Fated Encounter

by Lesia Reid

  He bent his hands at the elbow and lowered himself unto her. She welcomed his weight, stroking his back and grinding her hips into him. He moaned her name against her mouth. His lips straddled her bottom lip between his. The kiss was long and slow. He felt her tongue against his mouth. Slowly he ran his tongue around hers, intertwining his tongue with hers. She responded by wrapping her arms around his head. He licked the edges and inside of her lips with the tip of his tongue.

  His kissing excited her and she wanted him more. She moaned his name as he nibbled at her earlobe. He kissed and gently sucked at her neck. He’d had so many fantasies about kissing her neck. Her response ignited his passion.

  “I love you, Deana,” he whispered.

  His breath was warm against her skin. He continued down her body, kissing and licking her gently. His tongue moved over the edge of her breast, kissing lightly then licking. His antics were driving her wild.

  When he finally captured a nipple between his lips, gently rubbing the other between his fingers, she moaned his name. He continued down her abdomen, slowly and gently savoring every sexy, tasty inch of her body. Her body trembled everywhere he touched and not because she was cold. His kisses were warm, his breath sometimes hot or cool against her skin.

  Gently he stroked down her thigh. His hands parted her legs and touched the warmth of her femininity. Deana’s breath caught as he caressed her tenderly, whispering words of love against her.

  Deana’s breath went from raspy to gasping when his tongue touched her where he’d been caressing. Her hips rose, but he held her and she gave herself over to the tide of emotions that surged through her body. He kissed and licked her until he knew she could take no more.

  He raised his head and captured her lips gently between his teeth. He kissed her greedily matching the strokes of his fingers against her skin. “Sebastian,” she moaned against him.

  “Yes, my love,” he whispered against her neck.

  “I love you.”

  Her admission elevated his desire for her. One hand slipped under her hips as he slowly buried himself in her. She moaned and clutched his hips, desperate for the contact between them.

  They moved slowly together, neither rushing the moment, both wanting it to last forever. When at last they couldn’t deny themselves fulfillment, she lifted her thighs over his and pressed him even deeper into her. His lips captured hers as their bodies rocked with desire and they climaxed in ecstasy.

  They lay with their bodies fused together by sweat as they tried to catch their breaths. Deana could feel his heart racing against her skin, and he felt her pulse against his lips as he kissed her neck.

  “I want to love you forever,” he said, “if you let me.”

  “Tell me that when I’m back on Earth,” she whispered in a raspy voice. “I’m still floating somewhere in the clouds.”

  “You’re a boost to my ego.” He chuckled and kissed her. He rolled off her and pulled her in a tight embrace against his hard body.

  “This is our beginning, darling,” he said.

  Sebastian decided to have his talk with Joey before they started their day in the Bahamas. Some time in the early morning, the yacht docked on the Grand Bahamas Island. It was just after breakfast, and they were getting ready for their fun-filled day. He caught the boy on deck with Trevor, Britney and three crewmen. They were playing what appeared to be gin rummy.

  “Hey Joey,” Sebastian said, “could you join me in the cockpit? I need to talk with you.”

  “Sure.” Joey left the game and followed Sebastian to the deserted cockpit. Since they were already in port, the navigator was not needed so Sebastian had been sure the room was empty.

  “Take a seat,” Sebastian said, motioning to one of the empty chairs. Joey sat, but Sebastian paced in the silence that engulfed them for nearly two minutes.

  “How is everything?” Sebastian asked.

  “Great,” Joey said. “I can’t wait to get on the island. Is something wrong?”

  “No, why?”

  “You’re pacing. Mom does that sometimes when something is wrong, especially if she cannot balance her budget.”

  “Hmm. I’m nervous,” Sebastian confessed.

  “Why?”

  “I’ve never done this before and I don’t know where to start.”

  “The top is a good place. That’s what Mom says when I don’t know how to say something, and she says, ‘Pace yourself Joey, it will come’.”

