And Playing the Role of Herself...

by K E Lane

  I blushed, but managed a smiled at her thoughtfulness. "Thanks, Liz."

  She laughed again, and patted my hand. "Of course, sugar."

  Liz left a little while later, and I passed the morning with a light free-weight workout and nearly an hour and a half of careful stretching, followed by lunch, some business-related phone calls, and another walk. It was late afternoon before I grabbed a book and settled into a large overstuffed armchair in the cottage's living room, tucked in sideways with one leg draped over a padded arm and the other stretched out along the floor, easing the pressure on my still tender back.

  I'd become completely engrossed in the story when the shrill jangle of a phone sounded, tearing through the silence of the house and scaring the crap out of me.

  "Shit…" The initial jolt of surprise brought a lance of pain from my lower back, but after taking a few calming breaths, the pain eased and I carefully lifted my leg from where it was draped over the arm of the chair and pushed slowly to my feet. I straightened with a wince and dropped the book onto the chair before crossing to the table where the phone sat in the foyer.

  "Yes?" I answered curtly, trying and failing to hide my annoyance both at the pain the intrusion had brought and the interruption to my lazy afternoon.

  "Hi." Liz's melodic voice came over the line, "sorry to interrupt your busy day, sugar, but your girlfriend's here, and I'm going to assume she's here to see you and not me."

  "My wha…?" I blinked.

  "Your girlfriend. Robyn. Remember her? Tall, dark and broody? The one you haven't seen in three weeks? I just told Risa to let her in…so I hope you've showered today, and please tell me you're not wearing those atrocious holey sweat-pant things I saw you in earlier today…if you are, you have about 3 minutes to change into something that doesn't make you look like a reject from the cast of Rent."

  "Robyn's here?" I repeated dumbly and looked down at my clothes, even though I knew that, yes indeed, I was wearing those holey sweat-pant things - once black bleach-spattered cotton sweats raggedly cut off at mid-thigh - along with a faded t-shirt with the neck and arms ripped out.

  Lovely.

  "You are wearing those things, aren't you?" I could hear the amusement in her tone, and scowled. "And I was wrong about the three minutes - the woman must be in one hell of a hurry, 'cause I can see her car already. I give you about 30 seconds. Maybe you've got time to brush that rats nest you call a hairdo?"

  "Liz, you're a shit." I told her and hung up, smiling slightly when I heard her laughter as I put the phone down.

  I thought about trying to change quickly but dismissed the idea, since my body wasn't able to do anything quickly at the moment. I used the hall mirror to try and put hair into some kind of order, and then opened the front door and leaned against the frame with my arms crossed, watching the green Range Rover roll past the main house and start down the narrow gravel lane to the guest cottage.

  She pulled up twenty feet from the door and turned off the ignition, pausing for a moment to stare at me before slowly climbing out of the car and walking up the short path to the door, a grin building on her face that I knew was mirrored in my own. A moment later I was engulfed in her arms, surrounded by her scent and drowning in feel of her body against mine.

  "Hi," she whispered into my hair.

  "Mmmm…hi." I melted into her with a groan of pleasure. "You're early."

  One of her hands went to the base of my neck and kneaded gently. "There was some screw-up with the scheduling of one of the studios, and we're not going to be able to get in until Saturday. Lynne gave everyone a couple of days. I have to fly back Friday night, but I wanted to see you."

  "I'm so glad you're here…" I kissed the side of her neck and snuggled in closer. "God, I missed you."

  "I missed you, too," she said in a husky whisper, and tightened her arms around me. It caused a twinge from my back but I didn't care. I could have stood right there, in her arms, for days.

  And we did stand that way for several minutes, gently rocking back and forth, just soaking each other in. My good hand crept under the hem of her soft cotton tank-top and splayed across the heated skin of her back, pulling her closer, and she let out a sigh and buried her face in my neck.

  At the sound of footsteps on gravel, we finally pulled apart, but to my surprise and pleasure, Robyn didn't pull back very far, keeping one arm draped over my shoulder as we turned to face Liz who was walking up the drive with a smirky grin on her face.

  "Looks like your early arrival was well received," Liz called to Robyn as she approached.

  Robyn glanced over at me with a smile and I wrapped an arm around her waist and squeezed, returning the smile. "Looks like."

  When she looked back at Liz, the two shared a grin, and I sensed some kind of collusion.

  "You knew she was coming?" I asked Liz curiously as she walked up.

  "She called this morning when you were on one of your little hikes…it was my idea to surprise you. You would have been a basket-case all day if you'd have known."

  She was right, of course, and right now I was too damn happy to make a fuss.

  Liz stopped in front of us and slipped her hands into the pockets of her long shorts. "Danny's coming over for dinner in a little bit…I was coming by to invite you to join us."

  I felt Robyn stiffen slightly, and she looked at me and then at Liz. "I…uh…actually brought some dinner for us…I thought…"

  I looked at her in surprise. "You did?"

  "Mm-hmm. Indian."

  "I love Indian," I told her and smiled.

  She grinned back. "I thought you might."

