Sam Lastly died. Beth got word yesterday. Every time someone I know dies over there, I get nervous about you. Are you still alive? Its thirty-four weeks now with no word. I keep praying. I have started lighting a candle in the window for you. Just one. In the living room window. Our neighbors noticed it and now they’re lighting a candle for you, too. You should see our street; every house has a candle in the living room window for you.
I’m hoping you have food and a blanket. Winter is coming on quickly. I’ll have to shovel the snow, maybe learn to lay a fire without you. So damn it, get your rear end back here! The bed keeps getting colder, but don’t worry, I won’t be finding any other warm body. It has to be you or no one, Dan.
All my love,
Mary
Letter number thirty-five
Dear Dan,
Don’t listen to Cathy O’Brien. I did not sleep with her brother, Roger. I don’t care what he told her, all I did was take a ride home from him from the Kiwanis social. Yes, I did dance with a few fellows there, but no slow dances. Roger wanted to get familiar with me in the car, but I let him know I wasn’t interested. So he lied to Cathy. Anyway, this is my unequivocal “no”; I did not let Roger lay a finger on me.
I’m knitting a blanket for you just in case they tell us we can send stuff to you. When they find you. I know they will. I hope they will. Where are you, Dan?
The winter is cold. Gray days seem to stretch forever here. I worry you are cold and hungry. Sometimes I can’t eat when I think you may not have any food. Are you still alive? I love you more each day. I’ll be here when you get back. I pray for peace or at least a cease-fire. Sometimes I march, too. Hang on, Dan.
Love,
Mary
* * * *
Mary’s strength flowed right from the paper into Kit’s heart. She returned downstairs, listening to Tunney on the phone.
“I need Bruno, here, no later than tomorrow. Mrs. Hadley can wait. You have the address. Tell him, my mother’s house. He knows the place. Tomorrow, no later than nine a.m. Right. Thanks.”
“Didn’t know you could be so…commanding…” she said, walking into the bedroom.
She stopped at the threshold to stare. There he was, his shirt off, his pants off, standing in his boxers in the large fireplace, his hair and face half covered in soot with a smear rubbed across his bare chest. Kit couldn’t take her eyes off him.
He turned to look at her. “This is too messy to do in my clothes. Didn’t expect you back down so soon. I hope you don’t mind,” he said, turning back to the chimney.
Kit’s mouth went as dry as the dust on the third floor. Her pulse kicked into high gear as she stared at his beautifully muscled chest, covered with dark, fine hair, continuing in a line down his flat stomach, disappearing below the waistband of his boxers. His shoulders were as wide as the Atlantic Ocean, his waist trim. His thighs were strong and lean, like his calves. His butt was cute. Her eyes trailed all the way down his body then back up again, drinking in the absolute maleness of him, making her heart beat faster.
“I don’t mind,” she squeaked.
“What’s wrong with you?” He looked straight at her.
Her face colored and her hand waved up and down.
“Not like I’m naked or anything. Just the same as if I were wearing swim trunks…didn’t you once say something like that to me?” he remarked shooting his lopsided grin at her.
His sarcasm completed the picture.
“Chimneys are messy places,” he said, pushing a small shovel as far up into the chimney as it would go.
She stared at the muscles in his outstretched arm. Her knees weakened. To have his strong arm around her waist crushing her to him right then and there! Hang the soot! She sank down on the rocking chair watching him, feeling a sizzling sensation below her belly. When he looked over, her tongue moistened her dry lips.
His gaze fell to her mouth. He smiled at her, turning the wattage up to one thousand. She returned it, shooting him her warmest smile. Her chest rose and fell faster. He must feel it, too.
“Do you mind if I shower here before getting dressed?” he asked.
“Fine. I’ll get you a towel.” A vision of Tunney wearing nothing but a towel, fresh from the shower made warmth creep up her chest. Her pulse shifted into overdrive as the image lodged in her brain. Her self-control would be stretched to the breaking point.
