The clearest blue of any ocean was soaking the shore. Tea was sitting on a lounge chair, her hand dangling against an iced tea, and a book placed over her belly, face down. "Mom!"
She opened her eyes, "Yes, Mija."
"Mom, look!"
"Oh, you found a shell! That's a big one. So beautiful! Muy linda!"
The little girl smiled. "Daddy look!" She ran to the next stop. He was inside a cabana that he had built on the beach for them to stay in. He was perched by the sunlit edge, where he could remain cooler in the shade, but still take in the sights. He stepped out into the sunlight. "It's a shell, Daddy."
"It sure is. It's pretty." He walked with her toward his wife.
"Not as pretty as Mommy."
"No, not as pretty as that." He was taken with his ladies. Both of them. He had been for the last two years. It almost seemed like everything else didn't matter when he was with them and it seemed like always. Looming in the back of his mind was the Todd Manning issue. He hadn't told her yet, what was really going on, he had just explained that he wanted to give them the world, and this was the first stop. The first, the only, the last. He still wasn't sure what he would do next. He walked to the edge of the water.
"Daddy's happy. He's not mad and yelling."
"No, no yelling, Mija."
"I love it here, Mom. Can we live here?"
"I don't know, maybe. It would be nice, wouldn't it?"
"Yes. Do they have schools here?"
"Yes, they have schools here. Don't worry about that now. Let's see what your Dad has up his sleeve. I have a feeling there are a few more surprises."
"I like surprises."
"Yes, we all do, Mija. Now go and play, be careful by the water, if you go in, make sure Dad can see you."
She went back to her book, momentarily, then stopped and watched the two of them. Him, golden in the sun, his hair blowing around, and her daughter, the little bit of love she helped create on Earth. He picked her up and swung her about, and splashed her into the turquoise water. He was so much freer, so much happier here. Counting her blessings, she turned back to her book.
***
At the top of the stairs, they dropped hands and turned to each other, him running his hand up the side of her body, thumbing her nipple, tracing her graceful neck, and landing on the back of her head, where he pulled her in again to kiss her. Pushing the master bedroom door open with one hand, he moved his mouth to her neck, and collarbone, taking in all of her. Moving toward the bed, she pulled his jacket free of him and flung it to the floor. Suddenly, he stopped. "Blair. This is the only room that's not the same as it used to be. What happened?"
"This is the room that's for new memories. We had to have a place to start our new life. This will be the place."
It was decorated beautifully in deep reds, crimson and burgundy, and variegated shades of merlot. He looked around briefly, and let out a gravelly sigh. She put her fingers over his lips and she could feel him trembling. "Don't. Don't spend any time worrying about what comes next. Just let it be. Love me, Todd."
At these words, he moved to do just that, undoing her blouse buttons as she undid his belt and pants. Holding and kissing her hands and fingers, he stepped out of his trousers and whirled the two of them around so that he was sitting on the bed, unzipping her slacks. She wriggled out of them as gracefully as possible and stood before him. His eyes glistening, he looked up to her, "I've missed you. I waited a long time, Babe. Eight years without you. Eight years..." Voice cracking, he leaned in and kissed her stomach, moving one of his hands to her breasts, his thumb flicking off her nipples, and his other touching her softness through her silk panties and massaging her with gentle force. Her hands went to his head and buried her fingers in his hair. She raised his chin to look at her. Staring right into his eyes just then, she read so many things; love, want, loneliness, desperation, urgency. Knowing him as a lover the way that she did, she knew where his heart was. When she saw water come to his eyes, she assured, whispering, “it’s all right, it’s me. Nothing’s ever wrong with us.”
With that, he was overtaken by his own need for her. He quickly took his hands to her hips and fiercely lowered her, and as she slid fully onto him, she cried out. Her knees on either side of him on the bed, he pulled her down closer. Throwing his head back, he let out a long moan before turning his attention back to her. Usually committed to her needs and her pleasure above his own, he held her perfectly still for a moment, for fear that even one more movement would bring him to the end. Looking up to her again, he waited. She spoke in the breathy voice he adored; “It’s okay.” He still hesitated. “Yes,” she nodded her head, “yes, it’s all right,” and she guided his hands to move her as he needed.
