The Barter System (22 page)

Riya ordered an iced tea
from the waitress and asked if she had anything resembling a salad while behind
her the men tried to pry locker room talk from Joshua.  He ignored them,
twirling a lock of her hair between his fingers. 

She turned to ask him what
he wanted but instead told the waitress.  “Can you just bring a lot of appetizers
and refill all the pitchers, too?  Thanks.”  She turned to Joshua and whispered
softly in his ear, “I’m about to make you a legend, I hope you don’t mind.” 

“So, um, just what is it
that you do, um, Riya, right?”  This from a woman who resembled Jennifer
Gardner, very pretty and obviously not as secure in her position as she would
have hoped.  “I mean, you seem kind of old.”  A couple of the guys whispered
jealous
bitch
under their breath but all Riya did was smile with amusement.

“I am definitely older than
you.  I’m twenty-five, out of college.  I own a shipping business in South
Florida,” This was true since she owned fifty percent of her father’s company. 
“I travel all over.  I met Joshua in Dallas last year at a family thing.  I’ve
been chasing him ever since.  We hook up when we can.  Generally, if you aren’t
seeing him, I am.  Such a good man and…so talented.” 

Hip hop started playing and
Joshua pulled her to her feet and led her to the dance floor.  He had the bump
and grind going before they were fully through the crowd.  She had to give it
to him, the man could move. 

Seeming to sense her
surprise that he could dance, he said in her ear, “My dad is black, babe.  He
made sure all of us could.  Said our mom being Asian meant people would
automatically believe the stereotype about not being able to sing or dance.”  He
took her to the floor in front of him, bringing them back up with the power of
his legs alone.  Shit.  He worked her around the floor like Usher and she
responded like Beyonce. 

When her face was near his,
he whispered in her ear, “You can obviously shake your ass with the best of
them, Riya.”  Sucking her earlobe between his teeth, he nibbled gently before
adding, “You’re making me so fucking hard with what you’re telling my friends. 
You don’t have to do that for me.”  His hands came up from her hips, over her
sides, pulling her arms up over her head and linking them behind his head as
she ground her ass into his cock. 

“Only the part about knowing
you before isn’t true,” she said against his neck.  “You fuck with an energy
and raw talent I’ve never seen.  I do find you incredible, Joshua, and they
should, too.”  She’d never experienced his type of devotion to the moment and
the ability to focus single-mindedly.

They were getting a lot of
attention.  He surprised her further when a Shakira song came on and he led her
into a grinding salsa.  They danced around, only the other Hispanic dancers
able to keep up.  By the time the song ended, the waitress brought their order
and he cha-cha’d her ass back to the table.

When they dropped laughing
into their chairs, the women were utterly speechless.  One of the players said
something about taking her out to dance and she told him Joshua more than
filled her dance card.  She softened the blow by refilling his drink. 

She kept her hand on
Joshua’s leg, seductively sliding from the knee up the inner thigh, seemingly
doing it distractedly.  When someone said something next to her, she
‘accidentally’ brushed up his cock with her knuckles. 

When
Shake That
by
Eminem blasted through the room, she shocked them by singing every word,
unedited, until Joshua dragged her back to dance and did some dirty talking of
his own.

Joshua’s teammates asked her
how long she was in town.  She told them for a week and was told there was a party
they were invited to.  She replied that she’d see how often they left his
apartment, “I only get to see him a few times a year so I like to take
advantage of every minute possible.”

“We all run in the mornings
if you’d like to join us,” another said.  The women mumbled,
yeah right
.

“Now
that
I may take
you up on,” she said seriously.  “How far do you run?”  When they told her five
miles, she let them know she did double that distance daily and usually ran on
sand.  They were impressed.

“That’s how you keep those
legs and ass so fine,” they told her.

“The fact is, I know Joshua
is here with a bunch of fine little college girls a few years younger, so I
make sure I keep things…tight.”  She stretched her leg over Joshua’s lap,
flexing to emphasize every inch of tone.  He smiled hungrily and ran his
fingertips from her ankle to just under her skirt.  “Every time I see him naked
I feel like I need an hour on the stair climber to even compete.” 

Several men stood to show
her their abs, flexing and preening for her.  She had to tell them, truthfully,
Joshua’s were better.  The few other women asked him to stand and show them. 
He did only after Riya asked him to, pulling his shirt up to his armpits. 

“See?  Not an ounce of fat. 
Not one.  Cut and toned, just beautiful.”  She rubbed her hands over his chest
and stomach in appreciation.  She pointedly licked her lips as he sat down
again.  “He’s like that everywhere…fit, tone, hard.  I have to take my time
when I haven’t seen him for a while and just lick him slow from head to toe.” 
She sighed dramatically and looked at him, “Baby, are you about ready to go?” 
She leaned in close and whispered loudly, “I miss you…I need you.  Take me home
now.”

He nodded, smiling
wolfishly.

She motioned the waitress
over and handed her a credit card, “You have been
so
great.  Will you
please do a quick check of whatever everyone wants, refill all the pitchers and
food if they want, and I’ll take care of the check?  Add everything from the
night for this table and tack on 25% for yourself.  Thanks!” 

The other guys looked at
Joshua incredulously and said, “Dude, she is hot, totally into you,
and
loaded?  If you don’t want her, can I have her?” 

Riya shook her head, “Don’t
you guys know Joshua at all?  He’s completely into his education and making the
right decisions for his future.  If he accomplishes his goals, and still wants
our relationship, it will be on his terms.  I like how strong and dedicated he
is.  In the meantime, I’m busy with my life and business too, so we do what we
can.  He takes very good care of me when I see him and puts it on me so hard I
can usually last until I see him again without trying to force a visit.” 

