Chapter Seventy-two
"Alison. I get the point. Take off the mittens." Rafe said with a sigh.
She smiled at him and pulled her sweater closer around her. She adjusted her hat and scarf and tried not to laugh. "Tough. I warned you."
"You did. I didn't think you were serious." He grinned back at her and took another bite.
She gave him a look. "Rafe – you've known me how long? Don't you know I always keep my promises?"
Alison tried to pick up her fork but couldn't get it to stay in her hand. "I should have picked gloves instead."
"You're ridiculous Alison…" Rafe laughed as he took her hands in his and tried to take the mittens off. "Take those off."
Shaking her head at him, she snatched her hands away. "I could – or - you could feed me dinner." She suggested innocently.
"I guess I could." Rafe replied moving closer to her. He picked up her fork and fed her a bite.
Her mouth closed over the fork and she shut her eyes. "Mmmmm." She moaned softly, already tasting the next one.
"Angel – you're killing me." He said with a shake of his head, bringing her fork to her lips again. His eyes ran over her and he couldn't help but comment. "Alison – c'mon. Aren't you warm?"
"No. I'm very comfortable." She replied, giggling.
"Alison…" He whispered as he put down the fork and moved closer to her.
"Rafe?" She said with a smile and leaned toward him.
He pulled the hat off her head. The firelight made her hair seem to glow. He ran a hand over her cheek and looked into her eyes. "I think you're looking a little flushed. It won't be good for the baby if you pass out from heat exhaustion."
"No." She said softly as he unwound the scarf from her neck. "That would be bad."
Rafe drew her mittens off one at a time. He brought her hands to his lips and kissed first one, then the other.
She gave him a huge smile and inched closer to him. She hated to admit it – but even with the air conditioner on she had been sweltering.
"Feel better?" He asked, chuckling a bit.
"Much." She gave him a look and moved closer still. "I'm still a little warm though."
"Must be the fireplace." He commented. "Or maybe – it's that sweater."
"I think it's the sweater." She whispered moving closer until her face a breath away from his.
"Maybe I should help you take it off." Rafe replied, his fingers already working on the buttons.
"Maybe you should…" Alison replied as she pressed her mouth to his.
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Chloe tried to kiss Grant back but her teeth were chattering.
He rubbed his hands up and down her arms which were covered in goose bumps. "Clo. You're freezing. You have to get out of those wet clothes."
She pulled away and laughed at him. "Oh, that was real smooth Grant."
"I'm serious." He smiled at her.
"I'm sure you are." Chloe replied, grinning back at him. "If I didn't know better I'd swear you did this on purpose."
He gave her his best innocent look. "Oh I beg to differ. I didn't insist that we hide out in here. I think you were just trying to get me alone."
She glared at him but her eyes shone with laughter. "Yeah. I arranged the weather too."
"It's possible." He said with a laugh.
Chloe shrugged. "OK. I give up. You're right, I mean – just look. I've already got you here half undressed."
"You see. I knew it." Grant smiled as he picked up his shirt and moved closer to her. "OK. At least let me try and dry your hair."
He moved behind her and used the shirt like a towel, gently wringing out her curls. He held them off her neck and pressed a kiss there. "You're going to catch a cold."
The way he was so gentle with her made her sigh. She found herself leaning back into him. "Maybe." She said softly.
He whispered her name and she turned directly into his arms. Her hands moved up his bare chest and she twined them around his neck, leaning in to kiss him.
Grant leaned back and ran a hand over her hair. "Chloe. I was teasing. You don't…"
"I want to." She cut him off with another kiss, longer this time. Chloe pulled away and snuggled closer. "You're so warm."
She was driving him crazy and he wanted her more than he'd ever wanted anything in his life. "Chloe." He needed to see her face.
"Grant stop talking. You're making progress here." She whispered as she kissed him again. She pulled back and lifted the hem of her soggy t-shirt, pulling it over her head and tossing it aside, revealing simple pink cotton underneath. Smiling she pressed her body to his and pulled him closer.
Her lips were soft on his neck, her kisses making him crazy. She wound the chain he wore around his neck in her hand and pulled him closer still. His hands roamed over her skin and he couldn't believe this was real. He buried his nose in her hair. She smelled just like summer, like a day at the beach. He took a deep breath and could have sworn he was drowning.
It was like this every time they were alone together, but something right now was different. He took her chin in his hand and made her lips meet his. Slowly he covered her mouth with his, the way it closed over hers making her head spin. Grant fought to keep his wits about him. He didn't want to stop, but before he could go on, he needed to know.
"Why are you doing this?" Grant lips were pressed against the column of her throat, awed by the fact that she wasn't kidding anymore. She actually wanted him.
"What?" Her heart was beating frantically. She didn't want him to stop. Her nails dug into his shoulders, forgetting that she'd just bandaged a cut on one of them. Gasping for breath, Chloe leaned back and stared into his eyes. "Do you really have to ask that?"
"Yeah." He said, trying to catch his breath himself. Though it was torturous to be away from her he stood and blushed a bit. "I do. I mean –" He looked at her with a sort of sadness in his eyes. He took a steadying breath and continued. "You could be with anyone."
