Fighting Hearts

by Annabeth Saryu

  “You need to be wet for this, Sweet Lou.” He rests his chin on my lower abdomen. “Really, really wet.”

  His whiskers descend to my pelvic triangle, making it difficult to speak.

  “I…don’t think that’s going to be problem.”

  His feral smile makes me flush, while the powerful hands that encircle my hips pin me to the mattress. His tongue slides around and along my folds. My hips pulse in rhythm with his strokes.

  Up and down.

  Deeper and deeper.

  Until his warm tongue finds its way inside.

  I groan. And pant. And gasp.

  I can’t stop the writhing of my hips as his tongue creates torrid nerve pulses that drive heat through me like electric currents. But those powerful hands refuse to relent. They pin me in place, leaving me no route of escape.

  “Just a little longer,” he insists. “You’re so close.”

  Mere moments later, the spasms running through me erupt in a shower of ecstasy while Usalv holds me between his lips and tongue, applying pressure in harmony with my pulsing core.

  I wail aloud, the only release available to me.

  When my quivering stops, he lets go, and a strange mix of emotion overtakes me. I feel spent and energized, satiated and aroused, all at the same time.

  It takes a few minutes for my breathing to normalize. When it does, I prop myself up on my elbow and study him, his expression a mixture of satisfaction and relief.

  “You good?” His smug voice suggests that he already knows the answer.

  I give him a pensive raise of my eyebrows. “For the moment.”

  “Sweet.” He smiles, rolls over onto his back and scoots up next to me. He nestles alongside my outstretched frame, one hand under his head, the other on my thigh. “I wanted you to come before we… Just in case.”

  “Well, mission accomplished,” I assure him. “Stage one, anyway.”

  “You’re not tired?’ He sounds surprised.

  “Tired?” I repeat. “No. Actually, I feel great.” Is this a hint? “Are you?”

  “Of this?” He gives a short laugh. “Never.”

  “Good.” I cup his face.

  “You sure?” he checks again in an uncertain voice.

  “Positive.”

  He arranges the pillows behind us before sitting up on the bed. “It’ll be easier for you this way. On top.” Usalv reaches over to the bedside table, pulls out a condom and a small blue bottle.

  “Let me help,” I tell him, reaching for the bottle.

  His expression softens into tender surprise. I spill a single drop of pearly liquid onto his tip, working it in slow circles with the pad of my thumb.

  “You good?” I ask, borrowing his favorite phrase. When he doesn’t answer I glance up and take in his content expression and closed eyes.

  “Mmm,” he answers.

  My hands move down, twisting around his shaft and base, which swells in response to my touch. The eager rip of a foil packet stalls my strokes while Usalv’s adept fingers roll the thin sheath along the downward path of my fingers.

  “Come here. Please.”

  I straddle him and settle my legs on each side of his hips. Those powerful hands grip the back of my thighs, amazing me again with their strength as he holds me mid-air while I position myself comfortably on top of him.

  “Usalv, let me go,” I plead. “I’m okay.”

  “You sure?”

  My arms loop around his neck. “Yes.” I smile.

  Resting my forearms on his shoulders, I slowly start to slide down his long broad length, taking the time to adjust to his size and the overfull sensation it brings.

  “Take it slow, Sweet Lou.”

  I nod, and begin to move up and down on him, inching farther along his length with each thrust. As my tempo increases, Usalv moves inside me.

  Swelling. Stretching. Deepening.

  “Oh God,” I moan aloud. As sensation radiates through me, my knees go weak, sapping my strength and control.

  As Usalv’s entire length plunges inside me, his broad head strikes my cervix, evoking a borderline painful sensation. I draw a sharp breath, and Usalv’s familiar hands lift my thighs.

  As he draws himself out, his neck muscles transform into knotted cords.

  “Wait, it’s okay.” I beg, reaching for his hand, stalling his attempts to lift me off.

  Instead I lift myself off. Then ever so slowly, I ride back down on him, this time allowing him to touch my cervix gently. The borderline painful sensation returns, but it’s less intense.

