Love Lies Dying

by Steve Gerlach

  The smell of smoke was stronger now and John could see it rising above the chimney.

  He reached the church door, opened it and stepped inside.

  Safe!

  The warmth hit him immediately, in stark contrast to the cold night air outside. Gone was the cold and stale air of the church. Instead, it was filled with the crackling sounds of an open fire and a slightly smoky smell. The chill John had been feeling dissipated immediately as he closed the door behind him.

  He turned and stared into the church.

  Zoe was lying on the floor next to the fireplace.

  Naked.

  Her body was stretched out along the floor. The light from the fire danced across her stomach and legs, and reflected in the diamond snug in her belly button. She looked warm and tender and the dancing flames made her body look alive even though she was quite still.

  Zoe was lying parallel with the fireplace and wall. John could see her legs, stomach and breasts, but that was all. The rest of her body was hidden from view.

  Her legs were spread wide apart, giving John an excellent view of her vagina once again. He felt himself growing hard as his eyes ran up her legs to her thighs and then beyond.

  She never gives up, he thought.

  The shadows from the flames danced over her hairless mound and made it come alive, almost beckoning for him to come inside. In the heat of the church and with the firelight, he felt tempted.

  It would be so easy, he thought.

  John shook his head and smirked.

  No one would know…

  “Steady,” he muttered to himself.

  The diamond shone in the light and reflected into his eyes as he took a step towards her. The closer he came to her, the more he could see and his eyes worked their way up past her belly button to her breasts.

  Even though he had committed the sight of her naked body to memory, he was once again amazed at how beautiful she was. He let his eyes roam her peaks and valleys as he stood just out of reach of her.

  She wants you, he thought. She’s lying there naked waiting for you to take her. To fuck her. This could be your last chance. DO IT!

  John shook his head hard, as if to be rid of his thoughts.

  “You make a very tempting offer,” he said as he smiled.

  Zoe didn’t reply.

  John smile disappeared. “Zoe?”

  No answer.

  John took a step closer. Now he could see all of her.

  Her head was turned away from him and her eyes were closed.

  “Zoe?”

  She didn’t move.

  John kneeled down to her and touched her shoulder. It was hot and sweaty.

  “Zoe?” He shook her.

  She didn’t react.

  “Zoe!” he called louder and shook her more.

  Suddenly, she jerked awake and let out a short scream.

  John pulled backwards, a yell escaping from his lips too. Their voices combined and echoed around the church.

  She turned to face him, a strange half-scared half-happy expression on her face.

  “Oh, it’s you,” she said.

  “Yeah,” John replied. “I thought something had happened.”

  Zoe sat up and stretched her arms above her head. Her breasts jiggled as she did so.

  “Nah,” she said. “Nothing happening here without you around. I must’ve fallen asleep.”

  “Looks like it.”

  “The fire was so nice and warm and everything. And I guess I was tired.”

  “It’s alright,” John replied, rubbing her bare shoulder.

  “Sorry if I gave you a shock,” she said.

  “That’s okay.”

  “I got myself ready for you, but when you didn’t come back as quickly as I thought, I must’ve just fallen asleep.”

  “Ready for me?”

  “Yeah,” she giggled. “You know.”

  “I do?” John replied.

  Zoe turned over and sat on her knees. “Come on, Johnny,” she said. “Stop playing hard to get. You can drop the game now. We’re out here, just the two of us, no one for miles around. I’ve got the fire going. It’s hot in here. Hot and sticky. So take your clothes off and let’s fuck.”

  “Zoe, I’ve already told you –”

  “I know, I know.” She crawled up to him and placed a hand on his pulsing groin. “But no one’s going to find us out here. And Mister Cock down there is alive and kicking and just waiting to blow off some steam.”

  She began unzipping his jeans with one hand and pushing him onto his back with her other.

  “Zoe, no!” John was unbalanced and found himself falling onto the floor. As soon as his back hit the floorboards she was on top of him. Her breath was hot and wet as she kissed his mouth hard. Her tongue darted inside and pushed to the back of his throat. Her breathing was loud, fast and heavy and filled his mouth too.

  As one hand ripped open his shirt and rubbed his chest, the other reached down into his underwear. His cock was set free and it bobbed up out of his jeans. Then it was enclosed in Zoe’s sweaty hand. She pumped away, making him more erect and ready to explode.

  “I told you,” she whispered into his mouth. “You wanted this.”

  John shook his head from side to side.

  “Yes, you do,” she said. Her teeth clamped down on his bottom lip and bit hard.

  John let out a cry of pain as he felt blood flow into his mouth.

  “That’s it,” she whispered as her tongue licked at the blood pooling along his teeth and inside his mouth. “Bleed for me. Bleed for Zoe. Bleed for me and fuck me.”

  “Stop it,” John tried to say, but it came out in a muffled whimper.

  “Do it,” she moaned. “Let yourself go. I know you want to. And I want your cock inside me now.”

  The hand rubbing his chest turned into a claw as she raked her fingernails across him. The nails dug in deep and hard and John could feel the grooves forming and the blood running.

