A Place to Heal. CA J.D. Bodiford
in Houston, either, so if he wanted to spend their time together out of town that was fine with her.
She poured herself a glass of wine and sipped it as she walked upstairs. She didn’t need to turn on the light as she undressed, her bedroom well lit by the full moon shining through the floor to ceiling windows. Not bothering with a swimsuit, she stepped through the sliding glass doors leading to the private deck attached to her bedroom. A flip of a switch and the cover of the hot tub slid back, steam rising into the night air. It was finally late enough in the summer to have cool nights and Emma sank into the heated water gratefully, setting her wine on the nearby table. She leaned her head back against the pillow and smiled, reliving the day. Who would’ve thought that a simple message on a sticky note could change her life?! She laughed out loud at the thought that if her mother had misplaced it or she had not given it a second glance, God only knew how long it would have been before she got the exposure that was now headed her way. She knew that this was the proverbial calm before the storm and she couldn’t wait. All these years of hard work and sacrifice was finally going to pay off.
Emma was almost asleep when the sound of tires on the gravel of her driveway made her open her eyes in irritation. Who in the world could be coming over this late? It was almost nine, well past social hour and Emma didn’t have any close friends who would just drop by unannounced. When she heard the engine cut off, she reluctantly got out, drying quickly and pulling on a robe determined to send whoever it was on their way and return to the soothing water. She barely made it to the stairs before someone started knocking loudly. She pulled the belt tightly around her waist and hurried down, not bothering to look out the peephole before she yanked open the door.
“What in the world is going on?!” she asked angrily before looking up and straight into Blake’s deep blue eyes. Her breath caught, trapped in her lungs at the look on his face when he saw her. When she had pulled on the thin robe she hadn’t realized that the material clung to every curve, nearly transparent in some places where she hadn’t quite got all the water dried and the effect on Blake when she had opened the door had staggered him. His eyes were immediately drawn to her breasts, the nipples tightly puckered from the cold air and he followed the lines of her body down, finally seeing what his imagination had only tried to create. Her waist was small, her hips curving generously into long, sleek legs revealed by the short hem. His gaze was arrested by the sight of fire engine red toenails.
He exhaled slowly, closing his eyes briefly before looking back up. Emma stood very still, one hand on the open door watching him with widened eyes. Blake had often kissed her and even fondled her on a few occasions but he had never pushed for more, respecting Emma’s hesitance. Her inexperience was obvious and he was willing to wait until she was ready. Suddenly, his need for her was overwhelming. The realization that she was naked under the thin material tore through him, taking his breath away. The tension of his body was reflected in the visible clenching of his jaw. His restraint was suddenly at a breaking point and he struggled to move slowly. He knew that if he rushed her like his body was demanding, she wouldn’t think him much better than a caveman.
Breathing deeply, he wrestled with his desire and finally won at least for this moment. His hand visibly shaking, he slowly reached out, circling her nipple with only his fingertip, the touch so light she could barely feel it. He watched as it drew tighter, harder from his caress. When Emma didn’t pull away, he moved his hand down, under her breast, lifting the weight of it, cupping it and squeezing gently. He glanced up at her face to see what her reaction was and watched as Emma bit down on her bottom lip, stifling the moan rising from her throat. His groin tightened, almost painful as he swelled quickly to full arousal. His hand slid away from the sweet burden, molding the curve of her waist and reaching around to her firm, full behind as he slowly pulled her to him. Emma came willingly, taking the two steps necessary to lie fully against him. Her soft gasp as she felt the hardness pressed between her legs echoed in the darkness. Before she could close her mouth he was there, kissing her, tasting the sweetness within. He wrapped his arm tightly around her waist, lifting her to better fit himself between her legs, wedging his muscular thigh between hers forcing her to spread her feet so he could be even closer to her softness. The kiss deepened as he thrust his tongue deeply, stroking hers, encouraging her to do the same. Emma met his demand eagerly, sliding her hands into his thick hair, holding him tightly as she sucked lightly on his tongue. Her body was on fire, heat pouring through her to settle between her legs. An ache like she had never felt before was deep within her and she knew that Blake was the only one who could satisfy her need. He broke the kiss, sliding his lips down the sensitive skin of her neck as her head fell back. He reached the tender spot where her neck joined her shoulder and bit down gently, sucking the skin against his teeth and then licking it tenderly, soothing the sting. The silence of the night was broken by her cry of need and his answering murmur of reassurance as their breathing became more labored, each struggling to draw a deep breath. Blake abruptly stopped, pulling his leg from between hers and stepping back, trying desperately to cool the fire in his blood and regain control of his raging body. Emma watched him, confused. What had happened? He stood with his hands on her shoulders, holding her tightly but away from him, the distance between their bodies feeling like miles. His head was hanging down, his breath whistling between his clenched teeth, his eyes tightly closed.
“Blake?” Emma spoke softly. “What’s wrong?”
He raised his head, opening his eyes to look at her. Her face was filled with confusion. He still held tightly to her shoulders, nearly bruising her with his grip.
“Emma, I need to ask you something,” he said, his voice harsh in the silence.
She looked at him, desperate for some clue as to what she had done to stop him, waiting anxiously for his question.
Blake took a deep breath, bracing himself for the answer he knew he would get before he even asked.
“Emma, are you still virgin? Have you ever been with a man?”
Emma blushed deeply, looking away and trying to pull herself from his grip. He refused to release her and when she tried again to free herself by twisting sideways he shook her gently and forced her to turn back to him.
“Emma, answer me, please!”
Her eyes were filled with tears when she finally looked up.
“What does it matter?” she asked, her voice filled with despair. ‘It’s mine to do what I want to with. I never realized it would be such a turn off!”
“Oh Emma,” he said softly as he pulled her close. “It matters the whole world and it’s not a turn off, believe me.” He leaned back so he could look at her face as he spoke. “I need to know so I won’t jump on you like an animal!”
She sniffed, reaching up to wipe her eyes. “What if I want you to jump on me like an animal?!” she demanded. “For God’s sake, I’m twenty seven years old. I know I belong in a museum! Just because I’ve never went all the way with a man doesn’t mean I’m ignorant! It means I’ve been busy and I’m choosy!” She finally pulled her way free from his grip and walked back into the house, stopping in front of the window to look out into the darkness. Her house was isolated, her closest neighbor over a mile away. She wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her hands up and down trying to warm herself. She didn’t know he had closed the door and followed her until he pulled her back against his chest, gathering her close within his embrace. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head then rested his chin there. She stood stiffly, refusing to lean back.
“Emma, please listen to me,” he said. “I don’t think you belong in a museum. I think you must have more respect for yourself than any other woman I’ve ever known.” He turned her around and lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. He kissed the tears from her cheeks and softly touched his lips to hers. “Please let me love you like I’ve wanted to from the first time I stood in front of you and realized that you were scared to death of me but had enough courage to face me down. I want to be the one to teach you about the passion between a man and a woman. I want to be the one to burn in your fire.” He kissed her again, whispering against her lips. “Emma, love me.”
Emma melted against him, defeated, seduced, convinced. Their kiss reignited