The Impostor, A Love Story (29 page)

I understood, I was able to spend so much
time with Jess.
He just needs his space.

“Thank you, Steve,” I muttered as I ran
downstairs and gave it to Dylan. “Here you go.”

He used it to cut open the box. As he opened
the box, the carousel horse’s head popped out.

“My horsey, my horsey!”Jessica exclaimed.

Dylan had me hold the box while he lifted the
carousel horse out to safety. Jessica’s eyes opened up bigger and
bigger as the magical horsey was released from the box.

“Hurray!”

Dylan lifted Jessica up and put her on the
horse’s back. He pressed a few buttons, and all of a sudden, music
filled the bedroom with the enchanting waltz.

“May I have this dance, fair maiden?” He
bowed.

“I would be honored, my Prince Charming.” I
curtseyed.

We danced through her bedroom. Jessica
beamed, telling us how pretty we twirled.

“I want to dance like a princess,” she
confessed. Dylan bowed, kissing my hand, and walked over to
Jessica.

“Can I have this dance, beautiful
princess?”

“But I don’t know how to dance.” She
pouted.

“Sure you do. You are a princess.” He took
her in his arms and whirled her through the room, her feet never
touching the ground.

We stayed in there for hours. Jess introduced
Dylan to all her stuffed animals and showed him all of her
drawings.

“Mr. Dylan, can I show you my gingerbread
house?”

“Oh, I’d love to see it. And maybe I can try
some of that amazing soup I have heard about.”

We went into the gingerbread house, and she
gave us a tour. Whenever we played, she wanted to be the mommy. But
not today.

“Mr. Dylan?”

“Yes, princess?”

“Would you be the daddy? Will you be my
pretend daddy?”

It touched my heart. I wiped the tear from
the corner of my eye. I thought it might weird him out or
something, but he walked over to her and gave her a big hug and
kissed her forehead.

“I would love to be your pretend daddy,
angel. I’d love to.”

I took a deep breath and quickly wiped my
cheeks again, hoping he wouldn’t know how it affected me.

Dylan strolled over to me. “We get to play
house.” he winked. “So you get to be my lovely wife.” He kissed my
hand.

“Mommy, can I help you make dinner?”

“Sure, Jessica. What would you like us to
make?”

Her blue eyes opened wide and lit up as if
she was in a candy store. “Soup.”

We played house for hours. Dylan never even
hinted that he was bored or wanted to be rescued.

The next day, we bundled up and played in the
snow. Dylan was so good with Jess. I knew it was way too soon to be
thinking about this, but the way he treated Jess made me really
want to spend the rest of my life with him. I was so falling for
him.

That evening, we were watching a movie with
Steve when Jessica fell asleep on my lap. Dylan picked her up, and
we told Steve goodnight, going downstairs to her room. Dylan laid
her down.

“Sweet dreams, Jessica.” Watching him
interact with her filled me with such warmth. She’d never had a man
that was a good role model in her life, except her grandpa. I could
see she really cherished her time with Dylan.

“Thank you, Dylan.”

“For what?”

“For being so wonderful with her. It’s
beautiful.” I gave him a gentle kiss.

“You are the ones who are wonderful. Mrs.
Nicole Richardson. . . I love how that sounds.” He gave me another
kiss. “It’s been fun playing house with you.”

“I’ve enjoyed playing house with you, too.”
It was hard having him leave, but it was the right thing to do.

“Dream of me.” He looked into my eyes.

“Always.” I smiled as he gave me one last
kiss goodnight. Then we went back upstairs.

Steve seemed upset most of the time we were
together and avoided us. I explained to Dylan that he was just
disappointed his sons’ arrival was delayed again. Steve had already
gone upstairs to his room by the time we got there.

“Say goodnight to Steve for me, okay?”

“I will. Goodnight, Dylan. I wish you could
stay.”

“Goodnight, baby, I’ll see you in the
morning.” He looked around. No one was there to offend, so he
slowly drew me in. His lips met mine, and he passionately kissed
me.

“I don’t want you to go.”

He lifted me up. “I want to take you with
me.”

I bit my lip, Emily hadn’t come home yet. I
wanted to invite him into my room but worried Steve would find it
disrespectful. And I didn’t want Jess to come in and find we had
spent the night together. “I can’t leave Jess.”

