CHAPTER 39

"Did you bring your cell?" Holly asked, rummaging through Tristan's purse.

"No. Why, do you need to make a call?"

They had pulled into a gas station on the outskirts of Cherry Hill, NJ. After the rented Bronco had been filled, they were going to look for a hotel. It was late.

"I was going to give Nick a call. He'll worry." Holly paused and looked over at Tristan. "So will Kevin…."

Tristan continued to look forward through the windshield. "Nick can tell Kevin I'm okay." She replied evenly.

"Aren't you two even speaking?" Holly hadn't realized that things were that bad.

"It's not that Holly." Tristan shook her head as she searched for her gas card.

Tristan obviously didn't want to discuss this, but Holly wasn't ready to give up.

"Well, what is it then?" she pushed. "At least I spoke to Nick this afternoon!"

Tristan had wanted to speak to Kevin, too. She had spent time trying to find him and had 'just missed him' twice. She had made her decision to leave the tour and wanted to explain it to him. When he had refused her call during the meeting, her good intentions went to hell, although she tried not to be too mean in her letter. His remarks still burned and made her feel stupid but already, she missed him. Tristan sighed knowing that Holly wouldn't give up.

"I don't want to talk to Kevin because I don't want to be sorry that I left - okay?

Holly had been around enough to know that Kevin could wield words like they were single-edged razor blades. Tristan had been cut and was still bleeding. They had been fine until early that afternoon - after Nick's rant. She was a little irritated and hurt that Tristan wouldn't confide in her. She had trusted Tris with all kinds of personal things - things about her first and only lover before Nick and things about Nick, too. Things that would pull her into deep shit if Nick thought that she ever discussed them. Men really had no idea of how much women talk to each other. Their discussions often went way beyond Kevin's much feared 'girl talk'. As Holly chewed on this, she realized that even though Tristan had always been sympathetic, helpful and non-judgemental during these talks, she had never really revealed anything of consequence concerning Kevin and herself. She had shared the details of Lily's downfall that afternoon but even after all the anger, heartache and pain, she hadn't given Kevin the news in person. She hadn't been there to witness his relief. She had 'taken care of business' and left. His reprieve had come through a note.

Tristan started the truck and they headed back up onto the interstate. According to the station attendant, there was a Marriott just off the next exit.

"I don't mind driving if you don't want to stop." Tristan said. "I'm not tired."

"I am." Holly grumbled back. "I told you, I want to call Nick."

"Okay, okay!" Tristan laughed. "Here we go!"

They pulled off the interstate and into the hotel parking lot. After registering for a room, they boarded the elevator and rode up to the fifth floor in silence. Tristan glanced sideways at Holly wondering what her problem was. God, she should have stayed with Nick if she's going to be miserable.. Holly caught the glance and frowned. She won't tell me anything…probably still doesn't trust me after that Lily episode When they got to their room, Holly inserted the key. She noticed then that Tristan was wearing her wedding band. She was looking at the shiny circle of gold, twisting it with her thumb. The first thing Holly did when they got into the room was check out the bathroom. There was a telephone in there. Good.

"You have to go, Tris? I think I'm gonna take a shower."

She's speaking again… "No, go ahead. I'm gonna crash." Tristan threw her bag on the far bed. "Take your time."

Holly took her bag into the bathroom, pulled out Nick's itinerary and turned on the shower. Then she took a seat on the toilet, picked up the phone and began dialing. If he isn't there, I may kill him… Holly looked at her watch - 1:30 AM. The phone rang six times before he picked up.

"'Lo…"

"I was getting ready to hang up!" Holly said impatiently. "I see you're sitting right by the phone, worried to death about me!"

"Oh Holly - baby! Damn, where are you? Are you alright? Damn, baby…"

"I'm fine, Nick. We're in New Jersey, I think. Tristan was ready to drive straight through, I believe, but I convinced her to stop for the night."

"She wants to get away that bad? Fuck… How does she seem?"

"Quiet. She won't tell me what happened. Have you talked to Kevin?" Holly asked.

"Oh yeah…..It was a little tense for awhile…" Nick began.

"Shit! I knew it. He's pissed with me, isn't he? Damn, what a mess!"

