Chapter 70

'Why... God, why did that man have to come back here?' Carly said yet again, pacing the carpeted floor of their bedroom, agitated beyond measure. 'And he has the gall to actually make excuses for what he did to us; just like he did years ago!'

Wiping his hair damp from the shower, Bo shrugged. 'That's Victor for you. Always has an excuse for anything.'

'I'm just glad Olivia's away for the summer; I don't Victor to so much as touch her...'

'He won't, ever.' Bo insisted. 'Calm down princess, remember who you're married to here. I won't allow him to hurt our family. Stop pacing.'

'I can't help it... I'm so aggravated right now that I can't think straight!' Carly moaned. Striding to her, Bo grabbed her round the waist and firmly led her to the bed, sitting her down.

'No more of that.' He said forcibly. 'Olivia's safe, so are you. Victor won't harm you both again, not while I'm around. Remember... I'll do anything; step over anyone to protect my family; including Victor. To me he's not my father; he never actually was.'

Carly looked at him with curiosity. 'Just how did you all manage to get along with him while I was gone?'

'I just followed Pop's advice; "Live and Let Live", he had to do it more than anyone else after all. And we sort of called a truce when Pop died, Victor was there for Mum the whole time; we were even scared something might come about it...'

'Wait a second... Victor wanted to start something with Caroline again?' Carly asked in horror, repulsed at the very idea.

'Fortunately for all of us, Ma turned him down flat. Maybe they'd had a thing before but she loved Pop more than he knew. There was no way she was going to replace him with Victor, not after their years together.' Bo pulled Carly against him, her back resting against his bare chest. 'Stop worrying about Victor, okay? Worrying isn't good for our little one in there.'

There was a lot to worry about; for Victor to inflict harm on his flesh and blood more than once proved just what a heartless monster he was. With him back in Salem, there was the need to look over their shoulders; Victor was capable of anything.

'You do realise we made the mistake of underestimating him years ago; I honestly can't rest easy with that man around. He's a monster spider... out there spinning another web.'

'Carly...'

'Bo, I'm scared. I'm very, very scared.' Carly refused to be consoled. 'He's your father but he once tried to kill you, he conspired with Vivian to kill our child and after what happened at his house...Victor NEVER swallows humiliation, he strikes back.' She turned to look at him, her beautiful eyes teary and troubled as she touched his face. 'He could easily take you away from me... at any time just to hurt us, to prevent us from being happy.'

'Oh princess...come on now.' Bo held her tightly, stroking her hair. 'Nothing's going to happen to me. Stop with the dark thoughts, it's not like you at all.'

'Bo, I love you more you more than life itself; if anything happened to you...' she sobbed, gripping the arms that encircled her.

'Carly... Carly breathe.' Bo said, freeing her waist to massage her shoulders. 'Breathe now.'

Carly obeyed, sniffling.

'Remember what I told you at Isabella's loft years ago,' he whispered in her ear. 'I promised you we were going to have everything we want... a marriage, children, the rest of our lives together. It took a long time but we have it now and no one, NO ONE is going to take that away from us. Larry and Vivian are gone and Victor won't touch us... whatever he tries next won't work because we are destined to be together, destined. Don't be scared of the future, Carly. Olivia will never come to any harm and I'm not going anywhere. And you are safe, safe in my arms. No more worrying, okay baby?'

Silence for a few seconds and then Carly nodded. 'I'll try.' She said softly.

'That's more like it.' Bo kissed the side of her neck, still massaging her shoulders. Carly sighed as he worked his magic, feeling the tension melting away from her body immediately. 'That feels so good, keep going.'

Bo obliged, moving his hands up to the back of her neck, caressing it at first in the therapeutic method and then in a more lover like way after a few minutes.

'Are you trying to turn me on, Mr Brady?' she murmured.

'Is it working?' Bo grinned, pushing back her hair from her ear to nibble on it.

'You're supposed to be soothing me here.' she said in mock reproach, wriggling a bit but making no move to stop him.

