| AGAIN BY TORRI |
CHAPTER 18 |
Part 18
It's Time
I can feel your body
pressed against me.
Gently swaying
to the silent beat.
As you part your lips
and allow mine to enter,
my body
uncontrollably responds to you.
Our mouths
hungry for each other,
kiss harder and harder,
until it seems as though
they will become one.
I realize that we both
want the same thing
and it is time for me
to give all of myself to you.
Rachel and Nick are still alone in the pool. Actually, Nick bribed a hotel worker to close the pool for everyone but them. It cost him a pretty penny, but it was worth it. After a half-hour of trying to teach Rachel to swim, he gave up. He swam for awhile after she quit, while she sat on a lounger watching the muscles in his back expand and contract. When his muscles started to ache, he joined her on the lounger.
"You sure have a lot of stamina," she comments.
"And not just for swimming," he retorts with a chuckle. She hits him on his shoulder, noticing how solid his triceps are. "I'm sorry, I can't help talking like that when I'm around you."
At first she doesn't respond, as her eyes have wandered to his masculine bulge hidden behind his Speedo's. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"I said I can't stop myself from making comments like that when I'm around you."
"Oh, it doesn't bother me." She notices that he is rubbing his shoulder. "Did you hurt yourself?"
"No. Sometimes after I swim too long, I get a little tight. I just have to loosen them up."
"Why don't we go into the sauna and I'll give you a massage," she suggests.
"You don't mind?"
"No. Just let me grab my bag, and I'll meet you in there." Nick starts for the sauna, but takes one last look are Rachel, who is retrieving her bag.
The Manning House
12:00am
Todd lay soundly asleep as Tea lay wide-awake. She watched him, as her own sleep had failed to come. It seemed strange. It used to be Todd that had the sleeping problem. Now, it was her who had the excess energy. She got up from the bed slowly, trying not to disturb him. She walked over to the window, and stared out into the darkness. She needed fresh air, so she opened the doors to the balcony and took a deep breath.
The cool air awakened Todd. Still groggy from having his sleep disturbed, it took him a couple of minutes to gather his bearings. As his eyes adjust to the darkness, he spots her standing in the doorway. He waits, thinking that she would come back to bed. When she doesn't, he decides to go to her. Without making a sound, he walks up behind her, and puts a hand on her shoulder. She turns around, startled, and looks deeply into his eyes.
"You scared me."
"Sorry. What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she says unconvincingly.
"Yeah, right."
"Why don't you go back to bed," she suggests as she turns back toward the ocean.
He gently turns her shoulders so that she is facing him. "Not until you tell me what's wrong."
"I'm just thinking."
"About what?"
"You and me."
"Yeah, could you be a little more specific?"
"I'm just scared," Tea admits as she looks anywhere but into his eyes.
"Delgado, look at me," he instructs. With a slight hesitation, she looks up and into the eyes of her soulmate. "I lied to you about so many things when we were together. I think the biggest lie I told, was one to myself. I tried to deny my feelings for you. You remember the night, the night of the storm and I, uh, I-"
"Threw me out."
"Yeah, well, I wanted you so bad that night. I swear, up until tonight, I have never seen anything as beautiful as you did that night. I didn't know how to handle it, how to handle being loved unconditionally. I still don't know, but I do know one thing. I love you so much, I don't want to live without you, I don't know if I can. If given that chance again, I wouldn't screw it up. I would just love you, and trust you with everything that I am, and everything that I have." He doesn't notice the tears that stain his cheeks, only the tears that are falling from her face. She reaches up to him with both hands, and dries his tears.
"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me how you felt?"
"Tea, look at you. You are a dream, my dream, and I am so afraid of waking up and realizing you're not with me."
"I'm here, Todd. I'm not going anywhere," she wraps her hands around him and gives him a hug from her soul. "I love you so much."
The Hotel Sauna
12:30am
Nick is lying on his stomach, relaxing, while Rachel is giving him a massage. She has a bottle of raspberry flavored massage oil that she squirts in her hands. The oil automatically warms, from the friction of her hands rubbing together. Nick is enjoying the sensation of the oil absorbing into his skin.
"That feels so good."
"I'm glad you're enjoying it," Rachel responds as she moves her hands up and down his body. She varies her rhythm, first hard, then soft, fast , then slow. She moves her hands lower, turning them both on. She feels his body relax with her touch.
"Maybe you should stop," Nick suggests as her turns over.
"Why? It doesn't feel good?"
"No, it feels too good." Nick takes her right hand, and places it on his chest. He sits up, still clutching her hand and moves slowly toward her lips. She meets him halfway, and both pause, waiting for the other to turn away. When neither does, he kisses her. First, it's soft and gentle, but it quickly turns passionate as neither is willing to stifle their desire. He pulls away, not wanting to get too carried away.
