Merlyn sat in the large office that she had to good fortune of occupying in the Trinity Guardian building and rested her head on the desk in front of her. She was disappointed with herself for trusting Lucas earlier and had chosen to come back to work, as she was unable to get the vision of the incident she had witnessed out of her head.
Life was difficult for her, she was juggling a serious relationship in addition to an important career and she was fully aware of the high expectations of her family. Merlyn had genuinely thought that Lucas had changed, or at least softened some since his marriage to Gail and the birth of Luke; however, she had proven herself to be naive and he had once again fooled her.
'Oh don't be so dramatic' Lucas smirked, sitting casually on the couch in the middle of the office.
Merlyn lifted her head and cursed herself for not sensing his intrusive presence sooner. 'Get out' she ordered in a calm tone, trying to hide her anger.
Lucas sensed the hostility beneath her surface and his smile grew wider. 'Now why would I do that when I appear to be your muse?' he asked and nodded towards the computer on the desk.
Merlyn narrowed her eyes at him irritated, then noticed her fingers were typing on the keyboard and she let out a small gasp when she glanced at the monitor in front of her. She did not know when it had started or how she had been unaware of it; however, she had typed close to 500 words on the incident that had taken place earlier.
'See, no foolin' here Missy, I've just made you productive' Lucas laughed.
Merlyn regained control of her body and pulled her fingers away from the keyboard, then stood up abruptly. 'This ain't me' she snapped, concerned at his ability to control her so easily.
'Oh but it is' Lucas advised, standing up and approaching her slowly. 'I'm certainly no writer and I couldn't string together what you have'
Merlyn read the last sentence she had written and shook her head confused, she did not know what game he was playing or how he did this; however, she wanted no part of it.
Lucas let out a long sigh and perched on the desk next to where she stood. 'Darlin', you really need to get some self confidence. You want that ol' cousin of yours regrettin' her decision to put her reputation on the line to vouch for you?...Look at me' he ordered sternly, taking her chin in his hand gently.
Merlyn felt a wave of emotion flood through her as she stared deep into his eyes. She knew Gail had put her professional reputation on the line by taking her on as an apprentice and giving her so much control here, Merlyn really did not want to let her down.
'So don't look a gift horse in the mouth and accept what you witnessed, I guarantee you that Gail wouldn't throw away an opportunity like this' Lucas advised, then smiled cunningly when Merlyn sat back down obediently and continued typing.
Gail sat in the cold archive area of the public Library, with her head in her hands. After her long visit to the hospital and her last conversation with Matt, she had been walking around in a haze.
She had chosen to bring the children here after picking them up from fishing, knowing she would be able to be alone. Caleb and Rose were watching Luke in the main area of the Library, Gail had ordered them to find some educational reading material due to missing out on School and she had escaped to this unmanned section of the Library. She welcomed the silence and was grateful for the opportunity to think, her visit with Matt had not made things better and her emotions were all over the place.
Gail lifted her head up slowly and placed her hands on her mouth for a moment, then glanced down at the large book on the table in front of her. The History Of Trinity was written on the front cover in large gold letters and she laughed at the good condition of the book, indicating that the Town's residents were not very interested in reading up on their history.
She pulled the large book towards her and turned to a random page towards the back, she spotted an old picture of Lucas' father Malcolm shaking hands with a Reverend and rolled her eyes at Malcolm's false smile. She could see the judgement in his eyes, even within the old picture and wondered what happened to the other man after the picture had been taken. Was he living out the rest of his days in some peaceful abode? Or had something terrible befallen the man for some non important act he committed against Malcolm?
Gail disregarded her questions and turned to a page closer to the front of the book, where her eyes rested on a black and white picture of a farmer in a field. Behind the farmer stood the Trinity River and a couple could just about be seen in the distance standing at the riverbank. Gail ran her fingers over the couple gently and knew it was her past self Rosemary with her Master Buck of that time. She remembered from her visions and the portrait she had found when wandering around her home that she shared with Lucas, Rosemary was her image and the Buck of that time in this old picture had a striking resemblance to Lucas.
She let out a small laugh and shook her head at the connection, wondering if she ever stood a chance at preventing the way her life had turned out. The picture spoke louder than a thousand words and her feelings of being trapped began to resurface, making her want to scream.
'Now what is my beautiful wife doin' cooped up in a dark place like this when she should be out showin' herself off in the warm weather?' Lucas asked sarcastically, as he leaned against the staircase that lead to the main area of the Library.
'Avoiding sharp instruments that may hurt her husband' Gail mocked sweetly, closing the book before he could see what she was reviewing and returned it to it's rightful place.
