The Family Secret

by Daniele Botti

  “Good morning, Hannah. What did I tell you about calling me, Mr. Sanchez?”

  Hannah’s eyes ping-ponged between Jose and Paula. “I know, sir. It’s just a bad habit.”

  “All of my friends call me Jose, and I want you to do the same.”

  “Okay. I will,” Hannah promised.

  Jose patted his pockets, “I forgot my wallet.” He went back inside to retrieve it.

  Hannah gripped Paula’s shoulders as though she’d known her all her life. “Oh, my living god you fucked Mr. Sanchez, you go girl,” she spoke so fast that her words tripped over each other.

  Paula shook her head. “No, I didn’t. We’re just friends.”

  Hannah whispered, “Yeah, right. Just because I look stupid, doesn’t mean I am. And if you didn’t sleep with him, then you’re the stupid one.”

  In a low voice, Paula countered, “I’m not lying. He’s just my friend.”

  “Giirrll, but if you know like I know, you better hurry up and sleep with him. I’ve been looking for a way to pounce on him but he’s too big of a catch for me. He’s so smart and handsome. My lovely doctor,” Hannah said, smiling widely.

  “Found my wallet,” Jose stated as he came back outside.

  With her back to Jose, Hannah winked at Paula.

  Paula laughed inwardly at Hannah’s crazy suggestions. She imagined what Hannah would do if she knew her social status. Paula smiled as her imaginations ran wild.

  “Mr. Sanchez, is this your new girlfriend?” Hannah came straight out and asked him.

  Jose chuckled, “Jose.”

  Hannah shook her head, “Yeah, I meant Jose.”

  Jose’s eyes swept across Paula’s face, “I don’t know, Hannah. You’d have to ask her.”

  In disbelief of Hannah’s nosiness, Paula tilted her head. “We’re just friends.”

  “You heard the lady…we’re just friends.”

  Hannah fisted her hips “Well, y’all don’t look like it.”

  “Have a good weekend, Hannah.”

  “You, too, Mr. Sanchez—I mean Jose.”

  • • •

  Thirty minutes later, Jose steered the car into the parking lot of the Marina Inn and cut the engine. Paula took in the sight of the beautiful scenery. Several sailboats were docked at bay. At the end of the dock was a restaurant called Katherine’s. As they walked along the waterfront, she marveled at the view. Light wind brushed her face. Nodding at the waterfront restaurant, Jose cupped Paula’s hand. “Katherine’s is our family-owned restaurant. My dad named it after my mother.”

  From the outside, Katherine’s looked like a nice, upscale restaurant. “What kind of food does it serve?”

  “Seafood. Do you like seafood?”

  “Yes. I love seafood. It’s my favorite.”

  “Well, I have to take you there someday.”

  Paula smiled as her heart melted. “Yes, one day,” she gleamed.

  Just then, Jose pointed ahead, and Paula looked in that direction. Sitting in the waters was a small white yacht. Jose turned to Paula and smiled saying, “Now, that little beauty is my family’s treasure. I know it’s not much and you must’ve sailed in bigger luxury boats. However, I’ll like to take you on a short ride in it.”

  Paula nodded. He was right; she had sailed on monstrous ocean liners before. However, she had never longed for a ride as much as she looked forward to spending time with Jose. She smiled up at him, “It’s fine, as long as you are with me.”

  Jose responded by pecking her cheek before he began strutting towards the yacht.

  • • •

  Sailboats cruised the sea. Clouds floated past the bright sun and the afternoon temperature was a perfect seventy-eight degrees. Steering the yacht along the treading water, Jose glimpsed at Paula often. His heart jostled repeatedly.

  Seemingly in deep thought, as she held onto the rail, her gaze was focused on the water. The wind-swept hair across her soft lips. “The breeze feels good,” she announced, transferring her gaze to him.

  “So does being here with you. Thanks for taking me up on my invitation.”

  “I should be thanking you. I didn’t realize how much I needed to get out and have some fun.”

  “If you keep hanging around me, I’ll try my hardest to show you a good time.”

