This Too Shall Pass (2 page)

“You don’t think you should have told me any of this?”

“What? You think I’m hiding something from you?”

“There’s a reason you didn’t tell me.”

“Oh my God! This is about nothing but your whole marriage hang-up thing.”

“My hang-up? You’re the one with the commitment issues, not me. You don’t think he’s not going to be chasing you?”

“No, I don’t, and stop being so ridiculous. That was ages ago.”

“Why is it I am being ridiculous because I want us to get married? It’s not like we haven’t been together for almost two years. It’s not like we don’t have a kid or share the same bed. I don’t understand what the deal is.”

“I’m so sick of having this conversation with you and my mother. Why do you think a piece of paper is going to make a difference in anything?”

“Are you still holding out hope for you and Mitch?”

Alexis stood and walked inside with three soft words. “Go to hell.” Perfect. Just how she wanted to end the night. Alexis did what she often did when she wanted to stop thinking about stuff, she worked. She flipped on her desktop and opened the day’s photo shoot. Her eyes shifted to the door when she heard the downstairs shower running and back to the little boy sitting on the green tractor.

Working didn’t do the job this time, but she wasn’t sure why. She knew Cory thought she was mad about something totally different than what she was really mad about. Damnit. He ruined everything. Alexis pretended to be busy, engrossed in her work when Cory opened the pocket doors. She didn’t even turn around until he slammed them shut.

“What the hell are you doing?” she questioned when he spun her chair to face him. Cory didn’t answer with words. He responded with a fistful of hair at the nape of her neck and his mouth on hers.

Alexis shoved him away and noticed the fury in his eyes. “Stop it!” she ordered while coming to an upright position. Cory twisted her to face the desk and slammed her hands flat on the wood. The feelings that rushed through her were quick and fierce. She had never seen this side of Cory before. She protested again when his fingers slipped through the elastic of her cotton shorts and between her legs. 

“Goddamn it, Cory, will you stop,” she scolded.

“Is that what you want, Alexis? Do you want me to stop?” Crap. Did she? Of course, he had to ask while his fingers did crazy things to her. The hold he had on her hair was yanked back and his lips sucked hard on her neck. “Answer me. Do you want me to stop?”

The breath that had caught in her throat was exhaled and one faint word was scarcely perceived. “No.”

Cory eased up on the grip of her hair and slid her shorts to her ankles, leaving the black panties. Alexis wasn’t sure what the hell was going on, but she liked it, maybe too much. Cory bit on her earlobe, his voice deep with desperation. “Turn around and get on your knees.”  Holy shit! Okay…

Alexis obeyed the erotic orders and waited for Cory to release himself from the low riding jeans, right to her mouth. Moans were heard simultaneously, desire burning at both ends. Whether it was the dominance, Cory was powering over her or the way she submitted was unknown. What was known was the fact that it was hot as hell, a flood of mortifying arousal immediately soaked the crotch of her panties. Once Cory knew he was the one at the breaking point, he pulled her to her feet and kissed her, hard, desperate, and full of conviction. The favor was returned in the same forceful manner. Cory demanded rather than asked that Alexis lay back on the desk and spread her legs. This was brand new as well. The sound of her readiness was heard with the thrust of Cory’s two fingers, in and out. Her head dropped to the hardwood with a thump and her elbows gave away when his mouth took the place of the fingers. Jesus! God! Alexis’s legs tightened around his head when Cory sucked hard on her throbbing nub. Moments later, Alexis was thrashing below him, ready to detonate. And then…he stopped. What the hell?

Cory’s lips moved to hers and he sucked and bit her bottom lip. The taste and smell of the unmistakable odor was a silent declaration of her approval. Cory’s penetrating slate-gray sardonic gaze held her eyes captive while his fingers tapped firm, quick taps to the overzealous throbbing between her legs. Another first, but only for her. Alexis was confident their experience was a Cory and Camille kind of love. She tried to apprehend how she felt about that, but it was inadequate and useless.

“I’m going to make you come like you’ve never come before,” Cory rasped hoarsely, his voice deep with control.

“I’m all yours.”

Cory smiled a warm, familiar smile and kissed her hard. His hands cupped her breasts, but his face was shoved away when he tried to land on the beaded little bud. That still belonged to Kinley. Not yet. “I love you,” he whispered as his hand pressed down on her chest and motioned for her to lay back.

Alexis didn’t respond. She couldn’t even if he would have demanded it. He knew he was loved. Her back felt the cool surface at the same time she felt his fingers, two of them, slow at first, and then deeper and harder. The conversation with Bernie crossed her mind when Cory pressed down just above her pelvic bone. The edge of the desk helped her hold on. She needed to hold on. Her hands tightened with white knuckles when she felt the familiar, yet unfamiliar. Oh, my…

There were no normal moans, just a faint whimpers once her body started trembling at his hands. She quivered, shuddered and felt the build of something out of this world. It was different, deeper like it started in her chest and made its way down. Her knees dropped to the sides when Cory worked harder, faster, deeper until she caved. Her entire body went numb and then limp as the secretion bolted in three quick bouts. Cory was the one to do the moaning.

“Oh yes, baby.”

Alexis knew what happened. Bernie had told her all about this. She didn’t believe her. There was no way it could get any better than what Cory already drew from her. Boy was she ever wrong. Holy sweet baby Jesus. The wetness from his soaked hands was felt on her hips when he pulled her to him and slid in. Her stiff knuckles released the grip on the desk and he pulled her up.

“You okay?” Cory questioned while his lips kissed her neck, throat, and clavicle. 

“Yes,” she panted as her legs wrapped around his waist.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Cory finished with slow, passionate lovemaking with his lips, kissing her soft skin.

What the hell was that?

