by Lee Damon
Straightening up and turning to O'Mara, she managed to slide her eyes quickly past his waiting gaze and concentrate on the glitter of gold on his chest. As she realized what it was, she suppressed a gasp of laughter but couldn't control the mirth that filled her eyes. Gleaming against the white silk was a magnificently warty toad, sporting a distinct leer and winking at her with a glowing sapphire eye.
Breathlessly, she managed, "Wherever did you find—" before she finally met his laughing eyes with her own.
It set the tone for much of the evening. Absorbing the love and admiration emanating from O'Mara and Gus, Kitt was relaxed and happy; the faint misgivings she'd felt about the bareness of her dress, still a new experience, disappeared under O'Mara's appreciative comments and his apparent inability to keep from touching her every few minutes. Since all of her interest was centered on the look in his eyes, she was totally unaware of the attention she attracted as she followed the maître d' across the restaurant dining room. More than a few male eyes lit with pleasure at the sight of her long, slim legs enhanced by the swirling knee-length skirt of her turquoise jersey dress, and the firm curves of her breasts subtly emphasized by the soft gathers of the dress's bodice, cut high in front but baring her back almost to her waist.
O'Mara, however, had not missed the assessing looks. Once they were seated, he clasped Kitt's hand to gain her attention and murmured teasingly, "I love your new wardrobe. Make no mistake about that. But I'm definitely going to start carrying a voluminous cape around with me for occasions such as this."
Her startled eyes met his, and then followed his drifting gaze around the room. As she realized how many men were eyeing her, she bit her lip in consternation and a flush stained her cheeks. Turning back to O'Mara, she opened her mouth to speak but was forestalled by Gus asking, "Why do you want to wrap Kitt in a cape? I think she looks great!"
Laughing, teasing, bubbling with plans and discussions, the three of them ignored the rest of the patrons and concentrated on deepening their rapidly developing sense of being a family.
Daylight saving time had come in over the weekend, and it was still light when they left the restaurant and strolled across the parking lot toward the Mercedes. Kitt was turned away from O'Mara and talking with Gus, so she didn't notice his distraction until they reached the car. When he didn't step forward to unlock the door, she turned and saw him standing several feet back, his attention fixed on something on the far side of the lot.
"O'Mara? What's wrong?"
With a last look over his shoulder, he joined them. "Nothing. Just... I thought I saw... someone I knew."
The Monday evening traffic was light on Route One, and they made good time back to Kennebunkport. Half-turned in her seat so that she could include Gus in the conversation, Kitt gradually became aware of the inordinate number of times O'Mara checked the rearview mirror and that he was often only half-hearing what they were saying to him.
"Is something wrong, O'Mara?" she asked softly when Gus's attention was diverted by the boats as they crossed the river. "You've been watching that mirror all the way back."
"I'm not sure. Probably it's coincidence, but there's been a red Toyota following us since we left the restaurant, and I noticed a similar car a couple of times earlier today." He shrugged, adding, "It's probably just an early tourist who happens to be going to the same places we are."
"Seems logical. After all, lots of cars are seen around for a few days and then disappear. I've been getting quite a few tourists in the shop these past couple of weeks."
They stopped briefly at the shop to pick up Hero, and then went on to the Rock. Gus stayed up an extra half-hour, taking advantage of it's being his father's last night at home for at least two weeks, and Kitt and Andy kibbitzed a wild Ping-Pong contest between father and son. After hot chocolate and mint cookies, Gus and Andy retreated upstairs, leaving Kitt and O'Mara to wander out to the bridge.
There was a spring storm building up at sea, and they watched as the large waves smashed over the offshore reefs, sending silver fans of spray twenty feet into the air. Clouds raced across the moon-bright sky, driven by strong upper-air winds, and they could hear the crash of the sea against the base of the Rock and the rising sound of the wind sweeping around the house. Standing at the point of the bridge, Kitt felt almost as if she were out in the midst of the turmoil and shivered.
"Let's go in and sit by the fire for a while before I take you home." His voice was soft in her ear, and she could feel his breath on her cheek and his warm hands stroking up and down her arms.
