“I’d love to.”
He had them there in ten minutes, helped by the lack of traffic at ten-thirty p.m. on Christmas Eve.
“Nice,” she said, taking in the redbrick garden-style condo buildings.
“It’s old—it was built in Nineteen Fifty-Two—but I didn’t want to live in a high rise. I never have.”
She thought of his upbringing in a small Southern town. “No, I wouldn’t imagine you would have. But I spent the first nine years of my life in a high-rise condominium. We lived on the twelfth floor. I remember my mother always telling us to stay away from the windows. She was so afraid one of us would fall out.”
“I wouldn’t want to raise children in a high rise, even if it’s someplace luxurious, like the Trump Tower. To me they don’t mix.” He pointed with his right hand. “This works for me, too, because the Metro-North station is right over there, and it was reasonably priced, considering the outrageous cost of real estate in this area,” he continued. “Fortunately, someone rented my house in Birmingham last month, so I only had to pay two mortgages for two months.”
“Holding on to the old pad, huh?”
He unlocked the door to his unit and pushed it open, flicking on a light for her. He waved a hand for emphasis as he showed her around. “Living room.”
She took in the sparsely furnished but neat room, with its eclectic mix of plaid sofa and leather rocker, and its plasma TV hanging above a console table that held a compact stereo.
“Dining area.”
A round Colonial style cherry wood table and four matching chairs.
“Kitchen.”
Square in shape, with a microwave over the stove, a window over the sink, and a narrow counter between the refrigerator and a stackable washer and dryer.
“Bathroom.”
She glimpsed a tub with glass doors.
“Bedroom.”
The room she’d been most anxious to see. Jack slept in a king-sized bed that dominated the room. An easy chair was positioned at an angle to make for comfortable TV viewing. A six-drawer highboy in the same stained pine as the TV cabinet completed the ensemble.
“I like it,” she said. “You don’t like clutter any more than I do.”
“For every piece of furniture there is a purpose,” he said with a smile.
“How about trying to finish our cake?” she suggested.
He put some music on while she heated the small, round chocolate cake with hot fudge that was a Morton’s specialty in the microwave. “Let’s have it out here,” he called. He lifted the convertible coffee table into the upright position, where it often doubled as a desk and an eating area.
“Isn’t that convenient?” she said when she saw the table. “Uh…do you have any wine?”
“I think I’ve got some Korbel, if you’re in the mood for champagne. I’ll get it,” he said at her nod.
He returned with a bottle of champagne to find her leaning back on the sofa, her hand on her stomach. “Good thing birthdays come just once a year. My goodness. If I ate like this every day I’d be wide as this couch.”
“There’s no place like Morton’s for a good prime rib.”
“Do they have locations in Birmingham?”
“Unfortunately, no. I went there when I went to Dallas or Houston on business. In Birmingham the nicest steak house among the chains would probably be Ruth Chris.”
She nodded thoughtfully. She wondered whom he’d brought to dine with him. It had to be somebody special. The tongue-twisting titled Ruth’s Chris’ Steak House was nearly as expensive as Morton’s.
“Something on your mind?”
“Oh, I was just wondering who the special lady was that you brought to eat at Ruth Chris.”
“Are you jealous?”
He obviously found that scenario enjoyable, judging by his smile. She grinned back at him. “To quote a friend, ‘I don’t like it.’”
Jack raised his eyebrows. She liked the way he expressed himself with his brows. Not in that exaggerated Groucho Marx sort of way, but they did tend to shoot upward when something surprised him.
“But I won’t go out for a walk and end up in Green’s Farms.”
They laughed together, and Jack liked the fact that they could make fun of his rather childish behavior of less than two weeks ago. He still felt ashamed of what he viewed as no better than a temper tantrum. In hindsight, he felt he could have handled the situation in a much more mature manner.
He opened the champagne with a loud pop, then poured two glasses’ worth. He raised his glass to her. “Happy birthday, Alicia.”
