Innocent Sins Ch. 03

How it all began...

As sappy as it sounded, Heather was in love. Utterly, helplessly, joyously in love...with her husband.

She knew most couples went through a honeymoon phase, where married life was all wonderful and perfect, until reality began to kill the fairytale romance. So far, the fairytale was still going strong for Heather. Nine years after meeting Jake, she still loved her husband as much as she had the day he'd proposed, and she often wondered how she'd gotten so lucky to find something so rare.

She thought back on everything they'd been through and knew it hadn't all been candy and roses. They'd fought their battles and won, and this once-shy, awkward young woman had blossomed like a butterfly around her adoring husband. After Heather had shown interest a few years ago in changing her appearance, something she'd wanted to do to please her husband more than herself, he'd seemed reluctant for her to do so; still, he and his sisters had helped advise her how to dress, what kind of makeup to wear, and given her tips on how to act around large crowds. And best of all, he'd taught her how to make love with the skill of a practiced courtesan. She was so eager to please him, she did whatever he asked of her. The sleek, attractive brunette she was today often turned men's heads, but she only had eyes for one man - Jake - and she trusted him completely to feel the same about her. She had had no desire or need to ever be unfaithful to him.

After Jake left, Heather got dressed and went to work, eager to get through the day's meetings with clients so she could clear up some paperwork before heading home. Somewhere between breakfast and her shower, she'd made a decision she wanted to talk to Jake about. They'd been considering having a baby soon, and she knew in her heart it was time. Even so, she had several meetings on her schedule, mostly new clients wanting to set up an account with the company, and Heather had been assigned the task of getting everything prepared for them. It would be a long day before she could talk to Jake, so she forced herself to focus on work.

Heather was going through the file of her next client when she suddenly stilled in surprise. Tyson Johnson was the man's name. She knew, of course, that it wasn't the same Ty Johnson she remembered from college. But the coincidence of having a client with the same name brought back a flood of memories, not all of them unpleasant either.

Before Jake, only one man had ever shown an interest in her at all, but he had been black, and Heather simply couldn't bring herself to even imagine dating a black man. Her strict, Southern family would kill her for one thing. For another, she'd never found black men all that attractive. But Ty had been so nice to her, and she'd always felt so flattered by him, that she might have given in and gone on a date with him if she hadn't met Jake instead.

Every now and then, she wondered what had happened to Ty, and figured he had probably gone on to be a successful athlete somewhere. Heather didn't keep up with professional sports, but Ty had been on the basketball team when she'd sat next to him in English class, and from what she'd overheard, he'd been a star player, primed for the big leagues.

Shaking herself of the thought, she prepared some notes as she waited for this Ty Johnson to arrive. When he did, she could hardly believe her eyes. It really was him!

"Heather?" he asked, just as surprised as she was. "I don't believe it! You look...god, you look gorgeous!"

Blushing beneath his blatant appraisal, she almost returned the compliment. Ty was older, and a lot more handsome than she remembered him. His shaved head and chiseled features were softened by a set of strikingly pale blue eyes. His athletic body was dressed in an expensive-looking suit, proving he had done quite well for himself. Heather was glad for him. "Thank you," she said, and offered him the seat in front of her desk. "I recognized your name but figured it couldn't be you. I figured you'd be out West somewhere, living the life of a celebrity athlete."

"Not anymore," he admitted. "I went pro and did pretty well, but then I injured my knee and got dropped from the roster."

"Well, it looks as though you're still doing well for yourself," she commented, trying to make polite conversation.

"I was able to find another job that kept me in the kind of money I'd gotten used to," he admitted, then decided, what the hell? "Actually, I'm a dancer now."

Her eyebrows raised, and he could tell she was fighting back a laugh. "A dancer?" She cleared her throat and added, "I would have never figured you for the type. What type of dance do you do? Hip hop? Jazz?" she guessed.

He smiled, then laughed. "I'm not that kind of dancer, Heather. I've been a stripper at a ladies club in Atlanta for the past three years. Now me and some buddies want to open a chain of gyms, do something a little more legitimate, and we thought this area would be a good place to branch out. I'm hoping you can help us keep control of our money."

