Misfortune: Christmas With Scrooge (18 page)

His head snapped up and she could tell from
his expression that he would have liked nothing better than to
throttle her.

Unexpectedly, she smiled. “Next time you kiss
me, you might want to make sure you don't have a cut lip.”

“Therb won't be a neb time,” he snarled
through sore lips.

She turned away and shrugged. “Makes no
difference to me.”

“Huh!” he barked behind her mockingly, but
which Laura decided to ignore.

“I'm going to bed, on the couch over there. I
want you sleeping on the pull-out.”

He mumbled something but didn't bother to
argue.

Leaving him with the chore of untangling the
bed from the sofa, she went silently to the washroom where she
undressed, washed up and changed into a warm pair of flannel
pajamas. Giving her long brown hair one last gleaming brush, she
quietly tiptoed back to the living room.

In the entrance, she came to an abrupt halt.
It was obvious Dexter had not heard her return for she was certain
he would never had allowed Laura a glimpse of his nearly naked
form. He moved about preparing for bed wearing only a pair of white
boxers. She swallowed hard, watching in awe as the muscles flexed
in his rather large biceps. Her hungry eyes devoured the sight of
his rather broad chest and down his chiseled torso. Her fingers
ached to reach out and touch the toughened skin as it rippled
across his sinewy strength.

Too soon he moved and slipped beneath the
covers, shutting out the sight of his wonderfully sculpted body
from view. Taking a deep breath, she advanced into the room acting
as if she had not glimpsed his gorgeous nakedness. Keeping her gaze
averted, she dare not look in his direction in fear the arousal was
still evident in her eyes.

“Thab loobs cozy.” He jibed as she crossed
the room.

Impulsively, she snapped back. “Well it's
certainly warmer than going naked.”

Immediately she felt the hot flood of
embarrassment stain her cheeks without needing to see the small
smirk on his face, which she was certain he wore.

Placing his hands behind his head and with a
lethargic gaze, he watched as she self-consciously unfolded a
blanket and tossed it, and herself, onto the couch.

Glancing briefly in his direction before
tossing her back to him, she said, “Goodnight.”

She didn't think he was going to respond when
it remained silent from his end of the room. Then his muffled
response came from those frozen injured lips. “Goobnight.”

Laying there silently for what seemed like
hours, but could have only been minutes, she listened for sounds
coming from the opposite end of the room. It remained silent. She
felt frustrated and increasingly uncomfortable with an urge to turn
around. Though having Dexter realize her discomfort, was out of the
question. She would rather suffer in silence if it meant remaining
in that position all night. After a while, however, she began to
relax and even punched her makeshift pillow into a more comfortable
cushion. It seemed to have the desired effect for shortly
afterwards she drifted into a restless sleep.

* * *

The fire had slowly burned itself out and
left the room dim when Laura awoke with a thud. Blinking her eyes
open, she found herself face down on the floor, minus her blanket.
Pulling herself back on her heels she looked over at the now
expired flames in the fireplace and shivered. The power obviously
had not yet kicked in, leaving the room feeling well below fifteen
degrees Celsius. Dragging the blanket over her shoulders, she
quietly tiptoed over to the dying coals. A quick glance in Dexter's
direction discovered him still sound asleep.

After tossing a bundle of kindling wood into
the hot coals, she began blowing until a tiny flame came to life.
Rubbing her hands together over the warmth, she then added a couple
of logs to help feed the fire.

“Lord, it’s cold!” Dexter's voice startled
her.

She spun around and was confronted with his
naked torso once again as he sat up on the sofa bed rubbing the
back of his head sleepily.

“Th-the fire died out.” With little success,
she attempted to control her voice.

Noticing her sitting by the fire he slipped
his legs over the side of the bed, reached for his pants and slid
them on before getting up and joining her by the fire. Immediately,
she wished he hadn't. Or at the least, put a shirt on as well. For
a woman of twenty-eight, she was unusually innocent. Never before
had she ever been near a man as naked as he was at that moment.
Cowardly, she drew further back into the shadows.

Holding his hands over the flames, he
repeated her earlier action and rubbed his hands together for
warmth.

