“I still can’t believe we got kicked out of that restaurant,” Kyle
laughed as he and Sarah walked through the park with one another.
“I can, when I am with you anything is possible,” Sarah noted as he
lightly nudged her in the side.
“I don’t know if I take that as a bad thing or a good one,” Kyle
admitted smiling.
“How about a little of both,” she said as he shrugged.
“That works, though you do have to admit being with me is cool though,”
Kyle added shooting her one of his charming smiles.
“Being with you? Never,” she laughed as he pushed her lightly.
“Hey,” he protested as she pushed him back and he tripped over his own
feet. He landed on his butt as she laughed.
“That’s the second time, don’t tell me your falling for me already,”
Sarah chuckled holding her hand out to help him up.
“I’m always falling for you Sarah, you should have learned that by
now,” he said taking her hand in his.
“You haven’t changed at all Kyle,” she replied as he pulled her down
and he got up.
“Looks like you’re the one falling for me now, I mean how could you
not. I’m Kyle, every girl falls for me,” he joked with that same sexy,
confident grin that made her heart melt.
“If that’s so why are you with me?” asked Sarah smiling and getting up.
“I’m with you because I want to be with you. Your fun,” he said
smiling.
“I’m just fun,” she asked folding her arms.
“Okay, maybe I could consider you being…nice. Other than that I can‘t
seem to think of anything else,” he said smirking and shaking his head.
“And to think I was going to say something nice about you,” Sarah
offered smiling.
“Yeah like what?” asked Kyle folding his arms.
“Well, it doesn’t matter now because you don’t think anything of me,”
Sarah said shrugging as Kyle pouted.
“Come on, please,” he urged again giving her his puppy dog eyes.
“Oh come on, don’t use the eyes. That isn’t fair.”
“I’m not doing anything,” he said still giving her the look.
“Fine, now I see how you got the girls. How could they resist that
look?” she asked as he smiled.
“They couldn’t, but those girls never meant anything to me anyways,” he
admitted with a slow shrug. “So tell what you think about me and maybe
I will tell you.”
“Okay, I think your sweet,” Sarah admitted feeling like a ten year old
standing up in front of her class ready to give an oral book
report. While she’d always prided herself on being confident,
there was something about Kyle that always seemed to change that in
her. She drew in a breath hoping that answer was enough for him
as he nodded encouraging her to continue.
“Sweet, keep going,” Kyle blurted out motioning his hands on.
“Your enjoying this aren’t you?” asked Sarah as he looked over at her.
“Just keep going,” he said nodding.
“Fine, I think your handsome,” she lowered her voice just a bit,
feeling a heat rise over her features as he smiled.
“That’s a good thing,” he said smiling, “keep going.”
“I love your personality, your humorous. I think you’re a great
guy, and I love a lot of things about you. What I really like though is
your secret that you’re trying to keep from everyone,” she said
smiling.
“What secret might that be?” asked Kyle tilting his head.
“Your love for the Sox,” she blurted out with a wicked smirk as his
eyes widened.
“What are you talking about, I don’t like the Sox,” Kyle argued shaking
his head.
“Yes, you do. I am positive that you do,” she insisted as he raised an
eyebrow.
She grabbed his keys that were in his pocket and he had a Red Sox key
chain on it. She also pulled out an old ticket for a Sox game.
“How did you…give me that,” Kyle frowned at her discovery going to grab
his possessions away from her.
“First tell me one thing you like about me and then I will give it to
you. And your little secret…it will be kept quiet.”
“Oh come on that isn’t fair,” Kyle huffed putting his hands on his
hips.
“What are you two now?” asked Sarah smiling.
“Fine, I think your really pretty…and you’re my best friend. I don’t
know what I would do if I never met you. I don’t think I would be what
I am today.”
“That may have been a good thing,” Sarah noted shrugging.
“No Sarah it wouldn’t…you bring out my good side without you, I would
be a psycho by now. You make my life right…you were always there for me
and I want you to be around my whole life,” he confessed looking down.
“Okay that was a little more than I expected, but I liked it. Your
secret is safe with me,” she admitted feeling her pulse quicken while
she fought to keep from looking like an idiot. Still she
couldn’t help but keep smiling.
“Good,” Kyle said smiling.
“Oh, follow me,” she urged grabbing his hand and pulling her with him.
“Where are we going?” Kyle asked dragging his feet along.
“Just follow,” she continued as they walked up to a swing set. “This
looks just like the ones we used to hang out by when we were little.”
“Your right, it does. Here get on the swing,” he suggested.
“Okay,” she nodded sitting down as he started pushing the swing.
“I remember when we used to do this. We came to the park everyday, it
was the only place we could get away to without all the conflict,” he
thought back to their youth pushing her on the swing.
“Yeah when I was little I remember just waiting for that moment to
spend that time with you. I couldn’t wait.”
“It was pretty cool wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, most of the best moments in my life have you in them,” she
divulged as he smiled.
“I would say the same thing. Not that I can really remember, but I
think the best moment of my life was meeting you and getting to hang
out with you,” Kyle confessed thinking to what it had been like
spending his time with Sarah.
“Yeah, those were fun times. Hey, do you remember when we would jump
off the swings to see who could jump farther?” she asked as he laughed.
“Yeah, I was never really good at it,” he admitted as she laughed.
“Now you admit it,” she couldn’t help but chuckle thinking to his
overwhelming ego, “You always thought you were the best at everything
when we were little.”
“Most of the time I was, just not at that. I was really bad at that,”
he teased remembering all the times.
“You want to see if you got any better?” Sarah issued a challenge to
him as they continued to swing.
