His Redemption

by Nikki Chase-Coakley

  “Do you trust me to not hurt or abuse you in any way?”

  “Of course.”

  Satisfied with her answer he leaned in and touched his head to hers. “Then that’s half the battle don’t you think? We can take the rest as it comes. You’ll find out soon enough that most if not all of your worries are baseless.”

  “I really hope you’re right about that.”

  “You’re talking about the fact that we're from different backgrounds?”

  “I know how cruel some people can still be about things like skin color. This whole situation might prove to be more trouble than it’s worth.”

  He took one of her hands and laced their fingers together. He felt so solid and sure of himself. It gave her courage to take a leap of faith and find out more about this intriguing man.

  “Not from where I’m standing and I hope you eventually come to feel the same way. I really want to be with you Sarah. I’m not going to lie or downplay what I feel for you, not anymore and I don’t want you to do it either. Do you want this? Do you want to be with me? Are you willing to set aside all your preconceived ideas about what a man like me is supposed to be like and take the time to get to know me, flaws and all?”

  She took a deep breath before answering. “Yes.”

  “Good, then kiss me, please. I'm dyin heah.” He said, exaggerating his faint South Boston accent.

  She did. Lowering her head to meet his she gave herself permission to enjoy the way it felt to be kissed by Tony Mason to be held in his big strong arms and feel the weight of the world seem to slip from his formidable shoulders for one sweet moment. She reveled in the way he held her as his mouth moved against hers. She parted her lips for him and felt the room tip a little when their tongues touched. He tasted like garlic and his own special spice. He cupped her nape and held her in place as if he were afraid she would break free before he had a chance to thoroughly explore her mouth. Gently, he tipped her head back to nibble a path down her throat nuzzling the tender skin. When he nipped her earlobe she shivered in his arms. Her breasts suddenly felt heavy and achy. Never before had she ever desired a man’s hands on them but she did now. She shifted restlessly on his lap making him groan.

  “Baby, we’re gonna have to stop.” His breath was warm against her ear.

  “I promised I wouldn’t push you for anything more intimate but if we don’t stop this now I doubt I’ll be able to keep that promise.”

  With more reluctance than she expected to feel she slid off his lap and gained her feet. She felt a little wobbly and had to hold onto the edge of the desk for support. To hide her reaction she started cleaning up the remnants of their shared meal. A moment later Tony’s hands appeared in her line of vision holding open the bag he’d brought in.

  “Just dump everything in here. I’ll take care of it on my way out.”

  She flashed a quick smile. “Thanks, I think I should head home now.”

  “That's probably a good idea.” He set the bag down then and reached for her. She went willingly into his arms and closed her eyes. For several long minutes they rocked back and forth holding each other. Sarah pressed her face into his chest and breathed in his familiar, comforting scent. She couldn’t believe she’d done it. She'd made that leap and despite her misgivings, they were a couple now. She tried to pull away but Tony didn't let her get far. Still retaining her hands in his he pulled her in so that he was looking deep into her eyes like he'd done so many other times. The expression he wore was the same and made her stomach flip with excitement. The familiar feeling was even more intense now knowing that she hadn't been imagining his reaction to her.

  "It’s going to be alright Sarah. You're safe with me. I won't let anything happen to you. Just relax, okay?”

  She wanted to believe him but still had her doubts. “All I can do is promise to try.”

  He searched her face for a long moment before nodding in satisfaction. “Good, now go home or I might be tempted to break my promise and take advantage of you.”

  She giggled suddenly. “You don’t scare me, Mason.”

  He gave a mock growl and she darted away from him and out the door.

  Tony smiled inwardly as he prepared to head home himself. All in all the day had turned out a whole hell of a lot better than he'd expected. When he rolled out of his bed that morning after another nearly sleepless night, his only thought was to get the dreaded inventory and the general store cleaning done but he had gotten so much more than he’d bargained for, in a good way. Sarah was his now. Oh sure, she admitted to some worries about their relationship but she did agree to actually be in one with him and that was definitely a good place to start. He’d also had the chance to hold her and kiss her the way he’d dreamed of since he'd first met her and he couldn’t wait to do it again. Grabbing the bag of garbage he headed downstairs. As he locked up and took the trash out to the dumpster behind the shop he counted his good fortune that he had finally managed to get Sarah to acknowledge her feelings for him and the connection they shared.

  He sighed. It was going to be another restless night, he could feel it. But maybe as he worked out then later tossed and turned in his bed, thoughts of the new woman in his life would give him something nice to think about for a change while he waited the long hours until dawn. It had been too long since he had something good to look forward to and Sarah was so different from the kind of woman he was used to being with he couldn't help feeling optimistic.

  Chapter Six

  Sarah entered the store the next day feeling a little nervous. She’d shared a memorable first “date” with Tony last night and an amazing kiss at the end. He’d been honest about his feelings for her and she had even found the courage to be honest with him about hers. But today was a new day and she wasn’t sure how to act around him. Would he expect her to greet him with a hug and a kiss or would he just smile at her and act like business as usual since they would be at work. The constant questions went on in her head as she unlocked the door to the shop and made her way upstairs. She would have a couple of hours to contemplate that dilemma though while she straightened up her office and supervised the girls while they cleaned up downstairs. Lately, Tony had gotten in the habit of checking on the mall store across town first before coming in to check on the tropical animals and fish then finally making his way upstairs to the main sales floor.

