Title:
All’s well…
By:
tayryn
Rating:
starts off rawther tame… but doesn’t
stay that way. *G*
Disclaimer:
Another World and its characters are not mine… sadly. The poems used are also not mine… they belong
to e.e. Cummings.
Summary:
They’re together again… all’s well that ends well.
Notes: Just a little something that popped into my
head… that had to be written. I miss
these two so much…
~CR~
~RC~ ~CR~
“Do
you remember where we live?”
“I
remember…” Carl turned away thoughtfully at Rachel’s question. “...a studio…” his attention snapped back to her,
his eyes filled with a sudden knowing.
“You’re an artist!”
Rachel
watched his eyes drop to her hands, which she’d been clutching to her chest.
“You…
you sculpt… and you paint…” his eyes widened.
“And you’re good,” he grinned, his eyes flashing with delight as he met
her gaze. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
Rachel
smiled, nodding, her eyes bright. “Yes. You’re my best fan.”
“May
I touch you?” He ventured in a quiet,
hesitant voice.
“Yes…”
Rachel nodded as she exhaled breathlessly.
Blue
and brown eyes locked; swirling with emotion as an ever-growing tension filled
them both. It had been far too long
since Rachel had felt this sweet anxious ache with him… one she had never thought to feel again.
For Carl, it was both familiar and new… the realization of a year’s
worth of hopeful memories and dreams.
Slowly,
as one, they lowered their eyes to where Rachel held out her hands, palms up.
Carl
reached out, and gently slid his fingers along hers until their palms were
resting together. He paused for only a
moment, luxuriating in the softness of her skin before continuing his
exploration, moving his hands with purpose up her arms.
Rachel
drew in a shaky breath as his thumbs brushed the sides of her breasts and
lifted her eyes to meet his as his hands finally came to rest on her shoulders. Her heart began to beat furiously as Carl
stepped closer, his eyes darting down to her lips and back again. Their breathing quickened as the distance
between them grew smaller.
The
kiss, when it finally happened was a gentle one… a mere pressing together of
their lips that slowly… slowly… deepened into something more with each rapid
beat of their hearts.
As
they gave themselves over to the kiss, their arms wound about each other. Carl slipped a hand into her hair, the other
finding purchase on her waist as he drew her further into his embrace. Rachel slid one hand along Carl’s side, under
his arm and up his back to clutch briefly at his shoulder before delving her
fingers into his thick, silver ponytail; her other hand fisting in his shirt.
Feelings
and emotions enveloped them and swept them away as they kissed; tongues
tentatively meeting… tasting… exploring and rediscovering. Soft sighs turned into low moans as the kiss
changed and suddenly became a passionate exchange; neither one seeming to be
able to get enough of the other. As
quickly as it had grown hungry, the kiss changed again, returning to the soft,
gentle exchange it started as then slowly tapered off into a series of light,
breathy touches of lips.
“I
remember the taste of you…” Carl whispered against his wife’s lips as they
rested their foreheads together. “The
feel of you in my arms…” the hand on her waist glided down along her hip then
back again as he flexed his fingers in her long brown hair. “For
the first time since waking from the surgery… I feel such a sense of
peace… of contentment.”
Rachel
smiled and combed her fingers through his ponytail. “I feel alive. For the first time in so
many months… I feel alive,” she pressed a quick kiss to his mouth. “You’re alive…”
“I’m
alive,” Carl repeated moving his lips over her cheek to her temple. “I’m alive and you’re not just a dream.”
Her
arms tightened around him as she pressed her body closer, wanting nothing more
in that moment than to become a part of him so that she would never be
separated from him again. She buried her
face in his chest, nuzzling into that place between his neck and shoulder, and
placed a kiss to his warm skin.
“Rachel…”
Carl murmured and closed his eyes as he laid his cheek against the top of her
head. “…my Rachel…”
They
held each other in silence, swaying gently to the sound of the surf as it
crashed onto the beach just beyond the house.
How long they stayed that way, neither could say, and neither one
cared. Both were content to simply hold
the other.
After
some time, Rachel lifted her head from Carl’s shoulder and met his gaze. She smiled lovingly at him as she lifted a
hand to his cheek, her fingers feathering through the unfamiliar beard before
tracing over his lips.
Carl
pressed a kiss to the tips of her fingers before he reached up to clasp her
hand in his. Without looking, he took
hold of her other hand and, walking backwards, he led her quietly out of the
living room, down the short hallway and into their bedroom, not stopping until
they were standing at the foot of the large bed that dominated the room.
“Rachel…”
Carl whispered her name as he framed her face in his hands and lowered his
mouth to hers, brushing his lips lightly over hers. “I…”
“I
know…” Rachel murmured, moving her lips against his. “Me too.”
