Trust (Blind Vows #1) (2 page)

As he slept, I whispered, “Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.”  Then I climbed off his lap, covered him up with a blanket, and made my way to my room, alone.

I woke up in the morning and headed out of my bedroom, unsure if I’d find him there or not.  He wasn’t on the couch where I’d left him and there was no note and no sign that he was ever even there.  The way it was meant to be.

~ Chapter 3 ~

A few days later I received an interesting phone call.  One of the matchmakers I’d recently connected with was looking for participants for a new project she was part of.  She wouldn’t divulge too many details, but I was interested.  I mean, it wasn’t like I had anything to lose.  I wrote down the address and date for the initial information session and interview process that was taking place later that week.

That Thursday evening I sat in a room with a few dozen women as we awaited to hear what this so-called experiment was about.  We were informed that professional therapists, matchmakers, and spiritual advisors were looking for candidates who were willing to marry a complete stranger.  But that stranger would be matched with you based on personality traits.  It would be a lengthy process of questionnaires and interviews to increase the odds of finding your best match.  For those willing, we were told the process could be done in a few months, or it could take much longer.  They would create a database and wait for a match.

Once all the news was revealed, I looked around to see that more than half the attendees had disappeared.  Me, I was intrigued.  A group of experts wanted to pick a husband that was a match for me.  I was IN!  It was crazy and I didn’t care.  It made complete logical sense to me.  Let the interview begin!

Another couple weeks passed.  I was still going through the interview process and had stopped checking my dating profiles.  I figured it was the right thing to do to commit to the experiment wholly.  I was off the market.  I had yet to tell my friends and family.  I hadn’t even told my best friends that I was partaking in the experiment.  Stacey had brought it up in conversation last week after hearing about it in the papers and we all joked about the absurdity of it all.  Little did they know I had participated and was still going through the process.

Early the next week, Odysseus—though everyone called him O—Heath’s youngest brother, was sitting in my hygienist chair.  He was a year younger than me, and like his four older brothers, had been given a name his Literature professor mom had picked.  It was quite comical, but also spoke to their mother’s love of all things literature.  Dorian was the oldest, then twins Fitzwilliam and Heathcliff, followed by D’Artagnan and lastly, Odysseus.  I loved Mrs. Kerrigan, but some may agree that she was certifiable.

“How are you, O?  Long time no see.”

“I’m good.  Yourself?”

“Good.”

I got him all set in my chair, took x-rays, and then got to cleaning.  We didn’t talk about anything too personal.  He was actually home from a recent tour of duty, he didn’t elaborate more, but said he was planning to re-enlist. 

I was wrapping up his appointment when he said, “Heath asked me to tell you hello.”

My heart stopped.  “Oh?  That’s nice.”

He chortled, “You two really don’t like each other do you?”

“Umm.”

“I’m just giving you a hard time.  It’ll take a special kind of woman to deal with him.  Hell, he may have found her.”

He was seeing someone?  My mind started racing.  That had to be why he turned down my advances.  Well, after he let me get him off.  Fucker.  “So, Heath’s seeing someone?”

“I think so.  He won’t spill the beans, but he’s clearly love struck or something.  We’ve gone out almost every night since I’ve been home and he hasn’t taken a single girl home.”

Sonofabitch!    “That’s great.”  I tried to sound happy for him.  Heath could take his heath bar and get bent.

“Rumor has it Will’s talking about getting married, too.”  My eyes were probably bugging out of my face.  What the hell was he talking about?  “Shit.  I probably wasn’t supposed to say anything, I just figured since our parents are so close.” 

“He is?”

“It’s no biggie, really.  Forget I said anything.”  Before I could ask any more questions, O kissed my cheek and disappeared from the office.

Will and Heath were both off the market.  Wasn’t that what I wanted?  What I needed?  Yes.  I wanted to put them both behind me.  I convinced myself to be happy for them.  They both deserved happiness.  Well, that might have been stretching it.

