CHAPTER 2—VISIT FROM AN OLD FRIEND
Loralei had gotten a late start to her day. Rachel had been quite active for hours, and neither she nor Donovan had gotten much sleep the night before. Ah, the joys of parenthood, Donovan had commented at around dawn. Shut up and take your turn, she had spat crankily. Of course, her husband was the consummate day person, and the crack of dawn was his favorite time. She would gladly allow him to take this shift, because she would take the nighttime anytime. She dragged her body out of bed, tied her hair back, and struggled into a pair of shorts and a sports bra. Groaning like a spoiled child, she approached the stationary bike in the corner of the room and reluctantly climbed onto it. How many miles should she ride today? One would be perfect, of course, but she settled on ten. While she rode directly to nowhere, she grabbed hold of two five pound hand weights and began the other part of her new morning routine. It wasn't quite as much fun as making love to her husband in the shower, but it seemed to burn just as many calories. After twenty minutes or so, she had worked up a fairly good sweat. She hated this new routine, hated it with a passion, but she had to admit that after she got going, it made her feel great.
Donovan entered the bedroom from the baby's room and stood staring at Loralei as if she were a woman possessed. She was cycling crazily, swinging her arms up and down with the weights held firmly in her hands. He had only seen her doing this occasionally. She normally went about her mad exercise after he had gotten up and gone to work. "What in the hell are you doing? I don't think all this is necessary," he said with a smile. She huffed out breaths. In. Out. Out. In. Oddly, it was turning him on a little. Heavy breathing brought his mind around to…other things.
"Easy for you to say, oh jerky husband o' mine. You weren't the one who gained almost thirty pounds, were you," she asked through a glittering smile.
He shook his head. "Thirty pounds my ass, Loralei. If it was twenty, I'd be surprised."
She noticed that he hadn't dressed in his usual business casual clothing that he insisted on wearing to work. Donovan's idea of 'casual Friday' was not wearing a shirt beneath his V-neck sweater. He had donned blue jeans and a black tee-shirt. Very un-Donovan like indeed, but she had to admit he looked quite delish in those clothes. He'd look better out of them, she thought. "Aren't you going to work today?"
He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Nope. I thought I'd stay here with you and the baby today." He wished she would get off that damn cycle. Lately, she had straddled it more than she straddled him. The sweat glistening on her skin was doing something to him. Dirty little thoughts began to creep into his mind. He wasn't far from simply dragging her off the exercycle, throwing her onto the bed, and ravaging her for the rest of the morning. How long had it been? Five weeks now? It felt more like five years. He missed her, he really really missed her. Of course, he wasn't counting the time while she was still pregnant. Sex had been a no-no in the last few weeks of her pregnancy, doctor's orders. They actually hadn't made love in a couple of months.
She smiled a little and continued cycling. As much as a sex-starved female pervert, she couldn't help but stare down at his impressive package held ever so snuggly by his tight jeans. Must look away. Must look away now. She focused her eyes on a spot behind Donovan's head [the one on his shoulders]. "You know Bart's coming today, and you're playing the Protector again. Just admit it, Frank, I won't think any differently of you."
His eyes locked onto a droplet of sweat rolling down between her breasts. Dear God, if I don't get out of here, I don't know what I'll do to her, he thought. His lips ached to fall upon that glorious valley between her breasts, longed to suck every droplet of moisture off her body. "Okay," he said sedately. "I admit it. I know he's your friend, and I understand that you're close to him, but I have a couple of issues. These are issues of which you are aware."
"Yup," she said, "I am. I owe him a lot, though, and I want to show off the baby." She laughed. "As if no one on this planet hasn't seen her yet."
Her breath: Huff. Puff. In. Out. Out. In. Uh God. "I'm working on it, Loralei. I can only forgive so many people at a time, you know."
She finally stopped her lunatic pace and dropped the weights. Ugh. She felt better, true, but she was also as horny as hell. Was it the endorphins that did this to her? Jesus. This was worse than being separated from him. "Oh yeah, I know," she said comically. Farron came immediately to mind. Since Rachel's birth, Farron and Donovan had finally made up. There were still a few tentative moments in their relationship, but things had definitely begun to look up. Farron had even gone legit and secured a real job on the legal side of the fence. "I haven't seen Jackson since the wedding, and he's only going to be in Chicago for a few days."
