Slowly, he moved her over to his bed, gently easing her down to the mattress with care. He took his time, getting her ready for him. He knew that her ears, along with the small space between her lip and her chin were her hotspots, so he kissed, nibbled, and then licked her soft, fragrance-scented skin until she squirmed beneath him. Within a matter of minutes she’d shed her heavy sweater, he’d pulled off his shirt and khakis, and now he was helping her wriggle out of her skinny jeans. He smiled when he felt the wet spot in the crotch of her floral print panties.
Samuel eased his way down Geneva’s naked body as he planted small kisses on her smooth flesh. She let out a sensual moan when he spread her legs and rubbed her inner thighs with his strong hands. When his tongue dipped into her creamy middle he felt his manhood swell and grow harder as he savored her delicious juices. “I love the way you taste,” he whispered, which excited both of them.
Samuel enjoyed the way she rotated her hips and jutted her pelvis forward, giving his mouth greater access to her wet mound. He didn’t move when she placed her hands around the back of his head and pulled him further into her as he licked, sucked, nibbled, and lapped her like a kitten at a bowl of warm milk. Her moans and groans had him so turned on that he couldn’t take it anymore, he had to have her. In one quick move, Samuel eased his body on top of hers.
Over the last few months he’d grown to know exactly what Geneva liked and precisely how she liked it, because again, he paid careful attention. He positioned his swollen head in the same spot where his mouth had been and slowly entered her, taking his time to rotate his hips after each inch he gave her. He took his time going deeper and deeper with slow, hard, movements until he’d filled her up.
Geneva wrapped her legs around his back and held on as he made love to her, moving in and out, back and forth, and side to side. All the while he kissed her as he looked into her eyes. He could feel her hips buck frantically, and he knew that meant she was about to explode. When he felt her arch her back and let out a carnal moan that lingered in the air, he smiled, knowing he’d satisfied her once again. He increased his tempo, thrusting in and out of her, making each stroke deeper than the last. It only took him a few minutes to join her in ecstasy.
Samuel ran his hand up and down Geneva’s bare arm as she laid her head on his chest in the afterglow of their lovemaking. This had become one of Samuel’s favorite things about making love to Geneva. He enjoyed feeling her body next to his, knowing that she was completely satisfied and relaxed, and that he was responsible for that state.
He’d never been the kind of guy who ran through women like some men tended to do. His sexual experiences in college and as a young man had been good, but nothing to write home about. When he’d married Vivana, he’d expected the hot sex they’d had during their short months of dating to continue, but it had stopped almost immediately after their wedding night, and he’d been in a sexual funk ever since. He’d been nervous the first time he and Geneva had made love because he’d wanted to please her and he hoped he wouldn’t disappoint her.
Their first time had been slightly awkward. He’d put so much pressure on himself that he fumbled and stumbled his way through the act. Sensing that his feelings had been bruised, Geneva had wrapped her arms around him, kissed him deeply, and told him to lay back and relax. She whispered lustful, erotic words into his ear, telling him how much he excited her and how much she already loved him, then she slid her body on top of his and eased her way down his shaft, rocking him until she orgasmed with a hard shudder. From that night forward, Samuel had been rocking her world and fulfilling her needs each time they made love.
An hour later they were back on his couch, eating lasagna and garlic bread that Samuel had picked up from their favorite Italian restaurant and had brought back for a quiet, romantic dinner at home.
“I wish I didn’t have to go into work tomorrow,” Geneva said, munching on the savory pasta.
“Do you have a lot of clients?”
“No, just one, and I think I’m going to have to drop her.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s becoming a pain.”
Geneva went on to tell him about her client named Cheryl, who’d started coming to her a few months ago. Even though Donetta and even Shartell didn’t like the woman, Geneva had given Cheryl the benefit of the doubt because she knew she was going through a lot of personal turmoil and was misunderstood.
