10 comments/ 12716 views/ 17 favorites Heart's a Mess Ch. 01 By: Gianniana Here's something I've been working on bit by bit since I figured out how to move on from Fated Hearts. I'm super excited to have something other than The Masseur with a more real quality than....well. Let's face it. Eric was just a fantasy, even though I imagined Alexander Skarsgard every time I had to write some sex into that story (swoon). Anyway. This story is purely fictional. There is some German in here. It's nothing that Google translate won't be able to fix for all your problems auf Deutsch. I tried to fill in as much proper translation as possible without being awkward. Yes. The main character is Guyanese. I won't bore you with my history and all of that, but never fear. I won't be typing in any of my Guyanese creole, and I'll try to describe any food that I introduce. This is getting kind of long... Last but not least I'd like to thank jlo24601 for editing this monster (originally 36 pages in word...yikes!). Enjoy! -Gia ~*~ "Darling, as your parents, your father and I are concerned about you." Gail's mother reached across the table and placed one expertly manicured hand over the one of her daughter's, holding her cup. "Concerned about what?" Gail responded warily. "Well...It's just that we're getting old and we've wanted some grandchildren." Gail shut her eyes, feeling the beginnings of a tension headache. "Mommy, I'm not getting married anytime soon I JUST turned twenty-one," she tried to reason. "Are you even having sex?" "Mom!" Gail sputtered, almost choking as she downed the last mouthful of her cup of tea. "Sheila!" Gail's father, Harvey looked around to make sure no one else was listening. "I mean...are you a lesbian? You haven't brought any men to meet us." "Mom..." "No! Hear this. It's alright I guess. I only want grandchildren. If the good Lord wants to give them to me through artificial insemination..." Gail groaned and massaged the bridge of her nose. "Mom, I'm not a lesbian." "Oh praise Jesus. You're too beautiful to be a lesbian." "Sheila, what does that even mean?" Harvey asked looking around. He knew it was a mistake to bring his outspoken wife to a new place for their weekly brunch dates with their daughter. The inhabitants of their small town were too nosey for his liking. "Are you ready to order?" The waiter came by, pad in hand, to take their orders. "Um yes, actually we are." Sheila looked over the menu once more before ordering. Harvey and Gail shared a look. They both knew very well that Sheila decided on what she wanted when she looked at the menu earlier, but they were used to her melodrama. After taking down their orders, the impeccable man walked away from the table. "He's gay, you know." "Sheila! That's enough." Gail bit back a giggle. Her overly talkative mother always made things interesting when they went out in public. If she didn't have all the hard work to back it up, people would think their money came to them easily. For as far back as she could remember Gail had known that her family was poor. It was when her mother and father opened up their own catering business that they became a little better off. Her mother's natural talent for cooking the island foods she grew up with was as much of a hit with the natives as they were with people who weren't familiar with Guyanese cuisine. Her father placed himself in charge of the managing the whole thing. Together, they were one of the most formidable teams, Gail supposed, since Bonny and Clyde...and just as ruthless. "So, how was your week?" Sheila asked, taking a sip of her orange juice. "It was alright, I suppose. I talked to my boss about that raise he's been promising me. I need all the money I can get to pay for grad school." Gail sat back in her chair, cursing to herself at the uncomfortably hard seat. "Oh, that Dominic Becker is nice enough. You work hard at his firm...even if it is just as a secretary." Sheila mused. "I'll see if I have enough time before we have to cater that prayer breakfast to make some pholourie for him." She smiled, moving her utensils to the side as the waiter returned carrying the steaming food. Gail looked down at the chocolate chip and banana pancakes on her plate and felt her stomach rumble. Secretly, she wished she could bribe her mother into making some pholourie for her. She could imagine the soft deep fried dough balls made of ground split peas that had been seasoned with different spices and the savory mango dipping sauce she loved to drown them in. To her family, food was the ultimate way to fix any problem. Whenever her mother got news that someone was getting married, had just died, or was having a baby, Gail's tiny car would be filled with food to deliver to the family. "How's the business?" She asked around a mouthful of syrup and pancake. "Don't talk with your mouth full... It's been great. We're booked for a 'West Indian'' theme wedding. You know how much these Americans love tropical vacations." She rolled her eyes. "Yeah right, ma, I see you pretending, like catering weddings is a hassle for you. You can't wait can you?" She laughed loudly. "You know I don't mind that much. They're paying good money for good food." Sheila blushed swiping at the sides of her mouth. It was quiet for a moment as the trio finished their dishes and waited for the check...too quiet. Gail sat at the edge of her seat, waiting for either her mother or father to start talking about something totally irrelevant. It was as she pulled on her light jacket that her father spoke. "Oh, and by the way..." Here we go... She groaned inwardly. "We got the invitations for your cousin's wedding. Remember my friend Shelton...the chap who used to play the bass guitar in Pastor Clemens' church?" He paused, tapping his finger on the linoleum table top. "No." Gail replied stubbornly. Her father only acted nervous if he wanted her to do something she might not like. "Oh come on, yes you do Gail." Sheila interjected. "He just graduated medical school." "What about him?" Gail asked, tensely. "Well...you know...at rehearsal last night, he was asking me if you would go to the wedding with him. Geoffrey knows him from work, so he invited him too you know? It'll be pretty cool if—" "Absolutely not." "Felicity Gail Peters!" Sheila gasped. "You don't even know the poor boy and you're turning him down. He has a good head on his shoulders and his mother is a sweetheart." "I said no! I don't want to know anything about him. He has a lazy eye mother!!" Gail whispered furiously across the table. She hated when her parents meddled. It didn't exactly help that she didn't have anything close to a boyfriend since her high school prom either. She could vividly remember one of the overly eager church boys that her parents pushed at her. Not that there was anything wrong with black men, but all the ones her parents set her up with were just the same, handsy, horny, and forced to go to church with their mothers for threat of having their ears twisted off for their insolence. The only reason she endured the groping in the limo ride to the banquet hall and the overly close grinding on the dance floor was to make her crush jealous. Enrique Cruz was all types of fine. He was taller than her five foot-six frame, at a whopping six-foot four. His bright green eyes and smooth voice had her fantasizing about what he would do to her in bed...in relation to what she had learned in health class, of course. She briefly felt bad when Wendell, her nonetheless handsome, but pushy date, got told to take a hike as "Sexy Enrique" (as she named him in her head) pulled