They
continued to kiss… soft, gentle touches of their lips as they began to slowly
remove each other’s clothes. With every
piece of clothing that fell to the floor, their hearts began to beat faster…
their breaths coming in soft pants. It
was only when Carl was down to his boxers and Rachel her slip that they paused,
their hands resting on each other’s hips and looked into each other’s eyes.
Carl
reached up to cup her cheek. “I want so
much to make love with you,” he told her in a raspy, arousal filled voice. “All these months… with nothing but the image
of you in my mind… I’ve dreamt of making love to you. However, it’s…” he stroked his thumb over her
lips.
“…too
soon,” she finished for him.
Carl
nodded. “I want to remember more… I want
to remember how to touch you, what brings you pleasure.” The hand on her hip stroked lightly up along
her side. “I want to love you as you
should be loved.”
“My
darling, even without your memory completely restored, I have no doubts
whatsoever that you would have no problems in that department,” Rachel smiled
knowingly at him. “From our first time
together, you have always been a very generous lover.”
A
large smile split his face, even as a slight blush touched his cheeks. “Be that as it may, would you allow me to simply
hold you?”
“Oh
yes,” she turned her face into the hand still cupping her cheek, and pressed a
kiss to his palm. “I would love that.”
“As
would I,” Carl murmured.
They
shared a sweet kiss and then Rachel stepped out of his arms. She walked around the bed, turned down the
blankets, crawled in then held out her hand to him. Smiling, Carl quickly joined her, turning
onto his side to face her.
With
a soft smile, Rachel rolled towards him, shifting so that her head rested on
the pillow beside Carl’s. Their legs
loosely tangled together, and they slowly began an exploration with their
hands; neither one able to resist touching the other.
Carl
trailed his fingers over the contours of her face, relearning every laugh line,
every wrinkle… loving each one, and committing them to memory. “I do not know what it is about you that
closes and opens; only something in me understands,” he spoke the words in a
soft voice as he traced a gentle circle around her eyes, “the voice of your
eyes is deeper than all roses.”
“Nobody,”
Rachel’s voice hitched in her throat as she finished the stanza with him, “not
even the rain, has such small hands.”
“Your
favourite poem,” he said with surprise in his voice, and she nodded. “I courted you with it.”
She
smiled, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “Yes.”
Carl
returned her smile and Rachel reached up to trace his lips, once more combing
her fingers through his beard. “How long
have you had this?”
“I
woke up from the coma with it,” he answered.
“Once I cleaned it up, I rather fancied it. Do you not like it?”
“It’s
different,” Rachel answered, still fingering the soft hairs on his chin and
jaw. “But I like it. It looks good on you. It will just take some getting used to.”
“You’re
sure?”
“Mmhmm…”
“Then
I shall leave it.”
“Good…”
Rachel replied and leaned in to give him a quick kiss. Settling her head back on the pillow, she
resumed her exploration of him. She smoothed
her hands over his shoulders, brushed her fingers through the silvery hairs on
his still muscular chest then over and up his arm. She could not touch him enough… and found her
hands, once more, cradling his beloved face; tracing the features she thought
she’d never see again.
Carl’s
hands were not idle either. He brushed Rachel’s
hair back from her face then trailed his fingers around the curve of her ear, along
the smooth column of her neck to her shoulder and down her side to rest on her
hip. He caressed her through the silky
material, slipping his hand lower to stroke her thigh.
Rachel
moaned when Carl grasped her thigh and drew the long limb up higher over his, and
pressed his own leg firmer between hers.
She unconsciously rocked against him, pressing her centre against his
hair-roughened thigh, and moaned again at the pleasure that coursed through
her.
“…Rachel…”
Carl groaned her name when he realized that she was not wearing anything
beneath her slip. He shifted closer and captured
her mouth in a loving kiss. His arm slipped
beneath her and he drew her further into his embrace. A low moan sounded deep in his throat at the
feel of her breasts pillowed against his chest.
Unable to resist, he trailed the hand on her hip up along her side and slipped
it between them to cup a soft mound, moaning as her nipple hardened to pierce
his palm.
“Carl…”
she gasped out of the kiss.
“You
feel so good,” he told her, kneading the tender flesh in his hand and covered
her mouth once again, kissing her deeply.
Rachel
could feel his arousal hard against her lower belly… could feel herself growing
wetter with every touch they shared, and knew he could feel it too. Neither one made move to take things further
however; both content to simply enjoy the intimacy of the moment… reveling in
every arousing touch, every loving kiss and relearning what the other liked.
Eventually,
their kisses tapered off and the caresses eased until they were lying
contentedly in each other’s arms, gazing into each other’s eyes as they allowed
the soft breeze blowing in through the windows to calm the arousal still
humming through their bodies.