'Hey, this is my own unique brand of rub down, works wonders on the body. Satisfaction guaranteed, Mrs Brady.' His lips moved down to the sensitive part of her neck; at the same time, one hand moving under the front of her nightgown, caressing a breast. Carly sighed, her head moving backwards, one hand reaching up to stroke his hair. 'You really are a bad influence.' She said softly. 'And it's not fair, you know a pregnant woman's senses are heightened.'

'You have a pretty bad effect on me yourself.' He growled in her ear. 'You're too damn hot.'

Turning her head, Carly's mouth met his, savouring the taste of him, sucking his lower lip, her tongue seeking his desperately. Bo deepened the kiss, hand holding her cheek as he hotly explored her mouth, the other still stroking a breast, his thumb teasing a taut peak, emitting a low moan from her.

'No... No, don't stop...' she pleaded as he broke the kiss and moved his hand away.

'Just wait...' he got off the bed, walking over to choose a CD, something sensual in keeping with the current mood; what could be better... than Barry White? Inserting the disc in the music stereo system's CD compartment, he moved across the room to turn the dimmer switch down before going back to his wife, pulling her up from the bed. Without a word, he placed her arms round his neck, pulling her flush against him before exploring her body through the sheer black lace nightgown. Carly closed her eyes tightly as his hands went over her, his lips meeting hers again before leaving it to move over her neck, his unshaven cheek grazing her soft skin. She hoped her legs would hold her; in a matter of seconds they might give out with the way he was torturing and teasing her. Breathing unsteadily as his hands went under the short nightie to cup her behind she clung to him; moving her hands over his chest, pressing kisses on it.

'God... I love it when you do that...' he said thickly, gently pushing her hands down to her sides. 'But let's take care of you, princess.' Turning her round and pressing her against him, he pushed her hair from her neck and resumed kissed it, his hands kneading, stroking, caressing the rest of her; she felt his hardness against her and she trembled with excruciating longing. 'Bo please,' she whispered as his lips went up her ear. 'Now...'

Turning her round to face him, Bo recaptured her mouth, peeling the nightgown off her and she stepped out of it, straddling him as he lifted her up in his arms and carried her to the bed. Getting rid of his sweatpants, he covered her body with his; kissing every part of her face, moving down to her neck, taking her breasts in his mouth. Carly arched under him, whimpering and running her fingers through his hair; her moans growing louder as he explored further down.

'Oh please... please...' she cried out loud at the touch of his heated tongue, needing to be joined with him, her yearning to be satisfied. Bo finally entered her and she gripped his shoulders as they moved together; Bo huskily whispering her name, gently taking her lower lip between his teeth, their mouths fusing yet again, her hips meeting his thrusts again and again. Carly ran her fingers across his back, her eyes tightly shut as he brought her to the brink of ecstasy before giving in to his, pressing his face against her neck; shuddering. Rolling on his back, Bo took Carly in his arms, her body automatically nestling against him.

'Go to sleep, princess.' He said softly, pressing a kiss on her forehead. 'Don't you ever worry. You're safe. I'll always be here to protect you.'

'I know.' Carly whispered.

::::::::::::::::::

México...

EJ DiMera put down the pencil before turning the sketch pad around for Olivia to see. She smiled, shaking her head at the expert drawing of herself. 'I'm not that beautiful.' She said.

'That's not true.' He objected, giving it to her. 'I just wish I could paint, I'd really capture you on canvas in the way you deserve.'

'I don't need a portrait and this gesture of yours... very sweet.' Reaching out, she stroked his cheek and he took her tapered hand; pressing his lips against it, mentally reliving that fateful day at the Ball Court. In all his 32 years, it was the happiest and most wonderful day in his life; his true love running to him, clinging to him as they exchanged their first kiss and more kisses and the heartfelt talk, holding fast to each other's hand. They both knew what they were going to come against once the Bradys and the entire Salem population found out about them. Her parents, her father especially will hit the roof. Everyone will talk, Olivia will be forbidden to see him. EJ was more than ready to fight for their love, in non-ruthless ways of course. He was a changed man. Olivia believed it and she was the most important person. In time, her family and the tongue wagers will know it.

