I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Per several requests, I added quotation marks to the dialogue. I hadn't previously done this because in the past FF will sometimes load the quotation marks as errors. Anyway, they are loading fine today. Hopefully that'll continue.
Thanks again to everyone for reading and responding!
Chapter Fourteen
The sound of a country western tune blared into the quiet, instantly wakening Rick and causing Michonne to groan at the horrid music that was disrupting her peaceful sleep. Rick retrieved his phone from the nightstand on his side of the bed, turned it off and returned to the warmth that was Michonne, nestling his face in the side of her neck, wrapping his arm around her.
"What time is it?" She sleepily asked, even as the feel of him, his gentleness and hardness, titillated her senses, arousing her body.
"5:30." He tiredly sighed. "I have to be at the World Congress Center by 7:00." He said, then hotly kissed her ear, tightening his arm around her, causing her to languidly moan. He then slipped a hand over her nude breast, lightly brushing his thumb over its tip, before his mouth found her shoulder gently biting it with hunger. Michonne heatedly gasped, just as he turned her to face him, his plan to capture her lips, but she stopped him, surprising him by pulling away to turn her attention to something in her nightstand drawer.
"Really?" Rick scoffed in disbelief, when Michonne returned her attention his way and handed him an Altoids.
"Yes." She confirmed, then popped a mint in her own mouth.
"You're a complete mood killer." He lightly accused, then devoured the mint.
"You think so?" She sexily asked, then kissed the base of his neck, faintly licking it, then gently biting, while slipping her hands between his thighs, finding his shaft throbbing and firm, ready for the condom she skillfully slipped on it. Rick groaned as she delicately stroked his nads, causing him to nearly choke on the mint he was finishing. Intrigued by her discovery and the fervor he showed, Michonne continued her rapturous caress, stroking him there again, before wrapping her hand around his shaft. She gently groped his length and kissed him with searing passion as she sensuously kneaded his shaft, varying the speed of her caress, the position of her fingers, to rouse him with agonizing pleasure. Rick brutally pant, then held her mouth to his, matching her impassion, when she sensuously moved her hand to his tip, taunting his head, causing him to thrash with harsh abandonment, until he passionately came in a powerful shutter, loudly groaning at the intense ecstasy that was rushing his body. Breathlessly and weak, Rick lay there trembling, his limbs tingling at the lingering sparks of his release as Michonne still gently stroked him and tenderly teased his lips. Gradually, Rick's languidness melded into fire, driving him to take full possession of her mouth, to wantonly devour her as he shifted her on her back.
"You don't have time." Michonne sighed in yearning, knowing that even if he showered there, he still needed to return to his hotel and change, which left no time for them to make love.
"This won't take long." He contended, his tone passionate and deep, stoking the flames within her. Rick then tasted her mouth once more, plundering it with hunger before he abandoned it for her chin and neck. Fiercely kissing and gently nipping until he reached her chest, where he briefly tended to each peak, leaving them rigid with arousal, causing her to helplessly writhe beneath him. He then descended further, moving over her flat tummy, nuzzling it with fervor before arriving at her center. Michonne could feel his warm breath, flowing over her, quickening the air in her lungs, elevating her anticipation and desire, when he did the unexpected, lifting her leg over his shoulder and steamily brushed her inner thigh with his mouth.
"Rick." Michonne pled with yearning angst and he responded with a hint of delay, slowly, torturously exploring an ardent path to where she needed him to be, before he gave her what she so desperately wanted, lowering his mouth to her center. Michonne released an anguished cry as he hotly kissed and nursed her nub, then intermittently teased her with his tongue, darting it in and out of her cove. "Rick!" She gasped once more, gently clutching a fistful of his hair, when he added two fingers to his flaming caress, driving her over the edge where she found herself floating, riding a wave of euphoria, her body completely pliant, until moments later she came down, softly crashing into a contented tremble. Rick chastely kissed the crux between her thighs, then began to retrace his scorching path, but stopped when he reached, her upper pelvis, right below her waistline…
"What's this?" He huskily asked, smiling, then kissed the work of art that lay right where her pantyline would be.
"My attempt at rebellion." She peacefully sighed.
"A lily and butterfly near your most intimate place is rebellion?" He lightly teased, then nuzzled it once more, this time adding his tongue.
"Yes." Michonne breathed. "I wasn't brave enough to put it where my mom would see it." She faintly confessed, causing Rick to laugh.
"Did she ever find out?"
"Yeah about 6 months later, at our family reunion. She'd pissed me…" Michonne began to say, but her words faded into a moan when Rick kissed her there again, but this time going a bit lower, subtly teasing her center.
"She pissed you off…" Rick huskily repeated what she'd said, urging her to complete the story.
"Yes." Michonne sighed. "About something I can't remember, but it resulted in me going to the pool wearing a two- piece to ensure it'd be seen."
