"I will. I have to, but what are we going to do? How will we handle it?"
"Do, Erin?" Sean’s voice was suddenly very dark with passion. "I have an idea about what we should do. Shall I tell you what it is?"
"Yes."
"First, I’m going to take you to my hotel room right now and make love to you in ways you can’t even imagine, all night long, and hold you until morning."
"Yes, please." That put a little smile on her face.
"Then, tomorrow, when the stores open, I’m going to take you to a jeweler and you can pick out a ring. I’ll put it on your finger so everyone knows for the rest of your time here, that you’re mine. And then, this summer, baby, we’re getting married."
Erin shivered. "Sounds perfect. Let’s get started right now."
"Come on." He took her hand and led her to his car, driving quickly through the busy city traffic to a small and unassuming hotel near the interstate. It was clean and respectable, but certainly not fancy.
Sean opened the room impatiently with his key card, and pulled Erin through the door, kissing her before he could even get it closed. She worked the buttons on his shirt eagerly, pushing it to the geometric patterned carpet. Sean released Erin’s mouth to pull her sweater over her head. She unhooked her bra and dropped it before throwing her arms around his neck again. Her breasts were soft against his chest. He liked her new curves very much and took one globe in his hand, caressing it tenderly, teasing the sensitive little nipple.
Erin gasped as pleasure shot through her. She had always loved to have Sean touch her breasts. Even better would be if he took her nipples in his mouth. She cupped the little globe in her hand and raised it, pulling Sean’s head down so he could take the tender peak. He did, sucking it into his mouth and licking, nipping gently. Erin could feel herself going all liquid as he repeated the process on the other side.
"Let’s get on the bed," he murmured, "but leave your clothes behind. You won’t need them."
Erin stripped off her jeans and panties eagerly and pulled back the white cotton coverlet, stretching herself out on the sheets. Sean was on her in an instant, nude, pressing his body hard against hers, letting her feel the strength of his muscles, the size of his erection. He took her jaw in his hand and pressed his mouth to hers again. She wrapped her legs around his waist.
It was too soon, but they were both destroyed by passion, and Sean took the invitation thoughtlessly, finding her wet entrance with his sex and thrusting deep.
Erin made a soft protesting sound.
"What’s wrong, baby?"
"You’re too big." She gritted through clenched teeth.
"Did that hurt?"
"Yes."
"Little girl, have you forgotten how to take me?" he asked in mock reproof.
"I guess I did."
"You’re so tight. I can’t imagine. It’s like your first time all over again."
"Well I haven’t had sex in almost three years."
"Three years?"
"My one and only, remember?"
He had not dared to hope that she had been chaste all that time. He would have wanted her regardless, but to know that she was still his, all his, well that was magnificent.
He didn’t want to hurt her however, so he stayed very still inside her, giving her resisting body a chance to adjust to his size. Meanwhile he aroused her with passionate kisses, caressing her breasts again to please her before working his way across her belly to her intimate folds. She was so wet for him. He found the delicate point of her clitoris, swollen with need, and began to stroke it gently. Once she came, she should be more relaxed, better able to let him move.
Erin moaned as Sean brought her higher and higher. She was so full of him, not just his sex in her body, but full of love, overflowing with it. She had let go of this dream, and miraculously it had just come true anyway. And the pleasure built to an explosion, making her scream, making her body tighten even more around his.
Sean began to move, carefully but insistently, a gentle glide, so arousing inside that wet, tight, wonderfully familiar sex. It didn’t take him long before he joined her in oblivion.
When they surfaced from the deep beautiful place their passion had thrown them, both Sean and Erin were a little stunned. Sean withdrew gently from Erin’s body and lay down beside her, pulling her close, cradling her head on his shoulder.
"I love you, Sean," she told him softly, trailing ticklish lines across his chest with her fingertip, "I’m so glad we found each other. Why were you here?"
"Danny asked me to visit. I didn’t realize she was trying to set us up again. I got a little mad at her."
"I know. She talks about you all the time. It was driving me crazy."
"Me too. She was right though."
"She usually is."
"Erin, how is she doing, really? She says she’s better, but you see her every day. Is she really doing all right?"
"She is, thankfully. I don’t think I could have handled another year like that first one."
"What was it like?"
"Freshman year? Oh, she was a mess. It was all I could do to get her to go to class, to do her homework, to study. She used to have nightmares, wake up screaming, break down crying at odd moments. I didn’t want anyone to know how destroyed she was, but it was really difficult."
"Wow. Poor Erin, and all without any help." He cupped her cheek in his hand. "How did you manage?"
"Well, I just did my best. You know? I felt like, other freshmen were handling college without needing to rely on anyone, but part of me wanted to call you all the time. Like, I had to audition for the freshman woodwind ensemble. It’s a very elite group. Only one musician per instrument gets in. I was really nervous, and I just wanted to hear your voice, hear you tell me it would be okay, and then, after I made it, I wanted to call you again and tell you how happy I was."
"Erin, you could have done that. That’s what people do when they love each other."
