Heart Block

by Melissa Brayden

  “Keys? But she didn’t even say good—” That’s when the horrible realization hit. “I have to go.” She took the stairs because elevators were unpredictable. Bad idea. After racing down the six flights, she was wildly out of breath and the parking lot was huge. She stood on a cement bench and scanned the rows of cars. There she was.

  Not too late.

  Write your own ending.

  Encouraged by Kermit and the surefire fact that she loved Emory more than anything, she covered the distance to the car just as Emory was about to slide in.

  “Em, wait. Don’t go. There’s something I need to say.”

  Emory turned curiously and pointed at the hospital, tilting her head in question. “Did you just—”

  “Yes, but that’s not important. Please just let me say what I need to say.”

  Emory opened her mouth and then closed it again, seeming to honor the request.

  “You can’t leave. I get why you walked away before, but I shouldn’t have let you. I should have told you that I love you. Because I do, love you, I mean. And I’m asking you to build a life with us, Emory, and to give me what I never knew I needed. I want to make plans with you and change them as we go. I want the fights and the day-to-day and the milestones and the make-up sex and all the snarls and tribulations that come with being together. It’s going to take work, and things are not always going to be perfect. But we’ll work on it. We’ll figure it out as a family.”

  A soft smile appeared on Emory’s face as tears touched her eyes. “A family?”

  Sarah nodded and took a step in. “Yeah. You, Grace, and me. We’re a team. So don’t go.”

  Emory paused and slid a glance to her car and then back to Sarah. “So you don’t want the Whopper?”

  “What?”

  “Lunch. I was going to pick us up something to eat. A certain someone favors Burger King if I remember correctly.”

  Sarah stared at Emory in confusion until the happy understanding settled. “You’re not fleeing the scene,” she breathed.

  Emory covered the short distance that separated them, pulled Sarah in, and kissed her the way she’d imagined kissing her for the past six weeks. She sighed into perfection. “Nope.”

  Sarah was cradling her face, and as much as she wanted to kiss her again, there were things she needed to address. “But there have to be terms.”

  “Terms?” Sarah’s eyes widened. “Okay, what are the terms?”

  “I love you.”

  Sarah smiled, taking it in. “I think I can live with that one.”

  “And you have to believe that I don’t fall in love with just anybody. In fact, I have very high standards and always have.” She picked up Sarah’s hand and threaded their fingers. “I happen to think that you are the most wonderfully smart, funny, and beautiful woman I have ever encountered. And I need you to accept that about yourself.”

  It was Sarah’s eyes that filled then and her voice was meek. “I can do that. I can try and do that.”

  They held each other’s gaze, the electricity between them already in full force. Emory’s voice was quiet and a small smile tentatively took shape on her face. “So we’re agreed?”

  “We are.”

  “One last thing.”

  “All right.”

  Emory took a breath and tilted her head sideways. “Can you say it again?”

  Sarah smiled. “Emory, I love you. I don’t know why I thought it would be hard to say, because it’s not. I love who we are when we’re together and I love who I think we’re capable of becoming.”

  “God, I love you too.” Emory squeezed Sarah’s hand. “And I’m so glad I thought to get the damn cheeseburgers.” They both laughed and there was only one thing left to do. Her eyes dropped languidly to Sarah’s lips as she moved in ever so slightly. “We should probably shake on it or something.”

  Sarah leaned in and hovered just shy of Emory’s mouth, her voice a near whisper. “Or something. But once we do this, it’s binding. No going back. Got it?”

  “Only forward.” As their lips met, Emory felt her world right itself and she sank into the kiss. What they were embarking upon was scary. But she couldn’t let that take precedence anymore. This, right here in her arms, was what mattered. The last few days had shown her that. Connection to another person, in a life where nothing was guaranteed, was more precious than anything. The details all seemed so much smaller in comparison.

  As they stood there in the parking lot, the early afternoon continued all around them. Pedestrians bustled, and cars whizzed past, the midday rush hour in full effect. But Emory barely noticed. She was too busy dreamily kissing the woman she loved.