"So you returned the favor." Rick laughed, knowing what Michonne had told him about her mom, that the woman was livid upon seeing the tattoo on her daughter.
"I did." She admitted with near incoherence, just as Rick hotly Frenched the etching again, sucking it gently, causing Michonne to keen his name and lightly buck beneath him, before he commenced a fiery path, over her navel, up her stomach and over her breast, stopping a moment to appreciate them. After which, he explored her neck, ravishing it with love, then drifting to her mouth as he came to lay between her legs. The air swiftly escaped Michonne's lungs, her breath choppy and her desire again fervent. Rick gazed into her eyes, his stare a smoldering blue, once more emanating that profound and intense tenderness that had surfaced the previous night, again touching her deep.
"You better go." She whispered with heat, suggesting the last thing she wanted him to do. "You don't want to be late."
"Trying to get rid of me?" He softly replied, forgoing those three words that were so close to flowing from his heart.
"Maybe." She quietly uttered in jest, now thinking how exhilarated, yet tired she felt. How it had been a wonderfully long night that she didn't want to end, but she had to get more sleep. Otherwise she'd be dead on her feet in a few hours a work.
"Whatever you want." Rick smirked, then kissed her with passion, stirring them to a groan, driving him to bury his hands in her dreads to anchor her mouth to his, making love to it, then gradually slowing down. Rick held her eyes, silently expressing his love, moving her soul as he tenderly brushed her lips with his, before he then reluctantly left the bed, making his way to the shower as Michonne looked on with contented awe and warmth.
The Law Enforcement Summit adjourned for a mid-morning break, allowing attendees to go to the restroom, network or just stretch their legs. Rick finished up a conversation with a Major with the Atlanta Police Department (APD), whom he'd connected with about the topic of this particular forum "engaging the mentally ill". He and the man had continued discussing the topic after the session was over, but had also talked general policing, potential work opportunities within APD and briefly their children before exchanging business cards as they wrapped up the conversation. As soon as the Major walked away, Rick immediately pulled out his phone and saw that he had a couple of texts, one from Carl letting him know he'd arrived at school, and the other from Michonne which she'd sent an hour earlier.
~I finally made it to work. ~
~ We cannot have a repeat of last night tonight. ~ Her text said, causing him to smile. ~I'm exhausted. ~
~ You want me to spend the night again tonight? ~ He text back, his smile growing.
~ You completely missed the point. :/ smirk ~ Michonne text back, surprising him with her immediate response.
~ Did…~ He began to type when he was stopped by Morgan Jones walking up.
"Do I have to ask where you disappeared to last night?" His friend asked. "I'd bet my next paycheck it has something to do with that text you smiling about." He immediately deduced. "I thought you were taking your friend to dinner and that was it."
"Does it matter?"
"Yeah Chief Deputy Bratton came by last night wanting us to go out for a drink to discuss training the department on these new protocols. I told him you were having dinner with a friend. But then he came by this morning and wanted us all to go to breakfast together. That time I had to lie and say you were out for a run and that you'd meet us here after the first session."
"I'm sorry I put you in that position." Rick apologized. "Thanks for covering me."
"It's not a problem. Just next time plan your rendezvous a little better." Morgan lightly advised, which caused Rick to smile. "So, how was it?" Morgan then asked out the blue, surprising Rick. "It must've went well with you being gone all night."
"Man you know I don't do that." Rick replied as they now walked the vast exhibit hall, occasionally stopping to view the latest in policing technology and weapons.
"I wasn't asking for details about what went down. I can pretty much guess that." Morgan countered. "But what does it all mean? You've been telling me about this woman for weeks." He said, referring to how he and Rick had discussed Michonne off and on, he, being one of many who heard about Rick's 4th of July weekend with her and had in turn asked his friend about her. Rick hadn't revealed much about their relationship, but enough for Morgan to infer that Michonne was very special to him. "It's obvious that you're smitten." He added.
"Smitten?" Rick scoffed, giving his friend a look as they stopped to view the latest in police body armor.
"Yeah smitten". Morgan laughed. "No man that feels "inspired and captivated" by a woman isn't anything less." He said, referring to what Rick had said about her before.
"You're right." Rick conceded with a small smile, not bothering to argue a denial, now recalling their lovemaking, how incredible it had been, how connected he now felt to her, feeling completely happy and at peace, with admitting to himself that he was deeply in love with her. "It may seem too soon, hell it's only been three months of…virtual dating - phone calls, Skyping, texting, but she got me man, body and soul." He openly stated what he hadn't confessed to anyone, not even Darryl who knew all about his relationship with Michonne.
"There's no timeline on falling in love." His friend stated in a supportive tone. "I was in love with Jenny after our third date and asked her to marry me a month later."
"Yeah well we won't be moving that fast, with there still being some…issues to resolve." He said.
