Heart to Heart

by Meline Nadeau

  She smiled in acquiescence and followed him back to his sloop. Nothing but the cry of seagulls and her beating heart marred the silence. Serendipity swayed, silhouetted against the darkening sky. David led her to the stern and jumped on deck. In one easy stride, he pulled her up and into his arms. Their mouths and bodies connected as they stumbled toward the cabin door. How they made it down the steep galley stairs, their bodies tangled together, she couldn’t tell.

  Inside, the smells of leather, saltwater, and of his musky scent mingled with dizzying effect. David took a step back and studied her, as though he were committing to memory every detail of her being. She fought the urge to look away. The turbulence of her passion for him swirled within her. Surely, his penetrating stare could tell she loved him. Completely caught up in her emotions, she gazed at him, willing him to see her love. Whether he saw it or not, his thoughts remained hidden behind a thick curtain of desire.

  His gaze fell to her breasts with their hardened nipples peaking through the gauzy material. He slid a hand into her décolleté and one by one, undid the delicate mother-of-pearl buttons. Leigh let her blouse fall to the floor and undid the front clasp closure of her bra. He traced the contours of her pink buds with his tongue, teasing one, then the other.

  “Leigh.” No matter how many times he said it, she never tired of hearing her name on his lips. “How’d you get to be so amazing?”

  “It happened when I met you.”

  He closed his eyes for a moment, then plunged his gaze into hers. “What am I going to do about you?”

  A knot rose in her throat. Ask me to stay. “Make love to me.”

  Gathering her into his arms, he held her against his chest. His uneven breathing caressed her cheek, and her skin pulsed as he touched her. His lips recaptured hers, more demanding this time. She wound her hands through his thick shock of hair and kissed him with reckless abandon. Urgency mixed with the intimacy of their embrace. His lips were warm and sweet.

  He disengaged himself long enough to pull his T-shirt off before resuming his exploration. He showered her jaw and neck with kisses leaving her flesh burning with fire. She fumbled with his belt, pleasure clouding her vision. His lips touched her left breast with tantalizing possessiveness. He fondled the small globe, until its pink nipple was marbled hard. Then, he shifted his attention to her other breast. His tongue caressed its sensitive tip until she moaned with ecstasy.

  She liberated his swollen member from its denim and cotton prison, and his jeans and boxers joined her blouse on the floor. She stared at his hard erection with admiration. His cock was beautiful. He acknowledged her gaze with a groan, swept her up into his arms and eased her onto the v-berth. Above their heads, the forward hatch let in a light Atlantic breeze and the cerulean glow dusk.

  His hands moved under her skirt to caress her hips and thighs. His touch seared a path from her thighs to her abdomen, and she moaned with reckless abandon. Looping a finger through the top of her lace panties, he eased them down her legs, leaving her completely bare and vulnerable. Fighting the urge to cover herself, she closed her eyes and gave into his touch. Nothing and no one existed outside the small sailboat’s inner sanctum.

  A sigh of rapture escaped her mouth as he caressed the soft lines of her hips and thighs. His lips traced a path of ecstasy to her mound, his fingers sending jolts of pleasure through her core. Instinctively, she arched her body toward him. He licked and teased her center until her body vibrated with liquid fire. She gasped and squirmed as she felt the hysteria of delight rising inside her. With every sigh, she fell deeper and deeper into the abyss. Finally, she abandoned herself to the whirl of sensations and cried out as waves of electricity arced through her.

  When she opened her eyes, she locked glances with David who lay next to her, stroking her hair. “That was incredible.”

  His mouth curved into a smile. “You are incredible.”

  She rose to meet him and, in a moment of giddy spontaneity, pulled him down and rolled him over onto his back. “My turn.”

  • • •

  David chuckled, thrilled with her newfound sexual assertiveness.

  “Mmmm.” Her gaze lit up with a mixture of desire and mischief, and she gave him a smile that sent his pulse racing. “Close your eyes.”

