The Barter System (34 page)

“Riya, you really are the
total package.  Smart, sassy, beautiful, a great dancer, an exciting lover…what
the fuck?  Why aren’t you married?”

She was quiet so long, he
probably thought she wouldn’t answer.  Finally, Riya shrugged. 

“I guess I figured it wasn’t
worth the effort.  I work out of my house; I’ve also been focused on my
dissertation for what feels like forever now.  I’ve realized over the past few
weeks I haven’t lived in a long time.  My high school boyfriend was…a
disappointment.  I was so bored and disgusted I didn’t bother dating again for
almost a year.  Then I dated in college and he was alright, nothing I’d go out
of my way to experience.  Sometimes the urge just gets bad, you know?” 

Ricardo nodded in total
understanding and she figured he probably did get where she was coming from. 

“Asshole constantly stood me
up but I kept him around as a lay when I got desperate.  Totally vanilla and he
was always fucking distracted.  I mean that literally.  I figured if that was
what selection I was going to get, I’d do a better job on myself.”

“Didn’t guys like me ever
approach you?  I mean, you’re hot, Riya.  How did you end up with guys that
were no better than playing with yourself?  I don’t get it, not at all.”  His
expression was thoughtful.  “I would have been all over you, even if I saw you
after working out in a grocery store.”

She laughed, “No, I’m gross
after working out.  Hair all matted to my face.  Men look hot sweaty, women
just look sweaty.”

“Oh, damn you have no idea.  I
could have fucked you ten times while we were running.  You’ve got great legs,
watching them flex while you run, slick with sweat, man, I would take you like
that anytime.”

“I’ve had good looking guys
approach me.  Tawny and I go dancing a lot.  I can rarely find dancers that
keep me interested for more than a dance or two.  A man has to
dance
.  I
hate those guys who leer at you on the dance floor but never go out there.” 

She slid her hand over her
slick stomach, sweating from the sun.  Ricardo followed the motion hungrily. 
“Now, had I seen someone tearing shit up like you did last night, I’d have
creamed my panties just watching you.  It takes a partner to help you look
good.  I can be an awesome dancer, but dancing with a guy who can’t move, I don’t
really see the point.  Tawny would have approached a man like you, powerful and
scorching hot, but if I’m honest with myself, I know I wouldn’t have.  Not
before.  Now I’d find a way to get to someone like you.” 

She ran her flat palms over
the tops of her thighs, and Ricardo moved over her.  “You just did.”  He
settled his shoulders between her thighs and ate her, licking her inner thighs,
stomach, and pussy until she was begging him to let her come.  Afterwards, she
dragged him into the outdoor shower with her and hit her knees to suck his cock
while cool water pounded down her back. 

They went inside and made
lunch, conversation about family and friends filling the bright room while they
ate.  Once the dishes were done, he cupped her face in his hand and said, “Wear
something cute…sexy.  I have stuff for you in the closet, left side.  I’m
taking you dancing again.”  He kissed her possessively and went to put music on
in the living room. 

Riya smiled and went to take
a real shower, putting her hair up in a towel as she went to see what kind of
clothes Ricardo had chosen for her.  She was pleasantly surprised at the cute
stuff. 

She picked a flirty aqua
skirt with ruffles that fell just below her ass and a white top that tied
behind her neck and at her mid-back, no bra required.  Slipping on a white lace
thong and delicate high heeled sandals, she went back to the bathroom to do hair
and makeup.  She kept it simple, eyeliner and lip gloss.  The way Ricardo
danced, she was guaranteed to be sweaty by the end of the night. 

Clipping two front sections
of her hair back, but leaving it loose as he seemed to like, she went out to
pass inspection. 

He whistled then smiled. 
“Oh, Riya, baby.  Yes.  Let’s go dance our asses off.”  He was wearing khaki
linen slacks, a snug black t-shirt, and black dress shoes.  He looked good
enough to eat, Riya thought appreciatively.

The Harley and Riya in a
short skirt were gathering even more attention than the day before and Ric was
really getting into it now.  At the lights he’d run his fingertips from her
knees to the backs of her thighs and under the skirt to the bare slope of her
ass in the thong.  Sometimes, he’d just slap her ass and tear off the line. 
She was stroking him like a tamed jungle cat and kissing the back of his neck
while they teased the other drivers. 

This time they were heading
into an upscale part of town.  A huge building had been turned into retail
space on the first floor, a trendy dance club on the upper two floors.  The
décor was modern and hot.  The music was pounding from the roof where a patio
bar and additional dance floor were set up. 

When he parked the bike,
Ricardo pulled her around to straddle him again, running his hands up her
smooth thighs and gripping her bare ass cheeks with both hands as he devoured
her lips.  They were breathless and wound tight in less than a minute.  “You’re
going to be the death of me on the back of this motorcycle, woman.  You’ve got
guys coming in their jeans at every light.” 

Riya just smiled.  More
kisses and a snug squeeze of her ass and they were off the bike and entering
the club.  They made a beeline directly for the dance floor. 

They’d been dancing and
grinding to the music for over an hour when people started competing with
them.  The DJ came over the speakers as a song ended, Riya freezing against him
with her hands on Ricardo’s ass. 

“Boys and girls…we appear to
have a new fierce female on de floor!  Pretty girl in de aqua skirt, I lookin’
at you, am I ever lookin’ at you!  Her man brought her out to play…so we gonna
play.  Let’s hear it!”  As the crowd went wild, Riya smiled at Ricardo mouthing
‘I will kill you’ very clearly at him. 

“Riya, baby, you are flaming
fucking hot.  Just keep doing what you’ve been doing.  I like watching you move
so keep shaking that tight ass, baby.” 

