Heart's a Mess

Omg. So excited to be writing again after a long dry spell lol. I hope you guys enjoy the next installment of Heart's a Mess. I stole the title from a Gotye song, because I love him. Thank you jlo24601 for editing for me!

Enjoy,

Gia

~*~

The bar was packed when Michael and Gail arrived. They were both hit with the fragrant cloud of smoke hanging over the majority of the bar. Gail took in the atmosphere, excited by the buzz she felt from the smoke, the loud house music filtering through the wall speakers and the alcohol she and Michael downed before they left his place. She felt her hips swaying and her heart pounding in time with the bass.

"Did you hear what I said, G?" Michael yelled in her ear.

"No, what did you say?" She yelled back.

"They're over there, waving at us." He pointed to one of the large circular booths.

From what Gail could see in the dimly lit room, there were three men and one woman sitting at the table. As she and Michael got closer, she saw that the woman was sitting on who she guess was Valentin's lap, her long red hair hiding part of his face as she lay back on his chest. Gail licked her suddenly dry lips as she perused what she could see of his angular face. He looked as if he was carved from stone. From where she was she had the impression that his eyes were light, maybe hazel, and his lightly tanned skin boasted some heritage other than just German. His lips were full and pink, and had an almost feminine heart shape. She could imagine him kissing her passionately on her lips, down her neck and over her collarbone. She hadn't heard him speak yet, but could only imagine the German accent that would take his English to a low sexy rumble.

"Kitty-kat." Peter waved a hand in front of her face and she jumped.

"Hmm?"

"I was asking you if you ate already. We ordered some food to share with everyone at the table.

"Oh, thanks. We ate at the wedding, but I already started drinking at home so I could eat some more I guess. What are you drinking?" She reached over and grabbed his glass.

"Oh, sure Felicity, you can have some. I don't mind." He pretended to be offended. "It's some fruity, girly thing. I always chase hard liquor with cute girly drinks." He struck a macho pose that set the entire table laughing.

"Ja, that is because you're a Schranktune, a closet fairy." Valentin joked. Gail shivered. His voice was just as sexy as she expected, she wanted to throw that stick with red hair off his lap and take her place, just so she could have a front row seat to hear that sexy voice and feel those sexy lips brush the sensitive spot at the nape of her neck.

"Are you cold, Gail?" Michael asked next to her.

"She's cold? Come let me warm you up." Erik winked at her and picked up a shot glass from the tray a waitress set down and handed it to her.

"What is it?" She asked, unable to see the contents of the dark glass.

"Hennessy."

"I can't drink this! I'll be hoarse from yelling when I get drunk." She laughed as she tossed it back.

"Atta girl." He handed her a glass of soda.

"Whoa. That's good." She licked her lips and felt as if someone was watching her. When she looked up, Valentin was staring at her mouth. She blushed, and looked away from him.

"Sarah." He said to the girl on his lap.

"It's Danielle." She giggled and the other guys at the table shared a look.

"Mmhmm, Danielle." Gail felt jealously wished that it was her name tumbling so smoothly out of his mouth.

"Yeah Val?" She laughed again and everyone at the table fought back a wince at her high pitched voice. Gail stewed from her spot between Peter and Michael. Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but she felt that she'd had enough of this Danielle chick.

"Can you go get us some more drinks? I think your boss is getting some complaints about lack of service from your other tables." He nodded to the tall, thin Middle Eastern man behind the bar staring daggers at Danielle.

She sighed and unfolded her long legs from under the table. She leaned over and wrote on a napkin.

"Give me a call and we can continue this maybe." She winked and he nodded.

"You aren't really going to keep her number are you?" Gail found herself asking across the table.

"Of course I will. Ass is ass." He shrugged and finished his beer.

"I'm going to dance." She after a long silence at the table sliding out from the booth when Michael got up to let her pass.

"Is that your girlfriend or something?" Valentin asked as he watched her wiggle her shapely behind on her way to the dance floor. His gaze was drawn back to the table when Peter and Erik burst out laughing. Michael's sheepish grin turned into a chuckle as he shook his head. What was the joke?

"If Felicity was Michael's girlfriend, I'd be looking out for the second coming. They met at school and they've been best friends since day one." Erik explained.