“Happy birthday, Jack.”
They clicked glasses and sipped, their eyes never leaving each other’s face. “Funny,” she whispered. “All of a sudden I’m not hungry anymore.”
“I am, but not for chocolate cake.” He leaned in close, and she closed her eyes expectantly, only to be surprised when he pressed his lips to her forehead.
He pulled back, looked into her eyes, and leaned forward again, this time diverting at the last minute and kissing her chin. She held her breath as he pulled back twice more, pressing his lips to each of her cheeks. Excitement built up in her like a rapid snowfall. She wanted to scream at him to kiss her.
At last he touched his lips to hers. Her arms went around his neck, and she felt his hands on her back.
He increased the pressure, and suddenly she felt herself moving. Jack smoothly slid her onto his lap. Just moments later Alicia felt herself falling backward. Jack didn’t miss a beat as he lowered her to a supine position. He tore his mouth away from hers and began nibbling on her neck and up to the side of her jaw. With one hand he grasped and gently squeezed her breast. Her nipples had hardened through the fabric of her sweater.
Music played at a low volume, but it became secondary to their pleasured moans.
“It’s too cramped on this couch,” Jack said between breaths. “Let’s go to the bedroom.”
She nodded her consent. He rose first, then held out a hand to help her. The moment she was on her feet he took her in his arms and kissed her again, grasping her hips and pressing them into his groin. “Feel what you do to me,” he whispered.
He moved his hands to her sides, running them up and down from just above her waist to her thighs, over the indentation of her waist and the curve of her hips. Alicia stood close to him, having no desire to back out of his embrace.
At last they reluctantly parted a few inches. His large hand cupped her jaw as he gazed at her with an unreadable expression in his dark eyes. “I want you to be sure, Alicia.” He pressed his index finger against her lips when she opened them to speak. “There’s no going back, no pretending this never happened. This isn’t just you and one of your playmates falling into the sack for a good time. A man who cares about you very much wants to make love to you…very much. If you can’t, or don’t want to, handle that, I’ll understand.” Only then did he remove his finger. God help him if she decided he was asking too much of her. As far as he was concerned they’d already crossed a line that couldn’t be backtracked.
But she held his gaze and quietly said, “I’m sure, Jack.” He kissed her once more, removing the pins that held her French roll in place and threading his fingers through the strands of her hair that fell around them.
Jack felt like he’d been living for this moment as he watched Alicia disrobe in his bedroom. He hadn’t made love in months, and then it had been little more than sexual release. The woman he’d dated in Birmingham had flown up to Connecticut shortly after his move to make their break official. There’d been mutual fondness, but no real emotional connection for either of them. It couldn’t begin to compare to a man making love to the woman he loved.
Under Alicia’s sweater and pantsuit she wore a silky navy teddy set trimmed in lace, the tight-fitting top hugging her torso and letting her breasts stand naturally. He thought it the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. They lay in the center of the bed, him wearing nothing but under-shorts. His erection
jutted out from his body, but he felt freed from the burden of trying to conceal it. He moved atop her, but she pushed him away, murmuring, “Wait.”
He watched, propped on one elbow and breathing hard, as she raised her body, crossed her arms and pulled the top of her fitted camisole over her head, then slid the bottom half over her hips. His breath caught in his throat. She wore no bra, and even in the darkness he could see how beautifully she was formed, the round thighs, the belly with the tiniest pouch just above her groin, the smallish breasts with round areolas and nubs at their centers. As many times as he had mentally undressed her, he never imagined she would be this lovely. She wasn’t voluptuous, but nor was she skinny. And, as he so desperately wanted to believe, she was all his.
He ran a hand over her naked flesh, knowing the time had come to explore the rest of her as intimately as he had her mouth. He proceeded to do just that, taking his time and savoring every second. When she fell back trembling and moaning, he knew he’d pleased her.