“I don’t know,” he pretended to think it over raising his eyebrows.
“Oh come on, a guy with all that muscle shouldn’t be afraid of
anything. I mean really.”
“Who said I was afraid?” he asked stepping back.
“If your not, then why don’t we try at least once?” she suggested
stopping the swing.
“If it makes you happy sure why not,” he decided getting on the swing
to take Sarah up on her challenge.
“Good,” she grinned ready to see who would reign supreme on her
challenge. She gave him a quick look before they started
swinging. “Ready?”
“Not really, but okay,” Kyle admitted before they jumped off the
swing. He did a front flip landing hard on his back and he
groaned in pain.
“Are you okay?” she asked running over to him.
“I don’t think so,” he winced putting his hand over his eyes.
Sure the moment wasn’t so bad except for his wounded pride and that
sudden ache creeping up over him.
“Does it hurt?” she asked putting her hand on his chest as he cringed.
“Really bad,” Kyle nodded arching his back up and grinding his teeth
together.
“What do I do to help,” Sarah questioned her voice full of concern.
“Make it better,” he groaned.
“How?”
“I don’t know,” he winced moving back and forth writhing in misery.
“How bad does it hurt?” she asked putting her other hand on his arm.
He opened his eyes and smiled widely, “Really bad.”
“You son of a…” she started to glare at him.
“Don’t you know it,” he nodded as he pulled her down towards him.
Within seconds he got up running leaving her to chase him.
“You jerk, I really thought you were hurt,” she snapped at him ready to
ring his neck while he ran from her.
“How could a guy with muscles like this,” he teased pointing at his
body, “Get hurt?”
“You ass,” she blurted out running after him.
“Hey, I still got farther,” he continued laughing as she tried to catch
him. “You’re never going to catch me, I was in track for six years
remember. Also football.”
“I don’t care if you were on the track team or any other team when I
get a hold of you I am going to kill you,” she vowed ready to give him
a piece of her mind when he did a twist.
“That’s if you can catch me,” he taunted running over to a
merry-go-round.
“Oh I will,” she vowed as he stopped running on the other side.
“Just bring it,” he dared her moving his hand back and forth to lead
her on.
“Oh I am going to bring it,” she hissed nodding while thoughts of
revenge danced in her head.
“I’m really scared,” he said smiling devilishly.
“You really should be, I can tear you to shreds…you know I could.”
“I don’t doubt that,” he said smiling.
“Do I need to prove it to you?” she asked wondering if he was about to
issue yet another dare to her.
Kyle raised an eyebrow and nodded.
“Fine,” she said smiling, “I will.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Russell stood in the kitchen working on dinner for him and Avery after
the encounter they’d had at the police station with Dave. While he
could see that Dave was reluctant to go after Cameron, Russ was certain
that the video tape would be the first step in clearing Grady’s
name. That couldn’t happen soon enough for Russ considering that
he’d missed having his brother around. For so many months the two
men had been feuding with one another, but now, well now he couldn’t
wait to share so many things in his life with his brother. Once
Cameron was put away for his crimes, Russ was quite certain it would
mark the beginning of a new phase in the lives of the Denton brothers
at long last.
“Mmm…that smells good,” Avery murmured leaning up against Russell’s
back while stepping up on her toes to look over his shoulder, “What is
it?”
“Just a little something special I cooked up for an occasion such as
this,” Russell informed her with a soft smile, giving a quick glance in
her general direction before turning his attention to the food before
him.
“I could feel it calling to me all the way from the bedroom,” Avery
confessed in a low, scorching tone while dipping her hands down over
his waist. She snuggled into his strong form, savoring the feel
of his muscled contours before her hands disappeared beneath the
waistband of his navy colored jogging pants, “Although I must confess
the food wasn’t the only thing that aroused my senses.”
“Avery,” he sucked in a sharp, unsteady breath upon feeling her gentle
urgings. Closing his eyes briefly, he felt the moist heat of her
breath skim over the back of his neck before she placed a determinedly
wicked kiss over his skin. He couldn’t help but reveal a tortured
expression as she gently massaged his growing eagerness.
“I thought we could skip to dessert since I wasn’t able to give you
that moment in your office you were fantasizing about,” she confessed
in a sinful whisper before his body registered the sudden feel of her
obviously aroused nearly naked body behind him. She brushed up
against him again, her breasts skimming in over against his back and
that was about all it took for him to reach out and turn off the stove
top. Spinning around to find her standing before him looking as
beautiful as ever, he couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the ways in
which she’d known how to have him on the edge, always unsure what to
expect next with her.
Brazenly, she strode across the kitchen opening the refrigerator door
knowing full well she’d captured his full attention in that moment in
time. Seconds later she stood upright holding the two things
she’d been seeking out for her persuasions before she addressed him
again.
“What do you think,” she questioned with a sexy smile, tossing her dark
hair back over her shoulder. She licked her lips before holding
the two bottles out towards him, “What are you in the mood for tonight,
chocolate or whipped cream? The choice is yours.”
“I um…” Russell began feeling his IQ drop about a hundred points as she
stood before him clad only in a thin pair of red lace panties that he’d
picked up for her not so long ago. She waved the bottles around
for a few more seconds before lowering them at her sides.
“I suppose we can just go for dinner if that’s really where you had
your heart set,” Avery shrugged her shoulders in an attempt to be
casual. Taking a seat in one of the chairs at the kitchen table,
she crossed her legs as if her lack of clothing had no relevance to the
conversation they were having with one another. She was cool and
collected and every bit the vixen that Russell had fallen in love with
so many years ago.
