by A. L. Parks
"I'm ready to go," she quickly admitted. She had been looking forward to this night all week long, and had enjoyed every minute of tossing out the old and welcoming in the new with her siblings and best friends. But now - now she wanted to be with the one person who had been a constant source of happiness in her life during the past year. She wanted to wrap her arms around him, kiss him deeply and passionately, and desperately wanted him to make love to her. Bryce made her feel things that had been long forgotten. And if she were going to be truly honest with herself, Bryce made her feel things she had never felt before.
She was not overly romantic; she was always more practical in her approach to relationships. She did not subscribe to the hearts and flowers. Trevor had brought some romance into her life. It was his idea to marry on Valentine's Day. Whatever
romantic notions Abby had developed, however, died with Trevor.
Until Bryce.
Bryce was pure romance without even trying. He held her hand, kissed her fingertips, smiled at her with those sparkling gray eyes, and reminded her daily that she was beautiful inside and out. He renewed her faith in love. More importantly, he forced her to consider that true love existed and was attainable. Second chances at happiness were real, alive, and could happen for her. And she wanted to experience every facet of love with him.
The door to the apartment closed behind her. Bryce locked the door as Abby kicked off her high heels with an appreciative groan. He moved in behind her as she shrugged off her long heavy coat. Draping it over one of the bar stools he removed his own coat and tuxedo jacket, and fumbled with the bow tie around his neck, trying to loosen the knot.
Abby stood before him, taking over the task, and placed the tie on the kitchen counter as Bryce worked the top three buttons free on his shirt. Taking hold of one wrist, Abby unclasped the cuff link before moving to the other wrist. Bryce's hands rested on her hips as he gazed into her face.
Setting the cuff links next to the bow tie, Abby returned Bryce's gaze, and set her arms around his waist. Gently, he grazed her lips with his, seductively, enticingly. Her hands clutched the muscles in his back. Her need for him rose with the heat that raced through her body. Forcefully, his lips pushed against hers. His hand moved to the side of her head; his fingers twisting into her soft hair.
Abby moved closer against his body. Her hands explored every muscle, every curve, and every dip in his strong back. Opening her mouth, their tongues met. Together they twirled in a feverish, erotic dance. Splaying his hand firmly on the small of her back, he carefully guided her back into the bedroom. Wrapped
tightly around each other, they stood at the end of the bed. Bryce moved his lips along her jaw and onto her neck, before they settled behind her ear. She gasped softly. Tingling waves moved throughout her body, and moist heat settled between her legs.
"Abby," the seductive whisper called to her, arousing her.
Her breathing became faster, heavier. The wet heat of her inner thighs longed to feel him inside of her.
"Make love to me, Bryce" she whispered. His lips moved down her neck and along her shoulder. Releasing the hook from the halter at the back of her neck, his hands trailed down her back, his fingers tracing lightly over her spine. She moaned as they found the zipper and lowered it; the dress to fell to the floor. Abby unbuttoned Bryce's shirt, and ran her hands across his muscular chest as she removed his shirt. Placing small kisses from one shoulder to the other, her hands trailed down his chest, over his toned abdomen. Finding the waistband of his pants, her fingers worked to remove his pants.
Bryce pulled her to him. She felt the hard, hot length against her. Her fingers moved along the base to the very tip, circling it.
“Jesus, Abby, slow down. I have very little control right now, and I don’t want to blow it before I can get inside you, baby.” They found the edge of bed in the dark, and lowered onto it. His lips kissed lightly across her flat abdomen. His tongue dipped into her navel. She lifted her hips, grinding against his chest. Dragging his lips over her skin, he stopped at her breasts. He placed a hand over one breast, and massaged it; the nipple hardened under his palm. His lips planted kisses and nips across her chest; her excitement and desire mixed to become a deep yearning for him. He placed the tip of his tongue on the other nipple, and groaned as it became hard. Pulling it into his mouth, he suckled her. His tongue pressed against it, before he swirled it around on the tip of his tongue. She cried out. Her fingers dug into the skin on his back. Her legs spread apart, inviting him into her.
