Lydia swallowed. This was it. This was what they'd both thought about for weeks. She slipped her hand in his, and they went inside.
Tony locked the patio doors, then walked over to check the front door, while Lydia went into the kitchen to make sure the stove was off. He sat down on the arm of the couch and watched her as she walked toward him.
"You are so beautiful, Lydia," he said softly, pulling her close. "So very beautiful."
Lydia looked into his eyes, trembling, and as he kissed her, slid her hands up underneath his shirt, his muscles so tight, his body so strong.
She wondered if she'd be good enough, if she'd be what he was used to, what he liked. But as he kissed her again, those thoughts vanished, and all she could think about was wanting him.
She backed up so she could pull his shirt over his head, drawing her breath in through her teeth as she raised her eyes slowly to his. Tony took her by the hand, and they walked down the hall to the main bedroom.
Lydia instinctively reached over to turn out the light, but Tony asked her to leave it on. "I want to see you," he said.
Lydia nodded slightly, and he backed up, pulling her toward him as he sat down on the edge of the bed. He took her top off and slowly spread his hands across her breasts.
He looked up into her eyes when he did this, with a tenderness that made Lydia's heart skip a beat. Then he laid her back on the bed and took her bikini bottom off, watching her eyes as he touched her, kissing her over and over, very slowly and very gently...until she wanted more. Then his kisses became more demanding, his touch more exact, and Lydia ran her hand over the thickness of his chest, the hardness of his stomach, wanting him….and wanting him now. But when she tried to unsnap his jeans, Tony stopped her, holding her hands down on the bed as he pressed his thigh between her legs.
"Tell me this is for real, Lydia," he whispered. "Tell me it's for real…and make me believe it."
Lydia drew an excited breath and swallowed. "I'll never want anyone else, Tony. I promise...."
But Tony wanted to hear more than that and now moved his thigh back and forth, slowly, pressing harder, and then harder, back and forth. "If s got to be, Lydia," he said, with his mouth on hers. "There's no other way. You understand that, don't you?"
Lydia nodded, pleading with her eyes as she tried pulling her arms free. "I love you, Tony. You're all I think about. You're all I want. Please don't make me wait anymore."
Tony let go of one of her hands when she said that, and rolled onto his side, watching as she fumbled with the snap on his jeans, then the zipper. When she slipped her hand down inside and looked up at him, he lay back, letting go of her other hand, and helped her take them off.
Lydia slid on top then, brushing her breasts against his chest as she traced her lips over the roughness of his face, molding her body to his, on fire and with complete abandon. But when Tony moved to get inside her, she wouldn't allow it and edged back, dragging her fingernails across his chest as she looked into his eyes.
"No," she whispered, driving him wild. "I want you to make love to me. Show me that it's for real."
Tony smiled - a smile that now took her to the edge - and as he laid her back, breathing heavily, the way his hair fell across his forehead added to her excitement…the way the muscles in his neck and shoulders tightened.
"I love you, Lydia," he said, in a husky voice. "I'll always love you." And as Lydia became his, gasping as she wrapped her legs around his thighs, he buried his face against the softness of her neck. "Always...."
Chapter Twenty-Two
Lydia woke first in the morning and, kissing Tony, waited for some sign of life. "You're with Lydia," she teased. "Lydia Merchant. And she loves you."
Tony struggled to open one eye. "Wake me up in an hour and tell me that."
Lydia laughed. "Fine," she said. "But in the meantime, I'm gonna make some coffee and go swimming."
Tony watched her get out of bed, then stretched out on his back, thinking about last night.
"Skinny-dipping," Lydia said, peeking in on her way back from the bathroom.
Tony smiled. "In that case, I’ll be right there." Thus began the painful process of getting out of bed. He moved to the edge and sat up, giving his legs time to get a little circulation in them. Then he braced himself, pushing down on one knee to stand, giving this phase some time too, and in the bathroom, he popped four aspirins first thing.
