Silenced

by Alicia Renee Kline

  “Ditto” was my reply before I grabbed his curls and coaxed his lips to mine.

  His hand pulled away from my hair and I responded with a squeal of protest from the loss. Until I realized that he was unzipping his jeans and wiggling out of them, taking his boxers down with the denim in one quick movement. Then it was all okay, especially once he turned his attention to my own pants. He removed them just as easily, keeping my thong in place.

  With a quick tug of his finger, the satin of my panties was pulled to one side and he entered me. Our mouths still connected, we exchanged a collective moan. The rumble of his voice between my lips sent a shiver through my body, heightening the pleasure down below.

  Tangled up in his arms and legs, somehow I managed to find enough purchase to coax him onto his side, where I stayed with him for a few kisses before taking the initiative to pull myself on top. My legs straddled him and I sat up, placing my hands against his chest and taking in the view. I wasn’t the only one.

  Green eyes stared up at me, begging me for something; what, I didn’t know. It was no matter, because it was apparently all good. A content smile played across his features as he drank me in. I couldn’t stop a grin from spreading over my face as I teased him, coming in for a kiss, but hovering just above him so that my long black hair brushed his bare skin.

  Then his hands raised up and lowered my head. Not so that our lips met, but for his nose to run across the length of mine. His breath was hot against my cheek, and another tremor erupted throughout me, sending goose bumps up and down my frame.

  He let me take the lead, thrusting his body upwards in response to my movements. I lifted myself slowly off of him, letting just the tip of him remain inside me. The breath caught in his lungs as he waited for what came next. He was a smart man, knowing that I wouldn’t disengage completely before either of us got what we wanted. But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t torment him a bit. When my legs began to shake from their awkward position, I slammed myself back down on him.

  I was rewarded by him flipping me over, his girth pounding into me as though his life depended on it. I knew he was close, as was I, and I desperately wanted to come together. My hand reached blindly down to where we connected, my thumb and forefinger circling him and pressing against where we met.

  Will grunted and moved even faster, my hand both serving to jerk him off and pleasure myself. I tightened my grip, relishing the feel of his velvety smoothness contrasting with my wetness. I could feel the blood racing to his erection, making him rock solid as I clenched around him, bringing us both over the edge.

  We fell over the cliff together, a mass of appendages and emotion. He emptied into me, eyes rolling back in his head in pure bliss. Still inside me, he lowered himself beside me as he caught his breath. I struggled to find my own. He nuzzled his head against my neck as we both tried to suck in enough air to recover from our exertion.

  Even after we were both breathing easier, we remained in position for several moments, my fingers threaded through his like I’d never let him go. My eyes fluttered closed, basking in the afterglow of the overwhelming love and happiness that I felt.

  “What time is the reservation?” I heard myself ask.

  “Eight.”

  I did a quick bit of mental calculation, sighing when I realized what that meant. “You should go take a shower first. Otherwise, I’ll use up all the hot water.”

  He snickered, then regrettably took my advice. His hand left mine, then he pulled out of me. He stood up quickly, wasting no time in taking out a pair of boxers from the dresser that was now officially his. Wiping himself off, he tossed the underwear to me in order for me to clean myself up.

  My eyes still closed, I reached down to grab the fabric from where it had landed on my abdomen, shoving it between my legs. I listened to the shower turn on, then the curtain rings sliding against the rod as I imagined him stepping inside.

  Will was always super quick in the shower when I didn’t accompany him, so I stayed right where I was, knowing I wouldn’t be waiting long for my turn. As I passed the time, I tried to envision the contents of my closet and just what would be appropriate to wear. Reservations meant it wasn’t our usual fare, but how fancy did I need to get? A clue or ten would be quite helpful.

  “I’m picking your dress tonight,” he announced.