He nuzzled her earlobe and licked the skin behind it, loving how she twitched with delight at the sensation. “I’ve got protection in my wallet. I’ll be right back.”
He went to his slacks, removed the condom and applied it. He turned to see Alicia lying down but looking at him intently, her hair fanned out against the pillow like he’d visualized so many times before. He knelt beside her on the bed and held out a hand. When she took it he pulled her into a sitting position. His arms went around to her back, his hands bracing her gently. They leaned toward each other, and her eyes fluttered shut….
Alicia moaned softly as Jack kissed her senseless. She laid her palms on his chest and ran her fingertips over his sparse chest hair, knowing he supported her back and wouldn’t let her fall. She sucked and nibbled at his lips. When at last he eased her back toward the mattress she felt weightless. She had felt this way many times, but this time it was special. She knew it was because of Jack. He affected her like no other man ever had.
Her lower body shuddered as she accepted his flesh into her own. For a few moments they simply lay still. She heard him gasp, felt his breath on her neck, could hear his tattered inhalations. “Alicia,” he said softly in his special way. She felt his male muscle twitch inside her. Never had anything felt so utterly delicious.
Slowly Jack began the familiar push-pull rhythm. She began to move underneath him, feeling like she was floating. They loved each other slowly and deeply, each resisting the urge to join together furiously like scissor blades. When she could stand no more pleasure she held him tightly and cried out, her back arching and her legs contracting around his back. His escalating grunts told her that he, too, had reached a climactic moment.
Even when he collapsed he was careful to fall to her side, pulling her to him like he was afraid to let her go, even for a second.
“Jack?”
“Hmm?”
“Merry Christmas.”
“It must be after midnight,” he mumbled.
“Just a little.”
He stretched an arm across her middle, then raised it to rub her breasts. “Mmm. I’ve got a Christmas gift for you, if you’d like to have it now.”
She reached out, her hand clamping on his arousal. “I’d love to. And I might have a little something for you as well.” She threw the covers back and rolled on top of him, one hand stroking him tantalizingly until he gripped her hips and brought her down, turning the smile on her face into an expression of the exquisite sensation she felt.
She awoke Christmas morning with his arm draped around her waist. She lightly rested her hand on his, and he stirred in his sleep and shifted position, moving closer. She thought he was still asleep until he mumbled something she could barely understand.
“Whatcha gonna do today?”
“Just a quiet Christmas at home. We’ll make the most of it, although it’ll be difficult. Mom doesn’t even have the energy to go downstairs anymore.” She rolled over onto her stomach. Something occurred to her just then, and she turned her head to face him. “Wait a minute. Aren’t you coming with me?”
“Well, I don’t want to intrude….”
“Of course you’ll come with me. I know that Pete and Rhonda are with her family out in Hollis. What were you going to do, just stay home alone?”
He broke into a smile. “I’d rather be with you.”
“Then that’s exactly where you’ll be.”
Chapter 23
Wonderful Christmastime
It turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable day. If anyone thought it strange that Alicia hadn’t come home the night before they didn’t comment on it. Coffee cake and a baked dish with eggs, cheese and sausage had been placed on the coffee table. A massive Christmas tree had been set up by one of the front windows, and Todd had just gotten a fire going in the fireplace. The mantel and surrounding stone wall behind it were covered with holiday greeting cards. A CD of diverse Christmas carols played on the compact Bose wave player. Jack decided it had to be downloaded; the selections were too far removed from each other for it to be commercial. One minute Johnny Mathis sang the religious hymn, “O Holy Night” and the next Eartha Kitt purred, “Santa Baby.”
The Timberlake living room brimmed with holiday spirit. Jack glanced around with admiration. How sad that Caroline was confined to her bed upstairs and couldn’t join her family in this lovely room.
Alicia, who excused herself shortly after they arrived, returning a half hour later wearing jeans and a sweater, gifted Jack with a snazzy tie and hanky set, and he surprised her with a bottle of her favorite scent, having learned its name from Rhonda. He’d removed it from the inside pocket of his leather jacket and slipped it under the tree while she was upstairs.