“The chimney sweep is coming tomorrow. He’ll have this cleaned out, safe for use by tomorrow night.”
“Now if I just knew how to make a fire, I’d be golden.”
“Didn’t you ever go camping?” He wiped his hands on a rag.
“Not without a man.”
“I’ll show you. It’s easy.” He threw the soiled towel on a piece of newspaper then tossed his clothes on a chair with clean hands.
Her earlier mental image of him in her bed, with the fire roaring, casting shadows on the muscles of his chest returned to her brain in full, three-dimensional, blazing color. She blushed, turning away so he couldn’t see. He disappeared into the bathroom to turn on the shower. She wanted to scream. The one man she wanted was out of reach because she’d been foolishly afraid. Kit afraid, wouldn’t Johnny laugh!
She returned to the kitchen to start dinner, calling up to Tunney, but he couldn’t hear her. She went upstairs and knocked on the bathroom door.
“Are you staying for dinner?”
He opened the door, wearing a towel wrapped around his waist. Undressed he seemed bigger, more masculine than before. Standing in the bathroom doorway, he looked sexy as hell. He smelled sexy, too, as the scent of pine soap drifted by her nose. His fingers raked through his wet hair, tiny, glistening droplets of water clung to his chest. He stood about six two with a day’s growth on his face, only a whisper away from her. Kit looked up into his eyes, dark with desire, and smiled seductively.
He took her in his arms and kissed her hard. She opened her lips allowing his tongue possession of her mouth while he crushed her against him. Her knees turned to jelly. Propping herself up, she wound her arms around his neck. His hands held her fast while his mouth ravished hers. Her fingers ran along his bare shoulders, reveling in the feel of his muscles. His heat traveled through her fingertips to her core.
He buried his face in her neck, his breath warm against her ear.
“I’ve wanted you for a long time. You want me, let’s get what we want…any objections?”
“None,” Her eyes closed as she melted into the hardness of his body.
“Sure?”
“Very.” All resistance had gone.
She didn’t care about the fake marriage, or what he thought about her. She wanted him…wanted him now. Another sizzling, fierce kiss took her breath away. He slipped his hand under her tee shirt and closed his fingers around her breast. Kit groaned, closing her eyes as the heat from his hand traveled down below her belly. He reached behind her and snapped open her bra, then returned to massaging her flesh, stroking the peak gently with his thumb, his breath growing ragged. His other hand slid down her back, the fingers closed around her bottom and squeezed.
Kit arched into him, wanting more, her desire spiraling quickly when she felt him get hard. He led her into the bedroom, took the gold band off her finger and put it on the nightstand.
“Tonight, for one night, you are going to be mine, only mine,” he said.
He pulled her tee shirt over her head and slipped her bra off.
“Wow,” he said, staring at her breasts.
He unzipped her jeans, slid them down, then her pink panties. He dropped his towel and stood back.
“You are even more beautiful than…oh God…” he murmured, his eyes raking over her body, lingering on her breasts again, followed by his hands as he stepped closer to her.
“Your breasts are perfect,” he said, his smooth baritone voice caressing her.
Kit trembled at his raw passion. She looked over his gorgeous, taut body, calling to her, his arousal evident. Her eye
s glowed with longing. He picked her up, carried her a few steps to set her down gently on the bed, then lowered himself next to her.
“Tunney…take me,” she whispered, her hands on his chest, her lips kissing his neck, her hips arching into him. Like a match to gasoline, fire lit up in his eyes as he looked her over again before his lips began tasting her, beginning with her mouth. They brushed slowly down her neck, creating chills down her spine. His kissed her soft skin down to her breasts, where he lingered for what seemed like forever. She closed her eyes, losing herself in the exquisite sensations his touch, his lips, his tongue created, drowning in escalating passion, excitement building inside.
Tunney’s fingertips memorized every hill and valley of her body, skimming over satin skin, exploring her moist flesh, stroking her, making her shiver, cry out. He kissed her from her neck to her toes, lingering over her core, making her tremble, while he grew harder.
