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Chapter Nine

The phone rang and Jessica's voice interrupted Alice's crying. "Alice, someone by the name of Mike D'Souza is here to see you." Jessica's voice was breathless.

"I'll be right there." Alice replied, opening her handbag and quickly fixing her face. She had no time to splash water on, so she scrubbed it with a wet wipe and reapplied her make-up. Her eyes were a little pink, but other than that she was sure that no one would be able to tell that she had been crying.

Less than three minutes later, she opened her door and went to meet Mike at reception, but that was more than enough time for Jessica to have sent out an alert and several women were milling about, all trying to be surreptitious and all failing. It was obvious that they were there to get a glimpse of Mike. Alice could feel their eyes on her, and as Mike stood up to greet her, she reached for his outstretched hand and smiled happily. He bent his head to kiss her softly and whispered, "Happy Birthday".

With hands clasped they walked to the elevators and fortunately it came within seconds, before Alice had the opportunity to stare her death glare at Jessica. As the elevators descended, Alice reflected that the gossip and rumor mill would be working overtime, trying to figure out the state of her relationship to Jasper, after the advent of Mike. The smile on her face held no amusement, it was a simple acceptance that her love life would be the subject on many people's mind today. She hoped word would get back to Jasper and maybe he would finally understand that their relationship was over, dead and buried.

Mike opened the door to his Mercedes and she sunk into the warm leather seat, happy to be getting away from the stress of the office.

"I made two reservations in the neighborhood." He said. "I wasn't sure what you'd be in the mood for, so it's either "Le Bisou" for French or "Aqua" for California fusion."

Alice's stomach took a dive, she had been to both restaurants with Jasper, but not only that, he often took clients and co-workers to those establishments. She had no way of knowing if he'd be going to either one for lunch today, and there was no way she'd be able to sit and eat if he was there.

"Quite frankly, I'm not even slightly hungry," was her answer when Mike asked her again what she felt like eating. Her stomach was still in knots from her earlier run in with Jasper. "I'm sorry, Mike, I just don't feel like eating, not right now." She apologized.

Mike was not the least bit put out, "Well, why don't we go somewhere special? One of my favorite spots." He said.

It was a beautiful February day, as sometimes happens in the Bay Area, some trees were putting out pink and white buds and the temperature was in the seventies, sunny and mild. Mike drove to Golden Gate Park and they pulled up in front of the Conservatory of Flowers. They sat in the car and Alice breathed in the beauty and peacefulness of the scenery. The elegant victorian greenhouse rested in a dale of the greenest grass. Framed by colorful flowerbeds and the bluest sky, the idyllic setting was just the tonic she needed.

"I love this place too." She smiled over at him. "It's so beautiful, like another world."

"Do you want to walk? Stretch your legs?"

"No. I just want to sit in here and be with you, I'm so tired." she closed her eyes and yawned. The light breeze from the open window stirred her curls and she felt them tickle her cheek, and she drifted into sleep.

Alice stretched and yawned and realized she had just woken up from a crazy dream. She had dreamt that she was crossing over a wooden foot bridge and fell through a big hole down into an immense bird nest below. She was crying out for help, knowing that that the giant bird that lived in the nest would be coming soon. Above her people were passing and looking down at her sorrowfully, but no one would help her get out. She shook the weird dream off, happy to be back in reality with Mike.

"Do you feel better?" Mike's voice was soft and he reached for her hand and squeezed it.

"Much better, I didn't sleep all that well last night, bad dreams. How long was I asleep?" She fluffed her curls as she peeked in the side mirror.

"About forty minutes."

"Gawd, I'm sorry! Not a fun date, am I?" Alice was apologetic, she really had looked forward to their lunch date and hoped he wasn't too disappointed.

"It was nice, watching you sleep." His voice was so soothing and sexy.

"Hope I didn't snore." she said reaching into her bag for a mint and offering him one too.

"Just a little." Dimples under his cheekbones deepened as he smiled.

"You're lying." She chuckled.

"I am. But if you did snore, I bet it would be adorable." His large hand reached over and held one of her hands in his. "Alice, can I ask you something about you and your father?"

She squeezed his hand in response and smiled at him. "You can ask me anything."

"Do you feel like it's your fault that he died?" he asked her.

She swallowed as her thoughts shifted back in time, she saw her six-year-old self, struggling with grief and loss. "I did for a long time. My mom sent me to therapy, you know. I saw Dr. Marcus for almost a year."

"And..? Did he help you overcome the feeling of guilt?"

"Yes, he made me see that it didn't matter what Dad was coming home to do, that the purpose was irrelevant to his death. I guess I would have come to that conclusion anyway, in time. I don't feel as though it's my fault anymore, why do you ask?"

He brought his other hand up and he drew one finger down her cheek, in a sweet caress. "I could tell that you were crying in your office today. And you talked about having bad dreams last night. I was hoping that you weren't feeling responsible for what happened to your father." He answered.

