Conquest of the Heart

by R. J. Dillon

  He led her back to the living room. Faith went and sat by the fire while Gavin got their drinks. They talked for a little bit, discussing everything from work, to childhood to whatever came up, losing track of time. The lights were dim, and the fire was crackling. Gavin pulled Faith close to him, finally indulging her desire with a deep, passionate kiss.

  “I want to make love to you,” he whispered.

  “Gavin, I can’t. It’s getting late and we have to get up early in the morning.”

  “You can’t or won’t?” he asked in frustration.

  “Can’t.”

  “I don’t want to keep messing around, Faith. I need you. You know my feelings.”

  Faith looked away. “I know, Gavin. You know I’m not about playing games, and I’m really not trying to do that. I want to make love to you, too. I just can’t right now.”

  Gavin gently stroked her cheek, and kissed her lips. “I want you so much. I’m not sure how much longer I can wait.”

  “I wish I didn’t crave your touch so much. It’s like I need it.”

  Gavin gently rubbed Faith’s breast. She moaned from the pleasure it brought her. He kissed and licked her neck. He switched his attention from her breast to her thigh, slowly sliding his hand underneath her dress. With his free hand, Gavin unzipped her dress, and caressed her back. Faith unbuttoned Gavin’s shirt so she could touch his chest. She loved to feel his skin.

  “Oh,” he said breathily, “I crave your touch, too. I need you.”

  Gavin rubbed gently underneath Faith’s underwear. Her breathing intensified. “We should stop this.” She tried to push his hand away, but he was too strong, as was her desire for him to keep going.

  “Gavin,” she tried to speak. He kept his fingers where they were, moving slowly to prolongue her climax. Faith whimpered, sending tingles through Gavin’s body.

  “Gavin, stop,” she managed breathily. He ignored her request, and kissed her. Faith frowned and bit her lip, not knowing how to handle the extreme enjoyment she was having. Then it happened.

  “J’aime la facon dont tu me touches. S’il vous plait ne vous arretez pas.” (I love the way you touch me. Please don’t stop.)

  Gavin lost it. He had to kiss her fast. His climax came quick and strong, as did hers.

  As their kissing slowed, Faith looked him in the eyes, taking deep breaths to calm down.

  “Why did you do that? You know your French drives me crazy,” he said.

  “You wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t control it. This is the first time it’s happened that way.”

  “Did I make you uncomfortable?”Gavin asked, concerned.

  “No, the exact opposite,” she said as she kissed him passionately.

  “I didn’t want to stop. I couldn’t. What’s amazing to me is that I keep climaxing and we haven’t even made love yet.” He sat up and gazed at her seriously. “Faith, I want to make love to you soon. No is not acceptable.”

  “I can’t promise, Gavin. Not right now.”

  “I guess that’ll have to be good enough, huh?” he said as he was leaning close to her, barely kissing her. “Don’t keep me waiting, Faith. I can’t take much more of this.”

  Faith didn’t respond, only hugged him. Moments later she spoke.

  “I should go.” She stood up, pulled her nylons back on which she had removed when she arrived, and zipped her dress.

  “Stay,” said Gavin, getting up. “You have enough clothes here, and we can share a suitcase.”

  Faith cocked her head to the side, smiled and walked closer to him. She stroked his face and said, “Not tonight.”

  She stepped back and walked to the front door, putting her coat on and grabbing her purse and keys. Gavin reached out and moved some hair from her face. He pulled her close and kissed her deeply, causing Faith to drop her purse and wrap her arms around his neck.

  “I’ll see you in the morning,” she said quietly. Faith picked her purse up. “Thanks for dinner.” She opened the door, walked to her car and left. Gavin stood in the doorway with his hands in his pockets, watching her leave.

  Chandler had finally caught a break. She had almost fallen asleep, waiting and hoping that Faith would leave and go home. She started her car and carefully pulled away from where she was parked, following Faith home. Chandler just needed to know where she lived for now. When she was satisfied with that information, she drove to her own home. Knowing that Gavin and Faith would be gone for the next two weeks, she would have plenty of time to get the information she needed to prove Faith had something to hide. That is, if she really did have something to hide.