her away at the end of the night to his house where he whispered dirty things against her lips. After sleeping with him, she decided that he wasn't up to par with all her fantasies, and snuck out of his window a wonderful three minutes after he fumbled around between her legs like a landed fish and filled the condom with a few weak spurts. She snuck back into her house and passed out on the bed in her fancy dress, masturbating to the fantasies of what she expected from "Sexy Enrique". Gail and her friends had a good laugh about it the next day. And now, she was back at square one. Her parents had pushed too far this time. I'll tell them what the problem really is. It's them telling me what to do like I'm some sort of child. She told herself firmly. "I uh...I'm bringing Michael." was all she managed to get out. Later, she'd explain to her boss' son, her best friend why he was coming to a wedding as her date. At least they were good friends already. He owed her for pretending to be his girlfriend when an ex came by to try to get him back. She took one look at Gail's no-nonsense pose and put her car in reverse, leaving behind a cloud of dust. "Well, alright...but I think you should take Shelton. He's a nice church boy and—" "Sheila, I think she already chose." Harvey laughed, getting out of his seat and holding out his hand for his wife. "Well, okay. We'll call you when we get home, okay baby?" She hugged Gail and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Bye mom. Bye daddy." Gail returned the hugs and kisses and waved as they took off. Once her parents rounded the corner, she fished her cell phone from the recesses of her shoulder bag and dialed Michael's number. "Hello?" He asked groggily. "Hey Mikey, It's me, Gail." She managed to get out between her gasps of laughter. "Hey kitty-kat." He yawned. "Hmm? No, Heather...I mean Sasha, it's my sister." She heard his muffled voice explain to someone in the background. "Wild night, huh? It's almost noon and you aren't up yet." Gail mused, trying to avoid the true subject. "Yeah it was! I went out with Erik and Peter. You know how those Germans drink." He laughed, sounding more awake. Gail smiled as she heard the sheets rustle as he got up, most likely to get out of earshot of his overnight guest. "Anyway, I met this girl...whatever her name is after the sixth jaeger-bomb. It's miraculous that I...wait." He paused. Gail bit her cheek as she imagined the wary look he would have given her if she was there. "What do you want?" Michael asked grimly. ~*~ Part of the reason he called her kitty-kat was her ability to so smoothly ease a request for a favor into everyday conversation. It was that very skill that got him to accompany her on all sorts of adventures their freshman and sophomore years in college. He once let slip that he'd follow anything to Hell and back if it was wearing a short skirt. Taking his attraction to her thick, shapely legs, Gail had seductively seated herself on his table in the library and asked sweetly if he could take her for a ride on his motorcycle to a strip club for her nineteenth birthday. He took a full minute before he started packing up his things. "You ready to go?" He'd asked, not once taking his eyes off her smooth cocoa-brown legs. "Slick as a cat stealing milk!" her mother would say. "Ohhhhh...nothing." "Gail...I know you better than that. I swear to God if you come to my house wearing another short skirt..." He let his threat dangle. "I told my parents you'd be my date to my cousin's wedding." She blurted as she got into her car. "What's in it for me...?" He asked after pausing for a minute. "Anything." "Anything?" Gail heard the hopefulness in his voice. "Yep." "Can you make me some of those pineapple tarts and cheese rolls you brought to work the other day?" He asked quietly. "Mike it's not crack, why are you whispering?" Gail giggled. "I don't plan on sharing them with anyone." He whispered sheepishly. "So, is it a deal?" Gail asked, checking her mirrors and fastening her seatbelt. "Deal." Michael said quickly "Got to go. Whats-her-face just walked into the room bare ass-naked." He said, not even saying goodbye as he hung up. Gail smiled to herself. Michael Becker was something else. ~*~ "Why do we have to match?" Gail asked as she and her mother browsed the aisles of the dress warehouse. "So people know we're related." Sheila looked up from a peach colored monstrosity. "And plus, supposedly all the well-to-do's will be there. Business opportunities wait for no man or woman. Try this on." She shoved a slinky teal evening gown into Gail's arms. "Mom, this isn't even my size. Do they have a sixteen? You know we have to accommodate the girls." She gestured to her large chest, handed her mother the dress and began a search of her own. "Make sure it's something long and blue-ish." Gail nodded and pulled something to add to the already growing pile draped over her arm. "I just don't know why we're putting this off until the last minute..." Gail grumbled to herself as she hung all six dresses on the hooks scattered on three walls of the changing room. "Tell me when you're ready. We'll come out together and compare." Sheila yelled over the partition. "Okay." Gail yelled back, pulling one of the dresses off the rack. She slid the stretchy material over her head and fastened the halter behind her neck. Gail fussed over the ruching covering her tummy before calling out to her mother. "Ma, I'm coming out." She said as she pushed open the door. "Oh, Gail!" Sheila cried out. "You look stunning! That is beautiful. We're getting that one." Her mother decided for her. "Did you even see yourself?" She asked, ushering Gail to the bank of mirrors lining one wall of the fitting room. "Oh my god." Gail whispered. The halter neckline made her neck look long and elegant, drawing the eye to her generous cleavage. As her gaze travelled further down, she marveled at the way the draping folds of royal blue material covered what she thought were here more undesirable curves and floated down to her toes. She turned to look at the back of the dress and smiled when the light caught the impossibly shimmery waterfall of sequined material molding against her butt. Upon closer examination, she found a tiny zipper in the side of the dress. She tugged it up, until it stopped about mid-thigh, before sticking her leg out. "Oh. I like that." She smiled to herself before turning to show her mother. "Let me see yours, mom." She turned to the side so her mother could squeeze in next to her. "Do you think it's too much? I know he said black tie, but I feel like this isn't 'black-tie' enough." Sheila fussed with a baby blue scoop necked dress. "It's springtime, summer is going to be here in a few weeks, so I guess you'll be alright. The shimmery parts in the bottom make it a little more formal" Gail nodded. "We'll get that one for you, and this one for me." ~*~ Gail sucked in a breath and swept the mascara wand over her eyelashes again. She discarded it a moment later and grabbed the eyelash curler. "Damn, that doesn't hurt?" Michael asked as he poked his head in her room, nursing a can of beer. "No." Gail answered tightly as she reapplied her eyeliner for the millionth time. "What if they don't believe you? What if they know that I'm not really your boyfriend?" "Michael, get out of my room. I already had those questions in mind before you came in here fucking up my routine..." "What routine are you talking about?! You've been in front of that mirror for over an hour!" He complained. "I'm already dressed, my hair is done. This just needs to