“Oh hell no,” he reached for the lid for the pot he’d put dinner
together in. With that statement he marched forward towards the
table, reaching for her arm before pulling her out of the chair.
Hoisting her over his shoulder, he could hear the sounds of her tiny
giggles.
“Russ, what are you going,” she questioned with a bit of a surprised
gasp.
“Putting dinner on hold because I’m most definitely in the mood for
both chocolate, whipped cream and most of all you,” he declared
reaching for the bottle’s she’d collected from the refrigerator.
With a smile, he carried her toward their bedroom with the obvious
mission in mind to have his way with her now that Avery had laid
temptation out on the table in the most beautifully delicious straight
to the point kind of way.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Shannon wait,” Diego called after her locating her right before she
unlocked her car door.
“I really have to go,” Shannon began unwilling to turn around to face
him again, “As I said before I thought I saw someone outside but…”
“But nothing,” Diego finally caught up to her, “We need to talk.”
“Oh I think what I saw inside speaks for itself,” Shannon spun around
to glare at him, “Clearly I should’ve known where this was headed.”
“You don’t understand,” Diego began desperately.
“Oh I understand completely, but truth be told you’re making a huge
mistake Diego,” Shannon blurted out bitterly, “because she’s a user and
a liar. She’s only going to destroy your life, but hey it’s not
my problem. I mean it’s not like we really had anything going to
begin with there, so…”
“Shannon,” Diego reached out to her as if he was going to touch her
before he dropped his arm at his side finding himself at a complete
loss, “Look I didn’t plan for any of this.”
Shannon let out an ironic laugh, “See now that’s the thing about
Heather no one plans for the uproar she brings into their life, but it
happens nonetheless. It’s the same old story with a new man of
the moment and in the end, you’ll wind up just like the rest of
them. She’s nothing, but trouble.”
“Shannon, I wish that things had turned out differently, but…” Diego
started feeling guilt eat away at him when he thought to how horrible
things must’ve looked when Shannon arrived at his home.
“Spare me the details,” Shannon raised her hand to silence him, “I’m
sure after a couple of sexual favors Heather would have you believing
anything. That’s how she worked with Brant too.”
“It wasn’t like that,” Diego started to defend himself.
“I really don’t give a damn what it was like because there’s nothing
more for me to say, though I will tell you that once she gets tired of
you, she’s going to give you the same song and dance that she’s done
with everyone else,” Shannon let out a sarcastic laugh, “and here I
actually fooled myself into thinking that maybe just maybe you might be
different, but all men are the same. They go for cheap and easy
each time.”
“Shannon, I’m so sorry that I lead you on. I never should’ve done
that considering…” Diego started immediately hating himself for having
put Shannon in the position she was in, “If I would’ve just been honest
with myself about things…”
“Spare me the half assed apology,” Shannon rolled her eyes at him,
“because I really don’t have the time to listen to another line of bull
where Heather Gibbons is concerned.”
Diego opened his mouth to speak up, but it was too late when Shannon
got into her car. He watched her speed down the street and
suddenly in that moment he felt like the lowest of low. Not only
had he not intended to hurt her, but he never, ever dreamt of crossing
that point of no return with Heather. Even now when he thought
about her waiting for him inside the house, he wondered how he would
even begin to explain what had been happening between them.
Granted he’d wanted her for quite some time, but that wasn’t what he’d
planned on having happen between them. There were still so many
unspoken things that they had to deal with and their giving in to
passion had only complicated the situation.
With heavy apprehension, Diego walked back up to his house feeling a
chill in the air after having left his shirt back in the kitchen.
He stepped up onto the porch remembering the look that was on Shannon’s
face when she’d told him off. How he wished she never had to
witness that one, but there was no turning back the hands of
time. He’d run away from his life long enough and now it was time
to face the music regardless of what consequences he’d brought into his
life.
Stepping into his house, Diego looked around his living room before his
eyes darted back to the kitchen. Immediately his body tensed up
as he thought to what he could possibly say to Heather to open up the
obvious conversation they had to have with one another. Rubbing
his palms together Diego took in a long breath before making his way
into the kitchen.
“Heather we need to talk,” Diego started half expecting to find her
where he’d left her seating on the table top looking ready for sin, but
much to his dismay she’d vanished. He noticed the clothing she’d
been wearing earlier still laid out on the ground, but there was no
other sign of her. He realized that his shirt was missing as well
and almost immediately he thought to the very image of Heather in
it.
Taking in an uneasy breath he exited the kitchen and made his way down
the hallway to the guest room she was staying in. He knocked on
the door for a moment or so before cautiously opening it up only to
discover she wasn’t in their either. He took another step inside
realizing that she clearly hadn’t made her way into the room at any
time since they’re returned home, which could only mean one thing.
Reentering the hallway, Diego peered over at his bedroom wondering if
Heather had been so bold to take the initiative where he’d left off
with her. It certainly wouldn’t be a first for her to throw out
some kind of seduction, but the fact to the matter was that Diego was
uncertain if they could really follow through on something that was so
far out of reach for the both of them. In the kitchen things had
gone from simple to frantic, but now, well now he was beyond
confused. Surely Heather had to feel some of that when he’d left
to speak with Shannon. She had to have known, but then again, who
was he trying to kid? There was no way to describe what was
happening with Heather, but he had to find a way to slow it down.
Determined to face what he was feeling, Diego marched into his room
only to discover it vacant as well. Puzzled by the current state
of his home, Diego walked out into the hallway entering the living room
again. He sought out any sign of where Heather had drifted off
to, but there was no indication that she’d left other than her being
absent from the rooms he’d expected to find her in. Thinking that
she may have stepped out back in the chaos, Diego headed towards the
kitchen again, but was thwarted by what he noticed on the door in front
of him.
