Chapter 6 Burning Old bridges and Building New
When we arrived at the corner Grove and Wilshire, he stopped me.
"Mara," he said, taking me by the shoulders and looking down into my eyes. "Will you come with me to my house in the hills? I want you to see where I live. Please?"
My mind began to whirl as I thought of what the ramifications of this might be.
Is this going too fast? I know, I know, I've already fucked him …twice. But he's leaving in a few days. What if he forgets about me? What if… Hell, I could "what if" myself into losing something that feels so right.
"Yes," I whispered, turning and walking toward the hotel.
I was not giving myself the chance to over think this and change my mind.
Emmett's arm came to rest around my shoulders again as he led me to a sleek, black Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, and I caught my breath.
"Is this yours?" I gasped, walking forward to get a closer look. "It's gorgeous."
It was totally black, inside and out, with leather upholstery and state of the art accessories. I had never seen anything like it…not up close anyway.
"Yeah," he replied and grinned. "I just bought it today. I wanted something a little classier than the jeep to take you out in."
"You bought this for me?" I cried as I whirled to face him. "Oh, Em, don't spend your money foolishly."
"Oh, babe," he said touching my cheek. "I have been negotiating for this baby for two months now. So, since I never expected to have a beautiful lady beside me, I bought this for me."
"I'm glad," I said, blushing at my misconception. "It's really beautiful."
He opened the door and helped me inside. I buckled up as he went around to the driver's side. After climbing in and buckling up himself, he started the engine. I was surprised a how quiet it was. It purred. He pulled out of the hotel parking lot and onto the street.
Reaching to the dashboard, he turned on the CD player and I was surprised to hear Billie Holliday's haunting voice softly filling the air. No one did Torch better than Billie. I found myself quietly singing along as I rested my head back against the headrest. Emmett reached over and took my hand.
"I think that you could give her a run for her money if she were alive today," he said, squeezing my fingers.
I turned my face toward him.
"If she were alive today, I wouldn't even try," I replied with a smile. "I would have loved to have seen her perform these wonderful old songs. I'm glad I have her recordings."
"Speaking of recording, have you and Sheri ever thought about it?" he asked, glancing over at me.
"We used to dream about it, a lot," I replied. "But when everything happened, we just put it on the back burner. We were never in the right place at the right time; not with always being on the road."
"You ought to think about doing it, now that you're based here in Hollywood," he said, as he pulled up to a tall wrought iron gate. "Maybe I could help you with contacts."
He rolled the window down and punched a series of numbers on a keypad attached to an iron post. Slowly the gates opened and he drove through, as they automatically closed behind us.
As he rounded the drive, motion sensors lit up the entire front of the house and I got my first glimpse of Emmett McCarty's home. It fit him. The older Spanish style house was beautiful, surrounded by native and imported foliage. A view of the Hollywood skyline was breathtaking, the twinkling lights lighting up the night sky.
Emmett came around and opened my car door and helped me out.
"This is beautiful, Emmett," I said, taking the hand he offered.
"I like it, "he said, leading me to the huge oak front door. "It gives me some privacy."
We entered into the living room, which took my breath away. It was done in varied colors; with a dark brown leather couch, a deep maroon leather loveseat, a moss green leather recliner, and a tan print wing back chair with an ottoman. The accent pieces were varying shades of oak and an antique quilt box fronted the loveseat. A tall oak corner cabinet housed the TV. It was a beautiful, warm room.
"Come on, let me show you the rest of the place," he said, leading me through a doorway into the perfect kitchen with all the latest appliances and gadgets that anyone could want. "Mom decorated for me, of course. I never could have done any of this on my own."
From the kitchen, he took me back through the living room and down a wide hall, the walls decorated with family pictures. He showed me three guest rooms, with baths, and a guest bath for visitors. Then we came to the end of the hall and a large oak door.
"And this is my room," he said, opening it and ushering me inside.
I watched as his eyes darkened and I began to shiver in anticipation, a twinge shooting through my center.
I turned away to scan the room. It was beautiful and very masculine.
