Conquest of the Heart

by R. J. Dillon

  “You should go for a run or something,” Faith whined as her body slowly began to respond to Gavin’s touch.

  “Nope. You’re right. I should learn how to relax. So I’m going to stay right here,” Gavin grinned.

  As he continued to shower her stomach with gentle kisses, he slowly moved his hand down along her thigh. As his hand made its way back up toward her hip, he tried to slip it underneath her shorts. Faith quickly put a stop to it.

  “No,” she squirmed. “I think you were right. We should get up.”

  “I totally agree with your first assessment of the day. Relaxing is so much more appealing,” Gavin said, now reaching closer to her breasts. Faith stopped that, too.

  “I changed my mind,” she said shortly. She was still squirming, but Gavin wasn’t budging.

  “Me, too,” he smiled again, looking at her to see how uncomfortable she was.

  Gavin began to move a little lower than her stomach, now kissing on top of her clothes. Faith struggled to keep him from moving down any further, but her fight wasn’t just with him. She battled with her own body, which was now completely awake, and completely willing.

  “Gavin,” she said. Her body was taking over. She couldn’t quite say what she wanted.

  “Yes,” he said as he continued to make his way down to her womanhood, still covered by her shorts.

  “Please,” she whispered.

  He looked up at her, his own body now standing at attention, “Please what?” He kissed her lower area, his hands now underneath her shorts and steadily moving to reach her mound.

  Faith moaned and took a deep breath. She grabbed at the sheets. She swallowed hard and said, “Stop.”

  “Are you sure?” His fingers were now playfully moving around beneath her underwear, increasing her wetness. “Your body is saying something else.”

  “My body doesn’t know,” she breathily said, “what it’s talking about.” She closed her eyes and bit her lip. Gavin was aroused by her pleasure. He had to be careful, knowing that he shouldn’t go any further, and would soon need to stop himself. Faith was past that point.

  Keeping his fingers where they were, he moved up to kiss Faith on the chest, then her neck. He took a chance that he would be able to enjoy her lips as he had the night before. As he tried to connect, she turned slightly away, continuing to breathe heavily. Gavin kissed her cheek, then her chin. She turned toward him, allowing the kiss to happen. He kissed her slow and deep. His arousal was now becoming more than he could handle. As they continued to kiss, he could feel Faith’s intensity rising. She reached around him, holding him tightly as she climaxed. They pulled away from each other, remaining close as their foreheads touched. Gavin moved his hand from below, and caressed her side. Faith continued to breathe heavily, trying to calm down.

  Gavin kissed her lips once more and said, “Morning, beautiful.”

  “Good morning,” Faith said breathily.

  “I’m going to take a very cold shower,” he said, sitting up.

  “It would have been nice if you could have given me that same option.”

  “Mm, this was more fun,” he said, looking back at her with a smile. He put on his shirt and pulled on his sweats. “I’ll see you in a little bit. You probably haven’t seen much of Denver since you stayed in most of the week, so we’ll get out after breakfast. Where’s the nearest Starbucks? I know you’ve found it already.”

  “It’s right across the street,” she said, taking a deep breath in. Her body was finally settling down.

  Gavin crawled back on the bed and kissed her again. She kept her eyes closed.

  “You’re really sexy, you know that?” he grinned.

  “Ha ha,” Faith laughed sarcastically. “Get out of here. I need to shower, too.”

  Gavin stood up and started to walk out, but turned to say a couple of more things.

  “Let this be a lesson. The next time you want to sleep in, know that I won’t be going back to sleep.”

  He took a few steps and turned back around, looked at Faith and said, “Oh, and, I enjoyed pleasing you.” He grinned, dodging the pillow that Faith threw at him.

  “Go!” she yelled, giggling.

  Gavin walked out of the room, aroused and satisfied at the same time. When he got back to his room, he made a phone call and then took a shower. Then he spent some time planning his day with Faith.

