by Beth Sadler
Chapter 6
Joe took a deep breath, readying himself for the next question. “All that’s left is for you to dig out the pharmaceuticals to help me get through the flight.” Darial felt her love for this brave, honourable, man grow even more. His willingness to deal with his fears in order to help his sister made him a hero to her.
“I promise this process will be painless.” Darial said as she got up to help Joe with the cleaning up. “We will start the procedure when we finish our kitchen duties. It will only take one hour this evening and perhaps ten more minutes just before we fly.”
“Do I take a pill or is it a needle? I have to tell you I’m not real keen on the needle option.” Joe muttered, as he finished wiping down the table. “Oh, well, let’s get started. The sooner we do the dirty deed the quicker we can kick back and relax over a drink.”
“I wish you would not be so nervous, it really will all be quite easy, we will discuss the needle in a few minutes.” Darial tried to soothe Joe. “Please if you are ready I would like you to sit in your reclining chair in front of your television.”
Joe was leaning back in his chair when a horrible thought flashed through his mind. “We can have a drink after this voodoo medicine can’t we?” Hell, Joe had planned on wining and dining Darial tonight. He had a nice bottle of red, open, and breathing, waiting to help his cause. It would be just his luck to pass out.
“You may have as many drinks as you like, it will make no difference to the treatment. A hangover would be your only problem,” reassured a smiling Darial. “Now, if you would please look at your television screen, I wish to show you a short film about flying before we begin.”
“Hang-on, while I turn it on.”
“Hang-on?”
Joe laughed at her confusion. “It’s just slang for, wait a minute.”
“Ah,” smiled Darial. “That is not necessary. I will control your television with my com-pad. Now please, look towards the screen.” With a few taps the screen came alive, and seconds later a video of a plane taking off appeared.
Darial moved to stand behind Joe’s chair and gently placing both hands on his shoulders she massaged them lightly.
On the television screen the plane soon levelled out, and was immediately replaced by a spiralling, multi coloured pattern. Darial spoke softly as she continued to massage Joe’s tense muscles.
“It would be helpful to watch the plane land I think. Do you want to see the plane land now Joe?” Darial gently stroked Joe’s hair for several seconds before going back to his shoulders. Joe just wanted to please her. Whatever she wanted to watch was fine by him.
“Yeah, I suppose I need to get used to a landing if I’m already in the air.”Joe gruffly replied. Darial felt his muscles tighten again under her hands but, she kept up her soft monologue. She explained the mechanics of landing, all the while massaging his shoulders. The plane on screen landed and as it pulled to a stop the spiralling pattern replaced the plane. Joe’s muscles were not quite as tense now.
“It would help to watch that sequence again. Will you watch for me Joe?” Darial suggested softly; her voice now little louder than a whisper.
“Yeah, fine if that’s what you think is best.” mumbled Joe.
Five minutes later Joe was starting to wonder why he was so afraid of flying. Was he being childish, overreacting? He didn’t know. He just knew that he had to keep watching the plane on the screen land and take off.
Joe opened eyes that he hadn’t been aware of closing to discover Darial sitting on the floor at his feet busily working on her com-pad. A glance at his watch told him that nearly ninety minutes had gone by.
“Damn it! Please tell me I didn’t nod off and miss the video I was supposed to watch?” Joe was mortified. He’d never done anything like this with a woman before. And Darial wasn’t just any woman.
“Calm yourself Joe, You were meant to sleep after your programming, it was only for five minutes anyway. You have not been ill-mannered.” Darial searched his face for several seconds, seemingly satisfied by what she saw there. “You look rested, how do you feel?”
“I feel fine.” As a matter of fact, once Joe recovered from his embarrassment he realised he’d never felt this good in his life before. “Actually I feel better than fine.”
“How do you feel about flying tomorrow?” queried Darial. She held her breath, waiting for Joe’s reply. Her whole mission depended on this answer.
