Lake Dreams

by Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy

  Cole used his tongue to tease her nipples, flicking the pink blossoms until they increased more. Then he let his tongue trail with slow strokes from her breast down her belly, tickling and teasing. Cole reached her mound and used his hand to stroke her hair. Then he caressed her cunt, gleeful as he sensed the increasing heat and the moistness growing. Cole flipped her onto her back and dived. He used his tongue to pleasure her there, inserting it into her warm cavity. Cole savored the taste of her sex.

  Maggie shifted position and raised her knees then spread them wide. She arched her back as he pleasured her and grabbed his shoulders with both hands. With amazing strength she jerked him close enough to nibble his flesh, to use her teeth to make love marks with tiny bites. Each one shot a sensual charge through him and his groans chorused with her cries. In his abandon he lost track of time, in the swirling storm of passion he went more than a little wild.

  Nothing existed but their bodies, pulsating and perspiring and the huge need for fulfillment. He toyed with her, his hands caressing her everywhere as she touched him. One small hand seized his cock and stroked it with a rhythm he adored. Each one brought him nearer to the moment of truth, the instant when he’d fill her with his seed and spill his desire into her waiting flesh.

  “Now,” she said. “Please, Cole, you’re killing me. I can’t wait.”

  “You can,” he grunted through gritted teeth. “Hold on, Maggie, just a little more.”

  “I can’t,” she moaned but he gave her no option.

  Cole played her body with his fingers, better than any air guitar he’d seen or done. He used every fingertip to deliver pleasure but the growing need within made each pleasure fraught with pain. Tension climbed between them, fierce and powerful and tortured them both. He wanted it to last and yet he needed to end it. When Cole couldn’t bear any more, he lifted up on both elbows and moved to enter her. His hard prick crammed into her, greedier than a kid raiding a cookie jar. Her wet warmth encased his shaft and he drowned in sensation, pumping up down with the cadence of the merry-go-round they’d ridden together. Each thrust brought them closer to the explosion and as they approached the last bearable moments, just before they descended into insanity, he growled, “Are you ready for this, Maggie?”

  “Yeah,” she panted. “Do it now, darlin’, NOW!”

  “One or two more times,” Cole said. “Maybe three.”

  “You’re fucking me to death,” Maggie cried but she wasn’t complaining. Cole drew back for the last onslaught and hammered into her with all he had. As the wave of indescribable pleasure exploded within his body, radiating from his cock outward he couldn’t see for the burst of brilliant joy surrounding them both. He cried out, a wordless shout expressing total delight and release. Their climax held and locked for eternity, a time without thought or consciousness, nothing but pleasure then it ended, too soon and he came down to earth, shattered and sated.

  Cole spasmed several more times as Maggie writhed beneath him, her face flushed with the crimson hue of orgasm. He shuddered and went still, his weight on her chest and pillowed his head on her breasts. Maggie’s arms wrapped around his body and held him against her. As he caught breath Cole realized their hearts beat in tandem, felt his own and heard the echo in hers. The sounds synched and he let it soothe him, two hearts beating as one.

  They lay together without speaking for awhile until their breathing eased back to normal and then Maggie whispered, her voice low and sweeter than honey straight from the comb, “Cole,”

  “What?”

  “I could get used to this.”

  “It’s addictive,” he said, wishing he could have this forever. Cole thought about saying those three little words, I love you but fear kept him silence. If he spoke it, he’d mean it but Cole feared rejection. Most of the time he believed Maggie loved him and wanted a future together but sometimes he doubted it. His scarred heart, mended together from fragile pieces, couldn’t take another direct hit so he had to wait. Someday, sometime maybe he’d find t enough courage to speak up. Until then, he’d take all he could get and treasure it.

  Cole cradled her against him, his precious Maggie and he’d lain there forever if her cell phone hadn’t rang inside the pocket of her discarded jeans. She stiffened in his arms and said, “It’s the kids. What time is it?”

  As she scrambled from the tangled covers to dig out her phone, Cole squinted at the green numbers on the clock radio beside the bed. “After six,” he mumbled but by then she’d answered the call.