“I know, I know.” He lowered me to the
ground. “I better go, before I…” He started to leave then grabbed
me back into his arms and our lips met again. “Just one more.”

Unconsciously, I started to pull his hands,
guiding him to my room.

“I…I…I better go…” After several failed
attempts to leave, Dylan finally walked out the door. I waved as he
made his way to his rental car. I stood there like a giddy
schoolgirl in the open doorway, watching as he drove away. Turning
around, I noticed eyes from the upstairs hall, peering down at me.
They quickly disappeared.
How long had he been there
? I was
embarrassed that he was watching us. I closed the front door and
immediately ran downstairs.

The engine of the small plane accelerated as
Chris took off into the atmosphere. I watched the view of the
valley we were leaving. Encircled by mountains, it was surreal.
Chris was able to sneak back home for a few days, and Dylan decided
to surprise me with an experience he knew I’d never forget.

“So, are you going to teach me how to fly one
of these things someday, Chris?” I asked. Anytime—anytime I’m in
town, that is. You will love it, Nicole.” It was incredible. I sat
there in admiration as our view ascended into the clouds.

“You ready, baby?” Dylan began checking all
our gear.

“I am. I am nervous, but so excited at the
same time.”

“In case we die, I wanted to tell you I think
you’re kind of sexy.” He kissed my neck.

I smacked Dylan playfully for the suggestion
we may splat on the ground.

“Well, in case we die, I think you’re kind of
hot too. I’m so excited. I can’t believe we are doing this.”

I peeked out the plane, but couldn’t see
Emily and Jessica on the ground waiting for us. It totally amazed
me how this three-thousand-pound machine could fly with such grace
through the air. Part of me was happy to just enjoy the view from
the small plane, but the other part of me was absolutely ecstatic
about taking the jump.

My stomach knotted as we got to the open
door. The wind gushed by us as the engine roared. I was strapped to
Dylan—skydiving tandem—and I knew he would take care of me. We were
at least 10,000 feet in the air and flying slightly above the
mountain range.

As the wind hit my face, I freaked out a
little. Dylan motioned it was time to go. We shimmied out onto the
wing and held on for dear life. Timing was important. I waited for
Dylan’s signal. Standing on the wing with the anticipation of the
drop was horrifying. I thought it would feel like jumping off the
platform dive at home where your tummy felt each moment of the
decent, almost as if you were nauseous. I said a silent prayer.

“One, two, three . . .” We let go of the wing
and began the free fall. All of a sudden, the knot in my stomach
disappeared, and I was filled with an utter sense of peace.

The beautiful serenity of the mountains below
us was astonishing. As we flew like superman through the sky,
actually dropping close to 6,000 feet, we didn’t feel we were
losing altitude. I soared through the heavens as if I could fly
like an eagle. The only indication that we were dropping was the
sheer magnificence of the mountains growing all around us. As we
fell, the mountains sprouted up, then towered over us by the time
we saw Emily and Jessica on the ground.

A euphoric high exhilarated every cell in my
being. Not only was it breathtaking, but empowering. I could fly!
We deployed the parachute, marveling at the brilliance God created
as we descended into a winter wonderland.

“That was so awesome!” I felt the experience
overwhelm me.

Emily and Jessica ran over to us.

“I saw you, Mommy. I saw you.” I picked up my
angel and gave her a big hug.

“How was it?” Emily questioned.

I turned to Dylan, “Oh my god. Let’s go
again.” My heart was still racing.

“Oh my gosh. Right when I jumped out, it was
like,” I took a breath, “Oh my god.” I cradled my head with my
hands, shaking my head as if in disbelief. I paused. “To see the
sun and the mountains . . .” I lifted my head back. “Oh my god,” I
gasped. “It was beautiful.”

“So I take it, it was amazing?” Emily
confirmed, smiling.

Glowing, I turned to him. “Can we go
again?”

I was on earth, but I still felt the
adrenaline rush through my veins as if I was still in the air.

“Emily, you have to try it. You will love it.
You can go—Dylan will take you.”

“Can I fly in a parachute Mommy?”

