THE VISIT
Donovan had gone to bed early. He was expected at the airport around six to pick up Larkin. God. The anticipation of that nearly drove him mad. It had taken nearly two hours for him to shut down and even then, his sleep was light. Any little thing had the potential to awaken him, or so he thought. He was actually deeper asleep than he suspected. He didn't hear the front door opening or the slight creek when the bedroom door opened and then closed. He didn't hear the soft 'thud' of a suitcase being dropped on the floor. He heard none of this, which was fine to his late night guest. Donovan jerked awake the moment he felt a soft touch on his back. What the hell? Has that Devere woman finally found a way to break in? He turned suddenly to face whatever monster had decided to crawl into bed with him. When he fixed his eyes on his actual guest, he sighed. Selena. My Selena. A thousand questions assaulted him at once, but the only thing he could think of doing was taking her into his arms and holding her within his embrace in an almost crushing hug. The moment the embrace loosened, his lips covered hers for a kiss almost as brutal as the embrace.
Once he allowed her to breathe, he finally asked the first of many questions, "Selena, I didn't think your flight would come in until six this morning. What happened?"
She smiled a little. "I took an earlier flight out because I couldn't wait another minute without you. Oh, and I sort of wanted to surprise you as well."
"That you did," he said, his hand immediately going to her hair. "I suppose it would seem redundant to say that I missed you like hell?"
"It would," she agreed with a twinkle in her eye. "But I like hearing it, anyway."
He kissed her again and it was at that moment he realized she was completely nude. How did he not notice before? It mattered little, because he noticed it now. When he broke the kiss, he couldn't move for several minutes. He could only gaze helplessly at her. His hand reached out and moved slowly over her arm, down her side where it settled on the side of her hip. She wanted to jump him because she had missed him so damn much, but it seemed as if his eyes had hypnotized her. She was completely helpless to him. His hand traveled back up her body and he stopped it again at her exposed breast. He ran his fingers over it, teasing the nipple, hardening it. She shifted position to give him freer access to her body. Smiling a little, he leaned over her and continued running his hand along her body, keeping his eyes locked with hers. He teased the other nipple before allowing his fingers to drift down between her breasts and then lower still to her abdomen. Before his hand moved any lower, he leaned down and took her lips again. Breaking the kiss, he took her hand into his and placed a gentle kiss on her palm before kissing each finger. He loved her so much, loved everything about her, the good and the bad. He again wondered if he had ever loved like this before. He wasn't sure he wanted to make love to her; he was simply satisfied with holding her in his arms, touching her, kissing her. When he kissed her again and her arms went around him, touching him, his need to make love to her came back. During the kiss, they switched positions. His hands moved down the slope of her back and cupped her buttocks. He had missed her so much, had literally longed for her. Two weeks weren't enough. She broke the kiss so her lips could travel along his throat and over the expanse of his chest. He closed his eyes and slid his hands up to grasp her waist to guide her back up. He didn't want her lips to travel any further. It wasn't that he didn't want her touch; he simply wanted this to last as long as it could.
"Selena," he whispered, "I love you."
"I love you," she whispered in response.
Their lips met again, and again, their body switched positions. She felt him against her, so rigid. He was waiting for her, thinking of her. God. She had never known a man like him in her life, would likely never know another like him ever again. He heard her groaning against his lips, within their kiss, and her hands traveled down to his back where her nails dug into him. The kiss deepened even more and she groaned a nearly inaudible 'uh huh…now' against his demanding lips. He finally broke the kiss and gazed down at her. After one final soft kiss, after another declaration of his love for her, he entered her. The lovemaking felt different, each move, each countermove, every touch, kiss, and taste was completely out of the ordinary. They were each touching the other in ways they had never touched before. It wasn't a physical kind of touch. It was mental, emotional, almost…spiritual. When he met his release within her, he couldn't move for several moments. He stayed connected with her and propped his body on his hands. Something was different, something had totally changed between them, but it wasn't anything either could touch. It was vague and out of reach, but also something neither of them wanted to fear. It garnered images of utter bliss and happiness.