'Come here, beautiful.' Pulling her close, he kissed her hotly; running his hands over her soft skin under her top. They were on a picnic by a lake; Tamara was having lunch with Carlos, one of the Professor's students at a cafe, knowing full well EJ wanted Olivia all to himself. However, the day after he showed up, she'd taken him aside and issued him a warning. 'I'm giving you just a shred of the benefit of the doubt; if you ever hurt my best friend or cause her any form of pain, you won't have to worry about Bo because I will kill you myself, understood?' Like her uncle who greatly disliked him, Tamara didn't mince words.

He'll never do that to Olivia. Olivia Brady had reached into his soul and he was a better man for loving her and he loved everything about her. Her beauty, her spunk, her smiles, her laugh. And she finally belonged to him. If this was how such a woman could affect him so, EJ perfectly saw why Bo Brady divorced Hope to be with Olivia's mother.

Olivia met his kisses eagerly, pushing him down on the picnic blanket to lie atop him. EJ felt himself grow hard as her body pressed against his. Olivia felt it too and she raised her head, her green eyes sober.

'I'm sorry...' EJ said, hoping she wasn't going to freak out and suddenly decide they were a mistake.

'You want to make love?' she asked quietly.

'Do you?' he asked, equally quietly, pushing back her curls.

'It's rather soon but...' she looked over her shoulder then back to him. 'There's no one around right now. So...' she kissed him again, more passionately and he returned it, rolling her on her back, leaving her lips to kiss her neck, one hand caressing a breast. Olivia gasped and moaned, wrapping her legs round him. But EJ abruptly pulled back. 'I can't do this.' He said, forcing his intense desire for her to die down.

Olivia blinked, startled. 'What?'

EJ shook his head, pulling her back up to face him. 'I can't ruin what we have by bedding you just like that. For one thing I don't have protection with me; next, I love your mind and heart, not just your body.'

'I know that and I also know we're two people who love each other...' Olivia touched his face again.

'Olivia, my past relationships were conquests. I see a woman and in a second I would plan the best way to seduce her; Sami included. You are the real thing. The moment I saw you, I was falling in love. I'm so in love with you, it almost scares me and I want our relationship to be wonderful... where we'll share thoughts and other things, not just sex.'

Olivia was touched by this admission. 'I love you too. And yes, I would like us to take it slow. I guess I got carried away by this romantic setting and the way you...'

'Well at least you know you have a profound effect on me. And me likey very much.' he grinned.

'Fuck you.'

'Ah, if only we could today.'

Laughing, they kissed again, deeply and eagerly. Olivia pressed her face against his neck, stroking his back; loving him so much. She cringed at the thought of what her family will say once they found out; the Brady men will be out for EJ's blood. Their love was a reality but will their future be a reality too? If only there wasn't a feud between the Bradys and the DiMeras... if only EJ was never married to Sami... if only Stefano wasn't so notorious...

'Does your father know about us?' she asked soberly as they sat under a tree in each other's arms.

'He knows how I feel about you, yes.'

'And?'

'He wants me to be happy, though he did remind me about the consequences. I think he realised just how much I loved you the day you had the accident. So did I. I can't live without you, Olivia.' He stroked her hair. 'I'll do anything to convince your family.'

Olivia swallowed, the hand rubbing his chest through his unbuttoned shirt stopping. 'When do you want us to tell them eventually?'

'Whenever you feel it is right. I don't care how long we have to keep us a secret, so long as we're together. And we'll always be together, right?'

'We'll always be together.' Olivia vowed. 'I promise you that.'

EJ held her tightly in his arms. 'Whatever we have to face for the sake of our love, we'll face it together.'

At that same moment-back in Salem- Maggie Horton was joyfully welcoming Nathan home.