Rating: NC-17 for sex!

Series: Snapshots of the Past

Story: Say You Love Me Too

Chapter 15

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Previously: Abbey admitted to Jed that she prevented her memories because she was scared of remembering her attacker; Jed accepted her apology after confessing how much her lie hurt him; Jed told Abbey a story that led her to reveal she was starting to remember their life together

Summary: Jed leads Abbey through the night of passion that resulted in her pregnancy; afterwards, Abbey surprises Jed with a revelation of her own

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"I think I remember."

Just like that, an unexpected revelation startled them both. She asked him to tell her about the night they conceived. She begged him to lead her down a path towards the visions in her mind.

Jed was cautiously optimistic. His breathing ragged and frazzled, he settled his eyes on hers as he waited for her lead. "Where should I start?"

"At the beginning. We were in the bedroom. We were kissing. Then later, we were arguing or debating something. Then we were kissing?" She shook her head in frustration. "It's all so jumbled. Sort it out for me."

He curled up closer to her. "You're sure? You're sure you want to do this?" Terrified of pushing her too far, he waited patiently for her response.

She gave him a nod, delayed only seconds by her own trepidation. "Yeah."

Jed was determined to move slowly. He began guiding her through the evening she was trying desperately to recall. Their time together had been limited thanks to Abbey's hectic hospital schedule, he told her. Romantic interludes had become a casualty of their careers and any effort to steal a few intimate moments was immediately squashed by interruptions.

Three weeks of lonely stares and innocent grins exchanged briefly over the breakfast table had taken its toll. As Abbey returned from a shift every morning, Jed would be gathering his briefcase, ready to waltz out the door.

They had been longing for a night together, longing for a touch only the other could provide. It wasn't just about sex. It was never just about sex. For Jed and Abbey, it was about a connection they only felt with one another, a connection so deep that it intensified as the feelings of sexual pleasure exploded between them.

Something felt wrong when they didn't share a bed, as if the galaxy was thrown off-kilter when they didn't drift off to sleep wrapped in each other's arms.

Jed had been working long hours in Concord as the legislative session was rapidly winding down. He spent many evenings in a deserted hotel room, fantasizing about his wife, waiting for a night when she would be home, when Lizzie and Ellie would be tucked in early, leaving them alone in the throes of passion.

But when the night of his dreams was finally here, he arrived home with a heavy heart and a desire to confess something he had avoided telling Abbey. Surprised by the darkened house, he opened the front door and called out to her. She didn't respond.

Her black pleated skirt was suspiciously draped over the back of the sofa. He crouched down on the floor and carefully picked up the sheer sleeves of the purple blouse that was dangling just below, the smell a mixture of vanilla and freshly picked gardenias. He held it to his nose and inhaled the scent for a full minute before noticing the single dark stiletto pump only a few feet away with another facing the same direction, strategically planted to turn his attention towards the hallway that led to their bedroom.

A mischievous grin broke his somber expression as he saw a pair of black pantyhose hanging off the doorknob, a clear invitation for him to enter.

"Abbey?" he called as he twisted the knob and walked inside.

Jolted by the warm hands that coiled under his arms and gently pressed into his chest from behind, he gasped.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," she whispered in his ear.

He turned in her arms to see her standing in only her underwear. Her curvaceous hips seemed to mold flawlessly to the sides of the black lace panties and her breasts flowed slightly over the cups of the matching bra.

"You are so incredibly sexy."

She fingered the buttons on his white dress shirt, slowly grazing his bare chest with every inch that was revealed. Her lips teased him as they came seductively close to his face, only to remain an inch away. He leaned in to steal a kiss, but she pulled back, promising to reward him for his patience.

"You're pretty sexy yourself." She reached the bottom button and slipped her fingers inside his pants. He sighed when she rubbed her thumb over the zipper gliding it down with such force that his pants fell to the floor.

Drawing her in, he linked his hands together around her waist, allowing just enough room for her to tug on his boxers as his shirt dropped from his shoulders.

He stepped out of the pool of clothing that landed at his feet. She moved her lips down from his and began to kiss the hollow of his neck. His became shorter, quicker, as she moved down to his chest, her warm tongue exploring his soft skin and muscular frame. Her hands slipped below his waist to massage his upper thighs, manipulatively brushing the area just below his pubic bone.

Breathlessly aroused, she pushed him against the wall for support. His palms gripped the plaster as he tried in vain to curl his fingers around anything that would give him a steady crutch.

Abbey's lips were now on his stomach, circling his belly button while her hands worked their way up to the mound around his shaft. She stared into his eyes as she applied continuous pressure. His head tilted back and his legs voluntarily separated to give her better access. She sank to the ground. With her flattened fingers still rubbing his sensitive flesh, her tongue glided up to the base of his manhood and back down to the tip.

