Kindling for the Heart

by Karen Legasy

  Sam clutched the sheets, her breathing ragged. Jo began to stir uncontrollable passion until her orgasm rushed from the tip of her toes to the reaches of her scalp in one sudden tingling tsunami.

  “Those fingers of yours Jo…they’re magic.” Sam could hardly speak, not after that.

  “If you think my fingers are magic, wait until you feel my tongue.” She began to lick Sam, her soft lips and warm tongue exploring every peak and valley on Sam’s convulsing body. She traveled up and down each leg then settled near her target, forcing Sam’s second orgasm as soon as her tongue made contact.

  Sam’s hips thrust into the air and her body shuddered in a sustained moan that ended with a howl. She dropped back to the mattress and pulled Jo to her, breathing as though she’d just sprinted home. “Holy shit, Jo. You brought out the animal in me.”

  “The animal in you showed up as soon as we met in the bush.” Jo kissed Sam’s nose. “Only an animal in rutting season would have been so blatantly horny like that. I should call you my big moose.”

  “Well then you’ll be my little fox.” Sam kissed her. “My sexy little fox or my foxy lady, if you prefer.”

  Jo laughed. “Maybe you should be afraid I’d outfox you some day.”

  “I think you already did.” Sam grinned. “You ended up stealing my heart.”

  “Excuse me, but you’re the one who weaseled her way into my bed.”

  “So now I’m a weasel.” Sam sat up and scooted to the edge of the mattress. “Well this little weasel needs to go to the bathroom.”

  “Me too.” Jo sat up and wrapped the sheet around her. “You can use the one in here. I’ll wait.”

  “No, you go ahead,” Sam said. “I’ll use the one down the hall and meet you back here in a few minutes.”

  Sam went to the washroom then rushed to the living room to grab their clothes. Her phone had been left on the coffee table and she noticed it flashing. It was another message from Trish saying she’d cleaned up their room and was ready for Sam’s return. Sam quickly typed her thanks, put the phone on the kitchen counter and hurried back to Jo.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Sam snuggled up to Jo, longing to stay in bed and preserve this moment forever. Monday morning morphed into a new reality of exciting opportunities and depressing difficulties of merging two lives from different worlds.

  Sam loved living in a big city, with all its trappings of disappearing into a crowd while enjoying an abundance of people, places, and things to study. Small-town living would be a challenge, but she knew Jo would never move to Toronto. Long-distance commutes and calls were now imminent.

  “Hey.” Jo caressed Sam’s bare breast, her thumb rubbing the nipple.

  “Good morning, little fox.” Sam gave her a lingering kiss, igniting a renewed passion to make love again before facing the world.

  “Mmmm. I wish we could stay in bed, but I have to work today.” Jo clung to Sam, their bodies still interwoven from their night of lovemaking.

  Sam nibbled Jo’s neck. “You’re the boss. Give yourself a day off, especially since you worked on Saturday.”

  “Maybe tomorrow, but today I have to clean up my things from the hall. It’s being used by another group on Tuesday.” Jo groaned as she pulled away and flung her legs over the side of the bed.

  “I’ll make you a coffee.” Sam reached out and rubbed Jo’s spine.

  Jo pulled the sheet up to her neck and stretched her back as Sam’s fingers continued their massage. “That feels so good.”

  “I want to hang out with you today. Can I come? Please?”

  Jo eased around and smiled at Sam. “Oh, you’ll be coming today. I have to let Mollie out, and then I’ll be back for my shower. Care to warm it up for me?” Jo went out to the kitchen while Sam turned on the taps.

  “Hey, Mollie. Outside?” Jo let Mollie out into the cold air, making certain to hook her to the leash-line this time, then slipped in the hall bathroom. Mollie was still sniffing around the yard when Jo returned to the kitchen. Sam’s phone was on the counter and flashing.

  “Come on back inside, Mollie.” Jo unclipped her leash and closed the door. “I put some fresh food and water out for you.” Jo held Mollie’s head and looked into her eyes. “You’re such a good girl, Mollie, and I’m glad you like Sam. I like her too. A lot.”