Placing his thumb against her, he watched as she took over, moving slowly up and down over him, bringing herself almost fully clear of him, and then pushing herself completely down against him, until he could bear it no longer. He grabbed her hips with his two hands and moved her at a frenetic pace. Watching the need and desperation for her on his face, feeling his thumb still pressed against her, and sensing him beginning completion inside her, she moaned in pleasure as she peaked in response.
Collapsing onto him, she brought her hand to his face and felt a mingling of tears and sweat, and running her fingers over his scar, she shushed him gently. “We have all the time in the world.”
Emotion overtook him. “I just missed you. I missed us so much.” He crossed his arms over her back and pulled her as close as she could possibly be and held her tight to him. She nuzzled her head against his chest and listened to his heart recover itself. “There were times I never thought I’d be with you again,” he said, “the hope of this very thing kept me alive.”
“Well, I’m very glad it did. And those days are gone, you are with me.”
“It’s always been you and me, Blair. I love you.”
She rested her chin on his chest so that she could get a perfect view of his face. “And I love you, so much. Welcome back to your life, Mr. Manning.” Sun comfortingly beaming through the windows, they slept until the sunlight dimmed. As the room darkened and cooled, Blair woke, realizing sunset time was upon them. Todd stirred but had other ideas. She insisted, “No, no, sunset first. We have all night for your ideas. Come on, we have to. A Manning tradition.”
They traipsed down the staircase in time to catch the sunset over Llanview. The beautiful sky was a mirror of feeling, as they stood before it, and watched through the penthouse windows. When the last sliver of sun disappeared behind the buildings, he whispered to her, “you know what time it is?”
“I can imagine.”
“DINNER!” He yelled out, and she playfully picked up a pillow and slammed him with it. “Well, a guy’s gotta eat.”
After raiding the groceries that she had picked up earlier to start stocking his new kitchen, he approached her at the sink as she rinsed out a few dishes. Wrapping his arms around her from behind, she felt him, ready against her, and her own desire flourished. Turning to him she put her mouth on his and felt him lift her to the countertop. “Now it’s your turn, babe,” he said, leaning down to kiss the inside of her thighs, and knowing him as she did, her excitement rose in anticipation of what he had planned for her next.
She opened her eyes, "Yes, Mija."
"Mom, look!"
"Oh, you found a shell! That's a big one. So beautiful! Muy linda!"
The little girl smiled. "Daddy look!" She ran to the next stop. He was inside a cabana that he had built on the beach for them to stay in. He was perched by the sunlit edge, where he could remain cooler in the shade, but still take in the sights. He stepped out into the sunlight. "It's a shell, Daddy."
"It sure is. It's pretty." He walked with her toward his wife.
"Not as pretty as Mommy."
"No, not as pretty as that." He was taken with his ladies. Both of them. He had been for the last two years. It almost seemed like everything else didn't matter when he was with them and it seemed like always. Looming in the back of his mind was the Todd Manning issue. He hadn't told her yet, what was really going on, he had just explained that he wanted to give them the world, and this was the first stop. The first, the only, the last. He still wasn't sure what he would do next. He walked to the edge of the water.
"Daddy's happy. He's not mad and yelling."
"No, no yelling, Mija."
"I love it here, Mom. Can we live here?"
"I don't know, maybe. It would be nice, wouldn't it?"
"Yes. Do they have schools here?"
"Yes, they have schools here. Don't worry about that now. Let's see what your Dad has up his sleeve. I have a feeling there are a few more surprises."
"I like surprises."
"Yes, we all do, Mija. Now go and play, be careful by the water, if you go in, make sure Dad can see you."
She went back to her book, momentarily, then stopped and watched the two of them. Him, golden in the sun, his hair blowing around, and her daughter, the little bit of love she helped create on Earth. He picked her up and swung her about, and splashed her into the turquoise water. He was so much freer, so much happier here. Counting her blessings, she turned back to her book.
***
At the top of the stairs, they dropped hands and turned to each other, him running his hand up the side of her body, thumbing her nipple, tracing her graceful neck, and landing on the back of her head, where he pulled her in again to kiss her. Pushing the master bedroom door open with one hand, he moved his mouth to her neck, and collarbone, taking in all of her. Moving toward the bed, she pulled his jacket free of him and flung it to the floor. Suddenly, he stopped. "Blair. This is the only room that's not the same as it used to be. What happened?"
