Bring Me Back (16 page)

Slowly I came down from my climax and Ian kissed me on the forehead. “You are so beautiful Ally. That was the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Ian, I want you.  I want you inside me.”

“Are you sure Ally?”

“Oh God yes, please.” I begged.

“Okay, we’ll take this slow, but you have to promise me you’ll tell me if it hurts too much.”  He looked at me with such concern.

“I promise.”  I said as I leaned up to kiss him.

I watched as Ian pulled a foil package out of his nightstand and ripped it open.  He rolled the condom down over his beautiful length and looked at me again.  I nodded, and he smiled and nodded back. He positioned himself over me and I could feel him pressing on my opening.  I was shaking, partly from nerves and the other part anticipation. “Ready?” He asked, watching me with such love and concern.  “Yes.”  I breathed as he pushed himself inside me.  The sharp burning pain was short lived, and as he buried himself deep inside me he stilled—waiting.  “Are you okay, baby?”  I nodded, “Just give me a second to get used to it.”  I asked, concentrating on the fullness of having him so deep inside me.  “Okay.”  I whispered, as he slowly began to pull back a little bit at a time and pushed back in.  When he felt me relax, he started a steady rhythm, and the pain quickly shifted to enormous pleasure. “Oh Ally, you feel so good.  I love you so much!” 

“I love you too Ian.”  He was slow and attentive—touching, kissing and loving me as he caressed me from the inside out, bringing me more pleasure than I’d ever felt before. He began to shake as he pumped harder and faster and finally stilled deep inside me, “Oh God Ally!”  He hollered as he emptied himself inside me shaking until he collapsed on me, both of us trying to catch our breath.

Chapter 37

~Ian

I couldn’t get enough of Ally.  She was the most amazing woman I’d ever met.  After all she had been through, she was still so full of love and trust, and she was so incredibly sexy that I wasn’t sure I would ever let her out of my bed again.

We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon in bed making love and holding each other.  Finally we found ourselves back in the bath.  I was behind Ally again and she leaned back against my chest.  I was gently washing her shoulders and front with a wash cloth as we enjoyed the closeness.

“Ian?”

“Hmm?”

“Why didn’t you tell me about your trip to Colorado Springs?”

“Ahh, my mom filled you in huh?” I laughed.

“She told me a little bit. I had no idea how you felt—that you felt the same way as I did.”

“Ally, when I woke up next to you that morning, after you shared everything with me, I knew I needed to close that chapter of my life so I could open a new one with you.  That’s why I went.”

“Would you tell me about Laney?” She asked, tipping her head back to look at me.

“Are you sure?”  I asked.

“It’s part of you and I want to know all of you, so yes.”

I took a deep breath, and realized that for once I didn’t feel like my heart was empty when I thought about Laney.  It had been filled with love for Ally—new love, not better or worse, just something entirely different than what I had with Laney.

“I met Laney in college.  She was fun and happy and very driven.  She was going into journalism, and wanted to make a name for herself.  We thought we would get married after we graduated, but right before our senior year, she was diagnosed with an aggressive type of bone cancer.  She went through so many treatments, but it didn’t help.  The cancer had spread throughout her body.  The treatments stripped the life out of her—made her so sick.  I guess I had fooled myself into thinking she would be okay, so when she finally died, it destroyed me.”  Ally was rubbing my legs as she listened to me. 

“I threw myself into my studies, and as soon as I graduated, I got a job here in Durango.  I had asked if I could work from home, and they were extremely flexible with me.  I wanted to just hide so I didn’t have to be around anyone.  I didn’t want to have to explain, so it was easier to be alone.”

“I totally get that.” Ally said softly.

I kissed the top of her head. “I know you do.”

“Ally, do you remember when I burst into your house—when you were having a nightmare?”  She nodded.  “Well, it was the first time in so long that I was able to look past myself, to see that other people were suffering too.”  I paused to place another kiss on her shoulder. “When you showed up on my doorstep so sick and needing to go to the hospital, I thought I would completely break.  I hadn’t been to a hospital since Laney had died, and the thought of going into another one almost sent me over the edge, but when I saw how vulnerable you were, I knew I couldn’t leave you.”

“Thank you for that Ian; I couldn’t have done that if you weren’t with me.”

“You helped me see past myself.  I knew you had been through something awful, but I had no idea what, but knowing that you kept living in spite of it all made me want to also.”  I tipped her head back so I could see her eyes.  “Your strength and stubbornness and silliness brought me back.  I fell in love with you—every part of you.”  She smiled as I leaned down and placed a kiss on her lips.