After a very long time, Donovan was finally able to move his body. Reluctantly, he withdrew from inside her and lay at her side. She quickly went into his embrace and pillowed her head against his chest. As much as Donovan, Larkin wondered what the hell just happened between them. They had made love countless times, but it had never been like this. She decided not to question it. Instead, she threw her arm across him and snuggled in as closely as possible. If she hadn't lucked out and received a transfer, she didn't know what she would have done. The separation was killing her and she was certain it was doing equal damage to him. Two weeks. Fourteen days. It was nothing, no time at all, and so brutally unfair. November, Jane, all you have to wait for is November. Her hand moved gently over his chest and he brought his up and clasped hers. They had barely spoken to each other; their bodies had done all the talking necessary.
"Just so you know," he said, "I'm calling in sick tomorrow. Do you mind?"
She laughed. "Yes, I mind. Go off to work. Leave me here all alone in this big old bed. It gets cold when you're not in it. Have I ever told you that? Actually, I'd kill you if you went to work in the morning. I haven't seen you in so long. Just one little day and then you can get back to what you need to do, at least in the daytime."
"Larkin, you're insane," he said with a smile.
"Donovan, you have driven me there. Go to sleep, because tomorrow, I plan on wearing your ass out again."
* * *
When Donovan awoke, Larkin's half of the bed [funny how he had suddenly labeled the empty spot 'Larkin's half of the bed'] was vacant. He sat up and listened for the shower. Curiously, he slid out of bed and approached the bathroom door. There seemed to be nothing going on inside. The strong waft of coffee caught his attention and he padded toward the kitchen, not bothering to put anything on. Larkin stood at the kitchen counter decked out in one of his ratty sweatshirts. He mused [again] how long it was on her. If she had a belt, she would be dressed for the day. She had started the coffee and it appeared as if she had just washed her hands and finished drying them off. He approached her from behind and pressed his body against hers. Her body tensed up at his surprise maneuver, but as soon as she realized who it was, she relaxed. He placed one hand on the side of her hip and the other traveled over the other and down to her thigh. A moment later, his lips were on the side of her neck. In the next two weeks, she wondered who, exactly, would be wearing out whom. What made it worse was that he was completely naked and she could feel every damn inch of him. Uh. He was such a teasing bastard. Before long, he had snaked his hand underneath the sweatshirt and it had made slow progression up to her ribcage. Part of her ass was exposed at that juncture in the festivities, and she had a more up close and personal morning greeting from her lover. Like an idiot, she simply stood against him and let him have his way with her, and of course, he took advantage of her paralysis. The hand that had been on her hip moved under the sweatshirt as well and he began pushing it up further and further until it was basically bunched up under her arms, held on her body by the counter. From behind, his hands outlined the rounded curve of her breasts and began a slow caress on them, his fingers not exactly making contact with her nipples. She moaned a little and her body began to tremble just the slightest bit. When his hands moved downward, they stopped just short of her lower abdomen. She ached for his touch, would have probably begged for it if she could have vocalized. Almost abruptly, he removed his hands and primly covered her nakedness. He stepped back and away from her.
Larkin turned toward him, fixing him with a dazed WTF look. "And why did you stop?"
"I need coffee," he said with a smile.
Feigning offense, Larkin stood and watched as he grabbed a mug. He poured the steaming liquid into it and added cream and sugar. She watched this with some amusement. Stark naked, he stood against the kitchen counter and sipped his coffee as if he were at a proper tea party. She walked past him toward the bedroom, but before she got out of arm's reach, she pinched the shit out of his right buttock. He nearly poured his full cup of coffee down the front of chest. Yipping loudly at his growl, she ran toward the bedroom, trying her damn best to get the door closed before he came through. However, she kept forgetting that his legs were five miles long and he caught up with her before she could blink twice. She took off toward the bathroom next, but he reached out and took hold of her arm. He whirled her around to face him and his hands went down to her buttocks and then crushed her body against his.