“What the…” he started noticing a small piece of paper was tacked up
onto the door. There were words scribbled upon it in Heather’s
handwriting.
“I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you. I can assure you that
I won’t do it again, so please don’t worry about me. I‘m going
home to my husband where I belong, so please don‘t try to follow me,”
he read aloud finding himself in a heavy state of confusion upon the
completion of her words on the page before him. Suddenly nothing
made sense and as he thought of all the things he’d shared with
Heather, he was lost in a whirlwind of perplexity trying to figure out
exactly what he’d missed from the moment he’d left her. Something
certainly didn’t feel right about any of this. Something was
wrong. Dropping down on the arm of the couch behind him Diego
tried to make sense of her words. Now overcome with guilt at how
things had transpired, Diego realized that things had come to a very
unsettling point between them which had ultimately lead Heather back
into the arms of danger with Cameron.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“What the hell do you think you were doing there,” Cameron demanded
throwing Heather into his library once they’d returned to his
estate. Watching her slam into the sofa in front of her, he
locked the door behind them while unleashing the anger he’d held the
reigns on in the way back home, “What were you thinking?”
“You can’t control me Cameron,” Heather dared to speak out in
protest. She crawled across the floor before reaching out to the
edge of the sofa to pull herself up after he’d knocked her down.
“The hell I can’t,” Cameron bent down to pull her up off of the ground
with a growl. He dug his fingers into her arm shaking her wildly
before he forced her to look at him, “You belong to me Heather.
You’re my wife and I won’t allow you to make a fool of me like that
with that man.”
“I don’t have to try to make a fool of you Cameron because you do that
all on your own,” Heather shot back at him with an icy glare only to be
met by the cold, hard impact of his fist against the left side of her
face. Unprepared for the blow against her, Heather dropped to the
ground before Cameron feeling his presence over her. She shuffled
to move away from him only to have him kick at her ribs causing her to
buckle over in agony.
“Do you think you’re funny Heather,” he questioned harshly reaching
down to grab her by her hair. He yanked her head up off of the
ground only to slam her face first into the wooden floor, “Is this a
joke to you? Huh? Do you think you can just go around and
make a mockery of what we have with one another?”
“Cameron…” she coughed his name while the salty taste of her own blood
filled in the back of her throat. She felt his iron grip on her
hair before he thrust her face first into the ground again with a
fiercer blow than before.
“Don’t you Cameron me,” he seethed down at her, “You have no right to
go step out on me with that man. I own you Heather and your life
is mine. You are my wife and you will give me the proper respect
or else you’ll suffer the consequences.”
Heather said nothing as he reached out to her shoulder wrenching her up
off of the floor. She turned her tear-filled eyes up at him,
seeing the monster before her. Despite how hard she’d wanted to
keep from showing him fear, she couldn’t hide the trembling that had
overtaken her when he lashed out at her again hitting her with another
powerful force.
“Do you think this is funny? That you can just make a mockery of
all that I’ve worked so very hard for in my life and I wouldn’t react,”
he knelt down before her clamping his hand around her neck before
offering up a squeeze. She brought her hands up to pry his palm
away from her slender neck, but he seized her wrists with his other
hand keeping her from preventing his punishment.
“Have I not given you enough to think about,” Cameron commanded her
full attention as he loosened his grip around her neck ever so
slightly. His monstrous eyes penetrated her in an attempt to
break her completely as he held onto her. Leaning in closer to
her, he constricted his hold on her neck once again before whispering
to her, “Now Heather, you know I don’t want to hurt you like this, but
you leave me no choice. You know how crazy it makes me when you
run off and do such things…”
“Cameron…” she whimpered in response feeling his hand release her
wrists, but the weight of him hovered over as he knelt before
her. His mouth pressed up against her neck before his nose
nuzzled into her skin.
“Shhh,” he warned bringing his finger up over her lips to silence her,
“Heather, I know we can work through all of this, but first, well first
I think it’s time for me to teach you another lesson.”
“No,” she cried out trying to wrench her way out from beneath him, but
he was too powerful, too strong. Feeling him push her down to the
ground, he covered her body with his while wiping at her tears.
“No Heather,” he smiled down at her, “my beautiful, lovely Heather, you
know that I don’t want this to be difficult for us. I want to
make our lives as easy as possible which is why I’m going to lay it out
on the line as simple as I can for you.”
She said nothing as he hovered over her. Fear consumed her when
she saw the madness that had overtaken him and in that moment she knew
she’d been lost in her ultimate nightmare.
“Now sweetheart, I’m going to tell you this once and only once and
you’d better listen to me,” he dropped his hand down over her hip
before his dark eyes ripped through her. He dropped another kiss
over her neck before moving his mouth just above her skin.
Tentatively his fingers teased over her thigh before he whispered in
her ear in a sadistic tone, “If you ever think about walking out on me,
I swear to you that I’ll kill your little psychiatrist. If you
ever see him again or dare to defy me in any way, you can consider him
a dead man.”
He paused from his words rising up enough to see the sheer terror
behind her eyes before he dropped down to kiss her tenderly. She
writhed in agony beneath him feeling her insides ready to come out from
within with repulsion, but just when she feared he’d try to overthrow
her again as he had in his office, he backed off.
Touching her cheek gently, he could see that his words finally sank in
and he smiled, “You have my word on that darling. As long as you
play nice, your psychiatrist will be fine, but if you cross me, he’s as
good as gone from this world and it‘ll be all your fault.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kyle smiled as Sarah began chasing him again around the merry-go-round.