  An hour after Gavin left, there was a knock at Faith’s door. When she answered, there were a dozen coral roses with a single white rose in the middle sitting on the floor. Faith smiled and picked them up. She walked into the living area of her room and sat on the couch to read the card. It said, ‘My desire and feelings for you have grown. I can’t wait to spend the weekend with you. Gavin.’

  Moments after she received her flowers, Gavin knocked. She went and opened the door to let him in. Faith had the flowers sitting on the table.

  When Gavin saw them, he smiled wryly and said, “Who sent you those? Is someone else trying to move in on you?”

  She glared at him and said, “It’s healthy to have a little competition. Jealous?”

  “Absolutely. What does he look like? Does he look better than me?”

  “He’s actually pretty scrawny. His kisses though,” Faith raised her eyebrows and looked dreamily into the air, “OMG his kisses are divine.” She fanned her face and took a deep breath, flashing a flirty smile his way.

  Gavin chuckled as he pulled her in close to him and said, “Does his kiss feel like this?” He bent down and gently kissed her.

  “A little bit,” she said, nodding.

  “Yeah?” he asked.

  “Yeah. Do you know him?” she giggled.

  Gavin laughed and kissed her again. “I thought I wasn’t supposed to get any more kisses,” he said.

  “See that’s the thing. You shouldn’t be so damn good at it. Besides, I said you might not get any more,” she said, winking.

  Still holding her, he grinned and asked, “Are you ready to have a fun day?”

  “Yes. What are we doing?” she asked, clapping her hands excitedly.

  “First, we need breakfast and coffee. Then, since it’s so nice, I figured we could walk over to the art museum. It’s not that far from here. Then we’ll create our own art after lunch in Cherry Creek.”

  Faith interrupted, “I know what to do for dinner. My treat.”

  “Okay. Are you going to tell me?” he asked.

  “Nope. I have a few surprises of my own,” she smiled.

  “Let’s get going.” Gavin waited as Faith picked up her wristlet. He reached for her hand and opened the door. They walked to the elevator hand in hand.

  Breakfast was simple. They had coffee and pastries at Starbucks, sitting on the patio to people watch. On a Saturday morning, it was mostly the locals who were out and about. Following breakfast, they walked over to the Denver Art Museum. Not knowing what to expect, he took the word of the customer representative and purchased two tickets, which were on hold at the ticket booth.

  It was around ten when they got to the museum. In the middle of the summer, the building is normally filled with families with children, however, Faith and Gavin didn’t notice. They held hands as they picked up their tickets at the booth, which was located on the right hand side as you walk in. Once received, they embarked on their journey.

  As they walked around the large wall that separated the ticket booth and the gift shop, they observed the first exhibit, which was an exhibit about time. There were asymmetrical walls displaying digital numbers blinking at different rates. Making their way up the stairs, they were able to read about the display. ‘Not a bad start,’ thought Gavin.

  Gavin wanted to show Faith a side of him that she hadn’t yet seen. Knowing she was a world traveler, she had seen just about all there was to see. She didn’t know that he had a passion for Asian, European, and American art.

  Excited to see the Asian art, Gavin stepped onto the elevator, with Faith following behind, and went to the f
ifth floor. Immediately they saw a vase from the Ming dynasty. Gavin shared his knowledge of the period, which impressed Faith, though she wasn’t surprised. She smiled as he talked, and could tell he was enjoying himself. Other displays on this floor included pieces from China, Japan, Korea, Tibet, and Nepal. Some of the sculptures could be dated back to 500 B.C., some older.

  Gavin’s knowledge was sexy to Faith. She couldn’t resist pulling him close to her and kissing him when he stopped talking long enough, not caring who was around.

  He grinned and asked, “What was that for?”

  “For being you. Your intelligence is extremely sexy.” She smiled seductively and walked ahead, wondering where they were going to go next.