  The next morning, Faith and Gavin were on their way to complete their last tour in San Francisco. Gavin spent a lot of time planning to make this as much a of romantic getaway as it was business. Each night and weekend was filled with something to do. They strolled on the beach in the moonlight, took a catamaran ride at sunset while sipping cocktails, enjoyed a couple’s massage, took a tandem bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge, and shared a soufflé by candlelight. They also had a picnic by the water at Golden Gate Park and ordered breakfast in bed. Faith was exhausted from all of their activities. However, she never expected what was to come their last Friday there.

  On this day, they spent half of the day in their final meetings. Gavin had a surprise waiting for Faith when they returned to their room. First, as was normal with him, he had a dozen red roses delivered to the room. They were placed on the coffee table in the living area. Then there was an article hanging high on the bedroom door. Faith asked what it was.

  “Did you get some clothes dry cleaned? This wasn’t here before.”

  Gavin smiled. “No. That is for you. Open it.”

  Faith was like a little girl. She snatched it down, unzipped the bag, and uncovered a stunning purple cocktail dress with a dare-to-bare patch on the left side which continued up in sheer fabric with purple and white beading across a single long-sleeve. The opposite side of the bodice was strapless in a draped purple material that wrapped around the body, revealing peaks of sheer material and sparkle, all the way to the short bottom hem. He also bought her a pair of purple sequined shoes to match.

  “This is a beautiful dress. What are we doing tonight?” she asked, smiling. “You didn’t plan all of this when we got here, did you?”

  “No, beautiful. I’ve had this planned for about six weeks. The flowers were spur of the moment. I just like to buy them for you. We’re going to a concert. Some guitar player. Benise (pronounced Buh-nes-say), I think. Ever heard of him?” He knew she had.

  “Was I sleeping that much the week we had off together that you had that much time to look at my iPod?” she beamed. “Of course I know who he is. I love his music.”

  “We’ve got front row seats, and VIP passes. This is our last weekend together on these trips. I wanted it to be special.”

  Faith walked over to him from the bedroom doorway. She touched his face and said, “Why are you so good to me?”

  “Because you’re good to me. You’re good for me.” He brushed her lips with his, keeping it short and sweet, not wanting to get ahead of himself.

  “There’s just one thing.”

  “What?” he asked.

  “This dress is a little short,” she said, lifting it up.

  “Faith, it’s not that short. It’s not a comfortable length for you, I know, but you have gorgeous legs. I want to see them. I would never put you in something that was inappropriate or that wasn’t you. This dress is so you.”

  She smiled. “I do like it. I love everything about it, except for the length. You’re right, though. I just like to cover up more. This is risky, daring. I don’t take risks when it comes to clothes.”

  “You should. You’re beautiful.”

  “No one needs to see me except for you. I’m not into broadcasting the goods.”

  “Humor me for tonight, okay? I think if you just put it on, you’ll see it’s not as short as you think it is. Please?”

  �
��Only for you.” She got up and started for the bedroom. “What time does the concert start? Are we going to dinner, too?” she asked, looking back.

  “We’ll eat downstairs at the hotel restaurant. I’ve heard the food is excellent. It’s going to take some time to get to the concert, which starts at eight. We have about two hours to get ready.”

  “Alright. It’s three thirty. I’ll go ahead and get started so I don’t feel rushed later. I’ll shower first.” She continued into the bedroom and started the shower.

  Two hours later, Gavin sat in the living area waiting for Faith to emerge. He was handsomely dressed in a black tuxedo. When she came out, Gavin’s breath was taken away. The color was perfect against her caramel skin.

  “You look amazing,” he said, standing up.

  “So do you.” Faith had never seen him in a formal suit before. In the office, he usually wasn’t wearing his suit coat unless he was meeting with clients or board members.

