Chapter 11

	Reese closed the door of the house behind him and stood looking at the woman
who had walked in ahead of him.  All the way home he had thought about how he
wanted to hold her, to kiss her, and make love to her. Now, they were alone, Patrick’s
car was not in the driveway, which meant his step-father was still at the hospital.  As he
looked at her, he ached to reach out and feel her skin against his fingertips, but instead
he stood there, fighting with himself in his mind and he closed his eyes and sighed.  He
should just turn around and go straight back to the truck, and drive over to the hospital.
He should just forget his longing, and turn his back on her.....
	“Reese?” Her soft voice penetrated his thoughts and when he opened his eyes
they were met by hers.  The look he saw there was deep and fluid, and though he
couldn’t understand it, it made his heart flip.  He took a tentative step towards her, and
cautiously lifted his hand to softly tuck her hair behind her ear.  When she didn’t speak,
simply stood there looking up at him, he gently lowered his lips to capture hers. 
	He heard a tiny sound escape her as his lips touched hers and his hand slid
instinctively behind her head, drawing her closer, the urgency in his kiss matched by her
own.  When her arms slid around him, he found himself unable to hold back any longer,
and his fingers entwined in her hair, lifting her face to heighten their kiss. 
	“Mikki” he groaned against her lips, the heat of his breath heavy on her skin, as
his lips trailed along her cheek to the nape of her neck. He felt her fingers clutching him
as his tongue traced the dip above her collarbone.  She relaxed her head against his
hand, letting him hold her up, as a muted whimper escaped her.  He returned his lips to
kiss her and the hunger that met him drove him nearly out of his mind. 
	“I want you, Mikki.” he moaned between kisses, his voice husky and breathless. 
When her breath came in the faint sound of a yes, he gripped her waist with his free
hand, pressing her close to him, and kissed her once again, with increasing passion.
	Mikki clung to him, afraid her knees would buckle beneath her if she let go.  She
knew she should keep her senses and pull away, but this was what she wanted.  She’d
wanted him to kiss her in Marina’s garden, she’d wanted him to join her in the bed as
she lay awake  the night before. She’d wanted him to make love to her then and she
wanted it now.  She loved him, she’d already admitted that to herself, and even though
she was sure he would never love her back, he wanted her. Those huskily whispered
words had ignited a fire deep within her, and though she knew she would be giving him
her love in return for what may only be desire on his part, she could not let go of him. 
She wanted him just as much, and if want was all he could give her, she had decided
she was willing to accept that.
	He groaned against her lips, and as he pressed her close to him she could
clearly feel his need against her.  One hand slid upwards, her fingers running through his
hair, urging his lips to linger in their kiss, while her other hand tugged at his T-shirt until at
last she felt the electric touch of his skin against her palm.  She felt him catch his breath,
then his tongue traced her parted lips, exploring, searching.  
	For an instant, he lifted his head and looked down at her. Eyes closed, lips
parted, face tilted upwards, the vision made him groan, and he drew her close, burying
his face in her hair.
	“Mikki” he breathed. “I want to make love  with you more than I’ve wanted any
woman before--but just say the word and I’ll stop everything. I’ll walk away and never
touch you again, if you don’t want this.”
	He felt her tremble in his arms, and her head shook every so slightly. “Don’t stop
Reese.” she spoke the words that blew away the last threads of his restraint, and in one
swift motion he scooped her into his arms and carried her into the spare bedroom.
	Gently he lay her on the bed and looked down at her. Her hair fanned the pillow,
and her eyes looked at him with a look that this time he could identify--desire.  He pulled
his shirt over his head and tossed it away, then climbed onto the bed above her as she
held her arms upward reaching for him.   As he came within reach, her fingers against
his bare chest made him catch his breath, and he knew that more than anything else, he
had to have her.
	But he had no intention of rushing into anything, no matter how strong his need.
He wanted to look at her, to drink in her beauty with his eyes and feel the heat of her
desire with his hands.  Carefully he opened the buttons on her shirt and slid his hands
inside, brushing his fingers along her shoulders and pushing the garment to the side.
