by Kerri Carr
Eleanor held his stare for a few seconds than usual. Her blue turquoise eyes appeared to glow and give the already lavishly decorated hall a more outstanding shine, like the shimmering reflection of the silver moon on the surface of a peaceful lake.
In her eyes, he could still see that plea, but there was, even more, this time. There was a yearning in them too. A yearning he felt only him could satisfy.
Miss Richards flashed him an affectionate smile that revealed the whiteness of her perfect set of teeth before she turned away. It weakened him completely.
“Damn,” Gary muttered in a choking breath before he realized he hadn’t been breathing all the while they stared at each other.
What’s going on with you man? Gary thought to himself as he tried to regain his composure after Eleanor had stripped him completely with her smile.
Unconsciously he found himself checking out his outfit, even though he already did that for several minutes before the mirror. He was wearing an impressive soot black tuxedo. Sophia had asked him to dress his best, that he did, but after seeing Eleanor, his confidence in his appearance melted gradually.
Somehow, he didn’t see himself fitting into the class of men she would ever want to have a relationship with, but the look in her eyes was telling him otherwise.
For the rest of the night, Eleanor and Gary continued to exchange glances until it appeared to Damon that they were flirting with each other.
Even when she was called upon the podium to deliver her speech, it looked like she kept her eyes fixed on him the way he enjoyed but also felt uncomfortable at the same time.
She delivered her speech fluently without looking at the teleprompter unlike most of the other individuals that had been asked to deliver a speech. She spoke with an accent that sounded British and Gary snickered to the idea that she was trying to impress him. He already knew she was from Cincinnati, Ohio but she’d spent a number of years growing up in West London. At least that was he read up about her from her Wikipedia page.
Her entrancing speech lasted for about six minutes. Before she was done, Gary got carried away with her in his thoughts. He was daydreaming. He fiddled with thoughts of what it would be like to have a romantic relationship with her. She would be his first white woman—if they ever happened. Repeatedly he cautioned himself against such wild goose chase imagination, but again he found himself nursing the crazy thought of a romantic relationship with her.
At the end of her speech, the resounding applause of the guests dragged him back to reality. When he looked up the stage, he met her stare still fixed at his direction and smiling. Her smile appeared to light up the glow of her blue eyes the more, and it was the only light he seemed to notice that very moment.
Everybody else in the room was standing in ovation and applauding while he remained seated admiring Miss Richards.
Gary had no idea she had recounted her close shave with death before the firemen came to her rescue. The guests were applauding the team quick response bravery.
It wasn’t until Gary followed her stare when she looked lazily and reluctantly away from him that he noticed the picture of the fire crew who had been on duty that morning projected on the big screen. It was then he realized what was going on. His picture was missing and he smiled weakly in a non-jealous manner.
Matt Pierson wasn’t mincing his words to keep Gary's participation under lid away from the eyes and ears of the management.
“I could pitch you closer to your flirt queen’s table if you don’t mind,” a female voice suddenly whispered into his ear moments later as the event continued in an eerie fashion that nearly frightened.
The voice was funnily strange, but familiar still. Gary turned to discover it was his sister.
“You sly devil,” Gary accused her with a feigned frowned as he stared into her pretty olive brown face.
She came around from behind him and dragged the empty seat to Gary’s left closer to him. The gentleman sitting there earlier was talking to a lady in maroon mini gown toward the East of the hall.
“What?” Sophia retorted, a teasing look in her delightful brown flecked hazel eyes.
“You could have given me heads up,” Gary playfully chided in a low tone.
Sophia scoffed, “So you could easily bail out on me, right?”
“And why would I do that?”
"The very reason why you wished I had earlier that she was our special guest," she replied him quickly. "I'm not fooled like the rest you know. I know what you did. Wait scratch that." She gestured amusingly. "I know the things you've done in the past two days. I'm your sister remember," she added reclining on the seat and crossing her leg.
"I'm so glad you are finally giving love a chance," she uttered shortly, and Gary choked on the wine he was sipping.
“What?” he managed to exclaim before coughing.
Sophia rolled her eyes at him. “You think I hadn’t noticed the both of you exchanging seductive glances like teens who newly found love?” she laughed jestingly.
Gary continued to cough and she handed him a glass of water just as she caught Eleanor glancing their direction. She had a look on her face, one that appeared to be a concerned look. Sophia couldn’t tell if it was the concern that Gary was in discomfort or the concern that she was jealous he was with another lady which was her—his sister.
"I'm just his sister," Gary heard Sophia whispering, and when he looked up, he realized she was referring to Eleanor who was also looking their direction.
“Shit,” he cursed, stood abruptly and started walking away toward the back of the room.
“Aww, big brother, is shy," he heard her giggling softly as he walked away.
*****
“Running away so early?” Gary heard a feminine voice ask him in an accusing tone as he was about opening the door to his royal blue Chevrolet. There were no assumptions. It was Eleanor.
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 pause 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, t
heir 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 20 of 44
Immortal Souls
August Delacroix walked the streets of Paris alone. Finally, she had left the glory of the wealthy streets behind her. She now wandered wherever her feet carried her. It had been so long, so painfully long since she had laid eyes upon her home. It had been well over a century ago. Her heart shattered. August was lost in her misery when she suddenly found herself walking a dimly lit street that harbored houses of the old nineteenth-century fashion. Her senses picked up a scent that she had not witnessed in many years. It smelled of a mixture of old pine needles and lavender.
As August drew closer, she could not believe her eyes. Somehow, after all this time, August’s feet had brought her back to the old estate where she had resided as a mortal child, along with her father and her brother, The Rue Chavern. She stopped sharply and looked up at the abandoned building. Most of the estates on the street were also boarded up and lonely. She fondly remembered the days when the old street had been thriving. So many memories in that place.
August knew that she shouldn’t enter the one place that had caused her so much turmoil in her mortal years, but a strength within herself told August that she had to face that which harmed her. She may be immortal, eternal, but she too could feel anguish just as mortals felt it.
Using her senses, she found the back entrance to the Rue Chavern, boarded and untouched. The place had been abandoned for years. The wood that covered the windows was old and weathered, falling apart from age. August tore off the long board that held the back entrance shut and threw it into the jungle garden. It fell into the grass with a hiss. She entered the big house with her heart racing and her fear prominent.