  Faith walked towards him. He reached for her hand, pulled her in and kissed her cheek.

  “Your outfit isn’t quite complete.” Gavin put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small box. Faith’s heart skipped a beat when she saw it. He opened it to reveal a pair of amethyst and diamond dangle earrings. ‘Phew,’ she thought, in awe of how the night was going.

  “Gavin, those are gorgeous.”

  “Put them on,” he smiled, handing them to her.

  Faith took the box and lifted the insert to remove the earrings. As she put them in, they sparkled in the light.

  “How do they look?” she asked.

  “Again, you look amazing.” Gavin hugged her close, his emotions trying to get the best of him.

  “As do you. You sure you want to go tonight?”

  “What? Of course I want to go.”

  Faith wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling him down to kiss him. “I can have you out of this suit in sixty seconds,” she teased.

  Smiling, he said, “Trust me, beautiful. The concert is only the beginning.”

  The two of them enjoyed a light dinner and then took a limousine to the concert. Once there, Gavin and Faith sat front and center. Benise played wonderfully, and his dancers were brilliant. At one point of the show, he came down in the audience, playing his guitar, personally it seemed, for Faith. Gavin tried not to show his jealousy. He casually took Faith’s hand into his, making sure that Benise was clear on whose she was. Not noticing, Benise kept playing, then returned to the stage to complete the act. Faith was completely captivated, and barely paid attention to Gavin. While he liked the show, he didn’t like that she appeared to be ignoring him on purpose. Trying not to take it personally, he sat back and watched the remainder of the concert. Afterward, the two met Benise in person. He was a complete gentlemen, not mentioning Faith’s beauty to avoid confrontation. Gavin appreciated that.

  Back in their room, Gavin removed his jacket, unbuttoned his vest, and loosened his tie. He sat down and took off his shoes. Faith slipped out of her shoes as soon as they walked in the door. The shoes Gavin had bought were cute, but her feet paid the price.

  Gavin sat with his chin in his hands, thinking about how Faith was so engulfed with Benise. Noticing, Faith asked what was wrong.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I was just wondering if you enjoyed yourself tonight.”

  “I did,” she said hesitantly. “Didn’t you?”

  “I didn’t appreciate the fact that Benise singled you out and flirted with you while I was sitting there. Did you enjoy that too?”

  “I believe that was part of the show. It could’ve been another woman sitting there, and he probably would have done the same thing.”

  “There were other women sitting around us. Why not choose one of them?”

  “I’m sure it was completely random, Gavin.”

  “He ignored me when I grabbed your hand, and so did you.”

  Faith frowned, now taking her earrings off, and heading to the bedroom to take off her dress.

  “Seriously? Please tell me you’re not saying what I think you’re saying?”

  “Were you attracted to him?”

  “Incredibile,” she spouted in Italian. (Incredible.)

  “Lei non ha risposto alla domanda,” he shot back. (You didn’t answer the question.)

  “Non avrei dovuto rispondere alla domanda,” Faith snapped. “Sapete gia la risposta.” (I shouldn’t have to answer the question. You already know the answer.)

  She stormed to the bedroom took off her dress and put on her sleepwear. Gavin threw his tie on the floor, unbuttoned his shirt and threw it on the couch. He stormed after her.

  “Non andartene via da me. Ho bisogno di sapere,” he said sharply. (Don’t walk away from me. I need to know.)

  “Maledizione, Gavin. Che gia conosci. Questo e ridicolo,” responded Faith. (Damn it, Gavin. You already know. This is ridiculous.)

  “Cosa? Che cos’e che dovrei gia sapere qaundo sei completamente affascinato da un altro uomo?” Gavin’s anger was growing. (What? What should I already know when you were completely captivated by another man?)

  “Si tratta di stronzate!” Faith said, shaking her head. She walked into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, slamming the door shut. Gavin tried to open it, but it was locked. (This is bullshit!)

