by Hazel Taylor
Instead, I would take these last moments of happiness with him, to carry for the rest of my life the memory of a man I could have fallen in love with.
Running my fingers through his hair, I tasted his skin., kissing his face, his neck, and shoulders. The heady musk scent that invaded my senses was blissful. His hands moved slowly, enticing every inch of my body with a slow caress, a soft touch. He took his time undressing me, starting by slowly sliding the delicate straps of my nightgown down my arms. His kisses traveled from my ear to my neck and shoulders.
His eyes seemed to devour me as the dim light of the room provided a haven for us. He gave me a smile both warm and wicked as he lowered the gown to my navel. His strong hands traced circles around my breasts slowly, followed by kisses that incited a riot of heat and fire.
Anxious to touch and explore him, I couldn’t help but tug at his shirt until he took it off, revealing the tattooed woman upon his chest. I wasn’t jealous of her; she was just a picture, whereas I was sharing this moment with him.
His skin set fire to my fingertips as I cruised over his tanned and rippled muscles. I could hear his breathing grow heavier with each touch. By the time we were both free of our clothing, my body was completely on fire, and I didn’t think I could stand anymore.
When he pressed his body atop mine, I felt gloriously feminine and wanton. I needed him, this moment, as much as I needed air. “Please….”
Sliding his hand up, he parted my welcoming legs and I could feel the force of his own need. It was heady and intoxicating to my senses to know that he needed and wanted this moment with me. He had protection in place, and rocking wickedly, he sent shock waves of desire through my body making me cry out.
Locking eyes with him, I decided I had had enough. “Donovan Donatella, are you going to finish what you’ve started? I’m dying here.”
His laughter made me smile. “Bossy now, aren’t we, angel?”
“Oh, I haven’t begun to get bossy yet, Mr. Donatella. Just wait….” His lips silenced my next words as I welcomed him home. We melded together in the dance as old as time. All else was forgotten except the feel of our bodies coming together.
His body pressed into mine, drawing deeper with each thrust, all my thoughts scattered on the wind. Lost in a sea of pleasure and need, I met him at each turn. The muscles in his back rippled beneath my fingers as I gripped tighter, pulling his lips to mine.
When we finally reached paradise, I fell over the edge first, whispering his name. He soon followed, my name upon his lips.
Exhausted, we lay entwined in an embrace that would likely be our last. As I lay silently, the last eruptions of fulfillment subsiding, the reality of that crashed down upon me. This was likely the last moment I would see him. Tomorrow he would find out my past, hear of a lie and probably never want to see me again.
Cradling him in my arms, I listened to his heavy breathing as he slept. The feel of his skin and hair was soft against my fingers. His manly smell was imprinted on my body. The taste of his lips was fresh on my own. The sight of his relaxed body was something I would never forget.
I must have drifted off to sleep, for when morning came, I woke to the sound of a door crashing open. Blinking my eyes open, I found his mother standing at the bottom of the bed, hands on her hips. "Well, I guess you were telling the truth about her being your girlfriend."
Donovan stirred to sit up. Thankfully, somewhere in the night we had both covered ourselves. "Mother, what are you doing?” he growled. “Get out of here now."
"Fine,” she huffed. “I will give you both a moment to dress, then I need to talk to you, Donnie. I bet you didn’t know she stole my diamond ring.”
12
Donovan
My mind was whirling. First, my mother stormed into the room uninvited. Then she made up this story. “Get out now!” I repeated angrily. When she turned and left, I rose from the bed to look at Paige. “What is going on?”
“Does it matter?” Tears were welling in her eyes again. “Just go talk to your mother.”
“Fine, I will, but I will be back to talk to you shortly. I don’t know what is going on, but somebody needs to start talking.” Anger threatened my composure as I stormed into my office to find my mother sitting in a chair.
“Okay, I’m here, Mother," I said. “Start talking.”
