Missy's Gentle Giant (29 page)

“Before I put you in the sauna.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

He swallowed hard, turned and
stared at her standing naked and unashamed before him.  “I’m not
sure.”  He walked over and pulled her into his arms.  “At first I enjoyed
just hearing you answer my unseen, untouched questions.  But like seeing
you naked and mine only, I selfishly wanted to keep it to myself.”  
He pulled away from her, bent to pick up another shell and tossed it into the
sea.  He turned, faced her and placed his hands on her shoulders.  “I
guess I wanted to believe what we share is so special you couldn’t hear without
me.”  He glanced away toward the water.

“But it’s true.”  She reached
up to his face.

“No, you could always hear. 
You just blocked it out.”  He put his arms around her.

“It took your love and loving to
bring it back, though.  Isn’t it still special?”

“Yes, you’re right.”  He
kissed her nose.  “You know what?  I’m starving, and we have a coffee
mess to clean up.”

“Shall we share the work?” 
She grinned.  So he wasn’t upset because she was hearing.  What could
it be?

“Yep, you cook, and I’ll clean
up.”  He hugged her as they walked back to the house.

Conversation was light and happy
while Ben cleaned up the coffee mess and watched Missy make tortillas.  It
amazed him how much more work she went through to make around a dozen of
them.  He was fascinated at how she could chop a potato faster than he
could peel one.  Deftly she pulled sausage from the freezer, thawed it and
cooked it almost like ground beef.  The sausage and potatoes were
combined, seasoning added, some tomato and onions were added to it and last
eggs were added to the whole mixture.  As soon as the eggs were cooked,
she spooned some of the mixture into each of the tortillas, folded them and put
them on a platter.

“Taquitos.”  She grinned as
she sat.

“Mm, delicious.  Hope it’s not
a secret recipe because I watched every move you made.”

“They can be varied.  In fact,
my brothers like Tabasco sauce on them if we don’t have some jalapeño peppers.”

“These are great this way.” 
He reached out and tweaked her nipple.

“Ben, do you realize we are sitting
here eating breakfast as if we were totally dressed?”

“Yep, isn’t it wonderful?

“But I mean, like this is a nudist
colony.  Oh my!  I even talked to my mother—”  Her eyes opened
wide.

“Do you think she knew?”  He
teased.

“No silly but—did you run around
like this when you stayed here before?”

“Nope.  I dressed most of the
time.  I’ve never gone naked like this, but I want us to be able to be
free with each other.”

“Free?”

“You can use my toothbrush if you
want.”

“Oh Ben.”

“Oh Ben.”  He mimicked and
hauled her onto his lap.  “I don’t want you hiding yourself from me any
more.”  

She put her arms over his shoulders. 
“Do you mean I can touch and taste you like you do me?”  She licked his
lower lip.

“Any time you want.”  He stuck
his tongue out to meet hers.

“Even if I want to now?”  She
showed him her dimples.

“I thought you’d never ask.” 
Quickly he jumped up and hauled her off to bed.

Chapter Fourteen

One morning Missy woke up and
wondered about the date.  The last few days had been wonderful with Ben
teaching her all about lovemaking and she teaching him about Mexican
foods.  But for some reason this morning seemed to be different.

“Ben, what day is this?” 
Missy kissed his nipple and snuggled on his chest.  Lying on top of him
had become a favorite position.

“Don’t know.”  He sighed half
asleep.  “Why?”

“Just wondered when the plane’s
coming.”

His eye shot wide open.  “Are
you tired of staying here?”  He flipped her off him and rose.  “Don’t
answer it.  We have to leave anyway.  Damn, I nearly forgot I have to
take care of something.”  Mocking anger, he turned to glare at her with a
pointed finger.  “You and your damn dimples.”

She showed them again.  “I
don’t think my dimples had a thing to do with the last few—”

“Hush now.”  He grinned. 
“You pack while I get the jeep and radio the pilot to wait.  Oh, and maybe
you should wear your nightgown.”

“Oh?  You don’t want me to
wear one of my slinky little sheer things you never let me wear:”

Ben growled.  “The damn
nightgown.  Hurry.”

Missy laughed and got up to dress
and pack.  She laughed even more when Ben came back picked up the
suitcases and carried them to the jeep.  She was rolling in the bed when
he came back to find out why she was still inside.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

“We—we’re sure going to look—look
funny.”  She pointed at him and rolled away laughing again.  Her
sides hurt now.