  Pounding on the door, he said, “Faith! Faith open up!” He pounded some more, but to no avail. He leaned up against the wall next to the door, waiting for her to come out. Moments later, she did. She eyed him, saying nothing.

  “Noi non siamo finiti,” he calmly said. (We’re not finished.)

  “Oh, si che siamo.” (Oh, yes we are.) Faith tried to walk towards the bed, but Gavin grabbed her by the arm, pulled her into him and kissed her deeply on the lips. She fought him at first, but slowly gave in. The kiss continued as Gavin moved her to the bed and gently laid her down.

  Breaking the kiss, Faith said, “You’re the only one I desire to be with, Gavin. Don’t ever question that.”

  “I know,” he said, gazing into her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  “You’re pretty damn sexy when you’re pissed in Italian.”

  “So are you,” he said. “I had to kiss you. It was driving me crazy.”

  “Our arguments won’t last very long if they’re always like that.”

  “I’d pick a fight just to see you like that again. Making up would be fantastic,” Gavin smiled.

  Faith giggled and pulled him down, kissing him and rubbing his back. He moaned in satisfaction.

  “I need to change,” he said, lifting himself off her.

  “Okay,” she yawned. She scooted to one side of the bed, got underneath the covers, and rested her head on the pillows. Her eyes closed immediately.

  Gavin went to the bathroom and changed into his silk pajama pants, brushed his teeth, and washed his face. When he returned, Faith was fast asleep. He smiled as he looked at her. After standing there for a few seconds, he went to make sure the door was locked and all the lights were turned off. He came back and laid down next to her. He scooted in close, draped an arm around her, and fell asleep.

  Back in New York, Chandler was watching Faith’s home like a hawk. There were a couple of times that she saw someone coming and going from the home. She finally came up with a way to find out exactly what was going on.

  As she approached the front door, she took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. A woman answered the door.

  “Yes, can I help you?” she asked. She was wearing turquoise scrubs.

  “Umm, this is sort of embarrassing. Faith asked me to check up on her house while she was out of town. I forgot where she told me the spare key was, and she certainly didn’t tell me her sister was going to be here,” said Chandler. She was trying to get more information.

  “I’m not her sister. Faith didn’t tell me anyone would be stopping by,” the woman said suspiciously.

  “Well, she was in such a hurry. If you’re not her sister, why are you here?” as
ked Chandler. “I mean, I’m sure Faith doesn’t want any strange people in her home.”

  “I’m a family friend. I care for Mr. Rousseau when Faith is working or out of town. She is very aware that I’m here.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry to accuse you of wrongdoing. She didn’t tell me her father was staying with her,” Chandler baited.

  “Faith’s father is not here. I care for her husband,” replied the woman, hesitantly. “I’m sorry, who did you say you were?”

  “I’ve taken too much of your time. Please forgive the interruption. I’ll be going now.” Chandler quickly turned and walked back to her car. She sat and watched the woman close the door. As she drove off, she could feel a sense of victory.

  “Finally,” she said out loud. She had all the information she needed to separate Faith and Gavin for good.

  Gavin woke up at his usual time the next morning. He gently ran his fingers along Faith’s arm, almost waking her with the tickling sensation. She turned over, on her back from her side. Gavin softly kissed her neck, and caressed her breasts. She moaned slightly, frowning from being bothered but not contesting his touch. He slowly licked his way down her stomach, making his way to her lower area.

  As he slipped her pajama bottoms and underwear off, she squirmed as her body began to respond to him. He carefully stimulated the area with his tongue. Faith groggily whimpered. This excited Gavin even more. At this point, he was completely naked, which she was unaware of. He led her to climax more than once. She waited for him to make his way up to her lips for his own climax, but he didn’t do that. He just continued to stimulate her.

  Faith opened her eyes, with little control of what was going on. “Gavin, we should stop.”

  “I don’t want to stop,” he said sharply, now kissing and licking her stomach.

  She frowned, breathing heavily from so much stimulation. “I need you to stop.”