Oh, I've been gone too long! I've just been super busy and haven't had time to sit down and have a moment to myself. I know you all have been waiting for this next installment and I hope that this chapter more than makes up for the wait. Now, it's time to find out what Bobby and Tara are up to. ;)

Enjoy!

Linny

Two Worlds

Chapter Twenty Seven

"I hope you have a good reason for using our entire supply of candles," Tara teased as she watched the dozens of little flames around them flicker in the darkness. The falls were beautiful at night, but there was something even more special about them when the candlelight flickered off the cascading water.

Sitting along the bank, she dipped her toes into the lukewarm water and smiled. They couldn't have asked for a more perfect night than this. A cloud hovered over the moon, but instead of creating an eerie, inky blackness, it created a romantic filter that allowed minuscule amounts of light to shine down upon them.

Lighting the last candle, Bobby blew out the taper he'd been using to light the glimmering spectacle around them and lowered the wick of the lantern. A beautiful golden glow surrounded Tara as the light danced off of the water and the smooth surface of the rock wall. She looked just as beautiful as the day they had met, though her beauty had only increased as the years flew by.

"I thought we could talk," he said as he settled down beside her.

"Ooh, all talk and no action. What happened to the man I married?" she teased with a playful knock to his shoulder.

"Believe me, Luv, there will be plenty of action." Taking her hand firmly in his, he pulled her closer, settling his lips against hers in a kiss that instantly heated her from head to toe. She melted instantly against him, her hand reaching out to touch the hard plane of his chest. A moan rumbled from deep within him as her fingers followed a not so innocent trail downward over his stomach. His muscles rippled underneath her touch and his breath hitched. Her tongue was eager against his as it parted the seam of his lips and slipped past the barrier of his teeth.

If he didn't put a stop to this soon, talking would be completely out of the question and the water was looking very inviting at this moment. He drew away slowly, not wanting to break this heated contact so abruptly. Her flavor was drugging; the mixture of fermented berries and ale was an intoxicating taste and he wanted to savor it for as long as he was allowed.

When they parted, a smile of manly pride curled at his lips as he heard her shallow breaths and saw the rosy tint gracing her face, neck and well below the collar of her blouse. Her tongue parted the seam of her lips as it ran from one side to the other in a sweeping motion before returning back into the recesses he craved so much. The innocent gesture was torture to watch and he had to sweep in for one more kiss before pulling away.

Tara was surprised as the dimples that pierced Bobby's cheeks suddenly disappeared and a solemn expression replaced the previously heated one. "What's wrong, Koala Boy?" she asked as she curled her fingers into his much larger hand and drew herself closer.

He didn't say anything at first. Many variations of what he wanted to say swam through his mind, but none seemed the proper way to go. So, he decided to come out straight with it. "It's just... I know this is a difficult subject for you... but, Jack wants to see the ruins of Hudson Manor." He watched Tara's expression turn to one of horror and fear and if it hadn't been so substantial to Jack, he would have regretted ever bringing up the subject to Tara. He knew how sensitive the subject was to her and what it would mean for her to set eyes upon those ruins. He wrapped his arms supportively around her shoulders as he pulled her closer.

"Why would he want to go there?" Her voice was thick with tears, though none pooled at her eyes or ran down her soft cheeks. "There's nothing left except for a few pieces of mortar and those three graves."

"I know, but it's important to him." He allowed his hand to tangle through the short crop of her hair as he gently soothed her. He hadn't brought her out here to cry but he could tell she was very near the brink.

"I lost a good friend in that fire, Bobby. What did he ever lose?" Her anger was rising as she thought about that day and how high those flames had risen to engulf the entire building. She'd only been a child at the time, but had found a friend in the young Lord who'd been close enough to her age for her to play with. What had this Jack ever lost in that fire?

Her gasp had been audible as she clutched at Bobby's arm when recognition washed over her.

"He isn't dead, is he?" She asked after a moment of silence. "That Jack... he's my Jack, isn't he? He's the Hudson heir?" Finally, it was a question Bobby could answer without having to reflect upon her "my Jack" comment.

He nodded when her gaze rose up to look at him. "He lost his memory when he was young. He hopes that visiting the site will bring them back. Are you willing?"

