HEART

by JM Kelley

  CHAPTER 6

  SARAH

  How is it, I just had the orgasm of my life, and I’m ready to go again? It’s been so long since a man has touched me, and no one has ever loved me like Brad. The last time I had sex was two days before my marriage ended, the day I found Ben in our bed with another woman. That was the final straw. The day I kicked him out of our home, and never looked back. After that, I spent my time focused on my daughter and determined to make my business successful. The sex in my marriage was anything but spectacular, not like it was with Brad that night fourteen years ago, and nothing compared to right now, in this bed. Is it sad that the best sex of my life was in the front seat of a rusty old pick-up truck? Sex with Ben, when he was home, was never anything special, he took his pleasure, never worrying about mine. Sometimes I orgasmed, and sometimes I didn’t. Maybe it was my fault for never complaining, but he sure never went out of his way to make sure I was satisfied. Sex was just never on the forefront of my mind, maybe because my heart just wasn’t in it from the beginning. When I found out I was pregnant, I was already engaged to Ben, and with him deployed for such a long time, I didn't know what to do. Should I have written him a letter? Dear Ben before you go and put your life on the line, can you send home a blood sample to make sure the baby is yours? Or Should I have called Brad? Hey, Brad, I’m sorry to shatter all your dreams but can you drop out of medical school because you might be the father of my baby? So I did what I had to do for my daughter, damn the consequences. And as far as the future, I know the reality is that Brad will leave again and go back to his life, and I’ll go back to mine. It’s just sex, so why not let myself enjoy tonight with him, relieve the guilt and the worry, even if it’s only for a little while. Brad has unleashed the beast, and she is starving for him.

  My heart thrums and my mouth waters at the Greek God, hovering at the edge of my bed. His eyes are dark and full of desire, and I feel like I’m about to be eaten alive. He licks his fingers clean of my juices, and I’ve never seen anything more erotic. He looks better than a delicious five-star-meal, standing in front of me with his hard body and California tanned skin. I want to taste him and suck him and fuck him. I want it all. His tight black boxer briefs do nothing to hide the significant bulge he's sporting. Yummy! His body is different now, harder and more defined. His broad shoulders, his sculpted chest, and the rigid lines of his tight abdomen tells me he probably works out often. I lick my lips letting my eyes feast on his fuck-me body. He is all man and all mine tonight. His deep blue eyes are the same, and I still find myself getting lost in them. He removes his underwear, his magnificent cock springing to life, and like a hunter, his eyes never break from mine. His hand smooths over his long, thick cock with slow, lazy strokes, and a fierce, predatory look on his face. My heart pounds, as I scoot back on the bed in anticipation, knowing I’m about to be ravaged.

  He reaches down into his jeans lying on the floor and pulls out a condom, before slowly climbing onto the bed. He crawls up my body with such hunger in his eyes, kissing me as if he needs me more than his next breath. His kisses are coarse and addictive, leaving no room for air. I can taste my flavor on his lips, and it makes me even wetter than I was before. Never before have I felt so wanted, so needy, and I just want to lick every inch of him like a postage stamp. "You’re so fucking beautiful, Sarah, I’ve thought about you, this, every single day.” “Brad,” I plead, wanting him inside me fast, his confession almost too much to bear at this moment. I gasp when the harsh stubble on his face brushes across the delicate skin of my breasts. The gentle touch of his fingers, taking their time massaging and caressing every inch of my body, lighting my every nerve ending on fire. “Brad, please,” I sigh beneath his touch. “I know what you need Sunshine, let me worship you tonight.” He has my body writhing and twisting beneath him as he touches and licks every inch of my skin, owning me, possessing me. My body hums like a sexy song as he teases and sucks and fingers me. “Please Brad, fuck me.” He's reduced me to begging, and I don’t care, I just want his beautiful, thick cock inside me.