"You're going to pay for that, you know," he said, gazing down intensely in her eyes.
"Oh God, I hope so," she whispered.
Later, Larkin walked into the bathroom just as Donovan was getting out of the shower. He lifted his left eyebrow and gazed at her in near reproach. "I think you bruised it," he said.
She looked up at him and smiled. "Oh shit, Donovan, you're such a baby. Did I bruise your ass or are you trying to guilt trip me back to bed?"
Donovan approached her and touched her cheek. "You should have come in with me." He leaned down and kissed her lips very gently. "I could have spent another hour or two making love to you. Besides, you injured me." He moved to kiss her again, but his work cell phone rang. Emitting an irritated growl, Donovan grabbed his robe, slipped into it, and then entered the bedroom. He picked up the phone and flipped it open. "Donovan," he said and then paused while the other person spoke to him. "Divert it, I told you that I'm taking a personal day today." Another pause. "No, I will not come in." At that point, Larkin came to the open doorway of the bathroom and watched him curiously. "No," he said again, "please don't call here again today." Before he snapped the phone closed, he did something he rarely ever did; he turned it off, and snapped it closed. "Sometimes, the upper brassholes are persistent. As soon as I get dressed, we're out of here."
They took to the streets hand-in-hand and shuffled through the morning crowds. Donovan wasn't even sure where he was taking her. It didn't matter. He was holding onto her, he was with her, and that meant everything to him. Completely forgetting all about Bailey Devere, he walked her toward the coffee shop. The moment he stepped through the door, he finally remembered. He stopped and made ready to turn until he heard the woman's call from the front, 'hey neighbor.' It was too late to back out now. She had seen him and now she had seen Larkin. Perhaps after she saw Larkin, Devere would back off and leave him the fuck alone. Larkin squeezed his hand as if asking 'is that her?' She had automatically felt the stiffening of his body. He glanced at her and gave her a slight nod. Larkin curiously fixed her eyes on the woman. She had some of the same features as Greene, but they didn't quite seem to be the same person. Larkin watched as Devere settled her eyes on her. She had an odd little smile on her face. Donovan moved a bit and led Larkin over to a table in the corner away from the prying eyes of Bailey Devere.
Larkin sat down, but Donovan remained standing. "Want anything?"
"Bring me whatever you're having." Larkin watched as Donovan strolled up to the counter. The woman seemed completely taken with Donovan. She wasn't looking at anything or anyone. She couldn't quite hear what they were saying, but she noticed the slight flirtatious smile on the woman's lips. Larkin had to be honest with herself. The woman unnerved her as much as Greene did. She wasn't exactly unattractive, but she was predatory. Yes. Predatory. It was the only word that could explain it. Donovan turned back around with two paper cups of coffee. When he sat down, she took her cup. "Thanks," she said. "So this is the woman who has her caps set on you, eh," she said with a little smile. Larkin took a sip and visibly recoiled. Damn. How much fucking caffeine was in this shit?
He chuckled a little. "I suppose I should have warned you. My thing here is double espresso," he told her. "Yes, that's her. She's the one who's freaking me out a little. It seems as if I should know her, but I can't place her. She's a pleasant enough person, I suppose, but somehow, it seems false, as if she'd rather slit my throat than look at me. I'm not sure where all this is coming from. I've spent so much time looking over my shoulder, so when new people try to get into my life, I'm immediately suspicious."
She took another sip of the extra strong brew. Jesus, she'd be awake for three days straight if she drank all that. Hmm. Perhaps Donovan had done this purposely so he could torture her some more. Shaking it off, she sighed. "Well, Frank, who could blame you? You've truly gone through hell and Grant didn't make it easy. I know this woman is in the same building as you, but I'd just let it go, babe. If you don't, you're never going to feel normal again. She's just some woman who seemingly has a bad case of the screaming hornies for you." She drank more of the coffee and then smiled at him brilliantly. "I can relate."
