Lady Sings the Blues Read online

  “You do know I’m blind, don’t you?”

  Point taken. It was a stupid thing to bring up now considering how many times they’d had sex in the past week. Here it didn’t matter at all. Outside though, was a different story.

  At that moment, she didn’t care. All she cared about was getting more of his cock inside her.

  He leaned over her again, his chest pressing into her mesh-covered back, his hands once again cupping her breasts. Rolling her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, Joshua quickly pumped her ass four, five times, then stopped again, the head of his cock barely lodged inside her.

  “Joshua!” Caught between begging and anger, she pounded her fist against the leather beneath her. “Stop fucking around and fuck me already!”

  His fingers tightened on her nipples, but his teeth nipping the back of her neck made her moan. “Dinner. Tomorrow.”

  “All right!” she wailed, ready to say anything, do anything, to get him to make her come. “Dinner tomorrow.”

  His tongue stroked between her shoulder blades before his teeth closed on her right earlobe. “Rub your clit,” he breathed, moving inside her, plunging deep.

  Alina thrust her hand between her thighs, her middle finger stroking her swollen, hungry flesh. His right hand slipped around her hip, his fingers framing her clit and squeezing gently.

  Her knees almost buckled, but that thick cock kept her upright. Those blunt fingers, played a duet with her, squeezing and teasing her clit with deliciously increasing pressure as he steadily fucked her ass. One moment she was pushing up a hill of pleasure, the next she was over it, sobbing as her orgasm hit her.

  Clamping his hands to her hips, Joshua began to thoroughly fuck her, driving into her ass with methodical intensity. The orgasm still held her, tingling her skin, creaming her thighs, ripples of sensation that had her reflexively squeezing his dick in a sexual massage as he slapped against her.

  Joshua groaned in response, his hips bucking wildly as he slammed into her, making her breathless, making her cry out again. He rammed her once more, causing the ottoman to shift as he came deep inside her ass with a guttural moan.

  “Holy fuck,” he breathed, then collapsed onto her.

  Alina had to agree.

  Chapter Four

  She was out of her mind.

  It was the only explanation that made sense to Alina. Experiencing multiple orgasms with Joshua had obviously driven every rational thought out of her head. Why the hell else was she standing in the middle of her walk-in closet, wearing nothing but a bra and panties, trying to figure out what to wear on a date with a blind man?

  Joshua had made it perfectly clear that he considered their outing a date. He’d picked the time and place for dinner, told her he’d pick her up and to wear something nice.

  Something nice? She had leather corsets that cost several hundred dollars, but those wouldn’t work in Atlanta in June. They certainly wouldn’t fly at any of the upscale restaurants in the entertainment district near her club. Besides, he’d made her promise to leave Miss Scarlet at home. He wanted to take the real Alina out to dinner.

  The real Alina was scared shitless.

  She’d been Miss Scarlet for seven years, starting the summer before her junior year of college. The persona was an indelible part of her, more Alina than Alina herself. The only time she wasn’t Miss Scarlet was during family visits, and that wasn’t out of shame. Mom had been a Vegas showgirl, after all.

  She could admit to herself that she wanted to look good for Joshua. She wanted to believe that this was a real date, that they were two people at the start of a beautiful relationship. But the thought just flat-out terrified her. She didn’t know what Joshua wanted beyond what she was already giving him, but it couldn’t be to actually date her.

  Nobody wanted to date Miss Scarlet. Fuck her silly, yeah. Photos with her, a lap dance, sure thing. But stroll down the street arm in arm on the way to church? Hell to the no.

  That didn’t mean that she couldn’t pretend. She pulled on a lightweight strapless dress of deep cherry red that fell in a full skirt to just above her knees. After slipping into a pair of silver sandals, she added a silver beaded necklace and matching earrings to complete the simple silhouette.

  She regarded herself critically in the cheval mirror. Elegant, yes, but with her bust defying gravity against the bodice, hardly demure.

  Not that she cared. She was who she was, and if people couldn’t handle it, it was their problem, not hers.