"Nick, don't stop," she says as she closes in for seconds.
He responds by slowly pushing his tongue in her mouth. He starts to kiss her neck, as she runs her fingers through his hair.
"Rachel, do you want this to go further?"
"Yes," she answers, and she unwraps his towel to reveal his manhood. She gasps at its size, then she takes it between her hands, stroking it. He moans in ecstasy, as he slowly removes her towel and kisses her shoulder, her arms, her hands, her breasts. He takes one onto his mouth, sucking softly. He flicks his tongue around the nipple, teasingly.
"Do you have something?" He asks hopefully.
"Yeah, it's all taken care of." Rachel had a feeling that things might get steamy between them, so she took the liberty of inserting her diaphragm before she made it to the sauna.
"Good," he starts kissing her again. Ready to enter her, he guides himself into her wetness. Slowly, he moves in and out, resisting the urge to move too quickly. He wants to savor this moment, as does she.
"Oh, god," Rachel says as she enjoys the feeling of being so close to him. They both moan quietly, enjoying the bodies merging together. He begins to move more quickly, as he feels like exploding. She grabs onto his buttocks, wanting him deeper inside her. Finally, he explodes insider her, leaving her with a satisfaction she has never known.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes," she responds breathlessly. "You?"
"I am fine," Nick says with a sly grin. He rolls off of her, and props himself up on one arm and stares at her.
"What?"
"You have a beautiful smile."
"Only because I am totally and completely satisfied." She leans over and pulls him in for another kiss.
"So am I."
"You sound kind of shocked."
"I'm definitely not shocked. I am hungry though. You want to go upstairs and order something?"
"Sure." They search for their clothes, and dress in the locker rooms. They meet outside the pool area, glowing like couple who has just been to heaven and back.
Part 18
I surrender my heart to you,
even though you had it long ago.
The walls have tumbled down between us
leaving us completely exposed.
I give my soul to you,
the keys to the secret passages of my heart.
I am open to only you
as you peruse the dark pathways,
lighting them with your love.
I give to you
the chains wrapped around me,
for you to dispose of
how you see fit.
Most of all,
I give to you every bit of love
that my entire body can muster,
and anything else that you want.
I give to you my everything.
The Hotel
Rachel has just come out of the shower, wrapped in a towel, when she hears a soft rap on the door.
"Just a minute," she yells as she grabs her robe from the back of the bathroom door. She slips her feet in her slippers and answers the door. "Hey stranger," she moves to the side to allow Tea to enter.
"It hasn't been that long. You're just getting out of the shower at," looking at her watch, "3:30?"
"Uh, yeah. It was a long night," Rachel replies with a grin. Immediately, Tea senses that something has happened between her two friends.
"You guys had sex last night, didn't you?" Tea makes her way to a chair that is positioned in a corner, and takes a seat.
"A lady never kisses and tells."
"Yeah, well, you're not a lady, you tramp. So tell me about it."
"You first."
"You hate Todd, so why would you want to know anything about what's going on between us?"
"I don't hate him," Rachel walks into the bathroom with her clothes, getting dressed. She leaves the door slightly ajar, so that they can continue the conversation.
"Since when?"
"Since I saw the interaction between you two yesterday. You know I have really only wanted one thing for you."
"That is?"
"For you to be happy and loved and all that good stuff that comes with being in love, and yesterday, I watched the way he looked at you, and they way you looked at him, and I was envious."
"You envious, of Todd Manning?"
"Envious of the love that was radiating from both of you. It was as if you both were floating, and glowing, existing in your private world of love. I thought to myself that if I never knew what real love was, all I had to do was look at the two of you."
"Rachel Gannon, you getting sentimental in your old age?"
"Nope," she comes out of the bathroom wearing white shorts and a red and white polo shirt. He hair is arranged in a ponytail, still wet from the shower. She sits on the bed, and thinks carefully before she says anything more to her friend. "Tea, no one will judge you if you decide to take him back."
"What makes you think I care what other people think?"
"Not just other people, the Vega's, Vicki, the people you want to respect you. I think you should just go for it, turn you head off for a little while, and go with your heart."
"You always seem to know what I need to hear and when I need to hear it. Thank you," she walks over and hugs Rachel. "So," she pulls away from their embrace, and sits next to her on the bed, "are you going to tell me about last night, or what?"
"The long version, or the short version?"
"Uh," looking at her watch, "the short version. Todd's coming to pick me up in a little while."
