Deuce of Hearts Read online

  “Um… I don’t know where to put my hands.”

  I smile, running my hands down the front of his white jacket, smoothly out the wrinkles that aren’t there.

  “You seriously want a dance lesson?”

  Garrison narrows his eyebrows, bobbing his head up and down. “I don’t wear my dress uniform for no good reason.” He shows that smile that he usually hides as he runs his finger down my cheek. “I want to be in your shoes, Sawyer, I want to feel what you feel when you’re on the dance floor. Teach me.”

  My smile turns into a grin and my mind dances quickly, trying to even remember how to dance myself. Letting go of Garrison, I walk over to the iPod docking station and fumble nervously to put my phone in the cradle. Once it’s set, I scroll through my music, trying to find the perfect song to dance to. I smile as I pass an old Billy Joel song that my grandfather used to love.

  Pressing play, I stand up and walk back to Garrison, taking his left hand in my right and holding it at shoulder height. “Cup your other hand on my shoulder blade,” I instruct, placing my fingertips on my left hand on the shoulder seam of his jacket. “I’m setting you up to be the lead so you’ll just have to listen to me, okay?”

  Garrison nods, looking down at his feet. I move my hand under his chin, lifting up. “No, we don’t look at feet. We look at each other, it’s the only place we look. Understand?”

  Garrison nods, his eyes lighting up as he smiles softly. “That will be easy, it’s my favorite place to look.”

  I feel my cheeks heat up, but I quickly go on with the instructions. “Our elbows should be shoulder height, straighten your back, and then we count to three. The waltz is done to a three count… one, two, three… one, two, three… We’ll start with our feet together then I’ll step forward with my left foot and you step back with your right foot.”

  Garrison’s eyebrows are furrowed in concentration. I reach out, running my finger over his eyebrow, trying to get him to relax. “Just follow me and try not to think about it.”

  The music starts and slowly, I step toward Garrison. He stumbles slightly, trying to find the rhythm. He glances down at our feet but I shake my head, making a “tsk, tsk” noise and he lifts his eyes to meet mine. I stare into his, allowing us to connect on a deeper level, one where we don’t have to speak to express our emotions. The physically connection between the two of us is obvious, the mental and emotional one is something I don’t think either of us are willing to admit but it’s there, like the elephant in the middle of the room. Our stare gets even more intense and I find myself thinking deep, scary thoughts so I quickly shake my head.

  “My grandfather taught me to waltz to this song. My grandmother loved Billy Joel and he always said this song was for both her and me.”

  Garrison nods. “It sounds like you had an amazing childhood.”

  I smile. “I did, I couldn’t have asked for it be any better… not even if my father had been around.”

  Garrison stops dancing and we stand still in the middle of the living room, the music still floating around us. “Then why are you so set on finding him?”

  Answering quickly, and as honestly as possible, I look into his eyes. “Because I have no family left.”

  He opens his mouth then stops, contemplating precisely what he wants to say. “Family isn’t just blood. I’ve found over the years that the best family are the people who stick by your side when things get bad, that love you at your worst, and hold their hand out to pick you up when you’re down. You don’t need your father to have family, Sawyer.”

  Garrison looks directly into my eyes and I pick up on what he’s implying, knowing that he won’t say it out loud. I slide my hand over the back of his head and he dips down, pressing his lips to mine. This time, he knows exactly what to do with his hands. One grips my hip tightly, while the other runs slightly over my backside as he pulls my body tighter to his. The song ends but our kiss doesn’t. Garrison’s tongue runs over mine and we both continue kissing, more hunger for each other as each second passes. A new song starts up and I smile while we kiss when Charlie Puth’s song Marvin Gaye comes on. We’ll see if Garrison takes the hint…

  Garrison

  I hate this song, I fuckin’ hate this song, but God, I want to do exactly what it’s telling me to do. Sawyer’s lips taste so sweet on mine, so sweet and innocent which is why I’m holding back from going any further. I grip my hand on her ass, trying to convince myself that we need to stay in this living room and that we shouldn’t do any more than kiss. Then again, I made this grandiose gesture off Cuzzo’s suggestion. He told me Sawyer’s a strong woman, that she’ll be fine so I just need to trust him. Still, I question what should happen next.

