Joy's Valentine (2 page)

“Save the pleasantries,” Terri snapped, “What’s this I hear about you shacking up with some man you just met?”

Joy glanced at the door and lowered her voice to just above a whisper. “I’m not shacking up.”

“Oh really? You’re not? Well, last thing I heard you were living in Virginia with no boyfriend and no prospects. That was two months ago…now you’re staying in some guy’s apartment in Manhattan after you followed him to Europe instead of spending Christmas with your family.”

“I didn’t follow him…I accompanied him on a business trip.” Joy cupped her hand over the phone to further cover her conversation.

“What the hell kind of business was that? You know what…I don’t want to know. You just get this fellow here as soon as possible so I can meet him. I want to know what kind of game he’s running.”

“He’s not running a game!” Joy snapped. She’d forgotten about privacy and her voice echoed in the tiny room.

“You tell me what a grown ass man is doing picking up a woman and sweeping her away, then holing her up in his apartment and keeping her from her job, her home, and her family! What’s he up to if he’s not running a game? What could he possibly want?”

“ME!” Joy sobbed. Her mother’s words made too much sense.

No doubt, Marla told Terri just how attractive Eli had been. In Terri’s mind he was probably a pimp. They didn’t know it was Joy’s idea to take a sabbatical so they could get to know each other even more.

Joy had been waiting for the other shoe to drop for going on three weeks. The romance of their weeks in London and Paris was fading. Any moment now, she expected Eli to look at her and ask what the hell he was thinking. Joy was waiting for him to come to his senses, so in spite of what her mother thought Joy had not taken leave of her senses.

“Oh, honey,” Terri said with a sigh. “Just bring him home and we’ll straighten everything out.”

Joy swiped the tears off her face and shook her head. “I can’t do that. We’re going to Florida for Valentine’s Day. Our flight leaves in the morning.”

Terri was silent on the other end. “Okay. Fine. Go ahead and go to Florida, but this isn’t over.”

“Trust me, I know.”

Her mother sniffed. “I’ll call you every day you’re down there.”

Joy glimpsed Eli’s shiny leather shoes standing just outside the door. “Considering it’s supposed to be romantic…I won’t answer…but you can leave messages.” She ended the call and turned off the phone before her mother could respond.

Eli knocked softly. “Are you okay, love? You sound upset.”

“I’m fine,” Joy lied, “my mom just called and…I don’t really want to talk about it. Just sit and I’ll put on the next dress for you.”

“Okay,” said Eli. It was a few seconds before she saw his shoes retreat though.

“So,” Joy said when they had returned to Eli’s apartment, “Marla’s pretty gorgeous, huh?”

“You’re sister?” Eli asked, dropping the shopping bags onto the black leather couch. “Yeah, she’s pretty.”

Joy felt like such a
girl
for asking that question knowing exactly where it would lead. Straight down the path of bad answers that would make her feel two inches tall.

“Your mom must have had a tough time with the two of you,” Eli continued as he walked into the kitchen.

Joy dropped the rest of the bags onto the couch and followed him. “What are you talking about?”

Eli pulled a stack of menus out of a drawer. “I mean, she had two gorgeous daughters and a son who was too young to beat up any interested boys. I’ll bet she had to buy a gun to keep the guys away.”

Joy blinked, slowly. “Uh…no…my sister didn’t really have many boyfriends in high school.”

Eli put down the menus and gazed at her. “You must have had all the guys then.”

Joy flushed. “No, I waited for college to start dating, too.” Joy didn’t know why she lied. Maybe she just didn’t want to talk about the number of times she’d gotten dumped when the guy found out Marla was her sister.

His eyebrows lifted. “Too bad we didn’t go to the same college.”

“Whatever…growing up, all the guys were after Marla, not me.” Joy studied the tiles under her Nikes.

“Ahh,” Eli cooed. “That explains a lot.”

She gazed at him.

“Your sister…I don’t want to insult you but she struck me as…high maintenance.”

Joy lifted an eyebrow. “High maintenance?”

Eli nodded, retrieved the menus and flipped through them as he spoke. “You know…fake boobs, expensive clothes…yet, she wasn’t dressed for work in the middle of a Wednesday.” He chose a bright orange menu and shoved the others back in the drawer. “Lots of makeup, not so much personality…” He seemed to catch himself and focused on Joy again. “Geez, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t talk about your sister like that.”

“No, you shouldn’t,” Joy agreed, “but by all means please continue.”

Eli laughed. “All I’m saying is that she’s putting in all this effort to be beautiful and she probably was pretty enough to begin with. I think most men prefer a natural beauty…like you.”

A very un-ladylike snort escaped before Joy could stop it.

“What’s so funny?” Eli said approaching her.

Joy tucked her hair behind her ears. She had to look up when he slipped one arm around her. “It’s not funny…it’s just that…I’ve never been referred to as a beauty. My sister is the former model…tall, thin, perfect.” She tried to take a step back but Eli wouldn’t let go of her.

“Are you kidding me? You’re a perfect fit. You’re soft, and sweet.” He slipped his hand under her sweater and brushed his fingers over her bare skin. He stopped at her bra hooks and changed direction, moving down again to touch her stomach and then up to cup her breast. “You have an infectious giggle, a beautiful smile, and you don’t smear makeup all over my pillows.”

Joy’s breath came in harsh gasps as he touched her. “So one of my most attractive features is the fact that I don’t wear makeup?”