She was a little shocked by the image that popped into her mind at his admission of being a stripper. Well, he certainly seemed to have the body for it, she silently admitted, then decided to ignore that train of thought. She could already feel her face getting red. "We'll certainly try," she said with a polite smile as she began once again to look over his portfolio.

As she studied his accounts, Ty studied her. He could hardly believe it! Back in college, he'd suspected Heather was a hot babe just waiting to come out of her shell. He'd seen it the many times she'd agreed to tutor him after class, sometimes when she'd taken off her baggy sweater to get more comfortable and he'd glimpsed the promise of that voluptuous bod beneath the tight shirt she'd worn underneath. Still, he probably wouldn't have fucked around with her, but some of his teammates had pointed out that it was always the mousy ones who were the easiest lays, and then they'd started betting on how long it would take him to get Heather's panties as a trophy. He'd been working out a seduction plan when she'd suddenly started going out with some football jock and been too busy to give Ty the time of day.

Now, almost nine years later, she was simply stunning. Her long, dark hair was styled in a flattering look, and she wore makeup to its best advantage. She wore a prim, but still sexy business suit with a skirt...red, he noticed. Definitely a color only a passionate woman would wear. Damn, but he felt himself getting hard just sitting here, looking at her and wondering what she looked like out of that sleek suit. He'd noticed the ring, of course, and knew she had found a man to appreciate her for the woman she was, but hell, he'd never let that stop him before.

He wanted this woman, and this time, he planned to have her.

For the next half hour, Heather discussed the possible accounts he could set up, and Ty made sure to insert a special memory they shared every now and then. She would smile before censoring herself and steering him back to the matter at hand.

As they finished up, Ty made a special point of giving her his cell number. "So we can catch up on old times," he told her. "Maybe you and your husband can be my guests at dinner one night."

She seemed to hesitate before saying, "That would be nice."

"How about tomorrow night then?"

Again, she hesitated. "I'll check with Jake tonight and give you a call tomorrow."

"Jake? Not the same Jake you were dating in college?" Damn. As soon as Jake Devlin had shown her an ounce of attention, she'd abandoned Ty and their friendship faster than most sluts could drop their panties. Besides which, Jake Devlin had annoyed the hell out of Ty, with his pretty white boy good looks and golden boy attitude. If he was still on the scene, it would probably be damn hard to seduce Heather away from her marriage vows. Then again, Ty loved a challenge...

She smiled, a secret, sexy little smile as she answered, "Of course. We've been married six years. Quite happily, I might add."

"That's terrific," he lied. "Ask Jake tonight and give me a call."

Heather escorted Ty out and as she watched him leave, feeling confused and somewhat ashamed by her reaction to seeing him again, she was startled when her friend and co-worker Jessica Wallace suddenly said behind her, "Mmmm-mmmm. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on some of that dark meat, if you know what I mean."

"Jessica!" she scolded, turning as red as the suit she wore.

"What? Don't tell me you weren't thinking the same thing, even if you are married."

"Of course I wasn't," she lied. "Besides, he's a new client. And an old friend."

"Hmmm. Old friend? Do tell."

"Not that kind of old friend. I've told you, Jake is the only man I've ever dated. Ty was just...a classmate I used to study with."

Jessica smiled, arching her eyebrows, but thankfully not making whatever smartass comment she was thinking. She flicked her long, blonde hair and shrugged. "At least Jake seems worth it, prime specimen that he is. Personally, I'd hate to go through life having only slept with one man. Especially the men I've known," she laughed.

The rest of the afternoon, Heather actually had no trouble putting her reunion with Ty in the back of her mind. She was so busy she hardly had time to think of anything at all. Still, she had an urgent need to see Jake as soon as possible and decided to take her work home and wait for him.

Honestly, though, she wasn't surprised to see his SUV parked in the drive when she pulled up at 6 o'clock. Smiling like a schoolgirl who'd just been handed the keys to a new car, she hurried inside. Jake was standing in front of the fridge, sipping orange juice from the carton. Nasty habit, that, but she didn't mind really. She could never stay mad at Jake for anything, especially when she was so glad to see him.

"What are you doing home?" she asked. "I thought you had a late meeting with Harry?"