be...perfect." She smacked her lips and turned around to strike a pose for him. Michael would be a liar if he said that Gail didn't look stunning in the dress she had on. It was curve hugging and figure enhancing all in one go. "Whatever kitty-kat, get your shoes on and lets bounce." "Never say that again Mike." She grimaced. He laughed. "What? I'm just saying...you look really hot. We might not make it out of here. You know my horn dog tendencies control me." He put a hand to his chest in an over exaggerated show of self-preservation. "Just keep those hands to yourself." She swept past him in a flurry of blue sequins and vanilla scented perfume to her living room. Her long silver earrings lay against one perfectly made-up cheek as Gail fastened the buckles on her strappy low heeled sandals. "Why don't you just wear high heels like normal women? They would make your legs look even better than usual." Michael smiled, grabbing his suit jacket on the way to the door. "Because you'd like it if I wore something that made me a foot taller just so you can stare at my legs." She stood up and smoothed her dress again. "Oh, come on. Me, stare at your legs? I would never." Michael groaned sarcastically and opened the door. \ "Okay, okay. I'm ready." Gail laughed. "Stairs?" "Elevator!" "You have on low heels kitty-kat." "And you're about to have a black eye. This dress is delicate." She huffed. "Where did you park?" Gail asked once they reached the lobby of her building. "Right outside the doors. I begged your doorman to not call the towing company, that we'd only be a minute. I um...'borrowed' my dad's Jaguar, so that would be a lot of trouble if it got towed." He smiled at her when she rolled her eyes at him. "I don't know why you couldn't just ask him." She reached for the handle on the passenger door and sucked her teeth when he batted her hand away and opened it for her. "We aren't acting very much like a couple, Gail," Michael reminded her as he held the passenger door open for her. He bit back a laugh when she bumped her head on the door. The ride to the country club was quiet and uneventful. Gail fiddled with the radio to hide her nervousness. Michael grimaced as she left it on a classic rock station. "What is it with you and Journey?" He asked irritably over Steve Perry's raspy voice. "I like them, what's wrong with that?" She asked defensively forgetting to worry about her family's reaction to her date. "That's your date...your best friend?" Then, they'd look at her parents and think, "We're so sorry your daughter is the last one in the entire family who isn't married yet." So far, her sisters and brothers followed the pattern to a tee. Helene was on baby number three with a flourishing optometry office she and her husband had in the city, Edward and Errol were both practicing lawyers with two children each, and Rita had a four year old and was an RN at the local hospital. Maybe it was the fact that she was more rebellious than her siblings. Maybe she was just used to having her own way as the baby in the family. Whatever the reason, Gail couldn't find the will to fill another cookie-cutter mold her family forced on every child that had the fortune and misfortune to come into the family on either side. She craved something more exciting than a white picket fence and minivan everyone else had. Something inside her shouted at her that she deserved to be happy on her own terms, family wants be damned. It therefore didn't surprise her parents much when she announced last year that she was foregoing the law school path to become a kindergarten teacher. The angry phone call from her grandparents was enough to confirm that teaching was actually what she wanted. "You're throwing your life away with some low-income dream, Felicity. This isn't why we came to this country! What happened to law school? You already had a job at a firm; you could have worked there once you graduated," the wrinkled matron of the Peters family yelled over the phone. "No, granny, I know what I want. And I don't want to be a lawyer or a doctor." She'd tried hard to listen to the disappointment in her role model's voice and the dial tone after Amy Peters slammed the phone down on her. She would be in the clear by Christmas...her grandmother was like her mother: a drama queen if nothing else. Heart's a Mess Ch. 01 The stuffy looking valet accepted the keys to Michael's car and handed them a ticket to pick up the vehicle when they decided to leave. As they walked into the atrium, the soothing jazz added to the ambiance of the low lit hallway where Gail's Aunt Janice was directing the guests into the ceremony space. She looked a little bored until she saw Gail and Michael walking toward her. Aunt Janice was one of the few people in Gail's family who actually supported her decision to become a teacher. She beamed at them and Gail remembered to hold Michael's hand. She honestly felt bad about lying to Aunt Janice, but what needed to be done, had to be done. "Gail! Girlie, come here lemme see you! You look so beautiful in that dress. Your parents just passed through here asking if you arrived yet," she chattered pulling Gail away from Michael and crushing her to her very large chest like she used to when Gail was just a little girl. "Thanks Aunty J." Gail gasped, wrapping her arms around the taller Indian woman's waist in greeting. "Who's your friend, G?" Aunt Janice looked Michael up and down. He shifted uncomfortably. "Oh. This is my...b...boyfriend Michael. Michael this is my Aunt Janice." She stepped away from her aunt. "Pleasure to meet you Miss Janice." He politely nodded in her direction. "He's a cutie, Gail. Where have you been hiding him?" Aunt Janice looked at her niece slyly. "Um." Gail looked up at Michael, at a loss for words at her old Aunt's blatant flirting. "We met at work." He smiled down at Gail and recaptured her hand. "Well, you two have fun. The ceremony is at the end of that hallway. You can't miss it." She winked at them before turning to a few arriving guests. "Sorry. I forgot about Aunt Janice." Gail apologized once they were out of earshot. "It's fine. Interacting with your extended family is hilarious, kitty-kat. I'm hoping they believe you long enough. You're a terrible liar by the way." He kissed her forehead and bit back a smile when she made a face. "Why don't you give me a kiss Felicity?" He emphasized her first name knowing it would contort her beautiful features in annoyance again. He stopped suddenly, amused as she tried in vain to lead him. "I said that I want a kiss, kitty-kat. You went through all this trouble to make sure people thought we were a couple, some PDA shouldn't be a problem." He beckoned her closer with a finger. She approached him and leaned into him. "You're dead, Becker." She murmured before pressing her lips against his. His lips were soft and cool against hers and she let her arms rest on his chest as his fingers brushed her lower back. Nothing. There were no sparks, she just felt uncomfortable that the boredom she felt was so unlike the light in the dark brown eyes above her. "Happy?" She moved away from him and watched as he looked at something over her shoulder. "Oh! Uncle Charles. I'm so sorry." She blushed for real. "The ceremony is starting soon. You should be in your seats not making out like a couple of randy teenagers," he interrupted dismissively before pushing past them to the double doors decorated in green and yellow ribbon. "Well, that was a warm welcome." Michael tried to joke. "It's only the beginning." Gail sighed before moving away from him and walking