By the time she was done, I was furious. I didn't know who to believe. Paige had lied to me about her past and supposedly stolen something. Storming back into her bedroom, I was prepared to deal with this in private. I wasn't going to let this happen again. When I got there, I found out she was gone, her and her candy jar.
Sitting down on the bed we had just made passionate love in, I felt lost. How could she have left? It must have been true then.
After the initial shock wore off, I realized it was for the best. Women were complicated, and I never had any luck with them. But despite all that, my heart ached for her, my body ached for her touch. Heck, I wouldn't have been surprised if she came back claiming I got her pregnant and demanded money. What I fool I had been.
Days passed and I still felt as lousy as ever. I pushed past it, putting a smiling face on for everyone, but it angered me that she’d just left like that without a word. I tried contacting the agency I had hired her from, but they couldn’t give me any information. I thought about suing them but realized it wouldn’t make me feel any better.
My mother had taken Amber on a holiday to Disney World to help her forget about Paige.
When she returned from the trip, one afternoon when I was pondering how to find her, my mother walked into my office.
“Donnie, do you have a second? We need to talk.” She sat down in front of me, and if I hadn’t known better, I might have thought she was feeling guilty.
I sighed. "What is it, Mother?”
“While I was away with Amber, we had a great time.”
“Wonderful, glad to hear it.”
Meeting my eyes, she frowned. “Donnie, while we were away, Amber talked of Paige a lot, asking when she was going to see her.”
“I will discuss that with her.”
“It’s not that. While we were sitting by the pool one afternoon, she told me about the ring. Donnie, I was wrong, completely wrong. Paige didn’t take the ring. She must have dropped it or something, and Amber picked it up and placed it in her bag for school. She forgot about it until weeks later when she gave it back to Paige, who then gave it to me.”
Sitting back in my chair, I needed a moment to digest all this. It was still on my mind hours later as I left the gym after a hard workout. Not normally an emotional man, I prided myself on staying in control, but something about this just wouldn’t go away.
I didn't care if she had been a petty thief while a teenager; I only cared if she stole from me. My body ached at the thought that she might have stolen from me as my ex-girlfriend Lindsay had done. The pain that I might go through this again clouded my judgment as I hurried out the door to get a cup of coffee before heading back to work.
Deep in thought, I only remember glancing over as I crossed the street to see a car heading for me. I couldn't think fast enough to dive out of the way when her voice echoed in my head, DONNIE NO! Then I was shoved out of the way.
The horror of what I saw tore my heart to pieces as I turned around. Lying on the hard pavement in front of the Red Mustang that had nearly hit me was my rescuer, Paige. Rushing to her side, I fell to my knees. “Paige, my God why did you do that?”
I checked her pulse as people screamed and cried around us. Lance, my driver, came to kneel beside me.
“Don’t touch her please.” My body shook from the shock, the reality, the pain, the sorrow, and the selflessness of this woman. Her pulse was strong, but she was unconscious. The ambulance arrived quickly to take her to the hospital.
Lance and I followed in the car but weren't allowed to see her or talk to her since I wasn't family. I tried in vain, pleading, offering anything I could to get informatio
n on how she was doing. The only information they would give me was that she was alive and in the ICU.
I sat for hours, unable to move, my heart aching. How wrong I had been about it all. I did need someone, I did want someone. I wanted her and there was nothing I could do.
When I finally decided to go home, I felt like a wounded warrior who had lost a battle. My body moved but I felt dead inside. I wished I had taken the hit instead of her. Lance told me she had been standing on the sidewalk waiting to talk to me. He saw me step off the sidewalk followed by her scream, her thrusting me out of the way, then being hit.
Days went by. I sent flowers, cards, candy, teddy bears. Finally, I could visit after many phone calls and offering to fund a new wing in the hospital. When I entered the room, she was asleep. I sat there for what seemed like hours silently watching her. The only evidence of her injuries was a broken leg.