She raised up and let him remove it, then offered no resistance when his hands slid
behind her back to unclasp her bra.  When it too was removed, he lay her back on the
bed and let his eyes travel her curves slowly, while his thumbs abstractly caressed her
along her arms and shoulders, before sliding along her neck until his slowly lowering lips
finally met with hers once again.  As bare skin pressed against bare skin, she lifted her
lips to meet his.  Lips entwined, tongues danced, and his hand slid down her chest to
caress her breast.  
	“You’re beautiful.” he whispered against her lips, then lifted himself to look at her
again.  Lazily his thumb traced along the side of her breast, mounting until it reached the
peek. She closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing, while her heart raced, and
her body tingled at his touch.  She felt him shift slightly, then his lips replaced his thumb,
and she let out a soft moan. He kissed her everywhere, his hands sliding lower each
time his lips moved, until his fingers reached the top of her jeans.  He slid his palm over
her belly and reached for the zipper, lowering it slowly, then sliding his hand beneath the
fabric as his lips returned to her breasts. When he touched her she wondered how much
more she could stand before she would cry out and beg him to take her completely, and
he returned his lips to hers. His fingers stroked and curled and explored her, while hers
gripped into the flesh of his back, and her lips defied her lungs need for breath in the
depth of their kiss.
	“Are you sure?” he whispered, at long last, and she nodded dreamily, her cheek
brushing against his.
	“Very sure.” she whispered back.  With this as his cue, he directed his attention
to removing her jeans, then his own.  She lay there looking up at him, and when he was
undressed before her, she looked at him with a fluttering heart. He had said her
nakedness was beautiful, now she knew his was. Her eyes darted upwards to his face,
and she lifted a hand  towards him as he lowered himself over her.
	His eyes closed and a soft moan escaped him as he felt her hand touching his
manhood, curling gently around him, caressing him with longing.  He whispered her
name against her ear as he lowered himself into place, gently pressing.  Her arms
encircled him, and her hands slid over his hips, guiding him towards her, until she let out
a soft gasp as he entered her.  Instinctively her legs wrapped around him, and her lips
sought his. He set the rhythm and she met every stroke, as they played their symphony
with lips and hands and bodies.  When at last the tempo reached it’s peek she arched
towards him and cried out his name, gripping him to her intensely.  He followed her over
the edge, then landed, languidly at the bottom with her, wrapped in each other’s arms. 
	As she tried to catch her breath amid the stars that danced in her head, he lay
tiny kisses against her neck and brushed the hair from her dampened face. He didn’t
want to move, but he felt certain he was too heavy for her, and began to gently raise
himself, but her legs gripped him and her hands pressed him close.
	“Don’t.” she whispered, as she closed her eyes and rested her head on the
pillow, not wanting to lose the closeness she felt, not ready to let him leave her.  “Not
yet.”  Her voice was content, and he rested back down, and nuzzled his face into her
neck.
	They lay for some time before either one of them moved, even drifting into a
contented sleep.  At last, Reese raised his head and looked at her where she lay
beneath him, and smiled.  With a soft kiss placed gently on her lips, he let himself move
away from the warmth of her.
	“I better get going to the hospital soon.” he said, as he kissed her once again
before sitting on the edge of the bed and reaching for his clothes. She nodded, and
rolled onto her side, bringing her arms up to rest her hands under her head and cover
her nakedness.  He looked back at her, opened his mouth as if to speak, then thought
better of it and instead just brushed the hair from her face then turned his attention back
to getting dressed.
	He was just pulling his T-shirt over his head when the phone rang, and he quickly
bent to kiss her one more time before heading out of the room to answer it, leaving her
to get dressed alone.  

	Jake always had impeccable timing, Reese thought, as he listened to his
right-hand-man describing the progress of the various jobs and pass on the few
important messages he’d received.  He would have been ready to kill if the phone had
rung a few minutes earlier than it had, he thought, as he glanced towards the bedroom
where he could hear Mikki humming while she was getting dressed.
	“Thanks for the update.” Reese said into the phone, his lack of concentration
obvious in his voice.
	“Didn’t interrupt anything important did I?” Jake asked, in a teasing voice.
	“What makes you ask that?” Reese grumbled back.  Even though Jake was his
employee, he was also pretty much the best friend he had ever had, and they could
read each other pretty well.  He knew exactly what Jake had meant.
