Chapter 11

 

Over the following weeks Jeanette and Alonzo fell into an easy flow as they grew closer. Each morning started with a good morning text from Alonzo. In the evenings they talked on the phone late into night way past her bedtime. Whether on the phone, together in each other’s arms on the loveseat, or at his place they spoke in Spanish. She loved when he murmured words of endearment slow and sensual gliding over her like warm honey.

At Gloria’s urging, Jeanette cut back her work hours to one evening during the week and Saturdays. At first Jeanette wanted to buck at the idea, until she gave thought to her aunt’s request. Gloria was a proud woman. Perhaps it was becoming too much for Gloria to close the school by herself in the evenings while Jeanette went to her second job. If that was the case, her aunt would never come right out and tell her so.

The thought of Jeanette putting stress on her aunt had never crossed Jeanette’s mind. Bringing in extra money was her goal. Gloria’s health and wellbeing were more valuable than a few dollars. Besides, cutting back her hours was a good thing. It freed up her time to have a budding social life. On the evenings Alonzo was with Julio preparing for the grand opening, Jeanette was enjoying meeting her college girlfriends at the local Starbucks.

Alonzo with his sweet self had her car towed to his father’s auto shop. With her vehicle in for repairs, Alonzo would leave work early to make sure she got to Macy’s on time and picked her up after her shift was done. Their first tiff was over him wanting to take her to work on Saturday mornings.

“You’re doing enough, Alonzo. I can take the bus.”

“I don’t want you out there that time of morning in the cold.”

“Alonzo, I said I can take bus. Please drop it…okay?”

His anger held by a fragile thread at her stubbornness, he snapped, “Fine!” before bounding down the stairs, his heavy boots sounding like The Incredible Hulk as stormed out of her apartment.

Later that night he tried calling. When she wouldn’t answer, he texted her an apology to which she never replied.

She couldn’t hide the smile that Saturday evening as she headed out the exit closest to the bus stop. Alonzo’s SUV was parked at the curb. Before she could get to the vehicle, he hopped out the truck, and ran around to the passenger side to open the door for her.

Uggh! She wanted to sashay right on by him. Two things kept her from being a fool. One it was cold outside. And two, she couldn’t resist his sexy grin.

“Still mad at me, sweetheart?”

Jeanette rolled her eyes, determined to keep the smile in check dying to come out. “I guess not.”

For his thoughtfulness Jeanette rewarded him with a peck on the lips. If he behaved, he’d get more later.

“You’re such a tease, sweetheart.”

Jeanette tilted her head, a sassy smirk on her lips.

“Get in the car.” She pointed to an isolated area of the parking lot. “Go over there.”

She climbed in the back seat as the vehicle rolled to a stop and was put in park. Alonzo followed when she gave him a sultry come-hither look. Raised a good girl, Jeanette had never done anything as brazenly outrageous as what she was about to do, in all places, the backseat of a SUV.

Jeanette removed her coat, throwing it to the side as she straddled his lap.

“Is this better?” She murmured against his mouth, kissing him slow and deep.

Alonzo’s roaming hands was fanning a slow flame to life. She moaned at the feel of his hardness, desperately wishing there wasn’t multiple barriers between them.

It must’ve been the fogged windows that alerted the mall security to the sensual foreplay going on in the rear seats. Jeanette hid behind Alonzo’s massive body as the security guard tapped on the glass before shining a flash light yelling at them to get moving.

“Alonzo, get me out of here. I know him!” Jeanette fussed frantically straightening out her clothes.

“Sweetheart, it was your idea to seduce me.”

Jeanette giggled. “Oh, shut up. You know you liked it.”

Alonzo hopped behind the wheel. He adjusted the rearview mirror so he could make eye contact with her in the back.

“Wanna find another spot?”

“No!”

 

***

 

Jeanette had the pleasure of meeting Alonzo’s father at the auto shop when she went with him to pick up her car. Javier Castro was a master mechanic; with the horrible shape her ride was in even a master like him couldn’t work a miracle overnight. Two weeks without her baby had been hard. However, the time was well worth the wait.  When Javier was done fixing and detailing her hooptie it shined like new. She wanted to cry when he started the engine and it purred to life.