  I explore this new sensation, fleshing out new limits for both of us. Several minutes pass until I find the right balance of pain and pleasure.

  “God, it’s deep this way,” he remarks as his whole body shudders.

  “Yeah. It’s good like this for me. Are you okay?” My words come out in quick breaths.

  His only response is a primal grunt, as he burrows himself deep inside me, as another orgasm blossoms like an evening primrose at sunset.

  I rock back and forth as the sensation intensifies my orgasm with a flush of heat and ecstasy I hadn’t realized was possible.

  “Louise!” He thrusts deep inside me, burrowing along the heated pulses radiating from my core, then surrenders himself to both of us. He cries out again, but his words aren’t in English.

  Our spent naked bodies remain intertwined, refusing to let go.

  18

  Good morning, beautiful.

  I drop a gentle kiss on her curly hair while the smooth skin of her cheek rests against my chest. Sweet Lou’s breathing is deep and slow as her naked body lies alongside mine. I study her peaceful face, which evokes a strange mix of satisfaction and something else.

  Contentment. Exhilaration. Happiness?

  Is that what this is? Damn.

  I already liked Louise, can’t and won’t deny it. That feisty sweet, energetic kindness only amps up the sex appeal for me. But truthfully, I expected our first time together to be an awkward, disappointing disaster. Because of me, not her.

  Instead it was the best sex of my life.

  I stroke her bare back down to her hip, admiring the beauty of those exposed curves and the lush softness of her skin. She’s a gorgeous woman, but for me this was much more than a fantasy fuck. I feel…complete. With her. Inside her. Beside her.

  “Hey,” she greets me when those sleepy amber eyes open.

  “Hey, yourself.” I reply with a quick kiss to her forehead. “You good?”

  “Yeah.” She smiles. “Really good. Thanks.”

  “Me too.” I smile back. “You hungry?”

  “A little.” She sits up and burrows under my arm.

  “Okay. You want to go out and get some breakfast?” I’m not sure what’s here and I want her to feel treated well.

  “I don’t know.” She starts tugging my forearm hairs. It tickles and stings at once. “It’s Saturday, right?”

  “All day,” I assure her.

  “That’s what I thought.” She hesitates. “I have shit to do this afternoon. Would you mind if we turned it into lunch instead?”

  “Not at all,” I reassure her. “But I thought you didn’t work today.”

  “I don’t. Macy’s throwing a party for Paul next Saturday, and I have nothing but scrubs and workout clothes. I need to get something to wear.”

  “The military guy who got hurt? How’s he doing?”

  “He made it home this past week.” She sighs. “I’ll know more Saturday.” The tugging and twisting of my forearm hair ceases, and her hands still. “Would you like to go?”

  Her question surprises me. I don’t really know. “Will Daughtry be there?”

  She jerks her head back against my arm. “I assume so, but I’m not sure. Do you want me to ask him?”

  “To go with you to the party?” I try not to sound pissed off.

  She shoots me a peculiar look. “Um…no. To see if he’s going, since it’s such a deal breaker for you.”

&n
bsp; “It’s not.” I snake my hand under her arm and cup her breast.

  “Then what is it?” she asks.

  “If Mike has a problem with us being together, and his cousin decides to jump in on that, it won’t be pretty,” I warn her. “Maybe this isn’t the right time.”

  “I don’t think you need to worry about that.”

  “Macy’s done it before.” Damn. Up until this moment, it wasn’t obvious to me that I was trying so hard not be down on Louise’s best friend.

  “Oh. I hadn’t thought of it like that.” Louise sits quietly for an endless moment. “You don’t have to decide now. Just let me know.”

  “Sure.” An awkward disappointment seeps into the air, and I refuse to let this moment be spoiled. “Hey, you want a bath?”

  “A bath?” she asks. “You mean shower?”

  “No, I mean you haven’t seen my monster tub yet, have you?”

  She shakes her head, apparently as eager to lose the downer mood as I am. “This place has a real bath tub?”

  I nod. “Want to try it out?”

  “Maybe…” She sounds indifferent, but the up-and-down arch of her eyebrow is playful and provocative at the same time.

