A Love Like This

by Kahlen Aymes

  I squeezed shampoo into my hand and was scrubbing it briskly through my hair when the bathroom door opened. “Hey, sweets,” I called. The light flipped off but a soft glow remained in the room. The steam parted when the shower door opened and Julia stepped inside. I paused rinsing my hair. “Hey…” I said again, taking in the glorious site of her naked body in the golden glow of the candles she’d set on the vanity. It didn’t take a single touch for my cock to stiffen. She was so beautiful, her curves were a delicious combination of glowing skin offset by the shadow wrapping around her from behind and the green eyes, luminous, as she looked up at me. Her intent was clear and my heart sped up. I reached for her at the same time as her hands slid up my shoulders, the remnants of the shampoo leaving my skin slick under her fingers. Electricity shot through me.

  My hands moved from the sides of her breasts, gently cupping and brushing her already puckered nipples, down the concave slope of her waist and back, over the voluptuous curves of her delicious ass. Her fingers curled into my wet hair, the water running over both of us now. She tilted her head, lifting her mouth in offering as my throbbing cock pressed into her stomach, and her eyes slid closed.

  I kissed her jaw and down her neck, my mouth open, tongue laving her delicious skin. I never got tired of touching her; of feeling her come alive next to me. My body hungered the sweet-salty taste of her, the feel of her tightness around me, her heat… and my heart craved her incredible love. There was nothing like making love to Julia and never would be.

  Her fingers yanked at the hair at my nape and she moaned, deep in her throat, urging me to pick up the pace. It was so fucking sexy. I bent slightly, enough to part her legs from behind and lift her against the back wall of the shower. Julia wrapped her legs around me and I slid one hand up to cup the side of her face so I could claim her mouth, the very moment I pushed into her, hard.

  “Uhhh…” her breath rushed out as we began kissing; deep, needy kisses that I wanted to go on for days, so good I almost forgot I was buried deep inside her. She clenched around me at the same time as she sucked on my tongue. It was so hot, and I went into overdrive, thrusting deeper, harder. Julia’s hips met mine, both of us moving together in our urgent need for release. I never wanted it to end. We didn’t talk, but hands teased, mouths worshiped and skin slid over skin and the small space filled with steam and moans of pleasure.

  I was having trouble breathing; I couldn’t decide if it was the heat and thickness of the air or the fact that I loved this woman so Goddamn much. I pulled my mouth from hers and opened my eyes, needing to see her expression while we both got closer to the edge. I could feel my body tighten and I wanted to see the pleasure I was giving her; I needed her to see mine. Her eyes opened, half-lidded and she looked at me. I changed to slow, long thrusts, but kept the pressure hard. Her body pushed up on the wall each time I slammed into her. I loved watching her pouty lips drop open at the same time she kept here eyes trained on mine until the pleasure got too much.

  “Uhhhh,” she sighed and shut her eyes, turning her head when I reached between us and found her clit. I moved in slow circles, wanting her climax to be long and hard, slow building. My body was screaming; each time she clenched around me, it was all I could do not to let myself go. “Uhhhh, Ryan…” She bit her lip. “I want…” she panted.

  “I’m there baby…” I groaned as she tensed and shuddered around me. Julia’s head fell back and I latched onto her mouth, thrusting my tongue inside to meet hers. She clutched the hair on both sides of my head as she kissed me back deeply, riding out her orgasm as I gave in to mine.

  My head fell to her shoulder as our breathing evened out, the water still pelting my back and the steam so thick it was like we were inside a cloud.

  I kissed her lips again; soft and gently caressing. Needing her to know with just my lips how much she meant to me. I ran my nose along hers and kissed her one more time before I opened the shower door and I walked out holding her to me, still connected. I pulled two fluffy white towels from the rack and wrapped one around her, sliding out and setting her on the floor. We dried each other off as if we were still making love. It was soft and thorough and reverent.

  Her eyes got glassy. I could see the emotion there, and it was all the same for me. Jesus Christ! I’d never get used to how much we loved each other. She lopped another towel over my head and rubbed as I softly dried the water from her hair with one of my own. When I was done, I ran the pad of my thumb across her cheek. I wanted to touch and keep touching.

