by MJ Masucci
“I want you so much.”
He put her down and fished out his wallet, grabbed the key card and slid it into the lock. The door light flashed green, and he pushed her and the door open at the same time. They were greeted by cold air, much colder than he normally would have had the air conditioner set, but it felt good.
She dropped her purse on the floor as he picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. He kneeled in front of her, helping her off with her sandals, shorts and tank top. She was wearing a black lace panty set, and his eyes moved from her panties to her bra.
He pulled off his polo shirt; then he unbuttoned, unzipped and pulled down his shorts, leaving them on the floor. He moved her against the glass of the windows and began kissing her, entwining his hands with hers and pushing them near her sides.
He pulled away to check his watch, the very expensive watch she had bought him for Valentine’s Day.
“We have time. Fireworks won’t be going off for another half hour. What should I do to you until then?”
She shivered with anticipation as he stood in front of her thinking. Then she realized, she was cold.
“Baby, can you raise the temp of the air conditioner? I’m freezing.”
He went to the thermostat and saw it had been set on sixty-five and that was the temperature in the apartment. Much too cold. He raised the temperature to seventy-two and took her to his bed, slipping her under the sheets. As he followed, Xander began kissing her. His fingers stroked her collarbone and moved along her ribcage. He rested his hand on her stomach; his fingers splayed across the taut flesh.
Ava was strung tight with anticipation. He had made love to her against walls and doors, but never against a glass window. As darkness fully enveloped the room he sat up in bed, the sheet slipping from his torso.
“I think it’s time,” he said softly.
She stepped onto the cool floor and stood up. Xander was right behind her, and he reached up to remove the clasp of her bra. His hands moved along the seams and underneath the lace until he cupped her breasts. He pressed his chest against her back and kissed her shoulders while rubbing her nipples. She leaned back while raising her chin to the ceiling, which allowed access to her neck.
Ava could feel his erection against her and her core clenched tightly in a series of pulses. She slipped off the rest of her clothing, letting it drop where she stood. Xander did the same.
They saw several bursts of light and moved closer to the window. She pressed her body against the glass, watching the fireworks display. He stood back watching her; the backdrop beyond was sunbursts of bright oranges, blues, purples, and pinks. He went to her and turned her around towards him as he hungrily claimed her mouth.
She wrapped her leg around his waist as he was suspending her against the glass, and he reached down to stroke her. She moaned loudly and shuddered as her back made contact.
“If it’s too cold, we don’t have to do this.”
“I want to. I want to grant your fantasy.”
She positioned herself above him easily, and she felt him pressing against her wetness. She knew what was to come next and she held her breath as she waited for him to lower her onto him. He slowly slipped into her and gritted his teeth as he felt her heat envelop him.
The fireworks behind her were long forgotten as he pistoned deep inside her and back out again. She encircled his neck with her arms and put her head in the crook of his neck. He held her tight against him, moaning with each stroke then he stopped, buried deep inside her as he stared out the window.
She raised her head and looked at his face. His expression was hard to see in the shadows, but she was almost sure she saw tears in his eyes.
“Xander? Baby, what is it?”
Her voice broke his trance, and he began moving again, harder, faster. She was pressed so tightly against the window that she could feel his heartbeat pounding in his chest. She stroked his face and felt wetness on his cheeks, he was indeed crying or had been.
She whimpered and moaned as he continued. Ava was beginning to spiral closer and closer to exploding like the fireworks behind her. She began to say his name, louder and more insistent as if she was prodding him to make her come until she did, pushing her hips hard against him as she climaxed. She clung to him after she finished, weak from the energy she had just expended.
He, however, continued. Sweat poured off him and dripped onto her skin as he picked up his rhythm again. She thought he would tear her apart, and then he screamed her name as she felt him spill into her. He kept stroking until he too, was spent. Then with their union still intact, he sank to the floor and pressed her head against his chest.
“I love you so much, Ava. Never leave me.”
She was bewildered by the statement, but she felt it had something to do with the tears he had just shed. She waited until they were wrapped in each other’s arms between the sheets to ask what had caused his distress.
“Xander, please tell me why you would say that?”
“Don’t you know?”
“No, I don’t. Please, I’m concerned.”
“I lost you; I won’t lose you again.”
“I wasn’t lost; we were temporarily separated.”
“In one month I will be thirty-three. We have never celebrated my birthday together in the same place. My twenty-eighth birthday was the worst day of my life. It was when I left here last. I left you and the life we knew. Each year I become depressed as I get closer. I’m afraid to lose you again.”
“I’m never going to leave you, and you aren’t going to lose me. These are things you should be telling me. If you felt insecure about your birthday, then why didn’t you say something? We could have planned our trip after it rather than during.”
“I want to be away from here for it. It’s better that we will be away.”
“I’ll make sure to take your mind off it. We don’t even have to celebrate it if you don’t want to do anything special. It will be just like any other day if you want.”
“As long as I’m with you, it’s always a celebration.”