God bless Javier. He even repaired the tiny dings, the stuck door, and gave it a new paint job. The door no longer squeaked like somebody was trying to murder it.

When the elder Castro cut the engine off, handed her the keys and the invoice, Jeanette’s eyes went wide. She gazed up at Javier. In Spanish she said, “Mr. Castro, I can’t—”

His large hands affectionately grabbed hers. He replied in his native tongue, “It’s taken care of. Don’t worry about it.”

Her gaze dropped to stare at her black shoes. She wondered if Alonzo told his father about her financial struggles. Embarrassed, her gaze shot over to Alonzo. Nothing in his eyes said he had betrayed her by telling her business.

“Thank you, Mr. Castro.”

“You’re welcome.” He smiled at her and then at his son. “My pleasure.”

Alonzo returned his father’s smile. Things were going great between him and Jeanette. It pleased him his dad’s response to Jeanette had been warm and friendly. Jeanette was a chattering, nervous mess on the drive over.

“What if he doesn’t like me?” had been her legitimate concern.

He assured her—hoping like crazy—that everything would be fine. And it was. Alonzo could tell his dad was impressed Jeanette spoke Spanish by the way his eyes lit up when she didn’t greet him in English, but instead conversed with him the entire time in Spanish. He wondered if his mother would be pleasantly surprised as well. Probably not. A fact Alonzo wouldn’t bother to concern himself with for now.

His feelings for Jeanette were real. If his mother wanted to push him away so be it. What he and Jeanette had was special. It went beyond the physical. Sex hadn’t been the foundation of their relationship. He made the mistake in the past of believing intimacy solved everything wrong in a relationship. Did he want her? Yes!

Every time they got hot and heavy, their passion threatening to overtake them, Jeanette would put the brakes on dousing the flames. He wanted to make love her. Even came close to begging a time or two for what he knew was going to be an incredible experience. He wouldn’t push. When they made love, it would be when Jeanette ready. And not a minute sooner. She was worth the wait.

“Alonzo,” his father called out breaking his reverie. “Son, your mind is a thousand miles away.”

Alonzo’s turned crimson at being caught daydreaming.

“Sorry, Papá. What were you saying?”

Jeanette almost passed out on the floor when Javier repeated, “Why don’t you bring Jeanette to Thanksgiving dinner.”

As soon as hope bloomed in Alonzo’s chest, it withered. He wanted to accept his father’s invitation. The terrified look on Jeanette’s face wouldn’t allow him to say yes. He didn’t have to be a mind reader to know she was apprehensive about meeting Marta.

An awkward silence permeated the air as Jeanette’s gaze darted around the shop landing on a mechanic in the bay with his head under the hood of a hunter green Camry. When her eyes came to rest on Alonzo, her heart melted. She could tell he was struggling to give his father an answer. The last thing she wanted was for him to be caught in the middle. He’d been too good to her to have him in such an impossible predicament.

“I’d love to come to Thanksgiving dinner, Mr. Castro.”

The holiday was two weeks away plenty of time for her to get her nerves together to face Marta. The worst that could transpire was his mother said something ignorant to piss her off. And if that did happen she would deal with the fallout then, and not stress about it now.

The brightness in Javier’s dark eyes was identical to Alonzo’s when he smiled, taking Jeanette’s hands in his.

“Thank you for accepting. My son has said a lot of wonderful things about you.”

Giddy, Jeanette glanced at Alonzo. Sliding his hands into his pockets a bashful grin curved his lips as he dropped his head. Was he blushing? It was the most adorable thing. A big, virile man like him acting all self-conscious.

So, he’d been talking about her to his father. Did that mean she wasn’t alone in how she felt about them as a couple? Was he too teetering on the edge of falling in love?

 If he talked about her as much as she talked about him to Auntie, Alonzo was driving Javier insane. Earlier that morning Gloria teased, “Child, you’ve finally been bit by the love bug.”

Jeanette smiled at Javier. “You’re welcome. Thanks for inviting me.”

