Secret Indiscretions (16 page)

W
hat the fuck is wrong with this crazy bitch?
Johnny shouted in his head as he looked at Vivana. He was pissed, but he didn't want to show it because he wasn't sure what his soon-to-be ex-lover was going to do next.

“Baby, isn't this resort beautiful,” Vivana said as she pressed the pages flat inside the latest issue of
Brides
magazine. She was admiring a two-page spread featuring a tropical resort. “I've done my research and this Cancun resort is the best one I've seen. I've never been to Cancun, have you?”

“Uh, no, I haven't,” Johnny answered, telling her a bald-faced lie. Cancun was where he and Geneva had spent their honeymoon in grand style in the presidential suite of one of the city's most exclusive and expensive luxury hotels. Ironically, the resort that Vivana was looking at was the very one where he and Geneva had stayed.

Johnny wanted to slap himself for not taking Bernard's advice to go home instead of meeting Vivana at the hotel tonight. When he arrived an hour ago she'd been overly apologetic about how she'd acted earlier today. “I'm so sorry about your jaw,” she'd said at least twenty times, touching his face with each apology.

You should be sorry,
he thought, but stopped himself from saying. Instead, he milked the sympathy she fed him and the fact that she was willing to get extra freaky in order to make up for the damage she'd done. And because he was going to break up with her anyway, he thought he should at least get one last tryst out of the deal before walking away and never seeing her again. So he unzipped his pants and welcomed the expert blow job she gave him, followed by a pounding penetration that he delivered inside her wet middle, before turning her over for a little backdoor action that culminated in a heart-pumping orgasm, which he felt he deserved after the long, hard day he'd had. Afterward, he was as satisfied and relaxed as a baby who'd just been fed, burped, and put down for a nap.

But his relaxation was short-lived when ten minutes into his post-orgasmic high, Vivana pulled out a magazine with a smiling woman on the cover who appeared to be dressed in a wedding gown. He strained his eyes to get a closer look, and he nearly jumped out of bed when he saw a bouquet of flowers in the woman's hand and a big caption that read
Brides
in bold letters.

Now, as he lay next to Vivana, who was snuggled close to him, all he could think about was how he was going to get out of bed and flee the scene without causing another incident like the one he'd experienced this morning.

Vivana tilted her head to the side, sweeping her long locks behind her right ear. “Well, since you've never been to Cancun and neither have I, it'll be a new adventure for both of us.” She looked at Johnny and gave him a sly smile, then folded down the top corner of the page to earmark it. “I was thinking we could go in a few months; that way we can celebrate the holidays in a tropical paradise. What do you think?” she asked, giving him another sly smile.

“I'm not so sure that's a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“Because . . .”

“If you're worried about the cost, don't. I know it's expensive, but I'll go in half with you. And when you think about it, there's no price you can put on spending eight days and seven nights of pure bliss and pleasure with the one you love,” she purred.

Love? Who the fuck said anything about love,
he thought. Johnny had never used the L word with Vivana or any of the other women he'd fooled around with. “That's not the point. We both have other obligations.”

“Johnny, neither one of us has to report in to a nine to five every day.”

He blinked his eyes in disbelief. “That's not the obligation I'm talking about. In case you forgot, we're both married. I had hell to pay when I stayed out for one night. Imagine what my wife would say if I was gone for a whole week. And how about your husband? I know you said that you pretty much come and go as you like, but a week? That's pushing it.”

Vivana was quiet. Slowly, she rose from the bed in all her naked glory and walked over to the window without saying a word. She leaned on her left leg, placed her hand on her hip, and craned her neck. Right then and there Johnny knew trouble was about to erupt. He'd dealt with enough women to pick up on the subtleties of certain body language. A roll of the eyes meant someone was frustrated as hell and completely over a situation. Sucking of the teeth meant someone was getting ready to be told off. And a strategically placed hand on the hip, coupled with a crane of the neck, meant someone was about to get their ass kicked. The pose that Vivana had just struck sent a wave of worry through him.

Johnny knew he was in a vulnerable position because he was lying in bed, butt naked, still in a little pain from his swollen jaw, and tired from a combination of his rough work day, crazy drama this morning, and rigorous sex this evening. He was in no condition to defend himself, let alone fight, but if he had to, he would. He slowly slid his legs toward the side of the bed in case he had to move quickly to get away from Vivana. He glanced over at his clothes and regretted that they were scattered across the floor instead of in one neat pile that he could grab in the event he had to make a mad dash.

Vivana turned around to face him. “I haven't forgotten that we're both married,” she said. “But that's a situation that can easily be fixed.”

He didn't want to ask, “How?” because he knew the answer, and it was something he had no interest in pursuing. All he could do was look at Vivana with a vacant stare.

She let out a huff. “We can both get a divorce. When two people feel the way we do about each other, they should be together, no matter what. We were made for each other.”

Johnny remained silent.

“We have undeniable chemistry,” she continued, “which is hard to find. You understand me and I totally get you. We've filled a void in each other's lives, and no matter what happens we're there for each other. What happened today is a perfect example.”

Johnny squinted his eyes. “How does what happened this morning equate to us being there for each other? You followed me and then tried to beat the shit out of my client and me. Your stunt cost me valuable business and left me with a swollen and bruised jaw. Excuse me if I don't see how that's being there for each other.” Johnny had meant to keep quiet, so as not to escalate the situation, but Vivana's outrageous comments were more than he could take.

Vivana shook her head and waved her index finger while making a
tsk
ing sound. “Now, now, now, don't get all upset and bent out of shape. What I meant is that in spite of the fact that we had a big misunderstanding this morning, we're back together, stronger than ever. I needed you tonight and you needed me, so here we are.”

Johnny didn't say a word, determined to stay quiet this time.