Joe was stunned to realise that he would have no worries about hopping on a plane right this minute. In fact, he’d take a rocket to the moon if that’s what Darial wanted him to do.
“What are we waiting for, let’s go now,” he laughed in euphoric relief. “I don’t know what you gave me or when you stuck the needle in, but honey, it worked.”
Leaning forward Joe scooped Darial from the floor and into his lap, hugging her tightly to his chest. His long, strong fingers raised her beautiful face up to his hungry gaze, then, held it firmly in place as he took fierce possession of her lips, commanding a response that was as essential as breathing to him.
Darial slowly parted her lips, her arms creeping up to tighten around his shoulders. And then, the world stopped turning for both of them. Heat exploded between their bodies, nothing existed except their mutual desire and passion. They were enclosed in a place where only pleasure and completion mattered and nothing existed outside this room, this chair, this love. Hands touched in discovery and wonder, lips caressed in desire and love, nothing mattered anymore except this moment in time. Joe felt a darkness edging his mind and was stunned to realise that he had forgotten to breathe. Slowly, reluctantly, his lips eased fractionally away from his beloved’s mouth as, he allowed them both room to breathe again.
“Sweetheart, I think you need to know that I’m serious as a heart attack about you.” Joe breathed the words softly as, he nibbled Darial’s creamy neck on his way to her delicate ear.
Darial slowly came back to her senses as, Joe surrendered her lips and gave her a little space from his hard body. She wanted to stay in this chair with him until she grew old and wrinkled but, honour forbade her letting things go any further. In fact, she had already taken too much advantage of the situation. Gathering her scattered senses together she firmly pushed herself off Joe’s knee.
“I’m so sorry Joe.” Darial gazed down into his handsome face as she tried to explain. “I want us to be together, I know that you are my life-mate but, I have many things about my life that I must explain first. If you still feel the same about me in one week’s time I will be happy to bond with you.” Darial was trying hard to be fair but, Hail Hera, how she wanted sink into his arms and feel the heat of his love right this minute.
Turning she walked across the room and sat at the kitchen table, putting some necessary distance between them. Joe was just too tempting up close. “First, I must explain to you about the treatment I gave you tonight.”
Darial looked so miserable that, Joe quickly joined her at the table. Taking her hands gently in his, he gave them a reassuring squeeze.
“Nothing you tell me can change how I feel about you, so get it out in the open. I don’t care if you shot me full of novocaine, it was worth it.” He lovingly smiled into her sad face.
“It was not drugs Joe.” Looking him steadily in the eyes she continued. “I used hypnotism and a program on my com-pad to de-sensitize your fear, and as I conducted the hypnosis, that might explain your interest in me. In a few hours, if you are still attracted to me, then we will know that those feelings are yours and not due to hypnosis.
When Darial finished speaking Joe looked intrigued rather than upset.
“I can guarantee you that what I’m feeling is genuine and not due to hypnosis, but hey, if you want to wait that’s fine by me; just as long as I can be with you while you decide.” Joe laughed uproariously. “Who would have thought that a video program and a five minute nap could cure me? Halli is going to laugh herself silly when we tell her.”
Joe
gave Darial’s hands one last squeeze before he let them go and stood, stretching wide on the way up. “Time to hit the road if I’ve got to keep my hands off you,” he said, as he covered his mouth against a yawn with his large hand. Eyes twinkling sexily he made one last bid. “That is, unless you’ve changed your mind and decided to stay here?” He suggested with a raised eyebrow.
Darial didn’t know why Joe wanted to hit the road, it sounded painful; another expression that she had failed to understand, darn it. However, she knew she must leave now, Joe needed time to adjust.
“I must go; I will meet you in the morning as we have planned,” Darial replied firmly.
“Come on then honey, I can wait until tomorrow to convince you that my love is for real.” Joe laughed as he threw his arm over her shoulders and tugged her to his side. He walked her to her front door positive that he would be sharing his life with this fabulous woman. He hadn’t needed the wine after all.