Tea Delgado Manning studied the wedding ring held in her palm, flipping it over, trying to understand its meaning. A perfect golden circle glimmering in a ray of light - she'd once thought it signified the forever nature of love, now she wondered if it meant imprisonment, she a lonely speck of copper caught within the gold confines, never to escape - never to be infused into the precious metal. Quickly, she put the ring into a small wooden box and shoved the thing into the top drawer of her desk, behind a mess of paper clips, pencils and pens, sticky notes ... a calculator that needed new batteries.
She missed him, damn it. Todd had long gone missing thanks to his ... lies. Couldn't help herself, though, she wondered what had happened to him, where he had fled to. So ... casually, telling no one, Tea had tried to locate him, checking the internet for activities, asking an investigator friend, scanning the national newspapers. But ... she never found anything. Not that it surprised her - Todd wasn't the kind of person to leave clues regarding his whereabouts unless he wanted to be found.
But still, in her weaker moments, in her quieter ones, she'd check with her sources - see if they learned anything. Which only served to fuel her anger - lord, her blood boiled when she thought of their wedding, the disastrous, beautiful, confusing ... wedding. How could she harbor lingering wants after his brutal betrayal broadcast by an innocent? Horrible, horrible ... yet no matter how hard she tried, her heart ached unabashedly at times to have him once again hold her and kiss her in that way of his.
She looked out the window of her law office located on the top floor of the Llanview Courthouse, one of many newly outfitted executive suites. Not all that long ago, she had decided to lease one in order to begin a new life for herself. Viki had encouraged her to do it - Viki who'd been so kind to her, so understanding because Todd had hurt her, too. She truly understood. Tea's eyes roved the batches of files piled high, all miscellaneous criminal matters with a smattering of civil ones.
And one promising corporate case. She yanked out the file, flipped through some miscellaneous documents.
Recently, Tea had been hired by a corporation, Aztec Workings Corporation, to negotiate the purchase of a Spanish-speaking cable television news station. She had met Aztec's President, Dante Gonzalez, and had found herself very impressed him as well as with the upstart company. She loved Dante's rise from humble origins - he inspired her. He had grown up in a Texas border town to poor farm worker parents, along with six brothers and sisters. And although the circumstances were tough, his parents demanded that their children study hard and go to college. He did - and then some, graduating from Harvard Business School on a full scholarship and now sporting an M.B.A. After working for several large corporations, he finally hooked up with Aztec, pulling the new company along a track to hopeful success.
"It was the most intense interview I had ever been on!" Dante had laughed at the memory. He wore his black hair very short, and his dark, handsome, youthful face belied extensive experience in the corporate world. A hint of a Mexican accent revealed his roots.
"Was it a committee? A person?" Tea had asked.
"Actually a committee of a bunch of white, stodgy old men appointed by the shareholder corporation."
"Shareholder corp?"
"Yes, Aztec is a subsidiary of Starrtan Adventure, Inc. I have never met the shareholders nor the directors of that company."
"How mysterious ..."
He nodded modestly, shrugging, grinning slightly.
"Well, I think it's incredible no matter who the hell hired you! I can't tell you how glad I am to have gotten the opportunity to meet you - Aztec's going to get a fantastic deal. I promise."
Tea recalled Dante's beaming face, thankful for the jump back into the Latino market after spending so long away from it. She had in fact neglected her own community in favor of the supposedly more lucrative business offered by traditional white-male industry. Years she justified the abandonment rationalizing that she couldn't get where she wanted staying back at 'home,' that to conquer the world, she'd have to conquer the Anglo community. Another theory she didn't believe in any longer.
Suddenly noting the time, she then grabbed her purse, feeling very real pangs of hunger. Lunch with Dante to go over her Letter of Intent for the purchase of the company couldn't come at a better moment. She walked out the door briskly and locked it - only to slam into wall of familiar fragrance accompanied by a burst of emotional pain. "My god, go away," she murmured, rubbing her cheeks to stop the onslaught of memory and hurt - again. A speck of copper trapped within the gold ... she cleared her throat, stood straight and marched toward the elevator - practically running through the ghostly scent. Another time, another life. Let's move on, damn it, she chastised herself.
Yes, let's move on, mija because there is still so much to do ...
Chapter 2
Las Flores Restaurant, one of Llanview's only Mexican eateries, had already emptied of the usual lunchtime business crowd as Tea arrived to meet Dante Gonzalez. Her simple mauve business suite with a short skirt accented her brown hair and brown eyes - her short brown hair showed off beautiful diamond earrings dangling from delicate earlobes, the gems catching light ... she inadvertently drawing the attention of the small crowd remaining.
