by Lyssa Layne
Ignoring Ana’s proficient demeanor, Sally winked at Ana. “Great! Well, have a good rest of the day! It was nice to meet you, Mr. Montgomery.”
“The pleasure was mine, Sally. I’ll be sure to sign one of my books for you the next time we meet.” Rick returned.
Sally let herself out, closing the door softly behind her. Before Ana had a chance to utter an apology, Rick swept her up and started kissing her again. When he finally released her, she leaned against his chest to regain her balance and her breath.
“I’ve missed you so much, Anastasia. You haunt my daily thoughts and my nightly dreams.” He spoke softly into her hair.
She held him tighter, “I’ve missed you too.”
“I want to spend the night with you, Anastasia.”
She felt a thrilling shiver run through her body, recalling the all too real dream she’d had of them together.
“Before we do, I think we need to talk though.”
She pulled away and looked up at him, concern in her eyes. “Is there something wrong?”
He kissed her softly, “No, honey, but I want to start our relationship right. I don’t want any secrets between us. I want us to love openly and honestly.”
“Is there something else you need to tell me?” She asked, searching his handsome face.
“Not me, Anastasia. You. I want to know that you trust me enough to share your secret, that I can be a part of all of your life, including your past!”
Ana felt confused. “I thought you knew. I assumed that Austin told you in one of your readings.”
Rick lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “It doesn’t work that way. I’m only told the things that help the surviving relatives. Secrets of the living can only be told by the living. Austin believes the secret is yours to be told and not by him.”
“But your message said that Austin came through and he told you that I told Jennifer.”
“He did but he didn’t tell me what you told Jennifer. I’m hoping that you can trust me as you trusted Jennifer but if you feel you can’t, I will respect your wishes. I can wait to be together until you trust me.” He conveyed so gently that she knew he meant every word.
Teasingly, she nibbled at his fingers, using her tongue to lick the tips occasionally, taking delight in his moans. “That almost sounds like blackmail, Mr. Montgomery.”
“Not blackmail, just wanting us to start this relationship right. You truly are worth waiting for, although you ruthlessly tempt me to take you now!” he said hoarsely before delving his hands into her hair, bringing his lips forcibly down onto hers.
Ana reeled with the fervor of their kiss and a sense of power she felt. She knew she would tell him of the night that changed her life, sensing that this night would change her life once again, this time for the better.
FOURTEEN
She finally tore herself away from their kiss, both of them searing with need but knowing the office wasn‘t appropriate.
“I am willing to share my past with you, Mr. Montgomery but I am hungry for more than just you and I have a feeling we are going to need sustenance.”
“I know of a quaint little Italian restaurant down the block, we could go there if you’d like.” The desire thickening his voice and clouding his eyes and she felt a tremor run through her body.
“No,” she said quickly “I don’t think I can keep my hands off of you. Why don’t we pick something up and go back to my place.” She surprised herself by the suggestion. Though she had never let any of her former lovers into the sanctuary of her home, she knew Rick was different and she wanted him to see that revered part of herself. He was someone she wanted to be with, forever.
“That sounds great. We could order your favorite, Thai.” He smiled, deep dimples lighting his face.
“I’m not going to ask how you found that out. We could pick it up on the way, I’ll just call ahead.” She said, gazing into his eyes, wondering if she would ever get tired of looking at him. Probably, she decided, in a hundred years or so.
Within an hour they were at her place, seated comfortably on her couch, shoes kicked off at the door, eating out of the Chinese boxes, alternately sharing the Sesame Chicken Satay and the Teriyaki beef. They opened a couple bottles of domestic beer and making light conversation, told each other what they had done the week they had been apart.
After eating their fill, Rick helped her put the leftovers in her refrigerator. She grabbed both of them another beer and sat back down on the couch. Ana had felt the old fear of judgment rise up in her stomach, but when she looked at Rick’s face, the fear dissipated, she knew she could tell him anything.