Alice shook her head. She couldn't tell Mike that Jasper was the cause of her bad dreams last night and her tears today. Instead she reassured him, "No, I just miss him, that's all. I told you, I cry on my birthday every year. I guess because my emotions are so close to the surface, anything can make me cry. One year, I went to see a romantic comedy and I cried for hours. I'm not quite right in the head." She shrugged and smiled.

"I must like girls that aren't 'quite right in the head' then." And he bent down and kissed her. Alice parted her lips and deepened the kiss. Their tongues met and stroked, dancing aound each other. Alice reached a hand up to grab the hair at the nape of his neck and held him tightly to her. Their lips fused in magic fire and his breathing quickened and he pulled away to ask her, "Are you hungry now? Or do you just want to go back to your office?"

Alice shook her head, she had made up her mind. "I want to go home." As she reached for his hand, she clarified her answer. "To your home, with you." She looked into his face, her eyes pleading. "And I want to make love with you, all afternoon."

Mike nodded solwly. "Okay." he said softly. Then he laced his fingers through hers and brought her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss there.

Alice called and left a message with Jessica that she would be out for the rest of the day; and Mike drove across the bridge to his apartment. Alice held his hand tightly as the elevator rose to the ninth floor. She was nervous as hell.

As soon as the door closed behind them Mike's arm slid under her thighs as he picked her up and carried her throught the apartment to his bedroom. Alice's heart thudded, she wrapped her arms around his neck and she kissed the curve of his jaw. She looked up at him and he caught her staring and smiled.

"Like what you see?"

"Very much. You're so handsome, I can't help ogling."

"Go right ahead. Ogle as much as you want."

When he reached the bedroom, he sat her down on the edge of his bed and knelt in front of her, staring into her eyes. Alice lifted her hands and cupped his face, giving him a soft, tender kiss; her lips capturing his full lower lip between hers. Still kneeling before her, he removed her pumps, then sliding his palms up her legs, he reached up under her skirt and started to remove her stockings. She tried to help and he swatted her hand away.

"I want to unwrap you. Slowly." He unbuttoned her blouse and kissed the soft skin of her shoulders as he peeled it down her arms. He kissed the warm, fragrant space between her breasts and moved his lips up to her neck. She felt him inhale her scent and he moaned.

His hands reached around her and unhooked her bra, slowly pulling it off, baring her breasts to his gaze. He gazed at her nipples and then looked into her eyes. "Alice, you are just too beautiful." He kissed her nipples and she sighed, this is what she had been longing for. The tug of his mouth created the most intense rush of heat between her thighs, and her legs loosened in anticipation. She ran her fingers through his straight ink-black hair, her heart melted to see him, his eyes closed, long eyelashes against his cheek, sucking at her breast.

He moved his head to suck her other nipple and Alice groaned and lay back onto the bed, pulling him on top of her. He reached under her and she lifted her hips so he could unzip her skirt and pull it down. He scattered kisses down her body, stopping at her navel and she could hear her own breath coming in short gasps. She closed her eyes and felt the kisses he trailed all across her abdomen from hip to hip. His fingers tugged on the waistband of her panties and he pulled them off, achingly slowly.

He parted her thighs and his warm tongue stroked her most secret place; he lavished her nub with attention, licking, pressing, nibbling until she was wild with excitement, until she came with a shudder and a groan. "Please make love to me now." she begged, and even to her ears her voice sounded low and desperate. He stood up and undressed. He quickly unbuttoned his shirt and peeled it off, his bronze body was smooth as silk, except for the trail of hair that led from his navel downward. He undid his jeans and she almost hyperventilated. She stared at him, god that he was, eager to feel him back on top of her, moving in her.

He put on a condom and returned to hover over her, his body kiss-close, barely touching hers; his strong arms holding him up, as he stared into her beautiful face. Her thighs parted for him and she slid her arms around his neck and brought his lips down to hers. He pushed his cock into her so slowly that she almost cried as she felt him gradually filling her. "Make love to me. Love me." she begged, her eyes staring into his, she did not want to look away.

"I do. I love you. Very much." And just like that her heart tripped and she was sailing to heaven.

"I love you too, Mike. So much." Her green eyes stared into his deep black eyes as he moved out of her slowly and then in faster and harder. He set a rhythm, slow pull, hard push and she followed it, lifting her hips to meet his powerful thrusts with hers. He touched her core, the heart of her and the building tension in her body gripped all of her senses. "Mike, ohh, Mike. Yes, just like that, darling. Please."

Her heart thundered in her chest and then it stopped and started again. The tingling buzz of her orgasm made her chest jerk upward and her back arch off the bed. Alice dimly realized that she had never, never felt like this. Not only had her body surrendered to the crash of her orgasm, but her heart felt full and tight, as though it would burst at any minute. As she tremblingly sunk back onto the bed, Mike continued to move in her. His eyes were open and fixed on her face, seeing her flushed cheeks, her eyes half closed in ecstasy, her parted lips releasing her breath in short pants. Her arms reached around to clutch his shoulders and she pulled herself up to kiss his open mouth and absorb his breath, then he surged into her one last time, groaning and letting go to fall onto her breasts.