  It was a moment. It was the moment.

  Chapter Seventeen

  It was the first week of December and as tradition dictated, Sarah had spent the entire Saturday baking cookies with the kids at her parents’ house. Carmen had helped and in good news, her boys had been less than destructive, only starting two food fights this year. Needless to say, it had been a day.

  The kids had long since retreated to the backyard for marshmallow roasting with their Uncle Danny, a part of the cookie baking tradition Grace always looked forward to. A Johnny Mathis Christmas carol drifted in from the living room. Sarah looked around the kitchen at their masterful work and offered Carmen an exhausted high five. “I’d say we conquered cookieland.”

  “Cookieland had no hope.” Next to them on the counter sat a stack of coconut macaroons, next to a platter of peanut butter reindeer, alongside colorfully decorated sugar cookies in the shapes of bells, stars, and remarkably accurate cutouts of Santa Claus himself. “Prisoners of war,” Carmen mused. “I think we’ve earned a hot toddy.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll make them,” her mother called out as she walked into the kitchen.

  “Not for me. Emory will be here any second. How do I look?” She’d changed from her jeans into black pants and a form-fitting red sweater for their date. It was the first chance they’d gotten to spend time on their own together since Grace’s release and she’d been counting the hours.

  “Smokin’ hot, Sar.”

  “That’s all I can ask for.” She grinned, switching gears. “Everything all right outside, Mama?”

  “The kids are having a ball out there. Danny’s taught them his super slow roasting method and they’re transfixed.”

  “How’s Grace?”

  “Very energetic. I think her strength is back in full force.”

  “Clearly,” Sarah said as Grace sped into the room and came to a stop in front of her.

  “Can I have ice cream later?” Grace asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

  “If you’re grandparents say it’s okay. But do me a favor and take it easy. Maybe don’t run everywhere you go. Let’s give that new pacemaker a chance to settle in.”

  “The doctor said it’s fine to run now.”

  Sarah sighed. “That he did.” She kissed the top of Grace’s head and watched her speed back into the yard to join her cousins. “She just seems so much lighter, carefree. It’s nice. The cardiologist says that with the new pacemaker, she shouldn’t see the inside of a hospital room until she delivers her first child.”

  Her mother placed her hand on Sarah’s shoulder as she passed. “And now that Grace is back on track, it’s your turn.”

  As if on cue, the doorbell rang and Sarah broke out into a smile. “I think that’s my date.”

  *

  The beach house was dark and quiet when they entered, but the moonlight reflecting off the water just yards away illuminated much of the room. Dinner with an adult had been just what the doctor ordered, and the fact that it was with Emory was delicious icing on the cake. Throughout dinner, Sarah had enjoyed the conversation, the laughs, the flirting, but she couldn’t help letting her mind drift to the promise of things to come. It didn’t help that Emory was looking both gorgeous and sophisticated in the pale blue dress she’d worn to dinner. Her favorite combination.

  Now that the
y were alone, Sarah led the way in and wordlessly moved to the glass, staring out at the endless ocean. She wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head ever so slightly. “The water seems so calm tonight.”

  Emory settled in behind her and gently kissed one shoulder. “It’s chilly out, but we could walk down to the beach, if you want.”

  Sarah turned. “I don’t think so. I like it right here.” She studied Emory’s face, taking it in. “What are you feeling right now?”

  Emory smiled. “You have no idea.”

  “Trust me, I do.” She ran a finger gently across Emory’s bottom lip and moved in, unable to resist her another moment. She brushed her mouth with a featherlight kiss and ran her hands gently up Emory’s arms, the most tender of caresses. “You were there for me. When life couldn’t get any worse, when I was at my lowest and didn’t know where to turn, you were there and you got me through it somehow. I didn’t know what I needed, but you knew.”

  “I didn’t do anything that you haven’t done for me. How is she today? Grace.”

  “Feisty, just like always. Only she can stay feisty longer now, so we’re all in trouble.”

  Emory laughed. “I can’t wait to see her.”

