AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her brown eyes widen as she gasps. “Goodness, no, no, I don’t need that much. Maybe just ten grand to get started? Would that be okay?”
I nod and smile at her.
“Give me just a sec,” I say before striding off to my home office. When I return, there’s a check for fifteen thousand dollars in my hand, and I press it into her palm before wrapping her fingers around it. “If you need more, just let me know, okay honey? I’ll be more than happy to provide additional funds if we get there.”
Simona’s eyelashes flutter with shock as she stares at the paper.
“Thanks, James.” Her eyes start to tear up, but she quickly blinks the moisture away and flashes me a shy smile. “You don’t know how much I appreciate this.”
I lean over to kiss her forehead.
“It’s my pleasure, sweetheart. Now eat. You’ve been working hard and you’ll be needing your energy tonight.”
She giggles at the innuendo and we settle into the meal with aplomb. Once the mains are done, Simona disappears for a moment and then reappears with an enormous yellow lemon meringue pie.
“How did you know this is my favorite?” I ask, stupefied.
“I didn’t,” she laughs. “It’s just a coincidence,” she says, serving me a slice. I marvel at the perfection while taking a huge bite.
“Goddamn, this is delicious. Life doesn’t get better than this, sweetheart. A beautiful woman, a tasty meal, and then a dessert that hits the spot. It’s good to be alive.”
She giggles while taking a small bite of pie herself.
“You know, James,” she begins conversationally while licking a bit of cream from her lips. “I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I have no idea what your job is about.”
“I’m an executive at my family’s company,” I reply. “You know that, right?”
She nods.
“Yes, but what do you do?”
I decide to be vague.
“My family’s into a lot of stuff, and over the years, it’s been built up into a huge conglomerate, so we dabble in a number of things. The business is boring, honey, and I don’t want to have you falling asleep at the table. But you know that I took some time off recently, right? I took a sabbatical from my job and traveled the world for a year.”
Her eyes widen.
“Yes, you mentioned, and it must have been fun.”
I nod, taking another huge bite of lemon meringue. “It was, and I don’t regret the extended break one bit. I went everywhere, including South East Asia, Europe, and even New Zealand. I met so many great people and learned so much about different languages and cultures. It was the most significant experience I’ve had as an adult so far, and it changed me,” I finish simply.
Simona nods and places her hand over mine.
“Of course. I can imagine that traveling for so long would change a person,” she says. “Those kinds of experiences will always open your eyes to new sights, sounds, and experiences, and I guess that’s why people love doing it.”
I nod and pause for a moment. Should I reveal the changes the trip wrought? On the one hand, it’s very personal, but on the other, I feel comfortable around this woman and Simona deserves to know.
“Yeah, but this trip did more than just expand my horizons in the usual way.”
The pretty brunette squeezes my hand and smiles. “How so?”
I look at the table before speaking.
“While I was abroad, I wasn’t celibate, sweetheart. I had sex. A lot of it, with a lot of women, and that includes ladies of the night.”
Simona nods thoughtfully.
“Yes, you mentioned that during our first date.”
I meet her eyes and continue.
“Exactly, and it partially explains the way that I am now. Before I left New York City, I was pretty vanilla in bed. I liked missionary, and I liked doggie, but that was about it. Now, after my travels, I like it all. Restraints. Toys. Implements. Equipment. Girls who let me do anything and everything to them. To be honest, I was worried I’d never taste that level of raunch and depravity again if I came back stateside.”
Simona’s cheeks are bright red, and her voice trembles as she speaks. “Yes, but we’ve been doing all of that,” she whispers. “You haven’t held back.”
I squeeze her hand and meet her eyes again.
“Exactly, and that’s why you’re perfect for me sweetheart. It’s worked out, hasn’t it?”
She flushes, her cheeks coloring.
“Yes, and I know I’ve told you this before too, but the last week with you has been like a dream come true for me. I’ve wanted to explore my naughtier side for so long now, but I never got the chance.” She runs a hand through her silken tresses. “Even though I’m a working girl, you’d be surprised at how many guys just want to talk,” she says ruefully. “Or how they want me to be their mother and their girlfriend rolled into one. It’s pretty tame, so this has been a nice change.”