	“Oh nothing.  I just wondered if you had that woman there with you. What’s her
name? Mikki?”
	“What about her.” Reese tried to sound indifferent as he watched Mikki move
from the bedroom to the bathroom, dressed, but barefoot.
	There was a chuckle in Jake’s voice and Reese could almost see him shrug. “Oh
nothing. There was a message on your machine here at the shop though, someone
named Max wanting to know if you knew where Mikki was ‘cause she seemed to be
missing the last few days.  I just assumed that since...”
	“I see.” Reese said, tight lipped, his grip on the phone suddenly tightening. “And
did this Max leave a phone number or anything?”
	“Well, no.” Jake sounded confused now. “I wouldn’t think Mikki would need one.
It sounded as if they were pretty close, and Max was awfully worried about her.”
	“Thanks.” Reese said brusquely. “I’ll handle it.” With that, he hung up the phone,
his eyes darkening as he stared towards the door where Mikki was. 
	Damn fool!  How could he have been so stupid? How could he have let her get
under his skin like that?  He had been so wrong about her. He should have known she
was just playing games with him, just like every other woman.  Obviously she didn’t mind
rolling into bed with him while she had Max waiting back at home.  A woman who slept
with one man while she was seeing another wasn’t exactly the kind of  woman he
wanted to sleep with, and he swore under his breath that he’d let it happen.
	“Who was it?” Mikki asked, as she stepped into the room.
	“It was Jake.” He said, eyeing her with a brooding look. The tone of his voice
caught her attention and she glanced up quickly.  The last time he’d sounded  like that
after a call from Jake, it had been bad news. Could something have happened back at
home?
	“Is something wrong Reese?” she asked, and caught her breath at the look of
disgust that clouded his face. “What did Jake say?”
	“He said your boyfriend was looking for you.” Reese said in a low but tight voice.
	Mikki looked at him in shock. “My what?”
	He spit out a fake laugh and glared at her. “Max. Remember him?”
	“Max!” she said, almost under her breath, as she realized the mistake he had
made,  and what he must be thinking of her at that moment.
	“Yeah. Max.” He said, thrusting his hand in his pocket and pulling his truck keys
out.  “Do you sleep with him too?  I don’t appreciate being played for the fool Mikki.  No
matter what you think about me, I don’t play the field. When I’m seeing a woman, I don’t
sleep with another one, and I expect the same respect in return. Obviously you don’t
share my values on the subject.”
	“Reese, wait! You’ve got it all wrong.” She took a step towards him, a look of
panic on her face, but he backed away.
	“No, lady, I think you’ve got it wrong. The wrong guy!  You may have got to me
once, but mark my words, you won’t get a second chance. As soon as I feel I can leave
here I’ll take you directly home.”
	Anger boiled up inside of her as she listened to his accusation. Suddenly her
desire to explain was replaced by a bitterness that made her want to let him think
whatever he wanted to think of her. She clenched her jaw and looked him squarely in
the eyes.
	“You won’t have to bother. I’ll find my own way home. Surely there must be a bus
or train station in this town.”
	“There is.” he stated bluntly.
	She raise an eyebrow. “If it isn’t too much trouble, would you mind dropping me
off on the way to the hospital, or would you prefer I take a cab?”
	His eyes narrowed. “I’ll drive you.” he said, and she nodded curtly.
	“I’ll get my things.” she said.
	“Fine” he replied.
	“Fine.” she repeated, and swung on her heel  and headed into the bedroom
where only moments before they had made passionate love.  Trying to keep the tears
from flowing, she grabbed what few possessions she had and stuffed them into a
shopping bag, then returned to the living room where Reese stood, still eyeing her with
disdain.  She lifted her chin and looked away from him, and walked purposefully out the
door without looking back.

	The drive to the bus station was painfully silent.  Mikki kept her eyes trained on
the side window the whole time, and when they pulled up outside the building she dared
not speak a word.  She knew all she had to say was Max is really Maxine, but she was
too hurt by his accusations against her character to even want to explain it anymore.  He
didn’t get out of the truck, and she climbed out and closed the door firmly behind her. No
sooner had she stepped away, than he pulled back into traffic and was gone.  Only then
did she allow herself to glance in his direction, watching as the now familiar vehicle
disappeared around a corner and out of sight. With a shaky breath, on the verge of
tears, she walked into the bus station and bought her ticket home.
