Love of Truth

by C. T. Oliver

  “Amelia, are you okay?” Craig asks in a panicked voice.

  “I’m sorry,” I look at Craig and for some reason I can feel tears building up around my eyes. Is it from the physical pain, or is it from the pain I know I’m going to face when he leaves. “It hurts.”

  “Oh, baby, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be taking advantage of you when you’re in pain.” He holds my face with one of his hands and gives me the most warm and affectionate look. “My adorable Amelia,” he whispers before kissing me softly and holding me close to him.

  Craig and I are sitting on the couch with Larry, eating the best homemade chicken noodle soup. After Craig pulled me out of the bath and away from his delicious kisses, he dressed me in my soft yoga tights and one of his t-shirts sans panties and bra. He claimed he couldn’t find any with a big grin on his face. After which, he made me take the pain pill. The pill and the warm soup are taking effect. I can barely lift the spoon to my mouth. It’s a vicious cycle when the food you’re eating makes you too tired to eat it.

  “Okay, let’s get you some sleep,” Craig takes the spoon out from my hand.

  “Why do I need sleep?” I ask wondering why he’s taking away my soup.

  “Because you’ve been nodding off while hold that spoon to your lips for the last five minutes.”

  “Bossy, I wasn’t even done with that,” I fold my arms in front of me.

  Craig smiles and leans down to kiss the pout off my lips. “Baby, you slurped the whole thing ten minutes ago.”

  “Oh,” I giggle feeling redness crawl up my face. I wrap the afghan around myself and stretch my body across the couch just to rest my heavy eyelids for a little while. I can feel Craig’s stubble tickling my forehead as he gives me kisses and with his body near mine I drift off into dreamland.

  Someone is playing with my lifeless body. I feel my right arm fall heavily as I’m being picked up and carried. No one has the slightest care that my arm is just dangling off to the side for whoever to play with as they wish. Finally someone has the decency to care and is now cradling me and placing kisses on my forehead. Someone as caring as, “Craig.” I gasp as I open my eyes to the feel of his warm kisses and very familiar scent.

  “Hey, baby. I missed you.” Craig sits back to look at me. “It’s lunch time. I made you a salad.”

  “What?” I groggily mumble and squint to look at Craig.

  Craig hands me my glasses with a knowing smile. “Let’s eat and I’ll let you quiz me on a few title codes before you drift off again.”

  “Maybe a cold salad won’t put me into a food coma.” I straighten myself in Craig’s lap and take the bowl he hands me. “Thank you for taking such good care of me.” I smile shyly at him.

  Craig kisses the side of my head. “Nothing I want more than to be here with you.”

  I look around the coffee table at the books and papers scattered and feelings of happiness wash over me. I have always loved academia. My eyes run hungrily over all the law books, Craig’s manly handwriting, and his highlighted notes. Feelings of jealousy creep up into my heart. Someone else in this world has figured out a path for their future whereas I am still lost.

  “Were you able to get some studying done?” I ask, taking a fork full of salad and chicken into mouth.

  “Some, but this coffee table is not exactly the most comfortable place to study. Plus, Larry really likes to lick paper.” He takes a bite of the salad I’m offering him. Larry looks up from his hippo long enough to give an affirming nod to the statement.

  My eyes roam over his six-foot plus frame and I start to squirm on his lap. Man, tall guys are hot. “Maybe we should move to the kitchen table, I’m less likely to nod off there, too.”

  “It’s okay, baby. I’m comfortable here with you.” He gives me a peck on the cheek. “How’s the ankle? Should we ice and heat again?”

  I let out a depressing sigh thinking about my cankle. “No, it’s fine. I don’t want to look at it. It makes me sad that it’s causing us to be locked up today.”

  “Did you have something in mind?” Craig holds my face in both his hands and looks at me with those comforting eyes of his.

  “Well, you might think it’s weird, but I love walking in the rain, it’s refreshing and invigorating,” I say, my eyes getting wider with every word. “I don’t know why people are always hiding from it or running from it, it’s cleansing and afterwards there’s usually a rainbow. Why would people hide from a rainbow?” I hold up a forkful of salad to Craig’s lip only he doesn’t open, but a smile is across his lips. “What?”