ahead. ~*~ By the time the ceremony was over, Gail was ready to burst into tears. It wasn't that she wasn't happy for her cousin and his beautiful wife Lorraine, but it was the scathing looks thrown in her direction without so much as a "Hi" or "Hello" when the looker passed her that made tears ready to push themselves out of her eyes and make a mockery of the hour it took to apply her makeup. When her cousin Bethany asked to change seats after finding out that Gail was at her table, Gail decided that she'd had enough. "You've got some nerve acting like I have the plague, Bethany. I didn't even do anything wrong!" She yelled, ready to slug the girl in her face. "I don't associate myself with the company of failures. You're the one who decided that they wanted to settle for less and become a teacher." "You better watch your tone with me, bitch. I'm not in the mood for you and your attitude. What are you again, a housewife? I'll still be making more than you by the end of my first year. If it weren't for teachers, you lot of stuck up fakes wouldn't have those fancy degrees, now would you?" "Gail, I think that's enough." Her grandmother stood slowly, her deep brown eyes flashing angrily. "No, Gran, it isn't. I'm done with this stupid family and their stupid traditions. You can hate me if you want, but don't expect to see my face around these parts anymore." She clutched the back of her mother's chair. "Gail, please stay? For the sake of Geoffrey and Lorraine, please?" Her mother begged, resting a hand on Gail's. "As much as it makes me happy to see my favorite cousin get married today, it isn't enough, mom. I can't do this with them anymore. I'm out. Peace. I'll see you and daddy next weekend." Gail leaned down to press a kiss to her mother's cheek, hug her father, and flip off Bethany before she and Michael left. ~*~ The loud rumble of thunder that greeted them as they waited for the valet to being their car around only angered her more. Michael stayed quiet as he watched her hold back from crying. This was a Gail he hadn't seen since the midterm of freshman year when someone stole her very expensive Constitutional Law textbook while she went to the bathroom at the library. "Someone stole my text book, Mike. I need you to help me find it." She'd begged with tears glistening in the corners of her eyes. "Sure." He got up, upset because he knew she spent all of her hard-earned money on the overpriced book, he knew she was in trouble. They eventually hunted down the textbook-napper and found out it was just a case of mistaken identity: the other student thought that it was her book on the large study table since it was still relatively close to her things and took it. He watched with joy as she clutched the book to her chest with relief. As he looked at her now, he remembered how fragile she looked, as if the slightest breeze would blow her away. ~*~ Then it started raining. Not just a light drizzle, but as the valet jumped out of the car and held open the passenger door for her, it seemed like nature itself cried the tears that Gail held in. The silence was uncomfortable as Michael pulled away from the curb and drove off towards her apartment building. "Can we go somewhere else? I mean go back to my place, change and then leave?" She asked suddenly. "Um, yeah sure we can." Michael looked at her warily, taking in the puffy circles around her eyes and her runny black mascara. "Are your cousins still in New Jersey? Or have they gone back to New York already?" she asked, looking over at him. "What? You're crying, Gail," Michael said, concerned. The inside of the car was relatively quiet and he never heard so much as a sniffle. "Yeah, I was. I'm not sad though. Honestly Mike, I'm relieved. I couldn't stand that constant pressure from them. The only people that mattered from the start: my parents and my siblings, Aunt Jan and Geoffrey and Lorraine, they're the only family I need." She smiled at him and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "You're the strangest girl I've ever met, I swear." He laughed and shook his head, his mind at ease that she wasn't in pain. "Yeah. But anyway, are they still in town? They seem to party pretty hard, and I'm in the mood to celebrate my newfound freedom." She reached up and unclipped her hair from its stiff bun at the top of her head. Gail sighed as her hair fell, wet from the rain against the back of her neck and the tops of her shoulders. "Most likely. My cousin Valentin just moved from Germany, his dad wanted him to be more international and help expand their company back home. They got some orders in the US when my dad had that big dinner party for some of his clients back in November and they were admiring his furniture." He shook his head. "They were acting like Jesus himself came down from heaven and made the table and chairs." He laughed and was rewarded with a giggle from his passenger. "The same uncle that made that jewelry box your dad gave me for my birthday? I understand. That thing was a work of art." She sighed, thinking about the beautiful wood and metal box shaped like a cat, of course inscribed with her name and date of birth in beautiful gold paint. "You too, Gail? The man is certifiably insane. It takes away from the genius that everyone else seems to see." He shook his head as he pulled into her guest parking spot. "But that should only add to it. I think he's brilliant at what he does." She grabbed his umbrella from the glove compartment and ran out into the rain. They walked into the foyer of her building and said a quick hello to the guard at the front desk. The building had belonged to an old high school that was gutted and made into apartments. Gail saved up all her money from working as a secretary in Michael's father's firm to afford the place, and wasn't disappointed. She sacrificed a few guilty pleasures to hold onto the ideal piece of real estate. She and Michael took the short elevator ride up to her apartment and she sighed as she kicked her shoes off. "Call them, and find out where they are so we can meet them there." She waved a hand at Michael as she disappeared into her bedroom to change. She heard his rough sounding German and tuned it out as she rummaged through her closet. Knowing Peter and Erik, they were probably holed up in some European-owned establishment, drinking pitchers of Beck's and throwing back shots as if they were water. She always had fun with them and Michael when he invited her on their weekend adventures in search of exotic women and beer. Peter and Eric were his mother's nephews. They were tall, blonde haired brown eyed twins who acted like giant children instead of the twenty-eight years old that they actually were. They ran a few bars back in Brooklyn, but spent most of their time in Jersey City with Michael. As she thought of how they teased Michael that his little friend could hold more liquor than he could, she threw on a pair of skinny jeans and a light green cardigan on her large bed and proceeded to rummage through the pile of shoes hidden under it. "Gaiiilll!" She heard Michael call from the living room. "What?!" "They're at some hookah lounge somewhere that some Egyptian guy they know—" "Sure. I'm down for whatever." She sat back long enough to call back before looking for a pair of shoes. "I'm going home to change and stuff. Do you want me to wait for you and then we can both go, or do you want me to go and we'll meet up there?" He asked startling her as his voice came from her doorway. He laughed as she hit her head on the bed above her and swore. "Wait for me. I know what I'm going