  Maybe if she kept repeating that to herself, she’d actually start to believe it.

  ***

  “May I ask you a personal question?” she blurted out.

  Joshua pushed his plate back, then braced his elbows on the table. “As long as I get to return the favor.”

  He could almost hear her weighing the ramifications. Apparently she’d decided the risk was worth it because she continued. “All right. Were you born blind? Sometimes you say things that make me think you weren’t.”

  “You’re right. I lost my sight completely when I was twelve. Since it was a gradual thing, my parents made sure I had as much visual stimulation as possible beforehand. Thanks to them, I got to see the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, the Great Pyramid. And my dad’s Playboy collection. You can probably guess which one I thought was the best at the time.”

  “I can imagine,” she said dryly.

  “Despite all that, I became a rebellious teenager.” He smiled. “Combine new hormones and teenage angst with losing my sight, and it’s a wonder my parents didn’t ship me off and wash their hands of me.”

  “What happened?”

  “What didn’t happen?” He gave a self-deprecating laugh. “There’s the time I stole my mom’s car and actually made it out of the driveway and four houses down the road before I took out a mailbox and a little Toyota.”

  “Oh my God!” Alina smothered a laugh.

  “Go ahead and laugh. Dad beat my ass good over that one. Then I had some friends leave me at the mall so that I could try to find my way home on my own, all Kung Fu master-like. My mom tore me up over that one, which was really embarrassing considering I was already taller than her at the time.”

  “You were hell in high tops,” she said in amazement.

  “Damn right. I was mad and I had to get it out somehow. Finally Dad told me that if I was going to bitch and moan about my handicap, I might as well set it to music. Then he gave me my first guitar. I went to college on a musical scholarship. The rest is history.”

  “That’s a terrific story.” She fell silent, and he wondered about her expression. He’d been intent on giving her a memorable night on the town, not only for his benefit but because she deserved a break from spending every waking moment at the club. He couldn’t do her job for her—and knew she wouldn’t want him to anyway—but he could provide a respite. At least for starters.

  “So what about you?” he wondered. “How did you end up being Miss Scarlet, proud and beautiful owner of The Scarlet Lady?”

  “My boobs.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard what I said. I’ve got a killer body and I’ve put it to good use. Miss Scarlet was an exotic dancer for seven years. My breasts paid for college and the down payment on the club.”

  He digested that. “Your parents didn’t have a problem with that?”

  “Seeing as how they weren’t paying for my higher education, no,” she answered. “But then, my mom was a showgirl in Vegas, so she really couldn’t say much. Besides, all I did was dance. I didn’t do drugs or extracurricular activities on the side. I danced, got my money, got the hell out.” He heard her draw in a careful breath. “Do you have a problem with that?”

  “No,” he answered, his voice firm. “But I gather some people have?”

  “It’s to be expected.” She sighed. “Sometimes it’s easier to avoid the drama and be single. Besides, I’m all but married to the club right now. Every waking moment is spent making sure The Scarlet L
ady is a success.”

  A saxophone sounded the opening bars to a jazz version of “I Get So Lonely”. Joshua tugged on her hand. “Let’s dance.”

  She resisted. “We don’t have to.”

  Why didn’t she want to? “What?” he asked, his tone deliberately teasing. “You think this white boy can’t dance?”

  “No, I know you’ve got some moves.”

  He felt a stupid grin spread across his face as he gently pulled her to her feet. “Come on, Alina,” he whispered in her ear, pulling her closer. “I’ve been giving you what you want for the last few days. Give me this. Be with me tonight.”

  “All right.” She led him a few paces away from their table, then moved into his arms.

  Joshua closed his eyes as she melted against him, her head resting against his shoulder. This was what he’d had in mind for their date: Alina letting go, daring to just be.

  He took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet spice of her skin, the products that told him she’d gone to a hair salon. His hand brushed the bare skin of her shoulder blades before settling against the small of her back.

  She snuggled closer, a bone-deep sigh easing out of her. Her fingers slid from his shoulder to his cheek.