Eli nodded. “That…and there’s that patch of freckles right here.” He tickled her gently below her left breast. Joy giggled and tried to wrestle his hand out of her clothes. “Don’t forget about the butterfly tattoo right here,” he said touching the spot on her hip he’d kissed many times.

Joy’s eyes widened. His fingers were trying to unbutton her jeans. She yelped and backed away from him. “If you meet my mother, don’t tell her about that.”

Eli’s green eyes went perfectly round. “I think you mean
when
…and did I discover your dirty little secret?”

“No!” Joy exclaimed, “I just haven’t told her…yet.”

Eli stepped away from her and chuckled, a low rumbling sound that made her ache to have his hands on her again.

“Can we change the subject, please?” she asked crossing her arms.

“Fine, how’s Chinese sound for dinner?” Eli waved the orange menu in the air.

“Chinese sounds wonderful.”

He grabbed the phone from its cradle and started dialing. “Vegetable fried rice and ginger chicken, right?”

She nodded even as her heart did a tiny celebration. Why was it such a big deal that he remembered exactly what Chinese food she liked?

Don’t be so easy
, she chided herself silently.

Joy wasn’t tired when they arrived at the condo in Destin. She was amazed by the sight of the white sand and cerulean Gulf waters outside of the windows; curious as to what exactly one did at the beach in the middle of February. She was anxious about the doubt her family had cast upon her new relationship. But not tired, far from it.

Joy turned away from the amazing view and walked into the bedroom where Eli was listening to music streaming from the internet after setting up his laptop on the desk. He had just finished unpacking his suitcase and was pulling it from the bed when she walked in.

“What do you think?” he asked as he put the bag in the closet.

“It’s amazing,” Joy admitted. “I’ve never seen anything so posh.”

Eli nodded. “My boss is loaded, but there are places around here way nicer than a seventeenth floor condominium.”

Joy nodded.

“Get over here,” Eli said holding his arms open.

Joy rushed into them and quickly surrendered to his kiss. She groaned in protest when he broke the kiss. “Let’s christen the bedroom,” Eli whispered hotly, making her nipples constrict. Joy was always surprised by the way her body responded to the slightest things he did or said.

She nodded and made quick work of her jeans, sweater, and t-shirt. Meanwhile, Eli tossed away his own pants and sweater. Joy reached to slip off her underwear but Eli was faster. He gripped the strings on each side and pulled outward; effectively ripping apart the tiny pink panties.

“Hey,” Joy protested, “That’s the third pair this week!”

“I’ll take you to Victoria’s Secret tomorrow, I promise.”

Joy would have agreed but once again his tongue occupied hers. She wiggled against him as his hands traveled up and down her body spanning her curves, over her ass, across her breasts, finally resting over her sex. He slipped a finger in, testing her wetness. A few quick dips satisfied him of her arousal and he pulled away. Eli took her hand and Joy realized too late that he was walking them to the large window on the far side of the bedroom where the drapes were open and the Gulf of Mexico lay below them.

“What are you doing?” she asked when he put both hands on her waist and pressed her against the cool glass. “That’s cold!” she squealed.

“I’ll get you warm,” Eli growled as he lifted her off her feet. Joy wrapped her legs around his back and gasped when he slid her down onto his cock.

She couldn’t feel the cool glass anymore. The goose bumps quickly disappeared as the heat, generated from their joined sexes, began to course through her completely. “Oh,” she moaned as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Eli groaned and began to piston in and out of Joy’s sweet pussy.

“I thought we were breaking in the bed,” she gasped.

“Said bedroom…not bed.” Eli watched her eyes flutter shut.

“Someone could see us,” Joy tried again.

“Don’t…care.” Eli leaned in to nibble the soft flesh just beneath her jaw.

“What about this glass? It could break!” Joy’s last protest was almost a shout because his thrusts were harder, driving her closer to orgasm with every movement.

“Hurricane proof glass…it’ll hold.”

Eli was saved any further protests because Joy’s body convulsed with her release. He smiled as her fingernails dug into his shoulders and her eyes flew open. Her eyes were wide, her nostrils flared, and she clenched her bottom lip in her teeth as she came just for him.

Eli waited for her orgasm to subside before he began fucking her again. Spurred on by Joy’s cries of ecstasy, he pounded into her feverishly. Finally, Joy screamed his name in orgasm and he surrendered to his own. When they were both spent, he put her back on her feet gingerly and gave her a slow, soul-searing kiss.

“Let me run you a bath before I run out and pick up dinner,” Eli whispered against her cheek.

“You’re going to spoil me,” Joy said giggling.

“That’s what Valentine’s Day getaways are all about.” He kissed her forehead and walked, naked toward the bathroom.

Joy scurried away from the window and began picking up the clothes they’d strewn all over the bedroom.

“Leave those,” Eli said when he returned from the bathroom, “I’ll get them.”

Joy smiled and dropped everything onto the floor. “We really shouldn’t leave a mess.”

“We won’t,” he said, “I’ll handle it, and what I can’t handle, the maid service will. I don’t want you to lift a finger this weekend.”

“Why?” asked Joy before she could stop herself.

He laughed as he pulled on his boxers. “For one thing, I want you to know what it’s like to be indulged. You have this habit of putting yourself last, and I just want you to know that I will always put you first.”

Joy felt herself begin to blush.

“And…I kind of let it slip to my mother that we’d be in town and she insists on meeting you before she heads back upstate.”

A strange noise escaped her at that point. It sounded like a cross between a gasp and a scream. “What?!” she shrieked after recovering. “Your mother?”

It was Eli’s turn to blush. “And my little sister.”