Jealousy (7 page)

“
You weren’t
that
drunk, Heather!  I was there!  How could you fucking do that?”

“
Stop yelling at me.”  She put her hands over her ears and paced through the living room.  “I told you, I don’t know.  It was like I had no control over what I was doing.”

Justin
’s mouth hung open and his dark ebony eyes stared at her like two black coals.

“
Don’t look at me like that,” she said.

“
Did you tell Peter?”

“
No.  And I’m not going to either.”

“
I can’t believe you stayed at the bar and acted like nothing happened.”

She had nothing to say.  She couldn
’t defend her behavior.

“
You better not see him again.”

“
I . . . I don’t plan to.”  She questioned the hesitation in her voice, and so did Justin.

“
Heather . . .”

“
Relax, Justin.  I’m not gonna see him again.”  But she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling in her gut, that she hadn’t seen the last of Dominick.

Chapter Nine:

Heather bit her lower lip and wondered what the hell she was doing in the sleazy hotel.  She looked around the room.  It actually wasn
’t sleazy at all.  It was a very expensive hotel.  Still, she must be fucking insane for being there.

She reached for the door handle, ready to make a quick exit, when the door swung open and Dominick entered the room.  Without saying a word, he
put his hands through her long dark hair and his mouth firmly on her soft lips.  His kiss penetrated her very soul.  Without removing his mouth from hers, he picked her up and placed her gently on the bed.  He sat next to her and she reached for another kiss.  She pulled at his clothing and quickly discarded her own.  Before he was fully undressed, she was on him with her lips and hands, touching, kissing and licking every inch of his body.  The pent up animalistic urges which she was forced to suppress in the bedroom with Peter were finally unleashed.

Her flesh was burning hot.  She was hungry, famished, and Dominick fed her desire.  She didn
’t want to waste time with foreplay.  She wanted him inside her – now.  She straddled him and held tightly onto his shoulders.  She pounded her body against his with a force that shook the room.  The headboard banged loudly against the wall and one of the lamps on the nightstand toppled over and fell to the floor. Her knees scraped on the sheet until they were raw.  Her breathing grew louder, thunderous, and she cried out.  Passion exploded inside of her.  Her eyes rolled back in her head and she was temporarily blinded by euphoria.

Their bodies remained engaged together long after they both climaxed.  She stayed on top of him and hung her head into her chest
while she caught her breath.

She slowly rolled off
of Dominick and stared at the ceiling with a heavenly smile. Every pore in her body tingled and she never wanted the feeling to end.

#

Once home, Heather showered and douched twice, but she swore she could still smell Dominick’s scent on her.  She sat on the bed, hugged her knees to her chest and glanced at the clock.  Peter wouldn’t be home for hours, so she still had time to shake the guilt that she bore.

Her past sexual experiences were far from pristine, and this certainly wasn
’t the most unethical of her liaisons, but it certainly felt like it.  She swore she would never see Dominick again.  She told herself that it was done, it was over, it was out of her system, and now she could forget about him and move forward with her life.

Chapter Ten:

Tyler jumped into Justin
’s lap, clasped his fingers behind Justin’s neck and crossed his legs over the arm of the couch.

Justin grunted and laughed. 
“You’re gonna kill me one of these days doing that.”  He cradled Tyler in his arms and leaned back so the couch reclined.

Tyler snuggled and rested his head on Justin
’s shoulder while they both watched TV.  Neither spoke.  Tranquility echoed in the silence.  Justin longed for days like this, when the simple act of cuddling together on the couch brought quiet intimacy.  Thoughts of David lingered in the back of his mind.  He remembered the days when they used to lie in each other’s arms, sometimes for hours, without saying anything, before getting out of bed. It felt like a century ago.  Justin pushed the vision from his head – the pain was still too fresh – and he wondered if he would share that strong bond with anyone again.  He shifted in the recliner.  Tyler started to move off of his lap, but he pulled Tyler back.  Justin enjoyed the closeness and the security of someone in his arms, even if Tyler’s bony pelvis was cutting off the circulation in his thigh.

They resumed watching television, without speaking.  Justin let out a contented sigh and Tyler grinned up at him.
  He knew Tyler wanted to say something, so he waited, but the grin was frozen on Tyler’s face.

“
What?” Justin asked, with a smile.

“
Nothing,” Tyler replied, with an innocent shrug of his shoulder.

“
Why are you smiling at me like that?”

“
You don’t know?”

“
No.  What’s going on?”

“
I love you, Delicious.”

It was something Justin didn
’t want to hear.  He adored Tyler, but he didn’t love Tyler.  Justin didn’t know how to reply and the silence in the room turned unpleasant and awkward.  Justin needed to say something – anything – but he couldn’t brandish the sting of unreciprocated love onto Tyler.  It would be too cruel.

Tyler pressed his lips together and lowered his eyes. 
“You don’t have to say anything.  I don’t care if you don’t feel the same way.  I just wanted you to know how much you mean to me.”

“
Tyler . . .”

“
It’s OK.  It doesn’t matter.”

There was
vulnerability and a childlike innocence behind Tyler’s honey-colored eyes.  It was a side of Tyler that Justin never saw before.  He gently brushed the soft brown hair from Tyler’s face with his hand.  “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Tyler stiffened. 
“Are you going to break up with me because I told you I loved you?”

“
No.  Of course not. I don’t wanna lose you.  You’re the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time.  I need you.  I’m just not ready to be in a serious committed relationship.”

A small smile reappeared on Tyler
’s face and he rested his head on Justin’s shoulder again.  “Good, because when you
are
ready, I’m going to be right here waiting for you.”

