A Change of Heart (48 page)

"I sent in some sketches to those calendar people."

"Good for you!
 
Tell me all about it tomorrow."

At least she wasn't nervous at all about meeting someone new.
 
Annabeth walked to Becky's door the next evening.
 
She'd dressed casually in a shirtwaist dress that was one of her new outfits and was carrying a home made cake.

"Wow!" said Becky as she opened the door, "You look wonderful.
 
And so does that."
 
Becky reached out and hugged Annabeth, then led her into the living room where Shep sat in his usual chair.
 
He rose and greeted Annabeth warmly, then showed her to a seat on the couch while Becky perched on the arm.

"Now I want you to have an open mind," insisted Becky.
 
"This is one great guy, right Shep?"
 
Her husband nodded.
 
"We haven't known him all that long, but only because he hasn't been in town that long.
 
He's perfect for you, I'm sure."
 

Once again Shep nodded.
 
"Matchmaker, matchmaker," he taunted his wife, who flapped her hand at him in mock exasperation.

"He's solid and reliable, right hon?"
 
Shep nodded at each question put to him by his wife.
 
"Decent, honest, a good man.
 
Right?"

"Baseball fan," added Shep who couldn't understand why the two women looked puzzled at this bit of information rather than pleased.

"Just don't get upset with me that I'm not really interested.
 
There's someone else, I told you, and I'm pretty sure that…"
 
Before she could complete the thought, the bell rang and Becky went to answer the door.
 
She returned in an instant, Doug Hawkins behind her.

Shep stood and reached his hand toward Doug, who in surprise said, "Annabeth!
 
I wondered why your car was here."

"Doug," she said, smiling, and walked into his arms for a hug.

"You two know each other," said Shep and Becky at once.

"It was a nice evening, wasn't it," said Doug as he and Annabeth entered her house after the dinner was over.

"Yes, wonderful.
 
I'm so glad I met Becky.
 
And Shep is a great guy."

"Yes they're a nice couple, and determined to fix you up," said Doug, scrutinizing Annabeth carefully.

She blushed.
 
"I only went because Becky insisted.
 
I told her there was someone else, that I was deciding…"

Doug waited silently, wondering if she would go on.
 
He saw the hesitation in her eyes, the fear, the insecurity, and he said, "Oh, I see.
 
You still need time."

"Deciding," she said, "That I love you."
 

He wrapped his arms around her then and said, "Oh!
 
I love you too.
 
And I always will."

Hugging Doug as tightly as she could for a moment, Annabeth moved from his arms briefly, chained the front door shut and reached her hand to him.

In an instant they were upstairs in her bedroom, standing at the foot of the bed, embracing tenderly, kissing slowly, holding each other with the promise of a love that would last a lifetime.
 
His lips on hers were so soft, so gentle, yet so taunting, and Annabeth felt her head start to swirl.
 
Pressing her hands against Doug's shoulders, she pushed him down to the bed, where he sat looking at her with love in his eyes.
 
She stood closely, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, pressing his head to her chest, holding him to her heart, where he would stay forever.

"Oh," she sighed sweetly, "Oh."

His eyes flooded with tenderness, Doug pulled her even more tightly to him, moving his face gently against her breast and kissing her through the fabric of her bodice.

Annabeth, grown bold in love, stepped back half a pace, and slowly unbuttoned the dress, revealing the sheer lace bra she wore beneath it, then she shrugged her shoulders and the dress fell at her feet.
 
She gazed first into Doug's eyes and then blushed briefly, looking down and away from him in sudden shyness.
 
He reached to pull her close, wanting to kiss her again, and she knew that he would want to kiss her every moment of the rest of his life, but first she knelt down in front of him, and wrapped her arms around him.
 

Her hands slid up his back, and she leaned in, kissing his neck, losing herself again and again in the taste of his skin. Her hands, alive with the sensation of a man, his strength, his skin, searched along his back, riding up and down the angles and curves, tugged at his shirt and slid beneath it.
 
She sighed when she was calm enough, gasped otherwise, having waited so long, yearned so long.
 
Sliding her hands outside the shirt toward his chest, Annabeth slowly unbuttoned it, one button at a time, kissing the skin that was revealed as the shirt opened.

Doug, his breath grown raspy, reached down and pulled her up to him, kissing her, this time with greater urgency, his lips grazing across her own in soft kisses, hard kisses, tiny nibbles, and sweet sucking motions.
 
He reached down then, and kissed her neck, as she had done to him, causing her to moan with pleasure.
 
His hands, knowing and sure, yet slow and sensual, explored her soft skin.
 
With a smile and a confident twist of strong fingers, Doug broke the band on her pantyhose and tore them off her body.

"Oh, my!" she exclaimed, her heart pounding.
 

He stood then, and pressed Annabeth's back tightly to his front, his hands gently roaming over the front of her body.

"Oh, my!" she said again, this time almost unable to speak.
 
She pressed herself against his body, feeling him hard and strong against her.
 
Wanting nothing between them, she twisted swiftly in his arms, reaching for his belt and the waistband of his slacks, which she undid as he watched, his hands stroking her hair.
 
Feeling impatient, Annabeth tugged at the slacks, but they wouldn't move.
 
"Oh!" she said in frustration, until his hand guided hers to the zipper which she lowered smoothly and watched as slacks and boxers dropped to the floor.
 