His lips traveled up along her neck; his body settled between her legs. Teasingly, he moved towards her, gazed into her eyes, but just out of reach of her lips. "Bryce, please," she whispered, her voice desperate and raspy. He slowly pushed inside her. His thrusts became faster. Her moans grew louder. The friction and heat made her frantic. Her body tensed, and her muscles clenched tightly around him.
Abby called to him as she reached her climax. "Oh, baby," Bryce called, releasing into her. He caressed Abby's face, leaned his head against hers, and attempted to slow his breathing. His eyes were closed, as she gazed into his face. Contentment coursed through every inch of her body. His eyes glistened when they finally opened, and a smile slid across his face.
"What?" he asked.
"I'm just...happy," she stated simply, grinning at him. "Really...really happy."
Bryce’s eyes remained fixed on her, his hand tender against her cheek. "God, you make me smile. Everything you do, everything you say - makes me smile."
Bryce rolled onto his back, and pulled Abby onto his chest. Resting her head, she ran her fingers through the tuft of chest hair. Her mind traveled through their relationship. Neither had been looking for love on Valentine's Day. They had sought out refuge from their losses. But a chance encounter had started them both on a road of healing through friendship; culminating in a journey of rediscovering intimacy and love. Abby wondered how she ever imagined it would end up any differently than this. It seemed, in hindsight, to be almost predetermined; as if they were made for each other. Yet neither could see through the dark lenses of loss and loneliness until recently.
Snow blew around angrily outside the windows of Abby's apartment, collecting on the sidewalks and roads. So much had accumulated that the weatherman, along with the annoying scroll across the bottom of the TV, urged people to "stay indoors," and to "venture out only in an emergency." It should not have been a surprise to anyone that the storm was hitting with a vengeance; the predictions had been coming in for days.
So, Bryce and Abby had met at the grocery store two nights earlier, and stocked up on essentials, along with a few nonessentials, and made their way back to Abby's place. It had been decided that they would wait out the storm there, since she was closer to better restaurants, deli's, and a couple of movie theaters. Just in case the weather-guessers had bolstered the seriousness of the storm, and the couple could leave the apartment for a change of scenery. So far, the storm had been every bit of the dumping that had been forecasted, and did not look to be letting up anytime soon.
Abby and Bryce sat on the couch, drinking coffee, and laughing over Mother Nature excusing them from yet another family dinner at Abby's parents. Since the couple had officially become romantically involved a month earlier, Abby's mother had been in overdrive trying to move the relationship along. Charlotte wanted more grandbabies, and she had decided Bryce was going to help provide them. Abby realized this the first time she had spoken to her Mother after Christmas. Charlotte was already asking if Abby and Bryce planned to live in the city, or move out to the suburbs. Abby had hung up on her mother without answering, later blaming it on a bad connection.
A movie was on the TV, but they had become bored with watching the endless stream of movies, and were using it more as background noise. Bryce was telling Abby about a new collection he was trying to commission for the museum. Other museums were also trying to get the exhibit, but Bryce had worked with the agent on another collection previously, and t
he collector had been
impressed with Bryce. Bryce was hopeful that it would translate into him having first dibs on the exhibit at the museum.
There was an unmistakable love Bryce had with art and artifacts that Abby did not understand, but excited her all the same. She knew numbers, and spreadsheets, and how to estimate when businesses needed to downsize and where to cut expenses from budgets. But Bryce had an understanding of colors, and textures, and how they all worked together to evoke feelings and thoughts. Abby loved when he shared this part of himself with her.
They had dressed, sort of, but only because they hadn't wanted to spend another day in pajamas. Bryce had on lounging pants and a t-shirt. Abby wore a fluffy cream sweater and leggings. Abby's were legs draped across Bryce's lap; his hands gently massaging her thighs. Her fingers ran through his soft, black hair. Abby drank the remainder of her coffee from the over-sized mug, and set it on the table.