  He closed them, suddenly very aware of his other senses. A light ocean breeze wafted in, carrying with it a touch of her perfume. The gentle rose fragrance enveloped him and penetrated his senses while her delicate hands wound their way into his thick locks. She brushed soft butterfly kisses onto his eyelids. The gesture, so gentle and unexpected, brought a wave of longing to his soul. Such a simple act, and yet it conveyed so much about her. Every day, her sweet and delicate nature left its mark on his heart. He wasn’t sure he’d ever recover.

  She worked her way down to his chest, searing a path with her mouth over his jaw, neck, and ears. His flesh tingled with delicious agony. Through half-opened lids he watched the moonlight dance in her hair as she rubbed her body against his, running her hard nipples against his smooth chest. Her hands began a lust arousing exploration of his hard body while her tongue teased the tips of his nipples. He felt them harden under the prodding then gasped as she licked her way down to his groin.

  Wisps of her soft curls brushed against his stomach while her tongue burned a path around his manhood. His penis grew rock hard and quivered, and his mind went blank. He had to feel her wrapped around his burning rod. Now. He opened his eyes and reached for her.

  “Not yet.” Her whispered words caressed his groin. She ran her fingers through the nest of curls around his sex and then, she touched him.

  He caught his breath, tensed, then hardened.

  She took him in her hand, and he became forged heat and pulsing need. Hard. Heavy. Ready. Her touch, hesitant at first, responded to his moans of pleasure and grew bolder. “Like that?” She slurred, her voice thick with desire.

  “Oh, baby. Yes. Just like that.”

  Her hot mouth covered the tip of his throbbing member. It nearly sent him over the edge. She stroked him again and again until his body screamed with desire.

  “I need to feel you inside me. Now.”

  In a daze, he reached for the condom he put by the bed earlier, tore the packet open, and handed it to her.

  She slid the prophylactic onto him, and they locked glances. Her cobalt eyes sparkled with desire, and she kissed him with such passion and honesty, at that moment he knew he loved her.

  Her soft body atop his, he teased her, nestling his sex in the space between her legs and showered her face with kisses. She moved with him, breathing his name, kissing, touching him until he couldn’t wait any longer.

  She gasped and arched her back as he lifted her onto his manhood and pushed into her. Under the silvery glow of the moonlight, she looked like a mystical being covered in light.

  She gasped again when he pulled out, again and again, harder, deeper, faster, in an earth-shattering, heart-pounding rhythm. Their bodies rocked together until they reached a climax so electric and so powerful, they exploded in a downpour of liquid fire.

  Somewhere in the tide of mind-numbing ecstasy he heard her call his name and something that sounded like “I love you.” Caught up in the moment, he whispered the words back.

  • • •

  Leigh woke, disoriented. She scanned the darkness and blinked. The distant sounds of laughter and music floated in through the open hatch. Memories of the last few hours came flooding back. New York. The interview. David. The waves of a passing yacht drifted ashore and rocked the small sloop. Next to her, David’s place on the berth lay empty. She touched the demarcation. Still warm. He couldn’t have gone very far. She wrapped herself in the bed sheet and padded through the cabin.

  David sat in the cockpit of the sloop, a glass of red wine in hand. His profile, dark against the moonlight, spok
e of determination and strength. One lock of his hair, ruffled by the wind, fell forward onto his forehead. She climbed out of the cabin and sat next to him in silence. He pulled her into his arms and handed her a wineglass.

  She nestled into his embrace, giddy with love. She still couldn’t quite believe she’d told him as much. Worse yet, she wasn’t sure what he’d said in return. Had she wanted to hear the words so badly, she’d imagined them? Or had he just said them in the throws of passion? She shook off her thoughts. If he did love her, he’d tell her again. If he didn’t — she could always go back to New York.

  New York. She still couldn’t quite believe the position she’d been after all these years was now within her reach. She pictured her name on a plaque at The New York Star. Leigh Cameron, Arts and Entertainment Editor. It sure had a nice ring. So, why wasn’t she more excited?

