DESTINED FOR ETERNITY

CHAPTER 28

JULY 1983

After dinner is finished, Robert and Holly take a moonlit stroll along the beach. They have removed their shoes and proceed to chase the waves back and forth across the sand, laughing in carefree abandon. Neither one had felt so relaxed as they did at this moment.

"Isn't this beautiful, Robert. I never knew the ocean could be so peaceful."

Smiling, Robert says, "I am glad you feel that way because tomorrow you will have an entire day out on this peaceful ocean. I reserved us a sailboat for tomorrow. We can cruise the water all day." He says proudly.

"Really?" Holly remarks with some reserve.

Robert quickly notices her lack of enthusiasm. "Do you get seasick?" He asks in alarm.

"No," She assures him. "Not that I have ever noticed anyway. This will be wonderful. Do they provide us with the captain as well?" She asks curiously.

"What?" He asks in surprise. "I am totally insulted, luv. I was raised in Australia, remember? We did alot of sailing. You are looking at an amateur expert here."

Holly can't help but smile at his smugness, then decides to knock him down just a peg or two. "But, darling, that was a long, long time ago. Are you sure you remember how? And you have had a recent injury. It may hamper your abilities a tad bit."

Robert's mouth drops open at her remarks. "Oh, ye, of little faith in thine husband," He retorts. "How could you NOT trust your husband?"

"Oh, I trust YOU, Robert," Holly stresses, "It's just I am not so sure I trust your sailing." She starts laughing and Robert realizes that she is really teasing him, or at least he thinks she is.

"Maybe I will even give you a few lessons on sailing the boat," Robert tells her.

"Yea, right," Holly says doubtfully. "I think I will just watch the master at work."

Heading back to their bungalow, Holly puts her arm through his and sighs a deep sigh of contentment.

"This holiday was an excellent idea, Robert. It is like we are in a whole different world where no problem has ever existed."

Robert smiles at her. "Well, you definitely needed some peace and quiet."

"We both did," She reminds him. Holly stops walking and turns to look up at him. As Robert returns her gaze, he can't help but be awestruck by her beauty. Looking at her in the moonlight, Robert knew he had never seen a more beautiful woman, and that he never would. He touches her face gently and reverently.

"You are so beautiful," Robert whispers. "You take my breath away."

Staring into his intense blue eyes, Holly is totally mesmerized. Finally, she manages to swallow and come out of her daze. "Robert, I lo. . ." Before she can finish her sentence, Holly is swept away as Robert's mouth comes down on hers for an intense, breath stealing, mind numbing passionate kiss. Holly leans into his embrace as his arms circle her waist and pulls her tighter to him. She stands on her tiptoes and wraps her arms around his neck trying desperately to get even closer to him.

Robert's hands move up to caress her bare, upper back that her sundress had seemed to provide just for him. Needing to breathe, he moves his kisses from her mouth to her ear and down her neck. He takes his hand and pushes the thin spaghetti strap of her dress down off her shoulder as his kisses follows the path of her shoulder and down to her chest. God, his brain was telling him to stop this madness, he shouldn't be doing this to her, she did not need to have him confuse her life, but his body was not in the mood to listen to his brain. It had been doing that far too long. He needed her. He wanted her more desperately than he ever had.

Moaning in his ear, Holly is in sheer estasy. God, she wanted him. She needed Robert in a way that she had never ever wanted or needed any man. "Robert," She moans, "I don't want this to ever stop." Holly feels her legs turning to mush and leans into Robert even more. Capturing her mouth once again, Robert lowers them both down onto the sand. Releasing her mouth, Robert opens his eyes to look down into her face, her beautiful face that is mirroring his own passion. "Holly," He tries to find something to say to explain his feelings, but his mind is numbed by passion and he just stares into her eyes, helpless against his emotions. Sensing that Robert is going to try and analyze everything, Holly quickly puts her arms around his neck and pulls him down to her, lying back on the sand. "No," She whispers as she kisses him desperately. "Don't talk, Robert. Just kiss me again. Please, just kiss me." Unable to resist her, Robert's mouth conquers hers once again. Robert pulls the other strap of her dress down and his mouth moves down to her chest once again and Holly arches up into his embrace, calling his name over and over. She frantically unbuttons his shirt and pulls it off of him, anxious to feel his skin against hers. Just then, at that moment, a wave manages to come ashore and sends water up on the beach, engulfing the two enamored lovers. Startled, they junp up in total shock. First, they are speechless as they look at one another and realize exactly what happened. Then they start laughing.

"I am soaked," She notes as she pulls the straps of her dress back onto her shoulders and wrings the water from the skirt. She continues to laugh about the entire situation and Robert stands back and delights in her total happiness. But then the reality sets in and he sobers up. "Shall we take that as a sign?" He asks her.

