panties from my hips, his hands, his lips, and his tongue,
lap, nip and tease the soft sensitive inner thigh, coming to
rest and nuzzling the hollow of my hip…….ummmmmm He steps back suddenly, slowly undoing the buttons
of his flannel shirt, tossing it onto the pile of clothes.
Reaching down he lifts the hem of his T-shirt and flips it
over his head, revealing his chest, never taking his dark
eyes off mine. His boots and socks follow before he
grasps the top snap of his jeans.
“Let me.” I whisper, reaching over, slipping my bold
fingers inside the waistband of his jeans, and tug so he’s
forced to take a step closer to me. He gasps, and then
smiles down at me. I undo the button, but before I slid
the zipper down, I let my fingers find him through the
denim of his jeans. His hips thrust forward into the palm
of my hand, relishing my touch.
He exhales his breath with a hiss, “Oh, Elle, you
make me crazy.” Stepping back, he removes his jeans in
one swift, agile move…...
Taking my hand, he leads me into the stream, the
cool water licking at my fevered skin. Branches and leaves
arch above us. The trees on opposite banks try to reach
their mates from the other shore, falling short, a narrow
shaft of brilliant blue sky slicing between them. Not a
sound to be heard except the buzz of insects and rush of
water tumbling over rock. Walking into the pool, I lower
myself in, submerge, come up, water streaming,
smoothing my hair back. Like moving through liquid silk,
holding out my hands to him, I beckon and he walks into
my arms. Taking my outstretched hand; he puts my
fingers in his mouth, sucking as if to taste the water. He cups my buttocks and pulls me hard against him,
so I feel the heat of him pulsing against me. His mouth
hot and hungry on mine, then in one swift motion, he
turns and slides my legs around his waist, pulling us back
to shore.
Carrying me to a blanket spread on the ground, his
mouth never leaves mine, hands twist into my hair, our
tongues entwined, as he gently lowers me down,
following, so he’s lying next to me, flesh to flesh. “You are so beautiful,” he murmurs, and I believe
him. His hand trails down along my waist, and I rejoice in
the feel of his touch, his hungry mouth at my breasts and
his skilled fingers caressing, stroking and loving me.
Hands moving over my hips, my bottom, down my leg
and back up again to rest at the apex of my thighs….oh,
he’s soo good.
Grasping my knee, he hitches my leg up, curling it
over his hip, making me gasp, and he chuckles at my
reaction. Ohhhh, I gaze at him;; he’s breathless, his dark
eyes locked on mine, as I slowly lay claim to his body. He places his hands on my hips and pushes into me. The peace and quiet of the stream broken only by our mingled breath, as he rolls over taking me with him, and leisurely he starts to move, closing his eyes, he moans softly. My breathing accelerates as his steady rhythm pushes me higher and higher. He’s kissing my mouth, my chin, my jaw, his breath harsh against my ear with each gentle
thrust of his body.
“Quierda,” He gasps and my body starts to quiver, his
words my undoing, as we both come together.
Oh……my!
…
The banked pool in the stream creates an outdoor
Jacuzzi, washing away trail dust and heat of the day.
Locusts hum in the trees above as the temperature rises,
water ripples over smooth river rocks, glittering in the
late morning sun. Floating on my back, the sun overhead
reminds me……I’m starving. What can I say, I’m easily
distracted.
“Hey, where is the food, I’m famished!” Standing up
from the stream, water drips off my naked body along
with my inhibitions. Wrapping a soft sun-warmed towel
around me, I rummage through the saddlebags, looking
for food. Vic joins me, wearing jeans with the top button
undone and nothing else. Nice, very, very, nice.
Bridget outdid herself, in addition to the Twinkies, she
packed a tablecloth, thermos of coffee, hard boiled eggs,
crusty bread, a fruit salad and mouth-watering little meat
pasties.
We wrestled for the last one, and I won. Hey, a girl
has to keep up her strength.
“What day is it?” I ask, brushing the crumbs off my
stomach.
“Who cares?”
“I know, but I’m going home on Friday. I promised
Trey I’d be back in time to take him to college. And my
contact with school says I have to be back to work on
Monday.” Thoughts of reality flood through me, I don’t
want to leave this fantasy. A few days with Vic and my
old life is a distant memory. It’s like I’ve walked through
the looking glass, entering into someone else’s existence.
Who am I? I muse, looking down at myself, sitting naked
on a blanket, munching a cookie, washing it down with a
shot of tequila from a flask found in Vic’s saddlebag. I
barely recognize myself; and since when do cookies and
tequila mix…..
I have a son, a job, a dog………responsibilities back
in New York. As much as my heart is consumed with
Vic, my inner voice of reason says, easy girl, slow down.
Let’s take this one-day at a time. I’m an organized person,
always have a plan, and believe it or not, I’ve grown more
conservative by the year. I wouldn’t describe myself as
prim and proper but…….. the sudden appearance of Vic;
blew my neat, organized world to pieces. Million and
millions of beautiful little Vic pieces.
“I’m not letting you go.” He pulls me into the
protective circle of his arms. “Don’t go.”
