Candy Kisses

Chapter 17

Chapter 17: No Popcorn Tonight

During the drive home Dirk warred with his emotions and Monica remained quiet. Mostly she kept her gaze on the rolling countryside and averted her eyes from his.

When he'd invited her into the stall, it was as if an unseen force had guided him, and when he'd placed his hands over hers, he'd felt her spirit. She'd recognized the colt's issues were coming from his mother and Dirk's gift of discernment had told him she also struggled with the same heartbreak. That's when he'd kissed her. Even now, he wanted to pull the truck over and kiss her hurt away.

Mentally leashing himself, he forced visions of the two of them locked in an intimate embrace out of his mind. She was a spoiled woman. She was a gold digger.

But was she really?

She had never done anything to reinforce that idea. In fact, when he'd tried to pay her extra money to cover the expense of the clothing he'd wanted to charge to his account, she'd refused, and even gotten angry.

He pulled to his gate and punched the automatic opener hooked to his visor. A few seconds later the gate swung open and Monica turned away from the window to face forward. When she said, "I'm going to have to beg off the movie tonight, I have a headache," Dirk had no intention of trying to change her mind. He needed time away from her. She pulled on his heartstrings.

"Okay," he replied.

As soon as they entered the house, she bid him a quiet goodbye and rushed to her room.

Dirk entered the living room, picked up the remote, scanned some channels, and then said into the empty room, "Fuck!"

After that, he stalked to Monica's door, knocked, and waited. When she said, "I'm not feeling well. I can't answer the door," he opened it, saw her standing a few away swiping at tears, and took three steps until his body touched hers. Reaching one arm around her waist and the other behind her head, he pulled her gently into an embrace at the same time his head lowered. She whimpered when his mouth molded to hers. For an instant, neither of them moved, and then she whimpered again. Dirk was lost. The only person who had ever touched him the way she did was his wife. In that moment, everything vanished except Monica's smell, Monica's taste, and Monica's softness. Tenderly, he pressed little kisses to her lips, touching her sorrow and broken spirit with his own essence--two spirits, two hearts, yet only one. She reached her arms around his neck and held him tightly, as if he were her lifeline.

Even though the bed was only a few steps away, he lifted her into his arms and gently lowered her onto the soft mattress. When he felt fresh tears leak from her eyes, he was consumed by compassion and wanted only to heal this beautiful, wounded woman. And when his compassion became passion, she did not flinch away; she only clutched him tighter, as if trying to climb into his skin.

At the same time the sun reached its pinnacle, Dirk sank his body deeply into Monica's and they moved with the natural rhythm of lovers. Ever mindful of her pregnancy, he was gentle in his passion.

With a whisper, Monica said, "Oh, yes."

Dirk said against her ear, feather soft, "Baby, I only want to please you."

When she whispered, "You have," he was lost in his own ecstasy.