They
were both extremely tired but neither one wanted to sleep…
In
hushed voices, they began to talk.
Carl
told her more about his time in the clinic, sharing the scattered bits of
memories as they came to him during his tale.
Rachel regaled him about all that had gone on in
“Rachel…
will the grubs remember me do you think?”
Carl asked, uncertainty lacing his voice.
“Oh
yes,” she nodded with a smile at Carl’s unknowing use of his pet name for their
twins. “I have made sure of that.”
“Good. That’s good,” he said then laid his hand on her
belly. “I’ve missed so much of
them. So many firsts
that I will never get back. I…”
his voice trailed off and his eyes grew wide.
He flexed his fingers against her.
“Cory’s first word was dada… as was
Rachel
nodded.
“I
was there…”
“You
were there,” Rachel repeated, tears gathering in her eyes. “They’d just started to talk when you…”
“…died.” Carl finished for her in a whispered voice.
She
nodded, blinking furiously at the tears that welled even more.
He
leaned closer and kissed away the tears from her lashes.
“You
were so excited that night, and so proud,” Rachel told him then giggled
softly. “You wanted to place a full page
announcement in Brava.”
“But
you talked me out of it,” he said thoughtfully as he nuzzled her temple.
“Only just.”
Carl
chuckled. “I believe I settled for
calling just about everyone we know.”
Rachel
nodded then grasped his face between her hands and drew his head back so that
she could meet his eyes. “See, I told
you. Everything will come back to you
now that we’re together again.”
“Yes…
yes, it will. My heart already knows
you,” he replied as he reached up to grasp her hand and held it against his
chest. “And I can already feel so much
of myself returning. The flashes are
becoming full images… the fragments are filling in, and all because of
you. My wife…” Carl brought her hand to
his lips, brushing kisses over her knuckles.
“…my Rachel.”
“Tell
me,” Carl began after several moments.
“How long were you planning to stay here?”
“I
hadn’t given it much thought,” Rachel answered.
“When I came here, I hadn’t planned on staying.”
“What
made you decide to stay?”
“I
could feel you,” she whispered with a soft smile. “I could feel you here,” she laid her hand on
his chest over his heart. “On some level
I’ve always known that you were still alive, because I never felt you leave me. And being here, in this house, the feeling
that you were close was overwhelming.
And despite that, despite knowing and feeling you, I felt it was time to
follow the advice I’d given Matthew about letting go and moving on. So, I decided to stay… to try and put the
memories to rest,” she cupped his cheek.
“To try and let you go so that I could move on with my life.”
“And to find love once again.”
Rachel
shook her head. “No…” she shook her head
again. “No. I’ve been very lucky to have found and shared
two great loves in my life. First Mac…
and then you,” she smiled wistfully. “After
losing you, I knew that I would never love again… never marry again, and I was
okay with that.” Rachel leaned in and
pressed her lips to his, speaking softly.
“But you’re here and you’re alive.
My heart is full, and my soul is whole once again.”
“Finding
you here has healed my soul,” Carl murmured against her mouth.
Rachel
tilted her head back and met his eyes, a smile playing on her lips. “So, I gather that you would like to go
home?”
Carl
nodded. “Yes. I’d like to see our children, hold them in my
arms, and I am hoping that being in the place where we shared our lives will
help me remember more of my past and of our life together.” He stroked his hand along her arm. “I want to be whole… be
myself again.”
“And
you will, my darling. You will,” Rachel
told him then grinned. “So, tomorrow… we’ll
go home.”
“Then
I suppose we should get some sleep.”
“I…”
“I
am here, Rachel,” Carl soothed her, seeing the fear that flashed in her
eyes. “I am here. I’m alive, and I am never going to leave you
again,” he gathered her into his arms.
“I
know,” she murmured as she burrowed deep into his embrace, and tucked her head
under his chin. “I just…”
“I
know, love, I understand,” he stroked her hair, her back. “I promise you, this is not a dream, and I
will be here when you wake up. You will
still be in my arms.”
Rachel
released a shuddering breath then pressed a kiss to his chest. “I love you, my darling.”
“I
love you, too.”
“Forever…”
they spoke the word softly together.
Their
breathing slowed, eventually evened out… and the two fell asleep wrapped in
each other’s arms.
~CR~
~RC~ ~CR~
Rachel
stood in the doorway with a soft smile on her face, her eyes on her
husband. Her heart swelled with love as
she watched him lean over and brush his lips against their daughter’s forehead.
“Sleep
well, my little love,” she heard him whisper then watched as he did the same
with Cory.
It
was only when he was standing between both beds, looking back and forth between
his children, did Rachel move into the room.
She walked up behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her
head on his shoulder.
“Thought
I would find you here,” she said in a quiet voice.
