A Heart to Heal (12 page)

“I thought you didn't have a hangover.”

“I lied. Not like that's anything new.”

She didn't look at him, but knew he was staring. Studying her the way he always did when he was trying to understand her reasoning. He'd been trying to figure her out since they'd met, but still hadn't realized she wasn't worth the effort.

Tired of his scrutiny, she flipped the conversation. “Why did you buy a house on Johnston Street?” She finally looked up.

He blinked. It was his turn to look away. He got his plate off the table and put it in the sink.

His long fingers gripped the edge of the counter. “I like this house.”

“Did you remember your promise to me?”

Johnston Street was the good part of town. They'd walk down Johnston Street after school and admire the large colonial style houses. Picking out which one they'd buy if they had the money and making up stories of the perfect lives the owners had to have. He'd teased her, said they could buy one together. At the time he was dating some girl on the beta club so instead of letting him know how happy that statement made her, she'd reminded him that she didn't plan to live in Helena. Though he'd looked disappointed, he'd still wrapped an arm around her shoulder and said he would buy a house there for her to stay in whenever she visited. Afterwards it became their secret joke; their house on Johnston Street.

He pushed away from the sink. “It had nothing to do with buying this house. In fact, I'd forgotten until just now.”

She hid her pain beneath a smile. “It was a stupid promise.”

He shook his head. “Nothing between us was stupid, Shayla. Our friendship was real, our feelings for each other were sincere, but we're different people. Too different. There's a reason you and me never worked out.”

Although he'd finally admitted to what she'd tried to tell him, her chest tightened. She tried to blink back tears, but one escaped which she hastily wiped from her cheek.

“You know my cousin wants to marry you.”

A surprised panic flashed in his face. “Are you serious?”

She nodded. “Yep, and I think it's great. You two would make a cute … co-couple.” The words almost stuck in her throat.

He reached over and wiped another tear from her eye with his thumb. Instead of pulling away he stepped closer, enveloping her with his warmth. He smelled like the body wash he'd put in the bathroom with her. She looked up and gasped when she saw the anguish and desire mingling with the gold flecks in his eyes. Sizzling heat flowed within her, gathering wet and hot between her legs.

What would one time hurt? Everyone already assumed she was going to seduce him. Now that he'd brought her here the damage was done. She might as well get something out of the gossip that was sure to come. But besides that, she'd wanted Devin since she'd first laid eyes on him. And he wanted her, too.

Before she could change her mind, she slid her hand under his shirt. His body was hot, and it ignited a twin fire within her. The muscles in his back flexed beneath her hands. He sucked in a breath before exhaling it in one ragged rush. She parted her lips and lifted her head in a silent invitation.

Doubt flashed in his eyes before he quickly lowered his lids and covered her mouth with his. She parted her lips, gliding her tongue across his full lower lip. His mouth opened and she took the lead, but it was fleeting. He pulled her against his hard body and took over.

She couldn't breathe; she was dizzy with desire. She tried to pull back, to regain control, but he was relentless. Finally she succumbed. Her hand beneath his shirt gripped his muscled back as her other ran through his soft hair.

When he pulled away, she groaned, wanting more. With hungry eyes he stared at her. Uncertainty and desire fought for control in his gold flecked gaze. Desire won out. He didn't say a word, but took her hand and swiftly led her out of the kitchen.

She didn't give herself the opportunity to think about what she was doing. To say it was a mistake, or that she'd regret it later. They both knew this wasn't going anywhere, but to deny the attraction would only make the fire burn hotter.

She only got a glimpse of his bedroom before he pulled her against him and took her lips in a demanding kiss. His hot lips blazed a trail from her mouth to her neck, where he gently sucked on the sensitive skin above her shoulder. Liquid heat shot through her and she clenched her trembling thighs together to increase the pleasure. He pulled back only to roughly pull her shirt over her head. Immediately he went back to kissing her neck. His mouth returned to hers at the same time his large hand covered one of her aching breasts. His other hand tangled in the damp curls of her hair while his blunt fingers toyed with the puckered tip of her breast. Each caress increased the currents of her yearning pounding within.