“Ally, we both have pasts—things that hurt us and almost destroyed us, but that is what it is—the past.  It will always be there, but it won’t define who we are now and in the future, together.”

“Thank you for trusting me enough to share this Ian.”  She said as she nuzzled back against me.

***

 I watched her as she picked at a piece of toast across from me.  “Ally, will you let me take you to dinner tonight?”  Her eyes shot up and I could see a bit of fear and uncertainty in them. “Like in town?”  She asked.  I reached across the table and put my hand over hers.  “I would be with you Ally, I know you are nervous, but I won’t leave your side, I promise.”  She finally nodded.  “Good, I have a surprise for you too.”  She turned her head to the side and smiled. “What is it?” I laughed. “Now if I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise.” 

“Go home and get dressed, just casual and we’ll get going.  It doesn’t look like that toast is cutting it anyway.” I chuckled.  “I’ll pick you up in 45 minutes.”  I said as I walked her to the door, taking her face into my hands and pressing a kiss to her sweet lips.  “See you soon.” She hollered as she walked across the drive toward her house.

***

At 5:30 p.m., I pulled up in front of Ally’s house.  She bounded out the door looking amazing in a pair of fitted jeans and a green cashmere sweater.  She had black boots with a low heel, and her face looked radiant. 

I jumped out of the car and opened the door for her, giving her a kiss as she climbed in.  I shut the door and walked around to the driver’s side, and settled myself in, buckling my seatbelt.  “You look beautiful Ally.”  I couldn’t stop smiling at her.  “You look mighty fine yourself Mr. Rhodes.”  She said as her eyes trailed up and down my body, making parts of it come alive.  “You better stop looking at me like that Miss Mitchell, or we might not make it to dinner.”  I said as I put the car into drive and headed down the main drive.

“So where are we going?”  She asked, biting her lip, still obviously nervous.

“There is this great restaurant right on the edge of town with mouth-watering steaks.  It’s quiet and shouldn’t be too crowded today.”  I said as I squeezed her hand.

***

“That was perfect Ian.”  Ally wiped her mouth and leaned back with a look of contentment.  I could watch her all day.  I knew this wasn’t easy for her.  Her hands had been shaking as we pulled into the parking lot, but she had gotten out and come with me anyway.  I was so amazed by her strength and determination.  “Do you want dessert?”  I asked, smiling and waggling my eyebrows.  She giggled, “I don’t think what I want is on the menu.” 
God I love this woman!

I signed the check and stood up, offering her my hand.  We should make a couple of stops while we’re in town.” 

“Like where?”  She asked, slightly worried.

“Well, we should buy groceries for our Christmas dinner, maybe a pecan pie?”  I smiled at her.

“Oh yes!  That sounds perfect!” 

“Hey Ian, do you think the hardware store is still open?”  She asked as we reached the car.

“I imagine so, did you need something?”

“Yes, I was going to send an email today, but I was, umm…detained.”  She said, blushing a bit.

“Come on, I’ll take you there.”

***

The hardware store was empty other than Mr. Reddy as we walked in.  He raised his eyes from what he was reading to offer a quick greeting, before he did a double take.  “Well, well.  What a wonderful surprise to see you
here
Ally.”  He said coming around the counter, looking back and forth between us, focusing on our joined hands and smiling.

“Hi Mr. Reddy.”  She said quietly. “Could you help me find a few things I need for a project?”  She asked as my phone started to ring.  She looked at me to see if everything was okay.  “My mom.”  I said, as she nodded.  I turned around and answered the call as she walked down the aisle with Mr. Reddy, talking quietly.

“Hi mom, did you make it home okay?” 

“Yes honey, how did things go with Ally?  Were you two able to talk?” 

“Yes.  Mom, everything is perfect!”

“Oh good honey!  Are you ready with your Christmas surprise now?”

“More than ever.  Listen, Ally is coming this way, so I will call you and dad on Christmas, okay?”

“Okay.  Goodbye Ian.”

“Bye mom, and thank you!”  I hung up and turned around to see Ally smiling as she took her change.

Looking up at me, her eyes were sparkling.  “Ready?”  I asked.

We said our goodbyes and headed out to the car.  “Groceries?”  I asked as we climbed in. 

Chapter 38

~Ally

“I can believe how much food we bought.”  I said laughing at the full trunk.  “We won’t have to leave the house for weeks at this rate.”

Ian glanced over at me, “That would be fine with me.”  He said looking at me with desire.  I couldn’t help but giggle.  It would be fine with me too.