  He positions himself between my legs, lining his cock up to my center, and my muscles shake in anticipation. He hasn't even entered me yet, and my entire body is trembling uncontrollably with desire. Painstakingly slow, he strokes the broad head of his cock through my slick hot pussy as if he’s painting a picture. “Brad, please fuck me.” I groan. “So eager Sunshine, I fully intend to fuck you all night.” My lips fall open, and I gasp, trying to suck air into my lungs as he pushes into me inch by glorious inch, till I’m stretched and filled in the most delicious of ways. “So good, Brad!” I whimper, the sensation is pure pleasure. I’m quickly on the precipice of orgasm, and he’s not even moving yet. “Brad you need to move, please,” I beg, and the bastard chuckles before tipping his head down to take my tight, sensitive nipple into his mouth, sucking hard. “Brad, I’m so close," When he repeats the same motion on my other nipple, my fingers dig into his shoulders. Arching my body into his, I fight to breathe. Then I’m coming. Hard. All over his cock. The sensation paralyzing when he begins to thrust, long, deep, violent thrusts, fucking me through the swell of my orgasm, making my entire body quake. “Yes, yes, yes, Brad!” The pressure builds again, clawing Its way out from deep inside. Then I’m falling, spinning, floating and a million tiny stars explode across my eyes. I’m swallowed up by the pleasure. “Brad,” Over and over, I chant his name. His thrusts are deeper than anyone has ever been, merciless, sending me over the edge once again, as the pressure of my orgasm rolls straight into another. “Fuck Brad, yes!” My brain renders completely blank as I become a slave to my own body. Shattering into a million pieces, I have no choice but to surrender, the pleasure leaving me breathless…speechless…boneless… He slams into me one more time, then stills. His eyes squeeze shut, and the muscles in his neck tighten as he lets out a deep, raspy, groan and chases his pleasure. His hips thrust once, twice more as his body shudders through his climax. “Jesus Christ, Sarah!” He grunts into my neck as he continues to pulse inside me, before collapsing on top of me. He rolls off and deposits the condom into the waste basket next to the bed, then stretches out next to me, and engulfs me in his arms. We lay spent for a long while, our limbs tangled, my head resting against his chest, both of us completely sated.

  “Sarah, what happened between you and Ben?” My body stiffens a bit because we don’t need to be airing things out right now. Tonight is just sex, and I’m wondering why he wants to know, or why he even cares. I slip from his embrace and roll onto my side, propping my head up on my elbow to face him. “I knew it was never going to work between us. I should never have married him.” I take a deep breath and let out a sigh. “When Ben finally came home I had just had Ashley. He was ecstatic and insisted we get married right away. Ben I… I always knew there was a chance you could be the father, but I didn’t know what to do.” I lower my head, unable to meet his eyes. He should be angry, yet here he is in my bed looking at me like I hung the moon.

  He wraps his strong arms around me and threads his fingers through my hair. “Sarah, we were young, and we all made mistakes. I left, never giving a second thought to whether the baby was mine or not. I always knew it was a possibility. I could have called you. I knew we didn’t use a condom that night, and when Ben called to tell me he was a Dad, all I did was congratulate him. Talk to me Baby, tell me the rest.” He coaxes, after a long pause, toying with a lock of my hair. I pinch the bridge of my nose and cover my head with the palm of my hand feeling a migraine coming on. “We married a week later at the courthouse, and things were good for a little while. Not long after, Ben became distant, and he started going out a few nights a week, supposedly with his buddies. I was busy focusing on a new baby and taking care of my sick Momma.” “I’m sorry about your Mom. I never got to tell you that.” He interrupts, and I remember feeling hurt that he didn’t call. “Thank you, At least she was able to enjoy Ashley for a little while before she passed away.” I pause, my eyes beginning to sting w
ith tears. “I was so lonely, and Ben was all I had. When Ashley was about six months old, he came home and told me he was going to deploy again, and he was making the Marines his career. Of course, I supported him, but It was hard on me with a new baby and no family support. He would come home for two or three months at a time, then leave again. Those times were so difficult for me. I should never have married him, and I knew it was never going to work. He was never here, and even when he was, he was checked out. Don’t get me wrong, he tried to be a good dad to Ashley when he was home, but honestly, he was a terrible husband. He slept his way through half this town. How stupid was I to think things would change once we were married? The last straw was when I came home early from work one day and found him fucking someone in our bed. I threw him out and immediately filed for divorce. It’s been Ashley and me ever since. He loves Ashley, but he was never wired to be a family man, I guess. The simple truth is, I married him for all the wrong reasons.”

  “Come here.” Brad insists, pulling me into his arms. “You’re a strong woman Sarah, and you deserve so much better.” I scoff at him. “I’m not that strong, believe me.” “Sarah!” He growls. “You raised Ashley on your own with no support. You run a successful business, and you put everyone first before yourself. Maybe you need to let someone take care of you for once.” All he is doing is making me hopeful for what could be, but I have no right to think about those things. I won't let myself imagine what it would be like to have a strong man in my life, someone who puts me first, someone I can lean on when times are tough. I've fantasized many times about what It'd be like to have Brad in my life. How nice It would be to come home after a long day and have him there waiting for me. He'd make me laugh and keep my body warm at night.