He ran around hastily only to trip and fall to the ground.
Sensing a distinct advantage, Sarah moved in upon him. With one
swift move, she jumped on top of him.
“You caught me,” he replied grinning.
“You bet I did,” she nodded, her eyes wide with amusement at the
predicament Kyle found himself in.
“I guess I was wrong, you can catch me. One question, why haven’t you
ripped me to shreds yet?” he asked putting his arms behind his head.
“I was thinking it over while I was chasing you, and I decided that
you’re better to have around,” she shrugged with an afterthought as
Kyle smiled.
“So that means I can’t be that bad to hang out with,” he laughed
raising his eyebrows. “You actually might even find yourself
enjoying my company huh?”
“Yeah, I guess your okay,” she nodded, “I mean it beats being home
alone on a night like this I suppose.”
“Are you sure about that,” he couldn’t help but tease her.
“Well no not actually, but I suppose you’re okay,” she reiterated
catching note of the expression that spilled over his features.
He opened his mouth to speak, but instead stopped himself much to
Sarah’s surprise.
“What? Cat got your tongue,” she questioned with a quick wiggle
of her brow.
“I can deal with okay,” he decided as they got up again. He wiped
his pants off. “Would you look at that.”
“What?”
“Remember, we used to hang out all the time on the merry-go-round,”
Kyle motioned to the playground toy before them. He flashed her a
quick grin before walking over to it.
“Yeah, I do,” Sarah nodded smiling, “Of course back then that seemed
like it was the solution to everything. If I had a bad day I
would just call you over and we’d go to the merry-go-round. You’d
spin me around so fast I thought I’d throw up, yet it was the greatest
thing.”
“Hmm, I never thought hearing a woman say I almost made her throw up
would sound so tempting,” he joked catching wind of the reflective
expression on her face.
“I never imagined I’d enjoy that feeling as much I did. I mean I
didn’t know if I was coming or going or what was happening next.
It was the ultimate feeling of freedom and excitement rolled into one
when we did that,” she thought back to their youth remembering all the
simple pleasures they’d taken from one another’s company.
“Here get on it,” he suggested with a nod.
“I can’t,” Sarah started to argue with him, “I’m too old to do that.”
“You’re never too old,” Kyle motioned for her to join him. “We
can try it for old time’s sake.
“You’re absolutely insane. I hope you realize that Kyle,” she
blurted out jumping onto the ride.
“So what else is new,” he shrugged his shoulders unable to refrain from
admiring her beauty under the night sky.
“Okay, start pushing buddy,” she urged laughing as Kyle pushed as hard
as he could. He watched the way her eyes lit up with that same
enthusiasm she’d had as a child and immediately he was drawn in.
Pushing a few more times, he finally stepped forward, jumping up
towards her once he’d gotten a good sense of movement going. In
his haste he almost stumbled off.
“Okay, it’s been a while since I have done that,” he confessed putting
his hand over his head and sitting on one of the bars.
“You’re really getting old, you know that?” she teased poking at his
ribs while sitting on the bar next to him.
“Excuse me, I think I am doing just fine for my age,” he feigned
offense shaking his head.
“Whatever you say,” she threw out a taunting look just to get another
jab in at her long time friend. There was just something about
the expression on his face that had her thinking so many different
things about the future for them. Sure, he‘d been her longest
friend, but there was something about his eyes--in his smile--his
laughter that made her heart melt. For a moment she almost forgot
that this just wasn’t another one of the silly dreams she’d had about
the two of them sharing time alone with one another.
“Yeah, so…are you excited about your new job?” he questioned putting a
halt to her dwindling thoughts.
“Yeah, I can’t wait. What about you, how is the private investigating
going? Any new near death experiences?” she questioned with a quick
wiggle of her brow as he laughed.
“Close enough, my car got put to an early rest. It was caught in
the crossfire of a shooting,” Kyle sighed shaking his head and looking
down.
“Are you talking about that ugly car I told you not to buy?” she
frowned thinking about his unnecessary purchase as he gasped in horror.
“She was beautiful, she didn’t deserve to get gunned down like
that. She had a promising life ahead of her,” Kyle insisted
raising both his eyebrows.
“Whatever you say, I still think that you shouldn’t have wasted your
money,” she groaned laughing at the expression on his face.
“On that baby, no money could ever be wasted. She’s in the shop, I hope
she will be okay. The guy working there said that she would be
like new, but I‘m sure she‘ll never be the same,” Kyle sighed as Sarah
smirked.
“It’s just a car why do you call it a she? Or why do you even act like
it‘s a living thing?”
“Because she is a living thing to me, she’s my baby,” Kyle
frowned. “I’d be lost without her.”
“It sounds like you love that car more then anything in the world,” she
remarked as Kyle shook his head.
“Not true,” he said pointing at her.
“Then who or what is more precious to you then that car?” Sarah baited
him watching as Kyle raised an eyebrow.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Just never mind, I can tell you’re in a stubborn mood,” she said with
a groan.
“Am not,” Kyle said frowning.
“Okay your not,” she decided not to argue with him knowing it would be
no used to get into a battle of wits when her mind was reeling with
other thoughts where Kyle was concerned. In an attempt to shift
the focus on something irrelevant to what she was feeling, she spoke up
once again. “So how did your car get shot?”
“Long story,” he sighed looking around through the darkness of the
night.
“Well, the night is still young, meaning we have some time to talk,”
she suggested watching the way the moonlight accentuated every handsome
line of his face.