Carl
covered her hands with his. “They’re
beautiful, Rachel,” he told her, his voice filled with wonder. “I still cannot believe that we created these
two little creatures.”
“I
think the same thing every day,” she smiled and rubbed her cheek against
him. “They truly are our little
miracles.”
“Indeed
they are,” Carl agreed as he turned in her arms. He feathered his lips over hers then with
shared smiles, arm in arm, they left the nursery.
~CR~
~RC~ ~CR~
“Is
there anything more peaceful than a sleeping child?” Carl wondered aloud as he
and Rachel strolled, hand in hand, into the living room.
“Yes,”
Rachel began as they stopped, his hands settling on her waist. “Two sleeping children.”
Carl
chuckled as he pulled her close and pressed a kiss to her cheek. His hands slid around her and he laced his
fingers at her lower back.
Rachel
copied his movements, her arms wrapping around him as well, hands together.
“All’s
well…” he said softly.
“Yes,
I know…” she replied in an equally soft voice.
“All’s well that ends well.”
Carl
nodded slowly as he closed the distance between them and they shared a soft,
gentle kiss.
They
held each other’s eyes for several moments before Rachel stepped out of his
arms and walked further into the room.
He watched her as she looked down at the picture in her hands, a
Polaroid of the newlyweds, before she placed it with the other pictures on the
table behind the couch.
The
day before, she had made comment about wanting to redecorate the house,
starting with the living room.
“You’ve been
saying that since you were pregnant with the twins,” Carl told her.
“I know,” Rachel
beamed at him, and he returned her grin as he realized he’d filled in yet
another memory. “But this time, I really
mean it.”
Framed
photos had been scattered around the room for years as Rachel was fond of
keeping the memories close at hand. Many
of the pictures would change from time to time, but there were a certain photos
that never left the room.
After
deciding that she truly wanted to change things in the house, Rachel had had
several boxes of old photos brought up from storage in the basement. Several of the framed mementos had been
scattered about, joining the pictures already there so that Rachel could decide
which ones to keep out after the remodeling and which ones to return to
storage.
Carl
continued to watch, his eyes filled with tenderness as his wife wandered about
the pictures, running her hands over the frames affectionately. He smiled softly when she paused for an extra
heartbeat beside the photo of Mac before continuing on.
Reaching
the pictures that littered the piano, Rachel stopped and looked over at her
husband, and her eyes suddenly filled with tears as she felt her heart skip a
beat.
He
was home.
He
was truly home.
It
did not matter that his memory had not fully returned. He remembered her, and the love they shared,
and that was what mattered most to her.
She
suddenly felt the need to be in his arms and with a rush; she hurried over to
him and moved into his embrace.
Their
arms wrapped around each other and they held tightly to one another.
Rachel’s
hand clasped the back of his head as he whispered, “I love you,” against her
cheek with a soft kiss then held her tighter as he nuzzled her temple. She grasped his face in her hands and drew
back to give him a watery smile before pressing a quick kiss to his lips.
Their
eyes met again and held.
The
love they felt for each other swam in their eyes, filling their hearts to near
bursting.
With
shared smiles, Carl stepped out of her arms, holding fast to both of her hands with
one of his as he reached out to turn the lights off with the other. When the room was in darkness, he turned back
to her, and slipped his arm about her waist.
Arm
in arm, they slowly began to ascend the stairs.
~CR~
~RC~ ~CR~
“Rachel.”
Rachel
rolled over in her sleep and cuddled up against the warm body of her husband,
sighing contentedly at the reassuring sound of his heart beating steadily
beneath her ear.
“Rachel,
darling… wake up.”
Her
eyes fluttered open then grew wide at the sight of a familiar figure standing
at the foot of her bed.
“M…
Mac?”
She
sat up slowly.
“Mac…
is it really you?”
“Yes,
my darling, it’s really me.”
Rachel
shook her head. “I must be
dreaming. This can’t be real.”
“Maybe
you are dreaming,” Mac told her with a grin.
“But that doesn’t make this any less real.”
“How…
why are you here?” Rachel asked as she
climbed out of the bed, being careful not to wake Carl.
“I
came to see you… to talk with you,” Mac answered as he reached out to take hold
of her hand.
At
his touch, Rachel inhaled sharply then gripped his hand tighter as she moved to
embrace him. “Oh, Mac… I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve
missed you, too, sweetheart,” Mac replied as he returned her hug. After several moments, he extracted himself
from her arms and smiled at her as he retained hold of her hand. “You look happy.”
“I
am happy,” she told him, her gaze softening as it fell on her husband still
asleep in their bed. “Carl’s come back
to me.”
“Yes,
he has,” Mac said.
Rachel
turned back to him. “Oh, Mac, I…”
Mac
held up his hand to stop her. “It’s all
right, sweetheart. I know how very much
you love him, and that is as it should be.
