Monday, April 09, 2007

A Few Deep Breaths...





Chapter Seventy-Six
Ryan and I were both stunned by the picture, but I think we both hid it well. Adam hadn’t looked at either one of the pictures, not more than a glance anyway.

They called them back to the set then, and Adam and Krista both headed back. I watched them go and saw their bodies moving slowly with their fatigue, and yet there was nothing I could do.

Ryan and I stood there staring at one another, stunned by that picture. “We need to check this out. I’m calling Little Elk,” he said, already dialing his cell. When Little Elk answered, Ryan started in with the story and I decided it was time to go to the bathroom.

I splashed water over my heated cheeks and looked at myself in the mirror; I was pale with dark circles under my eyes starkly accentuating my fatigue. I took a few deep breaths to try to steady myself. What a tremendous shock that picture was. I couldn’t believe how much she looked like Geoff, Tristan too, but certainly more like Geoff because of the ages. Both Geoff’s and Krista’s faces still had the baby sort of chubbiness to them. Tristan had already started to lose that look, but not Geoff. Vivian had told me they were spitting images of Adam at those ages.

I thought back to the feelings I had about Krista; several times I thought there seemed something familiar about her, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. I realized now that she had Adam’s deep brown eyes, and there were certain times when she smiled that reminded me very much of Adam. She didn’t have the dimples, but something in the lift of the mouth was what caught my mind.

I had no doubt at all that Krista was his daughter.

I went back out into the dressing room, and Ryan was still talking to Little Elk, going over whatever details Ryan knew about Krista, which was a lot actually; much more than I thought he knew. I listened with half an ear as he spoke for several more minutes before hanging up.

He stood up and said, “I need to talk to Lyle. The studio must have some records for Krista, like a social security number, and we need to get that.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary, Ryan, she…”

“No, Sarah, you don’t understand; we need that information to run a check on her.”

“Ryan,” I said, “That’s not necessary. She left her purse in here.” I pointed at it lying on the floor by the couch.

“Is there a lock on that door?” he asked and then added, “Never mind, I see there is.” He went over to the door and turned the lock and then went back to the couch and picked up the purse. He hesitated for a moment before opening it. I wasn’t sure why, if it was the ethics of this or the fact that she was someone he cared about and that this could lead to evidence that might show that Krista was the one behind all of this.

“Is – is this considered entrapment, Ryan?” I asked, indicating the purse with a nod of my head.

“No, it’s considered fair; she left it right here. And she didn’t put the pictures away, so if you were to put them back in her wallet and we happened to see her social security card or driver’s license, it would be okay. We wouldn’t need a search warrant or anything. Okay, look, it’s really pushing the limits of the law, but we need that number, Sarah.”

I swallowed a lump the size of a tennis ball and felt my stomach twist miserably. I didn’t want to do this; I didn’t want to believe that Krista could do something so heinous. But if it came down to protecting Adam, nothing would stop me, and I reached for her purse and pulled her wallet out.

I slipped the two pictures back into their pockets. There was another picture there, of a woman holding a baby. It was a Halloween picture, or maybe New Years, because the woman was dressed as a clown with a rainbow colored wig and face makeup. The baby was dressed the same way. Neither was smiling. On the back it read, ‘mom and me at 1 year old, Halloween at Uncle Curtis’ house’.

Ryan and I both stared at the picture. There was no way you could tell anything about the woman in the photograph, we thought with disappointment. There was also another picture of a girl in the wallet. She had long strawberry blond hair and was missing a front tooth. The picture read ‘School Days 1969’ at the bottom, so that meant it couldn’t be Krista. On the back it read ‘Vicki, 1st grade’.


“Vicki?” I asked in a puzzled tone of voice. “Who could she be?”

Ryan shrugged as well. We had no idea who it was. But the name certainly wasn’t Penny. I found one more picture of an elderly man and woman, taken at some family gathering, it looked like. It had probably originally been a larger snapshot because the edges were uneven and you could see parts of other people in the background. The back of the picture only said, ‘Grandpa and Grandma’, not at all helpful.

I slid that picture back into the wallet, but there didn’t seem to be any more pictures in there.

I flipped through the wallet and found her driver’s license. It was a California license, and that made sense as she was a student at UCLA. Ryan could find that info out easily, but still he wrote the number down. And then I spotted her social security card, and he took the number down. “Hm, starts with a ‘7’, so she wasn’t born in Texas,” he commented.

“How do you know that?”

“Social security numbers are issued according to the state or sometimes region where you are born. We’ll check and see what state that is, or most likely what region that was, then we can probably track down a birth certificate for her.”

I nodded sadly. I felt like everything was just spiraling out of control. I looked intently at Ryan because if this was upsetting me, I had to believe it was driving him crazy. I knew he really cared for Krista. I asked him about that, in fact.

“I do care about her, Sarah, a lot. And I do not believe that Krista has been behind any plan to hurt Adam, even if she is his daughter. As a police officer, I have tried to maintain a distance of a sort, Sarah. I – we haven’t spoken of any possible relationship between us or feelings, but I do care. I don’t have a clue who could be doing this, but every instinct I have tells me it is not Krista.”

I hoped with all my heart that he was right.