Her doctor came in and stood at the bottom of her bed taking notes and studying her chart. “She is doing well,” he finally told me. “Her injuries are healing fast. She will likely be out of the hospital in time for her birthday on June 3rd.”
I watched her a bit longer, leaving her sleeping quietly. I went back to the hospital day after day, but she was always asleep, so I just watched my angel. When I returned on a Friday, they told me she had been released.
I wanted to call her, see how she was doing, but feared she wouldn’t have me. For the first time in years, I couldn’t work, found no enjoyment in my daughter.
I was sitting at my desk staring at nothing when I heard my mother’s voice. “Donnie, can I have a word with you?”
I resisted the urge to tell her to go away. “Yes, Mother, please come in.”
She sat on the couch in my office, sipping her tea. "Donnie, I know I was hard on Paige, but what she did for you, she must care for you."
Her words hit home, punching me right in the gut.
“You know, Bradley found out her parents died when she was 12 and her brother was 14. They ended up living on the streets for a time, sleeping where they could and stealing food to eat. She stole to survive, as any child would."
Swallowing hard, I tried to ignore the pain. “Why are you telling me this, Mother?”
“Because I can see that you have feelings for her, and she proved she does for you. You should go to her.” She got up from the couch and left me to think again.
13
Paige
I had spent the last few days in my apartment and tomorrow was my birthday. I would eat ice cream and watch some old movies to celebrate. There wasn’t much else I could do with a broken leg. Thankfully, my roommate was covering all the expenses.
I missed Donnie terribly, but I had no regrets about what I had done. I wanted to call him, hear his voice, see his handsome face. His gifts were beautiful, the flowers, the candy, the cards, but that didn’t mean he trusted me or believed in me. That thought hurt so much.
As I popped popcorn, I texted my brother, who was traveling through Virginia racing. A knock sounded at the door, so I mindlessly answered it.
There stood Donovan, roses in one hand, a birthday cake in another. “I know tomorrow is your birthday, but I couldn’t wait another moment to see you.”
Speechless, I hobbled out of the way, feeling uncoordinated. I couldn’t help but admire how he looked amazing in a blue pinstriped suit, his hair slicked back away from his face.
Recovering, I took a deep breath. “Why are you here? I don’t understand.”
Quickly he set the cake and flowers on the coffee table. “Nice place.”
I had to laugh; he was making small talk now. The apartment was a closet that I shared with a girlfriend. The furniture was ancient, the stove barely worked, and the bedroom window looked out onto a brick wall. “Thanks. So why are you here?”
“May I?” He motioned to the couch, and I nodded . “I have a card I would like to read it to you. It’s for your birthday.”
“Okay.” I felt drawn to sit beside him, resting my leg on the table.
“Oh, and I have this.” He pulled out a bag of chocolate candies. “For your collection. I see your jar is empty. I wonder why?”
“I think you know.” I couldn’t help it; I started eating the candy as he read.
"Dear Paige, I wish you a perfect birthday, with everything you hope for. Happy Birthday, Donnie."
“Thank you.”
Throwing me a wicked grin, he continued. “I’m not done, Paige. A little angel finally spilled the beans. I am sorry it took this long. I know about your past and it doesn’t matter to me. I believe in you and trust you, and if you are willing, I want you back in my life. I have missed you so much. I don’t know how to ever repay you for what you did that day, but I hope you will give me a chance to try.”
I was speechless, unable to even think what to say, so I sat waiting.
Turning to face me, he took my hands in his. “I know why you left. I understand if you don’t want anything to do with me or my crazy mother. She is very sorry, by the way, and has vowed to take you shopping with her if you will come back and forgive her. Oh, and Rachel has decided to be a stay-at-home mom, so I am looking for an assistant too. Please give us, give me another chance, Paige.”
My heart beat wildly. Did I dare believe his words? "How do I know what you say is true?”