Lucas watched her closely, curious as to what she could be researching down here and walked towards her. 'I'm more than capable of defendin' myself against whatever crazy attack is imminent' he reassured her and brushed past her to get to the book she had been so engrossed, which distracted her from sensing his presence.
Gail took hold of his arm and led him towards the table, then placed his hands beneath her skirt instinctively. 'And here I was thinking that I was the only thing that could hold your attention' she said in mock scorn, after having to cup his chin in her hand and turn him to face her, to stop him from looking at the book she had returned.
Lucas gazed deep into her eyes and smiled at her apparent playful mood. 'Oh but you are Mrs Buck' he whispered seductively and nipped at her lips teasingly.
Gail pushed down her unease and allowed herself to relax, he would know instantly if there was something wrong with her so she chose to put everything out of her mind and focus solely on him. 'You uprooted me from my routine today' she scolded, then let out a quiet moan when he ran his fingers up her thigh and tangled them in her thong.
'And you abandoned the children while you disappeared off with Harvard' Lucas stated knowingly, unimpressed that she had left his eldest son at the riverbank.
Gail ran her hands up his chest and began unbuttoning his shirt slowly. 'You insinuated you wanted me to get checked out, so I did' she advised, then placed her hand underneath his shirt and tugged playfully at his chest hair.
Lucas inhaled deeply as she dug her nails into his chest and teased her sweet spot with his fingers. 'And what did the check up find?' he asked curiously, then let out a low moan when her hand trailed between his legs and she squeezed his manhood hard.
'Nothing for you to be concerned about Master Buck' she reassured him sweetly, then unzipped his pants and released his manhood in an attempt to distract him from the subject.
Lucas pulled down her panties, then lifted her up onto the table and parted her legs slowly. 'You aren't lying to me are you love?' he asked seriously, sensing some unease buried deep within her.
'Never soulmate' she stated calmly with her features remaining unchanged and pulled him closer to her.
Lucas searched her eyes for a lie; however, there was nothing to indicate she was not telling the truth and he thrust his hard manhood inside of her, savouring the feeling of her closing in around him. He let out a loud moan, then began moving in and out of her slowly, not willing to rush his fun.
Gail let out a low moan when he entered her and smiled at her ability to distract him. She was not ready to get into what she had found out with him and was happy just to have him inside of her, before everything became complicated.
Lucas sensed her willingness to give herself over to him and kissed her passionately, she did not attempt to convince him to speed up his movements and he smiled at her desire for him. He bit down on her neck when a bolt of pleasure surged through him and continued to take her slowly, enjoying every moment of being inside of her.
Gail felt like she was going to explode, the intense pleasure she felt with every thrust was immense and she did not want him to stop. She moved her hands to his back and clawed her nails down, showing how much she wanted him. Her Adonis never failed to please her in this regard and his strong desire for her only made the act more satisfying.
Lucas could not remain controlled for much longer and sped up his movements, he kissed and nipped at her neck with his teeth while pushing his manhood as far as it could go inside of her. When he sensed their climax rising, he kissed her passionately and cupped her chin in his hand to enable him to stare deep into her eyes. There was something different with her, he spotted it clearly in this moment of pure union; however, she clearly did not want to talk about it and he would trust her judgement for now.
Gail gazed deep into his eyes and tangled her hands in his thick caramel blond hair, she willed him to let it all go and smiled when he continued to watch her, accepting the pleasure he was giving her. Their climax hit intensely and she pulled him to her chest to stifle his call, then bit her lip to control her volume. When he exploded within her, she lay back on the table with his head resting on her chest and breathed heavily.
Lucas listened to her accelerated heart beat, satisfied that there could not be anything seriously wrong with her and pulled out of her gently when they both caught their breath. 'I'll take the next shift with the children and give you some time to yourself' he advised, then kissed her nose gently and made himself presentable as he headed back up the stairs.
Gail lay on the table for a moment and watched him leave, then ran her fingers through her hair and let out a long relieved breath, sensing he had respected her desire to be left alone.
Matt turned the key to Gail's old place of residence and threw down his coat untidily on the stairs. It had been a long day and his mind was plagued with a mixture of thoughts, due to the tests he had carried out on his friend; therefore, he had chosen to spend the night here rather than at M's, as he could not stomach having to pretend that everything was alright.
He picked up the letters that had been posted through the letterbox and glanced around the property slowly, as he made his way to the main living room area. He supposed he should stop referring to this property as Gail's old place of residence and finally call it his, as there was no hope in her returning after the news of today.
Matt did not know how life had gotten so complicated, all he had ever wanted to do was help people after his family had died in the car horrific accident. He had been managing to do that just fine, until Caleb and Gail came into his life and he took on the responsibility of trying to protect them from the sociopath they called Sheriff.
