by Gayle Riley
Jonas tries to soothe Emma by explaining, “I picked up smoking in college. I have been trying to quit since dad got sick. I only smoke once in a while now, but it’s so hard to completely stop. I’m sorry for doing it in front of you.”
Emma begs, “Please let me help you. You have to stop. Promise me you will get the patches or something.” Jonas promises and throws his pack of cigarettes in the trash. If it means that much to Emma, he is willing to try harder.
When Jonas leaves, Emma’s sense of loneliness returns. She decides that she needs a companion. On the way home, Emma makes a stop at the animal shelter. The dogs jump at the windows and bark as she passes each room. One little puppy cowers in a corner. Emma feels a tug at her heart. He needs her as much as she needs him. The tiny puppy is coming home with her.
Chapter 3
Emma steps into some flip flops, grabs the dog leash and runs to pick up Patches before he potties on the wood floor again. The new puppy is keeping Emma on her toes. House training a dog is much harder than she thought. At least she isn’t sitting around feeling sorry for herself. She runs down the steps and sets the puppy in the grass. As she stoops to hook the leash onto Patches collar, the puppy runs off barking. Emma gives chase, terrified the puppy will run into the busy street. Patches thinks this is a fun game and continues to bounce just out of Emma’s reach. Just when Emma can’t run anymore, a large male hand scoops up the puppy. A deep voice asks, “Does this belong to you?”
Emma, who is bent over panting, slowly raises her head. She first sees powerful legs, then running shorts, next a perfect six-pack and a sculpted chest. Finally, her eyes meet the green ones of the most handsome man she has ever seen. His broad smile is dazzling. In his hands is a calm and content Patches. Emma stands up and tries to hide her attraction to the man by talking to Patches, “You little stinker. I wasn’t playing a game. You scared me by running toward the street.” She takes a deep breath and continues, “Thank you for catching my puppy. He ran off before I could hook his leash.”
“No problem,” he rumbles in his sexy deep voice. “I was just running through the neighborhood when I noticed you and the puppy. I’ve been trying to decide who’s cuter, you or the dog. I believe it’s you. I’m Damien Leask, the new man in the neighborhood. Glad to see there’s someone worth looking at in the area.”
His flirting catches Emma off guard and she stammers, “Same to you. Wait! I mean, never mind. Hi, I’m Emma Miller. The neighborhood crazy lady. Nice to meet you.”
Damien’s laughter rings out as he reaches to shake Emma’s hand. He holds onto it just a little longer than necessary. His eyes sparkle with humor and a look that can only be described as interest. Damien likes what he sees and wants to get to know Emma much better. He makes that clear by asking, “Do you think I can talk you into showing me around town? I’ve only been here a few days. I’m looking for places to open some of my health clubs and I’d much rather look around with a sexy lady like you, instead of the fat little man who’s my realtor.”
Who can resist a gorgeous man who has the hots for them? Not Emma. She happily gives Damien her cell number so they can make plans. He hands Patches to Emma and blows a kiss as he resumes running. Emma turns red and tells Patches, “Thank you sweet boy. I knew you would keep me from being lonely, but this is way more than I expected.” Emma returns to the house and hurries to the phone to tell her best friend she needs to get a dog. They draw hot men better than a short skirt.
Emma spends the next two days in the office. She leaves home too early to run into Damien and he hasn’t called yet. Oh well, she can wait. In the meantime, there are books to edit, a puppy to train and a handsome stepson coming to supper.
Jonas rings the doorbell at exactly six o’clock. He’s prompt as usual. Emma leads him to the kitchen and offers him a drink. “I’ll have a beer if you have it,” Jonas replies. Emma motions to the refrigerator, indicating he is welcome to get one.
Emma’s cell phone rings as they are finishing dessert. She excuses herself to answer the phone. It is Damien. Jonas hears a different tone to Emma’s voice. She’s flirting. As Emma makes plans to meet Damien on Saturday, Jonas finds that he is jealous. Emma belongs to him. He’s just afraid to let her in on that secret. Jonas gets himself under control and is smiling when Emma returns. They go to the living room to watch a movie and sign some paperwork involving the condo sale.
