Interference (8 page)

D
aire wheeled
the bike into the driveway of his house and shut off the engine. Dismounting he turned and walked toward the house, without saying a word to me. Fine if that's how it was going to be, I could understand that.

I slid off the bike myself and headed to the house. Walking in behind him I had the strange feeling of coming home.

Daire tossed his keys on the counter and walked to his room.

I wasn't sure what to do, but rather than follow him I walked around the house, looking out the windows at the pool. Stroking the fine leather furnishings, I stopped stunned when I saw a photograph of him and me, must have been from just before the wedding, just before the wheels had come off of everything for us.

Picking the photo up I looked at the happy excited faces of the two youngsters who grinned back at me. He was sitting on a bale of hay and I was perched on his knee, we must have been at a pumpkin patch for Halloween. The two in the picture looked so happy, not a care in the world.

Daire came up behind me and took the photo. "Sorry, meant to do something with that," he said as he laid it face down on the table top.

"Right, yeah, you better do something with that," I said quietly. I didn't want to argue.

"Drink?" he asked as he stood behind the bar in his living room.

"I thought we were going back out, you shouldn't drink and …"

"Drink and drive, yeah, I know. I'm a big boy, I'm having one, you want anything?"

I was torn between trying to smooth things over by having a drink or not having one and being the sober one. I decided to sip and not finish whatever I had. Best of both worlds, kind of.

"I'll have white wine if you have any."

"Sure thing, coming right up."

He poured himself a scotch and poured my wine.

As I sat at the bar I leaned over to get a napkin, and he blinked at me.

"What's that?"

"What's what?"

"Around your neck, what is that?"

His ring, I had forgotten to take it off. Slowly I reached back and lifted the golden chain above my head and held it for a moment with the ring swaying, then I lowered it to the bar.

"So, it matters?" he asked.

"Yeah it matters!"

"Couldn't tell by me, you got your papers, I thought you'd be happy now."

"No, no I'm not happy. I don't want to be divorced, I want to be with you. But after all I went through to be independent, to be on my own, to not owe anyone anything or have to worry about you, this was a terrible time for me to try to decide whether to give that all up again."

"Who says you have to give it up?"

"Well, I just, I mean, being a hockey wife is a full time job. Games, travel, taking care of what's happening at home."

"Look Savannah, what I've been trying to tell you is I'm an adult now. This crazy rioting thing aside, I have a grown up life. I don't spend all my time out, when I'm not on the road I'm here. And I don't expect you to dedicate your life to me. I want us to be partners, to have a shared life, to work together. You can have a job, maybe open a law practice in town. I'm not going to say 'you can work' because you know you can, you can do anything you want to. I don't need you under my thumb, I need you by my side."

Floored by his speech, I didn't know what to say. I clutched his ring tightly until I realized it was making a dent in my palm. I looked down and played with it on the counter.

"Look at me," he said.

Hardly daring to, I looked up.

"You've been holding me hostage for all these years over something I did a long time ago. I'm not that kid anymore, I'm a man. A man who wants you. I didn't want to sign those papers, but I did. And do you know why?" he asked, taking a sip of his drink.

I kept my head down, but looked up at him through my lashes.

"I did it because I want you to be happy. And if that will make you happy, then that's what you should have. But this," he touched the ring I was still toying with, "this makes me think maybe you want something else," he said as he placed two fingers under my chin and raised my head until we were face to face.

Lowering his mouth to mine he kissed me gently, and that same feeling came roaring back, the butterflies, the electric sparks, everything. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to get lost in the kiss, for seconds, minutes, what seemed like hours.

Finally, he broke away. "I'm not going to try to make you do anything you don't want to do. I want you Savannah, I'm an adult, I know how it is, I want a life with a woman who can give me a run for my money, and I think that's you." He took the ring from me and lowered himself to one knee.

"Savannah, will you do me the honor of being my wife?" he asked as he slipped the oversize band around my thumb which he folded at the knuckle to hold the ring on. "I'll get you a real one, anything you want. You don't have to stay with me, but I want you to. And I just thought you should know that," he finished.

Still kneeling he took my hand and kissed the back of it. Then he stood. "So, now you know, that's how it is here," he said, thumping his chest with his fist.

"I do love you," I said through my tears, "I do. I was just afraid to be that sad and scared again, afraid you would walk away so I …"

"Walked away first," he finished for me.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Well it's not every day a man asks his wife to marry him, and it's not every day a man's ex and maybe future wife helps catch the guy trying to make a fool of him and get him arrested to boot. Let's toast.

"To us," I said clinking my wine glass with his.

"Yes, to us," he said sliding his arm around mine. "Would you like to see my etchings?"

Laughing, we walked to his bedroom, hand in hand. He pulled me toward him and not so gently pulled my top over my head.

