Author's Note: Here's the chapter that sets the stage for the plot to take off—Thanks to all my readers and especially to the reviewers whose opinions mean the world to me.
CONFLICTS AND INSECURITIES
The next day, Pops called an impromptu meeting of the Go Team to discuss the strategy for the upcoming North/South rally in the garage at the track. Sparky and Speed were seated on stools and got to their feet in respect when Twinkle entered. Seeing that the seats were all taken, Speed offered her his stool and stood alongside as Pops addressed the group.
"Okay everybody listen up. The North/South Road Race is in seven days and we need to have our game plan in place if we expect to be in Victory Circle. Sparky, you and the engine men are to go over the Mach 5 from top to bottom and make sure she's in tiptop shape. Gus, you and the gas man and tire changers work on your pit times, they can make or break us. Speed, you and Trixie make sure you study the course maps carefully and---"
"It's Twinkle, Pops," Speed corrected, interrupting his father's directive.
Pops looked a bit embarrassed as he said to Twinkle, "Sorry about that, Twinkle. Force of habit."
The cinnamon haired ex circus performer smiled and reassured him, "No problem, Mr. Racer. I've got quite a job ahead of me to fill Trixie's shoes."
Pops grinned, "I'm sure you'll do fine. And call me Pops, everyone else on the team does."
She nodded with a grateful smile and Speed grinned at her, offering his own moral support. He then consulted his watch and his grin faded as he spoke up, "Uh Pops, excuse me, I gotta split. I have to pick up Trix at the doctor's and them we have to sign up for natural childbirth classes."
Pops regarded his middle child in amazement. "She needs you for that?"
"Sure." Speed gave his father an indulgent smile. "I'm gonna be in the delivery room when the baby's born so I have to go to class with her."
Pops eyes widened at the news. "You've gotta be kidding, Speed."
Speed shook his head. "Nope, Pops I'm really gonna be there with her the whole time. It's the latest thing and Trixie and me discussed it and decided to have the baby that way." He started to where the Mach 5 was waiting.
Pops sighed annoyed, "Well I guess since you can't stay we'll have to meet again later." The meeting broke up, all team members dispersing.
A blue '65 Chevy Impala sedan that had seen better days shuddered up to the rear of the garage and pulled in beside the Mach 5. The tall lean form of Bruce Trapezini took off his sunglasses and got out of the car. Facing the coal haired racer he smiled thinly and asked, "Is Twinkle Banks here?"
Speed nodded as he hooked a thumb over his shoulder at the gathering in the garage. "She's in there. Who are you?"
Bruce appraised the man before him, his ire rising at the question but he clamped down his temper and said with a slight challenging attitude, "I'm her fiancé."
From the where the meeting was Twinkle had seen the arrival of her fiancé and hurried over to join them. "Speed, this is Bruce Trapezini, my fiancé."
Speed grinned and proffered his hand in an amiable manner. "It's nice to meet ya. I'm Speed Racer and I'll be working with your fiancée."
Bruce looked at the offered hand and then shook it briefly, sending a feeling of dismay to Speed at the covert hostility in the coolness of the gesture. "Likewise," he said flatly.
Speed's grin froze and his eyes narrowed slightly as he said, "Uh—Well it was nice to meet ya, I gotta go pick up my wife. See ya later, Twinkle." He went over and leapt behind the wheel of the Mach 5, fired it up and screeched away.
Bruce watched the powerful racing car roar off and turned to Twinkle. "So that's the great Speed Racer, huh? He's shorter than I thought he'd be," he said as if he were sizing Speed up.
Twinkle sighed as she contemplated his belligerent manner and asked, "What brings you here, Bruce?"
He smiled at her and said, "I came to apologize for yesterday and to take you out to lunch, cara. I was miserable all night about the way I acted and I'm sorry." He reached down to kiss her.