Doug stepped smoothly out of them, and stood quietly for a moment, letting her look at him.
 
Then he reached for her once more and removed the lace bra and panties.
 
Together they fell onto the bed, kissing for a long time, losing themselves in each other, already knowing that they could flow out of themselves and into each other, that even in a kiss they could merge as one.
 
Uncounted moments passed, yet still they kissed, urgent in their passion, but unhurried to complete it.
 
Doug lifted his lips from Annabeth's for a bit and lay back against the pillow, looking at her, letting his fingers graze over all the sensitive places on her body, watching as her head twisted on her neck, her desire almost unbearable.

She sighed, and moaned, and sighed, and moaned, wondering would she survive, would she still be able to draw breath should he continue touching her like that.
 
If he doesn't stop I'll die.
 
I could die…I would die…it would be worth it….

Doug smiled, watching Annabeth, and then slid closer and began doing with his mouth all the things he'd done with his fingers.
 
"So beautiful, so soft, you woman, oh you woman."
 
He pressed her so tightly to him, and hearing her moan in pleasure, he pressed her more tightly yet.

"Now, now," she whispered, unable to speak properly, "Now."
 
She wanted him desperately, had wanted him so long already, had waited so long.

"Not yet," he said, and flipped her to her stomach.
 
First he lay still on top of her, feeling her pressing up toward him, feeling the need and yearning she didn't trouble to hide.
 
Then he slid down slowly, kissing her back in a thousand places, dragging his tongue along her backbone, teasing her with his lips.

"Oh!" she said, her vocabulary reduced to one syllable, "Oh!"
 
Just as she had so many times with him before, Annabeth struggled to gain control of her passions, and when she had done so, she twisted away and onto her side, pressing Doug flat against the bed.
 
"I want to kiss you too," she said, taking a hasty, irregular breath between each word.

First she slid her cheek along his chest, then turning her face slightly, she began kissing him, exploring all the places that interested her, listening as his breathing became ragged, feeling his heart pounding against his chest.
 
Every night and every morning.
 
She would want him.
 
Every day and every year. Her hands, both of them, working together like soft swans on an unruffled lake, explored, and she was filled with the yearning to keep touching, stroking, squeezing, until the memory of all those secret male places that had so long been denied her had once again been etched deeply in her consciousness.

She knew he could stand no more, yet wanting to continue forever, Doug struggled to control himself, and when the moment was right he was once more on top, his mouth on Annabeth's, their bodies intertwined and merging in a holy fire of passion and transcendence.
 
They moved together seamlessly, dancers perfectly matched, changing position now and then, slowing their motions and speeding them up again, then changing again until their every desire was satisfied.
 

Her eyes tightly closed, Annabeth felt herself rolling on a wave, lost control and gave herself over to it, the intensity so great she feared for a moment it would never stop, that she would never again be the mistress of her own body.
 
She clung to Doug then, clung tightly, sensing that he was all there was left on earth, only Doug and herself there together in her bed, there joined forever, lost in the rising and falling waves together.
 
Feeling Annabeth begin to quicken beneath him, feeling her quiver around him, Doug let go his restraint and moved to please himself, pleasing her as well, and together they ground along, heated, intense, yet tender, and soon the release they sought arrived, each clutching the other tightly, rocking softly, wanting not to let down, afraid to push too hard, both fragile and spent.

They lay for a long time, bodies molded together, each panting and trying to breathe.
 
Eventually Doug rolled onto his back then pulled Annabeth to him, cradling her head on his shoulder.
 
His arm held her firmly and she felt safe and warm.
 
Her hand reached up and lay tenderly against his cheek for a moment until he enfolded it in his, kissing her fingers briefly, then holding her hand tightly to his chest.

At the same moment they said, "I love you."
 
Then they smiled into each other's eyes.

"You're so beautiful," he said simply, with devotion.
 
"Everything I've ever wanted.
 
And more."

"What you do to me.
 
I thought I was going to die.
 
Oh Doug.
 
I almost fainted."

He kissed her forehead.

A tear formed in her eye, then rolled down Annabeth's cheek.
 
"This is the first time you know."
 
He waited for her to complete the thought.
 
"The first time I've ever really been in love."
 
She relaxed then against his shoulder and stroked his chest.

Doug laughed for a moment then said, "I thought you were going to say it was the first time you had great sex."

She nodded, "Yes, and the first time I ever really made love."
 

19

Annabeth sat across from Herb Midwood in his office.
 
"You were right," he said.
 
"Look at this."
 
Herb handed Annabeth a manila folder, which she opened.
 
Inside were copies of loan papers, tax documents, and many photographs of R.J.'s vending machines, some containing shots of R.J. himself.

"You followed him?"

Midwood laughed.
 
"I am a detective!
 
Now, according to this, your mother-in-law claimed to be a partner in your husband's vending machine business."

"Yes, she loaned him the money for his first machines and I guess he still gives her a certain percentage now."

"So I got copies of her taxes with the loan form she filed when she borrowed money a few years back--house needed repair or something.
 
Apparently she filed taxes claiming the business makes a great deal more than it does according to your husband's financial statement.
 
And these pictures tend to back up her version, not his."

"So we've been filing fraudulent income taxes for years?
 
I could get in trouble?"

"It's not impossible, but since you had no knowledge of the number of vending machines he owns, it's unlikely.
 
You're an injured party."