Arrest of the Heart

by Judy Kentrus

  “For me?” Jess was overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness.

  He poured a glass of white Zinfandel and handed it to her. “Sit, you never did get to eat breakfast, and most likely lunch. I want to get your bath ready.”

  “Wait,” she said, but he’d already walked into the bathroom. Jess tasted the wine and helped herself to a piece of white cheddar and French bread. She knew enough not to drink on an empty stomach. It made her violently ill. She heard the sound of running water and caught the familiar scent of her Lavender Vanilla candle. He was treating her like, she didn’t know, because no one had ever done anything so special for her. Who was Lincoln Adams? She didn’t trust him, but she was going to make love with him, come hell or high water. She’d been waiting eighteen years for her dream to come true.

  Five minutes later, he returned to the kitchen. Draped around his forearm was a large white bath towel. “Milady, your bath awaits.”

  Jess stood up on shaky legs, but kept a hand on the table to steady herself. “I love everything you’ve done, but why have you gone to all this trouble? To get me to go to bed with you? If I didn’t want to, I wouldn’t have knocked on your door.”

  Linc took a step back, offended by her statement. “Jess, you insult me. If you decide to go directly home after your bath, there will be no hard feelings. Liar, your nose will grow. “I will be disappointed, but I didn’t do all to this seduce you.”

  Jess put a hand to his smooth cheek and asked softly, “Why?”

  “This has been a day from hell, and you deserve pampering.”

  “Linc, I can’t give you anything in return.” Not even the truth, her mind continued.

  “You already have. Standing beside me when I faced Buford’s ghost meant more than you’ll ever know.”

  “Good enough.” She took his face in her hands and kissed him warmly. “Now, how about that bath?”

  Jessie stepped into the bathroom and was further shocked. A ring of flickering candles in short glass holders surrounded a tub filled with mounds of fragrant bubbles. Soft romantic music played in the background. A thick, vibrant blue bath rug fronted the claw-footed tub. Along the edge of the sink were a few of her aroma candles. The most dominant was her favorite, Lavender Vanilla.

  “This is fantastic!” she said wide-eyed. “I can’t believe you’ve done all this for me. I know, I already said that.” She turned and offered him an endearing smile. “Thank you.”

  Her gratitude was making him feel uncomfortable. “Enough. Get in before the bubbles dissipate.”

  Jessie’s heart was beating from nervousness, but she gathered her courage to ask with a saucy grin, “I thought one of the amenities was a back wash?”

  Linc didn’t bother to hide the swelling hardness in the front of his jeans. “I’m not one to renege on an amenity. Hop in and call when you’re ready for me.” Don’t make me wait too long, he silently added.

  “I’m ready for you now, but I really want to wash away the foul odor.”

  “I’ll be right outside.”

  Jess’s hands were shaking when she did away with her dress and underwear and slipped into the hot water. Her contented sigh filled the room as she let her body be cradled in a blanket of bubbly foam. The fragrance was slightly sweet, a blend of sandalwood and orange, and she wondered where he gotten the delicately scented bubble bath. She needed to cleanse away the icky feeling that clung to her skin, and looked about. He didn’t miss a trick. Sitting on the short stool she usually used as a small table when she took a bath, was a bottle of shampoo, body wash and a soft bath mitt. The label on the bottle read “Moonlight Path.” It was the same delicate bouquet as the bubble bath.

  She washed her hair and body twice, and kept glancing at the closed door. He was waiting. She was stalling. Her nipples were pointy hard and there was an ache between her legs that hadn’t been there for a very long time, no the feeling had never been there. The last man she’d had sex with was her ex. It was a wham bam, thank you ma’am. There was never any tenderness or loving fulfillment. For a time, a vibrator had been her friend, but after a while, she gave up. The feeling was too cold, too empty. With all her heart, she hoped Linc could make her dreams of loving fulfillment come true. She breathed deeply and determined it was now or never.

  “Mr. Purveyor of Amenities, did you forget about me?”