  Sam’s phone pinged, and Jo released Mollie to reach for it. “I should let her know someone’s trying to reach her, eh, Mollie? Even though I want to keep her all to myself today.”

  She was about to head back to Sam when the subject line of the message scrolled across the screen. It was from someone named Trish. Hope you had fun last night. Jo grabbed the phone and stared at it, head throbbing in confusion when another message from Trish came in. Can’t wait to see you.

  Jo was confused at first, and then realized Trish was probably Sam’s ex. Her heart began to shatter. How would she have known about last night? What did Sam tell her? The woman was anxious to see Sam? Was she really an ex or was Sam playing some kind of game, seducing women? Laugh about it afterward, like Jo often imagined Jan doing.

  Maybe Sam was just like Jan. Break her heart then take off for Toronto. Perhaps the two even knew each other, devised some scheme so that Jan could dig her knife in further.

  Her ears pounded. How could she have let her guard down, think Sam’s seduction was about love rather than some stupid game to break her heart? After endless, painful days and nights trying to mend her broken heart after Jan, how could she have so easily given it to Sam? After less than two weeks? Fuck! Dammit! Shit! Her body trembled with fury, self-loathing. She should have known better than to trust Sam when she was leaving tomorrow. It was all so stupid. Pathetic. And she would put an end to it right now.

  Jo flung the phone onto the counter. She’d just been duped by Sam and wanted to die. Or kill. Or both. Jo buried her face in Mollie’s fur and collapsed against the soothing animal to capture her tears.

  Sam finally turned off the water. She wondered where Jo was. Maybe someone had unexpectedly dropped by. Sam threw on some clothes and hurried to the kitchen. It was empty. She looked out the window and saw Jo sitting in her truck, the engine running and Mollie in the backseat.

  What the heck? Sam grabbed her jacket, jumped into her boots, and rushed outside. “What happened?” She tapped on Jo’s window, but Jo refused to look at her.

  Jo’s window lowered slightly. “I want you to pack up your things right now and get the fuck out of here.”

  “Jo, what’s going on?” Sam leaned against the truck, her fingers about to be squeezed by the closing window.

  “Back off and get the hell out of here.” Jo pounded on the steering wheel.

  “Jo. Please tell me what’s going on.”

  The woman loved her last night, even a few minutes ago, but now it was as though she hated her. Had she done something wrong? Surely they could fix it. Sam loved Jo. This didn’t make sense. There had to be an explanation. Her head dropped against the window. “Please tell me what happened.”

  “You tell me.” Jo shouted through the closed window. “Was I some kind of toy? Is that how you see me?”

  “What are you talking about?” Sam tried the door, but it was locked. “Please open up.”

  “Fuck you.” Jo laid on the horn. “Get out of my face. I’ll give you ten minutes to pack and leave, and the clock starts now.”

  “Jo, please.” Sam put her cheek against the frigid window. “Tell me what’s going on.”

  “Go. Now!” Jo screamed, and Mollie growled.

  Sam returned to the house, numb with shock and her legs barely able to carry her as she rushed around, gathering her belongings. She only packed her clothing, not caring about anything else in what felt like a drunken stupor. Nothing made sense, except Jo wanted her gone. Now.

  She stuffed everything into her wheeled suitcase and shoved her phone into her jacket pocket before closing the door on her way out. The big black bag clunked down the stairs as she dragged it
to her vehicle. She hoisted it into the backseat, and then got behind the cold wheel.

  Sam drove down the driveway, holding her breath as she looked into her rearview mirror. Half expecting, hoping, Jo would come running after her, saying it was all a big mistake. Her mind was spinning, but she didn’t know what else to do but leave. Tears flowed as she paused at the road then sped away.

  Jo watched Sam’s vehicle disappear and wondered how she was ever going to face the inside of her house again, let alone look at herself in the mirror. How could she have been so stupid to fall for a woman with no moral compass? Her body heaved with sobs as she shut off her engine and trudged back to her tainted house.

  The first thing she did was rip the sheets off her bed and throw them into the laundry. Next she had a long shower, cleaning her bathroom and her body to rinse Sam down the drain. The rest would have to wait until she returned from work.

