was time, she froze up but when I promised to let her have control tonight, she lightened up just a bit. I still had to carry her to the boat, and I did all the paddling and heavy lifting. With her between my legs, holding on for dear life, I could handle the other details.

  "What's the deal with you and the water?" I asked as she kept stealing my shrimp even though she had a ton on her own plate.

  Bianca shook her head and said, "I was young and decided to go swimming when I couldn't actually swim. My mom told me not to and I did it anyway. I went towards the deep end, slipped and one of the people had to rescue me because I almost drowned. Therefore, I haven't done pools, or large bodies of water since. A little irrational but I'm terrified of drowning."

  "How old were you?" I asked.

  "Ten years old." She popped another shrimp in her mouth. "You and your ex-fiancée, were y'all together long?"

  "Yeah, around four years," I replied, while noticing the change in the subject. "We'd met in business school which we both attended later in our careers."

  "So, why did you guys break up?" she asked with her eyebrows towards the heavens and the sides of her lips turned down.

  God, she was the cutest thing with those facial expressions. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and secretly took a picture of her.

  "I'm not really sure. All I know is after the fourth surgery on my face, Justine left the hospital and I haven’t seen her yet. I think it was a lot of stress on her going back and forth to the doctors, the projects at work, blah, blah, blah."

  That was the best lie I could come up with. In actuality, I didn’t want to tell her the truth about none of that shit. I didn’t even want to think about it.

  Even though Bianca was a brown-skinned lady, her features somehow turned a shade darker.

  "She was stressed?" Bianca hissed. "Are you kidding me? What the hell did she have to do that was so stressful. You are the one that was nearly killed and assaulted trying to protect her ass. You are the one that must live with the scar. You are the one that was getting the surgeries. What does she have to be stressed about except taking her ass to the doctor appointments to support you?"

  Fuck.

  Her head was shaking and the anger was rolling off of her in waves.

  "Bianca," I said in a calming tone while leaning over the table.

  "I mean, who does that?" She was on a roll. "The most important time in your life and she just up and left. You needed her. I'm glad you didn't marry that bitch. That's just fucked up. It's like the shit, Charles did to me. What kind of person does some shit like that?"

  She kept talking and that was when I started to realize just how true her words were. It was fucked up and I probably would have done the same thing. No ‘til death do us part in our relationship. When you have no more value to me, then our relationship needs to be re-evaluated. It was clearly a business-minded approach but not a good human one. One arrogant and selfish prick; the thing I wanted to return to.

  "Sweetheart," I said as I grabbed her hands. "Calm down."

  Bianca blinked and looked at me before she said, "I'm so sorry that happened to you. No one deserves to be treated like that." Her head went down and she looked around before she mumbled. "You're the most handsome man I know."

  WHAT!

  What the fuck was she saying? Handsome? I looked like a goddamn beast or freak of nature.

  I laughed and said, "You must not know many men."

  Bianca jerked her hands from mine and said, "Oh, I know plenty of men. In my days prior to being married, I was an agent for several professional athletes. I have worked with more men than women in my career."

  Well, well.

  She started to eat food from her plate again as if the conversation was over. Shit, I wanted to change the subject too, so I picked up my fork and turned the delicious linguini pasta repeatedly. The woman had my mind wandering and I found it hard to concentrate.

  Her words would haunt me forever.

  Undertones: Chapter 5

  Bianca

  Spending time with Travis had been great. Any new adventure that was on Indulgences, we made a plan to do. Kenderly told me that my fantasy guy would be here in two days, so that's how long we had. Apparently, Travis’ fantasy person was caught up in the tropical storm too, so we were both enjoying ourselves.

  The more I got to know him, his quirks, things that made him happy, sad or downright mad; I realized he was more than meets the eye. That damned ex-fiancée of his was a first-class, shallow bitch. I could have smacked the dog shit out of her. Travis said he wanted to smack my ex-husband as well. That wasn't necessary and would serve no real purpose in my ending.