'Fine job you did of that friend' Lucas said amused, as he entered from the kitchen and placed two glasses of whiskey on the coffee table, before sitting comfortably on Gail's large armchair.
Matt inhaled deeply at the intrusion and stared down at Lucas with hatred in his eyes. 'You're trespassing on my property Sheriff' Matt stated coldly and attempted to keep his composure.
'I'm visitin' the property my wife still rent's, which I bought from the owner two years ago without her knowin'' Lucas advised nonchalantly and gestured for Matt to sit down on the couch, before pushing a glass of whiskey towards him.
'You know I don't drink' Matt snapped as he sat down, unimpressed at the possibility he was living in a place that this man owned and stared at the drink invitingly.
'You ever wonder whether that's why you're so sour all the time Harvard? It's a shame really, that little piece of yours is lookin' to experience life to the fullest and she can't even have a blow out in case it offends you' Lucas smirked, then sat back comfortably in the chair and downed his glass of whiskey.
Matt stared at him with disdain for a moment, then picked up the glass in front of him and downed the drink. He closed his eyes as the burning sensation of the liquid travelled down his throat, then shook his head and shot Lucas a challenging look.
'Now that's outta the way, let's talk about the object of our mutual adoration' Lucas smiled devilishly, then pulled out a bottle of whiskey from behind his back and poured them both another glass.
Matt watched the man he despised pour him another drink and laughed in disbelief at his acceptance of his presence. 'You think I'm stupid to continue on with this charade and allow myself to throw aside my oath as a medical professional? You must really be desperate Buck'
'Look who found his backbone' Lucas regarded him curiously for a moment, amused at the man's believe that he could withstand his influence. If Lucas truly wanted Matt to break, it would not take much effort these days as the man had allowed too many people into his heart. The man's only saving grace was that one of those people was his love and Lucas respected her enough to give the man a reprise from his usual permanent punishments, at least for the time being anyway.
Matt shook his head at the comment, then subconsciously picked up the glass of whiskey and took a long sip. When he realised what he had done, he stared at Lucas suspiciously. 'You think your wife will appreciate you destroying my sobriety?' he asked casually, then took another sip when he felt the liquid calming him.
Lucas watched him carefully and smiled. 'I think a man should make his own choices rather than fallin' back on a woman for protection from the big bad wolf' he smirked and downed his drink.
Matt pushed his glass towards Lucas, he had already given up his self control; therefore, he might as well stop trying to maintain his usual pure image. He had no doubt that his disappointment in himself would be immense tomorrow morning, but tomorrow seemed so far away.
Lucas smiled at his present company respectfully, it was not often that a man welcomed his demons so gracefully and no matter how much of a pain in his ass Matt was, he had a certain respect for the man. 'You know, we've had our differences you and I...' he started.
'And usually you'd attempt to use this type of weakness to damn a man like me' Matt interrupted knowingly and tapped on his glass, waiting impatiently for Lucas to refill it.
Lucas laughed at the comment and nodded his acknowledgement to the truth. 'I've no desire to do that to you now Doc, I'm just concerned about my wife' he advised truthfully and took a large sip of his drink.
Matt lifted his glass in a toast motion and nodded, understanding first hand what that feeling was like. 'You sure you aren't just concerned about your own safety? Being smothered in your sleep by someone you hold dear can do that to a person' he joked, then stood up and paced the room slowly.
'A man's mortality is important, but I'm sure you understand the consequences of such intended acts against me' Lucas warned, knowing at some point he would not be able to hold back his urges if his wife truly threatened him.
Matt considered the comment for a moment, then shook his head. 'So much for the sanctity of marriage, didn't you swear to love and honour your bride no matter what? I'm sure she keeps up her end of the bargain' he said bitterly.
Lucas laughed, stood up and stretched. 'My love puts up with a lot, I'll give her that...but when a man's life is threatened, certain animal instincts come into play'
'And you want me to give you a reason to dispel those instincts, or justify their existence?' Matt asked calmly, feeling his hatred for the man before him resurface.
Lucas walked towards him and stared deep into his eyes. 'I want you to tell me what's wrong with my wife so I can fix it' he said honestly.
Matt held his stare for a moment, then closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. 'There's no fixing this Lucas, you need to go talk to her...but not tonight' he sighed and downed the remainder of his drink.
'Not tonight?' Lucas asked confused.
'Tonight she needs to be alone and I don't want her being arrested for murder before she can get a handle on the situation' he advised and held up his empty glass expectantly. 'Fill her up'
Lucas regarded Matt suspiciously for a moment, he did want to go home to Gail to hash this out once and for all; however, he was intrigued by Matt's sudden willingness to let go and decided to trust the man for a change. 'Why not?' Lucas shrugged, then smiled devilishly and refilled both of their glasses.
-To be continued-