She sighed again as she was drawn into the golden depths of his gaze, wrapped her arms around him and said softly, "It's not fair, you know I can't stay mad at you." She went up on her tiptoes and returned his kiss, then took him by the hand and led him to the Chevy where he gallantly opened the car door for her to enter.
On his way to get Trixie, Speed was trying to cool the anger that had risen during the meeting with Twinkle's fiancé. He was irked that the man would be so hostile when he had no reason or cause to be so. It was annoying to Speed that it appeared by the very nature of Bruce's attitude towards him he was again being accused of impropriety. He frowned as he tried to see what if anything that he did to set the guy off and realized that there was nothing. But the knowledge of that didn't sweeten his mood any.
At the doctor's office, Speed pulled the Mach 5 to the front façade of the professional office where his wife was waiting. He put the car in park and got out to assist her in the front seat silent and scowling. He then went back to the driver's side and climbed behind the wheel, slamming the door.
Trixie noticed her husband's state of ire and she asked, "Speed, what's wrong?"
Speed started the engine, peeled away from the curb, and grunted as he pulled into traffic.
Trixie sighed as she remarked, "I guess that's my answer, huh?"
Speed sighed as he replied sullenly, "There's nothing wrong, okay? I'm just tired of being accused of being something I'm not or doing something I have no intention of doing."
Trixie regarded him closely. "And who's doing that?"
Speed pulled over and stopped the Mach 5. He turned to her and snapped, "Everyone! My father, you, and now Twinkle's boyfriend. And I'm getting sick of it."
Trixie probed, "You're still talking in riddles, Speed."
He leaned his head back and ran a hand through his inky locks. "Twinkle's fiancé came to the garage. I just said hello and I swear, Trixie it was like he wanted to tear my head off. You could actually see the bad vibes and I didn't do anything but say hi."
Trixie reached over and caressed her husband, offering him comfort. "I'm sorry you had such a bad couple of days, and I'm sorry that I added to it."
Speed lowered his head and sighed as he said, "It's okay. I'm just tired of everybody thinking I'm gonna put the moves on Twinkle. I'm a very happily married man and I don't want any other woman but my wife." He gazed at her significantly, his eyes a soft ocean blue.
Trixie leaned in close to Speed and took his face in her hands. Slowly, she let her soft cherry lips dance across his cheek and end up at his lips as she kissed him tenderly. Speed moaned softly as he needed no further prompting and wrapped his arms around his wife, responding eagerly.
"Oh baby, baby," he murmured huskily. "When you kiss me like that, I swear there's no other woman in the entire world for me. I love you so much, Trix."
She responded gently, "I love you too, Speedy."
They broke apart and Speed shifted gears to pull into traffic. But he laid one hand on his wife's, which was resting on the console and squeezed it.
"Thank you for again being here for me," he said quietly.
Trixie squeezed back. "It's my pleasure."
Over in a parking lot at a luncheonette not far from Pops Motors, Bruce and Twinkle were in the blue Chevy in somewhat heated discussion following a rather tense lunch. It had started out pleasant enough but a simple remark acted like a flint and an angry fire was lit in the volatile trapeze artist. During that time, Bruce's attitude had changed from one of gentle attentiveness to one of sarcastic belligerence, almost accusatory toward his fiancée who was at a loss of where the source of her betrothed's anger came from.
The meal was thankfully done and neither ate much, the strained atmosphere having taken any appetite either of the couple might have had. The two sat in the sedan and the conversation was a battleground.
"Bruce, I want to ask you a question," Twinkle began.
He eyed her askance and said, "Yeah?"
She took a deep breath and plunged right in. "Bruce, why were you so unfriendly toward Speed?"
"I didn't like his attitude when he asked me who I was." He sat there with his arms crossed.
Twinkle sighed heavily. "Bruce, he had never seen you before. He was just looking out for me, Speed is like that, very protective of women."
"Yeah, well he doesn't have any right to protect my woman and especially from me," Bruce retorted, getting angry. "He made it seem like I had no right to speak to you."