"It just seemed so mundane, like such a bother. Later, after you stopped calling me, I felt like I had pestered you too much. I was too dependant on you, and you were sick of it." A little of that low self-esteem that had plagued her through her whole life bled into the words. His arm tightened around her for a moment.
"No, that isn’t what happened. I was so worried about holding you back that I forgot how much strain you were under. Erin, I bet you none of those other freshmen went a single week without calling their parents at least three times to tell them how everything was going. That’s normal. I called my dad just about every day for a while. You were doing more than any of them. How did you stay sane?"
"I practiced a lot. In fact, there really wasn’t time for anything else. I practiced, and studied and took care of Sheridan. That was it. If she hadn’t started to heal, I think I might have cracked under it."
"So what happened? She was pretty bad over that first summer. You didn’t come home then. Where were you?"
"I took classes and then I traveled around for summer music series in different towns, starting in Des Moines."
That was interesting. "You did?"
"Yes. There are lots of playing jobs for young musicians in the summer. I’ve been to the Ozarks, Omaha, New Mexico, Bismark, and Moorehead. Oh, and I finally got to Texas too. I played a two week opera run in Fort Worth."
"Did you like it?"
She made a face. He could feel the movement of it against his chest. "I liked the music, but the other musicians were often … difficult. Unkind, competitive, and just kind of snarky. They were usually okay to us. We were just kids and no threat, but to each other… it got brutal pretty often." She shook her head. "I don’t know how they can be a team and make music together when they’re always cutting each other down. It made me miss that little symphony even more. The people there are so nice."
"So you’ve played all over, have you?"
"Yes."
"And what about during the year?"
"Well I play with the university
orchestra, but the symphony doesn’t need any oboes right now."
"Their loss."
"Thank you." She kissed him gently where his shoulder met his neck. "Wait, I think we got off topic."
"We did. I was wondering how it was that Danny suddenly got so much better."
"Believe it or not, she met someone."
"She did? That’s surprising. Who?"
Erin shook her head a little. "Her English professor, Dr. Burke. To this day, I don’t understand what she sees in him. I had a class with him and I dropped it. He must be the harshest, strictest, pickiest man in the whole academic world. I hated his class. Somehow, though, working with him brought Sheridan back to life. Since the beginning of sophomore year, she has taken a class with him every semester. She’s in love with him. And the more she relies on him, the less she needs from me. It was kind of a relief."
"Wait, I think I saw him. Is he really tall with black hair?"
"Yes. Did his clothes look like they came out of the rag bag?"
"Uh huh."
"That’s the one."
"I wondered if there was something going on there. The way he looked at her…protective, and even a little possessive. Are they…involved?" Oddly, for being an overprotective big brother, Sean sounded curious and not in the least disapproving.
"I don’t exactly know. They have the strangest relationship. He does these crazy romantic things for her, and I know what you mean about the way he looks at her. They spend huge amounts of time together, but as far as I know, they’re not actually dating. I’m pretty sure he wants her, but he won’t make a move, and she’s still too shy, too hurt, to approach him. It’s like the love affair of two porcupines."
"Well, I guess it’s up to them, isn’t it. If she’s even interested in someone, that’s progress."
"It is. So while Sheridan was finding a way to fall in love in spite of everything, I was able to get back into living my life a little. She didn’t need my encouragement so much because she gets it from him. So without that pressure I was able to move forward myself."
"Move forward academically."
"And musically. After what we shared, going out with anyone else would have been a step backwards." It was such a sweet thing to say, especially in light of how badly he had messed up their relationship. Sean was blown away.
"I don’t deserve you, Erin."
"Of course you do. You’re my anchor. You made it possible for me to get through high school. All the happiest moments in my life were because of you."
"How? Your achievements had nothing to do with me. I didn’t get you into that all-state band, for instance, you did that yourself."
"Sean, I made state twice before we got together. It was nice, but having you there to hear me play was what made it great. No one has ever come to a concert just to hear me before."
"Your parents?"
Erin shook her head.
"How can someone as wonderful as you come from such useless selfish people?"
"I don’t know. Sometimes I hate them both."
"You’re entitled. Don’t let them convince you, though, that you’re worthless." His trailing fingers were heading to more and more interesting places. You are precious and valuable. The way they treated you was like throwing a treasure in the trash. It doesn’t reflect badly on you, only on them."
Erin smiled, pressing a gentle kiss on Sean’s shoulder.
"You’re the only one who sees me that way."
"It’s not true, but at any rate, if the person who admires you most is going to be your husband, I think that’s rather appropriate, don’t you?"
"Yes. You’re right. Do you think you might have recovered enough to… admire me some more?" She arched against him, showing him what she meant.
"Let’s find out."
He rolled to his side, pulling her close. They leaned together, pressing their mouths to each other for a tender arousing kiss, tongues tangling, mating, as they ran their hands over each other’s bodies, preparing each other for another devastating round of loving.