“Can’t I take you home with me?” I giggle at the
thought. “Look, my souvenir from California. Oh, what I
wouldn’t give to show you off. Especially to that prig
faced Joanne Goodwin. I’d love to see the expression on
her face. She does nothing but brag about her perfect
husband, children, house, country club, thriving law
practice, and on and on. Just once.” I sigh with regret. “Are you suggesting I be your boy toy, an object of
sexual fantasy for your girlfriends?”
“Umm, yeah, something like that.” I say with a self
deprecating laugh, nuzzling his neck greedily with my lips. “Why thank you, I’m flattered.”
“Spoken, like a true male. And yet part of me wants
to keep you a secret, a precious secret held close to my
heart.” I heave a deep sigh.
“Stay here with me, don’t go home.”
“Don’t you start filming a new movie soon?” I nudge
him gently, reminding him of his obligations. “On the
plane coming here, I read a magazine article about the
new movie.” I reach up and stroke his face, running my
hands over the stubble on his cheek. I trace the line of his
bottom lip then trail my fingers down his throat, leaning
over to kiss his collarbone.
“Yeah, next week, I need to leave for the South
/> Pacific.” He makes a low sound in his throat, his breath
washes over me, and he kisses me, lovingly, “I don’t want
to go without you…wait, I have an idea,” he sits up,
enthused with inspiration. “Go home, take Trey to
school, then quit your job and come join me on the
movie set. You don’t need to work, Elle, I have enough
money, as long as we’re not stupid. My business manager
keeps an investment portfolio for me. Even if I don’t
score any more movie roles, we’ll be fine. What do you
say?”
“Vic,” I pause, choosing my words carefully, realizing
the importance of this conversation. “I don’t want to
leave or lose you, but we’ve been together for less than a
week.”
“But it feels like we’ve never been apart.”
“I know. I feel the same way too.” Placing my hand
on the side of his face, I gently kiss the prominence of his
incredible cheekbones. “But we have children, jobs, families, responsible adult stuff. I have to rescue my poor dog from the kennel. Maybe if we had been more cautious as kids, we’d have escaped some of the consequences of our actions. We were so in love, so
impetuous. ”
“But that was then and this is now. And you can
bring the dog with you.” His finger traces the curve of
my breast, followed by the warmth of his mouth, licking,
kissing trying to distract me from the conversation. And
it almost worked.
“Amigo,” Taking a deep breath, I push him away,
“Let’s go slow…give ourselves time……get used to the
idea of being together……time to figure how to blend
our lives and families together. I love you, but it’s
complicated.”
“So what?” He fumes. “You go home and that’s it?
We see each other when it’s convenient?” Vic stands up,
pulls on his shirt and a wall of hurt builds between us. “I
thought…” he stalks to the stream bank, stops and turns
his back to me, fists pushed into his pockets, eyes pressed
shut, craning his head toward the sun, jaw muscle
twitching. “The thought of you leaving makes me crazy,
it’s eating me up inside. I know it’s only been a few days,
but this is me. I’m the same. I understand you have
responsibilities, but I need you, Elle. I didn’t realize how
much, until you came back into my life.”
Following him to the water’s edge, I slip my arms
around his waist, hugging the warmth of his sun baked
flannel shirt, a flicker of fear grips my heart. “I need you
too,” leaning into his body, I lay my head on his chest.
He closes his eyes, and his face creases as if he’s in pain.
“Do you think I’m going home and leave behind Esteban
Diago? Do I look like an idiot? I’ve been a nun for almost two years; it wasn’t fun.” I start a little enchantment of my own, playfully nipping and kissing at his neck and chest. “I love you, but if our teenage years taught us anything, we need to be cautious. I have a son waiting for me, a classroom of students, Jack’s family, please don’t rush me.” My hand teases the waistband of his jeans, hinting of more magic to come. “In two years I can quit with twenty five years of service. I’ve worked hard to earn that bonus. I love my job but now I have……options.” I run my hands up and down the muscled plane of his
chest. “Some very nice options.”
“Two years!” He explodes, shaking his head in
disgust.
“I’m not saying we stay apart for two years. Let’s take
it month by month. You go to your movie shoot. I’ll
return home, get Trey off to college and start the school
year. When you finish filming, I’ll meet you or you come
to New York. I have Gran’s cabin, no chance of the
paparazzi lurking in the woods there.”
“That is such a long time. Come on location with
me.”
“I don’t want to distract you. In the article, I read that
when you take a part, you immerse yourself in the role,
you think, talk, dress and literally become the character.” “I’ll just immerse you, as one of my wenches,” he
leers at me. “And that will be an Oscar winning
performance.”
Chapter 36 The Unthinkable Not two weeks; or four, or even the unimaginable six …try ten impossibly long, lonely weeks translating into seventy days with no Vic. What’s the good of having a hot boyfriend, if he’s on the other side of the world? Vic’s filming schedule put him on some remote island. God only knows where; with no cell phone connection…...is there really such a place left on earth? Our communication shifted from erratic to sometimes…..erotic. I never understood phone sex before but ….the sound of his voice over the phone…..sets everything south of my navel tingling.
