Emma's Heart

 

Emma’s Heart With approval from her cardiologist, Dr. Joseph Reese, Emma Shane is finally well enough for sex after her heart transplant. On a walk in the park, she meets Logan Walker. There’s something about him that is so familiar, but she just can’t place where she’s met him before. Logan has lived alone since his lover fell down the fire escape and died from head injuries. There’s something about Emma that strikes a chord in him, and he’s drawn to her. The doc tells Emma about cellular memory, memories from the transplanted organ. Whose heart has Emma received? Could that be the connection? Logan, the doc, and an old friend, Clay Archer, help her through some startling realizations. They also test her to see how much her heart can take—and how much she can love. Surprisingly, Emma has room in her strong, steady heart to love all three of them. Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre Length: 22,534 words 

 

EMMA’S HEART

Christelle Mirin

MENAGE AMOUR

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer. WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at [email protected]

 

A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Amour

EMMA’S HEART Copyright © 2012 by Christelle Mirin E-book ISBN: 1-61926-351-3 First E-book Publication: February 2012 Cover design by Jinger Heaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Emma’s Heart by Christelle Mirin from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Christelle Mirin’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Mirin’s right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

 

 

EMMA’S HEART CHRISTELLE MIRIN Copyright © 2012

Chapter One “I would say you are now healthy enough for sex as long as you don’t get too wild,” Dr. Reese said, raising an eyebrow. Emma Shane laughed long and hard, feeling it all the way to her belly. “And just who am I going to have sex with, huh? You know George left me right before the transplant. I haven’t even thought about meeting someone else. All I’ve had time to think about is my health and getting my life back.” Dr. Reese closed the file and crossed his arms over his chest. He leaned his hip against the exam table. “You’ll find someone, Emma.” Concern was evident in his eyes, along with a friendship that had grown over time. But a friendship was all it was, nothing more. Besides, even though the doc was a looker, he’d never shown an interest in taking the doctor-patient relationship any further. Meeting another man held no interest for her right now either. All she cared about was her health and living just a little longer. Dr. Reese sighed and patted her shoulder. “Well, Emma, if you weren’t my patient, I’d do you. You know that, right?” Emma laughed even harder this time. “You do make me feel good,” she said, once she caught her breath. “And you don’t even have to do me.”

 

8

Christelle Mirin

It was Dr. Reese’s turn to laugh. “Okay, get out of here. I don’t want to see you for three months. Unless you have problems”—he pointed at her—“don’t call me.” “I won’t, Doc.” She jumped off the exam table and slipped off the gown the nurse had given her. “Put some clothes on, Emma. You’ll give my nurses a fit if you run around in just your undies.” Doc gave her a stern look then laughed. “Make your appointment before you leave. Don’t make me call you.” “All right, all right,” she said, stepping into her jeans. “Stop your nagging. You might as well be the husband I’ll never have, I guess.” Doc hesitated at the door. “If you ever need someone just to talk to, call me.” Buttoning the waistband of her jeans, Emma sobered. “I will. And thanks.” Doc smiled. Then he turned and left, closing the door behind him. Shrugging on the white button-down blouse, which always made her feel like she should be working in an office somewhere, a thought struck her. She’d forgotten to ask the doc about the other things. Shirt still hanging partially open and half unbuttoned, she quickly opened the door to the exam room and stepped out into the hall. He was already gone, probably in another room with another patient. Ah well, she thought, moving back inside the room and closing the door. It wasn’t really that important. Finally getting her shirt buttoned and tucked into her jeans, Emma grabbed her jean jacket and headed for the nurse’s desk. The nurse was waiting for her. “Here you are, Ms. Shane. We’ll see you again at the end of August.” She handed her a small appointment reminder card. “If you have any problems before then, be sure to give us a call. Of course, you know the procedure about getting your labs done the week before the appointment, right?” “That I do,” Emma said, shoving the little white card with her next appointment written on it into her wallet. “I swear you people

 

Emma’s Heart

9

aren’t happy unless you’re sticking me with needles or running some weird tests.” She shoved her wallet back into her purse and grinned at the nurse. “And if you don’t be good, we’ll be poking you with even more needles.” She smiled at her and waved her off. “Go enjoy what’s left of the day, Ms. Shane. It’s gorgeous outside.” “That it is. I may even take a walk by the lake.” She gave her a wave and headed in the direction of the elevators. A walk by the water might be nice. Then maybe stop and grab a glass of wine somewhere. Well, wine was a thought anyway. She wasn’t allowed alcohol yet. Wait, the doc had said she could have one glass once in a while. No overdoing it. With a punch of the down button, Emma was looking forward to really starting to live her life again. The doc had said she was ready for sex, but what the doc didn’t know was how wild sex needed to be for her. She wondered if she should have told him about what her sex life was like before the transplant. Smiling, she could picture the look on his face if she told him just how much she liked the cold steel of handcuffs against the sensitive skin of her wrists. Twenty minutes later, she pulled into Edgewater Park and drove to a parking spot that was closest to the water before pulling in. She was going for a walk, but there was no sense in pushing it too far. Shutting the engine off, she slid out of the driver’s seat and closed the door, locking the car behind her. Keys in her pocket, she slid her purse up onto her shoulder, shoved her hands in the pockets of her coat, and began to walk. The water was a blue-gray, matching the sky. There was a light breeze kissing the waves, and every so often she’d catch a glimpse of the foam of a white cap. Emma continued along the path, listening to the seagulls screeching, letting the runners pass her as she ambled along, just enjoying being outside without a mask on her face.

 

10

Christelle Mirin

A young man sat on a bench up ahead, hands in his lap, gazing out at the water. As Emma approached, she noticed the man looked a little lost. Emma stopped beside the bench. “Nice day, huh?” The young man sat completely still then suddenly shivered. It seemed to shake him out of his daze. “What? I’m sorry. Did you ask me something?” He looked up at Emma with the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. “Are you okay?” Emma asked, placing her hand on the back of the bench. “I’m fine,” he replied, a sort of sad smile forming on his lips. “Just a bit out of it, that’s all.” “Mind if I sit down? Looks like you have a pretty nice view here.” Emma lifted her hand toward the lake. “I don’t mind.” The man scooted farther down the bench, giving her room. Then he turned his gaze back to the water and leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped between them. Emma sat down and draped one arm along the back of the bench, crossing one knee over the opposite knee. She drew in a deep breath, catching the scent of the water, which always managed to smell a little fishy. She glanced at the man beside her. Young, maybe late twenties, with beautiful blue eyes the color of the ocean, much bluer than the water of Lake Erie. He had dark-blond hair, slightly wavy, ruffled by the breeze as it grazed the crisp white collar of his shirt. His clothing was odd for someone sitting on a park bench on a Thursday afternoon. He wore black pin-striped suit pants, a jacket to match slung over the bench back behind him, and shiny black shoes that looked like they cost the full amount of one of Emma’s paychecks after taxes. What was this guy doing here? What was his story? And why in the world did he look so damn familiar? He certainly didn’t dress like the people Emma knew. All of Emma’s friends and coworkers wore jeans, work boots, and hard hats.

 

Emma’s Heart

11

Well, that was when she did work. Emma hadn’t worked in well over a year. Thinking about it now sort of depressed her. She enjoyed her work and missed it at times like this. She loved inspecting new construction, being a part of building something fresh and new. She sighed and looked out over the water. The breeze was kicking up stronger now, threatening to turn itself into an outright wind. Emma bent her arm that had been resting on the back of the bench, keeping her elbow propped on it, and took her earlobe between her thumb and forefinger and began rubbing it slowly as she gazed out at the water. Her world had changed so much in the last year. Some things for the better, some things just up and disappearing. Like George. “Now you’re the one who looks a bit out of it,” the young man sitting beside him on the bench said. Emma dropped her hand from her ear and chuckled. “We’re some pair, huh? Both of us a bit on the bleary side and not a drink in sight.” Those blue eyes were trained on her, a look of intensity creasing his forehead. Emma felt almost like a bug under a magnifying glass. Strangely, the feeling didn’t bother her. What was it about this guy? “Would you like to go have a drink?” the guy asked, out of the blue and speaking a hundred miles an hour. A weird fluttering tickled inside Emma’s chest then was gone. “You know, I wouldn’t mind that at all. Looks like it might be kicking up a storm anyway.” Maybe he was interested in her. Going for just one drink wouldn’t hurt, would it? The young man smiled for the first time, dimples in his cheeks deep, his straight white teeth nearly sparkling. Emma’s stomach tightened. This man before her was even more handsome when he smiled. Emma drew in a slow breath and forced herself to relax. It wasn’t like one drink was going to lead to anything more. The young man stood up, carefully lifting his coat from the back of the bench and draping it over his arm. “Shall we meet at The

 

12

Christelle Mirin

Neighborhood? It’s a pub about six blocks down, on the corner at West 117th?” Emma stood, sliding her hand into the pocket of her jeans, and pulled out her keys. “You sure I can’t give you a ride…I’m sorry, but I don’t know your name?” “Logan.” He offered his hand. Emma took it, noticing how soft and warm it was and how nice it would feel sliding up her thigh— “My name is Emma.” “Glad to meet you, Emma.” Logan pulled his hand gently out of the handshake. “I hope you don’t mind that I prefer to meet you at the pub instead of riding with you. I don’t want to leave my car parked here. You’re not offended in any way, are you?” Emma shook her head. “Of course not. Why would that offend me? I totally understand, and I’ll tell you what, I’ll buy the first round.” That smile again, blooming on his lips. Damn. “I’ll see you in a few minutes then.” Logan turned and began to cross the park to another parking lot. Emma watched him go. Even the young man’s walk seemed familiar. Emma tossed her keys up in the air a few inches then caught them in the same hand, feeling better than she had a few minutes ago. Turning, she headed for her car, wondering where in the world she’d seen Logan before. It wasn’t that she’d seen him once or twice, either. It felt more familiar than that. Like she’d seen him every day or something. She beeped the lock on her car and slid into the driver’s seat, still puzzled. She started the car and backed out of the space and turned toward 117th Street. Maybe she could solve the mystery of where she’d seen Logan over a drink. The way Logan talked though, the words he chose and the way he said them, even the way his mouth moved when he talked gave Emma the impression he wasn’t a beer-drinking kind of guy. Even the word “guy” didn’t fit him. “Young man” was better. Emma shook her head,

 

Emma’s Heart

13

wrist resting on the steering wheel while she waited for the traffic light to change. Logan seemed so upper crust and higher class that she couldn’t imagine where she’d met him before. What made him ask me out for a drink? I’m not like him. It must be because he was interested in her. The light changed, and Emma moved forward. Even if he was interested, Emma wasn’t sure she was ready for a relationship. Sex, well, the doc had said she was ready for that. From the way her tummy and her pussy had responded when Logan smiled that great smile of his, Emma wouldn’t mind getting a little closer to the guy. Maybe even a lot closer. Emma tucked her hair behind her ear. She was nervous now, and she shouldn’t be. But it had been a long time since she had been intimate with anyone, and even though the doc said she was good to go about having sex, she was worried about her heart. “Never know until you give it a try,” she said, pulling into a parking space in front of the pub Logan said to meet him at. Whether she ended up getting to know Logan a lot better or they just had drinks, it didn’t matter. Emma was just happy to be alive and breathing, with at least the promise of making a new friend.

 

14

Christelle Mirin

Chapter Two Logan Walker sat at the bar, wondering exactly what he was doing there. He had gone to the park on impulse and sat looking out at the lake, missing Christi. It had been a year and a half since Christi had fallen down the stairs. Logan had recently begun to feel his life wasn’t over, even if Christi’s was. For some odd reason, he had left the dealership early today and took a walk in the park, and that was what had placed him on the bench looking at the lake. He didn’t know why he’d gone there, only that he had an unrelenting urge to go. He had fought it all morning and finally gave up around three o’clock and jumped in his car and ended up at the park. He took a sip from the glass of water that sat on the bar in front of him. Was fate involved in his life today? To have met Emma there in the park had to have been fate. He didn’t know the woman, but there was something about her that seemed…familiar. Especially when he had glanced over at her and Emma was rubbing her earlobe with her thumb and forefinger. Christi used to do that when she was thinking. Logan shrugged, trying to loosen the tight muscles in his shoulders. Being only four thirty in the afternoon, the pub was literally empty. Logan glanced toward the booths, wondering if he should have sat there instead of here at the bar. The booths would have been more private. But then, he didn’t know if he wanted to be more private at this point. Emma looked like a nice girl, but he never knew, did he? He checked his watch. Emma should have been here by now. The traffic wasn’t bad just yet, and it was only six blocks.

