Protecting Her Heart Read online

  “Let me get this straight...,” he chuckled, “are you asking me to be your sexual fairy godfather?”

  Emma laughed gleefully, amused by his question.

  “Well, I never thought of it quite like that, but maybe, yes! What do you think?” she coaxed playfully, just as the waiter came back with their drinks.

  The young man set her wine down in front of her, but not before Emma noticed him peaking down her blouse. She flashed Luke a knowing smile, which he quickly returned with a wink.

  “It’s an intriguing proposition,” Luke confessed, once the waiter was out of earshot, “but I have a few concerns...”

  “What concerns?” Emma asked, nervously taking a sip of her wine, certain he was the only person on the planet that could help her.

  “Well, for one thing, I need to be clear what it is you’re asking me for. On a scale of vanilla to dark chocolate, how much are you open to exploring out there?” he asked playfully, keeping the conversation light, his eyes carefully reading hers, signaling the depth of his concern.

  Emma knew her friend well enough to know that she needed to shoot straight from the hip. Luke was the kind of guy that didn’t bullshit around and if he was even going to consider her request, he would want to know precisely, and unequivocally, what her expectations were.

  She sighed deeply, carefully considering her words. She was ready to take a leap of faith, especially if Luke had her back, and she had enough faith in him that he would teach her how to walk before signing her up for a half marathon. He would intuitively know what she was ready for when she was ready for it, and even with whom.

  “Hmm...” she began, “I guess I need to know what vanilla is first before I can tell you what flavor I crave.”

  Luke nodded, probably thinking that was fair.

  “Ok, let’s just say you meet a handsome stranger in a bar. You have undeniable chemistry and agree to go back to his place for a night of hot but meaningless sex. Maybe you fuck on the kitchen table, maybe on his bed. One, two, maybe three orgasms....and then you call it a night with no expectation that you will ever see him again,” he said, his voice deep and sexy.

  Emma blushed, thinking about how appealing that sounded to her in that moment, scary but still enticing. Her cheeks flushed with desire.

  “Well, what flavor is that?” Luke challenged smoothly, taking a gulp of beer.

  Emma raised her brows at him, considering the question.

  “Vanilla?” she said hesitantly.

  “Is that a question or an answer?” Luke taunted, raising his own brows to her.

  “Definitely vanilla,” she nodded, her tone much more confident.

  “Ok,” he nodded, “scenario number two...you’re dancing at a club, the music is pumping out really loud, sick beats, the energy of the room is buzzing with sexual energy. A woman comes up behind you and wraps her arms around you, whispers in your ear that she wants to fuck you. She turns you around and kisses your neck, ever so gently, while her hands slide down the small of your back and land on your ass. She pulls you in tight while grinding herself against your thigh...”

  He grinned at her playfully, his eyes testing her further. Emma swallowed hard. She could feel the delicious heat building in her center, her underwear dampening with her increasing need. She knew he was testing her.

  “Um...maybe that would be a warm cappuccino with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top,” she cooed, doing her best to stay composed.

  Luke laughed and raised his glass in a mock ‘cheers’ gesture. Of course Emma had fantasized about women, who hadn’t. The thought of exploring that avenue was nerve-racking but still had a certain undeniable appeal. But with a little coaxing and a lot of liquid courage, it wasn’t something she could completely rule out.

  “What else you got,” she smirked, tipping her wine glass at him, her eyes saying ‘bring it’. She had to admit, she was enjoying this game, especially from the safety of her chair.

  “Okay, okay. You’re in a dark room, soft music playing 70’s rock in the background...you can’t see a damn thing but you know there are naked bodies everywhere. Oh my, you’re naked too...” he whispered, leaning in so close that she could smell his familiar aftershave, his scent teasing her already heightened senses.

  He continued, “someone gently pulls you in for a kiss, you don’t know who, all you know is that it’s a man, and he’s hard for you. He laces his fingers through your hair and brings his mouth down on yours, passionately taking what he wants from you, his unshaven face burning against your cheeks. He runs his hands down your side until he reaches your waist, then slides one eager hand cautiously toward your pussy, rubbing you ever so slowly...”

  He deliberately paused, reading her face carefully. Emma knew she was blushing but could do nothing to stop it. She cleared her throat and smiled at him sweetly.

  “Hmm, don’t stop,” she purred, locking her eyes with his, deliberately teasing him back.

  Luke sat back in his chair, and sighed slowly, a smile forming on his face.

  “Ok smart-ass. What flavor is that?” he smirked.

  “Well, I guess that would be pushing hot chocolate, but it still has those little miniature marshmallows on top....ooh so good. Remember those?” she quipped, deliberately cooling the temperature that suddenly rose between them.

  He offered her a chuckle, cheekily popping a pretzel into his mouth.

  “But would you drink it,” he asked bluntly, keeping her on the hook.

  This time Emma leaned in, resting her elbows in front of her on the table.

  “Well, I suppose I would probably sip it slowly, testing the temperature so it didn’t scorch my delicate mouth, you know?” she began. “Maybe I would blow on it a little until it felt just right...and then once it felt perfect I would swallow it right down,” her words seductive, deliberate, tormenting. She couldn’t stifle the giggle rising in her throat.