  David shifted his weight slightly and kissed the top of her head. She sighed and nestled herself into his arms. Since she’d met him none of that stuff seemed important anymore. At work he pushed her to be the best journalist she could be, and he filled her nights with the kind of passion she’d only dreamed of.

  But could she really throw away her dream job in New York on the off chance she might be able to save the paper? And if it she did, would that be ever enough? Once the excitement of being The Sun’s publisher wore off, she’d regret her decision — especially if David didn’t share her feelings.

  “Penny for your thoughts.” The warmth of his smile echoed in his voice.

  Staying was too risky. She was better off selling. “I was just thinking how much I like it here.”

  “You sound surprised.”

  “I guess I am.” She drew her legs up, placing her feet on the bench. “When Dad moved here, I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to leave New York. I’ve always thought of Watford as the town that changed him into a guy I didn’t know anymore.”

  “And now?” He tilted his brow, looking at her with uncertainty.

  She leaned into him and tilted her face toward him. “Now, I get it. Coming here is what helped him heal and start over.”

  He scanned her face as though waiting for more. “And — ”

  Her heart jumped in her throat. What was he fishing for? “And, I can’t think of a place I’d rather be.”

  His large hands framed her face, and he whispered, his breath hot against her ear. “What about the job in New York?”

  She pressed her mouth to his and kissed him, lingering and savoring every moment. “It’s no big deal. I’m not going to get it, anyway.” With David by her side, she could accomplish anything. She’d stay in Watford, run the paper, and heal just as her father had.

  Chapter Nine

  David walked through The Sun’s heavy double doors. He toyed with the idea of playing hooky, but in the end, duty had prevailed, and he and Leigh had decided to go to work. He took the stairs two by two and entered the Bull Pen, a bounce in his step. Long faces and pinched smiles greeted him. Could rumors of his affair with Leigh have finally made the rounds? And why the gloom and doom? He could almost smell the disappointment. Geoff paced by his office.

  “There you are. Rough night?”

  David realized with a start he still wore the previous day’s clothes. He bit back a grin.

  Geoff didn’t seem to notice. “You picked a fine day to come in late.”

  “Will you tell me what’s going on? What’s wrong with everybody today?”

  Geoff motioned to Leigh’s office, where a guy in a gray suit waited. “He’s from Star Media.”

  “And?” Annoyance took the place of the lightness he’d felt at the onset of the day.

  Geoff gave him a sidelong glance. “And, they want to buy the paper, remember? Why else would he be here? Did Leigh say anything to you?”

  She hadn’t. He clenched his jaw, prey to confusing emotions. He hadn’t exactly made it an easy topic to talk about. Still, after everything they’d been through, she couldn’t possibly be selling the paper. Could she? “I’m sure she’ll have answers to all your questions.”

  “There’s more. The balance of transfer is official. She owns the paper.”

  “How the hell did you find that out? And what about the three-month clause?”

  “You’re in a room filled with reporters and you’re asking me how I found out? Anyway, does it matter?”

  David grabbed a stack of envelopes from his mail slot and glared at Geoff, who seemed intent on following him. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Hurt flashed in his buddy’s eyes, and he immediately felt bad for being so curt. “I’ll let you know as soon as I find anything out, all right?”

  Leigh walked in, bringing with her the scent of wild flowers. He caught his breath at the sight of her. She wore her hair up and had obviously gone home to shower and change her clothes. She’d donned a cherry-colored dress. The conservative cut did nothing to placate his thirst for her. Images of the previous night, flashed before his eyes. He stared at her, momentarily at a loss for words.

  “My, aren’t you a sight today,” Geoff said, inspecting her. “Expecting anyone?”

  She smiled, looking vaguely confused.

  “There’s someone here to see you,” David added, trying to gauge whether or not she’d known for some time and had planned the meeting.

  She grinned and for a moment he thought it was all a big mistake. “Darn. I’d completely forgotten all about this thing. I was a little distracted this morning.” Her dimples deepened and she flushed.