  "So, dancing tonight?" Travis asked me. "Want you to move those hips around for all to see and know I'm the only one that gets to hold them while making you scream my name."

  Laughing, I said, "Oh, you like to have people watch, huh?"

  Travis' eyebrows went up and he said, "Bianca, how naughty are you?"

  We called ourselves lounging on the beach but that really consisted of Travis rubbing sunscreen into my skin, repeatedly. He said he needed a tan but he just wanted to keep his hands on me.

  "Depends on the occasion," I laughed. "You have a proposal?"

  My head was at the bottom of the lounge chair since I was lying on my stomach and Travis was kneeling over me, rubbing my butt, out in the open for all beach goers to see. I didn't particularity care and he damn sure didn't, so this notion of having an audience was not totally off-base. I’d thought about it but Charles, my ex, would have never agreed. He did missionary style and occasionally he'd let me ride him, but he'd say I was getting too carried away.

  "This is Indulgences," Travis said with a huge smile. "They can make our fantasies come true. What else you got in mind?"

  Now, this could be interesting.

  "What happens at Indulgences, stays at Indulgences?" I asked with one eyebrow raised.

  "Oh yes, sweetheart." He laughed. "Count on that."

  "Threesome?" I tested the waters.

  Travis' head went back and his mouth was slightly open. "You shitting me?"

  "Yeah," I laughed.

  "Oh, fuck. Good, there was no way I would have let another guy into the room with you. Now, another woman...well." He let that linger.

  "Men," I said and shook my head.

  "Hey, can't fault us." He squeezed my bottom again. "So, any other sexual fantasies?"

  "Hmm, I don't really have any. According to my ex, I'm boring." I chuckled.

  "That guy." Travis scoffed. "Fuck him. You're anything but boring."

  "Hey," I swatted at him. "No compliments. You're supposed to be going back to your arrogant ways."

  "Not yet," Travis said as his face leaned towards mine. "Now, I get to be all lovey-dovey and shit with my Indulgences sweetheart."

  He kissed my ear, slid up to my eye and back down to my nose.

  "Best vacation ever," he whispered before he kissed my mouth.

  I got caught up in the kiss and so did he because we both turned, Travis was on top of me and we were kissing right on the beach in broad daylight.

  "Bee?" a familiar voice called.

  Holy shit.

  Travis stilled on me and turned his head upward, allowing me to see the familiar face that was visible in random nightmares.

  Charles Ingram.

  "Bee?" he called again.

  "Charles?" I was pushing Travis off of me. "What are you doing here?"

  I rose to my feet to see a pale-faced Charles with his mouth open and his eyes bulging from the sockets.

  "What are you doing?" He scoffed. "Is this your fantasy?"

  Charles was pointing to Travis in disgust.

  "What?" I turned to look at Tra

vis and responded, "Oh, uh, no. This is Travis."

  Then I raised my hand towards him, and said, "Travis, this is my ex-husband, Charles."

  His hair was back in place over his eye and the scowl was the fiercest I'd ever seen.

  "Can we go somewhere and talk?" Charles asked me.

  "Oh yeah, sure." I nodded.

  "Can you put some clothes on?" he followed up as he looked at me from head to toe.

  Quickly, I nabbed the towel from the back of my chair and wrapped it around my body. Charles never liked me to show off too much and even during the nights we had sex, he wanted all the lights off. He was my husband so, I had given him what he liked.

  "Travis, I'll see you later, okay." I didn't wait for an answer but followed Charles back to the cabana.

  His dwelling was on the other side of the island, so we caught a ride in the golf cart from the beach. When we arrived at his place, I sat down to hear what he had to say.

  "Bee, I know we’re separated but I think we should try to reconcile our differences and relearn what we loved about each other." He looked at me. "Not here but at home. I've come to bring you back."