  Her other hand tightened on his cock and then ran down the shaft to his balls. Before he knew it, she was squeezing hard.

  John froze and stopped struggling.

  “Now,” she whispered as she moved her mouth to his ear. “Are you going to be a good boy?”

  John nodded.

  She bit his earlobe.

  “Promise?”

  “Yes,” he whispered.

  She sat up and straddled him. She had his blood smeared on her chin and across her breasts. Her buttocks touched the tip of his pulsing cock.

  “I thought you’d see it my way,” she smiled down at him. “I only want to say thank you for all you’ve done.”

  John licked at the tear in his lip. The blood was still oozing.

  He shook his head.

  “I’ve told you,” he said in a low voice. “You don’t have to.”

  She pouted, “But I want to.”

  “I know. But you have to understand, Zoe. I really like you and I think highly of you. Doing this, saying thanks by forcing me to have sex with you will only cheapen the way I feel about you. I like you as a person, not because we can have good sex together.”

  Her face fell and emotions danced across it with the shadows of the flames. "Remember I said you were beautiful?" he continued. "I meant that. And you said that meant the world to you."

  She nodded and her bottom lip started to quiver.

  “It did,” she whispered.

  "So don’t spoil it. Don’t spoil the relationship we already have as friends."

  She looked deep into his eyes for a few seconds and then sighed.

  There was a long silence between them.

  John held his breath. There was little else he could do. She held the upper hand.

  Finally, Zoe climbed from him to stand staring at the fire.

  "I’m sorry," she whispered as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

  “Don’t be,” John replied as he re-buttoned his shirt. He took a second to glance at the five long rake marks acr
oss his chest. They looked deep and ugly. The blood was trickling down his chest and stomach. He used his shirt to staunch the flow.

  Quickly, he pulled up his jeans.

  “I just feel that you’re doing all this for me and I want to pay you back in some way.”

  “Well, that’s not the way,” he said as he stood and walked across to stand beside her near the fire. For the first time he noticed the small bandage across the top of her left buttock.

  He touched the bandage, “What’s this?”

  She glanced over her shoulder at the bandage and then met his eyes.

  “Nothing,” she replied. “I noticed it after you found me behind the sofa. I guess I must have cut myself when I was panicking about Ricky.”

  “Is it serious?” he asked. “Are you going to be okay?”

  “Yeah,” she looked back into the fire. “I’ll live. It’s nothing really.”

  “I didn’t see any blood at the time, on you or on the floor or anything.”

  “As I said, it’s not too deep. Just a scratch really.”

  “I only want your wellbeing,” he whispered in her ear. “I want to make sure you’re okay and can get on with your life after this whole thing blows over.”

  She turned to face him, “Are you sure?”

  “I’m positive.”

  “And that’s it?”

  John smiled, “That’s it.”

  She smirked, “You mean I can’t even tempt you?” She reached out, exposing her breasts to him. “You don’t even want to try me?”

  You have no idea, he thought.

  John signed. “Listen Zoe,” his voice was firm and direct. “I’m not going to continue to play silly games with you. I’ve told you already and I’m only going to tell you one more time. Okay? I can’t and won’t have sex with you!”

  “But, Johnny,” she pouted again. “This is our last chance.”

  “No!”

  “This is your last chance!”

  “NO.”

  “Our last moments of freedom together before tomorrow!”

  “NO!”

  She turned to face the fire once more. John watched as the shadows played across her. He tried to read her emotions, but for the first time there weren’t any.

  “You don’t want to fuck me,” she muttered.

  “Exactly!” he replied. “You finally understand. That’s exactly right. I’m here to get Helen back and to free you from Fox. But that’s it!”

  “Why don’t you want to fuck me, Johnny?” she asked, still staring at the fire.

  “And another thing,” he said, his anger rising. “While we’re letting all the truths spill out. Don’t call me Johnny! I hate it. My name is John, okay? No one calls me Johnny!”

  Her mouth trembled.

  “Do you understand?” he said in a slow, level tone.

  She nodded her head slowly.

  Finally, I’m getting through to her, he thought.

  John pressed on his shirt to mop up the still-bleeding scratches on his chest.

  “Shit,” he said. “You play rough.”

  “Do you like it like that?” she asked.

  “No, I don’t. How the hell am I supposed to explain these scratches when we get Helen back? Shit, Zoe, sometimes you just don’t think. No wonder Fox could control you so easily. Use your brain, girl.”

  The silence between them was heavy. Only the sound of the fire crackled in the night.

  John watched Zoe.

  She stood still, watching the fire.

  John sighed and looked at his watch.

  I’ve gone too far now, he thought.

  “Look,” he began in a calmer tone. “It’s after midnight and we both need to get some rest for tomorrow. Let’s go to bed and try and get some sleep, okay?”

  She didn’t reply.

  “Okay?” he took a step forward and touched her shoulder.

  She nodded.

  “Good. I’ll bring in the luggage from the Jeep and then we can get some sleep.”

  She nodded again.

  “We have to concentrate on what we’re here for.”

  “You’re right,” she agreed.

  “We need to be at our sharpest and at the ready for anything to happen in the next few hours, okay?”

