Chapter 8
"Let me finish drying you off," John said huskily in Evangeline’s ear as he lowered her on to the bed. His hunger for her was still fresh in his eyes and heightened by their incredibly satisfying romp in the tub. He was profoundly aware of the sensitivity of her skin; each caress produced a small tremor in her. Evangeline lay on the bed feeling exposed by more than her bared flesh. Her nerve endings were tingling and showing in her body’s responses to his touches as John turned the bath towel into an erotic tool on her skin with his rubdown. Turning her on her stomach John started applying scented lotion with lingering finger strokes that worked her body.
Evangeline reached back seeking closer contact with him, "No, no," John laughed "This is the final lap of your workout of pleasuring—as I promised you, and you don’t get to reduce me to a quivering mass of lust like you did in the bathroom." Turning her on her back knew he was putting his control on the line. She would see how much he wanted her and would want to ease his sexual tension and he wouldn’t want to stop her. Looking at her taunt nipples teasing him with an invitation to lick and suck them to his complete contentment John drew in a deep hungering breath, "She’ll always make me feel this way, even when we’re 90 I’ll want her." The realization that he expected to be with her in their autumn years comforted him instead of sending waves of panic and pain through his heart. He realized he needed to let her know how deep his feelings ran and not just rely on her to get it and know it intuitively in her soul.
Van shifting on the bed brought him back to the present; John put more lotion on his hands and started at her hair line and ended at the soles of her feet and her toes. His hands couldn’t help themselves they had lingered with a mind of their own on her full breasts, her thighs, between her legs, and behind her knees, asserting their right to claim her body, amazed that she always granted permission for him to take control of her flesh however he wished. Gratification came from knowing this contact was as sweetly torturous for her as for him.
"Have I missed any spots you wanted scented?" he asked with a look of innocence settling over his face. Van’s eyes had closed and she had unconsciously clutched the sheets in anticipation of John filling her, opening her eyes she watched him dazed, "John, you can’t stop now!"
"Oh, yes, I have to. I promised you I’d let you work once I relaxed you and I’m a man of my word."
"I am not relaxed!" the words coming out in a sexy, hoarse moan.
"Sure you are, at the core." Laughing wickedly he got off the bed.
Unbelievable! He had the gall to actually laugh at her, the wicked edge turning into a sweetly infectious laugh. But laughing at a woman he had put in this condition of want!
John went to the dresser and pulled out underwear, socks and a sweater and started to dress. He opened the closet door and looked at his selection of pants trying to block images of Evangeline nude, prone and waiting to make love with him. He turned and met her eyes, "I’m proving that although I always want to make love with you we can, in fact, be alone, in private and not turn it into a marathon of lovemaking. Aren’t you proud of me?"
Sitting up she tucked her legs under her "I do not object to our making love at every opportunity—I welcome it, revel in it. You just render me incapable of thought of any kind, I become pure emotion whenever we’re intimate, John."
"And this is bad?"
"No, just new for me and disconcerting because you can turn it on and off."
"What do you mean?" John was uncomfortably aware of her, how relaxed she was naked and not bothering to cover up, he loved that freeness in her.
"Don’t misunderstand, when you make love to me it’s all about me, us and you want me to feel complete satisfaction by you and with you, and you are not a lazy lover, ever. I don’t know where you store all that reserve energy. But afterwards, sometimes, just sometimes you go someplace in your head, usually to work, until I call you back. When you withdraw emotionally I feel forgotten, disconnected and hurt."
"Baby, I just…its work and it crowds me and takes me over."
"Yeah, I know. Still it hurts that you can blank out what just happened between us no matter how intense in seconds and go elsewhere in your brain. I mean, when we’re still in bed John, afterglow you know!"
"I won’t let that happen again, promise, nothing but pleasure in our bedroom, no matter whose bed we’re actually in at the time. Just hit me upside the head if I forget and fade out on you." Hesitating he adds "I’m not making an excuse here, if I didn’t trust you so completely and know I’m emotionally safe with you I’d never relax enough to mentally travel away from us."
"Evangeline, I need to tell you…" the ringing of her phone startled them both and John’s fury came over him instantly, he was sure he’d turned off all the phones. Then he recalled they’d ended up in the tub before he had a chance to turn off the ringer and disconnect the answering machine. "Don’t answer; I have to tell you this now. Evangeline," Bo’s voice came through on her machine, "Sorry to bother you Evangeline if you’re home, but I’ve tried John’s cell and home and if you see him…" John looked at Van and she nodded her acceptance of the price of his job, always on call to serve and protect. "Bo, I’m here what’s up?" Listening he rubbed a hand over his face "I’m on my way, yeah, I’ll update you once I’ve assessed the situation." Sighing John turned to Evangeline, "You have to go to work." she states.
"Yeah, it’s a hostage thing. I’ve got to go but I’ll call when I can. I’d like to come back but I don’t know how long I’ll be."
"It’s alright John, I’ll be around, go on." she starts to get up and put on her robe.
"No, just stay there and let me look at you," pulling on his pants he picks up his keys, gun, wallet and phone turning it back on. He tucks the gun at the small of his back then kneels on the bed and draws her up to him "You’re so beautiful and I like thinking of you waiting for me, looking like this your skin all warm and glowing from the water."
Laughing she replies, "That’s from what happened in the tub and then being dried off by you leaving me satisfied and yearning all at once." Taking in his appearance she smiles "You look pretty well sated yourself. What did you want to tell me?"
"Oh, yeah. Later, huh? I’ve gotta go." Pausing he kisses her forehead and brushes her hair back with a light kiss to her lips. "I’ll call you later; I don’t know how long this will go. This weekend how about going away somewhere? Stay over? We can catch some music or a show and have a meal. I’ll even sit through a dance performance—if it’s not ballet." With visible effort he refrains from touching her more, moving away he picks up his tie from the chair.
Van gives him a dazzling smile "I’ll go online and see what’s happening where this weekend. I’d like a change of scenery. Talk to you later." Relaxing back on the bed Van let her mind float as she opened herself to just feeling: the movement of warm air as the heat kicked on tickled and teased her body along with the sheets and blankets where they touched her. Part of her wanted to be just like that when John returned—naked and twisted in the bed sheets. Thinking back to their talk earlier she was unnerved by this new directness between them, she’d wanted honesty but now wondered what he’d make of all that she had said, all that they had done together sexually.
Evangeline tried to put more thought into shaping the rest of her day but it was useless. Forcefully she decided not to give in to the desire to wait on him to come back to her bed; reluctantly she admitted work wouldn’t focus her enough to tune out this need for him. Picking up the phone she called Nora, reached her and put her on hold and called Blair for a conference call. "Ladies, help me I’m so pathetic. John was called into work and instead of doing my own work I’m floundering. I’m becoming a 1950s throwback!" Blair laughed and offered to bring comfort food while Nora said she’d get there as soon as she swung home checked on Matthew and changed clothes. "A mental/emotional health and healing day is called for and long overdue, minus the tykes, right Blair?" Nora queried, "Yeah," Blair agreed "only grown rugrats allowed at this party."
They all clicked off and Van got up, got dressed, pulled a few bottles of wine from the chiller, selected wine glasses, filled the cd changer with a range of music and tossed an array of overstuffed, oversized pillows on the floor by the fireplace.
Driving to the hostage scene John looks down and notices a small spot of wetness on the thigh of his pants, he knows immediately he’s wearing Evangeline’s essence. Touching it with two fingers he inhales her scent one that he elicits in her, then brushes the taste of her against his mouth and moans softly from needing her, loving her.