Something changed, stopped and then started again, shifted its balance—she didn't know exactly what happened, but from one breath to another she blazed with heat and a driving need of him. Perhaps it was the combination of the warm, strong security of his presence at her back and the wildness of the elements around them—whatever the cause, she was suddenly taken over by her own elemental instincts, and she turned into his arms, pressing her body and legs against his, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, reaching for and finding his mouth with hers, already open and seeking.
She took him completely by surprise, and he reacted instinctively, unthinkingly doing what he had dreamed of for days. He met her mouth with an unleashed hunger, his arms closing around her, drawing her even tighter to his instantly aroused body. One hand pressed firmly down the length of her spine, the long fingers spreading and curving to fit the shape of her buttocks and pulling her pelvis tight against the hard ridge of his manhood.
They swayed on their feet, almost off-balance, muscles straining as they tried to get closer to each other, breaths panting, her low moan smothered under the force of his urgent, thrusting tongue. He was so lost in the passionate delirium of holding her, possessing her, that it was almost too late when his dazed senses picked up the panic signals. Within seconds, his extraordinarily strong willpower had tamped down his soaring passion, relaxed his straining body and brought his mind back to reason. Her hands were on his hips, pushing him away, her body was stiffening and a keening sound was starting in her throat as she twisted her head away from his, when he finally loosened his arms and brought his hands up to rest lightly on her shoulders.
"No, no, love. It's all right," he whispered. "Don't pull away from me. Relax. See, I've let go. You're free. You can move wherever you want to, but I'd like it best if you came back against me. I won't hold you again. I promise. You took me by surprise, then. Just come back to me. One step, that's all. I'll keep my hands right where they are, and you can move away if you want."
Soft and soothing, repeating key words and phrases, his voice drew her back from the edge of panic. Shaking back her hair, she looked at him and saw love and took a step forward, sliding her arms around him again and leaning her head on his shoulder.
"I didn't think it would happen," she murmured. "It felt so good to be in your arms and I wanted you so much, I really thought it had gone away. Oh, why—"
"It's all right, my Kitt. We're getting closer." His deep chuckle vibrated against her cheek where it rested on his shoulder. "If I can't yet hold you in my arms, at least I'm in yours—and that's the next best thing."
Chapter 17
O'Mara left on Tuesday morning, and in the ensuing days Kitt discovered that Time had a fey, fickle will of its own. A morning would disappear without a trace or a memory, an afternoon dragged into a week, an evening fluctuated between hours that were seconds long and minutes that were endless. She threw herself enthusiastically into the task of expanding the scope of the shop, working energetically for half a morning, only to be brought back from a lovely daydream of life with O'Mara when Midge arrived to nudge her into reality.
By the middle of the first weekend, she caught onto the conspiracy. It had somehow escaped her notice until then that she had rarely been left alone since Tuesday morning. Midge was around in the afternoons, working, and Gus had popped in after school on Wednesday and Thursday—with the excuse of visiting Hero but managing to involve Kitt i
n cookie-baking and a ramble out Ocean Avenue to the Spouting Rock. Tuesday evening, Midge had stayed for dinner and conversation; Wednesday, Gus invited himself to supper with great charm and the excuse of teaching Kitt how to make proper hamburgers; on Thursday, Andy called and suggested that Kitt stay for barbecued ribs when she drove Gus home. After dinner, she gave Gus, much to his surprise, a dazzling demonstration of how to win hands-down at Ping-Pong; once he was in bed, she and Andy lost track of time, talking, and she and Hero ended up staying the night.
In the middle of Friday afternoon, she was leaning on the work counter making out a list of all the things she hadn't had time to do that week and figuring out how much catching up she could manage that evening, when Ez ambled in some three hours before she expected him. After his usual exuberant reunion with Midge, he informed both women that he was taking them out to dinner and a show in Portland. Kitt's pleas to be allowed an evening to herself were blandly brushed aside, and her argument that she didn't want to be a third wheel was shot down when Midge called her older brother and got his eager agreement to act as Kitt's escort.