His fingers slid across her skin, lighting a fire everywhere they touched. Caressing, squeezing, feeling, massaging, they seemed to be everywhere.
“Your skin…so soft, so smooth,” he breathed.
Her pent up desire unleashed, Kit molded her body to his, hooking her leg around his waist so close they were as one. The lightest feathery whisper of her lips on his shoulder or her fingers digging into his back elicited deep groans from Tunney. She wanted him to touch her, needed to touch him. The warmth from his fingertips, his body, thawed out the wall of ice protecting her wounded heart.
Her hands explored his chest, combing through his soft dark fur, traveling to his back and down to rest on his butt.
“Do you want me?” His voice was thick with desire.
His fingers found a sensitive spot between her legs. Stroking her there made her pant, building heat inside her quickly.
“God…yes.”
“Tell me.”
“Tunney…oh…”
One then another finger disappeared inside her making her moan. Her hips began to move with the rhythm of his hand. She reached down and wound her fingers around his hardness. A small sound escaped his throat.
“Tell me. I want to hear you say it.” He demanded, sliding his thigh between hers, opening her legs wider.
“I want you…God…I want you…oh please…”
Kit thought she’d pass out from desire. He covered himself, parted her knees wider then raised himself above her. Her palm rested on the side of his face. She closed her eyes.
“Open your eyes.”
Her eyes flew open, looking back into his only inches away.
“I want to see you as I make love to you.”
Then he was on top of her, easing himself inside. She gasped as he entered her. He stopped, lowered his head and took her mouth with his. Kit clung to his chest then raised her knee up, allowing him deeper penetration.
His head came up, his forehead rested on hers for a moment. He groaned loudly and filled her completely. He paused to catch his breath, then started moving inside her, creating an agony of pleasure.
“Oh my God, Tunney,” she moaned, turning her head to the side.
“You okay?” He stopped dead still.
“Amazing…”
He chuckled before continuing to take her, slowly at first then picking up speed.
She arched her hips up to meet him, moaning as the intensity climbed. Their bodies rocked in sync as their eyes met and their fire raged. Kit cried out his name when physical release took over her body, making her shudder as pure pleasure shot through her veins. Tunney trained his eyes on her face as he satisfied her desire. Then ecstasy claimed him as he erupted inside her, groaning, his arms like iron bands crushing her to him.
They lay coupled, panting. Kit closed her eyes, her fingers still gripping his shoulders. She had never known such unbridled passion before. Tunney gave her the most earth-shattering lovemaking experience of her life. He dropped his damp forehead on her head and smiled, then planted small, feathery kisses on her neck while her fingers caressed his back. After a few minutes, Tunney rolled off to the side. She gazed lovingly at him, running her finger across his jaw. Neither broke the magic with words. He kissed her lips tenderly, taking her face in his hands. She looked up at him. It’ll never be like this with any other man. He reached over the side of the bed to retrieve his shirt.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Home?”
“Stay. Please stay,” she said, stroking his chest.
“Sure?”
She nodded.
He kissed her, and dropped his shirt to pull her into his arms. Kit cuddled up to him snuggling her head into his shoulder.
“You’re awesome. Just…fantastic,” he whispered.
“So are you. I never…it’s never…love…” she stuttered.
He put his finger on her lips. Then he kissed her lightly.
“We’re good together.”
She laughed.
They stayed together until hunger drove them downstairs where they called for a pizza and popped two beers. When the pizza arrived, Kit put slices on plates then brought them to the kitchen table.
Tunney pulled her onto his lap to feed her pizza. He came up behind her when she washed the dishes and wound his arms around her waist. He pulled her back into his chest, nuzzling her neck while slowly sliding his hands up under her shirt to cradle her breasts. Kit closed her eyes, leaned back against him and shut off the water. She could feel his response to her body and heat from his touch burned her skin.