  We kept smiling at each other, and probably would have continued to do so indefinitely, if Liz hadn't pulled her hands from her pockets and clapped happily.

  "Great! We'll be over as soon as Danny shows up. Do you have any wine, or should we bring some?"

  I knew Liz well, and recognized the playful glint in her eye, but Robyn had obviously not been exposed to Liz's more… mischievous side, and look on her face was priceless. I bit my lip to keep from laughing but Liz had no such compunction, and let out delighted peals of laughter.

  "Liz, you're a shit," I told her good naturedly, and gave Robyn's waist a squeeze. "Don't worry, Rob, she's joking. She abhors Indian food, and I'm sure she and Danny have something much more interesting planned than dinner in with us."

  Robyn looked between the two of us in consternation, and Liz finally stopped laughing, wiping the moisture from the corner of her eyes delicately. "She's right, Robyn, I was kidding." She favored her with a friendly smile. "I wouldn't dream of horning in on y'all's reunion. Actually, Danny's taking me to Matteo's, and then we're going to see what kind of trouble we can get into."

  "Watch out, LA," I murmured, and Liz laughed.

  Robyn regained her equilibrium and smiled along with us. "Congratulations, by the way, Liz. On the engagement. Danny's a good guy."

  Liz smile softened. "I think so, too. Thanks." She glanced over at me, and back at Robyn, smiling slyly. "Congratulations to you, too."

  I glanced furtively at Robyn, wondering how she'd react to our relationship being compared to Liz and Danny's engagement. All I could do was grin stupidly when Robyn gave me an adoring look, kissed me on the cheek, and then flashed a dazzling smile at Liz. "Thank you."

  She kissed me again, this time on the temple, letting her lips linger and breathing in with a gentle huff of air, as though she were inhaling me. I closed my eyes and wrapped my other arm awkwardly around her waist as tightly as I could.

  "I think that's my cue to leave," Liz said with a chuckle, and my eyes popped open guiltily.

  "Sorry…"

  "Oh, don't be." She waved my apology away. "Welcome back, Robyn. You two have fun tonight." As she walked away, she called over her shoulder, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

  I let her walk a few more steps, and then said in a loud stage whisper, "Don't worry, babe, that covers just about everything."

  Liz's l
aughter floated back to us, and she waved without turning around. I smiled and watched her for another few yards before turning back to Robyn.

  "She's a lot…different off the set, isn't she?" Robyn asked, still watching Liz's progress thoughtfully. "I always kind of wondered why you two were such good friends - you seem so different - but now I guess I can see why."

  I glanced affectionately at Liz's retreating figure and then back at Robyn. "Yeah, she just doesn't let many people see it."

  She turned and draped both arms over my shoulders. "I look forward to getting to know her better, then," she told me, and kissed me briefly on the nose. As she pulled back, she paused and looked at my face with concerned eyes. She brought a hand to my cheek and slowly traced just below the two scars with gentle fingers. "Do these still hurt?"

  I turned my head and kissed her hand. "A little tender still, but not too bad. I have to rub this scar-be-gone goop into them every day, and that hurts like hell, but most of the time they don't bother me."

  "They're kinda sexy, now that the stitches are out," she told me, tracing the lines again and quirking a grin. "Especially in this outfit. Very tough."

  I gave her a dubious look.

  "I'm serious." She leaned in and kissed the scars lightly. "Very hot. And the rest of you? How's your back today?" She paused, and stepped back from me quickly. "Ah, shit, I nearly crushed you when I hugged you…that had to hurt. Damn, I'm sorry, Caid, I wasn't thinking."

  I stepped close again and put my arms around her waist, pulling our bodies back together. "It didn't hurt much, and it was well worth it. Honest," I assured her when she looked unconvinced. "Now, what was this I heard about dinner?"

  "Ah," she said, tentatively returning her arms to my shoulders and running a hand through my hair. "Dinner is in the car. And a few movies to choose from, if you want…"

  "You brought movies, too?"

  "Yeah…" She looked almost shy. "I thought a night in with you, dinner and a movie, sounded…nice."

  "It sounds better than nice." I smiled and let my hand drift under her shirt again, scratching gently across her back. "It sounds perfect."

  She sucked in a breath and blinked rapidly, then dropped another kiss on my nose and stepped out of my arms. "Good," she said briskly, "The stuff's in the car. I brought some beer, too. Indian is always better with beer, I never could find a wine that went with it…are you still on pain meds? You shouldn't drink if you are…I didn't know what kind of movies you liked, so I got a mix…some action, some drama, and a foreign flick…"

  I shook my head, bemused by what I realized was nervousness. I watched her walk to the car and fumble around with a few bags and a six pack of beer. "Need any help?"

  "No, thanks…" She straightened quickly and hit her head on the inside of the car door. "Shit…"

  I walked to the car and wordlessly took the beer from her. She gave me a sheepish look and immediately used the newly freed hand to rub her head. "Ow…damn, that hurt."