  The bedroom was several degrees cooler than the bathroom, and we quickly slid beneath the covers. I pulled Julia to me, and she came easily into my arms. We fit like a glove, curled around each other, both content while the warmth between our bodies seeped out to slowly warm the sheets. I was satisfied, yet unsatisfied at the same time; always wanting more of her.

  “I never want to leave this bed,” I said into the darkness, my lips pressed to her forehead, her damp hair tickling my chin.

  “I never want to leave your arms,” she murmured sleepily.

  My arms tightened around her as her hot breath fanned my chest.

  Fucking perfect.

  ~7~

  My pencil tapped against the hard surface of my desk as my tired eyes stared out across Manhattan and Central Park. The sky was grey, winter robbing the trees of leaves and the buildings on the other side of the park blurring into lifeless oblivion as thoughts of the morning flooded my mind.

  I rushed out of bed when a loud clatter from the kitchen, followed by a grumpy expletive, jolted me out of sleep. I ran down the hall, pulling one of Ryan’s discarded t-shirts over my head and pushing my arms through the sleeves.

  Ryan was already dressed in black scrubs and bent down picking up the pieces of a broken coffee cup. My hand slid slowly over his back, unable to resist even the slightest opportunity to touch him before I grabbed some paper towels to soak up the coffee. The aroma was pungent, much stronger than I would make it, but Ryan was working nearly 80 hours a week and needed the reviving effects of heavy caffeine.

  His head snapped around at the touch of my hand. “Baby, don’t step in this. You might cut your feet.” Ryan dumped the broken cup in the trash and lifted me up to sit on the counter in one smooth motion, his right arm wrapped around my waist as if I weighed nothing. I loved how strong and capable he was, his muscles flexing only slightly with the movement. When his arm began to slide from around me and his left hand reached to take the towels from me, I couldn’t help but cage him in with my arms and legs. An overwhelming feeling rushed over me, and I just needed a moment to hold him close. I missed him as if we still lived two hundred miles apart, and I hated that he was leaving me again.

  Instantly, his arms enfolded me in a tight embrace, one hand threading through the hair at the back of my head to press my face deeper into the curve of his neck and shoulder.

  Silently we just held each other and he kissed me long and deep, forgetting the wet mess on the floor. I wanted the whole fucking world to go away. “I wish we could just lie on the couch, all wound up in each other, for the whole day,” I’d murmured into his neck. He was warm and smelled of fresh soap and Ryan.

  “Sharing the iPod?” he asked.

  I could only nod against him as a lump in my throat swelled painfully. I tried to content myself with the briefest of moments, like this. I could feel his pulse against my forehead as I wound my arms tighter around his waist.

  “Me, too, baby.”

  My heart tightened and my eyes stung. I could still feel the urgency of his embrace; my body remembering his hard contours pressing into my softness, as much as my mind remembered his words. Remembering should leave me fulfilled, but it left me hungry and aching. I didn’t know if I was blinking back tears or trying to rid the burning caused from lack of sleep. The few minutes this morning would have been perfect if it weren’t for that stupid hospital phone going off and ruining the moment. That phone was just a more efficient version of a pager. He’
d glanced at it briefly before clipping it back on his waist, his eyes touching mine then looking away. Ryan left after gulping down another cup of coffee and shoving the lunch I’d made the night before into a bag. The call had to be from Jane. Before she got hurt, that phone never went off at home, and I was far from stupid. The single benefit to working in the ER was that someone else was on call when Ryan was off-duty. If it were a medical emergency, they would have paged someone on site. I could tell by the guilty look in his eyes that he knew I was well aware of who originated that call and that it had nothing to do with work. I guess I should be thankful she wasn’t calling his personal phone. I huffed in disgust.