"You look like you have something on your mind," Abby piped up as she sat back into the sofa and resumed running her fingers through his hair. He smiled and purred, letting his head fall against her hand. "So?" she asked, intrigued by his obvious avoidance of her statement.
His eyes caught hers, searching for something, and gripped her soul. Her hand was on her locket, running it across the chain. Bryce's stopped her, and he held onto the locket. He opened it, and peered at the picture inside. He paused to examine it, and his eyes lifted and held hers.
"When did you put that picture in there?" he asked, and a silly grin formed.
"The day after you gave it to me," Abby answered, looking down at the picture.
His eyebrows moved together, "I thought you would have put Trevor's picture in there."
"Trevor didn't give me this locket - you did. You are the one I want to keep close to my heart."
"Even back then?" he asked, his eyes once again on the locket.
"Yeah, it wasn't something I could put in words, and I was still so confused about what I was feeling, and what you were feeling. I just knew that I wanted you close, and this was the only way I knew to do it."
"God, I want to tell you something, but I'm not sure if I want to say it...well, I'm sure I want to say it, I am just not sure how you will react to it. It may be too soon. I could blow everything," he muttered.
She had been observant of his actions towards her since New Year’s. The way he watched her move, kissed her at random times, seemed to need to touch her, even if it was only his hand next to hers. And he wrapped himself around her when they slept. Abby knew what Bryce was struggling with - it was the same thing she struggled with - timing.
"I love you, Bryce."
They gazed at each other for a moment, until it dragged on without comment and Abby began to worry that he was not ready for this revelation. Perhaps Bryce had not been trying to proclaim his love.
He exhaled, and grinned at her. His hand reached up to caress her face.
"I love you so much, Abby," he said. "I never believed I could fall this madly in love with anyone again, but I am truly, madly in love with you." Her hand grasped more tightly against the back of his head, and she pulled him to her, kissing him. Bryce's arm went around Abby's waist, as he laid her down onto the couch, deepening their kiss. Lying next to her, he ran his hand over her knee, along her thigh, until he reached the center of her back. Abby's breathing quickened as her hands ran the length of his backside. His words repeated in her head, "truly, madly in love with you," and caused her heart to pound against her chest. She had found it. The man who she could not wait to see, that set off butterflies in her stomach at the mere thought of him, and caused her to stare dreamily into nothingness as she sat at her desk daily.
But these intimate moments spent with him, feeling the heat of his breath on her, their skin tantalizingly touching, his kiss warm and inviting and sensual; these moments refueled her heart, renewed her soul, and filled her mind with thoughts of forever. She wanted to tell him so much more than the simple confession of love. She wanted to thank him for bringing her back to life, saving her from the dark, turning her nothing life into something worth living. She prayed that her kiss relayed some of that sentiment, provided him with some indication of the love she held for him, a love that she had never experienced before him.
The ding of the oven interrupted their connection, forcing them back into reality. Bryce looked up quizzically for a second, before looking back into Abby's eyes. "Lasagna's done," he announced, as he pulled himself off her and made his way into the kitchen.
"No," she whimpered, and reached for him with her now empty, open arms. "Damn, lasagna," she pouted as Bryce chuckled from the other room.
Chapter Nine
Bryce was up, showered and dressed by the time Abby pulled herself from bed and made her way into the bathroom. Turning the hot water on in the shower, she brushed her teeth, and undressed. It was Valentine's Day. The usual dread that had accompanied this day for the past five years, however, was not as evident this morning. Stepping into the steaming shower, she tipped her head back and let the water run over her hair and down her back as she tried to mentally schedule her day.
It had been the same for nearly five years; coffee shop, pick up the flowers, afternoon spent at the cemetery, evening trying to find any modicum of warmth. And then the endless, heartwrenching nightmares. But this year was different. This year she did not feel the depths of depression of years past. This year she felt hopeful, and happy, and a bit guilty. She knew she wanted to spend time with Trevor, but not like in the past. She wanted to recognize the day, let him know she still cared about him and thought about him daily. And then she wanted to spend the rest of the day with Bryce.