  "Poor baby." I stepped in close. "Let me see." She stopped rubbing and with a slight pout, bent her head. I inspected the spot for a moment, and stood on my tip toes to kiss it. "There. All better."

  "Thank you." She smiled, the nervousness of before gone.

  I stepped back and tilted my head, gesturing towards the cottage. "Come on, Ward, I'm starving."

  The cottage was a modified loft, with the large living room, kitchen, two bedrooms and bath on the lower level, and the master bedroom and bath on the upper level overlooking the living room. Robyn glanced around curiously, pausing in the foyer while I continued on to the kitchen.

  "This is the guest cottage?" she asked with a laugh. "She must like her guests a hell of a lot."

  I smiled as I put the beer in the fridge and walked back to join her. "She said, way back when, that it used to be a barn, but I think that's a load of crap." She was still gazing around in appreciation, and I took the bag of food from her unresisting hand and went back into the kitchen.

  "Well, whatever it was way back when, it's damn nice now."

  "Uh-huh…why do you think I agreed to stay here? This place is way nicer than my house." I started unpacking different containers of food and placing them on the counter.

  "I like your house. It's cute."

  I glanced over to see she'd finished her perusal and was leaning in the entryway of the kitchen, watching me.

  "I like it too," I said, and turned back to the food, "although I think I'm going to look for something else soon…my neighbors are ready to lynch me." I popped one of the containers open, breathing in the exotic spices. "God, Rob, this smells great. Where'd you…ohhh…" My voice trailed off into a tiny gasp as Robyn came up behind me, her body as close as she could get without actually touching me, and kissed the exposed skin at the base of my neck.

  "You smell great," she murmured, the heat of her breath washing over my skin. She moved her lips to my shoulder, and then trailed them up under my ear, kissing the skin there and nipping lightly at my earlobe. "And you taste great, too."

  The slam of arousal took me by surprise, and I closed my eyes, gripping the edge of the counter tightly with my good hand and laying the other palm down on the counter.

  Jesus...

  She laid her hands on the counter on either side of mine; I could feel the hardness of her nipples brush against my upper back, and feel how she moved slightly from side to side, her breath quickening as she rubbed against me.

  "God, Caid," her voice was ragged in my ear. "I can't believe how much I want you right now."

  I groaned, and she kissed my neck again, sucking gently. I let my head fall to the side, giving her better access and she took advantage of it immediately, sucking and kissing all along the exposed skin, up under my jaw, and back to my ear where she traced the inner curve with her tongue.

  Through it all she kept the steady rhythm of her breasts across my back, some strokes firmer than others, but always the same, steady motion. The array of sensations was overwhelming and I could barely breathe. My whole body was trembling, and I reached to steady myself, gripping the counter tightly with my splinted hand and yelping in surprise as pain shot from my wrist up my arm, bringing tears to my eyes.

  "Fuck," I hissed, and pulled my arm to my chest, cradling it. "Fucking fuck fuck fuck…"

  Robyn jerked away from me as though she'd been slapped, taking a few quick steps away before hesitantly coming back to my side and hovering worriedly. "Oh, shit. Oh, god, Caid, I'm sorry…"

  "S'alright," I said through gritted teeth, breathing slowly through my nose until the pain faded to a dull ache.

  "No, it's not," she said angrily, and ran a trembling hand through her hair. "Jesus, you just got out of the hospital, you're hurt, and all I can think about is getting you into bed…"

  I smiled slightly, despite the pain. She might think that was a bad thing, but I was inordinately pleased by her zeal to get me horizontal. It meant that, despite all I'd been through, and the possible permanent changes to my appearance, she still wanted me. I didn't even realize I had been worried about the alternative until her actions allayed my fears.

  Still cradling my arm, I turned and leaned against the counter. "Rob, it's okay."

  She took a step back from me and shook her head, staring at the floor.

  "Honey," I took the steps to close the distance between us and cupped her cheek with my good hand. "Baby, look at me." After a moment she lifted her head and met my gaze, her dark eyes full of apology. I stroked her cheek. "Robyn, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm relieved, actually, that you still want me, after everything that's happened." She started to protest and I moved my fingers to gently cover her mouth. "Let me finish." When she settled down I continued. "I love you, and I want you as much as you want me. I've missed you so much…missed your touch and the closeness we had that weekend…I want that back, and I hope you do too."

  I moved my fingers back to her cheek so she could answer, and she turned her head to kiss them before speak
ing. "More than anything," she said softly.

  "Good." I smiled leaned in for a quick kiss. "We just need to be a little careful for a while, that's all. But please don't pull away from me…please."

  She nodded slowly. "Okay."

  I slid my hand down her arm until I held her hand in mine and squeezed. "Okay. How about we eat, watch a movie, and see what happens?"

  She smiled slowly and squeezed my hand. "I can live with that."

  What happened after dinner was that I fell asleep.

  Drowsy from two beers, settled comfortably on the couch in the vee of Robyn's legs and leaning back against her, I fell asleep to the soothing rhythm of her breath on my cheek, the solid warmth of her at my back, and the feel of her fingers running absently through my hair.