His knees suddenly weakened. His body began to shiver. She positioned her thumbs on either side, pressing them firmly as she took him into her mouth and sucked softly on the tip.

"Oh God, Abbey."

His moans encouraged her to pick up her pace. Her fingers manipulated the area just beneath her lips. He squatted as he let out a few soft screams. She began to hold him tighter. The more forceful the hold, the weaker he became until the pleasure hit its brink and sent him over the edge.

Jed collapsed to the floor with Abbey still holding his legs. Her hands continued to stroke him until his breathing settled into a nice rhythm. He grabbed a hold of her wrist and pulled her up from between his straddled legs. She rested her ear on his chest to hear the loud, echoing sound of his heartbeat.

"I love you," she told him in a soft whisper.

He placed his index finger under her chin to lift her head. "I love you too. You have no idea how much."

"I think I do."

He was always enamored by her emerald orbs, but tonight they twinkled with a spark he hadn't seen in weeks. A stray lock of her dark auburn hair tickled her lashes, bringing out the beautiful contrast in her features. He tucked the strand behind her ear then lowered his hands to her waist. He rolled them over so he was on top. He climbed off and pulled her to her feet, immediately connecting their lips in yet another steamy kiss. His fingers reached around her back and unclasped her bra. His body moved back only slightly to allow it to fall between them.

"Lay down," he playfully ordered with his leg hooked behind hers to ease her onto to the bed.

She fell back with ease, her hands still wrapped tightly around his neck to hold him close. He separated her fingers and finagled his way through her arms, embarking on a trail of kisses down her neck and into the valley between her breasts. His knuckles kneaded her body as his tongue made its way up the supple slope of skin.

Slowly, he worked his way down her belly then deliberately skipped to her ankles, causing her to squirm with anticipation as he moved his way up her shapely legs. Warm, tender kisses created a seductive path to her inner thighs. She wiggled when the short stubble and hot breath against the pressure points of her legs overwhelmed her with a passionate tingle.

He held her tighter as she moved. After twelve years of marriage, there were things neither had to say. He knew when to take charge, when she would allow him to without him asking permission, when she would want him to in order to reach the height of sexual ecstasy. It didn't have to be planned or discussed beforehand. It was simply a testament to the trust and assurance they had built between them. Usually, she was the one doing the dominating, but tonight, Jed was in complete control.

He slipped his fingers inside the elastic of her panties and quickly discarded them. He pushed down on her hips to restrict her motion, then lifted her legs and placed them on top of his shoulders. She succumbed to his strong hands holding her wrists to prevent them from interference while his tongue teased the very edge of the little nub that brought her great pleasure.

His mouth engulfed her completely. His tongue penetrated her over and over again and his thumbs separated the folds of skin directly above, giving him access to delicately press his lips into the depths of her femininity.

She heaved herself up, forcing him deeper inside her with every thrust of her hip, until she lost the power to retreat back onto the mattress. Nearly paralyzed by the feeling and still enveloped in his warmth, she began to lose control. Her legs shook violently as his methodical rhythm pushed her over the edge. Her head bore into the bed with every pulsating moan that escaped her lips.

Jed stayed in position until he felt her starting to come down from the climax. But he wasn't finished yet. He removed his mouth from between her legs and slid himself into her, hitting just the right spot to spark a new wave of sensations that immediately took Abbey's breath away. Her heels dug into his lower back as she melded their bodies together so he was buried as deeply as possible inside her. He vibrated against her, the friction between them responsible for an explosive release that stole her voice and stung his eyes with tears.

His tired muscles still constricting, he collapsed on top of her. "That isn't what I expected when I came home tonight."

"That's what three weeks of abstinence does to you?" she asked in breathless intervals.

He let out a soft chuckle as he rolled them both over to the side. "I love you."

She paused as she calmed herself down. "Jed?"

"Mmm?"

"What's wrong tonight?" There was a twinge of hesitancy in the question as her fingertips traced imaginary circles on his chest.

"I thought we were having a great night. What makes you think something's wrong?"

She locked her eyes into his. "It was great. It's always great," she assured him. "But tonight, something else is going on."

How did she always know? "You think so?"

"What is it?"

He inhaled deeply, preparing himself for what he feared would turn into a heated argument. "I had to turn down one of my colleagues in the House last week."

"A new bill?"

"Yeah. It's so late in the session that if I had sponsored it, we would have lost the votes we've already lined up for the education initiative."

"So you couldn't do it. I'm sure he'll understand."

"Yeah," he sadly agreed.

"What's wrong?"

He had avoided it long enough. It was now or never. "The bill was...it would have ensured stiffer penalties for men who commit violent crimes against women."

"Oh," she replied as she inched herself a bit further from him and settled on her back.

His own guilt riddled his conscience. "I'm sorry."