"You're jumping to conclusions. He even tried to be friendly when I introduced you and you were so rude to him," she pointed out.
That was the statement that lit the fuse. Bruce whirled on her and bellowed, "Rude to him?? Since when is Speed Racer God Almighty that I have to bow down in his presence? And since when does he have the right to keep me from coming to see my future wife?"
Twinkle's sable eyes became as wide as saucers as she replied, shocked, "You're being ridiculous, he never said or did anything to imply that."
"You're just defending him!" Bruce snapped. He was really on a roll, there was no reasoning with him and Twinkle had had enough. She opened the car door and stepped out.
"There's no talking to you, I'm getting out of here!" she cried as she slammed the door and headed down the street in a run. Bruce opened his door to get out and go after her calling her name but she had hailed a cab and by the time he tried to get her attention, the taxi carrying the former girl daredevil was gone.
"Damnit, Twinkle!" Bruce snarled as he climbed back behind the wheel and gunned the Chevy out of the parking lot, roaring away in a cloud of dust.
The maternity outpatient clinic at National Hospital consisted not only of wards for delivery but various offices and examination rooms for prenatal and postnatal care, including classrooms teaching the latest method of natural childbirth. Since more and more couples were choosing to have their children the natural way in 1970, the Racers were no different so Speed and Trixie were looking into signing up for the classes.
They entered a glass-enclosed area where a class was presently taking place as they peeked in to watch. About six couples were seated on the floor in a semi-circle as a nurse was strolling around them, talking and making gestures as the couples were situated with the mothers-to-be in a reclined position, their backs against their partners who held them securely. The mothers were propped up on pillows.
"Hmmm, looks kinda cozy in there," Speed remarked as he gave his wife an affectionate squeeze. "Think I'm gonna like it."
Trixie rolled her eyes at him and admonished, "There's more to the class than cuddling, Speed."
He grinned at her. "I know, baby. It's just that I'm glad the classes are going to be fun so maybe the birth will be too."
She sniffed, "Oh yeah, a barrel of laughs. I'm really looking forward to all that excruciating pain."
Speed opened his mouth to reply when the classroom door opened and the couples all filed out, chattering noisily followed by the nurse. She spotted the young couple and came over smiling, shaking their hands.
"Hi, my name's Sherri Jacks and I'm the teacher of this Lamaze class."
"Lamaze?" Speed asked blankly.
"Uh-huh. That's the latest and most popular method. It focuses on having the mother systematically relax all her muscles so it eases the birth." She did a double take as she noticed Speed and said in amazement, "You're Speed Racer."
Speed smiled politely as he nodded and brought Trixie forward. "Uh-huh. Me and my wife want to enroll in a class for natural childbirth."
"Sure," the nurse named Sherri smiled. "Just come over to my desk and fill out a few forms and we'll get you right into a class." She led them to her desk in the corner of the room and as Speed assisted Trixie into a chair, she asked her, "How far along are you, Mrs. Racer?" She handed a clipboard with forms and a pen to Speed who began to fill them out.
Trixie replied, "I'm just into the beginning of my ninth month. Dr. Infante says I've got about three weeks till the baby comes."
Sherri eyed her carefully as she said, "You should've enrolled about a week or two ago."
Speed spoke up, "That's my fault. We were at Watkins Glen in New York racing and didn't get back till this week."
Sherri gasped, "You didn't race with your husband, Mrs. Racer did you?"
Speed shook his head vehemently. "No ma'am, I can assure you that she's been taking things easy." His hands rested on Trixie's shoulders and squeezed as he stood behind her.
Trixie sighed, "That's true but I am still determined to assist my husband as long as I can." Her pretty face showed a steely will concealed beneath the delicate features.
Sherri nodded in understanding. "I'm fully aware of your role on your husband's team but you need to be aware of how close you are to birth so you really should curtail your involvement."