"You've made me wait too long!" he said, tossing my shirt aside. Pulling me toward him he undid my bra with a single flick of his fingers and caught it deftly as it fell. Tossing it on the chair he engulfed my breasts with both of his hands and as he drew his hands away he pinched my nipples between the thumb and forefinger of each hand.

"Not fair," I said as my nipples pebbled in response, and I reached for his t-shirt and pulled it off him to reveal his chiseled abs and the fine markings of his tattoo. I moved my hands across his muscled chest and down to the slightly crunchy trail of hair that led down inside his jeans. I slid my hand down across his fly and was met with a solid bulge.

"Wanna come out and play?" I said, as I slid his zipper down and pulled his cock toward me. It was a beautiful cock, long and hard and a shiny drop of pre-cum was waiting for me. Sliding down onto my knees I licked it from the balls to the tip and back again. His musky male scent was inciting and arousing, and I swallowed him deep and pressed my face to his skin. His pre-cum was tangy sweet on my tongue and I let him slide out of my mouth again, just so I could get another taste. He wrapped his fingers in my hair and pressed me forward, his head dropping back with a sigh as I swallowed him again.

Daire reluctantly pulled me to a standing position, "I want to be inside you for this, I'll come in your mouth later," he whispers then gives me a kiss. Is there anything sexier than a whiskey kiss? I don't think so. I put my hands behind his neck and he lifted me and carried me to the bed. I rolled over and pushed him down, straddling him, my pussy hovered above his erection. I twined our hands and pressed against his as I lifted myself up and then slowly, slowly lowered onto him. The fit was delicious and perfect and it's wasn’t the wine talking either. I hadn’t had enough wine for it to make an argument.

I rode him gently, slowly and he joined my eyes with his, then pulled me in for a kiss again. He was fully inside me and we were locked together, when he flipped us over.

"Ha! No more slow stuff!" and to prove his point he began to thrust powerfully, deeper and harder. I am with him, and I could feel the wave building inside me, ready to crash over us. I held my breath to stop from climaxing until I felt him begin to pulse inside me. He came with a mighty roar, a noise that began deep within him and would be terrifying if I weren't so deep in the throes of an orgasm myself.

He rolled off of me and took my hand. I had been clutching the ring on my thumb the entire time.

"Lets get married again," he said, "do it right, have a big party, a real celebration. And a baby, let's have a baby too."

Looking at him with wide eyes, I said "And my career?"

"Open an office in town, with a nursery if you want, whatever you’d like, we'll make it work. If there's anything I know it's how to be a team player, we've got this!"

S
liding
the drawer of my desk closed for the last time I reached into my purse and pulled out the economy sized bottle of antacid chews, and put it on the desk. I taped a jaunty red bow on the top, for my replacement in the job. Somehow the enormous quantities of these I was eating wasn't enough of a clue for me that my life wasn't making me happy.

I walked quietly down the halls, dressed today in jeans and sneakers, carrying my last box of personal belongings. Daire was outside waiting for me.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

"Slide in then," he said as I shut the door on my possessions. We had rented a van to clear things out, but really I didn't own that much.

Happily, I sat in the front seat and held his hand. We had re-sized his band so I was wearing it now, still on my thumb. We'd have new rings for our wedding. As it turned out I had forgotten to sign the papers that I finally got him to sign, and they had been waiting in my mailbox for me when I returned after the weekend I spent there chasing motorcycles.

"Looking forward to tonight?" he asked.

"Yes, actually, I can't wait to see you play."

"And how about intermission?"

"I can't wait for that either," I laughed.

When we got back to town I called Ally.

"You're going tonight, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it, this is going to be the highlight of the season."

"That's the plan!"

* * *

T
he first period
was over and the lights came up in the auditorium. Then the announcer came on.

"Ladies and gentlemen let me direct your attention to the jumbotron!"

As the crowd turned, the video I had taken from the van flickered onto the screen and came to life. The voice over was Daire.

"Hi, this is Raiin. I wanted to show you this little video we took a week or so ago. Y'all will remember how I was accused of inciting a riot in the parking lot after some games. Well if you look closely at the screen, you'll see that it wasn't me."

The video was enhanced from the grainy original and in addition there were circles and arrows in red pointing to the faces of Clay, the Sheriff, and his son, with the license plates circled for good measure.

"I'm not naming names here, I'm just pointing out that the man on the bike that's painted to look like mine, isn't me. And that plate number? Isn't mine. That's all I'm sayin'. Now I hope y'all will enjoy the rest of the game, I know I sure will!"

The crowd began to stamp their feet and chant for him, "Raiin, Raiin …" he slid over the side of the players box and did a victory lap around the ice, waving and smiling to the fans. Skating to the center of the rink he did a slow spin, then went back to sit with his team mates.

Ally turned to me "Well, that went well."

"It did! Now, will you help me plan a wedding?"