I could barely stand it, the pleasure of having him inside me coursing through me in waves. Every centimeter, every touch was something I had craved. I had dreamed of this for twenty years, and the reality was so much better than the fantasy.
I slowed my pace and leaned down to kiss him. As if waiting for his moment, he wrapped his arms around me and flipped me back onto my back. I didn't mind, though. I loved looking up, seeing his arms and chest flexing above me and the way his waist tapered into a delicious V. His h*ps rocked back and forth, sending undulations of pleasure into me.
His pace quickened, his breathing coming in shallow pants. His eyes drifted closed as sweet cli**x washed over him. I cried out, and Dean's low ragged answering groan filled my ears. I clung to him, pulling him into me, never wanting him to leave. I felt his release wash over the inside of my body. With slowing strokes, he shuddered and his body relaxed.
Moments later, he rolled to his side, his eyes searching my face. Happiness like I hadn't seen in years spread across his features. He brushed the hair out of my eyes, smiling as he kissed me. My world was perfect.
The dark night wrapped the two of us like a warm blanket. I could hear the fire crackle in the other room. Dean was solid beside me, his arms wrapped tight around me as though he were afraid I might run off into the night. I never wanted to leave.
The moon peeked through the window, casting the room in silver shadows. The light danced across the sheets, turning them into an ocean of pleasure, and the air sparkled with promise. A single moonbeam soared through the window, landing on a small painting on Dean's nightstand. I sat up on my elbow, peering over him to look at it. It was the painting from the beach.
"What are you looking at?" Dean asked. His voice was rough and incredibly sexy. A shiver of desire went up my spine, and I kissed his cheek before leaning over and picking it up. He cocked his head, a boyish grin on his face as my chest passed in front of his face, but I managed to pick up the painting and settle back into the nook of his arm.
"I can't believe you still have this," I said softly, tracing the dark lines of the silhouette. He cuddled me in closer to him, his lips against my hair.
"I told you, I went back and got it. It's my favorite work of art." His breath tickled against my cheek.
"Even more than the Renoir on your mantle?" I asked. I had a feeling it was real, but if it wasn't, it was still expertly done. If it was real, it was worth a fortune.
"Even more than the Renoir." He kissed me softly. "I only have a love of art because you gave it to me."
"I love you, Dean." The words came out easily, as though I had always said them. In my heart, I had said them every day since I had met him.
He squeezed me tighter, his arms strong and safe. "I love you, too." he whispered. No words had ever felt so good. Happiness and contentment surged through every inch of my being. Things felt right in the world. He nuzzled my hair, kissing me gently. I nestled into the crook of his arm, resting my ear against his chest. His heart beat in my ear, rhythmic and soothing.
"I can hear your heart beat," I whispered.
"It beats for you. It always has," he whispered back. I smiled, closing my eyes and simply enjoying being with the love of my life. Dean's heart pulsed, my own heart matching his mesmerizing rhythm as I drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 26
Present Day
I woke up the next morning to find that Dean was already out of bed. The room seemed empty without him. I glanced at the painting on the nightstand, the woman still defiant against the storm after all these years. It made me smile that he had kept it.
The floor was cold to my bare feet as I stumbled into the bathroom. Sitting on the toilet seat was a clean pair of sweats and a plain gray t-shirt. I slid the comfortable clothing on, rolling the waist band to keep the pants up. The shirt smelled like Dean, and I breathed it in, enjoying the scent. I giggled as I realized there was no way he was going to get this t-shirt back. Well, maybe, when it lost that wonderful smell and needed refreshing.
The rest of the apartment was quiet, but I found a pot of coffee ready with a note in Dean's messy handwriting.
Good morning Beautiful,
I didn't want to wake you, but I'm getting breakfast. Creamer's in the fridge.
I love you.
I folded the note and stuck it in my pocket. Even though it was just a simple message, it felt dear to me. Maybe it was because I had wanted simple notes like this, simple mornings like this, for a very, very long time.
The creamer was about the only thing in the fridge. That and a jar of pickles. When he said he hadn't been home much, he wasn't kidding. I poured a cup of coffee and wandered over to the couch, sipping at the dark liquid. Dean had good taste in coffee. I could get used to spending mornings here. Maybe he would even give me a drawer to keep my things in.
The thought of getting to fall asleep wrapped up in Dean's arms and then wake up in the morning and have breakfast, made me giddy. In my mind I could see the two of us getting ready for work together...
Work was a problem. Dread settled in the pit of my stomach. We could both be fired for this. I could hear Daniel's voice, repeating the conversation we had when Dean was hired.
"Thank you for telling me about your prior relationship with this man. You understand that I have to enforce the employee contract. If I make an exception for you, I will have to make exceptions for others. The whole point of the employee contract was to negate that issue," Daniel said. He stood tall in his office. There were boxes on the desk, though, the first sign that his illness was forcing him to hand the reigns over to Jack.