  “I suppose the top is as good a place than any, even if I’m not sure where the top is. I’m afraid I don’t have your mother’s wisdom,” Sebastian tried to lighten the mood because he knew Joey was becoming apprehensive the longer this went on. “Do you remember our talk about relationships? The one we had because you saw me kissing your mom.”

  “Yes.” Joey’s heart was suddenly racing. He didn’t know why or what to expect. If Sebastian didn’t love him or his mom, it would hurt because he liked Sebastian. He knew his mom liked him too though she hadn’t said as much, but she always had that smile on her face when she knew he was coming over, or when he would say Sebastian’s name. In some ways he’d already started seeing Sebastian as a permanent fixture in their lives.

  “Well,” Sebastian took a deep breath. This was the hard part for him, what if Joey rejected him? He and his mother were not only parent and child, they were best friends. He was just a stranger that happened to stumble into their lives. He loved Joey and Deana and he could not imagine his life without them. In the few weeks he’d gotten to be a part of their lives, he was even surer that he belonged with them and them with him. He let go a long breath then in a small steady voice said, “I want to marry your mother and if you let me, I would be honored to be your father. You don’t have to call me dad or even change your name. I want you to know that I love you and I love Deana. I want to spend the rest of my life taking care of both of you.” Joey knew he was holding his breath only when it rushed from him now. He felt like a huge rock was lifted off his shoulders, and his heart beat slowed to normal again. It was okay, Sebastian wasn’t abandoning them, and he wanted to stay with him. He wanted to be his father.

  “Did you hear me?” Sebastian asked. Joey’s silence was uncommon.

  “Yes, I’m thinking Joey Torrance has a good ring to it,” Joey said. Sebastian felt slightly light headed. Joey was his major concern. He knew Deana loved him, but they would be parted if Joey didn’t accept him.

  “So that’s a yes?” Sebastian asked.

  “Of course, when are you going to ask her?”

  “I’m not sure. Your mom’s a pretty tough cookie and you are the most important person in her life, so she has to be sure that our relationship will not hurt you. I know I don’t want to lose both of you.”

  “Can I call you dad now?”

  “If you want to, I would love it.”

  Sebastian had tears in his eyes when he hugged the boy. All his adult life his mother had tormented him about marrying and having a family. He’d rejected the concept. He’d been on numerous dates to placate his mother, but they never went anywhere. Then he met Deana. The instant he heard her voice, saw her face, in his heart he knew he found the missing piece of his life. And it wasn’t just her. It was Joey too. He completed the picture. Sebastian was honest when he said he couldn’t imagine his life without them.

  Chapter 13

  “I thought the two of you decided to stay aboard,” Deana said when Sebastian and Joey showed up on the deck a few minutes later.

  “No,” Joey said. “We were talking.”

  “Well,” Deana said. “You can tell me all about your talk later. Let’s go have some fun.”

  “Spoken like a true party girl,” Sebastian said and kissed her. The weekend turned out to be one of the best Deana ever had.

  Joey and Trevor were so excited she couldn’t keep up with them half the time. At such moments, she was grateful for the extra help.

  For the two nights aboard the yacht, Sebastian had made love to her
and worshipped her body in such a way she never thought possible. Deana realized that once she stopped worrying about the future she actually enjoyed and loved his company. It was great also that he spent time with Joey and Trevor, not only playing video games, but teaching them how to fish, how to steer the yacht, how to read the compass and myriads of little things she would not be able to teach them.

  Every time they sat for meal, Joey would have some different exciting story of what they did with Sebastian. It warmed her heart to know he was enjoying himself, but it worried her when he called Sebastian Dad. She decided not to stop him until they got back home. She would sit him down and have a talk with him.

  Late Sunday evening, when they were back in Boca Raton and Trevor was dropped at home, Sebastian drove them to the new house. Deana almost protested when he pulled in the driveway, before she remembered that they no longer lived at the cul-de-sac. The new house had a different shade of coral on the outside. She’d specifically requested this color because she didn’t want to have the old color. From the outside it looked so different.