She had a good view of the couple from the kitchen in the back. He simply thought he was out of view sitting in the corner. She had been simply staring at Donovan, but today, he had added an extra element to the mix. This woman, this little ineffectual woman was seated across from him. Devere noticed that he was holding onto the woman's hand and acted as if she were the only person he could see. It was a little on the sickening side. She had the greatest desire to break it up before she puked. You will pay attention to me, goddamn it. You will. If I have to jump in the big middle of you right in front of your piece, I'll do it. Just watch and see, you fucker.
As soon as they finished their coffee, Donovan was ready to get the hell out of the coffee shop. He was afraid Devere would approach him and wonder who Larkin was. The two of them hit the streets once again. "Frank, let's go to the nest for a minute. I'd like to at least see Cody and Monica," she said.
He glanced down at her briefly. "No, let's not. If I walk in there, I'll be snagged and sucked in. Besides, I don't want to be plied with a ton of questions or suspicious looks."
"Come on, Frank, don't you think they know something is going on between us? It's not a big secret. Hell, they heard us arguing after our first night together. Come on; let's go so I can see them just for a minute. You don't even have to go in if you don't want."
He groaned a little. "Ohhhhhhh…kay," he said reluctantly. "No longer than ten minutes. After that, I leave with or without you. It's hard playing hooky visiting your workplace, you know?"
"I'll make it up to you later, okay?"
He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. "A promise of things to come," he said. "I love you for that, Selena."
As Larkin had promised, she lingered no longer than ten minutes at the nest. She stayed just long enough to shoot the shit and then she and Donovan left again. Once in the car, Donovan noticed that Larkin was thumbing through a small magazine-type booklet. He'd seen them before. It was a real estate listing and she was going through it meticulously, making small marks beside each one she liked. For a moment, it made him feel a little rejected. Her thumbing through the guide made it seem as if she didn't want to live with him. You're pushing, Donovan. Remember how you hated it when you were pushed? Step back and look at what you're doing.
"Do you see anything interesting," he asked.
"Hmm. I think so. A couple of possibilities maybe, but nothing is truly speaking to me."
Maybe it's because you're meant to be with me. "You'll find something. One thing I learned quickly about you, Larkin, is that you're tenacious."
Unceremoniously, she threw the guide and her ink pen in the back seat. "You got that right." She sighed a little before she took his hand in hers. "I don't want you to think that I'm not considering moving in with you, but I just want to keep my possibilities open. I don't want to…to push."
He smiled a little, finally understanding. "Selena, if anyone is pushing, it's probably me. You're not pushing and you don't have to be afraid. I'm not just going through the motions. I never have where you're concerned. I love you, Selena, and I want you to live with me. You don't have to make any decisions now."
"Yes I do," she said. "I want to, I truly do." She brought his hand up to her lips and kissed it very briefly. "I get paranoid sometimes, because this is one of the most serious relationships I've ever had, and the first one I've had long distance."
He took his eyes off the road long enough to smile down at her. "Paranoia seems to be a theme among us lately. Don't ever think you're pushing, Selena. You're not. You haven't. Ever."