She couldn't think, couldn't do anything but accept his attention. This wasn't like her. She took control. She brought men to their knees, not the other way around. With a moan, she pushed him back and lowered to her knees. She'd barely gotten her fingers in the waistband of his pants prior to him pulling her up.

Before she could protest, his hand slipped inside her borrowed pants and parted her wet folds. She gasped and clutched his broad shoulders as his fingers slid across her swollen clit. His captivating gaze held hers. The passion in his eyes only intensified the pleasure his expert fingers caused between her legs. When his long finger dipped within her slippery center, she constricted around it. He gasped haggardly.

Too quickly, he removed his hand and led her to the bed. She lay back against the soft cotton sheets. He slowly slid the pajama bottoms down her legs. Her breathing hitched as he leaned over to thoroughly kiss his way from her neck to her navel. Her body jerked and shook with each soft touch of his lips, each flick of his wet tongue against her skin. He moved lower, nuzzling her moist curls with his straight nose before drawing his stiff tongue across her in one long stroke. Her back arched off the bed. She cried out. He repeated the torturous movement and her body bucked. Two long fingers slid within her dewy flesh. He pressed upward against her G-spot, his expert tongue capturing all of her juices as they freely flowed from her.

The stirrings of a climax expanded within her: pulling, tugging and yearning to explode. Usually she could control her orgasm, hold out as long as she needed, but she couldn't control it with Devin. Her body hummed, her nipples ached, and her legs shook with the need to release.

He lifted his head. Slowly his fingers slid from her creamy center. She protested, and he silenced her with a kiss. She returned it, enjoying the taste of her on his tongue. Frantically, she wrapped her arms around his neck, urging him on. He disentangled from her embrace and stood. She watched as he took off his t-shirt revealing his wide, sinewy chest. He jerked off his pajama pants. His thick erection, slick with his own desire, stood rigid before him from the juncture of his strong thighs. She spread her legs wide, biting her lower lip to keep from jumping up and sucking him deep.

Hunger flamed within his light eyes as he reached into his bedside table and removed a condom. He put it on quickly before gently lowering his large body over hers. Her breath caught with the first full contact of his hot skin against hers. Wanting more, she pulled his head down for a passionate kiss. He kissed her long, slowly, and thoroughly, while his large hands roamed over her body. She writhed beneath him, lifting her hips of the bed urging him to end the exquisite torture. Finally, he reached down to take his erection in his hands and guided it to her silky opening. His head lifted and he gazed into her eyes as his rock hard erection pushed within her. He filled her completely, stretching her wet walls, and bumping against her womb. It felt so good, so right; she squeezed her eyes shut and threw her head back to savor it.

He moved slowly, sliding each wonderful inch in and out of her with slow, deep, purposeful strokes. Her moans started softly, but with each glide of his body they grew louder. His fingers brushed across her eyelids and cheek before he took her chin in his hand and lowered her head. She opened her eyes and met his fiery gaze. They didn't speak, just watched the ecstasy on each other's face as he deeply stroked her.

His thrusts were steady, strong, and deliberate. Just like him. He placed one hand on her hip, shifted to anchor her better beneath him, and added a twist to his movements, rubbing every thick inch of him against each crevice inside her. Her passion built. The heat and intensity grew until she couldn't hold back. Her body cracked. The wave ran over her skin, exploded where they were joined. Her nails dug into his back and her legs locked around his waist, pulling him deeper. Her vision blurred as tears came to her eyes.

Devin's lids lowered, he bit his lip and groaned as his body tensed. His dick pulsed jerkily within her from the power of his on climax. He buried his face in her neck, and Shayla let the tears flow. She'd just experienced perfection and would never see it again.

After leaving Devin, Shayla went home only to change clothes and hurry out of town before her mom could catch her. It was time to escape the pressure of Helena and seek refuge somewhere else. So she'd decided to finally come to Columbia and visit her best friend Tasha. She suppressed a smile as she sat on the floor of her friend's nursery and watched Tasha hurry across the room. Every shade of pink known to man adorned the walls, furnishings, and accessories in the nursery. It looked like a Pepto-Bismol explosion. Shayla hated pink, but the color brought out the happy glow in Tasha's tan skin. Contentment and excitement practically oozed from her friend, who looked like an extension of the room with her natural curls pulled into a high ponytail and pink sundress dress hugging her slightly rounded belly.