  “When your ankle is better, I would love to take a walk in the rain with you,” he says before taking his bite while rubbing his hand up and down my back.

  “Making out in the rain?” I laugh.

  “Sounds good to me.” Craig wraps his arms around me and holds me close to him while we share the massive salad.

  My stomach is full and I’m still sitting in Craig’s lap quizzing him about adoption laws in the state of Washington while Larry happily licks away at Craig’s ethics and law book. I provide him scenarios where he has to provide a ruling and the laws to support the ruling. Getting to watch Craig think and reason his way through a scenario is the biggest turn on. I know that he is smart, but his vast knowledge is completely overwhelming. We study well into the evening with me struggling to keep my hands to myself. I only reward him with a few kisses now and then when I can’t control urge. Craig constantly soothes me with back rubs. We finally call it quits when Blu and Pen came home all refreshed from their spas. Blu can’t stop talking about ways to change his business to cater to the clients that he is currently not getting.

  Craig brought me into the kitchen so I can ‘help’ him and Pen make dinner. All I’m really doing is staring at every move he makes. Blu is blabbing away as I shamelessly get an eyeful of Craig’s taut butt muscles that slightly flex while he chops vegetables and cuts beef cubes for the stew he is preparing.

  “His backside is not going to get any bigger the more you stare at it, Mel,” Blu says dryly out of nowhere.

  “His backside is perfect the way it is, thank you very much.” I take a long sip of my ice water while giving Craig the biggest smile, to which he responds with a wink.

  “Now you have a taste of what it feels like when we’re at gym,” Pen smiles brightly at Craig.

  “You girls get this kind of attention at the gym?” Craig raises a playful eyebrow at me.

  “Well, yeah. We work out at the gym near our building and it happens to be downtown and it’s a little crowded,” I shrug it off. I’m so used to being checked out that all I care about is getting in, working out, and then leaving.

  “Meat market is more like it and the girls are premium filet mignon. Working out next to them I feel like the fake grass they put up as dividers in the meat cases.” Blu rolls his eyes at me.

  “Is that so?” Craig asks with a sobering look on his face. The earlier playfulness gone from his voice.

  “We go pretty early in the morning so it’s not as crowded,” Pen says eyeing Craig carefully. Even with Pen’s statement, Craig’s look doesn’t ease up one bit.

  “Well it’s a good thing that I workout pretty early, too. I’ll keep you girls company from now on.” Though his statement is addressing both Pen and I, Craig is still staring at me with his sobering look.

  “Sure babe.” I smile at him. Though the feeling is barbaric, in a way I feel kind of treasured that someone as good looking and strong as Craig is getting worked up at the idea of someone else looking at me.

  Soon Ben and Cory come into the kitchen soaking wet from the rain, covered in mud and smelling like mildew while sporting the biggest smiles on their faces. I am a little jealous of the adventure they must have had, the sights they would have seen, the feelings they must have experienced going up the mountain and the happiness that they’re feeling right now.

  “Did you guys have fun?” I glare at them.

  “Don’t hate because you couldn
’t come along, Shorty, but yeah it was amazing!” Cory pulls the fridge open and tosses Ben a beer.

  “God, the fog fell on the last leg of the hike, it felt as though we were in the clouds.” Ben sinks in the chair next to me with a dreamy look on his face.

  “I missed being in the clouds?” I look wistfully at Craig.

  Craig gives me a sexy smile as he comes over to me and kisses the pout off my lips. “Next time, baby. I’ll take you into the heavens, how about that?”

  “Yuck, think what that will do to your hair. Don’t come back to me when it’s a mess and you can’t even get into the car.” Blu shakes his head and heads to his room. That’s Blu for you, beauty before backpacking.

  I give Craig one last peck before letting him get back to his stew. “Were you able to go to your bookstore today, Pen?” I ask paying close attention to Ben’s reaction, and what I see, I’m very happy about.

  “Umm…no, by the time we got out of the first spa there wasn’t enough time to drive down there so we ended up scoping out the other spas.” Pen frowns as she sifts flour for her lemon pound cake, Mozart momentarily drawing her attention, wanting some tummy rubs from her.

