ROMANCE: Bear Naked Passion (Billionaire Bear Trio Book 2)

by Audrey Storm

  THE END

  GO TO THE INDEX

  Bad 4 the Ex

  Bad 4 the Ex

  Chapter 1

  I lie here in an empty bed looking around at my surroundings and knowing that I could never do better than what I have right now. My husband Jasper is a huge international trader and he is always bringing home the bacon. Anybody in my position would be happy, or at least content in all this opulence. I didn’t feel that way and there has always been that missing piece. He’s always there and I have no idea how to get rid of him from my consciousness. He has this hold on me that makes me wake up every morning in a hot sweat and a need to jump into a cold shower.

  I’m not exactly a model type, but being an African American, I tend to have a bit more junk in the trunk than a regular kind of girl. I don’t mind, because my curves are exactly what Jasper was looking for when he saw me at the car show. He was the one that approached me and at first I was hesitant, but I soon realized that his intentions were clear. He wanted a wife and a woman that was going to love him unconditionally. I could give him one of those things, but the second one I figured that I would learn in time.

  I slipped out of bed, my body following suit, until I was standing and walking towards this bathroom that had always made me look at it, as if it wasn’t mine. The sunken tub with the window overlooking a vast expanse of property was to die for. I had one problem and that was Jasper was not exactly a bather and did not find sinking his weary bones into hot water something that appealed to him. He was all about the quick shower, but there were times that I had surprised him with a momentary release.

  I got myself ready for the day, showering and putting on the necessary war mask. Makeup was not exactly my forte, but it did bring out my cheekbones and I had to admit that Jasper seemed to like it. He was an Ex football player, ex navy and had a strict discipline when he was growing up with his father, who was also in the armed forces. He liked things just so and thankfully we had enough money that a maid could come in once a week and make sure the place was tidy and put together before he got home from one of his business trips.

  I walked out with a towel draped around me, the white terry cloth feeling nice against my skin. There was a photo of my husband hanging just above our some drawers. I liked this photo. He was the epitome of what a man should look like - without a shirt; I was awestruck by his imposing physical presence. He made all the other guys that I’ve been with in the past pale in comparison. There was really only one that had taken my breath away and he was at least 1000 miles away.

  I opened my walk in closet, seeing all of these amazing dresses designed by very famous names staring at me right in the face. With him not home, I could go a bit more casual, so I decided on a yellow sundress. It was something that would be cool enough for these hot and humid summer nights. Phoenix had a tendency to have this humidity and thankfully I had air conditioning in all the rooms of the house. It made it comfortable and I walked downstairs looking at everything, so pristine and feeling like I was in my own personal wonderland.

  I didn’t exactly grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth and I know that Jasper was the same way. If it weren’t for football, he wouldn’t have found his passion in international trading. If it weren’t for going into the navy, he wouldn’t have the kind of discipline that was needed to make a deal on the fly. I’d seen him in action a few times and I was very impressed to say the least. He was convincing, charming and if I had the money, I would have gladly jumped on board anything that he was a part of.

  I on the other hand was a product of a mixed marriage and that came with its own pitfalls. People were not exactly accepting of a mixed marriage household at that time, especially when their only child was ridiculed and bullied for being different. Nobody could understand and it was only recently that they began to accept the fact that families came in all shapes, sizes and colors. I just wished that I were part of that generation, because it left me with a lot of scars and demons to deal with in my life.

  For some reason, I turned to food and it was always the comfort point in my life, enough so that I was quite large and imposing myself. I always thought that I didn’t have what it takes to get a guy to notice me, but apparently I had more than enough. Jasper was not the first one to admire my curvaceous curves. I have long black hair, 5’8 and with heels maybe 5’9 or maybe 5’11.

  This was not anything that I was used to and this kind of life was meant for those that were more attuned to going to country clubs and snobbing it up with people of their own stature in life. I was an only child, but growing up that way made me feel sequestered and secluded from the rest of the world. My mother tried to be my friend, but my father was more seen and not heard.

  The doorbell rang and I had this sinking suspicion that Amber was on her way over for one of her infamous gab sessions. She was the bubbly personality in my little circle of friends and she always had a smile that I just wanted to smack off her face. I don’t know why she was so happy. She was divorced, had a kid that made one gray hair more appear in her hair each day. She was a cauldron ready to bubble over and it was just a matter of time, before she was standing inside one of those bell towers taking out any body that was in the vicinity.

  I opened the door and she was standing there with this goofy grin on her face and that always meant that she had some juicy gossip that she wanted to share. “Gail, you won’t believe what I heard about the James. He apparently has this thing for a woman that will remain nameless… Ahem...” It appeared that the name did not remain as nameless as she made it out to be.

  “Amber, come in and we can talk about it over a cup of coffee on the back deck. She followed me like a puppy dog on a leash, going into the kitchen where the coffee was already percolating. I poured 2 cups, passed her one with a gold leaflet design on the side and then I walked out onto the deck with the pool, so crystal blue that you just had that temptation of jumping in with your clothes on.

