Reye's Gold (38 page)

“I didn’t think so, either.”

“I love you, too.” Both were quiet on the phone as their declarations sank in.

“See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

S
tephen hung up the phone and sat in silence taking
in Reye’s words.

* * *

Reye sat on the couch Friday shuffling through the
TV channels, waiting for Stephen to arrive. It was about
midnight now. He’d called about nine to say that he was
on the way, so he should be there any minute. There went
her plans for a romantic evening. She’d driven herself
crazy throughout the day. What to wear? Did she want
candles? What about dinner? So here she sat in old shorts
and a t-shirt, curled up on the couch waiting for him.

He’d surprised her with his tenacity. Sure, she knew
he had that quality. He wouldn’t have gotten to where he
was today without it, but she’d never thought to have
Stephen’s exclusive focus turned on her. He loved her and
she believed him, finally. It was evident in his commitment to coming to see her, to getting to know her par
ents, and to helping her with her kids and her work. So,
after his last visit, she decided to commit to him again.
She loved him. She’d just needed proof that he returned
her feelings this time. Getting to know his parents was
the one last hurdle they needed to clear, but at this point
she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Plus
she needed to touch him, to feel him, in her. These last
few weeks had felt like the longest in her life. She’d prob
ably self destruct if he so much as kissed her.

She heard a car outside and went to look out the
window. It was Stephen, in that shiny BMW of his. She
w
ent to the door and opened it, watching as he walked towards her. He looked tired, a GQ model in rumpled
business wear, tall, lean, and golden. All hers. His pretty
blue eyes were level with hers as he walked to stand in
front of her. His hand moved to the back of her neck,
pulling her into him for a soft, easy kiss. She opened at his touch and his tongue moved in to reacquaint itself
with hers. She moaned, breaking the kiss.

“I have thought of you and nothing else all day,
woman. Move over, let me in.” She moved to allow him
entrance and locked the door behind them. He dropped
his bag and lifted his arms above his head in a stretch.

“Tired?” she asked as she watched him.

“A little,” he said, lowering his arms and turning
towards her.

“Hungry? Thirsty?”

“Nope,” he answered, sliding his hands into his pants
pockets.

“I was just watching TV, waiting for you to get here,”
she said as she walked back to the couch. She sat down
and picked up the remote. “There’s nothing on TV.”

He followed her, taking the remote from her hand and
turning off the TV. He kicked off his shoes, pulled his shirt
from the waistband of his pants, and walked to stand
directly in front of her, bending until he was at eye-level.
Cradling her face in his hands, he kissed her hard. He was
hot and hungry and she responded immediately, her need
equal to his. He continued the onslaught in her mouth and those wonderful, long fingers moved lower until they found
her breasts through her t-shirt. He took one in each hand,
r
e-introducing himself to their shape and feel. She wasn’t
wearing a bra, which made him ache more. He moved his
hands under her shirt to touch skin. He circled her nipples
and she moaned and squirmed, her body lifting to his. Stopping, he stood up and pulled her to stand with him.
He turned, grabbed her hand, and led the way to her bed
room, discarding clothes along the way. He pushed her to
lie on the bed, moving over on top of her. Once again his
mouth settled over hers in a kiss so hot, it was a surprise the
sheets didn’t instantaneously go up in flames.

“I’m going to apologize in advance at how short this
will be. It’s been a long time, babe,” he said.

He felt her smile against his lips. She put her arms
around his neck and pulled him down to her. Her hands
moved over his body, finding what she’d missed and
tracing the shape and hardness of him. He moaned into
her mouth. Pushing her legs apart, he positioned his
body between them. His single-mindedness had
returned. She lifted her hips to allow him entrance. Both
were lost in the feel and sensation of each other. He lifted
his head and looked at her, waiting until her eyes opened. He pushed into her. Holding on to her hips, he pushed
once, twice, and he was close; three times, and he
couldn’t hold back any longer. He came immediately and
he gave over to the sensation of it, finally arriving home.
He realized, as her body clutched him tightly, that she’d
come, too. When he could breathe, he lifted his head and
looked into her eyes. She was smiling. He smiled softly.
“That was quick, huh?” He watched her smile turn into
laughter. When their laughter died down, he captured
her face between his hands again. “I love you,” he said
and took her lips in a soft and tender kiss. “Marry me?”

He could tell he’d surprised her. The catch in her
breath gave it away, so he pulled back and looked into her
eyes. “Marry me, Reye,” he said again.

“Are you sure?”

“Never been surer,” he whispered to her.

“Then yes.”

He kissed her again and again, soft kisses on her lips,
her cheeks, her eyelids. He was still inside her, still con
nected to her when he felt her hips lift, communicating her need again. His body answered, growing hard. He
would go slowly this time. She was so warm, wet, won
derful, and his. Their hands sought and found each
other, and with his eyes open he watched her react to him
as he moved slowly in and out of her, fighting against his
desire in order to prolong hers.