 

Emma’s Heart

15

Swiveling on his barstool, Logan turned just in time to see Emma walk through the door. Not-too-tight jeans, worn in all the right places, with a stark white shirt tucked into the waistband beneath the faded jean jacket, Emma looked like a rough-edged girl, her look younger than she probably was. Her chestnut hair, ruffled from the breeze, flowed over her collar in tousled waves, and her large brown eyes held the look of calm that Logan rarely saw in a woman’s eyes. Emma raised one hand and threaded her fingers through her hair as she looked around the pub. A smile broke on her full lips when she saw Logan at the bar. Logan swallowed, intrigued and attracted at the same time. He watched Emma walk toward him and wondered just where this drink would lead. Emma didn’t look easy, but then, Logan knew from experience, he couldn’t tell if a woman was easy by just looking. “Hey, sorry it took me so long. I swear I caught every light.” Emma slid onto a barstool beside him. “What are you drinking?” Logan cleared his throat, feeling a strange tightness there. “Water right now. But I’m open to something stronger if you are.” Emma shrugged out of her coat, tossing it onto the barstool on the other side of her. She began to roll up the sleeves of her shirt, which was unbuttoned down to the curve of her cleavage. “I’m going to have something a bit tamer.” She raised one hand to get the bartender’s attention. Logan couldn’t help but notice how Emma’s hands looked. No fancy manicure, nails trimmed short. Funny, the jeans and jean jacket fit the impression she was a working girl, but the white button-down shirt didn’t. “What can I get you?” the bartender asked from the other side of the bar. Emma looked at Logan and raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I guess I’ll have a diet cola.” Logan smiled and glanced at Emma. “Little early for something stronger.”

 

16

Christelle Mirin

Emma nodded. “Agreed.” She looked at the bartender. “I’ll have a ginger ale with five cherries.” Logan’s heart skipped a beat. Ginger ale with five cherries. Christi’s favorite drink when she wasn’t drinking alcohol. Logan picked up his glass of water and shakily took a sip. “Everything okay?” Emma asked. Swallowing quickly, Logan smiled at her. “Yeah, I mean, yes. Everything’s fine. Why do you ask?” “You had the funniest look on your face. Like you’d seen a ghost or something.” The bartender placed their drinks in front of them. Emma leaned sideways and reached for her purse and took her wallet out. She took a few bills out and slid them across the bar. “Keep the change.” “Thanks.” The bartender nodded and returned to the other end of the bar where he had been going through receipts. Emma took a sip of her ginger ale, the cherries floating in the center of the liquid, blocked from coming to the top by the ice cubes. “Mmm, good.” She turned to Logan. “So, Logan, what do you do for a living?” Logan blinked, trying to focus on what Emma was saying. The glass of ginger all glimmered like champagne in the dim light of the pub. “Sorry, I was…never mind. I work at Baker’s. The Jaguar dealership over on the south side.” “Jaguar. Hmph. Nice cars. Don’t know if I’d ever feel right driving one, but I wouldn’t mind giving it a try.” Emma parked one elbow on the bar. “I wondered why you were dressed so nice, too nice to be sitting on a park bench in the middle of the afternoon.” “Yes, that.” Logan turned toward her. “Have you ever had a strong calling to go somewhere? Somewhere you don’t usually go at a time you are normally doing something else, like working?” Logan liked the way Emma looked him in the eye when he spoke. It showed she was truly interested in what he was saying. He wished he would have offered to buy the drinks. It didn’t feel right that a woman

 

Emma’s Heart

17

should be buying when it was their first drink together, even if it wasn’t alcohol. “As a matter of fact, I have. What was your feeling today?” Emma took a sip of her ginger ale. “I felt the need to go to the park. I don’t know why.” “Well, I’m glad you did.” Emma ran her fingers through her hair again. “It seems like I haven’t just sat down and had a conversation with someone in a long time.” “Me, also.” Logan had a good feeling about Emma. She could be a friend if it didn’t lead to something else, something more. Logan could use a friend. All he had done for the past year was go to work, sell a few cars, and go home to an empty apartment. “Would you like to have dinner?” he asked, hoping for once he’d have a dinner companion. His friends had tried to fix him up with other women, but he didn’t want anything to do with that. He hated being invited to a dinner party only to find out he was being matched up with another single girl who was on the rebound from a bad relationship. That was the last thing he needed, to listen to someone regaling him with a former lover’s bad traits. This was different. Meeting Emma in the park felt right somehow. It would be interesting to know if they got along well. At least well enough to be friends. After all, Logan didn’t know if Emma was single, married, or in a relationship, yet. “What do you have in mind?” Emma asked, smiling. Logan noticed how the smile went all the way to her eyes. A true smile, the corners of Emma’s eyes crinkling invitingly. “I’ll leave that up to you. We could get a bite here, or somewhere else. Or I could make dinner. Do you like Italian?” Emma laughed, the sound rolling over Logan like a roller coaster of happiness. Again, Logan had the sense that meeting Emma was so very right. “I love Italian,” Emma said when she finally stopped laughing. She glanced toward the bartender, who was still at the far end of the bar, head tilted down, working on his paperwork. Emma looked back

 

18

Christelle Mirin

at Logan. “I have to ask you something, and please don’t take me the wrong way.” “Ask.” Logan leaned forward, leaning his elbow on the bar. “I’ll try not to take it wrong.” Emma met his gaze, his brown eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “Are you…married?” Logan’s stomach tightened. Here was the moment of truth, so to speak. “No. Is that a problem?” A smile slowly bloomed on Emma’s mouth. “No. Most definitely not.” “Are you…?” Emma shook her head and grinned mischievously. He picked up his glass of ginger ale and raised it. “To a chance meeting.” Logan smiled, feeling more right than ever in this meeting. He picked up his glass of diet cola and touched it against Emma’s glass. “To a chance meeting.” They both took a sip of their beverage then placed their glasses back on the bar. “So,” Logan began. “Since we’re both on the same single, let me ask you a question.” “Shoot.” Emma tilted her head invitingly. “Are you in a relationship?” Logan fought the urge to hold his breath. This chance meeting held the implication it could be much more than what it seemed. “No. I’ve been single for, well, over a year now. You?” Logan wasn’t sure how much he wanted to reveal at this point. He definitely didn’t want to dampen the rapport they had with the details of Christi’s death and his loneliness since that day. Maybe once they got to know each other better. “I’ve been single for a while now.” Emma nodded, obviously pleased. “Then I don’t have to worry about a jealous lover at home, right?” “No, you don’t have to worry about that.” Logan chuckled.

 

Emma’s Heart

19

“Then I wouldn’t mind having Italian tonight now that I don’t have to worry about defending myself or getting caught having dinner with such a handsome man.” Logan’s face grew hot. He turned away for a moment, shielding the blush he knew flushed his cheeks by taking a long drink of his cola. “Did I say something wrong?” Emma asked, touching him lightly on the arm. Warmth flooded through Logan, up his arm, and straight to his heart. The touch was light, but he felt the heat of Emma’s fingertips through the fabric of his shirt. A gentle touch, but a caring one. Logan could use more of that. With a deep breath, Logan shook off the sensations he was having, chalking it up to being without another’s touch for so long, and turned back to Emma. “No, of course not. It’s just—” “Been a long time,” Emma finished for him. “I got cha. Same here.” She removed her hand and picked up her glass, downing the rest of his ginger ale. Then she reached into the glass and plucked out one of the cherries, popping it into her mouth. She pulled the stem from between her lips and dropped it back in the glass. Trying to lighten the moment, Logan asked, “What sort of sauce do you prefer? Marinara or Alfredo?” “Alfredo, most definitely. I never was one for red sauce.” Just like Christi. “Alfredo it is then. I can make a fairly decent pollo carbonera. Can you do garlic bread?” “I can.” She rubbed her palms together as if getting ready to begin a project. “I take it we’re cooking at your place?” “Would that be okay?” “I don’t have anywhere else to go today. I think it would be great. The two of us can cook, talk, and get to know each other.” She grinned widely. “Do you have everything for dinner, or do we need to stop for supplies?”

 

20

Christelle Mirin

Logan was getting excited about how this day was ending when a few hours ago it had seemed so dismal. “I have all the staples we need for dinner, but if you wouldn’t mind, you could stop and pick up a nice bottle of wine.” Emma reached over and grabbed her jacket and purse off the bar stool beside her and stood. “That I can do. Red or white?” She slipped his jacket on and flipped her hair out of the collar. “White, it will go better with the Alfredo.” Emma nodded. “Tell me where I need to be when and we’re on.”

 

Emma’s Heart

21

Chapter Three After asking the bartender for a scrap of paper and a pen, Emma jotted down Logan’s address and agreed to meet him there in half an hour. Finally, she was beginning to live her life again, and it felt damn good. She quickly stopped at the corner grocery, picked up two bottles of wine, and typed in Logan’s address in her GPS. Though she wouldn’t be able to drink more than one glass of wine, and she was taking a chance doing even that, having dinner with Logan felt like she was getting on the right track, and she was looking forward to eating, talking, and just spending time with a man. True, it felt a little weird that she had bought the first drinks and he was cooking dinner, but what the heck? It was almost a date, and she wasn’t going to turn down having dinner and some nice conversation with a handsome man. The only people she had spent any real time with the past year were the doctors and nurses in the rehabilitation facility. They were great, but it wasn’t the same. Emma had no family to speak of, and the family she did have wasn’t worth speaking to. None of them had come to visit her in rehab. Not one of them. Sure, some of her coworkers had come to visit in the beginning, but after she’d been there for a month, they, too, seemed to disappear. She was okay with it. They had other things to do, better things than to visit an invalid who’d just had a heart transplant. Pulling up in front of Logan’s building, Emma was in luck. There was a parking space just a half block down. She angled the car into the space and grabbed the bag containing the wine from the passenger seat. After locking up, she walked down the sidewalk, taking note of

 

22

Christelle Mirin

the well-trimmed grass and the spring flowers beginning to bloom in front of the vintage brown brick building. She entered the vestibule and scanned the names next to the buzzer buttons. Logan’s apartment was number twelve, she already knew, but it was one of those diehard habits people had. Emma always scanned the names even though it was highly unlikely she’d recognize any of them. Just as she reached up to press the buzzer, a name did catch her eye. Clay Archer. Emma’s hand froze in midair. What in the world was going on today? First, meeting a handsome single man on the day her doctor okayed her to have sex, and now, finding the name of an old lover listed alongside the name of the prospective new lover. Imagine that. Emma smoothed the tip of her finger over the name sticker of Clay Archer. How long had it been? Must be five years now. The old feelings of passion that had burned white-hot between them threatened to come to the surface again. “Now isn’t the time,” she whispered, the sound unusually loud in the silence of the vestibule. Telling herself she might look into Clay Archer later, just to ask how he’s been, she pushed the buzzer for number twelve. A small round speaker crackled, and then a voice issued from it. “Emma?” The voice was tinny and slightly distorted, but Emma could tell it was Logan. “It’s me. Got the wine,” she said into the speaker, finger pressing the intercom button beside it. A loud buzz sounded, and she heard the latch on the door click. “Come on up,” Logan said through the speaker. Emma grabbed the door handle and pulled. Stepping through the door and into the building, Emma felt like she’d been mistakenly thrown into a 1940s film noir. The building’s interior looked as if nothing had been changed since it had been built, from the art deco wall sconces to the metal accordion elevator door. She expected

 

Emma’s Heart

23

someone dressed in gangster garb to come around the corner any minute. Continuing down the hall, she passed apartment number six, the one the name Clay Archer had been noted next to on the buzzer row. She hesitated only for a moment, the old feelings swirling inside, then walked on, leaving it for another time. She found number twelve at the end of the hall on the left. The door stood ajar, and she could hear classical music playing softly inside. Emma placed her fingertips on the door and pushed. The music got a little louder as the door opened. Emma wasn’t sure what the song was, but she liked it. It made her want to smile. “Hello?” she called out, stepping into what must be the living room. Logan peered around a door frame. “Come on in the kitchen. I’m still cooking.” Then his head disappeared back into what Emma now knew was the kitchen. When Emma stepped into the kitchen, she saw an amazing sight. Logan, dressed in an apron, his shirt sleeves rolled up, and no shoes or socks, was swaying to the music while he stirred a steaming pot of pasta. Emma caught the scent of chicken and garlic and something else she didn’t recognize. She breathed in deeply, savoring the smells of good food cooking in the kitchen. “Nice,” she said, catching Logan’s attention enough to make him turn toward her, spoon held high over the pot. “You think so?” Logan smiled, although a bit tremulously. Emma gently placed the bag containing the wine on the glass top of the dining table at the far end of the kitchen. “Very nice. Smells like home.” She turned back toward Logan, only to find him staring at her, the hand holding the spoon absently lowering. Emma held Logan’s gaze, unmoving. Something had passed between them. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it felt important. “You okay?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

 

24

Christelle Mirin

Logan blinked, looking very much like someone who had just awakened from a dream. “Yeah,” he said simply, turning back to his pot. “You can put the wine in the freezer so it will chill faster. The pasta is almost ready,” he said without turning from the stove. Opening the freezer, Emma noted how clean and organized it was then placed both bottles on a shelf on their side. This man was not like the men she usually dated. The apartment looked spotless, and to beat it all, he cooked. And in bare feet with an apron, no less! She took off her jacket and hung it on the back of one of the chairs at the table. Logan still stood at the stove, stirring first one pot, then another. His shoulders looked slightly slumped, and he was no longer swaying to the music. Emma walked up behind him and placed both hands on Logan’s shoulders. She leaned forward until her cheek was almost even with Logan’s. He smelled of cologne, a woodsy scent. “Okay,” Emma said softly. “What have I done?” “Nothing. It’s nothing.” Emma reached around Logan and flicked the two buttons for the burners he was using on the stove to off. “Logan, look at me.” Dropping the spoon into the pot, Logan sighed. Stepping back, Emma used her hands to turn Logan toward her. The look in Logan’s eyes was full of sadness. Placing her hands back on Logan’s shoulders, Emma said, “Tell me what’s wrong. What did I say to make you look like that?” Meeting her gaze, Logan shrugged. “It’s just the ‘home’ comment. This place hasn’t felt like home for quite some time.” “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sad.” She placed the palm of her hand against Logan’s cheek, the slight stubble there causing a tickling sensation on her palm. “What can I do to make it up to you? Things were going so well.” “I really don’t know.” He raised one hand then dropped it. “Well,” Emma said, moving slightly closer. “How about this?” Still cupping Logan’s cheek in her palm, Emma lowered her head.