  “Are you tired?” he asked quietly. “Maybe it’s time to go home.”

  “I’m not tired,” she answered, her voice surprisingly shy. “But I wouldn’t mind if we went home.”

  It began to rain as soon as they climbed into the taxi. By the time they reached the entrance to Alina’s building, the drizzle had intensified to a thunderstorm, pounding mercilessly on the roof of the taxi.

  “We could go around the block and see if it lets up,” Joshua suggested. “Or maybe find the nearest Walgreens for an umbrella.”

  “A little rain never hurt anyone,” she said gamely. “Of course, hail is a different story.”

  “What if I promise to kiss each and every bruise you get?” he asked, reaching for his wallet to pay the driver.

  “You know exactly what to say to make a girl daring,” she said. “And hey, it’s not like I don’t have plenty of towels.”

  He pulled his jacket off. “Put this over your head, and you’ll only get slightly drenched. I’ll get out first since I won’t mind the rain nearly as much, then take your arm. Is it okay if we walk quickly instead of run? I’m trying to impress this really hot chick and I’d hate to wind up on my ass on the sidewalk.”

  She laughed. “I think I can handle it.”

  He thrust open the door. A sheet of water greeted them. “Bonzai!” he yelled, then climbed out of the cab. She followed, getting instantly drenched.

  Giggling like school kids, they locked arms and walked sedately up the sidewalk and into her building.

  “Just for the record, ‘slightly drenched’ is an oxymoron,” she informed him.

  He grinned so hard his face hurt. “I just wanted to get you soaked so I could take my time rubbing you dry.”

  She linked her arm with his. “Darlin’, when we rub together, neither one of us is dry for very long.”

  Chapter Five

  “It’s a pretty simple layout,” she told him as she unlocked the door then guided him inside. “There’s a hall table in the foyer on the left. Just beyond that is the door to a half bath. The tile continues on into the kitchen on the right, but the main room is hardwood.”

  His cane tapped out a soft rhythm as he navigated her furniture. “Let me guess. You bought it for the view?”

  “Yeah. It has a great panorama of downtown, and it’s not all that far from the club. There’s a guest bedroom and bath just past the kitchen, and the master suite’s on this side.”

  She swallowed nervously, acutely aware that she verged on babbling. “Why don’t you get out of those wet clothes and I’ll go grab a couple of towels for you?”

  Without waiting for an answer, she darted out of the living room and into her master suite.

  She sucked in a breath as she peeled off her wet dress and underwear, then pulled on a robe. Joshua Hanover was in her apartment, currently stripping off his clothes. Her stomach gave an agitated lurch. She couldn’t explain why tonight felt so different from being with him at the club, it just did.

  If it had only been dinner, she wouldn’t have been so freaking clumsy about inviting him up. But it had been dinner and dancing and conversation and soft handholding, and she had no idea what the next steps were or how to do them.

  Joshua was hell on more than her hormones. He made her nervous and excited and horny and sad and happy and satisfied, all at the same time. The simple act of being next to him overloaded her, scared her.

  After tossing the dress over the shower door to dry, she grabbed a towel to dry the sopping mass that used to be sassy waves. “Eighty dollars down the drain,” she murmured to herself, brushing the tangles out then securing her hair with a ponytail holder.

  She looked up—then shrieked as she caught sight of Joshua’s reflection in the mirror. “Joshua! I didn’t hear you.”

  “Sorry about that, I thought I’d explore a bit. Hope you don’t mind?”

  A gorgeous man stood in her bathroom doorway wearing a smile and pale blue boxers. What was there to mind?

  “Here.” She unfolded a thick towel, draped his head, then pulled another one out of the basket to wrap around his hips. “I don’t want you to get cold.”

  “No danger of that with you around,” he told her, using one hand to run the towel over his hair.

  Heat swept up her body from her toes to her cheeks. Thank God he couldn’t see it. He had such a beautiful body. “Give me a sec while I scrub my makeup off,” she managed to say, turning the brass tap to flood the basin. “My mascara’s given me a beard.”

