The Cowboy Who Strolled Into Town (14 page)

Mary, on her part, was somehow disappointed that the meal was at an end. She was not so sure she wanted to part ways with this handsome stranger, who spoke with a faint, foreign accent just yet. The accent fed the spy theory somewhat but she laughed, knowing it remained far-fetched. He had kept his eyes down the whole time, and had avoided her eyes at all costs, she had observed. He had been on his best behavior, but she was very sure there lay a rascal beneath all that façade-maybe even a cruel one! The coldness of the water as she cleaned the plates did nothing for the heat coursing through her veins at the moment. She tried to make chit-chat.

“My brother’s clothes look good on you.” she said without turning.

“Thanks,” Leander said, with that foreign accent she found so intriguing “They certainly do the trick.”

An awkward silence followed.

“Well I guess you will be taking his room too for the night.” She finally conceded, a faint feeling of defeat creeping over her. What had she expected anyway?

She turned to take one last look at him, as she heard his chair scraping out from under the table, and was greeted with the largest bulge in his crutch she had ever seen.

Leander froze, his face reddening as he realized he had been caught.

Mary asked breathlessly, “You’re not going to hurt me are you?”

“Not unless you want me to” Leander replied, equally breathless, and past the point of caring; he wanted this woman more than he had ever wanted any woman in his life.

They met halfway between the round kitchen table and the sink, and for a second, it was not clear what was happening. They moved with a swiftness propelled by a flame of passion so strong that both of them feared it would fatally consume them.

Leander was aroused by the softness of her every inch of skin, and the soft moans she let out in his ear as he covered her neck with feral kisses. Mary caressed his hard, muscular back, pulling him deeper into her. Her bosom vibrated with the deep growl that emanated from deep within his chest as he covered her mouth with scorching kisses; kisses that melted her feet which soon gave way. Leander was a generous lover, instinctively sensing her needs he grabbed her, lifted her, and put her on his waist. She gasped and moaned at the hardness of him which was straining and threatening to burst through her brother’s pants. She was heavy, but pleasantly so, Leander thought and in a daze he started for Andre’s bedroom.

“No, the other one!” Mary interjected breathlessly, “To my room further along”

This was turning out to be a fantasy night of the most sublime proportions and she was not going to have it end on Andre’s bed.

They burst through the door of the room, still tangled, like a destructive gale, landing on the bed with a loud thud. Leander gingerly pulled aside the strands that held her nightie in the back, thinking how much he loved the silken touch of it but knowing it was nothing compared to the treasures underneath.

Mary was beside herself with excitement and she vaguely remarked that the adverts where not joking as she closed her eyes at the pure sensual feel of the garment on her skin as Leander pulled both ends away. The sudden contrast of the cold air against her heated body excited her further, and she curled her toes in anticipation. Mary had never seen this much desire for her in a man’s eyes, and everything seemed to retreat into oblivion, as Leander leaned back to admire her supple frame for several moments.

Leander thought she looked absolutely lovely, and he set about discovering her body inch by inch with his tongue. Starting with her large breast, he caressed both nipples one after the other, sending shivers of excitement up and down her spine.

She moaned in agitation, squeezing the sheets beneath her in anticipation as he threw his shirt off. Kneeling there on the bed, between the warmness of her thighs, he looked like a marble sculpture of a Greek god. She sat erect to feel his chest and abs which, but for the heat, certainly felt like marble. He pushed her back to the bed, and opened her thighs wider. Sliding her panties off, he went down on her, his tongue slipping in and out like an acrobatic eel.

Sparks went off in Mary’s mind, and she moaned desperately as his capable tongue did wonders across the warm folds of her womanhood; the only thing keeping her to earth being his strong arms as they gripped her thighs while he worked. She moaned some more.

Leander, in response, pleasured her even more. He teased her, and took her to the absolute apex of pleasure. When she was jumping out of her skin, his pants came off in a flash and Mary gave a soft moan as he penetrated her. His movement slow and methodical applied for maximum effect. He explored every inch of her body he could with his hands and lips while he was in her, as if he wanted his whole being to remember her body.

She gripped his muscular back, pushing into him as they both climaxed. They stayed together a few more moments before separating albeit reluctantly.

They lay side by side contentedly, neither saying a word lest they destroy the magic of the moment. Both of them were waiting for the other to catch their breath, something as beautiful as what had just transpired should be done more than once-severally even.

Chapter 4

Leander set out the next day on foot, still in Andre’s t-shirt and jeans. He felt good and thought a walk would make things even better. He felt like he was walking on clouds. He did not let the fact that he had lied that his name was Vitaliy Kolarov bring his mood down. He had not been sure that he wanted this woman who said her name was Mary Joanna, to know who he was just yet. He was still plagued by self-doubt and in the laser sharp logic of those who thrive off short changing others emotionally in relationships; he had given a false name. Not too false because the last name was the same, and as he reflected on it now he realized he had given his brother’s name. He was not surprised at this choice as he had been obsessed by the name
Vitaliy
all week.

He took his phone out and called for a cab rather than one of the myriad vehicles that were at his disposal.