* * *
As Donovan and Larkin made their way toward his apartment, both of them noticed that the door to the Devere apartment was standing wide open. They could both see inside it and noticed that Devere was on the phone, but the moment she saw the couple, she turned toward them, watching curiously as they walked onward. Larkin was quite tempted to flip the funky woman the birdie, but she decided to behave. Donovan had to deal with her and when she moved in, she would have to deal with her as well. Don't be a child, Jane. Just walk on and ignore her. As if sensing what she was thinking, Donovan dragged her forward toward the apartment, dug for his keys, and stuck the door key into its lock. Before he opened the door, Larkin grabbed his hand. He stopped at the gentle tugging motion. He knew what she wanted to do, but he wouldn't have her going back there. Donovan turned and gazed down at her. Her beautiful face was so open and earnest. She was clearly telling him what she wanted to do. He tugged on her hand with the intention of walking her into the apartment. However, when his eyes met hers, all he could think about for a moment was kissing her. It was a strange thought, especially since he wanted to get her inside before Devere noticed them. Without a thought as to what his motivation was, he leaned down and kissed her. The moment his lips touched hers, the kiss deepened and became heated. His hands immediately went down to cup her buttocks, and as was custom, she moved and wrapped her legs around him. He pushed her into the wall just outside his apartment door. At the sound of the 'thud' Larkin's body made, someone crept out into the hallway and spied the couple. Oh shit, would you look at this? Larkin sighed against Donovan's lips as his hands cupped her breasts, kneading them, squeezing them ever so gently. As soon as he broke the kiss, his lips moved down to her throat and she turned her head ever so slightly to give him access. It was at that time she noticed the Devere woman standing in the hallway, gazing at them curiously. Larkin smiled sweetly her way. Uh huh, look here, baby. Just look. That's all you can ever do is look. Donovan's hands began to release the buttons on her blouse and as soon as her flesh was exposed, he stopped almost abruptly and looked down at her.
"I think we got a little carried away," he whispered down at her, thinking that she was the only one who could hear him.
"I think you did," Devere said from down the hall. "Take it inside, won't you?"
Larkin laughed a little and smiled Devere's way again. "Oh, honey, we intend to."
Instead of lowering her to her feet, Donovan carried Larkin inside and set her body down, closing the door behind them. Larkin was still looking toward the door [her blouse gaping wide open]. A bit on the forceful side, he guided her body away from the door. He actually didn't want her to start anything with Devere, and knowing Larkin, she would. She wasn't a jealous type; it was that she didn't take kindly to folks getting in her face. She didn't allow shit like that to slide past her, even when she first met him. She was contemplating the hell out of approaching the neighbor just to start up a fairly innocent conversation. She had actually made moves toward doing exactly that, but Donovan grabbed her arm.
"Uh uh, Selena, don't try it."
She looked up at him. "Come on, Frank, I'm just curious. I could tell her I'm moving in and it's the truth. I just want to talk to her."
"No, Selena, leave it alone," he said, "It's not important."
"It is to me. Come on, Frank, let me go."
He drew her in an embrace and pulled her close against him. "No."
She looked up at him, her jaw determined and her left eye squinting. He had grown familiar with what it meant. Look out. Selena Jane was about to blow. "No? And how do you think you'll stop me?"
"I have my ways," he said with a smug little smile.
"I'll bet you do."
He drew away from her far enough to take hold of her hand. Tugging on it gently, he turned toward her, "Let's go. I can show you a couple of ways right now."
She put on the brakes. "Wait a minute. Why can't you show me in here for a switch? Don't you like to experiment? Have you made love to me on your couch?"
"I'm not sure," he said, "but I like the way you think." Wickedly, she smiled his way and took her hand out of his. He watched as she opened the door a crack. "Selena, what the hell are you doing?"
"Wanna get kinky? Let's make love with the door open, let's give her something to really hear and look at," she said as she discarded her blouse.
Stunned, he watched her in silence. She was actually going to do it. He moved past her and closed the door, locking it behind him. He came up to her from behind. "I'll make love to you on the couch or the floor, in the shower or the car, on the roof or whatever. With the door open, I don't think so. I perform for one person in the audience, and that's you. More than likely, we would entertain the entire building, and the encores might go on and on and on."
She sighed in mock aggravation. "You are so rigid, Frank Donovan."
"That I am," he stated as he slid his fingers under her bra straps, "That…I…am."
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To be continued…