  “You’re killing me.”

  She laughs. “I know.”

  I grab her hips and pull her close to me. “You’re smart like that, huh?”

  “I can hope.”

  “Me too.” I reply. “Come on?”

  She nods and I lead her from the bed.

  19

  “Louise! It’s great to see you.” Paul’s upbeat voice greets me as I navigate through a sea of familiar faces gathered at the back of the bar.

  “Are you kidding?” I plant a sisterly kiss on his cheek. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Welcome home, Paul.”

  “Thanks. It’s good to be home.” His tone resonates with haunted relief.

  I step back and study him. He wears a faded dark tee under his open full-sleeved dress shirt. Both look too big for him. He’s lost a good twenty pounds, and his muscular frame appears gaunt and way too slender. One shoulder looks slightly larger than the other, no doubt due to the dressing underneath.

  My gaze shifts to the injured arm, which he holds close to his abdomen.

  “Macy lied,” I tease. “You don’t look half as bad as she let on.”

  He returns my smile, and I know that underneath all the hell he’s been through, Paul is back. “Macy always had a flare for the dramatic.” He winks at me.

  “How you holding up?”

  Paul sighs, and the tension around his eyes becomes more pronounced.

  “It’s good to still have my arm. And it’s sure good to be back home. Everything else is a day at a time.”

  “You know I’m around if you need anything. Both of you.”

  “Thanks, Lou. And that works both ways. The only thing that’s changed is your address. Don’t be a stranger.”

  “Never,” I promise.

  “Hey, girl. You made it.” Macy approaches us and throws her arms around me, and I do the same in return. “Wow, nice dress. Have I seen that before?”

  “Brand new. I had absolutely nothing suitable for a party.” It was quite a find. On clearance at Nordstrom, it was half the price of my recent lingerie splurge.

  “Damn girl. Hope we didn’t put you out.” Macy studies my sleeveless lace mini-dress with the metallic thread woven through it and nods in approval.

  “Not at all.” My sky high metallic pumps have been worn twice already, so I’m getting my money’s worth. Thank God, because my credit card is smoking this month.

  “Please tell me you didn’t do all this just for us.” Macy looks around. “Where’s Usalv?”

  “I don’t think he’s coming.” I shrug.

  “Not coming? What?”

  “Well, that’s my cue,” Paul interrupts, sliding his good arm off Macy’s waist. “If you’ll excuse me, we can all catch up later.”

  Macy plants a quick kiss on his cheek. “I’ll come find you in a minute, hon,” she promises.

  “I’ll be waiting,” Paul nods at me before leaving us on our own next to the bar.

  “Not coming?” Macy’s smile disappears and she gives me a worried look. “Did you ask him, or chicken out?”

  “Oh, I asked. He just didn’t think it was a good idea.”

  “Why not?”

  Macy watches my face as I survey the bar. Fifty-odd people are mulling back here. Some are from the hospital, others are part of the large circle of friends and extended family that Macy and Paul enjoy as Chicago natives. Except for friends I’ve met through marital arts and the ICU, almost everyone I know in the city is here.

  “Come on.” She reads my expression perfectly. “We’ve got the room behind the bar. There aren’t too many people there yet.” She leads me into a room behind a set of double doors. “Spill.”

  I take a deep breath. “He was worried that Mike would be pissed if we showed up together. He didn’t want to risk ruining Paul’s party and being blamed for it.”

  “Oh.” Macy sounds dejected. “Do you believe him?”

  “He’s not wrong, Macy. Besides…” I shake my head. “Dealing with Mike can be…exhausting for me.”

  “I’m sorry,” Macy replies. “I did tell Mike you were coming with Usalv, and that as far as I knew, you two were together. I also warned him that there better not be any problems.”

  “Is Mike here?”

  “I haven’t seen him yet. Maybe you should text Usalv. Tell him what I said. Invite him again.”

  I’m about to make an excuse when a young, edgy looking woman bursts through the double doors and makes a beeline for Macy. Her light violet hair is long in the front with shaved out sides. She beams at us with a wide, perfect smile that makes me want to like her.