You were meant to be with him.”
He grinned at the surprised look on her face. “Why so surprised?”
“I…”
Rachel shook her head as she shrugged her shoulders.
“I
know this may be a little difficult to believe,” Mac began. “I have to admit, even I had a hard time with
it when I first found out, but Carl Hutchins is your soul mate, Rachel,” he
gave her hand a squeeze. “I was, for
lack of better description, merely a stop on your journey, darling, not your
destination,” Mac told her. “Carl is the
man you were meant to spend the rest of your life with.”
“But
you and I… Mac, I wouldn’t be the woman I am today if it weren’t for you and
what we shared. It was your love that
changed me… that allowed me to grow.”
Mac
squeezed her hand and nodded. “I just
helped you become the woman you were meant to be… the woman that was always
inside you.”
Rachel
smiled. “You and mom were the only ones
who believed that of me.”
“You
just needed a chance,” Mac told her.
“And I was the lucky man chosen to give you that chance.” He smiled affectionately at her. “It wasn’t always easy, I know, but we did
it… you did it. And then you gave that
same chance to Carl. Gave him the chance
to become the man he was meant to be.”
Rachel’s
gaze returned to her sleeping husband.
“He wanted so much to earn his son’s respect… to be worthy of Ryan’s
love. And he did.”
“Thanks
to you,” Mac said. “And then, you fell
in love with him.”
“Yes,”
she whispered with a gentle smile. “Somehow,
he worked his way into my life and into my heart.” Tears began to form on her lashes. “This last year without him has been agony. My heart and soul were empty. The ache I felt…” she turned back to meet
Mac’s eyes. “Oh, Mac… it was even more
unbearable than when I lost you,” she admitted in a quiet voice.
“I
know, sweetheart.”
“So
many times, I just wanted to curl up and die… to be with him again.”
“But
you didn’t.”
“No,”
Rachel shook her head. “The twins needed
me. If it weren’t for them…” she let go
of Mac’s hand to wipe the tears from her eyes and brush her hair back. A small smile pulled at the corners of her
mouth. “But he’s come back to me.”
“Yes
he has.”
“It
was an answer to my prayers… even with his memory not quite right.”
“He
will remember, Rachel,” Mac told her. “After
all, he has you to help him.”
“Yes
he does,” she nodded as a large smile suddenly graced her features when she
felt a warm presence at her side and a large hand take hold of hers. She knew, without looking that it was Carl,
but could not help herself from glancing up at him, and felt her heart skip a
beat as her eyes fell on him.
He
gave her hand a gentle squeeze as his own eyes smiled at her before lifting his
gaze to his predecessor. “Mac,” Carl
stretched out his hand to the older man.
“Carl,”
Mac took his hand, shaking it firmly.
Rachel
watched the exchange with interest, knowing that in that silent moment,
forgiveness was both sought and given.
“Take
care of her,” Mac told Carl. “She’s a
special lady.”
“You
have my word,” Carl said solemnly.
Another
silent conversation passed between the two men before Mac glanced somewhere
over his shoulder. “Well, it’s time for me
to be going,” he told them as he returned his attention to them.
“Already?” Rachel asked.
Mac
nodded. “I just wanted to make sure that
you were okay and that you’re happy.”
“I
am deliriously happy,” Rachel replied, glancing back and smiling at Carl who
gave her hand a loving squeeze. She
looked back to Mac. “And you? Are you happy where you are?”
Mac
nodded. “Yes, I am.” He smiled at her. “I am very happy.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that,” Rachel smiled then
stepped away from Carl to hug Mac. “It’s
been so good to see you,” she told him in a quiet voice. “I really have missed you.”
Mac
tightened his arms around her. “It’s
been good to see you too, sweetheart,” Mac whispered in her ear. “Take care of yourself, Rachel.”
“You
too,” Rachel whispered back.
The
two shared a quick, loving kiss then released each other.
Rachel
stepped back to Carl and slipped an arm around his waist, her other hand coming
to rest against his chest. She glanced
up at him and he gave her a tender smile as covered her hand with his; patting
it affectionately.
“Have
a good life together,” Mac told them as he began to back away.
They
watched as he slipped into the shadows of their bedroom, and as he faded from
view, they saw a second figure reach out to take Mac’s hand in the darkness.
“Maria…”
Rachel whispered, recognizing the other woman that had captured Mackenzie
Cory’s heart years before. The woman,
who Rachel realized in that moment, was Mac’s soul mate as surely as Carl was hers.
“Paulina’s mother Maria?” Carl asked, his eyes
on where the other couple had been only moments before. “Do you really think so?”
Rachel
nodded then laid her head on her husband’s chest and slipped her other arm
around him in a loose embrace.