"Yeah, she's like an adopted sister. I don't doubt that my mother wishes she was my girlfriend, but there isn't any connection at all. I even kissed her. Nothing." He shook his head.

"I would feel a few things if I kissed your Katzchen. That's one kitty I wouldn't mind— Hey!" Peter winced as Michael punched him in the arm.

"She's a big girl Peter, if she really wanted to she could. I'd tell her about that hooker we met in the Philippines though, that was embarrassing...she was ready and you couldn't even keep it up." Michael threatened.

"What about a hooker?" Gail said as she walked up to the table. Her skin was slightly sweaty and she was panting lightly.

Valentin couldn't help but wonder if that's what she looked like after an orgasm. He was willing to bet that she was just as passionate in bed and the wild look in her huge brown eyes she had after dancing would be even more intense if she was riding him. He groaned inwardly as he felt himself stirring. Everything about her was sexy and over the top. The subtle yet sharp curve of her hips as they flared out from her waist and the seemingly endless contour of her legs in her jeans made his mouth dry with anticipation. He had to have her.

"Nothing. Michael's drunk," Peter blurted nervously. "He's saying things that don't make any sense." He laughed.

"Kitty-kat, I'm not drunk yet. And even if I was it wouldn't matter much. We could crash at Valentin's place overnight. He lives down the street, right cuz?" He looked over at Valentin.

"Mm. Sure, why not?" Gail swallowed hard. The gaze he was throwing her way reminded her of the way her mother's dogs looked at a particularly juicy bone: purely predatory. She wasn't so sure that she minded being Valentin's prey. It was a look that said she could do more than crash at his place. She had a feeling that she wouldn't be sleeping on a futon or an air mattress. The image of long pale limbs intertwined with hers had her rushing for her seat. She sat down with a sigh.

"I know you aren't sitting down, you're the only girl at this table, and you have to dance with all of us." Peter laughed, shooing her and Michael out of the booth.

"You guys are trying to kill me seriously." She laughed and pulled Michael with her onto the dance floor.

"Now you can say whatever you want, he left." Erik's dark eyes twinkled at Valentin.

"I thought..."

"He's totally in love with her, but he knows she isn't even remotely attracted to him. Well she does like him, but he's not enough of a bad boy to keep her interested. Good girls like bad boys." Peter cut him off.

"I don't want..." Valentin started again.

"She doesn't either. She's hot, ja?" Erik tilted his chin in the direction of the dance floor. Gail's body moved fluidly with the music. She danced close to Michael and he rested his hands on her shapely hips.

"She'd have you in love from the first touch." Peter shook his head and swallowed hard.

"Such a heartbreaker and she doesn't even know it." Erik sighed dramatically. "Well. It's my turn to cut in. I feel like I've been waiting a solid two songs." He slid out of the booth and danced over to Michael and Gail.

"I'm not interested in relationships. I'm here to work, not to find a wife. That's what Germany is for." Valentin said stubbornly, but he could feel his heart racing when he looked at Gail's sexy body and bright smile, teasing Michael and Erik on the dance floor. He hadn't exchanged more than a few words with her, and already he felt himself wanting her more than he cared to admit.

"Whatever, man, I know differently. You go dance with her and your heart and your dick will have you rushing off to get the moon." Peter laughed as Michael walked back to the table.

"Those things don't happen to me."

"Someday, man." Peter nodded at him.

Michael shook his head and turned to watch Erik and his girl on the dance floor.

His

girl...where did that come from? He sighed and shook his head again to clear it. Gail was his best friend. She explained many times that what she felt for him was purely platonic. He'd felt it in the kiss they shared at her cousin's wedding. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he barely noticed when Peter and Erik switched places. It wasn't until Peter returned with a sweaty and exhausted Gail that he looked up from his barely touched drink. He didn't care that he was openly staring at her. Her eyes were bright and a little glazed from all the drinking they'd been doing and one of the buttons on her cardigan came loose, exposing the lace-covered tops of her breasts. The material was so thin he could make out the imprints of her nipples in the fabric.

"What have you guys been giving her?" He smiled.

"A little bit of this." Peter smiled.

"A little bit of that." Erik winked.

"You guys are trying to get me drunk aren't you?" Gail giggled.

"Exactly." They said together.

"I still haven't gotten my dance." Valentin spoke up finally.