  “We’re down the road a little ways,” Maggie said, sounding very calm. “I’m sorry we’re running just a little late but we’ll be there in a few minutes. Why don’t you go get an ice cream cone or something? All right, I’ll see you in just a minute.”

  She ended the call and pulled on her jeans as he watched. “I guess the movie’s over?”

  “Yeah,” she said. “We lost track of time.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Maggie flashed him a beautiful smile. “I’m not. Come on, though, we’ve got to pick up the kids.”

  Her everyday phrase echoed his past. He couldn’t count how many times Victoria used the same sentence but the two women couldn’t be more different. Maggie’s simple statement reminded him he couldn’t bring his kids back but hers, thank God, were alive.

  On the way to the car, he said, “Maggie, where do we go from here?”

  “I don’t know yet,” she said. “But for now we’re together.”

  “Yes.”

  “Then that’s enough for now.”

  Maybe for her, Cole thought but he longed for more. He’d lost everything but now he’d found something else to value. Cole loved his children and he’d never get over their death. He would survive, though. They were dead and he couldn’t restore them to life, no matter how much wished it. He treasured their memory, cherished it and yet he’d live. Whether he continued his life here or went back to St. Louis, Cole would make it, thanks to Maggie.

  At the IMAX complex, things shifted into crazy gear. The kids, who’d insisted on being picked up right now weren’t at the door and didn’t show up so Maggie decided they’d better go inside. As they wandered through the commons area with shops, snack kiosks, shows and a restaurant leading to the actual theater Cole gaped like a tourist at the variety. He didn’t see the kids until Maggie pointed them out, deep in conversation with a group of teenagers.

  “There they are,” she said, sounding as disgusted as he felt. “Let’s go round them up.”

  As they approached the circle of kids, Cole heard one of them say, “Come on, man. You don’t want to miss this party. It’s going to be freaking awesome. My stepdad’s house is right on Tablerock and we’ll be swimming. We’ve got paddle boats and some floats too. It’s going to be a blast.”

  Kiefer’s face glowed with excitement. “I’d love it, totally.”

  Maggie heard the last as she halted, arms crossed over her chest. “You’d love what?”

  “Hi, Mom,” Kiefer said, cheeks fire truck red. “Uh, there’s this, well, it’s a party.”

  “It’s for the Fourth of July,” the other teen chimed in.

  Kaitlin picked up the topic and ran with it. “And we’re invited, Mom, so I’m wondering if we can go.”

  Cole’d heard enough to know Maggie would refuse and she did, point blank. “No.”

  “No?” Kiefer said with his last remnant of hope.

  “No,” Maggie repeated. “No, no way, not happening. Let’s go to the car.”

  “Why not?” Kiefer asked.

  “We’ll talk about it on the way home,” Maggie said. Then she grasped her son by the arm and towed him away from his friends. Kaitlin’s cheeks flamed scarlet and her eyes, so like her mother’s flashed fire. Cole knew both kids must be embarrassed and angry too but he kept out of it. He didn’t want Maggie’s ire directed at him.

  In the car the tense atmosphere thickened. Cole slid behind the wheel as Maggie faced her children, “What was that about?�
��

  Neither said a word for a long moment then Kaitlin spoke up. “We just wanted to go to a party, Mom. It’s no big deal. Most people do stuff like this all the time.”

  “We’re not most people,” Maggie said. “Number one, we’ve got plans tomorrow, don’t we? I thought so. And number two, your brother can’t swim so he wouldn’t have any business out on Tablerock Lake on a paddle boat or float. It wouldn’t be much fun to sit on the sidelines, would it? No, I didn’t think so.”

  Her voice slashed through the vehicle with the force of a bull whip. Her kids stared out the rear windows and Cole couldn’t see their faces. He understood she acted out of fear, from concern but her kids would think Maggie to be mean. Nothing he could say would temper or change it so he drove. They did have plans, simple one. He’d promised to grill some chicken and maybe a few burgers. They’d planned on buying some fireworks to shoot off but Maggie told him they would be able to see the ones from Branson Landing too. With all but two cabins full, it seemed enough fun but teenagers tempted by something grander might not agree.

