Knight Vision (11 page)

He gathered her closer into his body as if to give her his strength.  “I am so very sorry, honey,“ he spoke gently to her.  “You have to believe me; I didn’t realize it was on.“

His words and actions comforted her.  She knew at that moment she loved him, no matter what was to come of their relationship, she just knew.  Before she could think or do anything about it, she heard herself say softly.  “I love you.“  When she heard herself utter these three little words, her heart skipped a beat and her stomach flipped.  She hadn’t meant to say it out loud, and she hoped he hadn’t heard her, but he had.  He released his hold on her and a cold chill ran down her spine.  Without a word, he stepped off the table and turned to her.  She wanted to gaze into his eyes, but she just couldn’t make herself do it. 

Her downcast eyes saw his hand reach for her chin.  He was going to force her to look at him.  Bracing herself for the worse, she allowed him to lift her face.  What she saw written on his face sent her heart racing!  For instead of shock, fear or revulsion, she saw the love she felt, mirrored on his face.  Grabbing both of her hands, he pulled her into his embrace and whispered tenderly into her ear, “I know.“

He hadn’t returned the ’three little words’, but at that moment she didn’t need words from him to validate what she had seen in his face.  “Let’s go,“ he said hoarsely, as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and walked in the direction of his car.

’
Annie, don’t do it
’, her inner voice warned as they walked to the car.  ’
Bury that thought
’, it continued.  She knew it was a losing battle as she felt the words race up her throat and exit her lips.  “Bea was stupid to let you go,“ she said. 

“Who is Bea?“ he asked, turning to look at her. 

“Your wife?“

“My wife’s name is Pam.  Where did you get Bea?“ he asked.

“But, you said Bea earlier,“ she fumbled.

“When?“ he asked, glancing at her with a confused expression.

“When you said you had something for me.  You called me Bea,“ Annie explained. 

Jeff laughed loud.  “I didn’t say ’Bea’.  I said ’BE’,“ he remembered. 

“What is the difference?“ she asked, now confused. 

“Capital B, capital E.  BE,“ he returned.  “Short for ’bedroom eyes’. You called me ’Words Man,’ so I returned with ’BE’.“

“Oh, God.  How stupid can I be?“ she laughed.

“Is that the reason for your ’Oh crap,’ moment,“ he said, continuing to walk.

“Yes,“ she confided.

“Annie, Annie, Annie,“ he said, shaking his head to match the rhythm of his words.  “What am I going to do with you?“

“I have an idea,“ she laughed suggestively.

“Oh, I am up for that,“ he said, pulling her around him and kissing her deeply.

***

Chapter Fourteen

Back on the road, Jeff headed west.  Annie suddenly became worried they were headed back to his room.  She didn’t know if she could face that room right now.  Her emotional breakdown there was still too raw in her memory, even though there were other more pleasant memories in that same room.  She silently prayed he was not going there.  As they passed the turnoff, she relaxed back against the seat and intertwined her fingers over the back of his hand on her thigh.  Part of her wanted to know where they were headed, but she quieted this part. 
Ride with it, Annie
, she encouraged herself.            Closing her eyes, she loved the fact she didn’t feel the need to talk.  Being together was fulfilling.  Silence was golden.  With her eyes closed, her other senses took control.  She concentrated on her other five senses.  She heard his light breathing; she smelled his cologne; she tasted his last kiss; and of course, she felt the heat from their joined hands on her leg.   Contentment filled her; he was her world at the moment. 

When she heard him activate the turn signal, she opened her eyes.  To her delight, they were traveling down a deserted farm road.  He had taken her suggestion for a drive to heart.  She loved the openness of the land around them.  From the glow of the car’s headlight, she marveled at the ability to see for miles in all directions.  Turning her head to view of the city, she found herself looking at his profile instead.  The dashboard’s lights lit his face in a halo glow.  “Absolutely beautiful,“ she voiced.

“What?“ he said, turning in her direction. 