We got everything put back into Krista’s purse and then on second thought Ryan pulled the two pictures of Krista and her dad back out and set them on the table as she had left them. He then called Little Elk with the information we had found.

We unlocked the door and went out to see how things were going on the set. Krista was bent over the viewer on the camera and was watching the scene that was in progress. Lyle was standing off to one side, as if he was trying to get another perspective on it all. Krista had the headset on and was talking on it softly. It is used to move or position camera shots as the scene is rolling, and one of the cameras was moving in tighter on the shot.

It was very interesting to watch, it truly was, but Ryan was finding out the same thing that I had; that it was a hard job and not at all glamorous. I’m not sure I will ever be able to appreciate a movie again, actually; I’ll always be thinking of everything going on behind the scenes.

The shooting went on for another hour, and at around 2:30 Lyle finally yelled, “Cut” and everyone heaved a sigh of relief, including Lyle. ”All right everyone, that’s it for now! Have a nice holiday and I’ll see you all back here on the Monday after Thanksgiving, 7:00 am sharp. We’ll have 4 days of retakes to complete if necessary and then we’ll head to Italy!”

Smiles could be seen on everyone’s faces as they wished one another a happy holiday and gave quick hugs. It amazed me how good-natured they were with each other after all the stress, but they all seemed well able to put it aside for now. Adam hurried over to where Ryan and I waited, Krista following him. She was going to drive us to the airport and then take the car back to our condo.

In the dressing room Adam hurriedly took his makeup off and changed into jeans and a sweatshirt in preparation for the flight. He was also wearing his baseball cap, backwards as usual, and threw his sunglasses on as well. Ryan giggled, still not quite used to seeing this simple transformation that worked so well.

We hit the airport at a run, almost missing the check in. Ryan gave Krista a quick hug and an even quicker kiss, which left her looking astonished. He smiled at her and gave her a quick bow before running after us. I had been watching them and threw Ryan a quick smile and as I thought that I sincerely hoped his instincts were right about her.

Soon we were on the jet and waiting for take off. Ryan looked around him at first class and sank back into the cushiony seat and stretched his legs in the ample leg room with a smile. An hour later we were landing at Mid Continent in Wichita and found Bobby waiting for us.

And one more surprise as well…

Bobby asked us to follow him and led us down to a private lounge. Cassie and Dr. Gorgeous were sitting in the lounge, and Cassie was fidgeting like crazy waiting for us.





I came through the door and stopped in my tracks. I could only look at her, the wonder of seeing her here, and as I watched her stand up on her own, tears started streaking my face. Bobby and Dr. Gorman stood there, both apparently proud of their accomplishment, and when I glanced at Adam he looked pleased as well.

Cass and I stood there hugging each other tightly, both of us crying as the men greeted one another. I heard Adam introducing Ryan, but it was all just a fuzzy background sound as I held my best friend.

As is typical for Cass, who cannot abide being maudlin about anything, she made a wise crack, saying, “Hey, let’s hope this trip home from the airport goes better than the last one, huh?”

I laughed through my tears as I looked into her grass-green eyes, and we shared a moment of connection that had been a part of us since 3rd grade.

Bobby said, “Hey, why don’t we go and grab the bags and then come back to get the girls!” and they all followed him out, giving Cassie and me a little private time.

I watched them go and Cassie and I sat down on a couch alone. I leaned over to hug her again and said cheekily, “So, you and Dr. Gorgeous done the wild thing yet?”

“Sarah Denise!” she exclaimed with a laugh.

“Cassandra Elaine!” I echoed back to her. “Oh Cass, I am so happy to see you here! How did it happen?”

“Bobby actually. He had the idea. Georgio was afraid it would be too much for me to handle and so he had to come too. Of course I hated that idea, but anyway, here we are.”

“Yes, I can tell by your face how much you hated it!” I didn’t want to push her any about ‘Georgio,’ so I didn’t ask anything more. But I was very curious!

“Your mom and dad are going to be at your house for dinner. Georgio and I are coming over too. I hope it’s not too much, and now that I see you I’m wishing we hadn’t planned it. Sarah, you and Adam look wiped out, and the cop didn’t look so good either. What on earth has been happening?”

“Oh, Cass, so many things. It’s been really rough since we got back to Dallas. The shoot has been terribly hard and stressful and, well some other things that have been going on make it all so much harder. I’ll tell you all about them when we have a chance for a nice long visit. I can’t wait for you to meet Tamara; you will like her, Cassie!”

“My competition, huh?” she laughed.

‘Wh – what?” I asked before realizing what she meant. “Nope, not competition, just a new friend to add to the old. You will like her, I promise!”

“The ex-wife and the uh, new girlfriend really are friends?” she asked quizzically.

“Yes, we are. I like her a lot and the boys are awesome as well. They are perfect little images of Adam at that age.” That last was said with a touch of sadness when I thought of Krista, who could very well be Adam’s child as well.

We chatted about her recovery for a few more minutes before Georgio came to get us. Adam and Ryan were waiting with the bags by the exits, and Bobby went to get my mom and dad’s mini van that he had borrowed for the afternoon.

