***
After Frank and Loralei had gone, Farron went to Kara and swept her into his arms. She gasped in surprise, but held onto his shoulders, grateful to be held by him in any way. "Farron! What do you think you are doing?"
He flashed her a dazzling smile and dropped a brief kiss on her lips. "I am taking you to your room, where I shall watch over you, and make sure you get some rest."
Although distraught over her brother, Kara could not help but smile at his need to take care of her. "I was sleeping when this rather loud and demanding man showed up at my door," she informed him as he began climbing the stairs, carrying her as if she weighed no more than a feather.
"Really? Shameful creature," Farron teased.
"He is. Awfully. And I would not have him any other way," she admitted sappily, hugging him softly. "You're not terribly angry with me? I hurt you...I'm so sorry," she confessed, her voice held more than a trace of sadness.
He sighed heavily as he carried her across the threshold of her bedroom. He took her to the bed and lay her down gently as if she was precious cargo. "I was more hurt than I have ever been in my life," he admitted as his eyes caressed her face lovingly. He reached out and smoothed away a stray lock of her long blonde hair. "I don't understand..."
"Understand what, Farron?" she asked expectantly and closed her eyes to the feel of his fingers running through her hair.
"Why it hurt so badly. It felt as though you had ripped my still beating heart from my chest and tossed it away." He found it unsettling that he was actually confessing his emotions. Emotions he did not fully understand and had never felt before she had come into his life.
Kara winced visibly at the thought of the pain she caused him. She tried to push herself to a sitting position, but Farron would have none of that. He pressed her back gently into the pillows and eased himself onto the bed, kicking his shoes off as he stretched out next to her. She rolled onto her side, facing him. "Why did it hurt, Farron? Why did you come for me?" she asked as she ran a finger along his jaw, following the path of his neatly trimmed beard.
He kissed her forehead softly while he pondered her questions. She was asking things he was unsure of. "How could I not? You've touched me so deeply...more deeply than any other person has ever managed to." He paused to drop tiny kisses to her closed eyelids, her cheeks, and chin. He could not help but linger for a moment while he tasted the sweetness of her lips. "It would have been impossible to let you go...without knowing what I had done to lose you."
Kara placed a hand to his chest and gave him a gentle push, guiding him onto his back. She propped herself up on her elbow and touched a finger to his chin. "You're stuck with me, Mr. Donovan. For as long as you want me." She smiled lovingly as she trailed her finger from his chin down to his shirt collar.
Farron was taken by surprise when she unbuttoned his shirt, tugged it loose from his pants, and pushed it aside, exposing his naked torso. He heard her tender sigh as she snuggled against him, resting her cheek against his chest. He brought his arms around her, holding her tightly.
"Flesh to flesh," she whispered as she splayed her hand over the expanse of his chest.
Her voice was so soft; he was not sure if he heard her correctly. "Kara?"
With her fingertip, she drew soft, tiny circles against his warm skin. "Take me away from all this, Farron. Make me forget...if only for a short time."
Her voice was heavy with fear and sadness and his heart broke for her. He had realized, almost from the start, that he could never deny her anything if it was within his power to give. He would not refuse her now. He shifted slightly and rolled her onto her back as he began to slowly undress her while she looked on silently. He discarded her clothing and worked quickly to shed his, tossing them to the floor to join hers.
Normally their lovemaking was a mixture of sensual torture; teasing each other to the point of madness before bringing each other to the place only lovers can dare to reach. Now, as he moved toward her, he was in a situation he had never been in before. A point in time where everything was understood and nothing need be said, no command needed to be given. As he moved over her, she opened to him, giving him access to her freely, trustingly. Her arms enveloped him as he lowered himself to her. At the same time, he was amazed that he was more than ready to meet her need without any manner of foreplay. He entered her slowly, reveling in the feel of her, the way she fit him like a glove, the sound of her soft, sensuous moans as he pleasured her. So many thoughts and feelings coursed through his mind and body, but he pushed them aside to concentrate on her needs.
Kara lost herself in the feel of him. They clung desperately to each other, not a whisper of air came between their bodies while he moved within her. His loving was so completely tender it consumed her in its simplicity. He held her tightly while he rocked her, hips to hips, thrust to thrust; they met each other's movements with exact precision. Her hands roamed the flesh of his back lovingly while he kissed and nibbled the tender skin of her neck and throat. "My darling, Farron. How did I ever exist before you?" she wondered softly.
Her words penetrated the silence of the room, seeped into his heart, and literally broke down the wall he had erected around his mind. She needed him and no one had ever needed him. Wanted him, yes. He knew he was a desirable man and had pleasured many women in his lifetime. However, none of them needed him to complete their lives. He was losing control and giving it over to her, his Shel. Did she know she now held complete power over him? Moreover, did that bother him? He lifted up enough to be able to look upon her face, her beautiful face, drawn in passion. Her moans became more intense and demanding as she neared her climax and her eyes fluttered open when she felt him pull away. Her eyes locked onto his as if saying, "cum for me...cum with me." His head dipped again, his lips pressed softly against her ear as he soared with her. Their cries echoed in the room as they hit their peak together and felt the power of release in time with the other. He breathed rapidly against her neck as he collapsed onto her and her hold on him tightened that much more. "I love you," he whispered softly, surrendering to the wonderment of the emotion. Where he found the strength to finally speak the words that his body and heart had been screaming for weeks, he would never know.
Kara wept, literally wept, while she urged him to lift his head so that she might see him clearly. Giving of himself and letting someone in to touch both his heart and his mind; she knew it was the most difficult thing he had ever done. She looked upon him adoringly as she slipped her fingers into his luxurious hair, holding it back from his face. "Oh, Farron. I love you so much," she assured him, lifting slightly to brush her lips against his.
He nearly burst with happiness from his own revelation and when she spoke the words of her love for him, so heartfelt and true, he felt tears of joy prick at the back of his eyes. Reluctantly, he eased away from her and spooned in behind her when she rolled onto her side. It was a position that had become more and more familiar to him over the past couple weeks. He often held her possessively while they slept, something he had never done before. Everything seemed natural with her; she fit his body perfectly, as if they had been meant to be together since the beginning of time. He kissed her hair softly and spoke gently as he pulled the coverlet over their bodies, "Rest now, Shel. At least for a little while."
She sighed wearily and snuggled back against him, covering the arm he had wrapped around her with her own. "As long as you hold me," her voice trailed off sleepily. He smiled against her hair and drifted off to sleep along with her.
***
To be continued...