“More, sweet little one?” he asked, eyes teasing.
“Please...?”
“I love it when you beg—especially when we're not scening...” His hands returned to the waistband of her shorts and slipped lower, dipping into her panties where his fingers glided about. “Oh, little one, what a mess we have here. Feel like I‘m cleaning up the flood from last night‘s storm.”
His lips claimed hers in a soulful kiss, his tongue rolling against hers while his fingers circled that little magic button below that could leave her coming well into their collective immediate future. Moaning into his mouth, she could feel the vibrations of her own voice, so starved and hungry with a need that only Drew could satisfy.
In continuous and constant movement, their lips synchronized, dancing together in an elegantly choreographed moment. Oh, how Maxine loved his kisses. And Drew couldn’t give her enough of them that morning.
More than ever, they needed this connection that existed only with each other, this reassuring affection between them. So much had happened in the course of just one weekend, and those events could have easily torn apart the strongest of couples. This sweet assertion of their love stirred them both to a dizzying frenzy. And Drew continued to kiss her right on through her rippling climax that left her delirious in its wake. His gaze full of affection, he shifted to cover her body with his own and sunk so deeply inside her.
Maxine lost herself completely in him—in their love...and in his tender brand of dominance over her. Even when they weren't playing out a scene, he always took complete control of her, enslaving her with his electrifying manipulation of her body, her mind...and her soul.
Holding her breath, she fell further into his spell as his drive against her quickened, intensifying as he carried her ever closer to oblivion.
Clasping her chin, forcing her eyes to meet his, he commanded her with his expression alone. No words were necessary as orgasm engulfed them both in its consuming whirl, spinning them both into a calm exhilaration as they found a quiet solace together.
“Thank you, little one,” his lips smoothing over her cheek and returning to hers. “You are my rock.”
“Don’t thank me, my love,” Maxine said, pulling away slightly to allow her fingertips play over his chest, tickling at his nipples. “You’ve done the same for me—and more. You said you don't deserve me—but I don't deserve you.”
“No, Maxine...no, not at all...” He caught her fingers in his mouth. “Maybe we both just deserve each other...”
Again, Maxine carried him to a new plateau that morning. Sex was once Drew's escape, and sometimes his downfall—but now it had become his comfort.
Maxine was so strong, so fierce in her love for him, and that he finally realized. In her actions, he found a soothing web of support. She'd opened his eyes. She'd made him realize once—and for all—that there was indeed love on so many levels in his life.
“We still have a long way here...” he reminded her. The anger dwindled inside him, but he knew he had to let it go.
“In it for the long-haul, Mack,” Maxine said. “Life’s not always going to be pretty.”
“I know you’re here for me, just as I am for you,” he said. “And she's gone, little one...gone, gone, gone...”
Minutes passed, and Drew just allowed himself to revel in his own senses—the feel of her breathing against his chest, the touch of her fingers down his back, the lingering eucalyptus scent of her shampoo from her shower before bed, the sound of her sweet voice murmuring against his ear.
“Little one?”
Tossing her head back to look him in the eyes, Maxine whispered, “Yes, my love?”
“I-I have one more thing that...that I need to do,” he stammered, “with you. Today. It's-it's not so pretty...”
Maxine slipped her hands down his arms to his hands and held them in hers. “I’ve already told you that I'm not in this for only the good times, Drew,” she said. “I'm in this for you...all or nothing...”
For once, Drew had the confidence that life just might turn out fine, after all…
# # #
As Drew maneuvered his tiny red Mustang, skillfully swerving in and out of unusually heavy traffic for a Sunday morning on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, he felt as if he were only steps away from moving on from his past. As he sped along the highway, he hoped that this day would bring Maxine both a little comfort and some assurance.
“So this is Brooklyn?” Maxine asked, staring out the window toward the river and the factories that lined the harbor below the freeway. Suddenly, she felt so very removed from New York.
“This is just the outskirts, little one,” he explained. “There are hundreds of small neighborhoods down there below the road, and each one has a different feel...a different history. Near the off-ramp ahead is where Lou grew up. Bay Ridge. Some fantastic Italian restaurants there—some even better than Manhattan.”
“Maybe we should stop and pay him a visit,” Maxine observed. “Take him to lunch on his day off?”
“Let’s leave Lou behind, but I think I could manage lunch with the lovely lady sitting beside me,” he said.
“Sounds like a plan…”
As he slowed toward the exit, Drew smiled somewhat enigmatically. “So how about that dungeon I’m thinking of buying,” he said slyly, raising an eyebrow behind his sunglasses. “Any thoughts on taking me up on my offer to handle the interior design?”
“I would be honored, Kind Sir,” Maxine said. “However…”
“Oh, my Naughty Sassy Maxine, please don’t make excuses today…”
“If I may just point out that we do have a very busy few weeks ahead of us…” Just ticking off her calendar in her head made her feel dizzy. They had the holidays, Drew’s opening night, social events to attend—not to mention her volunteer efforts with Maggie at the foundation. Now didn’t seem quite like the time to embark upon a major kink room renovation.
“It’s one room,” he said. “You could have it finished by Christmas!”