  “How about the guys take you tomorrow? You guys wouldn’t mind going with Pen tomorrow to Kiwanda’s old town and checking out a bookstore down there, would you?” I ask keeping a close eye on Ben. I can see excitement and joy crossing his face.

  “Since you can cook like that, of course. It will be a pleasure for me to escort you to an old bookstore, Pen. And I’m pretty sure Ben is so excited, he’s speechless right now.” Cory smiles affectionately toward Pen, making a blush creep up her face.

  “And there’s a brewery you guys can visit, make a day out of it.” I love the idea of Ben and Pen spending the day together. I have the biggest triumphant smile on my face when I look over at Craig, who’s chuckling and shaking his head at me.

  “That sounds great,” Pen says, giving the guys a small polite smile. “Thanks guys, but if there’s something else you wanted to do on your vacation da—”

  “Nothing is better than visiting a bookstore,” Ben hastily states.

  Pen nods and heads over to the sink to wash her hands. There is something there, but something is wrong. I hope they’ll work it out; they’re such wonderful people.

  Craig’s beef stew is now one of my favorite comfort dishes. If I have to take the pain meds, I’m going to down it with Craig’s beef stew from here on out. Everything is tender and flavorful and topped with Pen’s lemon pound cake I am falling asleep in my food again. At least Blu has the common sense to tie my hair up before our meal so I’m not eating my own hair. At the end of dinner, just like last night, Craig gathers Larry and me in his arms and we make our way up to bed with me already checking out without a care as to what’s happening around me.

  “We really have to stop meeting like this,” I wrap my arms around his shoulders and nuzzle into his neck as he sets me once again on the bathroom counter.

  “What’s wrong with meeting like this? It’s not every day I get to carry an adorable lady off to bed.” He presses warm kisses on my cheeks and up my forehead.

  “You’ve been carrying me around for the last two days. I’m like a baby chimpanzee clinging to its mama’s fur.” I start giggling and snorting at my own joke. “Boots with the fuuurrrrrr.”

  Craig laughs and helps me out of my yoga pants. “It’s only been last night and today. How’s the ankle tonight?” He smiles warmly at me.

  “Ugghh. The cankle is heavy and purple, like the purple people eater.”

  Craig shakes his head and laughs at me. “Oh God, don’t let Cory hear that song. He’s going to start singing it. And in his version, it’s not people being eaten.”

  I laugh and chance a look at my feet. I put both feet together just to compare. While one is pretty, with my recent gray polish pedicure. The other looks like the size of a taro root with baby Yukon potatoes for the toes and the pedicure looking like the eyelets of the potatoes.

  “Oh babe, they’re so pudgy.” I try to wiggle my toes.

  “The swelling actually went down a little.” Craig hands me my toothbrush with a hopeful look on his face.

  “Eww, don’t look at it. How can you respect me in the morning after looking at that? You’re going to remember me for the rest of our lives as purple pudgy foot.”

  Craig looks at me for a moment before a sensual smile grace his handsome face. “For the rest of my life, I’m going to remember you as being beautiful, fun, amazingly smart and generous. But most of all I’m going to remember you as my adorable Amelia.” Craig holds my face in both of his hands and kisses me gently. Taking his time. Allowing me to savor every taste of him before he slowly steps back and helps me get ready for bed.

  I feel warm. Like I’m laying on a bed of sand on a blazing summer day. The heat is not just on my back, its wrapped around me and laying on my chest. I wiggle my body but can only feel the heat closing tighter around me. I should feel suffocated, but I feel wanted and treasured. I can feel the heat move up and down my chest. Loud sounds of something hitting against glass pulls my attention away from the heat. I open my eyes to the sight of gray skies, roaring ocean waves, and heavy rain slapping against the window. The sight makes me shiver as I coil my body against my heat source, Craig. One of his arms and hands are holding firmly to both of my breasts and it makes me content.

  I turn slightly so I can see his beautiful face in the dimly lit room. He’s so handsome, sleeping with his mouth slightly opened, eyes closed, and relaxed face with a few strands of hair falling forward on his forehead. Looking at him, I’m so amazed that someone like him is lying next to me. He’s not only caring and loving, but he’s confident, smart, and capable of so many things in life. It humbles me that he is interested in me. I just hope that when he leaves, a part of me is not going to close off, but I’m going to take the care and love he has for me now and make myself a better person. In the end, I know he is going to leave me. Everyone in my life leaves. What makes Craig any different? So for the time being, I am going to enjoy his care and love.