Lydia was already in the pool when he came out. She was swimming underwater. He watched her from the doorway, with his arms crossed, and smiled. "Why don't you do that again?" he said, when she surfaced at the other end.
"What?"
"Swim down here," he said, motioning. "Then swim back. Real slow."
Lydia chuckled. "No, I have a better idea."
"Hold that thought," was Tony's reply, and getting in, he swam toward her and pulled her close.
"I can't get enough of you," Lydia said softly, wrapping her legs around him and finding what she wanted. "I just can't."
Tony smiled, looking into her eyes. A smile that faded as he said, "I've never done this in a pool before."
"Me neither," Lydia said, which brought his smile right back, and soon, with the water rippling around and through his legs, he had to make a decision. Change positions and get the weight off his knees, bent the way they were, or just go for it. Go for it, he decided, and with those final thrusts of glorious release, he held his breath, pulling Lydia underwater with him.
She came up laughing. "Oh, are you gonna owe me big for that!"
"And I'll pay!" he said. "Gladly, I promise."
"You'd better believe you will," Lydia said, still laughing.
After that, they swam for a while, kissing and touching, their bodies slippery, and oh...so familiar. Then it was time for coffee. They carried their cups back out onto the patio and sat down, Lydia wrapped in a robe and Tony in his jeans, his hair wet and combed back, and a day-old beard.
Lydia couldn't take her eyes off him. "Can I tell you again?"
Tony nodded, agreeing to whatever it was. "Tell me."
"I love you. And I will till I die."
Tony leaned over and kissed her. "Don't die. At least not while I still owe you."
Lydia laughed. "Go ahead, joke about it. But I want you to know I'm giving a lot of thought to how I'm gonna make you pay."
Tony smiled, looking forward to it, and for a moment the two of them just gazed at each other. Then Tony stretched his legs out to make them more comfortable, and Lydia took a sip of her coffee. "Are your knees bothering you?"
Tony hesitated, then nodded. "A little bit. I think it was the shower last night."
Lydia smiled. "We should've taken a bath."
Tony laughed. "Oh, I don't know. I'm not complaining."
Neither was Lydia. She sighed. "I hope this never ends."
Tony reached over and tucked her hair behind her ear. "It doesn't have to."
Lydia nodded, as if reassured by that, but looked away, thinking about Reed's warning, and Tony saw something in her expression. He was getting that look of hers down pat.
"What are you afraid of, Lydia?"
"I don't know." She sighed. "I guess I was just thinking about how nothing ever lasts."
Tony raised his cup to his mouth, studying her eyes. "Are you referring to you and Greg Stewart?"
Lydia shook her head. "No. I wasn't."
Tony looked at her, and Lydia read him perfectly. "I never loved Greg, Tony. It's not the same."
Tony glanced away, shaking his head as he looked back, and again, Lydia sensed exactly what he was thinking. "I don't know why he keeps calling," she said. "I haven't encouraged it."
Tony smiled faintly, touching the side of her face with the back of his hand. "You really do read minds, don't you?"
Lydia nodded. "Most come easier than yours.”
Tony sat back, his smile slowly disappearing, challenging her now with his thoughts, wanting to know, having to know, how many men she'd s
lept with.
Lydia lowered her eyes. "Greg was the first," she said.
Tony just stared at her, not that he didn't believe her, and she looked up with a regretful sigh. "Mainly it was curiosity. I was twenty-two, you know."
Tony swallowed, wishing she'd waited just a little longer, wishing he'd been her first and only one.
Lydia read this as well. Tears filled her eyes. "I'm sorry, Tony. I wish I'd waited too."
Tony hesitated, then leaned over and kissed her, saying, "I love you."
Lydia looked away, biting at her bottom lip. "I'll go get us some more coffee," she said.
Tony reached for her hand. "Look at me," he said and waited for her to do it. "I said I love you. Do you understand?"
Lydia nodded. She understood.
"It's okay," he insisted, which was a lie, considering his thoughts just a moment ago. And yet, in spite of that, Lydia smiled. Because also in his eyes was the truth.