Christmas. Shit, she’d have to shop for gifts at some point in between the chaos…and in between researching sex furniture.
“Is this the graduation of my training?” she asked. “If I do well, I pass?”
“Little one, until you learn how to behave like a proper submissive, you’re going to be stuck in training,” he said, prompting her to wonder if he was teasing. “And I fear it’s going to take me a lifetime…”
A lifetime with Drew, Maxine knew she could handle. This holiday deadline—not so much.
As he turned off the exit, she lost herself in the quaint, hundred-year-old brick homes that stood so very proudly on the tree-lined blocks. There were children running around and cruising along the sidewalks on their bicycles, moms pushing strollers, grandmothers rolling their shopping carts to the supermarket. There was a genuine sense of community in this neighborhood, which was sometimes lost in Manhattan.
As they traveled across the Verrazano Bridge, which connected Brooklyn to Staten Island, Maxine turned her full attention toward Drew, waiting for the tension to return. However, he remained the tower of strength—that confident man she'd fallen so deeply in love with—going about the afternoon as if it were just another day in his life.
While she was so proud of his valiant efforts to return their lives to some state of normalcy, Maxine worried that he could so easily return to that darkest of places into which he was prone to fall. She was prepared for, if not anticipating, his residual anger to come forth.
“Almost there, little one,” Drew said, steering through the winding path lined with centuries-old trees that seemed to filter out most of the bright sunlight that afternoon.
Moravian Cemetery was a sprawling property, dating back to the eighteenth century. Many of the crypts were modeled after the grand architecture and sculptures found throughout Europe places of rest, and some of New York's most notable and wealthy families held plots and mausoleums there, including the Vanderbilts.
&
nbsp; Clutching the bouquet of flowers she held in her lap, Maxine could feel her own tension rising. They'd been through the worst, she had to remind herself. Now, it was time for some closure, and she was determined to help Drew to find his peace and to heal once and for all.
As he stopped the car and put it in park, Maxine placed her hand over his on the gear shift. “Courage, my love,” Maxine whispered.
Drew smiled at her then with that adoring look reserved only for Maxine, and in turn, took her hands in his. “We're going to be fine, Maxine,” he said. “Of that, I'm certain.” With that, he climbed out of the front seat, then moved around toward Maxine's door.
Wrapping his arm around her waist, he led her up that short, familiar hill to the beautiful oak tree towering overhead. He'd made this walk so many times with such a whirl of varying emotions playing through his mind and his heart. That afternoon, though, for the first time, Drew felt nothing but peace.
As he got down on one knee, dusting his fingers over the headstone, Maxine followed and placed the flowers before them.
Molly Ann Cranston
May 8, 1979
July 12, 1986
Immediately after Drew had been returned home, Maggie and Declan had reached out to Molly’s birth mother. She was still struggling to start a career and working several menial jobs that didn’t allot her the cash to pay for her daughter’s funeral. The McKenzies, however, wanted to give that little girl whom Drew considered his sister a proper burial. They'd covered all costs for interment to give Molly the memorial that she deserved...and to give their own little boy a proper place to grieve.
In this serene spot, Drew had questioned his own life so many times over the years, pondering his own direction and wondering how things might have turned out had she survived.
“I'm done blaming myself, Maxine,” he said at last. “I loved Molly—I still love Molly. But I can't accept responsibility for Louise and Fred any longer.”
Maxine squeezed his shoulder. Perhaps she'd been wrong. Maybe he was finally coming to terms with the hands he'd been dealt in his lifetime.
“You can't change the past,” Maxine reminded him.
“No, you can't,” he agreed. “But I'm going to make damn sure that my children don't suffer for a single second. I wouldn't think twice about killing someone if they hurt my own. I couldn't help Molly, and I couldn't help myself—but I'm not about to repeat that pattern ever again...”
Tracing her fingers over the engraving on the stone, Maxine tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to hide her tears. Seeing this grave simply brought all of Drew's harsh realities full circle, leading her to an understanding of the depth of his sadness and grief.
Scooting closer, she swung her arm around his waist. “You're going to be an awesome dad one day, Drew. Of that, I'm certain.”
“I hope so, little one,” he confided. “But I have a feeling that I'll have some help from one strong-willed lady who's going to make sure of it...”
Although their relationship was still so very new, that promise of forever brought a glow to her smiling face.
“You know, I have a thought here,” she began and snuggled against his chest, “if you're game...”
His eyes never moved from the tiny shrine to his long lost sister as he asked, “What's that?”
“Molly,” Maxine said, “might make a lovely name...for a baby girl…someday...”
“Molly McKenzie...” he mused and turned to Maxine with the slightest smile. “Sounds like a little spitfire—just like her future mother. You're serious, aren't you?”
“Very,” Maxine caught his gaze. “And I know it won't be for quite some time yet, but I hope you'll think about it...”
“I think the decision's already been made, little one,” he whispered, his hands smoothing over her to rest on her tummy as if he already imagined their family together. “But agreed—let's wait a little while...”
“So you’re keeping me for a while, Kind Sir?”
“Yeah, I think I will,” he said.