“And what's even more proof of the fact that we're meant to be is that, ironically, we're in the same room we shared last week,” she said with a big smile. “From now on, three nineteen is going to be our lucky number. Hell, I might even play it for the lotto.”

Johnny hadn't even realized they were in the same room as last week, and he honestly didn't care. All he wanted to do was get the hell up out of there.

“So you see,” Vivana continued, “we're getting all kinds of signs that we should be together and that we can weather any storm.”

Johnny looked at her with a blank stare.
She's lost her motherfuckin' mind!
he thought. If he was uneasy before, he was downright nervous now. Vivana had gone off the deep end. He knew he had to use his head to scale back the situation brewing, and the only way to do that was to pretend that the pain in his jaw was becoming unbearable, requiring him to go home so he could take the prescription pain meds that the fake doctor at his fake appointment this afternoon had prescribed, which was the story he was going to tell her.

But before Johnny could put his plan of lies into motion, Vivana walked toward the bed—breasts swinging, hips swaying—and sat down in the spot next to him where she'd been lying moments before. She leaned over, placed her head on his shoulder, and smiled. “I'm going to ask my husband for a divorce tonight and I want you to do the same when you go home to Geneva.”

The sound of his wife's name coming from Vivana's mouth left Johnny feeling cold. He pulled away from her and groaned loudly as he rubbed his jaw. “Urrgghhh, this pain is intense. I need to take the meds that my doctor prescribed.” He eased out of bed, still holding his jaw. He quickly pulled on his pants, stepped into his loafers, and then walked over to the corner and put on his shirt. He was missing his belt but he didn't have time to search for it because he knew that his window of opportunity to leave in one piece was getting shorter by the second. “My medicine is at home so I really need to go.”

Vivana raised her brow. “When did you visit the doctor and then have your prescription filled?”

Johnny had to think quickly. He didn't know if Vivana had continued to follow him the rest of the day or not. He couldn't afford to make a slip that could cause her to go off. “I didn't go to the doctor or the pharmacy today,” he said. “I have a prescription I got filled a while ago. I still have some pills left over, and it's a good thing I do because I need them right now.”

Vivana sat straight up. “Don't leave, baby. Stay here and I'll take care of you. I know exactly how to get your mind off your pain.”

“I really need to leave before this pain gets any worse.”

Vivana stood up and walked toward him. She planted her feet in a stance that one would use if steadying for a fight. Her arms hung down by her sides and her fists were formed into balls. “I said don't leave!” she growled.

Up to now, Johnny had been passively dismissive of Vivana's increasingly aggressive tone. But his ego-driven, alpha-male bravado wouldn't allow him to continue to be talked to or threatened in the manner in which she was doing. He stared back at her, eyes blazing with anger. “I guess you didn't hear what I just said. I'm in pain!” he shouted. “Pain that you fuckin' caused. Now I'm gettin' the hell outa here!”

“Dammit, Johnny! I told you, I'll take care of you.”

He grabbed his keys from the dresser. “This is nonsense.”

“This is love.”

Johnny couldn't control his temper or his mouth any longer. “No, this definitely isn't any kind of love. This is some crazy-ass bullshit. And I'm—”

Before he could get the rest of his words out, Vivana lunged toward him and threw her hefty arms around his shoulders, holding him tightly. “I'm only going to say this one more time. Don't leave!”

“Get the hell off me!” he yelled. Johnny tried to pull away but she held on even tighter.

“I'm not letting you go!” she screamed. “You're mine. All mine!”

“Bitch, your crazy ass better let go of me!”

Vivana slapped him across his face, right in the center of his swollen jaw.

“Dammit!” Johnny yelled. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

With a move quicker than he could react to, Vivana reached up, cupped her hands around his neck, and squeezed as hard as she could. Johnny was surprised by the strength she possessed because her grip was akin to that of a strapping man. He gasped as she continued her viselike hold, forcing him to struggle for air. She was still completely naked, which left her body vulnerable in strategic areas. He didn't want to hurt her, but he knew he had to use his brute strength before she choked him to death. In a move just as quick as Vivana's had been, he grabbed her hands as tightly as he could and pulled with a force that broke him free of her grip. But in the process she managed to dig her nails into his skin so deep that she drew blood.

Vivana clawed at his flesh like a wild animal. “I got your bitch, muthafucka!” she screamed.

Johnny's first instinct was to give her a firm right hook, just as she'd done to him this morning. But even in this intense situation, he was still hesitant to hit a woman. He tried to grab her hands again, but she was out of control. She clawed and scratched his face even more before ripping the sleeve of his shirt in her violent tirade, damaging his shoulder in the process. His skin felt as though he'd been burned, and he knew he had to get away before this turned into a situation that landed him downtown in the county jail. He grabbed Vivana by her shoulders and pushed her hard until she fell to the floor.

“Urrgghhh,” she groaned, landing with a hard thud.

Johnny turned on the heels of his polished loafers as if he was wearing a pair of track shoes and dashed to the door. Vivana sobbed and cursed him from where she lay, still moaning in pain as he made his getaway.

Once he slammed the door behind him, Johnny ran to the elevator as fast as he could and was glad it was empty when he stepped inside. He breathed hard, pressing his index finger against the close button to make sure no one else got on as he rode down the next two floors.

Johnny had thought that this morning's incident had been rough, and completely ratchet. But what had just happened was something he couldn't begin to wrap his brain around. He knew that Vivana was a feisty, aggressive, take-charge kind of woman, which was one of the reasons he'd been drawn to her in the first place. Plus, he knew that those same characteristics could present the possibility of her being a freak between the sheets, which she was. But if he'd known those same qualities served to make her a raving lunatic with a violent streak, he would've stayed as far away from her as possible.