Tea ignored the interested glances, only recognizing Dante. Immediately, she headed to his well- lit corner table. Smiled at her lunch companion who had stood up to greet her.
"I'm so glad that we agreed to come here," she said brightly, shaking his hand. "It's gotten rave reviews in the Banner - quite a reputation." Tea sat across from Dante, who had since flagged the waitress.
"Yes, it has," he commented. "When I first moved here, I thought I would have to wait for my monthly trips back home to get good food. Glad it wasn't the only way."
Tea ordered a diet coke, Dante asking for a special tamarind-flavored drink. "Wet" burritos were the special of the day and each of them decided that they sounded great, laughing over the fact that work had prevented both of them from eating breakfast.
"Well, let's get to that Letter of Intent," Tea said, following her words up with a sip of the soda.
She launched into her prepared dissertation on the deal: "The station's willing to sell for 3.2 mil based on the current advertisers that are being drawn to the station and what's on the books. The thing is, the current shareholders, Juan, Marcos, and Carmenita San Gabriel, ran into some bad deals last year and really got burned which is why they're motivated to sell. Low cash flow. Their personal drive has also evaporated since the death of their father, the founding owner, Miguel San Gabriel. The reality is that the kids aren't going to be able to pull the company out of its slump. Therefore, I propose we cut the offer to about half - 1.4 mil. I think they're desperate enough to take it. We can keep them on as figurehead consultants for a year for a nominal sum and ask for a non-compete clause for the next five. Barring any surprises when we formally review the disclosures, I think this could be really sweet for Aztec." She stopped though, noticing that his expression had changed from one of interest to one of concern. "What's the matter?" she asked.
"I think you have been on Wall Street too long, mijita. I don't want to take advantage of some compadres grieving over the death of their father. I got specific instructions from Starrtan's president that he wanted to make this fair. Are we being fair?"
Tea thought about her letter, reviewing the contents, mulling over it. "Yes," she concluded. "The number isn't just based on the desperation of the shareholders, I'm also considering the financial records you sent to me. The value isn't 3.2 million no matter how close they feel to their baby, Hispanic Network Television. I think the offer is more than fair."
After some back and forth deliberation, Tea and Dante agreed to make an offer of 1.75 million dollars figuring they'd settle around 1.9. They proceeded with their lunch and enjoyed the food and background music. Tea felt good - truly glad to be busy, glad to be making deals, the thing she loved most. By the end of the lunch, Tea felt hopeful again that her life would be ... okay again, back on track . They finished their meeting and left the restaurant, Dante offering to walk her back to her office.
"No, thanks," she said, "I think I'll walk a while, enjoy the afternoon a bit before I hit the books." Tea smiled at Dante and they shook hands, each in their own way, contemplating the reaction they'd get from the San Gabriel family.
Tea then strolled down the Boulevard, looking in the windows of shops, sometimes staying to browse, other times not. Just as she thought to head back to the office, she saw that a new art gallery had opened. Peeked through the open door, perusing the inside from where she stood. There was an unusual exhibit consisting of a dark room with odd sculptures painted in glowing colors, the concept being that all humans live in the dark and are only lit up by the false light of money and material goods, and so forth. Tea thought it sounded silly but decided to take look anyway. Something fun ... different.
Once inside the gallery, she immediately fell in love with its look - that of an old warehouse with unfinished brick walls and exposed beams running across the ceiling. Sort of made her think of herself - a bit exposed. The exhibit was marked by a sign next to a closed door. The gallery owner walked up to Tea and offered some general introductions and Tea realized that Christian Vega had submitted some of his work to her place. They spoke briefly of their mutual acquaintance.
"Are you interested in anything today?" the woman asked.
"Curious about the exhibit. Can I take a look?"
"Please. Enjoy yourself, it's very intriguing."
Tea then opened the door to the exhibit and stepped inside, the door shutting on its own, blocking out all light. Colorful luminescent sculptures appeared to float in the air all around her. Electronic-type music played, mismatched sounds, non-melodic really. She could hardly see her hands and so her eyes went to the only lit items in the room, the unspecific, malformed masses of fired clay. She moved forward deeper into the darkness, her eyes never seeming to adjust. The isolation surprised her - she wasn't sure she liked the feeling of being in the room. Too much uncertainty, too much blackness.