"Lori still hasn't signed the papers?"
"No, but I think she's close."
"For your sake I hope she does it soon." Morgan sighed as they now made their way back towards the main event hall.
"What does that mean?" Rick curiously asked.
"It's no secret that you and Shane had a strong disagreement, and as a result he's made no secret of his resentment towards you."
"That's to be expected considering our argument." Rick stated with little worry.
"This goes beyond that." Morgan said, his tone ominous. "You know I've always thought Shane envied you."
"Yeah." Rick acknowledged, recalling how Morgan had expressed his distrust of Shane's intention towards him for many years.
"Well now this situation with Lori has turned that envy into something else…he blames you for standing in the way of what he could have with her." His friend clarified, when Rick's questioning silence urged him to go on.
"I'm not standing in the way of anything." Rick strongly replied. "If he wants Lori, she's all his if she'll have him."
"That's the point, she won't have him as long as you're around." Morgan worriedly explained.
"I'll always be around. We have a son together."
"Exactly." His friend knowingly replied the concern seeming to deepen in his tone.
"Did you hear something else? Did he say something?" Rick asked, his own concern growing at his friend's disquiet, but before Morgan could answer they saw Bratton approaching, his stride purposeful, which meant he wanted to discuss something important. "Just be careful man." His friend managed to get out before they were joined by their boss. "And watch your back." He warned.
"Hey!" Michonne exclaimed, greeting Sasha with a hug.
"Hey!" Sasha said as she returned the embrace. "You made it. I was afraid work would cause you to cancel again."
"I know right. I'm sorry about the cancellations." Michonne replied as they both took a seat at the table, opposite from each other.
"No need to apologize." Sasha stated as she adjusted her chair. "You know I know how work can get."
"How's life and work for you? How are Bob and the kids?"
"Everything is good. You know Bob started a new job with another ambulatory service."
"Yeah, I remember you telling me. How's he liking it?" Michonne asked as they now scanned their menus.
"It's better than the last one he was with, but his hours are all over the place. He said they're supposed to get better after the New Year though." Her friend answered. "Which I hope is true, because with his schedule being so unpredictable, it's difficult to stay consistent with who's taking the kids to daycare and school and whose picking them up from their after school activities."
"What's supposed to change after the New Year?" Michonne asked.
"The Company is supposed to be fully staffed by then. Therefore, his schedule will be more predictable."
"Well let me know if I can do anything to help."
"Chonne, when are you gone have time to help?" Sasha asked. "Between the craziness you're dealing with at work and that Mr. Grimes, you barely have time to volunteer and go to the gym, much less take kids to soccer practice and drop them off at daycare."
"I am busy, but if you need me, I'm here." She offered again with sincerity.
"Thank you, but no." Sasha kindly rejected. "Bob and I got it."
"Alright. "Michonne accepted her friend's response and returned her eyes to the menu, trying to decide if she wanted the Kale Caesar Salad with Blackened Chicken or Flounder Sandwich, really just wanting to sleep. She thought, recalling the amazing night and morning she'd had with Rick. It was great. He was great. She mused in happiness and heat. But he was insatiable, which made for a tiring morning after.
"I know that work is busy for you." Sasha asserted, disrupting Michonne's thoughts. "But what about Mr. Grimes? How are things on that front?"
Michonne briefly lifted her eyes from the menu to her friend, then shyly dropped them down.
"Oh shit! Did something happen since we last spoke?" Sasha instantly, excitedly deduced. For a moment Michonne didn't speak, leaving her friend in suspense as she tried to decide how best to answer such a loaded question, when she decided that the simplest response was the best…
"He's here." Michonne revealed, even as she remained focused on her menu, trying to remain calm, to not let the joy she felt over take her.
"Wait, you mean here in Atlanta?!" Sasha questioned in shock, surprising Michonne when she snatched the menu from her hand, so that she could force Michonne's attention to her.
"Yes." She confirmed, now unable to keep the smile in her heart, off her face as she held out her hand, silently asking for the menu back.
"What is he doing here?" Sasha complied, returning the menu to her hand. "Did he just pull a pop in? And how could you not tell me this as soon as we sat down?!"
"Sort of. And I was waiting for you to ask." Michonne calmly replied to two of the three questions.
"You know that's bullshit right?" Her friend scoffed at the answer she gave to the third question.
"But it's my bullshit." Michonne playfully retorted.
"Girl whatever." Sasha said, giving her a side eye that was comical in its fakeness. "So what does 'sort of' mean?" She then persisted. "What is he doing here?" She before Michonne could respond the waiter came up and took their orders.
"He's here for a law enforcement summit." Michonne replied after the waiter walked away. "And while he's here, he thought he'd come and see me."
"How long is he here?"
"Until Saturday."