  Gavin stood and watched her for a moment. He took a deep breath in, caught up to her, gently took her hand into his, and led her to the sixth floor. This is where the European and American art was located. Being familiar with European art, Faith wandered off by herself, stopping only to stare at paintings that peaked her interest. At certain points, Gavin would quietly slip up behind her, put his arms on her waist, and simply hold her. Butterflies filled her stomach, knowing his feelings toward her were becoming more serious, as were hers toward him.

  American art was something new to Faith. Gavin tried to interest her in the art of the Old West, but she didn’t take a liking to it. Other items in the exhibit did interest her, so she took her time to view them.

  The second and third floors held Native American art. Everything from totem poles to pottery met them as they entered the front doors. Both of them were impressed at this collection, amazed to see actual clothing and pottery that the Native Americans used on the plains. After a while of walking around the seven floors of both buildings, they began to get hungry.

  “Are you ready to go? There’s so much more that I have planned. It’s time to eat again,” said Gavin.

  Faith casually smiled, “Okay.” Gavin took her hand and they exited the building.

  Gavin rented a car for the afternoon to take Faith to lunch in Cherry Creek, located a few miles from the Downtown Area. They ate on the patio again, enjoying the weather, at the Cherry Creek Grill. Gavin ordered a beef tenderloin filet, while Faith had a salad.

  “Do you ever eat real food?” asked Gavin.

  “Of course. I just watch how much of it I take in,” she smiled.

  “Just once, I’d like to see you get a big, greasy, fattening cheeseburger with extra cheese and some fries with a side of ranch,” he grinned.

  “Only if you share it with me,” she giggled.

  He shook his head in amazement. “Do you drink anything besides water?”

  “Stop it already. What are you drinking?” she asked.

  “A Pepsi.”

  She motioned her hands for Gavin to give it to her. He handed her his drink and she gave him hers. “There. Happy?”

  “A little,” he smiled. “Want a bite of my filet?”

  “No thanks,” she said shaking her head. “I’ll wait for that cheeseburger.”

  They laughed and completed their meals. Gavin looked at his watch to see what time it was.

  “We should be going soon. We have an afternoon class,” he said.

  “I’ll just have a few more bites.”

  “No rush. I was just keeping track of our time,” said Gavin.

  After eating lunch, they walked over to Canvas and Cocktails, to create their own works of art, based on the theme ‘Starry Night’ and have a drink or two. They were holding hands as they walked in, but that didn’t stop the estrogen filled room from staring at Gavin like he was a prime piece of meat being auctioned off at Tony’s Market. This particular day, he was the only male in the workshop.

  Faith whispered, “Gavin, you’ve got an audience.” She looked around as the women held their glances.

  Gavin was oblivious. “What are you talking about?” The only woman he wanted was standing right next to him. After checking in, they were given a set of paint brushes, and were shown to their reserved seats. They sat down, and Gavin started to look around when Faith finally answered his question.

  “You don’t see all of these women staring at you? For real?”

  Gavin pulled Faith close and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. “You’re the only audience I care about,” he whispered and smiled.

  Faith got a huge grin on her face as she sensed the disappointment in the air. They were sitting near the instructor, and before getting started, went and put some squirts of paint on a cardboard card. Their canvases sat blank before them, waiting to be filled with color and life. The seats were pretty tightly packed as the workshop was completely booked. Courtney, the founder and instructor, gave them their first instructions, then turned on some fun music as everyone began to copy what she had shown them. She showed them step by step how to paint a ‘Starry Night’. Everyone was chatting and laughing as they stroked paint on their canvases, being careful not to dip their brushes into their cocktails, or drink from the dirty water cups being used to rinse their brushes. Once finished, they had to wait for the paint to dry. Women slowly stood up to dance around in their limited spaces, or get more drinks. Gavin and Faith hadn’t had any wine yet, so he purchased a couple of cups. After a couple of sips, Faith thought she would join some of the other ladies who were dancing around. Gavin looked on, smiling and enjoying as he watched her. He loved the way her body moved.

  The group of ladies that Faith had joined were curious about the man that she was with.

  One woman asked, “How did you get him to come here? I’d have to drug my husband to get him here.”