Heather warned Justin this would happen, but he didn
’t believe her.  Tyler was a free spirit, spontaneous and lighthearted, but now Justin knew that deep down Tyler was naïve and unpretentious.

Justin never expected Tyler to fall in love with him.  He enjoyed spending time with Tyler.  Tyler made him happy and made him laugh.  Tyler made him feel good about himself.  He needed someone like that in his life right now.  He cared deeply about Tyler, but he didn
’t love him, and they would never have a future together.  It saddened Justin because he knew in the end he would end up breaking Tyler’s heart.  The unselfish thing to do would be to end the relationship now, but he couldn’t do that.  He wasn’t ready to let Tyler go yet.

Chapter Eleven:

Heather pulled the sheet over her naked body and tucked it under her arms.  She wore a dreamy smile and snuggled against the soft down pillow.  Dominick pulled the sheet off
of her in one swift motion and jumped in bed next to her.  She laughed and rolled into his arms.  Dominick kissed her and slowly ran his hand down the profile of her body.   His slow touch brought goosebumps to her skin’s surface, and the small hairs on her arm stood up.  She exhaled deeply as his hands caressed her body.  His lips were warm and supple against her inner thigh.  She could feel the moistness between her legs and she opened them wide, summoning him closer.  He put his mouth on her and his tongue peeked inside.  She lifted her pelvis and ran her fingers through his short bristly hair, pushing his face closer and into her body.  His lips and tongue moved together with her body in perfect choreography.  It was a beautiful dance.  He pulled her open with his fingers and blew inside her.  His breath was cool against the warmth of her body.  Its gentle pressure sent a tingling sensation up her spine.  Her breathing grew steadily heavier as sensations traveled throughout her body. She reached down for his hand and they entwined their fingers together.  She dug her nails into the back of his hand and she arched her back.  He licked her faster, to match the speed of her breaths, until she climaxed with a loud cry.

She pulled him up and wrapped her arms and legs around him, squeezing him tight.  She wanted to feel his body next to hers.  She wanted his skin on her skin.  She wanted to feel
his flesh.

“
You’re so beautiful, Heather,” he said.  “I need to see you more than once a week.”

“
Shhh.”  She placed her index finger over his lips.  “Don’t talk, just kiss me.”

He caressed her lips with his
and washed his tongue over them.  “I love the way you taste.  I can’t get enough of you.”

He nibbled at her neck, and she leaned her head back to a
ccommodate his mouth.

“
Oh, Dom,” she exhaled a long, heavy breath, “you make me feel so alive.”

Heather t
ried, but it was impossible to stay away from Dominick. He offered her lust and passion.  It was something that was missing from her marriage, and she never realized it until now.

#

Heather told no one about her transgression, not even Justin.  She tried not to think about Dominick when they weren’t together, but fantasies of their time together danced through her head.  She stared off into space, oblivious to those around her, and reminisced about the last time she saw him.

“
Is everything OK, sweetie?” Justin asked.

“
Um, yeah,” she said. “Why?”

“
Because you’re dazing off again, like you have something on your mind.”  He smiled.  “Something good.  Do share.”

Her cheeks flushed
and she couldn’t look him in the eye.  She made up a feeble excuse about Peter and the store but it barely made any sense.

Justin squinted at her. 
“You’re not mad at me for something, are you?”

“
Of course not! Why would I be mad at you?”  Her response was over exaggerated.

“
I don’t know.  That’s why I asked.  You just seem a little distant lately.”

She tried not to think about Dominick.  She tried to find something else to concentrate on, but she
couldn’t put him out of her mind.  She ended up babbling and jumping from one subject to another.  It was obvious that she was acting out of sorts, but at least Justin wasn’t suspicious of the truth.  This was the first secret she ever kept from him and she didn’t know if she felt worse for cheating on Peter or deceiving Justin.

#

Heather became obsessed with Dominick.  The more time she spent away from him, the more she needed to see him. She couldn’t wait two more days until their appointed rendezvous, so she slipped out of work early and met him at “their” hotel.  The maitre d’ greeted her when she arrived, and she wondered if her presence was becoming too familiar.  She needed anonymity.  She couldn’t risk someone recognizing her.  She wanted to mention it to Dominick, but the second she saw him, her mouth had other plans.  She needed to taste his flesh. Her desires needed to be fulfilled before she could think about anything else.

By the time her cravings were rewarded with the flavor of Dominick
’s sweet body, she didn’t care about the maitre d’ anymore.  She only wanted to bathe in Dominick’s scent and feel his body next to hers.  She snuggled into the crook of his shoulder and wrapped her arm and leg over his body.  She didn’t want a sliver of space between them.

He kissed her, long and deep. 
“I want us to be together,” he said.  “When are you going to leave your husband?”

It was the third time Dominick asked her to leave Peter, and her answer remained unchanged.
  “I’m sorry, Dom.  I can’t leave Peter.”

“
Why not?  I know he doesn’t make you happy.  If he did, you wouldn’t be here with me right now.  I don’t want to keep you hidden away in a hotel room.  I want to show off my beautiful girlfriend.”

Heather covered her naked
body with the silk sheet and reflected on her marriage to Peter.  She loved him, but did he make her happy?  She struggled with an answer, but couldn’t commit to one.  She knew why she was having an affair with Dominick, though.  The answer to that was easy.  He ignited her soul.  When she was with him, she felt reincarnated.  His touch made her entire body shiver with electricity.  He made her flesh feel like it was on fire.  Peter never made her feel that way, not even when they first met.  And Dominick made her feel . . . loved.  Peter told her he loved her, but never really showed it.  He did in the beginning, but as the years went by he retracted his emotions and they settled into the role of an old married couple.  She frowned.  Old married couple?  They were married for four years.  She was 31 years old.