Still in her euphoria state, Holly smiles at him. "Of what?" She teases. "That we were laying in the sand beside an ocean?" She tries to brush the sand off of her arms.

"No," Robert says seriously.

Holly looks at him then. "What?" She asks. "What is it?"

"Maybe it is a sign that we were getting too carried away," He explains. "I'm sorry, Holly."

Going closer to him. "No, Robert, don't be. I wanted you just as much as you wanted me and . . " She starts to say more but finds herself staring at his wet, sandy chest. Sand was all over the wet bandage that covered his gunshot wound. "Robert!" She cries. "Look at your wound! Oh, god, we have to get it cleaned before it gets infected."

"Calm down, sweetheart."

Holly looks around for his shirt to clean it with, but apparently it had been washed out to sea. "Hurry, lets get back to the bungalow and cleanse it." She takes his hand in hers and drags him back toward their bungalow.

Robert looks down at her in amusement. "Yes, Nurse Scorpio."

Once inside, Holly has Robert change out of his wet clothing as she grabs some clean bandages. She tosses her own wet clothing off and grabs a robe to put on so she can hurry out to cleanse Robert's wound. He sits on the couch as she sits beside him and, after removing the soaked bandage, she uses a towel to gently remove the sand that was on his chest and surrounding his wound. She takes the antibacteria cream and smoothes it gently on the area. She is doing a very thorough job and Robert finds the torture of having Holly's hands on him much more painful than the injury itself. As for herself, Holly finds herself enjoying the feel of his muscles moving beneath her hands. She tries to concentrate on finishing her task, but finds it quite difficult. When she finally piuts the new bandage on, they look at one another, realizing they had not spoken one word during the entire exchange. Unable to ignore her feelings, Holly leans down and begins placing gentle kisses on Robert's chest. She doesn't leave a space untouched as Robert moans at the exquisite soft feeling of her mouth.

"Holly," He cautions her, very weakly, as his hands go to her hair and instead of pulling her away as he intended, he just runs his fingers through her soft, silky hair. "Holly," He tries once again.

"Mmmm?" She asks as she continues her kisses, moving up his to his neck now.

"Darling," He tries to warn her.

Holly leans back very little to explain. "I was always told that a kiss could make EVERYTHING better. So just let me make it better." She goes back to kissing his neck.

Robert touches her face to make her look up at him. And the rest of me will pay the price," He retorts.

Holly smiles mischieviously. "Maybe I can find a way to make that better, too," She says.

Unable to resist, Robert captures her mouth in a passionate kiss. Putting his arms around her, Robert feels the silk of her robe. He then moves his hands to the front to untie it. His hands then touch her bare skin as he spreads them across her back and pulls her closer. Thrilled to be in his arms, Holly moves even closer to Robert, but when she does it causes her hands that are lying on his chest to put pressure right where his injury is located. Robert gasps in pain as he takes his mouth from hers abruptly, overiding his passion for the time being. Horrified at being the cause of his pain, Holly jumps back away from Robert.

"I'm sorry, Robert. I didn't mean to hurt you. I should have realized."

"Luv, it is all right. Really, I am fine."

"No," Holly counters, "You are not. I can see it in your face. You are in pain."

"Not because of you," Robert says as he leans in to kiss her on the cheek. "Just a little bit more activity than I have been used to lately."

Holly frowns, still not convinced it wasn't her that caused this. She heads to the kitchen cabinet where she had left his bottle of pain pills. She gets him one and a glass of water and takes it to him. "I'm sure it has been long enough since the champagne for you to have this." He reluctantly takes the pill. "Now," Holly adds, "I think you should go straight to bed and get some rest."

Robert starts to speak, but Holly holds up her hand to stop him. "I know, I know, I am hovering again. Sorry but you just have to accept it as part of my nature and deal with it. And hopefully this will be the last time you have to deal with it, as long as you don't go around getting yourself shot in the fututre."

"Perish the thought," Robert says with a smile.

Realizing that he definitely needs to distance himself from Holly before he drags her back into his arms, pain or no pain, Robert relents to her hovering. "Actually, I won't even arque with you. I am a bit tired." Looking about the room a little nervously, he then says, "I will just grab a pillow and blanket and sleep here on the sofa."

"You most certainly will not," Holly argues. "To the bedroom," She states as she turns him in that direction.

"Look, luv, I am not taking the bed and allowing you to sleep here on the couch. Get that out of your mind because it is NOT happening,"

"I wasn't suggesting any such thing." Holly explains as he looks at her in confusion. "We will BOTH sleep in the bed. I am sure we should be able to fit adequately."

"Holly, are you sure? I mean I can . . ."

"Robert," She teases, "I promise to keep my hands to myself."

Unable to resist, Robert asks, "And just how do you know that I will do the same?"

Laughing, Holly replies, "I will take my chances." She points him in the direction of the bedroom once more. "Now, GO."