Rick sat on the bed with a look of disappointment and bewilderment on his face. What was there to talk about? He loved her. She loved him. He had told her how sorry he was for his mistake. She had obviously forgiven him. If she hadn't, she would not have let him make love to her.
Everything was fine. Everything was back to normal. So what was there to talk about?
"Is something wrong?" Rick frowned and stood up as his imagination began to run wild.
He wondered if Evelyn was all right, if the kid was all right. Maybe his less than enthusiastic response to the news about the baby had driven her to drastic measures. He knew a woman had ways of getting rid of an unwanted kid. Had Evelyn?
The thought struck a cord in Rick and panic crawled up his spine and attacked his mind with a vengeance. Had she gone to some quack doctor, midwife or even a madam? Had she 'gotten rid of' his kid? Had he lost him before he was even born?
Rick did not want to believe it. He could not believe it. He refused to believe it because he wanted his kid.
Rick wanted the baby and that realization hit him like a stone pillar. He knew without a doubt, without a shadow of doubt that he wanted the baby, his baby, their baby. But what if... What if Evelyn had... What if she... He would never forgive himself if...
"Is... everything... OK?" his voice trembled as he looked down at her stomach then back up into her eyes. "Is the baby... OK?" Rick asked, his voice racked with anxiety.
Evelyn's eyes began to water. She saw the fear in his eyes and she heard the trepidation in his voice. She knew then and there that he wanted this baby, their baby as much as she did.
When Evelyn did not answer him, dread wrapped itself around his soul and squeezed it tight. Rick's heart began to pound in his ears. Grief, overwhelming grief began to well up in him as his breath became short.
He would never see his face. He would never hear his voice. He would never get to know him.
No! Rick shook himself mentally. He could not accept it. He just could not.
"Is the baby OK?!" he demanded in a harsh voice.
"The baby's fine" Evelyn said in a hushed tone as a single tear slid down her cheek.
'The baby's fine'. Those were the sweetest words to Rick's ears. The baby was fine. Rick let out the breath he was holding and the grandest since of joy overtook the dread he was feeling. Once he let it sink in that the baby was all right, he turned his mind back to the talk they HAD to have.
"What's the matter then?" Rick asked anxiously as he started walking toward Evelyn.
"We need to talk" she said as she began to back away from him.
"About what?!" he said impatiently.
"Will you sit down?!" Evelyn said, her anxiety growing.
"What is wrong Evelyn?!" he nearly shouted as stood towering over her. "Are YOU OK?"
"Yes, I'm fine" she said, looking up at his scowling face. "We need to talk."
"About..."
"Will you sit..."
"NO!" Rick shouted. "WHAT is this about?!"
"I AM NOT going to engage in a shouting match with you!" Evelyn raised her voice. "WILL you just SIT DOWN!"
Rick turned a more fierce frown on her before gritting his teeth and turning and walking back over to the bed.
"What is it we need to talk about?" Rick said in a controlled voice after he sat down on the bed.
Evelyn took a deep breath, turned toward the room chair, picked up Mr. Huggy and sat down. Now where would she begin?
"Rick..." Evelyn started.
"Everything's OK between us, right?" Rick asked when Evelyn did not continue.
Rick reasoned that if the baby was OK, and she was OK, then the only other thing that would be as important as for them to talk about was them.
"No" Evelyn answered.
"No?" Rick said.
What could be wrong between them? After the last couple of hours, he figured everything was not only right between them, everything was back to being perfect between them.
"No" Evelyn said, still unsure of where to begin.
"Well what was this afternoon about?" he said in a troubled tone. "I thought after all that..." Rick continued in an anxiety-ridden voice. "I thought everything was fine" he said, thinking in the back of his mind that maybe, just maybe she still wanted to divorce him.
Evelyn wished the last couple of hours they shared could wipe out the last couple of weeks. But they could not.
"This afternoon was..." Evelyn said. She held her stomach as butterflies began to flutter as she thought about what he had done to her against the door. "This afternoon was beautiful. It was incredible" Evelyn breathed. "But..."
"But what?"
