CHAPTER 10: KERRY
I cooked stir-fry. It seemed like the easiest and fastest thing to do. I hadn’t expected to have visitors tonight, so it was good I had enough for two of us.
“Thanks,” I said as he passed me the onions. He grinned.
“I’ll do the spinach now?” he suggested.
“Thanks!” I beamed. “If I had known you were this useful, I would have employed you.”
His smile lit my kitchen and did strange things in my heart.
“Kerry?” he asked.
“What?”
“Remind me never to argue with you.”
“Fine.”
He laughed and I joined in. We worked quietly, side by side. He chopped up the ingredients and I fried them in order. The noodles bubbled on the stove. The space was filled with a sort of orderly tranquility. I felt good.
There was a sort of tension between us—a good sort. It felt like a barrier between us had been broken, and a beautiful new closeness emerging. It was tense, though, with the attraction between us. Almost a challenge as to which of us would be the first to cross over and break the spell that set us working side by side like colleagues together.
“How is the spinach going?”
“Busy still. You need it already?”
“Wait a bit. I’m just frying the sprouts. It should go last.”
“Yes, sir.”
We laughed. The kitchen smelled of ginger and frying and warmth. My heart was singing.
I stirred the pot and watched him from the corner of my eye. He was bent over the chopping-board, with a small frown between his brows, he looked like a knight from an ancient tale, he was so handsome. Always assuming, I thought with a grin, that knights from ancient tales spent their time shredding up spinach-leaves.
“Okay,” he said, straightening up. “All done. What’s next?”
“Now we just need to cook it.”
“Awesome,” he smiled.
We looked at each other. In that little pause of silence, there was a sudden shift. We both felt it. I shivered as I looked into his eyes. Suddenly, I wanted him so much. Uncontrollably much. I took a step forward just as he held out his hand toward me.
Our lips met with a fiery passion. I closed my eyes as his tongue entered my mouth, thick and hard and insistent. I felt that closeness in every part of me, tingling right down to the meeting of my thighs. I pressed against him, opening my arms and holding him, pressing him against me so that his lean, firm chest rested on mine, my breasts pushed up against him.
He gasped and leaned in closer and his body pressed closer still. I could feel his arousal—hard and insistent—pressing against me through my dress. I moaned and squeezed my eyes shut as his tongue filled my mouth. It felt so good.
When we stepped apart, we were both shivering. I looked up at him, gave a little chuckle. “Okay,” I said. “We should eat.”
“Oh!” He laughed, noticing that the stir-fry was still in the pan. I had turned it off, luckily, just before adding the spinach, so it wasn’t burning, but even he flushed.
“Well,” I said with a businesslike manner, “let’s get ready.”
I went to the cupboard and dug out plates and something to take the noodles out with. I cleared my throat.
I was tingling all over and it was hard to focus on what I was doing. Every time I looked round, I felt my cheeks lift in a funny grin. I couldn’t help it.
“Are the noodles done?” he asked.
“It is,” I nodded, looking into the pan. It looked pale and fluffy and delicious. I stuck the spoon in and took it to the table, set the pot down on the cork ring in the center.
“Good,” he said, looking quite pleased. I chuckled.
“I hope my cooking lives up to our expectation.”
He laughed. “It can’t be worse than mine. My expectation is only that it won’t kill me.”
I laughed too. “Brett!” I chuckled. “I think I can do better than that.”
“I remember,” he said. His smile was tinged with warmth and it flowed through me. I was touched—very touched—that he would recall our time together all those years ago.
“Oh, Brett.”
He smiled. Gently, he put a hand on my shoulder and turned me to face toward him. I looked into those big green eyes and felt my heart melt. I put my hand on his shoulder, and we just looked at each other. I felt my heart ache then. I had never realized how much I cared about Brett. How happy just knowing he was alive, and somewhere in the world, made me. What he meant to me.
I ran a hand down the side of his face. He took it in one of his own and stroked it, his eyes so tender that I felt my breath catch in my throat.
He pressed my hand between both his own and gently raised it to his lips. I shivered. I smiled.
“We should eat that,” I reminded him gently.
“What?” he frowned. “Oh! Yes. I forgot.”
We were still laughing when we sat down together.
We must have both been hungrier than we thought we were, because we ate largely in silence, punctuated only by the scrape of fork on ceramic or, once or twice, the more resonant scrape of the big spoon against Teflon as we reached for second helpings.
I felt his knee press mine and drew in a long, steadying breath. Then I let my foot boldly move so that it rested on his. He tensed.
He looked at me with a slow, naughty smile. I shivered.
He licked the fork off and then set it down, swallowed, and looked at me again. I could feel my whole body heating up with wanting.
“So?” he said.
I couldn’t breathe. I felt as if the air had suddenly turned to thick honey and I couldn’t draw it into my lungs.
“So?” I managed.
“So,” he persisted, his thin-lipped mouth quirking in a delicious smile, “are we going to have a second course?”
“A second course?” I asked. Then as he smiled and I took his meaning, I felt my face heat with redness.
“I was thinking maybe dessert,” he continued evenly. “And something sweet happens to be right here in front of me. Something sweet and tempting.”
I shivered so hard I had to clench my fists to stop the tremor traveling right the way through me too obviously.
“What do I get?” I whispered.
He chuckled. “Well, I think what I get might result in you getting something nice too,” he said. “But that might just be me being arrogant.”
I went red. “Oh?”
He chuckled. “Oh, Kerry.”