  “I have to tell you, Gail that you have some amazing eye for detail. This place is immaculate and this is the kind of back deck that my husband would die for.” She was looking at the chaise lounges, the hammock swing that moved with a gentle breeze of this early morning. There were sounds of crickets in the distance and birds playing a symphony that you could hear from a mile away. I think that she was mostly talking about the huge barbecue that looked like it would feed hundreds of people in one sitting.

  “Jasper has always said that that was his pride and joy. He brings all the neighbors over at least once a month for a feast that is more than most can handle. There would be barbecue chicken, steaks, hamburgers, hot dogs…watermelon and fresh fruits and anything else that your heart desires. He really does know how to make a party swing.” I was making it sound like he was the growing force behind all of it, but I was the woman behind the man.

  “Thinking of Jasper, I haven’t seen him in the last couple of days. I suppose he’s on one of his, oh so many business trips. I don’t know how you can take it. If my husband was gone for days on end, I would worry that he was stepping out and finding some floozy to spend time with.” The thought had crossed my mind, but then I dismissed it. He was trustworthy and if he did stray, I would probably forgive him. He would only get three times and as in baseball, three strikes and you’re out. He hadn’t even done anything remotely to make me think that he was doing anything suspicious.

  “I guess I just trust him. If I can’t trust him after five years of marriage, then I don’t think I should be here. We always talk and he has fantasies that I live out for him in vivid detail. I don’t even mind, because it brings a new dynamic to our relationship. It takes me out of my own environment. I have so many costumes including naughty schoolgirls and French maids that it isn’t funny.” What I couldn’t tell her was that I had a need for something a little bit different than the normal everyday sexual scenario.

  “Anyway, I came here for a reason and I guess you know that Jessica is not exactly a one man kind of woman. Ever s
ince she lost her husband in that car accident, she has been trying to spend time with everybody in the neighborhood. I’m a bit surprised that she hasn’t taken a liking to Jasper, because between you and me, he is a dish that I would like to sit down to and take my time getting to know.” She was always teasing me about my husband and I found her instant liking of him was giving me a giddy little thrill that I had something that she didn’t.

  “I told you, you can look, but you can’t touch. I don’t mind if you ogle my man, undress him with your eyes or even fantasize about him when you are alone or with your husband. Believe me, he feeds a lot of my fantasies and I don’t think that I’ve ever met a man quite like him.” His football days had given him the kind of body that would make any woman stand and take notice.

  “I know that I promised you that I wouldn’t try anything and I’ve been a woman of my word. I’ve only had one extramarital affair and unfortunately it was with a very young man that really couldn’t take no for an answer. He didn’t force me or anything, but his youth was intoxicating to the point that I couldn’t stop myself even if I wanted to. You know all about Benjamin.” I knew Benjamin, because he looks after my pool and when he’s around with no shirt on, I’m speechless.

  “I know all about Benjamin and trust me; I think that all the girls in this neighborhood know about Benjamin. I’m sure that Jessica has gotten to know him intimately. Hmmm…maybe that is something that the two of you have in common.” this was my attempt at humor and she looked at me aghast, before bursting out laughing. We have a wonderful time and we always did and then I escorted her to the front door, before giving her a noncommittal smile and watching as she crossed the street.

  It was then that this blue corvette came screaming down the street. It looked daunting and the windows were tinted and then suddenly it turned and came right to a stop within a few inches from my garage door. Any closer than that and they would have been kissing. I had no idea who this could be and I was putting my finger poised over the alarm system, in case I was about to have some kind of unwanted visitor.

  The engine idled and then turned off with the prerequisite blue smoke puffing out the back. The door opened and then a head emerged. The man that had been haunting my dreams and made me think that I had settled for second best was standing right there. He was wearing a checkered blue and black shirt, a pair of blue jeans that look like they were painted. He had this brilliant white smile, not to mention the mane of blond hair was a dead giveaway. This was Matt Mason and he was my ex boyfriend, although I’d never really broken up with him.

  Chapter 2

  I think I stood there and stared at him for a little bit too long for my liking. He didn’t even move from his car, only smiling and letting me see those baby-blue eyes peering into my very soul. There were no words and then he stepped closer, until he was within a hair’s breath of where I was standing on the wraparound deck made of teak. It was expensive, but it was worth it.

  “I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to say when I saw you again, Gail. I played this scenario over in my head 100 times and yet when I stand here looking at you, all I can think about is kissing you.” It was then that I snapped out of it and I managed to look around the neighborhood to see that nobody had seen him come up the driveway.

  “Before you say anything, I’m going to open up the garage and you’re going to drive that monstrosity inside where the neighbors can’t see it.” I dashed away with that yellow and purple dress that I was wearing flowing around me like it was a part of me. I went through to the garage and I opened it, to hear the rumble of the engine and then he drove right in, while I closed the door and waited with bated breath to see him step out of the car again.

  I should have told him that he had to leave, but there was no way that I could do that, not after everything that we had been through in our lives. He was the one and I mean the literal one that got away, because he had to go and get together with his high school sweetheart. We had met in college and I thought that we had something special, but then he disappeared and I heard through the Grapevine that he had cowardly left me in the dark, all because his ex girlfriend from high school had come back into his life.

