Red Hot by Ann B Harrison

to tell her he really didn’t need her as much. She had helped raise him
and still organized the routine of the house.
    Red walked into the kitchen and took a beer
from the fridge. He looked approvingly at his dinner. Enid could be relied upon
to make all his favorites. Problem was he didn't always feel hungry when he got
home. Sometimes he was just too tired to eat. Or he was just not in the mood,
like tonight.
    The last thing he needed was Eleanor
ringing him. She’d made the move and dumped him, breaking his heart. She could
just leave him alone. Now Rhian was on the scene, he had started to feel better
about himself, and his old girlfriend did nothing but drag his emotions down.
He threw himself down in an armchair and turned on the television. Watching
some sport would help him unwind. He finally ate his dinner watching the Moto
GP.
    Twice more he ignored the phone when it
rang. In the end he left it on the kitchen bench, hoping she would get the
message and he could sleep easy without it ringing or vibrating beside the bed.
He folded down his top sheet and headed for the bathroom. Standing under the
hot water, he let his mind wander back to work. So close in the final round of
tests. The vaccine was almost ready for human trials and he was getting more
and more excited.
    He wondered if Rhian would be interested in
how his work had progressed and decided he would bring it up to see what her
reaction was next time he saw her. It surely wouldn't be as bad as Eleanor's
scathing remarks. Rhian was a much nicer person all round. Her life was her
animals and caring for them. There was no way Eleanor would let one anywhere
near her. She would turn up her nose crying in disgust if one dared touch her
and marked her clothing.
    How he had fallen for her was now beyond
him. Although his heart had fluttered when he saw her name on the note, it was
not a pleasant anticipation he’d felt. Red knew now she was not the type of
wife he wanted, certainly after the way she had treated him. He wanted someone
who would love him for who he was and how he was, someone who wouldn't try to
change him. He had accepted life as it was dished out to him - the woman he
married would too.
    Rhian's face came into his mind and his
body reacted. Her luscious curves and willing body amazed him. Eleanor had
handed out sex like a prize when he performed things she deemed appropriate.
Like Sunday breakfast with her parents at the best restaurant in the bay. If
they were spotted by a reporter she was happy and he got lucky.
    Red didn't feel comfortable around famous
people like her father. A big deal in the political world, he could make Red’s
company more financial than it was with a nod in the right direction. But that
wasn't what he wanted. He needed to make drugs that helped those who needed it.
Not drugs popular for cosmetic use or the wealthy only.
    He turned off the water and stepped out of
the shower. He would call Rhian tomorrow and see if she would like to go on a
picnic after work. Satisfied with his decision, he dried and dressed for bed.
Sinking down in the soft mattress, he lay with his hands behind his head. He
could feel his lips turn up as he thought of the inviting smile she gave him
just before she climbed on his lap the last time he’d been with her. Red had
watched in amazement as she had squirmed on his knee, already moaning in the
throes of a massive orgasm.
    There was no way Eleanor would be as free
and uninhibited as Rhian with sex. The woman loved sex, it was no big deal
apparently. So did he, but he'd never had the opportunity to be as free as they
had been. He had always been told what to do, for how long and how hard. Rhian
had let him be himself and he would be forever grateful someone had shown him
the difference between making love and being controlled.
    * * * *
    Rhian was exhausted. Her body ached, her
eyes burned, and her head throbbed. All she wanted to do was lay down and
sleep. This spell had taken it out of her and