Buried Secrets (SIN CITY HEAT SERIES) (2 page)

      Keisha began to move in her seat as music blasted from the interior speakers. Aleesha forgot about being piqued as everyone started getting their groove on again. They were ready for whatever the weekend would bring.     

                             ****

  Amir laughed softly to himself. He knew Keisha was the one who’d hung up the phone, and he also knew his baby was giving her hell right about now for doing so. Amir didn’t let it bother him, though, because he wanted Aleesha to have a good time. In a few weeks, she would be all his. His wife. 
     Wife.     
     Amir leaned back against the cushions of the couch and laced his fingers together behind his head as he thought about his fiancée. Sometimes, he still couldn’t believe that he, Amir Montgomery, was actually engaged to be married. Even more astonishing was the fact that he was happy and looking forward to their wedding day. Amir let his mind drift back to the first time he saw Aleesha…

     He and his friend, Marvin “Soul” Thompson, had been having lunch at a popular restaurant in downtown Atlanta when Aleesha and a girlfriend of hers walked passed his table. Amir stopped mid-sentence and followed her with his eyes as the hostess led them to a table not far from his.     
     Noticing Amir becoming sidetracked from their conversation, Soul turned around, and wasn’t surprised when he saw it was a woman.  His eyes slid to both women before turning back to Amir. With an amused expression, he gave his friend a knowing smirk before shaking his head. He and Amir had been college roommates, pledged the same fraternity, and played collegiate football together, so he knew him well; almost better than Amir knew himself at times.     
     “Guess I don’t have to ask what suddenly captured your attention, do I? Which one?”     
     “The short one with the cute hairstyle,” Amir answered without hesitation. 
     Soul stole a glance over his shoulder again, this time focusing on the woman Amir indicated. “Oh, yeah. She’s hot. Got that Nia Long thing goin’ on.” Soul was just making an observation. He’d been happily married to his college sweetheart for the last three years and was still very much in love.     
     “Nia ain’t got nothin’ on her.”   
     “Well, I guess it’s safe to say you just found your ‘next ex.” Soul used the phrase they’d coined back in college to describe Amir’s ever changing bevy of girlfriends. Women flocked to Amir like bees to honey, always had. The ones he dated were without fail the most popular, albeit conceited, on campus. Once he’d been drafted to play professional football right after graduation, he’d upgraded the physical appearance of his women – if not their quality.    
     “Whateva’, man. Don’t hate ‘cause you relinquished your playa card the moment Sharon stepped her lil’ cute self into your life.”     
     “Believe me I don’t miss playin’ those games one bit. I’d choose married life any day.”     
     Amir brought his attention back to Soul. “And believe me, you can have it. I don’t plan on settling down any time soon.” His eyes went towards to the table with the two women. “Why would I settle for one woman when there’s so many to choose from?”     
     “I keep tellin’ you, one of these days, you’re going to meet someone who’ll drop you faster than the Muhammad Ali ‘rope-a-dope’.”  
     “That’ll be the day.”     
     “She doesn’t really look like she’s your type anyway, does she? You usually like those stuck up, glamour girls who think their shit don’t stank.”     
     Amir was silent as he continued to study the woman. He didn’t deny Soul’s observation because he was right. He normally went for the tall, slender model types. They made attractive eye candy and photographed well. Amir had retired from football several years ago due to a career ending injury, but his record in the game had yet to be broken. Even if it was, he would still go down in the record books as one of the best running backs in history. Being one of the most sought after bachelors in the Atlanta area, he had his pick of beautiful women and was never without one adorning his arm.   
     Finally acknowledging Soul’s statement, Amir shrugged. “Maybe not, but…I don’t know. There’s something about her. Matter of fact, I think I’ll go over so that she and I can make plans for later to see what that ‘something’ is.” Amir winked at Soul before standing up and confidently making his way to the other table.   
     Soul laughed. “Do your thang, playa.”     
     As Amir walked over, he didn’t notice the stares directed at him. He was used to the attention which so often followed him, and was more or less oblivious to it now. His focus was on the little cutie who’d captured his interest.

