Now and Forever 5, Love's Journey (23 page)

“Marcia, you must have had a good night’s
sleep. You look better.”

Her face reddened so much she turned to face
the window, hoping Jay hadn’t noticed. Sleep had nothing to do with
it and she didn’t want Jay to know. Guilt consumed her so she made
small talk about the falling leaves and items from the news.

“I want you to marry again.” He motioned for
her to move closer to his bed.

Then she knew he knew. Tears came to her
eyes; nothing she did was right. Now she had hurt him and she
didn’t know how to make it better.

“I want you to. Bad enough I have to be
tortured by this…this disease. I don’t want you tortured too. It’s
all right.”

Tears choked her so she couldn’t speak.
Finally the tears refused to be held in abeyance and a sob broke
through her control as tears streamed down her face.

“Come here.” Jay called to her.

Taking a deep breath, Marcia fought to tame
her emotions. She wiped her face with her hands, turned from the
window and walked to the bed. He took her hand between his two.

“I love you, I have since we were nineteen.
How could I deny you happiness? The past five years have been such
a roller-coaster ride. I’d feel better if I knew you wouldn’t be
alone when I’m gone. I can’t bear to think you’ll spend your days
on your own with no reason to get out of bed.” He blinked back
tears.

She sensed death hovering behind him and
could deny him nothing.

He squeezed her hand briefly before he said,
“Ease my mind, tell me you won’t be alone, dear.”

“I won’t be alone, one way or another,” she
said in a small voice. Her gaze avoided his and rested on the
still-life painting on the wall. She refused to admit there was
someone.

“Good.” He patted her hand.

Marcia leaned over and kissed him, slightly
repulsed by the taste and smell of death surrounding Jay. He kissed
her hand and sat back, closing his eyes to sleep. She moved a chair
to the window and pretended to read a magazine.

* * * *

Across town on campus

Alan sat in his office with his second
writing assignment on his desk for grading. He was getting sexually
excited as he searched for the worst papers among the girls, hoping
Jenna Walker or Mary Campbell would be his victim this semester.
Clarissa Gordon had been failing, too, but Clarissa didn’t have the
delicious body Jenna had. Mary had beautiful long auburn hair and
large breasts. He could feel a tightening in his groin as he
thought about them taking their clothes off in his office. Looking
at their young, firm bodies, all for him. Suddenly he was hard. He
looked around, nervous Rex would walk in and discover his state of
arousal.

* * * *

That night, Rex again took Alan’s keys at
three o’clock and went to the office. But again there was nothing
on the cameras. Rex was furious. He swore quietly and went home to
return the keys to Alan before he found they were missing.

* * * *

Seven blocks from the university building
housing the English department, Alan sat back with his glass of
wine, watching the October sunset and thought about Jenna’s body.
She was the one…a pre-med student, smart at everything but writing
papers. She had accidentally plagiarized, too…grounds for automatic
dismissal from the school and her hopes for medical school ruined.
She cried and pleaded with Alan, but he wouldn’t budge. Still she
refused to sleep with him and left him no choice. He intended to
fail her.

He was angry and frustrated, sexually
frustrated. He’d been looking forward to making her a regular.
Jenna in his office every week for him to do with as he pleased
made his pulse race. But it was not to be.

Alan found Mary Campbell, a phys. Ed major,
much more cooperative. She came every week and although she didn’t
like it and got out as soon as possible, she seemed resigned to her
fate. Alan liked running his fingers through her silky hair and
touching her big breasts. He liked Mary. He wore his best clothes
and cologne on the days Mary was his. Maybe she’d learn to like
him, even with their age difference…maybe he could take her on a
date. Not only would he pass her, but she’d get an A.

* * * *

Rex needed to get Alan’s keys and check his
cameras, but Alan was not cooperating. He was up late, reading.

The next night, Rex slipped sleeping powder
into his wine. At three o’clock, Alan was out cold. Rex took the
keys and went to the office.