"From the first day I met you" she began. "There was something about you... Something about you that appealed to me. When we came back from Hamunaptra, I figured out what it was. It was your strength and stability. Jonathan" she laughed lightly. "Has always come through for me when I needed him most but... he is far from strong and even farther from stable. But you. You were different. You were courageous. You were strong. You were stable. You were dependable. And I realized I needed that. I know now that the main reason I fell in love with you so quickly was because I could rely on you. I could depend on your strength. I could depend on your stability. I could trust you with my life and... I thought I could trust you with my heart."
"You can" Rick said quickly. "You still can."
"Can I?" Evelyn bemoaned. "Rick" she continued before he could respond. "You... you went to see another woman" Evelyn said in a pained voice.
Rick had no answer for that. He did go 'see another woman'. But, he reasoned within himself, he did not do anything.
"But I didn't DO anything!" he said anxiously.
"You call seeing another woman on your wife 'not doing anything'?" Evelyn frowned, her ire rising.
"It's not like I..." he started to use crude words but remembered who he was talking too. "It's not like I hopped in her bed."
"And you think that makes a difference?"
"Hell yeah!" Rick said urgently. "Evy" he said more calmly. "I wasn't unfaithful to you. I swear it! Don't you believe me?"
"How would you feel" Evelyn chose not to answer his question but present him with a question of her own. "If I had gone looking for male company after having a fight with you?"
"What we had was more than a fight" he said, not wanting to even think about Evelyn being in another man's bedroom. "You wanted a divorce!" he said, trying to excuse what he had done.
"So it's my fault" Evelyn said in a strained voice. "That YOU went to another woman?"
"I didn't say that" Rick said defensively.
"Well what are you saying?"
"I'm saying I was hurt..."
"And you think that gives you leave to do what you did?" Evelyn asked.
"No!" he said. "You said you wanted a divorce..." he said again.
"And that gives you the right..." Evelyn interrupted him.
"NO!" he interrupted her. "I told you... I felt like my guts had been ripped out and I did the only thing I knew to do. I went somewhere I shouldn't of. Got drunk... and ALMOST! ALMOST! But DIDN'T do something I would have regretted for the rest of my life."
"What happens the next time we fight?" Evelyn said sadly. "Will you go somewhere you shouldn't, get drunk and do something you'll regret for the rest of your life?"
"No!" he said emphatically.
"How am I suppose to trust that you won't? How CAN I trust that you won't?" Evelyn asked as some old fears began to surface.
"I never lied to you Evy" Rick said in a panicked voice as he stood up and began pacing. "NEVER!"
"And how would I know if you had?" Evelyn asked the logical question as she watched him pace.
"I HAVEN'T!" Rick said empathetically as he stopped his pacing and looked at her. "You have to believe me. Since the day I met you, I haven't been with another woman. You're the only one. Don't you believe me?" he said, his eyes begging her to say 'yes'.
"I want to" she said as tears began to well up in her eyes.
"Evy" Rick said as he walked over to her and squatted down in front of her and took her hand. "I made a mistake..."
"Is that what you call it? A 'mistake'" she whispered as tears started streaming down her face.
'He made one tiny mistake Evy' she heard Jonathan's voice say.
"Evy please don't cry" Rick begged. Knowing that he had been the cause of all of her tears, he reached up and tried to wipe the tears away. "You know I love you..."
'O'Connell loves you' Jonathan's voice said.
"And I'd give ANYTHING to take back what I did. But I can't take it back" he said with regret. "All I can do is beg you to forgive me..."
'Why can't you forgive him?' Jonathan's voice said.
"And trust me because I swear to you I have NEVER lied to you. Never! Don't you think" he switched angles in the argument for his case. "That it would have been easier for me to make up a lie about the lipstick?"
'Don't you think life would have been easier for him if he would have lied to you... Trust me Evy. Men can come up with some pretty believable lies when they're caught in a pinch' Jonathan's voice said.
"Please Evy" Rick pleaded when Evelyn remained silent. "Forgive me."
'Do you love O'Connell?' Jonathan's voice said.
"I do" Evelyn said in a hushed voice as her tears continued to fall. "I forgive you."
Rick felt a surge of relief surge through his body and a smile crept on his face.
"But..." Evelyn said in a small voice, vanishing Rick's premature smile. "I don't know... I don't know if I can trust you anymore" she said with regret.
"Evy..."
"Rick," she interrupted him. "You said you'd give me time" she reminded him of the statement he had made earlier. "I need time."