“Well,
that was certainly interesting,” Carl remarked after several moments of
silence.
“Yes
it was,” she replied as she rubbed her cheek against him then pressed a kiss to
his chest.
“Was
it real or a dream?”
“I
thought I was dreaming,” Rachel lifted her head from his shoulder and met his
eyes, “but…”
“How
can we both be having the same dream?”
Rachel
nodded, and as she gazed into Carl’s eyes, her own slowly grew wider. She reached up to cup his bearded cheek. “Darling?”
Carl
smiled and turned his face into her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. “Yes.”
“Oh god… you… how much?”
“Everything,
my love,” Carl answered, surprise tingeing his voice. “I remember everything.”
“Oh,
Carl…” Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck as she rose up on her toes and
kissed him passionately. A low moan
sounded deep in her throat when his hands grasped her waist and pulled her closer;
their kiss deepening.
An
overwhelming wave of arousal washed over her, and in that moment, she wanted
nothing more than to make love with him.
It’d been too long since she’d shared that exquisite pleasure with him…
known the passion and heat of his touch. Too long since she’d felt him moving inside
her.
“…darling…”
Rachel murmured against his lips.
“It’s
been too long,” Carl breathed her thoughts into their kiss as his fingers
caught the straps of her nightgown and began to ease them off her
shoulders. “Too long since I’ve touched
you… since I’ve made love to you…” his mouth moved from hers to whisper along
her throat to her shoulder. “I ache to
be inside you, my love… to feel you around me, to be one with you.”
“Carl…”
she moaned, his words fanning the flames of her desire. Her hands slipped between them, fingers working
the buttons on his pyjama top.
Slowly,
and methodically, between heated kisses and ardent words of love, they removed
each other’s nightclothes. When there
was no longer any barrier between them, Carl broke off the kiss and took a step
back.
Rachel
felt her body grow warmer, felt herself grow more aroused as his heated gaze
traveled down and up her body. “My
Rachel…” she heard him utter in a thick voice, his eyes growing darker with
desire as he continued to gaze at her.
He lifted a hand to cup her breast, his thumb circling over her already
taut nipple. “You are even more
beautiful than I remember.”
She
smiled at him then reached out to comb her fingers through the silver hair on
his chest, as she let her eyes wander down his body. Her husband was tall and lanky, yet
surprisingly fit and muscular, and a feast for her eyes. She inhaled sharply at the sight of his arousal,
standing hard and proud against his lower belly.
“Rachel…”
Carl groaned when her hand fell from his chest to wrap around his length and
lightly stroke him. He grabbed her upper
arms and pulled her to him, trapping her hand around him between their bodies
as he kissed her hungrily.
The
desire, which was already burning hotly between them, suddenly blazed into an
inferno. Hands wandered… stroking every
inch of heated flesh they could reach… neither one able to touch the other
enough. Lips and tongues met, again and
again, in between ragged breaths of much needed air, both unwilling to give up
their oral connection.
All
too soon, it was not enough for either of them.
Their
bodies ached with the need to be joined… to be one physically.
Their
hearts and souls cried out with the same, if not stronger,
need to be fully joined in that one moment of true bliss.
Carl
swept Rachel into his arms and carried her the final
few steps to their bed. He knelt on the
edge of the mattress then laid her down on the soft sheets. Rachel held Carl’s eyes as she inched back to
rest against the pillows.
In
a low voice, as he crawled up after her, Carl began to speak. “I like my body when it is with your
body. It is so quite a new thing. Muscles better and nerves
more.”
Low
moans sounded in the quiet of their bedroom when Carl’s body finally covered
hers, their mouths locking, once again, in a passionate kiss.
“I
like your body,” Carl whispered against her lips. “I like what it does.”
Rachel
gasped when he began to kiss his way down her throat to her breasts and took a
berried nipple into the moist heat of his mouth. “I like its hows,” he muttered as he swirled
his tongue around the stiff point then slipped down to nibble at the underside
of her breast.
His
hands slipped beneath her, his fingers dancing over her spine. “I like to feel the spine of your body and
its bones,” he continued his recitation, smiling when she trembled beneath him,
“and the trembling –firm-smooth ness and which I will,” Carl swooped back up to
catch her lips in a series of hungry kisses, “again and again and again kiss.”
Rachel
moaned his name when he shifted and began to kiss his way down her body.
“I
like kissing this and that of you,” Carl spoke the words against the smooth
skin between her breasts then lower, nuzzling into the softness of her belly. “I like…” his hand slipped between her
thighs, “slowly stroking the, shocking fuzz of your electric fur…”
Rachel
began to pant as his fingers stroked through her damp curls.
“And
what-is-it comes over parting flesh…”
“Mmm…
Carl…” she cried out softly when his fingers gently pulled her open and his
lips closed around her swollen flesh.
