by Emma Powell
He reached out to her and Laney let him take her hands in his. ‘I handled it badly and I’m sorry. You have no idea how sorry.’
She searched his eyes for bullshit and lies but all she saw was clear truth. She leaned forward and kissed him.
He entwined his fingers in her hair and pulled her closer, his arm around her back, his kiss deepening with craving. Laney felt him shiver as she slid her hands underneath his tee. His skin was smooth and taut over his muscles and she ran her hands along his back, taking her time. He moaned into her, then pulling back he whipped his tee off, tossing it by accident onto the candle. Laney lunged forward and pulled it off it before the flame could take hold.
She threw the tee back over the couch. ‘We don’t need a fire. It’s hot enough in here already.’ Laney laughed and lay back on the couch, pulling him down to her, their lips locking hard, tongues searching, a light touch of sweat beading on their skin.
Rich ran his hand up her leg, his fingers firm and insistent on her skin. She felt his hardness against her as he found the edge of her underwear and ran his fingers along it. Sliding a finger underneath he found her wetness and she groaned and opened her legs, letting him know what she wanted. He slid another finger underneath her wet satin and ran them along her, pausing at her entrance before moving them up to tease her. He circled his fingers around her sex, before rubbing it gently and then slipping his fingers into her. She pushed her hips against his hand needing him to fill her up, his palm rubbing against her as his fingers explored.
Laney moaned. ‘Fuck. I want you.’ She looked at him, his face bent in concentration and desire. He looked back at her, his eyes bright and sexy. Oh so sexy. She almost climaxed then and there. Instead, she shifted her position so his fingers slid out of her, and she removed her dress. Her nipples hard and ready nudged against her bra. Rich dropped his head and teased them through the lace with his lips and teeth as he removed her underwear. Laney didn’t think she could get any wetter but with his mouth on her breasts and his fingers back inside her she was a flood.
His expert fingers pushed her to the edge and she cried out and shuddered as the orgasm rolled through her. And it was one of those crying ones. She brought hands to her eyes as she sobbed.
‘Oh...’ Rich pulled her to him.
‘No. It’s fine. It’s a good cry. A come cry. It’s a compliment.’
‘Ahhh, ok. I guess.’
Laney pulled him to her and kissed him deeply, her hands working his chinos down his hips, which was far enough that he could wiggle them to his feet, kicking them off. They both watched to make sure they didn’t land on the candle. Laney giggled as they made landfall on the floor.
Rich sat up and pulled her onto him so she was straddling him, his hardness still tucked inside his boxers. Laney rubbed herself against him, feeling him harden even more, her wetness soaking the cotton. Reaching down she found the head that had poked its way out and she caressed it, making him moan and twist underneath her.
‘Oh fuck, Laney. I need ummm, errrr, protection.’ He lifted her off him. ‘Back in a jiffy.’ He paused for a moment as he looked at her, drank her in with his eyes and then jogged out of the room.
For a moment Laney felt exposed, well, because she kind of was. Naked on the couch of a man she’d Ubered. She hugged the blanket that had been thrown off her earlier and smiled to herself. She couldn’t wait to have Rich in her. Make love to her. Fuck her. Screw her. She didn’t care. A wave of desire rushed through her and her pussy buzzed. Screw this, and him, she wasn’t going to wait. She jumped off the couch, the blanket still around her, and headed in the direction he’d gone.
She found him in the bedroom. It was dark but the shades were open so the only light was from the moon. It was enough for her to see him standing with his back to her, naked now, fiddling with something.
She dropped the blanket, walked up behind him, and slid her hands around his waist. ‘Can I help?’
He turned around, taking her face in his hands. ‘Nah. I’m all good. Ready to go.’
‘Then let’s go.’ Laney lifted her face to his and they kissed, falling onto the bed, skin on skin, their sighs and moans a harmony in the darkness. The moonlight coming and going as clouds brushed past it.