She began to tell him about how she met Austin at school and how their relationship progressed, how Austin’s mom had walked in on them and the argument that ensued. She felt grateful that Rick didn’t ask any questions or suggest different ways she could have handled the situation, instead he sat there quietly, just listening.
As with telling her story to Jennifer and Sally, she started to cry when she talked of Barry’s betrayal and then her mother’s harsh accusations. To her relief, he didn’t whisper for her to hush, to try and push her horrid thoughts aside. Instead he gathered her in his strong arms, letting her know he was there and didn’t judge her. She talked about her first job, how horrendous it had been and of Greg’s subsequent job offer and explained how her hurt propelled her need to be successful and independent, of her emotionless relationships with men and Sally’s determination in finding Austin, which resulted in her trip to London for the reading of Austin’s will.
He felt the anger surge through his body as she told her story, his fury at the grown man who had tried to take away her innocence and betray her in the worst way a man can to a girl, a young woman. He knew better than to put words to his outrage, she was so full of guilt and she would take his words of infuriation towards her instead of its intended purpose, Austin’s father. He also felt sadness that she wasn’t able to experience her true love with Austin, she was only able to taste it and have a fleeting moment with how wonderful that experience could be. Knowing that all he could do was be supportive and loving, he allowed himself to be her rock and her guest into her past.
Several moments of silence passed with Rick just holding her, rubbing her back and then she heard him murmur into her ear.
“So we need to thank Sally’s stubbornness for bringing us together?”
Ana started to giggle, the serotonin released during a good cry surging through her body. “Yes, I think we do!” She looked up at him, seeing the love on his face.
He leaned down and kissed her so lightly she almost thought it was a figment of her imagination.
“Thank you, Ana, for trusting me.”
“I do. I do trust you, Rick.” She sighed against his lips. She brought her hands up behind his head, running her fingers through his thick hair even as he brought his head down to intensify their kiss.
“Oh Ana, I want you so much.”
She didn’t answer him, letting her body tell him what she was feeling. He responded as if she had spoken the words, his hands moving over her, gently exploring. She allowed herself to let go, giving up the control she had always had with her previous lovers.
His body surprised her. She had been so caught up in their first kiss. She hadn’t realized the appealingly sculpted muscles hidden beneath his shirt until she had it unbuttoned. She had dated many professional businessmen that were so caught up in their careers that their bodies had become a soft from too many business lunches and meetings. Rick’s was just the opposite. His chest was defined with strong muscles that extended down into a tight abdomen. Instead of finding him bare-chested, which was the current trend of the modern metro man, she found soft curls of hair that trailed down and disappeared beneath the waistline of his slacks. With the excitement of one unwrapping an unexpected present, she kissed her way along his chest, her hands fumbling with the button on his slacks. She paused with confusion and doubt when he grabbed her hands and stilled her.
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“I want this to be special, Ana, we have all night. I want to make love to you for the first time on a bed, not here on the couch like a couple of kids.”
She looked up at him and saw the intensity and respect in his eyes. She nodded and without saying a word, stood up, still holding one of his hands, lead him to her bedroom. She released him to turn on her bedside lamp, leaving him at the doorway and when she turned, she found him appraising her instead of appraising her room. Although she had never had anyone other than Sally at her place, she had decorated her home with exquisite fabrics and drapes, giving a warm homey feeling that had always cheered her. Growing up, she’d hated the off-white walls her mother had insisted on in her own home and instead, painted her rooms with warm mauve and blue walls, accenting the spaces with complementary abstracts personally designed by the upcoming artist from the mid-west, C. Lingenfelter, and she chose fabrics and colors to enhance the exquisite pieces of art in each room.