  Halfway down the Strip, Cole cleared his throat and made a peace offering. “Anybody want to take a pizza home for supper?”

  Maggie followed his lead, her face as serene now as when they’d curled up together back at the motel. “Sounds good to me. Kids?”

  “Sure,” Kiefer said after his sister poked his ribs with a hard jab. Kaitlin leaned forward to say, “That’d be great, Cole. Can we get sausage and mushrooms?”

  “Gross,” Kiefer said as he made a barfing sound. “I like pepperoni or hamburger.”

  Most people might find their bickering annoying but Cole didn’t mind. His children would never get the chance to be temperamental teens and strident voices meant these two were alive. “We can get one of each,” he told them.

  “All three?” Kiefer asked. “One she likes, one pepperoni, and one hamburger?”

  “Sure,” Cole said.

  “Awesome, dude,” the boy said.

  Maggie ducked her head so no one but Cole could see her little smile. They got the pizzas, took them back to her place and settled down to watch a movie. Like a family, he thought, as he snuggled beside her on the couch. He put one arm around her, skin tingling as he recalled their amazing afternoon together.

  In his heart he claimed her as his woman and Cole didn’t think he would ever want anything more.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The morning of the Fourth dawned hot and humid, sticky even before the sun peeped over the horizon. Cole sat out on his porch and watched dawn, admiring the colors streaking the sky. Judging by the line of clouds stacked in the west he figured they’d have some weather ride in later but maybe it would hold off until after fireworks. Although he’d slept little he rose early with mind and heart full of Maggie.

  Cole knew she’d stayed up very late too. After coming home from pizza and movies, he sat outside. Her bedroom light burned deep into the night and Cole watched like a sentinel. He didn’t go to bed until Maggie turned off the lamp but even then sleep evaded him. Every time he thought about Maggie, sleepless down the hill, Cole ached to go to her but he didn’t. A wrong move with the kids might sour what he’d built so far and for whatever reason, Maggie exuded edginess. Her feeling of impending tragedy contributed but Cole wondered if she also struggled with her feelings for him. Sometime they needed to talk, to open up and be honest. If Cole knew for sure how Maggie felt, he’d share his emotions.

  Off in the distance Cole heard the first pop-pop-pop of firecrackers and smiled. He’d shot his share here years ago, most of them with Maggie. Fourth of July back in the city lacked the traditional sounds since all fireworks were illegal without a permit so his three kiddies never got to light a cracker, toss a smoke bomb or see a fountain in the back yard. Cole stared out over the lake and remembered last year….

  Victoria slept late on holidays and the Fourth was no exception. They’d all slept in although he’d been up hours before she rolled out. He watched old “Twilight Zone” episodes with the kids. Although Becca and Brianna couldn’t quite grasp most of the plot lines, they enjoyed the stories and Brock loved them. Mid-afternoon they’d picked up a bucket of fried chicken from the Colonel, the one day each year his wife would concede to eating fast food or anything deep fried in hot grease. They carried the food to Forest Park and enjoyed a picnic. Then they took the kids to the zoo and art museum.

  Remembering Brianna’s attachment to the nelly-phants and Brock’s delight in the big cats, tigers most of all hurt but Cole treasured each memory. He recalled up the excitement on Becca’s face when she saw the giraffes for the first time outside a storybook. Cole preferred to forget Victoria’s bored disdain and her refusal to enter the ape house because she loathed the stench.

  That night they’d gone down to the Mississippi near the Gateway Arch to watch fireworks, the colorful explosions bursting over the river.

  If he’d known it would be the last Fourth of July ever spent with his three children Cole wondered if he would have done anything different. After a few minutes of soul searching and serious thought he decided no, he wouldn’t except he might have held the kids a little tighter, hugged them more often. If heaven existed –Cole believed it did on good days and doubted whenever he felt down – he hoped there were fireworks lighting up the skies so his kids could wear the same delightful faces again.

