Metal Urge (32 page)

They must have dozed off for a few hours because it was dark outside and the rain had stopped its soft pattering against the window.  She kissed Nigel awake and offered to make them dinner.  Stretching, he considered her offer.  She watched his lean muscles flex under his T-shirt and felt a sudden rush of fierce desire.  Music drifted through the wall of his bedroom and he frowned.  He started to beat on the wall but Deanna stopped him.  The music was ethereal, soothing, and she welcomed its calming effect as she lay back and idly rubbed her midriff.  Soon, Nigel’s hands joined hers, their rhythm matching the slow tempo of the song.  Pulling off his T-shirt, he leaned in close, pushing up her camisole, running his lips over her smooth, supple skin, tracing the ridges of her ribs and the tips of her breasts with his tongue.  Moaning softly, Deanna undid the last button on her jeans and Nigel quickly pulled her jeans and panties off, kissing his way up the inside of her thighs and over the curve of her belly.  Every well placed kiss and practiced touch proved to be excruciatingly precise, bringing such intense pleasure it threatened to send her over the edge.

Gazing through half-closed eyes, she watched as he sat up, unzipped his jeans, pulled them off and casually tossed them aside.  She reached out to caress the silky hair on his chest, running her fingers over his abdomen then down to trace the rigid length of his erection with her fingertips.  Leaning over her, Nigel rested his weight on his arms, kissing her deeply.  “I want to make love to you, Deanna.  I want you to feel just how much you mean to me, how much you’ve always meant to me,” he said, his warm breath washing over her as she felt the weight of his body pressing her against the bed.

“Nigel, my love,” she cried out as they joined together, body and soul, changing the course of their lives forever.

Hours later satiated and exhausted, they held each other tightly until Nigel drifted to sleep.  Deanna lovingly stroked his tousled hair unable to fall asleep.  Not everything that had happened that night was a pleasant memory.  Despite Thom's abuse, she felt panic stirring deep in her gut when she thought of him drunk and crying on the floor.  How would he react when she told him where she was?  Would he believe that she wasn’t with Nigel to get back at him for his drunken tirade or to intentionally hurt him?  Would anything she said soften the blow?  Kissing Nigel's prickly cheek, she rested her head against his warm shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut.  She had to talk Thom, tell him the truth, and the sooner the better.

****

The delicious aroma of coffee and sizzling bacon woke Deanna from a restless sleep.  She sat up and ran her fingers through her wildly tangled curls as bittersweet memories of the night before danced in her mind.  While Nigel slumbered peacefully beside her after long, sweet hours of love-making, she called Thom but got no answer.  She closed her eyes and heard the haunting sound of him crying out to her, begging her not to leave.  As fear turned her blood to ice, she felt almost insanely desperate to know if he was alright.  Surely he was sleeping off his ugly, drunken outburst.  After she tried to reach him for the third time with no success she had burst into tears, waking Nigel.  He sat by her quietly, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder for support, stroking her hair as she wept for Thom and their tragic, ruined marriage.  Rubbing her back he offered to make chamomile tea to help her sleep but it was him that she needed; his strong, loving arms and soothing, healing touch.  As he eased her back against the soft pillows kissing her tenderly, she realized that she couldn’t deny her love for him any longer.  She belonged with Nigel...she always had.

In the depths of her heart and soul, she knew she was home at last.

Keeping that thought close to her heart, she got dressed, made her way to the kitchen, and leaned against the doorway watching Nigel prepare their breakfast.  She felt such a rush of affection for him as he spooned steaming eggs onto a colorful plate that she dashed up behind him and snaked her arms around his waist squeezing him so tightly she could feel his ribcage strong and solid against her hands.

“Good morning, love,” he said softly, twisting his head to receive a kiss on his cheek.  “Are you feeling better since you got a bit of sleep?”

Nodding, she pressed her face against his warm back.

“Have you tried to call Thom this morning?”

Shaking her head no she resisted the urge to burst into panicked tears.

“He hasn’t done anything stupid, Deanna.  I promise you that.”

Feeling the words rumble and vibrate through the skin and bone and muscle of his back, Deanna pressed her lips gently to the spot where her ear had been and asked if she could set the table, determined to believe Nigel.  Who would know Thom better than his boyhood friend?  Nigel thanked her but suggested TV trays in the living room instead.  He directed her to the closet where Nick stored his coveted trays, and went back to draining the grease off of the last stack of bacon.  He carried their meal into the living room while Deanna poured two glasses of orange juice.

