Amended Hearts (Interracial Romance)

Chapter Two: And Then Our Lips...

This work, Amended Hearts, is copyrighted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This includes all chapters, prologues/epilogues and associated content (i.e fanfics, teasers and content within blogs, social networks and eReaders). Any unauthorised copying, broadcasting, manipulation, distribution or selling of this work constitutes as an infringement of copyright. Any infringement of this copyright is punishable by law. Any associated links, videos or photographs are not the property of the author, and no assertion of copyright or ownership is made or intended.

_________________________________________________________________

Chapter Two: And Then Our Lips

They stood still for a few moments, while getting their eyes acclimated to the darkness.

“I would turn on a light, but I’m afraid that it would only attract attention.”

“In that case, the darkness will just have to do. Where are we, anyway?” he asked, hearing a hollow echo.

“In a hidden stairwell. The original owner was an eccentric who liked the idea of solitude, so he made a point of being difficult to track inside his home. Where we’re going is to the conservatory. She opened a door across the small room that he had assumed led to the backyard.

“A conservatory,” he thought, “I thought those were only found in mansions.”

“It was converted from the large, two-story sunroom on the back of the house,” she continued, as though reading his mind. “Here, let me go first. I wouldn’t want you to fall into the pool.”

“There’s a pool in here?” he asked as they moved along a pathway into the warmth of the glass-enclosed space.

“Well, sort of. It’s more of a large heated water feature, but doubles as a whirlpool. Here we are,” Aaliyah announced as she rounded a corner. She touched a panel, and suddenly muted lighting appeared beneath a surface of water, giving a soft glow to the area that allowed him to see his surroundings.

 The scene that awaited him was out of a fairytale, if you were into the adult variety. A divan, covered in textured pillows, was set against a backdrop of tropical flowers and plants. Nearby, A waterfall rushed down into a small rock grotto, large enough for two people to play in comfortably. He forced his thoughts away from that topic as she sat down on the divan, patting the place beside her.

He took her up on the invitation, and popped open the bottle of cider. As she took her first sip she looked at him over the rim of the glass.

“So, you’ve been away on business. What is it exactly that you do with your time?”

“I buy and sell things.”

“What kinds of things?” she asked.

“Anything. Companies, commodities, land… you name it. I also dabble in some real estate development, and I sometimes help people find financing for their ventures.”

“It sounds as though you never have a dull day.”

“That certainly isn’t true. Believe me when I say that working that hard has its drawbacks.”

“Like what?”

“Like sacrifice. You sacrifice your social life in a big way when you sign on for this kind of gig. Anyway, we are not going to talk about me all night. I want to hear more about you. I already know you can move on the dance floor. Tell me something I don‘t know.”

“Well, I’m a lawyer, with a secret passion for the performing arts, as well as writing and painting.”

“No!”