Animate Me / Chapter Twenty / A Two-Way Woo

“Forget them, Wendy. Forget them all. Come with me where you’ll never, never have to worry about grown up things again.” ~Peter Pan

My fingers are trembling, as though they’re trying to hold up the weight of all of the longing I’ve ever had for Brooke. “You took this off the bathroom mirror.” I observe quietly, full of apprehension.

“Yes, I did,” she admits, not looking the slightest bit guilty.

“I would’ve told you, you know,” I protest. “The day isn’t over yet.”

“Are you going to read it to me or not?” she teases.

“But I thought we weren’t going to talk about anything heavy.”

“This isn’t heavy. If you mean it, it’s full of light and happiness…the most beautiful feeling ever. It’s completely woo-worthy.” She says with her eyes closed and a dreamy smile.

“Oh, I mean it,” I affirm solemnly, trying to work up the courage to look her in the eyes.

“Then tell me; read it,” she encourages. “I want to hear you say it.”

I hold up the note card but I don’t need to read it. The sentiment is etched in my memory. “Today is the day I will tell Brooke that I’m in love with her.” I curl the card in my hand.

She grins happily, taking the note back and pressing it against her chest, right over her heart. “So are you going to tell me? I’m really ready to hear it.”

I look into her eyes and try to be brave. “I’m in love with you, Brooke,” I whisper so softly I’m not sure she’s heard the words.

“Like you mean it,” she pushes playfully.

I can’t help but laugh, she is so infuriatingly demanding. “I’m in love with you, Brooke,” I state with strength and confidence, “completely, utterly, overwhelmingly in love with you.”

She scoots closer and places her hand over my pounding heart.

“You’ve just made me so happy.” She is beaming brightly, all the earlier exhaustion gone.

“Can I ask you something?” I ask carefully.

“Okay, but remember, no heavy questions.”

“Just one…please?”

“Oh, okay.” She bites her lip and watches me.

“Do you think you could ever fall in love with me?”

She smiles, like she is holding a secret in her hands. “Yes, I do.

Absolutely. How do you know I haven’t already, Mr. Woo?”

My huge grin comes from the inside out. I take her hand in mine. Oh wow, is this really happening? I don’t want push to ask for more details. This is already so much more than I could have hoped for.

“Why don’t I show you how I feel about you?” she offers.

“Show not tell?”

She nods as she curves into me. “I want to make love to you.”

Good lord. This woman…what she does to me…

“But I’m supposed to woo you,” I point out. I think I remember the woo list saying I was supposed to take control. But my head’s spinning, so I’m not completely sure.

“It’s a two-way woo,” she whispers right before she settles against me and presses her lips to mine in the sweetest kiss. “You’ll make love to me too.”

Wow…who cares who’s in control…

“Make love,” I repeat smiling, noting how much better that sounds than sex or screwing. “Yeah, that sounds perfect to me.”

I study her, noting a subtle shift with everything about her. Layers are peeling back like pages fluttering in the wind. Her heart is opening; I just know it.

“I’ve never felt this way before, Nathan.” She says softly, as she starts to crawl over me.

“Never?” I ask, my heart soaring.

“No….so this is just you, and me, and this feeling. Let’s go slow. I want to feel everything,” she whispers in my ear before feathering kisses down my neck. She lifts herself up and straddles my hips right over where I’m already aroused for her. “Yes,” she whispers as she slowly rocks, her gaze tender yet hungry. “You want me.”

“I always want you, Brooke…always.” I breathe her scent, and feel her heat as the warmth radiates through me.

Brooke, don’t you know how you’ve turned my world upside down?

I watch her slowly unbutton my shirt. She is ceremonious; as each button pulls apart she leans down and kisses the skin that’s revealed. My hands rest on her thighs, slowly stroking, every touch fanning the fire. When she finishes the bottom button, she spreads the shirt open and runs her hands over my chest.

“I love touching you. I love how strong you are,” she says softly as she pushes the shirt off my shoulders. I can feel my neck and chest flush from the way she’s admiring me.

“Can we take off your shirt?” I ask. The way I’m lying under her, I need her help. “I want to see you too.”

As she starts to slowly lift it off, I run my hands up her sides. It’s better than sliding across silk because of the warmth and life just beneath my fingertips. She starts to lower one of her bra straps and I stop her.

“Slow,” I remind her. I pull her into my arms and kiss her slowly, letting my hands wander. “You’re so beautiful…so beautiful, and I can’t believe you’re here with me.”

“Well, where else would I be?” she teases as she steps off the bed, and pushes her jeans off. I watch her. Wearing only her very sheer bra and panties, she climbs back over me.

