THE HEALING HEART

by Zelda Clemens

  Gary didn’t immediately turn to face her as she approached him. He couldn’t understand what was wrong with him. He had wanted so much to reach out to her, now here she was, alone with him in the underground parking lot and somehow he seemed to restrain himself from testing the theory she felt the same way he was feeling.

  He listened as her heels squeaked against the ground as she approached him.

  “I understand what you are going through,” she said when she was a few feet from him.

  Gary turned around slowly. “You do?” he asked gleefully, finally finding his voice.

  "Totally," she said. "I mean, I would feel even worse to have been the hero of the day to have saved one of the richest women in New York and not be recognized with the rest of the team. That’s hard to contain if you ask me,” she added.

  That’s it? Gary’s enthusiasm to pour out his feeling drained off.

  He had hoped she would say how she felt toward him but she was rather talking about something else.

  He looked down briefly and cleared his throat. When he looked up, she was smiling again affectionately again. It was then he noticed her dimple. He hadn’t noticed earlier. It made her look even more beautiful.

  Gary had to muster all the strength he could to say the next words he said. His feet were weakening beneath him already, but the thought that she wasn’t feeling the same he felt, spurred him to sum up the strength to brush aside the prospect of anything happening between them.

  “You were barely conscious. How could you even tell it was me?”

  Her eye brightened when he asked the question like she had been anxiously expecting him to.

  "Are you kidding?" she chuckled. "How can I ever forget those beautiful brown eyes," she pointed fleetly at his eyes, "or your rock solid arms that were like a stronghold that guaranteed my safety?"

  She closed the little distance that existed between them.

  Her perfume enveloped him as she stepped closer. He wanted so much to take her in his arms again like he had some days back. To assure her he would always be ready and willing to protect her if she gave him a chance. But he stopped himself with the reminder what he felt for her was not reciprocal.

  He remembered Sophia’s words from earlier that night when she had said she was glad he was giving love a chance again.

  Is this love? Damon asked himself because it seemed to have possessed him all of like the explosion of a million orgasm happening simultaneously. It was almost like he couldn’t control his thoughts and coordination around her. Since Debby, no other lady had been able to make him feel the way he was feeling.

  Eleanor reached out for him slowly. She looked into his brown eyes and Gary felt like she was searching his soul for something. Something he was willing to give if only he knew what she wanted.

  She stopped her fingers from touching his arms just yet when Gary already prepared himself to savor the tenderness of her touch. He looked disappointed when she stopped, and he stared at her. His eye pleaded with her to do as she wanted. Begging her not to hold back from expressing the emotions she might be feeling toward him, otherwise why else had she followed out into the garage?

  “Can I, uh, touch them? I mean your arms?” Eleanor asked suddenly and bit her lower lip after a second of deliberately what to do next.

  She, too. was caught in mixed feelings, but she deeply hoped Gary showed the way to what to do next. She wanted him badly. He was a temptation she couldn’t resist. Since she laid her eyes on him inside the hall, she yearned dearly to reach out and caress his golden face and taste his alluring lips but she was worried about leading him on without him being expressive of how he felt.

  She’d noticed Gary walked out of the hall before the event was even over, just at the moment she had seen him enjoying a chatter with a beautiful lady. The very lady that had led the team that came to receive upon her arrival. They appeared to be very close, but she didn’t want to assume anything. The lady had mouthed something towards her when their eyes met, but she couldn’t make out what it was the lady said.

  Something else bothered her. She wondered if he was mad she hadn’t recognized him publicly as her savior although she knew he understood the circumstances that surrounded the issue. Or something else bothered him. Something else she could relate to, but he was restraining himself.

  Gary stared from her hand hanging midway to her face and held her stare momentarily before he replied. He was caught unaware by the question.

  Are you asking? YES! Gary screamed in his head, but when opened his mouth to reply, he was too slow.