There was a sitting room off one end and a huge master bath off the other. French doors led out to a patio with a pool beyond. A dresser with mirror, a highboy and two nightstands comprised the bedroom suite, with a California King sized bed being the focal point.
Again, I felt that twinge as Emmett stepped behind me and wrapping his arms around me, bent to kiss the back of my neck. I pressed back into him with a whimper.
"I want you in my bed, Mara," he whispered in my ear and turned me to face him. "But there will be no hurried fucking. This time I want to make love to you, the way you deserve."
I took a shuddering breath and, turning to face him, wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him.
"I think I would like that very much," I murmured against his soft lips, as his arms tightened around me. "Oh, yes, very very much."
With a groan, he cupped my rear and lifted me up, enabling me to wrap my legs tightly around him. He walked slowly to the side of his bed and let me slide down his body. Hastily he pulled the decorative pillows from the head of the bed and tossed them in the corner. Grabbing the covers, he yanked them down to the foot of the bed.
Tuning back to me, he pulled me to him, pressing his body tightly to mine, and kissed me with passion. His tongue swiped my lower lip seeking entrance, and I opened to him. Soon our tongues were dancing the dance as old as time, but ever fresh. He slid his hands down my back to my ass, grinding his hips into mine.
"Feel what you do to me, sweetness," he moaned into my mouth, rubbing his hardness against me. "Every time I even think of you this happens, sometimes to my embarrassment."
"Hmmm." I giggled. "Maybe you'll have to start doing the times tables or something to distract yourself."
He smiled against my mouth.
"Do you think I haven't tried that?" he asked. "Nothing can take you away from my thoughts. I see your eyes"…kiss… "your nose"…kiss… "your lips"…kiss, kiss… "and your luscious body, every moment. Awake or asleep, it doesn't matter, you're always with me."
"Oh, God," I whimpered. "I know, it's the same for me. I can't stop thinking about you, Emmett."
Slowly we undressed each other, tender kisses and nips and licks to each bit of exposed flesh. When his hand cupped my breast, I arched into it, his thumb petting the nipple.
Suddenly, he picked me up and laid me down on the bed. He stood staring down at me for a moment.
"I knew that you would look perfect lying in the middle of my bed," he said, sliding in beside me, taking my face in his hand. "No one else has ever been here, only you."
"Not even Rosa…" I started, as my eyes widened in surprise.
"No one, sweetness, means no one…ever," he said, placing his finger on my lips. "I bought this house two years ago, long after that fiasco. So let's not talk about that anymore. It's in the past. You are my future."
His mouth captured mine, hungrily, before trailing across my cheek to my jaw. There he nibbled and kissed back across to my mouth.
"I can't get enough of your sweet mouth," he whispered before plundering it again, not stopping until we were both breathless and panting. He kissed me again, softly this time. Then his lips traveled down my throat, leaving a wet trail across my skin.
His lips closed over the hardened peak of one breast while he pulled gently on the other with his long fingers, then switched. Trailing his tongue down between my breasts, he squeezed them together against his cheeks. Groaning, he licked and sucked at the skin there and then continued kissing down my body.
His hands ghosted down my sides as his lips caressed me sweetly, causing me to break out in goose flesh. Reaching my navel, he dipped the tip of his tongue inside, in imitation of the act of love. My stomach muscles rippled excitedly. He rose up and caressed my stomach with gentle fingers, breathing deeply, and then he leaned back down to kiss and lick my lower stomach.
"Please, baby," I moaned, twining my fingers in his beautiful curls and trying to push him further down. "Don't tease."
"Shhh," he whispered, looking up at me through his lashes. "Patience, sweet girl. I'll make it worth the wait, I promise."
I threw my arm across my eyes, as I flooded my core anew, and whimpered.
He continued to love me with his amazing mouth. I was sure he would reach my center, but he bypassed where I wanted him to kiss me, and slid to the end of the bed. Picking up my foot, he began by kissing the arch of my foot, swirling his tongue there. One by one, he sucked my toes and worked his way up to my knee, nipping on the inside of it. I held my breath, pleading with him in my mind. He smiled against my skin and continued his journey. Reaching the top of my thigh, he ran his nose up the space between it and my core, inhaling deeply. With a growl, he slid back down to my feet and repeated his ministrations on the other foot and leg.