Cassie walked slowly, but I didn’t mind at all – she was walking, and that was the most wonderful thing in the world to me. By the time we had gotten to where Adam and Ryan waited, Bobby had pulled the van up into the loading zone, and we got Cass situated in the van. Adam and I crawled into the very back seat where Adam had a hard time stretching his legs out, but it wasn’t a terribly long ride so I was sure he would be fine.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and I scooted as close to him as I could get and laid my head on his shoulder. He leaned down and whispered into my ear, “Are you happy? Surprised?”

“Yeah, I am. Thank you for whatever you had to do with it.”

“Not to blame on this one. Bobby set the whole thing up!” he replied and then tenderly kissed my forehead.

It started to rain and I couldn’t help but have a brief moment of anxiety, remembering the trip with Cassie. But Bobby handled the van expertly and soon we were home where mom and dad waited.

Mom had spent the time cooking and I could smell her meatloaf, which would mean mashed potatoes and gravy and probably green beans as well. My stomach growled loudly as my nose inhaled the delectable fragrances. This was truly comfort food for me, and nobody makes it like mom. I wrapped my arms around her and had to struggle to hold back the tears.

“Now Sarah, it’s all okay!” she murmured into my ear as she hugged me back. “C’mon, help me with getting the table set.”

“Adam, will you show Ryan into Lissa’s room?” I asked after introductions had been made.

Bobby said, “There’s no reason for that – I’m, uh, staying at Wendy’s for the time being. Your mom got Derek’s room ready for Ryan.” And he led Ryan into Derek’s room.

Derek and Pam would stay in the family room, which had a queen size sleeper in it, while Derek’s room only had a single bed in it. I kept meaning to get a bigger bed, but I just hadn’t gotten around to it yet. So it would all work out well. But I was intrigued by the fact that Bobby was going to stay at Wendy’s. I wondered how his mom felt about that because she was definitely a bit over-bearing and protective.

Mom had made two meatloaves, which was a very good thing because they were almost totally gone by the time we were done. Adam, Ryan, Bobby, and even Georgio did them justice, and I didn’t do too badly myself I’m ashamed to say. I decided that it was a good thing that I was going to the doctor on Monday as opposed to later in the week. I had called yesterday, and luckily they could fit me in.

I helped mom clean up the kitchen while Cassie sat in a chair and chatted with us.

“Hey, Sarah, it’s almost like old times – except it’s me sitting on my butt watching instead of you!” she teased.

I saw a smirk play across mom’s face – and I had to admit there was some truth to that. I hate dishes, positively hate them. I won’t cook with anything that can’t go into the dishwasher, and those roasting pans that held the meatloaf wouldn’t fit. I know because I have tried in the past. Nope, at Thanksgiving, I always use those disposable aluminum pans! I turned around to Cass and stuck out my tongue and had to laugh when Georgio and Adam walked into the room and saw it.

Neither said a word; Adam only laughed and Georgio looked from Cass to me to Cass again, his face wearing a perplexed look. Cass managed to keep a straight face, and I remembered how good she had been at drama in high school.

“Cassie, I think it’s time we got you home,” Georgio said with what could only be concern on his face.

“I’m okay, really. Just a little longer. We haven’t had dessert yet!” she said hopefully.

Adam’s eyes brightened at that and it made me laugh. It doesn’t matter how full he is, he will always find room for something sweet!

Mom was drying her hands on a towel and saw the hopeful look on Adam’s face. “I wouldn’t forget, Adam. Chocolate silk pie. You’ll love it, I’m sure!” she declared and opened the fridge to pull it out, with Adam looking over her shoulder.

“Ooh,” he exclaimed excitedly. “It looks wonderful.”

Mom laughed and grabbed dessert plates out of the cabinet while I grabbed more silverware. We carried it into the dining room and Mom called out to Dad, Bobby, and Ryan, who all came in acting as if they weren’t already stuffed to the limits. Mom cut the pie into 8 slices and served it up, and we all dug in until there wasn’t a crumb left. We said our good byes as everyone left. I could see that Cassie was dragging, but she looked so happy. I hoped she was okay, though.

It was only 10:00, but we were all so tired. Adam showed Ryan the security system and I went to get ready to take a shower. I had the water on and was adjusting it to the right temp when Adam came in.

“Room for two, love?” he inquired.

“Yes, of course.” I finally got the water adjusted to a tolerable temperature and I pulled my clothes off right there in the bathroom and Adam did the same thing. We climbed into the shower and both of us just let the water beat against us. It felt heavenly, I thought as I breathed in the warm steam.

We didn’t dally too long in there; we were both so tired, and soon we were in bed and snuggled together. I heard him muffle a yawn, about his 5th in the last few minutes. I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned up for a kiss.

“Goodnight Adam. I love you.”

“Mm, so you’re ready to go to sleep?” he inquired and I heard another yawn.

I stifled a giggle and replied, “Yes. I’m tired and so are you. We have a whole week to rest and catch up on - er, other things, okay?”

“Are you sure, Sarah? I don’t want to disappoint you any more,” he murmured into my ear.

“Yes, I absolutely am. And you haven’t ever disappointed me, Adam. Let’s just go to sleep, all right?”

He nodded against my neck and in no time at all I could tell by his breathing that he was asleep. And it didn’t take me long to do the same thing.