  “Is that an invitation to another date?”

  He leaned into her, “It is. It’s an invitation to do this, too.” Keeping his hands on the wheel, Jose went in for the kiss. Their lips touched. He moved his mouth side to side, then plundered his tongue inside her mouth. She latched on and curled her tongue with his. Swirling. Flicking. Sucking. Their kiss now had a certain intimacy to it. Ecstasy coursed through Jose’s veins and shot to his loins. His shaft stiffened.

  Paula ended their kiss. She placed a hand on his chest, her breathing uneven. Uncertainty besieged her eyes. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

  “Hope I didn’t overstep my boundaries.”

  “You’re fine.”

  “Thank you. I work hard to get this body,” he joked. Paula laughed, and Jose did too.

  Her eyes roamed over his chest. Then she observed his arms. “From the looks of your body, you seem to endure a healthy regimen of exercise and proper diet.”

  “I do. I try to exercise at least five times a week.”

  “I used to have time to exercise, but now that I’m back at work, I hardly have time to do anything.”

  “I’m going to have to change that,” Jose thought. “How about I take you to the gym where I work out?”

  Her hands slipped from the rail to her hips. “Okay. No man is this nice. What do you want from me?”

  Jose steered the yacht up to the dock and parallel parked it. Pushing a button, he lowered the anchor in the water. Clenching her chin, he tilted her head back to gaze into her eyes. “That’s not true. Some men are nice, and I’d like to think I’m one of them. But to answer your question, what I want from you is your time, and an opportunity to get to know you better.”

  “Is that it?”

  Need surged Jose, “Not quite. A few more of these would be nice.” He pressed his lips to hers again and they kissed as intensely as they had only moments earlier. Paula’s lips were soft as satin, and her tongue was smooth as silk. Her tantalizing kisses made his body catch fire. Made him want to scoop her up in his arms and carry her to the bedroom below the deck.

  As their kiss prolonged and deepened, intense pleasure rushed through his bones. His manhood knotted. In due time, he was going to make love to Paula and make her scream his name at the top of her lungs.

  Feasting heartily on the doctor’s mouth, the patient’s consciousness seemed to ebb, then flame more distinct than ever. Pleasure radiated outward as her sex clenched. She felt moisture slip from her opening into her panties. Goodness gracious, Jose’s searing kiss was threatening to make her have an orgasm. She was melting. Aroused. She couldn’t end the kiss. Even if she tried, she wouldn’t be able to. Jose severed their kiss. Intense breaths escaped her. Putting a hand to her chest, Paula willed her heartbeat to slow down. She’d never found any man’s kiss as wonderful as his.

  “You’re a fantastic kisser.”

  “So are you, Jose.”

  It was then that she realized they’d docked at the rear of a shopping plaza. Made up of about eight stores, the grey building looked quaint and fancy.

  He stepped over the boat’s edge onto the wooden dock. “I have a surprise for you,” he outstretched his hands towards her.

  “For me? What is it?”

  Putting her hands to his shoulders, he clenched her hips, then lowered her to the ground beside him. “You’ll see in a few seconds.”

  Curiosity got the best of Paula as they walked to the front of the plaza. Fifteen seconds later, they entered Bella Charles, an upscale women’s clothing
store. The clothing tables were made up of glass and diamond chandeliers which hung from the ceiling. Elegant ball gowns aligned the walls. Fancy dresses, pants, blouses, and casual clothing were positioned throughout the rest of the store. Paula had frequented these kinds of stores before and she knew how expensive their merchandises could be.

  She didn’t have to look at the price tags to know she could afford any of the items on display. If she wanted, she could strike up a deal with the owner and buy the store. Paula wondered why Jose had brought her there. Did he want her to purchase something for him?

  The dark-haired woman behind the register smiled, then came to greet them. “Hi, Jose.”

  “Hi, Lorie. This is Paula. The woman I was telling you about.” Paula was momentarily confused. “Paula, meet Lorie, an old friend.”

  “Nice meeting you, Paula. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you. I’ll be right back.” Lorie disappeared to the back.

