Caroline & Lost Love
Chapter Four
By: Jana~
*****
--Richard and Annie entered the small office at the back of the gallery… once in, he closed the door… "Tell me now, in detail, just what are you talking about."
"Enough with the Mr. Innocence act, Richie, I know all about your cruel treatment!"
"What?! Caroline told you I treat her cruelly?"
"Not in so many words! But what would you call it?!"
"I honestly have no idea what you are talking about…"
"Oh, you don't, huh? So, you're just hubby number one, right? Saint Richie…"
"Annie, I don't have time for this. Start explaining or get out. I have a lot of work to do…"
"I'm talking about you denying Caroline!"
"Denying her?" he asked, confused… "Denying her what?
"Sex!" she stated, probably a bit louder than she should have… "You deny her sex! And don't bother to deny it!"
"I do no such thing!" he snapped back… "And what happens between Caroline and I in the privacy of our bedroom is certainly NOT your concern!"
"It becomes my concern when she looks to me to lean on and cry on because her husband doesn't act like he loves her anymore!"
"That's preposterous! Of course I love her! And she knows I love her! I tell her everyday!"
"Telling isn't enough! Why don't you try showing it! You know, she's still a woman, even though she's disabled… she still has wants and desires!"
He rolled his eyes… "I know that Annie… it's just-- It's complicated. There are things you don't understand…"
"Oh, don't I? I know she can't feel like she did before…"
Richard looked at her with a shocked expression… "What?" he asked softly…
"That's right! I know all about all of it! And I also know that you have near-about cut her off just cause she's 'broken'."
"That's not my word! That's her word!"
"It doesn't matter who's word it is! You got it in your thick head a long time ago that just cause she can't feel stuff the same way, that that must mean she doesn't need sex! Well, surprise! She does! She needs it and wants it and is feeling unloved and undesirable cause you won't give it to her! You have her convinced that you stay out of duty, and that you don't make love to her cause you find her unattractive."
"That's not true!"
"Then, why do you turn her down when she asks for sex?"
He slowly shook his head… "I don't know…"
"Bull, Richard. She has near-about begged… you always make excuses!"
"I thought she was doing it for my benefit…"
"Doing what for your benefit?"
"Offering herself to me for my benefit…"
"Oh, that's the biggest load of bull I have ever heard! You could fertilize the Whitehouse lawn with that amount of bullshit!"
He glared at her, then paused before sitting heavily in his chair… "Ok, you win. You're right… that's not entirely true. I was just-- I was sick of feeling like a failure. Every time… and she would just lie there… waiting for--" he hesitated as his voice cracked… "Waiting…" he whispered with a shake of his head… "I tried. I honestly did, but… I couldn't… please her."
Annie sighed… "It's not about the 'Big O', Richie, it's about the closeness. The connection. She just wants to feel that close to you. She just wants you!" She patted him on the shoulder… "Although why I have never been able to understand…" she added, breaking the tension…
He smirked… "Mmm-hmm. Ok, so, you have all the answers, what do I do now?"
"You don't know? It really has been a long time!"
"Shut up and answer the question."
"She wanted to go away for your guys' 7th anniversary. Take her someplace romantic and make love to her till you're both exhausted! That's my recommendation."
He nodded in agreement… "That's a good idea." He grabbed the phonebook off his desk and flipped it open to travel agents… "Why were you guys fighting?"
"We said stuff we didn't mean… in the heat of the moment…"
"Like?"
"She said that Del was probably only staying with me for the sex, so I kinda came back with 'At least I get sex'…"
He looked up from the phone book and shot her a disgusted look…
"Hey! I didn't say I was proud of it! I'll apologize later."
"And she really broke something?"
"Pretty sure. It sounded glass… and like it hit the door."
"I'll head home as soon as I make the arrangements for our getaway…"
"Ok," Annie smiled as she turned for the door… "My work here is done…" she opened the door, then shot him a smile… "I'll mail you my bill."
He just shooed her away.
*****~*****
--Caroline had swept up three times, but she was still finding bits of glass she missed. Irritated with herself, she grumbled about how it served her right when she would find the bits and shards, straining to clean it up each time. She put the broom and dustpan away for the umpteenth time, then rolled back to her desk…
"Hey sweetie…" Richard greeted her as he walked in the door…
"Oh. Hey…" she was surprised to see him… "I wasn't expecting you home so soon…"
"I left early…" he kissed her softly, then kneeled beside her… "I wanted to show you something." He handed her a brochure from a romantic bed and breakfast…
Caroline looked at it with confusion… "What is this?"
"You wanted to go away for our anniversary…"
"We're going to this?" she asked, looking at him with a smile that barely curled at the corners of her mouth… "How?"