“I guess the power hasn't come back on?” He
looked her way momentarily, before shifting his attention back to
the fire.

She simply shook her head, not daring to
speak. At her lack of speech he searched the dark corner she
cowered in and noticed her shivering. “Come closer to the fire and
warm up.”

Against her better judgment, she did as
commanded, grasping the blanket close to her chest.

“You going to share that blanket?”

Her hands froze. A sudden, very clear image
of the two cuddled together under the close and warm enclosure of
the woolen blanket, leaped remarkably visible in Laura's mind. She
felt her entire body flush from the picture and shifted beneath his
securitizing gaze.

Noticing her sudden discomfort, he sighed
heavily before getting to his feet. “I wasn't asking you to sleep
with me.”

He dragged a blanket off the sofa bed and
returned to her side. Settling comfortably beside her and wrapping
the blanket warmly around his shoulders and blocking out his naked
torso, he said, “Happy?”

She only nodded, admittedly relieved, causing
him to frown. “Now what's wrong with your voice?”

“Nothing.” With his nakedness now covered up,
she was able to gather some sense of equilibrium. “I'm glad to see
your lip must be feeling better.”

He touched it experimentally, then shrugged.
“Guess I'll live.”

The reality of his words stung. With a crack
in her voice she said, “I could have ki-killed you if you—if you
hadn't—”

He looked across at her and noted the
distraught look scarring her features. “Let's not get into that
again.”

She nodded, but the glow from the flames
caught a glimmer in the corner of her eye. Unexpectedly, he reached
over and touched the soft curve of her cheek. “You did the right
thing.”

Her eyes met his. It was not a long
comforting speech of any sort, but Laura felt a warm flush of
forgiveness from those deep penetrating hazel eyes.

Heart pounding, she smiled and received no
response. She really wasn't surprised, but what held her spellbound
was the fact his hand remained, lingering gently against her cheek
while his eyes fixated on her face. His piercing gaze studied her
features in the glow of the fire leaving her speechless. She wanted
him to say something, anything. She wanted him to take the moment
further. Far beyond now into utopia where reality vanquished and
bliss reigned.

The pounding in her chest beat away the
seconds as she waited breathlessly, his eyes never once leaving her
face. She swallowed, drawn by a need stronger than any force she
had ever experienced. In the dark shadows and the silvery glow of
the room, she moved silently, closing the distance between them.
The kiss she placed on his swollen lip was tender and sweet and yet
at the same time honest and heartfelt.

He should have been pushing her away by that
point, but he remained still, the only noticeable movement was the
quickening of his breath. Drawing back slightly, she looked at him
warily, however, his eyes were transfixed, not daring to leave her
face.

She moved closer and whispered against his
lips, “I-I need you.”

This time his eyelids fluttered shut, closing
out his emotions. She waited, holding her breath, entirely
expecting him to reject her. But the surprising, sweet caress of
his hands as he reached for her, held no trace of rejection.
Instead, a tender and exquisite touch explored the tiny curve of
her back as he drew her into his arms.

A heavenly explosion shot through her every
being as his lips claimed hers for the first time in a gentle yet
feverish kiss.

Her response was instantaneous. A small,
uttered cry of happiness escaped her lips as she wrapped her arms
about his robust neck and gathered him closer. He responded to her
touch, with a longing as untamed as the wilderness surrounding
them. Grasping her tiny body in a steel grip he explored the deeper
depths of her moist mouth, seeking and clutching. It seemed he
couldn't get close enough. Laura's own needs skyrocketed, her hands
diving into the dark thickness of his hair as desperately she
answered his call.

His quest continued with his hands, as he
eagerly and impatiently pushed aside her blanket and groped at her
pajamas. The need to have his hands touch her naked skin was
overwhelming. In earnest, she shrugged out of her clothes never
once removing her hungry lips from his.

Then he touched her, his large roughened
hands stroking every inch of her heated skin. Something deep inside
her burned ardently, bringing her blood to a roaring boil. She
needed him desperately, needed to return kiss for kiss, touch for
touch.