She leaned down and kissed him, then started inside, but stopped at the door. "Uh...while we're on the subject of other...." She couldn't bring herself to say the word women, as in more than one, as in lots of them. "I don't want to know a thing about them. Okay?"
Tony nodded.
"I mean it. Nothing. No names. Nothing. Not a thing. It would drive me crazy, Tony. As it is, I can't even look at your car without remembering the day I saw you with..."
Tony shook his head, smiling. "Is that why you wouldn't drive it the other day?"
Lydia turned on her heels. "Please! Don't remind me! Okay?"
Tony looked out over the pool, laughing to himself, and made the mistake of still having a smile on his face when she returned. It set her off.
"Would you like this coffee in your lap?" Tony held his hands up, trying to look serious, though not quite managing it, and Lydia sat down, doing a slow burn. She'd show him. She took a sip of her coffee. "I have a dinner date with Bob Miller tonight."
Tony just looked at her for a second, as if he couldn't believe he'd heard this come out of her mouth. She added, "I'm supposed to meet him at the Riverfront at eight. He likes dining late."
Tony's eyes hardened, and he stood up slowly. "Yeah, well that's too bad, because you're not going to be there."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, really," he said, glaring at her. "You're not."
"You can't tell me not to go!"
"No, you got that right. But I'll tell you this. You go, and I'm out of here."
Lydia slammed her cup down, sloshing coffee on the table, and stood up. "Well, isn't this nice. I mean, aren't we crossing a line of sorts here? Business and pleasure?"
"There is no separation when it comes to us!"
Lydia threw her hands up. "Damn! You know, I should've expected this. And here I thought you were just perfect lately!"
"What? Were you rating me in bed or out on the shop floor?"
"Both!"
Tony's glare grew more intense, as he stood there shaking his head. Suddenly Lydia remembered all the times they'd fought at the plant and how he would get the same look in his eyes.
She regretted starting this now. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean that. I didn't...."
Tony shifted his weight, inhaling deeply, too angry to accept an apology, and Lydia hesitated, then put her arms around him, leaning her head against his chest.
"If you don't want me to go," she said, "I won't."
Tony stared off, sighing in exasperation. "Why do you do this to me, Lydia?" She'd done it deliberately. He pulled back and made her look at him. "Why?"
"I don't know," she said. "But I'm sorry. Forgive me?"
Tony just looked at her for a moment, not one to cool down easily, then finally nodded and wrapped his arms around her. "Yes, you're forgiven," he said, purposely holding her tight now. "But you're still not going."
Lydia tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let her. "I mean it, Lydia. You're not!"
Lydia looked up at him, and surprisingly, considering her stubborn streak, tried reasoning with him. It was as if she were asking permission. "But I have to go. See, he called yesterday, saying he had some information, and...."
Tony shook his head, not the least bit swayed, and she laughed. "Come on! Now wait a minute! Someone offered you information, and you ended up in jail because you went along."
Tony smiled. "Yeah, and there's a lesson to be learned there, in case you forgot."
"But you went, Tony. You went."
"Which has absolutely nothing to do with this."
Lydia shook her head, smiling. He was as stubborn as she was. Just then the phone rang.
She froze.
It rang again.
Tony let go of her and started to step back, but she held on to him. "I hate it when someone calls this early."
"It's almost eight."
The phone rang again.
"It's still too early," Lydia said, darting her eyes in that direction. "Oh God, what if it's about my dad? I didn't go see him yesterday."
It rang again.
"Go on...answer it," Tony said, edging her toward the door. "Maybe it's just Jan or Sharon."
Lydia nodded, that made sense, at least for a second or two. Tony picked up their coffee cups, following her inside, and from the kitchen, was alerted when he heard her say, "Wait a minute. Who is this?"
"This is Joe from Patson Security. We monitor the system at your building."
Lydia shivered. "How'd you get this number? It's unlisted."
Tony walked toward her.
"I called your father's residence, and someone there, at his suggestion, forwarded me to you."