He continued as he felt her tighten around him. Her
head moved slowly from side to side and she moaned as her second orgasm hit her. He could feel it; gritting his
teeth, he fought against the need to follow. Not yet. After
letting that orgasm run through her, he started again,
moving slowly in and out, again, slowly in and out,
again, relentless in his desire to pleasure her. Once more, he felt her moving toward another climax. He picked up
his pace, letting go of the rein he’d placed on his desire,
pumping into her faster and faster. His arms tightened
around her, holding her in place, and once more she
came, tightening around him. He was lost as he came,
too, his body shaking in pleasure.

H
is breathing slowed and he loosened his arms,
turning to lie on his back, pulling her to drape over him.
She lay limply across his body, worn out as he reached to
cover them. He moved his hand to run over her short
dreads and took in her face with its smooth brown skin,
shapely nose, and sexy full lips. He released a big breath
and watched her eyes close and her breathing slow. God,
he loved her, and he closed his eyes, thankful for another
chance to be here with her.

* * *

Reye lay curled next to Stephen in the early hours of the morning. She slept most of the night; she had been
busy with the kids this week, and that, coupled with
making love to Stephen, had knocked her out. She
watched him sleep. One of his eyes opened and he gave
her a slow smile, pulling her closer to him. “What are you
looking at?” he said, his voice low and gravelly from
sleep.

She shrugged her shoulders, a silly smile on her face.
He waited for her to look at him, running her hand
over his face. “I need you to do one favor for me.”

“What?”

“I need you to come to Dallas and meet my parents.
I know you met my mom here, and my dad at the gala, but I would like for you to spend some time with them
and get to know them. I don’t have to have their
approval, but they do approve, Reye. They want me to be
h
appy. I need you to see that they do. I don’t want any
thing in the future to come between us, ever again.”

“Your mom is okay? With us?”

“Yes, she is, but even if she wasn’t, I am, and you need
to be sure of that.”

“I am. I’ve watched you since Dallas, and I know how
much I mean to you. But yes, I will meet them. But it
only matters that you want to marry me.”

“I love you,” he said, reaching for her again.

Spring break was the first available time Reye had to
venture to Dallas with Stephen. He still had to work, but
he’d planned to leave early some evenings to show her
around Dallas. Reye was used to fending for herself, and
brought along a stash of books, reading she could always
do, anywhere. He’d come down to Austin Saturday after
noon, returning Sunday with her in tow.

“This is home,” he said, opening the door to his
apartment and standing aside, waiting for her to enter
first. She stepped in, taking a moment to look around, to
soak it all in. It was a beautiful place, similar to his old
place in Austin. Wood flooring led into a spacious, and beautifully decorated, main living area. A large fireplace
anchored the room, taking up almost one wall, sur
rounded by a large, expensive, and inviting leather sofa.
She walked across the floor to stand in front of the tall
ceiling windows that looked over downtown Dallas.

“What is with you and windows?” She admired the
beautiful view, her face and hands pressed against the glass.

He walked over to stand behind her, his hands covering hers. “You should see it at night. It’s great. One of
the main reasons I purchased this place. Come on, let me
give you the guided tour,” he said reaching for her hand.
“As you can see, this is the living room, and that is the famous couch filled with misery, where I spent many
nights sitting thinking of you, missing you,” he said,
pulling her to him, capturing her face between his hands,
kissing her. They stayed there for a moment, lost in each
other. Reye pulled back first.

“Tour, remember,” she said, laughing.

He pulled her along behind him, moving toward the
kitchen and breakfast area. “Here is an area you should
pay particular attention to. It could be a great place for
you to practice your culinary talents, to the delight of
your future husband.” he said, laughing at the expression on her face. “Just kidding.” He turned and pointed to a
closed door off from the kitchen. “And through that door
is the area that holds the washer and dryer, where if you
wanted to put your domestic talents to use, you could
wash clothes for a person who will be living with you in
the future. But I don’t suppose you’ll wash for me, either,
huh?”

“How about we wash and cook for each other?”

“Maybe,” he said, smiling. He turned and she fol
lowed him to the second bedroom, which had been con
verted to an office. A desk sat with a computer on it, and
a small couch stood against one wall. The remaining
walls were flanked with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves,
where a set of law books stood in silent sentry alone on
one shelf. “For all those books you love to read,” he said.
“There is a bathroom through that door.”

“Very nice,” she said approvingly.

“Now for the most important room in the house, or
at least my favorite room now that you’re here,” he said,
towing her back quickly through the living room and
through a door that held the master bedroom. It was
large, with the same king-size bed from his old apartment
in Austin. There were floor-to-ceiling windows in here as
well. He stood by the door and watched her look over the
room. She walked to gaze out of the windows before
moving to stand in front of one of the nightstands, where
a picture of them sat. She picked it up, recognizing it
immediately from the second game played between their
teams. In the picture they both looked happy, playful,
and in tune with each other. As she looked over the pic
ture he came to stand behind her, putting his arms
around her waist, laying his head in the crook of her
shoulder, looking at the picture with her.