 

Emma’s Heart

25

The first brush of her lips against Logan’s caused her body to heat. Logan didn’t pull away. Emma closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of Logan’s mouth, so pliant beneath hers, the slight scruff of his stubble against her chin as she deepened the kiss a tantalizing sensation. Emma moved her other hand to the back of Logan’s head and groaned. Mmm, she hadn’t had such a hot kiss in forever. Logan slid his arms around Emma’s waist, pressing against her as he tilted his head and parted his lips. Emma didn’t hesitate. Stepping back one step, she pulled Logan with her away from the stove and tenderly slipped her tongue into his mouth. He tasted of Alfredo sauce with the slight tang of garlic, savory and creamy. Her breasts came to attention, tingling with the promise this kiss, this delicious kiss, held. Logan’s fingers clutched at the back of her shirt, and he let out a tiny moan. A wave of heat passed over Emma. She’d better back off before this went too far. Lifting her head, she looked into the bluest eyes that were so open and sincere, her heart rolling in her chest. Smiling, Emma swiped her thumb over Logan’s bottom lip, the softness of his mouth amazing against the pad of her thumb. Logan opened his mouth and surged forward, taking Emma’s thumb into the warmth of his mouth. Logan stroked Emma’s thumb with his tongue, closing his eyes as he wrapped his fingers around Emma’s wrist to hold her thumb there. “Oh shit,” Emma said, clenching her jaw. She wanted this man. For the first time since she’d had the transplant, she felt a sexual attraction that was almost uncontrollable. If he could do to her pussy what he was doing to her thumb with his tongue, he’d have her coming within seconds. “If you don’t stop doing that, we’re not going to have dinner.” Logan glanced up at her, grinning around the thumb in his mouth. Slowly, he pulled Emma’s thumb from his mouth. “I’ll stop. If things continue between us like this, you’ll have to eat dinner because you’ll need your strength.”

 

26

Christelle Mirin

Emma took a deep breath and moved away from the delectable mouth of the man in front of her before she decided to have him for dinner. She brushed her hair back, tucking the wayward strands behind her ears. “Let’s have dinner. Then…” Logan chuckled and turned back toward the stove. “There are some wineglasses in the cabinet beside the fridge. You pour while I plate our dinners.” He looked over his shoulder. “All of a sudden, I’m very hungry.” Emma swallowed hard and went to the cabinet for the glasses. The man was most definitely attracted to her. The heat in the kitchen had nothing to do with the stove. Removing one bottle of wine from the freezer, she set about pouring two glasses of wine, fighting the urge to lift one glass and down it. There was dampness in her crotch, her pussy wet from the heat generated from the kiss. Good Lord, that had been the first time she’d kissed anyone in a year or more. Her hand shook, causing the wine bottle to jitter on the rim of the wineglass she was currently pouring. She tightened her lips, swearing at herself for being so nervous. She wasn’t normally nervous when meeting someone, but this time, something told her the friendship she was about to strengthen with Logan was so much more important than any other she’d had before. She didn’t want to screw it up. Sometimes she came off a bit rough, and it affected some people the wrong way. But she liked the way she was, and if they couldn’t handle it, that was their problem. Logan didn’t seem to have a problem with it. Obviously. And, if the kiss they’d just shared led to something more tonight, she was worried about what it would do to her heart. There was always that to think about now. The doc had said having sex was okay, she reminded herself. Still, if the sex was anything as hot as their kiss, she wasn’t sure she would survive it in one piece. The last thing she needed was to end up back in the hospital with a heart attack and having to explain what caused

 

Emma’s Heart

27

it. The doc didn’t know she like rough and rowdy sex. It wasn’t something she broadcast to everyone. Finished pouring the wine, she turned toward Logan. Two plates full of steaming, delicious-smelling food in his hands, Logan smiled and walked toward her. “Dinner is served.”

 

28

Christelle Mirin

Chapter Four The first bite Emma took of the pollo carbonera almost made her groan with delight. The sauce was the creamiest she’d ever tasted, and the blend of flavors from the bits of chicken, mushroom, bacon, and rosemary was exquisite. “Oh my god,” she said after she swallowed. “This is awesome. You’re a great cook, Logan.” Logan smiled at her across the table. “I’m glad you like it. I’ve been working on that sauce for years, and I think I’ve finally got it right.” “You do, you do. It’s perfect.” Emma shoved another bite into her mouth. Her stomach growled, wanting more and quickly. “Is cooking your hobby?” she asked after she swallowed. She reached for her glass of wine. “I like being in the kitchen. It makes me feel more like a homebody, I guess.” Logan took a sip of his wine. “Selling cars and putting on the persona of a high-end sort of person is tiring sometimes.” “I couldn’t do it. I’m not that sort of person.” Logan placed his wineglass back on the table and laced his fingers together above his plate. “Tell me, what do you do for a living?” Emma laid her fork beside his plate. The moment of truth had come. “I was a new construction inspector. Inspecting new building sites. I don’t do that anymore, haven’t for over a year. Now…I’m disabled.” Logan tilted his head. “You don’t look disabled.” “Thanks. But I am.” She wondered how her next comment was going to affect this budding friendship. “I’ve had a heart transplant.”

 

Emma’s Heart

29

Logan’s eyes widened. “Seriously? You don’t look, well, like you’re even ill.” “Thanks.” Emma chuckled. “I’m much better now since I’ve had my transplant.” Frowning, Logan placed his hands in his lap. “Can I ask what caused your heart problems? I mean, if we’re going to be friends, I’d really like to know. If you don’t mind, that is.” “I don’t have a problem telling you.” Emma took another sip of wine, noticing she only had a few sips left before her glass would be empty. Too bad. The wine was really good, but she wasn’t going to chance having another glass. “Well, since I work in construction, I worked at quite a few messed-up sites. When a project is begun, the construction company has to clear the site. That’s where I come in, after it’s cleared. I have to inspect it. You sure you want this long explanation?” Logan nodded, pure interest in his eyes. “Go on.” “Well then, at least eat your dinner while I’m talking.” Picking up his fork, Logan placed a bite in his mouth and waved his other hand to indicate Emma should continue. “I don’t want to get too technical since I don’t really understand all of it,” Emma continued. “But here’s basically what happened. About a year and a half ago, I was inspecting a site that had been abandoned for quite some time. After the old building was torn down in preparation for the new one, I had to inspect the clean up at the site. It was horribly decayed and seagulls had crapped all over the place.” She took a bite of his food and quickly chewed it. “To make a long story a bit shorter, I ended up feeling like I had the flu. I hate doctors, so I just suffered through it while I worked, but when I started having chest pains, I figured it was time to go get checked out. I tell you, I wasn’t prepared for what they told me.” She chuckled. “What was it? It obviously wasn’t the flu?” Logan took a sip of wine then refilled his glass. He held the bottle toward Emma and raised his eyebrows.

 

30

Christelle Mirin

Emma held her hand over his glass. “No thanks. One glass only.” “Would you like some water then?” “That would be nice.” Logan rose from his chair and got a bottle of water out of the fridge, placing it beside Emma’s glass, then sat back down. “Tell me more,” he said. Emma took another bite and followed it with the last of her wine. This was so delicious she didn’t want to miss a smidgen of it. “So the doctor’s said I had caught something from the bird droppings. It wasn’t the flu. And whatever it was I caught, I can’t remember the name of it, had affected my heart. I was in heart failure, and I had let it go on long enough that I needed a transplant. They immediately put me on the transplant list.” “That is pretty scary. How did you manage?” “Scary isn’t the word for it.” Emma chuckled again, remembering just how scared she had been. After all, she was only thirty-two. Nowhere near old, not even middle-age. “I went home and waited. Thankfully I didn’t have to wait long. After the transplant, I stayed in the hospital for a while and then went to a rehab facility. They said since I had been in such good shape before I got sick, it helped in my recovery.” Logan slowly laid his fork on his plate. “Are you fully recovered? I mean, do you have to watch what you do and not strain yourself? I’m sorry for all these questions, but I really am interested.” “I do have to be a little careful. For a while, whenever I went outside, I had to wear one of those little masks.” She waved a hand in front of his face. “Thankfully I don’t have to do that anymore. I just saw the doc today, and he gave me a clean bill of health. As long as I take my antirejection drugs, I can do just about anything I want, to a certain limit.” A strange look came over Logan’s face. He raised his wineglass and drank almost half of it in one long drink.

 

Emma’s Heart

31

Emma frowned. Now what was wrong? “You look like you’re concerned about something.” Replacing his glass on the table, Logan looked her in the eye. “I like you. I really like you. And for some strange reason, you seem familiar to me, like we’ve known each other for a long time. The problem is, if your heart is so fragile, I’m wondering how far this relationship will go.” “Meaning?” “To put it bluntly—are you able to have sex?” Logan looked at her wide-eyed. Emma smiled. “Yes. The doc said I’m ready as long as I don’t get ‘too wild,’ as he put it.” “That’s wonderful news.” “Do you think this”—Emma waved her hand over the table— “will lead to sex? Excuse me for being so blunt, but that seems to be where this conversation is leading.” Her body was already heating at the thought. Gosh, it had been so long… Logan lifted his napkin from his lap and placed it on the table. “It very well may lead to sex. I think you and I have a certain rapport, and I’d like to see where it leads. Would you like some coffee?” Emma couldn’t believe how well this day was going. There was the distinct possibility it was going to get even better. She placed his napkin on the table, her stomach full of good food and her interest piqued. She liked the fact that Logan was being so blunt about the whole thing. She never had been one to play games or be coy. “I would love some coffee.” “Let’s have it in the living room.” Logan rose from the table and began to clear the dishes. “Let me help you.” Emma began clearing dishes, moving around the kitchen with Logan as if they’d done this a hundred times. Once in a while, they would brush against each other as Emma rinsed the dishes in the sink and Logan prepared the coffee. Each time their bodies touched, whether it was an arm against arm bump or a hip

 

32

Christelle Mirin

brushing against an ass, Emma felt her temperature rise at least a degree. Her body was calling out to her that it needed to be touched and stroked. She needed some intimate attention, that was for sure. Once the coffee was done, Logan reached for two mugs and filled them, handing one to Emma after she dried her hands on a dish towel. “Thanks,” Emma said, sniffing the aromatic brew. “Come on. Let’s go sit in the living room and relax.” Logan led the way into the next room. Emma followed, carrying her mug carefully so she didn’t spill it on the off-white area rug that covered the floor in front of the couch. The apartment was nicely decorated with semimodern furniture. Though it was clean, Emma could tell someone lived here thanks to the photographs on the narrow bookshelf on the far wall. For some unknown reason, she had the urge to gravitate toward it and look at the pictures. Carefully placing her mug on the glass-topped coffee table, she pointed toward the photos. “Mind if I take a look?” Logan gazed at her for the span of three heartbeats then nodded his permission. “Be my guest.” “Thanks.” She crossed the room, stopping just in front of the bookcase. “I like looking at photos. It gives you a peek inside someone’s life,” she commented without turning around. Especially ones that aren’t posed. She reached for a framed photo and picked it up. Logan was in the photo, head thrown back laughing, a look of pure happiness on his face. Beside him was a woman somewhere close to Logan’s age, her hand on Logan’s thigh and laughing along with him while they sat on a park bench very much like the one where she had met him earlier today. “That’s Christi and I,” Logan said from the couch. “It was taken in almost the same place I met you.” Emma looked sharply toward him. “Really?” “Yes.” Logan sat on the center couch cushion and leaned back, coffee mug in hand. “She died not long after that picture was taken.”

 

Emma’s Heart

33

Fingers gripping the edge of the frame, Emma searched Logan’s eyes. There was an emptiness there, some sort of loss. “I assume you and she were—” “Lovers, yes.” A smile flashed across his lips then was gone. “It doesn’t hurt as much now as it used to.” Emma reverently placed the photo back in its position of honor on the top shelf of the bookcase, her gaze lingering on the face of the woman Logan had so obviously loved and still missed. There was something about the look in the woman’s eyes… She shook her head. It was probably nothing. Moving to the couch, she sat beside Logan and placed her hand on Logan’s knee. “I’m sorry if I’ve dredged up some painful feelings.” Placing his hand on top of Emma’s, he smiled, and this time it stayed on his lips. “I’ve got a sense those painful feelings will soon be replaced with another strong emotion.” Emma liked the way this was going. The yearning for some steamy, hot sex infused her with confidence. She leaned closer to Logan, her hand moving further up toward his crotch. “And what emotion would that be?” Logan leaned forward and placed his mug on the coffee table. When he turned back to Emma, his eyes had turned dusky. “Pleasure. An emotion I’m sure each of us will thoroughly enjoy.” With that, he claimed Emma’s mouth with a kiss that could light a match without striking it against anything. Emma let him take the lead. She wasn’t sure if he was into the sexual sort of things she was, but it shouldn’t be long before she found out. She liked being the submissive half of a partnership, bondage included. She just wasn’t sure he was into that. Right now, this felt damn good. With a groan, Emma parted her lips and invited him in. Tongues dueling, Emma’s fingers fumbled with the buttons of Logan’s shirt, but they kept eluding her grasp. Frustrated, she pushed against Logan’s chest.