Bingo! There it was, Alan having sex with a
young woman Rex assumed was a student. Rex took the two cameras
with the incriminating footage and went home to bed. He slept
soundly, knowing he had Alan where he wanted him
.

Chapter
Fourteen

At the Caldwell’s’ lake house

Peter was taking Lara to the lake house for
the weekend in honor of her birthday. She was turning twenty-eight
on Saturday.
Ah, two days of privacy!

It was chilly when they arrived. Peter could
see his breath hang in the air. He carried Lara up the stone steps
to the front door. After retrieving their suitcases, he made a fire
in the living room fireplace. Lara got up and explored gingerly,
using a newly-acquired walking stick to keep from falling.

Peter got out a special CD he created with
his favorite romantic music. He put it on and fanned the fledgling
fire, which began to flame. He poured a glass of wine for each of
them, then settled down on the floor in front of the fireplace.
Lara joined him, warming her hands. Peter couldn’t take his eyes
off her. Gold and red highlights in her brown curls danced in the
light of the flames. With all the bruising healed, her skin was
radiant, her eyes were shining, she was beautiful. Her smile was
warm as she reached out for Peter’s hand.

Pulling her into his arms, her head came to
rest on his shoulder and she snaked her arm around his waist.. As
they listened to the music, conversation seemed unnecessary. He
wanted to savor every second he was alone with her. He drank in the
delicate scent of her perfume, sweet but subtle lilies and stroked
her hair, letting its softness tickle his palm.

“I love it here. Don’t remember when I’ve
felt so…so…” Peter began.

“Calm? This house has a calm, peaceful
aura.”

He felt Lara relax against him. He wanted to
make love to her, but did not want to rush. They always had to
rush, to be quiet and aware there might be others in the house. He
leaned over and kissed her, slowly and sensuously; she parted her
lips to allow his tongue in. Their tongues teased and danced. Then
he swirled his tongue over her lips and back into her mouth. Her
breath quickened. He did it again. Lara moaned. Peter moved his
lips to her neck, then slowly down to the hollow of her throat,
while his hand slipped under her jacket and circled her breast.

Lara took off her jacket and Peter took off
his flannel shirt. He pulled her into his arms again, kissing her
with more intensity, crushing her breasts against his chest. Her
breath was coming quickly. She pulled up his T-shirt and put her
hands on his chest.

“Bear…” she murmured as her fingertips
touched the soft hair on his chest. He moaned as her hands skimmed
over his skin, her nails leaving a trail of fire.

Peter unbuttoned her blouse and pushed it
off her shoulders. His eyes widened when he saw the lacy black bra
she wore.

“Wow,” he said staring at her chest.

“Are you staring at me again?” she asked, a
smile playing at her lips.

“Is this new?” His fingers skimmed over the
shiny satin cups.

“Do you like it?”

“I like it so much I want to take it off so
it doesn’t get wrecked,” he teased.

His lips traveled down her neck as he easily
snapped opened the bra. He slid it off before his mouth reached her
breasts, his tongue teasing and caressing. Lara sighed softly.
Peter’s fingers toyed with the waistband on her jeans. Lara
unbuttoned them and slipped them down her hips and thighs. Once
they were on the floor, she stepped out of them to reveal lacy
black bikini panties.

“Do you like them?”

“I’d like them more if they were on the
floor.” He slipped the panties down and off, then removed his jeans
in record time. He stopped to gaze lovingly at her.

“You are beautiful, your body is perfect,”
he whispered.

He moved his hand to her tight bottom giving
it a squeeze. Then he slid his fingers around her thighs and up
into her moist warmth. She squirmed as his fingers continued their
exploration and stroking, gentle but insistent. The more he touched
her, the more aroused he became too, feeling a tightening in his
groin.