"So what happened when he showed up? What did you say? What did ya'll d…Oh my God, you slept with him?!" Sasha ceased her questions, making the deduction upon seeing the expression that was already on Michonne's face.
"I didn't intend to." Michonne casually revealed. "We were supposed to have dinner…"
"Well obviously that didn't happen." Sasha exclaimed with a laugh. "Well, how was it?!"
Michonne shook her head, and again dropped her eyes, now beaming and flushed as she again recalled every minute of her morning and night with Rick.
"He rocked it?" Sasha guessed. "Oh wow, he homicide it?!" She proclaimed upon successfully reading her stance.
"Homicide it? What are you 21?" Michonne mocked her friend, laughing.
"You're deflecting." Her friend lightly replied. "He must've rocked it hard."
"Ok stop."
"Alright. But I still want details."
"You know I never give details."
"Yeah well I think I deserve details just this once."Sasha contended. "This is a white guy from the country and you're telling me he rocked it out, I want to know how."
"I haven't said anything. You said that."
"Chonne. It's written all over your face."
"Sorry but you ain't getting details." Michonne lightly replied, but meant every word, just as their drinks arrived.
"You know you ain't fooling nobody." Sasha playfully countered. "You show up here looking tired, but glowing like the North Star and happy as a child on Christmas Day. I know he laid it down." She said, causing Michonne to scoff in embarrassment. "But since you won't give me details on your night together…"
"And morning." Michonne couldn't help but to correct.
"He spent the night?" Her friend exclaimed with shock.
"He did." Michonne replied, now blushing again.
"Your place or a hotel?"
"My place."
"Oh my God."
"That's it. That's all I'm giving you." Michonne then declared.
"You cannot stop there!" Sasha fiercely protested. "Come on Chonne." Her friend pushed, but she remained firm, saying not another word as promised. "Argh." Sasha then scoffed in frustration when she saw her cause was lost. "Well, since that's all I'm getting about your night and morning with Mr. Grimes, why don't you tell me what's next? Are ya'll in like, in love? Seriously dating? Just having a good time? What?"
"It's too soon for love." Michonne denied, even as Sasha's words 'in love' seemed to spur a light within her soul, spreading through her, awakening a yearning and tenderness for Rick that was deeper than she'd felt before, while reminding her of the profound emotion she saw in his eyes that morning and the previous night. "I like him a lot though." She continued to a skeptical Sasha, who thought Michonne's feelings were deeper than what she was admitting. "And I care about him very much…"
"But…"
"His divorce isn't final." Michonne reminded her friend, confessing her concern, which caused her happiness to somewhat abate. "I would rather it be done, but it isn't." She said. "He believes his Ex will sign the papers this week."
"You don't think she will?"
"I don't know. She's been stalling the divorce for months."
"Why?"
"She wants him back; I guess? Their kid? Who knows." Michonne sighed, remembering some of the delay tactics Rick had told her his Ex had pulled.
"What if she doesn't sign the papers?" Sasha asked, after taking a sip of her iced tea.
"He has a plan."
"And what's that?" Her friend curiously asked.
"I didn't get details." Michonne replied as she stirred the straw in her tea. "I don't want details. I just want it done."
"So you're willing to wait for him?" Sasha asked with surprise.
"I am." Michonne confirmed and her friend's expression in turn became concerned.
"What if takes another three months or a year for his Ex to let go? Are you willing to wait that long?" Michonne didn't answer right away, for she was weighing the question. She really didn't want to think about that potential outcome. Rick's ex, stalling the divorce for another three months or a year. Perhaps if they hadn't made love, she'd be willing to continue their "friendship" while things took the extra months to get sorted out. However, now that things had changed, had moved from simply close acquaintances to lovers, they couldn't just go back to being friends if his divorce lingered longer than expected.
"Chonne?" Michonne heard Sasha call, pulling her from her thoughts.
"No. I wouldn't wait." She answered her friend, her heart paining at the thought.
"Are you sure you're ready to walk away if this doesn't play out the way you want?" Her friend seriously asked upon seeing the deep emotion in Michonne's eyes.
"I wouldn't want to, but I'm ready to. I have to be." She said looking her friend in the eyes.
"Well hopefully it won't come to that." Sasha asserted, with a quiet sigh, not knowing whether to be concerned or relieved.
"You mean that? You want this to work?" Michonne asked, thinking of their mutual friend Angela's fierce disagreement with her choice to break up with Mike and take up with a man who was not yet divorced and what she deemed as beneath her.
"I want you to be happy Chonne, and this Rick seems to do that." Sasha sincerely replied. "I'll admit though, I don't like the fact that his divorce isn't final, but it doesn't sound like he's bullshitting you about getting it completed… But, be careful." She then warned. "I know you are careful, but I also know you have strong feelings for this guy." She said. "I don't want to see you hurt."
"I know." Michonne shook her head in acknowledgment, taking her friend's words to heart. "And I am."