To his surprise, Daphne handed him a small flat square package, saying, “Merry Christmas, Jack, from Todd, Fletcher, and myself.”
He didn’t have to be a nuclear physicist to know the cheerful red-and-white wrapping paper contained a CD, but was delighted to see the latest by Peter White. He’d been a longtime fan of the jazz guitarist. “Thank you so much, Daphne, Todd. That was very thoughtful of you.”
Alicia handed him another gift. “It’s from Martha and Marvin,” she said in response to his puzzled expression, her fingernail tapping the label.
“Oh, they shouldn’t have.” He laughed at the dubious expression on Alicia’s face. “Okay, so people always say that. But they really shouldn’t have.”
“I think it’s entirely appropriate. Martha and Marvin and their kids are like family.”
Neither Jack nor Alicia saw Daphne turn to Todd and make a face like she smelled something unpleasant.
“Well, in that case….” He tore off the wrapping, revealing a DVD of an old black-and-white Alfred Hitchcock movie that starred two legendary Hollywood actors. “This was an interesting choice,” he said, bewildered.
Alicia read the description. “I know why she picked this.”
“Why?”
“Look at the names of the main characters.”
He read the description. Sure enough, the female lead character’s first name was Alicia, the male lead was named Devlin. “That was very astute of her.”
“That’s Martha for you.”
“I suppose Martha is in the guest house with her family?”
“She’s in the kitchen. I stopped to say hello to her on my way downstairs after seeing Mom and taking my shower.”
“I’d like to go in and thank her.”
“It’s right through there.”
He crossed the large living room and stepped into the kitchen, where Martha stood at the sink rinsing cooked macaroni noodles in a large metal colander. “Merry Christmas, Martha!”
“Jack! Merry Christmas to you.” She hugged him warmly.
“I got your gift. Thanks for thinking of me.”
“Don’t mention it. Had you seen that particular movie before?”
“Actually, I haven’t. I think the only Hitchcock films I’ve seen are the later ones
, like The Birds and Psycho.” He paused. “I was a little puzzled as to why you chose that one, but Alicia pointed out that the lead characters have our names.”
“That’s exactly it. Also, it happens to be a very good movie. The most romantic film Hitchcock ever made, I think.”
“I’ll be sure to watch it.” He looked around the kitchen. Before Martha had gotten up to drain the macaroni, she’d been snapping green beans. “It looks like you’re cooking.”
“Yes. We’re going to have a wonderful Christmas dinner.”
“Don’t you ever get a day off?”
She laughed. “Sure I do, but just like I clean my own bathroom on my day off, I take care of the ones here as well. I suppose I’ve been spending more time here since Miss Caroline has been failing, but for me it’s worth it.” She smiled at him. “You know, Jack, I’m so glad you’re in Alicia’s life. She’s never brought anyone home before, you know.”
Marvin had said something similar that night at the hospital last month, but Martha’s words surprised him nonetheless. “Not even for the holidays?”
“Never. Miss Caroline was so worried about her. I saw how you comforted her at the hospital last month. She’s going to need you more than ever when….” She trailed off.
Jack saw the distress on Martha’s face and quickly deduced she referred to Caroline passing away. “I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
“Funny. When Mr. Fletcher died it was so sudden. Miss Caroline tried to be strong, but she was devastated. She told me later she always expected she would be the first to go and he would have to bury her. Daphne, well, she didn’t even try to hold it together. She cried for days. We were all so worried about her because she was pregnant at the time.
“But Alicia, she was the glue that held everyone together. Funny,” Martha said with a baffled shake of her head. “Caroline’s passing was as expected as Fletcher’s was sudden, but Alicia seems to be taking it much harder.”
“Maybe she felt closer to her mother,” Jack suggested. “Girls often are, aren’t they?”
A Love for All Seasons Page 13