"I made all the arrangements. For this weekend, if that's ok. That way, I can still supervise Ray on opening night."
"Seriously? We're really going?"
"Yes. We are. And I'm so sorry I wasn't paying closer attention to your needs. I'm sorry I'm not a better husband…"
She eyed him warily… "Did Annie talk to you?"
"That's not important…" he told her gently… "This is…" He leaned in to her, kissing her tenderly, and all too soon, the kiss grew… intensified…
He scooped her out of the chair, their lips locked in passion as he headed for the stairs…
"Room?" he asked against her lips… she mumbled in the affirmative as he climbed the stairs.
--He lied her gently on the bed, crawling in beside her and running his hand up her shirt… she moaned and squirmed slightly as he adored her with his lips and fingers…
Clothes were nothing more than brief obstacles that found their way to the floor in an unorganized pile as their desires begged to be quenched…
He left her side for a moment, setting several pillows against the headboard, then smiling at his love as he returned to her…
"I want to try something…" he whispered to her as he gathered her into his arms. He rolled with her so that he was beneath her, then scooted up to a sitting position, leaning against the pillows that sat against the headboard.
He adjusted her legs so that it was like she was kneeling, straddling him, her body pressed against him as she leaned into him…
"Are you comfortable?" he asked as he kissed her neck…
"Yes." She whispered her reply…
"Reach behind me…" he instructed… "Grab hold of the headboard…"
She did what he said, then soon realized what he was attempting. Using her upper body strength, she helped by using the headboard as leverage as Richard lifted her by the hips and gently guided her down onto his arousal.
His eyes fluttered shut at the sensation, and Caroline felt a hunger grow as she watched his reactions to their lovemaking.
His hands gripped her hips as he helped her move with him, the pace slow and sensual… his release building and approaching with each gentle thrust…
But then, something happened… she moaned. His eyes flew open and he looked at her, her face contorted in pleasure…
"Caroline?" his voice was quiet, as if a louder one would break some mystical trance… her eyes opened slowly to look at him… "Are you--? Does this… feel… good?"
Her eyes drifted closed again and she nodded slightly…
Encouraged, he began kissing her everywhere he could reach. Her neck… her shoulder… her lips… her breasts… he licked her taught nipples and she moaned louder, biting her lower lip in a way that made Richard ache…
She whimpered, her brow furrowing in obvious concentration…
"Tell me what you need, Caroline…" he breathed… "Tell me what you need from me…"
"It's perfect… like this…" was her near-breathless reply…
Richard was so overcome with emotion as he watched her facial expressions, he almost felt like he might cry. He hadn't seen that look of sexual satisfaction on her face in over seven years. Usually while they made love, she just watched him… her only enjoyment the sights and sounds of his gratification.
Her breathing came in gasps… "I'm close…"
Adrenaline shot through him like a bolt of electricity… "What do you need me to do?"
"Speed up… a little…" Her body becoming tense with anticipation… "Help me…" she whimpered…
He watched her scowl, and he knew she was close… "I love you so much, Caroline…"
A low groan escaped as she tensed and froze, shaking from the pleasure. Richard's job became harder as she was no longer helping with their movements… she was just drowning in sensation, and he watched as she floated in ecstasy before collapsing against him…
He held her tight, his own need for release aching in his groin… but at that moment, it didn't matter. Nothing mattered except Caroline.
She slowly found her voice as she recovered… "How did you know?"
"Know?" he asked…
"About that position…"
"I didn't. I just thought we might try it…"
"It was amazing…" she hummed… "You were amazing…"
He nuzzled into her neck, his hips grinding slightly as he ached to move within her…
She pulled back and looked at him… "Did you--?"
He shook his head, a slight smile on his face… "No."
"Oh, hunny, I'm sorry!"
"Don't be…" he kissed her lips… "I couldn't be happier right now…"
"I think we can make you a little bit happier…" she grinned, raising her eyebrows suggestively…
He smiled and kissed her shoulder as he gathered her into his arms and rolled over on the bed, her then beneath him…
The pace started out slow, but need pushed him to a faster pace. It didn't take long… he grunted softly and shuddered as his orgasm washed over him, Caroline watching as his expression changed from concentration to pleasure.
When he quieted, he rolled beside her and pulled her close to him, the wordless silence speaking volumes. He reached down for the thin blanket that laid folded at the foot of the bed, then covered them both in it as he held her tight…
"You did talk to Annie, didn't you?" Caroline finally spoke up…
He nodded just slightly…
"What did she say to you?"
"She just helped me to see that I have been neglecting your needs." He sighed… "It will never happen again, believe me."
He kissed her temple, and she hummed at the simple show of affection, they nodded off minutes later…
TO BE CONTINUED…
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