"I don't think so, Hol. I think he's more worried about Tris right now. I know he wants her here." Nick paused and then brightened. "Hey, do you know about Lily and…"

"Yeah, I know. I don't understand why she doesn't want to talk to him. What the hell happened? Do you know?"

"Not for sure…you know Kevin. He'll neither 'confirm nor deny'. But I tell 'ya, I think it has something to do with blow-jobs.."

Holly was shocked. "What?! Are you kidding me? What's the problem? Has some groupie…"

"Whoa, Holly! You know better than that! Here, you can ask him yourself."

Holly wasn't sure she heard Nick right. He wasn't standing right there, was he?

"NICK! NICK?" Holly screamed into the receiver, hoping that the noise from the shower was covering the sound of her voice. She was standing now and pacing.

After a few seconds, Nick came back on the line. "What are you tryin' to do, Hol? Permanently deafen me? Jeez…"

"Don't tell me that Kevin is hearing this conversation! What's he doing there at this hour?"

Nick laughed into the receiver. He knew that would get her. "No, babe - I'm just teasin'. Kevin's here but he has headphones on, listen to that classical tape of his. He can't hear nothin'. He slept for a while but then couldn't settle back down again. It's hard, y'all not being here and stuff.." Then he added. "It's hard in more ways than one, Hol. I miss you baby. I love you…"

Holly felt herself softening. Damn that Carter charm! Would the day ever come that he couldn't get to me? She hoped not….

"I love you, too, Nick. I really do. We need to be apart for a bit though so this stuff with my father can be laid to rest by the guys and management. I don't want Kevin pissed with me when I see him again. Understand, sweetie?"

"Yeah…I guess. Aaron called me tonight. He's meeting us tomorrow - gonna ride with us for a week." Nick started laughing. "That'll probably push Kev over the edge! He'll be ready to slip Timberlake some tongue after a couple of days if he thinks it'll make Aaron disappear…" Nick glanced over his shoulder at Kevin who was stretched out on the sofa, eyes closed and nodding his head to the music.

Holly seriously doubted that. She'd seen Kevin with Aaron before. He was stern, but not mean. She imagined that Kevin's feelings towards Nick's bother were much like his feelings had been towards Nick so many tears ago. Nick started speaking again.

"He's right here, Hol. Don't you think Tris'll speak to him?"

Holly thought for a moment and then had a bright idea.

"Put him on the phone. I'll holler out and ask Tris to see if she can get us something from room service. When she picks up the phone, Kevin will be there already. She won't hang up on him…"

Nick wasn't so sure about that. She was actually pretty good at hanging up on him. He leaned over the back of the sofa and shook Kevin's shoulder.

"Kev!" he shouted, lifting the earpiece of the headphones. "I think Tris is on the phone.."

Kevin leaped off the sofa and made a grab for the phone. In the meantime, Holly had turned off the shower and cracked the bathroom door.

"Tris? Will you call room service and see if we can get something to eat? I'm starving…"

Tristan groaned and picked up the receiver from the phone between the two beds. The line seemed dead.

"Hello?" she said hesitantly trying to determine if the line was open.

"Tris? Baby? Is that you?"

Tristan was confused. "Kevin?" Then she realized. She'd been hoodwinked.

"Tristan…Darlin'…Don't hang up now. Let me talk to you. Please."

Nick was practically leaning against Kevin, smiling and nodding encouragement.

"Hang on, Tris. Now don't hang up…"

Tristan could hear some kind of commotion through the phone. Apparently Kevin had put his hand over the receiver, but she could still hear him fussing with Nick, although his voice was muffled.

Jesus Christ, Nick! You wanna back off an inch or two? No…You'll have to use a tape recorder for this, Nick…a video cam won't help 'ya! What?…..Get outta here!…. Then go in the bedroom for shit sake!…Christ… Finally, Kevin was back on the line.

"Tris? You still there, baby?"

"Yes, Kevin. I'm here…"

"Tris…I don't know what to say - about so many things…"

"I'll let you get some rest, then. Bye."

"TRISTAN! For God's sake! Wait!…" Kevin paused and rubbed his brow. He didn't want to screw this up. "Tris..this letter from..Lily…it's true, isn't it? She's not just fucking with me, is she?" He winced as soon as the words came out of his mouth Great way to put it, Kev…Try again… I mean..you know..

