“Uh…Hi. This is Heaven.” Her voice is hesitant and unsure.
My adrenaline kicks up a notch. I pop to my feet, the remote control, and menu forgotten.
“Hi, Heaven. What’s new?” I aim to sound as casual as possible.
“I hate to bother you, but we’re at the Hula show and so aretheywith the rest of the wedding party. Ashely and her girls keep giving me this judgey, you’re-pathetic-you-still-want-Dre look. And I figured I would call you now to be a buffer and diffuse the situation before Latoya punches one of them instead, having to call you later to beg you to bail us out—”
“I’m on my way.”
I hang up and Clark Kent my way into some white linen pants and a Hawaiian shirt. I make sure I smell good and everything is fresh. I’m having a crazy good hair day, so I leave it down. I don’t bother with shoes since the show is on the beach. I mad-dash it to the event and scan the crowd for her. I see Latoya first. She’s dancing with her hands in the air while she bobs her fiery head, shaking her body harder than the entertainers. She has a nice body, and she makes sure everyone knows it, but it’s not the body I want. I scan to the right of Latoya then the left.
My heart speeds up and most of my blood rushes south. The front of Heaven’s dress stops mid-thigh and the back falls a little longer. It’s practically backless with one little tie on her lower back. The other part ties behind her neck. There’s no fucking way she can wear a bra with that sundress. The soft pink looks good on her and her hair being braided into one side ponytail gives her an air of innocence that I know she doesn’t have. My dick twitches as my brain spits out words and phrases like: ‘easy access’ and ‘nip slips.’
Our eyes lock and the lively dancers, the beautiful glow of the fire against the sand, the smell of roasting pork, and the sound of the rhythmic drumming all fades. All I see is her and how the fire glows in those dark eyes. The soft sheen of her lips catches my attention. I’m in front of her in three strides, and we both know one thing.
I’m going to kiss her.
Heaven
My heart break dances in my chest. I know I called him, but he appears like he was summoned from my fantasies with salacious intent in his eyes. His flaxen hair glows in the firelight, and his intense blue eyes pierce me. His Hawaiian shirt lies open displaying his hard chest and tight abs. Those white pants hug his waist in all the right ways. I’m floored. Twenty-four hours. That’s it, I’ve only known him for twenty-four hours, and he has infected my brain with thoughts of him.
I’d purposely stayed away from the hotel to avoid running into him, thinking the time apart will dull my reaction to him. That was not the right move; because now, I feel like I’ve been hit with a defibrillator. I can’t deny it; black, white, red, yellow, or blue, he’s gorgeous in any color. He’s going to kiss me. I recognize the look. I’ve seen it many times before, but this is the first time I’vefeltit. I’m pretty sure Latoya or Keri just said something to me—fuck if I know what it is—all I know is how close Axel is to me, the feel of his thumb caressing the corner of my mouth, and the press of his hard body against mine.
Our lips meet, and it erases my memory of every kiss before his. There’s something magical in the way his lips slide across mine. My braless nipples harden against his chest as I lean in for more. His big hand pulls at the nape of my ponytail, tilting my head back more, allowing him to deepen the kiss. The way he slides his tongue against mine incinerates my panties. Axel just confirmed one of my theories—he knows exactly what to do with his tongue.
I moan against his mouth right before he breaks the kiss. His lips find the shell of my ear. I shudder when he whispers, “That should give them something to talk about.”
The crowd cheers; it’s not for us. I’m sane enough to know that this isn’t a movie, and the whole island isn’t rooting for us to get together.
I nod and rest my head against his chest. My world is askew; my heart is beating in my ears—no, his heart is beating in my ears. I get a ping of arousal. He is just as affected as I am. I wrap my arms around his naked waist. His shirt caresses my skin. Axel is real; he really is here holding me and caressing my back—each slide of his fingers against my skin leaves delicious little goosebumps behind. I shiver. The girls were right. I must experience all of Axel.
