What the Heart Desires (Contemporary Erotic Romance) Read online

  What the Heart Desires

  © 2013 Allora Adderly

  All Rights Reserved

  This publication contains sexual themes and is intended for adults only. Unauthorized reproduction or transmission of this work is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to real persons or events is entirely coincidental.

  Table of Contents:

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Epilogue

  ___

  Chapter One

  She’d never been in love. At twenty-five, Kimberly had dated some, but nothing serious. It wasn’t that she was disinterested. In fact, she wanted to find her perfect match more than anything. As she watched her friends fall head over heels, she couldn’t help but wonder when it would finally be her turn.

  Kimberly wasn’t sure why she’d let her best friend Jane talk her into going clubbing. It really wasn’t at all Kimberly’s style. She was more the type to stay home, curled up with a good book and a glass of wine. To some, that might be boring and predictable. To Kimberly, it was comfortable.

  Jane insisted Kimberly was doomed to become a crazy shut-in with a condo full of cats if she didn’t change her ways. Not wanting to be a slave to ten thousand cats, Kimberly had reluctantly accepted Jane’s invitation.

  Although they’d been inseparable since they met in high school, in some ways Kimberly and Jane were unlikely friends. Kimberly was quiet and subdued, perfectly content to stay on the sidelines. Jane, on the other hand, was loud and boisterous, always up for a good time. Maybe it was for the best, because Kimberly helped Jane keep her wild streak in check. Jane, meanwhile, coaxed Kimberly into living a little.

  On some level, Kimberly supposed going clubbing was a confidence booster. She’d pinned her long, dark hair back with a fancy barrette. Black mascara called attention to her dark, soulful eyes and pale pink lip gloss gave her full, sensual lips a subtle sheen. She’d chosen a simple yet form-fitting black dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. The attention she was attracting was undeniable.

  Kimberly wasn’t one to let the lingering stares go to her head. She wryly reminded herself that every guy in the club was ogling her through beer goggles. There was no telling whether they’d even cast a second glance in her direction if they were sober. Even so, the attention was kind of nice.

  “Isn’t this great?” Jane shouted as she swayed her slender hips to the blaring music. She always danced like no one was watching. If she had an ounce of self-consciousness in her, it didn’t show.

  Kimberly, meanwhile, couldn’t imagine dancing in a room full of people. She was more the type to hang out in a dark corner of the bar people-watching.

  “Yeah,” Kimberly agreed, wondering if she sounded convincing. She didn’t want to be rude but in all honesty, the loud music and bright lights were giving her a headache. She couldn’t wait to go home.

  “That guy over there is hot,” Jane announced, pointing to an athletic looking young man standing by the bar. “You should go ask him to dance!”

  Kimberly shrugged. “I’m not really the dancing type,” she confessed as Jane raised her arms above her head, let out a sexy yell and shimmied like a pro. “You go ahead.”

  Jane laughed drunkenly and readjusted her cleavage, which was very much on display. She eyed the guy hungrily, like a cougar stalking its prey. Then she asked Kimberly, “How do you expect to get laid if you don’t put yourself out there?”

  Taken aback, Kimberly paused and then replied, “I…don’t?”

  “Oh, right,” Jane remembered. “The virgin thing...I forgot. You really should just get it over with,” she advised. “You hold out for Mr. Right and for what? I bet you’ll be disappointed when you finally lose it…I think it’s pretty much a rule that the first few times are awkward and uncomfortable. But it gets better after that – trust me! Just find a cute guy and take him home already!” she giggled.

  Kimberly blushed and reminded herself to never confide in Jane about personal things ever again. She couldn’t believe Jane was talking about that in public. Thankfully the music was so loud she was certain no one had overheard. “I’m going to go out and get some air,” she told Jane. “I’ll catch up with you in a bit.”

  Jane had already turned her attention back to her future one night stand.

  Once she located an exit, Kimberly made a beeline for it, anxious to get out to the parking lot. She was flustered thanks to Jane bringing up the virginity issue. It was a sensitive subject for Kimberly and she hated when Jane made light of it.

  Yes, Kimberly was a virgin. It wasn’t that she was saving herself for marriage or anything like that. She simply wanted to lose it to someone she cared about, who cared about her. Casual sex didn’t appeal to her in the least. It seemed so impersonal and cheap…Kimberly wanted more than that.

  She stepped outside into the parking lot. When the cool night air hit her, Kimberly tilted her head back and inhaled greedily. It felt so good to be out of that stuffy club that reeked of alcohol, cologne and perfume. After listening to deafeningly loud music all night, the silence was more than welcome.

  Kimberly looked around. There were a few people scattered around, mostly huddled in small groups smoking and laughing or couples off in seclusion, making out in the shadows. For the most part, however, the parking lot was pretty deserted.

  She perched gingerly on the edge of a large decorative cement planter and pulled out her phone. It wasn’t that she intended to call or text anyone; it was just that she felt a bit awkward sitting out there all alone and didn’t know what else to do with her hands. She wasn’t proud of it, but like so many people of her generation, Kimberly used her phone as a crutch on occasion.