  “I think you look great.”

  She had to laugh at that, but it sounded thin to her ears. “I bet you say that to all the girls you want to bed.”

  “Seeing as how I only bed beautiful girls, I guess you’re right.”

  She frowned. He burst out laughing. “What’s so funny?”

  “Hey, I may be blind, but even I know that pissed you off,” he said with a chuckle. “Don’t worry, I sleep with the ugly ones too.”

  She threw her towel at him. “You’re impossible.”

  “And completely irresistible.”

  “And modest, I almost forgot modest.”

  “But you did forget sexy,” he said with a fake pout. “If I had an ego, it would be bruised.”

  “Oh I think your ego is definitely alive and well.” She brushed past him. “Healthy as a horse.”

  “Did you say hung like a horse? Madam, I’m flattered.”

  She turned to see him lounging in the doorway, looking as if he’d just stepped out of the shower. Looking as if he belonged. Her heart literally skipped a beat.

  “Would you like something to drink?” She deliberately avoided looking at her bed as she moved towards the living room.

  He spun like a human divining rod, tracking her movements. “I’m not thirsty.”

  “Uhm, okay. Do you want a snack? I think I’ve got some microwave popcorn and Froot Loops, but that’s about it.”

  “Froot Loops?”

  She hunched her shoulders defensively. “My favorite vice happens to be eating sugary cereal and watching Saturday morning cartoons. Some old ladies will wear purple, I’ll be watching Bugs Bunny and eating Sugar Smacks.”

  He walked slowly towards her, navigating his way. “Why are you nervous, Alina?”

  “I’m not,” she denied hotly. A crack of thunder answered her. “Not really.”

  Another crash of thunder, followed by the unmistakable sound of lightning scoring a direct hit on something nearby. Alina squeaked as her flat instantly plunged into darkness.

  “What’s wrong?” Joshua asked.

  “I can’t see!”

  “Funny, neither can I.”

  “I didn’t mean anything by that,” she said, her voice wavering.

  “Babe, it’s all right.
I didn’t mean anything either,” he soothed her. “I guess the power went out?”

  “Yeah, and it’s pitch black. I can’t even see you, and you should be glowing in the dark.”

  “Hey—I’m not that pale. Am I?”

  “Not really, but compared to me you are.” She jumped again as something touched her, then realized it was Joshua. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be. There’s no reason to be afraid of the dark.” He caught her hand, lifted it to his lips for a kiss, then moved it to his shoulder. “Just follow me. I’ll make sure you don’t stub your toe.”

  Alina tried not to sink her nails into Joshua’s shoulder as he led her back to the bedroom. She’d lived in the apartment for two years but had never tried to traverse it in the dark, always keeping a nightlight on in her bathroom and in the kitchen.

  She tried to relax, knowing Joshua wouldn’t let her bump into anything. “It’s got to be difficult, letting other people guide you around like this.”

  “I usually guide myself just fine,” he said. “I only let people I trust lead me.”

  He’d allowed her to lead him tonight, in the restaurant and into her building. “You trust me?”

  “Of course I do.” He said it so matter-of-factly, she had no choice but to believe it.

  A sudden lump clogged her throat, and it was all she could do to whisper her thanks.

  He came to a halt. “Here’s the bed. I don’t suppose it’s a four-poster, is it?”

  “No, platform with a console headboard. Why?”

  “Have you ever been tied down?”

  “Nope, and I don’t intend to be,” she answered, her nervousness easing. In the dark, in her bedroom, it was easy to figure out what the next step was. “Besides, when you’re done with me I can barely move as it is.”

  He gave a low laugh. “You sure know how to make a man feel good.”

  “I’m about to make him feel a whole lot better.” She pulled loose the towel around his waist, letting it fall to the floor. His boxers followed.

  She pushed him gently onto the bed. “I want to touch you the way you touch me,” she whispered, shrugging out of her robe. “I want to see you the way you see me.”