“Alright, Drew,” Maxine began, leaning on him to push herself up, “I'm going to give you a few minutes here by yourself. I'll be waiting by the car...”
Drew took her hand and kissed it, barely brushing his lips over her fingers. “You really can read my mind, can't you, Maxine?”
“Just remember that,” Maxine said, playfully pointing her finger against his lips. “I always know what you're thinking...”
While Maxine made her way back down the hillside, Drew unwrapped the flowers and carefully arranged them on the gravestone.
“I miss you, Molly,” Drew whispered. “I loved that you made up stories for me...I loved that you played with me...and I loved that you taught me how to hold our little brother...but most of all from that time in our lives together…I loved you…”
As he opened his eyes, he watched a stray petal from one of the roses he'd just laid upon the grave flutter away in the chilly autumn breeze. With a suddenness that didn't scare him, he realized that he wasn't crying—that he'd finally released his demons to fly away in the wind.
“Stay warm, Molly,” he said, rising up. “And remember that your little brother loves you...very much...”
Watching his footing as he turned and headed toward Maxine, he smiled. That sweet young lady with the auburn hair and wide emerald eyes had changed him. She'd made him understand that there were so many facets of life that he'd dismissed for far too long and taught him how to enjoy those little pleasures that she brought to him every single day. And now, they could embark on the rest of their lives together.
“Come on, little one,” he took her in his arms and held her close. “I promised you a date this afternoon. How about a late lunch in Brooklyn?”
“I would be most honored,” Maxine said and brought her lips to his.
“The honor, my darling, is mine.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
It was quite a far stretch from the skyline of New York City to the Allegheny Mountain Range. A quaint little village nestled just at the foothills with spectacular natural views, Maxine’s hometown—both square miles of it—was a world apart from the city of Pittsburgh, just one hour to the north.
In the summer, the lush thickets of forestry drew tourists to the waterfalls, hiking trails, caves, and the giant crucifix that towered on the mountain top. Waterways rushed through so many of the tiny towns in the area—with the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio Rivers all converging in Pittsburgh.
Autumn brought forth the most glorious display of color that rivaled New England’s fall flora, and Maxine’s fondest memories of home were of lazy Sunday afternoons of leaf-peeping with Judy and Tom. No traces of those vibrant shades of red, yellow and orange were visible now in late November, but Drew promised they’d spend her next birthday in Pennsylvania just so that he could see the foliage in its full splendor.
The pastoral charm, however, wasn’t quite enough to preserve any kind of economic stability in the region.
Drew commandeered their rented BMW in a straight shot from the tiny airstrip that was only a fifteen-minute drive from her home. It was just after noon, and they were on schedule.
Whirlwind, however, didn’t even begin to describe their day.
First, Drew made an appearance on the Today Show, and then he performed in Macy’s Parade just after nine that morning. He’d been awake since three-thirty to prepare…and to make love to Maxine one last time before they headed for the hills of Pennsylvania.
While Drew merely lip-synched to a prerecorded track for the purpose of television, the excitement of the moment mesmerized Maxine as she sat alongside his proud parents. He’d worked so hard for so long, and now he finally had the chance to showcase his talents to an audience outside the diehard theatergoers of New York. Drew wasn’t merely promoting his current show; he was auditioning for his next part—and laying the groundwork for his future as an actor.
While the giant cartoon character balloons coasted over the streets of New York, child
ren cheered and laughter trickled through the crowd as everyone awaited Santa’s grand arrival. The festivities were a first for Maxine, and she never thought she’d have a coveted seat to all of the action—right in front of the store. However, she and the McKenzies would have to relinquish their seats before the fun even began…
The instant Drew finished his number, he hurried over toward his three biggest fans in the crowd, kissed his mom, hugged his dad and carted Maxine off to Lou, who waited in the car just around the corner. Since they were flying Air Adam, private airports were their only option. It was a half-hour ride to Teterboro to catch their flight, but every second mattered that day.
Drew didn’t even bother to change his costume or remove his make-up until they had reached cruising altitude, leaving Maxine alone in the cabin to revel in the amenities. Of course, she’d never flown in a private jet before. She felt like a child on her first plane trip—playing with the all of the buttons and gadgets connected to the cushiony, expansive seats as she sipped champagne from a crystal flute. If only they had time to indoctrinate her into the Mile High Club that afternoon….
Ah, well, she thought, a girl could always dream!
For the weekend, however, they'd decidedly left everything behind—work, social chaos, emotional turmoil and one gutted studio apartment that would soon transform into their private dungeon. New York would be there on the other side of Sunday, and Maxine vowed that Drew would enjoy every minute of his desperately needed time away.
Gradually, Drew began to make progress with his recovery. After Louise’s death, he pushed himself to return to his rituals and poured his emotions into the show as he usually did. However, rather than focusing on his stage role as the only outlet for his sorrows, he followed his own advice for Maxine and sought the help of a psychiatrist.
With Maxine’s support and encouragement, he had begun to learn how to allow himself that all-consuming release once a week. He simply had to make time to address his anguish and allow the tears to flow. The catharsis of relief shocked no one more than Drew himself.
WRAPPED: The Manhattan Bound Series, Book Two Page 40