Trixie sighed again as she heard the same song, different singer. "I know. So when are the classes?"
The nurse referred to a ledger on her desk. "The next class is starting next week, Monday night at 8 PM. Both of you can come then."
Speed's eyes widened in dismay. "I can't make that, I'll be in the North/South Road Race," he pointed out while his wife sniffed in disgust.
"So sorry the preparations for our baby's birth is intruding upon your plans," she said waspishly to Speed as he groaned.
"Aw c'mon Trix, don't be like that. You knew about the race and that I would be out of town for ten days when the race begins this weekend," he explained but Trixie's eyes welled up nevertheless as another mood swing hit her like a hurricane striking the coast.
"Yeah, you and your new navigator. The two of you will be quite cozy for ten days," Trixie insinuated.
Speed rolled his eyes as he sighed. "Could we not do this now, please?" He finished filling out the forms and handed the clipboard to Sherri.
Sherri saw the storm about to break and intervened, "If your schedule is difficult, Mr. Racer, I can arrange to do the course with you and your wife this entire week. Since you are planning to be with your wife during the birth, you need to be in the classes so I'll give you and your wife the training all this week."
Trixie looked at the nurse in gratitude. "You'd be willing to do that?"
Sherri smiled, "Sure. I have classes I teach every day and every evening so if you want to attend, you're welcome to. And as it turns out, I'm at different levels with each class so you can progress to graduation relatively quickly." She glanced up at the clock on the wall and there was a commotion as a group of couples were filing in. "I have a new class starting now so if you want to join us, you can get started."
Speed assisted Trixie to her feet and she asked, "Don't we have to have a pillow with us? We haven't come prepared."
"Not for the first class. I usually tell everybody what to bring the next time." Sherri got up and addressed the group. "Hi everybody, I'm Sherri Jacks RN, and I'll be your instructor for this class in natural childbirth."
Speed and Trixie glanced at each other and shrugged then joined the class.
A few hours later after they had stopped somewhere to have dinner, both Racers were heading home in the Mach 5 their minds full with what they were just taught. Trixie was amazed by the way the class went and the emphasis on her being relaxed during the birth among other things.
"Wow that was different, huh?" she commented to Speed as he drove.
"Yeah," he responded, his own mind full of the implication and the responsibility. The class was an introduction to the Lamaze method and Sherri Jacks explained the roles of mother and coach—that was what he would be called. He was amazed by the concept of him as an important factor in making sure that his child was born. The entire thing was sobering to him.
Trixie noticed his brooding expression and asked her husband, "Speed are you okay?"
He glanced at her blankly as he kept his eyes on the road. "Uh-huh."
"Then why are you so quiet?" She was worried by his seeming withdrawal.
Speed smiled at her as he reached a reassuring hand to squeeze hers. "I'm okay, baby. I was just thinking about the classes and what I'll have to do. It's a bit overwhelming."
"Yeah," Trixie agreed. "Our lives aren't ever going to be the same are they?"
Speed shook his head, as he replied, "No they won't. But I think we knew that when we decided to spend the rest of our lives together."
"Yeah," his wife agreed.
They had just turned onto the cul-de-sac that led to their home and then turned into the driveway that flanked the modern ranch. Speed cut the motor and then exited and rounded the Mach 5 to assist Trixie out. As he closed the door, still holding hands the couple began walking into the carport and stopped suddenly as they saw a forlorn figure seated on the stoop bent over and shaking with sobs.
Speed and Trixie cautiously approached the figure and saw it was Twinkle Banks. "Twinkle? Is that you?" Speed asked. "What's wrong, what are you doing here?"
Twinkle looked up, tears streaming from her brown eyes. "I-I'm so sorry to bother you. I needed to talk to someone and I had n-nobody else."
Trixie glanced at Speed, released his hand, bent down and said kindly, "Twinkle, tell us what happened."