What was he saying? Why didn't he get it yet? Chloe looked at him with love spilling from her eyes. "Grant. I don't want anyone else. I want to be with you. That's all I ever wanted." She walked to him and took his hands in hers. "Why can't you believe that I love you?"
"I do believe it – it's just – I don't know…" He smiled down at her and laughed, loving the crazy way her hair curled about her face as it dried. He ran a hand over her head. "When you look at me like that I feel like I'm dreaming."
"So do I." She whispered as she moved closer to him. "Whenever I'm with you it feels too good to be true. Like I'll wake up and it'll be over."
His arms closed around her as he promised. "You don't have to worry. I love you. It won't ever be over, Chloe."
"Good." Her lips sought his and she kissed him deeply. He held her tighter and as he did, she never imagined she could be close enough. Her breath was ragged as she pulled away. "I love you Grant. I always have. I'm sorry it took me so long to tell you."
"That's OK." He replied as he inched closer to the blanket, moving to kneel on the ground, bringing her with him. "We still have forever."
"Yeah…" Chloe whispered as she lay down and pulled him to her. "We do."
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"Dessert?" Alison said with a laugh as she blew her hair out of her eyes.
"Give me a second. I can't move right now." Rafe laughed back.
"Can't keep up with me anymore huh?" She shifted to she could look at him, needing to untangle herself a bit. She pulled the blanket closer to her. "You're getting old." She said with a grin.
His eyes went wide. "I am not." His voice was a bit defensive.
"You do realize that – technically – you are ten years older than you are." She giggled as she laid her head on his chest.
He ran a hand down her side and let it settle on her hip. "Technically – yes. But you don't age in heaven."
She shifted so his hand now rested on her stomach. "No?"
"No." He replied as he rubbed the little bump she had there lovingly.
"But you do here on earth right?" She asked as she placed a kiss on his neck.
He wondered what she was up to. "Yeah…" Rafe said suspiciously.
"So when are you going to get glasses?" She bit her lip to keep from laughing.
She did laugh when he quickly moved to flip her flat on her back. "Stop it." He warned her.
"Aww. C'mon. You'd look cute." She giggled.
Rafe kissed her then to keep her from going into hysterics. "Are you finished?" He asked when he finally pulled away.
"Yeah." She said softly as she curled into him, tracing a line up and down his arm with her fingers. "So. Did you happen to – oh I don't know – buy me something to celebrate today?"
His lips curved into a smile and he kissed the top of her head. "Alison. Is that your subtle way of asking for your gift?"
"That wasn't subtle." She said, confused. She tilted her face up to his.
"No kidding." He laughed as he kissed her quickly. "I didn't actually buy it. Hold on..." Rafe eased away and quickly tugged his jeans on.
She looked up at him and pouted. "Where are you going?"
"The garage." He smiled at her as he made his way to the door.
"Ahh. The garage." Alison made a mental note. It was the only place she hadn't looked.
She pulled a quilt around her and walked to the desk, pulling a small wrapped package out of a drawer.
She was standing there, wrapped in patchwork, her hair a mass of tangles around her face when Rafe came back in, carrying a large flat package wrapped in brown paper. He sighed at the sight of her and placed it on the coffee table. "C'mon - sit down."
Alison moved to the couch and settled in, waiting for him to sit beside her before she handed him the package in her hand. "You first."
"OK." He leaned in and kissed her quickly. Rafe tore off the wrapping and opened the lid of the box. "Alison…" He whispered.
She smiled softly and ran her hand over the frame. "I found it in a box in the attic. It was stuck in your old journal."
"You can't help yourself from peeking in there can you?" He laughed softly, remembering the times she'd looked in his journal before. "Thank you." He said so quietly she barely heard him. It was a beautifully framed picture of him and his mother, the last one he ever had taken with her, one that he knew should be tattered and discolored. It looked just like new.
She could tell what he was thinking. "You're welcome. They can do amazing things now. They scanned it and then they re-colored it." Her finger traced over his mother's face. "I though it was important to have it somewhere where you can see it all the time. She was so lovely Rafe."
"Yeah. She was." He said his voice soft. He turned to look into her eyes. "So are you."
He blinked back tears and placed the picture in his lap. "OK. Now yours." He said with a smile.
She grinned and eased the wrapping off carefully. He loved how she savored each moment of receiving a gift. As she worked, Alison could tell it was something in a frame but she had no idea what it was until the paper fell away. Then, it was her turn to be moved. "Rafe…"
He beamed at her. Nothing made him happier than seeing her happy. "I asked Kevin to paint it. I thought we could hang it in here."
Her vision blurred and the colors melded in front of her eyes. It was hard to recognize the subject of the painting until she wiped at her eyes. "It's the barn."
"Did you realize we don't really have a picture of it?" He asked with a smile.
"I didn't. Not until now." She pulled him close and kissed him gently. "I love you. I love it. Kevin did a beautiful job."
"I love you too." Rafe whispered as he pulled away slightly. He gave her a silly grin. "So. I'm forgiven for forgetting?"
"Absolutely." She replied as she moved to kiss him again.