“You don’t,” he admitted. “We are both taking a gamble. If it would make you feel better, I could have myself investigated and you could read it.” He kissed both my hands, making me dizzy with happiness.
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes. When I opened them moments later, he was still sitting looking intently at me. “Would I be sitting here in this neighborhood if I wasn’t serious about this? Come on, I had to pay everybody on the block $50 each to leave my car alone.”
“You drove here?”
“Yes, I wanted to do this myself. Oh, and I have your bonus for pretending to be my girlfriend.” He pulled a red velvet box from his pocket.
Taking the box in my shaky hands, I opened it. Inside was a beautiful bracelet of diamonds in an antique gold setting with filigree. “Oh, my goodness, Donnie! It’s beautiful, and way too much.”
“It was also my grandmother’s. It reminds me of you, my diamond in the rough.” He secured it to my wrist, where it glittered and sparkled.
“Thank you, you didn’t have to do this.” Bubbles erupted inside me, I realized what did I have to lose. He was here, I had missed him terribly, and he’d brought chocolate and diamonds. “On one condition, Donnie.” Wicked thoughts were clouding my mind.
“What’s that?”
Standing up, I got a head start, hobbling to the bedroom. “You need to figure out what to do with all that whipped cream on the cake first.” I could hear his laughter and footsteps descending on me.
"Oh, I can think of quite a few things." One door in my life closed, and another happily opened.
Shape of Love
1
Cameron
I couldn’t help but shake my head in surprise. My high school friend Donovan was getting married. I honestly never thought I would see the day. With a past like his, riddled with female drama, it was hard to believe he was getting married. I couldn’t wait to meet the bride.
The Marks Hotel was understated elegance as I strolled through the lobby looking from person to person. I could tick them off on my fingers, nose job, boob job, way older than she looked. As a plastic surgeon, it was hard not to. What was even harder was not picking a person apart and finding what I could work on.
“Cam, it’s been so long. I’d like you to meet Paige.”
Donovan greeted me with his usual hug and pat on the back, but I would be damned if he didn’t look happy. Judging by the petite beauty beside him, I could understand why. As she smiled and embraced me it was hard to find a flaw I could correct.
"Good to see you, Donnie,” I said. “Paige, darling if you ever tire of this guy, I will give you my number and we can get together!"
I couldn't help it, but Donnie smiled with that Keep your hands off my bride or you’re dead look. I knew another man's property when I saw it.
Her laugh was sweetly enticing. Donnie was a lucky man and I was happy for him.
“Come, let’s go have a drink.” She led the way to a quiet table in the lounge, while Donnie and I followed like two lost sheepdogs.
“So Cameron, are you married?”
Donnie barked a laugh. “Don’t even think about it, Paige honey. He’s not matchmaking material.”
Donnie was right about that. Even though I hated to admit it, I wasn't even looking to get married. I loved women, probably a bit too much. Heck, my whole reason for coming wasn't just for the wedding. I wanted to get away from my partners and their insisting I get married and settle down. Something about me messing around with the female clientele was not good for business, ruining our reputation.
Well, I had to admit there weren’t too many women I hadn’t wooed or at least tried to. A few married, a couple engaged, most single and looking for love, most wealthy or close enough. Who could blame me? They came to me looking to be made more youthful, or beautiful. I gave them that, figuratively as well as by showing them how much they could be appreciated by a man.
“Nonsense. He just hasn’t found the right woman.” Her smile was hiding something, but I didn’t want to know what.
“He is such a player, Paige; he even had a woman propose to him once.”
If that wasn't frightening and annoying in the same breath, thoughts of that moment made me cringe. The woman had been named Deanna. She was in her thirties and lacked self-confidence. Her nose was too large, her lips too thin, her boobs too small. After I fixed her up, she was so delectable I had to sample the goods. Sadly, she fell head over heels and proposed to me soon after. When I let her down gently, she got angry, throwing me out of her apartment, only to contact me weeks later asking for forgiveness.