  Sarah set aside her anxiety at being Tony’s girlfriend and focused on the more comfortable roll of store manager. She was on her knees surrounded by dog food on the sales floor later that morning when she caught sight of him. Sarah was struggling to stack fifty pound bags on a low shelf when he appeared. Blowing a hair out of her face she let out a frustrated breath as she pushed and pulled yet another bag in place. A pair of familiar blue and white running shoes appeared in her line of vision then the owner squatted and she sucked in a sharp breath when she saw his gorgeous face. He flashed his sexy dimple at her making her heart give a hard thump in her chest. He was sexier than any man had a right to be so early in the morning but she also noticed that he looked tired. There were dark smudges under his eyes making her wonder how much rest he'd actually gotten last night. Had he been up half the night questioning the wisdom of their new relationship like she had?

  “Morning Beautiful,” he said. His voice just loud enough for her ears alone.

  She blushed furiously and breathlessly returned his greeting. How had he done that? Just one smile and her worries melted away leaving her feeling warm all over and unable to control her verbal filter. It was the only excuse she could come up with for the way she reacted when he put a big hand over hers.

  “It looks like you could use a little help here. Why didn’t you ask a couple of the guys to take care of this?”

  “I thought it would give me a good excuse to see you.”

  If it was possible his dimple grew even deeper. He cast a glance around the small space then lifted her hand to his lips. He brushed her knuckles with the barest caress then whispered. “You n
ever have to make up reasons to see me.”

  Her temperature immediately shot up about ten degrees and Sarah fought hard to hide it. When it came to flirting she was way out of her league with this guy. She wasn’t used to the dark smoldering looks Tony was throwing her way. No man had ever looked at her like that. It made her feel both desirable and cherished. “Well, right now I could really use a big strong capable man to help me out. Do you happen to know anyone like that?”

  Chuckling he hefted one of the bags making it look so easy she was nearly envious. In minutes he had the shelf in order. Dusting his hands of debris he asked. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

  “Nope, that was the last of the restocking for this morning.”

  “Good, come with me.” He said taking her hand yet again. He led her through the nearby bird room and into the small examination room. He closed the door to the closet sized space then turned to her.

  “Now that you’re taken care of, there’s something I need from you.”

  Before she could ask what he needed, he enfolded her in his arms and lowered his head. Sarah lifted hers and let her lips join with his. As he deepened the kiss she blindly slid her arms around his middle and held on. When they parted she was breathing a little harder and her head was spinning.

  “Mmm," he groaned nuzzling her cheek. "I needed that. Now, I can continue my day with a more positive attitude.”

  “Since when have you had a bad attitude?”

  “Since the day you first started working here and I realized I wanted you but didn’t think I had a snowball’s chance in hell of having you.”

  She frowned at his words. “Don’t say that. I’ve never seen myself as better than anyone else, least of all you.”

  “I know but there were a lot of reasons why I didn’t think you would be interested in me. Mainly, that we come from different cultural backgrounds.”

  “You mean because your white and I’m black.”

  “You aren’t the only one to give that issue some thought but it was more than that. You finished college but I didn’t. You’re also this sweet, classy woman and I’m basically-”

  He struggled to find the right word.

  “Not?” She supplied.

  “Exactly”

  She laughed at that. "Well I for one am glad you're not. If you were a woman I wouldn't be standing here with you."

  He groaned at her bad joke. “You know what I mean. There are things about me I’m afraid you might not like. I know I’m not at all like the men you’re used to dealing with. I'm not the most patient person in the world. I swear a lot especially when I'm frustrated and I’m not a social person. Most of the time, I keep my thoughts to myself. At least I was, until I met you. Now I want to go places and share things with you. I was up most of the night thinking about that.”

  “That’s so sweet. Did you come up with any ideas about what we can do together?”

  “I thought we could go to the theatre and maybe the symphony and I hear that later in a few months the ballet will be in full swing and then there's-”

  Sarah’s laugh caught him off guard. “What’s so funny?”

  “Are you the least bit interested in any of those things?” She asked.

  He ran a hand over the back of his neck. “Well -no but I want you to be happy and I figured if you were into it then maybe I could learn to like that sort of thing.”

  Leaning in Sarah kissed his chin. “That's really nice of you but I don’t expect you to change for me. I happen to like the man you already are, otherwise I wouldn’t be here. If you want to do those things because it’s what you want that’s one thing but don’t do it just to make me happy. In the end you wouldn’t like it or me very much.”

  He tilted his head to return her kiss then hugged her closer. The way he moved his big strong hands up and down her back made her forget all about the work they were supposed to be getting done in favor of spending the day in this room kissing until their lips were numb and chapped. She cuddled closer resting her cheek against his chest, liking the comforting sound of his heartbeat and the physical closeness just as much as Tony did.