  Joey was first out of the vehicle and streaking towards the house to find out how his room was.

  “Joey!” Deana called.

  “Come on, Mom,” he yelled back. “We can get the stuff later. I want to see it. Dad!”

  “He’s got a point,” Sebastian said. “Oh, by the way, since you are so paranoid about security, I had a security system installed.” He fished in his wallet for a piece of paper. “I didn’t want another argument for the weekend so I waited to tell you. This is your code and password. You can call and have it changed.”

  “I’m not paranoid,” she said, “and you didn’t have to, but I’m grateful. And so you know, after Friday night I didn’t want any arguments either.”

  When she opened the door, she was pleasantly surprised. It was like walking into her old house, only slightly different. The layouts were not the same because this house was larger and did not have the same angles as the old, but everything was perfectly placed as she had described it to the moving company. The colors were of the same bold, rich taste. It was beautiful. Joey darted up the stairs before she could stop him.

  “There’s no repaying you for this,” she said misty-eyed.

  “I’ll settle for a kiss, but I have another surprise for you.” “Something else?” she asked.

  “Follow me.”

  He led her through the kitchen, and opened the door leading to the garage. This was a two car garage, a lot bigger than the single car one she had before. The scent of pine and cedar was familiar as the movers had also moved the pieces she was working on. Unlike her previous garage that had not yet gotten shelved, this one had new work tables, more power tools than she ever had were stacked neatly on shelves and her hand tools hung from slat walls. They even added a tool chest and cabinet.

  “I like it,” she said.

  “What?” he asked.

  “The garage. I was so busy with the main parts of the other house I never got around to fixing the garage the way I wanted it, but this looks great and don’t think I’m going to protest those power tools.”

  “Oh, that’s not the surprise though.”

  He moved towards the covered car in the center of the room. Deana who’d never covered her car had just thought the workmen covered it to avoid getting it dusty while they finished their job. Only now she realized this vehicle was higher than her Mitsubishi would have been. Sebastian removed the cover to reveal a Silver Lexus 470, just like the one parked in her driveway.

  “A housewarming gift,” he said.

  “I can’t take it, Sebastian,” she said.

  “Why not?”

  “It’s too much.”

  “Deana, I love you and I want you to be happy. I know your car doesn’t have air conditioning and it needs some work. I got this because it’s safe and comfortable for both you and Joey.”

  “No,” Deana said. “When I can afford a car, I will buy one. I want my old beat up car back.”

  “Why are you fighting me on this?”

  “Because it’s too much. I barely have time to breath from one thing before you spring something else on me. It’s too overwhelming and it would be easy to say sure I’ll take it, but what happens if tomorrow you wake up and you realize you don’t love me and you didn’t love me?”

  “It’s a gift, Deana, I wouldn’t take it back. I’m thirty-five years old. I don’t have schoolboy crushes any more. Let’s—”

  “Mom,” Joey shouted. He’d followed the voices to the garage. “My bedroom is exactly the same as the old house only bigger. Wow, is that our new car?”

  “No,” Deana said.

  “We’re considering it,” Sebastian added.

  “Cool.”

  “Look,” Deana said. “It’s already nine o’clock. How about you hit the shower and I come and tuck you in later?”

  “Okay, but Dad can tuck me in tonight.” He was out of the garage again.

  “I need to talk to him about that,” Deana said.

  “About what?”

  “Calling you dad,” she said. “He has to understand that you might not be in our lives forever and I don’t think you should encourage him.” “Well, legally he’s not my son yet. When we get married, I’ll do the formal adoption. Joey and I already discussed it.”

  “You discussed us getting married?”

  “Yes. We had a man-to-man talk on Saturday morning. He asked if he could call me dad, I told him he didn’t have to but if he wanted to I’d love it.” “You should have asked me first.” Deana was not mad at him. In fact, it touched her that he would consider Joey’s feelings primarily.