Caught in her appreciation of him, she quickly said,  “I was admiring the view of the Valley from here.“

He turned to see it for himself.  “That is nothing.  To really appreciate the city view, we need to go to South Mountain Park,“ he offered. 

“South Mountain!  Wow, that just brought back memories.  I haven’t been there since my junior year in high school,“ she exclaimed. 

“You grew up in the Valley?“ he asked, returning his eyes to the road. 

“Oh, yeah.  I have lived here almost my entire life.  My parents moved to Phoenix when I was two,“ she informed him.

“It is strange we never met before now,“ he mused.  “I would have liked to know you then.“

“I don’t think so.  I was different.  I was too .  .  .  .“ she stopped. 

“Too what?“ he said, looking at her.

“Too prissy, too focused, too much of a doctor’s daughter,“ she lied, not offering the real reason.  She was just too fat.

“I think I would have seen through all that,“ he said, bringing their joined hands up to his lips and kissing the back of her hand.

“Maybe,“ she said, thinking of something to change the subject.  “Maybe, we could go to South Mountain tomorrow.  It is Sunday.“

“I have to work.“

“It’s okay.  I understand,“ she said disappointedly.

“We could go tomorrow night,“ he countered.

“Yes, let’s.“ 

He lowered their joined hands to his lap and pulled over to the side of the farm road.  Disengaging their hands, he guided her hand to the front of his pants.  She knew what he wanted.  She was not that inexperienced.  After he turned off the motor and the headlights, he rotated in the seat and pulled her to him so that her back was against the steering wheel, and then kissed her deeply.

Their tight quarters made her giggle, recalling her previous mention of high school.  “Jeff, this is not good,“ she said.  “I feel we are back in high school.“

“Who cares?“ he whispered, sliding them over to the middle of the bench seat.  “This better?“ he asked. 

“Yes, and no.  I don’t feel wedged, but there is no room for my legs,“ she advised him.

“Easily solved,“ he said, righting her.  “Straddle me.“

“What?“

“You heard me,“ he said, teasingly. 

“This will be interesting,“ she remarked, rotating to her hands and knees while kicking off her shoes.  “I can’t believe I am doing this.“  Placing her hands on either side of him on the back of the bench seat, she stretched her right leg over his legs.  “Like this?“ she asked, laughing at the scene she was actively involved in.

“Yes,“ he said, as he pulled her down on his lap. His hands immediately started undoing the snaps of her top. “I have been wanting to unsnap them since I first set eyes on you tonight.“  She stopped laughing and looked into his eyes.  His expression told her he meant it. 

With her hands still braced on the top of the bench, her rational mind screamed at her.  ’
What are you doing?  Are you out of your mind
’
?
“I must be,“ she said aloud, throwing caution to the wind as he pulled the shirttails out of her skirt waistband and opened it wide.
Go away thoughts.  I just want to feel,
she reasoned with herself, for all she cared about at that moment was Jeff.  She was twenty-three and a grown woman with desires, and this man was her desire. 

His goal completed, he reached out and encircled Annie’s body in his arms and brought her body to his mouth.  As he kissed her, he felt her melt against him and shiver.  Not knowing whether it was from the chill in the air or what he was doing to her, he reached out to start the motor to turn on the heater.  Unable to see the dashboard, he had to make several attempts to locate the switch.  When he finally found the right place, not only did the engine kick over, but also the radio came on.   The car filled with music.  He smiled as he heard Annie softly cry his name.  It was not just any song; it was their song, ’Lady.’  He had forgotten.  It was his other surprise for her.  He had purchased the cassette, and had worked for some time to get the tape just to the beginning of the song to play it for her when they got in the car. 
This was better timing,
he thought. 
This was the right moment for it.
  The outside world stopped for them as they rediscovered each other in their cramped surroundings.  The cassette continued to play. 

With their needs fulfilled for the moment, Annie became aware that the music had stopped.  She reached out and touched Jeff’s face.  “The knight knows how to please the lady,“ she whispered. 