Her body arched with pleasure as he laved her with his tongue, swirling
and licking at the sensitive bundle of nerves, murmuring the next stanza of the
poem into her flesh.
Carl
gave her sex a deep, lingering kiss then lifted his head, a smile gracing his
mouth at the flush covering her body.
“And possibly I like the thrill,” his voice was husky as he moved back
up so that his body covered hers, his hips settling in the cradle of her
thighs, “of under me you quite so new.”
“…Carl…”
Rachel moaned as with that final line of the poem, his eyes locked with hers, he
slowly joined his body to hers. She could
feel him stretching and filling her, inch by inch, and it stole her breath
away. “Oh, my darling…” her eyes filled
with tears once he was seated fully within her.
Carl
lowered himself onto his elbows and cradled her face in his hands. His words were quiet when he gave voice to
the feelings in his heart, “I feel as if I’ve come home…”
“You
have…” Rachel told him as she reached up to grasp his ponytail. She gently tugged the elastic away, allowing
his thick mane of silver hair to fall in a shimmering curtain around their
faces. “You have come home, and I have
missed you so much.”
“I
love you,” he brushed his lips over hers.
“And
I love you,” she replied as she hooked a leg over his hip and threaded her
fingers into his hair. “Now… make love
to me.”
Carl
smiled at her. “With pleasure…” he
murmured against her lips and began a slow, gentle rocking of his hips against
hers.
“Mmm…”
Rachel hummed at the feel of him moving inside her.
“You
feel so good,” he told her as he withdrew then slowly sank back into her
welcoming heat.
“So
do you,” she gasped, her fingers clenching in his hair.
In
spite of their long separation, their bodies quickly fell into a familiar
rhythm… moving together in the age-old dance of lovers. They made love slowly… deliberately… building
their pleasure with every touch, every caress… with every heartbeat.
The
sounds and scents of their passion filled the room as they continued to drive
each other closer and closer to that one moment in time where their souls would
join and become one.
“…Carl…”
Rachel hummed, her body vibrating with pleasure. She pulled her hands from his hair and trailed
them down his back.
“Rachel,”
he groaned as she raked her nails over his back then clutched at his rear.
“Darling,
please…” she lifted her head to nip at his shoulder, breathing her words hotly
against his skin. “I need more…” Rachel
begged as she continued to meet his every thrust.
“Yes…”
Carl panted, his forehead dropping to rest against hers. His hand glided down her side, caressing her
damp skin, to clasp the thigh of the leg hooked over his hip and pull it
higher. He moaned as he continued to
move inside her, pushing deeper with every thrust. “Oh yes…”
The
slow and steady pace they’d set was no longer enough for either of them. Their bodies were crying out for release…
their hearts and souls crying out for completion.
With
a quick brush of his lips over hers, Carl rose up on his arms over her and
began to drive into her… hard and fast.
Rachel
gasped, her eyes closing, and wrapped her other leg around him, locking her
ankles against his backside, causing him to moan as she used her legs to pull
him deeper inside her with every thrust.
“Rachel…”
Carl groaned and closed his eyes.
He
was close.
He
was so close.
Carl
could feel the beginnings of his orgasm creeping up on him, and wanted nothing
more than to bury himself deep inside his wife and give himself over to the
overwhelming pleasure he knew he would find in her oh so willing body. Carl fought against that urge, however, knowing
that seeing to Rachel’s pleasure before his own would only intensify his release.
She
was close.
She
was so close.
Carl
knew by the feel of her body… the way she writhed under him, her inner walls
clenching around his driving member; knew by the sounds she uttered… every
gasp, whimper and cry of his name, that it wouldn’t take much more to push
Rachel over the edge and careening into her own orgasm.
“Carl…
Carl, please…” Rachel arched beneath him, her hands clutching at his shoulders,
her legs tightening around him as she confirmed with words what her body was
already telling him. “…so close…
darling, please…”
“Yes…”
Carl nodded and began to move with singular purpose inside her… grinding his
pelvis against hers with every thrust, rubbing against her clit, over and over. “Rachel…”
“Oh
yes…” Rachel groaned, her lips curling into a sensuous smile as her pleasure
grew, coursing through her body with every drive of his hips. “…Carl…”
Rachel’s
hands dropped from Carl’s shoulders to stroke his chest. Her fingers combed through the soft hair, one
hand following the silvery trail lower to caress his belly. She lightly scratched at the soft skin,
moaning her approval when he thrust harder in response.
As
his control began to wane, Carl opened his eyes and looked down at his
wife. He groaned at the sight of her.
Head
thrown back… her thick, dark auburn hair fanned out over their pillows.
Eyes
closed… lips parted slightly to pull in much needed breath.
