by Velvet Reed
When everything from lunch is packed away, we lie back side by side and soak up the warm rays of the sun. Sighing contentedly, I think about how perfect this has been, even with those few heavy moments we’ve had. While I wish Sam would really open himself up to me and share his feelings and thoughts, I know that’s just not who he is. I know I want my future to be with the man I love. With Sam. It would just be nice if I had an idea if his future involves me.
I’ve either dozed off or am so lost in my thoughts that it takes Sam saying my name a few times to gain my attention.
“Must be a pretty exciting date if it’s made you fall asleep,” he jests.
He’s lying on his side, his elbow propping him up and his head resting in his hand. I give him a lazy grin. “It’s been the best date ever,” I tell him.
Sam stares down at me, neither of us saying a word. For a while his eyes are searching, trying to pry into my mind for answers to questions he hasn’t asked, but then they turn hungry and desire sparkles in the green depths that have always pulled me in and captured my attention. Leaning over he kisses me slowly, his lips soft and oh so gentle as they caress the curves of mine. He doesn’t demand anything more, just continues the closed mouth brushes. It’s seductive. Sensual. And so very arousing.
“You’re all sticky,” he informs me. “I think we need to wash you off, Beautiful.”
Seriously? He wants to go for a swim now?
“Come on.” He gets to his feet and holds out a hand to help me up, and I can’t help but pout over the missed moment we were having.
When I’m standing he looks me over, his eyes raking over every inch of my body and by God, the heat in them has my body reacting instantly. I know that look!
“After you,” he says, motioning with his hand for me to go ahead of him.
A little confused I decide to just go with it and get in the water. When I’m in up to my knees, I dive in and allow the water to once again cool my body. By the time I resurface and smooth my hair back, Sam has gotten in and has made his way over to the rocks near the waterfall. “Come here, Ash,” He says, his voice husky and demanding.
Slowly, I swim towards him, the water thundering down on the rocks and into the lagoon. When I reach him, he pulls me against his chest and wraps his arms around me. This time, his kiss is commanding. He takes my mouth, my lips, my tongue with ravenous need and I have no choice but to surrender myself to his ardent ministrations.
His hands wander across my back and then I feel a tug on the strings of my bikini, the top going slack against my breasts before sliding between our chests and disappearing. The second my nipples make contact with his body, I wrap my legs around him and gasp when I realize that he isn’t wearing his shorts. “Sam,” I breathe.
Wasting no time, since I’ve broken the kiss, his hands move to my hips and again I feel the tug of the strings on my bikini. The material slides between our bodies once more, Sam’s hand breaking the surface with them before he slings them onto the rocks near us.
I’ve never had sex in water before, apart from the shower. I’ve certainly never skinny dipped before, so when Sam presses his body to mine and his cock slides between my folds, every inch of me trembles and quakes with heightened carnal awareness. “Oh, God,” I pant. My breathing and my heart rate increasing rapidly.
Turning us around and leaning me against the smooth surface of a rock, Sam takes my mouth again before moving to my breast to lick and suckle it. “I want that, too,” he murmurs against the hardened peak of my nipple.
With my moaning and the incessant pounding of the waterfall, I’m not sure I heard him. “What?” I ask, before letting out another loud moan when he sucks my breast into his mouth.
“I want that, too.” he repeats, clearer this time and I know I heard him right. What does he want? I think, though I’m unable to find the words to ask because I’m too lost in the sensations he’s creating in me.
Moving until he finds more stable footing in the water, he pulls back so he’s looking into my eyes. I can feel the tip of his cock at my entrance, slowly making its way inside me. He takes a second and a deep breath. “I want to be happily married with kids, too,” he declares as he thrusts his cock deep inside me, causing me to cry out in pleasure.
“Oh, Sam!”
“I want lots of kids,” he says many thrusts later, and I realize that he’s answering my question from earlier. He’s opening up to me. “And I want you!” he shouts, pounding in and out of me relentlessly. Taking me; claiming me; owning me.
He kisses me hard, and continues to lay himself bare to me. Telling me how much I mean to him, how beautiful I am, and how he can’t imagine a future without me in it.
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” I scream, both in response to the orgasm ripping through me and the admissions he’s made while making love to me. I feel his body tighten and then he stills, roaring out his own release.
A few minutes later, he carefully lifts me off the rock and pulls me fully back into the water. Hugging me close, he lays his head on my shoulder, his breathing still ragged. As he holds me there, the enormity of what he said sinks in. Sam wants me. He wants to get married and he wants to have lots of kids. I find myself utterly overcome with happiness and let the tears of joy free. I said I’d be brutally honest and even if he doesn’t say it back to me right now, I want him to know.
“Sam.”
A garbled “Mmmm” is my response, so I try again. “Sam.”
After a deep sigh, he says, “Yeah, Ash.”
“I love you, Sam,” I profess, my voice clear, strong and confident.
The second the words leave my lips, he lifts his head and stares at me in wide-eyed wonder. “You love me?” he asks in disbelief.