  My head turned around to check out the surroundings and to wait for what would happen next. Somebody was going to jump out and say, "April fools” or “You've been punked". I must have waited for too long because Charles said, "Bee, did you hear me?"

  "Yeah, I heard you." I nodded.

  "What do you say?" His face was serious.

  I was trying to keep the smirk off my face but then I couldn't help it and started laughing, loudly. The man had to be delusional because we weren’t separated, we were surely divorced. I signed those damn papers as soon as I received them.

  "Are you fucking serious?" I asked even with tears running down my face.

  His head reared back as he was shocked by my language, I'm sure. "Bee?"

  "Are you fucking serious?" I repeated myself.

  "Yes." His head nodded. "Very serious. I've thought about it and it’s time for us to restart."

  I stood up to leave.

  "Where do you think you're going?" Charles called but I kept going.

  The man was insane or I was insane. At that point, it didn't matter but I was in no mood to deal with that. If this is what Kenderly had in mind for fulfilling my fantasy, I'd have to give Indulgences a bad review and they never had bad reviews. My ex-husband was not a fantasy but more the nightmare of my life. I was not like Travis and wanting to go back to my former life. I just wanted to feel what true love felt like so if I ever got it, I'd know.

  Charles was not going to be the man to show me that kind of love.

  Undertones: Chapter 6

  Travis

  One minute, I'm envisioning her dancing to the beat of my drum and the next minute, she's trotting off after her ex-husband. She introduced him, she was polite but also dismissive. I mean, we weren't an item or anything but I could have helped to shame the bastard.

  He was a fucking moron.

  Who would leave that woman? There was no possible way a man in their right mind would leave her. She was caring, protective, passionate, feisty and if nothing else, very loving. She kissed the ugly ass scar; the scar that forever changed my life for the worst and caused my own soon-to-be fiancée walk out after the fourth surgery. I knew it wasn't something she could look at. I knew it. I didn't blame her but I fucking knew it.

  Not Bianca.

  She often moved my hair out of my face and would kiss it. She would kiss me everywhere. Even before she heard my tragic story, and yet she walked away from me to her former life. She didn't judge me for my decision but I couldn't help but be mad.

  Just like that.

  I was on my third drink when I heard the knock on my door. It had to be room service so I just opened the door.

  "Do you believe that motherfucker?" Bianca came storming inside my place. "You know, I don't believe it. I just can't. Who does that?"

  "Hello, to you too," I said dryly.

  "Do you believe it?" she repeated.

  "I believe anything. This is Indulgences," I said as I poured more of the amber liquor in my glass.

  "Travis," Bianca snapped. "He wants to get back together. He's come to take me back with him."

  What in the actual fuck?

  "Uh." I took a sip. "That's great!"

  "What?" she exclaimed. "Look, I'm not like you in wanting to go back to my former life." She was emphatic. "That's not me. I just want to know what it feels like to be loved. That's why I came here. I don't want to go back. I want love."

  Bianca plopped on the couch and sighed.

  "Look, what's wrong with going back?" I defended. "At least you'll know what you're getting. This life is fucked. Indulgences is only for two weeks. Make the most of it and then go back to the fucked-up real world. Right?"

  Her eyes met mine and she shook her head. "I don't believe that, Travis."

  Then she got up and left.

  Just like that.

  Left again.

  Shit.

  The next morning, I didn't look for her because her fantasy guy was coming to show her real love. Ironically enough, I saw her ass hat of an ex during breakfast. He was a jerk with enough nerve to approach me.

  "So, you're the reason why my wife won't come back to me," he stated.

  "No, you did that by your goddamn self." I glared at him.

  "She has never cursed at me before, never. Never disobeyed me. She didn't even put up a fight when I wanted a divorce. Now, my ex-wife, she's not the same woman," he said with a faraway look.

  "I find that so hard to believe. She cursed me out on the plane ride here." I popped a chunk of pineapple in my mouth. "Her mouth is just as filthy as mine. Obey? Are you fucking kidding? Naughty, now that's my Bianca." I was not helping matters any.