to wear. I can always do my hair and makeup in your other bathroom." She pulled out two matching sandals and threw them behind her. "Unzip me?" She asked turning her back to him. "Sure. So are we going to pregame? It's a weekend and I'm not sure how much this place is charging for their drinks." "Yeah. Um..." She bit her lip as she shimmied out of the dress and grabbed her jeans. "I think that maybe we should do both you know?" She wiggled into the skintight material doing a little hop to get it over her wide hips and butt. "Right." Michael licked his lips and looked away briefly. "Hand me my sweater would you?" She asked, zipping and buttoning herself up. "Thanks." "Are you ready?" He sighed, flopping onto her bed. "Oh my god, get off of my bed with your wet clothes, I don't need my mother thinking I'm keeping another animal around. She can barely stand my cat and you smell like a wet dog." She laughed as her head appeared from the neck hole in her thin sweater. He smiled weakly as her quickly drying hair then beautiful dark eyes and finally her soft, pouty lips came into view on top of her long elegant neck. She squinted at him and he willed his heart to beat a little slower, hoping his face wasn't flushed with his desire for her. Michael wouldn't call himself a womanizer, but he definitely hadn't been a one woman man many times. He felt that, in his youth, he didn't have to tie himself to one woman until he was good and ready. On a side note, he figured he could get all the experience he needed to be the perfect lover for the woman who he ended up with eventually. Looking at Gail now, as she got ready again for them to go out, he felt his heart skip a beat then speed up. He wanted to say it was just a sexual reaction to her beautiful body, but he knew that what he started to feel was way beyond just physical. He knew too much about her to just want her body. He knew that she was a little anal retentive and she loved all animals...and that she had the biggest heart out of anyone he knew: she went out of her way to be a better person. "Earth to Mikey..." He shook himself as Gail's voice snapped him out of his daydream. "I'm ready to go. Let's head out." She suggested, walking to the door of her room and looking back at him. Heart's a Mess Ch. 02 Omg. So excited to be writing again after a long dry spell lol. I hope you guys enjoy the next installment of Heart's a Mess. I stole the title from a Gotye song, because I love him. Thank you jlo24601 for editing for me! Enjoy, Gia ~*~ The bar was packed when Michael and Gail arrived. They were both hit with the fragrant cloud of smoke hanging over the majority of the bar. Gail took in the atmosphere, excited by the buzz she felt from the smoke, the loud house music filtering through the wall speakers and the alcohol she and Michael downed before they left his place. She felt her hips swaying and her heart pounding in time with the bass. "Did you hear what I said, G?" Michael yelled in her ear. "No, what did you say?" She yelled back. "They're over there, waving at us." He pointed to one of the large circular booths. From what Gail could see in the dimly lit room, there were three men and one woman sitting at the table. As she and Michael got closer, she saw that the woman was sitting on who she guess was Valentin's lap, her long red hair hiding part of his face as she lay back on his chest. Gail licked her suddenly dry lips as she perused what she could see of his angular face. He looked as if he was carved from stone. From where she was she had the impression that his eyes were light, maybe hazel, and his lightly tanned skin boasted some heritage other than just German. His lips were full and pink, and had an almost feminine heart shape. She could imagine him kissing her passionately on her lips, down her neck and over her collarbone. She hadn't heard him speak yet, but could only imagine the German accent that would take his English to a low sexy rumble. "Kitty-kat." Peter waved a hand in front of her face and she jumped. "Hmm?" "I was asking you if you ate already. We ordered some food to share with everyone at the table. "Oh, thanks. We ate at the wedding, but I already started drinking at home so I could eat some more I guess. What are you drinking?" She reached over and grabbed his glass. "Oh, sure Felicity, you can have some. I don't mind." He pretended to be offended. "It's some fruity, girly thing. I always chase hard liquor with cute girly drinks." He struck a macho pose that set the entire table laughing. "Ja, that is because you're a Schranktune, a closet fairy." Valentin joked. Gail shivered. His voice was just as sexy as she expected, she wanted to throw that stick with red hair off his lap and take her place, just so she could have a front row seat to hear that sexy voice and feel those sexy lips brush the sensitive spot at the nape of her neck. "Are you cold, Gail?" Michael asked next to her. "She's cold? Come let me warm you up." Erik winked at her and picked up a shot glass from the tray a waitress set down and handed it to her. "What is it?" She asked, unable to see the contents of the dark glass. "Hennessy." "I can't drink this! I'll be hoarse from yelling when I get drunk." She laughed as she tossed it back. "Atta girl." He handed her a glass of soda. "Whoa. That's good." She licked her lips and felt as if someone was watching her. When she looked up, Valentin was staring at her mouth. She blushed, and looked away from him. "Sarah." He said to the girl on his lap. "It's Danielle." She giggled and the other guys at the table shared a look. "Mmhmm, Danielle." Gail felt jealously wished that it was her name tumbling so smoothly out of his mouth. "Yeah Val?" She laughed again and everyone at the table fought back a wince at her high pitched voice. Gail stewed from her spot between Peter and Michael. Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but she felt that she'd had enough of this Danielle chick. "Can you go get us some more drinks? I think your boss is getting some complaints about lack of service from your other tables." He nodded to the tall, thin Middle Eastern man behind the bar staring daggers at Danielle. She sighed and unfolded her long legs from under the table. She leaned over and wrote on a napkin. "Give me a call and we can continue this maybe." She winked and he nodded. "You aren't really going to keep her number are you?" Gail found herself asking across the table. "Of course I will. Ass is ass." He shrugged and finished his beer. "I'm going to dance." She after a long silence at the table sliding out from the booth when Michael got up to let her pass. "Is that your girlfriend or something?" Valentin asked as he watched her wiggle her shapely behind on her way to the dance floor. His gaze was drawn back to the table when Peter and Erik burst out laughing. Michael's sheepish grin turned into a chuckle as he shook his head. What was the joke? "If Felicity was Michael's girlfriend, I'd be looking out for the second coming. They met at school and they've been best friends since day one." Erik explained. "Yeah, she's like an adopted sister. I don't doubt that my mother wishes she was my girlfriend, but there isn't any connection at all. I even kissed her. Nothing." He shook his head. "I would feel a few things if I kissed your Katzchen. That's one kitty I wouldn't mind— Hey!" Peter winced as Michael punched him in the arm. "She's a big girl Peter, if she really wanted to she could. I'd tell her about that hooker we met in the Philippines though, that was embarrassing...she was ready and you couldn't even