I moaned in frustration.
Sitting back on his heels, he lightly slapped my outer thigh. I moved my arm and looked down at him, seeing his engorged cock throb and twitch as he stroked himself firmly.
"Turn over on your stomach, babe," he said huskily. "Please, you won't be sorry."
I did as he asked and he rose up on his knees, reaching under me to pull my ass flush with his hips. As he held me tight against him with one strong arm, he ran his other hand sensually up my back to entwine in my hair. His cock slipped between my legs, not entering me, but sliding through my folds.. Then he began to move his hips and I gasped as the head of his penis scraped across my clit, again and again and again. Soon the tightening in my core began to intensify and he leaned over my back and he pulled me up.
"Ohhh…Ohhh," I groaned, "Oh God, Emmett I'm coming!"
He moved swiftly and entered me just as I exploded and tumbled into that sweet place of mindless ecstasy. My walls squeezed tightly and caressed him into his own climax.
"Ahhh…Mara!" he shouted, plunging harder as his sweet release filled me with his hot creamy essence.
He continued to thrust gently until our spasms stopped and he collapsed onto my back, his elbows keeping him slightly above me. I straightened my legs and lay down on my stomach. Rolling onto his side, taking me with him, he slipped from me, and turned me to face him.
"Oh, my love…ly girl," he whispered, cupping my cheek. "You make me so very happy.
I turned my head to kiss the palm of his hand and pushed him back over onto his back.
"Let me make you even happier," I whispered, flinging my leg over him and straddling his thighs.
He looked up at me and grinned, his dimples deepening.
"Please," he said, raising his hand to my face. "Show me."
With a deep hum, I leaned down and pressed my lips to his. Thrusting my tongue inside, I caressed his tongue, swiped across his teeth and licked the inside of his cheeks, searching for the inside crease of his dimples. Finding them, I smiled as I broke the kiss.
"Oh, they do exist," I said against his lips. "Hmmm."
"What?" he asked, curiously.
"The crease of your dimples on the inside of your cheeks," I replied, running my finger through the beautiful indentation on the outside. "They are so sexy, y'know."
He grinned, causing them to deepen.
"Oh, yeah, you know." I chuckled softly, capturing his mouth again.
Slowly I kissed down his chin and throat to his Adam's apple, where I nibbled and sucked on it. As I slid my body lower, I grazed my breasts across his chest, rubbing my nipples against his. The feel of his hard buttons against mine caused us both to groan. Going lower, I licked and sucked at those nubs eliciting a deep hiss from him.
Continuing my downward path, I kissed and licked at every dip and indentation of his magnificently toned torso. I settled myself between his muscular legs and spread them apart, giving myself room to rest on my elbows. He was growling in anticipation of what I would do next.
I took his sac in one hand and gently caressed it, with the other, manipulating the spheres inside. Lifting it slightly, I leaned down and took one into my mouth, swirling my tongue around it and sucking gently, then did the same to the other. I let it slip out with a pop.
I looked up at Emmett, through my lashes, to find him raised up on his elbows, his eyes a deep midnight blue and hooded with lust. He watched as I ran my nose up his shaft, my tongue darting out to lick up to the head of his cock. Nibbling on the ridge below it caused him to throw his head back and moan deeply.
Rising up on my knees, I bent down and flicked my tongue out, lapping at the pearly drop of precum weeping from the opening at the tip. My core immediately flooded and I rubbed my thighs together, seeking friction and spreading my fluids between them.
With a groan, I took him into my mouth.
"Oh, God," I whimpered at the taste of myself melding with his on my tongue.
"Sweetness," he groaned, bucking his hips at the vibrations my words caused around him.
Knowing how I had felt while he teased me, I began to pleasure him in earnest, licking and sucking up and down his length and massaging his scrotum. When I felt his balls begin to tighten. I relaxed my jaw and took him in until he hit the back of my throat.