When the waitress brought
the credit card receipt, she signed it and told them all how nice it had been
to meet them.  “Normally we stay holed up in his apartment, I’m very spoiled. 
I just had to come out and meet everyone this time.  He always talks so highly
about his teammates.” 

The other men at the table
jostled each other giving her hugs and pecking her cheeks, reminding her about
going running.  She waved cheerfully to the other women before turning
expectantly to her date.

Joshua nodded to everyone
and took her by the waist.  “I am going to fuck you so hard your eyes are going
cross, Riya,” he whispered as they crossed the bar.  She chuckled happily in
anticipation. 

The minute they hit the
freeway, her head was in his lap sucking him greedily.  “Oh, baby, I can’t
believe you’re giving me road-head.  God, the memories you’re going to leave me
with.” 

The next three days played
out the same.  She paid for everything and was glad to do it.  Joshua didn’t
realize how much she was taking away from their time together.  They’d fuck all
day, grab food, and meet up with his friends in the evenings. 

They ran every morning, the
other guys trying to show off for her, but she ran with Joshua and they were
good partners.  Dancing one night at a club, dinner and movies with the whole
gang, a pool party barbeque where she was all over him in the pool. 

By the time they got home,
he hadn’t made it further than the front door, taking her hard against the
wall, both of them still smelling like chlorine from the pool. 

Each day they played and she
solidified his rep as the man she would do just about anything to call her own,
then he’d thank her by fucking her so hard and so many times in a row she’d
crash until noon the next day. 

They played music
constantly, dancing and fucking in his room.  Joshua was fun and she’d never
met anyone like him before.  Her own college experience had been nothing like
being with him.

On the fifth night, like all
the others, they came home from an outing with the team at a local arcade where
they’d laughed and screamed for hours playing laser tag, riding go-carts, and
wiping out aliens on one video game after another.  After showering together
and having phenomenal marathon sex, they’d fallen into an exhausted sleep.

In the middle of the night,
Riya woke from a deep sleep, still groggy but smiling.  She was being spooned
from behind. 

Fingers delicately slid over
her breasts, down her stomach, and fluttered over her clit gently and
thoroughly.  She nuzzled back and lifted her thigh for better access with a
soft moan. 

As her eyes adjusted to the
light and the last vestiges of sleep faded, she realized Joshua was sleeping in
front of her, on his back, his dark hand flat on her other thigh.  Her own hand
was lying over his heart so he wasn’t the mysterious lover behind her. 

Trying not to freak out, she
rolled to her back to meet the eyes of a gorgeous young woman with pixie cut
blond hair and green eyes.  “Jessica?”  Riya whispered disoriented.  The girl
was beautiful and expertly stroking her clit at the moment.  When she nodded
with a small smile, Riya asked, “Are you sure about this?  If you are, you
should know I’ve never done anything like this before.”

She replied in a silky
whisper, “I kind of figured.  I like him a lot, might even love him.  After
everything I heard when I got back earlier today, I also like you a lot.  I
think it’s great what you’ve done for him.  I won’t hurt you and I’m not
carrying anything.  Even if you’re not into it, I can make you feel really good
and it will make him happy.  Okay?” 

Why the hell not?

Riya nodded and reached over
to run her palm back and forth over Joshua’s lower stomach.  He stirred but
didn’t wake so she slid lower, wrapping her fingers firmly around his already
hardening cock.  Reaching for her automatically, he groaned and opened his
eyes. 

Thinking he wasn’t really
seeing what he was seeing, he shook his head, trying to clear it.  Then he
closed his eyes and rubbed them with his fingers.  When he opened again, he
said quietly, “Jessica, you’re home.” 

Flicking his gaze down Riya’s
body, his eyes widened sensually.  “What are you doing?”  He was such a sexual
being, he rolled on his side and stroked Riya’s bare breast absently.

She smiled in response,
“Introducing myself to Riya.  Wanna watch?”  With that she leaned over and kissed
Riya deep and sensually.  “I’m Jessica…nice to meet you.” 

The differences in kissing a
woman as opposed to a man were subtle in some ways, blatant in others.  “It’s
lovely to meet you, too.  Damn.”  Jessica was sucking her other nipple, tugging
and licking until it was fully pebbled.  Her fingers continued to circle
steadily over her clit.

Jess laughed lightly and
lifted her head to kiss the corner of Riya’s mouth.  “Don’t be nervous, my
little virgin.  I’ll make you feel lovely.  We can play with each other then
invite the fine Joshua to join in.  Doesn’t that sound nice?”

Swamped by previously
unknown sensations, Riya reached up and brushed the blond hair back.  “Your
hair is so soft.”  Joshua’s attention was locked on them.  He remained quiet
and happy just to watch as Jessica explored her body.  The casual expression on
his face was at odds with his body language, every muscle taut with sexual
tension, his cock hard and throbbing.  He limited his touching to Riya’s hair
and caressing the breast closest to him. 

Jessica looked at her for a
long moment, stroking through Riya’s hair and tracing her fingers over her
lips, “So is yours, Riya.  Everything you enjoy, I enjoy.  We have all the same
parts and both like men, but two women together know exactly how to touch one
another, how to please one another…we give what we like.  I don’t expect you to
do anything.  You’re beautiful, this isn’t a sacrifice, believe me.  Just lay
back and let me take care of you.”