He caressed the nape of his neck. She had stopped moving, but still sat astride the cycle. She threw her other leg over the cycle, but kept her fanny plopped firmly in the seat. She grabbed a towel that she had slung over the handlebars and began to wipe away the sweat trickling down her body. Goddamn. He couldn't stand so far away anymore. He approached her and stood almost right up against her. She had even spread her legs a little to allow his body to slip between them. He grabbed the towel and took over the task of wiping her sweat away. He had to touch her, he couldn't help it. "You don't have to explain, Loralei," he said as he ran the towel across her lower chest and then down her arms. "It's okay, really. I can tolerate his presence, I've told you that already."
"Hmm," she halfway moaned/halfway sighed. It felt nice having his hands all over her body, even if a thick towel covered them. She could feel the heat radiating from them. "I know. I just wanted to get my point across again."
He bit his bottom lip, and lifted both his eyebrows for half a second. "I know." His voice was soft and low. "You do that so…well."
Her arms went around his waist and she pressed her body against his. She could feel him hardening against her, even through the heavy denim material of his jeans. So nice. So incredibly nice. "I try." What were we talking about again, she wondered stupidly as her husband's eyes seemed to consume her very soul.
His hands came up to her shoulders and he drew down the straps of her sports bra. His lips went down to one shoulder, and she closed her eyes with a sigh. Of course, as usual, her eyes had begun to roll in the back of her head. They had been together a fairly good amount of time, and she was certain he had yet to see that little trick. It was one of her best-guarded secrets. If he saw her, he'd laugh himself into an early grave. He had come close to seeing it on their wedding night, but he had been too amused by her toes curling up to really pay attention. The feel of his lips and the stinging nip of his teeth on her now bare shoulder felt so very incredible. His hand came up to cup one of her breasts, and she let out a long, trembling breath. His thumb lazily caressed her nipple, making it rock hard, and produced a not-so-unpleasant chafing sensation against the rough material of the bra. The bra zipped up the front and it didn't take him long to open it. Still keeping her eyes closed tightly, one of her arms moved from his waist and her hand grasped the handlebars to prevent them from tumbling over and causing mood-shattering injuries. It might have taken five seconds for his mouth to leave her shoulder and move down to her nipples. It felt so good that it was almost…painful. It had been far, far too long since he had been inside her. It seemed as if she were a virgin again. His lips made their way back up and latched onto hers hungrily.
Loralei broke the kiss so that she could work her hands under his tee shirt. His skin was so warm and incredibly soft. She loved touching and tasting it. She pushed the shirt up and over his head. He reached around her and drew her up against him. He wanted her off that damn cycle and on him for a change. His hands traveled down to her buttocks and he grinded her lower body into his as his mouth found hers again. He had literally grabbed double hands full of her shorts in an attempt to get them off her as quickly as possible. He tugged at them impatiently, only managing to pull them down a couple of inches. At the same time, he was backing her up toward the bed. They came down on the bed awkwardly, part on and part off it. They broke physical contact only long enough to get their bodies fully on the bed. They lay on their sides, facing each other, and her hand slid down to the snap and zipper of his jeans.
"I haven't waited this long for a hand job," he whispered unsteadily as her hand found him and began an agonizing caress.
She giggled as she ran her thumb over the smooth tip of him. "Such crass language. So you're not quite to the point of being desperate?"
"Almost," he said against her lips. "Not quite there yet." She didn't exactly stop what she was doing, and he didn't exactly try to stop her. "No, Loralei," he moaned. "Don't do that. Don't do this to me. It's been way too long, and I want you so much. If you don't stop that, it's going to be over before it even starts." Thankfully, gratefully, she withdrew her hand. Of course, he also hated for it to stop, he wasn't an idiot, but still…
They began to work on getting her out of her shorts and panties. Once she was free of them, she took hold of his arm and pulled him over on top of her. She ached for him, ached for him to come inside her and put an end to her passionate torment. He kissed her again and her arms came around his waist and moved down to the waistband of his opened jeans. Impatiently, she began to tug at them, forcing them down with her hands, knees, legs, and feet. Wanting to play his own spicy little game, his hand moved down and began to stroke her delicately. Every few seconds, his fingers gently tugged the curly hair that partially hid the moist folds of skin inside her. He slipped the tip of his finger inside her warmth, and she gasped his name aloud at the sensual intrusion. She was probably no more than ten seconds away from exploding. He must have sensed that, because he pulled back and kissed her deeply. He settled his body firmly between her thighs and he was no more than a nudge away from ecstasy and sweet, sweet release. The monitor just inches away from their tangled bodies came to sudden life. Rachel's 'change me' cry burst into the room.