“Well, I was doing some work for a friend of mine and it ended up being
more serious then we thought. A guy who was leading us in the right
direction ended up getting shot in a drive by and unfortunately my car
go hit too,” Kyle explained reflecting on the memory.
“How nice of you to think of your car before the guy,” she gave him a
strange look as he frowned.
“Give me a break, the guy was a freak,” he informed her with a
shrug. “I think it’s safe to say no one will really miss him.”
“I have to worry about you sometimes,” Sarah decided giving him a long
look.
“And why is that?”
“What if the guy who got shot was you? What if you were the one gunned
down?” she continued to explain to him. “I know your job is
dangerous, but still I don’t think I stand being without you.”
“Thanks,” he said smiling, “but as I said before in terms of the guy, I
don’t really think he’s going to be missed very often though.”
“You’re something else Kyle,” she blurted out as he stood up.
“That’s a good thing I’m assuming?” he asked as he felt dizzy and fell
backwards over the bar and onto the ground.
“Are you okay?” she asked jumping off as he got up wiping the woodchips
away from his tousled hair.
“I think so. Remind me never to do that again,” he said pointing
in the direction of the merry-go-round.
“I’ll try, but I wont promise anything. It’s kind of funny when that
stuff happens to a big guy like you,” she laughed watching him take a
seat on the ground.
“Hey I guess you were right, maybe I am really falling for you,” he
offered up in a half teasing tone while smiling in an attempt to
lighten the mood.
“Could be,” she nodded trying to ignore the furious pounding of her
heart at the very mention of something growing between them.
Their eyes connected and she felt her pulse race harder than
before. There was just something to be said about being this
close to him--something so very reckless and dangerous and so very
tempting with his words.
“Want me to walk you home?” Kyle suggested smiling and standing up.
“Sure that would be great,” she nodded hoping to keep from letting her
buried feelings get the best of her.
They walked to her place in silence. While Sarah had a lot
reeling in her mind, she tried to stay focused on the evening they’d
shared. It was about two friends enjoying one another’s
company. Nothing more and nothing less, though her heart was
saying so much more about what she wanted to see happen. Finally
after her tortured thoughts, she discovered they were by her
home. Seconds later they stopped in front of it.
“Thanks a lot Kyle, it meant a lot to me. I had fun,” she said smiling.
“Yeah, I had fun too. I just feel bad that you didn’t get a real
dinner,” he informed her with a sheepish expression.
“Hey, it’s no problem. I enjoyed tonight and besides you can make it up
to me with another dinner.”
“In that case, I should have us get kicked out of a restaurant more
often,” he couldn’t help but tease her.
“You’d enjoy that wouldn’t you,” she laughed lightly thinking about the
night they’d shared with one another. “I almost forgot, your
jacket.”
“You hold on to it for now, next time I see you I will get it back,” he
insisted watching her try to hand it back over to him.
“Thanks,” she said smiling while she hugged the jacket closer to her
body thinking about the scent of him swept over her senses. Just
being this close to him via his jacket was enough to give her dreams
for weeks to come.
“Well, I should get going,” she decided walking up the steps to her
house.
“Sarah wait,” he began grabbing her hand pulling her down to him.
“What is it?” she asked raising an eyebrow.
“You know how you asked me that question earlier,” he began nervously,
thinking of how to approach the situation that had been on his mind for
so very long.
“Which one,” she asked tilting her head.
“The one about my car and if I liked something more than it,” he
reminded her smiling.
“Yeah,” she said not knowing where this was heading considering that
her thoughts had gone in all different directions all night long.
“Well, I have an answer for you,” he divulged grinning despite the way
his palms were growing clammy now that his nerves were getting the best
of him.
“What would that be?” she questioned shifting on her toes before his
hand touched her face lightly.
“Truthfully…” he started in a low, breath of a whisper, “The answer is
you.” He leaned in kissing her slowly.
Tentatively, the back of his fingers brushed up against her cheek,
skimming over the velvety soft skin of her face. He could taste
the sweetness of her lips intoxicating him far more than any of his
fantasies ever could’ve over the years. Nothing compared to the
moment he and Sarah had broken beyond the barriers of friendship
delving into something deeper with one another. He was taking a
risk, but in kissing her, in touching her like this, he realized that
it was a risk worth taking. He’d wanted her for so very long, but
did she feel it too? With that thought rushing over his senses he
brought the kiss to an abrupt ending with a nervous jolt.
“I’m sorry, that was a bad thing to do,” he started to apologize
backing up and turning around with a cloud of embarrassment rushing
down upon him.
“Kyle,” she breathed grasping onto his hand.
“Yes?” he asked as his brown eyes looked into hers.
“It’s okay, I‘m glad you just did that. It‘s something I‘ve been
thinking about for a long time,” she admitted taking a step forward and
pulling him in towards her.
Without a word, she threw her arms around him kissing him with the same
longing he‘d revealed to her. There was something to be said
about how perfect the moment felt for the two of them. After what
felt like an eternity of bliss, the two parted breathlessly. He
reached for her hand giving it a light squeeze as their eyes connected
once again. Kyle smiled as she started walking up the steps.
“Goodnight,” he called out to her as her hand slowly slipped out of
his.
“Night,” she replied in a dreamy, breathless tone giving him one last
once over before closing the door behind her.