“It’s a proper feast, don’t you think?”

Eyes wide, Deanna stared at the heaping plate of scrambled eggs, topped with mounds of succulent bacon.  “If I eat like this every day I won’t be able to maintain my girlish figure,” she quipped hoping to lighten the mood.

Nigel sat down on the overstuffed couch pulling Deanna onto his lap.  “I like my women meaty and robust,” he teased.

Laughing, she pinched his bristled chin between two fingers and jiggled his head like a mother would do to get the attention of an errant child.  “You are so full of shi…”

He kissed her sweet and slow, nipping her sarcasm in the bud.  When he broke the kiss, he smiled at the dreamy look in her huge green eyes.

“Am I really full of shi…?”  He started to say, but she cut him off with a deep, loving kiss.  She pulled back and grinned at him.

He ran his fingers through her long curls, and sighed, “You’ve no idea how much I’ve missed you, baby; missed talking and laughing with you.”  He cradled her against his chest, knowing they would have to talk in detail about Thom and the horrible details of her miscarriage.  Just thinking about it made him want to fall to his knees and once again beg forgiveness of Deanna, of God, and of that innocent little baby---his baby---who never got the chance to take its first breath or feel the joy and love it would have brought to its parents.  Tears stung his eyes as he buried his face in her soft hair, afraid to look at her, terrified she would leave him when she remembered what he had done to her the day she came to his flat, torn and bleeding, filled with anguish over his betrayal.  Thom had stepped in and rescued her like a true hero, unlike the cowardly prat hiding behind his terror of commitment.  If he lost her to Thom again…

“Nigel?”  She was smiling at him, her eyes so full of love.  “The food’s getting cold,” she said, picking up a piece of bacon and popping it in her mouth.  Rolling her eyes, she grabbed another piece which promptly disappeared between her smiling lips.  “I didn’t know I was so hungry,” she mumbled through a mouthful of the crunchy treat.

Spooning a hefty portion of eggs onto a plate, she handed it to Nigel, offering him a thick slice of the delicious bacon.  He held it between his teeth while Deanna slid off his lap and snuggled against him on the couch.  Laying his plate on the TV tray, he crunched down on the bacon and grinned.

“Good, isn’t it?”  Deanna said, stuffing another slice into her mouth.

“Mmmph,” he agreed.

They polished off every last bit of food, and sat back groaning with satisfaction.

Deanna offered to make tea while Nigel turned on the telly, switching channels until he found an American movie he reckoned she would like.  The plot was eerie and riveting: a psychopathic woman obsessed with a radio DJ was relentlessly stalking him.  As the thriller progressed, the woman became more and more demanding and bizarre until Deanna and Nigel were on the edge of their seats, wondering what the madwoman was going to do next.  A tender love scene with the DJ and his girlfriend on the beach was accompanied by a song that to Deanna described her feelings for Nigel more succinctly than she ever could.  Just as the lyrics said, the first time she saw Nigel’s face was all it took to fall deeply and thoroughly in love with him.  She reached for him, searching his face for a sign that he heard and understood those simple words and what they meant to the two of them and their fate.  When he smiled his understanding, she relaxed against him and exhaled softly.

“We were meant to love each other, Deanna,” Nigel said gently.  “No matter how hard I fought against it or how many times you denied it, we’ve finally ended up here together like we’re supposed to be.”

Nodding in agreement, she pulled him close for a kiss just as the front door banged open and Nick and Maggi stumbled through the doorway giggling like children.  Maggi stopped abruptly staring at Deanna like she was a thief caught red-handed with the crown jewels.

“What is
she
doing here?”

Nick shushed her and grinned at Nigel, “Well, well mate.  Look who we have here.”  He strode over to Deanna and stuck out his hand.  “I’m Nick Ramsey, Nigel’s flatmate.

“Hi,” Deanna said.  She looked at Nigel helplessly, and took Nick’s hand.  “I’m Deanna Darmody,” she said, glancing at Maggi’s pouting scowl.