Rick saw the struggle in her eyes. He knew she loved him. He knew it without a doubt. And he believed her when she said she had forgiven him. But he also knew that he had done a lot of damage when he acted so recklessly. And now he was paying for his actions.
"I love you Evy" Rick said, wanting to make sure she knew that.
"And I love you" Evelyn said. "And I want to trust you. But right now..." she paused and looked deep into his eyes. "Right now I don't know if I can" she said, her crying increasing.
"Evy please..." he said as she squeezed her hand tighter, hating her crying, hating that she did not think she could trust him anymore.
"Rick..." she interrupted. "I... I need time."
Rick struggled for a few moments. He had told her that he would give her all the time that she needed as long as they could work things out. Well, he now knew that was easier said than done. But if she needed time, then that was what he would give her.
"Promise me..." he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. "Promise me..." he paused and looked up at her with eyes that were full of love. Full of love for her. "Promise me" he continued. "That we'll make it through this."
Evelyn looked down at him. The love she saw in his eyes brought even more tears to her own. She felt more loved in that moment than she had ever felt. She knew, knew deep down in her heart that they would make it through this. She just needed to find a way to trust him again.
"I promise" she whispered.
Despite the situation, Rick smiled. He could not ask any more of her. She had promised and he knew they would be all right. He reached up and wiped her tears again then lifted himself up until he was face to face with her.
He looked into her eyes. She looked into his.
The love they shared was there and it was almost tangible. After a few silent moments, Rick leaned in and gently touched her lips with his. The kiss was soft. The kiss was tender. The kiss was delicate. And it was full of love. And in that quiet, gentle moment, their love grew deeper and stronger.
When the kiss ended, they stared into each other's eyes and Rick pulled slightly away wiped away another tear. Then he moved closer and snuggled her nose with his. He kissed her lips one last time then stood up and walked out of the bedroom.
********************
The next week passed slowly for both Evelyn and Rick. At night, when they went to bed, they would both lay there looking up at the dark ceiling, listening to the night sounds and each other's breathing, but neither said a word. When morning came, Evelyn would roll out of bed and head to the bathroom to regurgitate last night's dinner and Rick would be there holding her hair back. Breakfast was quiet unless Jonathan graced them with his presence. Rick would drive Evelyn to the museum and they would say 'goodbye'. He would come back for lunch, then come back when it was time to go home. Dinner had a bit more conversation than breakfast because they would talk about the things they had done that day.
On Saturday morning, Evelyn decided she would say at home instead of going into the museum for � a day. She had thought her work could take her mind off Rick, but the past week had proved it could not. She was feeling blue because, though there was a truce between her and Rick, she missed him and the intimacy their souls shared. She longed to get that back and she knew it was time to face her obstacle.
Evelyn went out on the back porch and sat on the swing.
Trust. It was important to her. She needed to be able to trust the man she loved, to trust the father of her baby completely. But, as much as one wants to forget when they have been wronged by the person they love, it often does not happen. The 'what ifs' are there. And unless trust is firmly established, the marriage would be on shaky ground.
Evelyn sat on the back porch swing until noon wrestling with herself. To trust or not to trust. The decision was hers. But she was afraid to make the decision her heart wanted to make. Trust him... trust him... trust him, her heart urged. But what if... fear said.
What if he had been lying to her all along? What if he had been seeing this woman or other women the entire time they had been married? What if, after seeing these other woman, he had the presence of mind to wipe off all evidence of his infidelity? What if he had been intimate with the woman that left the lipstick on him?
He said he had never lied to her. He swore he was telling the truth. He said he had not been with another woman since the day he met her. He said he had been faithful to her. He said he had walked out on the woman who left the incriminating lipstick.
Her heart believed him, believed every word he said. But what if... At that moment, her heart made its decision.
******************
Rick was in the front washing his car when Evelyn stepped out on the front porch. She watched him for a few moments before calling out to him.
"Rick" she called from the top step.
Rick turned at her voice.
"Hey" he grinned.
Evelyn looked at him. Looked at his handsome, trustworthy features. Looked into those brilliant blue eyes and at that shinning smile. And knew. Knew she had made the right choice when she married him. Knew she had made the right decision to trust him.
"I love you" she said.
Rick's smile grew brighter and he dropped his washrag and walked over and stood at the bottom step.