Mary decided to sleep in that Saturday. Yesterday had seemed impossible, so today seemed to come with endless possibilities, and she was going to dream all the way. It was the best she could hope for. She could not shake the feeling that she had seen him somewhere, but the name Vitaliy Kolarov rang no bells whatsoever.

Mary squeezed herself under the blanket, and succinctly accepted before she closed her eyes that she would forever associate the name Vitaliy with sweet, secret, late night pleasures.

Mary silently beat herself up for not engineering a next date. She felt there was more to him than met the eye, and if she had not been out of the game for so long, she probably would have.

Above all she did not want to come across as desperate. She wanted him to come to her and not the way round. Play it cool she thought.

****

Two weeks later Mary had not seen, nor heard from “Vitaliy” Kolarov. She was anything but cool.

She had moved through worry, disgust, stress, and now she was just plain mad. Mad at herself for believing that she could get anything worthwhile in the long run by sleeping with a total stranger, mad at herself for that moment of vulnerability. She was especially mad, however, at he who had acted so sincere, and had taken advantage of her. Every touch had seemed loaded with meaning, and now she could hardly stand those once cherished memories. Serves me right for closing a deal too early and trusting a man to look beyond the goods, she thought.

She immersed herself into work in a bid to move past her feelings of disgust. She put in more hours at the center, to the obvious joy for Marjorie. The kids had really warmed up to the new addition to the staff, one whom the boys thought was hot and was just young enough to be an older sister but only just. She kept up with the furious energy for a further two weeks. There were days when she almost felt like sleeping over at the center. Rather than sleep on those same sheets she had shared with “him”, as she had begun to refer to Leander.

Leander had had an exciting and hectic month with his nephew Vitaliy. The boy, with a blond head and azure eyes like his uncle was the spitting image of his father. Leander had looked at the earliest image he had of his older brother Vitaliy but in living color. He had experienced that same tug at his heart strings from earlier and had doted on his young nephew. The boy, equally excited about being in the states, had jumped at the chance to experience the life of the rich and famous from the other side of the television screen. They had gone everywhere Leander could think of.

Looking back on the month, he could give a satisfied smile. Private jets all over the country, a bevy of women always in toe, from one plush nightclub to the next, it had been a whirlwind of a trip-for Vitaliy jr that is.

Leander suspected there was something wrong with himself. While the teenage girls had found Vitaliy’s accent exotic, enabling him to gather a few notable scores, Leander had not been able to think of any woman long enough to get excited about her. His mind kept wandering back to the dim room where Mary Joanne had owned his imagination, every inch of his being

No longer was he excited by the trendy beauty of the models he usually surrounded himself with. Their skinny bodies no longer held their former appeal. He had seen a woman,
the
woman; beautiful inside as well as outside, and he inwardly resolved to look for her the moment he got back.

He turned to look at his nephew stretched asleep in another seat of the private jet. He looked outside to the silvery reflection of the moon on the clouds below them as they flew above and reflected, not for the first time, that this lifestyle would be so much better with Mary Joanne in it.

****

“Uncle I understand now!” Vitaliy jr shouted at the breakfast table beside the pool, back at the house on the affluent North of the city, “You homosexual no?!”

Leander almost choked on his morning tea-he thought that at twenty nine, he was too young for morning coffee, “What would make you say that?!” he asked clearly amused.

“Well you see plenty beautiful women and you no touch one! Maybe you like the man instead. It is okay to share.” The young man said earnestly, “You is family and I no judge”

That was too much and Leander burst out laughing. He loved this kid, and the more they spent time together, the more he hoped to have a family of his own one day. He had been wrong to separate himself from his family for this long.

“Hey you want to see something neat?” Leander asked

He took a croissant and flung a small piece into the piece into the pool.

Vitaliy  jr clapped as a bird swooped down and picked it up with its claw.

****

“Miss Joanne, you’re pregnant!” the elderly doctor said; with a wide grin on his face “Congratulations!”

Mary smiled back, said thanks, took the results, and left the office.

She had seen this coming. She had suspected she was pregnant the moment she had started realizing the male staffers and even the older kids had started being overtly attentive and kind.

Instead of being flattered, she had suspected something amiss when it started getting harder to get up in the mornings.

Damn you Vitaliy Kolarov she thought to herself, as she made it back to her beat down car waiting in the parking lot. She sobbed quietly during the drive home.

Mary had grown up with an alcoholic father, and while that was not exactly ideal, she had also known many kids on the block who had no dads and she was happy for what life had given her. Now it seemed her baby would have to join the ranks.

Damn you Vitaliy Kolarov she thought again.

True to form, she switched on the entertainment channel and was greeted with Leander’s smiling face.

Only for a brief second, then it was gone. I knew that scoundrel looked familiar, she thought. She thought she had seen a boy who looked just like him hanging about to his side-
so he had a son too!

She had probably seen him on the television, which was why he looked so familiar. He was probably a married celebrity pervert who had been looking for a brief tumble in the rough to satisfy his sick appetite.

Damn him!

****

Old Ms. Marjorie Landry was patiently observing Mary as she took her time taking a seat at the opposite end of the desk.