 



*******************

 



I didn’t wake up until after 9:00, and Adam was still sleeping soundly. I inched my way across the bed and slid out, trying very hard not to wake him up. I looked down at him and realized that there probably wasn’t much chance of that. He didn’t stir a bit and his breathing was still heavy and deep. I pulled on some sweats and slippers and went out to the kitchen. Ryan didn’t appear to be up yet either, but I started a full pot of coffee anyway and grabbed a cup and waited impatiently for the coffee to brew. I looked out the window at the park behind the house and noticed that most of the trees had finally lost their leaves, with only the pin oaks holding on to theirs, refusing to surrender to the vigorous Kansas wind and the coming winter. After being in California a few weeks ago it seemed even starker, I decided with a shiver. The phone rang and I rushed to pick it up before it woke Adam.




It was Lissa, and we chatted for a half hour or so as I drank two cups of coffee. She was excited to be coming home and seeing me, and that went for me as well. We had just gotten off the phone when Ryan made his way into the kitchen, still sleepy-eyed and yawning. I poured him a cup of coffee and he held it in front of his nose to inhale the stimulating aroma.

“Are you hungry?” I asked him.

He nodded and I smiled inwardly; how either of us could be hungry after last night’s dinner amazed me. But I was hungry as well, so I opened the fridge and started pulling out eggs to make some scrambled eggs. As I opened other cabinets I wondered if Adam would do as Tamara said and rearrange them now that he would have some time. It would be interesting to see, I decided with a grin.

Adam finally got up around noon and came into the kitchen, shuffling his feet and with his hair wildly askew. Ryan and I were both still sitting in there chatting when we saw him come in. He bent down to kiss me and I could smell that he had brushed his teeth – he’s such a thoughtful guy, I decided with a laugh.

I got up and poured him some coffee and sat it in front of him. “Hungry?” I asked, and at his nod I fixed him some scrambled eggs and toast too. He ate hungrily, I noticed, and he had some color again; the dark, hollowed look about his eyes was mostly gone. I definitely approved of his long sleep. He had needed it so badly.

Ryan had checked in with Little Elk, but as it was the weekend he didn’t really have too much to tell us. So we were left to ourselves, and we did nothing but lie around and watch TV and eat all day. It seemed to be exactly what all three of us needed.

Sunday was our 2 month anniversary. Adam presented me with 2 dozen beautiful roses to help us celebrate. Since Ryan was with us it wasn’t quite as personal as it might have been, but it was a good day. We were falling into happy couple-dom, making our world our own. We went shopping and got Adam a winter coat. Leather, of course; he had an uncanny fashion sense for a guy, and it looked fabulous on him. We also grocery shopped a bit and life basically returned to normal. We had made love on Saturday night and again Sunday morning, so we were both feeling very good and happy. Sunday evening Adam was going to cook dinner, and I left him alone in the kitchen to talk to Derek about their trip and check in with Tamara. While I was on the phone with her, I wandered into the kitchen out of curiosity and laughed.

Adam was rearranging a few things and turned when he heard me laugh. “I was, uh, just moving a few things around. I’m sure you’ll find it a bit more convenient, love.” I couldn’t help but notice the almost guilty look on his face turn to apologetic as he watched for my reaction.

Into the phone I said, “Gee Tamara, Adam is rearranging my kitchen a bit!” and I heard her echoing laugh on the other end of the phone and an “I TOLD you so!”

I left him to it and never said a word about it. And truthfully, some of what he did made sense, I thought when I checked it out later. But it still made me laugh…

Monday everything went well at the doctor’s office and she gave me clearance to drive alone now, not that it seemed like I ever went anywhere alone any more. But it was still nice to know. And I had actually lost one more pound. Not a lot, and truthfully I had to attribute it to all the weeks on the set not eating much. Stress was maybe a bit to blame as well, but I refused to let myself worry about it. A pound is a pound, I decided.

We stopped and visited Cassie for a bit before heading out to the airport to meet Tamara, Mark, and the boys. Adam and I were so excited, and when they came down the concourse we ran to them and hugged like mad! Both boys seemed as happy to see me as I was to see them, and that made my heart feel so good.

They were so excited to be in Wichita. They apparently loved going places to see their dad. I hated to tell them there wasn’t much exotic here to entertain them, but I thought we’d find a few fun things to do. Adam and I had bought an X-box for them, but I worried that they would have to fight the men for it. Maybe we should have bought two, I told Adam with a laugh as he and Ryan spent hours on it last night.

We got them checked in at the Inn and then went on to our house where Adam had a wonderful lunch ready to go into the oven for us all. He had made a Mexican dish called 3 Cheese Chicken Enchiladas, several dozen of them, and Mexican rice, spicy corn relish, and caramel flan for dessert. I had contributed a pitcher of my famous sangria (okay, only famous to Cass and me, but we loved it!)

As soon as we got home the boys started looking for Derek and Lissa. It was quite touching, but I reminded them that they didn’t live here with me and that Derek would be here tomorrow and Lissa on Wednesday, and that seemed to satisfy them. Ryan had them in the living room with the X-box while we finished getting the late lunch ready. We sat at the kitchen table and chatted while the enchiladas and the pudding were baking. Adam had done the flan last night, and he would pop it into the oven a little later to warm up.

Tamara picked up her glass of sangria and walked to the large window that looked out on my back yard and the park beyond it. “Oh my gosh, Sarah, what a wonderful view! Mark, come and see it,” she said as she took another sip of her drink. “I’ll bet it is fabulous in the fall, with all the colorful foliage.”