Lydia didn't believe him. Her father had always been so protective. He wouldn't give this number out.
"Who is it?" Tony asked.
Lydia put the phone to her chest. "It's Joe from Patson Security. Do you know him?"
Tony nodded, reaching for the phone. "Joe, this is Tony Armato. What's the problem?"
The man sounded a little taken aback. "Oh…Tony. I uh, we... uh, got an alarm drop on Merchant about a half-hour ago. And when we went to check it out, the whole system was down."
"What tripped it?"
"We don't know. But the electric's out as well."
"What about the rest of the street?"
"They're fine. It's just the Merchant building. I called the electrical contractor, and they're on the way. And of course, the police are there, which just left contacting...."
"Does it look like any thing's been tampered with?"
Lydia watched Tony's eyes as he listened, and when he thanked the man and hung up, she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.
"Is it bad?"
"No, not really. The power went out and tripped the alarm, that's all."
"That's all? Then why do you look so...."
"It's just the timing," Tony said, running his fingers through his hair.
"What do you mean?"
"Julius's call yesterday, which by the way, I forgot to thank you for."
Lydia shrugged, as if it were an oversight. "I didn't want to deal with him, he's shady. I can sense it. And since he wouldn't give me a purchase order and you seemed so fond of him…."
Tony smiled. "I can handle Julius, that's not what I meant."
"What then?" He was more concerned than he was letting on. She could see it in his eyes, especially now as he stared away.
"Tony...?"
He glanced at her. "It's nothing. I was going to meet Will in there today to try to figure out a way to speed up that run. We'll just do it when they're done."
Lydia wondered if he was keeping something from her; he had that look. But then he started past her, saying, "I think I'll go see what they're doing." And she found herself following him down the hall, thinking of nothing now but his leaving.
She sat on the bed next to him, feeling lonely already as she watched him put his socks and shoes on. When he glanced at her, she looked away, close to tears.
"Why don't you come in wit
h me?" he said.
She shook her head, swallowing hard, and had to clear her throat. "No. Maybe later. I think I'll go see my dad. I've got to get him to remember something about that check."
Tony looked at her for a second. "Are you all right?"
Lydia shrugged, swallowing again, and Tony gently smoothed her hair back. "Come on, what's the matter?"
Lydia sighed heavily and leaned against him. "I don't know. It's just a feeling."
"About what?"
"I don't know. Everything I guess. Work, my dad…." She trailed off. "I'm trying to keep everything sorted out, but it's getting harder. He's given up. You don't know him, Tony. He used to be so.... I don't think I should have gone away to school. At least not so soon after my mom dying. I think I let him down."
Tony lowered his eyes to the floor, just listening.
"And Sharon's pregnant."
"Married?"
Lydia sighed. "No, and Brian, the father, doesn't want her to have the baby."
"Not his choice entirely, is it?"
Lydia gazed up at him, so touched by the way he'd said that, a lump formed in her throat. "No, and I think she's made the right one."
Tony kissed her on the forehead and then looked into her eyes. "Come on, come in to the shop with me."
Lydia shook her head and managed a smile to reassure him. "I'm fine. Honest. I'll come over after I visit my dad."
She was anything but fine, though, and as soon as he left, she headed straight for the bar. She downed a Scotch, got dressed, had another, and only then went to see her father.
He was in the garden, pleased to see her and boasting of the latest blossoms on her mother's rose bushes. "Aren't they just beautiful?"
Lydia nodded, smiling as she sat down next to him on the garden bench. "You're looking good too," she said, happy to finally see some color in his cheeks.
"No, I'm not. I'm an old man," he scoffed, as if he'd never heard anything so ridiculous. "And I keep having those spells."
All of a sudden he looked frail. "Dad, Dr. Jones says it's nothing to be alarmed about, so...."
"Doctors don't know everything."
"Well, maybe so, but in this case, I want to believe them, if that's okay?"
John sighed heavily, sounding like an old man now, and for a moment, they both stared at the roses.
Call Me Lydia Page 35