"I love hearing you say that" he smiled as her words washed over him, refreshing his soul.
"And I trust you" she said.
Rick wanted to hear those words but he was a little afraid that he had not heard her right.
"I love you and I trust you" she said again.
It took Rick another second before her words sunk in. She loved him. She trusted him. His smile got even brighter and he felt giddy. She loved him. She trusted him.
She loved him. He took one step. She trusted him. He took another step. She loved him. Then another step. She trusted him. He landed on the step just below the top step. He settled his hands on her hips and looked into her eyes. She settled her hands on his biceps and looked into his eyes. Smiles settled on both faces as husband and wife were reconciled completely.
CHAPTER 17: DOUSING AND DODGING
"You love me huh?" Rick said with a smile after a few moments.
"A bit" Evelyn smiled back.
"And you trust me?"
"Completely."
"You won't ever regret it. I promise you that."
"I know I won't."
Rick moved in and captured her lips to seal the reconciliation between them. They shared a sweet kiss for many moments before Jonathan's voice disrupted their serenity and they pulled their lips apart.
"Well now" he said as he stepped outside onto the porch and walked toward the steps. "I see things may finally back to normal. Are they?" he asked once he was standing next to Evelyn on the top step. "I see they are" he said when he looked at his sister and O'Connell, foreheads touching and dreamy eyes staring into dreamy eyes. "I hope I don't live to regret it" he said as he rolled his eyes and walked down the steps.
"Your brother can be a real pain in the..." Rick said.
"I know" Evelyn said after she put her fingers up to Rick's lips to hush him. "I'm hungry" she said in the next breath.
"How about we go into town to that caf� you like" Rick said once Evelyn dropped her fingers from his lips.
"um... I'd rather stay at home today. There are leftovers from last night's dinner."
"You sure you don't want to go out to eat?" Rick asked as he squeezed her around the waist.
"I'm sure" Evelyn said as she hugged his shoulders. "I just want to spend a quite afternoon here with you."
The O'Connells shared another sweet kiss before going back inside to have lunch. After lunch, Evelyn reminded Rick that he had not finished washing his car and volunteered to help him complete the task. While washing the car, Evelyn had gotten into a playful mood and decided Rick needed washing also. She took the bucket of soapy water and splashed him with it causing him to yell out at his sudden state of wetness. Rick chased her around the car a few times before catching his wayward wife.
"aahhh!" she yelled when his arms wrapped around her arms and pinned them to her sides. "You're wet!" she exclaimed when he pulled her back into his soaking wet front.
"Really?" Rick said in her ear before pinching the lope between his teeth.
"Yes really! Now let me go!" Evelyn laughed as she struggled to free herself.
"You really think I'm gonna let you get away with what you just did to me?" he asked as he tightened his bear hug around her.
"What did I do?!" she said with all innocence. "Nothing that's what. I didn't do anything. It was an accident. The bucket slipped..."
"And the water just happened to land in my face?"
"Yes" Evelyn shook her head. "That's exactly what happened."
"Well" he said, then kissed her cheek. "We beastly Americans don't take kindly to 'accidents'. And we always want retribution."
"Don't be silly" Evelyn laughed nervously. "Retribution isn't necessary."
"Sure it is" he said as he started walking forward.
"No it's not" Evelyn said as they walked toward the bucket.
"Sure it is" he said again.
"It's not. Really."
"Well... maybe not here in Cairo or in England. But in the States, retribution is quite necessary."
"But you're not in the States" Evelyn reasoned.
"But American blood runs through my veins no matter where I am."
"Yes, but..."
"And..." Rick said as he kept his hold on Evelyn and reached down and picked up the bucket. "Retribution is a must."
"But it isn't! It really isn't!" Evelyn insisted as she was turned toward the well.
"Being married to an American, you're gonna have to get use to American ways" Rick said as he started walking them toward the well.
"American ways are barbaric."
"Really" Rick laughed.
"Yes, if this" Evelyn said as they got closer to the well. "Is the 'American way'."
"Disappointed that you're married to a beastly American barbaric?" Rick teased once they reached the well.
"You're quite civilized" Evelyn complimented, trying to escape her immediate peril. "And that" she continued. "Is why I love you so much. You're quite civilized."