  I jumped to life, embarrassed that he’d caught me off guard. Somehow I’d completely missed him shutting the water off. Sure enough, he stood before me, a towel hanging loosely upon his waist, his damp hair dripping, sending tiny rivulets down his skin. I took a deep, shaky breath to try to calm the feelings that rose up through my core, knowing I’d never have time to get ready if I succumbed to the urges I was having. Besides, he was clean, and my thoughts were certainly of the dirty variety.

  “You’re right,” he said, reading my mind, “there’s no time for a round two right now. Later.”

  “A promise?”

  “You know it. Now hurry up.”

  He smacked my ass as I passed by him into the bathroom. Clearly, he was in good spirits tonight and I wasn’t about to do anything to ruin it. It was a gift that he was taking this moving in together thing in such stride, especially since he’d been so adamant not that long ago that our coupling was merely temporary. Now he spoke words of forever as though we were talking about what television show we were going to watch, or what we were going to do the following weekend.

  I washed up like I was late for work, taking no time to lounge in the comforting cloud of steam that billowed up from the showerhead. It was maybe ten minutes tops before I was turning the faucet off and stepping out. Even so, Will had had more than enough time to set the stage for me.

  A couple of fresh towels sat on the closed toilet lid, ready for my use. Just beyond that, a fluffy white robe hung in wait. I grabbed a towel, drying myself off quickly and exchanging it for the robe, which I slipped on as I walked to the vanity. My hair dryer and curling iron had been pulled out of the cabinet and sat at the ready, the styling tool already heating up. The train case that housed my makeup stood watch beside them, opened up for easy access to my supplies.

  He’d thought of everything.

  I set to work on my appearance, hair and makeup done in record time. Like life was smiling down on me, I was able to create the perfect smoky cat eye in minutes, keeping my lips neutral with a nude gloss. My hair fell in shiny dark curls over my robe, bending perfectly to my will. With one final glance at my reflection, I glided out into the bedroom to see what treasures awaited there. I obviously wasn’t in on the plan, and the anticipation was killing me.

  The first thing I saw was a sapphire blue halter dress spread out on the freshly made bed. A dress that up until that moment, I didn’t even know that I owned. Resting at the footboard stood a pair of silver heels that were also new.

  My eyes slid up to meet Will’s, a silent question forming on my lips. But I was distracted in the best kind of way. Will didn’t dress up - weddings that he was a part of didn’t count - and yet he was standing there in a pair of blue trousers topped with a lighter blue shirt left unbuttoned at the collar. No tie, but I wasn’t about to split hairs. Brown oxfords peeked out from underneath his slacks, polished to shiny perfection.

  “You like?” he asked, twirling around playfully in order for me to get the full effect.

  “I’m pretty sure I love.”

  “Me too.”

  I shed the robe, letting the terry cloth drop to the floor. He swallowed roughly, visibly fighting the urge to bend me over the mattress and take me once again. We’d already established there was not enough time. Instead, he handed me lingerie of his choosing, eye-fucking me as I slipped it on. Then he helped me step into my dress, securing the zipper in the back for me as I held my hair out of the way. As if I had any doubt, it fit perfectly, hugging my curves as though it had been specially made for me.

  “You look amazing,” he whispered into my ear, carefully moving my hair back into place.

&nbs
p; “This is all wonderful. I didn’t know you had it in you to be so romantic.”

  He gasped in mock exasperation, which for some reason made me giggle like I was in high school and the man of my dreams had just asked me to the prom.

  “I guess we’re ready to go then?” I asked.

  “Not quite. There’s one more thing.”

  “Okay.”

  “Sit down.”

  When I didn’t move, he grabbed my hands and led me to my side of the mattress, backing me up against it. When the backs of my knees made contact with the bed, he placed his hands on my shoulders and lowered me into position.

  “Close your eyes,” he prompted.

  I obeyed eagerly. He pulled away from me, sending my heart rate skyrocketing. A million outcomes sped through my head while I waited. Yet over the deafening sound of the blood rushing through my veins, I was able to hear him fiddling with the combination lock of his safe.