But over time, Geneva saw that Cheryl had begun to change. She’d become unreasonable in her expectations about her hair. She wanted Geneva to work magic, transforming her look every time she stepped into the salon. Color one visit, twists the next, a blow-out in between, and then finally going back to the weave she’d initially said she was tired of, all while expecting Geneva to know exactly what she wanted, then becoming irritated when her hair didn’t turn out the way she thought it should. She’d even been grouchy a few times that she’d come into the salon, saying that her irritability was due to the fact that she was hungry from the low-calorie diet she was on. Geneva found that very odd, especially because it appeared that Cheryl had picked up about twenty pounds in the short time she’d been coming to the salon.
Samuel was concerned because Geneva made a point to leave business at the shop, rarely discussing her clients. But now she was being vocal, with a hint of dislike in her voice. “Do you have her number?” Samuel asked.
“Yes.”
“Then just call her and cancel your appointment tomorrow.”
Geneva sighed. “It irritates me when clients call and cancel on me at the last minute, so I’d hate to do the same.”
“But if she’s becoming a problem you really should nip it in the bud.”
“I don’t know . . .”
Samuel shook his head. He appreciated Geneva’s trusting nature and dedication to professionalism, but he also hated to see her stressed. “With all that you’ve been doing, you need a break. I’m sure your client will understand, and if she gets upset it won’t be a bad thing because you’re going to drop her anyway.”
Geneva nodded. “I know what you mean, and I’m beginning to agree. I’d initially thought Cheryl was just going through a lot, which she is, but her attitude is more than I want to deal with. Every time she comes into the shop it’s some kind of drama. She’s the pickiest client I’ve ever had.”
“That’s saying a lot.”
“Yes, it is. When I told all my clients I was going to take tomorrow off, she’s the only one who wouldn’t change her standing appointment, and insisted that I come in to do her hair.”
“That’s kind of unreasonable,” Samuel said.
“You’re right, it is. If I cancel her appointment that means we can sleep in tomorrow.”
Samuel reached on the coffee table and handed Geneva her phone. “Call that worrisome woman right now!”
Geneva laughed and dialed Cheryl’s number. But to her disappointment it went straight to voice mail. Geneva frowned and whispered, “Voice mail,” to Samuel. She left Cheryl a quick message, letting her know that she needed to cancel their appointment and to call back to confirm that it was okay.
Later that night as they lay in bed with Samuel spooning Geneva from behind, his mind took him to the surprise he’d planned for tomorrow, which he would be able to start earlier in the day now that Geneva didn’t have to work. He’d made reservations for them at the Roosevelt Hotel, so they could share a romantic weekend of luxury. Samuel had booked the honeymoon package in the presidential suite that included romantic amenities such as champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries, and a rose petal turn-down. He’d even gone by the Godiva store earlier and had them make a custom basket filled with Geneva’s favorite chocolates, which he’d carefully stored in the back of his closet shortly before she’d arrived. He knew how hard Geneva worked, and he wanted to pamper her to show his appreciation and love. Samuel drifted off to sleep thinking about how surprised Geneva was going to be when he whisked her away to the luxury hotel downtown.
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Chapter 22
VIVANA
Vivana looked at Johnny and felt like slapping him across his face; the same face that, if it had not been for her, would still carry the vicious scars that she now felt he deserved.
After their hotel squabble a few months ago, Vivana had felt terrible about the wounds she’d inflicted upon his face and neck. And to add disaster to an already bad situation, he’d gotten into a violent fight with his best friend the next day, severing their friendship along with a few ribs and Johnny’s jaw, which had required wiring for a solid month. Once he healed enough from his injuries, Vivana had used some of the money she’d received in her divorce settlement to pay for two reconstructive surgeries and four skin-resurfacing procedures for him. She’d taken Johnny to the best plastic surgeon in Birmingham to restore his handsome looks to as good as new.