Ben looked down at himself and
tromped out to the jeep.  Moments later he was back in the bedroom with
his suitcase and muttering angrily.  “You could have left something out
for me to wear, dammit.”

“I forgot.”  She rolled
away.  Her sides hurt.

“The hell you did.  You just
wanted to see my face when we got to the plane.”  The picture of him stark
naked and carrying her to the plane in her nightgown flashed through his head
and started him laughing too.  “This week has been wonderful and too damn
short!  I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Ben carried Missy to the plane just
as he had before and deposited her in the suite.  He left her alone for a
few minutes while he went to talk to the pilot; then he came back wearing a
grin.

“What are you up to?”  Missy
eyed him suspiciously.

“Nothing.”  He still grinned. 
“Just arranged for a car to pick us up so I won’t have to carry you through a
terminal.”

“Am I so heavy or are you getting
lazy?”  She threw a pillow at him.

“Just special.”  He sat down
beside her.

“You never did tell me who cleans
up the house while it’s not being used.”

“Oh, Pete will fly the caretakers
in tomorrow.  My father hired a couple of mad artists who like the windows
and beach.  Never fear, the place gets plenty of use.  Dad lets
business associates use it off and on too.”

“Business politics?”

“Yeah, I’d have never brought you here
except—”

“I know.”  She rubbed his
cheek.  “I also know you’d never have a place like it of your own.”

“Well now after this past week—” 
He smiled lecherously.

“Need to fasten seat belts back
there.”  Pete’s voice came through the speaker.

“That was quick.”  Missy
glanced out a window and was surprised.  “We’re still over water.”

“Yep, but the Pacific does have
edges here and there.”

“Oh.”  She fastened her seat
belt.  Must be a stop to refuel.  She closed her eyes and relaxed
while they landed.

“Well, we’re here.”  Pete came
back with a wide smile and opened doors.

Missy unbuckled herself and got
up.  When she reached the door, her eyes opened wide with surprise. 
“Ben?”

“Hawaii—thought maybe a second
honeymoon was in order.”  He grinned.

“Did the first one stop?”  She
forgot Pete was standing there until he laughed.  Missy was overwhelmed
and even forgot she was wearing only a nightgown.  Below her was the
longest limousine she’d ever seen and several Hawaiian dancers swaying to the
music of ukuleles played by boys who wore flowery wrap-around skirts.  As
they descended the stairs, the girls took turns walking up and placing leis
around their necks.  Missy jealously watched the girls too intimately kiss
Ben.  His eyes turned to a jealous glare when the boys came up to her with
leis and kisses.  Within moments they were ushered into their waiting limo
and whisked through traffic to the Kahala Hilton.  A doorman opened the
door and helped Missy get out.  Ben quickly pulled her into his arms and
carried her inside.  It looked like the whole staff stood waiting for
their arrival.

“You’re crazy Ben, and I love
you.” 

“Mm, you’ve been showing me this
past week.”  Once inside their suite, he dropped her to her feet and pulled
her into his arms.  “Honey, call your parents and tell them where we are,
so they won’t worry.”

  Before Missy even finished
talking to her mother or got a chance to look around their door bell buzzed,
and Ben opened it to allow an entourage of people carrying all kinds of boxes
to enter.  Wide eyed, Missy told her mother again she was fine, everything
was fine and hung up.

“They’ve brought you some clothes,
love.”  He kissed her nose.  “I’m going to run downstairs for a few
moments.  Pick out what you want.”

“But I don’t want anything.”

“Suit yourself.”  He shrugged
and grinned.  “I don’t mind taking you dining and dancing in your
nightgown.”

“Oh Ben.”  Her face turned
crimson.

“Oh Ben.”  He laughed and
disappeared.

Half an hour later when Ben returned,
he told the people to leave anything fitting her and take the rest away. 
Most of the beautiful things stayed.  How Ben knew her size amazed her,
but then he had bought her wedding dress.  He opened champagne and brought
her a glass.

“To us and a long, wonderful and
happy future.”

“Yes, to us.”  She smiled.

“Now tell me, what are you going to
wear tonight?”

“Where are you taking me?”

“I told you dining and dancing.”

“But you don’t have anything to—” 
Missy shook her head and pointed toward the boxes he’d brought up.  “There
are clothes for you, right?”