“Yes, when you get a little bigger. But you
can go in the plane. Would you like that?”

“Hurray!” The excitement in her eyes was
priceless.

“You can help Uncle Chris fly the plane,
okay?” Dylan picked her up.

“Really? I can help fly a plane? Wow.”

“If you want to jump, Emily, I can fly the
plane so you and Chris can jump.”

“You are a pilot?” I asked Dylan.

“Just small planes.” He made it seem like it
was nothing.

“I think I’d rather stay in the plane and
watch. You all are crazy.” Emily replied.

Holding Jessica in one arm, Dylan took my
hand with the other as we made our way back to the aircraft.

The wind hit my face as I left the plane’s
safety once again with Dylan—my protection, my security, my
strength. We flew, elated, through the atmosphere.
Euphoria.
Exhilaration. Awe
. Soaring, we descended from the heavens,
attached to one another.

Emily and Chris decided to take Jessica to
the movies so Dylan and I could spend a little time alone. Dylan
was staying at Brad’s place while he was in town and knew Brad
would be working for a few hours.

Still euphoric from the jump, we entered the
dark, empty house. Taking my hand, he led me inside, locking the
door behind us. We were finally alone. Dylan brought my body in
front of him and undressed me with his eyes. In the silence, he
unbuttoned my jacket, one button at a time, sliding it off me onto
the floor. My heartbeat increased.

I slowly unzipped his coat. Heavy, I could
hear it hit the floor. I stepped even closer and unbuttoned his
shirt, letting it drop. I had forgotten just how captivating he
was. My hands touched his chest. His chiseled body resembled a
Roman gladiator—my gladiator. I surveyed his biceps, his triceps,
his chest, letting my hands explore his muscles as if I was his
sculptor.

Dylan’s penetrating look entranced me. His
tongue moistened his lips. A chill went up my spine as he outlined
my mouth with his fingers, claiming them for his own. He sketched
my eyebrows and cheekbones and then defined the curve of my jaw
with his fingers as if he were creating a masterpiece. He proceeded
to run his fingers through my hair, clutching it as he pulled me
closer. His face leaned forward and he teased me, gently brushing
his lips against mine and then taking them away so I would crave
his kiss as he excited my senses. Our breathing intensified.

As if
mesmerized
, he leaned in. Our cheeks caressed one
another. Gently nibbling, he excited me as his hands stimulated my
skin. I closed my eyes, opening my mouth slightly, eager to enjoy
his. His soft lips met mine in a s
low sensitive
kiss—so honest, so pure. It was more than the mere touching of the
lips; the kiss opened our souls to one another.

“I love you, Nicole,” he whispered. “I love
you.” The words fueled a fire that rushed through my veins. As if
under his spell, I reached down and unzipped his jeans and they
fell to the floor. He stepped on the backs of his shoes, taking
them off as he smiled, knowing I would soon be his. He unzipped my
pants, lowering them. I gasped as he lifted me. He wrapped my legs
around his waist and thrust me against the wall. I felt his
hardness in the gentle rhythm between my legs—a warm sensation
washed over me. His passionate kiss soon traveled down my neck. My
excitement rose, my body arched, yearning. Trapped against the
wall, I could feel his power, his passion, his desire. Pinned, I
surrendered. I trembled.

Delicately sucking on my earlobe, he tickled
me. He blew in my ear before he made his way back to my mouth. As
he kissed me, Dylan’s hands held my thighs tighter around his body,
pulling me away from the wall as he proceeded to carry me to the
bedroom. He sl
owly laid me on the bed and slid
his body over mine. He
lifted up my shirt so only my stomach
was revealed, his fingertips stimulating my skin. Then he
unbuttoned my shirt, exposing my lace bra and panties.
H
is fingers traveled from my lips through the
crevices between my breasts to my thighs. He slightly opened them
as his body pressed on top of me. Bringing my arms over my head, he
interlocked our fingers, kissing me as he gently pulsated on top of
me, still separated by fabric.
My breathing grew more and
more erratic. The pounding in my chest amplified for the world to
hear.

“I want it to be perfect, Nicole. Our first
time, I need it to be perfect. We are going to have to pick up Jess
soon. Brad could come home.” He could barely speak because his
breathing was so erratic.