Chapter 17
Ava spent the next few weeks pouring over wedding magazines. She sat down with Rachel to decide on fabrics what type of design she wanted. Rachel told her to let her draw up a few ideas, and she would let her choose which one she liked best.
She and Xander had decided to forgo an engagement party even though Suzanne had pressed them to have one. They, with Rachel’s help, were able to secure a wedding venue. Eleven Twelve was near the water not far from his apartment. After what had happened at Surfside, Xander was against them using the place. Dr. Hornung had said part of a healthy relationship is compromise and though she loved Surfside, she decided that Xander’s input was more important.
They chose the twenty-third of May to be married, but then rapidly found that deciding on a honeymoon location was the worst part. Everyone offered their opinions. Ava didn’t care where they went, as long as they would be left alone. She joked with Xander that maybe they should find a secluded island and throw their phones in the ocean. He wasn’t as amused as she thought he would be.
During the past several weeks, they had gotten along well and had dealt with no disagreements or arguments. Ava did notice that as July proceeded towards August, Xander became easily upset. He had taken to getting angry at trivial issues but was careful not to direct it at her. It was during those times that she would soothe him, reminding him that she was here for him if he wanted to discuss it. He never did.
Several days before they left for their trip to Key West, Xander called her to his office. His friend, Court Stiller, sent him the pictures of the home where they would be staying. Her mouth dropped when she saw the size of the home.
“This place is huge. It’s so big for just the two of us.”
“More places for me to ravage you,” he said with a wicked grin.
She knew he wasn’t kidding; their sexual activity had not diminished with his changing moods. Thei
r sex life always seemed to be on an even keel. Often she woke bleary eyed and sore, but he was always gentle unless she requested differently. He had spanked her several times during their lovemaking, and she found it turned her on more than she ever could have imagined.
Her blood heated as she thought of the many ways he would take her and the many rooms where he would do it. The house had a large in-ground pool, a cabana, a small private beach, and Jacuzzi. She couldn’t wait to go, and she had several surprises for Xander that she hoped would bring him out of his melancholy mood.
That very evening she had a date with Samantha after work to shop for new lingerie and bathing suits. Recently (though she had been aware), Xander had revealed to her that he loved her in thigh high stockings, heels and nothing else. She planned to find the sexiest pairs of thigh highs she could buy and wear them with her heels.
Before she left, she called out to him, “I will be home late tonight.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”
“I did; you weren’t listening.”
“Ava, I don’t remember, and I wish you would have said something sooner.”
Though they hadn’t argued for weeks, she could feel that something was brewing. She remembered what Dr. Hornung had told her. Disarm the situation by discussing not arguing.
“Baby, I’m sorry. I thought you heard me. Do you have something planned that you need me home?”
“Don’t patronize me. I just wish you would be a little more considerate.”
“Xander, I’m not patronizing you, and I’m sorry if you feel I haven’t been considerate,” she kept her voice low.
He glowered at her, “Fine, go. I’ll see you tonight.”
For the first time in weeks, she wanted to yell at him. He had been grouchy, and if anyone was inconsiderate, it had been him. But she chose not to bring this up because it would surely cause him to explode. She exited his office feeling dejected. She left to meet Sam, and they had a great time looking at everything, though she was no longer in the mood to purchase anything for the trip.
“What about his one?” Samantha said.
She looked up at the light blue crotchless panty and bustier set. She wasn’t in the right frame of mind to shop, but she did need girl time with her best friend.
“No, I think I would like a little more conservative.”
“You know with the amount of sex you two have, I have no idea why you’re even bothering to wear clothing. What’s the point?”
“The point is that it’s Xander’s birthday and I want to look sexy for him.”
They continued to go through the racks of items until Ava got a text from Xander.
I’m sorry. I was a jerk this afternoon. Please come home soon.
“Sam, I think I’m finished.”
“I thought we were going out to dinner?”
“Xander needs me.”
“I bet he does. It’s fine; Robert is getting home from a conference tonight, and I have a few things I want to do before he gets to the loft.”
Ava kissed her friend goodbye cheek to cheek as always and hailed a cab to take her home. She texted Xander on the way, letting him know she would be there shortly.
He sat on the terrace sipping a glass of wine and gazing across the river. He had spent the last hour going over his attitude as of late. He hadn’t been very kind to Ava that afternoon, accusing her of being inconsiderate. She was always considerate of him, and he recalled that she did tell him she was going shopping with Sam. He had been in such a foul mood that past few days.
“Xander?”
He heard her soft voice call from the door, and it made him smile. He turned to see her sticking her head out into the warm July evening. She was still wearing the cream colored pencil skirt and sapphire blue blouse she had on when she left the office. He gestured for her to come to him, holding his hand out to her. He pulled her into his lap.
Nuzzling her hair, he apologized, “I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”
She clung to his neck breathing in the scent of his cologne and body wash.
“I’m not upset. I know this is a hard time for you, but please help me understand why.”