"I don't think it will be a problem. I don't see the two of us getting back together. I just felt it was important to tell you. I didn't want it to come up later and be an issue." I stood straight and tall in front of his desk. I had been afraid that he would be angry.
"Oh, Rachel." He gave me a big smile and came around the desk, putting his hands on my shoulders. "You are allowed to have a life outside of this company. In fact, I'd love it if you met someone and made me a godfather. I think you'll find someone better than a washed up soldier to make you happy, so I'm not going to waver on this."
"I understand. I really don't think it's going to be a problem. Those feelings, I don't think they'll ever be what they were before," I said. It was true. I was sure after our interview that he hated my guts.
He hugged me then, his arms strong as he squeezed me close. "You are the daughter I never had. I really do just want you to be happy."
How were we going to make this work? I knew after last night, I would never be content to just sit back and watch him. Now that Dean was in my life, now that we were together, I couldn't give him up. We could try and hide our relationship, but sooner or later it would come out and one, or both, of us would be out of a job. The contract was clear.
Irrational fears started to fly through my brain. We were both going to be fired and we would end up homeless on the street. Jack would never let that happen, and even if it did, at least you'd still be together, the little voice in my head whispered.
I sagged into the couch. The leather was soft and smelled good, but I didn't cuddle into it. I knew I was just waiting for the universe to rip us apart again. My heart was a mess. It had broken when he left me the first time. It had broken when I hired him and had to ignore him. Now it was breaking because I was going to have to lose him. It was either lose him or lose the job and the people I considered a family with it.
A tear trickled down my cheek. This roller coaster of emotions was going to drive me insane. I wiped at my cheek angrily. This was getting me no where. Sitting here and crying because some stupid employee contract said that I couldn't date the man of my dreams was ridiculous. I wasn't going to just sit around and let him get away from me again. I was going to talk to Jack. I was going to fix this. There was no reason for me to be upset. No reason for us to go through the pain of losing one another again for something as equally trivial as the last time.
The sound of the front door opening pulled me from my thoughts. Dean gave me a huge grin as he walked in the door, the smell of food wafting out of a paper bag. I quickly changed my expression, putting on a happy face. I wanted us to be happy. I didn't want him to worry about his job, or mine. I just wanted to enjoy this morning. I silenced the voices of worry. Just enjoy what you have.
Dean kissed the top of my head, my hair messy around my shoulders. The couch creaked softly as he sat next to me. He pushed one of the dark brown strands behind my ear and gave me a kiss on the nose. "Now, let's have some breakfast. I got those English muffin sandwiches I know you like."
I couldn't help but smile as he reached for the paper bag with the food inside. He handed me a paper wrapped sandwich, the smells of egg and cheese making my mouth water. I was hungrier than I had thought.
I was half-way through my sandwich, leaning against Dean in a happy silence, ignoring the warning in my heart, when my phone started to ring. I still had an hour before I was expected to be back at work, but I hurried over to my purse to pick it up.
"Rachel! Oh, thank heaven," Emma cried into the phone. "I was so afraid I wasn't going to reach you in time."
"Emma, what's happening?" A note of panic crept into my voice.
"It's Daniel. He's not doing well. And he's asking for you. You need to come soon." I could practically hear the tears running down her face. She loved the old man. I felt the phone tremble in my hand.
"I'll be there in just a couple of minutes."
"Okay. Hurry," Emma said. I clicked off the phone and stared at it for a moment.
Dean took my hands in his. "I'll drive you. Let's go."
Chapter 27
Present Day
I pulled my hair up into a bun as Dean parked the car in front of the Saunders' mansion. Even from here I could tell something was wrong. The feeling of a string about to be cut vibrated out of the house. Dark shadows cast up onto the porch, the autumn morning sun still cold. I shivered and pulled a sweater up around my shoulders.
I stepped out of the car, making sure my shirt hung straight. I always carried a change of clothes in my car. In my line of work, you never knew when you would be stuck at the office overnight. Or sleeping at your boyfriend's place for the first time.
Emma hurried out to greet us. She ran barefoot across the wet grass, the hem on her pants growing darker with every step. She hugged her arms around her, keeping herself warm as well as from falling apart. Tear stains already streaked her face. She didn't even bat an eyelash at the fact that we had arrived together, instead grabbing my hand and hurrying me toward the house.
"What happened, Emma? Is he..." I asked. A lump in my throat had started forming the instant she had called, and it hadn't stopped growing. I didn't want to be late. I had to say goodbye.
"No, he's still here. He woke up early and started having trouble breathing. The oxygen wasn't helping anymore, and we got the doctor... he says it won't be long now." Emma choked on the last few words, her voice failing her.
I stopped in my tracks, pulling Emma in for a hug. She clung to me like a child, her bare feet cold on the wooden porch, her sobs shaking her body. I held her, my own heart numb. I had dreaded this day for months. If not for the cold wind making Emma's hair whip against my face, I would have thought it a bad dream. It didn't feel real.