  The remainder of the day was a blur as she went through the motions with clients and dismantled her displays, as though everything could be neatly packed away. By the time she returned to the house and walked Mollie, her tight jaw trembled with fury. She needed to release some of her anger. As soon as she walked into her living room and looked at the floor, she knew where to start. That fucking bamboo flooring needed to be banished from her house.

  An hour later, crowbar in hand and bamboo planks almost completely dismantled, she noticed her mother and Anna in the hallway, mouths gaping.

  “Josephine, calm down.” Her mother approached and reached for the crowbar. “What’s going on? Where’s Sam?”

  “She’s gone.” Jo collapsed to the floor, wishing she could disappear from her shame and pain.

  “Oh, Jo.” Anna bent down and put a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “What happened?”

  “I kicked her out.” Jo sobbed, her words slurred. “I let myself down. I fell for her and thought she loved me too.”

  “Sam seemed like such a nice girl.” Her mother squeezed her shoulder. “Something’s not right.”

  “She had me fooled.” Jo could hardly speak, furious at herself for being so stupid about the woman. To allow her heart to get broken again after three long years of putting it back together. Why hadn’t she stuck to her plan? Kept up her boundaries? Fuck.

  “Come on,” her mother said. “Let’s get you up off the floor and out of here. Poor Mollie’s trembling in the kitchen. She needs to see that you’re okay.”

  “I’m not okay.”

  Her mother grabbed under her arms and helped her up. “Have you eaten anything today?”

  Jo struggled to her feet, trembling and shaking her head.

  “I figured as much.” Her mother led her to a chair at the kitchen table. “Anna, would you put a few slices of toast on for Jo? I’ll make some herbal tea, something to help her relax.”

  “How about a bottle of rum, or strong liquor?” Jo held her head on her knees and sobbed, the pain so raw. “I just want to forget.”

  Mollie crept up to Jo, tail between her legs. She nuzzled her head into Jo’s lap and began to lick her hands.

  “Oh, Mollie.” Jo kissed the top of Mollie’s head then held it between her hands, staring into friendly brown eyes. “I’m so sorry if I scared you.”

  “Why don’t you wash up and try to eat a piece of toast,” her mother said. “Anna’s put some peanut butter and jam on it for you and the tea’s almost ready.”

  Jo shuffled to the hallway bathroom and locked herself inside. Sam’s toothpaste lay forgotten on the sink and the unchanged towel was covered in her scent. Jo threw the toothpaste into the garbage, shoved the towel in the laundry hamper, and sat on the toilet lid. She had to pull herself together.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Sam got on the highway and headed south, hands clutching the wheel, pushing as hard on the gas pedal as she dared. She left the radio silent as her ears rang with Jo’s angry words.

  The sudden outburst filled Sam with a numbness and concern like she’d never felt before. She couldn’t figure out what happened, find evidence that something had changed. She knew Jo could be moody, but her behavior had become outright volatile in a matter of moments. What could have set her off?

  Sam played the morning through, from when they woke. It didn’t make sense. Nothing could have happened while she was in the shower. They’d just shared the most intimate night ever, at least Sam thought so, and yet morning brought disaster. Was that it? Did Jo regret having sex…making love? Was she afraid that Sam was going to dump her, so decided to end things before it happened?

  The road was icy, and a lot of transports bogged the single lane highway, but Sam made it to North Bay in less than four hours. Halfway to Toronto, or hell for that matter, as Sam pulled into a gas station and slowly released her grip on the wheel. Leaving Jo like that was more painful than anything she’d ever known.

  The air was bitterly cold as Sam stepped outside her vehicle that was caked in slush and salt. She shivered at the pumps, longing to cuddle with Jo or even Mollie. She still felt pained at the memory of the dog’s growl that may as well have been a bite.

  A clear windshield and full tank of gas, Sam parked at the restaurant and went inside to decide on her afternoon direction. She eventually sat at a table then ordered a sandwich and salad she knew she wouldn’t eat.

  Her phone had been buried in her coat pocket and she dug it out, hoping for some message from Jo explaining her behavior. When she saw the slew of messages from Trish, she knew things were not going to be good whichever direction she took that afternoon. But Sam figured she had to head to Toronto and get Trish out of her house before anything could be fixed with Jo.