"Retribution is a civilized notion you know" he said as he set the bucket on the well wall and started pumping the water into it.
"Maybe in the States" Evelyn said as she watched the bucket fill with water. "But we live in Egypt now and in Egypt, retribution is quite uncivilized."
"Never thought I'd see the day when something in Egypt was considered uncivilized" Rick said as he finished filling the bucket.
"Well, we live in a new day. A new CILIVIZED day. A new civilized Egypt. A new civilized Cairo" Evelyn said in a rushed as Rick picked up the full bucket.
If she could just break free, Evelyn thought, she would run. But she knew he would catch her, so another plan was needed. As Evelyn quickly thought, Rick released her and she thought about flight for just a moment and then rejected the idea.
"So..." Rick grinned at Evelyn as he turned her around to face him. "We live in a new day?"
"Yes" Evelyn said quickly and shook her head as she looked from the bucket dangling in his hand up to his dancing eyes.
"A CIVILIZED Egypt?"
"Yes" she said as she took a step to the left. "A VERY civilized Egypt."
"A CIVILIZED Cairo?"
"Yes" she said and took another step to the left. "Very civilized."
"Are you trying to get away from me?" Rick asked in a husky voice as he eyed his prey.
"No of course not! It's just a bit hot out here" she fanned herself. "And I think it's time for a nice cool glass of lemonade" she said as she continued to take tiny steps away from the well and away from her stalker.
"The water's cold. It'll cool you off" he said as he began advancing toward Evelyn.
"You wouldn't" Evelyn said as she realized he was really serious about dousing her.
"I wouldn't?"
"No" she said as she continued to retreat and he continued to advance.
"And why wouldn't I?"
"Because... because you love me" she offered.
"Guilty as charged" he smiled, still advancing. "But those pretty hazel eyes aren't enough to change my mind."
"What will change your mind?"
"Hum... Let me see..." Rick said with mock concentration. "I can't think of anything" he looked at her with as much seriousness as he could.
"I though you loved me."
"I do."
"Well, how could you do this to me?"
"Retribution doesn't stop for love."
"It should."
"But it doesn't."
"I'll get wet" she said.
"I'll dry you off" he returned in a sexy voice.
"I'll get a chill."
"I'll keep you warm."
"I love you" she said sweetly, hoping her words would change his mind.
"And I love you..." he said and she knew his mind was not changed.
"Richard Ulysses O'Connell!" Evelyn changed tactics and feigned anger. "If you douse me with that water... I swear... I swear I'll NEVER speak to you again!"
"Evelyn Louise O'Connell. You drive a hard bargain."
"I swear it" she proclaimed once she had backed herself up against the bottom step of the porch.
"You know" he said as he lifted the bucket. "I love a challenge."
"Rick" Evelyn said as she watched the bucket. "You wouldn't."
"I would" he said, then let the bucket 'slip'.
"Aaaahhh!" Evelyn squeezed her eyes shut and screamed as the water hit her in the face and ran down and soaked her front.
In the next instance, her scream was silenced with a kiss. A kiss that was teasing and tender, sweet and sensuous. It did not take long before Evelyn gave up her feigned anger and melted in the arms of her husband. The kiss lasted many many moments before their lips parted for a brief second only to come back together and resume the kiss.
It did not take much for Rick to meet Evelyn's challenge of never speaking to him again. It only took a few sincere, heartfelt words.
"I'm crazy about you Evy" Rick breathed after the kiss finally ended.
After those words, words so sweet, so sincere, how could she hold onto her pseudo threat?
"And I'm crazy about you" she said softly.
********************
Two weeks had past and things were better than normal. Both Evelyn and Rick had a greater appreciation for each other. They both had learned how important it was to communicate, no matter the circumstances.
Rick opened up to her more about his feelings of abandonment. Evelyn saw how truly vulnerable he had been as a child and how vulnerable he was still as a man. Rick shared with Evelyn his overwhelming fear of failing as a father and then the even greater fear he felt when he thought she had gotten rid of the baby.
Evelyn apologized again and again for saying she wanted a divorce and Rick would tell her again and again that she had nothing to apologize for. She assured him more than a few times that she believed in him and that she was more than confident that their child could not have a better father.
The young couple was growing up. They were growing closer together and growing stronger.