  “Finally,” he groaned, and was almost to the bathroom door when he hurried back to the kitchen to grab the bottle of wine, glasses, and a few pieces of the fruit. He’d recalled something Scott had once said, in the form of joke, that vegetables could be very arousing, when used properly. Linc was about to try strawberries, bananas, and grapes.

  The sight of Jessie in a cloud of bubbles took his breath away, and he almost dropped the plate of fruit. The water had darkened her hair to a golden russet, and candlelight caressed her neck and naked shoulders. Her face was flushed from the enveloping warmth, and her freckles blossomed on her pinkish cheeks. One long, shapely leg dangled over the side of the tub. Her toes were painted midnight black.

  “Are you ready for the next phase of our program?” Linc set the bottle and glasses on the small table, along with the fruit. He held up a glass. “Wine or back wash?”

  “Can I have both at the same time?” she asked, in a voice laced with steamy invitation.

  “We aim to please,” he grinned and poured the wine. “Better sit up a little.”

  “Like this?” Jess adjusted her body and the bubbles barely concealed her budding nipples. She brought the glass to her lips. “Hmm, cold and refreshing. Aren’t you going to join me?” Jess hoped he would understand her double entendre.

  The moment she sat up, his eye was drawn to the scar, the size of a silver dollar, marring the flesh just above her right breast. It was a miracle she survived, considering how close it was to her heart. Despite the wet heat in the room, a cold chill swept down his spine, realizing Jessie had almost died. He couldn’t think about that now. Jessie was here and alive, beautifully alive. Time to find out if Scott knew what he was talking about. Linc held up the plate. “How about something sweet to go with the wine?”

  A teasing gleam twinkled in his eye, and Jess wondered what he was up to. The strawberries were a rich, ripe red, the grapes, the color of a dark red wine, and the bananas, a golden yellow. The phrase “fruit salad, yummy, yummy,” flashed through her brain, before she asked, “Any recommendations?”

  “How about a juicy strawberry?” Linc knelt beside the tub and kept his eye steady on hers. He held the fruit by the pads of his fingers and pointed the pale pink tip toward his lips. His tongue came out and slowly suckled, then circulated the narrow bud, mimicking what he planned to do to the tips of her lovely breasts that were playing peek-a-boo with the bubbles. Her beautiful globes were much fuller than he imagined.

  Jessie could feel the invisible touch of his mouth on her breasts. They tightened and began to ache. She almost brought her hands up in a protective gesture, but stopped at the last moment. The pulsing ache was a feeling she’d never experienced. Combined with the devilish invitation, she couldn’t take much more. Jess abruptly sat up, making the bubbles slosh dangerously close to the edge of the tub. She grabbed his wrists, brought the fruit to her mouth, and bit. Juice escaped the corner of her mouth, and she slowly captured the sweet droplets with the tip of her tongue.

  “You’re quick,” he said beyond the lump in his throat, trying to ignore the ache in his groin. “I would have loved to suckle the juice from your mouth.”

  “Maybe next time,” she said softly, and deliberately popped the rest of the strawberry in her mouth. He was a devil and about to get his due. “How about a banana?”

  With slow, deliberate moves, she ran a finger up and down the entire length of the skin. She’d never done anything so bold and improvised. It had to be working, because his eye was riveted to her every move. “Did you know that when the fruit is ripe, it’s hard and firm?” She wrapped her hand around the top and slid it slowly up and dow
n the entire length. “This is thick and stiff, yet the skin is silky smooth.” She blew him a kiss and gradually peeled the skin away. “Hmm, this looks tasty,” she murmured, before slowly encircling the tip with her tongue. “Too bad it doesn’t have hot flowing juices.” She winked and nipped the tip off.

  Linc was mesmerized by her sensual teasing and flinched when her teeth met the flesh of the banana. His body was on fire. “Enough!” he groaned, and reached for his glass of wine and drank it down without stopping.

  “You started it with those juicy strawberries.” She cupped her own breasts, exposing her hardened nipples, offering them to his hungering gaze. “How about sampling the real thing?”