 

34

Christelle Mirin

Logan pulled back. “What?” His face was flushed, probably from their tongue wrestling. “Clothes.” Emma sat up. “Off. Now.” They both stood, gazes mating while they stripped. Their clothes landed where they may, flung through the air in their hurry to touch skin to skin. Logan’s eyes were drawn to the pinkish long scar that ran between her breasts to her belly. “It’s okay, Logan. I won’t break.” He reached out with one hand, stopping just before he touched the scar. His eyes flicked to hers. She nodded, giving him permission to touch. Tenderly, he touched the top of her scar lightly then gently ran his fingertips the whole length of it, stopping just above her belly button. She arched her back, his touch like awakening every fiber in her body. She met his gaze, her breasts swelling with the need to be touched, her nipples peaking to hard, little buttons. “Bedroom?” Logan asked in a husky voice. Emma shook her head. “No, let’s just stay right here for now.” Stepping forward and sliding her hand to the nape of Logan’s neck, she claimed the man’s mouth while she used the other hand to explore the smooth skin of his naked chest. Tongues tangling yet again, breath hot and mingling, Emma was aware of the solid thud of her heart beating just slightly faster in her chest. Dropping her hand from his chest, she slid her arm around his neck and pressed her breasts against him. Skin against hot skin. Lord, she wanted more. Her thoughts turned to her heart, wondering how much it could take. So far so good, and it was a good thing, too, since there was nothing that was going to stop her from wrapping her fingers around the hot, hard cock that was currently poking her insistently in the belly. Logan was hard and ready, but Emma wanted something else to begin this tryst. “Will you go down on me?” Emma asked, coming up for air.

 

Emma’s Heart

She didn’t have to ask twice.

 

35

36

Christelle Mirin

Chapter Five Logan knelt in front of her, placing his hands tenderly on her thighs. Emma threaded her fingers into the soft blond curls on Logan’s head when he gingerly spread the cleft of her pussy, exposing the hot flesh to himself. She almost came as soon as his tongue flicked hotly over her swollen clit. Sucking a hissing breath through clenched teeth, Emma tightened her tummy muscles when Logan took her clit between his lips and began to suck. Her pussy creamed, coming to life again after all this time. Sweat began to bead on her forehead, and she reached up with one hand to swipe her hair back. Emma felt warmth spreading through her, her heart thudding strong and hard in her chest. Logan swirled his tongue around in circles over her clit then used his free hand to cup the cheeks of Emma’s ass, squeezing them gently. Emma groaned, the muscles in her thighs beginning to quiver as her pussy clenched and pulsed. Logan had to stop or she was going to come. Using her hands, fingers threaded in his hair, Emma urged Logan’s head back. “Stop, you’ve got to stop,” she said, her throat raspy. Logan pulled back and looked up at her, his lips glistening with her juice. “Have I done something wrong? Have I hurt you? Is it your heart?” Smoothing Logan’s hair back, Emma met his gaze. “Everything’s fine. It’s just I don’t want to come just yet. I have something else in mind.”

 

Emma’s Heart

37

Logan tilted his head, standing up in front of her, his cock at attention. “What would that be?” Emma smiled crookedly. “I’m sort of into being a little submissive.” Logan raised an eyebrow. “Tell me.” She moved forward, placing her hands on his shoulders. “What I like,” she said, tracing his lower lip with a fingertip, “is to be…controlled. It really turns me on to have a man tell me what he wants me to do. Are you into that sort of thing?” He smiled, his eyes smoky with lust. “Are you kidding?” He took her mouth, one hand going to the back of her head and holding her in place while he devoured her lips. “I want you to wait right here,” he said, his voice deep. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.” He turned and walked into a room on the right, disappearing. Emma blew out a breath and raked her hands through her hair, trying to settle her heart down. Logan was giving her the idea he could play the part she wanted him to play exactly and he was going to enjoy doing it. Her body was on fire, but she wasn’t worried just yet. But she sure didn’t want to push it too far. The last thing she wanted was to ruin her brand-new heart her first time having sex. Logan returned with a small tube of lubricant. He dropped it on the couch. Stepping up to her, he slid his arms around her back, his hands smoothing over the curve of her ass. “I want you on your knees in front of that couch,” he said, looking her directly in the eyes. Emma began to quiver, anticipation steaming her up. She moved past him and lowered herself to her knees in front of the couch, propping his elbows on the cushion. She looked back over her shoulder, her ass totally exposed to his heated gaze. “Like this?” she asked. “Just like that,” he said, his voice now taking on a commanding tone. “Drop your head and keep your hands beneath it.” He began to lower himself to the rug, positioning himself behind her.

 

38

Christelle Mirin

Emma did as she was told, lowering her head to rest on her hands on the couch cushion. She gnawed the inside of her cheek, a surge of need pulsing through her. She felt him move in between her legs, spreading them wider. “Oh God,” she whispered, her heart beating hard and steady. The material of the couch tickled her nipples when he grabbed her by the hips and shifted her a bit to the left. Then his fingers were inside her pussy, diving deep. “Damn, you are so wet,” he said above her. Emma closed her eyes and moaned. She felt his other hand flatten on the small of her back, pressing down while he finger-fucked her. She bit her bottom lip, her tummy quivering, her body instinctively shoving her hips back to meet his strokes. “Stop moving. Stay still,” he ordered, pulling his fingers from her cunt. She wanted to whine with need, but she held it in. Her muscles twitched, her nerve endings firing like lightning. She paid attention to the beat of her heart, hoping she didn’t take it too far. As of right now, all was good. Logan moved closer behind her, his cock pushing against the entrance of her pussy. “Now I’m going to fuck you, and you’re not going to come until I give you permission. Do you hear me, Emma?” “Y–yes.” Oh geez, how in the world was she going to keep herself from coming? With a single thrust, he buried his cock inside her, bumping against her cervix. His fingers dug into her hips as he pulled back then impaled her again. Her pussy took him all the way, clutching at his dick, her cream flowing to slicken them. Emma breathed through parted lips, her head bumping against the back of the couch as he fucked her wildly, going deep with every thrust. “Logan? Logan, please…” she said, her voice almost cracking with the need to come. “Not yet,” he said, pulling out of her. He moved back, away from her ass.

 

Emma’s Heart

39

She started to raise her head to see what he was doing. “Down!” She dropped her head again, heat raging through her as he commanded her. She heard him moving, but couldn’t tell what he was doing. A moment later, she found out. Using his finger, he spread some lube between the cheeks of ass, his fingertip probing the cool gel into her forbidden place. Emma quivered, her sphincter tightening around Logan’s fingertip. Oh God, it felt so good. Her pussy clenched at the thought of his cock inside her ass, fucking her. He worked his finger in, spreading the cheeks of her ass with his other hand. Slowly, he pushed his finger inside then slid it out, adding a second finger before inserting them again. “Oh yeah,” Emma said, cocking her ass further up in the air. He removed his fingers, and then she felt him rub the head of his cock against the tight little pucker of her anus. Emma pushed back against him. That was all it took. Logan pressed forward and sunk himself into her ass. “Oh!” she called out, her heart kicking up to a new level of beats. Sparks snapped in the muscles of her thighs and ass as he entered her, the lube making him slick and wet. Inch by inch, he invaded her, swirling sensations in her muscles as they tightened around his swollen cock. It wasn’t going to take long, and she was going to come. “Damn, woman, you are so tight. I’m going to love this little relationship we’re going to have,” he said as he stroked in and out of her, not quite going all the way inside. Then, taking her by the hips, Logan pressed in, burying himself all the way to his balls. “Ohhh,” Emma breathed, her back arching slightly. “That is sooo good.” “It’s only gonna get better, baby.” Emma could no longer speak, her throat tight and dry. Heat rushed into her face, sweat popping out of every pore. Her heart stuttered for

 

40

Christelle Mirin

an instant then beat strong and steady as its pace increased. Emma began to move, pushing back against him as he delved into her tight, hot place. Logan began making satisfied groaning noises as he fucked her in the ass. He pulled at her hips, moving her backward away from the couch a bit. Then he leaned forward over her back and reached around to play with her clit, almost driving her insane. Emma’s stomach tightened, ready to explode with sharp, exquisite release. “All right, Emma,” Logan groaned above her. “Come now.” Then he took her clit between his fingers and pulled at it, stroking it. She screamed, her whole body convulsing as he buried himself in her ass while pulling at her clit. Sparks exploded behind her eyelids, her body flushing with pure, hot release. Her pussy shuddered and creamed, her juices running down the inside of her thigh. Above her, Logan groaned out his own release as he surged forward and shot his seed into her ass. His fingers squeezed her clit as he stiffened behind her, his cock pulsing in her ass. Emma rode the wave and didn’t want to come down from its crest, her breath ragged. When they began to come down from orgasm Heaven, Logan moved back, his dick sliding from her ass, and turned around, sitting beside her with his back against the front of the couch. She opened her eyes and looked at him He had his head back, gazing up at the ceiling. She closed her eyes and smiled. It was true. The doc had been right. Sure, her heart was speeding inside her chest, but she didn’t feel bad at all. She felt stoked and couldn’t wait to experience this again. He glanced over at Logan, who was resting his cheek on the couch cushion, his eyes sleepy as he gazed back at Emma. “Good?” Emma asked, using her hand to stroke over Logan’s sweaty chest.

 

Emma’s Heart

41

“Oh God, yes.” He sat up and looked down toward her knees. “Looks like I’ve got a little mess to clean up,” he said, referring to the wet stain on the front of the couch. Emma leaned back to look. “Sorry.” “There’s nothing to be sorry for.” Logan smiled at her and rose to his feet. “That was the best sex I’ve had in over a year.” Emma nodded. “Me, too. No two doubts about it.” The smile dropped from Logan’s lips. “What did you just say?” Emma’s stomach tightened. Now what had she said? “Um, it was good?” “No, the other thing.” “No two doubts about it.” Tilting his head, Logan looked at her. “Christi used to say that phrase all the time.” Emma didn’t know what to think. Christi. Great. Am I competing with a dead woman? “It just popped into my head. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” With a wave of his hand, Logan turned toward the kitchen. “Don’t worry about it. It just struck me that you would say that particular phrase. I’ll get something to clean that up.” He moved to the kitchen and disappeared through the door. Rising from the floor, Emma began gathering her clothes. Slipping her bra and panties on, she let the reference to Logan’s former lover slide. It must be hard to lose someone he was so close to. She wasn’t sure how Christi had died, but Logan must have been devastated. It was normal for him to still think of her, especially if he hadn’t had much sex since she passed away. She stepped into her jeans and pulled her white blouse over her shoulders. She wasn’t going to let it bother her. Not now. Not when they’d just had the most amazing sex. Smiling, she vaguely wondered where she’d put her favorite set of handcuffs. Then immediately began to wonder if her heart could take it if she was bound.

 

42

Christelle Mirin

By the time Logan returned, she was dressed in his jeans and buttoning her blouse. “I’ve had a great time tonight, Logan.” Scrubbing at the front of the couch, Logan looked vulnerable crouched down, naked in front of the couch. He looked over his shoulder. “You’re not leaving already, are you?” “I don’t have to if you’d like me to stay for a while.” She buttoned her blouse halfway, still heated from their coupling. “I’d like you to stay a bit. Have some coffee and maybe talk.” He rose up, used towel in his hand. “Just let me put something on, and then I’ll warm us some coffee.” “Sounds good.” While Logan took care of the dirty towel, Emma moved the coffee table back into place since they had somehow shoved it out of position with their antics and carried their used mugs into the kitchen. She poured the cold coffee from their cups down the drain at the kitchen sink and checked the coffeemaker to see if there was any hot coffee left. It looked like just enough left in the pot for two cups. Perfect. She refilled their mugs with the warm coffee and turned the coffeemaker off. As she carried the two mugs into the living room, she had the distinct feeling this situation was so right, so comfortable, it almost bowled her over. She stopped dead in her tracks in the middle of the living room, a mug of coffee in each hand, and savored the sense of being in a place that felt more like home than her own apartment. “Something wrong? You look lost.” Logan straightened the collar of the peach-hued polo shirt he had pulled on over a pair of loose, tan sweatpants as he entered the room. Emma blinked and shook her head. “No, nothing really. Just a strange feeling I had.” “Your heart? Are you okay? I didn’t get too rough, did I?” Concern showed in his eyes. She shook her head. “No, nothing like that. I’m fine. I’m better than fine.” She offered Logan a mug. “Here you go. There was still some left in the pot.”