Tristan sighed into the receiver. "I didn't read the letter, Kevin."

"She said she's not pregnant and never was.."

"For once she tells the truth then."

Kevin found he couldn't speak. He was choking on the lump in his throat.

"Tris.." he whispered as his voice cracked. She could barely hear him. "Baby…God, it's over. It's over Tris…" Then her heart broke in two. "Hold me, Tristan…"

For the next ten minutes they cried to each other over the telephone lines. As Kevin gained strength he broached the topic that had hurt her twelve hours earlier.

"We need to talk about what happened today, Tris."

"No, Kevin." She said softly. "Please. You were right. That kind of lovemaking didn't begin with me. I'm so stupid…"

"STOP!"

Tristan was stunned by Kevin's tone. He was angry. She fell silent as he went on.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. Okay?"

"Okay…I just.."

"Tristan…I have to say this, baby. So listen up. You say that you know that that kind of lovemaking didn't begin with you. But baby, for me, it did begin with you. It began with you because I always felt that you were making love not sex. That's an entirely different experience, Tris. You weren't trying to impress or service me. I always knew that. I hope you always knew that about me, too…" Kevin paused and lowered his voice. "…even if things got a little…intense or…. rough."

"Kevin…"

"You're anything but common, Tristan. You'll never be replaced, baby. Never. No matter what…" Kevin sighed and closed his eyes. "God damn. I love you. If you were here right now, I'd show you how much…" Kevin felt a tingle in his groin. He had begun to stiffen. Shit… Nick peeped out through the bedroom door. Kevin was still on the phone. Damn - it's been forty minutes! Enough already! Sheesh! Then he noticed Kevin's hands moving in his pocket. He didn't hear any keys or change. Nick sighed and went back into the bedroom. He had it pretty good unlike Holly was still sitting on the toilet seat, elbows on her knees.

"Tell me…" Tristan murmured.

Kevin caught the heat in Tristan's voice. His erection grew..

"I can't, baby…not here - not now…."

"I'm wet, Kevin…"

"Jesus, Tristan…" Kevin groaned. His hand began to move more quickly. "I have to get off this phone. You're killing me, darlin'…"

"Okay…." She whispered. "Did you find the camisole?"

"Yes…"

"Use it…. I love you Kevin. I'll see you in thirteen days." Click

Kevin was breathing unevenly when he replaced the phone in its cradle. Oh, I won't wait for thirteen days, Tris…. He replayed her last words. Use it…. He nodded to no one, understanding Tristan's implication.

When Nick peeked out of the five minutes later, Kevin had left.

CHAPTER 40

April was a wonderful time to be in Kentucky. It was beautiful. Tristan and Holly spent the next eight days in another world, far from screaming fans, hateful comments, tour busses and hotels. Tristan had ordered Tropicana roses from a local nursery. They arrived not two days after she did. Her perennial herbs were coming up and daffodils that had been naturalized many years ago were making an impromptu appearance in every place that the sunlight hit the ground. It felt so good to be home - almost perfect. Almost. She had left a large chunk of her heart with Kevin.

Holly marveled at their log house. It had been dark when they had arrived and while she was captivated by the expansive rooms and the newly deigned kitchen, she didn't really appreciate the full impact of the house until the next morning. Kevin and Tristan's imprints were everywhere. This was truly their home, from the stained glass panels that topped the large windows to the porcelain doll that lay in a handmade cradle on the hearth. It was both rustic and sophisticated, male and female, leather and lace. It was Tristan and Kevin.

Tristan had gotten up early that first morning and called Anne right away who hurried over with biscuits and fruit, knowing that the cupboards were bare. They sat at the kitchen table and caught up on news before Holly came down the stairs and joined them. Anne didn't really understand why Tristan was back in Kentucky without Kevin and Tristan couldn't really offer her a satisfactory explanation. All she could do was offer an excuse about 'overwhelming nesting instincts' as she sat sipping her tea. Anne didn't push it. She assumed it had something to do with Lily but really didn't want to pursue that avenue with Tristan. Instead, she talked all around it.