‘You are so fucking beautiful.’ Rich traced his fingers along Laney’s naked body as he held himself over her. She raised her hips to him and he dipped into her. Slow at first, and Laney thought she was going to fall into his eyes as he gazed at her. She gripped his flesh as he pushed further in, the intensity increasing, everything increasing. They found a rhythm as he plunged into her. In and out, filling her up. She screamed out his name as she came and moments later Rich shuddered in completion.
After, they snuggled in the moonlight, underneath the sheets. Laney fought off sleep even though she was exhausted beyond words, because she knew that when the sun came up, so would reality. But maybe it wouldn’t be that bad. Yes, her mum was gone but she had the bestest of friends. And then there was Rich. She had a sneaking suspicion he wasn’t going to be one-night stand.
She felt his breath deepen as he drifted off into a well-earned sleep. Laney closed her eyes and placing her hand on his scarred but beautiful chest, she allowed herself to let go, and soon enough their breath was in sync. As she drifted of to sleep she saw her mum, smiling and waving goodbye, surrounded by all the colours of the rainbow.
Rich
It was the morning of the Xroads family and friends official tasting of the new Xpress label and coincidentally the morning of his and Laney’s three months anniversary. Three months to the day she’d picked him up in her little red Uber. He’d always thought couples that celebrated every little anniversary were off their rockers. But he got it now because he wanted to celebrate every minute of every day with her. So he’d surprised her the night before with a pizza at her favourite Italian restaurant in Carlton, and then onto a night at the five-star Park Plaza.
He yawned and stretched out in the king size bed, feeling more content then he had in a long time, and looked across at Laney. A shaft of morning sun shone through a crack in the blinds, hitting her hair, making it look even redder, like a flame against the stark white pillow. Curly and wild from a night of curly and wild lovemaking the night before.
He shuffled across to her and still asleep she curled into him. Her soft skin against his, and the outline of her curves underneath the sheet made him warm with desire.
Initially they had tried to be cool and do the ‘dating’ thing, where they saw each other once or maybe twice a week. But that didn’t work. It was ridiculous. They yearned for each other too much and only two weeks after her mum’s funeral, Laney brought a spare toothbrush and left it in his bathroom. He’d even cleared out one of his drawers for more of her stuff, which she was slowly but surely adding to. He was over the moon. He chuckled to himself at how much his life had changed since meeting Laney Gallagher. He breathed in deeply as his heart fluttered softly in his chest.
His warm exhale landed on the back of Laney’s neck and she stirred, pressing against him. His next breath caught in his throat as he felt himself twitch against her. He reached under the sheet and ran his fingers up her thigh to her waist, and across her belly, soft enough not to wake her, but firm enough to elicit a sleepy, sexy moan. She was heaven to him. His hot sexy pixie.
He fluttered his hand down across her belly to find she was already wet and a groan escaped his lips. Laney, now semi-awake, shifted against him, opening her legs.
Guiding her onto her back he teased her with his fingers. Running them along her wet folds and then probing them inside and then back out again to find her swollen sex.
Stirring from sleep she gripped her breasts and tweaking her nipples. ‘Fuck me, Rich,’ she moaned.
‘Not yet.’ He whispered, moving his lips down her body, kissing her translucent skin. His lips replaced his fingers, and he felt her tighten and she gripped his hair as he licked and teased her to the edge, enthralled in her t
aste and the way she moved against him. He could’ve stayed there forever.
‘Now,’ she insisted through her groans, pulling him back up to her.
He crawled up her body, their hands locked together against the bed, and thrust himself into her. Her eyes shot open, holding his own captive. Their rhythm quickened and the sound and feel of him moving inside her brought him to the end faster than what he’d expected. He fell to the side attempting to pull himself together to finish Laney off, but she had already beaten him to it.
Her fingers on herself, rubbing and flicking, her hips moving up and down and side to side, her breath and moans deep and sexy. As her orgasm rolled through her, her back arched, her nipples tight and her eyelids fluttering in ecstasy, he realised he was in love with her. Come to think of it, he’d known it for a while. He knew it when she’d kissed his ugly old scar. And he knew it when she’d clutched that funny coloured cardigan to her heart. Now he just needed to tell her. And that scared the shit out of him. He’d never told anyone he loved them. Not even his childhood dog Benny, and he really loved that dog.