Twinkle sniffled as she answered, "Bruce and I had the worse fight. I left him and took a cab and ended up here."
"You left him?" Speed was incredulous. "For good?"
"No, I just left him at the parking lot where we had lunch," she replied. "He was impossible to talk to and I just couldn't take anymore."
Trixie was curious. "What did he say?"
Twinkle looked down, averting her eyes as she responded, "Oh he just went on and on about my job and how Speed had no right to keep him from me."
"Keep you from him?" Speed expostulated getting incensed. "How in the hell am I keeping you from him?"
Speed, please," Trixie admonished. She turned to Twinkle and took her hand. "Twinkle, if you need to talk, we're here."
Twinkle gazed gratefully at the warm compassion in Trixie's green eyes. "Oh Trixie, I would but I don't want to be a bother."
"Nonsense Twinkle. It's no bother," Trixie stated. Speed assisted his wife up as Twinkle got to her feet. "We'll go inside and have some tea and you can talk to me." Trixie reached an arm around the distraught former circus star as her husband inserted his key and opened the door so they all entered the house.
As he followed the two women, Trixie laid a hand on Speed's chest, eyeing him significantly. She called ahead, "Just make yourself at home, Twinkle and I'll be right in."
At her mysterious behavior Speed asked, "What gives, baby? Why are you keeping me from going in with the both of you?"
Trixie laid a finger on his lips. "Shhhh! I think that Twinkle wants some 'girl talk' if you know what I mean," she said in a hushed tone.
Speed protested, "But she said that her fiancé was upset about me. I want to know why and I want to let her know that I'm not interested in breaking them up." He made to walk into the living room but again Trixie detained him.
"Speed, love listen to me. Twinkle is very upset right now, and you're angry. The last thing she needs is another guy jumping down her throat."
"Aww, I wouldn't do that, Trixie."
"Maybe not but I know you. You're determined to convince her that you're innocent and she knows that so she doesn't need you to point it out." She shoved him towards the door. "Why don't you go take a ride for a while and let me handle Twinkle."
Speed looked in the living room and sighed as he acquiesced, "If you say so, Trix. Just make sure she doesn't quit her job. The race is next weekend and I need her to navigate."
"Don't worry, leave it all to me." She pushed him out the door.
Speed sighed again and surrendered, "Okay, sweetheart." He leaned in to kiss her. "I'll split and see ya later." He strode over to the Mach 5, leapt into the cockpit, fired it up and took off.
Trixie went to the kitchen to put a kettle on the stove. She fixed a tray with lemon wedges, milk and sugar with two cups and teabags. The water rapidly came to a boil and she poured it into the cups to steep the bags then brought the tray to the coffee table to set before the sobbing former circus star.
Twinkle was sitting on the sofa staring at the carpet as Trixie entered. She lowered herself slowly on the sofa beside the bereft young woman and looped a comforting arm around her. "Now, Twinkle, tell me. What happened between you and Bruce?"
A fresh assault of tears came over the cinnamon haired girl daredevil. "Oh Trixie, I can't believe that the man I love doesn't trust me."
"Why do you think that he doesn't trust you?" Trixie asked.
Twinkle sniffled so Trixie offered her a Kleenex. "He is so unreasonable about my working with Speed. He thinks that Speed will try to make a play for me, even though I've told him how happily married you both are."
Trixie nodded, "So he's really jealous."
Twinkle nodded as she blew her nose. "And without reason. Trixie, a person would have to be blind to not see how much Speed adores you, how he always adored you. I mean I saw it even the time he helped me and my father. I knew that while we were in the cave, and when you found us, I saw the look on his face and the way the two of you hugged each other. There was no chance for me or any girl to come between that."
"Thank you for that," Trixie said softly.
Twinkle looked askance at Speed's wife. "Trixie, you have to know. Speed's love for you is just so clear."
Trixie sighed as she nodded, "I guess so but I always felt that the others, you included were so much prettier and I know Speed, he's so drawn to beautiful girls, he always had been."