  Luke took a swig from his beer shaking his head playfully as if to say ‘well aren’t you feisty’. Emma grinned back at him, pleased she caught him off guard. She loved torturing him. He was the only man she ever met that she felt safe enough to tease.

  “Ok, I think I understand where you’re at on the naughty scale, but that brings us to another question,” he retorted. “How would you feel venturing out, exploring these new things with me hanging around? I mean if I’m going to be watching out for you, acting as your wingman, I’m not going to be too far away. Will you be comfortable with that?”

  Emma could tell that he was being serious and she was grateful that he was thinking it through, empathizing with her feelings. It only solidified her resolve that he was the right man for the job.

  “Yes, I’d be ok with it. There’s no one I trust more than you. What about you? Will you be comfortable?”

  Luke regarded her a really long time, considering his answer. Finally, he replied, “let me think about it.”

  She sat back and nodded, knowing she was toying with the boundaries of their friendship. It was a lot to ask of him. Luke shifted in his chair agitated, his eyes scoping the room. She downed the last of her wine and looked at the clock on her phone, thinking it might be time to take her leave, give him the time and space to process her request. She opened an app on her phone, her thumbs tapping furiously.

  “I’m going to go, my friend. I just sent for an Uber. When will you let me know?” she asked curiously.

  “Soon, I promise,” he assured. They both stood up and offered each other a friendly hug.

  “Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s a honey by the bar who has been flashing ‘fuck me’ eyes my way ever since I sat down and I’m in the mood for a vanilla shake,” he grinned puckishly.

  Emma giggled, quickly cluing in on the clever reference.

  “Ok, go get her tiger, I’ll see you soon,” she encouraged, slipping her purse over her shoulder.

  “Good night, and congrats on the divorce. I can’t tell you how happy I am for you,” he said, gently kissing her cheek.
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br />   Chapter 2

  Emma locked the door behind her and hung her purse on the coat rack. She leaned against the wall, looking around her modest apartment and felt a wave of peace come over her. She was home and no one was waiting for her, giving her the first degree, pressing her for details, making her feel like shit for staying out so late. Although she had been living on her own for over six months, it still felt strange not having to come up with a valid excuse for being out, one that Andrew would find acceptable.

  In spite of his wealth, he had left her with virtually nothing, stripping her of all the lush comforts she had grown accustomed to in their marriage. He promised to drag out their divorce for years, making it a painfully slow process for her, so she made the wisest choice she could make. She settled for the table scraps he offered, considering what he and his family were worth. She took a modest settlement and put his threats and abuse behind her. It was a small price to pay for her freedom.

  She could have fought back. She had a lot of nasty ammunition, like the multiple affairs, his current mistress, not to mention the years of emotional abuse. But she just wanted out and if she had played along she would only be feeding into his narcissistic game. It just wasn’t worth it. She was ready for the healing to begin.

  Emma made herself a cup of tea and sat down on her sofa. She looked into the cup, swirling the hot black liquid gently around. She reminisced about the conversation she had with Luke that night and smiled, wondering what steamy scenario matched with tea.

  Chapter 3

  Luke was definitely not expecting the night to unfold the way it had. When Mimi had texted him and asked him to meet her at the bar, of course he changed his plans and said yes. Her divorce was a big deal and he wanted to support her.

  She had come a long way in the past few years, finally summoning the courage to leave her asshole husband, and he wanted to celebrate. What he wasn’t expecting was for her to ask him to introduce her to his way of life. He had what most people considered, ‘adventurous tastes’ when it came to sex. For the most part, he liked to keep things spicy, although he had to admit, lately that seemed to be shifting. Although he couldn’t explain why, he was getting restless. He didn’t have the heart to tell Mimi that though, especially not tonight.

  When she brought it up, he thought she was kidding, but as their conversation progressed and got hotter and hotter, he realized she was one hundred percent serious. He couldn’t blame her really, Andrew had been a controlling, overbearing piece of shit to her, and she had been pretty sheltered most of her adult life. She’d never been able to develop her own sense of self or explore her desires.

  They were freshmen when they first became friends. He was a popular kid, thanks to his natural athletic ability and his obsession with sports. He was on most of the teams, but his main interests were wrestling and football. He excelled in both and became well known in the high school, making friends easily. Luckily, he was never the type of guy that bought into stereotypes or cliques, and as a result was able to cast a wide net when it came to socializing, otherwise he might have overlooked Mimi. She wasn’t in the jock clique.

  He met her in drama class. It wasn’t his favorite subject but the girls liked it, and he liked girls, so taking drama as an elective was pretty much a no-brainer. He connected with one particular girl in the class who just happened to be Mimi’s best friend. They dated, off and on for a few months, but like typical high school romances, it was pretty unstable and fizzled out quickly.

  The best thing that came out of that relationship was Mimi. It was unusual for teens of the opposite sex to become best friends, but Luke liked her right away. She was smart, quick-witted and feisty and didn’t take much of his crap. He liked that she was always honest with him. They got along so well because they were similar creatures, both confident and secure, just in different ways. One seemed to be strong where the other was weak. They were each other’s better halves.

