Chapter Eight

I disclaim

Dave and Leila spent the rest of the evening cuddling, laughing and making love. Sometimes they were methodical, sometimes they decided to forego foreplay and just go at it. They took a Jacuzzi bath together and just sat in silence. Not many words were said over the course of the night, they just enjoyed eachother.

The phone rang at 5:30 and it was Stephanie reminding them of the sunrise massage. She and Paul weren't sure if they'd wake them or if they had even slept. Steph was anxious to find out. Dave answered and agreed to meet in 15 minutes in the hall. They both knew they'd be bombarded with questions and prepared themselves. They got dressed and went out the door. Dave held Leila's hand tight; he felt he needed to remind her he wasn't going anywhere. And just as they suspected they were bombarded by Steph.

"It was a nice evening." Leila responded.

"Nice?" Steph asked. "I need more than that."

Leila smiled and just looked at her friend. Steph could read it in Leila's eyes they'd gone the extra mile. Paul noticed how Dave changed also and made a mental note to tease him mercilessly for the next 48 hours. They headed for the beach and their respective cabanas agreeing to meet for breakfast later. Of course it was all Paul and Steph talked about and Dave and Leila knew it, meanwhile they were quite in their cabana. They relaxed more knowing the other was less than three feet away. They both used those two hours to get some sleep.

Stephanie was getting frustrated with Leila's sudden modesty. Neither divulged anything during breakfast so Stephanie made it her goal to get Leila alone and crack her, a few drinks should do it. She left her alone for the afternoon while they did a little shopping at the shops near the hotel, especially since Dave was glued to her.

"It's killing you isn't it?" Paul chuckled as he laughed at his wife. "Something obviously happened a stranger could tell that much. Let it go for now." Stephanie shook her head just to appease her husband and he knew it.

Dave turned to look at Leila and whispered, "I love you." His left hand stroked her face and he bent to kiss her. Soft kisses were her favorite. Dave broke the kiss and smiled at her resting his forehead against hers.

"I love you too." She responded and they shopped a little more.

Soon it was time to get ready for the wedding and they all headed back. Dave and Paul had to meet Ric at the reception area an hour before the ceremony so they hurriedly got ready and left the girls to themselves. Leila soaked in the tub and was just getting out when Steph came bursting into her suite. It made Leila giggle that Steph even made it that long.

"Talk before I threaten to have this baby right on your bed." Steph demanded completely serious. Leila shared the highlights of the evening giving Stephanie enough to go on without actually getting too specific.

"What does he look like naked?" Steph asked wiggling her eyebrows.

"Excuse me? You're a married woman." Leila smiled at her.

"Your point is what. Just tell me." Steph didn't want to beg but she would if necessary.

"Let me think of the right words. Hmmm. What's bigger than spectacular? Extraordinary? Magnificent? Stunning? Breathtaking? I know where the Greek genes kicked in that's for sure. The only thing Filipino about him is his skin color. And that's all you get out of me." Leila wanted to tell more but didn't want to risk Dave's trust. Dave however thought she'd spill everything and didn't care, he knew Steph would only tell Paul and vice versa. The girls were laying on the bed when the door burst open and Dave came running in. He helped Steph off the bed and pushed her out of the bedroom. Leila jumped up thinking something was wrong and giggled when Dave launched her onto the bed.

"I need a fix, give us five minutes." He said as he closed the door.

"Are you kidding me?" Steph yelled from the other side.

"Fine, give us two and a half minutes." Dave yelled back to her and yanked the towel from Leila. "Nice to see I don't have to rip anymore of your clothes off."

"Dave, I thought you had to be downstairs." That was all she said as Dave dove into her. It didn't take Leila long to reach her dizzying heights and when Dave felt her getting close he moved above her and plunged himself as deep as he could go. She thought for sure he had bruised her brain. They both groaned loudly and he set a steady pace. She pushed Dave over and took control. As she rode him he used his fingers to make sure she got hers too. It wasn't long before they both felt the rush taking over. Dave flipped her back over and sat on his knees. He lifted her hips and found the pace he needed to reach for not only his release but hers too. He had a hard time holding off for Leila but luckily it didn't take her long and Dave quickly followed.

"Hurry up in there we have to get downstairs." Steph yelled through the door smiling.

Dave lay on Leila and kissed her as if it were his last. "I need enough to hold me over for the next few hours." She responded by kissing him with all the passion she could muster since he just drained her and she felt like she needed a nap.

"Dave get out, we have to get ready!" Steph knocked on the door and laughed as she said it. He quickly jumped up and began getting dressed again as Paul came into the suite. He told Steph they had some time, it was pushed back an hour because they had issues with Ric's bride's dress something about seam repair. Dave and Leila stood there kissing for a few minutes before she broke away.

"I need to take another shower and get ready." She said between kisses. Dave swiftly removed the clothes he had just put on and she laughed.