  She nodded.

  “Now, why don’t you put on some clothes and I’ll bring in the rest of our belongings from the Jeep.”

  He smiled at her, but she continued looking at the fire.

  He sighed and walked towards the church door. As he did so, he listened for any sound behind him, but all he could hear were his own footsteps echoing on the wooden floorboards.

  Amazing, was all John could think as he gently poked the jagged bite in his lip with his tongue. Amazing.

  He opened the church door and the cold night air greeted him. He walked over to the Jeep as the floodlights sprang to life and he felt more aware than ever. The heat in the church had made him feel light-headed and sleepy, but now he felt awake again. The chill in the air seeped into the wounds in his chest and caused them to burn.

  He glanced around the night once more. He was ready for anything unexpected to burst out at him, to run from the bushes and attack.

  But all was silent.

  He opened the back of the Jeep and pulled out his canvas bag and Zoe’s suitcase. Eyeing the bushes as he did so, he turned and walked back to the church.

  Zoe was standing naked in the doorway.

  John walked up to her but she wouldn’t let him pass.

  “Please, Zoe,” he said. “You’ll catch a chill standing there in this cold.”

  She looked deeply into his eyes as if she was searching for something. Then she smiled and moved aside. “Sorry,” she said.

  John placed the bag and suitcase inside the church door.

  “You can move them down to the beds if you like,” he said as he turned and walked back to the Jeep.

  The cold was making his chest wound hurt more. He didn’t want to spend any more time outside than he had to. So he grabbed the rest of her parcels in one hand and her handbag in the other. He closed the back of the Jeep and started to walk back to the church.

  He realised quickly he was carrying too many parcels. They blocked his line of sight and he couldn’t see where he was going. His foot caught on a rock. He tried to redistribute the parcels and re-balance, but he failed. The parcels and Zoe’s handbag tumbled from his hands and fell to the ground, some of the contents spilling into the dust.

  “Shit,” John muttered as he looked at the mess. “Just what I need.”

  “Want me to help you?” Zoe asked from the door.

  John shook his head, “No, no. Stay where you are. I don’t need you catching pneumonia or anything. I’ll fix it.”

  He began scooping her purchases back into the bags.

  Most of the items hadn’t escaped the shopping bags. It was Zoe’s handbag that had spilled the most.

  He grabbed the handbag in one hand and started to shovel her make-up, brushes, tissues and receipts back into it.

  Women and handbags, John shook his head. I’ll never understand why they carry so much junk around with them.

  He grabbed a compact mirror and lipstick and placed them in the handbag, then he reached out and grabbed her car keys and threw them in too.

  He stood and picked up the parcels and smiled at Zoe.

  She had a worried expression on her face.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” she replied.

  John walked towards her and entered the church. He bent down and put the parcels on top of her suitcase and held out her handbag.

  “Do you want this?” he asked.

  She smiled and stepped forward, “Yeah, thanks.”

  “Sorry about the mess. It’s probably all out of order now.”

  She reached out to grab the handbag.

  And John jerked it out of her grip.

  He took a step backwards out of the church and tilted his head
slightly.

  “Hang on,” he said, as his eyes narrowed on her.

  He took another step back and watched as Zoe stood in the doorway. Her eyes darted from his face to her handbag and back again.

  John opened the handbag and rummaged around inside.

  “What’s going on here?” he asked.

  He pulled his hand out of the handbag. He was holding her car keys.

  “What’re these?” he showed them to her.

  She tried to smile, but failed. “They’re my car keys.”

  “But you said Helen had your car keys.”

  “Yeah, well, these are my spares, Johnny.”

  “Don’t call me Johnny,” he replied. “You said you didn’t have any spares! That’s why we travelled all this way in a Jeep that you had to hot-wire!”

  “I must’ve forgotten I had them,” Zoe shrugged her shoulders. She stepped out of the church and towards him. “Can I have the handbag back, please?”

  John stepped backwards. “I don’t think so.”

  “Please,” Zoe walked towards him.

  John backed up further. “What else have you got in here you don’t want to tell me about?”

  “Nothing, honest, Johnny.”

  “Don’t call me Johnny! What else don’t you want me to know about?”

  She shook her head, “Johnny, please. Don’t!”

  “Stop calling me Johnny!”

  “I can explain everything,” she said as she took another step towards him. The security lights shone from behind her, making her bare shoulders shine and causing a dark shadow to fall across her face.

  “You better start talking, and talking fast,” John replied as he took another step back.

  He felt a sharp cold pain in his back and he cried out. The side of the Jeep had slammed up against him and had almost knocked him off his feet. He threw out one hand on the hood to brace himself.

  Zoe took another step forward. “Please, can I have the handbag?”

  “You said the gun was in here too,” he whispered. “But I didn’t see it.”

  John placed his hand back in the bag and started to fumble around for the gun.

  He found nothing.

  “It’s not here,” he said.

  “I know,” Zoe pouted.

  “You said it was, and it isn’t. Like you said you didn’t have keys but you did.”

  “It’s under the seat in the Jeep,” she replied. “Honest, it is.”