Emma is having a great time showing Damien around town. They meet for coffee and breakfast at Starbucks, then to look at two possible sites for his business. Neither site is appropriate. They take a break for ice cream in the park in the city center. Damien holds Emma’s hand as they stroll through the park. Then they’re off to look at more business sites. Damien finds one that he likes which is not far from Emma’s office. He declares, “It’s perfect. I can see you all the time. I’ll even give you a free membership to the health club. Maybe a little one on one exercise too.”
Emma is blushing again. Damien likes to speak in innuendos a lot. He takes Emma out to dinner as a thanks for her help. Steaks, candlelight, hand holding and flirting with a gorgeous younger man. It doesn’t get much better than that. Damien knows how to treat a lady. He even says he likes to spoil women. Emma can believe it. She certainly can get used to this. The evening ends in an intoxicating kiss on the front porch and the promise of a surprise present for Emma. She is intrigued and turned on. She can’t wait to see Damien again.
Chapter 4
Emma discovers that Damien does like to spoil women. He takes her on dinner dates at the best restaurants, to a musical, and a concert. He sends flowers after every date and treats her like a princess. Her only complaint is that he notices all the hot women and the hot men when they go out. Damien is obviously bisexual. Emma finds she can live with that, after all she is the object of his obsession at the moment and he makes her feels young. He also has an endless supply of imagination and the money to follow up on it. So, when Damien tells Emma to pack a bag for a weekend trip, she readily agrees.
Emma reluctantly calls Jonas to ask if he will take care of Patches while she is gone. Jonas doesn’t like the idea of Emma going away with Damien especially since she hasn’t been told the destination. Jonas also feels betrayed by Emma. He barely sees her anymore. She is always out with Damien. Though Jonas dates all the time, he still has dreams of being with Emma. Emma misses Jonas too. There is a definite attraction between them. It makes Emma feel dirty to want her stepson though. She will just concentrate on her relationship with Damien for now.
Damien comes to get Emma on Friday night. Jonas answers the door, surprising Damien. They stare at each other for a moment before Jonas grudgingly invites Damien in. Jonas is angry at himself for noticing how good looking Damien is. His anger shows itself through his failure to ask Damien to sit down. Damien just smiles and takes it all in stride. He is charming and finds things to talk about that have Jonas letting down his guard. By the time Emma is ready to leave, the men are becoming fast friends. Emma is happy to see they are getting along, but there seems to be an odd tension in the air.
Emma is shocked when Damien drives up to the airport. “I promised you a surprise present after our first date. I’m making good on that tonight,” Damien states. He hands her a plane ticket to Las Vegas and continues, “We’re going to live the good life this weekend. Gambling, food, and great shows. Are you ready?” Emma pulls him in for a big smack on the lips in answer.
Emma squeals when she catches sight of the rental car. It’s a bright red, vintage mustang with white interior. Her laughter rings out as Damien speeds down the road with the top down. Emma feels young, carefree, and sexy for the first time in a long while. She discovers that it would be easy to fall in love with Damien.
It’s almost midnight, but the casino at the hotel is buzzing with excitement. Damien sends their bags to the room and pulls Emma to a slot machine. The fun begins. Coins pour from the machine when Emma hits a jackpot. She jumps up and down laughing, drawing the a
ttention of many nearby gamblers. They smile at her beauty and happiness. Damien is fascinated with the change in Emma. He can’t wait to see if her enthusiasm follows them to bed. Drinks flow and money comes and goes as the night wears on.