"Anne," Tristan smiled "I did bring you piece of good news. We found out two days ago that Lily had been lying about the pregnancy. She's gone now. We don't have to worry any more."

"Oh..?"

Tristan had expected a more enthusiastic response from her mother-in-law. Anne was silent and expressionless for several seconds before she rose from the table and started rinsing her cup.

"Good morning!" Holly called coming down the stairs in a bathrobe that Tristan had given her last night.

Tristan turned her attention from Anne and greeted her friend.

"Did you sleep well, Holly?"

"God, yes!" Holly grinned. "Hi, Mrs. Richardson!"

The two women exchanged a few pleasantries and then Holly looked out of the room. She stepped out of the kitchen and began exploring the main floor. She hadn't had a chance to look around in the daylight. Rainbows danced around the large room as sunlight pierced through the colored glass on the windows. The floors were uncovered for the most part - just a few Orientals covered the cherry planks. Holly walked over to the stone fireplace and rubbed her hand over it's rough texture as Tristan watched her, amused by her curiosity. That's when Holly spotted the cradle and its precious contents. She hadn't expected to see a doll on display in Kevin Richardson's house.

"What's this?" Holly asked, lifting Sophia from her resting place.

"Kevin sent her to me from Italy last summer." Tristan explained, smiling at the memory. "I didn't realize you hadn't seen her. She was In Orlando until..umm..late last year." Tristan's smile had faded.

"What about the cradle? Did he send you that, too?" Holly's fingers ran along the edges of the smooth maple.

"No, he made that…while I was…away."

Anne had stepped out of the kitchen and fixed her gaze on Holly who was carefully placing Sophia back into Kevin's creation. When she looked back at Tristan, she found that Tristan was studying her. Anne smiled weakly and returned to the kitchen.

"I'm gonna go jump in the shower. I'll be down in a few!" Holly bounded back up the stairs and stopped at the loft railing. "You gonna show me around your estate later Tris?" she asked, laughing.

"Sure, sure…" Tristan replied absentmindedly, waving her hand. Something was bothering Anne.

Tristan walked over the cabinet near the sink where Anne stood drying the teacups. She glanced at Kevin's mother once more before opening the cabinet door to retrieve a plate and cup for Holly. Then she attempted to break the mysterious silence.

"Anne," Tristan began " have I said something to upset you? Has something happened?"

Anne continued wiping out the inside of the teacup that was already way past dry. She gave Tristan a tight smile.

"No, no dear. Nothing's wrong at all. Really…"

Anne was biting her tongue. Neither Tristan nor Kevin would ever be able to understand why she felt …felt how? Anne couldn't really put a word to her feelings. The closest she could come up with was 'loss'. She felt loss. As Tristan nodded and opened the silverware drawer, Anne found herself staring. Tristan was a sweet woman - a good woman for her youngest son. She thanked God that Kevin had the good sense to realize it, too. She hadn't been able to stand Lily. Through the years, Anne had chosen to ignore reports of Kevin's 'social' life. She wasn't an idiot and despised the fact that he seemed to take sexual relationships so casually. He hadn't been raised that way. Then she had seen the chemistry between Kevin and Tristan over a year ago and knew then that if this relationship was allowed to grow, it would be anything but casual. When he went to Virginia to find her, Anne had actually felt some relief. Kevin had needed what one night stands or brief affairs couldn't provide - security and trust. She also knew that it would be a rocky road. Kevin was temperamental and stubborn. Tristan would have to love him a whole lot. As it turned out, she did.

When she found out what had happened in New York at the end of their last tour, it was all she could do to hold it together. Even when she saw her son and his misery later on that day she had come up there, she'd had to fight the urge to slap him upside his face. Then she had found out about Lily claiming to be pregnant. Anne knew that Tristan and Kevin had not considered the depth of her reaction. They wouldn't have - not because they were selfish or mean but because they had been put into a hell of their own. The fact was that as much as she loved her son and had grown to love his bride - as much as she hated Lily, in her heart there had been a grandchild. Maybe for just a few days, but the child had existed nonetheless. It was sentimental, silly and selfish and Anne felt guilty about that but until ten minutes ago, her son's child had been very real. She hadn't thought ahead to any custody issues. She had just seen a new Richardson baby sleeping in the cradle that Kevin had built. Anne had already begun to love a non-existent child.