I slipped my hand down between my legs and dipped my finger into my dripping core. As he began to climax, I simultaneously sucked hard and slid my hand between his cheeks. Finding the small orifice there, I pushed my finger in up to the first knuckle.
"Oh, holy fuck!" he shouted, his hips thrusting him deeply into my mouth as streams of his hot cum coated the back of my throat.
It seemed as if I swallowed forever, but I caught every drop, not wanting to waste any. I eased my finger from his ass and continued to suck gently until his cock was still. I slid him slowly from my mouth, cleaning him with my tongue as I did.
He was still breathing hard, his heart racing, as I crawled back up into his arms.
We lay there for a long while, caressing, kissing and murmuring sweet nothings to each other. Then we were quiet, lying contentedly in each other's arms.
"Mara?" he asked quietly.
"Hmmm?" I replied.
"There's something that I want to do," he said, pulling back and looking down at me.
I didn't know what he wanted, but I could see that it was important and nodded.
He released me and slid off of the bed. He held his hand out to me and pulled me after him. Naked, he led me out to the patio, stopping to pick up a lighter and a piece of cloth from his dresser. We went over to a small outdoor grill and he turned to face me.
"Do you know what this is?" He asked, unfolding the cloth and holding it out to me.
"No," I replied, taking it from him.
"It's the handkerchief that we both used last Sunday," he said quietly. "It was soaked with the tears we shed remembering the worst times in out lives."
I looked at him confused. He reached out and cupped my face.
"Babe," he said, caressing my cheek with his thumb. "I want us to burn this piece of cloth that carries all the hurt and anguish we felt. When it turns to ashes, so will those bad times. We can start our lives fresh without that baggage. What do you think?"
I silently turned and laid the handkerchief on the grate of the grill. He stepped forward and flicked the lighter. As he set the flame to the cloth, I covered his hand with mine so that we could do it together. After it caught fire, he wrapped his arms around me as we watched our pasts turn to ash and blow away on the breeze that had suddenly come up.
He turned me to face him and, taking my face in his hands, kissed me passionately. Pulling me back against him, he tightened his arms.
"Now we're free, sweetness," he whispered into my hair. "Free to allow whatever we have going here, to blossom and grow."
"Oh yes," I murmured, tears rolling down my cheeks, "Free."
We spent the rest of the night loving one another in many different ways. I must say that Emmett was very innovative and imaginative; I loved it all. The sun was just rising over the hill behind the house when we finally fell into a satiated sleep.
The annoying sounds of the beginning of the William Tell's Overture repeating over and over, woke me. I groggily rolled over to find Emmett sitting up on the side of the bed, holding his cell phone to his ear.
"Darren, no!" he hissed emphatically. "I can't leave today…I don't care…but…I'll get back to you!"
He closed the phone and tossed it angrily on the nightstand, running his hands over his face, with a sigh.
"What is it, Em?" I asked, running my hand down his arm.
He turned to look at me and slid back down beside me.
"That was my manager, Darren Gray," he replied, pulling me closer to him. "Seems that the studio wants me sooner for the re-shoots in Toronto. There are more than they thought and all involve my character. I don't want to leave this soon, Mara. I want to have more time with you."
I snuggled closer to him, sighing sadly.
"I don't want you to leave either, baby," I said softly. "But it's your job."
I pulled back to look up at him.
"I'll be right here, waiting, when you get back," I said, reaching up and pressing a kiss to his chin. "I promise."
"I know you will," he replied wistfully. "I just wish that you could go with me."
"Emmett…" I started.
"I know, sweetness," he murmured sadly. "You don't miss a show or rehearsals for anyone. I just don't want to be without you, especially now that it looks like closer to three weeks or a month."
"That long?" I questioned, hugging him tighter. "I'm missing you already."
We can text and call every night," he said. "Do you have Skype? We can talk that way and see each other."
"No," I replied. "My lap top doesn't have a webcam."
"We'll have to fix that," he said, cupping my cheek. "I want to be able to see your beautiful face whenever I can."
I turned my face and kissed his palm.