Labels of Love
started by Fergie and he slammed her
into a tight salsa.  Riya forgot everything but the feel of Ricardo’s body and
how much fun it was to dance with him.  She danced the way she always did, she
never did it halfway. 

When the song ended, Ricardo’s
hands jerked on her body and he gritted between his teeth, “Fuck.  Malina’s here.”

“Do you want me to back
off?”  Riya asked honestly.  She’d do it for him happily.

He shook his head, looking
furious.  “Fuck no!  She left
me
, remember?  And she’s here with her
little surfer boy.”  He kissed her as the DJ sent a bouncer over to ask her
name.  Ricardo turned to him and said, “Riya.  Her name is Riya…hot, right?” 

The extremely large black
guy with biceps bigger than her thighs looked her over from the top of her head
to her polished toes and smiled, “Yeah, man, she definitely hot.  You could
bounce quarters off dat ass.  Y’all have fun.  Keep dancin’, sugar.”  Riya
thanked him with a smile and he went back to the DJ booth. 

“Oh hell yes, people…we got
a hottie named Riya rockin’ de fuckin’ house down while she shows us why her
man takes her home wit’ him.”  Destiny’s Child started thumping
Lose My
Breath
and she pulled out every move she’d ever learned or taught herself. 

She worked her body one
moment like a professional dancer, the next like a stripper, working her ass
like a pro when the song blended a bass hit she’d never heard before but would
ask Ricardo about later, into a sensual song he stroked her around the room
to. 

By the time it was done, she
was bent over the back of his arm, one leg extended all the way up his body,
her leg next to his face.  “Damn, Riya, dat was hot…hot…hot!  You and your man
drinkin’ free tonight.  Come on over and say hello to Grindmaster.”

Ricardo was breathing hard,
his eyes on her filled with heat.  He turned his head and kissed her calf, then
lifted her upright.  She slowly dropped her foot to the floor and kissed him,
possessively gripping his head and molding herself to him.  He stepped back and
smiled, sending her into a little twirl and leading her to the DJ booth.

They walked up a small set
of steps and the DJ took off his headphones and turned to her.  He was tall and
slender, a light-skinned black guy with neat dreads. 

He gave her a beautiful
white smile.  “Girl, you even prettier up close.  Call me Grind.  Where you
from, baby?”  Riya told him Florida and he whistled, “Well I need to get dat
way a little more often if dey makin’ em pretty as you.  Where de hell you
learn to dance like dat?”

“My mom first, she loved to
dance, and local clubs.”

“Well fuck me, you got no
professional training?”  She shook her head and he glanced at Ricardo, “Bro,
I’d hold on to dis one.  She hot and sassy.” 

They bumped fists then blew
it up and Grind turned back to her, “You come on in here any night, an ass like
yours gets cocks to line up and spend dey money.  Y’all drink free any night
you come in.  It was sure a pleasure to meet you, pretty Riya.  I wish to hell
I’d spotted you first, dat is for sure.  Have a great night, let me get back to
mixing music so de drunks can entertain us.”  He winked at her and picked up
his headphones. 

They picked up drinks and
found a small table in a corner to relax for a bit.  Ricardo sat and pulled
Riya to sit on his lap.  “Damn, Riya.  You’re in Cali for two days and have men
falling all the hell over you.  You are the best time I’ve had in ages.” 

They talked and listened to
music for a long while, Ricardo lightly stroking her thigh.  When he suddenly
stiffened, Riya knew it was time to play.

She looked up and met the
furious glare of a small Hispanic woman with kicking curves and shoulder-length
curly brown hair.  She was wearing a leather skirt and skin-tight halter that
highlighted her small but perky breasts.  Riya thought she was very pretty. 

Behind her stood a blond
guy, good looking but his body wasn’t to Ricardo’s standards.  The guy had his
hand around Malina’s shoulders.

Before she could say
anything, an adorable waitress approached with a bucket of champagne and two
glasses of champagne, “Grind wanted me to send over a bottle of champagne. 
Said to let him know if you need anything else.”  Ricardo gave a thumbs up to
Grind in the booth and the DJ gave him a nod. 

Ricardo met Malina’s eyes
and Riya saw the suppressed pain and fury in his eyes.  He hid it behind a
flippant attitude.  As if he barely noticed her.  “Malina.  How you been?”

Hands flying to her hips,
she rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth.  “Why do you care?  Looks like you’ve
been
fine
, Ricky.  Who is this?”  She was overflowing with pissed off
Latina, Riya noted.

Smiling cheerfully, she
said, “I’m Riya.  I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you, Malina,” Riya
said and extended her hand to the other woman.  When the other woman didn’t
move, Riya stood with a sigh.  “For whatever reason, you foolishly left him.  You
may regret it but acting like the wronged party when you’re on the arm of
another man makes the possessive bitch vibe lose its impact.  It is also
beneath you and nothing like the picture I’ve been given of you by Ricardo.” 

The other woman lost her
fight like someone hit a switch.  Riya gave her a nod.  “Obviously you’d like
to speak to him and I’d encourage it.  Why don’t I take your friend out on the
dance floor?”  Pausing and looking at the blond, she added, “Only if you can
dance.  Don’t piss me off.”    

“I can dance.  Not like him,
but I can hold my own.  I’m Greg.”  At Riya’s nod, she grabbed him by the
collar and led him away while shaking her hips to the pounding rhythm coming
through the speakers.  “You look hot on the floor.  I thought Malina was going
to have a coronary watching you and Ricardo.” 

They made small talk for a
while, grinding to a typical club song.  Riya didn’t mind.  With her four-inch
heels, they were almost the same height.  He seemed nice but a little too tame
for a woman who’d been married to Ricardo.  That man was heat in a pretty
package.  Riya knew Greg had better gather intel for Malina while he had the
chance.