  Trish’s messages had started out polite enough, even saying she couldn’t wait to see her, but when Sam left them unanswered, the tone changed. By ten o’clock that morning, the rants began as Trish used every demoralizing term she could think of. Sam’s long hours at work, forgetting about their six-month anniversary, breaking up, forcing Trish to move out…

  In all, there were fifteen emails, each one more disjointed than the next. She refused to read them all the way through. What would somebody think of her if they ever found her phone? She’d delete them all when she got home, but for now she just wanted to get going. Sam shoved her cell back into her coat pocket, paid her bill, and braced for the next four hours of her drive to Toronto.

  Traffic was heavy, and her windshield wipers were on high as Sam merged onto the off-ramp toward her house. Trish’s car was in the driveway and a light was on in the kitchen. She was home.

  Sam wanted to turn away, but a full bladder made getting to the bathroom her number one priority. The front door readily opened. Trish never locked it, despite Sam’s repeated insistence. Sam dashed to her bedroom, closing and locking the door before Trish could react.

  “Hey, Sammie Poo.” Trish tapped on the bedroom door. “Welcome home.”

  Sam flushed the toilet and splashed water on her face. Sex with Trish was waiting for her as soon as she opened that door, experience could attest to that. Sam’s stomach heaved, and she had to swallow bile back down her throat as she opened the bathroom door. The bed was neatly made; Trish’s alarm clock and water glass were still on the night table. Sam flung the bedroom door open.

  “Get your things out of my room. I want you out of here tonight.” Sam clenched her fists at her side, her rage threatening tears.

  “I’ve missed you, Sam.” Trish reached out, her neatly manicured purple fingernails flashing in the hall light.

  Sam backed away. Her body was aching from the long drive. “Don’t touch me.”

  “Oh, come on.” Trish stepped forward.

  Sam crossed her arms. “I mean it, Trish. It’s time to move on and out of my life. I’ve had enough of your emails. I just want to be left alone.”

  “Where am I going to go?” Trish’s glossy purple lips puckered into a pout.

  “I’ll put you up in a hotel until you find a place.”

  “Please don�
��t make me stay in a hotel like some whore you’re paying to keep.”

  “Take it or leave it, but you’re out of here tonight.” Sam brushed past Trish and headed to the kitchen. The sink was full of dirty dishes and the floor crackled with crumbs, as though it hadn’t been swept in ages. Sam grabbed the broom and began to sweep up the mess.

  “I know my rights.” Trish sniffed, tears glistening in her eyes. “You can’t force me to leave if I don’t want to.”

  “I know when I’ve had enough.” Sam shoved the dustpan toward the mound of crumbs, pushed them on with one fast motion, and then tossed the dirt into the full garbage bin beneath the sink. “This place is a disaster. The front door was left unlocked again.”

  “Oh, Sam, just chill for once.” Trish took a step forward, her raised arm shaking as she pointed a finger at Sam. “You’re the one who just up and left and was supposed to be gone for another two weeks. Then you show up and expect me to move out right now. Well, that’s not happening. I still have to pack, and my new place isn’t available until the first of February, so you’re stuck with me until then.”

  Sam leaned against the sink, her shoulders drooping. “I can’t take this anymore. Please get your stuff out of my room and leave me alone.”

  Trish tromped down the hall while Sam grabbed a bag of biscuits and jar of peanut butter she’d left in the cupboard. She shoved an unopened bottle of cranberry juice under her arm. Sam could spend the rest of the night in her room. She needed to think about the situation with Jo and try to make sense of it all. Maybe a phone call would be a good start, but her heart pounded with the thought. She knew she’d start blubbering the moment Jo answered.

  “It’s all yours,” Trish shouted as Sam waited in the kitchen. “I’ll take the guest room.”

  “Thank you.” Sam hurried to her room, closed the door, and flopped on the bed. “Damn.” She could smell Trish’s perfume on the blankets. The bed would have to be stripped. Jo was the only woman she wanted to be reminded of—good or bad.