Emma’s nervous as she enters their shared room. She wants to be with Damien, but what will he think of her older body. Sure, she keeps everything as toned as possible, but she’s forty not twenty-one. Damien must sense her nervousness because he dims the lights, pours her a glass of the champagne that is chilling in a bucket by the bed and takes her in his arms for a slow dance. He hums a soft tune in her ear as they move around the room. Damien kisses Emma as he caresses her waist and lets his hand glide up to fondle her breast. Emma glides her hand over his chest inside the open shirt collar, then begins unbuttoning the rest of the shirt. Damien takes his cue and unzips Emma’s dress, allowing it to fall on the floor. He reverently kisses each breast above the strapless bra Emma is wearing, then lifts each one out of the cup and flicks the nipples with his tongue. Emma groans and urges Damien to suckle at her breasts. Before she knows it, Emma is nude on the bed with Damien kissing his way down her body. When he reaches the center of her legs, she loses all nervousness and glories in a climax. She quickly helps Damien undress and guides his throbbing member into her body. As he pounds into her body and the tension rebuilds, Emma squeezes his taut backside and urges him on. The mutual climax is mind-blowing and Damien yells out, holding tightly to Emma. This weekend promises to be a truly enlightening experience.
After a short nap in each other’s arms, Damien takes Emma to the shower for a new round of lovemaking. The pair is reluctant to leave the room, but Vegas calls and there is always tonight. They find that they are ravenous and attack the all you can eat buffet. Gambling, drinks, another buffet, and Celine on stage rounds out the day. Emma and Damien then retire to their room for another night of ecstasy.
A stroll down the Vegas strip, gambling at another casino, caricatures on the street corner and a Britney concert round out their trip. Emma is exhausted, but gloriously happy as they leave for the airport. Damien can’t seem to keep his hands off of her and she giggles as they board the plane. Maybe the mile-high club is in her future.
Chapter 5
Emma returns to work with a smile on her face. Everyone comments on the sparkle she exudes and wants to know what brought it on. Emma is tight lipped, keeping her affair with Damien a secret from her coworkers. However, she can’t resist calling her best friend and going over every detail of the weekend. Emma’s friend wants to know if Damien has a brother for her.
An obscene number of flowers are delivered to Emma’s office along with a huge box of candy. She shares the candy with everyone, but keeps the graphic note that comes with it to herself. Damien is requesting a repeat of their last night in Vegas, to be reenacted at his home. Emma is more than ready for it.
Jonas meets Emma for lunch and notices the glow she emits. He is happy to see that she is enjoying life again, but wishes he could be the one putting the smiles on her face. It is going to happen at some point, he promises himself. Emma is full of stories about Vegas. She exudes enthusiasm about the lights, food, gambling, and shows. She carefully leaves out the nights of sex. After all, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Jonas isn’t fooled. He can read between the lines and guess at the things she is leaving out. He is young, with a big imagination. He also knows what he would have been doing with Emma on a trip like that.
That afternoon, Jonas is once again working on Emma’s lawn. Today he is replacing the flowers around the tree out front. Emma returns from work and finds him shirtless as usual and accepting a glass of lemonade from her fawning neighbor. She waves at them and quickly hurries inside to change, grab Patches and join the pair on the lawn. Emma is confused to find herself jealous once again upon seeing the neighbor’s hands caressing Jonas’s chest. Emma believes her relationship with Damien should take away her attraction to Jonas. Apparently, that’s not happening. She allows Patches to run between Jonas and the young neighbor, effectively separating them. The neighbor takes the hint and goes home.
Jonas smiles from ear to ear when Emma begins to help plant the flowers. He knows that Emma must be feeling something for him if she is willing to cause tension between herself and a neighbor. Jonas allows his hand to brush over Emma’s while they dig in the dirt. A jerk of her fingers signals that she feels the same tingle of nerves as Jonas. He is finally making progress and wants more. Soon he hopes to make Emma his. Jonas is a restless young man in need of a sexual relationship. The young college girls and their one night stands just don’t satisfy him anymore.
Emma and Jonas wash the dirt from their hands at the kitchen sink. Jonas feeds a yapping Patches as Emma orders pizza. She is free to eat pizza and play Nintendo games with Jonas because Damien has a business meeting. Jonas takes full advantage of the evening, flirting and bringing smiles to Emma’s face. He stays late in the hopes that she will suggest he stay the night since he needs to work at other homes on the street tomorrow. Emma doesn’t oblige and it is time to go. Jonas shocks her with a kiss on the lips as he is leaving. In parting he says, “Just think about it. See you tomorrow.”