  "Y-your Bianca," he repeated.

  "Yeah, mine." I picked up my plate and started to leave. Then I stopped and said, "You're a real asshole because all she wants is to be loved. She wants the freedom to be herself and just wants to be loved as who she is. Not as who she feels like she needs to be."

  Then, I turned and left him staring off and I hoped he choked on that tidbit.

  Oddly enough, I knocked on her door when I went back up. She cracked the door and said, "Hey."

  "You ready for your fantasy?" I asked with a smile.

  "No," she replied. "Not really."

  "Well, get ready. I hear the boat is coming in so you and I will get what we both want, right?" I answered.

  She sighed.

  "Let me come in." I leaned against the door post.

  "Why, Travis?" She shook her head. "In a few hours, you'll be what you want, I'll get what I need and then everything will be as it should."

  "Sweetheart, right now, I just want you," I admitted. "Fuck the fantasy, fuck the real world, our ex's and this island. I just want to spend the rest of my time with you, in you, on you; just you and me."

  She let go of the door, which opened by itself, and I walked in, picked her up and carried her to the couch.

  "Look, no talk of the fantasy. It's just me and you, okay?" I kissed her lips.

  "Okay."

  I began to undress her, then myself. Leisurely kissing every part of her was the plan but then she started to squirm around and the moans that reached my ears were driving me crazy.

  "I want you," she uttered.

  "I'm yours," I murmured in her ear. "Ride me, sweetheart."

  Rolling us back around so I was in a seated position with Bianca on top of me; she sat down on my hard cock and gazed into my eyes while holding my hair back. She starting moving those sexy ass hips on me, threatening the eruption to occur.

  "God, I …." I started to say the infamous 'L' word.

  "Shhh," she hushed me. "Give me what I want."

  My hands grabbed her ass so I could hold it in place and pounded into her from the bottom. This had Bianca bouncing on my cock with her breasts caressing my face. My girl was holding on for dear life as I fucked her good and hard.

  "You like that, sweetheart?" I sucked on her hard nipples. "Want me to pound it like it's mine?"

  "God, yes."

  Grasping her healthy ass, I begin to guide her up and down my cock in a fast pace that had her screaming for me.

  Loudly.

  Slapping her ass, I said, "Ride it like it's yours."

  Her hips begin to move every which way, causing my man to adjust to her smooth and sleek rhythm. Bianca lifted on her haunches and twirled that ass around like she was screwing in a bulb.

  "Goddamn, " I hissed.

  "Like that?" she asked.

  Bianca repeated the movement but this time, she licked my scar from my hairline to my cheek, right over my eye and then planted little kisses back up to the top.

  She owned me and I was no longer on the market because I came instantly inside of her while leaving fingerprints in her ample ass. She was a big girl, so she took it and moaned her release in the process. Bianca's forehead fell on my shoulder as we both gathered our breaths after that session and then I lifted her and took her to the bed.

  All night, we rolled around the bed like rabbits and early in the morning, I finished with her legs wide open and me pushing inside of her tight channel. The scratches on my back and ass would be there for a while just as my finger imprints would on her hips and ass.

  We both lay awake without saying much of anything. The alarm started to go off but I quickly hit it as Bianca sighed.

  "Do we have to go back to the real world?" I asked her.

  "Ugh, I don't want to," she whined. "Don't make me."

  A smile couldn't help but form on my face. If the truth were to be told, I didn't want to go back either but what else was I to do?

  We heard a ship horn letting us know that a boat was arriving. It could have been the next batch of visitors or our fantasies about to come true or both. What we did know was that we needed to say goodbye. My arms loosened from around Bianca and I pulled away as she sighed again.

  "Sweetheart, we gotta go and get our fantasies," I tried to tell her as the pang to my heart grew sharper.

  She turned over and her beautiful face was full of mixed emotions.

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