That weekend Stacey and Jaime had planned a night out.  There were six of us in our group.  We’d met at my apartment and then walked to the same bar I’d run into Heath all those weeks earlier.

We were dancing and drinking, enjoying our night of fun when his figure walked through the door.  All four brothers were right behind him.  This was a rare and amazing sight.  All so different, except for Will and Heath, and all amazingly sexy.  Will was just as good looking, but more put together than Heath, if that was even possible.  Not a single hair was out of place and he was always clean-shaven and wore thin brimmed glasses.

O spotted me and didn’t hesitate to come over and join in the fun.  Jaime bowed out, her swollen baby belly taking its toll on her.  She sat at our table and Dorian followed her and D’Artagnan followed suit, always his oldest brothers shadow.  Will walked over, leaving Heath at the bar talking to the same waitress from weeks back.  I accepted Will’s hug and moved to a nearby table, needing a break from all the dancing. 

“I hear congrats are in order?”  He immediately looked annoyed.  “Sorry, I wasn’t supposed to say anything.  O…”

“Of course O opened his mouth.”

“He just said that you were off the market.  Considering marriage?”

He just grunted and then added, “Something like that.”

Narrowing my eyes at him, I asked, “You seem nervous.  Cold feet?”

“You could say that.  It’s a big step.”

“So, it’s true!  Who’s the lucky girl?”

“You wouldn’t know her.”  He mumbled something under his breath, but I didn’t catch it.

Heath came over and handed Will a drink and just nodded to me.  Will left abruptly and went and sat with Dorian, D’Artagnan, and Jaime.  Heath and I stood in awkward silence as I focused on the song playing.  The song couldn’t have been any more inappropriate given the situation. 
Me & U
by Cassie
was playing and I hoped he wasn’t listening to the lyrics.

“You want to dance?” 

His words surprised me and I just shook my head in refusal.  We stood there for far too long, neither of us speaking.  I debated confronting him about the last time I saw him and was about to say something, when Stacey pulled me to the dance floor with her. 

We danced for a while and I was beginning to feel like I was on display.  I caught Dorian, Heath, and O all staring at me at some point.  Was this another brotherly thing?  Did I have food between my teeth?  Did they know?  Had Heath told them what happened?  Maybe they were
those
kind of brothers. 
Jesus!  Get it together Lucy! 
I waved a hand to Stacey and headed to the bathroom alone.

I checked myself in the mirror and didn’t see anything wrong.  Maybe it was time to call it a night.  When I left the bathroom, Heath was leaning against the wall.  I tried to ignore him and sidle past, but he put his arm up, blocking my path.

“Let me go, Heath.”

Instead his other arm came up and he backed me up against the wall, his figure towering over me.  “I don’t want to let you go.”

Now he was fucking with my head.  “You had your chance.”

“And I blew it.  I know.  Let me try again.”

His breath tickled my forehead as I stared at the open collar of his shirt.  I could feel the heat radiating off of him.  Turning my face upward, I grabbed his neck and yanked his lips to mine.  His hands found my ass and picked me up, anchoring me against the wall behind me.  His hips pressed against me as his tongue licked at my mouth.

“Lucy.”  His voice pulled me from my short lived daydream.  “Are you alright?”  Before I could respond, he grabbed my hand and pulled me out the back door.  Once we were outside, he dragged me down the alley, where we were virtually out of sight.  “Let me try again.”

“What are you talking about?  Try what?”

“You, us…”

Had he lost his mind?  “Heath.  You’re too late.  I’m spoken for.”  I looked up to his face and he appeared dumbstruck.  Served him right.  I took the opportunity and ducked under his outstretched arm to my escape.

But, I wasn’t quick enough. 

“It’s never too late.”

His hands captured my face, digging into the back of my neck as his lips bruised my mouth.  Fiercely, my hands gripped onto him as he pushed me back against the brick wall.  His body was so heavy against mine, I thought I might disappear into the wall, or into him. 