  “Uh, of…”

  “Never mind,” she withdrew her hand rapidly. “I’m sorry I was too forward,” she looked away embarrassed.

  She had expected him to be more reactive after all her suggestive gestures, but he appeared unwilling to meet her halfway there, where she wanted to be.

  Gary felt guilty when he noticed the hurt in the eye. He wanted so much to open himself up to her, but he had to be cautious. What he was feeling could just be an infatuation of an adolescent. Just a sudden lust that would leave him broken and wounded for a very long time.

  Miss Richards cleared her throat to arrest his attention as Gary appeared to be lost in his mind.

  "I just wanted to thank you in person for risking yourself and your career to rescue," she said and paused to hear his response, but Gary just stared on at her. Even his body language was silent.

  “So, uh, thank you again,” Eleanor repeated before she turned away to head back into the banquet hall.

  When she turned, she noticed a couple fondling with each other at the far end of the garage and she scoffed and glanced over her shoulder at Gary. He too appeared to have seen the couple, but his facial expression was just stoic.

  That could be us, she muttered in her mind before starting to walk away.

  Spontaneously, Gary reached out and caught Eleanor’s arm before she took another step away. He spurred around on her heels almost simultaneously and drew into his firm arms.

  Eleanor, who was shocked by Gary’s sudden outspoken action, was breathless, and before she could take a few seconds to comprehend what was going on, Gary drew her into his solid, protective arms. She completely let go of herself and let him orchestrate her movements. The next moment he leaned in toward her face and his beautiful lips hovered hers like a drone waiting for the command to settle on hers. She could feel his heavy breathing. Her heart was beating nearly at the same rate with his breath. But then he seemed to linger and not know what to do next after such epic maneuver.

  “Can I kiss you?” Gary asked breathlessly.

  “Are you asking?” she retorted, itching closer against his body to feel his erection more strongly on her thighs. “Gary yes! Do with me as you please,” she blurted.

  Gary buried his mouth into hers without any further hesitation. He could feel the tenderness of her breasts swelling against his chest. He could also feel the erection of her nipple jabbing at his skin through the tender layers of her gown. He didn’t ask—she was not wearing a bra. That turned him on the more.

  For more than a minute, they sucked and drank each other up as if they had an unquenchable thirst for themselves.

  Eleanor was so aroused. It had been forever since any man made her feel the way she felt and it was the first time she was having such strong feeling for an African-American but she loved it. Her feelings were fireworks waiting to explode through the sky and she deeply wanted Gary to take her there.

  When she felt like Gary was about to relent and draw away, she raised her hand to his head. Brushing her fingers through his black curly hair, she held him back on the neck from drawing away. She wanted more of his. Nothing but all of him. And then she pushed their romantic exchange one gear forward. She removed one his hands on her ass and edged it up her boobs. She wanted him to fondle her right there.

  Gary got her message and was made to slip his hands through the slit around her cleavage when Sophia appeared from nowhere to p
ause their party.

  “Miss Richards, I have been looking…” she voice trailed off when she noticed what was going on. “Oh! wow…wow!” Sophia gasped.

  Eleanor released herself from Gary's arms slowly and straightened her gown. When Gary opened his eyes to look at her, he noticed she was wearing a seductive smile. She had enjoyed their short moment together, and he had too.

  She leaned forward toward his ear before even glancing at Sophia who remained rooted where she stood, watching them interestedly. Gary caught a teasing look in her eyes.

  "I didn't see that coming," Eleanor whispered into his ears, referring to the moment he had to spurn her around. “We should get to see each other more. I’ve got a million ideas of what to do to you” she added, flickering his ear with the tip of her tongue and tracing he erection with her manicured fingernails.

  Gary stifled a moan. “We definitely should,” Gary replied her. “I only hope your schedule is as free as mine,” he added flashing her the most seductive smile he could manage.

  "I can make anything happen – for you," she said and bit her lips.

  Sophia cleared her throat to remind them of her presence.

