touch my heart

by jordan, wayne

The sessions with Dominic had been going well, though she sensed a bit of reluctance and resistance each time. She’d had three sessions with him already and each day, she felt exhausted at his lack of interest, especially when the massage portion began. Since that first day, he’d not allowed her to complete the session. She wondered if he was in more pain than he admitted.

  She sighed, turning restlessly on the bed. She pulled the sheet around her. The central air was at a perfect temperature. But it wasn’t hot; she just felt miserable.

  She’d been feeling like that a lot lately around Dominic. He left her feeling hot and bothered after each one of their sessions. The image of him naked still flashed in her mind’s eye and she almost wished he would drop his clothes again.

  She was attracted to him. There was no doubt about it. If she’d known this would happen, she would have returned to New York after their initial session on the next available flight. Maybe that was the only choice she had now.

  She sighed. She didn’t want to think of this now. She’d go downstairs and get something to drink. Maybe a glass of milk would make her feel better.

  She rose from the bed, reaching for her robe on the chair.

  She walked along the hallway and when she passed Dominic’s room, she heard a noise. It sounded like an animal’s cry.

  She paused, listening in the silence, and then she heard it again.

  A whimper. Maybe it was Nugget, but she’d thought Nugget slept outdoors in the kennels.

  The cry increased. She knocked on the door.

  When she stepped inside, the flickering light of a single candle welcomed her. In the center, a big-canopied bed appeared to be lost in the spacious room.

  Within the folds of the bed, Dominic lay naked, the sheet barely covering his lower body. As she looked down at him, he groaned again and whimpered something.

  Then his body crashed and tossed.

  She reached out to touch him, shaking him. He jumped awake suddenly, whipping his hands around and striking her on the shoulder.

  She winced in pain.

  His eyes searched frantically around the room and landed on her.

  “What the hell are you doing in here?” he growled.

  “I’m sorry. I heard a noise. You were having a nightmare.”

  “And you had to intrude on my privacy?”

  “I’ll leave. I thought something was wrong. I apologize.”

  She turned to walk away.

  “I’m sorry.”

  She turned around, a skeptical smile on her face. “I’m sure you’re not usually like this. I look forward to seeing the other you.”

  He laughed. “I deserved that.”

  “Yes, you do. I know you don’t want me here. But I’m here and I’m going to make sure I do everything in my power to make sure you get better, whether you believe you will or not.”

  With that, she turned and walked away.

  She headed to the kitchen. She probably needed something stronger that milk to get her to sleep. Hopefully she’d find something a lot more calming. She needed to unwind. She’d been feeling tense for the past few days.

  And Dominic Wolfe had a lot to do with her feelings. She could not deny her attraction to him.

  Each day she found it more and more difficult to work with him, though only a few days had passed since they’d started.

  She walked along the corridor, her footsteps barely heard in the silence.

  When she entered the kitchen, she looked around, noticing the cupboard. She headed for the refrigerator, immediately finding the half bottle of wine they’d had at dinner.

  She searched for a glass, filled it and sat at the marble-covered island.

  She placed the glass to her lips, sipping slowly. Immediately, her body warmed. There was nothing a glass of wine couldn’t cure.

  Her thoughts strayed to her boss.

  Her visit to his room had affected her more than she’d expected. She knew that she would be more tolerant of him. She could still hear his cries of anguish in her head.

  He was definitely haunted by something. She wondered if it was the accident. She’d heard about it.

  She put the glass down and headed back to her room. When she got there she reached for her iPad, turned it on and opened Google.

  She typed in his name and was not surprised when a series of articles popped up. She narrowed the search, inputting fire. She clicked on the first link and it took her to a CNN article. His face looked back at her.

  She lay on the bed, taking the iPad with her. For the next thirty minutes, she read all she could about him. By the time she closed her eyes, she was satisfied with what she had learned.

  During the night, she dreamed about him, wanton and sweaty dreams of lovemaking that left her crying out with pleasure.

  In each dream, he’d come to her wrapped in a pure white towel, and then he would let the towel slide to the ground with a sly smile on his face.

  Chapter 7

  For what seemed like the hundredth time, Aaliyah sighed and put the book back down on the nightstand. She was tired of reading and watching television. She’d even offered to help in the kitchen, but Mrs. Clarke had run her out of the room, making it clear she was a guest.

  Picking up the book once more just to fling it back down with vehemence, she then stood. She was tired of Dominic’s diva complex. She knew he was haunted by something from his past, but that was no excuse for taking time off from therapy. It was as if he didn’t understand the importance of what she was doing. Based on her assessment, the progress he’d made in the short time since they’d started was positive. But if he chose not to continue, he would spend the rest of his life limping around the place with a hand that was barely functional. She’d met stubborn patients before, but Dominic Wolfe totally took the cake.

  She had every intention of finding him and giving him a piece of her mind. She didn’t care if he was her boss. She’d kept quiet for too long.

  She put on her slippers and headed to the kitchen. Maybe Mrs. Clarke would know where he was.