  I fall asleep wrapped in his warm embrace, needing to feel his bulkiness against my body, and dream of things I know can never be. Wishing it could be the two of us for the rest of our lives, but I know It’s just a fantasy. Brad will be gone again, soon, and I need to keep my focus on Ashley and getting her healthy. No matter how much we’ve always wanted each other, It's not meant to be. Maybe another lifetime! But as Ben rustles me from sleep and kisses me with such unbridled passion, his body pressing me down into the mattress, his thick cock moving inside me. “Oh Brad,” At this moment, nothing exists around us. “How did I ever let you go?” He whispers in my ear. And when our fingers entwine as he pushes into me and we make slow passionate love, a shimmer of hope nestles in the back of my mind. And as I writhe underneath him, It’s all just too much. I rummage for the strength to breathe because It’s all too overwhelming. I know I’m falling in love with him all over again, and it’s terrifying, especially knowing I’ll be left broken hearted once again.

  CHAPTER 7

  BRAD

  I’m startled awake by the annoyingly loud ring of a cell phone. Sarah jumps from the bed like her body is on fire. “Hello!” There’s silence in the air and panic on her face as she listens to whoever is on the other end. “Oh God! Okay, I’ll be right there.” She hangs up and frantically runs around the room, rummaging clothes from her dresser. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, this was a mistake, I should have been there!” She shouts, before running into the bathroom and slamming the door shut. I throw on my clothes and anxiously sit at the edge of the bed, waiting for her to come out. When she does, her eyes are red and puffy like she’s been crying and I cringe at the despair written across her face. “Sarah, what’s wrong?” I stand and wrap my arms around her, but she gently wriggles from my embrace. “Sarah, What’s going on?” I demand. “It’s Ashley. I need to get to the hospital.” She snaps at me, swiping her keys and phone from the dresser. “Stop, You need to calm down and tell me what’s going on.” I insist, clutching her wrist as she reaches for the door handle. “Talk to me Sunshine, please, I want to help.” She falls into my arms, her body trembling, and breaks into uncontrollable sobs. “Ashley’s having severe stomach pain and they're not sure why. She’s asking for me, and I need to go, now.” She states, her agitation obvious. “Well, you’re not driving like this. I will take you in my car.” I insist, and surprisingly, she doesn’t argue. “Oh My God Brad, I can’t lose her.” She cries in my arms, leaving me feeling powerless.

  When we arrive at the hospital, Sarah sprints directly into Ashley’s room, and I stay back at the nurse's station not wanting to upset Ashley any more than she already is. She hasn't even met me yet, and this is undoubtedly not the time. I overhear one of the doctors speaking about Ashley’s case to one of the nurses, and I make my way over to him. “Hi! I’m doctor Thorensen, Ashley’s Umm…Uncle, can I speak to you about her condition?” He raises an eyebrow at me. “Sir, being a doctor, I’m sure you understand that I cannot talk about her case without permission.” Sarah strides out from Ashley’s room, looking a lot calmer than she did before. “Hi Doctor Collins, can you tell me exactly what’s going on with Ashley?” “Sure, Let's go talk in the waiting room, where Its private.”

  We follow him down the colorless hallway to an uninviting white box of a room, set up with a small cushioned couch and a few chairs, and nothing else. “Is it okay to speak freely with Ashley’s uncle here?” He asks, as Sarah and I take a seat across from him. “Yes, of course, He's, Um, the person we spoke about this morning. Brad this is Dr. Collins.” Recognition dawns on his face, and he just nods. “Understood! So Ashley has been having some abdominal pain, which became pretty severe tonight. We did a cat-scan of her abdomen and found that her spleen is a bit swollen, which can be a normal side effect of her disease. We gave her some pain meds, and she seems to be resting comfortably right now. It could get worse, but we’ll just watch her before we consider further treatment. I think Its best if we get Dr. Thorensen tested as soon as possible. If It’s okay, I can take him down to the lab right now, and put a rush on the test. We can probably get the results as soon as tomorrow.” I bounce from my chair. “Let’s do it now Doc.” “Okay, let me just stop at the nurse's station, and then we can go to the lab.”