He caressed her and kissed her neck. She lost the power to move, her legs barely held her up as desire rocketed through her body. He took her in his arms for a long sensuous kiss, possessing her mouth—he wanted her again. His hands moved down her back to squeeze her bottom, while she gripped his powerful shoulders.
“Let’s go upstairs,” he whispered.
She broke from him and almost ran up to the bedroom. She needed to put out the fire raging inside. They ripped off what little clothing they had on and pulled each other down on the bed with a frenzy born of overwhelming passion. Mutual exploration was cut short as they were too hot to wait.
“I want you,” Kit breathed, her face buried in his neck, her breathing ragged, her fingers digging into his shoulders.
Tunney covered himself and took her quickly. She fastened her mouth on the soft place where his shoulder met his neck, lost in the intensity he was creating inside her. He made love to her hard and fast. She cried out as glorious release spread all the way to her toes. He melted shortly after.
Once every appetite had been sated, they fell, exhausted, into a deep sleep, curled up together, wrapped in the warmth of their unspoken love.
Chapter Fourteen
Kit rolled over at two o’clock, bumping into Tunney’s warm, furry chest. She sighed with pleasure at finding him in her bed. Slipping her arm around his middle, she cuddled up to him, putting her cheek on his chest. He moved his arm across her, and kissed her hair without ever fully waking up.
At six thirty, sunshine crept in the window, waking her. When she opened her eyes, he was spooning her from behind with his arm thrown over her rib cage, his hand resting on her chest. Stretching her arms woke him up. He closed his fingers gently around her breast before leaning down to kiss her neck. Kit rolled over on her back and looked up at him. His hair was messed up, his stubble was scratchy but he looked incredibly sexy.
“Good morning,” he whispered, not wanting to disturb their coziness.
She reached up to smooth his hair. He caught her wrist, placing a kiss on the inside. She stretched again, then moved her body right up against his, putting her arm around him. He pulled her as close as she could be, his hand on her hip.
“Good morning.”
“I thought I was dead.” He chuckled.
“Why?” Her brows knitted with concern.
“Because I woke up in bed with you. Figured I must be in Heaven.”
She gave his shoulder a playful slap.
“Char
mer.”
His hands wandered over her body, exploring the same warm, places he became intimate with the night before. Sighing, as a now-familiar ache for him began growing, Kit kissed him, running her hand down his chest. Her hand continued over his stomach and lower, surprised to find he was already fully aroused.
“Wow,” she breathed into his ear.
“You. You do that to me. You have been making me hard for months.”
She looked into his eyes before she hooked her leg around his waist.
“I’m not exactly immune to you either.” Desire pooled in her loins.
She had the same mind-blowing response to Tunney’s lovemaking in the morning as the two times they made love the night before. She rested in his arms, unable to stop smiling. Peace mingled with satisfaction, desire with affection creating potent love.
“The chimney sweep is coming at nine. We need to be decent by then.”
“Food!” She said, sitting up in bed, grabbing the nightgown on the bedpost and disappearing into the bathroom as he put on his boxers. When Kit came out ready to head for the kitchen, she wore the black nightie with the red bows.
“Whoa! I never thought I’d be lucky enough to see that again,” he said.
“Oh, this…yes, this!” she said, touching the nightie, remembering.
“If you don’t run down to the kitchen this minute, I’m going to tear that thing off you…we’ll never get to breakfast,” he said.
She fled the room chuckling. When he joined her at the stove, she had eggs and bacon frying along with bread waiting to become toast.
“The smell of brewing coffee, bacon mixed with the sight of you…all my appetites are aroused at once.” He shot her his lopsided grin before drawing her into a hug.
“Good morning…again,” she said, kissing him.
“Good morning,” he said, returning her kiss. He turned the hug into a long bear hug. Kit closed her eyes, softening against him, disappearing in his arms, free from pain or worry, floating in total happiness.
Now and Forever 4, The Renovated Heart Page 12