  The kitchen was empty. She groaned in frustration. Maybe he was in his room. She should have stopped there on her way down to the kitchen.

  She ran back up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. When she reached his suite, she knocked but there was no response. Not allowing herself to be deterred, she pushed the door, watching as it swung open. She stepped inside, closing the door behind her. It was empty. She walked forward, wondering if he was in the bathroom, but she could not hear a sound.

  He wasn’t there.

  She turned to leave when she heard a loud sound. She glanced in the direction of the noise and noticed a door to the left of the room. She walked slowly toward it, wondering what she’d find behind it.

  For a moment, her hand hovered over the doorknob, but then she slowly turned it.

  Her entrance was greeted with another noise. Dominic sat by a worktable, one for sculpting. Several misshaped lumps of clay lay on the bench while miscellaneous bits of clay lay scattered across the surface. She gasped. She’d interrupted his tirade.

  He turned around.

  “Are you ever going to stop intruding on my life?” he barked. She could see his embarrassment.

  “I’m sorry. I needed to speak to you.”

  “For what reason?”

  She couldn’t believe he’d asked that question.

  “I’m seriously beginning to wonder why I’m here.”

  “I hired you. I pay you,” he snapped. “That’s why you’re here.”

  “But you’re not letting me do my job. Every day there is another issue.”

  “I still can’t see what the problem is. Even if I don’t get therapy, you’ll still get paid.”

  “Well, I’m not sure about the people you’re accustomed to dealing with, but where I come from, we give an honest day’s work. I can’t continue to take your money if I don’t work.”

  “You’re strange,” he replied.

  “No, the word is honest
.”

  “Well, I beg to differ.”

  For a moment there was silence. “So how is your hand coming along?”

  “It’s doing fine. Can’t you see my handiwork?”

  “I didn’t know you could sculpt.”

  “As you can see, I’m not very good at it.”

  “With your hand as it is now, that would indeed be challenging.” She glanced around the room, noticing a few finished pieces. “You did these before the accident?” she asked, pointing at no piece in particular. Though she immediately realized that she had asked a silly question.

  “I completed a bit of my work in high school. My teacher thought I was good, but the lure of the bright lights was a lot more appealing. My drama teacher thought I was talented, as well.”

  “So you chose the bright lights?”

  “I did. And you don’t have to say it with such disdain. I’m good...was good at what I did.”

  “I have no doubt you were, but playing an action hero isn’t really proof of your ability to act.”

  She immediately realized that she’d said something she shouldn’t have.

  His eyes turned surprisingly sad.

  Instinctively, she raced over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He stood slowly, the sadness in his eyes changing to pain.

  They stared at each other, anticipation sizzling and tension crackling. Then she pulled him gently to her, placing her arms around him. His head dropped to her shoulder and rested there.

  She raised a hand, placing it on his head as she touched him softly. His body tensed, coiling like a spring, and then he sighed softly. His body relaxed as if the pain he carried had left him. Inside she moaned, his closeness stirring something inside her she’d thought long buried.

  She loved the feel of his body against her own. He was all hardness and male. She ached to run her hand against his firmness, to feel his warmth beneath her palms.

  At that moment, he raised his head and looked her full in the eyes, as if to question what was happening between them. But she didn’t want to think logically. She just wanted to feel.

  She didn’t give him an answer in words. Instead, she tilted her head upward, placing her lips on his. At first the kiss was a whisper, a soft feathery flicker, a tender connection of cautious lips.

  He tasted her.

  She tasted him, inhaling at the same time his musky earthy scent.

  The pressure of the kiss increased, until his tongue slipped between her parted lips. She groaned with pleasure as heat coursed through her body. She shuddered. His body trembled in response.

  She loved the feel of his tongue inside her, exploring, touching, caressing. She captured it, sucking deeply, until his body shivered again. She felt the first stir of his arousal against her leg. She reached down, cupping his hardness with her hand, smiling when it jerked with excitement.

  Then he pulled away from her, ending her moment of awakening. Even now, she could still taste the sweetness of his lips.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen,” she finally said.

  “I take full blame for what happened. You offered me comfort and I took advantage of you. I promise it won’t happen again.”

  His words drenched her in cold water, but she understood what he meant. Their relationship had to remain professional if she were to be successful with his recovery.

  She’d also stepped over the boundaries.

  “I agree. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again, sir.”

  “Well, since you came here to talk to me about my therapy, I promise you that starting tomorrow, I will be at all of my sessions.”

  She nodded. “I’m going to go back to my room.”

  With that, she turned to walk away. His voice followed her. “I did enjoy the kiss,” he whispered.

  She didn’t look back, but for some strange reason, her heart felt light and carefree.

  * * *

  Dominic watched as Aaliyah walked away. He ached to call her back, to finish what they’d started. But he knew that would only complicate his already shaky relationship with her. But damn, she kissed so well. He could have spent the whole afternoon kissing her and still want more.

  He closed his eyes, remembering the feel of her hands on him. When she’d cupped his penis, it had taken all his willpower to control himself. He’d been so close to losing control.