“Yes,” he cheered under his breath starting to walk back the other
way. Somehow this night had turned out to be everything he’d
dreamt about but had been too afraid to experience for so many
years. Sure, he’d thought about Sarah for a long time, but he’d
always feared what would happen if he’d taken that leap. Now that
he did, he was counting his lucky stars that this would mark the
beginning of something wonderful between them.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lost in the afterglow of the stolen moments they’d shared with one
another, Russ and Avery snuggled into one another beneath the thin
sheet that covered them. The soft breeze of the overhead ceiling
fan sent tiny shivers over their bodies while Avery dropped her head
over Russell’s chest to savor the moment of silence that had enveloped
them after their intense love making session. She could feel tiny
thrills race up and down her spine as his thick fingertips gingerly
circled over her spine.
“Have I told you lately just how much I love you,” he questioned
kissing the top of her head while she held onto him readily.
“Maybe once or twice in the last few minutes,” Avery couldn’t help but
tease him, “but I wasn’t sure if that was really you talking or the
orgasm.”
“I’ll give you the orgasm,” Russ pulled her up closer to him so that
their eyes met.
“I’d say you did quite well at that,” she stated boldly in a raspy,
passion spent tone.
A moment of silence passed between them before Russ noticed the hint of
mischief burning behind the dark pools of chocolate before him.
Her words were daring and bold and completely Avery, he thought to
himself when he began to tickle at her sides before urging her onto her
back again. He moved in over her teasing her mercilessly with his
frantic fingers before his mouth dropped down over the curve between
her neck and shoulder to blow against her skin. She let out a
squeal as he’d hit her most ticklish secret hotspot with that
movement.
“Russ…” she screamed out his name in an entirely different fashion than
the one she’d been using moments earlier when she’d been caught up in
the heat of passion. Now he was being goofy, teasing and down
right vicious with his tickle torture, “stop.”
“Not until you say what I’m waiting to hear,” he dropped down to blow
on her body again sending tiny vibrations over her while she wiggled
beneath him.
“Okay, okay,” Avery gave in unable to contain her overwhelming
laughter, “I know you love me and I love you too. More than you
can even begin to imagine.”
“I can imagine a lot,” he confessed propping himself up on his
shoulders over.
“And you seem to put a great deal of that imagination to life with us,
don’t you,” Avery winked up at him thinking about their intense
relationship with one another.
“Is that a complaint,” he arched a wicked brow.
“Not at all,” she shook her head in response, “but more so an
observation.”
“I see,” he noted skimming his index finger down over her side, teasing
it over her rib cage only to feel the tiny goose bumps that formed upon
her damp skin. She writhed beneath him in an involuntary movement
before her gaze interlocked with his once again.
“Russ, you have no idea what it is you do to me,” she confessed
watching the knowing expression that darted across his mischievous
green eyes, “and for the record, right now I’m not just talking about
well…that.”
“Ah, so what else is on your mind,” he inquired stealing a quick kiss
from her.
“Everything, anything, nothing…” she sighed heavily pressing her hand
to his chest to send him onto his side. Turning to face him, she
slid her arm around his body to hold onto him, “You just have that kind
of effect on me you know.”
“I’m hoping that’s a good thing,” he mouthed reaching out to bring his
fingers through her dark hair.
“It’s the best thing,” she confessed with a throaty whisper, “It’s that
special something that I’ve waited forever to have in my life.
Loving you has been the key to my survival and I don’t know what I’d do
without this in my life.”
“Lucky for you that’s something we’re never going to have to worry
about,” he assured her with a soft smile, feeling her wrap her leg
around his thigh in an attempt to pull them closer to one another in
their embrace.
“Even so, I really think that now is the time for us to really focus on
that,” Avery added with a thoughtful smile, “I mean sure we’ve talked
about it, but something has always come up. Our honeymoon was
marred by Bruce’s ridiculously horrifying surprise and this time, well
this time I was thinking that we could do something that’s entirely all
about us.”
“Hmm, that sounds very nice,” he curled his arm around her just
savoring the warmth of her beside her. “What did you have in
mind?”
“I don’t know. Something simple and exotic, but not too exotic
since the last time we tried that it didn’t go too well,” Avery frowned
at the memory.
“That was because we had forces working against us, but hey look at
what we can accomplish as a team with one another,” he offered up, his
voice full of hope, “Today we found ourselves one step closer to
proving Grady’s innocence and with Dave pursuing this thing against
Cameron, well that in itself says how great of a team we make.”
“I just hope for Grady’s sake that this is going to be the key to his
freedom,” Avery sighed thinking about her brother-in-law, “He and Jade
have waited so very long for happiness in their lives and I’d hate to
think that it could still be ripped away from them.”
“Hey, if we can make it, so can they,” Russell coaxed her into another
kiss, “I mean just look at how many times someone has tried to keep up
apart.”
“Yeah, well we aren’t completely out of the fire just yet,” Avery
admitted with yet another sigh. Thinking back to the kiss Brant
had laid upon her in her office when Kyle had walked in, she stiffened
in her husband’s arms.
“Avery, what is it,” Russ questioned watching her tense up beside him.
“Nothing,” she lied trying to force the sentiment her words conveyed.
“Don’t tell me that Avery,” he frowned upon her words. Sensing
her hesitance, he curled his arm around her tighter than before and
hugged her in closer to him to prevent her from closing herself off,
“What’s really bothering you?”
“Russ, it’s just that I…” she started at a loss realizing there
would be no way she could tell him about Brant without him going into
an uproar. Feeling guilt tug away at her, she reached out to
trace the lines of his shoulder with her index finger, “I’m just
worried about the things that are still left unfinished here in Coral
Valley. You know with Bruce and…”
“Bruce isn’t going to get in the way of what we have with one another,”
he tried to assure her. He paused thinking about what he had Kyle
working on. While he wanted to share it with her, all he could do
was touch her face and hope that she would feel secure in the hope that
the madman from her past would soon be nothing more than a fading
memory, “He’s not going to be able to run forever and when they catch
him, well it won’t be a day too soon.”