“Yes, it is,” Adam said. “Very lovely, in fact.” He reached out and took my hand and squeezed it, and I think that both of us were remembering what it looked like then. We heard loud “woo hoos” coming from the living room and we knew the boys (I’ll include Ryan in that) were having fun.

“I had a large bay window with a window seat built into my bedroom. It is a perfect place to sit and watch the seasons roll past or read or, well, whatever. Would you like to see it, Tamara?”

“Yes, very much,” she said, and she followed me out of the kitchen. I could already hear Mark and Adam talking about the movie as we left the room.

We walked through the dining room and into the living room, where the boys were sprawled across the floor, controllers in hand, and were trying to catch some kind of space aliens. I briefly showed her the family room and then Lissa’s and Derek’s rooms before opening the door into the master bedroom.

She immediately let out an exclamation of surprise when she saw the room and the bay window that swept across the back wall. “Oh my, what a view!” she told me and went and sat down for a moment on the cushion. “Sarah, I can see why you love it. I can picture myself sitting here, a cup of coffee in one hand and a book in the other and totally ignoring both as I watch the scene out the window.”

“Yes, and I’ve done that countless times, I promise you. It’s just my, um, refuge I guess is a good word. Somehow nothing can be too wrong when I sit here.”

She nodded and took another drink of her sangria, and I did the same. We shared a reverent moment of silence, letting the scenery lull us both into more peaceful frames of mind. She looked around the room then, at everything in there, and she noticed the Georgia O’Keeffe painting. “That is lovely, one of my favorites of hers. Don’t you just love the simplicity of the lines and the colors?” she asked.

I nodded at her words and wondered if she saw what everyone else did in it and decided she probably did and was just too polite to comment. “I adore Georgia O’Keeffe period. You’ll see other prints of hers scattered around the house,” I told her.

She was looking at Music Pink and Blue then and sort of laughed. “Couldn’t be her eroticism, could it?” she asked with a laugh.

“Maybe, but I think it’s more just the sense of peace I find in her work. Very seldom busy, just … serene I guess is the best way for me to describe how I feel about her work.”

“Is that a lingerie chest?” she asked, getting up off of the window seat and standing in front of it. Her hand glided over the smooth wood reverently. “I always wanted one, but you don’t find them that often anymore. And yet,” she said with an engaging grin, “Here is one right before me!”

“Yes, it’s one of my luxuries. Silly maybe, but I love it.” I told her. I felt somehow pleased that she admired it. We headed back out to the kitchen then, and the men were still discussing the movie. At least Mark could probably sympathize with all the work that had been done the past few weeks, and I was glad Adam had someone who did. I could empathize with how tired and worn out he had become, but Mark would know exactly how he would feel about it.

The enchiladas smelled wonderful and I remarked on that as I refilled our glasses with the tangy sangria. “When will they be done?” I inquired.

“Very soon, love. Are you hungry, perhaps?” he said and then flashed his dimples at me, and I was oblivious to the food, the place, the company. I felt a sexual rush surge through me and I was aware of every rapid heartbeat that thumped in my chest. Our eyes locked for just a moment and his own darkened and then sparked with desire as mine did. I finally looked away because I was about to drown in that look.

The rest of the day and evening was spent with Tamara, Mark, and the boys. Each time Adam and I touched I felt an electric spark shoot through me, and I could feel anticipation growing in the pit of my stomach. I felt as if there was this tangible cord flowing between us; I only hoped it wasn’t so obvious to everyone else.

As soon as they left, Ryan said he was going to call Little Elk and then watch a movie. We both told him goodnight and tried to behave as subtly as possible, but we practically flew down the hall. Adam closed the door with a decided ‘click’ and there was no holding back then. He put some music on the stereo to hopefully drown out some of the noise and then our clothes were flying off of both of us and we were on the bed and he was in me. Release was quick for both of us and I felt it radiating from both of our bodies as they contracted with the power of those orgasms.

Adam lay down next to me and we both laughed breathlessly at how quickly that had happened. “Honestly, Sarah, I was afraid I was going to have to pull you into the loo today because I needed you so badly!”

I kissed him and giggled against his mouth. “I know, I was ready to do the same thing. You don’t think the others realized, do you?” I asked, hoping that they didn’t.

“Well, love, probably the boys didn’t, but I suspect the other adults did!”

I groaned against his chest and muttered something unrepeatable. He looked down at me and laughed and then wrapped his arms tightly around me, pulling me as close as I could possibly get. We lay there listening to the music, and I realized it was the CD I had made for him and me, Love Songs for Sarah and Adam I had called it. Fool (If You Think it’s Over) was playing as I snuggled against him, my fingers playing among the damp curly hairs on his chest. He kissed my hair and I stretched up my neck so he could reach my mouth.

He claimed it in a long and delicious kiss, his tongue stroking my own tantalizingly, and I felt tingles start to spread up my spine again. I slid my leg over his hip so that I was sitting on top of him and bent over to continue the kiss. I felt his hands find my breasts and thrilled when he lifted them and caressed them enticingly, stroking my rosy nipples until they were firm and aching for him.