I peek up at him to tell him just that, but it’s trapped in my throat. Axel knows what I want; his astute eyes search my face, gently encouraging me to say it. I chicken out, and he knows. His grin tells me it’s okay, and his lips peck my cheek, nose, then forehead. Axel’s arms engulf me, and I soak up all his body heat. I could stay like this forever. Not really—I will jump his bones eventually.
I turn and watch as the entertainment bows and waves. The crowd disperses, some heading for the buffet and others to take pictures with the pretty women and half-naked men from the show. I opt to stay attached to Axel like a barnacle.
Unfortunately, the lack of a crowd makes it far too easy for me to see Dre and Ashley. Talk about ice water. Ashely whispers to one of her co-bitches, gesturing her overly decorated nails in my direction. I want to punch her, ever since her dad gave me the lead on an article she wanted she’s been a nuclear-level bitch. Here we are years later, and she is still doing stuff to fuck with me like seduce my then fiancé. When that wasn’t enough, she continued a clandestine fling with him, plotting to take my place as his fiancé.
It was a clever and stupid move at the same time. It was clever because she’d finally bested me in a way she couldn’t do at work. I was completely blindsided by Dre’s betrayal, and it cut deep. Ashley’s mistake is also her prize. I don’t believe that women can ‘steal’ men. Part of Dre wanted to go with her. He played a bigger role in this than she did. He was the one committed to me after all.
Dre is extremely self-centered and always wants what makes him look good. The rich heiress of a popular magazine will do the trick. I was beyond hurt, but I couldn’t help but notice that no one in my life was sad that we’d broken up. Apparently, my friends, family, and even some of my co-workers knew he was full of shit, and I was ‘blinded by love.’ I began to see clearly, and I’d be damned if they weren’t right. I left the magazine and started to work freelance while maintaining a strong social media presence. I started to participate in hobbies that interested me again and rediscovered myself.
I’m stronger, better, and far more independent. Dre taught me how not to be loved, and I am now open to the real thing. I sneak a glance at Axel. I’m not saying he’s the one, but he will be one hell of a start. He tugs my hand and we begin walking back to the hotel with the girls. We opted to eat at the hotel restaurant instead of having to suffer Ashley’s irritating voice. I know her well enough to know that she will try to be the center of attention and throw underhanded verbal jabs at me. I’m not in the mood.
I watch as Axel’s abs engage as he navigates over the sand as smoothly as he would concrete. His smile is brilliant as he chats with Keri about his love of surfing. He towers over us with his confident posture. His thumb caresses my hand as we walk, sending tingles up my arm. I’m in the mood for something else. I don’t verbalize it though. I haven’t had sex in a while; What if I’m bad at it? What if he’s bad at it? What if he’s amazing, but that’s all he wants, and I spend the rest of the week missing him? I like being in this moment—the chase, the what-if, the sweet getting-to-know-you phase.
Axel and I formed an instant connection, and it will hurt like a bitch if he’s acting. As if sensing my thoughts, he turns to me. There is a hint of seriousness behind the good-natured shimmer in his eyes.
“Heaven, I—” he starts to say, Latoya leans in as if he’s talking to her. He winks at her and smiles, but his phone rings before he could continue his thought. “Shit! I forgot about this call. I will see you ladies in the morning.” He squeezes my hand and disappears with the phone to his ear.
It’s 10:00 PM and a dreadful thought crosses my mind for the first time. What if he’s in a relationship? I frown, disappointed at the thought. I cannot be the other woman.
“Girl, you should not be frowning after the way that sexy beast kissed you back there,” Latoya admonished after we slide into a booth.
“I agree. That was a cinema worthy kiss. Did your toes curl?” Keri asks with stars in her eyes.
“Honestly? That kiss was amazing, but I was so blinded by his charisma, I’d forgotten to ask if he’s in a relationship or worse…married!” I whisper in a quiet panic.
“He’s not.” Latoya waves dismissively. “Girl, I Googled him the moment you told us his name. Not only is he not married, but he was also on a few Most Eligible Bachelor’s lists three consecutive years…”