  I brush some of his hair out of his face and sprinkle kisses on his forehead. I love the feel of his skin against my lips. I love his chiseled cheeks, his nose, his lips, and I just love him.

  “Umm, g’morin’ baby. Did you sleep well?” Craig pulls me up to him so we’re chest to chest.

  I kiss his eyebrow, his nose, and then finally his lips. “I did. But you know what?”

  “What?” One of Craig’s hands roams under my t-shirt to grab on to a butt cheek and squeeze.

  “I really miss giving you a proper wake up call.” My lips tease his as I push a hand into his boxer briefs, wrapping around his warm erection. I palm the head and lightly rub him. He hisses a breath as he jerks in my hand.

  He runs a up my ribcage and rubs his thumb across my nipple. “Amelia, I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “It’s not going to hurt, I promise,” I pout, looking up at him through my lashes. “You know you want to.” I place kisses down his strong chin. Teasing my lips again his stubble.

  “What are we in high school?” He chuckles. “I think we both want to, but I don’t want you to get hurt. Remember yesterday, baby, it – Jesus, you have greedy little hands.” His head shaking back and forth as I run my hand up and down his erection. Making sure to give the head a little squeeze. “Damn it!” Craig flips me on my back. “If it hurts you have to tell me.” Craig mumbles into my mouth as he kisses me gently.

  His hands working down my sides to get my shirt over my head. On its way back down his fingers rhythmically brush lightly against my aroused nipples. “Mmm babe, feels so good,” I arch my back into his touch.

  I push his boxer briefs down with my hand but can’t work them all the way off. “Off, now,” I growl against his lips. It’s only been a little over two days but I miss this intimacy with him. Lifting my hips up with my right foot, I seek the feel of his erection on my sex.

&n
bsp; “Jesus, you’re so wet for me,” Craig flexes his hips, rubbing his erection on the lips of my sex.

  “I miss you. I want you. Now!” I grab on to both of his butt cheeks pulling him to me.

  Craig kisses down my neck onto my chest. He takes his time rubbing the tip of his nose on one of my nipples. “Patience, I want to enjoy you.” His warm tongue laps my nipple a few times to build my excitement before he takes it into his mouth as goose bumps prickle my skin.

  I let out a moan, feeling the tingling sensation all the way in my sex from just the touch of his mouth on me. I move my hips to rub my roused clit against his erection. With his lips and tongue on my nipple, it is sensation overload and I start to feel the rush. I can feel my finger nails digging into his taut bottom as I arch my back, riding out the spasms that travel through my body. Leaving me dazed and blissful. “Mmm babe.” I run my fingers through his hair, pulling him up to my mouth.

  “Fuck! You’re so sexy when you come,” Craig mumbles again my lips.

  “I want you to come. I want you now, babe.” I tighten my grip on his hair and wrap my good leg around his waist.

  Craig has a sexy grin on his lips as he flexes his hips to put the tip of his cock against me. “Someone is being bossy this morning.” With one flex of his hips he enters me and the feeling is so wonderful and filling. I can only drop my head back and enjoy being connected and intimate with him. “Jesus, baby. I don’t think I can ever get used to how tight you are.”

  I pull his lips to mine, savoring him. Taking in every touch, every sensation and feeling of being with him. He falls onto his elbows and wraps his arms underneath my back. Holding me closer to him as he thrusts into me. When he’s inside of me, I clench to hold on to him tighter, just to hold on to him longer. I want to connect with him forever, because no matter how I rationalize it, I can’t deny it. I love him.

  Craig breaks away from my lips to nuzzle kisses under my chin. “God baby. You feel so fucking good. Come for me, now!” Craig picks up his thrusts. Each time he grinds himself against my clit, my body strains for the release, I buck my hips to each of his thrusts. I can feel the heat building within me and with a powerful thrust from Craig, I fall over with him clinging to me as tightly as I’m clinging to him. As the spasms subside Craig kisses across my face until he meets my lips. He kisses me passionately and sweetly until we’re just holding each other close.