by R. J. Dillon
“I missed your touch so much.” He gazed into her eyes, and Faith knew exactly where he was going next.
She shook her head, “Can you just hold me? It’s been such a long week without you. I just want to be in your arms.”
“Sure,” Gavin said, kissing her softly. He didn’t press.
They talked, laughed, and loved on each other for the next few hours. Faith returned home, satisfied from spending time with Gavin. She checked on Emile, who was in a deep slumber. The tray she had left was sitting to the side of him. Quietly, she tiptoed into the room, turned off the television, and took away the tray. Most of the soup had been eaten, and all of the water was gone. She went to the kitchen, rinsed the dishes and placed them in the dishwasher, and stored the tray in the pantry. As she stood alone at the island, she glanced in the dining room where the roses that Gavin sent were sitting, smiling as she thought about how wonderful it had been to rest in his arms. Since it was getting late, she turned off all of the lights, and retired for the evening.
On Monday morning, Adrian and Gavin wasted no time addressing Chandlers’ behavior. Adrian asked Agnes to call Chandler and have her come in for a private meeting.
She knocked softly on Adrian’s door when she arrived.
“Come,” said Adrian. He was sitting at his desk, with Gavin sitting on the opposite side. They stood as she walked in.
“You wanted to see me?” said Chandler.
“Yes, Chandler. Please sit down,” said Adrian, motioning to an empty chair. Gavin said nothing.
Chandler walked to the chair and sat down as instructed. She was actually decently dressed on this occasion.
Adrian said, “We don’t want to keep you long, but we have to address the situation that occurred last week between you and Faith. You found out some very private information about her for your own selfish reasons. How you found out is irrelevant. The fact is you crossed the line. Normally I would suggest you apologize, but you’ve done enough damage. Instead, you are to go nowhere near Faith. You will not try to speak to her or bother her in any way, do you understand?”
Chandler nodded. She tried to look at Gavin, but he didn’t once look her way, nor did he speak.
“If you cause anymore problems for her, your consequences will be greater,” he continued. “You’re a remarkable employee, but your people skills could use improvement, and that’s putting it nicely. I suggest you work on them if you want to remain here.”
“Yes, sir.” Chandler wanted to hear from Gavin, but he remained quiet. “Is there anything else?”
“No,” said Adrian. “You’re free to go. Have a good day.”
Chandler glanced at Gavin once more, disappointed that he hadn’t said a single word while she was there. She stood, said thank you, then left.
Adrian looked at Gavin and said, “You didn’t have anything to say?”
“No. She’s done too much to come between me and Faith. I didn’t even want to be here for this, but knew I had to be. It was one thing to deal with Carter. Now I’m dealing with Chandler, too.”
“Speaking of Carter, have you talked to him?”
“I haven’t. He’s not allowed to speak with anyone at this point in his rehabilitation. I did get an update on his status. His doctor says he’s doing well. He’s communicating well, and participating in his group sessions. I still can’t believe Faith convinced us to keep him here. We really should have fired him. I think he’s a liability.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more. For whatever reason, Faith thinks he can change. I’m sure he knows he’s on thin ice if and when he returns. If his behavior shows no positive signs, we’ll let him go.”
Gavin shook his head. “I’m just not comfortable knowing what he’s done, and that he’ll be around Faith again, and other women.”
“Let’s stay updated on his progress and make decisions based on that. Whatever happens, it needs to be in the best interest of the company, regardless of how Faith feels.”
“Alright.” Gavin stood and left for his own office.
Over the next few months, Gavin and Faith grew closer to each other than either of them had expected. However, his frustration with her was becoming an issue. She still wouldn’t allow their passion and desire for each other to completely unfold. Her resistance to his advances was growing old, and his aggravation was beginning to show.
One Friday afternoon, Gavin asked Faith to join him for an early dinner. She agreed and got to his house shortly after him. Crazed from craving and desiring the woman he loved, he practically attacked her in the living room, pulling her close to him. He kissed her deeply on the lips, ready to rip her clothes off.
Drawing away slightly, she said, “I thought we were having an early dinner.”
Gavin was now kissing her lightly on the neck, and had placed his hands underneath her shirt.
“I thought we could have dessert first,” he said without looking at her. He simply kept kissing her. His own shirt was gaping open, and Faith couldn’t help but touch the soft, smooth skin on his chest. Gavin quivered from her touch.
Gently laying her down on the pillows that were arranged on the floor, he wasted no time removing her shirt, exposing her supple skin underneath. He showered her shoulders and stomach with kisses, alternating them with tender licks of seduction, sending intense pleasure through Faith’s body. She tried to control her longing for more, but was unsuccessful, as she allowed him to unbutton, unzip, and pull down her pants and underwear. Her anticipation elevated as he slowly began to kiss and lick her womanhood, increasing her moistness. Gavin began to throb, yearning to be inside her. Unable to take it anymore, he unzipped his own pants and was preparing to penetrate when Faith stopped him.
“Gavin, we need to stop.”
“Damn it, Faith, why?” he whispered in frustration.
“I can’t do this with you right now.”
