She felt like butter in his embrace as they stood there. When she felt her
knees weaken, his arms were around her, pulling her up. She couldn't breathe
and her heart was racing so fast she was afraid im might pop out of her
chest.
"Ryan?" she heard him calling her name, and snapped her head up. She looked
down at herself. She was still fully clothed. Looking over at Bell, she
could see he was sitting in the same spot, giving her a worried look.
A daydream. That was all it had been. "Hmm?" she said, her face flushing.
Where on Earth did THAT come from?
"Are you okay?" he asked. She quickly stripped to her bra and underwear and
threw on her boxer shorts and midriff tank top. She felt so ashamed for the
thoughts she had just experienced.
"Yeah." she lied. "I'm just fine," he was still giving her questioning
glances as she slid down on her bed. He shrugged and stood, pulling off his
jumper and shirt underneath. He grumbled at the dark coffee stain on the
front and tossed it on Wick's side. He was in his briefs now. Just his
briefs. He turned, and she saw the well-defined muscles in his arms and
chest. He noticed her staring at him and smiled.
"I know," he laughed, "I'm irresistible," grinning, he put on another white
muscle shirt and climbed into his own bed. She flopped on her side,
mortified. She was praying that Wick would come in and help ease her
humiliation. He didn't.
"Well, I'm not waiting for Wick," she grumbled, clicking off the light. She
could hear Bell's hushed laughter.
"Good to have you back, Ryan," he chuckled.
§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§
"Wake up. Come on, Ryan. Wake up," she could hear Bell's voice...it was so
far away... What did he want? It wasn't time to wake up...was it?
"Oh, go away," she grumbled sleepily. Then he grabbed her arm and shook it
gently. "Stop," she groaned. She snapped her eyes open and sat up, glaring
at him. "What do you want?" she had been having such a good dream...
"I'm sorry, but you have to get up," he said gingerly. "It's time for shift
change,"
"What? My first day back on the job and no one got hurt," she complained.
He laughed and grabbed her arm.
"Come on. Durfee's getting angry,"
Groggily, she dragged her feet along the cool floor to the drawers of
clothes. Removing her night clothes, with a little help from Bell, she
dressed in a green shirt and white jeans. Releasing her hair from the
ponytail, she grabbed her overnight bag and tried to wake up as she trudged
out of the room. Wick greeted her.
"Hey, Ryan. You gotta go home and change,"
"What? Why?" she looked back and forth at everyone there. They all had
smiles on their faces . . . and swimming bags in their hands.
"We're going up to Hot Lava Springs," he said. "All of us. They found
someone to cover their shifts, and so we're gonna go have a day of
relaxation," he said. It sounded good. Peace...quiet...Bell in a bathing
suit... Okay, Kathleen. Get your mind out of the gutter.
"Oh . . . that sounds nice," she said. Hopping in her jeep, she called to
Bell and told him she'd meet him at the gas station. They pulled out, and
she went home to change...
§*§*§*§*§*§*§
The water was warm and soothing as she eased into it. Most of the firemen
had already stripped down to their swimming trunks and had jumped or dove in
the water. "How's the water?" a voice in her ear asked softly. Looking up,
she smiled back at Michael's grinning face.
"It's great," she told him. He slid in next to her, his arm accidentally
brushing her chest.
"Oops . . . sorry," he laughed. She had to bite her tongue to keep from
saying, "I'm not," "Ah," he exhaled slowly. He looked over at her. Her eyes
were closed and her head was tilted back, soaking up the sun. she was so
beautiful. Her hair was twisted back into a braid, and her blue bikini
hugged every curve and proved to him that she was indeed of the female
gender....
"Mmm. So nice and quiet," she had no sooner said the ‘Q' word when Bridges
started yelling and splashing.
"Give me back my shorts!" he yelled. Rodriguez ran out of the water waving
Bridges' trunks in the air.
"Oh, Lord," she muttered. "What do you say we move away from the dock?" she
asked. he nodded and they swam to Bridges' abandoned raft. "I don't think
he'll be using this for awhile," she laughed. Bell steadied it as Ryan
climbed on it.
Her long, lean, golden body was pulled out of the water and onto the raft.
She whipped her braid around and wiped a bit of water off her eyes. Michael
was staring at her with an intensity that sent shivers up her spine. He
looked away and, to ease the heat that had crept up on his face, dove under
the water.
§*§*§*§*§*§
It was about an hour later when Ryan swam up to Bell and Wick. "Suntan
lotion time," she announced. They swam to the deck and hoisted themselves
up. Walking over to their blankets, Ryan grabbed the bottle. She put some on
her face and arms, stomach and legs. She watched as the men did the same.
Bell rubbed the lotion in on Wick's back. She tossed him the bottle and
turned around.
He squirted some in his palms and began rubbing it in her back. As he
rubbed, his fingers played on her back in an erotic dance. Her breath caught
in her throat. They both knew the lotion was rubbed in extremely well, but
neither cared. They both knew that the lotion was an excuse for stimulation.
He couldn't bear to remove his hands from her back. He didn't want to sever
their connection....but he also realized that Wick was staring at them. He
yanked his hands back, and Ryan's eyes snapped open. "Thanks," she said, her
voice giving away the passion she had felt... She quickly rubbed lotion on
his back. They were heading back to the water when Bridges cam e streaking
by...completely nude. Ryan shielded her eyes and made gagging noises.