  I blinked at the layout on my desk next to the final guest list for the gala that Andrea had mocked for me. It was just after two, and I groaned. The end of the day couldn’t come soon enough to suit me. Even though I faced another evening without Ryan, I wasn’t concentrating and couldn’t wait to get the hell out of here. Other than a check-in with Ellie earlier that morning, I hadn’t accomplished a single thing. Even that was unproductive. I regretted calling considering that the call ended with her bawling her eyes out and me unable to comfort her at all. I sighed deeply. I’d told her over and over that Harris loved her and wasn’t cheating. He’d told her the same thing, but she didn’t believe either one of us, and we were both at the end of our respective ropes. I loved Ellie; I felt sad for her, but she was being an idiot. I felt even sadder for Harris.

  A light tap on the door startled me out of my thoughts, though I welcomed the distraction. All this wallowing wasn’t getting me anywhere, and it sure as hell wasn’t constructive.

  “Come in!” I called, hoping I managed to inject a little enthusiasm into my tone.

  Andrea’s bright smile and brighter red head popped around the corner of the half open door. “Want some company?” I wondered what she was so happy about when I was so miserable.

  I threw the pen down on my desk and sat up straighter in my chair. “Sure,” I said blandly.

  “Gee, thanks, boss,” Andrea admonished with a wrinkle of her nose, still not coming in and half-hiding behind the door. “I love you, too.”

  I guiltily waved her in. “I’m sorry. I’m just not here today. What’s up?”

  The door flew open wide, and to my surprise, Jenna rushed in, laughing happily. Her cheeks were flushed a pretty pink from the cold New York air, and she was dressed in a thick blue parka and jeans.

  “I’m what’s up!” she laughed as I jumped from my chair in surprise, flashing a big smile as I rushed into her embrace. “Or down, as the case may be.”

  “Jenna! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” We hugged each other tight. The familiar scent of her perfume wafted gently around the room. “I’m so happy to see you!”

  “I wanted to surprise you!” She hugged me again. “You look amazing…” She eyed me curiously, taking in the finely tailored suit and mauve silk blouse I wore. “Aside from those god-awful bags under your eyes.”

  I laughed and grimaced simultaneously. I could always count on Jenna’s brutal honesty to slap me in the face. “Thanks. You look great, too; sans bags, of course. What are you doing in New York?”

  She plopped down in one of the upholstered chairs opposite my desk, quickly undoing her coat and shoving it off her shoulders to reveal a heavy, cream-colored turtleneck sweater over dark jeans. “I need to shop. Aaron and I are staying in Boston for Christmas and I have to get things shipped to the families. You, too, right? Obviously, when Elyse and Gabe were arranging it at the wedding, we should have known better.”

  I wasn’t buying her excuse for making the trek down to New York, but it didn’t matter, I was just glad she was here.

  “I guess.” My response was lackluster. This Christmas didn’t feel much like I’d hope it would, considering this would be Ryan’s and my first Christmas as a married couple; the first Christmas one of us didn’t have to travel to be with the other. I’d been looking forward to decorating, preparing and shopping with him, but it wasn’t working out that way. I wanted it to be so special, but our lack of time together along with added crap like my derailed plans last night were putting a serious crimp in things.

  I shook myself out of my thoughts and smiled at Jenna’s expectant face. “And there are no shops in Boston; none what-so-ever. I remember now,” I teased, my brows lifted mockingly.

  Jenna rolled her eyes and screwed her face up. “Whatever. I wanted to see you, so shoot me. I miss you and I suh-pose I miss that moody man of yours, but don’t you dare tell him I said that! Is he working today?”

  “Yes. Always working. Do you want some coffee?”

  “No, I want you to get you and your Gucci-clad ass out of here!” Jenna grinned. “The day’s almost over anyway, right?”

  I looked guiltily at the work piled on my desk. “Uh, yeah. It was pretty much a wash today, anyway.” I flushed as I realized I’d just moved the conversation to a place that it didn’t need to go.

  She studied my face as I sat back down behind my desk. “What’s going on?” she asked seriously.

  “Probably nothing.” I offered a half-assed shrug before continuing. “I don’t know.”

  “Is Ryan okay? He’s fully recovered from his injury, isn’t he? That was almost a month ago.”

  Was it only a month ago? It seemed like longer. “He has a scar and sometimes that shoulder gets stiff, but I think that’s just an excuse to get me to give him a massage.” I tried to joke, but Jenna saw right through me.