  “You’re amazing.” He said.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because, no one has ever wanted me for me. Yes, I've had women that liked the way I look and didn't want to change that part of me but then they would start to change the way I dress. I had to have my hair cut and combed just the way they wanted it and we never did anything that didn't involve either getting naked or going out with her friends. Everything I did or said was wrong. Basically, I was expected to shut up, look good on their arm and service them in the bedroom. I felt like a piece of meat and for a while I gave up the idea of finding anyone that might actually care for and respect all of me.”

  "With a track record like that, I'm surprised you'd ever want to try for another relationship."

  "You're right. I didn't." He admitted.

  "So, what made you change your mind?"

  "I don't know. You're just different. I can't put my finger on it but something inside tells me you're not like the other women I've known. Hell, you certainly can't be any worse than the last one."

  The slightly bitter edge to his words touched a tender place in Sarah's heart. She wanted to know a lot more about this last woman he mentioned but decided it could wait. For now, she just wanted to take that hurt away from him even if it was only for a moment.

  “They were all fools, Tony. They couldn’t see or appreciate the wonderful man you are. We don't yet know that much about each other but I can already tell you're a man worth knowing. The only thing good I can say about the women in your past is that their stupidity is my gain.”

  He seemed surprised by her words. “You know. I was thinking the same thing about you and the men you dated. I’m glad I met you Sarah. I think we both needed to go through all that bull sh- uh crap so we could better appreciate each other when we finally met.”

  Sarah didn’t say anything at that. Tony dropped one final kiss on her head before sighing. “I think I could stand here holding you like this all day. Unfortunately, it's not an option. There's too much to get done today.”

  Reluctantly, she let him release her and had to suppress a little sigh of her own. It had been wonderful in his arms and she didn’t feel any hurry to get out of them- a first for her.

  “I know. The vet should be here in about an hour and we have a breeder coming in to talk to us about a couple of Cairn terriers she would like us to take off her hands. I thought it would make sense to have the two arrive at the same time so Dr. Katie could give us an idea about the general health of the puppies before we make a decision about them."

  He opened the door as they continued to talk. “All in a day’s work, I’ll meet you later tonight?”

  She nodded and they went their separate ways for the afternoon.

  It didn’t take long for staff members to start picking up on Sarah and Tony’s new relationship. At any given moment the couple could be seen laughing with their heads bent to each other. Tony was always bringing food in to share with her and they were nearly always working close by. Sarah could be scrubbing out old cages in the back and he would find an excuse to join her. Tony could be ringing up sales at one of the registers and she would stop by to see how things were going. And then there were the looks. It wasn't unusual for Jimmy and Ted to look up and see Tony watching the diminutive store manager with this odd expression on his face. It was a look both men easily recognized as one of possession.

  After several weeks of this Jimmy finally decided to call his boss on it. They were closing out the register one evening when he cornered him. “So, when are you going to give in and ask the woman out?”

  Tony and Jimmy had been friends for years, even before Pete sold the business to his son. There wasn’t a whole lot the man could get past Jimmy but knowing all this he still tried for ignorance when he responded. “What woman are you talking about?’

  Jimmy sla
mmed down the bank bag and gave him a look. “Don’t get cute with me. You know exactly what woman I am referring to, the lovely little Miss Sarah. You know, the one I like to call Angel?”

  Tony continued to count money and make notations on a bank slip. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why would you think I was interested in her?”

  “Come on man. How long have we known each other? I've never seen you act this stupid over a woman before. You’ve got it bad for her, admit it.”

  Tony tried hard not to react but despite his best effort he couldn’t. His lips spread into a grin and he even chuckled to himself as he banded a bunch of twenties before stuffing them in the bag. “She’s is pretty hot.”

  “Yes, she is.” Jimmy agreed. “So when are you going to make your move?”

  Tony zipped the bag shut and locked it. “I’m not.”

  Jimmy didn’t miss a beat. "Cool, since you're not interested you won't mind if I hook up with her then. After all, there are things I'd love to-"

  He ducked as Tony took a swing at him.

  "Shut the hell up." He demanded when Jimmy kept laughing.

  "I'll shut up when you stop acting as if being attracted to a woman is some sort of crime. You're both single and heterosexual. She's smart, beautiful and from what I can tell, seriously into you. So, what's the holdup?"

  "I have no intention of chasing after Sarah. So get off my ass about it alright?"

  Tony stomped away from the counter and started up the stairs intent on reaching his office. Jimmy hurried to catch up refusing to let the matter drop. “What do you mean you’re not going to do anything about it? We’ve all watched the two of you study each other for weeks now. Anyone with eyes can see that you're into each other. So, why not just go for it?”

  They’d reached the top step of the third floor by then and Tony continued down the hall past Sarah’s office and on to his own office further back. He reached for the doorknob oblivious to Jimmy. As soon as the door opened Jimmy saw Sarah standing there with a welcoming grin. Sarah seemed to notice then that he wasn’t alone.