Twinkle pointed out, "Trixie, you're very beautiful, and Speed knows that. It may be true that he looked at other girls but you're the one he always came back to, right? Admit it Trixie, you're his everything."
Trixie nodded again. Twinkle continued, "Bruce has been my everything for a while now. After my father died, he helped me so much and then he kind of took over, helping me run the Universal Circus until---," she halted to wipe her eyes. "The partnership came."
"The partnership?"
Twinkle nodded, "A conglomerate that had been after my father for years to sell them the circus. He had always refused but after he died, they watched me and like vultures, swooped down when the circus began failing. I did my best but we were barely breaking even. I couldn't even pay the workers their salaries."
She sighed and went on. "Then the partnership came one day and offered me a great sum. Faced with others' livelihoods at stake, I was forced to sell the controlling shares of the circus to them. Slowly, they began to take it completely over until they eventually forced me out. Bruce and I were planning to be married but we had to put our plans on hold. We've both been looking for work then Speed and Pops hired me to take your place until the baby came. And Bruce has been furious about it, he thinks I want to start up something with your husband."
"But you told him that Speed and I are married and about to have a baby."
Twinkle nodded, "It makes no difference to him. He believes that Speed and I are trying to rekindle a flame that I've told him over and over never existed. And he definitely doesn't trust Speed."
Trixie sat back to digest all what Twinkle had said and then she spoke, "Twinkle, why is Bruce so adamant that Speed can't be trusted with you?"
Twinkle sighed deeply as she replied, "Trixie, you have to understand him. Bruce's parents separated and divorced when he was young and before they did, they well, fooled around a lot with others. Bruce has no concept of fidelity or trust and then when he heard what my father told him about Speed…well."
"What was that?"
"He told Bruce all about how Speed helped us and that he hoped one day that Speed would come back and ask me to marry him."
Trixie lowered her head. "I see."
Twinkle caught Trixie's response and she leaned in. "That was my father's hope. But I fell in love with Bruce from the first time I saw him, when he came to work at the circus. He was so handsome and the best trapeze artist I ever saw." Her sable eyes sparkled with remembrance.
Trixie watched closely as the girl daredevil went on. "Bruce was dazzling to me and for a while the circus was thriving. We did an act together and the chemistry was instant, we just clicked. Then my father got sick and died and the circus hit hard times. Bruce was wonderful though, helping me keep things going. We got closer and then one day, he proposed to me." She held up her hand with the diamond ring, the stone sparkling and then as she gazed at it she sighed, "I was so overjoyed when he asked me to marry him, I felt that nothing could take away my happiness. Then I lost the circus. Then things between me and Bruce got strained especially when I got the job with Speed. And he's had such a hard time finding work himself, which only adds to the strain."
Trixie's heart constricted as she reached out a hand in comfort. "Twinkle, I'm so, so sorry that things have been so rough for you. I'm glad you were hired as Speed's navigator."
Twinkle squeezed Trixie's hand and she said, "Thanks Trixie, but I could never fill your shoes. You really are missed on the team I can tell. Just today in the staff meeting, Pops slipped and called me 'Trixie'."
"Oh I'm sorry," Trixie apologized but Twinkle held up her hand.
"Don't be. I was flattered, you're a tough act to follow."
Trixie smiled in pleasure, as she felt vindicated. She had been feeling that because she was pregnant, Speed, Pops and the rest of the Go Team were too quick in relegating her to a minor role in the team and now, with Twinkle's words, she knew what Speed had been trying to convince her of all along was true. She suddenly felt a stab of shame for the way she had jumped to the wrong conclusion and hastened to make amends.
"Twinkle, I hope you stay with us. Speed would be very disappointed if you quit. As a matter of fact he asked me to make sure that you don't quit, so if you do, he'll be very angry with me."