  Cole finished his coffee and put away thoughts of the past. Unwilling to go down to Maggie’s until he knew if the Browns were awake and up, he slipped on his swim trunks and walked past the silent cabins to the pool. He noticed a variety of states represented by license plates, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, and Louisiana. No one looked out as he passed and he swam several laps in the cold water before he emerged, teeth chattering to sit on a deck chair to warm up. Although his back faced the office, the footsteps crunching across the gravel had to be Maggie. Cole waited and when a thick, fluffy towel wrapped around his shoulders, he turned around with a grin.

  “Thanks Maggie.”

  With her arm still draped across his shoulders she leaned down and kissed him, her lips warm and tasting of coffee so she’d been up longer than he guessed. “You’re welcome and good morning.”

  “Happy Fourth of July,” he murmured, inhaling her scent with pleasure. Still cold, he savored her warmth. “How’s it going?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “All right, I guess. I’m tired.”

  “Maybe I wore you out yesterday,” Cole said with a wink. He thought about pulling her onto his lap but since he dripped pool water, he doubted she’d like it.

  Maggie offered him a weary smile but it didn’t reach her eyes. “That’s not why I’m tired. I enjoyed our afternoon very much. I just couldn’t get to sleep last night. The thing with the kids upset me. I hate being the one to rain on their parade but I didn’t want them to go. I don’t like Kiefer around water. It scares me. But I feel bad – they usually spend the Fourth with my folks so I wanted them to have a good time this year.”

  “We will,” Cole said. “Don’t beat yourself up about being a parent. It was your call and you said ‘no’.”

  “True.”

  He reached out with his wet arms to draw her closer to him, scrutinizing her face. Her eyes were puffy, as if she’d been crying. Cole knew her so well enough he knew she hadn’t told him everything yet. “What else is bothering you, honey?”

  “Nothing,” Maggie said with a deep sigh.

  “Bull,” Cole replied. “You still have your feeling something bad’s coming down, don’t you?”

  Before Maggie answered she tucked a stray strand of his hair behind one ear and stroked the back of his head. Her hand lingered against his cheek. “I do, Cole but I don’t like to talk about it. I had the same dream again, the one I told you about. It upset me.”

  Already chilled from his brisk swim, her words sent a new shiver through his body. “Was it the one about me and the lake?”

  Maggie nodded. “But I d
on’t want to talk about it, Cole. Just reassure me you don’t plan to swim in either lake.”

  “I don’t and I won’t.” He wouldn’t now, no matter what. Her intuitions had proved correct before and Cole didn’t want this one to come true. “I promise. Let’s seal it with a kiss.”

  “Okay,” she said with a genuine smile, brilliant enough to brighten her eyes. She sat down on his knee and Cole caught her before she tipped them both over. He kissed her, his cool lips responding to her warmth. He didn’t hurry as his mouth caressed and cherished hers with slow pleasure and from the way she leaned into him, he thought she liked it as much as he did.

  “Hey, Cole!” Kiefer’s voice cut through their romantic interlude and Maggie broke free although she remained on Cole’s knee.

  “What?” Cole asked as the boy approached.

  “Is it time to go buy firecrackers yet?”

  Maggie caught Cole’s eye and gave him a slight nod of approval so Cole answered, “Sure, bud, anytime you’re ready. We need to buy some stuff at the store too when we go.”

  “I’m ready now,” Kiefer said. “Mom, can I go?”

  Maggie stood up and offered Cole a hand. “Yes, but I need to fix a grocery list for Cole first.”

  “You can come with us,” Cole offered.

  “Naw,” she said. “You guys go. I’ve got laundry and other stuff to do so I can play later. But come on, I’ll write a list.”

  Fifteen minutes later Cole with Kiefer riding shotgun headed over to Hollister. At Country Mart, he let the kid push the shopping cart. Supermarket shopping ranked as a recent addition to his skills but Cole found things went quicker with two. The few times he’d made a grocery run with Victoria, the operation slowed with the presence of young children who needed to be strapped into the child seat or have their infant carrier secured in place. Working in tandem the two guys grabbed several packages of chicken, some hot dogs, buns, barbecue sauce, charcoal, potatoes, fresh corn and all the extras from Maggie’s list. Reeling from sticker shock because the total came out twice what he expected Cole loaded the stuff into the trunk and headed for the nearest fireworks tent.