Suddenly, she heard the door open quickly and shut again. She turned around but saw nothing. The music stayed loud enough to prevent her from hearing any breathing or any footsteps.
"Hello?" she asked. No response met her inquiry.
She thought of leaving, but decided against it, thinking someone had merely changed their mind. So she moved further inside, choosing to study a sculpture in the shape of a reclining female figure, shocks of glowing red on parts matching her belly and hair. And then, that familiar fragrance drifted around Tea once more, the one from earlier in the day. She closed her eyes, the scent stirring a mix of emotion - sadness, arousal, fear.
Then ... someone placed his arms around her, someone's face nuzzled her hair, whispering, "I'm yours." Her eyes remained closed. I'm dreaming, she thought, and it hurts. She leaned her head back, saying, "I'm yours, too. Always yours ..." But then, just as suddenly, the person let go and walked out the door, taking his mystical scent with him. Tea brought her hands up to her eyes, and found herself sobbing, almost uncontrollably.
I let some stranger hold me, touch me - I was dreaming. Couldn't have been real. Who was the man? Could that have been ... no, it couldn't have been. Couldn't have been real. He left me in a storm of lies and betrayal. He wouldn't dare walk back into my life now. He wouldn't dare no matter how much I would want him to.
At that, she ran out, not wanting to look back, not wanting to feel anymore. Forget him, she told herself. Forget him!
Chapter 3
As expected, the San Gabriel Family didn't receive the Letter of Intent well, so Tea thought she ought to set up a meeting with the family in order to better explain the constraints and hopefully get them to settle on the 1.9 million dollar figure Starrtan wanted. Tea worked the best she could, but didn't feel up to her usual capabilities. Her experience at the art gallery had renewed the sadness over losing Todd to a new level. Couldn't let go of the memories the stranger had vivified - she had touched her arms where he had touched her, recreated that scent in her mind ... and prayed for her near-obsession to end. He'd not let her in - he'd not let her love him and there wasn't a thing she could do about it. Let ... it ... go.
"It's out of your control, Delgado," she told herself, fighting her instinct to wallow.
Getting back to work, she phoned Dante's office - explained the situation. "Let's get a meeting with them as soon as possible. Any way an authorized person from Starrtan Adventure can be there? Since the president of Starrtan is so interested in the negotiations ..."
"I doubt it. The President is sort of a strange cat."
Tea laughed at Dante's uncharacteristic wording. "Well, maybe I can talk him into coming. Give me his number." She'd dealt with plenty of strange cats before, one very large, angry one in particular - she felt confident she'd could manage this new one, at least enough to close the Aztec deal.
"I'll try talking to him - but ... uh ... it's not likely to happen. You know ... speaking of el gato extrano, he specifically asked me to hire you."
"Really? What's his name?"
"I don't know."
"What do you mean, you 'don't know'? Que's eso?!"
"I told you he was strange. He only communicates by fax and he always signs it ... 'the President.' Not only that, you realize there's a functioning Chief Executive Officer, Secretary and Chief Financial Officer. The President's calling the shots but he never executes any docs as an acting 'President'. Get it?"
"What an ego! That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! The 'President'..."
Dante laughed heartily at Tea's disgust, adding, "Oh mijita, you make me laugh. So indignant - it's unusual - but ... who knows what secrets 'El Gato' hides."
"Who're the shareholders of Starrtan?"
"There's only one - the 1998 Starrtan Family Trust."
"Well, who's the Trustee of that Trust?" Tea was getting incredibly aggravated at the gall of this obvious idiot who calls himself the President - something struck her wrong about the whole thing.
"I don't know - I haven't had any reason to know. But I am supposed to send everything with this deal to him."
"Aiii, 'the President' again. Well, let me know if the President 'extrano' wants to be present at the meeting or perhaps wants to send one of the officers. Not that it's necessary since the approval we'll need will be from Aztec's Board of Directors - and isn't that just you? Didn't Starrtan appoint you to the Board?"
"Yes. But I cannot really do anything on my own. My employment contract requires me to run-"
"Yeah, yeah - you need to run everything by 'El Presidente.' All right, whatever. I'll let you know when the meeting is." Tea rolled her eyes in annoyance, hung up the telephone.
"Ridiculous," she muttered, uncomfortable truth be told at the attitude of such "a strange cat" who obviously worked pretty hard to mask his identity. It made her sorry she'd gotten involved - there were so many layers: Starrtan was a Delaware corporation which automatically meant no required disclosure of the intimate details of the corporation. Aztec Workings Corporation was also a Delaware corporation, but nothing appeared to be hidden from her there so far. Ridiculous.