Now, as Vivana looked at her boyfriend, all she could do was wonder how she had fallen so hard, so fast, and so obsessively for someone who seemed not to appreciate her, no matter how much she did for him. It seemed the more she gave, the more he took, and she was beginning to grow weary of always being on the receiving side of zero.
“It only took me thirty-nine days to end my marriage,” Vivana huffed as she glared at Johnny, standing over him with her arms folded across her ample chest. “It’s been four months and you still haven’t even signed the separation papers that Geneva sent you.”
Johnny leaned back on the couch and responded without looking her way. “I already told you, I’m not giving up half of this house or half of anything, so I’m willing to wait this thing out for as long as it takes.”
“As long as it takes for what? Until she comes back to you?” Vivana asked. “Is that what you want? You want Geneva back?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.” Vivana looked around the room and wanted to scream. She hated coming over to visit him in the house he’d shared with Geneva, and the fact that some of her belongings were still there, and that he refused to box them up or put them out of sight, made her see red. “Don’t you want to be rid of her so you can get on with your life . . . with our life?”
Johnny remained silent.
“Don’t you love me?” Vivana asked.
“I had a hell of a long week, and all I want to do is relax tonight, but I can’t because you keep pressing me about every little thing.”
“Pressing you?” Vivana said incredulously. “All I do is cater to you. I cut my hair and went natural because you said you wanted to see how I’d look without my weave. Then you said you didn’t like that look and you thought I should do something to brighten my face, so I changed my hair color. Then you didn’t like the color and wanted to see me with long hair again, so I got a blow-out, which you said made my hair look dry, and after that complaint I finally went back to the weave. All I do is try to please you, not press you. I try to be patient with you because every chance you get, you bring up our fight and how much it traumatized you. Well, guess what . . . it traumatized me, too!”
By now Vivana was so mad she was breathing hard. She wanted so badly to tell him about all the other things she’d done to please him, many of which she couldn’t speak of for fear that he’d get upset. For instance, she’d tracked him for a month straight through the black cloud GPS tracking device she’d put on his car to make sure he was safe and wasn’t getting himself into any unnecessary trouble. That was how she’d come to his rescue at the college the day he and Bernard had gotten into a fight. She’d taken him to the hospital right away, making sure he got the proper care he needed. When he’d asked her what she was doing there, she’d told him that she was interested in enrolling in a computer course that would add to her technical qualifications.
There were other things she’d sacrificed for him, too, but the one that she’d gone above and beyond for was giving up her precious Saturdays in order to sit in Geneva’s chair and pretend to be someone she wasn’t.
Vivana had wanted to see her competition with her own eyes. She wanted to know what was it about Geneva that had made Johnny want to be with her. It didn’t take much time to find her and schedule an appointment. When she first saw Geneva, her initial reaction had been pure jealousy and she had to paint on a fake smile from the time she’d entered the salon until the time she’d left to cover up her envy of and disdain for the woman. Vivana hated that Geneva was slim, yet shapely in all the right places, with a naturally pretty face that looked beautiful once enhanced with makeup. And the woman’s syrupy sweet disposition made her want to gag, especially when she refused to take payment for her first appointment. What a sucker, Vivana had thought.
But over time, Vivana’s jealousy subsided when she realized that there was nothing interesting or exciting about Geneva. She was a run-of-the-mill hairdresser with an annoyingly cheery personality that got on her nerves. She never had any drama to talk about, and she was boring as hell. She could see why Johnny had grown tired of the dull woman, and it gave Vivana more reason to continue to fill his life with the kind of up-and-down thrills that kept things spicy between them. She knew that despite what Johnny said, he loved the heated arguments, occasional shoving, and borderline violent mood swings she engaged in. She knew he liked it because otherwise he would have grown bored with her like he did Geneva, and left her for someone who could spark his engine.