The more they touched and caressed and kissed each other, the more the years of hurt and misunderstanding fell away until their love was as pure and uncomplicated as it had once been. Better, because they no longer felt responsible for Sheridan. Her pain did not overlay their relationship any more. She had moved on, survived, and now they could focus entirely on each other. It was selfish and greedy and decadent and wonderful, the way they devoured each other. It went on and on, a single endless loving in many acts, with interludes for showering (together, of course) and ordering and eating pizza. And when the last powerful orgasms faded away, they cuddled up together and fell asleep.
***Chapter 16***
In the morning, reality struck Erin. She had come away with Sean without anything but the clothes she was wearing. She had no clean underpants, no toothbrush, not even her purse. It was all locked in her dorm room and she didn’t have the key. That simply wouldn’t do. While she listened to his soft even breathing, she picked his pocket for change, working hard to muffle the clanking of coins. Then she headed down the hall and bought a toothbrush from the vending machine. For the rest, she would have to go back to her room before she could do anything else. She was not interested in shopping for an engagement ring while wearing dirty underwear. Sean agreed, reluctantly. He didn’t want to delay making their engagement official, but he could understand why she would feel that way. Besides, it was only 8:30 and the stores weren’t open yet.
Hoping Sheridan would still be there, they hurried back to the university, and hand in hand they approached the room that had been Erin’s home for the last three years. She knocked.
"Who is it?" Sheridan called.
"It’s me, Danny. Let me in please."
"Where the hell have you been?" Sheridan’s angry voice filtered through the door.
"I got locked out again."
"When?"
"Yesterday afternoon."
"And after that?"
"I ran into someone. We went on a date."
"Erin, since when do you go on all-night dates?"
"Sorry. Look, I’ll tell you everything, but can you please open the door?"
"Fine." She wrenched it open and stopped dead to see her roommate, holding hands with her brother. They walked into the room, a little sheepishly.
"Oh," Sheridan said, her expression blank, "I see you found Sean. Well, that’s okay then. I wish you had called and told me though. I was worried about you."
"I completely forgot. As you can see, I’ve never been so safe in my life."
"Danny, I’m sorry I yelled at you yesterday," Sean told his sister earnestly, "you were right."
"Of course I was. I’m not stupid you know."
"No, you’re brilliant, and we were both too stubborn to realize it."
"So, is everything all right between you now? I guess it must be if you’re back to spending the night together."
"Everything is wonderful!" Erin beamed. "We’re engaged. We’re going to get a ring today."
Sheridan considered this in silence for a moment. "Well, getting you two hitched up should make my life easier. Okay, let me ask an awkward question. Sean, you didn’t come up here planning to sleep with Erin?"
"No, of course not."
"Which means you weren’t prepared. Erin, when did you go off the pill?"
Erin blushed. "A couple of years ago. I didn’t think I would need it."
"I doubt it’s still working. So you’re back to unprotected sex again? Remember what happened the last time?"
"I would like that," Erin said softly.
"Not while you’re still in school, baby."
"Nine months from now I’ll be done."
"Erin…"
"You promised me," she reminded him intensely. He fell silent.
"Erin," Sheridan said firmly, "I’m not going to be happy with you if you get pregnant again before you’re married."
"It may already be too late."
"Well then why don’t you guys forget about getting engaged and just get married."
The couple looked at each other, stunned. Get married? Be married? No question about who belonged with whom, no question about when it would end.
Erin took a deep breath. "Her idea has merit."
"It does. I can’t imagine anything more appealing. But can it be done?"
"Only one way to find out," Erin said.
"Yes. Get dressed. I’ll work on the details."
Erin hurried into some clothes while Sean scoured the phone book. A quick call told him everything he needed to know, and he was very glad that he generally kept his birth certificate in his wallet. Erin’s was in a box under her bed. They had just enough time to get themselves over to the city offices where licenses were issued, just as the place opened.
They were called to a window where a sweet, grandmotherly looking woman was waiting to help them from behind a cheap veneer counter with high walls that formed a cubicle.
"Hi," Erin said, "We would like to purchase a marriage license."
"Of course. Here’s the paperwork my dears. You did know there was a five day waiting period, right?"
Erin’s face fell. "I didn’t know. We were hoping to do it today."
"Why? Is there a reason for your hurry?"
"I have to be at work Monday, and I live three hours away," Sean told her.
"And I’m a student here and I have class. I can’t just leave."
"Oh. Well, if you want, you can apply for a waiver. Here’s the form. Go fill it out quickly, okay? Good. Listen, I don’t know if I can get this approved, but I’ll try. It’s a pretty quiet time of year. I’m going to attempt to push it through, but it might be a lengthy wait. In the meanwhile, here’s a list of people who officiate weddings. We don’t have justices of the peace in this state. Try calling them and see if anyone can work with you, if we can get the paperwork approved."
"Thank you," Erin told the woman earnestly.
"Baby," Sean said as they took their seats, "I think you need to make the calls. If I do it, it’s going to look bad, like I’m pressuring you. I’ll work on this paperwork."
When the Music Ends (The Winter Rose Chronicles) Page 11