“No it won’t,” she sighed in agreement feeling him roll onto his back
while taking her with him. She snuggled in over his chest to
listen to the sounds of his heartbeat in beneath her.
“You know, this situation won’t last. Bruce is going to be put
away for life and we’re going to have a heck of a time raising our
little one,” Russell couldn’t help but smile at the thought, “and hey
you never know, in another year or so we could think about adding to
our happy home here.”
“You mean with another baby,” her eyes widened in response.
He nodded, “Sure, why not? I mean I always wanted to have my own
little baseball team.”
“Russ, you’re insane,” Avery shook her head at the thought, “I haven’t
even had our first baby and here you are planning for the others down
the line.”
“That’s because I know that our daughter is going to want to have a
little brother or sister to look after and boss around,” Russell
explained with a hint of laughter.
“Our daughter,” Avery repeated giving him a strange look, “Do you know
something that I don’t know here?”
“Call it instinct, but I get a feeling that we’re going to have a
beautiful little girl around here that has her mother’s pretty face,”
Russell divulged with a proud smile, “She’s going to have your charm
and your spunk and I’m going to love every minute with her.”
“And if you’re wrong and we’re having a son?” she arched a curious brow.
“Then he’s going to be a fine young man with his mother’s sparkling
personality and her love for sports, but I have to tell you,” he paused
before cracking another grin, “I really think we’re having a girl.”
“And since when did you encounter those psychic abilities,” she asked
with a strange look.
“Since I started thinking about some of your curious habits lately,” he
shrugged his shoulders, “I mean the whole chocolate and whipped cream
motif you had going here couldn’t have come from a son.”
“And just why not,” Avery curled her lip in a pout.
“Because that doesn’t come from me. That comes from the baby’s
mother and only a little girl could be craving something that sweet…”
he continued to reason.
“Or that sinful,” Avery pointed out thinking to what followed the
chocolate and whipped cream.
“Now Avery, please don’t ruin my image of our little one by reminding
me of how we are,” he dropped his hand over her stomach, taking the
time to ponder what the future had in store for them.
“It’s a reality we’ll have to live with sooner or later,” Avery added
watching the strained expression cross over his face.
“I vote for later,” he decided curling his arm around her, “now about
that second honeymoon we were discussing before.”
“Well, I talked to Caitlin the other day and she sounded like she and
Ken were lost in a whirlwind of love out in Seattle.”
“Did she now,” Avery questioned with a curious expression, “So things
are going good for them, then?”
“Things are going great for them,” he nodded in response, “and that got
me thinking about our taking a trip out there to perhaps see if it
could have the same effect on us.”
“It does sound tempting, but you know my father did arrange for that
European honeymoon that we said we’d have to take a rain check on,”
Avery snuggled into him, “I heard Vienna was always nice around this
time of year.”
“Hmm, you know that’s one place I’ve always wanted to go to with you,
but never had the opportunity,” he pondered for a long moment.
“So then maybe it’s a good idea to think about going out there after
all. I mean I know I was concerned about being pregnant and
taking a big trip, but I don’t see it as being anymore stressful than
what we’ve been going through already.”
“Neither do I,” Russ confessed kissing the top of her head before
curling her in closer to him while the two pondered the direction
they’d take in the future with the next two weeks theirs for the taking.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“So what’s the hurry Dave,” Shannon frowned entering his office in a
haste. While she’d wanted nothing more than to go home and forget
the nightmare of an evening she’d walked into, half way home, she’d
gotten paged by Dave repeatedly. It was now well past midnight
carrying over into a new day and she’d gotten none of the rest she’d
hoped for. At this moment she stood in the police chief’s office
feeling less than enthusiastic about the fact that she wasn’t at her
hotel room alone. “What’s the problem?”
“It’s not necessarily a problem,” Dave motioned for her to close the
door behind her, “but more so a break that we both have been waiting
for.”
“Such as,” Shannon carefully shut the door behind her before turning
around to find Dave seated on the edge of his desk with a television
remote control in hand, “What is this? Some kind of joke?”
“On the contrary, this is exactly what we’ve waited for Shannon,” he
motioned to the VCR before him, “In there is the surveillance tape from
the night of Kipp Mahoney’s shooting.”
“Wasn’t that destroyed somehow,” Shannon gave him a strange look, “I
thought you had your men go seek it out, but it wasn’t anywhere to be
found.”
“That’s what Lieutenant Sharpe had said,” Dave started to explain
taking note of the expression on her features, “Yeah, don’t say
it. Anyways, as you can see there’s a copy here that I was able
to get my hands on and look…”
Shannon focused on the screen before her suddenly seeing what Dave was
trying to show her. Her jaw dropped in surprise as he hit pause
and she let out an ironic laugh, “Well I’ll be damned.”
“See what I’m saying here,” Dave explained stopping the tape and
pulling it out of the VCR. He tossed it over to her before
circling around his desk to grab his jacket, “Which is why we can’t
wait on this one. I want you to keep that tape for good measure
because around here, well there’s no telling what will happen.”
“Dave, but where are you going,” Shannon watched him slip into his
jacket.
“I’m going to take a trip over to the Stone estate and give Cameron a
wake up call,” Dave flashed her an enthusiastic grin before grabbing
his keys, “Care to join me?”
“You’re damn right I will,” Shannon nodded in agreement following Dave
out of the office with a great many questions running through her mind
about the level of guilt behind the powerhouse that had evaded police
attention thus far. It was time to get the answers that Cameron
had refused to give them.