Laney
Three months. It felt like just yesterday and also forever.
She’d virtually moved into Rich’s place, against Nerida’s advice.
‘You got married after six months and look how that turned out Lanes,’ Nerida had warned, her face scrunched in worry.
‘This is different Nez,’ Laney beamed at her, loving her for her concern.
Nerida pulled her into a bear hug. ‘Ok. But just know I’ll be here for whatever happens.’
Ryan on the other hand was, of course, delirious with how it was all playing out, like it was his plan the whole time.
They had rallied around her after the funeral. Helping Laney start the painful process of boxing up her mum’s belongings and getting the house ready for sale. Aside from wanting to be with Rich every moment of every day Laney also couldn’t bear to be at the house, because without her mum, it was no longer home. So staying at Rich’s more often was a win/win in every way.
She lay in the crook of his arm after their lazy morning sex and gazed up at the ornate ceiling of their Park Plaza Deluxe Suite. It was a nice surprise after the heavenly pizza dinner to be brought here. She smiled at how redundant the hugeness of king bed was as they snuggled together in the middle of it.
She glanced up at his face, he eyes were closed and a small smile sat on his lips. She took her gaze down to his chest and watched it rise and fall with his breath. Her fingers fluttered over his scar. She hadn’t asked about it. She figured he’d tell her when he was ready. But she was growing impatient. She wanted to know everything about him. Immediately.
‘Rich.’
‘Hmmm?’ He was well on the way to a happy post-coital slumber.
‘What happened?’
‘To?’
She ran her finger softly along the scar.
‘Oh, that.’ He stopped her hand midway and placed it on his heart. ‘This is what happened.’
‘Your heart?’
‘Well, technically it’s not my heart. But yes.’
‘What do you mean?’
Rich paused and put his hand over hers. ‘I had a heart transplant.’
Laney sat up onto her elbow and stared at him. ‘Oh my God, why didn’t you tell me.’
Rich pushed himself up and leaned back against the bedhead. ‘Not much to tell. Was born with a crap heart, holes and stuff. Almost died. Then someone else did. So I didn’t. End of story.’
Laney felt tears prick at her eyes. ‘Oh, Rich.’ She kissed his chest. ‘What a beautiful gift.’
‘I suppose.’ Rich shrugged.
Laney cocked her head. ‘You suppose?’
‘I lived cause someone else died. Not sure if that’s the definition of a gift. Another g word – guilt; gift, not so much.’
‘Well, it’s the gift of life.’ Feeling the chill coming off Rich, Laney pulled the sheet around her. She wished she hadn’t brought it up.
Rich wiggled Laney off him. ‘Gotta piss.’ He padded across to the bathroom in all his naked glory but before he closed the door he turned back to her. ‘On the bright side, if you dump me it won’t be my heart you’re breaking.’
Laney sat on the king bed, swamped by its bigness, wondering what had just happened.
Rich
Rich closed the bathroom door and turned on the tap. He stared at himself in the mirror with disgust. What are you doing? Are you trying to fuck it up again? Well, you are. It’s not her fault you can’t handle it. Go out there and make it right. Man up! And besides she’s got her toothbrush in your bathroom.
He thumped the tap off and stepped out of the bathroom. Laney sat in the middle of the bed and looked up at him, her eyes sad and unsure. He crawled onto the bed and took her in his arms, wrapping the sheet around them both.
‘I’m sorry.’
Laney breathed deep, and he could tell she was trying not to cry. He kissed the top of her head and felt her smile against his chest and the warm wetness from the tears that had started to flow.
‘I was eight. She was five. Her name was Millie. ‘ His throat locked up, threatening to derail his confession. He coughed to clear it. ‘It was a car accident. That’s all I know. Her parents have wanted to meet me…but I just…can’t.’ He closed his eyes and let the emotion do its worst. For so many years he’d held onto the guilt that he’d lived because she’d died, that it had built a wall around the very heart he had been given.