She was about to launch into another tirade when her cell phone rang. It was Geneva. Why the hell is she calling me on a Friday night? Vivana wondered. She’d stored Geneva’s number under “Gynecologist” in her contact list, just in case Johnny ever went through her phone log as she occasionally did his. She didn’t want to talk to Geneva in front of Johnny, so she pushed the button to ignore. She walked back to the kitchen and listened to Geneva’s message.
Geneva wanted to reschedule Vivana’s standing appointment tomorrow. Vivana huffed and growled under her breath. “I already told that silly bitch that I wasn’t going to reschedule, so what makes her think I’ve changed my mind?”
“Who’re you talking to?” Johnny asked, startling her so much she jumped.
“No one.”
Johnny looked at her with skepticism as he reached into the refrigerator for a beer. But if he felt anything was amiss, he didn’t let on.
“I wasn’t finished with my conversation with you,” she said, continuing their war of words. “When you couldn’t find fault about my hair anymore you moved on to my weight, so I started a diet that made me cranky, tired, and about to lose my mind.”
“A diet?” Johnny said sarcastically.
“Yes, and what’s that tone supposed to mean.”
Johnny smirked. “You know as well as I do that you haven’t been dieting.”
“Yes I have.”
Johnny shook his head. “If that’s the case, you need to stop because you’re the only person I know who goes on a diet and gains weight. And besides, you act cranky, like you’re about to lose your mind, on a regular basis.”
Vivana was furious. She’d noticed that despite the calories she’d been counting, a few pounds had crept up around her midsection and thighs. But she chalked it up to being big-boned, and the fact that like most women in their mid-thirties, her hormones, metabolism, and body were all changing. “You’re a hurtful bastard,” she spat out at Johnny.
He shook his head and walked out the kitchen, but she followed him, fussing and cussing with each step.
“Cut it out, Vivana. I’ve had enough of your mouth and your insults,” he said. “If you don’t stop right now . . .”
“What’re you gonna do?” she challenged.
Just then his cell phone rang and she became even madder. “Who the hell is calling you this time of night?”
He ignored her and looked at his phone with surprise.
“Who is it?” she asked again.
Johnny turned his back and answered his phone without responding to her. She heard him say, “What’s up . . . it’s been a long time.”
Then he took a long pause before mumbling something she couldn’t hear into the phone. He paused again, apparently listening to the earful that the person on the other end had to say. “That’s your problem, not mine,” she heard Johnny say in an angry tone. A few seconds went by before he said, “Fuck you!” and then pressed the end button.
Vivana watched as Johnny’s chest heaved up and down with anger. The only thing that elicited emotion from him was money and sex. So he must have been talking to a woman who was obviously mad at him. “I can’t believe you!” Vivana said. She was beside herself with the fact that he’d had the nerve to answer the phone and talk to another woman right in front of her.
“What the hell’s your problem?” Johnny asked.
“Tell me who the fuck you were talking to.”
Johnny’s eyes narrowed on hers. “Your phone just rang a few minutes ago, and I sat here and watched you switch it to ignore, and then walk into the kitchen right after that. When I came in to get a beer you’d obviously been talking to someone, but I let it go.”
“Don’t try to turn this on me. I know you were talking to some bitch, now tell me who it was.”
Johnny put his beer down on the counter and grabbed his keys.
“Where do you think you’re going!” Vivana screamed.
He didn’t answer her as he walked out the door, so she ran out behind him.
“Answer me, muthafucka! Where the hell are you going!”
Johnny turned around and glared at her. “I’ve had it up to here with you!” he shouted.
Vivana saw one of his nosy-ass neighbors out walking her dog, and she wanted to curse her out and tell the woman to mind her own business. But right now she needed to handle Johnny. She walked up to him and slapped him, satisfying the urge she’d had all night. “You better bring your ass back in the house right now.”
Johnny lowered his head, and when he raised it, Vivana saw a look in his eyes that she’d never seen before. For the first time since she’d known Johnny she was scared, because she recognized the emotion lurking in his eyes, and she knew exactly what was going to happen next.
Secret Indiscretions Page 20
