What the Heart Knows (3 page)

She laughed and shook her head.

“There’s not much to tell. You know I’m twenty-
five
, and I work at Cupa.”

“What do you like to do when you’re not at work?”

“Travel, try new things, and listen to music, to name a few.”

“What kind of new things?”

“All sorts. I have this wish list, if you will
,
of things I’d like to do that I try to accomplish whenever I can.”

“A bucket list?” he asked.  She cringed mentally. Damn, he was quick.

“I guess you could call it that.”

“You’re a little young for that type of thing, don’t you think?” he asked. He chuckled when she shrugged.
If you only knew, Oliver.

“It keeps me busy.”

“I sense there’s a story there.”

“I could say the same for you,” she said.

“Touché.”

“Tell me about you,” she said.

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything.”

  His own words given back made him smile, and she swallowed back a moan.  He was a beautiful man to begin with, but when he smiled he was stunning. It made her want to pinch her arm to prove she wasn’t dreaming.

“That’s a tall order. Why don’t we start with favorite color and hobbies? I’m partial to black, I collect vintage records, go to concerts, and at the risk of sounding like a cliché, I enjoy taking pictures.”

“If we’re talking clichés, my favorite color is pink, though I swear I’m not overly girly, and I’d love to see your record collection some time.”

“What do you like to listen to?” he asked. His body relaxed as he opened up, and the edgy vibe he’d carried when he first stepped into Cupa dissipated.

“A bit of everything, though I’m not a big fan of modern country, you?”

“I can listen to everything, but I’m partial to the old punk,
some
80’s pop punk, rock and alternative.”

“Nice selection, Mr.?”

“Young.”

“Oliver Young, I like it. What’s your middle name?
”

“Oh no, I’m not telling you that.”

“It can’t be that bad.”
“Yes it can.” The grim expression on his face made her laugh out loud.

“You do realize you’re talking to Juniper Blossom Bloom, right?” He laughed. 

“Your name is cute, mine is just cruel
.
”

“Maybe I can guess.”

“You can try.”

She narrowed her eyes and focused on his face.  Francis, no… Hugo?   A chill ran down her spine as a voice in her mind whispered an answer.
Cornelius.

“Cornelius?”

She slipped back into the hooded sweater she’d taken off earlier, as a chill settled over her.

“Did it get cold in here to you?” she asked.

“I didn’t notice a change in temperature. How did you know that?” he asked.

She rubbed her arms and looked up at him surprised.

“I was right?”

“Yes.”

  Their conversation was cut short when the pizza arrived. The banter continued as they talked between bites of pizza. Each fact he revealed added to his appeal. The question she really wanted to ask was what a man like him was doing single. Despite the laid back persona he presented, his eyes seemed shadowed with secrets and pain. It was a look she knew was mirrored in her own. A man this handsome with something to hide should bring up red flags.  Still, she couldn’t shake the déjà vu that made her believe she could trust him.

All too soon they stood in front of the back entrance to Cupa.

“I’ve returned you to the same place I found you unharmed, and if I’m not mistaken, happy. Does that mean I passed the first test?” he asked

“Maybe.”

Juni leaned back against the wall and tilted her head back to gaze up at him as he leaned forward
,
enclosing her in between the arms he placed on either side of his head.  He lowered his head, and she inhaled the unique aroma of his scent. Oliver paused just centimeters from her mouth.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” he whispered.

He peered into her eyes
,
in search of what she assumed was permission. She gave a quick nod, and he tangled his fingers into her hair. Her body melded against his as he pulled her tight to his firm frame.  A purr vibrated in her throat when his tongue flicked out to trace her lips.

“You’re just as tasty as I thought you’d be,” he said.

She grasped his biceps to keep herself standing as her legs wobbled, and her body shook.  The raw sensuality that poured off him made her pussy weep. Her pebbled nip
ple
s brushed
against
the rough material of her shirt through her bra
,
and she moaned.

“That’s it
.
O
pen up and let me in
,
Juniper.”

Her lips parted of their own accord and she dug her nails into his flesh as he ground his length against her stomach. He was long, thick, and hard. 
Damn, was there anything this man didn’t have? Color
m
e impressed! 
She sucked his tongue into her mouth, and pretended it was his cock.  Her eyes popped open when Oliver suddenly lifted her and pro
p
pe
d
her against the wall behind her.  She wrapped her long legs around him,
and
grasped his blond locks. Their mouths battled for dominance, and their bodies ground together. Their breath came in pants once they parted to suck down oxygen.

“Fuck,” he said. “I can’t get enough of you.”

“It
’
s mutual,” she managed to say in between greedy intakes of air.

With his porcelain skin flushed and his lips red and swollen from their kisses, Oliver looked like a ravished angel. The erotic blend of innocence and sensuality woke a slumbering need inside her. She sucked the skin of his neck into her mouth as a sudden need to mark him lit a fire in her belly. Her hips rolled, and her moist center lined against the bulge in his jeans. The seam of her pants brushed her swollen nub, teasing her as it pushed her closer to a climax. Her body shook and her walls quivered. She was going to come right here in front of God and everybody, and she could care less.