Donovan sighed heavily and reluctantly moved off her. She slipped out of the sports bra that had been dangling crazily on one arm and grabbed her robe. She wrapped it around her and secured it. She glanced back at her husband. A bit on the sexually frustrated side, he had buried his face into the bed and groaned incoherently. He was speaking, but she couldn't quite make out his words.
"What was it that you said earlier, baby? The joys of parenthood," she asked, amused. "I'll be right back."
When she returned to the bedroom, his face was still buried in the bed. She was certain he had gone to sleep. Smiling a little, she removed the robe, took her hair down, and went into the bathroom. Her two workouts had gotten her quite sweaty and she needed a shower. She had reached into the shower to turn on the water when Donovan suddenly took hold of her waist from behind, disrupting her plans. She yelped in surprise as he drew her body against his. She was amazed that her startled cry hadn't awakened the baby.
"Weren't we in the middle of something," he asked as his hands came up to cup her breasts.
"I think so," she said shakily.
"I really need you," he said, his lips against her neck. "I really want you."
She didn't say a word. Instead, she stepped away from him and took his hand. She led him back into the bedroom and they came down to the bed together. Unceremoniously, he entered her, but did so slowly and tenderly. He began to move within her at a gentle pace, astonished at the incredible feel of her. Had it really been that long? God. It almost felt like the first time he had made love to her. Yet, he kept a slow and steady pace, although it could have been relatively easy to go hard and frenzied. Her hands slid down his back to his buttocks and she dug her nails into them, meeting each thrust with passionate abandon. He sank deeper and deeper into her, quickening the pace and the urgency. She matched every thrust and jerked her hips up against him harder and harder. Slow and steady became fast and frenzied. She cried out softly at her release and wrapped her legs around him as her orgasm shook her to her very core. She dug her heels into his buttocks, driving him further over the edge. As usual, he held out as long as he could. She ran her hands up his back and through his hair before moving them back down again. She kissed him gently, nipping at his bottom lip, and he couldn't stand that. Her sensitive spot was right behind her ear, and his happened to be his bottom lip. All it took was a little nip of her teeth, and he would willingly become her love slave. Suddenly, almost abruptly, his body tensed. With his pulse booming in his ears, he took in a hissed breath as he came. He groaned deeply within his throat as he seemingly went again and again. Weeks of pent up desire, love, and lust had accumulated and was spent all at once, exhausting him, immobilizing him. He lowered his body on top of hers and buried his face into her hair. After a moment or two, they began to laugh nonsensically. Neither had any idea what they found so funny.
* * *
Loralei was expecting Jackson at any time, but he called from his hotel and asked if she would mind bringing the baby over to him. The hotel wasn't that far from their apartment building, and she agreed readily enough. Of course, Donovan came along to chaperone.
Jackson had chosen to stay in a nice hotel originally designed by Italian artisans. The La Scomparsa Misteriosa had at least twenty floors, and each floor held nothing but luxury suites. Loralei began to wonder how Jackson could afford such a place. He met the Donovans in a large meeting room with marble floors and a high ceiling. The domed roof held a series of solar panels that filtered in natural light during daylight hours. It was a lovely room, but seemed a bit cold. Loralei was afraid to even sneeze there. God forbid if she dirtied the place.
Donovan had taken charge of Rachel when they entered the sprawling rotunda. Jackson stood as soon as he recognized Loralei. Since the last time he saw her, she had changed quite a bit. She was allowing her hair to grow long. It now fell several inches past her shoulders. She appeared thinner, but healthy. Gone was the deep furrow that had developed in her forehead when she had been assisting with the BHK case. The kid appeared to be painfully happy, and she absolutely deserved to be. Of course, Donovan hadn't changed one iota. His exterior was as icy as ever, but he was certain that while at home with his wife and child, his personality was significantly different.