"Okay. We went swimming late last night. We were the only people in the pool and we were flirting and everything. Then he pulled me into the pool, and tried to teach me how to swim. I wasn't a very good student. I couldn't concentrate on what I was doing, I just kept looking at his body, and other things."
"Nice bulge huh?"
"Yeah, very nice. Afterward, we went to the sauna, and one thing led to another, and there you have it," Rachel says unable to keep a sly grin from appearing on her face.
"Right there, in the sauna?"
"Yes."
"Wow. I'm happy for both or you. So, what happens next?"
"I don't know. I guess we'll just play it by ear."
"Nick is not the kind of guy to hop from bed to bed. When he sleeps with a woman, it means something to him. So if you're worried that it might be a one time thing, don't."
Dusk
A Rented Yacht
Tea is wearing a blindfold, as Todd leads her by her hand onto the boat. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore and the smell of the ocean air clues Tea in to their location. She doesn't say anything, not wanting to ruin Todd's surprise.
She was wearing a maroon halter top, and a matching floor length skirt. He too was wearing maroon. His shirt was unbuttoned, revealing his muscular chest. He was hesitant about exposing his chest, but since she was showing some skin, he wanted to do the same. He was still uncomfortable, but he had to show her that he was ready to be her man in every way.
The upper deck was lined with candles with a table for two in the center. The white red tablecloth blew softly in the slight wind. The mood was perfect. Jazz music played softly in the background. Their dinner was already on the table, Todd giving explicit directions that everything be set up before their arrival, and no interruptions. He stands her in front of the railing, with a perfect view of their house and slowly removes the blindfold. She stands still for a second, overwhelmed by the view and the atmosphere.
"This, this is so beautiful."
"Yeah, well, I thought you'd like it." He wraps his arms around her and inhales her feminine scent. To his surprise, she doesn't pull away, instead leaning her head against his chest. They begin to sway to the beat of the music, both becoming aroused from being so close with only a thin layer of clothing to separate them. The sudden sound of the motor starting breaks the spell.
"You hungry?" Todd asks as he walks over to the table.
"Yes. What do you have?" She follows him, but before she can sit down, he rushes to her side to pull her chair out. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Uh," removing the warmer lid from his plate "let's see. We have grilled salmon, steamed vegetables, I don't know what these little potatoes are. Um, here's some wine, and dessert's still chilling in the fridge. We can get something else if you want."
"No, no, this is perfect," she says as she takes a bite out of her salmon.
After a few bites, Tea starts to feel a little queasy. Todd notices, and begins to get a little concerned.
"Tea, you alright?"
"Yes."
"You look sick or something. Is something wrong with your food?"
"No."
"Oh, god, don't tell me you're seasick." The look in her eyes tells it all, and he starts laughing.
"It's not funny Todd."
"I'm sorry. It's just that I can't imagine Tea Delgado, tough as nails attorney, seasick."
"Yeah, well even Superman has his weakness," says Tea as she throws her napkin across the table hitting him in his face.
"Okay, I won't laugh anymore. How come you didn't say anything? We could have gotten you some medicine or something."
"First of all, you never told me where we were going tonight. Second of all, I didn't know that this was a weakness, because I've never been on a boat before."
"Seriously?"
"I'm a city girl remember?"
"Oh, yeah. Uh, why don't you go to the bedroom and lay down for awhile."
The Bedroom
15 Minutes Later
Tea lay on her back, trying to concentrate on anything but the queasiness in her stomach. Todd tiptoes into the room, thinking she might be asleep.
"Todd?"
"I thought you were sleeping. Do you want to go back to shore?" He lays on the bed next to her.
"No, I'll be alright."
He gets out of bed gingerly, trying to make as little motion as possible in the bed.
"Where are you going?" Tea asks, not wanting him to leave.
"I just thought you might like a cold cloth on your head."
"Oh."
He wets the cloth, squeezes out the excess water, and rejoins her on the bed. He gently lays the cloth on her head, and with his other hand, rubs her bare stomach. He feels her flinch, and promptly removes his hand. She grabs it, and lays it back on her stomach.
"Don't stop." She stares at him seductively, already feeling better from the touch of his healing hands.
"You feeling any better?"
"I'm getting there. Will you stay here with me?" Tea pleads.
"Yeah," he answers as he pushes a stray hair from her face. He looks at her, wanting her,
resisting her. Finally, he can take it no more and leans toward her, poised to kiss her.
She answers his silent request, with nothing more than a look. Their lips meet, both
tentative, resembling one of their first kisses. He is the first to take it further, as he slides
his tongue across her lips, willing her to allow him to enter her mouth. She does, and
their tongues dance a perfect waltz to the music coming from their hearts.