  Lifting my head, I roll my lips together, enjoying the taste of Sawyer on my mouth. “We should change this song.”

  Sawyer shakes her head, licking her own lips. “No.”

  I frown and draw my eyebrows down. “Why not?”

  She cocks her head to the side, lifting one eyebrow and looking at me like I’m an idiot. “Don’t deny this attraction, Garrison. What are you scared of?” she calls me out in a bold manner that I would only expect from her.

  Looking directly into her eyes, I nod. “That it won’t be enough. That I’ll never have enough of you, Sawyer Kingham, that I’ll never be able to have any more.”

  Sawyer draws in her breath and for a few seconds, I don’t know if she’s going to cry, laugh, or slap me across the face. It’s the most honest I’ve ever been with her, laying the truth out there for her to take it however she’d wish. Then, suddenly, her face goes blank and she takes a step away from me.

  “Don’t be scared,” she says softly, moving her hands to the buttons on my jacket. One by one, she undoes them until it’s wide open, showing off my white undershirt. Her hands move inside my jacket, slowly rubbing them over the thin fabric of my shirt. I close my eyes, trying not to moan, but it’s too late. Then, I feel her lips on my neck and I let out a sigh.

  “Sawyer…” I mumble, not sure what I even intend to say next. I open my eyes and move my hand to her chin, forcing her to stop kissing my neck because it’s making all the blood in my body rush somewhere it shouldn’t in this exact moment. I take her hand in mine, bringing it to my lips and kissing her knuckles.

  She looks at me confused as I walk us toward the couch. I guide her to sit down, shrugging off my jacket and dropping to my knees. I squat between her knees, parting her legs. My hands move to her ankles, moving underneath her dress as I push the material higher up her legs until it rests around her waist. My fingers slide up and down her thighs as I stare at her white thong, the only thing blocking my view of her ladyhood. I glance up at Sawyer, asking one more time for permission. She nods, biting her bottom lip in anticipation. Judging from the look in her eyes and the growing bulge in my pants, I know I can’t delay this any longer.

  My finger moves to the damp white material, moving up and down it very slowly. Sawyer tilts her head back against the couch cushions, closing her eyes. I lean down, licking the thong and inhaling her sweet scent. I close my eyes, knowing I have to work quickly because this woman is enticing me faster than anyone ever has. I push the material to the side, replacing it with my tongue. Sawyer gasps and her hand moves to the back of my head, holding me in place. Smiling, I obey her silent wish, licking between her lips as she gets wetter and wetter. Then, without notice, I slide my finger inside her. She cries out my name and my dick gets harder. As much as she’s enjoying this, I need to be inside her… soon. I move my mouth to the top of her lips, sucking lightly until I pull her bundle of nerves into my mouth. Another finger slips inside her and I move them rapidly as I suck a little harder. Sawyer twists underneath me, holding my head steady so I don’t stop as she cries out my name along with a “please,” a “don’t stop,” and “oh my gaaa…”

  Satisfied that I haven’t lost the touch and loving that Sawyer is thoroughly pleased, I reach between my own legs, unzipping my pants and pulling
out my rock hard dick. I stroke myself as Sawyer shudders in my mouth and my fingers get wetter. Her body quivers as she calms down from her quake while her hand goes from holding me in place to lightly petting my hand in appreciation.

  Standing up slowly, I push my pants down, but not before I pull a condom out of my pocket. Talk about embarrassing, go into the pharmacy in a small town and try buying condoms without the whole town finding out. Staring down at this gorgeous woman in front of me, I don’t care about the embarrassment I went through to buy condoms, it was worth every last bit of it. Sawyer takes the condom from me, unwrapping it. She wraps her hand around my cock, stroking it softly and I close my eyes, not afraid to hold back my moans this time. Her hand feels tight against my throbbing manhood and I don’t ever recall a woman’s touch feeling this good.