“Yep.”  He smiled.

“Oh, I give up!”  She dropped
her arms down to her sides helplessly.  “You move too fast for me.”

“Wear the bright red one
then.”  He pecked her on the nose.  “I’ll shave while you shower.” 
He went out to get his clothes.

When Ben came into the bedroom
carrying several suits on hangers, he stopped in the doorway.  Missy was
sitting on the bed staring in a drug store sack.  Quickly he hung the
clothes but didn’t turn around.  “Something wrong?”

“Why did you buy these?”  She
reached in the bag and pulled out the box of condoms as her thoughts went back
to her call to her mother.

“For protect—”

“I know why they’re used.” 
She snapped, threw the box on the night stand and crumpled the sack.

“I don’t want you to get pregnant.”

“Why?”

“So you won’t have to go through
all the pain and—”

“You mean you don’t want children?”

Ben looked at the floor. 
Nervously he rubbed his palms on his pants.  “I don’t want—”

“My family expects us to have
children.”  Missy cut in.  She rose and went to the window.

“Honey—”  Ben followed her,
pulled her back against his chest and put his arms around her.  “We can
adopt children.”

“Then they’ll think something is
wrong with one of us.”

“You can tell them it’s me.  I
don’t care.”  He pulled her tighter.

“And are you going to use
those—those things from now on?”

“No, I don’t want to use
them.  When we get back, I’ll go to a doctor and have a vasectomy.”

“Ju—just like that?  You never
want to have children?”  Missy fought forming tears.

“Honey, please listen to me.” 
He pulled her around to face him.  “My sister—I stayed with her.  She
bled to death and cried in pain.  I’ve seen women in labor in Iraq. 
Honey, I don’t want you to have to suffer through being pregnant, especially
since—”

“Since what?”

“Since I’m so large.  And
babies we’d have might be too big for you.”  He held her tightly. 
“Remember too, twins run in both our families.  I don’t want twins with
one being born with serious problems.”  He kissed the top of her
head.  “You understand, don’t you?”

“Yes, I understand.”  She
frowned.  So, no discussion, he made the decision.  He was afraid of
twins and especially of one being abnormal.  She glanced up at him with a
forced smile.

“I don’t want to risk losing you.” 
He stared at her seriously.

“So, we’ll adopt children.” 
She smiled again.

“Yes, and I’ll see the doctor
when—”

“No, I’ll go to the doctor and have
him put me on the pill or something.”  She waved with a smile.  “Who
knows, someday you might change your mind.”

“Missy—”

“Look, it’s no big deal.”  She
smiled.  “Guess I’d better shower.”

Ben watched her go to the
bathroom.  Strange how when she forced smiles, her dimples weren’t nearly
so deep.  She wasn’t happy about using birth control.  Neither was
he, but she was too damn small to be having their babies.  Feeling
frustrated, he banged his hand on the closet door and went to the bathroom to
shave.  Maybe she’d come around if he didn’t push it too much.

Later Ben took her to the most
romantic spot he knew, and they leisurely dined and danced until one in the
morning.  Missy began giggling as they rode the elevator up to their
suite.

“What’s so funny?”  He held
her close.

“I just wondered what the manager
thought when we drove up in the limo, and I was wearing my dirty old
nightgown.”  She giggled louder. 

“I think we should pack it away and
save it.”

“For what?”

“I don’t know, memories maybe, of
some serious problems we needed to solve.”  He hugged her.  “We can
pull it out when we’ve been married fifty years and see if it was worth it.”

“I think it’s a wonderful
idea.”  She smiled warmly.  “We’ll call it my trouble gown for the
scars we had to face.  As soon as we get home, I’ll have it laundered and
packed away.”

For the next four days Ben tried to
do anything and everything to show Missy his love.   He took her
sightseeing to every place on Oahu.  They also went to the other
islands.  He bought her trinkets, bought them for her parents and all her
brothers.  He took her dining and dancing every evening.  And they
made love.  It was a perfect honeymoon, except for the unspoken tension
building in each of them.  While the topic of using birth control hadn’t
come up again. Ben could feel Missy hated it just by what it did to their
lovemaking, and she tried so damn hard not to let it show.  The bad part
was he hated it too.  Damn, he wanted kids, but he just couldn’t let her
take the risk.  He couldn’t stand the thought of possibly losing her.