Ez disappeared for the day Saturday, taking Gus and Hero off to explore the more interesting islands in Casco Bay, which were reached by ferry from Portland. By early Saturday evening, Kitt had had it with togetherness, and explained to Midge and Ez in simple language that she did not need a babysitter.
"In fact, you two noodles, I've been desperate to get some time to myself for the past three days. Every stitch I own is in the laundry. I've got letters to write. April's accounts need to be billed. I've got all sorts of things to do if you'll just give me some time in which to do them. Now go away for a few hours, and let me get on with it."
"Just what we need—a quiet evening at home," Ez stated. "We'll help you and have it all done in no time at all."
"You'll tuck your girl under your arm and take yourself off," Kitt exclaimed wrathfully. "I know what you're doing, and it's not necessary. I am not going to be lonely. I am not going to brood. What I am going to do is have a little time to myself to think sexy thoughts about O'Mara! So there!
You've all been so busy keeping me busy that I haven't even had time for pleasant memories and planning what I want to do when he gets back."
"We just didn't want you to get lonely," Ez muttered sheepishly.
"I should have realized that you'd want time to dream about the... ah... more interesting episodes," added Midge, with a reminiscent look at Ez.
"Yes, well, now that you understand, how about scooting out of here and giving me some privacy?" Kitt pleaded.
"We're gone," asserted Ez, scooping Midge up and striding out the door.
By early evening, Kitt had finished the laundry, eaten a light supper, written her letters and spread out the account books and charge Slips on the desk in her study. She sat down in the desk chair and took a stack of billheads and envelopes from the bottom drawer, then wrinkled her nose and groaned at the thought of spending the next three hours closed up in the small room. A glance at her watch assured her that there was still at least an hour of light left, and exclaiming "A plague on it!" she jumped up and strode toward her bedroom to find her running shoes.
With Hero romping along beside her, she loped easily down Ocean Avenue toward the sea, her hair blowing into a tangle in the brisk offshore breeze. It was a cool evening, but the exercise was keeping her comfortably warm. Glancing occasionally from side to side, she noted that several more houses seemed to be occupied and more of the yards had been tended. Obviously, a number of summer people were taking advantage of the fine early May weather to start opening up their homes for the season. She suddenly got a noseful of the sweet fragrance of hyacinths and looked around for the source, finally spotting a border of blue and pink blossoms along the walk of the house across the road.
Enjoying the sights and scents of the spring evening, she continued on as far as the Spouting Rock, where she took a breather and watched the half-tide waves force their way through the blowhole to shoot a fan of spray some fifteen to twenty feet into the air. Just as the sky began to color with the beginnings of sunset, and before she completely cooled off, she called to the exploring Hero and started back. She was dividing her attention between the sunset and the road surface, and barely noticed the red Toyota parked on the bridge over one of the tidal inlets from the river. As she went past it, she fleetingly wondered if it could be the same one that O'Mara had seen, and then promptly forgot about it as the sky flamed with burning orange and magenta. She had no reason to look back, and therefore didn't see the driver straighten up from where he had been slouched, out of sight, behind the wheel, light a cigarette and stare broodingly after her gracefully running figure.
Kitt lingered on the deck to watch the last few minutes of the sunset and then went in to shower and don her comfortable terry caftan. Deciding that the billing could wait until morning, she settled down on the sofa with a cup of coffee to watch a Neil Simon comedy on the Saturday Night Movie. She was laughing when the phone rang, and there was a sense of déjà vu as she dumped Hero on the floor and scrambled to answer it, tripping over the hassock and grabbing up the receiver with a breathless "Hello."
"Do you always answer the phone with this panting eagerness," came the deep voice, "or is it just when you sense that I'm calling?"
"O'Mara! Where are you? You sound so close. Are you home?"
His chuckle sent waves of heat through her vitals, and she almost didn't hear him say, "No, love. I'm in Geneva, but we've lucked out on a good connection. How are you? What are you doing? I half thought you might be off somewhere with the odd couple."