"What? I should probably shower too." He tried to sound innocent. He followed her into the bathroom and discovered they were unable to keep their hands to themselves. He washed her hair and took extra time with her loofa sponge. Leila returned the favor and was methodical with her cleansing. Soon Dave had Leila pressed against the wall and he made love to her again. She wasn't sure it was possible to have orgasms that close together, but she was pleasantly surprised. "I can't seem to be sated. You drive me crazy." He said between kisses.

"How did you make it almost three months with me and then all those months before me?" She questioned.

"Before you there was no temptation, nothing drawing my eye. But these past few months were extremely difficult. Every minute I saw you I wanted to take you right there." Just talking about it added fuel to the fire. Dave released himself at the same time Leila spilled onto him.

They finished their shower and headed back into the bedroom to get dressed again somehow managing to control themselves. "Think you can make it longer than 20 minutes this time, big man?" Steph asked as they walked into the living area. She smiled at the new couple happy for them both.

The wedding went off without a hitch and it was a beautiful sunset ceremony. Leila thought about Dave and how he made her feel complete. She couldn't help but think about her own walk down the aisle and how that would be.

"Have you told Dave anything yet?" Steph whispered as the guys went to freshen their drinks.

"No. He said we have plenty of time to talk about it and we agreed not to dampen this weekend." Leila responded as she looked around.

"Are you going to talk about it or let it go?" She kept pushing.

"I don't know. It's not vital to our survival together, it's done and overwith and in the past." Leila wondered how far Steph would take this.

"I agree with you. You did what you had to do, what anyone would have done." Stephanie hugged her best friend.

"All I know is I don't regret one thing. That mother fucker deserved it and I'd do it again in a heartbeat." Leila started to get angry thinking back and Steph gave her an extra squeeze and left it at that. The girls didn't notice Dave standing a few feet away and heard the entire conversation. He knew Steph left out some things when she first talked about Leila but this sounded serious. He walked away looking for Paul, he needed to know and right now.

Paul took a deep breath unsure if he should tell him. "When Leila tells you you have to act like you don't know anything." When Dave agreed Paul continued. "Leila's father died when she was four. Her mom remarried rather fast and her stepdad beat her Mother and older brother for years. As Leila got older he wanted to add her to the beating lineup. Her brother took her beatings so she wouldn't be touched. Her Mom tried several times to get out but he always found them and beat them worse. The police never believed it because the stepdad was a pillar in the community. One night when Leila was 11 he came home and started in on her Mom and brother. By this time he was 15 and able to fight back. The stepdad hit her brother in the head with a baseball bat killing him instantly. He started wailing on her Mom with the bat and knocked her unconscious. Leila saw the whole thing and when he turned his attention to her she ran for her room but he caught her. He beat the shit out of her and raped her."

Paul paused to gain control of his emotions, giving Dave time to process this much. "Afterwards he went back to the family room as if nothing happened. He fixed himself a drink and started watching football. Leila drug herself into her Mom's closet and got a gun. She crawled her way downstairs and when she reached him she stood in front of him. She was bleeding and shaking and could barely hold the gun. When the asshole went for her she shot him until the gun was empty. The police finally believed them when his prints were the only ones on the baseball bat and her medical exam proved it was him." Paul finished his entire beer in one swig. He had never told anyone Leila's story and it was hard to say out loud.

"How's her Mom?" Dave asked barely above a whisper.

"Permanently in a nursing home. She's brain damaged and doesn't know anything about what happened. She has no quality of life but Leila has her in a private room with her own nurse. The insurance money from her brother and stepfather pays for her Mom's care and her college education. Its all Leila's but she looks at it as blood money. It took her awhile to face her Mom, years in fact before she could look at her. She was so angry and felt betrayed." Paul said as he waited for another beer. Dave was so upset he needed a few shots. Paul agreed and did a few himself.

"The press had a field day and didn't leave Leila alone until after the trial. They were so cruel to her, nobody believed her, even with all the evidence." Paul concluded and they did two shots in a row. "Vince and Linda took her in and got her the therapy and everything she needed to heal."

Dave stood there in shock. Not knowing what to say or do. He watched Leila and couldn't believe her strength. The gut feeling he had was right on the money. She did what she needed to do to protect those she loved. This explains Stephanie's protectiveness and the 2,000 questions she asked him about his intentions. The guys did two more shots before the girls walked over. Leila instantly knew by the look in Dave's eyes that something was different, she just didn't know what. He held her close and decided then and there he would go to the ends of the earth for this girl.

For the rest of the evening Dave never left her side. Stephanie noticed and instantly knew Paul had told Dave everything. She was glad because now Leila wouldn't have too. Dave was also proving to Stephanie that he could handle the situation with care and love. Leila had finally found the safe haven she needed.