Page 128 of Naughty Nelle

“You’re the wrong kind of woman for him.”

Her tone went from cold to cutting. Each word was a knife to my heart. I was glad I was wearing the Ray-Bans so that she couldn’t see the hurt in my eyes as she continued.

“He needs someone mature, independent, and with class. Someone who can take an active role in society, host dinner parties, and know what private schools are best for his son.”

His mother. He already had one and didn’t need another. Anger was rising in me like bread in an oven.

Her eyes narrowed into sharp slivers of glass. “I’d like you to consider dropping him, and I will make it worth your while.”

Was she bribing me?

“Help!” The word sounded loudly in my ears before I could respond.

Gwen jumped to her feet. “Oh my God,” I heard her mutter.

My eyes darted to the pool. Ben was in the deep end, flailing his arms. “Help!” he screamed again as his head sank under the water.

Vadim, fully clothed, was in the water too, swimming toward the child at Olympian speed. I held my breath while Gwen, truly terrified, cupped both hands over her mouth.

My eyes didn’t blink once as I watched Vadim pull the limp child out of the pool and onto the concrete. His mouth pressed against the child’s mouth as he pumped his large hands against his slender chest. My heart was in my throat…and then the little boy squirmed and bolted up. Gwen and I breathed out loud sighs of relief in unison.

“Oh, God. He almost drowned once before.”

“How?” I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

“His mother took a combination of sedatives and alcohol and fell asleep out here. While she was out, Ben fell into the pool; he was only a toddler. Had Olga not been bringing out lunch, we would have lost him.”

I digested her words. The picture of Ari’s ex-wife was getting clearer and clearer in my head. What other terrible things did she do to Ben…and my Adonis? Loathing for this woman was seeping through my veins.

Within seconds, Ben was back to his playful self, high-fiving Vadim.

“It looks like he’s okay,” I commented.

Turning to me, Gwen narrowed her incendiary eyes. “Sarah, my brother needs someone responsible. You’re just a child who throws temper tantrums in restaurants and wants to play with toys.”

Her words stung me like the wasp buzzing around me. She had no clue who I was. Or what I was capable of…literally no idea what I did to take care of both my mother and myself.

“Consider my offer, Sarah. I’ll draw up a contract.” She rolled up her magazine. “And one last thing, please don’t tell my brother about this incident. Ari would rather die than lose that child.”

She stalked back to the house, leaving me with decisions to make.

When I got back to the house, I learned that Ari was taking me to a cocktail party at the home of one of his clients. Gwen was staying put, looking forward to a quiet evening with Ben and Olga’s homemade pierogi for dinner. After our run-in this afternoon, I was glad she wasn’t coming along.

Before I headed back to the guesthouse to shower and change, Ari whispered in my ear. “Wear the jeans and a T-shirt. And the only panty line I want to see is that of your tan.”

No panties. No bra. No surprise.

Returning to my quarters, the first thing I did was call my mother again. Fortunately, this time she picked up. I inwardly sighed with relief. Though she sounded weary, it was good to hear her voice. I told her I was at the beach; she was pleased to hear that I was enjoying myself. I didn’t tell her I was spending the weekend with a stranger I met on a train. After I said goodbye to her, I immediately called Mrs. Blumberg and asked her to feed Jo-Jo. She had a spare set of keys to my apartment, allowing her access. Of course, the busybody wanted to know where I was. I told her I was visiting a girlfriend. She didn’t believe me and went on about the dangers of going away with men you didn’t know. “Didn’t you read in the papers about that poor girl who got stabbed to death by some meshuganah she met on the Internet?” Rolling my eyes, I told her to stop worrying, that I was fine.

I thanked her for taking care of Jo-Jo and hastily bid the naysayer goodbye. It was time to get ready for the party. I stripped off my clothes and headed to the bathroom.

The shower—with its state-of-the-art massage showerhead—was divine. But lonely. As the hot, pulsing water poured over me, kneading my muscles, I fantasized about Ari sharing the shower with me. Closing my eyes, I arched my head. I could see his face—those sexy, sapphire eyes—and feel his hard body against mine, his hands soaping me up all over. The space between my inner thighs ached for his thick length. And the stroke of his long fingers.

Craving his stimulation, I rubbed my soapy hand over my mound—stimulating my clit just like he did it. Pleasure? I wasn’t sure. I needed to come, and the only way I could was by imagining him. The orgasm came quickly, but not with the magnitude, endurance, or insane ecstasy he could give me. I was only placating myself, compensating for the emptiness I felt inside me. Masturbation had its place but not its glory.

As I dried myself with a thick, fluffy towel, my cell phone rang. Letting the towel fall to the tile floor, I ran out of the bathroom stark naked, thinking maybe something bad had happened to my mother. When it came to my mother, my mind always jumped to the worst-case scenario.

Hands shaking, I picked up the phone, which I’d left on the nightstand in the bedroom. The caller ID said “unknown caller” which freaked me out more. Maybe it was a doctor from the hospital calling.

---