  He leaves the room, and I kneel down in front of Sarah, her face is as white as a ghost. “Sunshine, look at me,” I take her chin between my thumb and index finger lifting her face to my gaze. “This is going to work, I can feel it. Everything is going to be okay, I promise. We are going to make sure she gets the best care. We’ll get through this together.” She doesn't seem convinced, as she anxiously rises from her seat. “I need to call Ben, maybe Its best if you’re not here. I’m afraid of what will happen if he decides to come up to the hospital.” She crosses her arms, and I can see her trying to close herself off again. I place my hands on either side of her face and tenderly kiss her forehead. “I’m not going anywhere Sunshine, and I'll handle Ben. We can all be adults about this and put Ashley’s needs first. You don’t need any added stress.” She gives me the slightest nod as her eyes swim with tears. “Thank you, Brad. I’m sorry for dragging you into all of this.” “Don’t you know Sarah? I’d do anything for you.”

  The simple blood test took no time at all, and Dr. Collins assures me that the results will be back quickly. I stop at the cafeteria to purchase two cups of coffee for Sarah and me. When I return, I see that Sara is still in the room with Ashley. I don’t think it’s an appropriate time to interrupt, so I ask the nurses to let Sarah know I’ll be in the waiting room.

  I must have dozed for a little while, because the next thing I know, Sarah is rubbing my shoulder to wake me up. “Sorry, I fell asleep, is everything okay?” I stand and rub the sleep from my eyes. “She’s feeling much better. They gave her something to make her comfortable.” “That’s great news, Is Ben coming tonight?” “I called and explained everything to him, I told him there was no reason for him to rush up here, so he decided to come tomorrow.” I put my arm around her shoulder. “I should take you home to get some rest?” I suggest, worried about how pale and tired she looks. “Okay, but first…” Fidgeting nervously, she lets out a long sigh. “Ashley saw you before, pacing outside her room, and she asked if she could
meet you before we go.” My eyes grow wide with surprise. I honestly didn’t think I’d be meeting my daughter tonight. “Uhh, sure, if that’s what she wants, then I’d love to meet her.”

  It's funny how many patients rooms I’ve entered over the years, but this time is so much more significant, and life-defining. I take tentative steps behind Sarah letting her go first, considering I’m scared shitless. Ashley's tiny body lies helpless in her hospital bed with her back facing the door, and she seems to be asleep. Sarah takes a seat next to her as I stand back waiting for approval. “Hey Sweetheart, Are you still up for this?” Sarah whispers as she pets her hair. “I feel better. I’m just tired.” Ashley’s tiny voice squeaks out. “Brad’s here if you’re still up to it, otherwise we can do it tomorrow.” “No, now is good.” She states with a determined voice and begins to sit up with Sarah’s help. Sarah adjusts the bed, and when I catch sight of Ashley’s tiny, frail body and pale complexion, worry punches me square in the gut, knocking all the wind out of me. My heart hurts, and I’m suddenly finding it difficult to breathe as I stare down at this young, beautiful little girl who’s fighting for her life. My little girl! It strikes me at this moment, I will fight, I will sacrifice, I will give it all up for her, for both of these women. I resolve then and there to do anything for them, and I want these girls in my life. Sarah waves me over and Ashley pats the bed, coaxing me to take a seat at the edge. The cute little smirk on her face reminds me of Sarah's. The color of her eyes are a bit lighter than her Mom's, but there is no mistaking she belongs to Sarah. She doesn’t seem nervous, meanwhile, I’m silently freaking out. My heart is racing like the wind as I take a seat at the edge of her bed and smile nervously at her. “Hello Ashley.” “Hi,” She squeaks back. “How are you feeling now?” I ask, not sure how this conversation should go. “Much better now. I just wanted to meet you and say thank you for trying to help me.” She seems so mature and so sweet and so perfect, I can’t help but grin from ear to ear. “Ashley, I would do anything for you.” “Well, even if it doesn’t work out, I want you to know how much I appreciate you coming here to try.” She murmurs with a discouraged look on her face. “Hey Angel…” I place my palm on her leg, even though she is under a blanket I feel the need to touch her for the first time, just to make sure she is real. “Listen, I know this is a shock for both of us, but I am truly honored to meet you, and I want you to know that I have a good feeling about this working out. You’re going to be out of this place, and back at school with your friends, in no time.” She gives me a reassuring smile. “I know you’re tired, and I think you should get some rest, but I’d like to stop in again tomorrow if that’s okay with you? I’ll even bring you some ice cream if you tell me your favorite flavor.” She beams at the mention of ice cream. “I’d like that. Mint chocolate chip is my jam.” I chuckle, and she holds out her hand like she wants me to give her a handshake. Instead, I rise from the end of the bed, and lean over to drop a kiss to the top of her head. “Get some rest and I’ll see you tomorrow Angel.” I pace out of the room wishing I could change places with her, and for the first time in a long time I pray to God, pray that I’m a match and I can save this beautiful precious girl.