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Ch 13 – Giving Thanks (3) [T]
They stumbled into Angela's bedroom, and the door fell shut behind them. At the sight of her king-size bed with the silk sheets he had carefully selected for them this morning, it really hit Tony. What was about to happen.
Sure, they had been intimate before, more or less. In the jacuzzi in St. Louis, in bed later that same night, only last week in the car. But this was it, the ultimate tumble off the cliff. No way of ever taking this back, of explaining it away. Not that he would want to.
The significance of the moment inspired a sense of awe in him. It lasted for a split-second before other instincts took over again.
As Tony maneuvered them towards the bed and clothes started to fly in all directions, hands and lips explored everywhere, he lost his sense of time. Sometimes, it seemed to stand still, then it would speed up again.
He operated as if on some kind of autopilot: navigating this new, exciting, sensuous territory by sights, sounds and sensations alone.
His conscious mind only regained control for brief intervals, whenever there were challenges to tackle: zippers to pull down, clasps to undo, pants to shimmy out of, socks to toe off, pantyhose not to rip. Also, when he wanted to speak, or when Angela spoke to him, and he needed to understand.
"Do we need anything?" Not sure what precautions they would need to take.
"In the nightstand. I have to go get fitted for a new diaphragm." Her breathless instructions.
Then problem solving again. Rummaging through the drawer, one of the few places in the house where he never cleaned (for privacy reasons).
Carefully opening the little foil package. Rolling on the condom.
Balancing above her on his forearms. "We never even said what we're grateful for."
"This." Her throaty reply.
Right before. "I love you so much."
"I love you too." Finally home.
"I'm not going to break, you know?"
"Is that so?"
At some point, in the far recesses of Tony's brain, a memory popped up of something that his poker buddy Eddie Carpucci had said about Angela's friend from business school, Emily. "You wouldn't believe what they teach them in graduate school." No kidding.
"Tony, don't stop, I'm going to-"
And that was it for him, too.
If this was the landing at the foot of the cliff, it was the most blissful impact Tony had ever felt, like being smashed to stardust.
Everything about this experience made it very clear to him that this was the way they were meant to be together in this world. Not boss and employee. Not friends. That was all well and good.
But for everything that was holy – they were supposed to be lovers.
He reached for Angela's hands. They were both weak with pleasure when they interlaced their fingers and allowed their breathing to slow down.
After pressing kisses to each of her calves, he gently spread her legs apart on either side of his waist so he could get off his knees and lie on top of her, careful not to squash her with his full weight.
Their lips met in a lazy kiss, and Tony reveled in the feeling of the length of their bodies pressed together.
"That was-" Angela started, slowly, drunkenly looking up at him with what he was sure must be unfocused eyes.
Neither of them had thought to switch on any of the lights, and while it was a full moon outside and its milky white light filtered in through the bedroom windows, it was too dark to make out any details.
"Yeah," he agreed, "that was-"
They both laughed at their inability to find the right words to describe what had just occurred between them. Angela ran her hands up and down his back in an aimless pattern as he kissed the hollow of her throat, near where he had given her a hickey less than two weeks ago.
Tony wanted to stay like this and breathe in her scent forever and ever. But he needed to take care of something before any cuddling could continue.
"Sweetheart," he murmured, running his hand over her forehead and through her hair. He was dimly aware that he had never called her that before, but knew immediately that he wanted to keep doing it.
"Mhm?"
"I have to- let me just …" he said as he pushed himself up onto one elbow and reached down between their bodies.
This part was always a little awkward. Holding on to the latex with two fingers, he carefully withdrew and sat back on the bed.
That was when he felt it.