I felt his hard length between my legs and I reached down to stroke him boldly, sliding my hand up and down him and caressing the soft sensitive skin at the end of him with a gentle thumb. He reached up with his mouth and captured one of my aroused nipples, tugging on it gently.

“Hold on for a moment, love,” he said and then sat up in the bed so that we were eye-to-eye. I settled my self onto his throbbing length and began to move slowly on him, playing my favorite game; how far can I slide up on him without losing him? But I was experienced at this game with him and knew just exactly how far to tease before grasping him firmly with my muscles and sliding back down.

He was moaning now, deep in his throat, but then so was I. Our eyes were locked on one another’s as we moved together frantically. I was dizzy with the pleasure and I whimpered as I came closer and closer to fulfillment. I felt him penetrating me perfectly, rubbing in all the correct places, and I threw my head back in abandonment, exposing my throat to his seeking mouth. We were both moving with increasing speed, close now, and then I was there, passionate release keening through me and I gasped as my body shuddered before I felt the warm explosion of his flood my body. His muscles were jerking spasmodically and I knew that he had reached his pleasure as well. We clung together for another minute before my legs wouldn’t hold me any longer and we lay down side by side, holding one another tightly. I remember him kissing me and pulling the covers up, and then sleep took us both into its gentle arms.




Copyright 2006 Cynthia Hope Hodge

43 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was worried as they left the airport that something might go wrong. If it ws me in the car, I would have about passed out from anxiety!
Happy Monday...I had to read quickly as I am off to the hospital. My grandfather is having triple bypass surgery:( It is rainy and glumy here in Tampa today. We need the rain, but not the glum.
L

Anonymous said...

I can't believe it's only been 2 months! So much has happened! Thanks for another great read,Hope!
K.

Hope said...

Good Morning and Happy Monday!
(Isn't that an oxy-moron?)

G and I worked some more on the web yesterday and we're getting closer! The home page is now set and while I wanted to go ahead and link some of the other pages he was adamantly against that. He said we'll take it all live at once, that way we can deal with any problems all at once! Men...

I think it would be better to worry about the possible problems a few at a time! But I must concede this point to my 'web master'! I hope by the end of this week you will be able to start e-mailing to get permission to get into the message boards. I'll post that address later in the week. It will be a 'subscribe' type of e-mail that will require a response from you to activate it.

For anyone who has missed it, the web site address is: www.hopesjourneys.com

I hope this new week brings renewal to your spirits, so many have had it really rough for awhile now and it's time for a bit of peace.

Looks likes Tigger's party went well and everyone had fun!

Kristin said...

Happy rainy, dreary Monday from Tampa for sure, L and all!

Wonderfully family filled and sexy post for Sarah and Adam, Hope! I needed a bit of a racing heart to get my Monday started!

Cool and drizzly here this morning, in sunny Florida. Had to actually put socks on this morning! LOL I know this is very mild weather compared to most, and hope that the Easter weekend was pleasant for all!

L - nothing but good and healing thoughts for your grandfather's procedure. I'm in the Tampa area as well, should you need anything.

Anonymous said...

Ahhh i love this blog. I can't say it enoguh.
But wow either ryan can't hear or they're not really that lud. All the loving going on in that house .lol.
Terrific Hope, can't wait till Wed.

Anonymous said...

Happy Monday, Hope? Only because you posted! Actually, I took the day off, and am picking up little lumps of Easter grass throughout my house! Loved today's post, but sad that it's ending soon. I will DEFINITELY be e-mailing to subscribe to your new site. Hopies of the world---UNITE!

Anonymous said...

great post as usual! This is a great way to start the week.

Twinkie2

Anonymous said...

Morning all,

I'm draggin' tail this morning. I thing I celebrated a bit too much over the weekend. But nothing compared to Ryan under the table... ;D

Hope, it's going so fast! I agree with Catrina, HOPIES UNITE! Let's carry the cry out to everyone!!!

x5head3pay said...

Thanks for starting my Monday out with a "bang" Hope...(lol) I needed the AM diversion and took my time reading this entry very thoroughly!! There are so few left - I need to cherish...

L - I hope all goes well for your grandfather.

It's so cold here in NYS. I want SPRING...not a second winter!!!

~Katie

kmorales4 said...

Awesome post. The end is near though (sniff). I'm gonna take the day off from work on the last post so that I can have some popcorn while I read and cry over the end. Plus Hope said it was a long chapter and I don't think my boss would find it normal to see me read longer than usual. Yep, the day off it is. I'll call in sick and say I have an emotion outburst that does not allow me to work.

Anonymous said...

Happy windy Monday morning from Washington, following a beautiful sunny & warm Easter. The end is coming too, too fast. This was another great chapter - all the details make it come to life, Hope. I hate for this to end so I'll definitely be uniting with the other Hopies! Wow, Krista seems to be innocent in everyone's eyes. Who would have thought back when we called her Goth Girl.

Becky

Anonymous said...

L - prayer for you & your grandpa. They do so many amazing things nowadays with heart surgery. Keep positive.

Becky

Anonymous said...

Good morning all!

L-my prayers & thoughts are out for your Grandfather!

Hope, great post! I am so glad the family unit works so well combined after such a short time. It really shows how much they belong together. :)

It was a nice "lull before the storm" that I am sure is about to start. I don't know of course but just a guess! :)

Nicole

Shar said...