He smiled wryly and put the carton away. "We worked around it," he shrugged, and she knew without his saying that he had done everything he could so she wouldn't have to eat dinner alone tonight.

God, she loved this man. Especially when he guided her to the sofa and started massaging her aching feet. She told him about Ty and waited for his reaction. Honestly, she hoped he'd make an excuse as to why they shouldn't socialize with the other man, but Jake being Jake agreed because he thought it was what she wanted.

Then he was doing wicked things to her body and she had no choice but to crawl into his lap and ravish him. Giving head had never been one of her favorite things to do, but she knew Jake loved it, so she licked her lips and swallowed his cock as if she loved it too. He was a big boy, and it had taken her years to learn how to get most of him in her mouth. Tonguing the head, she had to admit she really did love his cock, most especially when it was inside of her.

Lifting her head, she smiled somewhat wickedly as she ripped open a condom, slid it over him and then positioned herself facing him. His hard cock slid inside her easily, making her feel complete and oh so full. Mmmmm. He pumped his hips and she almost went into orbit then and there. Lovingly, she stared into his eyes as she began thrusting down to match his movements. When they both climaxed, all she could think about was how much she loved him and how very much she wanted to have his baby. She told him as much too. And she knew by his reaction that she would be pregnant soon, or they'd both die trying. The thought filled her with a warmth she couldn't even begin to describe.

"I love you so much," she told him and he easily said the words back.

Then the phone rang. It was Ty, and simply hearing the black man's voice made her feel a sudden rush of guilt for some reason. She glanced at Jake, wishing he didn't have to know she was talking to Ty even as she answered his queston about dinner.

***

Over the next few weeks, Ty found whatever excuse he could to call or visit Heather at work to discuss his account or to discuss the new home she had reluctantly agreed to help him decorate. It wasn't that Ty was a total creep who was constantly trying to get in her pants. On the contrary, he was always a gentleman, treating her with respect and offering nothing more than the friendship she'd once taken for granted.

It also never helped that Jessica always brought up the issue of what a hunk Ty was, and how she'd had a few black lovers in the past and would give her entire savings for one more fuck from a guy named Jerome, the one who'd introduced her to black sex.

"Ohmigod, Heather, his cock was...his cock was just amazing. I've been searching for another one like it ever since he left me for some fake-boobed, redheaded twit he met at a party." She sighed dramatically. "Too bad you never had a chance to test Ty out. You could tell me if he was any good or not so I'd know whether to waste my time."

Heather had to admit the more Jessica talked about it, the more she found herself wondering what it would be like to sleep with someone other than Jake. Sometimes, listening to Jessica talk about her one night stands, Heather envied the rush her friend must feel at doing something so spontaneous. But deep down, Heather didn't dare give in to such thoughts. She loved Jake too much to ever risk losing him for something as shallow as meaningless sex, and adultery was something she just couldn't understand. She had never understood why, if someone wanted to sleep with someone other than their spouse, that they didn't just get divorced rather than hurt their spouse with such an unforgivable betrayal. Open marriages, where spouses gave the other permission to cheat, were even more mind-boggling to her.

Deep down, however, Heather instinctively knew that if there was ever a possible threat to her own fidelity, Ty was it. He was charming and attentive; he had an easy way of making her laugh; and worst of all, he was sexy as hell, all rippling black muscles, always attractively dressed. She'd never been attracted to a black man before, but she'd be lieing if she said she wasn't attracted to one now. Maybe her hormones were out of whack - maybe they'd gotten out of whack when she'd taken herself off the pill. And despite herself, she was curious and intrigued by the idea of Ty earning a living as a stripper. She'd never asked him a thing about it, but he kept tossing her insightful nibbles. For instance, she knew that he was still stripping. He apparently worked in a club in Chicago, which was an hour or so drive from their quiet little town. He'd even told her he could get her in for free if she and some friends ever wanted to catch a show one weekend, but she'd quickly changed the subject to something less scandalous. She hadn't even mentioned Ty's occupation to Jake - she'd been too embarassed to - and she knew her husband wouldn't appreciate it if she went to a male strip club anyway.