  “Did you buy me a gun?” I joked, not sounding as confident as I wanted to.

  He didn’t answer. If possible, my heart beat even faster as I heard the lock release, the safe door swinging open to reveal whatever surprise he had in store for me. He was dragging the production out on purpose, and one half of me wanted to throttle him while the other half loved ever single second of agony. Eventually the door of the safe closed with a heavy thud and he returned to my side of the bed. He sat down beside me before allowing me to open my eyes.

  In his hands, he held a black velvet jewelry box. One that would be the proper size to hold a bracelet, or maybe a necklace. Without another word, he handed it over to me. My fingers trembled as I took it from him, making it difficult to pry it open. When I was successful, I peered inside and snapped it shut quickly.

  I shook my head, clearing the cobwebs from my brain. I obviously had not seen what I thought I had. Perhaps our sex earlier had deprived me of oxygen and I was just now feeling the effects.

  Time to try again and see what was really in there.

  “Shut. Up,” I whispered.

  This time, I didn’t close the box.

  I simply stared at what it held.

  It was the largest diamond ring I had ever seen in person. It put Lauren’s to shame, and obviously Blake’s. It wasn’t the kind of ring you bought someone on a lark, or the kind of hardware you presented to someone without meaning it.

  Will clearly took that old-fashioned rule of an engagement ring costing three months’ salary to heart. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d added a few thousand from his retirement account and cleaned out Emma’s college fund as well.

  My hands shook uncontrollably now, and he steadied the box in them so that it wouldn’t fall to the floor. His thumbs rubbed my index fingers, attempting to calm me down.

  “It doesn’t have to mean what you think it does,” he began frantically, misjudging my reaction completely.

  “Will,” I gasped, somehow finding my voice, “Will, baby. If it means what I think it does, then your answer is yes.”

  He pressed his forehead against mine, his shoulders collapsing in relief. As if I could ever tell him no, as if he’d been bottling built up worry inside for who knew how long.

  “Don’t cry,” he urged, sliding the ring onto my finger. “You’ll ruin your makeup. And I want this night to be perfect.”

  “Oh, it is,” I managed.

  He cupped my face in his hands, drinking me in with such devotion that it warmed me from the inside out. And I held my breath until the need to cry lessened, though my pulse still galloped at an unhealthy pace. I’d be lucky if my heart didn’t give out before this night was a memory with the way it was going.

  Will needed just as much composure as I did it seemed. So we remained seated, saying nothing as the gravity of the moment sank in.

  In the span of one evening, he’d shed all of his fears and done the one thing he’d sworn he would never do, not even for me. He’d committed to me, body, mind and soul. And I had in turn rid myself of the notion that I’d never wanted those things to begin with.

  “We’re going to be late for dinner,” he said finally, as if it took all of his strength to declare this and move us from this very spot.

  But we did, floating through the hallway as if in a dream. All the way to the garage, which now held both the Jeep and my car. The police cruiser stood guard outside the house, parked at the curb. Will climbed in the driver’s seat of the Lexus like he owned it, and I was in no mood to protest about anything, so I said nothing.

  Dinner was fabulous, a combination of steak, lobster, wine, and me watching as the candlelight bounced off the facets in my ring. But both of us weren’t in the right frame of mind to appreciate such a good meal. So we rushed through it as much as one could a four course meal, eager to get back home and expend some energy partaking in much more enjoyable activities.

  We’d barely gotten through the garage door before my shoes were gone, kicked off as we made a mad dash to the bedroom. I tugged down my zipper. Will unfastened his belt and was making quick work of his fly.

  Then my phone rang.

  “Don’t answer it,” he commanded.

  “You don’t have to ask me twice.”

  We kept undressing, my ringtone the soundtrack for our striptease. Never before had it taken so long to go to voicemail. When it eventually quieted, we both grinned at each other, like we had outsmarted whomever was on the other end.