“Sweetheart, are you ready?”

“Yes. I’m ready.”

Jeanette offered her hand to Javier. “It was nice meeting you, Mr. Castro.”

Instead of shaking her hand, Javier pulled her into a fatherly hug. “Nice meeting you as well, Jeanette.”

Javier shook Alonzo’s hand before grabbing him in a fatherly embrace. He whispered in Alonzo’s ear, “She’s a good girl. Tell her soon, son.”

Alonzo nodded. “See you later, Papá.”

 

***

 

“Oh, my goodness, Alonzo. That food Julio prepared was beyond delicious,” Jeanette praised as Alonzo opened the door to his contemporary style home tucked away in a secluded suburb in Montgomery county, twenty-five minutes outside of Philadelphia.

Jeanette fell in love with the spacious two story, four-bed and five-bath home. Some would think white, gray and black décor was too blah, but Jeanette didn’t. The place was sleek, modern and masculine without being too overbearing.

Alonzo boasted, “Yeah, my bro got skills.”

Comfortable in his space, Jeanette removed her coat and hung it in the coat closet to the right of the foyer.

After they picked her car up from the auto shop, he followed her home. Instead of going up to her place and ordering dinner in, Alonzo led her to his SUV.

“Here, put this on,” he told her handing her a bandana.

“For what?” she asked scrunching up her face.

“Just do it, sweetheart. I promise you’re going to like what I have for you.”

“I feel like a freak,” she grumbled imagining what she must look like to people in the other cars as he drove her to only God knew where. When they arrived at their destination, he removed the blindfold. She was standing in the middle of an industrial kitchen. The fragrant aroma of a myriad of foods mingled causing her mouth to water. Was that fried chicken she smelled?

The handsome, slightly shorter guy standing beside Alonzo had to be his brother, Julio.

“Welcome to the heart of Cuban Soul,” he announced, spreading his arms wide, turning in a slow circle. His grin was just as sexy and potent as Alonzo’s. The man oozed charisma. Yeah, he was definitely Alonzo’s brother.

After the introductions were made, Julio ushered them to a table set off to the side. He pulled out a chair for Jeanette to sit.

“I invited you two for a tasting of a few of the items on the menu.”

He apologized for not offering Jeanette the full dining experience.  “I would have loved to seated you in the dining room. The crew is still working on the seating area and it’s pretty dusty in there. If you like, I can still show you around after you’re done.”

Jeanette smiled. “I would like that, Julio.”

He winked at her. “You got it, pretty lady.”

She kicked Alonzo under the table when he grunted at his brother’s back. “Cut it out.”

The menu was a perfect blend of traditional Cuban and soul food dishes. Jeanette and Alonzo feasted on fried chicken, shrimp empanadas, candied plantains, collard greens, and enchilado de langosta y camarones—a lobster and shrimp dish in a chunky, garlic tomato sauce. Their sweet tooth was satisfied with a healthy portion of Dulce de Leche cheesecake and Red Velvet cake. By the time they were done enjoying the flavorful textures of the dishes, Jeanette had to discreetly unbutton her slacks to give herself room to breathe.

Closing the closet door, she agreed with Alonzo. “Julio definitely has skills. Cuban soul is going to going to do well. I can feel it.”

Jeanette wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body into his. She felt the evidence of his desire poking her in the stomach. Gazing into his eyes she smiled. “Thank you for that yummy surprise.”

“You’re welcome. Anything for my sweetheart,” he whispered against her lips before taking her mouth in a slow, sensual kissed. His hands slid down to cup her firm bottom. When he lifted her, Jeanette wrapped her legs around his waist making him grow harder.

Jeanette moaned in protest when he released her mouth. She let her head fall back, giving Alonzo the chance to trail a hot path with his tongue from her collarbone to the tip of her chin. She was glad she’d worn the scooped-neck, pink sweater instead of the purple turtleneck.

He staggered to the nearest wall, taking her mouth this time in a deep passionate kiss. The throbbing in her womanly core was too much for her to quench tonight. For weeks they’d teetered on the edge of taking their relationship to the next level. Every time they got close to performing the act, she held back. Tonight would be different. She wanted him. Wanted to give herself freely and fully without hesitation.