He stood up and I stood up and we kissed. He had his eyes closed and then I closed mine too as his tongue gently flicked across the margin of my lips. It slid in between them, probing and pressing, and I closed my eyes and let him push his exploring tongue into my mouth. I sighed and let the sensation shiver right through me, from my head to my toes.
His hands squeezed my waist and traveled round my back, stroking me. I shivered and leaned against him and felt the firmness of his body flatten against me.
I leaned back and gently moved sideways so that he followed me, still holding me, his lips resting against mine, toward the door that separated my bedroom and bathroom from the rest of the house.
We went through the door, collapsing onto the bed. I let out a breathless sigh and he laughed.
I felt his hands move over my body, slowly and carefully undressing me. I moved back so that he could pull my t-shirt up over my head, and then lay down, looking up at his arm where it moved across the bulb in front of me.
“Are you sure?” I asked. “I mean… won’t you hurt yourself?”
He chuckled. “I won’t notice.”
I smiled but rolled onto my side and very gently touched his bandaged upper arm. He winced. I could see the wound had bled already, soaking into the bandage and drying there. I was worried about it—very worried—though I hadn’t mentioned it. It badly needed attention.
He gently lifted my hand and kissed it. I sighed as the touch of his lips sent fire spiraling down my arm.
“Kerry,” he sighed. “Let me have tonight? Please? I promise I won’t do anything that’ll strain my arm.”
I laughed, low and throaty. “Good.”
He leaned over and gently pushed me onto my back. I closed my eyes and let him undress me. Soon, as his hands caressed my naked skin, I forgot about my worries.
When his hand moved between my thighs I gasped aloud. He knelt between my legs, his eyes shining wickedly. I drew in a deep breath as, slowly and systematically, he licked down my folds.
I was shaking in a bliss so concentrated it was actual agony as he chewed and licked and sucked. I couldn’t contain myself. I almost screamed.
When he was sure I was satisfied, he sat up with a big smile on his face. He started to undress. I frowned, but he gently gestured to me to stay where I was and I nodded and obeyed, lying back on the pillows.
He managed to get his shirt off and the pants came away easily after that. I lay back, feeling like someone had replaced my bones with jelly. I was so relaxed.
He knelt between my thighs and slowly, carefully, entered me. I gasped. I had never known how it was that he pleasured me as no one else ever had, but he did. As he rocked back and pushed further in, I felt my face contort in pleasure as my whole body tingled and throbbed and flared under his knowing, wonderful, expert ways.
I was shuddering and gasping as he started, too, to shiver.
He cried out just after me.
He collapsed onto my chest.
We lay like that, with my body pressed to his, my arms holding him close, for what felt as if it was an age. Then, slowly, carefully, he rolled off me.
I smiled as I felt him cuddle closer, his arm resting under my shoulder. I leaned my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. I felt sleepy and relaxed and peaceful.
He held me in his arm and his other hand stroked down my body, making soft repeated brushes down my side, comforting and sweet.
I sighed and nestled my head in under his chin. He held me closer and I thought my heart would melt. I reached out and rested a hand on his side, feeling his heart beat.
When I shifted to sit up, he was almost asleep. The piercing green eyes opened, and he looked into my eyes, a gentle smile twisting his thin mouth.
“What?”
I smiled. “Nothing,” I said. I paused. “I just…”
“What?” he asked. His hand stroked my body, sending an army of tingles marching straight down my nerves into my toes.
“I…” I swallowed. “Brett,” I said, choked. “Please… just… don’t get hurt,” I managed. “You mean the world to me. I can’t lose you again.”
I blinked my eyes shut, not wanting to let the tears fall. Even so, it was a struggle to keep them back.
When I opened them, he was looking at me. His expression was one of sheer amazement.
“Kerry?”
He sounded totally disbelieving. I swallowed hard.
“What?” I said. My voice trembled.
“I had no idea you felt that way about me,” he managed. His throat was closed up too—I could hear how tight and tense it was.
I laughed a little shakily. “Oh, Brett,” I said. “You are silly.”
He smiled. His smile was a thing of subtle beauty. I felt my heart tighten with feeling.
“Silly?” he asked.
“Yes!” I exclaimed. I bent down and kissed his nose. “How could you not know how much you matter to me?”
He flushed red and his eyes shone. He reached out and took my hand. Brought it to his lips. When he looked up at me, he wasn’t smiling—his eyes were intense with feeling.
“Kerry,” he said, “I should have told you ages ago how much I feel for you.”
I stared at him.
“You do?”
It was his turn to laugh. “Kerry!” he said, a grin washing across his fine, clear-cut features. “How could you not know that?”
We were both laughing as he reached out with his good arm, half-sitting now, and pushed me back onto the bed. Then, still grinning, he leaned in and kissed me. I chuckled and he stroked me and made me giggle even more.
Then he was pressing his body to mine and we were both slowly moving up to a new plane of arousal, and need, and then, as he rolled me over and entered me from the back, making love to me even harder and faster than before. When we both released again, he fell back down next to me.
We lay there for a long time, his arm around me, our breathing returning to a slow, even state. I felt myself wonderfully warm inside, my womb bruised and throbbing as if a sweet fire had been lit within it. I leaned against him and he rolled over and we lay like that for what felt like ages.
I rolled over later that night and went to the bathroom to drink some water. When I came back he was lying on the bed, the starlight pale on his skin, making him flesh and silvered half-light, so beautiful and so tentative. I felt my heart ache and I knew that if I had to ask for something in that moment it would be for him to be safe.