She didn't have to think about it. "I'm willing. The real question is, are you?" She giggled as an adorable confusion crossed his features. "It won't just be an emotional day for him. I might need a big... strong... Aussie shoulder to cry on." Her lips quirked up into a little pixie smirk as she gazed up into the endless sea of green in Bobby's eyes. "So, are you willing?"

His expression turned sly as the arm around her shoulder slid down her arm to rest at her slender waist. The digits flexed and contracted as he gently kneaded her soft flesh. "Oh, I am willing," he admitted as his lips slowly lowered to hers again, sending them both back to the land of passion.

Tara moaned against Bobby's lips as they moved torturously slow against hers. It wasn't from desire, though his actions were fanning the fire that was smoldering deep within the core of her being. Frustration burned brighter than the ardor because he thought it to be more fun to annoy her into submission rather than romance her.

The hand at her waist was meant to serve as an awful distraction as those lips moved at a snail's pace, his other hand gently cupping her face to angle it in the proper position for him to taunt her even more. She whined against him as she leaned in with the intent to pick up this languorous pace.

He grinned into the kiss, though didn't give into her eagerness. He slowly ran his tongue against the seam of her lips only to draw it back when he felt her willingly open up to him.

A frustrated growl escaped her as she pulled away from him, slapping him lightly on the firm muscles of his chest for taunting her so. "Bobby!" A fire burned in her eyes, but it wasn't anger he noticed there. A hunger was burning deep inside of her and though it only increased with those slow, laborious kisses, he was slowly torturing her into madness. She wanted more; she needed more.

"Yes, Luv?" A crooked grin curled at his lips. He drew in a deep breath at her fiery appearance. Her hair lay disheveled about her head, her eyes wildly opened in a glare at the positively wicked grin he wore. Her chest heaved in frustration, her deep, shallow breaths making the ties of her blouse stretch to their limits without breaking. He groaned inwardly at the transformation his lovely pixie of a wife had taken. She was now a wild jungle cat, ready to lunge at him if she felt threatened.

She bunched his shirt in her hands as she drew him close. "Kiss me." It wasn't a question nor was it an order. She wasn't quite sure what it even was except for desire crossing her lips as they waited to be plundered.

Bobby didn't disappoint. Taking a firm grip on the back of her hair, his head lowered again aiming to give no reprieve once he began. The fire in his belly raged to life as his tongue worked tirelessly against hers, the flames only growing larger as her soft, feminine whispers and whimpers echoed off of the stone wall and back to him.

The hand at her waist flexed unconsciously as it traveled lower in search of the soft, cushiony flesh he was looking for. She whimpered as he squeezed, his expertly trained hand exerting just enough pressure for a reaction and not enough to cause pain.

She pressed closer into him, her soft curves pressing intimately against the firm planes and ridges of his chest. Her hands buried themselves in his soft wavy hair as she leaned up even farther to drape one leg over him, their mouths never parting. As she settled over him, she gave an experimental wiggle of her hips, grinning at the chest-rumbling groan he let out.

She could feel what her kisses and her seemingly innocent actions were doing to him. He could roll them over in the next moment and make her his like his body was willing him to, but she knew he would hold back for as long as he could. The building anticipation was what made their lovemaking the mind blowing experience that it was. Hurrying through it would not be beneficial for either of them.

Tara's lungs burned as Bobby refused to allow her to come up for air. She felt dizzy and lightheaded and though being with Bobby could do those things to her, this was not part of the game they were playing. Taking advantage as he tilted her head to the side, she pulled away but not before adding a final nip to his bottom lip.

His head dipped as he took in a great breath of air, but no amount of oxygen could halt the raging and impassioned want for his gorgeous wife. His lips hovered mere inches from the gaping collar of her blouse, the flesh beyond looking too tempting to ignore. With his tongue he burned a hot wet trail from one side of her collar to the other. Tara whimpered with pleasure, her back arching when she felt the little pin-pricking nips of his teeth.

She gasped and he continued his arduous torture up her neck, following the trail to the fleshy nub of her earlobe. She whimpered again. "You're not playing fair." As hard as she tried, she couldn't stop her voice from coming out in a breathy moan. His actions were driving her wild, the fire in the pit of her stomach was ablaze with a passion only Bobby could stroke to life with the slightest touch and the gentlest kiss.