He didn't have to say it. She sensed the regret that dominated his every word. This bill was important to Abbey. It would have helped all women who fell victim to violence, but most significantly to her, it would have protected women trapped in abusive relationships. It would have given women who couldn't leave a domineering partner, either out of a sense of duty or a feeling of helplessness, a viable chance at a healthy life.

It would have made all the difference in the world to women who were scared and hesitant to walk out on a relationship filled with vicious hate, women who didn't feel they had the strength within themselves to put their abusers in jail, women like her friend Maggie.

It had been months since Abbey first noticed visible signs of abuse on nurse Maggie Holloway's face. She had questioned her about a slightly raised, noticeably discolored spot on her cheek, but Maggie brushed it off with a claim that she ran into a wall while responding to a patient in ICU. Then there was the busted lip which makeup cleverly disguised to most people. But to Abbey - a woman who picked up a few makeup tricks of her own while starring in countless theater productions in high school - nothing could hide the tiny wound that outlined the corner of Maggie's lip.

But it was the black eye that forced Maggie to finally admit the truth. Blinded by a misguided sense of love and a little bit of fear, Maggie refused to leave her live-in fiance. And so, the thankless chore of stitching her up after each violent eruption fell on Abbey's shoulders.

"Abbey?" Jed called out to her when he felt her lost in a daze. "I'm really sorry."

"You know what Maggie's really afraid of? She's scared that if she leaves Frankie, he'll find her. He's gone to jail before, but he always gets out in a month or two. She thinks that this time, if he gets out, he'll come after her and maybe even kill her. He's threatened that...to kill her if she betrays him. And so she stays, no matter how many times I try to convince her to walk out." Reenergized, she turned to face her husband. "This bill would have put him away for a long time?"

"Yeah, it would have. They haven't worked out all the logistics yet, but it would have kept him in prison for a mandatory sentence. He wouldn't have been able to spring himself out for good behavior."

"And the education initiative, what are the specifics?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you just turned your back on a law that would help women all over the state and I'm curious as to why. Why is the education initiative so important?" She sounded belligerent now. "Is it more funding?"

"Yes, that's part of it."

"Funding to help recruit high school football players? New cheerleading uniforms? What?"

He wasn't amused by her sarcasm. "Damn it, Abbey, this is why I didn't want to bring this up. This is why I kept it to myself for the past week."

"And now that you have brought it up, help me understand."

He kept his voice low and his temper restrained. "There's a revision that would completely overhaul Head Start. The federal funds just aren't there. State chapters are barely staying afloat. Something needed to be done."

"Head Start?" she repeated as she propped the side of her head on her arm.

She didn't need any other explanation. They had both discussed ways of helping the organization committed to preparing children from low-income families for grade school. He wasn't dismissing the bill in favor of a frivolous referendum. He was postponing the introduction for a good cause, a reason even Abbey had to admit was just as important as the crime bill.

"They're in trouble."

"And there's resistance to pass the initiative?"

"Some legislators think Head Start was necessary in the 60s, but they'd now like to fund a new pilot program that would reach out to all kids throughout the state."

"You've secured the votes?"

"Yeah. But if I throw them this curveball and sponsor this bill, I'd lose democrats as well as some republicans."

Detecting his remorse, Abbey swung her right leg over his hips and lifted herself up to straddle him.

"Then you'll take on the crime bill next year?" she asked, stroking his hair away from his face.

"I'd do it now, Abbey, if it was earlier in the session. It's just so late and we need to get so many things done."

She nodded sympathetically and lowered her head to drop a kiss to his lips. "Okay."

"Really?"

"Really. You can't do everything, Jed. I have to remind myself of that sometimes. I'm sorry."

He mingled his fingers through her hair after she tucked her face into his shoulder.

"Next year. I promise." She began to roll off his chest, but he gripped her hips, his heels holding her calves in place. "Where are you going?" he teased with an amorous stare as he rubbed himself against her.

"Don't tell me you're ready for another round?"

"If you're up for it."

"I'm always up for it," she reminded him with another kiss.

"Abbey?" Jed called her name to bring her back to the present. "Honey?"

"I remember."

"What part do you remember?"

"The whole thing. I remember surprising you in the bedroom, I remember us making love, I remember our conversation about Head Start. Everything."

With a glint in his eye, he sat up anxiously. "What else do you remember?"

"I don't know. I just get flashes of images, you know? This is the first time I've actually remembered as much as I have."

"It means you're getting better. It means you're ready to remember other things."

She nodded as he took her hand. "Will you help me?"

She was asking for his help. She was actually reaching out to him.

"Of course I will." He brought her hand to his lips and delicately kissed her fingers. "I love you, Abbey."

Several minutes passed as Jed rested his head back on the pillow, cradling her arm and rubbing soothing strokes up and down her skin. Without warning or expectation, the silence was suddenly broken by four simple little words that caused him to tighten his hold around her in blatant disregard for the barrage of emotions that gripped his heart.

"I love you too," she said softly.

TBC