Emma touches her lips with her fingers, wondering at the sensation still running through them. She can’t believe the kiss actually happened. Emma knows that she has an attraction to Jonas, but she is surprised to find that he is interested in her. Wow, what a rush. Emma has two younger men wanting her. She isn’t sure how that can happen. She sure isn’t going to fight it. This is going to be fun.
Emma falls asleep imagining all the scenarios that can happen with two men fighting over one woman. The dreams are vivid and cause a longing she doesn’t want to deny. Emma first dreams of her nights with Damien, waking up in a sweat. She lies awake fighting the urge to call him and ask him to join her. Eventually she returns to sleep and her dreams involve Jonas. She imagines his work worn hands caressing her body and his gray eyes shining as he enters her. She awakens from the dream breathing fast and yearning for more. No longer able to sleep, Emma grabs her laptop and goes to work. Editing a children’s book is sure to take her mind off of men.
The next couple of weeks is extremely busy for her and Emma is able to keep her dreams at bay. She barely has time for a few quick dinners out with Damien. She also manages to avoid Jonas and his ever-stronger hints most days. Thank goodness for work. What Emma needs is a break from all the tension. She calls her best friend and invites her to spend a weekend at the lake house away from men. They can laze around the lake, get tan, each junk, and watch chick flicks. No men are allowed except for Patches and her friend’s little dog.
Neither man takes the news of Emma’s departure well. She only tells them she needs time to relax. She refuses to tell them where she is going or that anyone is going with her. Emma gets a kick out of the looks they give when she reminds each of them she isn’t answering her phone all weekend.
Damien demands he be allowed to provide wine and snacks for Emma’s weekend. He also presents her with a bouquet of flowers to remember him by.
Jonas begs to come along, but Emma refuses to let him. He shrugs and gives her a book to read. She tries not to laugh when she looks at the cover. It is a young man in the throes of passion with an older woman. Jonas is very direct in his hints. No mixed messages from him.
Emma is relieved to be on her way. She picks up Beverly, her friend, and they turn the radio up and sing along as they drive to the lake. It’s good to be free.
Chapter 6
The sun feels glorious on her face as Emma sets the patio furniture out. It is a little musty after having been in storage since her husband’s death. The sun and lake breeze is sure to remedy that quickly. Beverly brings Emma a cold soda and they sit and watch the boats on the lake. A calmness comes over Emma and she relaxes, allowing herself to leave her worries behind.
Beverly sees Emma’s face relax and is glad. She knows Emma’s life is getting a little crazy. Emma co
nfides everything to Beverly. This is a much-needed break, although Beverly is sure she would like to have two young men after her. And the sex that Emma describes having with Damien sounds fantastic to a lonely Beverly. If Emma grows tired of either man, she will gladly take him on.
The evening is filled with a funny movie, a game of cards and lots of snacks. The women enjoy a glass of Damien’s wine while watching the moon rise. They make a toast to Emma’s deceased husband for providing the lovely lake house.
Morning coffee is served on the patio along with some wonderful pastries that Beverly brought. The women put on their bathing suits, grab towels, lounging chairs and books, and head for the lake. They jump in the lake and scream with shock and laughter at the coldness of the water. A quick swim and then it’s back to the chairs to lay in the sun and read. The breeze dries their wet skin and the sun grows hotter. Afraid of sunburn, Emma suggests they go inside. She checks her phone and finds that the men didn’t heed her warning. There are several missed calls from each of them. Neither leaves a message.
Beverly wants to have lunch at the tiny cafe on the hill above the lake. It’s a great idea and the ladies decide to get some exercise by walking to the cafe. Their salads are delicious and the strawberry shortcake they have for dessert is even better. On the way back to the lake house Emma spies a little shop that is filled with handmade gifts. She finds gifts for the men and an adorable collar for Patches. Both she and Beverly discover beautiful hand-stitched skirts they must have.