I nod and give him the biggest smile imaginable. “I’ve loved you for a while now and I figured it was time you knew.” Kissing him softly, I repeat, “I’m so deeply in love with you, Sam Evans.”
He doesn’t say the words back to me, though he shows me exactly how he feels, kissing me vivaciously and holding me like he’ll never let me go. When we finally make it back to the picnic rug and start to get changed, he pulls me down and makes love to me again, right there in the open of the tropical oasis.
Sam knows I love him, and I now know what he wants in the future. And he was certainly right about one thing… He made today a day I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
Trying to get back into a normal routine after two weeks away is harder than I expected. I love my job but I’d much rather be back spending my days with Ashley by my side. We’ve been home almost a week and have both had to dive straight back into work. Between my twelve-hour shifts and Ashley working longer hours so she could let the girls, especially Mary, take a few hours off every day as a thank you for running the shop so well, we haven’t seen much of each other at all.
Sleeping without her in my arms has been a big adjustment too, and as I lay in bed last night unable to sleep, I took great consideration in the idea of us moving in together. I mean, I’ve never been in a relationship this serious before and the fact that Ashley told me she loves me at the waterfall means that she’s invested in us being together, so why not take a more significant step?
She loves me! I’ve relived hearing those words time and again since she said them. She hasn’t said them since, but then again, I haven’t said them to her. Do I love her? I love being with her. I want to be with her and I’m constantly thinking about her. But does that mean I love her?
I try to focus on the patient chart in front of me instead of thinking about Ash. I’ve been at work since six this morning and it’s now one. I’m more than due for a break. I document the last few details of this delivery and slide the chart back on to the shelf and inform the nurses I’m heading for lunch. Just as I get to the elevator my cell rings and when I see Ashley’s smiling face looking up at me, I stop and immediately answer it. “Hey, Beautiful, how’s your day going?”
“Hey yourself,” she replies, and I can hear th
e smile in her voice. “I didn’t think you’d answer so I was going to leave a message, but hearing your voice has made a shitty day so much better.”
“Is everything okay?” I ask, wanting to know what’s made her day bad so I can fix it.
Ash sighs heavily, “It’s just been one crappy thing after another, but I’m sure you don’t want to hear about all that right now.”
“Of course I want to hear about your day,” I reply. “Tell me.”
“Well…” she begins. “First the hot water system at home decided to die and I had to have a cold shower, I called the repair guy but he can’t take a look at it until tomorrow. Then I arrived at work and some smartasses thought it would be funny to throw eggs and flour all over the front of the shop, and it took Andy and I over an hour to clean off.
“Wait! Someone egged the shop?” I snap angrily.
“Yeah, but I guess I should have expected it. Mary said it’s been happening to all the shop fronts on our block so I’m guessing it’s just some kids with nothing better to do. Anyway, after that our delivery was completely screwed up and the flowers we need for a baby shower were missing, so I’ve been chasing up the supplier. But to top it all off, Andy was out doing deliveries in the van and got rear ended, so now I’ll have to deal with the insurance and everything, and the van will be out of commission while it’s getting fixed. So like I said… it’s been a shitty day.”
Jesus! How can I cheer her up and make her feel better? “First off, is Andy okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, she’s fine. She had a go at the jerk who hit her. He was driving a BMW, so of course he tried to blame her for the accident, but she’s good.”
“That’s the main thing. So, tell me what I can do to make things better,” I probe.
She sighs again. “There’s really nothing you can do, Sam. I just want to go home, open a bottle of wine and soak in a nice hot bath. That’s why I was calling… to see if we could take a rain check on tonight. As much as I want to see you, I’m just beat.”
My anticipation in spending the night with Ash sinks at her words and it’s only now that I can hear the exhaustion tinging her tone. I realize the problem with her plan. “You’ve got no hot water,” I remind her.
“Damn it!” She practically shouts. “I never should have gotten out of bed this morning. I swear if anything else goes wrong I’m going to completely lose it!”
I can fix this! “Hey, hey. Here’s an idea… How about you come over tonight as planned, but bring extra clothes for the entire weekend. I’ll run you a bath, order some take-out, and we’ll spend the night on the couch watching movies and I’ll even give you a foot massage.” Please say yes.
When the line remains silent I check the screen to see if it’s still connected. “Ash? You still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” she replies softly. “That sounds perfect, Sam. If you plan more nights like that, I might never leave your apartment.” A small nervous giggle follows her words, but wasn’t I just thinking the same thing last night?
Living together would mean seeing each other every day without fail, sleeping together every night. Without giving it another thought I blurt. “What if I never wanted you to leave my apartment?” After a sharp inhale of breath, there’s silence again. “Ash, what if you staying over became a permanent thing?”
“Are… Are you asking me to move in with you, Sam?” she asks, uncertainty coloring her tone.
“I am,” I state simply, full of a confidence I don’t necessarily feel.
“Wow! I mean…” She pauses before continuing. “Yes! I’d love to move in together…” her reply is cut off by a loud crashing sound and someone yelling in the background.
“What the hell was that?” I demand, instantly worried.