Gail swallowed hard. "Well then I guess we should go dance, right?" She winked boldly at him and reached a hand out to him as another song started playing.

He felt lightheaded once they got into the crush of bodies on the dance floor. He let a hand rest on the curve of her lower back, enjoying the feel of her soft body pressed against his chest.

"Michael told me you just moved here." She said leaning closer to him so she could speak to him without yelling.

"Yeah, my dad is expanding his company and wanted me to handle it," he nodded, tilting his head down to say into her ear, fighting a groan when her light perfume reached his nose. He felt the tremor that ran through her.

"Are you okay?" He smiled. He knew exactly what was wrong.

"Yeah I'm fine. I just love hearing you speak. Your English is so good, but I like it when you say certain words. The German accent is still there." She laughed, swiveling her hips against him.

"I like your voice too. You sort of have an accent, but I can't place it." He let his lips brush against her ear as he held her closer, allowing his fingers to slip lower so that his palms were cupping her jean-clad bottom.

"I think I like your body too even with all these clothes on." He felt the groan that left her lips as he rubbed his thumbs against the skin exposed over her jeans.

"Sorry. I'm not usually this forward." He pulled back a little to gauge her reaction to his flirting. He was rewarded when he saw the expression in her eyes. She looked ready to devour him right there on the dance floor. She opened her mouth to say something as the beat of the song picked up he spun her around and watched her sweater ride up her lower back as she ground herself against him.

"You're making me think crazy things. I wanted you since I came in and saw that girl on your lap." She said over her shoulder pressing herself back on him as she shook her hips to the upbeat tempo of the song. She didn't even fight the overwhelming sensation of lust that had her feeling drenched when his large hands gripped the tops of her thighs from behind. If he moved his hands a bit further up, he'd be cupping her pussy. Suddenly her jeans felt too tight, and her mouth went dry. She could feel him responding to the grinding and swallowed hard. He felt big before, she realized, and he wasn't even all that hard when they started dancing.

"You're going to make me embarrass myself." she groaned as he turned her back around.

"I'm not the one who told you to do whatever you're doing with those hips, Katzchen. You Jersey girls are bold as hell." She felt herself heat up when he used her nickname.

"I like the way you say my nickname." She blurted, trying to slow down her breathing. The heaviness in her limbs had nothing to do with drinking and dancing all night.

"You do? I could say it all night." He stared down at her with his intense light brown eyes. She felt her vision tunnel; all she could see was the rakishly handsome man in front of her. She fought the urge to brush his hair from where it stuck to his face.

"You're sweaty." She said stupidly.

"Ja, I know." He grinned, leaning closer watching as her eyes narrowed in anticipation.

Her gaze shifted from his mouth to his eyes. He was about to close the small gap between them when someone grabbed his arm behind him.

"We are getting ready to leave soon." Michael yelled to him over the music.

"Okay. Well we'll be back at the table. You're interrupting my dance with Gail." He looked down at her smoldering eyes.

"Well she's had too much to drink already and I should get her home," he argued, "You weren't even dancing." Michael added, surprised that he sounded so whiny.

"I mean..." He started, blushing red with embarrassment.

"Mikey, I'm fine. We were just dancing." Gail rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever. You know what, I'm ready." She moved away from Valentin and pushed past Michael as she strode angrily to the table.

"We tried. We promise." Peter held his hands up defensively.

"What do you mean? Gail asked, slinging her bag over her shoulder when she sat down.

"We mean your friend over there cock blocking. It was obvious what was about to happen. We saw everything from over here." Erik shook his head.

"I'm leaving. I'll just get a cab back to my apartment." She fished a twenty from her pocket and dropped it on the table.

"That should cover my drinks right?" Gail nodded over the music.

"Where are you going?" Michael grabbed her elbow as she moved to slide out of the booth.

"To catch a cab home." She pulled away from him and almost knocked Valentin over.

"I'll make sure you get there safely." Valentin nodded to her and handed Peter money for his own drinks.

"

I'll

make sure she gets home, okay?" Michael spoke up.

"Haven't you done enough?" Gail asked loudly.

"You don't even know him!" Michael yelled over the music.

"Okay. Keep talking. Are you still coming Valentin?" She sucked her teeth. He gave Michael a quick look, torn between going with Gail and staying with his cousin.