  That victory lasted a split second before Will’s phone sprang to life.

  “Seriously?” we asked in unison.

  Kissing now, we ignored the ringing, grasping hungrily at one another. We were completely naked before his phone stopped chirping at us. Another sigh of relief.

  But we weren’t done yet. This time my phone sounded with a rollover call from the design studio. I knew this because I had it set to a different ringtone so I wouldn’t accidentally answer the phone in an unprofessional manner, which I chose to do this time anyway.

  “What?” I damn near shouted as soon as the call connected.

  “Stop having sex, Grace,” came Chris’s voice from my cell.

  “Why?” I wasn’t even about to deny our activities. There was no point.

  “Blake and I are at the hospital. A baby is imminent.”

  “It’s eleven at night,” I protested.

  “Babies don’t understand the concept of time.”

  Apparently I didn’t either. No matter how much I wanted to bed Will at that moment, no amount of whining was going to stop the kid from coming out. And at forty-one weeks, I should have realized long ago that Blake was a ticking time bomb, waiting for the most inconvenient moment to go off.

  Will was close enough to hear the exchange and he silently disengaged, going over to the dresser to pull out a fresh pair of boxers and some sweats. I caught his eye and flashed him a pout, which he countered with a smile. Any amount of disappointment he held in his heart at the interruption was tempered by the fact of our friends bringing a new life into the world. There was no doubt that he was coming with me to see this through, and once order had been restored, we’d pick right back up where we left off.

  After all, we had forever.

  “Can I talk to her?”

  “Blake?”

  “No, the freaking night nurse. Yes, Blake. I’m her person. Let me person.”

  There was a slight pause before Blake came on the line. I refrained from asking her how she was doing, or how she felt, because I really didn’t want to be subjected to her wrath. I already had a clue to those answers.

  “Hey, lady,” I greeted instead. “Will and I are on our way. Hang in there for me, okay?”

  “You’re naked,” she stated dryly.

  “As a jaybird,” I confirmed.

  She sighed heavily, then the emotion became a laugh. I pictured her curled up in her hospital bed, mid-contraction, making fun of me. Maybe that’s why she had picked me all along. I amused her, and kept her mind off the task at hand.

  “Get
dressed,” she ordered.

  “I’m on it. You’re doing a wonderful job; I’m sure. I’ll be there in no time, and I can’t wait to see the three of you.”

  “That almost sounded authentic.”

  “What can I say? You caught me on a good day. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  I disconnected the call and tossed my cell on the bed. Will was already dressed, and I rushed around to catch up with him. He was going for comfort, so I played off of that, pulling on a pair of yoga pants and shrugging into a hooded sweatshirt. It may have looked silly with my full hair and makeup, but I didn’t care.

  “Ready?” Will prompted.

  “Almost.”

  I slipped my gym shoes onto my feet as I moved over to my dresser. Rummaging around in my jewelry box, I found what I was looking for. Will watched with interest as I pulled out a necklace, then took off my diamond ring, sliding the solitaire onto the chain. I fastened it around my neck, stuffing the ring under my shirt between my breasts. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear Will wanted to be that ring right about now.

  “What are you doing?” he asked. There was a note of panic in his tone, and I knew I had to explain.

  “This,” I pointed to my chest, “will raise a whole bunch of questions that we don’t particularly want to answer at this time. And this is not our night. It belongs to Blake and Chris. Neither one of us is going anywhere. We have the rest of our lives to figure out what this means. Let them have their moment, and everyone will be happy.”

  “Why does it always seem like we’re connected to them? We sleep together. They get engaged. I move in and give you a ring. They have a baby. I’d swear they’re trying to steal our thunder.”

  “We don’t need thunder,” I replied as we made our way back out to the car. “We have lightning.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chris

  Fear.

  It coiled in my stomach, twisting its way up my chest and wrapping itself around my lungs, making it nearly impossible to breathe.