     Wonder how long she’ll hold it, he thought with characteristic arrogance. Almost at their table, he smiled the charming Montgomery smile that he was famous for when he saw them look up at him. 

      “Hello, ladies. How are you today?” Although his smile included them both, his eyes were on ‘Nia’s twin’.     
     “Hello,” they answered. 
     “I was having lunch with my friend and noticed you two when you came in.”     
     The one he had his eye on raised a neatly sculpted brow as she looked him up and down. “And you are…?”   

      Surprise flickered on Amir’s face before he covered it with an indulgent smile. “Sorry. Where are my manners? My name is Amir Montgomery.” He waited for recognition to shine in her eyes, but her nonchalant expression stayed in place as she introduced herself and her friend.   

      “I’m Aleesha Matthews and this is my friend Jerra St. James.”   

       “Nice to meet you both. Do you mind if I join you for a moment?”     

     “Well -”     

     “Sure,” Jerra answered. She swallowed a smile and ignored Aleesha’s glare. “So, what profession are you in, Amir?”     

      “I own a couple of real estate agencies as well as several other businesses. Used to play professional football until an injury permanently sidelined me and forced me to retire. What do you ladies do?” He looked at Aleesha, but when she continued to eat her meal as if he wasn’t there, Jerra spoke up.     

     “I’m an attorney and Aleesha is the director of marketing at a major pharmaceutical company.”     

     Amir raised his eyebrows when Jerra mentioned the name of the company.  Jerra pressed her lips together as she read the message Aleesha sent with her eyes. TMI: too much information.   

     “Impressive. Are you from Atlanta, Aleesha?”  Because she’d been quiet since he’d sat down, Amir directed the question specifically to her. She gave him an impersonal smile and nodded before picking up her glass of water and taking a sip. A frown creased Amir’s forehead as he leaned back in the chair and studied her. If he didn’t know any better, he’d swear she was giving him the brush off.   “So, what do you do for fun?”  

      “To be honest, lately I’ve found myself much too busy to have fun.”     

     “Come on now. A beautiful woman like yourself? You have to have some interests outside of work.”     

     Aleesha squinted up at the ceiling as if in deep thought then shook her head. “Nope.”     

     “I’ve told her that all work and no play will make her a very dull girl.” Jerra ignored the narrowing of Aleesha’s eyes and looked at Amir. “What source of entertainment do you prefer?”          

     “Actually, a friend of mine is hosting the opening of his new jazz club this weekend. Would you ladies like to go with me?”    

      Aleesha sat her fork down and stared at Amir. “I don’t think so, but we appreciate the invitation.”         

      Amir blinked, sure he had misunderstood.  Undeterred, he persisted. “Alright. Maybe we could do something another time when your schedule isn’t full.”
     “My schedule isn’t full.”     

     “Aleesha!” Jerra stared intently at her friend when she heard the slight.     

      Amir stiffened in the chair as his and Aleesha’s eyes held. “I’m sorry, it seems like we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot.”     

     “No. We haven’t. To be blunt, I’m not interested, Mr. Montgomery.”     

      The look on Amir’s face was almost comical. “Excuse me?”     

     Aleesha leaned forward and slowly repeated the words. “I said I’m not interested.”  

     “Really…” Amir couldn’t help the twinge of disbelief that laced the word.

     “Wow. You really do have an ego, don’t you? Okay, let me spell it out. I know who you are, and I’m aware of your reputation. I have no interest in becoming another notch on your belt. Is that clearer?” 

     Their eyes locked for a moment before Amir stiffly nodded. “Crystal.” Although miffed at the snub, he stood up and gave the women a blinding smile. “You ladies enjoy your lunch. Nice to have met you.”    

     “Likewise,” Jerra answered. Aleesha picked up her fork and resumed eating her meal without responding.     

     Unaware of the preoccupation that marred his handsome face once he got back to his table, Amir sat down and pensively stared into space as if trying to solve some great mystery of the world.