  “Before you say anything, I want to make a few things perfectly clear, Matt. I don’t know why you’re here, but I’m married and happily so.”

  “I’m not sure if I believe you, Gail and if you were, so happily married, you wouldn’t have graciously opened up the garage door to hide your dirty little secret. We both know that neither one of us could say no to one another. It’s the reason why I came back, because I’ve never gotten over you.” That was what I was hoping he was going to say about five years ago, but now it was a different story.

  I couldn’t handle this and I turned and went back into the house, until suddenly he was standing behind me with his hands on my hips. I saw the reflection of the two of us; the contrast in our natural skin tones was not very hard to see. He hovered over me and he had the same type of physical makeup as Jasper, except he was a white man. His arms were a little bit bigger and his hands had calluses from whatever manual labor he had been up to as of late.

  “I thought that you were back together with your old girlfriend Samantha.” I had to slap him across the face with that little tidbit of information.

  “Samantha and I were together, but we grew apart and that flame that we had rekindled in college died out pretty quickly. I’ve been bouncing back and forth to one temporary job after the other. It wasn’t, until I got to phoenix that I saw that you were in the exact same place that I was. I’ve been following you on Facebook and one thing that I have noticed is that you haven’t said that you were completely and madly in love with your husband.” It was true, I didn’t say that, because I wouldn’t have meant it and in the five years. Yes I had grown to love him, but I wasn’t in love with him. It was too bad, because he deserved nothing but the best and I felt like I was weighing him down from finding the true person that he was supposed to be with.

  “My husband is a good man and you coming here is only going to complicate things further. Why exactly have you come here and don’t say that you were thinking about me and thought that maybe I was thinking about you.”

  “I don’t have to say that, Gail, because it’s written all of your face, as plain as day. You’ve never been able to get me out of your head and I’m sure that there are times that I’ve been in your bed metaphorically speaking.” If he got any closer, I was going to burst into flames. As it is, my panties were already sticking to me. If I tried to reach down and adjust, I’m sure that would’ve given him a reason to come forward and advance.

  I walked into the living room with the three sectional leather couches taking up most of the space, plus a glass coffee table and a TV that would’ve been the envy of any man that was into sports. 50 inches of high definition sound with a speaker system that made you feel like you were right there in the part of the action. I may have not been into sports, but I did enjoy watching concerts and it was better than being there live and in person.

  “I see that you’ve done very well for yourself, Gail. I do have a request and you’ve already made it clear that you don’t want anything physical, but maybe you wouldn’t mind letting me stay here for a few days to get back up on my feet. I’ll be gone in about a week and there’s a job in Alaska waiting for me on the oil rigs. It’s possible by then I’ll have a reason to stay here, but I’m not going to put words into your mouth.” That sexy little smirk gets me every time and seeing that Jasper was going to be away for the next couple of weeks, I saw no reason to stop myself from rekindling a friendship.

  “If I allow you to stay, you’re going to have to tell people that you are my cousin and not an ex boyfriend. You’re not to come anywhere near my bedroom and if you try to touch me, I will scream and make you regret it. If you just want a friendly place to stay, then I’ll be more than happy to provide you with that.” I was doing my best to put up walls, but with each word that came out of
his mouth, I felt like a sledgehammer was breaking down anything that I was putting up to prevent myself from feeling anything.

  “I knew that I could count on you, Gail and I’ll just get my bag from the car and you can show me where I’m staying.” As he walked by me, I couldn’t help but to sideways glance and look at the way those jeans seemed to mold to him so nicely. It wasn’t even lost on me that he was already excited to see me. That was not more evident than by the way that his jeans seemed to take on a life of their own.

  “I know that you’re looking at me and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.” I’m sure that he was thinking that it would be enough for me to succumb and jump into his arms all over again. “I like it when you look at me and it makes me feel sexy and desired. I think we have a lot of catching up to do. If you don’t mind, I think that I’m going to cook for you this evening. I’m sure that there is more than enough in the kitchen. “I’ll make do.” He didn’t even allow me to say anything, before walking right by me and going up the stairs two at a time.

  I tried to catch up to him, but before long, he was standing in the threshold of my bedroom with his hands on the bottom of the bed.

  “This is not where you’re staying, Matt and there’s no earthly reason that I would allow you anywhere near my bedroom that I share with my husband.”

  “So, this is where the magic happens. I would say that there is something cold about this whole place and it really doesn’t look like it has had the pleasure of your body bouncing up and down on its frame in a while.” I hadn’t thought about it, but it had been a couple of months, since we’ve made the dance with no pants. I didn’t even realize it, but maybe Jasper and I were not exactly, as intimate as I thought we were.

  I grabbed his wrist and I tried to pull him out of the room, but it was like trying to move an immovable force. “My love life is none of your business, Matt. I told you the rules and expect you to abide by them.” He looked down at my hand on his wrist and put his other one on top of mine. He was easily able to wrench me free.