  “Deana, I don’t want you as a bridge between Joey and me. If I need to say something to him, I shouldn’t have to rely on you to convey my message and it’s the same for him. You said you love me and I love you too, we are on our way to becoming a family. Deana,” his voice faltered, “say you’ll marry me. My heart will break if you won’t.”

  “Sebastian, there are things about me that you don’t know, things you will not like. On some day or night when I’ve told you everything, ask me again.”

  “Nothing you tell me can stave my love for you. Even if you ripped my heart out and held it in your hands, I would still love you.”

  “My love,” she whispered because her voice was thick with emotions, “I will tell you everything about me, Joey, about his father—but not tonight. I’ll tell you when Joey’s away at camp so there is no chance he will ever know what happened to him and why he doesn’t even have his father’s name.” “Okay,” he whispered because the mood was right for it. “I can wait.”

  She embraced him, loving his hard body against her. “Thanks for the vehicle, the Florida sun is a bitch.”

  “Everything I have is yours.” He hugged her breathing in the soft feminine scents mingled with the scents of pine and cedar.

  “Stay with us tonight. My room’s not that close to Joey’s anymore. Our weekend doesn’t have to end as yet.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Sebastian replied. “Let me go see to our son first.”

  Deana was apprehensive driving the new vehicle to work and she was more grateful than anything else that he had bought her the vehicle. Outside may have been ninety degrees but inside with the air conditioner running, it was barely above seventy.

  She was driving home on Monday afternoon, when she saw the one thing she hoped never to see again—the Cadillac. She new it was the same Cadillac she’d seen before. It was a dark midnight blue. The tinted windows were the darkest she had ever seen. The driver eluded her. The car was parked under a tree just a block from Thelma’s house. Deana almost ran off the road straining to look at the vehicle. Joey! The name flew to her mind. In her heart, she knew this Cadillac was out of place. “Jesus, Joey,” she said aloud and dialed Thelma’s number.

  “Hey, Deana!” Thelma said in a cheerful voice.

  “Thelma, where’s Joey?”

  Thelma didn’t miss
the panic in Deana’s voice. “He’s with Sebastian. You said it was okay if Sebastian picked him up.”

  “Yes,” Deana breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Deana, is everything all right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Deana!” Thelma knew when her friend was lying.

  “Where’s Trevor?”

  “With Sebastian and Joey. He volunteered to give me the evening off, what is it?”

  “I need you to do me a favor. There’s a dark blue Cadillac parked a block east of your house. Could you pretend you’re out for your afternoon jog and get the numbers on the plate? I’m pulling into Mary-Ann’s driveway. Check if anyone’s in the car.”

  “Deana, are you in trouble?”

  “Please Thelma, this is important.”

  “Okay, just let me get sneakers on.”

  Thelma managed to jog half the distance before the car started, made a speedy but short u-turn and left. She caught the license plate number though.

  Deana watched in her rearview mirror as the car moved down the street, vanishing in the left turn to exit the cul-de-sac. She’d fought the urge to back up and follow the car.

  She was trembling when she got in her own driveway. Thelma was jogging over with a bewildered look on her face.

  “Deana, what is going on?” Thelma asked.

  “Nothing, did you get the tag?”

  “Yes.”

  “Could you have Carl run the plates?”

  “Deana.”

  “Please,” Deana’s voice was thin and etched with worry.

  It was the delay between the car parking in the driveway and Deana getting in the house that made Sebastian get out of the house. He took one look at a pale Deana and knew something was wrong. Then he heard Thelma’s voice. “Is it a stalker?”

  “No. It’s nothing like that. Are you sure you remember the tag?” “Is everything alright?” Sebastian asked.

  “Where’s Joey?” Deana turned towards him.

  “He’s inside. We were playing scrabble. Deana, you look pale, are you okay?”