Oliver growled and gripped her hips tight as he thrust against her. Rough brick scraped her back. The contrast of his hard body and the wall made her feel deliciously dirty.  She’d never done anything like this before! Here with this man it felt right, and damned good. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head as she rode the crest of the wave he’d created.  He shoved his face into the hollow between her shoulder and her neck, muffling a gruff cry as they trembled together. 

I can’t believe we just did that.
Her legs lowered to the ground as the headlights of a car passed over them. She slumped against him
,
unable to support her own weight as she came down from her high.

“Are you okay?” Oliver asked a few moments later.

“Yes. I don’t know where that came from.”

“Me either.”  It was nice to know she wasn’t the only one who’d fallen under the strange spell that made her throw common sense in the rubbish bin.

Oliver shook his head, pushed away from her body, and ran a hand through his hair. The bubble they’d been encompassed by burst as they both adjusted their clothing the best they could and looked everywhere but in each other’s eyes.
It was a little late to be embarrassed now.
Juni prayed no one had witnessed them going at it like randy teenagers
.

“I know we went about this ass backward
s
, but can I have you phone number?”

His bashful tone made her laugh and broke the ice as she nodded her head.

They exchanged phone numbers
,
and she watched as h
e
walked away
,
feeling as if the whole night had been a dream.

Oliver stepped inside the darkened entryway of his three
-
bedroom ranch and sighed as the weight that had been lifted temporarily settled back onto his shoulders. The house held too many memories. He thought about selling it, but it had been home since he was twenty-one. He flicked the light switch on and locked the door behind him. He should feel guilty about what had happened earlier. He’d been like a thirteen
-
year
-
old boy with his first dirty magazine as he came in his pants.
But you felt alive. 
Exhaustion hit him as the day caught up with him.  He walked to the master bathroom, stripped down, tossed his clothes into a hamper, and entered the shower, turning the water up as hot as he could stand.

Would it really be so bad to move forward? Hannah had been dead for two years, and she never would’ve wanted him to be alone.  Right? Their last moments flashed behind his lids. He bent his head, braced his arms against the wall of the shower and allowed the water to bead down on him. Stiff muscles loosened and tension eased. Oliver emerged twenty minutes later,
toweled off and headed into the bedroom.

Clad in a pair of black boxer briefs he slid into the bed and toyed with the slender smart phone that had Juni’s number highlighted. Should he delete it now and save them both the trouble? He came with more than
the
average share of baggage.
Who was he kidding?
At this point, he’d moved beyond a baggage carrier
;
he was damaged goods.
Disgusted by his indecision he set the phone on the nightstand and rolled over to l
ie
on his back. Was he a coward for not erasing her number or brave for keeping it? He sighed as he placed his arms underneath his head and let the heavy blanket of sleep block out his lingering doubts.

****

He jerked the wheel to the right to avoid the car that swerved into his lane. The tires spun on the black top with a wicked screech as it
hydro
planed. A high pitch scream rang in his ears as the car began to spin out of control. His heart pounded in his ears as time slowed and they crossed the double lines and headed for the guardrail. The car burst through the metallic frame and sailed into the black abyss as it plummeted over the side of the embankment.

***
*

O
liver woke gasping for air as he shot up straight. Sweat matted his hair to his face, and his body shivered in the cool air. He took shaky breaths as he attempted to calm his racing heart. His teeth chattered as the chill that permeated the room seeped into his bones. He always woke up just before the car impacted with the water. Then his mind filled in the blanks upon waking. Exhausted, he closed his eyes and rubbed eyelids that felt like they were full of grit.  If he wanted to get any sleep tonight, he’d need help. 

He tossed the sheets away, and headed for the bathroom where he opened the cabinet and reached for an orange prescription bottle. He unscrewed the t
o
p and shook two of the tiny white pills into his palm.  The sleeping pills were the only thing that put him out deep enough to keep the dreams at bay.

“You’re a mess
,
old man,” he said. H
e
stared at the reflection in the mirror and sighed.

He filled the cup he kept by the sink and thought of Hannah.  From the moment he met the green-eyed girl with light brown hair in art class, sophomore year of high school, it’d been smitten at first sight. What had started off as puppy love with a splash of teenage lust
morphed into much deeper emotions as the years rolled by and they matured together.

They’d attended the same community college, leased an apartment together in their junior year, and married when they graduated. He spent half his life loving Hannah.  Now that she was gone he found he couldn’t let go completely. How could he leave behind the best times of his life, or allow her to become a faded memory?  Oliver owed her more than that.  His life had been stagnating since her demise. Had their roles been reversed, Hannah would’ve handled this so much better. An ache began in his stomach as guilt washed over him once more.

He popped the pill
s
in his mouth, took a swig of water and swallowed it all down. In fifteen minutes he’d be back in the blissful abyss.

Juni hadn’t heard from Oliver in a few days. But according to what she knew about men’s timeframe
s,
that was normal. At least she hoped it was. Her face heated at the thought of their passionate exchange. She hoped she hadn’t scared the poor man off. Despite the age difference between them, he seemed almost skittish. She glanced up from her desk when a knock sounded on the door. A look at the clock revealed it was eight o’clock.  Juni sighed. She’d been dreading this moment since Jen had grilled her earlier about Oliver.