“Should I do it again?“ he asked playfully. 

“Again?  Please let me catch my breath,“ she requested.

“No, my lady.  I mean play the tape again,“ he said, shaking his head under her hand.

“Oh,“ she replied, blushing.  “Yes.“

As he reached around her for the stereo, he felt her start to laugh softly.  Peering into her face as he pressed the play button, he saw the faraway look in her eyes.  “What is it?“ he asked.

“I was just thinking,“ she said quietly, focusing on him. 

“We are in trouble,“ he joked.  Feeling her tense, he quickly continued, “Kidding.  What were you thinking?  Please share.“

She leaned down and kissed his lips softly.  “That I much prefer this music to the
Star Wars’
soundtrack,“ she shared.

“What?“ he laughed. 

Shaking her head, she laughed and started to move off his lap.  “You asked,“ she replied.

“No, you don’t,“ he said, pulling her back down.  “You have to explain.“

“Jeff, let me go.  My legs are beginning to cramp.  I need to stretch them out,“ she insisted. 

“Oh,“ he replied, releasing her. 

Seated, she adjusted her clothes and felt him reaching out for her legs and bringing them up across his lap, turning her back to the passenger side door.  “Continue. 
Star Wars’
soundtrack?“

Noticing the fogged up windows, she stated, “Looks like we need to lower a window.“  Absently reaching out for the roses on the dashboard, she continued, “We have wilted them.“

Jeff looked around the car at the windows.  “Yes, you’re right,“ he confirmed, reaching and lowering the driver’s side window.  “Give them to me,“ he requested, holding his hand out.  She passed him the sad-looking, drooping roses.  She watched as he leaned over and stuck his upper arm out the open window.  “The cold air should bring them back.“

“What did you do?“ she asked as she saw his hand reappear, empty.

“I placed them on the roof.“

“Let’s not forget them,“ she whispered. 

“I won’t,“ he promised, beginning to rub her leg muscles.  “Now?“

“Now, what?“ she asked sheepishly. 

“The story.  Thought I had forgotten?“

“No, just wished you had,“ she said softly.  Closing her eyes, she traveled back in her memories.  “Are you sure you really want to hear this story?“ she asked, not opening her eyes.  “It involved my last relationship.“

“Yes, Annie.  I do.  It has made you into what you are right now.  I am truly interested in every part of you,“ he enlightened her as the pressure of his hands on her legs lightened into a caress.

This man is beyond belief.  If he asked me to jump off a bridge right now, I would do it
, she thought.  “Okay.  Remember you asked for it,“ she said, laughing softly.   “It was my last year of college.  You could say we had a standing ’night class’ every Tuesday.  It was not in the class listings, not a course for which you receive class credits, and not a required course for my degree.  It was not graded; at least, I don’t think it was.  It is not on my transcripts, but I attended it faithfully.  What he taught me was not in the books!“ she laughed at the recall.  “Anyway, getting to the music.  Without fail, each and every encounter, it was played.  It got to the point where I knew it by heart.  When the semester ended, so did the class.  Don’t get me wrong; I did learn.  In the beginning, I thought I loved him, but at the end, I knew differently.  It was a hard lesson for me, but I eventually learned the difference between ’using’ and ’loving’,“ she finished, opening her eyes.

“It is a sad story, Annie.  No wonder you broke down last night,“ he said softly.

At his mention of her emotional meltdown, she blushed.  “I am truly sorry for doing that to you,“ she whispered.

“I’m not,“ he replied.  “It provided me with insight into you.“

Unable to lean forward due to her current position, she reached for his hand and brought it to her lips and kissed his palm.  “Thank you, Jeff, for understanding.“

“Speaking of last night. . .  how did you sleep?“ he asked her. 

Interlacing her fingers with his as she brought them down to her lap, she felt the contact of his ring.  She had subconsciously captured his left hand.  Staring at the ring, she replied with sadness in her voice, “On my side, in the fetal position.“