She felt a tingle go through her as she realized she was the only thing he saw. He moved towards her and took her in his arms, whispering her name as he kissed her earlobes and the tender spot below them. She pulled at his unbuttoned shirt, wanting to free him from the material that came between them and he released her long enough to pull his arms from the sleeves only to bring them back to frantically work at the buttons on her blouse. She laughingly pushed him away, seeing his large fingers fumble with the petite buttons and also longing to free herself from the restricting fabric as much as he did. When she unfastened the last button, she met his eyes, staring into his beautiful face, pulled her blouse off of her shoulders.
She let it fall to the floor and even as she was reaching for Rick again, she heard a loud crash from a small dressing table in the corner of the room. They both jerked at the unexpected interruption and as Rick walked towards the table, Ana gasped, “Austin!”
He knelt down and picked up the shattered frame, revealing a picture of Ana and Austin, smiling out at the unseen viewer. Ana stood beside his crouched body staring at the picture as if it were a living thing. Rick stood up, holding the broken picture when it suddenly whipped out of his hands, tearing at the flesh of his fingers before it slammed against the wall, shattering what glass was left.
“Oh my god.” Ana whimpered when she saw Rick’s wound. “I thought you said Austin was at peace! Obviously he’s not! He’s upset that we are together!”
Rick didn’t say anything, grabbing for the tissues on her vanity to clean up the blood that was flowing freely from his hands when Ana’s table lamps started flickering, the lights pulsing as if they were living things.
“This isn’t Austin, Ana. There is a presence here and I guarantee it’s not Austin. This is a very angry soul. I am being blocked, this person doesn’t want to be known, and they don’t want to talk to me. The anger is so overwhelming. I’m feeling tightness in my chest, I can’t breathe.”
Ana saw Rick stagger, his face contorting with pain, and then started panicking when she saw a blue tint appear in his lips and realized he was suffocating right before her eyes. Crying out, she reached for Rick as he dropped to his knees, struggling for air.
“Stop it! Stop it! Please! Let him live! I’ll do whatever, just let him live!” She held onto him, sobbing.
She didn’t realize that the lights had stopped pulsing or that Rick had started gasping for air, she only became conscious of this when his arms came around her, holding on tightly. They sat there, holding each other, tensed for another attack while Ana regained her composure before going to the bathroom, returning with bandages and gauze. Neither said a word as she treated his wounds. When she finally looked at him, he saw the agony behind her tear-filled eyes.
“You need to leave now.” Ana said softly.
Rick searched her eyes knowing she hadn’t asked him to leave. It had been a demand that left no room for argument. “Ana, please, I don’t think…”
She placed her fingers gently to his lips, cutting him off. “Don’t argue, please, just go.” She turned away from him and went into the living room.
Realizing she wasn’t willing to talk about what happened he quickly got dressed and met her at the front door. He took her hand and looked into her eyes with so much concern that she thought she would collapse from the pain.
“I will call you and you will talk to me, Ana. I’m not losing you now that I’ve found you, not because of something like this.” He released her hand and walked out the door.
He appreciated the fact that she was scared and probably confused but as independent as she was, he knew she wouldn’t accept his help right now. She would want answers and she would eventually come to him for those answers but right now she needed to come to terms with what had just happened. Hell, he didn’t even know what had just happened! He had dealt with many different spirits with many different emotions in the past. Some were happy, released from the pain and illness they had been inflicted with, sad that they were torn from loved ones, confused when their death happened suddenly and, even anger. Anger at dying, at a betrayal that happened right before their death, even anger at themselves for the way they treated their family. What he and Ana experienced tonight was pure rage and he even thought he had sensed some jealousy. The aura around the spirit was a man but definitely not Austin. Each time he had communicated with Austin, it had been a peaceful interaction, Austin definitely being an enlightened soul, seeing the bigger picture of love, compassion and the life lessons humans are put on this earth to experience. His aura was always soothing, beautiful and filled with bright colors. The aura of the spirit tonight had harsh colors of blacks, grays and dark reds, writhing and twisting in a tumultuous cloud. He was too tired and sore to try and contact the spirit again tonight but he vowed to make contact with this threat for his and Ana’s sake.