"Damn, Kadin, you look so good," Jackson said as she gave him a warm hug. "Kid, you're so scrawny." He nodded toward Donovan, whose expression hadn't really changed.
She pulled away with a smile. "Whatever, Jackson, you didn't see me when I was so hugely preggers."
"Is this the baby I've heard so much about," Jackson asked as he laid his eyes on the infant in the carry crib.
Loralei turned to Donovan and took the crib from him. She set it down on the table where Jackson had been sitting. Carefully, she scooped up the sleeping infant. "Yep. She's beautiful, isn't she?"
Jackson took the infant in his arms before inviting them to sit at the table. "She sure is, but I think you're biased. Lookit all that black hair, she definitely didn't get that from you."
She smiled and ran her hand gently over the baby's head. "She got that from Daddy, along with the skin tone."
Donovan sat back and didn't say much of anything. He wouldn't betray his wife's wishes and be outwardly rude, but he had no desire to speak to him. He actually didn't want Jackson holding his daughter, but he held his tongue on that one as well. Donovan had no desire to pick a fight with his wife, especially not after what had happened between them this morning. Yet, something seemed way out of kilter here, and he almost opened his mouth to speak, but he resisted the urge.
"You did good, Kadin, you did really good. What did you name her?"
"Rachel Kadin Donovan," she said.
"Rachel," he mused, "that's really pretty." He gave Loralei the baby, and she placed her back in the carry crib. "What have you been up to?"
"Not much since I got pregnant. I was in school for a little while, but had to drop out. Frank and I had some stuff going on, and I got a little sick right before she was born. I probably won't continue with my degree until next semester. What about you? Still entrenched in the grind?"
He smiled sadly. "Always. Do you ever miss field work?"
She glanced at the baby in her carry crib before reaching out to take Donovan's hand. "Not really. I wasn't very good anyway. Life is a bit on the traditional, sedate side, but I'm perfectly happy with that."
He nodded. "I can totally understand, and I can't blame you for that. If I had the chance, I would leave it all behind myself."
Loralei thought that something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Jackson seemed distant, but apprehensive. She had the feeling he wanted to tell her something, but she wasn't sure he would talk in front of Donovan. "Bart? Are you okay," she asked, studying him.
Embarrassed, he smiled a little. "Oh yeah. I just needed a break, that's all. That's why I'm here. I'm on a little vacation," he lied smoothly. He wanted to talk to her, wanted to tell her what was going on, but he didn't want to do it unless Donovan made himself scarce. Kadin first. Donovan later. "I'm glad you came down here, kid. It was really great seeing you again. You have a lovely daughter."
She watched as he suddenly stood as if he wanted to make a quick departure. "You're not leaving, are you?"
He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss atop Loralei's head. "Yes, I'm waiting on a phone call, and I should get back to my room. Would you mind meeting me for lunch tomorrow afternoon?"
"Yes," she said. "I'd love to." She watched as he moved away from them. Weird. She turned to look at her husband. Even he was a little confused. "I wonder what's going on with him?"
Donovan shrugged. "I don't know."
"Baby, I think you intimidated him. I had the impression he wanted to talk to me, but he was hesitant."
He nodded thoughtfully. "You're right, I probably did. Have lunch with him tomorrow; I'll stay with Rachel. Perhaps whatever he has to say to you, he will." He lifted her hand up to his lips and kissed it gently. "Just for your information, my love, you weren't a great agent," he teased, "but you also weren't half bad. Look at it this way, if you hadn't had that little bad streak in you, we wouldn't be here right now."
She smiled a little. "Perhaps being a fuck up wasn't such a bad thing?"
He shook his head and kissed her hand again. "Not at all."
Not long after Jackson disappeared, the three of them went back home. For hours after their meeting, Loralei was disturbed and more than worried. Something was wrong, but she didn't know what, and wasn't sure Jackson would even tell her. That night, she didn't sleep well at all. She suddenly felt the need to be with her baby. She got out of bed and entered Rachel's room. Loralei took her daughter into her arms and held her for most of the night.