Tasha stuffed the toddler dresses Shayla had brought in the overflowing closet. The dresses were an attempt at a peace offering for neglecting to call Tasha since returning to Helena. Tasha was only an hour away in Columbia; Shayla had no real excuse for ignoring her friend's calls. Despite the fact that Tasha married a former player after asking him to take her virginity, she would always be her “good girl” friend. The moral yin to her immoral yang.

“So, are you going to tell me why you finally decided to call me? I know you've been in Helena for a few weeks.” Tasha said turning and cocking brow.

Shayla leaned back on a huge pink stuffed bear on the floor. “Come on, Tasha, you know why. It was bad enough facing my family after that disaster in Atlanta. I didn't want to face you, too.”

“Have I ever judged you?”

Shayla picked an imaginary piece of lint off the bear. “No.”

“So why would I start now?”

“I judged myself. My instincts told me Mark wasn't through with his wife, but after she moved out and filed for divorce I ignored common sense.”

“Did you love him?”

She shook her head. “No, just the idea of him. It was nice to think a man that put together would be interested in me.” She gave a half hearted smile. “Silly, huh?”

Tasha nodded. “Silly for you to think that, yes! I never understood why you think good men wouldn't be interested in you. There are always dozens of men drooling over you. You're smart; you had a great job and will get another one. Dang, Shayla, grab some confidence.”

Shayla covered her eyes and groaned. “Man, you sound like Devin.”

“Wait, I thought you two didn't get along. Have you seen him?”

“I did a lot more than see him.” She said. She kept her eyes covered or else she'd cry.

She heard the shuffle of Tasha's feet as she came to sit in the rocking chair beside her. “What does that mean?”

Regrouping with a deep breath, Shayla dropped her hands. “You remember Roxanne and Peaches?”

Tasha nodded, even though she'd never met them. Although she and Shayla became friends after meeting at cheerleading camp, Shayla kept Tasha far away from her friends at Helena High. Shayla could be herself around Tasha, which made her a refreshing relief from the constant show she had to put on when hanging with Roxanne, Peaches, and the rest of their clique.

When Shayla didn't continue Tasha raised her eyebrows. “And … ”

“They threw me a welcome home party. Devin came.”

“That's good. You know, that he came. When he saw you at our reception he seemed pretty stiff.”

“He did me a favor by coming.” She quickly recounted everything that had happened with Devin since coming home, ending with them having sex. When she finished, Tasha sat there, her eyes blinking slowly as if she were trying to process everything Shayla had said.

“Damn, Shayla, you've lived an entire drama in what … two weeks.” Tasha smiled and Shayla playfully hit her leg. “I don't know where to start … I'll skip Tony; my feelings haven't changed since that situation. He raped you.”

Shayla flinched. “Don't say that. You make it sound worse than it was.”

“That's what it was, Shayla. Stop making excuses for it. You told him to stop, he didn't listen.”

Shayla jumped from the floor and crossed the room to the window. “I didn't try hard enough.”

“
No. Don't do this. Leave me alone
. All of that should have been enough.” Tasha said.

She smirked at her reflection. Tony was right, she'd only said no once, but she'd said everything else Tasha mentioned. Before closing her eyes and turning her head away until it was over.

“Why didn't you tell Devin that?”

“I don't know. I guess I'd rather him think I went along with it, than let him know I was too drunk to do much of anything.”

“From what you said, he already knew you were too drunk to do anything and that's why he took you upstairs. Tell him the truth.”

With a sigh she turned around. “Why? So he'll magically fall in love with me? I haven't changed much since high school. I've returned home after an affair with a married politician became headlines. I still get drunk and pass out at parties. And to top it off, I have no damn idea when I'll get another job. That's the perfect type of woman to be on the arm of the town's all around outstanding citizen.”