All I Want For Christmas
Chapter Seven
"Eliot…" Kenna looked at the ring and then I him. "I didn't mean…that you should do this…I never wanted to be the reason…" She swallowed hard.
"Kenna, the only reason I'm asking you is because I love you and I want you to know that wherever you are is the place I will always come back to."
"I don't need a ring and a promise to know that Eliot."
"I think you do. Because every time something goes wrong or we fight lately you think I'm gonna leave. You need a reason to believe that I'm going to be here for you and our kid." He looked into her eyes. "I need you to know that I'm in this forever."
"Nothing is forever. People die, people change their minds, and people leave Eliot." Kenna stood up and went to the window. The snow was falling harder. It was really going to be a white Christmas.
"What can I say to make you understand that I'm not going anywhere? I can't promise I'm not going to die but I can promise I will not change my mind and I'm never ever going to leave you." He came up behind her. "I messed up a whole lot of things in my life. The first was leaving Kentucky without you and Jodi. When you came back into it I swore I would never let you go again."
"Eliot…" Kenna closed her eyes. Her head was pounding and the baby seemed to feel her mother's stress and began kicking and rolling inside her. "I'm not saying no to the idea." She turned to look at him. "But I can't say yes, either." Eliot took her hand.
"Take your time. I'm not going anywhere." He put the ring on her finger. "Just know that I will always, always be there for you." As long as she had worn the plastic and glass ring around her neck he had been there as her friend and her protector. She knew in her heart that as long as she wore the new ring on her finger he would be that man again. It was her brain that told her not to trust anyone, not even the hero with the blue eyes that had saved her a lifetime ago. She was to trust no one but herself. Now if her brain could listen to her heart, everything might be all right. He took her in his arms and held her tightly against his chest.
"I'm sorry I can't offer you a better answer Eliot." She whispered.
"When you're ready Kenna, you'll have the answer." He said against her hair. "I love you." He let his hand go to her stomach and felt the child inside her kick. "Both of you. Now and forever." Closing his eyes Eliot prayed that she would see that this was the way thing were meant to be.
/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/
Both Kenna and Eliot decided that they would keep the ring a secret till Christmas so she put on the chain with the Saint Christopher's medal that she still wore around her neck. They went down and had dinner at the bar with everyone. Sharing plans of the upcoming week off. Eliot and Kenna decided to take a road trip to Kentucky and they all planed to be home by New Year's Eve and spend the night playing poker and sharing vacation storied. Nate looked at his hitter and his girlfriend. Something had happened between them but he couldn't put his finger on what it was and they weren't sharing. As long as they worked it out he really didn't care.
0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0
(Midnight December 24)
"Parker's in the vents again." Kenna rolled over and pulled the covers over her head. Eliot had just gotten home from the poker game Nate had started after dinner. Kenna had called it a night about ten and now it was midnight and she could hear the blond thief through the vents.
"She'll get board." He slid off his boots and took his watch and set it on the dresser. "And she'll never find her present." Eliot yelled into the vent. Kenna laughed. He unbuttoned his shirt.
"When does this boredom set in because she's driving me insane?" Sliding off his jeans he got into bed.
"I know one way we can get her to leave." Eliot said as he slid his arms around her.
"Hey, your hands are cold." She screeched. He chuckled.
"You never complained before." Eliot pulled her back against him. He ran his hands down her naked body. "You know when the baby's born you might have to start wearing pajamas."
"Maybe that's what you can get me for Christmas. The kind with the feet." Kissing her neck he ran his hands down her body. "Ohhh Eliot don't stop…" She moaned loudly.
"Oh Kenna oh yeah." He said loudly.
"EWWWWW!" They heard from the vent. The sound of retreating thumps made them both burst into laughter. It was something that they hadn't done in a very long time.
"Let's hope that's the last time we have to scare our thief away with sex."
"You aren't going to stop, right." Kenna asked. "Because stopping now could be the deal breaker." She turned in his arms.
"You mean if I don't finish what I started, you not going to…marry me?"
"Eliot, I swear if I marry anyone it will be you." She kissed him. "Thank you for being patient with me."
"Thank you for being honest with me." He rolled on his back and closed his eyes, pulling her close. "I'm really not going anywhere Kenna."
"I know, not with that problem between your legs." Kenna straddled him.
"You my dear are incredibly needy."
"Is that a bad thing?" She looked into his eyes.
"No. You won't get any complaints from me."
"I was never like this with Jimmy?" She knew bringing him up with both of them naked and him about to enter her wasn't going to go over real big. "Sorry." He looked in her eyes.
"Tell me." He held on to her hips. She looked confused. "Tell me what's different."
"I never…wanted it all the time."
"Wanted what?" He said teasingly.
"Sex Eliot. Is that what you wanted to hear? Hi I'm Kenna, I'm thirty four and I'm addicted to sex with the father of my child." He moved a little and sent a shiver up her spine.