  Jose turned to face Paula as he said, “I know you haven’t worked in a long time and needed to spruce up your wardrobe. So, I thought I’d help you out.”

  Once more, she scanned all the beautiful clothing. “Jose, while I appreciate your thoughtfulness, I can’t accept a gift of this nature.”

  “Paula, you’ve been through a lot lately. I know at the snap of your fingers, you could have the items in this store. However, let me do something nice for you,” he pleaded.

  “But I don’t need any new clothing,” she shook her head.

  Jose put on his puppy face as he said, “Please, I insist.”

  Paula smiled at the sight, “It’s been great spending the day with the nicest man I know.”

  “I know right,” Jose rushed

  Paula blushed as Lorie reappeared, wheeling a clothing rack from the back. She waved Paula over. A mixture of casual, sport, and dressy attire aligned the glass rack.

  “I picked out some things I thought would look nice on you. What would you like to try on first?”

  As Paula’s hand glided over the clothing, they swayed back and forth. “Everything is so pretty. I don’t know where to start.”

  “Try on the red dress.” Jose sat on the sofa in front of the dressing room.

  Lorie handed Paula the red dress, “This will look really pretty on you.”

  Inside the dressing room, Paula removed her clothing and tried on the dress. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, a smile appeared on her face. The off the shoulder dress had dramatic angled sleeves and made her body look opulent. Right now, she’d never felt prettier.

  “Come out and let me see you.” Jose’s request sounded more like a demand, but she didn’t mind.

  She pushed open the door and walked onto the platform. Jose’s eyes danced, “Whoa. You look sexy. Sensual. Turn around.” Feeling like a princess, she spun around, “She’ll take it.”

  Lorie smiled, “I knew it’d look good on you. We have it in white, too.”

  “She’ll keep the red.” Jose’s brusque demand let Paula know he was a take charge kind of man and was used to getting his way with women.

  Jose’s eyes remained glued on her. With his arms gliding on the curb of the sofa, he spread his legs wide. The bulge beneath his pants resembled a heavily weighted trophy.

  Paula’s body reacted. Thrown into sensitive overdrive, the lips of her pussy quivered. She swallowed. He had to stop making her body behave in such a manner.

  Piece by piece, Paula tried on the clothing for Jose. Twirling around for him and acting like she was a model, she’d forgotten all about her problems.

  As Jose draped the bag containing the red dress over his shoulder, Paula grabbed the second bag from the glass counter. After thanking Lorie for her assistance, they headed for the door. Pushing the door open, he stepped to the side, allowing her to exit first.

  “I still feel like this is way too much, Jose. These clothes and jewelry are too expensive.”

  “Trust me, it’s not. When was the last time a man spoiled you?”

  My father, Paula thought, and it’d been so long. When she didn’t respond, he said, “That’s what I thought.”

  After they locked the bags inside the boat’s closet, they had an early dinner at Del Posto Italiano. Sitting on the patio, they started with an appetizer of delicious calamari. For his main entree, he’d ordered the veal parmigiana over linguine pasta. She’d had a mozzarella and tomato pizza and a side of house salad.

  The conversation between them flowed easily. Jose filled her in on his family’s history, starting with how his father had gotten into the hotel business. Avoiding speaking about his mother, Paula could tell he loved his father and brother and stepmother. He loved family, period. He’d make a good husband to some lucky girl, but she was sure that girl would never be her. Men like him just didn’t marry girls like her. Well, considering she never wanted to marry anytime soon, it didn’t matter.

  She sipped on the red wine admiring what she considered a wonderful man sitting across from her.

  Jose swirled the red wine, then topped off his glass. “So, that’s enough about me. Let’s talk about you. Tell me about your family background.”

  Trepidation raged through Paula. She’d told Jose about her parents, but she had never gone into detail about her family in general, or the lack thereof. She lowered the half-empty glass to the table. Struggling to find the right words to say, she diverted her gaze to the flowing water fountain.