  “Who’s she to you?” Eleanor asked in a hushed tone, narrowing an eye at him before turning around.

  “His sister,” Sophia replied her quickly, obviously hearing her question.

  “My sister,” Gary replied and stopped himself from laughing when he caught the delightful relieve in Eleanor’s eye.

  Eleanor turned to face Sophia, “Hello, we meet again.” She smiled weakly at her.

  "Of course," Sophia replied her sarcastically. "Your attention is needed inside if you don't mind," Sophia added quickly before Eleanor could say another word.

  Gary kept smiling as he watched them. His sister was such a drama queen.

  Eleanor leaned to kiss him one last time before she followed Sophia back in. “I will find you,” she whispered into his ears.

  Gary caught a funny look on Sophia’s face. He knew what it meant and had to refrain himself from chuckling.

  As the two women walked away steadily, their heels kissing the garage floor and their asses swinging in rhythm, Gary heard his phone beep.

  When he tapped on the message that came in, it was from Sophia:

  “Make sure to give her all the fucks you’ve got loaded inside you. Unless you’ve been jerking off to those crazy porn bitches with fake orgasms. Happy ‘FUCK LEAVE’ Captain. I hope she has a dog to keep your bitch, Lucy, occupied,” she wrote with a wink emoticon.

  Gary laughed aloud, “Sophia the crazy.”

  THE END

  Another bonus story is on the next page.

  Bonus Story 41 of 44

  Seduced by the Countryside

  Dana had always wanted to live in the country and when Lee finally agreed to swap their city apartment with its heavy traffic and clogged pavements for a small cottage and some land, she was overjoyed. Of course, being located on the other side of the country meant that they hadn’t seen it in person but the photos online, although a little out of focus, were beautiful. It was her dream come true and Lee would get to write the novel that he’d tinkered with on and off for the last few years.

  They had swapped their public transport passes for an old jeep which had driven them and their meager possessions all the way up the bumpy lane and through the gate to their new property. Dana had wanted to arrive before dark, but their journey had taken longer than expected and now the stars were shining in the sky but the ground was in pitch darkness.

  The only light in the area came from the headlights of the jeep and, when they finally came to a stop outside the small house, they were surprised to find that it wasn’t quite as well-kept as the photos had suggested.

  “I don’t believe it,” Lee said hopping from the jeep onto the gravel drive. “I think the pictures we saw were a little out of date.”

  “Are you sure this is our house?” Dana asked holding the map in front of the light.

  “The name was on the gate, honey. This is Stonegate Corner,” he replied running his hands through his sandy blond hair.

  Dana was tired but not defeated. She grabbed the keys and opened the front door before her husband could remember that this had been her idea. When she flicked the light switch, the hallway was illuminated. The interior was in far better shape than the exterior which was perfect because she wanted to bring in her stuff, have a glass of wine to toast their new home and then fall into bed.

  The previous owner had left a little note apologizing for the state of the place with a bottle of local wine and a packet of chocolate chip cookies. She opened both that night.

  ****

  The next morning began with a slight hangover and bright glorious sunshine that filed through the windows and straight onto the pillows. Dana reached over for her husband but he wasn’t there. She found coffee brewed in the kitchen and her husband setting up shop in his new office. He’d obviously been eager to start work because the laptop was open and he was staring at a blank page with a steaming cup of coffee in his hands.

  “Sorry, I had trouble sleeping,” he said.

  “Not to worry,” she replied stooping to kiss his temple.

  After breakfast, she took a tour of the outside and the house wasn’t in bad repair so much as the plants had overgrown. It wouldn’t take her long to get them back under control. The house would need painting, but it wasn’t as bad as she’d first feared. The driveway was full of long weeds and they would need to go, but what worried her was the amount of fencing that she would need to take care of, not to mention the state of the pre-existing chicken coop.

  She had some deliveries due to arrive later that morning from the hardware store and her rescued hens would be there in the afternoon. She had been over-eager and Lee had pointed that out, but as usual, she had insisted because she couldn’t help it. Dana didn’t know how to wait and she had more optimism than anyone on the planet.