I’ve daydreamed this exact scene countless times. It’s my very own Victoria Secret catalog come to life—only Brooke’s body is much sexier than those women. I rest my hands on her soft hips, feeling so grateful that I’m the one she wants. “You know, I thought I’d lost you. I thought you had chosen to be with him. And now you’re here with me…and…well…I just can’t believe it.”

“Well then, I’m going to keep showing you how I feel until you believe everything.”

Her seductive smile really gets me going. I don’t know how much more of this slow stuff I can take.

I think Brooke’s aware I’m beyond excited. She smiles knowingly as she undoes my fly and starts to pull my jeans and my boxers down. Following the denim, she kisses another trail down my hips and thighs, only detouring to give my erection several long licks from base to tip. I shiver with pleasure.

“Brooke.” I moan as I watch her unhook her bra and pull until it falls away. My hands reach up to cup her breasts as we gaze at each other, having entire conversations with our eyes. It occurs to me that this is the least awkward I’ve ever felt. I just want to please her, to show her what we can be. Her nipples harden under my fingertips and the softest blush moves across her cheeks.

“Oh, Nathan, the way you look at me. What are you thinking?”

“That I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

“And why is that?” She knows, but I sense that she needs to hear it tonight as I hold her.

“Because I found the girl I’m meant to be with,” I say with certainty. “A girl so amazing that I couldn’t have conjured her in my wildest dreams. But you’re here, and you’re real…and you want me.”

“Yes, I do,” she says smiling. Her warm hand grasps me firmly, with gliding movements, fluid and smooth. The visual of her hand gripping me, her full breasts, wet lips and dreamy eyes, is just too much.

And with that, I roll so I am on top of her, pressing down hard. We move together, grabbing, rubbing and kissing like teenagers making out for the first time. But then she pulls her luscious thighs apart and asks for more.

And I want more too. She’s taught me that one does not need to supplicate to truly express devotion. I pull off her panties and settle between her legs so I can taste her again. My cheek grazes her inner thigh as I move in closer to kneel at the sacred altar of Brooke and prepare to worship. My lips hold the memory of every touch that drove her wild. So my tongue moves over her softness, as her hips roll in response. Her hands twist in my hair, pulling me closer, and she whispers my name over and over and over again.

When she cries out I press my palms inside her knees and gently push her open that much more. As she gasps for breath, I press one final kiss over her and look up into her eyes.

“Beautiful,” I whisper, feeling even more confident.

“Nathan, please,” she motions for me, her arms reaching. “I need you inside of me… now.”

Her need is my sexual call to arms, and I’m ready. Every sensation sparks as I breathlessly move over her. My need to take her is primal and raw like I’m a caveman getting ready to claim his woman. “Do you belong to me now, Brooke?” I surprise myself by asking, gasping as I grind against her.

She nods, the corners of her eyes twist with mirth, but I sense she likes caveman Nathan. “I’m only yours,” she says with satisfaction. “No one else.” Her eyes are hooded. This is really turning me on.

“Mine,” I kind of growl, playing it up as I loom over her. I can tell this is turning her on too.

“Is that what you want?” she asks, pulling me closer.

“It’s what I’ve always wanted,” I assure her. Meanwhile my arousal has taken on a life of it’s own, probing for heat sensors, searching for the happy place of love. My mind twists as every science fiction proclamation passes through my consciousness…stuff about the force being with me, boarding the mothership, and boldly going where I’ve never gone before. Making love is a science fiction-worthy, spiritual experience.

Brooke wants me.

Me.

With our eyes locked she takes me in her grasp and brings me to her. “I need this so much,” she gasps. “I need you, Nathan.”

A surge of pride and protectiveness moves through me. I want to take care of Brooke in every way. I want to give her what she needs.

I still for a moment and take her face in my hands.

“I need you too,” I admit without hesitation.

As I gaze at her I see tears pooling in the corners of her beautiful eyes. But they aren’t sad tears. I can tell.

“Nathan?”

“Yes?”

She pauses and takes a deep breath, as if she’s fighting to be brave.

Be brave, Brooke.

“I…”

I wait patiently, stroking her cheeks. I’m still anxious to be inside of her, but that can wait a moment. I sense this is very important.

“I love you,” she says gently, but with absolute certainty. She’s sweet and sincere, with adoration reflected in her eyes.

She really loves me. For me, loving her was a given. For Brooke, who had closed her heart long ago, this is big…really big.

“You love me,” I whisper. She may as well have waved her magic wand at me, and chanted “lumos” for how I’ve lit up inside. I gaze at her and realize that she’s lit up too.

Our kiss is tender and raw as I pull her tightly into my arms. It’s time. With laser focus I position and push, slowly sliding myself home as she opens herself to me. She is all warmth and wetness as she arches up, moaning loudly. Every part of her that presses, or wraps around me is an embrace. Our hips are moving, the push and pull of our bodies together. We are electrified with the sheer emotion of our hearts connecting.