  She leaned forward in her chair. “Okay, I never thought I’d ask this, but are you and Ryan okay?”

  I slowly rose from my chair, taking the layout back to the easel as I tried to look busy. “Yes. Of course, we’re fine.”

  Jenna wasn’t convinced. “Really,” she stated flatly. Somehow it wasn’t a question.

  “Yes. These bags under my eyes are because we made love most of the night.”

  She leaned back, her eyes scrutinizing. “Uh huh,” she said, clearly disbelieving.

  I wanted to word vomit all over the place about Jane, but I knew Jenna would spill to Aaron, and I didn’t want Ryan to know I was upset. He had enough to worry about, and I felt petty and silly for even feeling the way I did.

  “What?” I asked, trying to make it sound as incredulous as possible. “We did! I’m tired.”

  “Look, Julia, I thought we were closer now. Ever since your car accident, I’ve thought of you as my sister.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Right, so you can spill more than Ryan’s and your bang-a-thon!”

  I couldn’t help bursting out laughing at her words. “Oh my God! Only you, Jenna! How romantic you make it seem!”

  “Okay, how’s this? All night hump-session? Ryan poke-fest?” We both fell into fits of giggles for at least sixty seconds. “Peen-o-rama?” Jenna continued without mercy.

  Peals of more laughter ripped through me as I planted my forehead down on my desk, my shoulders shaking. I was laughing so hard, my sides ached, my face hurt, and my eyes were beginning to tear. “Stop!” I managed to choke out.

  Jenna was grinning from ear to ear when I finally lifted my head.

  “Really. What’s up?”

  I sobered almost instantly and inhaled deeply. Not only was I going to regret telling her, I was probably going to sound insane.

  “It’s probably all in my head.” I threw my hands up and began to pace around the room. “I don’t want Ryan to think I’m upset, and Aaron will tell him whatever I say, so I should just zip it before I even get started.”

  “I won’t tell Aaron, I promise, but I will bet my ass that if you’re worried or upset about anything, Ryan already knows. He is way too in tune with you, girl.”

  “Lately, he’s so tired, he may be a little tuned out. And, as I said, it’s really nothing.”

  “Oh my God! Are you going to tell me or what?”

  I bit my lip, hesitating, but I really did need to talk it out. It was eating me a
live. “Only if you promise never to say a word to either one of the guys.”

  “Oh, Jesus, Julia!” Her exasperation at my stalling was barely kept in check. “I said I promise, didn’t I?”

  I ran a hand through my hair and sat down again.

  “And stop bouncing around! You’re giving me a headache!”

  “After that night in the ER, the woman who got stabbed? She calls and texts Ryan constantly… last night I had this big romantic dinner planned, but he called in the middle of the afternoon informing me he’d invited Jane—her name’s Jane—” I rambled, “and her invisible boyfriend to dinner.” I stood up again, my nerves making it impossible to sit still, despite Jenna’s disapproving look. “Sorry! I can’t help it! Then the boyfriend bailed. God, I feel so guilty for even talking about her like this after everything she’s been through.”

  Jenna was silent, letting me ramble as she took it all in. She didn’t tell me I was crazy, which was unexpected.

  “Invisible?”

  “I’ve never met him. I wonder if he’s just made up.”

  “Ryan feels responsible, and like you, he is probably full of guilt. You, of all people, know how compassionate he is. He told Aaron how extensive her injuries were,” she stated simply. “If you want to put it into perspective, she didn’t save his life any more than he saved hers.”

  “I know, but she wouldn’t have needed saving if she hadn’t done what she did. That’s why I feel so horrible! I should be bending over backwards for her, but I’m just so… damn jealous! I’m married to him, and I know you’re right about everything you just said,” I looked down at her, wringing my hands, “but, I’m still so freaking jealous, I can’t see straight.”

  Jenna smirked at me. “Jules, Ryan is so Goddamn charming he can’t even help himself, and when he’s really trying to be nice, any female within 100 yards falls down panting. That poor thing doesn’t stand a chance in hell. You should feel doubly sorry for her,” she said in her best deadpan.