     “What in the hell‘s wrong with you? Shorty didn’t live up to your expectations?” Soul asked.    

     Amir remained silent as he sullenly glanced in Aleesha’s direction. He was even more perturbed because her good mood seemed to have been restored as soon as he left the table. She was smiling and animatedly talking to Jerra as if he’d been forgotten the moment he walked away.  Soul followed his gaze once more before comprehension replaced his puzzlement.    

     “Wait a minute. Did she…did she turn you down?” Soul’s eyes widened and his lips were poised and ready to spread into a big grin as he waited on Amir’s answer.  When Amir just ignored him, the smile blossomed.  “What?  She did, didn’t she?”

     “ Soul? Fuck you. Alright?”    

     Soul draped his arm along the back of his chair and turned all the way around to gawk at Aleesha. “Well, I’ll be damned.”    

     “Soul-”    

     “Damn, bruh. Been a long time since that happened.”    

     “Please. She’s just playing hard to get, wants me to chase her.”    

     Soul faced Amir again and sent him a humoring look and nodded. “Uh, yeah. Sure. Okay.”    

     Amir gritted his teeth. “As you said, she’s not really my type.”    

     Amusement shone on Soul’s face as he reached in his pocket and gave his credit card to the waitress to pay their bill. “That may be so, my friend, but you want her. Don’t you?” 

     Amir slid his gaze away from the all too knowing twinkle in Soul’s eyes and let his wander back to Aleesha. “Yeah. I want her. And I intend to get her.”    

     And he had.

      It took an extreme amount of persistence and perseverance on his part, but Amir was a man used to getting his way at all costs. Armed with her name and the company she worked for, he began ordering bouquet after bouquet of pink orchids and had them delivered to her every day.  Finally, after about two weeks, Aleesha reluctantly agreed to meet him for lunch if he would stop showering her office with flowers. The lunch date had gone so well, and they‘d had so much fun, dinner followed several days later. 

     Amir wanted her to like him a lot more than he cared to admit. Aleesha was different from any woman he’d ever met. She was sexy, intelligent, and the conversation flowed effortlessly.  Amir found himself thinking about her non-stop, wanting to be with her when they were apart. Aleesha confessed she felt the same, and before long, they decided to move in together.  A year later, he proposed and Aleesha finally said yes; the wedding was right around the corner.  

     Amir leaned his head back against the sofa. He was a lucky man and he knew it. Aleesha could have anyone she wanted. She was one of those women who possessed the total package: looks, brains, sexual energy with bedroom skills to match, and sexy as hell…

     So why had he cheated on her?  Amir closed his eyes when he heard the chiming of the doorbell. And why was he getting ready to be unfaithful again?    

     Ignoring the persistent voice that whispered it wasn’t too late to do the right thing, Amir pulled himself up off the couch and walked to the door. Upon opening it, he stared into the face of Simone Sheldon, the woman he’d had an affair with over a year ago - or at least one of the women. Simone was the only one Aleesha had found out about.

     Simone stood twirling a lock of her dark, honey blond hair around her finger and gave Amir a look full of promise. He’d run into her a couple of days ago and convinced himself that it wouldn’t do any harm to get a little sexual relief on the side since Aleesha was making them stick to this celibacy thing.

     “Well?  Are you going to invite me in or just stand there staring at me all night?” Simone tilted her head to the side as she waited. A smile crossed her pouting lips when Amir silently opened the door wider for her to step through.   

     Closing the door, he leaned against it and watched as Simone came inside and made herself comfortable. He thought about the other affairs he’d had since he’d been with Aleesha and again wondered why he was doing this. The two of them enjoyed an explosive sex life, so that wasn’t the problem. Maybe it was to prove that he was still attractive to other women. It was no secret that he was engaged and off the market, but that fact only seemed to make them pursue him harder.        

     Amir made no excuses for his actions. He knew it was wrong. After he and Aleesha exchanged vows, there would be no one else for him but her. However, until then…