Despite this attraction, she had herself convinced that she and Ty could be friends again until the night of his housewarming party.

Sitting with Ty in his bedroom while Jake mingled downstairs, she had no idea what came over her when Ty finally brought up the issue of their past chemistry. She'd had some wine and was probably a little tipsy, and when he'd finally kissed her, she hadn't protested much because, if she were honest, she'd been wondering what it would feel like to kiss him. Kissing Ty hadn't been better than kissing her husband. It had just been different and exciting because she knew she shouldn't be doing it. When he'd freed his massive erection and asked her to give him a blow job, she'd thankfully come to her senses and left before things could get out of hand. A few kisses she could convince herself meant nothing. Oral sex was another matter entirely.

When she'd gotten home, she'd been so eaten up with guilt and shame over the temptation she'd felt to give in and go down on the black man that she had cried harder than she had since her mother had passed away. She determined that she would just have to sever all ties with Ty, and the problem would be solved. So, why had she put herself back on the pill that same night? God, she wished she knew.

The very next day, she confided in Jessica that Ty had hit on her and asked her friend to take over Ty's account at the firm. "I'd love to!" Jessica said with a smile. "But you can't tell me you aren't tempted to see how things play out."

"I'm married," she reminded her friend.

"So? What Jake doesn't know won't hurt him."

Growing angry that her so-called friend was offering further temptation, she refused to continue the conversation any further. She handed over Ty's file and tried to put him out of her mind once and for all. Jessica even came back and apologised, looking sheepish, and told Heather, "Jake will be gone next week, right?"

"Unfortunately, yes. He's leaving Thursday."

"Well, let's have a girl's night out Saturday - my treat," Jessica said. "Consider it a peace offering. What do you say?"

Heather agreed, only because she knew it would help keep her mind off of things it shouldn't be on. This was easier said than done, especially everytime she checked her e-mail that afternoon and found that Ty had sent her a message.

In the first, he apologized again for what had happened but insisted that it was only a matter of time before they were lovers. She deleted it without responding, but a new email popped up thirty minutes later. It was an e-card with a cute little teddy bear holding up a Valentine that read, "To the most beautiful woman in the world. Please Be Mine. Love, Ty." Despite herself she felt a little flattered, and she replied with a short note thanking him for the sentiment but reminding him that she was very much happily married. Not long after the message had been sent, her inbox alerted her to a new message - an erotic poem about all the ways he planned to make love to her. Shaking her head, she replied that he seemed to be dangerously close to stalking and to please stop sending inappropriate emails to her at work. She didn't receive any more emails after that.

She thought putting Ty out of sight, out of mind would work well enough, but then Jessica had to screw up her plans royally Saturday night.

After some debate about what they wanted to do, they drove the distance into the city and grabbed dinner at a new Italian restaurant Heather had heard about. Jessica kept insisting they find a nightclub and check out guys, and Heather finally admitted it might be fun, just to look, of course.

What she hadn't realized was that the nightclub Jessica wanted to visit was the strip club where Ty worked. She had seen its name on some employment forms he'd submitted. Suddenly, she realized Jessica had probably seen that same form. Jessica, bless her sneaky little heart, didn't even attempt to deny it.

"Come on, Heather, aren't you the least bit curious?" she argued, when Heather refused to leave the car. "It's not like I'm dragging you in there so he can pick you up. He won't even know we're here."

"Please, can't we go somewhere else?"

"No. You can wait in the car if you want, but I'm going inside." Jessica made good on the threat, grabbing her purse and locking the car door behind her. Heather sighed and sat back in her seat, staying firm in her resolve not to go inside. That is, until she began looking around at her surroundings and realized there were some rough-looking young men watching her in the parking lot, making obsene gestures to each other as they leered at her. Growing increasingly nervous, she finally caved in and went in search of Jessica.

Heather, however, wondered if she probably should have stayed in the car, especially when they walked in and heard the screams and catcalls of horny women combined with pulsing, throbbing music. Thank god it was dimly lit in here, Heather thought as Jessica grabbed her hand and led her to an empty table off to the side. A tall white guy was stripped down to a g-string, and he was rolling his hips around for the women crowded around the stage.