  “Hey, there you are!” Her loud happy voice interrupts our conversation.

  Macy turns in the direction of that happy voice and smiles. “Glad you could make it, Zoe.” They exchange quick hugs.

  “Thanks for the invite.” Her voice chimes with natural cheeriness. “Hey,” she calls to me. “I’m Zoe.”

  “Louise.” I take her outstretched hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Zoe.”

  “Louise works in trauma-ICU. And Zoe’s taken over your shift in the ER,” Macy explains to us.

  She looks young. Really young. Like twenty-one or two, tops.

  “How long have you been in the ER?” I ask.

  “About a year now. It’s tough, but I really like it.”

  “Yeah. It sure is.” The memory makes me nostalgic. “They’ve got a good crew down there. No doubt.”

  “Well, I don’t know about you two, but I’m thirsty.” Macy puts an arm around each of us before steering out of the reserved room toward the bar.

  She waves down the bartender and orders a pitcher of something Irish, while I lean in to ask for a whiskey. As the bartender moves away, Paul enters my line of sight from across the crowded bar. I wave at him, but he doesn’t see me.

  Instead, he gives Macy a warning glare, willing her to look at him. Paul tries to move around the bar, but he’s stopped by someone. I wonder what’s wrong, until I hear a familiar voice behind me.

  “Hey, gorgeous,” It says.

  I recognize the voice, the endearment, and the soft smack of a kiss alongside the edge of a temple. Only it’s not my temple, and the endearment is not directed at me.

  “Tim!” Zoe’s cheerful voice exclaims. “I’m so glad you made it.”

  It’s him. The ex. From hell.

  Macy tenses beside me as she turns away from the bar. Her expression is a stoic mask, but the pure fury in her eyes is unmistakable, and it confirms what I already know. When our eyes meet, it’s clear that she’s completely surprised, too.

  “Macy,” Zoe calls out. “Come meet Tim. He’s one of the docs in general surgery.”

  “We’ve met,” Macy informs her, stepping away from the bar, standing between me and Tim.

&
nbsp; “Oh, that’s great,” Zoe replies. “I was worried he wouldn’t know a lot of people.”

  “Don’t worry.” Macy’s tone is icy. “Tim gets around.”

  “Well, it’s got to go around to get around,” Tim responds. “How’ve you been, Macy?”

  “Bereft, Tim. Very bereft. There aren’t any more smug pricks in my life to cut down to size.”

  “I always said you’d make a great surgeon, Macy. You’ve got so much natural cutting ability.”

  I’m still leaning over the bar, and while it’d be interesting to see Zoe’s reaction to this debacle, there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell of me turning around and joining that conversation. When the bartender returns with our drinks, I grab my whiskey and take a long grateful gulp.

  “Hey, Louise,” Paul calls in an absurdly loud voice while he approaches us from the other side of the bar. I turn toward him, the displeasure in his eyes a stark contrast to his tone and expression.

  A few people nod and say hello as they let him through. “Watch the arm,” he warns a few in his humorous manner.

  Paul keeps his back to Tim as he wedges between my ex and Macy. “Who the hell invited him?” he grumbles to Macy as he passes. Macy responds with disgusted shrug.

  “Thank you for coming, Lou,” Paul announces in a gracious, baritone voice. “Have a drink with me?”

  “Of course,” I’m grateful for the escape from the bizarre arrangement of my best friend, my ex, and his new younger girlfriend.

  “It’s lucky for him my good arm’s messed up.” Paul remarks as he leads the way to an empty table on the far side of the bar. “I can’t imagine why he’s here.”

  “He’s here with Zoe, who’s completely clueless. She even tried to introduce Macy and Tim.”

  “Oh Christ.” Paul rolls his eyes. “I should go check on her before it gets to fisticuffs. Don’t let him ruin your night.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “You sure?”

  “He’s a jerk, that’s very clear. And trust me, I’m not nursing a broken heart.”

  He nods. “Enjoy the party. Don’t let him piss on your parade.”