  His shirt went first, then his jeans, glad he wasn’t wearing underwear. “Move over Ms. Jessie.” Linc stepped into the tub and sank into the bubbles, sliding his legs along her slender hips. He wrapped her in his arms, sending up clouds of bubbles. The moment her nipples pierced his already heated skin, he wiped the seductive smile from her face when he captured her mouth. The water overflowed the tub, but neither of them cared. The combination of her sweet lips and strawberries exploded on his tongue.

  Jessie wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth to let him in, submitting to total ravishment. She sighed and tightened her arms as their tongues dueled lightly, thrust, and parry, thrust. This was everything she’d dreamed, being enveloped in the arms of a strong, unyielding male body, but not just any body, Linc’s body. For the first time in her life, she felt wanted, cherished, even a little loved.

  Linc reluctantly released her sweet lips and put their foreheads together. “You turned the tables on me with the sexy banana routine. You can feel how much your seductive teasing worked. I’m supposed to be using a great deal of self-control and washing your back.”

  Jessie took a gentle bite of his bottom lip. “Blame it on the fruit.” His steel hardness found a resting place in her groin, and she was tempted to delve into the water and bring it into the part of her body that yearned for fulfillment from the throbbing emptiness. Her hands ran the length of his strong back and continued to his tight ass.

  “There’s no rush. You can still wash my back.” Jess handed him the soft mitt, then wrapped her legs around his waist. Her head rested on his shoulder. “Hmm, this is nice. Have at it, Mr. Purveyor of Amenities. If you do a good job on my back, I just might let you do my front.”

  Linc didn’t know where this sexy Jessie was coming from, but he wasn’t about to refuse the invitation. He applied the body wash and glided the glove up and down her back in a caressing motion. His lips nibbled on the small bone of her shoulder.

  In the background, she caught the soft ballad by Dan Hill, “Sometimes when we touch the honesty’s too much, and I have to close my eyes and hide.” The words made her feel like a coward, but it was too soon to reveal what was in her heart. She was here with him to let herself enjoy his lovemaking. Maybe it was cold and heartless, but she wanted to live her dream. Jess closed her mind to the thought that he would hate her when he learned the truth, but there was something she needed to confess. She relaxed and enjoyed the feel of his hands moving up and down the length of her back.

  Her finger tips traveled the long length of his spine. “I know what I want, and I think you want the same thing, but there is something that I have to tell you, but I don’t want you to change your mind, or feel sorry for me.”

  “That’s quite a mouthful, Miss Jessie. Believe me, I won’t change my mind. Confession is good for the soul.” Right now, my soul is in deep shit and I can’t even follow my own advice.

  Jessie sighed deeply. “I haven’t been with a man since I filed for divorce from my ex eight years ago. I tried a couple of times, but I couldn’t go through with it. Oh, and I’m on the pill.”

  A chuckle rumbled in his chest. “That’s supposed to make me not want you.” The tip of his tongue tasted the length of her neck to the curved edge of her shoulder. “Delicious.”

  Jess pulled slightly out of his arms. Sweat ran down his brow, drawing her attention to his eye patch. “Do you ever remove it?”

  “When I’m alone or take a shower.”

  There was something she wanted, no needed, from him, a part of himself. Honesty. Her voice caught in her throat when she asked, “Would you take it off, for me?”

  Linc was stunned. It was something he’d never been asked, by anyone “Why?”

  “Sometimes, I look at you and wonder if the patch is an excuse to hide your inner torment. The only time I remember you laughing as a teenager was when you were with Treig. The rest of the time you seemed sad and very angry. I could be way off base, but I sense some of those feelings are hidden deep inside you.”

  “That’s a sound, psychological determination. To be perfectly honest, I never thought of it that way. You could be right. I was exactly how you described, and some of those troubled-teenage emotions have lingered within me all these years.” Jessie was smart, and Linc was afraid she would start asking more personal questions he wasn’t prepared to answer. There was one thing he could do for Jessie, reveal a part of himself that very few people had ever shared. “Okay, just for you.”