  “Tomorrow. Tonight, I get you all to myself.”

  Emory felt a shiver move through her body. She took Sarah’s hand and kissed the back of it. “Can I get you anything? Are you thirsty?”

  Sarah shook her head slowly, her eyes never moving from Emory’s, communicating so much. Emory nodded wordlessly and they walked together up the stairs, hand in hand.

  Once inside her bedroom, Emory moved to Sarah and pulled her close, her gaze unguarded, focused. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

  Sarah reached out and brushed a strand of hair off her forehead. “We have all night, you know.”

  Emory kissed her gently. “Best sentence ever.”

  The kiss that began delicately, transformed rather quickly to a mechanism of need. Sarah moved her hands to Emory’s waist and up. As they grazed the outsides of her breasts, Emory hissed in a breath and increased the pressure of the kiss until the meeting of lips and tongues vibrated through her entire body.

  As Sarah pulled off her sweater, Emory stepped back. “I got it.” She moved behind Sarah, pulling the zipper of her slacks slowly downward. Emory assisted the lightweight fabric to the floor, bringing her to her knees and refocusing her attention. She closed her eyes and placed a solitary kiss on the small of Sarah’s back, then moved her attention ever so slowly upward to her shoulders, the back of her neck, and around. Sarah’s eyes were closed, her lips parted slightly at the sensation in a breathtaking display that caused Emory only a minor pause to take in the image before needing to taste that mouth once again.

  As their lips met, it was Sarah who took control at this point, kissing Emory hungrily and backing her up until the back of her knees bumped the bed. She slid the straps of Emory’s dress down her shoulders, and it fell effortlessly to the floor. She stopped and looked at her, really looked at her, as her heart filled with something so familiar, yet so exciting that she felt a shiver move through her.

  She pushed Emory softly onto her back and took her time pulling off the rest of her clothing piece by piece. She willed herself to move slowly, to let the moonlight shift over Emory’s skin as she revealed more of it. She descended to Emory’s breast first, kissing it, taking time to linger, savor the taste, the moment, the sensation that was so all consuming. She moved to the other breast then, licking, tracing lazy circles with her tongue. As Sarah raised her head, her eyes slid to Emory’s and the yearning she saw there sent a staggering shot of arousal through her. “Em,” she whispered reverently in response, kissing up her neck, her chin, her forehead before finally settling back on her lips for another sensuous go-round. She settled herself more firmly on top this time, “Em, look at me.” Emory threaded her fingers through Sarah’s hair, pulling her face back just enough to lock onto her eyes. “I love you. So desperately, I do.”

  Emory’s stomach fluttered as she heard the words again in such a vulnerable moment. She nodded as she looked up at Sarah and wanted to respond, to tell her of the strength of her own feelings, but her voice was strangled in her throat, the emotion too powerful. She opened her mouth to try again and closed it in defeat.

  “I already know.” Sarah smiled as she tucked a strand of Emory’s hair behind her ear. “I know how you feel, and it’s everything good in this world. I’m so lucky.”

  Unable to resist any longer, Emory pulled Sarah’s face back down and caught her lips for another feverish kiss. She tried to turn them for better access to Sarah, to her body, but the once quiet, reserved woman she’d met those several months before was not willing to relinquish control just yet, and it was tantalizing. Instead, she pushed her thigh firmly between Emory’s legs and began to move against her. Emory gasped and felt as if an electric current of yearning had just slammed her system. She arched in response and pushed back forcefully, grabbing Sarah by the hips and pulling her closer still, needing, wanting more of her.

  “Not so fast there,” Sarah mumbled between kisses, shaking her hair back, grasping Emory’s wrists, and holding them in place above her head. She picked up the rhythm gradually, and Emory could hardly maintain a coherent thought against the onslaught of overwhelming sensation. With her breathing ragged and her body erupting, she turned her head into the pillow and moaned quietly. Taking the cue, Sarah increased her speed, the pins that held her hair in place loosening and eventually falling out entirely. Her hair cascaded wildly down around her shoulders and the sight alone sent Emory toppling over the edge in a rush of sharp pleasure. Her body stilled and she called out as the orgasm ripped through her. In that moment, she reached up and touched Sarah’s face, holding fast to the connection she felt so deeply until all she saw was her. All she felt was her.