Stumbling back to the water she forced her eyes open.
Wick brushed past them and hopped in the water and quickly swam away. "Uh .
. . Ryan . . . can I talk to you?" Bell asked, sitting on the deck. She
nodded and sat next to him. "Look, Ryan, I . . ." he suddenly chickened out.
He couldn't do it. Couldn't come face to face with his feelings.... couldn't
tell her...
"Help!" someone screamed. Sonja. Ryan saw her in the deep end, dragging
Carla at her side. Ryan stood and dove into the water.....
****
Dragging Carla up on the dock, Ryan noticed her breathing was fine and her
pulse was normal. She slapped the girl on the back and water poured from her
mouth. She choked and gagged violently, then pulled herself into an unsteady
standing position.
"I'm okay," she said. "I just swallowed a little too much water," she said.
Ryan stood and did a quick evaluation. Sure enough, Aguliar was fine.
"Why don't we go sit for a minute in the sun?" Rodriguez suggested,
wrapping his arm around her waist.
"That sounds great," she said. "Thanks Ryan. I don't if I'd be okay if you
hadn't pulled me up," she said gratefully. Ryan just smiled.
"I think sitting in the sun is a very good idea," Ryan said. She headed
over to the blankets they had laid out on the far side of the dock. She sat
there, the sun warm on her body, watching Carla and Rodriguez as he kissed
her. She was startled by Bell, who sat down at her side.
"Hey," he said. He wanted to finish the conversation they had started
earlier, but again, he was pretty much just a coward. How on Earth could a
woman like Ryan ever be his? How could there even be a remote chance for
them?
"This was a great idea," she remarked. "But I think it's about time I get
home," she pulled her braid over her shoulder and undid it, her wet hair
pooling around her face. He stood and helped her up and handed her a towel.
He watched her as she dried off, rubbing the towel all over her body and in
her hair. God he wanted her so much.
Ryan met his gaze and smiled timidly. She didn't know what to make of
Bell's sudden behavior change. She also didn't know what to make of her own
behavior changes. She shivered thinking about the daydream she'd had the
night before. "Are you cold?" he asked, wrapping his arms boldly around her,
sending her into delirious waves of happiness and pleasure.
"Not anymore," she said, nuzzling up closer to him.
"Ryan, can I be totally honest with you?" it was the moment of truth...the
moment he'd put it all on the line. And frankly, he was scared shitless.
"Of course," she said. He was making her uneasy. She wasn't sure about a
lot of things, and he wasn't helping to clear any of them up. He was quiet
for a minute, so she just allowed herself to savor the feeling of being
wrapped in Bell's strong, safe embrace. She permitted herself to acknowledge
the fact that her bare back was pressed up against his exposed chest.
"There have been so many times I've wanted to do this," he admitted,
nestling his face in the back of her neck. Leaning his head in further, he
kissed the side of her throat, suckling on the sweet, soft skin there.
She had dreamed (literally) about the moment when Michael Bell would do
this. And in those dreams, she'd been cool and composed, but now she could
feel her entire body melting. Somehow, she summoned all her inner courage
and turned to face him, saying, "and I've wanted to do this," she leaned
down slightly and kissed him softly, yet with definite urgency...
§*§*§*§*§*§*§
One day changed the years it had taken them to get together. One horrible
day, and Ryan's world was turned upside down. She had known that something
was wrong with Michael. He had been distant. It was the day of their
one-year dating anniversary, and he had said he ‘wanted to talk'.
Walking into the bedroom where they had shared so many passionate nights,
and sleepy mornings, she felt a cool disconnection. She knew what was
coming... the speech...but she was wrong. If only it had been the speech...
"Megan and I are getting married," he blurted. At first she thought he was
joking, then when he didn't smile or say anything else, she was overcome by
disbelief. Then anger.
"What the hell do you mean you're marrying Megan?" she shouted. He was so
fucking calm. Her world was crumbling around her, and he was as cool as a
cucumber on ice.
He sat down and took her hand which she quickly jerked away. "Look,
Kathleen...." he said, staring her dead in the eyes. "I don't love you," he
said it so simply. Before she knew it, hot tears were stinging her eyes. His
face registered no emotion. He just sat there, blankly. "I have to go.
Megan's waiting for me,"
"No, Michael! Don't go..oh, God...don't go," she was sobbing as he walked
out the door, never once looking back.
§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§
As soon as he walked outside he cried. He cried harder than he'd ever cried
in his life. He had lied. He could never love anyone as much as he loved
her. She was perfect, and she would make some other man very happy..but he
couldn't be with her. She deserved so much more than his screwed up little
life. She needed someone as amazing as herself.... He hopped in his truck,
giving one last look at the house before tearing out the driveway, tears
blurring his vision....
§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§
Wick walked in the house and could immediately hear Ryan's frantic,
primitive, sobs. He followed them into Bell's room, where she lay in the
middle of the bed, clutching the bear Michael had given her.
"What is it?" he asked. "What's wrong?"
"He....he left.....me..." she said between sobs. Wick took her hand and
rocked back and forth with her, her tears seeping through his shirt onto his
shoulder.
"Ssshhh," he crooned. "I'm here. I'm here,"
****