**************************
"Rick" Evelyn said in a soft voice as she lay on his naked chest.
"Hum?" he said as he ran his hand down her naked back and rubbed her bare rump.
"How many women have you been with?"
"What" he said, sure he had not heard her right.
"How many women have you been with?" she said again.
Rick did not want to answer the question. Not when it came from his wife. So he said nothing.
"Well?" Evelyn asked after she got not answer.
"Well what?" Rick said, dreading where this conversation was going.
"How many women have you been with?" she said after she lifted her head and looked down at him.
"Evelyn" Rick looked up at her. "This is not a conversation we need to have."
"Why not?" she asked as she rolled off of him, sat up against the headboard and pulled the bed sheet up to her chest.
"Because" he said as he put his hands beneath his head, locked his fingers together and looked up at the ceiling.
"Because what?"
"Just because!"
"BECAUSE what?"
"Because I said so."
"Well, that's not a good enough reason" Evelyn returned. "So how many?"
"How many what?" Rick said, stalling.
"How... many... women... have... you... been... with?" Evelyn said slowly, as if she were talking to a child.
"Evelyn" Rick said. "We just made love. WHY are we talking about other women?"
"So there have been more than one?"
"I don't want to have this conversation."
"It wouldn't be a conversation if you'd just answer the question."
"Why do you want to know?"
"Because I want to know."
"Why?"
"Just curious. So how many?" Evelyn persisted.
"You aren't gonna let this go are you?"
"No."
"I don't know" Rick said honestly. "I wasn't keeping count."
"It's been THAT many?" Evelyn asked and Rick thought she sounded appalled.
"Noooo" he said defensively. "Just a few. WHY are we having this conversation?!" he said in the next breath.
"How many is a few?"
"I don't know. Three, four, five. I don't know" Rick said, knowing that since loosing his virginity at age 15, he had been in and out of whorehouses more times than he could count. And that was a bit of information he did not relish sharing with his wife.
"Does that number include me?"
"No. It's different with you. I..." he said then stopped short of 'only screwed them'.
"You...?" Evelyn prompted.
"Tell me again why we're having this conversation."
"Curiosity. What were they like?"
"Who?"
"The women."
"Evelyn, is this necessary?"
"Yes it is. I'd like to know about the other women you were interested in."
"They were just women. No big deal."
"Something about them caught your eye. Were they professional women?"
"You could say that."
"What type of work did they do?"
"All types."
"And these types were...?"
"Evelyn, I'm not about to go through and list every profession of every woman I know."
"Were they pretty then?"
"What?" Rick turned and looked up at Evelyn.
"Were they pretty?"
"Who?"
"The women that you were interested in."
"Evelyn. My past is just that. My PAST. WHY do you need to know this stuff?!"
"Just curious. So were they pretty?"
"Who?" Rick said, wanting to forget their present conversation.
"The three, four, five women you've been with."
"I thought you said this wouldn't turn into a conversation once I answered the question."
"That was before you made it difficult."
"They weren't as pretty as you" Rick said, knowing Evelyn would not let this question go either.
"So you thought they were pretty?"
"Pretty" he said as he turned to his side and laid his arm across Evelyn's lap. "But not gorgeous" he said then kissed her arm. "Like you. And" he said as he began pulling the bed sheet down to expose her breast. "I feel like showing you how gorgeous I think you are" he said then leaned over and took a nipple into his mouth.
That conversation ended and another, more pleasing conversation ensued.
CHAPTER 18: WILL THEY TRY THE COUCH
"Mrs. O'Connell has been crying" Hamid told Rick when he came to the museum to pick Evelyn up for lunch.
"What?" he said, then frowned. "For what? Where is she?"
"In the back office" he said as they started walking in that direction.
"Why was she crying?" Rick asked again.
"One of her books was not cataloged properly. And she simply burst into tears" Hamid, still perplexed, said as he threw his hands up.
"You're kidding me" Rick said.
"Kidding you?"
"Exaggerating" Rick said, trying to explain what he meant by 'kidding'. "You're exaggerating about Evy crying."
"Oh no, Mr. O'Connell. I do not exaggerate. I tell you the truth. She was crying tears" Hamid said as he shook his head. "I try to calm her and tell her it was alright. I tell her I would re-catalog the book. But to no avail. She just cry, cry, cry. I know not what to do."