***********

"I'll go to the grocery store while you dig the holes." Holly volunteered. "I'll pick up your roses on the way."

Tristan was more than happy for the help and gave Holly a grocery list and directions. Earlier she had opened all of the windows to let in some fresh April air and had sorted through a box of mail. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any fan letters. That was good. She didn't want them to have to barricade themselves in their home. The garden tools that she and Kevin had bought last summer still hung on their assigned hooks in the shed that had been built during the fall tour. Tristan grabbed a hoe, shovel and a pair of goat skin gloves from a shelf. They had been placed next to Kevin's leather ones and she paused for a moment to slip her hand into one of his gloves. Tristan smiled at the largeness of it and held it up to her face trying to catch the scent of her husband. After a moment she took it off, placed it back with its mate and headed out to the front yard to look around. She had ordered one dozen Tropicana rose bushes. Half of them would go near the front porch and the other half along the cleared portion of the front yard that lead down to the lake. Azaleas were coming, too. It would be too late to expect much from them this year, but next spring the woods around their house would be filled with pink, purple, red and white flowers - a reminder of the beautiful azalea gardens Tristan had known in Virginia. Their home was slowly becoming a melting pot.

The hoe had never been used and still had the pricing label attached to its blade. Tristan put on her gloves, picked it up and began clearing a small spot next to the porch. After the weeds were out of the way, she'd begin digging. How tough could it be to dig a little hole? Tristan unconsciously checked her watch before grabbing the shovel. She probably did that a dozen times a day when she and Kevin were separated. She would try to determine where he might be and what he might be doing at that precise moment. It was 12:35 PM. He was probably asleep on the bus. She stuck the tip of the shovel into the ground and began to stomp on the top edge with her foot. Damn, this was going to be harder than I thought The local climate had been unseasonably dry which didn't help. After several minutes of grunting, stomping and rocking, Tristan had only removed about eight cubic inches of dirt. It had gotten warm. She pulled off her gloves, wiped the sweat from her brow and removed the shirt she had worn over a black knit tank top. She stepped back to survey her progress and began to mumble curses when she saw how little she had done and how much more she had to do. I have to dig twelve of these suckers… "Shit!" Tristan kicked a small pile of dirt back into the hole and that was when a loud ripple of laughter caught her by surprise.

Tristan jumped and whirled around to find Jerald standing at the corner of the house with a reel of garden hose hooked through his arm.

"I think the idea is to take the dirt out, not kick it back in…"

"Jesus, Jerald! You scared me to death!" Tristan shouted.

Jerald Richardson grinned devilishly at his sister-in-law as he took a moment to take her in. He really hadn't seen her since she and Kevin had been married. That day she had been all roses and cream. Today, she was dirt and perspiration. The first thing Jerald had noticed when Tristan had turned to him was that her body was moving a little too easily underneath that tank top. She wasn't wearing a bra. Her face was smudged with dirt and he saw a small trickle of sweat running from her jaw line into the valley between the swell of her breasts where it disappeared underneath her top. Her hair had grown and now fell well past her shoulders to where the bead of sweat had hidden itself. A few small strands had plastered themselves to the side of her face. Tristan's hands rested on her hips. They drew Jerald's attention to her bare midriff. He thought that he preferred this hot and sweaty creature to the cream colored angel he had escorted through the trees a few months ago. My, my, my….baby bro did alright…

"Are you just gonna stand there, laughing at me?" Tristan asked, exasperated.

"Yeah…" Jerald smiled. "I am…"

"Thanks…"

Jerald came closer and peered into the hole that Tristan had been working on so feverishly. It wouldn't have held a basketball.

"How many of these do you have to dig?" he asked. "And what's going in them?"

"Eleven more." Tristan answered. "I'm putting in a dozen rose bushes."

"Then you have twelve more to dig.." Jerald smirked and threw the hose to the ground. "Kev left this over at Mama's. She said you wanted to do some gardening or something. Thought you might need it."

Jerald's eyes were following the curve of Tristan's neck as she cocked her head in search of a spigot.