“Rachel…
Rachel…” he beseeched her. “Open your
eyes…”
Her
eyes opened and she met his gaze.
“Yes…
that’s it…” Carl shifted down onto his elbows, never breaking their visual connection. “Show me all of you, my love.”
“…Carl…”
Rachel gasped at the emotion she could see in his dark eyes. His desire… his need… his love… all of it
laid bare before her… for her. “…oh,
Carl…”
It
was the honest reflection of those same emotions in Rachel’ eyes… her desire…
her need… her love… that was Carl’s undoing.
Unable to hold back any longer, and with a hoarse cry of her name, he came;
his orgasm consuming him. As he collapsed
into her embrace, he was gratified to hear her screaming his name over the
blood pounding in his ears.
The
intensity of Carl’s release overwhelmed Rachel, triggered hers and she came
with him; crying out his name. She
wrapped her arms around him, her legs tightening about his hips as she
shuddered ceaselessly beneath him. Her
orgasm moved through her in waves, the pleasure rippling through her again and
again as he continued to rock into her.
“Carl…
oh, Carl…” his name was a soft mantra on her lips as she nuzzled his temple,
humming contentedly as he nestled deeper into her arms, dropping soft,
whispered kisses to her shoulder. She
sighed happily and eased her legs from around his hips, sliding them down to
rest loosely over his. After several moments,
Carl raised his head and met her gaze.
She smiled at the satisfied look on his face, knowing she wore the same
look on hers. She reached up to trace
her fingers over his lips, tracing his smile.
“I have missed you so much.”
“And
I, you, my darling,” Carl replied, kissing her fingertips. “I should…” he began after a few moments as
he reached back and gently patted her one thigh.
“No…”
Rachel shook her head and tightened her embrace.
“I’m
too heavy, love.”
Rachel
shook her head. “No you’re not. Please, Carl… I… I’m not ready for you to
leave me yet,” she finished with a whisper, clenching her inner walls around
his softening member for emphasis. “I
like feeling you all around me,” her hand found his cheek again. “I’ve missed it.”
Carl’s
eyes softened and he nodded, lowering his lips to hers. “Anything you want,” he replied, kissing her
again before laying his head on her shoulder.
“Anything you want.”
“You,”
Rachel murmured, rubbing her hands down and up his back. “Just you. All I have wanted, dreamed and prayed for
this last year is you.”
“Just me?” Carl shifted slightly, angling his head back
so that he could see her better.
“Mmhmm,”
Rachel nodded. “You. Alive… here with me, and in
my life. And here you are… I can
feel you; you’re in my arms…” she turned her head on the pillow and met his
gaze. She smiled. “Our babies will grow up with their father,
and I will grow old with the man I love.”
Carl
reached up to cup her cheek. “I cannot
begin to tell you how grateful I am that you were at our house in the
Keys. If you hadn’t been there, I can’t
even begin to imagine what would have become of me.”
“We
were meant to be,” Rachel said simply.
“Yes,
we were,” Carl agreed.
For
several moments, they lay together, quietly reveling in the intimacy of the
moment… in being together fully and completely in a way they hadn’t been in for
so long.
“Lady,
I will touch you with my mind,” Carl’s whispered words broke the comfortable
silence. “Touch you and touch and touch
until you give me suddenly a smile,shyly obscene.”
A
soft smile played on Rachel’s lips.
“Lady
I will touch you with my mind,” Carl shifted so that he was once again over
her, resting on his elbows. He cradled
her face in his hands, his fingers threading in her hair. “Touch you, that is all, lightly and you
utterly will become with infinite care,” he lowered his lips to hers, “the poem
which I do not write.”
They
shared a gentle, loving kiss.
As
they kissed, Rachel eased her legs from around him and Carl slowly withdrew
from the warmth of her body; their kiss smothering Rachel’s soft whimper. The kiss slowly tapered off and Carl met her
gaze; his eyes tender and knowing.
“Would
that I could… I would make love to you until the sun came up.”
“I
know.”
He
brushed his lips against hers again softly before shifting off of her. He rolled onto his back beside her and gathered
her into his arms.
Rachel
snuggled into him, sighing contentedly when he managed to snag the blankets and
draw them up over their now cool bodies.
She dropped a quick kiss to his chest before lifting her head to look at
him. A playful smile danced over her
lips. “Get some sleep, darling… I plan
on waking you up several more times before the sun comes up.”
Carl
chuckled and reached up to grasp her face and draw her
down to him, kissing her through her giggles.
“I love you so…”
“And
I love you,” Rachel replied, her eyes dancing with mirth and kissed him again. Slowly, their amusement faded away… their
kiss deepened, and Rachel found herself stretched out over her husband. She pulled her mouth from his and gave him a
heated look. “Then again… who needs to
sleep?”
Carl
grinned.
~fin