He chuckled as he finally pulled away. "I didn't know I was supposed to," he winked and chuckled even more at the roll of her eyes.

'Not playing fair, eh?' she asked herself. A devilish smile formed on her kiss-swollen lips. Two could play at that game. With a firm wriggle of her hips and a resounding groan from Bobby, she climbed from his lap and got to her feet.

"Where're you goin'?" he asked as he instantly felt a void surround him and their connection broken. Every nerve ending was on fire for her and he ached to feel her curves again, to taste her lips, to hear her soft whimpers and her moans of ecstasy as he took her over the edge.

Closing his eyes, he drew in a steadying breath when he felt his heart was about to jump out of his chest. It was beating as fast as a racing horse and his breaths remained shallow because of that very reason. Only Tara could make him react this way.

He opened his eyes when he heard her innocent little giggle and wished he would have kept them shut when he saw the gentle sashay of her hips as they moved back and forth in that smooth, sensual rhythm she'd perfected to entice him. Damn her for being so good at it.

A ragged breath hitched in his chest as her hand when to her waist and gave a firm tug at the tie there. Her long skirt pooled at her feet, but if he was expecting to get a glimpse of the gorgeous curves of her behind, he was sadly mistaken.

The oversized blouse cut off right below her bottom, the fabric dancing across her bare legs as Bobby realized for the first time that she had not been wearing any undergarments. His wanting increased tenfold at that realization, though try as he might, his limbs refused to allow him to move. He continued to rest against the bank of the stream as he watched her take her first tentative step into the water and another and another until the warm, exhilarating liquid lightly skimmed the bottom of the shirt.

Taking her lower lip between her teeth, she smiled and reached up to undo the top tie, her hands slowly making their way down until all were untied and the simplest breeze could part the fabric and reveal herself fully to Bobby.

He groaned with a lick of his dry lips and struggled to shuck off his boots. His legs felt like jelly as he tried to stand, but instead of focusing on them, his gaze was solely set upon Tara as she waited in the shallow water for him to join her. He paused and willed a breeze to part the opening just a fraction so he could catch a glimpse of the beautiful curves he knew lay beneath.

He fell once, but he soon regained his footing all the while pulling his own shirt over his head and tossing it off somewhere behind him. His trousers were next. He grinned when he saw Tara's focus set upon what lay underneath that barrier. A light nip upon her lower lip and her chest rising and falling in an uneven pace told him that the anticipation had lasted long enough.

The trousers were thrown to the side as he took his first step into the water, the succeeding ones taken in much larger strides. He took his wife in his arms, his tongue plundering the deep confines of her delectable mouth, his hands practically tearing the shirt from her shoulders and throwing it in the direction of the shore.

She shivered in his embrace when his palms flexed upon her bare shoulders. One traveled up to cup and angle her lips to a more comfortable kissing position while the other traveled torturously slow down the length of her body. Tara's height was a big difference to Bobby's tall frame, but he was still able to touch every important and sensitive body part she had to offer.

She tingled all the way down to her toes as his mouth and hands set fire to her every nerve ending. A groan was mumbled against his lips as one hand gripped her bottom firmly, lifting her up into his embrace. Her legs wrapped securely around his waist which allowed him to take the careful steps into the falling water. Tara was surprised at first that she looked up to watch it pour down around them.

She closed her eyes and giggled at the way it ran through her hair and trailing down the rest of her heated body.

Bobby watched as the rivulets of water formed its own path down the curves and contours of her supple skin. He watched it curl around her breasts and was immediately overcome with need. Unable to resist the sudden urge, he followed the path from neck to stomach with his tongue. She arched into him, feeling the wall of the alcove at her back. A moan of pleasure echoed between them when his teeth grazed the sensitive flesh between the valley of her womanly peaks.

"I love you," she whispered breathlessly in his ear.

He gazed into her eyes, seeing the reflected love hiding behind the streaming water. Brushing a sopping wet strand of hair from her face, his lips danced gently upon her face, stopping at her lips only as she grasped the back of his head and forced her lips upon his.

He didn't have to respond. She knew how far the depths of his love went for her, otherwise she never could have married him. He was the first man to ever make her feel like a real woman and treat her like she was the most important thing in the world. And as he made love to her under that water, the reassurance of love was renewed until their cries meshed together and their bodies lay in a sated state.