"This is the room that's for new memories. We had to have a place to start our new life. This will be the place."
It was decorated beautifully in deep reds, crimson and burgundy, and variegated shades of merlot. He looked around briefly, and let out a gravelly sigh. She put her fingers over his lips and she could feel him trembling. "Don't. Don't spend any time worrying about what comes next. Just let it be. Love me, Todd."
At these words, he moved to do just that, undoing her blouse buttons as she undid his belt and pants. Holding and kissing her hands and fingers, he stepped out of his trousers and whirled the two of them around so that he was sitting on the bed, unzipping her slacks. She wriggled out of them as gracefully as possible and stood before him. His eyes glistening, he looked up to her, "I've missed you. I waited a long time, Babe. Eight years without you. Eight years..." Voice cracking, he leaned in and kissed her stomach, moving one of his hands to her breasts, his thumb flicking off her nipples, and his other touching her softness through her silk panties and massaging her with gentle force. Her hands went to his head and buried her fingers in his hair. She raised his chin to look at her. Staring right into his eyes just then, she read so many things; love, want, loneliness, desperation, urgency. Knowing him as a lover the way that she did, she knew where his heart was. When she saw water come to his eyes, she assured, whispering, “it’s all right, it’s me. Nothing’s ever wrong with us.”
With that, he was overtaken by his own need for her. He quickly took his hands to her hips and fiercely lowered her, and as she slid fully onto him, she cried out. Her knees on either side of him on the bed, he pulled her down closer. Throwing his head back, he let out a long moan before turning his attention back to her. Usually committed to her needs and her pleasure above his own, he held her perfectly still for a moment, for fear that even one more movement would bring him to the end. Looking up to her again, he waited. She spoke in the breathy voice he adored; “It’s okay.” He still hesitated. “Yes,” she nodded her head, “yes, it’s all right,” and she guided his hands to move her as he needed.
Placing his thumb against her, he watched as she took over, moving slowly up and down over him, bringing herself almost fully clear of him, and then pushing herself completely down against him, until he could bear it no longer. He grabbed her hips with his two hands and moved her at a frenetic pace. Watching the need and desperation for her on his face, feeling his thumb still pressed against her, and sensing him beginning completion inside her, she moaned in pleasure as she peaked in response.
Collapsing onto him, she brought her hand to his face and felt a mingling of tears and sweat, and running her fingers over his scar, she shushed him gently. “We have all the time in the world.”
Emotion overtook him. “I just missed you. I missed us so much.” He crossed his arms over her back and pulled her as close as she could possibly be and held her tight to him. She nuzzled her head against his chest and listened to his heart recover itself. “There were times I never thought I’d be with you again,” he said, “the hope of this very thing kept me alive.”
“Well, I’m very glad it did. And those days are gone, you are with me.”
“It’s always been you and me, Blair. I love you.”
She rested her chin on his chest so that she could get a perfect view of his face. “And I love you, so much. Welcome back to your life, Mr. Manning.” Sun comfortingly beaming through the windows, they slept until the sunlight dimmed. As the room darkened and cooled, Blair woke, realizing sunset time was upon them. Todd stirred but had other ideas. She insisted, “No, no, sunset first. We have all night for your ideas. Come on, we have to. A Manning tradition.”
They traipsed down the staircase in time to catch the sunset over Llanview. The beautiful sky was a mirror of feeling, as they stood before it, and watched through the penthouse windows. When the last sliver of sun disappeared behind the buildings, he whispered to her, “you know what time it is?”
“I can imagine.”
“DINNER!” He yelled out, and she playfully picked up a pillow and slammed him with it. “Well, a guy’s gotta eat.”
After raiding the groceries that she had picked up earlier to start stocking his new kitchen, he approached her at the sink as she rinsed out a few dishes. Wrapping his arms around her from behind, she felt him, ready against her, and her own desire flourished. Turning to him she put her mouth on his and felt him lift her to the countertop. “Now it’s your turn, babe,” he said, leaning down to kiss the inside of her thighs, and knowing him as she did, her excitement rose in anticipation of what he had planned for her next.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
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