  Faith smiled and answered, “He planned all of this. I knew nothing about this place until we arrived.”

  “Wow,” they all chimed.

  “How long have you been dating?” asked another.

  “We’re not really dating. He’s my boss. We’re here on business.”

  “You’re here on business, and you’re taking an art workshop? Do you always kiss your boss?” pried another woman.

  Faith had forgotten about the kiss. “Our weekends are free of course. We’re expanding our offices and have been traveling to see which city would be the best location for us. You’re right. We’re sort of dating.” She smiled and took another sip of her wine.

  “I wish my boss was that fine. Shit, I wish my husband was that fine. You do know he’s probably the sexiest thing in Colorado right now,” nodded another woman.

  Faith giggled. “Well, I haven’t paid much attention to the men in Colorado, but I’ll take your word for it.” She sipped again, finishing her first glass of wine, and asked for a refill.

  “So, he planned this workshop? Does he like sports or anything?” one woman asked.

  “He planned our whole day, except for dinner. He hasn’t really talked about sports.”

  “Wow,” they all chimed again.

  Faith and the group of women danced, and drank, some more. Gavin continued to look on, as her face started to turn a little red from the wine. When the music subsided, the women separated and went back to their seats. Slightly off balance, Faith tottered back over to Gavin. He helped her sit down.

  “They were all talking about you. You are total eye candy,” Faith slurred and giggled. She was a bit tipsy from the wine.

  “How many glasses of wine did you have?” Gavin asked, grinning.

  “Maybe three,” she said, holding up two fingers.

  Gavin chuckled. “It’s a good thing you didn’t start drinking until after you painted or ‘Starry Night’ would be ‘Blurry Night’.

  Faith just sat there and smiled, her eyes glazed over from the little bit of alcohol she’d had. She normally didn’t drink that much. Since she didn’t eat much for lunch, it was having quite the effect on her.

  The paintings dried, and the instructors took pictures of each individual, couple, or group with their creations for their website. When they came around to Gavin and Faith, he suggested that Faith remain sitting since her balance
was off. After the pictures were taken, everyone either began to leave or did some shopping in the boutique that was located at the front. The women that Faith had met and spoken to told her goodbye.

  “Bye, Gavin,” a group of them sang out, giggling as they walked out of the building. Gavin nodded, then shook his head.

  “Are you ready?” he asked Faith, wondering if he was going to have to carry her.

  “Yes,” she stated confidently.

  “Can you walk?”

  “Of course,” she smirked. When she tried to stand, she almost fell over. Gavin caught her.

  “Are you sure you only had three glasses of wine?”

  “I might have lost count. I think it was three,” she said, looking up at him innocently.

  Courtney shook her head. She held up her hand, signaling to Gavin that Faith had five glasses of wine, and mouthed the words ‘At least’. Gavin smiled and nodded to her.

  “Come on, beautiful. Let’s get you back to the hotel.”

  Gavin scooped her up in his arms, kissed her on her forehead, and took her to the car. The remaining women watched as he did this, sighing because of how sweet and romantic he seemed to be.

  “My husband totally would have left me sitting there,” commented one woman. “He has to be the sexiest, most unavailable man alive. That is one lucky woman,” she said dreamily.

  After getting Faith situated comfortably in the car, Gavin went back to collect their paintings. They were carefully wrapped so they wouldn’t get damaged during transport. He thanked the instructors, walked out to the car, and drove back to the hotel. Faith sat motionless and quiet, but still awake.

  “Are you alright?” he asked, grinning.

  “I’m fine.”

  “You don’t handle your liquor very well. You were dancing on tables and swinging your shirt around,” he teased. “It’s a good thing I was the only man in there.”

  “Shush,” she said, glaring at him. “I’m not that out of it.” She turned her head, looked at him, and smiled.

  Gavin smiled, grabbed her hand and held it as he drove. He thought about how much fun he’d had with her, hoping she was feeling the same way he was.