keep it up." Michael threatened. "What about a hooker?" Gail said as she walked up to the table. Her skin was slightly sweaty and she was panting lightly. Valentin couldn't help but wonder if that's what she looked like after an orgasm. He was willing to bet that she was just as passionate in bed and the wild look in her huge brown eyes she had after dancing would be even more intense if she was riding him. He groaned inwardly as he felt himself stirring. Everything about her was sexy and over the top. The subtle yet sharp curve of her hips as they flared out from her waist and the seemingly endless contour of her legs in her jeans made his mouth dry with anticipation. He had to have her. "Nothing. Michael's drunk," Peter blurted nervously. "He's saying things that don't make any sense." He laughed. "Kitty-kat, I'm not drunk yet. And even if I was it wouldn't matter much. We could crash at Valentin's place overnight. He lives down the street, right cuz?" He looked over at Valentin. "Mm. Sure, why not?" Gail swallowed hard. The gaze he was throwing her way reminded her of the way her mother's dogs looked at a particularly juicy bone: purely predatory. She wasn't so sure that she minded being Valentin's prey. It was a look that said she could do more than crash at his place. She had a feeling that she wouldn't be sleeping on a futon or an air mattress. The image of long pale limbs intertwined with hers had her rushing for her seat. She sat down with a sigh. "I know you aren't sitting down, you're the only girl at this table, and you have to dance with all of us." Peter laughed, shooing her and Michael out of the booth. "You guys are trying to kill me seriously." She laughed and pulled Michael with her onto the dance floor. "Now you can say whatever you want, he left." Erik's dark eyes twinkled at Valentin. "I thought..." "He's totally in love with her, but he knows she isn't even remotely attracted to him. Well she does like him, but he's not enough of a bad boy to keep her interested. Good girls like bad boys." Peter cut him off. "I don't want..." Valentin started again. "She doesn't either. She's hot, ja?" Erik tilted his chin in the direction of the dance floor. Gail's body moved fluidly with the music. She danced close to Michael and he rested his hands on her shapely hips. "She'd have you in love from the first touch." Peter shook his head and swallowed hard. "Such a heartbreaker and she doesn't even know it." Erik sighed dramatically. "Well. It's my turn to cut in. I feel like I've been waiting a solid two songs." He slid out of the booth and danced over to Michael and Gail. "I'm not interested in relationships. I'm here to work, not to find a wife. That's what Germany is for." Valentin said stubbornly, but he could feel his heart racing when he looked at Gail's sexy body and bright smile, teasing Michael and Erik on the dance floor. He hadn't exchanged more than a few words with her, and already he felt himself wanting her more than he cared to admit. "Whatever, man, I know differently. You go dance with her and your heart and your dick will have you rushing off to get the moon." Peter laughed as Michael walked back to the table. "Those things don't happen to me." "Someday, man." Peter nodded at him. Michael shook his head and turned to watch Erik and his girl on the dance floor. His girl...where did that come from? He sighed and shook his head again to clear it. Gail was his best friend. She explained many times that what she felt for him was purely platonic. He'd felt it in the kiss they shared at her cousin's wedding. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he barely noticed when Peter and Erik switched places. It wasn't until Peter returned with a sweaty and exhausted Gail that he looked up from his barely touched drink. He didn't care that he was openly staring at her. Her eyes were bright and a little glazed from all the drinking they'd been doing and one of the buttons on her cardigan came loose, exposing the lace-covered tops of her breasts. The material was so thin he could make out the imprints of her nipples in the fabric. "What have you guys been giving her?" He smiled. "A little bit of this." Peter smiled. "A little bit of that." Erik winked. "You guys are trying to get me drunk aren't you?" Gail giggled. "Exactly." They said together. "I still haven't gotten my dance." Valentin spoke up finally. Gail swallowed hard. "Well then I guess we should go dance, right?" She winked boldly at him and reached a hand out to him as another song started playing. He felt lightheaded once they got into the crush of bodies on the dance floor. He let a hand rest on the curve of her lower back, enjoying the feel of her soft body pressed against his chest. "Michael told me you just moved here." She said leaning closer to him so she could speak to him without yelling. "Yeah, my dad is expanding his company and wanted me to handle it," he nodded, tilting his head down to say into her ear, fighting a groan when her light perfume reached his nose. He felt the tremor that ran through her. "Are you okay?" He smiled. He knew exactly what was wrong. "Yeah I'm fine. I just love hearing you speak. Your English is so good, but I like it when you say certain words. The German accent is still there." She laughed, swiveling her hips against him. "I like your voice too. You sort of have an accent, but I can't place it." He let his lips brush against her ear as he held her closer, allowing his fingers to slip lower so that his palms were cupping her jean-clad bottom. "I think I like your body too even with all these clothes on." He felt the groan that left her lips as he rubbed his thumbs against the skin exposed over her jeans. "Sorry. I'm not usually this forward." He pulled back a little to gauge her reaction to his flirting. He was rewarded when he saw the expression in her eyes. She looked ready to devour him right there on the dance floor. She opened her mouth to say something as the beat of the song picked up he spun her around and watched her sweater ride up her lower back as she ground herself against him. "You're making me think crazy things. I wanted you since I came in and saw that girl on your lap." She said over her shoulder pressing herself back on him as she shook her hips to the upbeat tempo of the song. She didn't even fight the overwhelming sensation of lust that had her feeling drenched when his large hands gripped the tops of her thighs from behind. If he moved his hands a bit further up, he'd be cupping her pussy. Suddenly her jeans felt too tight, and her mouth went dry. She could feel him responding to the grinding and swallowed hard. He felt big before, she realized, and he wasn't even all that hard when they started dancing. "You're going to make me embarrass myself." she groaned as he turned her back around. "I'm not the one who told you to do whatever you're doing with those hips, Katzchen. You Jersey girls are bold as hell." She felt herself heat up when he used her nickname. "I like the way you say my nickname." She blurted, trying to slow down her breathing. The heaviness in her limbs had nothing to do with drinking and dancing all night. "You do? I could say it all night." He stared down at her with his intense light brown eyes. She felt her vision tunnel; all she could see was the rakishly handsome man in front of her. She fought the urge to brush his hair from where it stuck to his face. "You're sweaty." She said stupidly. "Ja, I know." He grinned, leaning closer watching as her eyes narrowed in anticipation. Her gaze shifted from his mouth to his eyes. He was