Although, dinner time approached, she wasn't hungry, wanting to walk out her frustrations instead. So she decided to head for the Boulevard again, to the gallery. Maybe her stranger waited for her.
Once there, a throng of people met her, all there to see a new artist show his work for the first time. Tea walked through the crowd, glad for the anonymity. Examining the paintings, sipping wine, she noticed the "Darkness and Light" exhibit full of patrons, the door opening and closing repeatedly, plenty of light pouring in. Seeing the exhibit exposed in that way confirmed that her experience was either imagined or a case of mistaken identity. Perhaps a husband had been following a lost wife, one who looked like her - perhaps a lover had been searching for his mistress. As she looked away, intent on going back to her study of the paintings, someone brushed by her, a hand grazing her hip, a person's heat warming her. She turned around abruptly but didn't recognize anyone. The cologne once again bombarded her, hitting her hard - it was an unusual fragrance. Tea recalled having purchased some in New York from a tiny boutique, a fragrance manufactured in Paris and privately sold only through this boutique. Expensive and rare. And finally, fully, she acknowledged to herself who had owned that very scent: Todd.
The memory weakened her and she ran out of the gallery once again, tears stinging her eyes, streaming down her face. She could see his smile when she handed him the blue bottle, he smirking from mild embarrassment, "Why?" he had asked.
"No reason - it reminded me of you." He had kissed her - unexpectedly.
"Thank you," Tea had said softly ... and he'd smiled again. She had walked away ...
Why couldn't she let go of him? Why couldn't she walk away from him NOW? He was gone and yet his presence felt stronger than ever. She loved him - she would always love him, but she had to break free. She finally stopped running when she hit the entrance of Llanview Park, night having already fallen, blackening the spread of grass and trees before her, crying angrily.
Walk away, Delgado, let him go.
Admitted there beneath the stars, "I don't want to let go. I want him back - we were so close to having it all. So ... close."
Chapter 4
Dante picked up Tea from her office around eight o'clock in the morning, coffee in his hand. Laughing once again at his attorney's righteous indignation, he handed a note to her from the President, typed on some expensive paper and carefully placed in an envelope. "Mrs. Manning," it read, "thank you for your help with the purchase of this small company. I have given Dante Gonzalez all the power to make the final decision with regards to the purchase price. I have faith in you and know that you are capable enough to do this without my being at today's meeting. I trust you." He signed it in the usual manner.
"'The President.' 'Mrs. Manning.' That's Ms. Delgado-Manning to you, Mister." Tea spat out an "hmmph" sound and Dante chuckled.
"Oh Tea, you are so funny. Who are we to question a man's eccentricities? We all have them, we all have strange things that we do for strange reasons. Running out of galleries at a moment's notice, for instance."
Tea turned quickly and looked at Dante, who remained steady, watching the road, glancing in the rear-view mirror as he made a lane change.
"What are you talking about? Have you been following me?"
"Not intentionally ... don't get upset at me. I was walking last night, getting to know Llanview and I saw you run out of the new gallery. I tried to catch up to you, but you were too fast. Did someone hurt you in there, insult your sensibilities?"
"Something like that. I think I'm claustrophobic. Too many people in there." Tea watched the passing cars. That scent, that damn scent is what got to her - and the brush of someone close to her. Heat ...
They arrived at the office building where the San Gabriel family was to meet Tea and Dante. The two rode up in the elevator, exiting on an unfinished floor, finding concrete, plastic coverings and lots of exposed wiring. In the center of the room sat a large table with refreshments and a number of chairs. Moving towards the table were the various members of the San Gabriel family: Juan, Marcos, Carmenita and an older lady Tea assumed was the mother of the three children.
Juan San Gabriel approached Tea and Dante and introductions proceeded. Juan then presented the other family members, each person nodding as their name was mentioned. Small talk ensued, mainly revolving around the build-out of the floor they were on which had been interrupted because of the lack of liquid funds and the company's revoked financing. The San Gabriel's had no problem admitting their financial difficulty. They had come to trust Dante. Additionally, he understood the loss this family suffered - his own father passed away several years earlier and he recalled the enormous impact it had on his family. To this day, late at night, he could still hear his mother's broken-hearted sobs through the walls of their small house.