“I want you, Lucy.”  He sucked my lower lip between his teeth and then ran his nose up along mine.  Cinnamon.  Was it fireball or gum?  He tasted like cinnamon all those years ago, too.

Pulling his mouth back to mine, I pressed my hips into him.  His hands traveled down my back, over my ass and one reached down to cup me through my leggings.  I moaned, loudly, as he pressed his fingers against me.  He could feel every curve and every drop of moisture through the thin fabric.

“I’m not a hedonist.  Quite the opposite.” 

Stuttering, I dared him on.  “P, prove it.”

His hands moved to the front of my body, one hand gripping my neck and the other working its way into my pants.  “How close are you?”  I couldn’t remove my eyes from his, transfixed by him.  “Close as you were that night?” 

That night?  What night?  I couldn’t think straight and when I didn’t answer his hand ceased moving.  I cried out in protest as one side of his mouth curled up at me. 

“I, I don’t know.  Please, make me cum, Heath.”

His lips dropped to my neck and whispered in my ear.  “Say it again.”

“Please.”

Biting my neck he demanded, “No, the other part.”

His fingers were so close to my sweet spot that I was worried I’d start screaming at him if he didn’t stop teasing me.  “Make me cum?”

“Again.”  His fingers roamed over my wet panties.  “Were you this wet that night?”

Nodding and turning my neck to give him better access, I arched my back.  My arms were flaccid against my body as he held me in place, still gripping my neck.  Had it been anyone else, I probably would’ve been scared, but instead it was fucking hot. 

“Yes.  Make me cum, Heath.”

“I’m gonna make you cum right here, where anyone can see and you’re not going to hold back.”  He looked into my eyes expecting an answer to which I just nodded. 

Pulling the fabric aside, his fingers dipped between my soaking lips.  “Oh, God.”

My head dropped back against the wall as my hands moved to grab hold of him.  Finding the front pockets of his pants, I slid my hands inside, finding the side of his erection.  I traced my fingers over it and was rewarded with two fingers fucking me.  His teeth nipped and sucked on every part of my neck from earlobe to collar bone.  The hand that gripped my neck was now under my shirt and pulling the cups of my bra down.

Tweaking my nipple, once it popped free.  “Heath, please.”  His hand moved to my other breast and repeated the action.

“You’re holding back.  Louder.”  He was growling in my ear and I wanted him inside me, and not just his fingers.

“Fuck!  I want you to fuck me.” 

His fingers moved in and out of me with great precision, my leggings pushed down my hips.  I could feel the brick wall poking at my backside.  “I am fucking you.”

“You know what I mean.”  He sneered at me and just shook his head.

“I’m proving a point.”  Sucking on my lips, I couldn’t kiss him back, too lost in the orgasm that was working its way to the surface.  “I’m no hedonist.  This is about you.  Only you.”

“Please…”

Soon his thumb joined in the task, circling my clit.  Grabbing his other hand, I put it back to my neck and squeezed his hand.  He knew what I wanted and held me in place, pressing his body against me. 

“Oh, God.  Right there.  Don’t stop.”

“Louder!”

He picked up his pace as I continued crying out.  Finally, my orgasm took over as I cried out his name.  “Heath!  Oh, yes, ohhh.”

A few minutes later, hell, maybe it was just seconds, he pulled his fingers out of my body.  I was still trembling as his eyes penetrated my own.  He ran his wet fingers over my lips before placing them in his mouth and sucking them clean.  Groaning at the sensuality of it, I pulled his mouth to mine and kissed away the remnants of my orgasm from his lips.

Suddenly, I heard clapping and turned.  I was mortified.  Will was standing not more than ten feet away, puffing on a cigarette.  “That was hot.  Well done.”  Taking a drag, he pulled it out of his mouth and offered it over.  “If that doesn’t call for a smoke, nothing does.”