 

Emma’s Heart

43

“Thanks.” He took a sip and sat down on the couch. “Have a seat, and let’s talk for a bit. It’s not getting too late for you, is it?” He leaned back and cradled his mug in his hands. “No, it’s not too late.” Emma sat on the other end of the couch and angled sideways so she could look at Logan’s slightly flushed face. “You have such a familiar look, I swear I’ve met you somewhere before, but I just can’t figure it out.” The blond curls of his hair and his large blue eyes struck a chord in Emma. Even the way Logan smiled seemed familiar, but she just couldn’t put her finger on exactly where they had met. “I have the same feeling about you.” Logan narrowed his eyes. “You haven’t purchased a Jaguar lately, have you? Haven’t been in a dealership to look at one or take a test drive?” He took a sip of his coffee, watching Emma over the rim. Emma laughed, holding her coffee mug away from her so she didn’t spill any on her blouse. “There’s no way I would ever even bother to look at a Jaguar. I can barely afford my Chevy. I haven’t worked in over a year, and my disability payments aren’t all that much.” Logan lowered his cup. “Sorry, I forgot about your disability. You sure didn’t seem disabled a little while ago.” He winked. “I know I’ve met you before. I just can’t picture where or when. There’s so much about you that seems familiar.” He pressed his lips together for a moment. “Do you have a clue?” Emma shook her head. “I have no idea. What about me is familiar to you? Maybe if we told each other what we seem to recognize, it will help us remember where we’ve met before.”

 

44

Christelle Mirin

Chapter Six Logan wasn’t sure where to begin. His day had begun like any other, but early in the afternoon, in the lull that came just before the usual customers got off work and came in to browse, he had a strange urge to leave work and just go sit in the park where he and Christi used to go. He’d given in to said urge and left work, feeling as if in a daze, and ended up on a park bench looking out over Lake Erie, his mind vaguely empty. Then Emma walked up, and his world turned upside down. He took another sip of coffee then met the soft brown eyes of the woman who reminded him so much of Christi. “I guess you seem so familiar because of some of the things you do.” Emma gazed at him. “What ‘things’?” Logan twisted sideways, angling his leg up onto the couch. “The way you rubbed your earlobe, like this.” He demonstrated, taking his earlobe between his thumb and forefinger and rubbing it for a few seconds. “And you ordering a ginger ale with cherries. It reminds me of someone very close to me.” That had been Christi’s favorite drink since she didn’t like alcohol all that much. “And another thing, the phrase ‘no two doubts.’ I know someone—knew someone—who used that phrase almost every day. Put all three things together, and it puzzles me.” Emma gazed steadily at him, her coffee mug held halfway to her lips. She tucked her hair behind her ear and tugged at her earlobe, beginning to rub it, then seemed to catch herself doing the motion and quickly dropped her hand to her lap. “I didn’t realize I was doing the ear-rubbing thing.” She chuckled. “Until just now, that is. And the

 

Emma’s Heart

45

ginger ale with cherries, I just acquired a taste for that.” Suddenly, her brow furrowed, her forehead creasing while his eyes narrowed. “Come to think of it, all of this started right after my transplant.” She looked back at Logan. “Even the use of ‘no two doubts.’ Do you think it has anything to do with my heart transplant?” “I’ve heard of that,” Logan said. “Things about your personality changing after a transplant. Have you talked to your doctor about it?” “No, I haven’t. I didn’t even realize I was doing anything different until now, when you listed all the things off. I think there are a couple of other things I’m doing that are new, too. Do you think I should talk to the doc about it?” “Only if it bothers you. I can’t see it affecting your health in any way. Unless you’ve picked up some bad habit, like smoking or something.” Emma chuckled. “No bad habits so far. Well, if you don’t count my taste for hot sex, which by the way, I haven’t had since the transplant until tonight.” She lifted her mug and gestured toward him. “You still haven’t told me who it is I remind you of.” It was almost as if she was trying to get him to admit she reminded him of his former lover. Logan wasn’t sure he really wanted to tell her. It was a little painful but as far as emotions went, not as painful as before when he reminisced about Christi. But it was a private thing, his memories of Christi. And he didn’t want to mess up the start of this relationship either. “Let’s just say it was someone I was very close to and leave it at that for now.” Smiling, her lips pressed tightly together, Emma nodded. “Your call.” He needed to change the subject. He thought he may have hurt Emma’s feelings by not revealing who she reminded him of, and he really didn’t want to hurt this woman. “So tell me about yourself, Emma. I really would like to get to know you.” Emma shrugged. “There’s really not much to know. I told you about the transplant and what caused it, not to mention that I’m now

 

46

Christelle Mirin

considered disabled.” She waved her hand dismissively. “That’s about all there is to Emma Shane.” “You can’t be serious. There’s much more to you than meets the eye. I can feel it.” He sat up straighter, leaning forward toward Emma. “How old are you? Where do you live? Do you have any family? Where were you born?” “Whoa!” A wide grin burst on Emma’s face, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “You want to know my whole pedigree?” Logan nodded comically, trying to get Emma to laugh. He loved her laugh. “When I say I want to get to know you, I mean it. I want to know all about you. I like you, Emma. I’d really prefer it if we don’t have any secrets from each other.” Emma’s expression sobered. “You see this relationship continuing, then?” Nodding, Logan gripped his coffee mug tighter. He could still feel the delicious tightness of Emma’s ass which he had so recently visited gripping his cock. Christi had never allowed him to explore that side of him, or that side of her. Logan had always wanted to play the role of dominator while having sex, and Emma was definitely into being submissive. She had allowed him to do as he pleased and had loved it, too. He wondered just how much further she would go with the scenario. She seemed to be the kind of woman he could be himself with. He wanted to experience more of her. Emma was the kind of woman Logan could easily fall in love with. And that thought caused his stomach to clench even tighter while he waited for Emma to respond. Emma dipped her head, looking down into the coffee mug she was holding just above her lap. When she looked up and met Logan’s gaze, her eyes were glistening, almost as if tears were about to spill from them. “I would—” Emma began, but her words were raspy, cutting her off. She cleared her throat and began again. “I would like it if we

 

Emma’s Heart

47

continued this relationship. Like I said before, I feel like I have some connection to you, and even if we never figure out the when or the why of it, I don’t want to give that up.” “We’re agreed then?” Logan’s stomach jittered with excitement. This could be the beginning of something extremely special. “We’re at the beginning of a relationship that we want to continue to explore?” “I think so.” Logan crooked a finger at her. “Come here.” Emma set her mug on the coffee table and scooted across the couch. She took Logan’s mug and placed it beside hers then curled up against Logan’s side. Logan slid his arm around her shoulder and hugged her close. It felt so good and so right, Logan couldn’t help but smile. It had been a long time since he had felt this close to someone, and it didn’t matter that they’d only just met. It was kismet or fate, or possibly something else, but he just knew he and Emma belonged together. “This is nice,” Emma said, placing a kiss on his cheek. “I’m so glad I chose to take a walk by the lake today.” She slid her arm around his waist and squeezed Logan in a half hug. “But, I hate to say this, I’ve got to get home and get some sleep.” Logan looked down at her. “You haven’t answered my questions yet.” Emma threw her head back and laughed. “Okay, Logan, I’ll answer your questions before I leave, but then, tomorrow, you’ll have to answer mine.” “Deal.” Logan shifted out of Emma’s embrace so he could see her face. “Age?” “I’m thirty-two. I can hardly believe it, but I am.” “You don’t look that old.” It was surprising since from what Emma told him already, she worked outside in the elements. The only things that even gave a hint of her age were the laugh lines around her eyes. “Family?”

 

48

Christelle Mirin

Emma blew out a breath. “I think my father is still alive, but I don’t know where he is. My family has never been close, and it doesn’t look like they’re ever going to be close. So, no, no family to speak of. It’s just me, myself, and I.” That was sad, especially since Emma had been through so much with her health. No support or family ties to help her through it. It almost made him want to shake his head, but he fought the urge. He wanted to change the subject yet again but was still curious. “Where were you born?” Crossing her arms over her chest, she grinned. “You’re not going to give up, are you? “Nope.” Logan grinned back at her. “I was born in a little town called Napoleon. It’s over by Toledo, just a bit south. There’s not much there, so that’s why I came here almost ten years ago.” “And where is here? Where is home?” Logan wondered if she lived close by or if this relationship was going to take a lot of commuting. It wouldn’t bother him if it did, but it would be so much easier if she lived nearby. “Actually, I just live over in Bay Village. It’s not that far from here in Lakewood.” “What made you stop at Edgewater Park today? Why were you over in this area?” She pointed to her chest. “Transplant. Doctor. Cleveland Clinic.” “Ah,” Logan said, nodding. “Now I understand. Well, I’m glad you live so close. We can see each other more often and not have to travel far.” “And speaking of traveling, I really should get home.” Emma yawned, large and wide. “You’ve worn me out, that’s for sure.” She rose from the couch and raised her arms over her head, tightening her blouse nicely over her breasts. Logan felt a spark of warmth hit his crotch while watching Emma stretch, her shirt still unbuttoned down to her cleavage. But it also

 

Emma’s Heart

49

showed the top of the slightly pink scar that ran between her beautiful breasts and down almost to her belly button. It was a slightly sobering sight to see what her body had been through. “I’ll let you go then if you promise to call me tomorrow.” Logan rose from the couch and went to the small desk in the corner. He quickly jotted down his cell phone number and handed the slip of paper to Emma. Emma shoved it in the front pocket of her jeans. “What time should I call?” “I get off work around five, but you can call whenever you like. I may not answer right away, especially if I’m with a customer, but leave a message and I’ll call you back as soon as I can.” Emma had already slipped on her shoes and coat and was jingling her keys. “Sounds good. Maybe I can make dinner tomorrow.” “I’d like that,” Logan said as he walked with her toward the door. When they got to the door, Emma placed her hand on the doorknob then stopped. Turning to Logan, she asked, “Can I ask you one thing before I go?” “Sure.” “What happened to Christi?” Logan’s heart skipped a beat then settled. It was over a year ago, and his life was just beginning again. Time to let it go. “Christi had gone up to the third floor to visit one of our friends. On her way back down, she decided to take the fire escape stairs because it was so nice out. Christi was wearing these ratty old flip-flops, and she must have slipped or something.” Logan took a deep breath. “She fell three stories. It was a massive head injury that she didn’t survive. After her family made the decision to pull the plug since the doctor said it was hopeless, they waited one day, then harvested her organs. She was an organ donor.” He felt the familiar twinge of pain and quickly brushed it away. “I keep thinking that there may be some part of her alive and well somewhere.”

 

50

Christelle Mirin

Emma reached out and cupped his cheek, her hand warm. “Thank God for organ donors. She must have been a wonderful woman.” Logan smiled. “She was.” “Well,” Emma said, dropping her hand, “I’ll call you tomorrow.” She opened the door and stepped through. “Be careful.” “I will.” With a wave and a smile, she walked down the hall toward the front vestibule. Logan sighed and closed the door. What a wonderful day it had turned out to be. He puttered around the apartment for a few minutes, picking up the coffee mugs and taking them into the kitchen. Yawning, he realized how tired he was. He started for the bedroom, turning off lights as he went, then stopped in the middle of the living room. In all the excitement of the afternoon, he had forgotten to stop at his mailbox for his mail. Grabbing his keys from the small table beside the door, he opened his door and walked out into the hall. He only took two steps when he stopped. Down the hall, almost to the vestibule, Emma stood talking to a man just outside his apartment. Logan stepped back toward the wall and froze. Who did Emma know in this building? She hadn’t said anything about knowing anyone. Logan watched as the man stepped forward and gave Emma a quick hug. Logan’s stomach tightened. How well did they know each other? The hug was quick, and Emma stepped out of it first, tucking her hands in the pockets of her jean jacket. The other man said something then disappeared back into his apartment for a moment. When he returned, he handed Emma a slip of paper. Emma nodded and gave the man a wave then turned toward the front doors. The man watched her for a moment then went back into his apartment and closed the door.

 

Emma’s Heart

51

Logan didn’t know what to think. Jealousy had reared its head immediately when he had seen Emma embrace the other man. Maybe they were old friends or knew each other somehow. Surely Emma would have said something if she was in a relationship. After all, they had talked about it. “Stop being stupid,” Logan whispered. Squeezing his keys in his hand, he continued on and retrieved his mail from his box then went back to his apartment, closing the door and locking it behind him. With a sigh, he turned off the lights and headed for bed. There was no use worrying about Emma seeing another man right now. Hopefully, Emma would explain tomorrow when they talked. If not, Logan would ask. If he had the nerve.

 

52

Christelle Mirin

Chapter Seven Emma was almost to the vestibule when she heard someone call her name. “Emma? Is that you?” She stopped then turned on her heel. “Clay, how are you?” Emma took a few steps back the way she had come, pausing in front of Clay’s door. He hadn’t changed except for a sprinkling of gray in his coal black hair. His eyes were still the warm, dark brown Emma remembered, and though he hadn’t gained a lot of weight, his physique looked softer somehow. “I’m good. Just moved back, as a matter of fact.” He clasped his hands together and held them chest high, over his heart. “I was just stepping out to get my mail, but I’d love to have you in for a cup of coffee.” He smiled, his eyes wide. Danger, don’t go there. Getting over Clay had taken a while, but the main reason she wasn’t going to step through that door lived just down the hall. “Thanks for the offer, but it’s kind of late. I’ll have to pass.” It felt good to tell him that. Good that she had a real and true reason not to rekindle that fire, and that reason’s name was Logan. Even though she wanted to pursue this relationship with Logan, she still felt a bit of heat swirl inside at the thought of what she and Clay used to share. She tried to damp it down. The thought of Clay and Logan with her at the same time tickled her imagination though. Clay’s face fell almost instantly. “That’s too bad. I’d love to do some catching up with you. Wait a just a minute,” he said, holding his index finger in the air. “I’ll be right back.”