I don't know about you guys, but it got a little warm in here towards the end of that post.

*whew*

Val said...

Lookin' good, Hope! I can't believe we're getting this close to the end.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for all the well wishes. We are patiently waiting. His surgery was suppose to be early this morning and has been delayed as there were no ICU beds to place him in after surgery. Poor thing has had to sit around all morning. The anticipation would be too much for me to handle!
L

Engbunny said...

Ok Hopies - here is the deal. We need to be REALLY nice and see if we can talk Hope into writing more about Adam and Sarah after this is all over. I, for one, would like to hear about their lives going forward and all that good stuff!

So....Hope? Please will you write about Adam and Sarah and their lives after the story? Please? Pretty Please?

Hope said...

You will probably be interested to know that on the web site there will be a page devoted to Adam and Sarah's journal and that it will keep you up to date on what is happening in their lives! Sometimes it will be written by Sarah and other times by Adam. And he will start everyone off by bringing you up current on what has happened to them since the story ended.

And you'll be able to chat about it on the message boards too, which will be fun.

Anonymous said...

OK but if Krista was behind all the trouble, would she be so open about showing them the photos? I'm not convinced she's the one behind this, even if she is related to a certain pirate. ;-)

Hope, I love how the whole family gets along and how comfortable everyone is with each other - Sarah's mom teasing Adam about dessert, the boys looking for Lissa and Derek, Sarah and Tamara just sitting and talking. Nice.

As far as the weather here in Philly, it stinks! We had snow squalls and flurries all weekend. It's just not supposed to snow on Easter, darn it!

Anonymous said...

Because it appears that we Hopies are a bit of a family, I'm asking for prayers. A couple months ago my husband had his fourth surgery (which was a partial thumb amputation) for osteomyelitis. He's been having jaw pain, and had xrays on Friday. Today we learned that it looks like osteomyelitis has infected his jaw, and we're waiting to hear from an oral surgeon. Please keep my husband in your prayers. He's been suffering with this in his thumb for seven years; now it appears it's starting all over again. Hugs and thanks to my fellow Hopies!

Hope said...

Catrina - Absolutely I will keep you and your husband in my thoughts and prayers. Please keep us informed on how he does.

Anonymous said...

aww catrina my hopes and prayers go out to your husband and i hope he feels better and all goes well!

Anonymous said...

Hi, everyone! I'm new here. Took me about 3 weeks to catch up. Don't know what took me so long to comment. I've never been the shy type.

I really like the family feel of the story as well as all the Hopies!

My thoughts and prayers are w/u's, L and Catrina.

Well I'm going back to my beer. Enjoy what's left of this Monday!!!

Lynne said...

Catrina,
I am so sorryto hear that it has progressed Cat. You and your DH are always in my prayers. I am very sorry to hear that it spread to his jaw.
My bone infection was located in my jaws. I had to have part of one jaw and 13 teeth removed. That is the worst area to have it. I remember being told all sorts of awful things about it, but I made it and your DH will make it also. I really believe that. As always, if I can answer questions or help, please don't hesitate to ask. God bless you both. Lynne

Anonymous said...

Well, I didn't get to read the post until just now...We had to take the day off to get my kitten fixed and declawed!

I am really glad to hear that this story will continue and I am looking forward to reading this from Adams point of view!

Lisha

Stephanie Graston said...

L, Catrina, My thoughts are with you and your families. I hope all goes well.

As for Sarah, i have a bone to pick!!

"I groaned against his chest and muttered something unrepeatable. "

oh no no, we need ALL the juicy details!! unrepeatable doesn't work for me in the land of goodness!

Great as always, I can't wait for the grand opening for the new site, lets have a party! Only one thing: all the cocktail waiters will be dressed as Pirate Richland!

Hope said...

Wow, Tuesday already, I can't believe it!

Okay, I'm being facetious but the is moving pretty swiftly. A week from tomorrow will be the end and I can scarcely believe it. Work on the new site is progressing, in fact I feel like that is about all I get done. Lynne and the boys were over last night for a bit and as she looked around at my messy bedroom I know she was thinking 'what have you been doing mom?' LOL

Living the web, that's what I been doing!

Donna - Welcome to the site and thank you so much for posting! Since you aren't shy, I hope to see you often.

Catrina - keep us informed about your DH and remember you are both in our prayers.

L - same for you. Stop in anytime for a little comfort!

Anonymous said...

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday!
Only one more week? Oh no! What am I going to do on WTF? Turning on my computer before I do anything else has been the habit, Now what?!!! LOL
Thoughts and best wishes for Catrina and L.
Thanks for the great times Hope.

S.

Anonymous said...

Good morning. I hope Lynne's family is doing well as they were having a tough time getting everyone well. Thanks for such a great story Hope, I really enjoy reading it. Thoughts and prayers to everyone that needs them.
c.

tita said...

Hello Everybody!!
I'm really sad because a week from tomorrow will be the end of this awesome story and I'll really miss it; I'm really attached to Adam and Sarah and everyone in their family and I really like the way they love each other.
I'm also sad bease my birthday is in 14 days and I won't have have my favorite story waiting for me here.....
Hope; thanks a lot for this wonderful time and you can be sure that I will be there in the website following Adam and Sarah's paths......and remember that you have a fan here in ¨MEXICO...
Catrina and L you are both in my thoughts and prayers; everything will improve and the sun will shine again for you.