"Let's stop talking now," I whispered, running my tongue up one of his fingers and sucking it into my mouth, releasing it slowly. "I haven't had enough of you to last me a month."
He groaned and pulled me up to capture my mouth in a heady kiss. Rolling to the side of the bed, he stood and picked me up, carrying me into the bathroom.
"We need to shower, sweetness," he muttered against my lips. "So we might as well take advantage of the lack of time."
"Hmm..." I hummed, jumping up to wrap my legs around him, feeling his hard erection rub against my swollen, dripping folds. He set the water temperature, kissing me hungrily as we waited. When it was right, he stepped into the stall, me still wrapped around him.
Later, he drove me home. It was nearing one o'clock and I needed to be at the club by two. He came into the bedroom with me while I changed and we snuggled on the couch in the living room.
Before we knew it, it was time for me to leave. Even though it was just a short block to the club, Emmett insisted on driving me.
We sat for a few minutes, in the car, where he pulled me across the console onto his lap.
I clung to him as it hit me that this was it. He was really going away for a while. Tears began to run down my cheeks.
"I'm gonna miss you so damned much," I cried softly against his lips.
"Oh, sweetness," he said hoarsely, his voice cracking, "not nearly as much as I'll miss you."
He held me tightly against his chest and kissed me desperately. Then, resting his forehead against mine, he wiped the tears from my cheeks and, with a sigh, set me back onto my seat. Getting out of the car he came around and after helping me out, wrapped his arms tightly around me. We stood there quietly, neither of us wanting to say the words.
Eventually, he leaned back and looked down at me.
"I've a plane to catch and you have a rehearsal to attend," he said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I'll text you when I land in Toronto. It'll probably be during your show, so call me when you get home, okay?"
I nodded, my throat too closed up to speak. He gazed into my eyes as if he wanted to say something, but just closed his eyes. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead, the tip of my nose and my lips, sweetly. Then with a sigh, he turned and got back into his car.
"I'll be waiting!" I cried as he pulled away from the curb.
I turned and walked by rote into the back door of the club I mechanically dropped my purse off in the dressing room and walked out onto the stage, where Sheri was waiting for me.
"You're late," she groused, glancing up from the piano.
With one look at my face, she shot up from the bench and had her arms around me.
"I'll kill him!" she cried angrily. "I won't just take his nuts, I take the peen, too!"
I chuckled tearfully. She was so damned protective of me.
"No, sweetie," I said with a shuddering breath. "He's just had to leave for work; re-shoots in Toronto, for a month. It was only supposed to be two weeks, but his manager called with the news this morning."
She calmed down and I told her all about our evening together…without going into graphics…and his beautiful home. We talked for an hour and finally got down to work on the evening's play list.
Halfway through, Felix came in carrying a bag bearing the Best Buy logo.
"No flowers this time ladies," he said grinning, handing the bag out to me. "But this is for you Mara."
I looked at it curiously as I took it from him. After he'd gone, I opened the bag. Inside was a heavy purple messenger bag. I pulled it out and opened it up to find a brand new laptop.
Sheri looked at me curiously.
There was a note attached:
Sweetness,
Stopped on the way to the airport and got this for you. Has a built in webcam and opened a Skype account for you. Your ID is Marmett#1. lol!
Text me when you get home, and we'll try it out.
Yours,
Emmett
I smiled up at Sheri, tears in my eyes, again.
"This ought to make the next month a bit easier, honey," she said hugging me.
"Yeah, I think it will," I replied. "I really think it will."
We finished rehearsing and called out for sandwiches before getting ready for the eight o'clock show. It went well, but seemed to take forever. I couldn't wait to for the finale song. I hurried through my change, Sheri laughing at me the whole time. Just as I picked up my purse to leave, she caught me in a big hug.
"I haven't seen you like this in a very long time, Mar," she said, pushing my hair back from my face. "It's good and it's right. He's the best for you, and I think you're absolutely perfect for him. Be happy sweetie. Now, go home and Skype your man!"
With a laugh, she thrust the messenger bag into my hands and pushed me out the door.