 

Emma’s Heart

53

Emma opened her mouth to say “don’t bother” then quickly snapped it shut. Clay had already disappeared through the open door. Unable to stop herself, Emma peered inside without stepping over the threshold. There was a couch and a TV and a lot of cardboard boxes waiting to be unpacked. Clay hadn’t been lying about just moving in. Clay stepped from a doorway into the living room and came directly back to the door. “Here.” He thrust a slip of paper at Emma. “It’s my phone number. Give me a call when you have time and it’s not so late. I’d love to get together.” She didn’t want to tell the other man that probably wasn’t going to happen, really didn’t want to hurt Clay’s feelings even after all this time, so she shoved the slip of paper with Clay’s phone number in her jean jacket pocket. “I’ve got to be going,” she said, turning away and giving him a wave. She had to get through those doors and get gone before the situation got any worse, or hotter. “Call me,” Clay said just before the vestibule doors closed behind Emma. Emma walked down the sidewalk, the night slightly chilly but good, and she smiled to herself. It had been a great day. Meeting Logan and surviving her first sexual encounter since the surgery were milestones in this new life she’d begun. But she was also bone-tired. Slipping behind the wheel of her car, she was glad she didn’t have far to drive. As she pulled out onto Clifton Boulevard, so many things were swirling through her head. She didn’t know if she’d be able to sleep even if she was bone-tired. With a smile, she hit the gas and headed for home. The next morning, her alarm buzzed at eight o’clock, and when she opened her eyes she realized she was smiling. She threw back the covers and padded to the bathroom in her bra and panties. Once she finished her bathroom regimen, she slipped on a pair of sweats and T-shirt and headed for the kitchen to do her morning routine of coffee, juice, and antirejection drugs.

 

54

Christelle Mirin

Finished with that, she carried her coffee into the living room and pulled back the curtains to look at the tree-lined street in the morning light while she sipped her coffee. She’d better enjoy it now because she didn’t know how much longer she was going to be able to afford this place on what disability paid her every month. It wasn’t something that bothered her to the point it made her depressed. She knew sooner or later her savings would be drained and she’d have to try to find some income-adjusted housing. She figured if she tightened her purse strings a bit, she could stay here another six months. Instinctively, she reached up and took her earlobe between her thumb and forefinger, rubbing it slowly. If she canceled the newspaper and dropped her cable down from premium to basic— “Stop it,” she said, pulling her hand from her ear and shaking it as if she’d touched something hot. She had been doing it again. Rubbing her ear had been one of the things Logan said reminded him of someone, and that wasn’t the only thing, either. Emma let the curtain fall back into place and glanced at the clock. Eight forty-five. It was possible the doc would be in by now. She picked up the phone and dialed. “Doctor Joseph Reese’s office,” one of his nurses answered. “This is Emma Shane. The doc said to call if I was feeling anything funny—” “Are you having chest pains or trouble breathing? Any pain or numbness in your arms?” the nurse interrupted. Emma blew out a breath. She was glad the nurse was concerned and knew the symptoms that would buy her a trip to the hospital, but this wasn’t the time. “I’m fine, really,” she said firmly. “I don’t have any symptoms. It’s just I need to talk to him about something.” “Maybe you should come in, Ms. Shane. Let’s see when I have an opening.”

 

Emma’s Heart

55

“Listen! I only need to speak to the doc on the phone. I’m not rejecting, I’m not dying, and I don’t need to schedule an appointment. Now tell me—is the doc in the office?” Her face was growing hot, and she could feel her blood pressure rising. All she wanted to do was talk to the doc on the phone, nothing else. “All right, Ms. Shane. One moment please,” the nurse said very frostily. She clicked off and music filled her ear. At least it’s classical. She pulled the phone from her ear and stared at it. Where had that thought come from? She’d never liked classical music before. But then she remembered Logan was playing classical when she had arrived at his apartment and she had liked the way it sounded. Why did she like it now? This was all getting too weird. “Emma? Everything okay?” The concern was evident in the doc’s voice when he finally came to the phone. Emma sat down on the coffee table, her gaze focused on the curtains at the window. “I’m sorry to bother you, Doc, but I have some questions.” She gripped the phone tighter in one hand while she fingered the hem of her T-shirt with the other. “So you’re all right? No medical problems?” “No. Just some questions. Listen, Doc, I hope you don’t think I’m weird but—” Chuckling on the other end of the phone stopped her. “Too late for that, Emma. I already think you’re weird.” Emma smiled. He always managed to diffuse the situation, no matter how bad, and make her smile. “Well, my questions won’t surprise you then, will they?” “Ask away.” She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. “I’ve noticed lately that I’m doing some strange things. Things I’ve never done before. Different habits and different tastes.”

 

56

Christelle Mirin

“Is this a problem? You aren’t doing drugs or smoking or anything, are you? I just saw you yesterday and you didn’t mention anything different.” “I didn’t mention it yesterday because I hadn’t realized I was doing it. Not until last night, anyway. It’s not that I’m doing drugs or anything. It’s things like rubbing my ear and drinking ginger ale instead of my usual cola. There are other things, too. It’s even affecting the way I talk.” “No slurring word, right?” “No, but I’m using words I’ve never used before and saying phrases I’ve never said.” Emma caught herself rubbing her earlobe while she spoke. She ripped her hand away from her ear and shoved it beneath her thigh. Maybe that would stop her from doing it. “This all started after the transplant, and someone told me they had heard of people having transplants and then taking on some of the personality traits of the donor. Doc, be honest with me here, do you think that’s possible? Have you heard of it?” She chewed her lip, suddenly very nervous. If it was true, if it could happen, then there was not only a part of someone’s body living inside her but also a part of their mind, a piece of who they were, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. “Emma, it sounds like you’re upset and stressed out. You could come in, and we could discuss this further.” “Can’t you tell me now if it’s even possibly for something like this to happen?” The doc sighed into the phone. “The condition is called cellular memory.” “It’s a condition? It has a name?” She stood up, unsure if she wanted to laugh or scream. At least she wasn’t crazy, right? “Calm down, Emma. Why don’t you come in this afternoon, and we’ll discuss it. I’ll make an opening for you. I don’t want you this upset.” Emma started to pace. “Okay. I’ll come in. What time?” “How about four?”

 

Emma’s Heart

57

“Yeah, okay.” She rubbed her forehead. “Um, can I bring someone with me?” Nothing but silence on the other end of the phone. Had she just shocked him with her question? “Doc? You still there?” “I’m here. Of course you can bring anyone you like with you. I’ll see you at four.” “Thanks, Doc. Bye.” Emma ended the call, dropping the phone on the coffee table. Cellular memory. Did that mean she might have part of someone else’s memories inside her, too? The more she thought about it, the more complicated it felt. She stopped pacing. She traced the tracks of her scar though her T-shirt with one hand while looking down at her feet. The scar ran from her collarbone to her belly button and had healed pretty well, she thought. It was ugly, but it could have been worse. She could be dead. She needed to calm down about the whole memory thing. It wasn’t like she could take out the heart that might have memories buried inside it and exchange it for another one. She patted herself in the chest with the palm of her hand. Nope, no matter what, she was keeping this gift someone had so generously given her. She really didn’t have much choice in the matter anyway. She could use someone with her when she went to see the doc this afternoon. Heading for the bathroom and a quick shower, another thought struck Emma. It was odd that she wanted someone to go with her today. She’d never felt the need for it before, so why now? Leaning into the shower, she turned on the water and got a towel from the shelf beneath the sink. She wanted Logan with her today. Not only because he was the one who brought the whole subject of transplants and taking on part of another personality up. She also wanted him there, well, just because. Thinking of Logan when she stepped beneath the spray of warm water not only made her smile, it also made her hot. Her pussy began to heat when she thought of how Logan had made love to her with his

 

58

Christelle Mirin

mouth and then taken her from behind when she’d told him she liked to be submissive. She quickly flicked the lever over to cold, dowsing her body if not her thoughts. She soaped up using an herbal soap, hoping Logan would like the scent, and thought about how strongly she felt toward Logan. The emotion that bloomed inside her felt very much like love. How could she love someone after only one day? Rinsing until she was squeaky clean, she turned the water off. The water droplets dripped from her body, making a soft, pattering sound in the bottom of the tub as she stood there, very still. Could it be? Was she in love? It certainly felt like it. Yesterday had been a fateful day as far as she was concerned. Too much had happened to be called coincidence. Logan had even said as much when he talked about how his day had led him to the park and almost directly to Emma. With a deep breath, Emma stepped out of the shower, a little less nervous and a little more resolved. Wrapping the towel around her, she stood at the sink and gazed into the mirror above it. She was thirty-two years old, thirty-three in a little over two months. She’d never been married and hadn’t realized that she liked being submissive during sex until ten years ago when she had met Clay Archer. Once Clay showed her that it was okay to be who she really was, to enjoy sex like she wanted to, life became so much easier. Until she found out that Clay was stepping out on her. It had ended badly. She pushed Clay out of her mind, memories good and bad, and raked a comb through her hair. Emma decided she didn’t look bad for her age, just a wrinkle here and there and one big scar in the center of her chest between her breasts. Logan didn’t seem to mind, and that was all that really counted. Logan. She needed to call him to ask if he could go with her this afternoon. She hoped it wasn’t too much trouble for Logan to get off work a little early. She hoped calling him at work was okay. She

 

Emma’s Heart

59

wasn’t really in his league, after all. But then she remembered he’d said to leave a message if he didn’t answer because he was with a customer so it must be okay to call. “Where did I put his number?” Emma mumbled as she padded into her bedroom. Entering the bedroom, she saw her jean jacket from last night lying on the floor by the bed where she had stripped off her clothes and fallen into bed, exhausted. She snapped her fingers. It was in the front pocket. That’s where she’d shoved the piece of paper. She snatched up the jeans and reached into the pocket. She pulled out some paper and dropped the jacket back on the floor before turning back toward the hall. As she walked down the hall toward the living room, she unfolded the paper that had somehow gotten all crumpled up from being in her pocket. Suddenly she stopped and stared at what was in her hands. There wasn’t one slip of paper—there were two. Clay had also given her his number, she remembered. Emma bit her lip. Two white slips of paper with a phone number written on each. No names. Which one was which?

 

60

Christelle Mirin

Chapter Eight Logan did nothing but shove the papers on his desk into increasingly rumpled piles. With a huge sigh, he rose from his desk and walked to the water cooler yet again. He couldn’t get his mind off Emma and how they had connected last night. The whole day yesterday seemed otherworldly, deemed by fate. From the urge to leave work early to meeting Emma in the park and Emma, with the way she tugged at her ear and liked ginger ale with cherries, reminded him so much of Christi. He hadn’t put it all together until he had awakened this morning and flung his arm to the other side of the bed and found it empty. It had almost seemed as if Christi had returned from the dead, but he knew it couldn’t happen, so he chalked it up to being with Emma and hoping there would be many more nights they would be together. Even though they were from different walks of life, they got along perfectly. If it didn’t bother her, it wasn’t going to bother him. He’d learned life was too short to worry about little things like whether she worked construction sites and he sold expensive cars. He poured a cup of water, the bottle on top of the water cooler gurgling, and took a sip, remembering last night. There were a couple of times when he looked into her eyes, she had the same look Christi used to have when she would tell him to take her in his arms and hold her tightly. Logan crumpled the paper cup in his fist and tossed it in the trash can beside the cooler. Emma reminded him of Christi, but yet she was nothing like her. Christi had been pure girl, made of spun glass and soft sighs.

 

Emma’s Heart

61

Emma was all tomboy, beautiful in a wild sort of way, full of laughter and rebel yells. Full of life, she made him feel alive, and he loved that about her. Two totally different women with such strange similarities. Emma may be damaged and scarred, but she was still a head turner. She was as true and real as it got and made no bones about what she wanted and when. She was fearless. Logan crossed the showroom and stood looking out the tinted plate glass windows toward the street, watching people walk by in business suits and skirts. He wondered which of them if any had had their lives touched by a life-threatening situation like Emma had with her heart transplant. How would they have reacted? Cowering and crying? Logan didn’t see one person who looked as if they had the strength of character of Emma Shane. And that’s why he had fallen in love with her. Logan raised his right hand and placed it palm down over his heart. He loved her. And then he breathed again. Smoothing his hand down his silk tie, Logan smiled. It truly felt as if his world had started revolving again. His cell phone rang, vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out, still smiling as he looked outside and answered. “Hello?” “Logan? Logan, can you come to see the doc with me today?” Emma asked, her words coming in a rush. At three fifty, Logan walked into Emma’s cardiologist’s office, nervous and not knowing what to expect. All he knew was that Emma sounded scared on the phone, and picturing Emma scared caused Logan to feel a little tickle of fear. He’d just found her. He didn’t want to lose her now. “Emma Shane for Doc Reese.” Emma stood at the receptionist’s window, so anxious she looked like she wanted to tap her foot.