  She was like the female version of himself so they were able to connect without all that awkwardness that usually happens with teenagers. They were just goofy together and talked about everything, crushes, sports, music, gossip, and sex. They were both driven by their hormones, curious and horny, just not with each other. Maybe that was why it worked so well.

  Ironically, Mimi was the first girl he had ever kissed. It was in drama class. They were acting out a scene in a play and at the time they were both embarrassed by the fact that her best friend, and his soon to be girlfriend, was in the class watching. That might have taken the sizzle out of it for Mimi but it left a lasting impression on him, although he never admitted it.

  It wasn’t that he didn’t find her attractive, just the opposite. She was cute in high school, but didn’t spend her hours obsessing about her appearance the way most of the girls her age did. She was more the girl next door type, comfortable in a ponytail and jeans, with no makeup to speak of. She was into reading and writing, always studying. She was the one who helped him excel through school, encouraging him to focus on academics as much as he did sports. Her ‘smarts’ just rubbed off on him. She had confidence in him when it seemed like no one else did, which made him believe in himself. If it weren’t for her, he probably never would have gone on to college.

  Over the years she became even more beautiful of course, but his attraction to her transcended the physical. He was drawn to her energy and spirit. She was just Emma, his honest, loving, non-judgmental Mimi, and he was fiercely protective of her.

  He had to admit, their conversation earlier that night surprised him. Mimi had always been curious and was happy to hear about his adventurous exploits but he had never heard her reciprocate her fantasies before. She always held her cards close to her chest. It was obvious that she had a terrible sex life. She never carried herself the way a woman does who’s being properly fucked. That always pissed him off. He knew her heart and she deserved so much better.

  She wanted to have some fun, and why shouldn’t she? She was a grown woman and if she wanted to jump in with both feet then she deserved some support. But it was a different world now than when she met Andrew and so much had changed. She was just a kid when she got married and in Luke’s opinion, pretty naive when it came to sex. Then again, at that young age, so was he. Of course it would be daunting for her to venture out on her own, having zero experience with dating and men. He didn’t blame her for wanting some guidance, and some back up. She had asked him if he would be comfortable with it and he wasn’t sure, but he knew damn well he’d be less comfortable if he weren’t there looking out for her.

  Luke felt soft arms wrap gently around his shoulders, followed by a breathy request.

  “Are you ready to go?”

  He turned around and smiled at her, the tall, leggy blonde that had been brazenly flirting with him all night. After Mimi left, he had approached her and struck up a conversation.

  She had the same thing on her mind as he did so it didn’t take long for the sparks to fly.

  She had excused herself to freshen up, and now he was more than ready to go home with her.

  Mimi caught him off guard earlier and if he was being completely honest, it fucking worked him up. True, he was a horn dog and it usually didn’t take much to juice up his libido but he needed to get laid.

  “I am. Your place or mine?” he replied, placing his hand on the small of her back, leading her through the crowd.

  “Let’s go to my place. What did you say your name was again?” she asked, laughing off her embarrassment.

  “It’s Luke. And yours?” he grinned devilishly.

  Chapter 4

  The following afternoon, when Emma got home from work, she was stopped by her doorman, Wayne. He had a package waiting for her, handing it to her after a warm hello. She wondered who it was from and quickly opened the small box as soon as she settled in.

  It was a shaving kit, with a note tucked inside.

  Meet me at the Loving Hands Massage Parlor. Tonight at 9:00 pm. Bibbety Boppety Boo.


  Emma’s smile quickly turned into a fit of laughter. As soon as she recovered, she dug her cell phone out of her purse and quickly dialed Luke’s number. He picked up on the second ring.

  “This is your fairy godfather, how may I help you?” he said, his tone as serious as he could manage.

  “You’re hysterical,” she chirped, flopping into her sofa.

  “I take it you got my gift?” he asked lightly.

  She turned the shaving kit over in her hands and looked at it curiously. “Yes, I did. What’s with the razor?”

  Luke chuckled on the other end of the line.

  “Well, my dear, that’s so you can trim your bush. It’s not the 70’s anymore,” he taunted playfully.

  “Excuse me? What makes you think I have a retro bush?” she grumbled, pretending to be offended.

  “Mimi, you were married to a man who would have accused you of all kinds of indecencies if you mowed the lawn. You aren’t fooling anyone,” he rationalized, mocking her gently.

  “Hmmm, ok smarty pants,” she murmured, “but is this really necessary?” She wasn’t even certain she would know how to do it.

  Luke groaned, feigning exasperation, “Of course! You need to shave your nether region woman. No one is interested whether the carpet matches the drapes. People like hardwood, if you get my drift.”

  She did but wasn’t crazy about the idea.

  “I don’t know...” she hesitated.

  “Mimi, I don’t actually own a magic wand so you’re going to have to take care of this yourself.” He chuckled, comfortably teasing her.

  “Okay, okay, I’ll figure it out,” she agreed. She picked up his note and read it again.

  “So, ‘Loving Hands’? Isn’t that a rub and tug?” she mused, her curiosity peaked.