Abby shook her head, hating that she was about to lie to Sara.
“We’re on an island in the Caribbean. It’s really beautiful here. I miss you so much, though.”
“Take some pictures, and bring me some seashells. Audrey wants to talk now.”
“Abby?” Audrey said.
“Hi, Aud. I miss you so much. How are you?”
“Okay. When are you coming back?”
“I’m not sure. Chris hasn’t bought tickets for a flight home yet.”
There was silence on the other end of the phone, which worried Abby.
“Are you not having a good time there? Is everything okay?” she asked.
“No, it’s nice here. I’m just worried that you’re never coming back,” Audrey said matter-of-factly. Abby’s heart broke as she heard it.
“Audrey, I promise I will be back very soon. I love you and Sara more than anything. I will never leave you. Chris was trying to do something nice for me with this surprise, but he already said that next time, he wants you guys to come on vacation with us.”
“Really?”
“Yes. You know I don’t lie to you, Audrey. I’ll never leave you, okay?”
“Okay. Try to come home soon, though. But not until after this weekend because Marla’s letting me have my friends over for a sleepover.”
“That’s great! You must be excited.”
“Yeah, I am. She said I could invite as many people as I wanted, so I invited 11. But no boys. She said I couldn’t invite any boys.”
“I’m glad to hear that. So you guys are doing okay?”
“We’re good. I have to go because Jack just brought home some pizza.”
“Okay. I love you, Audrey.”
“Love you, too.”
Her best efforts to stay awake until Chris got home from work had failed. Caffeine, a workout video and reading had brought her nearly all the way, but Abby was exhausted. The new schedule was still hard sometimes, and she sighed with happiness as she pulled the covers over herself at 6 a.m.
She squinted at the clock when Chris came in, seeing that it was after eight.
“Hi, baby,” she said in a sleepy tone. “Sorry I fell asleep.”
“It’s okay.” He exhaled loudly and ran a hand over his face.
“How was work?”
“Work was shit, unfortunately. It’s a day I’m glad to be done with.”
“What happened?” She sat up, wide awake now. He shook his head, considering.
“I had to treat a burn victim from a house fire. A young Mom. She won’t make it. And I treated a kid who has to get further testing but I know is going to get diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. I try to keep up a wall, and not let emotions get in the way, but sometimes …”
“You’re human, Chris. If you weren’t a caring person, you wouldn’t be good at your job.”
He gave her a weak smile.
“I can’t tell you how much better I felt the whole way home knowing you were here waiting for me.”
“Even when I’m not here, I’m here. You can call me to talk anytime, day or night.”
“I know, but having you cuddled up next to me is much better than a phone call.”
“Cuddling sounds nice.” Abby smiled at him as he pulled his shirt off. “But I know what you need first.”
He sighed, shaking his head.
“Just you, baby. All I need right now is you,” he said.
“Exactly. You need a nice, hard, mind-numbing, hair-pulling fuck. Lose yourself in me. Then we’ll cuddle.”
“We don’t have to do that just because I had a shitty night. You look tired.”
“Get naked and in this bed, Reneau.”
He looked at her, bemused, as he undressed.
“Where did my timid, sexually repressed Abby go?”
“You bring out the sex goddess in me.”
His eyes shone with desire as he climbed under the covers.
“I’m serious,” she said. “No kissing or tenderness.”
“You don’t like those things?”
“Usually I do, but today I just want you to fuck me. Hard. I’m healed enough that you won’t hurt me.”
“Tell me if it’s too much,” he said, watching as she stripped away her t-shirt.
“One kiss,” he whispered, enveloping her mouth with his own. His tongue found hers as he wound his fingers into her hair and pulled. It was a deep, hard kiss that Abby felt between her thighs.
He was still kissing her as he thrust himself in, and Abby moaned with satisfaction. He pulled away from her lips, delivering exactly what she had asked for. When he pulled her arms up over her head and restrained both her wrists with one of his large hands, her deep arousal left her dumbfounded. With his other hand, he pushed one of her thighs up toward her shoulder, allowing himself to get deeper inside her.