"What about the first two months we were together and you couldn't blame your hormones?"
"It had been a really long time." She moved her hips. "Really, really…really long time."
"Jimmy didn't…or wouldn't?"
"I can't you believe you're asking that." She smiled. "Especially in the position you're in." He moved her slowly. "Do you really want to know?" She whispered.
"I wouldn't be asking."
"Never."
"Never what?"
"I can't believe I'm telling you this." She smiled. "In the two years we were together I never had an orgasm." Eliot laughed. "I should have never said anything." She rolled off him and turned away from him.
"Kenna, darlin' I'm not laughing at you." He pulled her back. "I wanted you to tell me." He ran his hand down her belly. "Was it only him that didn't satisfy you." His hand traveled lower.
"Ahh, you expect me to think when you're doing that?" She asked.
"Doing what?" She arched her back as he hit an extremely sensitive part of her anatomy.
"Eliot…oh God, you know that drives me crazy."
"Tell me." He whispered.
"No, only you." She moaned.
"What about me?" Eliot voice was anything but calm.
"You're the only man that…"
"Say it." She felt him inside her as his fingers did things to other places.
"You're the only man I ever…oh Eliot…"
"Say it." He growled.
"You're the only man that's ever given me an orgasm." She painted as he took both of them over the edge. The room was quiet except for their labored breathing. Kenna clung to him shaking.
"That should count for something." He whispered in her ear.
"It always has." She turned and buried her face in his chest as he pulled the blankets over them both.
"Another reason you have to marry me."
"I don't have to marry you to have mind blowing sex with you Eliot."
"I bet it could get better if we were married." Kenna chuckled.
"Baby, it gets any better we're going to need CPR."
"Can't blame a guy for trying." Eliot ran his hand down her back. "I'm not going to give up, Kenna."
"God I hope not." She wrapped her leg around his and clung to him. She didn't care if he only needed a few hours sleep Kenna needed him next to her. Holding her. Keeping all her dragons at bay. "Please don't go." She whispered as she fell asleep. He knew that she needed him to stay in their bed tonight. Maybe it was a habit he would have to look into. It had been a long time since he spent the whole night in bed.
o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o
(6:15 AM December 24)
"Eliot?" Kenna felt the warm body next to her.
"You expected someone else?" He ran his hand down her back.
"I never wanted anyone else." She whispered.
"Then why are you making me beg?"
"I don't recall anyone begging last night but me." Eliot smiled.
"Darlin' you never have to beg to get anything from me." Kenna sat up and took the ring off the chain around her neck.
"Do you really think that a few words and a piece of paper is going to make this all better somehow?" He took the ring from her and put it on her ring finger of her left hand.
"No but it will make me a happy man."
"Eliot Spencer…a happy man, what a concept." She looked at him.
"Once in a lifetime chance baby." Kenna smiled. "Can I ask you something?"
"You can ask me anything you like." She laid down and put her head on his shoulder. "Will I answer you…?"
"No secrets Kenna."
"No secrets."
"Other than Jimmy and me…:"
"Oh Eliot I do not like where this is going and on Christmas Eve no less."
"What ever happened to no secrets?"
"Whatever happened to no kissing and telling?"
"I'd tell you but it would take all day." His grin was so naughty she almost hated to slap it off his face.
"You are a man whore Eliot; you do know that, right?"
"Not anymore. Well except with you." He kissed her.
"Now you know why I wonder why you would settle for me." Eliot shook his head.
"Why do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Say that I'm settling. Damn it Kenna Shane. You are the most beautiful, talented, loving woman I have ever met. I love you for what's inside and hell the outside is just as hot darlin'. Why can't you see that?"
"I guess because I haven't had the vast experience you have." She pushed out of his arms. "You asked about the other men…you really want to know?" He didn't anymore. He had made her angry and all he wanted to do was make her feel safe. "Pretty much, that's it. I dated a few guys here and there but you and Jimmy are the only ones I ever…I let…damn it Eliot." She didn't want it to be like this. He pulled her down and kissed her hard. She felt his heart beating and the blood rushing through her veins. He entered her without any warning or soft words. She needed to know that this didn't make her different, it made her more special. The things they had done and the places they had taken each other meant more to him now more than ever.
"Marry me Kenna Shane." He kissed her. "Just believe in us baby. Have faith in us." He said as he ran his hands over her body. He moved in her and she couldn't catch her breath. Eliot had taken her breath away since the day they met and it seemed that there was no chance he was going to stop doing it any time soon.
"Yes, yes Eliot…"
"Yes, you'll marry me?" Stopping he smiled knowing he was going to get hit before this was over. She looked into his eyes. They had never lied to her. Never hurt her intentionally. Never told her something he didn't mean.
"Yes." She whispered. "I will marry you." She kissed him and they finished what they started in desperation, but ended with two people saying yes to a whole new beginning.