I don’t know if I was prepared for how those three words would overcome me.

’Cause I’m in love. Big love. Real love. The best love.

I’m overwhelmed with this fireball of passion. And Brooke holds on while I take her for our wild ride. It feels like we are soaring on Disneyland’s Space Mountain as I push into her, wide eyes as the stars blur past us in the thrilling darkness.

My hands grasp her curvy hips, pulling her closer as I fill her again and again. Her expression is sublime, a hungry gaze, pink cheeks and parted cherry lips. She is my wingless angel, my Red Hot love.

“Oh, Nathan,” she moans, as her legs wrap tighter around me. There is a current flowing through our heated kisses, each deeper and more passionate. I am fighting the urge to completely consume her as I lick and nip my way across her breasts and up her neck.

“Is this what you want, Brooke?” I ask, because I want to get the making love part of this right. My heart’s so full that I’m pretty sure this is exactly what it should be. I know for sure, it’s what I always needed.

“Yes.” She moans. “Yes…this is love,” she whispers. Her hands suddenly reach upwards, grasping up into the air. I feel her opening, every part of her body deliciously soft and spread. But then the trembling starts and I realize this is a different kind of climax. I hold her in my arms tightly as I push deeper and tell her that I love her over and over.

Something in the way she finally cries out, a soulful sound as her body arcs up, sends me over the edge too. And this time it’s Brooke, drawing me out with her words of love as I soar. I call out her name before I fall into the warm embrace of her open arms.

Wow

…just wow.

She’s a part of me now, and I finally understand how true love feels.

• • •

The next morning, we both oversleep from the exhaustion of the roller coaster of the day before. Getting up is a rushed affair. She has an important phone conference at nine-thirty, and has to go home to shower and change so I heat up a Pop Tart for her while she pulls on her clothes. She accepts it with an arched brow, but I know she’s silently pleased. I mean, who doesn’t secretly love Pop Tarts?

When it’s time for her to leave I walk her to her car, kiss her goodbye, then hurry back in to jump into the shower and get ready for the day.

Luckily, I’m only a few minutes late. But Joel could yell at me anyway, and it wouldn’t matter ’cause I’m on cloud nine. It takes all of my composure not to stand in the middle of the production room and yell out “Brooke loves me!” for all the world to hear.

That afternoon when I bring Brooke her coffee she’s on her computer making reservations for Comic Con. Evidently Mojo doesn’t like to go, so I’m determined to go with Brooke. She teases me that animators aren’t supposed to go on the company dime…as if that could hold me back.

Now that we’re in love, it will be the best Comic Con ever. Never in my wildest dreams, did I ever imagine I would walk through those hallowed convention halls with a beauty like Brooke on my arm.

“By the way, if you’re planning on dressing up for Comic Con, may I suggest Cat Woman?” I tease.

“You know I dressed up like Wonder Woman at Comic Con once when I was younger.”

“You did?” She obviously doesn’t understand what that news would do to me, because she looks at me funny when she realizes that my face is flushed and my chest is rising and falling like I just leapt between two tall buildings.

God, I love this woman.

“Can you wear that for me sometime?” I ask, trying to not sound as desperate as I feel.

She looks at me with a twinkle in her eyes. “Sure,” she says. “But you have to dress up for me too.”

I’m instantly filled with dread at the idea of tights and spandex body suits. “Dress up as who?”

She grins. “I’ve always had a thing about Indiana Jones.”

I breathe a sigh of relief knowing I’m safe from spandex. “Sure,” I agree. “How about tomorrow?”

“You’re on!”

It occurs to me that I don’t have much time to figure out Indiana’s costume. Back in my office, I call Billie for a consultation.

“Billie, I need your help. I have to dress up like Indiana Jones for Brooke.”

There is a long pause. “Dress up like Indy? Oh, he’s the man. Wait, wasn’t he getting tied up a lot?”

“I think so,” I reply, starting to get nervous.

“That’s hot. I like it,” she confirms. “So shall I guess that things are on the upswing with Brooke if you’ve advanced to kinky role playing?”

I suddenly realize that no one in my life knows how things have changed radically over the course of less than twenty-four hours.

“Oh, yes, everything’s changed.”

“For the good I take it?” she teases.

“So good…Billie, you wouldn’t believe how good.”

“Glad to hear it…maybe Curtis will finally stop worrying about you.”

“He’s been worried?” I ask, a lump in my throat.

“I’ll say. For a big boy, that guy can get pretty damn emo,” she replies laughing. “But enough about Curtis. So what do you need for Indiana?”

“I need one of those safari hats and maybe a whip, and a sheathed knife to hang on my belt…or something to look rugged.”