about to close the small gap between them when someone grabbed his arm behind him. "We are getting ready to leave soon." Michael yelled to him over the music. "Okay. Well we'll be back at the table. You're interrupting my dance with Gail." He looked down at her smoldering eyes. "Well she's had too much to drink already and I should get her home," he argued, "You weren't even dancing." Michael added, surprised that he sounded so whiny. "I mean..." He started, blushing red with embarrassment. "Mikey, I'm fine. We were just dancing." Gail rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever. You know what, I'm ready." She moved away from Valentin and pushed past Michael as she strode angrily to the table. "We tried. We promise." Peter held his hands up defensively. "What do you mean? Gail asked, slinging her bag over her shoulder when she sat down. "We mean your friend over there cock blocking. It was obvious what was about to happen. We saw everything from over here." Erik shook his head. "I'm leaving. I'll just get a cab back to my apartment." She fished a twenty from her pocket and dropped it on the table. "That should cover my drinks right?" Gail nodded over the music. "Where are you going?" Michael grabbed her elbow as she moved to slide out of the booth. "To catch a cab home." She pulled away from him and almost knocked Valentin over. "I'll make sure you get there safely." Valentin nodded to her and handed Peter money for his own drinks. "I'll make sure she gets home, okay?" Michael spoke up. "Haven't you done enough?" Gail asked loudly. "You don't even know him!" Michael yelled over the music. "Okay. Keep talking. Are you still coming Valentin?" She sucked her teeth. He gave Michael a quick look, torn between going with Gail and staying with his cousin. "Whoa, whoa calm down everyone. We leave together. Okay? They're closing soon anyway; it's almost 2:00 AM." Erik stood up and braced himself as he staggered out of the booth after Peter. "We should go to Valentin's because he lives close by. No one should be trying to go anywhere in this neighborhood at this time of night." Peter slurred, pulling his wallet out. He motioned for a waitress to bring their bill. Michael watched as Gail and his cousin talked quietly next to him. Seeing those two dancing so closely made him feel physically upset. "We'll be outside," Gail called over her shoulder as Valentin pulled her toward the door. When Michael made a move to follow, Peter grabbed his arm firmly. "You're drunk, and you're acting like a dick. Leave them alone." He said sternly. ~*~ "I'm sorry about Michael; I don't know why he's acting stupid tonight." She shook her head. His eyes were drawn to the sexy pout of her lips. She started to say something else, but Valentin pressed a finger to her mouth. "Gail I'm going to kiss you." He pulled her close and let his mouth descended on hers. He groaned when she wrapped her arms instinctively around his neck and leaned into him. He tasted her drinks on her tongue when she slid it into his mouth. He pulled away reluctantly when the door opened and the rest of their party stumbled into the street. He took in Michael's tense posture. He looked down at Gail, still leaning heavily on him. She staggered slightly as they started walking. "It's pretty small. I guess it'll be kind of tight in the living room with all of you there." He apologized as they climbed the short flight of steps to his apartment building ten minutes later. After everyone settled in, he watched Gail stretch her long legs out on his ottoman as she adjusted his recliner. Their gazes met and he winked at her. "Do you have bottled water? I feel my mouth drying out already," Peter asked from his place on the couch. "Yeah in the fridge when you're ready. Everyone you can help yourself to anything in the kitchen if you wake up hungry or thirsty." Valentin said before he retreated to his bedroom. Getting to sleep was hard since the object of his dreams was just a short walk down the hall, and once he fell asleep, Valentin's dreams were plagued by the beauty sleeping on his La-Z-Boy. After an hour of tossing and turning, he found himself awake and harder than steel. A stern glance at the erection tenting his sheets did nothing to make it go down. "Can't we strike a deal? If you go down, I'll try to make something happen." He muttered to himself. Valentin bit his lip as the image of Gail's plump lips wrapping around the head of his cock tortured him. With a sigh he pushed back the sheets and pulled on his jeans as he made his way to the bathroom to splash some water on his face. When he opened the door, he found Gail sitting on the toilet. "Shit, I'm sorry." He backed out of the doorway. "No it's fine, I'm not using the bathroom...just sitting here. You can come in if you want." She leaned back and rested her head on the wall. "Can't sleep?" He asked, leaning against the sink. "I can't ever sleep when they're all together. They snore too loudly." Her gaze raked over him idly and he felt his ears turn red when they stopped at the front of his pants. "You can sleep in my room if you want and I can sleep outside." He said quietly. The thought of her wrapped up in his sheets was enough to make him clench his teeth hard to ignore the surge of arousal. "I couldn't do that." She kept her eyes closed as he turned to look at her. "I've been having sleepovers with them since before we could walk. It's okay." "I wish they weren't here in the first place. Then you and I wouldn't be having this argument." Gail opened her eyes and squinted at the fluorescent light brightening the room. "Why?" she asked, licking her lips. She could still taste him on them. "Because then we could finish what we started on the dance floor." She stood up when he moved closer to her. "Maybe we could still do that." She said hoarsely as he closed the door behind him, clicking the lock in place. She let him pull her up close to his warm and naked chest, and sighed contentedly as he nuzzled her neck. As he kissed the soft skin, he let his hands wander under her top until his fingertips brushed the lace of her bra. He rubbed her nipples and turned the faucet on with his other hand to drown out her moan. She leaned back to pull off the cardigan and it was his turn to groan. The rich deep brown of her skin contrasted nicely with her white bra. He helped her onto the counter and brushed his lips over the lace, opening to take as much of her breast into his mouth as he could. "Wait." She pulled away and reached behind her to unclasp her bra. He slid the straps off her shoulders and cupped the sides of the warm globes of flesh. Her nipples were average sized bumps surrounded by large dark areolas. He licked his lips and situated himself between her legs, pulling her forward enough that she could feel what she was doing to him. Heart's a Mess Ch. 02 Gail whimpered as Valentin brushed his lips lightly over her skin, leaving goose bumps in the wake of his perfect mouth. "Stop teasing," she pleaded, sliding her hands through his silky curls to hold his mouth over her nipple. He continued his sweet torture by slowly drawing circles around her already hard nipple with his tongue and sucking on the skin around it. He repeated the process with her other breast until she locked her legs around his waist. He could feel her thighs trembling and gave in to her silent pleading. Gail clapped a hand over her mouth as he took her nipple between his teeth and tugged lightly. She'd read many an article that claimed that women with very large breasts didn't have sensitive nipples. Until now, she'd