 

62

Christelle Mirin

“Take a seat, Ms. Shane. It will be a minute or two.” The receptionist smiled and closed the glass partition. Emma whirled around and stalked toward a row of chairs along the wall. “It’s always a few minutes. I swear you’d think I wasn’t the one paying the bills around here.” She plopped down into a chair and crossed her arms across her chest. Logan sat down beside her. Unable to help himself, he chuckled. “What’s so funny?” Emma asked, whipping her gaze toward him. “You. If you stuck your lower lip out, I think your pout would be perfect.” Dead silence hung in the air for a full five seconds with her staring at him. Then she smiled, the smile turning into a bubbling laugh. “You’re right,” she said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be such a bitch.” He reached over and took her hand, squeezing it. “You haven’t told me what’s wrong.” She squeezed his hand back but continued to smile. “You’ll find out when we go inside.” “Emma, is it something I should worry about? You sounded so rattled on the phone.” She reached over and laid her other hand on top of their clasped hands. “It’s nothing to be worried about, but yes, it is something that’s rattling around in my mind and I want to get it settled.” He opened his mouth to ask another question, but before he could, a nurse pushed through the door beside the receptionist’s window. “Emma? Come with me,” the nurse said, a file in her hand. Emma still held his hand, pulling him behind her as they entered the inner sanctum of cardiology. “If you’ll just come into Room Five,” the nurse said, stopping beside the door of an examination room. “The doctor will be in very soon.” Logan entered the room behind Emma, still feeling a bit nervous. He hated doctor’s offices. The nurse closed the door, leaving them alone in the exam room to wait for the doctor.

 

Emma’s Heart

63

Instead of sitting down on the chair beside the small desk, Emma wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against him. “Wanna do me on that table over there?” she asked, nodding toward the exam table. “I’ll bet we could get into some strange positions on it.” She winked. Logan caught her arms by the wrists, pulling them from around his neck. “I would definitely do you right here, right now, if I knew we wouldn’t get caught.” “Okay, I’ll let you off the hook for now, but later, I want to discuss something very sexual with you.” She backed away, parking her hands on her hips. “Exactly what do you have in mind?” She had his interest piqued. Having sex with Emma had been the best sexual experience he’d had in years, possibly even his life. If she had an idea about something new, he was all ears. Coyly, she put a finger to her lips and looked up at him. Dropping the finger, she gazed steadily at him. “How would you feel about a ménage?” Logan swallowed, his cock signaling with a tiny twitch that it was up for anything with this woman. “Ménage?” he asked, wanting to make sure he heard her correctly. She stepped forward. Reaching up, she toyed with his shirt collar. “One woman, two men.” She looked up at him through her lashes. “You get first choice.” He cleared his throat. “What do you mean, first choice?” Using both her hands, she used his collar to pull him close to her face. Nose to nose, she swiped her tongue over his bottom lip. “First choice of whether you want to fuck me in the pussy, the ass, or my mouth. What do you say, Logan? Are you up to it?” He wanted to fuck her right now. His cock was stiff, and the head of it was damp with pre-cum. To have her trapped between him and another man—the thought nearly took his breath. He had to stop

 

64

Christelle Mirin

thinking about it. “What would something like that do to your heart?” he asked, truly wondering if she’d be able to handle it. “What would what do to her heart?” the doctor asked, entering the room. He looked from Logan to Emma. “Maybe I should have knocked louder.” Emma laughed, deep and throaty. “If you would have waited another ten minutes, I might have been able to have my way with him, Doc.” She turned to Logan. “Logan, this is Doctor Reese.” “Nice to meet you,” Logan said, offering his hand. He hoped his hard-on wasn’t too noticeable. “I’m glad to see Emma bring someone along with her for once.” He looked at Emma. “Up on the table and tell me your problem.” Emma jumped up on the exam table, and Logan took the opportunity to sit down beside the desk. He crossed his legs, fighting the urge to reach into his pocket and shift his dick. The doctor was doing a usual check, ears, eyes, throat. Logan wished he’d get on with it. He still didn’t know why Emma wanted him along with her. “So,” the doctor said, standing back and crossing his arms over his chest. “What has gotten you so upset, Emma?” She placed her hands on her knees. “This cellular memory thing you told me about. Explain it.” Logan narrowed his eyes. What was this? “Cellular memory is a condition sometimes experienced by transplant patients. You see, every cell in a person’s body contains DNA. DNA is unique and is what makes us who we are.” He glanced over at Logan, his dark eyes sparkling with intelligence. “Do you follow me, Logan?” Logan nodded, not quite sure where all this was leading. The doc turned back to Emma. “Now that you have foreign DNA in your body and those cells contain the road map of who that person was, you are now intertwining your cells with those. Your mind is

 

Emma’s Heart

65

obviously registering both sets of DNA. So it’s not that your normal habits are changing. It’s that you now have more habits.” “What about memories, Doc? Do I have the donor’s memories hiding inside me, too?” Emma clutched her hands together in her lap. Ah, Logan thought, the memory question is what is bothering her. “There are ongoing studies concerning the passing on of actual memories, but there has been no determination as yet on whether it actually happens.” The doc lifted his hands. “At this point, we just don’t know.” Emma nodded. “Guess I’ll have to live with it, huh? Wait—what about the donor’s family? Wouldn’t they be able to tell if what I’m doing is like what the donor used to do?” “Yes. We would have to go back and check your records to see if the donor’s family agreed to allow you to know where your heart came from. If they chose a closed donation, well then, you’re out of luck about contacting them.” “Could you check please?” Emma held her clenched hands up as if praying. The doctor stepped forward, wrapping his hands around hers. “You know I will, Emma. You are my favorite.” Logan didn’t know what to think. All this was new to him. The next thing he knew, Emma was calling his name. He blinked. “What did you say?” He looked at her. “We were talking about my sex life.” She widened her eyes at him comically then turned back to the doctor. “Since I did so well having sex last night, is it okay if I go ahead and try a ménage?” “Emma, seriously, your heart,” Logan said. He really was concerned about her health. He loved her. The doctor gave her a serious look. “Do you think you’re healthy enough?” “Do you think I’m healthy enough?” she asked. “I’m worried,” Logan said. “What if it gets too rough? What do I do if she passes out or has a heart attack?”

 

66

Christelle Mirin

Emma held up her index finger. “I’ve got an idea. Doc, could you come over and monitor me?” The doctor raised his eyebrows. “While you’re having sex?” “Yes.” Emma crossed her arms. Logan looked back and forth between the two of them. They seemed to have a close friendship outside of the doctor-patient relationship. If the doctor said yes and monitored her the first time, Logan was up for it. He loved her and wanted to help her live her life to the fullest. “For you, Emma, I will do this,” the doctor said finally. Emma clapped her hands. “Tonight. Logan’s apartment.” She looked at Logan. “Okay with you?” “Yes. Sure.” What else could he say? “One condition,” the doctor said. “If I say stop, everything stops. Agreed?” “Agreed,” Emma said, jumping off the table. “Come on, Logan. We need to talk to someone.” Logan left his address with the receptionist so the doctor would know where to go this evening, and they headed for his car. “You’re really okay with this?” Emma asked from the passenger seat. Considering the question for a moment before he answered, Logan felt a settling calm in his heart, a sense that he was exactly where he should be, with who he was supposed to be with, and doing exactly what they were meant to be doing. “Emma, I am more than okay with this.” “Whoop!” she yelled then threw her head back and laughed. “Who is going to be our third, if I may ask?” Logan pulled the car into the parking garage at his apartment building and shut off the engine. He didn’t know of anyone he would approach this subject with. “I’ve got the perfect person in mind,” Emma said, exiting the car.

 

Emma’s Heart

67

They entered the hall from the garage entrance, and then once they got to the first floor hall, Logan turned to the left but Emma turned to the right. He stopped. “Hey, where are you going?” She flashed a smile over her shoulder. “I want you to meet an old friend of mine.” She turned and continued on, stopping in front of the door where she had been talking to that man last night. Logan waited, watching. Emma knocked on the door. When the door opened, she stepped inside. Logan wasn’t sure how he felt. He didn’t feel the jealousy like he had felt the night before. Odd. What in the world was going on between he and Emma? It was odd and wonderful at the same time. Emma reappeared in the hallway, almost skipping as she moved down the hall toward him. Once she got close enough, she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into a kiss. Immediately his body heated, his cock again thickening. She tasted of coffee and warmth. When she released him, she was smiling. “What?” he asked. “I’m loving my life. I’m loving you.” Her face glowed with excitement. Logan took her face in his hands and looked deep into her sparkling eyes. “Emma, I don’t know what’s happened to me, but you are amazing. I love you. I don’t know how it happened so fast, but I love you.” She smiled. “I know.” Linking her arm in his, she pulled him down the hall toward his apartment. “Let’s get ready. We have company coming.” Logan unlocked the door, and Emma pushed past him. She whipped her coat off and threw it on the couch. Turning to him, she smiled. “You and I have something really special going on.” He closed the door behind him. “I know. I’m not sure what it is, but I want to pursue it.”

 

68

Christelle Mirin

“I do, too. I don’t know why I went to the park when I did and I don’t know why I feel such a strong connection to you, but Logan, I truly feel like I’m in love with you.” The look in her eyes was precious. It was so sincere and raw with emotion, there was no way he could doubt what she was saying. He moved forward, sliding his arms around her waist. “Emma, be mine.” “I already am yours.” She rose up on her tiptoes and placed a sweet, soft kiss on his lips. Someone knocked on the door. She dropped back down on her heels. “That will be Clay.” She moved around him and opened the door. The man from down the hall stepped into the room. Offering his hand, he smiled. “Emma tells me you are her new love. Glad to meet you. I’m Clay Archer, an old friend.” Logan shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. I didn’t know Emma knew someone here in the building.” Clay was a bit shorter than Logan and a bit older. He had dark hair with a sprinkling of gray and expressive warm, brown eyes. So different than Logan himself. “Emma didn’t know I lived here until last night. I’ve recently moved back to the area,” Clay said. “Well, it’s nice to know you. How long have you known Emma?” Logan was very interested to know their history together. “Come in and sit down. I’m assuming you know the reason Emma has invited you here.” Logan moved into the living room. Clay followed, sitting on the couch. He put a small canvas bag he’d brought with him on the coffee table in front of them. “I want to let you know right from the start, Emma and I used to be lovers.” He smiled, crossing one ankle over the opposite knee. “That was long ago, and she’s told me that she’s with you now. She told me she loves you.”

 

Emma’s Heart

69

Logan felt a little better at that comment. “I love her, too, and I’d do anything to help her live her life to the fullest. Including what she has in mind for tonight.” Clay smiled and glanced up at Emma, who was standing behind the couch. “You’ve got good taste, as always, Emma.” She smiled. “I know.” Her phone rang in the pocket of her jacket. She picked it up from the couch and retrieved it. “You two get to know each other. I’ll be right back.” She went into the kitchen to take the call. “So, Clay, tell me about you and Emma.” Logan leaned back on the couch, watching the other man. Clay looked very relaxed and sure of himself. He smoothed his hand down the leg of his jeans. “Emma and I were a couple about ten years ago. I helped her explore her sensuality, and then I screwed up.” “How so?” “I made the mistake of stepping out on her without her knowing about it. It was stupid, but there’s no undoing it.” He leaned forward. “Emma is a force of nature, a truly real person. I lost her and it’s my fault, but I’ve gotten over it. So has she. But I’m here for her, whenever she wants. That’s why I’m here now. She told me you’ve agreed to a ménage, and I’m good with that. We’re old friends, nothing more, so you don’t have to worry about me stepping in on you.” “Good to know. I’ve agreed to her idea of a ménage, but did she also tell you that her cardiologist will be here, just to monitor her?” Clay nodded. “She did. And of course, I’ll be careful with her.” “Then we have an understanding. I love Emma, and I won’t give her up.” Clay laughed. “You won’t have to. Shall we shake on it?” He offered his hand again. Logan smiled, glad they had the situation straight. He shook Clay’s hand.

 

70

Christelle Mirin

Logan looked up when Emma stepped back into the room, her phone in her hand. She had the strangest look on her face. “Everything okay?” Logan asked. Her gaze focused on him, her eyes holding an odd look. “What was Christi’s last name?”

 

Emma’s Heart

71

Chapter Nine Emma couldn’t believe what the doc had just told her. It was uncanny. It was weird. It was totally out of this world. “What was Christi’s last name?” she asked Logan, almost afraid to breathe. “Why?” Logan asked. “Just tell me.” She gripped her phone tightly. “Steward. Is there something wrong?” Steward. Oh Jesus. “We need to talk. Will you excuse us for a moment, Clay?” She walked straight into Logan’s bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. How in the world was she going to tell him this? Logan came into the room, worry creasing his forehead. “Who was that on the phone?” She patted the bed beside her. “Sit down. I need to tell you something.” Logan sat beside her. “You can tell me anything, you know that.” Turning so she could face him, she angled her leg up on the bed and took one of his hands. “How would you feel if you knew a part of Christi was inside me?” He looked like someone had just slapped him. “What do you mean?” “That was the doc on the phone. He called to tell me he found the information I was asking about in my file. The information about the donor who gave me my heart.” She swallowed, nerves in her tummy skittering around like Ping-Pong balls. “The donor’s name was Christi Steward.” She held her breath. Logan blinked and tilted his head. “Are you serious?”