  I open my eyes, looking down at her. Our eyes meet, and she pulls away her hand, rolling the condom down my shaft. She stands up, turning her back to me. Tentatively, I lower the zipper on the back of her dress. Sawyer shrugs her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor then turning around to face me. I take her seat on the couch, looking into her eyes yet again. With a soft smile, she straddles my legs, guiding my manhood into her, inch by inch. Her hands rest on my shoulders, squeezing her hands against them with each movement. Once I’m fully in, I wait, letting her get used to the feeling.

  She leans her forehead against mine and whispers softly, “We were meant for each other, Garrison. You know that, right?”

  I close my eyes, barely nodding.

  Her hips grind against mine and slowly, I thrust upward. Almost immediately, like our relationship, we find our groove, her push pleasures my pull, and vice versa. Her grip gets tighter on my shoulders and I feel myself throbbing deep inside her. Her comment rings in my ears and I’m not sure if I’m scared or satisfied because she’s more than right, we were meant for each other, and the fact that I might never be this connected with her ever again scares me more than having never felt a connection like this in my entire lifetime.

  CHAPTER 19

  Garrison

  My eyes still closed, I squeeze them tighter, not wanting to wake up and lose this moment. My left arm is wrapped tightly around Sawyer while her right arm is draped over my chest. Her right leg is snaked around mine as her freezing toes try to find warmth beneath my calf. Why is it that no matter the season, a woman’s toes are always like icicles? The answer doesn’t matter because I want glaciers pressed against my body forever, and if I open my eyes then forever is that much closer to being gone. Inhaling deeply, I try to store away the sweet scent of Sawyer for a day when she’s no longer around, for a time when this moment is nothing but a distant memory. Twelve hours of dancing, kissing, making love, and just in general being intimate with Sawyer is going to have to last me a lifetime.

  Clearing my mind, my lips twitch as I recall last night. After the couch, we headed to the kitchen… for pizza. We were both famished and it seemed like the best way to avoid the awkwardness of post-first time sex, but we had nothing to worry about. Sawyer preheated the oven while I took the pizza out of the fridge and by the time I had it open, she met me in the middle of the kitchen with a kiss. For the next eight-twelve minutes while the pizza baked, Sawyer teased me about how awful my dancing was. When the timer dinged, we devoured the Italian treat and I insisted on showing her I could do better. For the next hour, we waltzed, foxtrotted, and she even attempted to teach me how to do the quickstep, but it was only a matter of me stepping on her foot one too many times for us both to call it quits.

  With her feet sore from my clumsy footwork, I took her hand and led her upstairs. I left her to undress as I ran her a bath and when she entered the bathroom naked, I couldn’t take my gaze off her because she is simply breathtaking. I intended the bath to be just for her but as she walked across the room and kissed me, she told me to get in, too. Like the scene from Pretty Woman, we sat together in the bathtub while Sawyer told me about her career in dancing. When the water got cold, we moved to the bed, climbing under the sheets and we made love again.

  I sigh, thinking about the phrase “made love.” I always thought that was a thing that women say because it was much more pleasant than saying “fucked,” and more intimate than saying “had sex.” As a man, I never knew there was a difference between the three phrases but being intimate with Sawyer showed me exactly what making love meant and as amazing as it was, I’m afraid last night may be the only time I’ll ever experience it. I squeeze my arm around her shoulders, reminding myself that for now she’s still within my reach.

  Sawyer showed me how two people, virtually still strangers, can connect and be one, how when our gazes meet, we can carry on an entire conversation, and how our souls knew long before either of us that fate brought us together. That dog knew to run into the street so my motorcycle would be there for Sawyer to run over because this right here, her in my arms, it’s my destiny.

  Sawyer

  My feet are freezing but the rest of my body feels like it’s pressed against a furnace. I burrow my feet against the mattress and the furniture, trying to spread the heat to my frozen toesies. My brain is so tired from last night’s physical and emotional workout, but my body’s temperature is keeping me from staying in that deep sleep I need. Snuggling closer to the furnace, my eyes pop open as I realize the heat source is none other than Garrison. Staring at his broad chest with a nipple right in my eye, I smile, enjoying waking up in this manner. The only bad part of this is that I only feel asleep a couple hours ago.