	She filled the hours she waited for her departure with lunch at the cafe inside the 
bus station and reading a magazine she bought at the newsstand, although she could
not remember anything she’d read, nor did she really taste her food. Her skin still tingled
from the touch of his fingers, but her heart was still pierced by his words.  When time for
her departure arrived, she boarded the bus and found a seat where thankfully she could
sit alone for the long and monotonous trip home.  As they pulled out of town she caught
sight of the hospital in the distance, and her tears began to flow.  

	Reese sat brooding in front of the window in his mother’s room.  On several
occasions she had attempted to talk but his one word replies were worrisome to her. 
When she’d asked where Mikki was and when he would bring her back to visit again,
he’d told her that Mikki had returned home and would  not be coming back to the
hospital.
	“Is everything all right Dear?” Emily had asked her son cautiously.
	“Everything is fine.” he had replied.
	“Hmm.” She’d eyed him curiously, then glanced at her husband who had merely
shrugged and shaken his head. “Why did you say she had to leave?”
	“She had to get home. Something came up.” he’d grunted.  He’d chosen not to
tell her the truth, not to explain to her just yet that the whole engagement thing had been
a horrible mix-up, that they never had been engaged in the first place. He’d considered
it, at first, but one glance at the monitors that his mother was still hooked up to reminded
him that she wasn’t a healthy woman, and she really didn’t need to know. Later, after
she was home, and he was back in Elmdale, he could casually mention that things
hadn’t worked out between him and Mikki, and no one would be any more the wiser. In
the meantime, he would say nothing about it.
	“Nothing serious, I hope?” Emily had queried, and Reese had sighed.	
	“She’s fine, Mother, everything is fine.”
	Everything was not fine, Emily was convinced, but she knew her son better than
to pursue the issue until he was ready to discuss it further.  She’d only met Mikki once,
but she had seen the way the two of them looked at each other and there was no doubt
in her mind that they loved each other very much and were meant to be together. 
Patrick had even commented on it after having spent some time with them at the house
when Mikki had made dinner for them. She was a lovely girl, just what Reese needed. If
they’d had a disagreement, time would heal, and since she was in Clay River, and Mikki
was on a bus to Elmdale, there wasn’t much she could do about it at the moment
anyway.
	Instead, she tried to drum up conversation by asking Reese about his work, and
Jake, but that didn’t seem to produce results either, so she resigned herself to laying in
bed watching him stare out the window.  In the days that followed Reese spent a lot of
time staring out the window.  He spoke more, about neutral subjects, but whenever
Mikki’s name came up in the conversation he quickly changed the subject.  A few days
after Mikki  left, Emily cheerily announced that Marina had been in to visit her and how
delighted she had been with Reese and Mikki’s visit. 
	“The garden would be so perfect for your wedding you know, Reese. She told me
she had offered it to you.”
	“We’ll see.” was all he said in reply, then he tossed down the magazine he’d
been flipping through and announced he was going in search of coffee.
	Emily frowned as she watched the door close behind him. “The sooner that boy
goes home and sorts out whatever it is that’s eating him up the better.” She said to her
husband, folding her hands squarely on top of the covers. “Besides, he needs to get
back to work. Jake can’t run that business all by himself.  I’m much better now, and he
doesn’t need to be sitting around here brooding over Mikki while she’s all those miles
away.”
	“Indeed.” Patrick  agreed.
	“Then you’ll talk to him?” She said, lifting an eyebrow at her husband, then
smiling as she recognized the look on his face. The look that told her he knew he’d
walked right into her plan and would do anything she asked him to do. “Tell him not to
worry about me anymore, the doctors are doing a fine job and I’m only here for
observation now. There’s nothing he can do for me here, so he’d best be on his way.”
	Patrick smiled at his wife. Sometimes  she wasn’t any less stubborn than her
son, but he loved her all the same. “I’ll have a talk with him, Em.” He promised, and she
smiled, and rested her head back on her pillow with a sigh of relief.