“I need you, Faith. I can’t take it anymore. I told you I’d let you know when I got to this point. I need to feel you.”
“I’m sorry. I want to make love to you, too, but I can’t.”
“Can’t, or won’t?”
“Can’t. I’m not free to give myself to you. When this happens, I want to be able to give you all of me, not just a part of me.”
Gavin stood up, feeling a shot of pain in his groin. His hardness was not wearing down, as his pants remained open. Faith sat up and zipped her pants. She pulled herself up on the couch.
“This is not happening. Are you serious? What excuse do you have for me tonight?”
“It’s not an excuse, Gavin. You know why we can’t do this.”
“Right,” he chimed sarcastically. “The whole ‘I’m still married’ thing. It doesn’t matter that your husband wants us to be together. I’m tired of that excuse. You’re going to have to give me a better one than that.”
“That’s all I have. There is nothing else and no other reason.”
“This is bullshit, Faith. No is not acceptable. I’m beginning to wonder if you really love me at all.”
Faith shot a glare at him and said, “You know I do.”
“Do you? Say it. Tell me that you love me.”
Faith turned away from him. She was silent.
“That’s what I thought. You won’t tell me you love me, you won’t let me make love to you, and you won’t talk to me about anything. Do you realize that you have yet to talk to me about what happened with Carter? You haven’t talked about the incident with Chandler, and you’re not talking about Emile and how you’re holding up. You don’t have to do all of this alone, Faith. I’m here to help you through this.”
Tears began to well up in her eyes. All she could do was listen.
“You are the air that I breathe, Faith. I can’t function when you’re not around. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I’ve loved you since the first day I saw you, I just didn’t want to admit it. I need you.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t,” she whispered through tears.
> Gavin sat down next to her and gently kissed her cheek. “You can,” he whispered, kissing her neck. Faith closed her eyes, feeling the excitement rush through her body all over again. He gently rubbed her breast, causing her to moan.
“We can’t do this, Gavin,” she said breathily.
“Yes we can.” He continued to kiss her neck and was trying to unzip her pants again.
Faith stood her ground. She grabbed his hands, looked him in his piercing green eyes and said, “No.”
She could see nothing but hurt at that point. “I just don’t understand,” he said in frustration, pulling away from her.
“Gavin, if you were my husband, how would you feel if I was out making love to another man while you were home dying? Alone.”
“I probably wouldn’t be very happy.”
“That’s why I can’t do this.” She stared at him for a moment, then reached down, grabbed her shirt and put it back on. She stood up and started to leave, but turned back toward him. “I’ll talk to you later. I’m sorry for hurting you.”
When he didn’t speak, she looked up at the ceiling, then walked down the hallway and out the door. Gavin didn’t move as he heard her car start and pull away. After sitting in silence for a few moments, he got up and poured a glass of wine, and returned to the couch.
Faith arrived home, distraught from how her evening had ended with Gavin. It was still fairly early. When she got inside, she removed her coat, took off her shoes, and went to check on Emile. She entered the room, saw he was sleeping and sat down in the chair next to the window. She had only been there for a few minutes when Emile felt her presence.
“What are you doing back so early?” He could see the tension in her expression.
“We decided not to eat. I wanted to make sure you were doing okay,” she answered flatly.
“What happened?”
“I just told you what happened.”
“You’re an awful liar, Faith. What happened?”
Faith didn’t answer right away. When she looked at Emile, he was patiently waiting for her to tell him what was wrong.
“Gavin wanted to make love tonight. I told him no. We argued, now I’m here.”
Emile was shocked. “You haven’t made love to that man yet? Faith, that’s not right.”
She glared at him, anger rising up within her. “I’m still your wife.”
“Whom I set free months ago. I can’t touch you and caress you the way he can, Faith. He loves you. He needs to be intimate with you. How long have you been seeing each other now?”
“What difference does it make?”
“How long?”
Faith huffed, “About nine months.”
“Nine months of foreplay? He must really love you. I would’ve left your ass.”
“Excuse me?” squealed Faith.
“That man needs to be intimate with you. He’s probably been going crazy for months, but hasn’t shown it. Go back. Don’t come back here until you’ve taken care of your business. You’ve been unfair, and now you’re going to fix it.”
“I’m staying right here with you.”
Emile looked at Faith with conviction in his eyes. “Faith, I love you with all of my heart. You never should have married me. You can finally be with someone whose touch stimulates you and excites you. I could never do that for you.”
Faith looked at him, surprised.
“Didn’t think I knew, did you? You’re a bad liar, and even worse at faking your enjoyment from our lovemaking. I always thought it was me, that you didn’t desire me. Then your mother told me about how sensitive you were, that it’s something the Knight women go through. Gavin is the one for you, Faith. The two of you can’t stand to be away from each other.
“I know you love me, Faith. I can tell you love him more.” She quickly glared at him. “Don’t even try to deny it. I can see it in your eyes.” Tears began to roll down Faith’s face.
“Come here sweetheart,” he said, patting the bed.
Faith stood up and went to sit by his side. He took her hands in his. They were so thin and frail, not at all what they used to be when they held hands on summer strolls back home.