“He doesn’t wear a safari hat!” she huffs. “It’s a busted Fedora. I have something that will work for that. And of course I have a whip you can borrow, but I need it back by Friday.”

I grin into the phone. “And where can I get one of those knives…a sporting goods store?”

“Oh, I’ve got one of those too.”

“You do?” my voice brimming with disbelief.

“Don’t ask,” she warns me.

“Believe me, I don’t want to know,” I assure her. Leave it to Billie to be the go-to-gal for all my kinky needs.

Since I’m on a roll, I decide to call Mom and give her an update. “Guess what, Mom?”

“Oh, I like the sound of your voice,” she says happily. “Do you have good news for us?”

I pause remembering our last conversation and how she encouraged me. I can’t hold back the good news. “Brooke loves me,” I state with a full heart.

“Oh my God, wait, wait…let me put your Dad on the phone too!”

I smile as I hear her yelling for Dad to get on the phone.

“Yes?” I hear him say with a concerned tone, as he picks up the line.

“She loves him, Arthur!” Mom says.

“Nathan?” he asks, still not sure what’s going on.

“She’s not going to marry him, Dad. She loves me. She told me so.”

“Oh, that’s excellent news. What did I tell you, Son? Logic and statistics don’t mean a damn thing when it comes to love. I’m so glad, Nathan. So, how did this Arnauld react?”

“He’s on a business trip this week, but before he left she told him she wouldn’t marry him. She’s going to finalize everything Monday, and then we’ll figure things out from there.”

“So does she know about Dani and the comic book yet?” Mom asks cautiously.

“Not exactly, we agreed to a week of just being together, and we’re going to deal with all the hard stuff next week.”

“I see,” replies Mom, sounding unsure.

“We’re having a week of woo,” I explain.

“You followed my advice,” Dad says proudly. “Well, as we discussed, historically wooing has always been a favorable way to secure your mate. So what do you have planned for tonight?”

Damn. I’ve been so swept up with the day that I hadn’t thought that far in advance.

“I haven’t planned anything yet,” I admit nervously. “Everything’s been happening so fast. But don’t worry; I’ll think of something.”

There’s a pause. “Arthur?” Mom says, “Can we?”

“Yes, Diana. It’s perfect…woo-ing with a capital W.”

Their shorthand talk always baffles me. “What’re you guys talking about?”

“We have tickets for the Hollywood Bowl tonight. I just finished packing our picnic dinner, complete with an excellent bottle of wine. You should take Brooke, Nathan, it’s the perfect night for it.”

I’d forgotten they always have season tickets with great box seats. The Hollywood Bowl’s an experience like none other. “But you guys already had your evening planned,” I try to persuade, half-heartedly.

“It’s Harry Connick Jr. doing the classics, Nathan. You’d be a fool to pass this up,” Mom stresses.

“Wow. That would be super woo-worthy. If you’re sure…that’d be amazing.”

“We insist,” Dad says firmly.

“Thanks. You guys are the best. This really means so much to me.”

“We know, Son. Mom and I are behind you two hundred percent. It doesn’t take a forensic scientist and inter-personal sociologist to clearly determine that you’re meant to be with this girl. We want you to have a stellar time.”

Brooke is thrilled when she gets my call.

“I love the Hollywood Bowl…and Harry Connick Jr…wow! You’re taking the wooing up a notch.”

Win!

“So, let’s leave right at six, and I’ll follow you home so you can get a jacket and something warmer to wear,” I explain.

I splurge on valet parking, and we slowly wind our way up the hillside, surrounded by happy faces and arms laden with food and wine. It’s a beautiful clear evening as we settle into our prime box seats facing the famous clamshell shaped theater.

Just the look on Brooke’s face when I unpack mom’s basket, spreading the cloth over the little fold-down table, makes everything worth it. While I uncork the wine bottle and fill our glasses, Brooke carefully opens each container and fills our plates. We even have cloth napkins and silverware. I’m so happy I can’t stop grinning as we eat and sip wine. There are berry tarts for dessert. The sun slowly falls behind the hill and the purple cast of twilight falls over us.

Later as Harry serenades us, Brooke curls up under my arm and I wrap the blanket around us. It feels like he’s singing just to us.

Brooke nuzzles my neck then whispers in my ear, “Thank you for tonight, Nathan. I don’t know when I’ve ever been so happy.”

“Me too, Brooke,” I reply and then gently kiss her, realizing this is one of those moments I’ll never forget.

I look up into the night sky, sprinkled with stars and as I hold my girl in my arms, the music surrounds and lifts us up, while Arnold and the weight of the last few weeks falls away. I never would have believed I could feel like this, my heart so full that it’s going to spring out of my chest in a big cartoony gesture.

We are in our own world now, my Red Hot and I. The title of the next number sums it all up perfectly…“It Had to Be You.”