  Jess’s heart was pounding as she watched him reach up to the narrow band about his head and remove the patch and set it on the table next to the tub. She was expecting ugly disfigurement, but his eye appeared practically normal. A horizontal scar ran the length of his eyelid, and the outer corner had a deep indentation. “You have a beautiful eye,” she murmured, blinking back the watery fullness that filled her own eyes. She drew his head down and kissed the eyelid. “Why do you cover it up?”

  Linc had never been more touched in his entire life, and he found it hard to breathe when she kissed his eye. “The shrapnel entered the corner and almost severed the lid. The eye muscles are weak and the eyeball doesn’t move normally. When I look at a person, the eye doesn’t completely focus or point in the direction I’m looking. Call it vanity, but I prefer people not stare at me like I was a freaky Cyclops.”

  “I would never think that, but I respect how you feel.” Jess saw how uncomfortable she’d made him and decided they’d wasted enough time. She put her arms around his neck. “I’ve enjoyed all of your amenities, but I believe I’ve signed up for the super deluxe package. In other words, let’s get it on.”

  “Minx,” he grinned, as he delved into the water, searched out the heart of her ache, and slowly caressed the soft folds. “How about we take this slow and easy? I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Jess moaned in his ear. “God, I’m on fire between my legs,” and she tightened her thighs around his narrow hips and squeezed her cheeks against his massaging fingers.

  “Let’s put the fire out.” Linc lifted her slightly and slowly slipped into her. The soapy hot water made his entry that much easier, and he pushed slowly, feeling her tight, almost virgin-like channel.

  Jess reveled in the fullness that moved steadily in and out of her body. He found the spot that sparked her fiery need and burned out of control. “More,” she gasped, and sunk her teeth into his shoulder.

  “Your wish is my command, Milady,” he groaned and shot his seed home.

  Linc glanced at his cell phone on the table next to the bed, five o’clock and he wondered how much longer he should let Jessie sleep. He turned on his side, resting his head on his hand to study the beautiful woman totally relaxed in slumber. Rays from the late afternoon sun danced in the untamed curls of her fiery red hair and caressed the smooth skin of her shoulders and sleek back. He was tempted to lean down and run his lips down the center of her spine, to where the sheet caressed her slender hips.

  Once they’d managed to get out of the tub with their bodies still covered in fragrant bubbles, they wrapped the large bath towel around their clinging bodies and stumbled their way into the bedroom, grinning all the way. Not bothering to remove the spread, they’d landed together and started all over again, the second time without the erotic enticement of fruit, sweet wi
ne, or teasing laughter. Their wet slick bodies had slid together in a perfect blending and moved with a determined rhythm, the tone gentler, loving, the second time guided by their hearts. Then they crawled under the covers and she fell asleep, snuggled against him, but not before she kissed him softly and whispered, “Thank you.”

  Linc couldn’t ever remember spending a more beautiful afternoon making love. It hadn’t been just sex, not for him. He’d made love to her with his heart. Jess had given him her body completely, but he sensed a part of her was holding back. He understood she was skittish with her feelings, and guarded her heart from additional hurt. He also didn’t need a crystal ball to tell him that she didn’t trust him. He knew what was in his heart, but cautioned himself to keep their relationship light, or he’d scare her away.

  “Stop thinking so loud,” she yawned and turned over, letting her eyes feast on the man who’d made all of her romantic fantasies come true. He was so beautiful with his damp hair sweeping his shoulders. He’d replaced the eye patch, much to her disappointment. He wore her out. There were parts of her body that were still singing from the pleasure she enjoyed. Linc was an artist in bed, not that she had other men to compare his lovemaking. She’d only been with one other man, the selfish jackass she’d been married to for six months. He looked so serious, and she wondered what was going through his mind.

  “Come here.” She put her hands on either side of his face and drew him down for a long, sweet kiss. “I said it before, but thank you for the beautiful afternoon. You made me feel things I’ve never felt before. Guess what they claim in all the romance novels is true.”

  “You humble me.” Linc couldn’t help himself and leaned down to place a soft kiss on her nipple that had escaped the sheet. The color was a pale rosy pink.

  “Keep that up and we’ll never get out of this bed,” Jessie murmured, running the tip of her toe up and down his calf.