To be apart so soon after our explosive reunion has put me in a tailspin. One minute I’m ecstatic in love, then paranoid he’s fallen for his new co-star, to outright panic over a future with a movie star, who happens to be incredibly hot. The problem is…he wants me to leave my family, my friends, my home, and the only life I’ve ever known to build a future with him. Whew!
Not only is this taking an emotional toll but also a physical one as well. I have no appetite; the sight of food makes me nauseous. I’m exhausted, yet toss and turn, sleepless at night, then drag my tortured body to school only to come home and crash on the couch for three hour power naps, waking up at seven p.m., disoriented and starving for ice cream and Twinkies. I’m a lovesick teenager living in a middle-aged body. This can’t go on……. I don’t have the stamina.
As fall merges into winter, Thanksgiving week was circled on our calendars, no matter what, we would meet at the ranch. With Trey off on a ski trip with friends and Lani spending the holiday with Jason’s family, I’m free to join Vic. So after ten weeks of separation the plane descends into the small private airport near the ranch.As the wheels hit the tarmac Ike comes into view leaning against the Land Rover, arms folded, legs crossed, face shaded under a cowboy hat. To avoid the paparazzi and protect my privacy, Ike will drive me to the ranch. And…there is nothing like the sight of a Celtic warrior cowboy to dash away the memory of a turbulent flight over the Rockies. It’s the Irish and cowboy
together……that rare eclectic combination that sets any girl’s radar on high alert. Giddyap.
“Ahh, there she is, at last.” Ike envelopes me in a one arm hug while taking my bag from the flight attendant. “Good flight, ehhh?” Growing up near the border one learns the charming Canadian quirk of adding “ehh” to the end of their sentences. It makes me feel at home.
“It was a bumpy ride over the mountains, but two glasses of wine and half a box of imported chocolates took the edge off my nerves.” I brush loose strands of hair out of my eyes, feeling the delicious warmth of the California sun on my shoulders. A welcome change from the cold rainy weather back East. “And I’ve never flown on a private jet, and not wanting to offend the hostess, when she offered, I said yes……to everything.” Which explains my queasy stomach, I feel a little green, I pray I don’t look green, green woman don’t turn men on and I’m done with phone sex.
Ike chuckles and takes me by the elbow, steering me across the parking lot.
“Boy, have we missed you.”
“Oh, thank you.” Ike likes me…I think…. I wasn’t sure after our meeting on the beach that first night.
“Listen, living with Vic this past week has been hell; he’s like a polecat with a burr in his paw.” Ike launches into his explanation, propelling me along like he can’t get me to the car fast
enough. “Bridget threatened to quit, I’m thinking of joining up on a freighter again, Hank hides in the back shed, and Vic’s ridden Diablo to exhaustion. Even the horse avoids him. We can’t take it anymore, you have to save us.” He tilts his hat back revealing a brush burn down the side of his lean face. “I got this four wheeling with him the other day, just trying to keep up. I’d rather face a grizzly bear in early spring than go back to the ranch without you.”
“So he really missed me?”
Ike stops dead in his tracks, peers at me over the top of his sunglasses, eyes narrowed, looking at me like I’m deaf, dumb, or just plain stupid. “Did you not hear a word I just said?” He asks, an incredulous look on his face.
“Well, yes, but I’m still a little insecure about his feelings for me. He’s surrounded by beautiful
sophisticated women. I don’t know how to compete in that world. I’m a middle age school teacher, and the only cosmetic work I’ve ever had done was a pedicure.”
Ike laughs, causing his amber eyes to sparkle. He is so handsome when he smiles. “Ellen, he loves you. Don’t sell yourself short; you’re a beautiful talented woman. And not everything that glitters in Hollywood is gold. Underneath all the hype, it can get real ugly.”
“Oh,” I smile, feeling some of my insecurity fall away. Vic loves me, Vic loves me; plays over and over in my head.
“Come on, we don’t want to keep him waiting, and Hanna is coming this weekend. Then all hell will break loose. I’m her godfather and love her to pieces, but God, that girl’s a whirlwind.”
Ike tosses my bag in to the back hatch and walks around the vehicle to open my door, he hesitates before asking, “You’re here to stay? Right?” He points to my luggage. “That’s an awful little bag. The rest of your things….are being shipped?”
“Ummmm……no.”
His eyes shoot daggers at me. “What do you mean; no?”
“I’m just here through the weekend. I have to go back after the Thanksgiving break.”
“What!....... oh, no way, you have to stay or you’re taking him with you. We can’t take anymore of him mooning about, snapping everyone’s head off.”
“Ah……we haven’t worked out the details yet. I want to finish out the school year. And I was hoping for us to slowly transition into each other’s lives.” I shrug my shoulders as I click the seat belt in place. “Go back and forth for a while……...?”
“Shit...” The expletive hangs in the air as he climbs into the driver’s seat and throws the car into gear. Tires screech as he guns the accelerator, the force throws me back onto the seat as he executes a U-turn on the tarmac. Abruptly he signals and pulls onto the highway. His hands are white knuckled as he grips the wheel. He seems angry. So much for him liking me…..and I think I have whiplash.
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