****

Alexis was in the kitchen chatting with Riki and feeding Kinley scrambled eggs when Cory entered the kitchen. He took the plate of scrambled eggs from her and placed a handful on the tray of Kinley’s high chair.

“Can you watch Kinley for two seconds?” he asked Riki.

“Can I get paid?”

Cory did a double take and Alexis laughed.

“Well, that makes me the babysitter. I should get paid.”

“Fine, I’ll give you a dollar.”

“Is that enough, Lexis?”

Alexis winked and moved her hair to her back. “I think it is.”

Cory linked Alexis’s pinky with his and led her to the living room.

“Round two?” Alexis questioned when Cory spun her flat against the wall. Even before his dominate exercise the night before, she loved this position.

“No. I’m so sorry.”

Alexis tilted her head and smiled a small smile. “What are you sorry for?”

“You know what. Why did you let me do that?”

Both her shoulders lifted toward the ceiling in a shrug. “Because you needed me to.” It was more of a fact than a question and he knew it.

“You have no idea how much I love you.”

“I do, Cory. Do you want to know why I was so mad at you last night?”

“I already know. Because I brought up the marriage thing again.”

“Nope, not at all. When’s your birthday?”

“What? You know when it is. Two days.”

“Come with me.”

“Come where. The girls are alone in the kitchen. Remember the vegetable oil spill from the last time we left them alone.” How could she forget? Alexis went through four rolls of paper towels and three mop buckets of hot soapy water.

“You’re paying a babysitter this time. They’re fine for a minute.”

With locked fingers, Alexis led him to the den the same way he had led her from the kitchen. She walked around the desk and opened the second drawer down.

“It’s not my birthday yet,” Cory reminded her with the flat red box being placed in his hand.

“Open it.”

Cory pulled the white ribbon and lifted the lid. A thin silver string held the matching wedding band to the ring on her finger and a corresponding band for him. Same design, thicker band. A black notecard asked for his hand in silver ink.

Are you ever going to marry me? Geesh. How about September 4th, the day you blew my cover at April’s? What do you think, Doc? Want to live the rest of your life with me?

“Are you freaking kidding me? Is this a joke?”

“Nope.”

“Lex?”

“No joke, Cory. I love you and I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you. I was going to anyway, might as well make it official.”

“You just want in my will,” he teased while his hands reached for her on their own accord. “I’m sorry I screwed up your surprise.”

“It’s okay, but I don’t want a big wedding. I would love to just do it in the barn, but my parents would flip a lid.”

Cory couldn’t lose the smile. “Church wedding?”

“My dad wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Daddy!”

“We better go, you’re going to be paying overtime.” Alexis pulled away and flipped her hair to look at him over her shoulder. “You do know that I might have to pick a fight a little more often now, right?"

“Damn, if I would have known angry sex was all it was going to take, I would have pissed you off a long time ago.”

“Oh you piss me off plenty,” Alexis assured him with batting eyelashes. Yes, she was asking for more.

“Come on, eat up, Riki. We’ve got to get going.”

“Where’s my dollar?”

Cory frowned and retrieved his wallet. “Where’s my kiss?”

Riki kissed him while snatching the dollar from his hand.

“Go stick it in your piggy bank and get dressed, Riki. We have to go,” Alexis coaxed, eyes on the microwave clock.

“I don’t want to put it in there. I want to keep it.”

“You lost it the last time.”

Riki spun in circles, arms to her sides, spinning like a helicopter while Alexis cleaned up. “Nu-uh, Grandpa Kinney found it.”

Cory stopped the spinning with a hand to her chest. “Stop it. Listen to Lexis. I’ll see you tonight,” Cory preached while backing Alexis up.

“But Aunt Sam might take us to the store.”

“Riki, stop. Go put the money in your bank and get ready. It’s time to go.”

Riki stomped off, grumbling the entire way. It was her money. She shouldn’t have to save it if she didn’t want to.

“Can you take her for five minutes while I clean up?” Alexis questioned. She didn’t really give Cory a choice. She shoved the baby in his chest, missing the urgency to leave on his expression. Cory didn’t protest, he was too happy. Alexis was going to be his wife and even the smell coming from Kinley’s diaper couldn’t ruin his high.

“I’m changing this diaper and then I’ve got to go. You’re going to make me late.”

“Not me, blame Kinley.”

“It’s all your fault, little lady,” Cory sang.

Alexis was almost finished with the breakfast dishes when Cory returned, moving in behind her. “She’s in jail. I’ve got to go, Mrs. Baker.”

Alexis turned around with a smile. “Alexis Baker. I like it.”

“Me too and I love you.”

“I love you more. Go, get out of here. I’ve got to get going too. Are you going to be late tonight?”

“Around six, it’s cold outside. Make sure you dress the girls warm.”

Alexis gave Cory one more quick peck with an eye roll, refraining from telling him to shut up. She knew how to dress her girls without his help.

“Love you!”

“Love you, too,” Alexis called back while going for Kinley. Kinley pulled herself up in her pack and play as soon as she saw her mom. Alexis smiled, happy that Cory dressed her. It was too late to leave her there though, Kinley already saw her. She carried her up the steps and sat her on the floor of her room.

“Riki can you play with Kinley for a minute while I get dressed?”

“Can you pay me?”

Really? Where was this coming from all of a sudden? “What do you want money for?”

“Cause Emily is getting a baton and I want one too. She only needs four more dollars.”

Alexis smiled, happy that she was trying to earn money for something she wanted. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll come up with a couple extra chores for you tonight to help you out, but I don’t think you should ask for money to play with your sister. Maybe instead of asking to get paid for helping me out, you could explain to me why you want money next time. It’s not very polite to ask for money when someone asks you for help. If there is something you want, come and tell me. We’ll find you something to do to earn it, deal?”