  He sighed. For some reason, he was being noble. The Dominic of months ago would have taken her right then and there, without any reservations.

  But he respected her. He liked her. While she did behave a bit too bossy for his liking, there was something about her that appealed to him.

  Maybe it was her innocence and naivety. He kept saying that she was not his type, but on reflection, he wasn’t even sure if he had a type.

  He looked around the room, knowing he needed to clean up. It would take him a bit longer with one hand, but he’d get it done, as he always did.

  He really needed to stop tossing the clay around in anger. He needed to take a close look at himself. He wasn’t one to lose his temper. He’d always prided himself on the self-control he exhibited under pressure. The circumstances in his life had changed him and he didn’t like what he saw.

  When he’d finished cleaning the room, he headed outside. He hadn’t spent any time with Nugget in the past day. He knew the puppy missed him. Nugget always missed him.

  When he entered the kennels, he immediately went to Nugget’s tiny compartment. The puppy barely raised his head. Instead, Nugget glanced at him with sad, disappointed eyes. The pup shifted his body and turned his tiny bottom in Dominic’s direction.

  Dominic chuckled. So Nugget wasn’t going to be friendly.

  He reached for the pup, taking him into his strong hand. Nugget wiggled his tail reluctantly.

  “Okay, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have ignored you for the past day. I’m human. I was just dealing with some issues. But I promise it won’t happen again. You want to go for a walk?”

  The dog’s tail wagged faster. He smiled. He’d been forgiven.

  Half an hour later, he sat in his usual spot, looking out to sea. He loved it here on the cliff’s edge. Above the waves, a white egret flew awkwardly, its large feet seeming to slow its movement. Despite this, it dived ungainly downward, eventually rising out of the water with its meal wiggling within its mouth.

  He laughed out loud, something he hadn’t done in months. He felt different, lighter. As expected, Aaliyah came to mind. She was taking over his being, tantalizing him with her proprietary behavior. At school, she would have been considered a good girl, and he a bad boy. They were the total opposites, from what he could see. But he could not deny his attraction to her, an attraction he didn’t rightly understand.

  In the distance, Nugget barked wildly. He’d found a crab.

  Suddenly, the pup yelped and raced in Dominic’s direction. Nugget then came to an abrupt stop, lying on the ground, his paws rubbing his nose.

  Cautiously, Dominic kneeled down, tickling the pup’s stomach. Nugget lifted his legs, closed his eyes and relished the attention, his painful encounter with the crab forgotten.

  “You ready to go back home?”

  Nugget stood and wagged his tail in agreement.

  Forgetting his misadventure, the pup raced in the direction of the path that led to the house, stopping briefly to make sure Dominic was following.

  It was that time of day he loved most—mealtime— and his excitement about eating never ceased to amuse Dominic. He could only think of very few things that didn’t excite Nugget. The pup was a bundle of endless energy.... Well, most of the time. He quickly remembered the dog’s reaction before their walk.

  Tonight, he’d go back to the workshop and work on the sculpture he’d started this afternoon. He’d achieved some progress using his right hand, though at first it had felt awkward.

  He reached the end of the path and headed to the kennels, where Nugget was already waiting patiently. He’d opened the nearby stor
age shed, quickly retrieving the smallest bag, which contained Nugget’s chow. The older dogs had already been fed and lay lazily watching him with indifference.

  “Have a good night, boy,” he said, bending to rub the pup’s tummy. Nugget yawned in response and then closed his eyes.

  Dominic walked slowly to his room. He’d take a shower and then head to the workshop.

  * * *

  The next morning, Aaliyah watched as Dominic lifted the weight for a final set and then allowed it to drop with a bang. The tension in the room was evident.

  He then rose from the bench with an energy she hadn’t seen the whole morning in him.

  “So why couldn’t you have given me that kind of liveliness during our session? You know what? I’m tired of your attitude! There, I’ve said it. And I’m not sorry. I’ve worked with people whose challenges were worse than yours. They worked so hard the impossible happened. I know people don’t believe in miracles. But I do. I’ve seen people who doctors say would never walk again creep, then crawl and then walk.”

  She paused for a moment, waiting for him to fire her. But he said nothing, only looked at her with an expression of pure shock as he sat back on the bench.

  “So you can sit here and decide what you want. And when you’ve decided, you can let me know because I have no intention of wasting my time on a man who doesn’t even care if he gets better.”

  She walked to the door.

  She turned and faced him one last time. “You know, if you want to heal, these sessions can’t be about going through the motions. You have to fight. What disappoints me most is that you seem to want to give up without a fight. That’s not the man I know that you are.”

  With that, she walked out and slammed the door.

  Outside, she breathed deeply. She had no doubt that she’d get fired, but she didn’t care. She’d said what he needed to hear. Hopefully, some of it had penetrated his thick skull. She’d met men in the past, her husband included, who were stubborn, but Dominic Wolfe, celebrity, model and actor, took the trophy.

  * * *

  Dominic watched as she walked out. The battle between them seemed unwilling to come to an end. He stood again, groaning at the pain that shot up his legs.