Twinkle laughed, "I doubt that but, thank you." Her smile faded as she stated sadly, "But I really wish Bruce would accept my position on the Go Team. He should know that I got this job because I want us to get married, I love him so much."
"I'm sure he knows that."
"Sometimes I wonder," Twinkle said a tad bitterly. "His jealousy is a bit hard to handle. He's a wonderful man otherwise, warm, loving, compassionate. Everything I ever wanted."
Trixie responded, "I know but he needs to trust you. Trust in a marriage is as important as anything."
Twinkle nodded ruefully, "You're right." She glanced at the clock on the mantle and rising to her feet said, "I'd better head home. I'll call a cab and I'm afraid that Bruce will be at my place waiting but I really don't want to talk to him."
Trixie pushed herself up from the sofa. "Twinkle, why don't you stay here in our guest room? I can lend you one of my nightgowns and it'll give you and Bruce time to cool off."
Twinkle gazed at Speed's wife gratefully. "Oh could I? That would be great and Speed could give me a ride to work in the morning."
Trixie smiled, "Sure, he'd be glad to. Let me find you a nightgown and you can go right to the guest room. It's just down the hall past the bathroom and mine and Speed's room."
Twinkle embraced the pretty pilot, "Thanks Trixie. You're a real friend."
After getting Twinkle settled, Trixie headed to her room and mused about the conversation that had just taken place. Twinkle's life as it was recently appeared to be quite the burden to handle and she had been actually envying her. The story of Twinkle's fiancé's extreme jealousy was an eye opener and she was seeing things far differently, counting herself blessed to have a loving relationship with a man who loved her to distinction. He deserved nothing less than to be loved and trusted so Trixie also felt sorry for the way she had been treating poor Speed, who had been as sweet and attentive as he could be. Her own sage words echoing in her ears she then realized that she should practice what she preached and with a glint in her eye, she set about to do just that.
It was about quarter after midnight when the unmistakable sound of the Mach 5 rumbled up the drive and quieted as Speed killed the engine. He exited the cockpit and digging for his key, found it and let himself into his house.
Once inside, Speed tiptoed toward the master bedroom through the darkened rooms, noticing the quiet. Thinking she was fast asleep, he soundlessly opened the bedroom door and his eyes widened as he took in the view of his wife waiting for him.
Trixie was curled up on the bed, dressed in a black princess gown that made her alabaster skin appear pearly. Her rounded belly was barely discernable, as her lovely face was warmly candescent glowing in the light of the burning candles that sat on the night tables flanking the bed. Her Cupid's bow mouth was red like cherry wine as it was curved in a welcoming smile.
"Hi Speed," she said in a husky whisper. "I've been waiting for you."
His eyes drank in the fetching picture like a dehydrated man at an oasis. "Hiya," he said hoarsely, approaching the bed slowly. He stood by the bed in anticipation of what was to come.
She scooted over to him on the bed and on her knees placed her hands on his shoulders as she slid her arms around his neck, burying her face in the crook of his shoulder and neck. Her lips then traced a line from his hairline to his neck and ear, sending a flame through him like a conflagration. With a soft moan, he wrapped his arms around her, causing their entwined forms to fall back onto the bed as he responded to Trixie's passion with his own ardor.
They pulled apart breathlessly several minutes later and Speed got up and began to doff his clothes. When fully divested of his garments, save his shorts, he resumed kissing her deeply, like a starving man at a banquet, unable to get enough of the chestnut haired beauty that captured his heart. He drew back and cradled her face in his hands.
"Wow," he whispered in awe. "That was some welcome home. How'd I garner such a reception?"
Trixie smiled as she replied, "Just think of it as my way of apologizing for the way I've been acting. Forgive me?"
Speed grinned lazily as his eyes glowed in cobalt fire. "You're forgiven." His mouth then recaptured hers for another tender assault while the candlelight bathed them in a warm glow.
NEXT—SUSPICIOUS MIND