“You okay child?” she asked concernedly, “I am aware that you are asking for a short leave for health reasons?” Ms. Landry persisted.

“It’s okay Marjorie; I just don’t feel well that’s all. I don’t want to be a nuisance around here that’s all”

“I seen the way the guys treat you these days, all the attention you getting…”

“What?! No way Marjorie” Mary said blushing, “You’re like a mama to me and I swear I would tell you anything if anything was up-especially something like that. I just taking real good of myself that’s all” she said and tried to laugh it off.

Ms.  Landry let it lie.

“Well I wanted to ask you a favor before you leave for your break child. We got a Vitaliy Kolarov who is very interested in our soccer department and would like to join in on the fun during the holidays.”

The name hit Mary like a lightning bolt, “Who did you say wanted to play soccer and why am I needed exactly?”

“Young kid from Russia: You know this Europeans are passionate about the damn game. Why this is important because the youth center is more than just one department or one kid. It is a complex structure that requires complex needs; one of dem’s finance. This kid has got a rich uncle and I want you to sell this place to him.

Now before you start protesting and saying otherwise I want you to agree with me that you know this place better than the others do-you practically grew up here, and since you showed up the kids have really warmed up to you”

“Ms. Majorie you are a rogue,” Mary said, smiling and shaking her head, “you sure that the only reason you sending me out there to sell this place”

“Sure child, now go out there and make me proud-all dem kids is counting on you!”

“You speak as if they are already here Marjorie” Mary asked surprised. She was not sure that she was up to the task. She would rather go home and cry her eyes out. The name Vitaliy Kolarov had sent shivers through her body but when she had realized it was a child been expected she realized it was just a coincidence, “I don’t think it’s me you want ma’am” she insisted as she was literally dragged through out of the office.

“Shush now,”Ms. Landry said, “they should be here any minute”

****

Vitaliy Kolarov stepped out of the black limousine, which had parked quite close to the youth center building. Leander did not care too much for the scorching sun.

Vitaliy was already out of the limousine, headed for a pair of African-American ladies standing in front of a door at the end of a veranda. Leander was about to follow the young blood when he froze. He was sure one of those women was Mary.

Leander, normally supremely confident, felt queasy in his stomach. He was excited but also afraid. After all he had disappeared for a month and a half.

The moment Mary got over the initial surprise at the uncanny resemblance of the boy Vitaliy to the one she knew, she stepped out in his direction.

Leander was not sure what was going to happen, but like that night, he was past caring and he was ready for anything. This was just as well, because he sensed hostility in her steps towards them.

Vitaliy on his part was amused by the large, beautiful, dark and angry woman who was striding towards him. Very confident that he could not be the object of her scorn, he stepped aside, and she passed him like a gale, without so much as a glance.

Ms. Landry, who had been nodding in approval all this while, started shaking her head as she tried to call out to Mary to point out the real Vitaliy Kolarov as she blew past him without a word.

Leander knew he had something coming, but he stood his ground. He thought his memories did her no justice; she looked even sexier than he remembered. Mary could not recognize the clean cut man who she was fast approaching, his suit looked more than her monthly salary could afford; a far cry from the drunken wreck who had fallen through her doorway. She was not sure what she was going to do, but she wanted it to hurt. God your handsome she thought as she punched him square on the nose.

Vitaliy flinched as he watched his uncle go down. Ms. Landry flew into a hissy, and she sped as fast as she could towards the drama unfolding at the other end of the veranda.

Young Vitaliy could not help himself, and laughed loudly as he went to his uncle’s aid ahead of Ms. Landry. He was loving every second spent in this country.

“And that is for taking advantage of me!” Mary hissed, kicking a poor, hapless Leander in the stomach with her sneakers.

Mary could see the chauffeur was out now and approaching, so she sped off at a ninety degree angle, in the direction of her beat down car. Ms. Landry was confused about whom to go after: Something was going on; should she go after her long-time friend and co-worker or should she go for the potential donor? She decided to follow the money and sped to join the group helping the young billionaire on the floor.

Before she could reach however, Leander was up and running in the direction Mary had gone. As if on cue, Mary burst forth from round a corner in her beat down car in a flurry of dust and screeching wheels, and nearly ran him over. It was all he could do to dive out of the way.

Young Vitaliy literally had to hold his mouth to stifle the laughter gurgling forth. He decided that he was going to keep a diary of his time over in the United States. Ms. Landry was beside herself with distress: this was definitely going south, and she had no clue how to salvage the situation despite her experience in the field.

Leander quickly took the keys from the chauffeur. It had been ages since he had last driven himself and he was not sure of his skills, but every Russian man knows that a good woman is worth chasing; he instructed young Vitaliy to stay with Ms. Landry, to whom he offered his sincerest apologies and he was off in a flurry of dust and screeching tires as well; after the woman he had pined for, for the last month or so.

The chauffeur, who was a bit elderly, was calm, he had learned to expect anything from the rich and famous down the years; Ms. Landry was shaking her head, still not sure of what had happened. The whole debacle could not have taken more than three minutes but a sniggering Vitaliy felt he could have written volumes. He could already see how it would go in his diary.