  Last night was the highest of highs, starting with Garrison finding my grandmother’s dress, to dancing with Garrison as I wore it. Most women would probably say the sex was the highlight of the night and don’t get me wrong, it was exceptional, but the best part for me was this. I’ve never been held the way Garrison is holding me right now, lovingly yet securely like he’ll never let me go. I know I need to wrap things up here in Memphis soon but for the time being, I want nothing more to literally lay like this until I have to leave town. I spent late last night trying to teach him to dance and god love his determination, but he needs lots of work on his foxtrot and should probably never attempt the quickstep ever again. After a bath, we spent the rest of the evening alternating between fornication and conversation. It was the best “date” I’ve ever been on and nothing will ever top it.

  Garrison’s fingers pull through my hair gently. I turn my head to look up at him, a huge smile dancing on my face and there’s nothing I can do to hide it, but I don’t care. Leaning up on my elbow, I move my head toward his, giving him a good morning kiss which makes my entire body tingle as I remember how he worked those lips on my body not that long ago. Already lying half on him, I shift my weight until I’m lying between his legs, my torso on top of his. His penis twitches against my leg, and the wetness between my legs reappears.

  “Morning, beautiful,” he whispers, pushing my hair out of my eyes.

  Linking my fingers together, I rest my hands on his chest, setting my chin on top of them. I stare into his gorgeous eyes, my smile still present. I heard his salutation, but I’m still too caught up in the moment to respond so instead, I just stare at him dreamily, hoping it doesn’t creep him out.

  “Sleep okay?” he asks, the backs of his fingers brushing down my cheek.

  I bob my head up and down on my hands, a goofy grin still on my face. “Especially with you holding me.”

  Garrison gives a soft smile, turning over his hand to cup my cheek. “I feel the same way.”

  I kiss his chest then shimmy up his body so my lips can find his. His manhood moves between my legs, standing at half attention and I bit my bottom lip to keep from being too excited. Garrison slowly trails his fingertips down the sides of my back until they rest on the top of my rear. Finally, at lip level, I smile as I kiss him softly.

  “I’m glad I ran over your bike,” I whisper with a giggle.

  Garrison tries not to smile. “Yeah, me, too.”

  Tryi
ng to be serious, I look into his eyes and try not to grin. “I’m also glad that you’ve been here with me to help find my father.”

  He nods. “No problem, it’s let me get to know you which I’m really glad I had the chance to.” He pauses, his eyes looking away from me for a brief second. “I have to leave soon.”

  I chew on the inside of my cheek, not sure where this conversation is headed.

  “I’ll do everything I can to help you while I’m here, but I have to report back to the Navy when they tell me,” he says, his voice is a mix of anguish and remorse as he rambles on, trying to explain when I don’t respond.

  “Yeah, of course,” I say nonchalantly, trying to pretend that I don’t care but deep down I know that I do. But think, Sawyer, what were you really expecting from this relationship? I knew from the day I ran over his motorcycle that he wasn’t going to be around forever and neither am I. I have a life in New York, I have dreams to chase, this is just a temporary situation… so why does my heart feel so sad at the mention of Garrison leaving?

  I sit up, which is a bad idea because Garrison’s semi slides right between my lips and despite my melancholy, my lady bits are immediately tingling. Garrison takes my hands in his as he pushes up on his elbows.

  “Sawyer, I don’t want you to think last night was anything less than it was. You’re gorgeous, you have a strong mind, a sense of independence, but…”

  I lean down and kiss him before he goes on. He said what I wanted to hear, that this wasn’t just a play for him, it wasn’t a one night stand. I don’t want to hear the rest because if I do, it’ll be that much harder to leave this small town and forget about him.

  Garrison kisses me back shortly then pulls away. “Did you hear me, Sawyer?”

  I shake my head, moving my hands to his hair. “That you’re leaving soon so I’d better enjoy you as much as possible before you leave… yeah, I heard that.” I press my lips against his again, kissing him hungrily.