All the parties sat at the table, Tea smiling politely at Juanita San Gabriel, the matriarch of this family. How she reminded her of her own grandmother. Even though Tea was Puerto Rican and the San Gabriel's were of Mexican descent, there were still so many similarities. A full business plan lay before each person outlining the proposed expansion of the news cable station into other arenas, even including the start of a specialized film channel designed to cater to the artistic crowd. An ideal plan for there had been tremendous growth over the past five years of the Hispanic community in Pennsylvania.
Tea glanced through the pages and then presented her proposal. She outlined the specific reasons for the reduced purchase price and promised the continued involvement of the shareholders as consultants for the coming year. This way they could be assured that their dream, that their father's dream, would become a reality. Even though, as consultants, they would have no voting rights, they would still be there to offer their advice and provide a clear picture as to what the Hispanic Network Television was supposed to represent.
Tea went in for the closing argument. "I believe a sale is your only option at this point. You have been rejected by traditional funding, you have even been rejected by creative financiers. Aztec Workings Corporation is a way to assure retirement for your mother and for yourselves. All of you are still young and talented. You'll be free to pursue your dreams with the money that you will get now and that you'll be guaranteed for the next three years."
Juanita smiled at Tea, impressed with her presentation, pleased to see one of her own this successful. The family asked if they could discuss the terms of the Letter in relative privacy. Tea and Dante obliged of course and wandered across the floor to observe the view from the top of this building. After some time, a few shouts bursting from the group having caught the attention of the counselor, Juan asked Dante and Tea to please rejoin them.
"I think the price is still too low. We agree to counter with 2.4 million dollars."
Dante winced. Tea could tell, Dante wanted to give it to them trying to honor the President's wishes. Tea stood firm however and countered with 1.9 million. "No more. Last offer."
Juan took a deep breath and once again Tea and Dante wandered off to their vantage point. More shouts erupted and this time, Tea heard curse words coming from Marcus with Carmenita silencing him. Once again, calmness took over and Juan requested the advocates to come over. "2.1 million," he said, "and we will agree to all your terms."
Tea turned to Dante, he nodding in agreement.
"It looks like we have a deal," Tea said. "The contracts will be on your desk tomorrow afternoon."
In mild celebration, everyone proceeded to enjoy thellight meal which had been prepared for the meeting. Once the meeting ended, Tea and Dante bid their goodbyes and headed to the car. They discussed some of the details of the contracts and planned to meet in the morning to review the drafts of the contracts.
***
Dante dropped Tea off, impressed with her as always and tried to quell an increasing attraction to her. Of course he had immediately noticed her graceful beauty, but he had not taken it seriously always having had a bad feel for lawyers. But over the past few weeks, he had developed a crush on her, smitten by her humor, her energy and fire. He looked at her and took a deep breath as she walked away from the car and disappeared into the Llanview Courthouse.
Just as he was about to drive away, the passenger door opened suddenly and a tall, slender, long- haired man jumped into the seat. His presence was powerful and demanded respect.
"What the-"
"Shut up and drive, Dante." There was a sarcastic edge to his voice. "And stop leering at Delgado."
End of Chapter 4
Chapter 5
"Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my car?!" Dante fumed and near-about kicked the invader except that the guy knew his name as well as that of his attorney. The last thing he wanted was for retaliation against Tea.
Todd laughed at Dante which infuriated him even more. "Just drive before she comes back and decides to call the cops."
"You're kidnaping me? This is a car-jacking?"
Todd winced at the words and then turned to look at his newly-acquired driver. "You're right, I haven't introduced myself properly. You people are so hung up on that sorta thing."
"'You people'? If you don't get out of my car now, you will be sorry you ever met me!"
"Dante Gonzalez, I'm the President of Starrtan Adventure, Inc. Nice to meet you." Todd stuck out his hand toward the driver, flashing him a charming and mischievous smile while making a clicking sound with his teeth.
Dante rolled his eyes and breathed deeply. "So I've insulted my employer ... I am so sorry, but why do you resort to breaking and entering? I could have killed you!"
"I seriously doubt that, Dante. Now, Delgado, that's a different story. If she'd seen me, she would shed blood, my blood. We want to avoid that. Now can we drive?" The dashing smile appeared again. Dante was most impressed, he couldn't help it. Although certainly handsome and charming as well (he had no doubts of his own ... marketability), he didn't possess the draw that this man clearly had. He had been rather a bookworm during his school years - he had a slight build and never played sports. On the other hand, the President, although slender, had an enormous presence about him - intimidating. Almost dangerous.