Mike lay there panting and pulling for air, all too soon he raised himself onto his arms and tensed, but before he could pull out she grabbed his hips and moaned, "Stay in me." She was still pulsing with the force of her climax, and desperately wanted to make this moment last.

He rested on his forearms above her. She reached up and her fingers brushed the hair from where the sweat was sticking it on his forehead. She blew her breath to cool him down.

"Alice, oh god, I knew it would be good, but I never imagined it would be like this." He bent and kissed her and Alice reached up and framed his beautiful angel's face between her palms. She wanted to absorb the very essence of him and her lips encouraged his to sink deeper and deeper. The electric tremor shook her body again.

'I'm in love, so much in love.' She thought to herself before she was lost to any other thought but the feel of Mike making sweet love to her again.

#

That night, Alice and Mike arrived at her house just before seven. Renee was waiting with paradise cake, soda pop and rum raisin ice cream, just as she had done for twenty years.

As soon as she looked at them, Renee knew. How could she not know? Alice had never looked more radiant and her body seemed to mold itself to Mike's side, and she looked at him with such loving tenderness in her eyes. Renee sighed with happiness and relief. She felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, she could finally relax that coil that had been wound up tight in her since Alice was fifteen. Mike would bring calm and quiet to Alice's restless life.

After they ate the tropical cake, Renee went to her bedroom, claiming she had work to do, and she left the lovers alone. Alice and Mike lay side by side on the floral couch whispering their love to each other.

"I think I fell in love with you the moment that elevator door opened. I wanted to do so much more than shake your hand." Alice reached up and kissed his neck and inhaled his scent. "You made my knees go weak, with just a handshake. I wondered what making love to you would be like. That was all I could think of while we were talking."

Mike gave a big laugh. "Believe me, I could tell. It was obvious that you had more on your mind than a simple handshake." He teased her. "After all," he chuckled, "you did swoon at my feet."

Alice giggled and shoved him, "Hey, I know how to do it right. Don't you know that's how you're supposed to fall in love."

He sobered and looked earnestly at her. "Alice, I fell for you right then and there too, and seeing that you were interested started my heart racing. I couldn't wait to get you alone and talk to you to find out if you were as sweet and lovable as you seemed to be." Mike kissed her passionately and tightened his arms around her until she thought she would stop breathing. When he released her she felt lightheaded. "I want to hold you in my arms forever. Forever and a day."

"Forever and a day sounds about right. That's how long I want to be in your arms." Alice closed her eyes and breathed him. She felt his breath stir her curls, and his arms wrapped warmly around her. She felt the strength of his thighs as they intertwined with hers, and the tickle of their toes kissing. She had never been happier in her whole life, than she was at this moment. She felt that she had come home after a long time away, as though this was where she belonged, where she was always meant to be.

They lay there for hours, talking, whispering, touching, kissing, loving each other. "Alice, you know I love you. And I want you to marry me and have my babies and live in love and happiness. I want it all Alice. And I want it soon. As soon as we can make it happen." He kissed her tenderly. "Tell me you want it too."

"Oh, I do. There's nothing I want more. I'm only sorry that I avoided you for so long." she whispered. "To think, I could have been this happy months and months ago."

"Things happen as they are meant to happen. No regrets, Alice. We met at the right time and that's why it's worked out. Now, we have all our lives to be happy." He kissed her lips, softly and sweetly. Time and place, past and present, meant nothing when she was in his arms.

#

The following Friday, Mike took Alice out for dinner and when they returned to her house, they sat by side talking. Suddenly, he slid off the couch and he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. "Alice Valentina Swan, will you agree to marry me and make me the happiest man on earth?" He had done his homework and consulted Renee and Bella on the kind of engagement ring they thought Alice would like. The ring he eventually presented to her was exquisite. A beautiful emerald surrounded by several small diamonds. Alice loved it especially when he told her that emeralds reminded him of her eyes.

Naturally she said 'yes' and that started the whole ball rolling. Mike immediately called his parents and they spoke to Alice, telling her that they couldn't wait to meet her. Alice fetched her Mom and Renee was so tickled that she hugged and kissed Mike over and over again. She immediately started planning the perfect wedding for her older daughter. She called Bella up in Napa and gave her the news. Renee put Alice on the phone and Bella congratulated Alice, telling her that she would be home the following weekend and they could plan the menu then. Her sister promised to oversee the catering, and Renee would organize the venue and theme. Alice couldn't care less about the wedding; not the dress, nor the food nor the theme, she just wanted to be Mike's wife. She indulged her mom who promised to call Mike's mother and start on the arrangements. The only stipulation Alice and Mike made was that the wedding should happen soon, preferably within the next two months, they wanted to be together right away. Renee practically did a jig as she ran upstairs to make plans. Alice had never seen her mother so ecstatic.