  Finally, fixating her gaze on Jose’s face, Paula swallowed, “Jose… Megan is the only family I have. I don’t know anyone else. My parents always shot down the conversation whenever I asked them about the family.”

  Jose’s eyes mellowed subtly, “I’m sorry. Had I known, I wouldn’t have asked.”

  She nodded, “It’s frustrating how clueless I am about the matter. Not knowing my family or where I come from.”

  Jose dragged his napkin across his mouth and placed it on the table. “I’m sorry about that. But maybe you could do something to rectify that now.”

  She gave him a blank stare. “I’ve given that a thought many times. But I’m not sure I’m ready yet.”

  “Paula, no one can ever be ready for that. You may need to take action soon.”

  “Maybe. Just maybe,” Paula replied absentmindedly.

  Gazing into her eyes, Jose cupped the back of her hand. “Anyway, maybe I’m crazy for bringing that up. However, the last time I went to the doctor, he assured me I had the right frame of mind.” Jose stood.

  Paula dabbled the napkin at the corners of her mouth. She scooted her chair back. “Is that so?” she asked, standing.

  “Yep. He told me my head was functioning quite well.” He closed in on her. Towering over her, he smooched her lips. “He said both of my heads were good.” His breath fanned her lips, he pressed his erection into her stomach.

  My. Oh. My. Paula thought as her neurons fired on overdrive.

  Short minutes later, they returned to the yacht. She descended the deck behind him. Following him into the bedroom, he led her to the bed. They stood at the foot of the bed facing each other. He cupped her face, “I’m not ready to take you home. Spend the night with me on the boat.”

  Contemplating her decision, she turned to walk over to the window. While Paula would have loved to spend the night with Jose, she didn’t know if she was ready to have sex with him.

  Who was she kidding? she wanted to. But she felt it was way too soon.

  The moment Jose came to stand behind Paula, she felt his tall, domineering presence. Her breathing hastened, her heart fluttered. His presence struck a vibrant chord inside her, making her pussy throb.

  He sleeked his arms about her waist, “Don’t feel pressured. If you can’t, I understand.”

  She turned within his embrace to face him, “More than anything, I’d love to spend the night with you. I just don’t know if
—”

  “You’re ready for me to make love to you.” As if reading her mind, he finished her sentence. She nodded. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to make love to you and pleasure your body till I bring you to the most profound orgasm you’ve ever had. However, I can wait.”

  “You can?”

  He took her cheeks in his palms again, “Yeah. Please spend the night with me. Let me hold you till the sun comes up.”

  She agreed to his request. This time, she called Megan and informed her that she wouldn’t be coming home for the second night in a row.

  Slow dancing on the top deck, they watched the sun slowly escaping beyond the horizon. A backsplash of purple and red hues colored the sky. Nightfall fell upon them, making the mood sultry and romantic, making her wonder if she’d be able to keep her legs closed.

  Done with dancing, they headed back downstairs and took separate showers. She put on a pink nightgown she’d gotten from Bella Charles. Shirtless, he’d put on a pair of navy boxers. Seeing all those hard chest muscles drove her crazy, made her body hot, and was almost tempting enough to make her change her mind about having sex with him.

  Jose turned back the covers, and they climbed into bed. Lord knows, she didn’t see how this was going to work. As they sat in bed sharing a slice of strawberry cheesecake, a slow song streamed from the speaker on the nightstand. Joy filled her.

  Jose held the dessert plate. Using a fork, he cut a small piece of cheesecake and fed it to Paula. Wrapping her lips around the utensil, she savored the sweet strawberry glaze. It was so good. She thought of sucking the cheesecake off Jose’s length would taste even better. She shouldn’t be thinking like this, but she couldn’t help it.

  He lowered the empty dish to the nightstand and clicked off the lamp.

  They slid beneath the covers. When she rolled onto her side, he snuggled his chest against her back and drew her closer. Glows of the full moon shone through the window casting a circle on them. Staring at the black night, a tear formed in her eye. Being in Jose’s strong arms felt wonderful. Safe. Right. Tonight, he offered her a sense of protection. Something she hadn’t had in a long time.