He felt Laney shift and then her lips were on his eyes, his cheeks, his mouth, kissing him through his tears and his pain. Soft at first and then with a firmness that told him he’d be ok. With her lips and her scent and her softness and her heart, she pulled him back from the abyss, her tears blending with his.
He pulled her on top of him and he nestled into her. It was gentle and sweet and slow. Their hands exploring each other, their lips just touching, with quivering breath. Holding her against him as he moved inside her he felt Millie’s…no…his heart open for the first time. It was now or never.
He whispered. ‘Laney. I’m in love with you. So totally utterly in love with you.’
She brought her hand to her mouth and gasped. ‘Oh.’
‘Oh?’ Rich asked, wide-eyed all of a sudden, petrified.
Laney started to cry. She moved her hips with him still inside her and he felt himself harden again. ‘I’m spectacularly in love with you too.’
They beamed at each other through their happy tears and made long love in the middle of that massive king bed at the Plaza Hotel, which made them late, very late for the tasting.
Laney
They’d been so wrapped up in their love bubble they’d forgotten all about the tasting.
It was a message from Ryan that got them out of bed and dressed and in the car in record time.
Where are you two lovebirds? Hurry up cause Nerida and Ben are flirting and ignoring me. And…I do not like being ignored.
They’d hot footed it out of the hotel and made it to the winery in time for Rich to greet the guests, although Laney noticed, with a smile to herself, that his shirt buttons were all akimbo.
After all the pleasantries were done the tasting began. Laney watched Rich swirl the wine around in the glass feeling like she would burst, the anticipation killing her. Finally he brought the glass to his nose and sniffed. She couldn’t tell yet if he approved, his face a steel trap. He then tipped the rim to his mouth and sucked in a small sip of the liquid gold. His first taste of the matured Spaghetti Junction Chardonnay.
He let the wine linger in his mouth, his eyes closed, his forehead, clenched in deep thought, no doubt about tannins and hints of toast and other winey things.
She’d learnt, that for him, making wine – from the moment the vine went into the ground to the first pour – was a spiritual odyssey.
Laney couldn’t believe she was in love with someone who was actually in love with her too. Well, there was a first time for everyth
ing.
As she gazed at Rich doing his wine-tasting thing, she was sure she felt someone watching her, but as she glanced around, Ben, Dee, Carlos, Ryan, Nerida had their eyes fixed on Rich. Maybe it was her mum. She’d had some very strange things happen since the funeral, like owls appearing on random trees and street signs – her mum adored owls – and her radio turning on by itself just as a song they both loved started to play. She shivered a little to herself and whispered, Okay, Mum. You and Dad can go now. She looked at Rich. I will be fine.
Nerida leaned across to her. ‘So does he like it?’ she whispered.
‘I have no idea.’ Laney shook her head.
Ryan butted in. ‘Is that his sex face, Lanes? It looks like that could be his sex face.’
Laney refused to answer and instead elbow jabbed him in the ribs.
‘I’ll take that as a yes. Hot.’ Ryan retreated, rubbing his side.
After a minute or so of swilling, Rich leant over a silver bucket and spat the wine out. What a waste, Laney mused.
Then he turned to the onlookers and beamed. ‘It’s perfect! Congratulations. Xroad Xpress is a go!’
Everyone applauded, with hugs and claps on the back all round.
Laney was hugging Carlos in congratulations when Rich tapped him on the shoulder. ‘Can I cut in?’
Carlos held Laney tight. ‘Yes, you can. But Ricco, you break this young lady’s heart you answer to me.’ He scowled at Rich like a protective father. Laney was half-expecting him to whip out a shotgun, point it at Rich and demand What are your intentions?
‘Yes, sir!’ Rich saluted, with a wink and a smile.
Carlos released his stronghold, returning the wink. Rich took Laney by the hand and led her away from the celebrations.
‘Where are we going?’ Laney asked, knowing full well where they were going. Her heart fluttered in anticipation.