“I know who you are, darlin’.  I never thought I'd meet you, um, here, is all,” he grinned, spreading his arms wide to indicate his living space.

“C’mon Nick, leave it, yeah?”  Nigel said.  He stood up and helped Deanna to her feet.  “I’m so sorry.  I thought Nick would be gone for a few days,” he whispered in her ear.

Maggi flounced up to Nick nestling against him and smirked at Deanna.  “So, where is hubby, hmmm?”

Nigel stepped towards her threateningly.

“What in bloody hell do you think you’re doing?”  Nick placed his hand on Nigel’s chest and pushed him back as a warning.

“Mind what you say, Maggi,” Nigel pointed his finger at her to make his point clear before taking Deanna’s arm.

“Wait, Nigel,” Deanna said, pushing his hand away gently.  “I have something I want to say.”  She took a deep breath and faced Maggi.  “Yes, I married Thom, but it’s over and had been over long before I met up with Nigel again.”  She stopped when she noticed Maggi cross her arms and sneer like the hypocritical bitch she had come to expect.  “So you’ve never made a mistake, Maggi?”  Before she could respond, Deanna walked up to her and smiled sweetly. “I can’t believe that you’ve already forgotten what happened last summer at Glaston Hall.  I’d be more than happy to joggle your memory for you…now if you’d like.”

Maggi shook her head and looked at Nick, fear marring her pretty face.

“No?  Well, maybe some other time.”  Deanna turned to Nick, “It was nice to meet you.  I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”  She gathered up the dirty dishes and Nigel followed her into the kitchen leaving Nick to stare at Maggi in bewilderment.

“I’m sorry, Deanna.  I really am.”

Shrugging, she washed the plates and silverware.  As she scraped the greasy frying pan, she asked Nigel to clean up the TV trays and put them away.  He took the soapy cloth she handed to him without a word.  Noticing the guilt-ridden look on his face, she squeezed his hand.  “You don’t need to be sorry.  I found out about Nick and Maggi.  So what?  I wish them all the best.”  She turned back to the sink and began washing the last bits of crusty grease out of the frying pan.

“But seeing her---us---in the same room?” Nigel stammered.  “I never wanted that to happen.”

Wiping soap suds off of her hands with a dish towel, Deanna turned around and hugged him.  “That's all in the past.  It doesn’t matter anymore.  We’ve both made mistakes and all is forgiven, okay?”

“I don’t know what to say.  I don’t deserve you or your forgiveness, Deanna.”

She caressed his face and tried to smile, “Just say that you'll always love me no matter what before I try and call Thom again.”

Chapter 40

Snow flurries danced and whirled outside the front window.  Thom shivered and took another sip of scalding hot tea.  Christmas was only a couple of weeks away, heralded by brightly lit displays in store windows, and colorful street lamp decorations swinging in the frigid December breeze.  Christmas was lights and glittering decorations.  Christmas was love, family, hearth and home.  Christmas was the most dreaded holiday season since the love and light of his life had rejected him for his malicious wife-stealing band mate, Nigel Guilford.  Pushing his tea cup aside, Thom got up and walked to the icy window.  He could hear faint cries as Mims stalked the rooms upstairs searching for Deanna.  The bloody animal had gotten on his last nerve with her endless mewling and crying.  Perhaps he envied her feline behavior: the ceaseless hunt for her mistress, driven by her instincts, and her love for Deanna.  It wouldn’t do for him to pace endlessly, crying and begging his beloved wife to come home to him even though he desperately wanted too.

In a fit of utter desolation, he had gone through her closet, pressing her clothing to his face, breathing in the fragrance of her skin.  It nearly drove him mad with grief.  Endless lonely days and nights stretched before him in the bleak, white wasteland that once was the great city of London.  There was no one to witness his despair.  Jayson and Penny had gone to Spain with both sets of parents where they would happily map out the details of a spring wedding.  Alistair was in Bilston with his family, and Brad in Wales with his grandparents and siblings.  His dad had called the day before asking that he and Deanna come to Bilston by the twenty-second or twenty-third to make preparations for their Christmas holiday.  Thom didn’t have the heart or the emotional strength to tell him that he would be coming alone.  A painful lump swelled in his throat when he thought of the look on his father’s face at the news that his daughter-in-law was shacking up with Chloe’s ex just a scant two months after marrying his son.