Alonzo struggled to suppress the groan threatening to break free when Jeanette leaned back, a gust of air coming between them. Later tonight would be another damn thirty minutes in a cold shower after he dropped her off at her place.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured.

Jeanette wrapped her legs tighter around his waist. Her heart wildly pumped in her chest as warm, delicate hands framed his face. “I’m ready.”

Had he heard her correctly he wondered as he searched her eyes for the truth. Alonzo had plenty of women, but never wanted any of them as badly as he wanted Jeanette. With the others it didn’t matter if he saw them after the act. There was plenty to be had elsewhere when his body craved satisfaction. Jeanette was different. He knew once he had her, he would never want to give her up. For that very reason she had to be sure.

Turning his face to the left, he kissed the soft palm cradling his jaw.

“Jeanette, there’s no turning back.”

Jeanette’s smile was dreamy. His message was loud and clear. Now she had to make hers just as clear.

“No turning back,” she whispered, leaning in to suckle his bottom lip.

Alonzo took long strides as he carried Jeanette up the stairs to his bedroom. He tapped a wall plate, illuminating the room in dim lighting. He continued to carry her as he went to a dresser against the wall. Reaching inside, he withdrew a foil packet before coming to a stop in front of the California king-size, black-leather headboard bed. He slowly set Jeanette on her feet. Alonzo took a step back; his dark gaze taking in the rise and fall of her breasts and the pulsating vein in her neck.

The moment Alonzo’s mouth came down on hers, Jeanette wrapped her arms around his neck, molding her body to his. She deepened the kiss, her hands sliding down his chest to rest on the waistband of his jeans.

Dragging his mouth away, he placed his hands over hers bringing them to the front of his jeans.

“That’s my girl,” he whispered in Spanish as Jeanette began to unbutton and then unzip his clothing. He let out an expletive as her warm hand boldly glided between his underwear and skin.

“Oh, my gawd,” Jeanette mouthed in awe as she caressed smooth granite. She felt his hardness a dozen times pressed against her. Knew brother was working with something. Never imagined he’d be so abundantly endowed. As she slid her hand out, a shiver passed through her in anticipation of what was about to come.

In between kisses and roaming hands, the couple took their time stripping away each other’s clothing piece by piece until they were nude.

The sight of Jeanette’s full breasts, flat stomach with enough flesh to keep her ribs from poking out, firm behind, and toned legs would forever be sketched in Alonzo’s memory.

Jeanette watched as Alonzo ripped the package open and began to sheath himself. When he was done he reached out, pulling her in for another kiss.

Jeanette bit her bottom lip. She wanted to stroke his manhood standing thick and proud in all its glory. Instead, her fingertip traced the well-defined muscles of his rock-hard abs.

“You could’ve played Spartacus on that HBO show.”

Alonzo’s chuckle was seductive. The throbbing between her legs intensified and warm fluid began to flow. She was ready. Would he think she was crazy if she pushed him on the bed and impaled herself satisfying her womanly need? The thought made her smile wickedly.

Jeanette placed her hand on the center of Alonzo’s chest guiding him to the edge of the bed. She giggled when she pushed him down into a seated position before climbing above him straddling his lap, positioning his pulsating tip at her opening.

It took every ounce of restraint to keep from thrusting his hips forward to join them as one. The sultry gleam in her eyes told him she wasn’t going to be as docile in bed as he believed. His manhood twitched, excited to see what she had to offer.

“Is this what you want, baby?” she murmured, locking eyes with him. She lowered her body, welcoming him in. Leaning forward her hands gripping his shoulders, loving the feel of his tight muscles beneath her fingertips.

“Yes. Hell, yes,” Alonzo gritted out between clenched teeth. His large hands grabbed her waist, his eyes never leaving hers. Jeanette threw her head back and let out a loud moan when he thrust deep inside her at the same time she plunged down on him.