Famished of the simple want and need of this
man, she devoured him with both hands and mouth. The heavy woolen
blanket, which already slipped from his shoulders, was completely
tossed aside exposing a muscular chest and back which were now free
to explore. Like a blind woman, she allowed her hands to trace back
and forth the astounding contours of his body. Even as
inexperienced as she was, she was not unable to recognize the fiery
excitement her touch aroused. It gave her a sense of power and for
the first time where Dexter O'Reilly was concerned, a feeling of
belonging.

Dragging her lips away, only to taste the
salted sweetness of his skin, she left a red-hot trail of kisses
down an unshaven chin, a neck tasting of his familiar masculine
scent, and finally down a strong sinewy chest. She just reached the
dark dimple of his belly button where the smallest amount of dark
hair disappeared, when he reached for her bare shoulders and drew
her mouth back to his with a groan.

His hands left her shoulders to grasp a
handful of chestnut hair and tugged her head back. His lips then
sought out her long slender neck, sucking on the tender skin as he
went until he claimed a soft earlobe between his teeth. Laura
moaned desperately, yearning to be closer.

“Lord, you're beautiful!” His husky voice
murmured against her ear, as his zealous hands slid from the silky
arch of her back to the rounds of her aroused breasts.

Happiness filled her heart and it was out of
pure love she slid from his embrace and lay invitingly across the
carpet.

Having her exposed nakedness stretched out
before him, lit his eyes with fervent desire. Seeing his obvious
wanting and primeval hunger yielded Laura's heart. She needed him
more than she ever needed anything before in her life. With love in
her eyes she opened her arms and enfolded him within her
embrace.

He joined her on the floor, his body
stretched above her as his mouth ravished her lips and set fire to
a new level of longing. Heart pounding wildly, she felt a need for
release. “Dexter, please, I need you.”

“I know, I know.” In a gruff mutter, he
clasped her tight before bending down and scooping her into his
arms.

Looking up into his highly aroused eyes, she
needed desperately for him to say the words. “Do you want me,
Dexter?”

“Lord, yes.” He reached the sofa bed and
deposited her gently on the crumpled sheets.

Her heart skipped a beat with joy. His mouth
claimed the pink tip of her breast, sucking it until it formed a
hard peak. She gasped from the sheer thrill his feverish touch
awakened in a body she had no idea was capable of feeling such
extremes. Briefly, she thought of telling him this would be her
first time, but the greater fear of destroying the moment prevented
her from speaking. Instead, she allowed the wondrous joy of having
his touch and kiss take her away.

Reality she would face later, for now she
delighted in the frenzied trail of rapture he left behind as his
lips kissed a path from the peaks of her breasts down her belly.
Arching her spine, a cry of passion escaped her parted lips, as his
own reached the innocent oasis of her womanhood. She felt her heart
accelerate, and the world soaring in her ears, reminding her of
Adell’s seashell, until a fabulous burst of elation hurled itself
within her body.

Swiftly, but tenderly, Dexter slid between
her parted legs and entered the moist folds. Still on a crest of
rhapsody, Laura was nevertheless unable to stop from crying out in
pain as Dexter penetrated the sweet barrier sheltering her
innocence.

He suddenly froze, the fervor and urgency
drained from his heated face. Watching him, Laura felt a sudden
pang pierce her heart. Reality returned with an ugly vengeance at
the worse possible moment.

Grasping her shoulders, he held her away with
great restraint and in a hoarse voice, demanded, “Why didn't you
tell me?”

She wanted to cry from the look of loathsome
on his face. “Does it matter? I love you, Dexter.”

She reached for him with uncertainty, needing
earnestly her love returned. Mercifully, he did not resist, however
his expression turned empty and void. With a wounded heart, Laura
knew he had detached himself from the moment. Not physically,
perhaps, but most definitely emotionally. If she had any pride she
would have detached herself as well but they had gone too far.

Holding back partly, his movements became
gentle and silvery until Laura reached a wondrous climax. Moaning
softly she coiled her legs about his midriff and drew his rigid
form deeper inside. She heard him groan, felt his forehead press
against her shoulder then unable to restrain himself any longer, a
burst of passion shot through her as he again began the rhythmic
movement. This time harder and faster with a brutish virility that
inflamed her lustful needs. The high extremities he took her
reached intoxicating levels leaving her begging for release.