  She began making a list and tried to prioritize the jobs. Her first priority would be the hen house or her girls would end up bunking in the house with her and Lee and she thought that would probably be grounds for divorce.

  “Hi, it’s seen better days, right?”

  She spun around and came face to chest with a tall broad man who stood grinning at her from his lofty height. She hadn’t been expecting the neighbors to introduce themselves quite so soon, but as he came without a vehicle, he must have been local. He was still giving her a wide grin and she couldn’t help but smile back. Some men were so pretty they were dangerous.

  “I’m Frankie. I live at the end of the lane,” he said holding out one of his huge hands for her to shake.

  “Hi, I’m Dana,” she said taking his warm hand in hers.

  “It looks bad but it won’t take long to fix up,” he said nodding his head towards the pile of rotting wood that bore barely any resemblance to a chicken coop.

  “I have some supplies coming this morning, but the hens are arriving after lunch so I’m going to have to be inventive,” she said laughing.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll help you,” he replied.

  Without waiting for an invitation, he picked up the toolkit she’d dumped on the porch and made his way to the hen house. She figured he must have seen how it used to look because he knew where each part went and within half an hour it was taking shape. When she saw a dust cloud at the end of the drive, she excused herself and ran to the van that was loaded full of the supplies she would need, or at least the ones she had anticipated.

  When she turned back around Frankie was nowhere in sight and she felt a slight touch of disappointment. He’d been good company and knew his stuff when it came to patching, but if she was being honest with herself she had enjoyed his handsome face. She looked at her watch and wondered if he’d gone home for lunch, but when she stepped into the kitchen, she could hear his deep voice coming from Lee’s office.

  *****

  Lee had felt the urge to write b
efore he’d even opened his eyes. Granted, the story that was bubbling to come out was not the story he’d been promising for the last couple of years. The new idea felt fresh and alive and so did he. The sun was shining, the country air smelled good and the natural sounds that bathed the farm were filled with life. He’d made some coffee and fired up the laptop.

  When a large shadow had blocked the light that streamed through his open door, Lee had looked up. The man that leaned on the door frame was farm-built and wore that contented look that honest labor and plenty of sunshine gives a man. He was smiling and raised his hand in a little wave. Lee waved back and found that the smile was infectious.

  “Hi, your deliveries are here,” he said.

  “Oh right, are you the driver?” Lee asked.

  “No, I’m your neighbor. I’ve been helping Dana with the hen house. The woman that used to live here had a lot of hens at one point but she relocated them when she started getting sick and now it needs a little fixing,” the man replied. “So, you’re a writer?”

  “I’m trying to be,” Lee said. “Want some coffee?”

  Lee could see Dana checking through the deliveries from the kitchen window. She was glowing. She had pink healthy cheeks and a light sheen of sweat on her brow. Country life suited her. She had the delivery driver going through the order with her and he thought that right then and there, she had the power to make the poor guy lift every item to its proper place by hand and with a smile on his face.

  “Your wife looks happy,” the man said looking over his shoulder.

  “She does. This has been her dream for years. My name is Lee, what’s yours?”

  “Frankie,” he replied.

  “Well Frankie, welcome to the new owners of Stonegate Corner,” Lee said raising his cup to chink against Frankie’s.

  “May your time here be fruitful and happy,” Frankie replied grinning.

  ****

  When Lee stopped for a break that afternoon, he sat on the porch with a glass of store bought lemonade and watched Dana and Frankie secure the fencing. He wondered briefly if he should be worried about Frankie spending time with his wife. The man was beyond handsome and had muscles that made the men at the gym back in the city look like girls. Dana looked happy working beside him and she lifted her face to smile at the things he said. He didn’t feel jealous, he felt something else. The feeling was like he’d won the lottery and now he never needed to worry anymore. He was happy.