  “Well then, you should probably get to it.”

  His answer seemed to throw her off. David didn’t stick around to make nice. He sought refuge in his office, trying in vain to calm himself. After all, he didn’t know why the Star Media rep was there. Maybe he and Leigh were old friends, and he happened to be in the neighborhood. And maybe she decided to meet with him out of professional courtesy. He had to stop deluding himself. No one came to Watford all the way from New York City just for a social call. Besides, she’d been saying she’d sell all along, and she’d admitted making the appointment. She had to be negotiating the sale of the paper.

  He sorted through his mail, seeing nothing but his future unraveling. Then, he gave up all pretense of doing any sort of work and watched the action through the glass partition. Leigh’s guest looked to be in his early forties and sported a suit that appeared to have been made to measure. His hair could only be described as coiffed, an affectation David disliked immediately, and he acted as though he owned the place. The object of his scrutiny took out a portfolio and seemed to be making a passionate plea. Leigh leaned back, a smile floating on her lips, looking like the devil in a red dress. Around them the staffers hovered, no doubt trying to catch snippets of the conversation.

  Pam knocked at Leigh’s door, carrying two cups of coffee. David smiled despite himself. Geoff had surely put her up to it, in an effort to get a gist of the exchange. Leigh greeted her with a warm smile and seemed to be making introductions. David marveled at her calm. To think he’d almost fallen for it. For her. Disappointment twisted his insides.

  After exactly twenty-two minutes, Leigh and the stranger shook hands and she walked him to the exit. David waited until he was fairly certain Mr. Star Media was out of the building, and walked over to her office, careful to appear nonchalant.

  • • •

  Leigh watched David cross the newsroom in a few easy strides. Tremors of excitement tickled her spine as she thought of their marina tryst. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so giddy.

  He walked into her space and closed the door.

  “Hello, sailor.” She crossed her legs to reveal the lacy tops of her black thigh high stockings, and smiled.

  David looked at the sexy lingerie and took a step back, knocking a stack of clippings off the filing cabinet. “That was one hell o
f a long meeting.” He picked up the stray documents, and tossed them onto her desk. Annoyance marred his brow.

  “You’re awfully cute when you’re upset. ” She dangled a shoe from the tip of her right foot, and smiled, amused by his sudden outburst. “Do I detect a bit of jealousy?”

  “Dammit, Leigh. Knock it off. What did the Star Media guy want?”

  Her heart sank. “Excuse me? I don’t think I like your tone.”

  “So, you’re not denying it.”

  “Denying what? David, I’ve been talking about selling all along. It’s an option I’ve got to consider.” She sat up and pulled the hem of her dress down to her knees.

  “How could you meet with this guy without consulting me first?” He gave her a dark, angry look.

  “Last time I checked, you weren’t exactly interested in discussing the issue.”

  A knock at the door interrupted their discussion. Pam came in carrying a bunch of exotic flowers. “These just came for you.” Leigh glimpsed Geoffrey standing a few feet away, obviously dying to find out who’d sent the bouquet.

  Leigh tried to disguise her annoyance in front of the intern. The poor kid wasn’t to blame. She did whatever Geoff bade her to do. “Thank you, Pam. Just put them on my filing cabinet.”

  A card fell out when the girl set them down. They stared at it in silence.

  Pam backed out of the room, a sincere apology in her eyes. “Well, I’ll leave you two to your — ”

  David closed the door on her and picked the card up. “Congratulations,” he read out loud. “The job is yours. Love, Jack.” He flipped the card onto her desk. “Well, I guess it’s settled. You got the job you wanted, the paper’s finally yours, and you’ve got a buyer.” His curt voice lashed at her.

  “What are you talking about?”

  He glared at her, his expression thunderous.

  “David, I don’t know what you think I’ve done. I had a meeting with a Star Media rep to find out what they’re offering, and I got the job I applied for. The same job for which you wished me luck not two days ago.”