  Then a commotion a few yards away caused her to look up from the glowing blue screen.

  “What the hell, man?” some guy standing a few yards away drunkenly slurred. He sounded angry. “Who are you to tell me not to drive? I don’t even know you so piss off!”

  “I’m not letting you get behind the wheel,” another, much more sober sounding male voice calmly replied. “You’re drunk. Let me call you a cab.”

  “I can’t leave my truck here!” the wasted guy protested, half-whining and half-shouting.

  Curious, Kimberly stood up and timidly peered past the vehicles that were partially obscuring her view.

  The drunk was a big, muscular blonde guy. If Kimberly had to guess, she’d say he was a college football player. The letterman jacket he wore and his muscular physique were what tipped her off. He was clearly inebriated; he could barely hold himself up never mind walk in a straight line.

  The guy who was refusing to let him drive was a bit older – likely Kimberly’s age. He was tall, slim, clean cut and wearing glasses. He looked uncomfortable to be in the midst of a confrontation and Kimberly couldn’t blame him; the big drunken brute could pro
bably take him out with one well-placed right hook. The bespectacled guy nonetheless stood his ground.

  “Move!” the drunk suddenly bellowed with such force that it made Kimberly jump.

  “I’m sorry,” the other guy said with determination, “but I can’t let you drive and put other people’s lives in jeopardy.” Kimberly was impressed that he was so dedicated to keeping an obviously inebriated guy off the road.

  “Either you get out of my way or I’ll knock your teeth out!” the drunk mumbled, his words barely comprehensible.

  Alarmed by the intoxicated young athlete’s threat, Kimberly hastily turned and began hurrying back toward the club. Her intention was to find a bouncer to diffuse the situation before the Good Samaritan ended up getting hurt.

  Just then, a group of rowdy frat boys approached. They were noisy and rowdy, laughing and joking and clearly in good spirits.

  “Hey dude!” one of them said to the drunk, clapping him on the back, “there you are! C’mon buddy, we’re going across the street for cheeseburgers.”

  And just like that, the tense situation was over.

  As the college guys boisterously made their way across the street, Kimberly hesitated briefly. Then after a moment of contemplation, she approached the young man in the glasses.

  “Hi,” she said, suddenly feeling shy. Being the introvert she was, she wasn’t usually one to talk to strangers. Despite that, she felt like she wanted to commend the guy for what she’d just witnessed. “I just wanted to say I heard what was going on. It was pretty awesome of you to put your foot down like that and not let him drive.”

  The guy shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. “It was the right thing to do,” he replied, pushing his glasses up as he spoke.

  “It was,” Kimberly agreed, “but a lot of people probably would have just looked the other way. They wouldn’t have wanted to get involved, you know? Anyway, I should get back inside – enjoy the rest of your night.”

  “I won’t,” the guy replied good-naturedly.

  Kimberly raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

  He shrugged. “This whole…club thing isn’t really for me. I’m just out tonight for a friend’s bachelor party,” he explained. “Maybe admitting this will just be a testament to how nerdy I am, but I’d sort of rather be at home playing video games.”

  Kimberly smiled. “Same here,” she confided. “Well, except for the video games part, that is. This is more my friend’s idea of fun than my own…she just dragged me along. I’m Kimberly, by the way.”

  He smiled back. “I’m Felix.”

  Chapter Two

  Kimberly’s night at the club hadn’t been a total write off. By the end of the night, she’d made a new friend. She and Felix exchanged numbers and over the next few weeks, they began to text each other regularly.

  It was nice to have a new friend. Kimberly’s circle of friends was admittedly small. She’d always been the type to have a few close girlfriends rather than a large group of acquaintances. Jane had been preoccupied lately – as it turned out, her one night stand had become a twice-a-week hookup. Kimberly wasn’t jealous, but she did miss hanging out with Jane. Felix helped fill that void.

  As it turned out, Kimberly and Felix had a lot in common. Both of them were avid readers, loved foreign films and had been science majors at university. Kimberly found herself texting Felix more than she had ever texted anyone in her life…and it made her fingers hurt! Finally, she suggested they meet up in person.

  The second time Kimberly and Felix met up was a Tuesday afternoon. Felix came to the tiny coffee shop around the corner from the hospital where Kimberly worked. Still clad in her scrubs, she made sure she was punctual – being kept waiting, after all, was one of her pet peeves. Even though she got there on time, Felix was already there waiting. Apparently he, too, was a stickler for punctuality.

  After a long work day, Kimberly was pretty tired. She’d been on her feet much of the day and still had to go buy groceries on her way home. Because of that, her visit with Felix was briefer than she would have liked. It was, nonetheless, nice. They each bought a coffee and wandered through a nearby park, chatting like old friends who’d known each other forever.

  She was surprised she felt so at ease with Felix. Usually it took her ages to warm up to people; it was in her nature to proceed with caution.