After Rick left, Ana locked all the doors and windows before collapsing onto the floor of her living room. She began to sob. The fear of what had just happened flooded her body. Two and a half weeks ago, she had been naïve and inexperienced about readings, psychics and ghosts. She couldn’t say she regretted gaining knowledge of the afterlife because that would mean she regretted meeting Rick and she didn’t, she just wished it had been different. Tonight had scared her, scared her because of the unknown attacker, of believing that Rick was dying right in front of her eyes and the thought that Austin was possibly the cause. She couldn’t wrap her mind around that last thought. She refused believe that Austin was the cause of the attack, he was a loving, beautiful person in life and her experience at the reading indicated he was that way in death. He wouldn’t have revealed the exquisite pieces of art he had left her or uncovered the breathtaking portrait he had created of his wife if he had become the evil presence she and Rick just experienced. Earlier, his messages through Rick were of happiness that Ana was free of her self-inflicted burden and delight at the growing friendship she and Jennifer possessed.
It didn’t make sense that Austin had had such an extreme change of heart and now wished her and Rick harm.
So if it wasn’t Austin, who was it? The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She finally found true love again when she hadn’t believed it was possible, this was her second chance! She was tempted to call Rick and apologize for kicking him out and then seeing if they could figure this out together, to try and find out who this threat was, but the image of Rick’s face, blue with the lack of oxygen and his bloody hands stopped her. She couldn’t risk losing him, couldn’t risk losing another man she loved. She would have to do this on her own and keep Rick out of it. Surely there were other reputable psychics out there, one who wasn’t directly involved and who could help her figure out the mystery.
Knowing she couldn’t sleep in her bedroom that night, she curled up on the couch with a throw and for the first time in years, prayed. “Please let Rick understand.”
FIFTEEN
Sally was sitting in Ana’s office with coffee and chocolate crescent rolls waiting. She wasn’t su
re if Ana would be in or not but wanted to be prepared, just in case. She hadn’t called saying she wouldn’t be in but she had never been with a man like Rick either, so all bets were off.
When Ana finally walked into her office, Sally could see something was wrong. Hoping it wasn’t as dire as the dark circles under Ana’s eyes indicated, she lightly commented, “Please tell me you look this way because of lack of sleep, you and Rick being unable to keep your hands off each other all night.”
Ana didn’t meet Sally’s eyes and seated herself behind her desk. “Rick went home last night, we were too tired to stay up and we both have busy schedules today.” The monotone in Ana’s voice told Sally it hadn’t been such a cut and dried evening as Ana indicated.
Sally let out a deep sigh and stood up directly opposite Ana, the dark cherry desk in between them. “We have been friends and working together for too long for me to believe that story, and since you’ve come back from London, you have blossomed into a true friend. Don’t insult our friendship by trying to tell me you had a wonderful night with Rick and he went home because of schedules.” Ana finally looked at Sally and saw the tears in Ana’s eyes.
“Oh honey, please don’t tell me he’s an asshole! He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Sally exclaimed.
Ana shook her head, tears falling down her cheeks. “No, Rick is wonderful. I don’t know if I can explain it yet, please try and understand. I need to comprehend it myself before I can explain it to you.”
Seeing the distress in her eyes, Sally backed off. “Okay, but if there is anything I can do, just ask. No questions asked, I promise.”
Ana looked at Sally, filled with gratitude for the friend she was just beginning to appreciate. “No questions asked?” When Sally nodded, she continued. “Since you are more familiar in this area than I am, I need you to find a real psychic for me, one as good as Rick but not tied to him. When you find one, I need you to find out when they can see me. The sooner the better. I’ll pay whatever fee they want and fly wherever they are. But I need them to be the real thing, I need to see them as soon as possible and I need this to be completely discreet. Even Rick can’t know!”