Abby was done spending Valentine's day reliving Trevor's death. She wanted to move past the sadness, and despair she had lived with for five years, and remember Trevor with joy, not sorrow. As she pulled on her jeans and a red sweater, she made a conscious decision to live life, for herself and for Trevor. This was no longer the infamous day of their non-wedding, the day that robbed her of forever. This was now a day to thank Trevor for loving her for as long as he did, and for as deeply as he had, and for giving her his forever, no matter how short it had turned out to be.
Walking into the kitchen, Abby found Bryce leaning against the counter, coffee cup in hand. She grabbed a mug from the cabinet and turned to face him. He peered at her timidly. "How are you feeling this morning?"
"Good," she answered honestly. "I think I've come to grips with the day, and I’m not letting it bring me down."
"Well, I know this is a particularly bad day for you, but I didn't want you to think I wasn't thinking about you," he struggled. "I just wanted you to have hearts and flowers today from me."
Stepping aside, a bright bouquet of long stem red and white roses interspersed with baby’s breath sat in a heavy glass block vase on the counter. Leaning up against the base was a large heartshaped candy box with a huge red bow in the center of the gold foil wrapping. Abby gazed at it in disbelief for a moment, before taking a step towards the flowers. Lightly running her fingers over the delicate petals, she reached her other hand over to Bryce as he stood next to her quietly. Squeezing his forearm, she whispered, "They're so beautiful."
Fixing her gaze on him, she wrapped her arms around him, embracing him. She felt him exhale as the tension left his body, and his muscles relaxed against her. "I love them, Bryce. Thank you so much," she sang into his ear.
"You're very welcome, baby. I wanted you to know how much I love you," he replied.
"I do know, Bryce, without the flowers or candy. I know," she whispered. "And I love you, too, so much." He pulled away from her and planted a firm but soft kiss on her lips.
"So, what's the plan for the day?" Bryce asked, releasing his tight hold of her.
"Well, I’m breaking into the candy first," she answered, grabbing for the box.
"Breakfast of champions," Bryce smirked. "Shut it, Holden."
"Okay, and after...bre
akfast," he scrunched up his face as she popped a decadent chocolate truffle in her mouth.
"I thought I would go see Trevor this morning, and get that out of the way. I'm not going to spend much time there today. Then I am all yours," she stated, peering into the box of truffles. "Whatever will you do with me?"
The room was silent for a moment, and Abby finally looked up at Bryce. His eyes were dark, and a slight scowl was across his face. "What?" Abby asked, as she popped another chocolate in her mouth. The silkiness slowly melted in her mouth, and she delighted in the warmth it provided.
"It's not your usual routine," he answered simply, as if that explained his gruffness.
"No, the usual does not really apply any longer," she retorted. His eyes narrowed, as she placed the candy box on the counter behind her and moved across the kitchen. Standing in front of him, pulling his arms from across his chest, she laced her fingers in his. "It’s different now, Bryce. I am in a totally different place, with a totally different outlook on life. I think I have finally been able to find peace with Trevor and his death. It does me no good to dwell on what could have been, when it is never going to happen. I loved Trevor, I still love Trevor - it's just a different love now. I am not trying to forget Trevor, or what we had. I am trying to put it in the proper perspective and place in my life."
Bryce stared at her for a moment, before placing his forehead against hers, "Okay, just as long as you are not changing things up because of me."
"I am absolutely changing things up because of you, Bryce," she said. "But not because I think you’re uncomfortable with this day and what it means - or meant in the past. You have
changed my life, and my future, and helped me move past the sadness. I feel like my going to Trevor's grave every year, falling into despair - while it was the only way I could deal with it - now feels like it was somehow disrespectful to him and his memory. He never wanted that for me. So, things have changed, and I am changing accordingly." She lifted herself up on her toes, and kissed the tip of his nose, "And I am pretty damn happy about it."