“I can’t. I have you here, and I still feel… restless.”
“I hope you will feel better once we leave for our trip. I have many surprises planned for you.”
“Ava! I don’t like surprises.”
She grinned at him, “You don’t seem to listen to me when I tell you I hate them, too, so turnabout is fair play.”
“Is it?”
“It is.”
“So what did you buy?”
“That is part of the surprise. You will just have to wait. We are leaving in two days so be patient and no snooping.”
“Me? Snoop?”
“You have been known to try to procure information through devious avenues.”
“I absolutely, unequivocally deny those allegations.”
The next two days were busy for them both. The night before they left for their trip, Ava chose to spend the night alone in her apartment. She had to pack and didn’t want Xander to see some of the garments she was putting into her suitcase.
When she went to get her suitcase from the foyer closet, she came upon the case he had left there five years ago, reminding her it was the anniversary of the accident. Her mood changed from elation to the same melancholy Xander had been feeling. She wondered if he felt it, too. She got her answer an hour later in the form of a text.
You know what today is?
Yes, I didn’t want to say anything. It’s in the past. Please let it go.
I can’t. I feel so guilty for what I did to you.
Ava dialed his number, and before she could speak, he said, “Sweetheart, please let me be miserable. I need to deal with this on my own.”
“We are going away tomorrow. Are you going to feel this way all week?”
“I promise I won’t.”
“Even on your birthday? Remember this is the first time that we are physically together for it. Do you want the memory of being unhappy?”
“As long as you are with me I will be happy. I don’t want to be separated from you tonight. Can I come over? I’m all packed.”
Ava had hoped she would get some sleep tonight, but with Xander in her bed, it would be hard to do that.
She hesitated, “Very well. I’ll see you in a little while.”
She raced around her apartment to finish packing before Xander arrived. When he did, he looked tired, and he smelled of whiskey. She hugged him before he pulled his large wheeled suitcase into her apartment.
“We are going to have a wonderful time.”
He mumbled something she couldn’t hear and then went to the cabinet above her refrigerator. He pulled out a bottle of vodka, and she frowned at him.
“Don’t start. I just need something to take the edge off. I’ll only have one glass, and then we can go to bed.”
She wasn’t so sure if the one glass would push him over the edge. It was apparent to her that he had already had a few glasses of alcohol before he arrived. But to keep the peace, she didn’t comment.
After he had finished, they got ready for bed. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she removed her clothing. He folded his t-shirt and placed it on her dresser. She picked it up and slipped it over her head. It smelled of his cologne, body wash and him. She slipped under the sheets as he sat at the edge of the bed reading emails.
“Come to bed. We have a busy day tomorrow.”
It was still early, but they had almost a full day of work and a trip down to Miami before they could drive to Key West. They probably wouldn’t arrive until close to 11:00 PM, maybe later if their bags got delayed.
Ava fell asleep almost instantly, but Xander slipped his hands under his pillow and stared at the ceiling in the darkened room. His stomach churned, and he felt sick. He wondered how she could just gloss over the fact that today had been such a horrible day. He replayed the events of five y
ears ago in his mind.
He eventually fell asleep, but he was restless, eventually awakened by Ava’s gentle shaking. She stroked his sweat laden hair and used her t-shirt to wipe sweat from his brow.
“What happened?”
“You were thrashing and moaning. You said my name. You don’t remember your dream?”
“No, I didn’t realize I was dreaming.”
But it hadn’t been a dream; it had been a nightmare of the worst kind. He couldn’t get her blood soaked face out of his mind. He turned to his side, and Ava shut off the light. Xander didn’t sleep for the rest of the night, and when she awoke the next morning, he was at the edge of the bed curled in the fetal position.
His mood was subdued compared to Ava’s, who was buoyant. He didn’t want to bring her down, so he smiled even though he was bleary-eyed and exhausted. She tried to lighten his mood by doing a strip tease. It didn’t work, and she went into the shower wondering if he would be this way for the entire next week. She had planned this trip with several surprises, and she would be hurt if he didn’t acknowledge the time she had spent.
At the office, his attitude seemed to improve some, especially when he was notified that a verdict on a case he and Jacob had worked; was in their favor. His father and Daniel congratulated him. He was all smiles after that, and she was thankful.
At 2:30 PM, she came to get him to head home, get their suitcases and get to LaGuardia. When they arrived at the airport, they checked their bags at the ticket counter, went through the security checkpoint and waited in the gate area. She had the tickets, and when they called first class passengers to board, she rose and took his hand.
“We have to wait; they only called First Class.”
“We are First Class. I upgraded our tickets.”
He frowned at her for the extravagance but then felt excited. He had never flown first class. They sat in their seats and a flight attendant named Darlene came to make sure they had secured their seat belts. She paid much too much attention to Xander than Ava liked. But she understood because he frequently had that effect on the opposite sex. He was handsome, confident and commanding. She often wondered how many women had fallen with their legs in the air when he was around. She knew of at least two, Brooke and Katerina.