  Sarah collapsed into Emory and they lay there, tangled, smiling together.

  As her shallow breaths evened out once again, Emory gently stroked Sarah’s hair and her ability to think crept slowly back. “You’ve destroyed me. I’m feeling strangely speechless.”

  Sarah raised her head and grinned. “I told you I’d missed you.”

  But it was more than just that. Sarah exuded a quiet confidence that was new, surprising, and beyond sexy. Emory turned to face her more fully. “You’re a complex woman.”

  Sarah looked skyward in jest. “You noticed.”

  “I more than notice you.” She gently shifted Sarah onto her back and a new surge of heat surfaced in her as her eyes met generous curves and golden skin glistening in the moonlight. She ached at the sight of Sarah. She’d always thought her beautiful, but tonight she simply radiated. She descended first to Sarah’s lips and then set out to explore. Kissing, tasting, licking, Emory savored every luscious moment with Sarah’s body.

  Sarah was on fire. She had been ever since she’d first touched Emory and her desire had only grown exponentially. She’d been turned on before, but this was a whole new level of yearning and she didn’t know how much longer she could hang on. Emory’s mouth was storming her system and sensation drenched her. As Emory kissed the inside of her thigh, she tunneled her hands into Emory’s hair in an attempt to guide her to what she so desperately needed. Sarah’s breath exploded in a loud gasp when Emory’s hand finally found her, eased through slickness, and began to move at an agonizingly slow pace. Moving her hips in response, Sarah arched upward in desperate search of purchase, of release. When Emory’s hand was replaced shortly thereafter with her mouth, Sarah let control snap. With her eyes closed, she felt the shock of pleasure overtake her, and the past six months flashed behind her eyes like a movie in her mind. As she rode out the glorious release, she remembered the moments, the journey that brought them here, and her heart and her body collided.

  With her heart still thudding in her chest like a jackhammer, her body still singing, and Emory’s arms around her, Sarah knew she was home.

  *
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br />   Seagulls and the sounds of the early tide woke Sarah the next morning, and it only took a moment for her to feel the happiness moving through her in big, warm waves. She sat up groggily in bed and looked around for Emory. The door to the terrace was open and the sheer curtains fluttered in the chilly breeze, a clue to her whereabouts. She crossed the room, shrugging into a T-shirt from the dresser as she went, when something caught her eye. To her right, there stood a canvas propped against the wall. She hadn’t noticed it the night before, but then again, she’d been wonderfully preoccupied. She moved closer, stunned at the beauty, the simplicity of the image, and took a moment to let her feelings settle. She studied the lines, her own features so familiar, yet so new. Was this really the way Emory saw her? She picked up the painting, captivated by the window it offered into the artist’s soul.

  “It was the first thing I wanted to paint. I was a little out of practice, but in the end, it came out just the way I wanted.” Sarah turned to Emory, who stood in the doorway to the terrace. She wore a light blue silk robe and looked sated and beautiful after the night they’d shared.

  Sarah shook her head slightly in wonder. “I don’t know quite what to say. It’s stunning.” And she meant it. She’d seen Emory’s work in subtle manifestations, but nothing like this. Nothing so complete. It was true. Emory was beyond gifted.

  “Have you seen the subject? How could it not be?”

  Sarah met her eyes in all seriousness. “That’s not what I meant. How did you do it, capture me this way?”

  “Well, I happen to love your face, your hands.” Emory pressed a delicate kiss into her palm. “The way you move. I had dozens of images of you sliding through my head, moments of you attached to my heart, so I just picked one.”

  Sarah looked back at the painting, for the first time noticing the glow on her cheek. “This is from our first night together, isn’t it? In front of the fire.”

  Emory nodded. “That was the night my life changed.”

  Sarah nodded and caressed her cheek. “Mine too.”