"Where to, Boss?" Resigned, Dante punched the gas pedal and headed back onto the boulevard.
"Aztec," Todd said. "Let's finish this deal with Hispanic Network."
***
Later that night, Tea finally finished up with the last of the purchase documents. She sent an entire set through the fax to Dante and finally conceded to tiredness. Her eyes burned from staring at the computer all day and her head ached. She watched the last page roll back out of the fax machine and placed the thick contract back on her desk. Staring out the window and watching the lights of the cars pass below, Tea wished she could hop a train destined for a place far from here, to a place where Todd Manning and the pain in her heart did not exist.
She stood up and gathered her things - time to go. She shut the lights off and drank in the darkness, thinking that her soul felt the same way, dark and lonely. As Tea stood in front of the elevator, she once again noticed the aroma of the damned cologne again. It was simply impossible that he had come back. She knew the scent was only the result of an over-active imagination and an endless longing for her would-be lover.
The overhead flourescent lights had been turned off with only runner lights remaining. They created an odd glow in the hallway, mystical. Tea looked around noting that the elevator was taking far too long. After some debate, she decided to risk the stairwell. Four floors up isn't too bad, is it?
She walked down the hall and thought she heard footsteps, but when she stopped walking, they did too. They were an echo of her padding along the industrial carpet. Looking behind her and seeing nothing, she continued toward the exit door. She pushed it open and shuddered as she looked down the stairwell, lit by an eerie muted light. She could see, but it was not nearly enough for comfort.
Tea walked down the first flight when she heard the door above her open and shut followed by silence. She called out, "Hello? Is anybody there?" Nothing. She increased her speed and she heard footsteps behind her again. She skipped steps and so did the person following her. She stopped, but could not see up the other flight of stairs as the wall prevented her from doing so.
Frightened now, she headed down the third flight and suddenly, before she could get away, the stranger stood directly behind her. Not giving her time to turn around, his arms restrained her. She could feel the length of his body against hers, his chest, his arms, his hips. He pushed his face into her hair and neck, she smelled his cologne. She bent her head forward and he reached further around her, his arms enveloping her, holding her tightly. Almost not letting her breathe ... she sank back into the man and tears rolled down her face. The stranger was here - she couldn't see anything.
His strong hands loosened their desperate grip on her at last and caressed her arms, she trembling at his urgent touch. She could feel wetness on her neck from his face, his own tears.
"Delgado, I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry."
She turned around immediately and looked up at his sad face, his eyes barely able to meet hers - as tightly as he had been holding Tea, shame and remorse held him. Tea reached up and cupped his face in her warm hands, his eyes directing themselves to her mouth as she spoke. "Shh, mi corazon. Not now - not now. I'm here with you. I'm yours. You're mine."
He finally raised his eyes to hers, a penetrating gaze, his hair falling about their faces. He bent down and lightly brushed his lips on hers. She responded, her lips trembling, she not believing he was in front of her. Their tears mixed as he rubbed his cheek against hers. They kissed again, deeper, his tongue running along her bottom lip. As her lips began to part, he grabbed her bottom lip in between his teeth.
He looked into her eyes once more and touched her face hesitantly, feeling her cheekbones, her nose, her closed eyes, her soft open lips. He kissed the same places with his own lips, his breathing beginning to change ever so slightly. "Delgado . . . I've missed you - I . . . " Tea quieted him with her mouth on his, her tongue reaching for his, feeling his teeth. The intrusion aroused him and he tried to restrain himself. His breathing quickened and a gasp escaped, beyond his control now. He reached one hand down around Tea and grabbed her by the hips, pushing himself against her. The other hand snaked around her to hold her close to him. He shook with obvious passion. She felt his hardness, his desire undoubted and unquestionable.
Tea returned his fiery kisses and then whispered, "Querido, querido." Todd, his ability to maintain composure lost, mouthed her neck roughly and massaged her breasts, feeling her erect nipples under his fingers. A moan escaped from her mouth, she wanting him, needing him. She held him, encouraging him. It didn't matter now, where he had been, why he had hidden from her. He was here. "Come," she said, "come to the hotel - let me love you, let me be yours."
He pulled away from Tea, only his face, and looked at his beautiful wife. Sorrow still his second skin, still tormented him - except with one difference. He wanted her protection now and needed her warmth.
"Yeah, ok, ok." His breathing slowed, his heart aching wildly.