She ran her hands down his back and under
the waistband of his boxers. Peter took the hint and slipped them
off. Lara’s hands searched for his hips, then moved down. She found
him fully aroused and stroked him slowly. He groaned, growing even
harder, as his excitement took over.

“Let’s slow this down,” he whispered, moving
her hand, barely able to breathe.

“Bear…” she moaned, her breath coming in
short gasps.

He brought his attention back to her
breasts, caressing them, massaging them, feeling every inch of her,
his fingers hot with passion. Then he lowered himself slowly,
kissing her stomach, then her thighs. Lara groaned, losing her
hands in his hair. When his tongue touched her, desire swept
through his body like wildfire.

“Bear…bear…take me, please,” she breathed,
her chest heaving.

Peter covered himself quickly. He rose up on
his knees, and stopped for a moment to look at Lara whose back was
arched, her mouth swollen from his kisses, her body taut, waiting
for him to raise her to the peak and send her over the top to sweet
release. Seeing her like that intensified his passion, he could
feel the heat growing in his loins until he thought he’d lose
control.

He entered her as slowly as he could, to
prolong her pleasure.

She gasped. “Oh, God!” she exclaimed.

He could feel her tight grip, it sent his
senses reeling. He kissed her hard, taking her in every way he
could.

“Please…please…bear.” They could not wait
any longer. He began to move as she gripped his hips, pulling him
deeper into her. He increased his pace, then stopped, trying to
make the feeling last.

“No, no…don’t stop…bear…”

He lost control and began to thrust hard and
fast. She cried out as her whole body shuddered. Her climax
launched his, his muscles tightened and he exploded inside her,
groaning loudly and wrapping his arms around her.

Afterward, Peter moved over beside her and
cuddled her in close to him.

“Amazing,” he muttered, stroking her hair,
burying his face in her neck.

Peter jumped up to search for a pillow and a
quilt. Finding them, he returned to the floor with Lara, covering
them both and sharing the pillow.

“Making love with you is incredible. You…you
take me places I’ve never been before. I love you so much.” She
stroked his chest.

“I love you too, honey.” He kissed her
tenderly.

Entwined together, the lovers fell asleep in
front of the fire. When it died down, the chill in the air woke
them up. The living room was pitch black. Peter turned on a light
and guided Lara up to the big bed in the master bedroom. They
huddled together to warm up the freezing cold sheets and soon the
lovers drifted off to sleep.

In the morning, sunshine flooded the living
room and deck early, but the bedroom faced the west and didn’t get
sun until the afternoon. So it wasn’t the sun that woke Peter, it
was the absolute quiet.

* * * *

Lara felt the bed tilt as he slid silently
out of bed. The old floor creaked a bit under his bare feet, as he
walked to the bathroom.

The sound of the shower forced her to fully
wake up. She rolled over, opened her eyes and saw light. Looking
out the sliding glass doors to the valley below the house. She
could see everything. Her sight had returned completely.

In shock, putting her hand to her mouth,
Lara gasped. Peter finished his shower and stepped out dripping wet
onto the bathmat. Lara turned to look at him, and couldn’t believe
her eyes…he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. He picked
up a towel and began to dry himself. Lara lay back down on the bed,
turning only her head to study him as he lathered his face. Her
gaze traveled over every inch of his body. At one point he seemed
to feel her stare and glanced at the bed, but she pretended to be
asleep.

He was finely formed, in perfect proportion.
His shoulders were broad and his chest, deep and powerful, was
covered with blond hair. His face, what she could see of it under
the shaving lather, had even, perfect features and his blond hair,
slightly long, soaking wet, hung straight into his eyes. His hands
were large with long, lean, fingers—perfect for playing the piano.
His legs were long with muscular thighs and calves and he was tall,
very tall. She watched the large muscles in his upper arms and
forearms work as he dragged the razor over his face. In the
reflection of the bathroom mirror she saw his eyes were a bright,
intense blue. Peter was beautiful. Lara never expected him to look
like this.