Engbunny said...

Catrina I am so sorry it has spread. You and your husband are in my prayers. L - How did it go for your Grandfather?

Hopies- this seems to be a tough week for our friends as they are going through some rough stuff right now. How about if we have a group prayer for all. We can pray for some peace and calm along with thinking good thoughts for them all?

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:15 - You can start from the beginning and read it all over again!!!

Catrina and L - My prayers are with you. Know that we are all here for you when you are having a hard time. It's not easy to go through tough times alone, so, although you may feel alone at times, please don't be afraid to ask someone here for help. I've learned over the past few weeks that the lovely people on this blog are strong in faith and willing to help lift you up when you're down!

AHHH!!! Is it Krista?!?!? Krista's mom?? Does Krista even know?!? I don't think she does anymore. Why would she tell Sarah that whole story if she had this plot against Adam!

It's a beautiful sunny day up here in Ontario! I have my last class of the year in an hour, and I'm so looking forward to it being over!

What's for lunch today? I think I may have myself a Mai Tai!

D

Hope said...

I'm heading to Sweet Basil for lunch! I can only think about Adam and Sarah whenever I go there now. But something exotic like a Mai Tai sounds wonderful!

D- congrats on your last class this semester! Woo Hoo!

Tita - We'll be on the new site by your birthday and you can bet we will celebrate in style!

Kristin said...

Good Morning, Hopies!!!

Another dreary day here in the sunshine state. Sigh....

Between that, and knowing that our story finishes a week from today makes Kristin very blue! :(

L and Catrina - hope things are going well for you both. Happy healing thoughts from all of us!

As for lunch, I am eating Jelly Belly Beans, and I am sure there are Margarita and Pina Colada flavor in the mix. Golly I love Easter! LOL

Anonymous said...

d...been there, done that...LOLOLOL

S

mary jane said...

Happy Tuesday Everyone!!!:)
I just caught up on the post and the comments.
L, I hope all went well for your grandfather and I will keep your family in my prayers.
Catrina, keep the faith that all will be well for your DH and I will keep you in and yours in my prayers as well.
Please keep my mother-in-law in your prayers we had another trip to the hospital over the Easter weekend. Thank the good Lord all was OK.
Now to the post. I can believe next week it will be over!
This post was great. I now do not believe Krista is in on anything, if she is she is very slick.
I can not wait to find out who is behind all this
y'all have a great day
OH Tigger I forgst to wish you HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! Sorry it is ]late
MJ

Anonymous said...

Well I just got back from seeing my grandfather and he came through surgery very well. They gave him morphine this morning so he couldn't stay awake and I am not sure he knew I was there. They might try to have him sit up by tonight so...we will see. The nurse was amazed at how well he is doing in ICU for his age! Thanks for all the support:)

I hope every one is having a good day. It continues to rain here in Tampa. We need it very bad though!

I won't been in the rest of the week. Now that my grandfather is out of the woods, I am going to leave tomorrow after checking on him to go see my new niece. I haven't seen her yet since my brother lives 10 hours away! I had to wait until my grandfather went through surgery:)

L

Hope said...

MJ - We'll keep your MIL in thoughts!

L - So glad to hear it went well. Have a safe trip to see that new niece! Remember, you're the 'cool' aunt!

Anonymous said...

Man oh man oh man!!! Would you believe it? It had to happen. I HAD A DREAM ABOUT THIS STORY LAST NIGHT!!!! Adam (yes, it was Colin in my dream - sigh) and Sarah (can't remember who played her ... me maybe?) were still working on who was doing this to them. I do believe Sarah's the one who solved the case in my dream. But, sorry, I can't remember "whodunnit". Guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Anonymous said...

Phew, just made it back here after a nice long holiday weekend. Had the family for dinner Sunday and used yesterday to take a nice nap for myself.
L-Glad your Grandfather is doing well.
Catrina,Prayers out for you and your family.

As for the story...I don't think Krista knows what's up...but I bet her mother and someone else on the set...Lyle maybe, is in on it...
As for the story ending...I am personally in denial and refuse to even consider the fact that it will be over next week... So there!

Lauren

Anonymous said...

Hope, when is tha actual last day of the story? We will have to have a WMYD recovery group to take us through withdrawals!

Here we are at the end and still don't have it figured out! All through the story it has been exciting, sexy, fun, and a great read. Thank you for all of this, Hope. How soon should be sign up for the new website?

Gosh, Lynne, you have been through a lot and it sounds as if you have a marvelous attitude about it all. I have had some serious things happen also and I find a good, positive attitude is so important to recovery.

Becky

Anonymous said...

I got hubby's xrays and report today. He's out of town and they needed an authorization form...so I typed one up, forged his name, and took it in. And out I came with what he needed! Now I'm looking for a surgeon who specializes in osteomyelitis in the St. Louis area. Wish me luck!
I am touched by the outpouring of prayers and good wishes. It's truly a blessing that I found this blog---and all the wonderful people who comment. Thank you all SO much!

Anonymous said...

I'm signing up for WMHD Rehab Camp. Who's with me??


Willow.