agreed with them. Maybe Valentin just had a talented tongue. "Stop, please. This is..." She trailed off as he flicked the tip of his tongue over her. "I'm not even done with this yet. I like to take my time." He drew his finger from one of her nipples to her belly button. "Mmm, sensitive?" He asked huskily as she tightened her fingers in his hair. "I'm very ticklish" Gail whispered breathlessly. The sensation of his fingers tracing lines down to the waistband of her jeans was more than a tickle though. She thought she would cum right then as she lifted herself for him to pull her jeans and panties off and her butt came in contact with the cold marble countertop. "Sorry." He grinned and knelt in front of her. "You're so beautiful." He groaned as she widened her legs to accommodate his shoulders. Her dark lips glistened with her juices and Valentin felt her shiver as he ran a finger down her slit. "So wet." He kissed the soft skin of her inner thighs and smiled when she jumped. "Relax. I'm not going to bite. Just nibble maybe." He drew circles over her puffy lips before dipping into her sweet hole. "You're killing me." She gasped, reaching up to play with her nipples as he explored. "What if someone—" she clutched the edge of the counter as he sucked her clit into his mouth. "What if someone...?" He asked briefly before running his tongue up her slit. "Jesus." She groaned squeezing her eyes shut. "No, Valentin." He slid one, then two fingers into her tight heat cursing when her quiet moans made it difficult to sit there and not surge to his feet and slam himself into her. "Please, come up here," she begged, looking down at him. He ignored her and continued sliding his fingers in and out of her dripping pussy. His other fingers spread her lips wide and the tip of his tongue flicked over her exposed clit, drawing a whimper from her lips. "Fuck me," She begged, arching her back to press herself harder against him. "If you insist." He smiled up at her and stood and his fingers left her reluctantly. "Let me." She brushed his hands away when he moved to unzip his jeans. Valentin let out the breath he wasn't aware that he was holding when she pushed the denim material down his legs. He stepped back as she slid off the counter and knelt before him. "Oh no you don't...we can do that later. I don't even think I could last." He gripped her shoulders as she ignored him and teasingly licked the head of his cock. "Turn around." He growled, feeling impatient when she took her time to stand and turn around. His control snapped when she bent over the counter and presented the round firm cheeks of her ass to him. His long slender fingers ran over the smooth, taut flesh before he moved closer, relishing in the heat radiating from her pussy, begging him to fill her. "Please." She wiggled her ass and he fought the urge to smack it. Instead he positioned himself at her opening and in one fluid stroke buried himself to the hilt. "Fuckkk!!" She groaned, dropping her head to rest on her arms and pushing back as he gripped her waist and slowly rocked into her. "Faster." She pushed herself back on him. "Wait." He groaned, curling his toes against the cold floor. She was tight and he felt his control slipping even further when she squeezed him. "We can't make too much noise," he whispered leaning forward so his lips could reach her ear. Her groans of pleasure intensified and he had to cover her mouth with one hand as he picked up the pace f his thrusts. Gail's body rocked back and forth to meet him, the soft slapping of their skin was only a little louder than the faucet, but when she felt her orgasm coming quickly, she squeezed him hard and he started to slam into her, his hand falling from her mouth to grip her shoulder. "Fuck! Valentin, I'm coming, shit!" She gasped rolling her hips against him. He gripped her hips and slowed down his thrusts, lazily pumping his hips. "What the..." "Quiet." He reached up to cover her mouth with his hand continuing with his lazy, shallow strokes. "I told you that you had to be quiet." He leaned forward to whisper into her ear and pulled away from her, picking up her panties from the floor. "You don't want to be quiet, so I'll just have to make sure you don't make any noise Katzchen." He wadded the lacy black garment and pushed it into her mouth before covering it with his hand again. Gail felt her body heat up as the moisture in her mouth was sucked up by the panty when Valentin slowly slid himself into her again. To say that he was gentle like before would be an understatement. He rode her hard, pushing deep into her as her muffled whimpers escaped. It continued like that for what seemed like forever. Whenever Gail got close, he would slow down until she relaxed against him. She was ready, trembling hard against the sink as he fucked her hard again. She could feel how his balls had tightened as they slapped against her clit. "Please, please Valentin, I need to cum!" She somehow managed to groan around her panties and his hand. "Fine." He spat out, moving his hand and yanking the soaked panties out of her mouth and anchored himself with his hands on her hips thrusting up into her roughly, bottoming out as he watched her writhe under him. "Oh god! I'm coming!" She whispered tightly, her walls gripping him mercilessly as he fought against her tightness to push deeper into her. "Me too," he answered, beads of sweat dripping from his chest onto her back. He pumped into her once more before pulling out and spraying himself on her back. The sight of his pearly white cum dripping onto her dark skin made him shiver again. "I can't move my legs," Gail giggled quietly, leaning forward to support herself on the countertop. "Here, let me clean you up." Valentin grabbed a towel from the bar beside the sink and wet one corner. He wiped the traces of their little romp away and sighed. This wasn't the way he imagined his first time with Gail being, but given a certain circumstance named Michael sleeping on his loveseat, he couldn't hear her screams as he took her on his bed. "This was fun." She smiled shakily up at him as she gathered her underwear and other articles of clothing from the floor. "Wait. Let me get you a shirt or something. You can't go out there like that." He pushed past her and walked quietly back to his room to grab a t-shirt. He wanted to laugh when she put it on and it hung to her thighs. "Well, at least it covers the important parts," she said as she pulled her panties on underneath. "Come here, Katzchen." He wrapped a hand around her waist and leaned down to give her a searing kiss. "I want you to go sleep in my bed. No arguments. I can sleep through anything." He smiled at her and led her down the hallway to his bedroom. "Thank you, so much, for letting me have the bed. I really do feel bad about taking your spot and leaving you to the snoring beasts out there." She joked quietly, clutching her clothes to her body as he stood in front of her in the doorway to his bedroom. "Well, let me take you out sometime as payback for sending me to the lions." He stroked her lower back soothingly as someone's loud snore reached their ears from the living room. "That sounds great. I can give you my number and you can text me sometime or whatever." She smiled as he kissed her gently and closed the door behind him. She heard his footsteps get fainter and turned to the rumpled covers on his huge, four poster bed. As she ran her fingers over the dark stained wood, she couldn't help but wonder if he made it himself. She settled between the sheets and let his warm, male scent lull her to sleep.