"Thanks, Jerald. I am going to need it. I'll hook it up while you work on my hole." she smiled and handed him the shovel.

Jerald's eyes widened a little at Tristan's innocent remark. His mind was definitely in the gutter. He stuck the shovel into the dirt and began to dig. When he glanced at Tristan again, her back was to him and she was bending over, attaching the hose to a spigot. Damn… He shook his head and continued to dig.

By the time Holly returned to the house, six holes had been prepared for the roses. She could hear yelling and laughter. When she walked up the steps to set the grocery bag by the door, she could see the source of the noise. She spotted Tristan and Jerald just as Tristan began to yell.

"You look kinda sweaty, Jerald! How about I cool you off?"

Then she had blasted him full force with a stream of water emanating from the new hose. Holly put the bag down and watched, unnoticed by the cavorting pair. Jerald was already soaked.

"Damn it, Tris!" Jerald screeched. "You're gonna pay! Kevin married a bitch!"

"That's me!" Tristan yelled back as Jerald came after her.

Tristan squealed and began to run but Jerald quickly caught up with her and grabbed her around the middle. He threw her over his shoulder and walked to the lake shore where he threatened to drop her into the cold water.

Something about this little game was making Holly uneasy. She had no doubt that Tristan was really enjoying a brief round of innocent play. Holly had seen her before in similar situations with Kevin and the other guys. She would become almost childlike at rare times like this. Perhaps she was making up for the lost play of her youth. This just seemed a little different. Jerald was another story. He was several years older than Tris and seemed to be enjoying this game a bit too much. She watched him laugh as Tristan clung on to him for dear life, afraid that he really would dump her.

Holly spotted the old brass bell that hung above the porch railing from the rafters and began to pull on the tether, ringing it madly. As Jerald spun around with Tristan still in his arms, Holly thought she caught a fleeting look of guilt. Tristan, of course, was oblivious to all of this and began yelling to Holly.

"Saved in the nick of time! Holly - my hero!" She laughed as Jerald let Tristan slide away from him.

Jerald appraised Tristan one more time before she turned to run towards the house. Her top was wet now, too, from having pressed against his water soaked shirt. The combination of cool air and the damp tank top had caused her nipples to harden under the black knit fabric and for some reason, an image of cinnamon gumdrops popped into Jerald's brain.

He followed Tristan back up to the house and helped the two women with the groceries.

***************

Holly left Lexington ten days after she had arrived. She had loved her time there, finding it both relaxing and invigorating. She had helped Tristan put in her bushes and bake bread. By the time she left, she had become an accomplished baker. Tristan must have filled half of a full size freezer with rolls, biscuits, loaves and muffins. When Holly had teased her and called her 'Betty Crocker', Tristan had laughed and casually mentioned that her father never allowed store bought bread in the house and she had been baking since she was very young.

Jerald had found some excuse to come by every day if only for a minute or two to make sure they 'were doing okay'. The tour had finally ended last night, but promotional work had been scheduled for the remaining three days. The guys would be free to come home at the end of the week.

Holly needed to get back to Tampa. Tristan was sorry to see her go and Holly felt a little uneasy about leaving. She wished she could talk about her qualms to someone so they could tell her how silly she was being. There was no one she could talk to about this. Holly shook her head and silently scolded herself. You're so dumb! They're bothers, for God's sake….

************

It had taken Holly an hour to leave the airport and get home. She only had a small bag with her. That and a fairly large tote bag that Tristan had insisted she bring with her and had filled with baked goods. By the time she had arrived at their house, night had fallen. She fumbled around for her key and let herself in. Everything was just as they had left it, right down to the half-eaten bowl of popcorn sitting on a table in the great room. She had forgotten to toss it before they left to go on tour. Holly set the bag of bread down on the counter that separated the large room from the kitchen and went to retrieve the bowl, hoping not to be overrun by roaches or lizards when she did so. The only light she had turned on came from the small lamp in the foyer but it was enough to keep her from stumbling in the darkness. As she bent over to pick up the stale popcorn, she thought she heard a soft rustling sound but before she could turn her head, she had been grabbed from behind. A large hand had clamped down over her mouth and she heard a growling sound in her ear. Holly was paralyzed with fear, unable to scream for help or even move.