"Whoa, whoa calm down everyone. We leave together. Okay? They're closing soon anyway; it's almost 2:00 AM." Erik stood up and braced himself as he staggered out of the booth after Peter.

"We should go to Valentin's because he lives close by. No one should be trying to go anywhere in this neighborhood at this time of night." Peter slurred, pulling his wallet out. He motioned for a waitress to bring their bill.

Michael watched as Gail and his cousin talked quietly next to him. Seeing those two dancing so closely made him feel physically upset. "We'll be outside," Gail called over her shoulder as Valentin pulled her toward the door. When Michael made a move to follow, Peter grabbed his arm firmly.

"You're drunk, and you're acting like a dick. Leave them alone." He said sternly.

~*~

"I'm sorry about Michael; I don't know why he's acting stupid tonight." She shook her head. His eyes were drawn to the sexy pout of her lips. She started to say something else, but Valentin pressed a finger to her mouth.

"Gail I'm going to kiss you." He pulled her close and let his mouth descended on hers. He groaned when she wrapped her arms instinctively around his neck and leaned into him. He tasted her drinks on her tongue when she slid it into his mouth. He pulled away reluctantly when the door opened and the rest of their party stumbled into the street. He took in Michael's tense posture. He looked down at Gail, still leaning heavily on him. She staggered slightly as they started walking.

"It's pretty small. I guess it'll be kind of tight in the living room with all of you there." He apologized as they climbed the short flight of steps to his apartment building ten minutes later. After everyone settled in, he watched Gail stretch her long legs out on his ottoman as she adjusted his recliner. Their gazes met and he winked at her.

"Do you have bottled water? I feel my mouth drying out already," Peter asked from his place on the couch.

"Yeah in the fridge when you're ready. Everyone you can help yourself to anything in the kitchen if you wake up hungry or thirsty." Valentin said before he retreated to his bedroom.

Getting to sleep was hard since the object of his dreams was just a short walk down the hall, and once he fell asleep, Valentin's dreams were plagued by the beauty sleeping on his La-Z-Boy. After an hour of tossing and turning, he found himself awake and harder than steel. A stern glance at the erection tenting his sheets did nothing to make it go down.

"Can't we strike a deal? If you go down, I'll try to make something happen." He muttered to himself. Valentin bit his lip as the image of Gail's plump lips wrapping around the head of his cock tortured him. With a sigh he pushed back the sheets and pulled on his jeans as he made his way to the bathroom to splash some water on his face. When he opened the door, he found Gail sitting on the toilet.

"Shit, I'm sorry." He backed out of the doorway.

"No it's fine, I'm not using the bathroom...just sitting here. You can come in if you want." She leaned back and rested her head on the wall.

"Can't sleep?" He asked, leaning against the sink.

"I can't ever sleep when they're all together. They snore too loudly." Her gaze raked over him idly and he felt his ears turn red when they stopped at the front of his pants.

"You can sleep in my room if you want and I can sleep outside." He said quietly. The thought of her wrapped up in his sheets was enough to make him clench his teeth hard to ignore the surge of arousal.

"I couldn't do that." She kept her eyes closed as he turned to look at her.

"I've been having sleepovers with them since before we could walk. It's okay."

"I wish they weren't here in the first place. Then you and I wouldn't be having this argument." Gail opened her eyes and squinted at the fluorescent light brightening the room.

"Why?" she asked, licking her lips. She could still taste him on them.

"Because then we could finish what we started on the dance floor." She stood up when he moved closer to her.

"Maybe we could still do that." She said hoarsely as he closed the door behind him, clicking the lock in place.

She let him pull her up close to his warm and naked chest, and sighed contentedly as he nuzzled her neck. As he kissed the soft skin, he let his hands wander under her top until his fingertips brushed the lace of her bra. He rubbed her nipples and turned the faucet on with his other hand to drown out her moan. She leaned back to pull off the cardigan and it was his turn to groan. The rich deep brown of her skin contrasted nicely with her white bra. He helped her onto the counter and brushed his lips over the lace, opening to take as much of her breast into his mouth as he could.

"Wait." She pulled away and reached behind her to unclasp her bra. He slid the straps off her shoulders and cupped the sides of the warm globes of flesh. Her nipples were average sized bumps surrounded by large dark areolas. He licked his lips and situated himself between her legs, pulling her forward enough that she could feel what she was doing to him.