“Sam, I have to go. Some little kid just climbed some shelving and smashed several vases. I’ll meet you at the apartment at seven and we can talk more about the details.” Shrill crying pierces the phone and I wince. “I’ve really got to go. Love you.” The line goes dead and I stare at my cell for a minute, my heart skipping a beat at her casual use of the words ‘love you’.
Ashley Brookes loves me and we’re moving in together. Holy shit! I guess this has been one hell of a day for both of us.
Cole happened to walk into the cafeteria at the same time as I did, so we ate together and knowing me as well as he does, he could tell something was up. I confessed the new development in my relationship with Ash. He acted as if it was the best news in the entire world, congratulating me several times and even hugged me when we went back to work. I have no doubt he would find time to call Gracie and tell her the news. Hell, everyone will probably know before Ash and I actually talk about it tonight.
My afternoon has been filled with appointments in my office and it’s been busy. I’ve had a few initial antenatal appointments which are great, because it’s a happy time for my patients. The one bad appointment today, though, was informing a thirty-three-year-old mother of three that she has cervical cancer. Appointments like those are the absolute worst and leave me with a heavy heart no matter how much I stay detached.
After chatting with Nora, my receptionist, about rescheduling an earlier appointment for a patient, I pick up the chart for my final appointment of the day, check the name and then turn to the only woman sitting in the waiting area. “Donna Nichols?” I smile in greeting and she immediately stands.
Standing by the door waiting for her I keep the smile on my face and then motion her inside, telling her to take a seat. She’s a new patient so I take a second to quickly read over the information she’s provided, which is very little. All she’s disclosed is her date of birth which makes her forty-six years old, her social security number, and an address.
Placing the chart on my desk I give her my full attention. “So, Ms. Nichols, I’m Doctor Evans as you may already know. What can I help you with today?”
She’s looking around my office, her gaze taking in everything. I’ve learnt from experience that some people are uncomfortable seeing a doctor, so I give her a minute to get comfortable in her surroundings. Staring intently behind my desk, she asks. “Is that your family?”
I glance behind me and see the few photos I keep in my office. There’s one of myself, John and Olivia, another of the three of us with Cole and April, and the one I added a few days ago of Cole, Gracie, Ashley and myself in Maui.
“Yes, it is.” I answer her, hoping the images allow her to see me as just a normal person and not some big bad doctor.
She continues staring at them before muttering, “You all seem very happy.”
Starting to feel a little uneasy I turn the focus back to the appointment. “You’ve given no medical history on your form, Ms. Nichols. Exactly what is it that you came to see me about today?”
Her gaze shifts from the photos to me and she stares again. “You’re such a handsome young man.”
What the hell? Is this woman trying to come on to me? Clearing my throat, I ignore her comments and ask again. “What can I help you with, Donna?” Normally, I wouldn’t call a patient by their first name until I’ve been seeing them for some time and we’ve built up some familiarity.
A small smile forms on her dry lips. “You called me by my name,” she whispers almost reverently.
Glancing at the phone on my desk I know that if I hit one little button, I’ll have security here in seconds. I don’t respond but look over her carefully. She has sandy-blonde hair that’s riddled with gray, the whites of her eyes are tinged yellow and the irises a dull green. Had I not looked at her date of birth, I would estimate her age to be closer to sixty, her face clearly showing she’s had a hard life. Her clothes are clean, though noticeably well-worn, as is the handbag on her lap that she’s clutching tightly with trembling hands.
“Ms. Nichols.” I start, but amend when her smile falters. “Donna. Why did you make this appointment today? Are you sick? How can I help you?”
She looks at me again, her gaze soft and almos
t awed. “I am sick,” she replies. “But you can’t help me.”
What? Baffled, I furrow my brows, “I’m a doctor, Donna. If you’re sick, then I can try to help you.”
Slowly, she shakes her head. “No. No one can help. I know I shouldn’t have, but I made this appointment so I could see you. Just once.” She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath before opening them and staring at me again. “I just had to see you once. I needed to make sure you were happy and that you’ve had a good life.”
Why the hell would she want to know if I’m happy? This makes no sense. “I’m sorry, Donna. I’m confused. We’ve never met before, so why would you need to make sure I’m happy?”
I’m just about to hit that security button when she says, “We have met, a long time ago.”
“When? When have we met?” I ask, my voice starting to rise in my impatience.
“When… When you were a baby,” she stammers, her voice trembling now with anxiety.
When I was a baby? Did she know my parents?
“I think I better leave,” she surprises me by saying, then stands and starts for the door only to stumble on the leg of a chair. I’m out of my chair and around my desk, reaching out to steady her, even though my whole body is vibrating with unease and I could use some help steadying myself.
Her comments have been too vague and now I have an overwhelming desire to know exactly who this woman is and why she’s come here today. “Did you know my parents?”
Her body quivers under my hands that are clasped unprofessionally to her upper arms. “I saw them a few times. They seemed like lovely people. I’m glad I chose them.”
This woman is starting to infuriate me. “What the hell does that mean? Chose them for what?” I grate through clenched teeth, shaking her rail thin body.
“Please,” she whimpers. “Please. I just had to know you were okay.”