"Hey, baby…miss me?"

Holly tried to jerk away. She didn't know whether to feel anger or relief.

"Don't yell now, Hol! Aaron's upstairs asleep and I want him to stay that way!"

Holly didn't have time to yell. Before she could open her mouth, she felt herself being lifted off the floor, whirled around and practically thrown onto fainting couch in the corner. Nick fell on top of her and when she opened her mouth again to give him a piece of her mind, she found it suddenly filled with his tongue. Holly tried to push his shoulders away but his arms had wrapped around her tightly. It wasn't until then that she noticed that he was wearing only a pair of boxer briefs. He finally separated his mouth from hers and gazed into her face smiling.

"Did I scare 'ya?" he laughed softly.

"What the hell do you think, Nick? Jesus! I could kill….."

Her words were cut short as Nick's tongue once again filled her mouth. Her anger was quickly changing into passion. Again Nick moved from her mouth.

"Shhh, baby." He said, stroking her curls. "Don't be mad with me. You're hurtin' my feelings. I thought you'd be glad to see me…"

Holly knew she was lost when he began to pout. It was for display, of course, but it still had the same effect. She wondered how he was able to put on such a show and manage to unzip her jeans at the same time.

"You're so bad…" she whispered.

"I really try…"

Nick's hand had pushed itself into her pants as his lips began to nuzzle her.. After a minute she felt his smile against his neck. She knew why he was smiling. Her excitement had seeped through her panties. He could feel it.

"Awww. baby…I knew you'd be glad to see me…" he murmured, still stroking her through the silk.

"It feel to me like the feeling might be mutual…" Holly could fell his erection pressing against her hip.

Nick pushed himself away from her and moved off of the couch that his mother had bought years ago. He smiled, thinking that it was finally being out to good use. He kneeled down at the foot of the couch and removed Holly's shoes. Her toes smelled like baby powder and he took a moment to kiss the bottom of her feet before tugging at the legs of her jeans. Holly raised her hips and the pants slid off easily. Nick raised his eyes to look at her and found that she was staring at him. Her lips curled into a soft smile as she began to unbutton her shirt. When he came back to the side of the couch, Holly sat up and pulled her shirt off. Her bra soon followed.

"You need some help with these?" she asked playfully, snapping the waistband of his briefs. "You look a little crowded in there…"

"I feel like I'm gonna rip open another fly…"

Holly sat at the side of the couch and pushed Nick's briefs to the floor. His erection stood right in front of her eyes.

"See anything 'ya like?" he grinned, reaching out to rub his thumb against her cheek. God….put your mouth on me..please,please,please…

Holly must have read his mind. She moved her face against his body and began to suck on the loose skin between the base of his shaft and the top of his scrotum. Nick pressed her head against him and began to rock gently back and forth as he closed his eyes and moaned. Pre-cum had already begun to ooze from his tip.

"Damn…I want you now, Hol…" he whispered. "I can't hold it much longer.." Nick's rocking had become more urgent. "Please, baby…"

Holly could feel the pulse in her own groin. She stopped her sucking and let her tongue slide up the length of Nick's hardness, stopping to savor the salty sweetness she found at the end of her journey.

He couldn't take it any more. Foreplay had been brief, but it had been almost more than he could stand. He was ready - she was ready. He pushed Holly away from him and back onto the couch, tearing her soaked panties off of her thighs. His mouth found her breasts and he humped her as he gently bit down on her nipple.

Holly could barely breathe. His teeth on her caused her to groan and her legs opened for him. Nick filled her in one powerful thrust and after raising his head to look into her eyes, he began to move. When Holly's legs snaked around his waist he groaned loudly and started to pump himself into her furiously. Holly watched his face. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead as his eyes closed. Her hips met his thrust for thrust and soon they were moaning in unison, producing a sweet song of passion. Holly only had one orgasm this night, but it was a memorable one. When her walls began to clench she felt like a violin string that had been tightened to the breaking point. And then Nick had pressed himself against her and muffled his scream with her shoulder. That was when the string did break and Holly soared. They lay together quietly after that, floating in the twilight that fell between exhaustion and peace.

Email Grace

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