  The late-afternoon sun felt warm on Kimberly’s skin and she liked the way Felix gestured animatedly with his hands when he spoke. There was something endearing about how enthusiastic he was about everything they discussed.

  It felt good to unwind in the sun after a long day running lab work in the dingy basement of the local hospital.

  Kimberly hadn’t seen Felix in the light of day before. Now, she kept stealing sideways glances at him. He looked the same as she remembered: clean cut and dressed in preppy clothes. He had kind eyes and a dorky sense of humor that made her laugh. She was glad she’d suggested they meet up.

  After that day at the park, Kimberly and Felix began to hang out regularly. They started going to the tiny theater on 5th Avenue together every Monday evening, which was Foreign Film Night. Kimberly found herself looking forward to Mondays like never before.

  The friendship was strictly platonic. They each paid their own way when they went to the movies and, if they decided to stop for hot dogs on the way home, they always went Dutch. There was never any hand holding or long, lingering stares, but Kimberly was always genuinely happy to spend time with Felix.

  It was refreshing to have a male friend – especially one as sincere and kind as Felix. Jane, who quickly ditched her latest fling in search of a new one, couldn’t seem to wrap her head around it.

  “Is he straight?” she demanded after Kimberly introduced her to Felix for the first time.

  “Yes.”

  “Single?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well then why the hell haven’t you banged him yet?” Jane wanted to know.

  Kimberly suppressed smile. If Jane was one thing, it was blunt. Sometimes it was refreshing and other times it was tiresome. Thankfully, today it was the former. “It’s not like that,” Kimberly insisted, crossing her arms.

  “Well why not?” Jane pressed, unwilling to let it go. “I mean, he’s cute if you’re into that nerdy prep sort of look, right?”

  Kimberly laughed the comments off, but they stuck in her mind. Felix was a good looking guy in a conservative, straight-laced sort of way. He had a lean, boyish build, a sweet smile and, behind his glasses, kind, intelligent eyes.

  As time went on, Kimberly found herself unable to stop thinking about Jane’s comments. She’d always expected that when she met the person she was meant to be with, there would be fireworks. But maybe it wasn’t like that. Maybe she’d watched too many sappy romance movies.

  Maybe it was supposed to be exactly like it was: a slow, easy friendship gradually developing into something more.

  Although Kimberly wasn’t an experienced flirt, she knew a thing or two – mostly from watching Jane shamelessly pick guys up. She understood that if she wanted to take things with Felix to the next level, she had to let him know she was interested.

  Jane’s style would be to pull her tits halfway out of her slinky tank top, saunter up to a guy at a club and brazenly say something along the lines of “hi, want to screw me in the ladies’ room?”

  Kimberly preferred something a little more subtle.

  She started putting more effort into her appearance on Monday nights. In the past, she’d regularly shown up at the movie theater straight from work. Often, after a long day in the lab at the hospital where she worked, Kimberly didn’t even bother to change out of her scrubs.

  That would never do if she wanted Felix to know she was interested in romance.

  The first time she showed up at the theater in form fitting jeans and a casual yet stylish black and white print blouse, Felix looked surprised. She triumphantly noted that his eyes travelled up and down her body with appreciation before he
regained his composure and, flustered, looked away.

  “You look nice,” he’d said. The expression on his face had been priceless.

  After that initial incident, their eye contact lasted just a little longer and they sat just a bit closer. Sometimes in the tiny, cramped theater, Felix’s arm brushed against hers. It sent a tiny chill up her spine every single time. She wished he’d do the classic awkward teenager move, feign a yawn and put his arm around her, but alas, he didn’t.

  Kimberly couldn’t tell if it was because Felix was biding his time or what. Doubt began to creep into the corners of her mind and she started questioning the signals she thought she’d seen. What if she’d misinterpreted the lingering gazes? What if he wasn’t interested in her after all?

  Finally, one night when they were leaving the movie theater, it happened.

  It was dark outside. Felix held the door for Kimberly as they exited the building. There was never a huge audience on Foreign Film Night, so there weren’t many people around. Felix paused out there on the street. He looked like he had something on his mind.

  “What is it?” Kimberly asked.

  Felix looked down at his feet and then, as though he was working up his courage, squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. “You look really pretty tonight,” he told her.

  Kimberly blushed. “Thanks.”

  Felix took a step closer. “I – is it alright if I kiss you?” he asked.

  The pretty brunette’s breath caught in her throat. “Yes,” she whispered, feeling her pulse quicken.

  Felix leaned down and brushed a lock of her long dark hair out of her face. Then he pressed his lips against hers.

  The kiss was closed-mouthed, gentle and tender, intimate yet respectful. Felix’s fingertips brushed lightly against the underside of Kimberly’s jaw as his lips grazed hers. She wrapped her arms around his waist, enjoying the close physical contact.

  She was beginning to realize just how much she’d been craving intimacy.

  All too soon, the kiss was over. Felix pulled back and studied her face anxiously, as though trying to determine whether she was okay with what had just happened.