Jeanette dropped her forehead to rest on his as she began to grind her hips in a slow, circular motion. The pressure against her clit sent pleasurable, electrical impulses through her womanly core.

Alonzo smiled when Jeanette brazenly pressed her right breast against his mouth. Giving her what she wanted, his tongue traced the cocoa tip of her nipple. She shrieked when he bit her tender flesh, giving her a delicious measure of pain and pleasure.

The long sigh she released nearly had Alonzo ready to explode as he suckled her, loving the texture and taste of her skin. His hands tightened on her hips, matching her grinding.

Palming the sides of his face, Jeanette lifted his head from her breast. Crushing her mouth against his, she fell forward, pushing Alonzo on his back. As she came up for air, she murmured against his lips, “This feels so good. Why didn’t you take me sooner?”

A startled squeal of feminine laugher punctuated the atmosphere. Changing positions, Alonzo flipped Jeanette on her back giving him the advantaged position. She swore her heart stopped in her chest. His dark gaze was intense and there was no mistaking in his words when he deliberately took his time to promise, “Sweetheart, I’ll make it up to you for the rest of my life.”

There was no time to process his meaning as short gasps of air were exchanged for giddiness as his hot tongue blazed a trail between her breasts down to her left hip, wrapping around her thigh to her secret place. The first swipe of his tongue doused gasoline on the flames burning at the center of her core. When he delved in, consuming her with pleasure she’d never known, she knew she belonged to him. The moment the realization entered her heart, she ignited in an explosion of ecstasy.

Alonzo didn’t give her time to recover. Taking her legs, he put them high up on his muscular shoulders. He plunged in deep and hard. Pure male satisfaction surged throughout his entire being when Jeanette screamed out his name in pleasure. Gripping her hips, he took control coaxing their movements in a sensual rhythm as old as time. As he loved her, he nibbled on her earlobe whispering all the naughty ways he would set her body of fire until they were old and gray.

With other women, the goal of bedding them was to satisfy his carnal needs. Never before tonight did Alonzo desire to languish in the act. The smell, taste, touch and feel of being buried to the hilt inside Jeanette was a state where he would give his last dollar to remain suspended in time.

 Jeanette shattered that fantasy when she turned the tables with heated whispers of her own erotic play. With one final thrust of his hips, the explosion hit him hard and fast sending his body into uncontrollable spasms. The flames caught hold of Jeanette. She held on tight to Alonzo as the last tremor left her body.

Jeanette and Alonzo were reduced to heavy breathing and sweaty, tangled limbs…finally. Neither of them dared to move for fear of disturbing the afterglow of their lovemaking. This moment in space and time would forever be lost, only to be remembered with fond memories.

Alonzo kissed Jeanette’s damp brow. His father’s advice to reveal his identity came rushing back. He wanted to be honest, but feared doing so would change the dynamics of their relationship. She wasn’t taken by the fact he was a multi-millionaire athlete.  And he wanted it to stay that way.

She was sweet, kind, independent and sassy. And had no problem telling him what she thought.  Other women he dated never seemed to be themselves because they were so busy trying to be what they thought he wanted them to be. In the beginning such behavior stroked his larger than life ego until the illusion was shattered. Sooner or later, their intentions were always revealed. True love was never the objective. For that reason, he never allowed himself to fall in love. Jeanette was the first he allowed to take up residence in his heart. He loved her and would bet his championship ring that she loved him too.

Sexually sated, Jeanette yawned snuggling closer to Alonzo. She could feel his heart beating fast.

“You okay,” she asked groggily.

Alonzo swallowed hard, hesitating before he spoke. “Sweetheart, I’m falling hard for you.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet. I feel the same about you too.” Jeanette yawned again, nodding her head against his chest.

“I would never do anything to hurt you.”

“Hmm-mmm.”

“I have something to tell you.”

“Okay,” Jeanette slurred, her eyelids heavy.

“I hope you won’t be angry …”

Alonzo lifted his head, then dropped it back on the pillow at sight of Jeanette’s peaceful face.

He didn’t know if he should feel relief or guilt over having to put off telling her he was Alonzo Castro 2015 World Series MVP.