Chapter Eleven

Wheeler was sitting on the edge of his bed when Linka returned from the bathroom but as soon as she closed the door he was standing in front of her, drawing her into his arms and kissing her with a tenderness that surprised and delighted her.

"Thank you." He said at last, keeping his lips close to hers, prolonging the moment. "That was the only evening I've ever spent with my parents that was even remotely… civilised, and tonight was even better, it was fun."

Linka had relaxed against him when they kissed and now she reached up to stroke his hair away from his face. "You are welcome Yankee, it often helps to have a stranger in the mix."

"It was more than that," He assured her, "Much more. I told you they'd like you."

She chuckled, "I like them too." Then thinking Wheeler might not be entirely ok with that, "I know your father has not always been as he is now, but he is trying hard to show you how he feels now."

"I know." Wheeler swallowed, "It's ok that you like him… if he'd always been the way he was tonight maybe we… it would have been better."

Linka nodded in understanding and hugged him close, burying her face in his neck as he returned the gesture. When she felt him relax, she pulled a little way apart, "We should get into bed."

"Ok." He let her get in first, and then slipped into the small single bed, wrapping himself around her and pulling the blanket up to cover them. "Warm enough?"

"Da." Linka smiled, "This is cosy."

Wheeler grinned and rubbed the small of her back with his thumb, "Yeah, real cosy."

She laughed and cuddled into him, "Careful Yankee, I told you to behave."

"I'm not doing anything." He replied moving to press his lips in the crook of her neck and having the satisfaction making her laugh again.

"If your parents hear anything I will die of mortification, you know that?" She warned him, "I will never even speak to you again."

He took that as permission to continue, his hands beginning to move against the soft skin between her top and shorts, "I'll keep you quiet." Wheeler promised, bringing their lips together thereby muffling any sounds they might have made.

Linka made no more protests, her desire over-ruling anything else… it was always the same when she was around Wheeler and sharing a bed with him when they were both of the same mind, it was too much to resist.

Unlike the night before, the young couple took their time, savouring each kiss and each caress. Their movements were tender and loving, and nothing like friends who were just using each other's bodies, but they were oblivious to that.

"How is your lip?" The Russian asked after a while, "This is not hurting you?"

"Trust me, this is worth any discomfort." He assured her, his lips trailing down over her chest. Linka wrapped her legs around him and pulled him closer. "Tell me what you want." Wheeler suggested in a low voice.

"I like what you are doing." She replied.

He repeated his previous ministrations but then asked her again, "I want to hear you say the words."

Linka opened her eyes and met his, "I am not sure I can…" but seeing that he still wanted her to try, "I can feel your strength Yankee, I can feel how much stronger than me you are, I know you could just take what you want."

"I want you," He growled, "I want you to want me, I can't take that, it has to be given."

She tried to nod but he was distracting her, "I know, I do want you, you know I do… but I like that feeling, I… Bozhe 'moy!"

"It's okay," He said, stroking her cheek with a free hand "You don't need to be embarrassed, it's just me. Talk to me Babe. How does it feel when we're together?"

"Wonderful." She closed her eyes and he chuckled.

"I meant literally, I want you to describe it for me." He told her.

There was a moment of silence and then she whispered, "Promise me your parents cannot hear us?"

He grinned, "I promise."

Linka smiled but kept her eyes shut, careful not to move in case she woke her lover. It was so rare that she got to sleep in at his side, wrapped in his warm comforting embrace, it was something to be savoured. Her body felt thoroughly… used – although Linka didn't like the term for something she associated with satisfaction and contentment – after having held on to her innocence for so long she couldn't help but be aware of any interference.

Finally her need for the bathroom forced her to slip carefully out of bed, so as not to wake Wheeler, and pull on her night things. After doing what she needed to do, the lovely Russian headed towards the kitchen in search of a drink and found Wheeler's mother already hard at work.

"Good morning dear," The older woman said cheerfully, "I thought some cakes would be nice."

Linka returned her greeting with equal enthusiasm and asked for permission to make some tea.

Kathy laughed, "That's one thing you never need ask, tea is always welcome. Joe says I…" she gasped, breaking off sharply and causing Linka, who had begun to collect the tea things, to look around in alarm.

"What is wrong?" The Wind Planeteer asked, not seeing anything amiss.

"Your back! Jason didn't… he wouldn't…?" Wheeler's mother shook her head as if she didn't want to believe what her eyes were telling her. When Linka made it clear that she didn't understand however, Kathy added, "You did not get those bruises from over-enthusiastic love making!"

Linka blushed deeply at the other woman's words but a recollection of what her hostess was talking about made the rest go out of her head. "Nyet! Mrs Wheeler, please do not think that, Jason is the kindest, most gentle man I have ever met and he would never hurt me!"

"I would have said the same of his father once," Kathy replied sadly, brushing a tear away. "He is trying to be that man again but I… I can't bear the thought of you being hurt by my failures as well."

The Russian led the older woman to a chair and sat beside her, taking her hands. "I promise you, your son is someone you can be proud of. Da he has a temper, but so do I and no matter how many times we have fought he has never raised a hand to me and I know in my soul that he never will. I trust him completely."

"I want to believe you but I know he cannot have escaped his childhood without some scars," Mrs Wheeler shook her head sadly, "He was such a loving young boy but as he got older, as things with Joe got worse, he… he hardened himself against all the bad things out there."

"He protects himself," Linka agreed, "and he gets angry when he sees suffering, especially when it is caused by others. I see the look in his eyes that says he wants to hurt someone back, and I know he worries about crossing that line, but it is just not in him to behave cruelly. A few years ago my cousin died and I was hurt… I know Wheeler wanted to get revenge for me but instead he stayed with me until I was well again. Looking after me when I was sick, holding me when I cried out in the middle of the night…. Always gentle, always caring, long before we were anything more than friends." She blushed as she continued, "He would stay with me after I had a nightmare and it never occurred to me to wonder if I could trust him, I just knew I could. Please do not doubt him, he likes people to think that nothing ever bothers him but it would break his heart."

"He really means a lot to you doesn't he?" His mother asked, her eyes now full of tears.

"Da very much." Linka replied in a hushed voice, and seeing that she had the other woman's attention continued, "But he is not ready to know that. If his upbringing has had any bad influence it is not in the way he deals with anger and stress… it is in his desire to avoid a permanent commitment. We never discuss the future."

Recovering a little after Linka's reassurance, Kathy said, "He might not be ready to admit it darling, but when he looks at you it is obvious that he loves you. Don't give up on him just yet." Linka couldn't help smiling and she shook her head to indicate that she wasn't ready to give up. "So now tell me, how did you get those awful marks?"

The Russian laughed and tried to look over her shoulder at the purple and yellow bruise that was exposed by her strappy top. "Believe me, Jason looks worse. He insisted we try riding a mechanical bull…"

To be continued...