“Gavin longs to show you how much he loves you. He wants to pour his love into you, and feel you. Stop making him wait, Faith. Why are you making him wait?”
Faith looked up at him, unable to speak through her tears.
He knew immediately. “You don’t feel you can give yourself to him right now. Is that it?”
Faith nodded.
“Oh, my sweet Faith. You are special indeed. Your poor heart is torn between the man who will remain here with you and the one who lies before you. You hate hurting him, but fear you’ve hurt me. Sweet, sweet Faith. While I’ll admit I wasn’t sure if I had done the right thing by pushing you into Gavin’s arms, I am very happy that you were able to meet such a wonderful man, who happens to be the very one you’ve needed all along. I’m happy I was able to see you find the happiness I myself couldn’t give you. You haven’t hurt me, but the complete opposite. I am thrilled for you and Gavin. This was my prayer for you. I want you to go back and see him.” He put his forefinger under her chin to lift her head.
“No. I don’t want to be away from you right now. What if,” she couldn’t finish. She looked down at their hands.
Emile shook his head as all of the pieces began to come together. “Look at me.” Faith looked into his crystal blue eyes. “I promise that I won’t go anywhere until you’ve had a chance to spend time with Gavin. I’ve got a good four weeks left in me,” he smiled. “I’ll be here. You take all the time that you need. Don’t come back here until you’ve both been satisfied. I want to see that gorgeous smile again.”
Faith looked again, searching for reassurance he would be alright. He nodded with confidence. She kissed him gently.
“Do you need anything before I go?”
“No, honey. You go.”
Faith walked into the living room, slipped into her shoes, put her coat on, grabbed her keys and ID and left.
Gavin was still sipping on the same glass of wine he poured himself shortly after Faith left. When he heard the front door open and close, he smiled to himself. Anticipation rose in his body with each footstep. They stopped just behind the couch.
“Did you change your mind?” he asked, turning around at the same time. His smile quickly faded.
“What are you doing here?”
Chandler stood there in a beige trench coat, and red stiletto pumps.
“I’m here to take care of you,” she said sensuously.
“I don’t need you, nor do I want you,” snapped Gavin.
“You will.” Chandler looked down on him. He was still sitting on the couch with his shirt open and his pants unzipped. His hardness had not faded. “Looks like you do.”
“Leave now, Chandler. You’ve done enough to hurt me and Faith.”
“She’s obviously the one doing the hurting. She hasn’t taken care of you.” Chandler took off her coat, letting it drop to the floor. She was completely naked underneath.
Gavin wasn’t amused. “I don’t know what you think you’re about to do, but you’re sadly mistaken.”
She tipped her head to the side. “You don’t want it that way. That’s fine. I can still take care of you.” Chandler knelt down and pulled on Gavin’s pants and boxer briefs just enough to expose his manhood.
“Don’t touch me, Chandler,” Gavin tried to say as she leaned in and took him in her mouth. He wanted to push her away, but her warmth was stimulating, and he needed the release. Chandler’s head bobbed up and down, as Gavin sat still, moaning and groaning from the pleasure.
Twenty minutes later, Faith pulled up to the house. She noticed the other car and wasn’t sure what to think. She quietly opened the front door, slipped out of her shoes and walked down the hallway. Fearing the worst, she could hear the moans coming from Gavin. Her body became tense, and she began to get sick to her stomach. As she got closer to the couch
, she could see another woman’s head situated above his groin area. Tears filled her eyes when she realized who it was. She stepped into Gavin’s view, without saying a word. Her face said it all.
Gavin looked up, shocked to see Faith standing there.
“Chandler, stop,” he said, keeping his eyes on Faith. Chandler didn’t listen.
He tried again, “Chandler, stop.” She ignored each attempt he made to get her to stop.
Gavin watched as tears began to stream down Faith’s face, their eyes staying locked on each other. Chandler increased her pace, bringing Gavin to climax within minutes. To Faith, it felt like a lifetime, as she stood observing the man she loved quivering from the stimulation of another woman. They never took their eyes off of each other, as Gavin began to tear up from the pain he saw in Faith’s face. Chandler allowed Gavin to empty in her mouth. When he was done, she pulled away, wiped her lips and smiled wryly.
“It was good to taste you again,” Chandler said.
Keeping his eyes on Faith, Gavin sternly told Chandler, “Get out.” Faith’s eyes seemed to ask the question ‘Why?’
Chandler picked up her coat as she stood up. She put it on, buttoned and tied it. Walking near Faith, she stopped.
“Told you he’d come running back to me.”
Faith didn’t flinch, and stood in a trance, still holding her gaze on Gavin. As soon as Chandler was gone, he pleaded with her, pulling his pants up and zipping them.
“Faith, please. Let’s talk about this.”
“I shouldn’t have come here. This was a mistake.”
“I didn’t want her here. I tried to stop her, but I needed a release.”
Faith nodded. “I should go.”
“Please, no. Please don’t go. Talk to me,” he said, standing.
She looked at him lovingly, stepped closely, and kissed him with tears streaming down her face. She pulled away slightly, gazing into his eyes.