 

72

Christelle Mirin

“Very.” She rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand. “Logan, talk to me.” “This is really strange.” He looked down at their joined hands and let out a sigh. When he looked back up at her, she thought she saw tears in his eyes. “Do you know how wonderful this is?” he asked. “What?” She wasn’t sure what to do. Wonderful? Is that what he thought? “Emma, I do love you, and it is absolutely the most wonderful thing that a woman who I loved gave you the gift of life, the most precious gift anyone could ever give. It’s like she also gave the same gift to me, by giving me you. Do you understand?” “What a beautiful way to put it.” She bit her lip. “It’s not too weird for you? That the doc said some of the things I’ve been doing could have come from the donor’s memories?” Logan chuckled. “That’s what is so familiar about you. It’s a part of Christi inside you. Does it feel weird to you?” “No. I couldn’t be more grateful, actually. So, we’re good, you and I?” “We’re better than good.” He smiled and leaned forward to give her a kiss. “When will the doc be here?” Thinking about what they had planned for the evening began to heat her body. “He’ll be here in half an hour.” “Are you sure you’re up for this?” “Are you kidding?” She laughed. Forty-five minutes later, Doctor Reese arrived. The three of them had been having coffee, getting to know each other a bit. All the things she and Clay used to do replayed in her mind, and she couldn’t wait for Logan to experience what it was like to be purely sensual and in control of her every move. Tingling began in her pussy, as she thought about two men dominating her at the same time. “Doc, come in,” she said, opening the door. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

 

Emma’s Heart

73

The doctor entered, placing a small bag beside the one Clay had laid on the coffee table. “I think under the circumstances, you can call me Joe.” Emma laughed. “You mean to tell me after all this time I can finally call you by your first name?” He took Emma’s face in his hands. “Emma, you know I love you. You always have. Of course, you can call me anything you like.” His warm, liquid-brown eyes glowed with love for her. Why hadn’t she noticed that before? “Thanks, Joe. I do have a lot of affection for you, too.” He pulled her into a hug. “I know. We just need to be careful with our relationship.” “I understand.” She planted a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks for doing this for us.” “I’d do anything for you, Emma Shane.” He moved back and looked at the two men on the couch. “So introduce me to your other friend please.” After all the introductions had been made, Emma looked at Clay. “What did you bring with you, Clay?” He picked up the small bag and shook it. The items in the bag jingled like metal against metal. “I brought some of my toys. I know you’ll like them.” Just thinking about Clay’s toys caused her pussy to cream. “Logan,” she said, turning to him, “where would you like me?” They offered Joe a cup of coffee and settled him on the couch with the remote control for the TV before exiting to Logan’s bedroom. Once all three were inside, Emma stood, waiting for instruction. Her body was trembling with anticipation, wondering just what Logan was going to tell her to do first. He closed the door behind him and nodded at Clay. “Mine. We clear?” “Absolutely,” Clay said, putting his bag of toys on the dresser. He unzipped it, removing a set of handcuffs and a long, silk rope from it.

 

74

Christelle Mirin

He raised them toward Logan. “She does like us to be totally in control.” Logan looked at Emma. “Undress, Emma. I want to see you.” She slowly stripped, tossing her clothes into a corner of the bedroom, both men watching her with heated gazes. Her nipples were already hard and tight, her pussy warming up for what lay in store for her. Once naked, she stood beside the bed and waited for more instructions. Logan and Clay removed their clothes, both men’s cocks standing at attention once they were freed from the confining material of their underwear. “Come here, Emma,” Logan said. She moved toward him and stopped in front of him. Looking up into his eyes, she saw pure lust there. “Spread your legs.” He tossed the handcuffs to Clay. “Behind her back, Clay.” Clay moved behind her, taking her wrists and moving her arms behind her back. The sharp coolness of metal tingled against her wrist as Clay handcuffed her. Then he ran his hands over the curve of her ass, spreading heat all the way to her core. Logan cupped her breasts, tweaking her nipples sharply. “Are you ready, Emma?” She nodded, more ready than she’d ever been. Her heart was thumping, pumping strong and steady. Clay took a hold of her hands by the handcuffs and raised them so that her elbows were bent. He leaned forward next to her ear. “You always had the sweetest ass.” She shivered, wanting to be touched. Logan ran his fingers down her tummy and on, separating the cleft of her pussy. “Oh yes, you’re already wet.” He slipped one finger inside her, stroking. “Spread those legs, baby.” She scooted her feet wider, Logan finger-fucking her as she creamed. Clay’s fingers spread the cheeks of her ass, rubbing across her anus. She quivered, her pussy clenching at Logan’s fingers.

 

Emma’s Heart

75

“Oh yeah, she wants it,” Logan said. “Don’t come until I tell you, Emma.” “Okay,” she whispered, just wanting them to fuck her, to do something, to be inside her. Taking her by the hips, Logan dipped down a bit. When he straightened, his cock drove deep inside her pussy, almost bringing her off her feet. “Hold her, Clay. Better yet, fuck her with me.” She felt Clay move away for a moment while Logan held her in place by the waist. When Clay returned, he again spread the cheeks of her ass, only this time his fingers were slick with lubricant. She moaned when Clay inserted first one finger, then two into her ass. “Don’t you dare come, Emma,” Logan warned. She swallowed, her body on fire. Before she knew what was happening, Clay moved in behind her and grabbed the handcuffs, moving her arms up her back. With Logan holding her by the waist with her impaled on his cock and Clay holding her by the handcuffs, Clay entered her ass from behind, slowly but deeply. “I’m so full,” she said on a sigh, her thigh muscles trembling. “Fuck me. Please.” “We will,” Logan said. Then he began to move. Both men began to stroke in and out, the friction of two cocks inside her almost driving her insane. Her breasts felt swollen, the skin growing tender from rubbing against Logan’s chest. “Damn, she’s just as tight as she always was,” Clay said, then nipped her shoulder. The scrape of his teeth against her skin sent shards of lightning to her pussy. She tightened her stomach muscles, trying not to come. “Please,” she breathed. “Not yet,” Logan said. “Clay, let’s move her to the bed. Take the cuffs off for a bit. We need to reposition her.” They moved in unison, positioning themselves on the bed. Logan lay on the bed, his head toward the foot of it, and brought her down

 

76

Christelle Mirin

on his swollen, rock-hard cock. She shivered, biting her lip. “Lean down,” he said. “Clay wants back inside you.” She leaned forward, placing her hands on either side of Logan’s head. Clay moved in behind her and didn’t hesitate. He shoved her legs apart and rammed into her ass, sending her forward. Logan captured one of her nipples in his mouth and sucked. Emma closed her eyes and struggled not to come. Her pussy was quivering with the need for release, her body so hot sweat slicked her skin. Logan shoved up from below, then Clay rammed in from behind, a scissoring motion that gave her continuous pleasure. She groaned, loud and long, Logan sucking at first one nipple then the other, scraping them with his teeth. “I heard a moan. Are you okay, Emma?” Joe said from the doorway. She opened her eyes, looking at him. She saw the look on his face, watching her being fucked by two men, rocking on the bed. “Check her heart, Doc,” Logan said from below her. Joe licked his lips and disappeared from the doorway only to reappear a moment later with a stethoscope. He crossed the room and stood in front of her, looking down at her with a heated gaze. “I’m going to listen…to your heart for a moment.” The two men slowed to a stop. Emma’s arms were quivering, struggling to hold herself up. Gently Joe reached between her and Logan and placed the cold stethoscope against the hot skin between her breasts. She sucked in a breath at the chill. Looking up, she realized Joe’s crotch was right in front of her face. And she also noticed the huge bulge hidden in his pants. Her hair hung in damp strands over her eyes. She was breathing through her mouth, but she didn’t feel like she was going to pass out or anything. The trembling in her muscles was not only from the workout she was getting but also from using every fiber of her being to keep herself from orgasming.

 

Emma’s Heart

77

Doc Joe moved the stethoscope to a position under her right breast, placing his hand on her shoulder. When his hand brushed the chilly steel end of it over her nipple, she sucked in a breath, arching her back. Catching her bottom lip between her teeth, she arched even more, pressing her breast into his hand. She shifted her hips and looked up at him, her doctor, her savior. His warm brown eyes met hers. She nodded slightly. His eyes not leaving hers, he squeezed her breast then drew the metal of the stethoscope over her nipple. “Mmm,” she moaned, arching again, pressing backward against the two cocks still inserted in her ass and her cunt. A sharp snap across the cheek of her ass made her jerk. Clay had spanked her. “Do not come, Emma,” he said. Her pussy tightened around Logan’s hard shaft. She blew out a breath, trying to control herself. She smiled up at Joe. “How’s my heart?” she asked, her voice raspy. Joe stroked her breast, rolling her nipple between his fingers before pulling his hand from between her and Logan. “Your heart is perfect. I don’t hear anything that would worry me.” “Good,” Logan said. “We are most definitely not finished with you yet, Emma darling.” Then he began to move. Clay began to thrust also, his fingers digging into her hips. Her body jerking with every thrust, Emma’s gaze was locked on Joe’s. He stood only two feet from her, the hard-on in his pants looking like it was ready to rip through them. She ran her tongue over her lips. “Come on, Joe. Fill me completely.” She parted her lips, opening her mouth suggestively. Joe dropped the stethoscope on the floor. “Do it, Doc,” Logan groaned. “Hurry up because I’m about to come.” Joe slid down his pants and underwear at the same time and stepped forward, taking her head in his hands.

 

78

Christelle Mirin

She sucked in a breath, and then the head of his cock was in her mouth. Her body adjusted for all three of them. One in her ass, one in her pussy, one in her mouth, all of them fucking her, celebrating life. Shuddering, her arms threatened to give way. Logan braced her up from below while Clay and Joe speared her at each end. “You can come now, Emma. Come, baby. Let it loose,” Logan said. Joe dove into her mouth all the way to the back of her throat. Logan surged upward, shooting his hot seed inside her. Clay rammed forward, the pleasure-pain burning as her ass stretched to the limit, sending her over the edge. Her world collapsed in on itself, her pussy creaming and pulsing as she came. Joe pulled out of her mouth, his warm cream slicking her bottom lip as she took a breath. Clay slid out of her ass, the prickly sensation causing another wave of pleasure to break over her. “Oh my God,” she said. She licked Joe’s cream from her lip, savoring the salty-tart taste and flicked her hair out of her eyes. “Logan—lay me down.” Her world spun again, this time because three men were moving her on the bed. Rolling her off of Logan, they laid her on her back, giving her room to breathe. Joe immediately started checking her heart. Logan brushed her hair out of her eyes. “Are you all right?” “I am so much better than all right.” She swiped at Joe’s hand. “That thing is cold, you know.” Joe stood, smiling down at her. “You are amazing. Your heart sounds are as good as if it were your own healthy heart.” “I know,” she said. Turning back to Logan, she smiled and cupped his cheek. “Thanks. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to do that again. I love you, Logan.”

 

Emma’s Heart

79

“I love you, too.” He kissed her tenderly, his tongue pushing past her lips and tangling with hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, groaning in pleasure. She wanted more, so much more of this. Logan rose up and looked into her eyes. His eyes were a clear blue ocean she wanted to drown in. “I truly love you,” she said, stroking his cheek. “You are a part of me now, just as Christi is. I don’t ever want to leave you.” “Then don’t. Stay.” She smiled, happiness welling up in her like a bubbling fountain. “I have to confess something though.” “What is it?” “I love you deeply and completely, but I also love Clay and Joe. I want them in our lives together.” Logan’s gaze roamed over her face, and she was almost afraid to breathe. When his eyes met hers again, he smiled. “Are you sure your heart can take it?” Capturing his face between her hands, she brought his face down to hers. “My heart, this heart, is big and strong enough to take on all three of you.” “Well, we’ll see about that,” he said, smiling a crooked smile. “Won’t we, boys?” Suddenly both of her wrists were grabbed, and the slick texture of a silk rope was wrapped around each one. As Logan rose above her, Clay and Joe spread her arms wide, tying her wrists to the bedposts. Emma laughed, Logan’s hair tickling her stomach as he moved down her body toward her wet pussy. Clay closed his mouth over one of her nipples, catching it between his teeth while using his tongue to flick the hard little nub. Emma sucked in a sharp breath, arching up to his mouth, wanting to feed him more.

 

80

Christelle Mirin

Logan pressed her legs open and centered himself between them, hovering so close to her clit she could feel his warm breath against her flesh. Joe claimed her mouth at the same time Logan used his firm, probing tongue to swipe across her swollen clit. Emma sighed into Joe’s mouth, her body going limp as their tongues tantalized her skin to the point of madness. Smiling beneath Joe’s lips, she came again, pressing her mound up against Logan’s hungry mouth, not wanting him to miss a drop of her cream, while Clay sucked at her tight nipple. Riding the wave of passion, one thought filtered through her mind. It was so good to be alive.

THE END WWW.CHRISTELLEMIRIN.WEBS.COM

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Christelle Mirin loves a good story. Her love of reading led to her writing career. She writes every chance she gets, including carrying a notebook along with her to her regular job just so she can jot down notes and plotlines. Christelle lives in Ohio with her husband, son, two dogs, and once in a while, her grand-dog. She has two daughters who live in nearby states and one granddaughter whom she loves dearly. Living along a river, Christelle’s family enjoys the water, whether boating, jet skiing, or just sitting on the bank and relaxing. To learn more about Christelle and her works in progress, visit her website at www.christellemirin.webs.com and find out more. There you’ll see some personal photos, learn what she’s working on, and while there, be sure to visit her blog.

Also by Christelle Mirin Ménage and More: Bonding Camp Ménage Amour: Transference Siren Classic: Finding Home Ménage and More: Selling Secret Weapons Ménage Amour: Answering Her Desire

Available at BOOKSTRAND.COM

 

 

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com