"I talked myself out of it. Everybody has been so busy this week keeping me from being lonely that I haven't had a minute to myself. It's been heavenly this evening—just me and Hero and Neil Simon."
"Well, you should be safe enough with that combo. What have you been so busy with?"
Kitt recapped her week for him, sensing his delight and satisfaction at the deepening relationship between her and Gus. Finally, she asked, "How is your trip going? Have you been able to see the people you wanted to talk with?"
"Most of them, at least the important ones. I'm running about a day behind right now, but with luck I'll make it up next week. If it hadn't been so difficult to set all this up, I'd come back tomorrow. I miss you, love."
"I miss you, too. Memories are okay, but they're not as warm as you are."
"How am I supposed to take that?" he teased.
"Mmmm," she murmured noncommittally. "{Besides, I feel as if we left off in the middle of things. I wanted to know... oh, all sorts of things. You know what I want."
"Indeed I do, love. The same thing I want. Don't worry so, my Kitt. We'll have it. Believe me. Don't you understand just how much that meant, that last night when you turned to me so instinctively, so desperately in need of physical closeness? Think about it, Kitt. Let the need build up, feed it, concentrate on it, until it fills you to the point of forcing out the panic."
"Oh, God, O'Mara, don't you think I have thought about it? I've been trying not to, or I won't get any sleep or be able to concentrate on work."
"Never mind sleep. You can sleep after I get home. Right now, it's more important to overcome your fears."
"All right," she sighed, "but I'll probably be a total wreck by the time you get back. Black rings around my eyes, hollow cheeks and shaking hands. Then what will you do?"
"Kiss everything better," came the husky voice. "And with that thought, I'm going to say goodnight. I'll call you in a few days. I love you, my Kitt. Hold the thought."
"Oh, yes. And I love you, O'Mara. Goodnight."
She'd lost the thread of the movie and finally turned it off and wandered along to bed, leaving a note for Ez to take Hero out. Drowsily, she replayed the conversation with O'Mara, feeling the uncoiling of desire as she remembered the warm, husky sound of his voice telling her to think about needing him. And, oh, how she did need him! She wanted to be naked with him,
to look at him, to touch him, to stroke her hands over his warm, smooth skin, to feel him—NO! She couldn't think about that or she would have to remember Leon, and that was impossible. She didn't want to remember anything about Leon and what he used to do to her. It had nothing to do with O'Mara and how he touched her, loved her, would make love to her. He wouldn't be like Leon. He couldn't be, could he? But how could he not be? There was only one way to be completely joined as one, and how could it be any different with O'Mara?
It would hurt! It had to! It always did! Can I possibly love him enough to let him hurt me like that? Oh, God, ohgodohgodohgod—
"Kitt! What's wrong?" The lights flicked on and Ez came swiftly across the room to drop down onto the edge of the bed and gather a sobbing Kitt in his arms.
"Easy, easy now. Calm down and tell me what's the matter."
Held firmly in one strong arm while his other hand stroked back her hair and gently rubbed her shoulders, Kitt gradually quieted to soft gulps of air as she tried to ease the ache in her chest.
"Oh, Ez, what am I going to do? I can't... no matter how much I want him... he can't help but... There's no other way, is there?"
"You do know that you're not making a bit of sense, don't you?" He tipped her head back against his shoulder and examined her tear-stained face and despairing eyes. "Get your breath back, and then tell me calmly what's happened and who's upset you like this."
"All right," Kitt said wanly, moving to sit up by herself. "Let me go and wash my face first."
"While you're doing that, I'll make some coffee. No, tea would be better. Have you got some of that orange and spice stuff?"
"Second shelf of the cabinet to the right of the sink. I'll only be a few minutes," she said over her shoulder as she closed the bathroom door.
Wrapped in a warm robe but still feeling chilled to the bone, Kitt sat curled up in a corner of the sofa with her hands clasped around a mug of hot tea and told Ez about the phone call from O'Mara. Lounging at the other end of the sofa, facing her, he listened without comment until she came to the end of her recapitulation. He waited, watching her stare broodingly into her empty mug, but she didn't say anything else.