"Is she still crying?"
"I am not sure. Is something amiss with Mrs. O'Connell?" Hamid asked. He was very fond of her and was concerned about her well being. And crying for no good reason seemed a bit odd for her.
By this time, Rick and Hamid had reached the office door and Rick opened it without knocking.
"Evelyn" Rick said in a worried voice as he rushed toward her.
She was sitting behind the desk in a high back chair with her eyes closed.
"Evelyn" he said softly as she reached out and palmed her cheek. "Evelyn?"
Evelyn stirred at his touch and slowly opened her eyes.
"Rick?" she said in a sleepy voice.
"You OK?" he said quietly as he leaned against the desk.
"Goodness" Evelyn said then let out a very unladylike yawn. "Pardon me. I must have dosed off" she said as she stretched her arms wide. "It's lunch time already?"
"What's wrong Evelyn?"
"What's wrong?" she gave him a bewildered look then noticed Hamid was in the office. "Nothing" she said and knew Hamid had told Rick about her weeping episode.
"Hamid said you were crying."
Evelyn had been bursting into tears over the silliest of things for the last two weeks and today was the first time anyone had been witness to it. She felt foolish about it, especially since she did not know why she was having these crying episodes. And the last thing she wanted was for anyone else to see how silly she had been acting.
"It was nothing. Really" she said when Rick gave her a doubting look. "I was a bit upset. That's all."
"Upset because a book wasn't cataloged right?!"
"Rick you're making too much of this" Evelyn said.
"Evelyn. What's wrong?" he said.
Rick was not convinced that her crying was 'nothing'. Evelyn was a strong woman and her strength was one of the reasons he fell so fast for her. Crying was not something she did just to do and if she had been crying something had to be wrong.
"Nothing" Evelyn insisted as she stood up. "I am starving and ready for lunch" she smiled at Rick.
Rick looked at her with a worried expression for a moment.
"Are you sure you're OK?" he asked in a soft voice as he pulled her toward him.
"I'm fine honey. Really" she assured him with a smile.
Rick stared at her for a few more moments, then reluctantly relented and stood up and followed her out of the office.
*******************
"Are you SURE everything's OK?" Rick asked again as they sat at the caf� eating.
"I'm sure."
"Then WHY in the world were you crying. It's not like you to cry."
"I was upset" she said, not wanting to explain something she had not explanation for.
"Because a book wasn't cataloged right?"
"I can't explain it" Evelyn said. "The book was out of place and I felt like crying so I did."
"Maybe you should go see the doctor."
"Rick, I don't need to see the doctor."
"Maybe you should."
"Maybe I shouldn't."
"Well something's got to be wrong with you. I'm taking you to the doctor."
"There's no need for strong arm tactics."
"With you there is."
"First you bully me and then you insult me. Mr. O'Connell, you are quickly working your way onto the couch."
"The couch sounds good" Rick grinned, knowing she was teasing him. "It is my plan to make love to you in every room in the house."
Evelyn gasped, turned rosy red and discreetly looked around to see if those sitting near them had overheard her husband's remark. Rick could not do anything but let out a hardy laugh. When Evelyn turned her gaze back to him and glared at him, Rick raised his brow at her. Her glare intensified and his shameless grin magnified.
When he smiled at her like that, Evelyn could not help but forgive any transgression. And besides that, the thought of him making love to her in every room in the house was an exceptionally alluring notion. Evelyn's scowl quickly turned into a smile and she was thankful that she had fallen in love the scoundrel.
Rick knew from the smile on her face that making love in every room in the house was defiantly doable. And he was ready then and there to get started.
"Instead of going back to the museum, why don't you come home with me so we can try out the couch" he leered at her.
"I've got important work to do Mr. O'Connell."
"What's more important than you. Me. And a nice sturdy couch?"
"I've got an important shipment of artifacts coming in this afternoon. And besides that" Evelyn smiled. "Jonathan may be home."
"I'll take his key and kick him out."
"That wouldn't be nice. And don't you have work to do?"
"Yeah, but it can wait."
"Well mine can't" Evelyn said, with a bit of regret.
"You sure?"
"I'm sure."
"Maybe tonight then?" Rick grinned.
"Maybe" Evelyn smiled.
*************************
After they left the caf�, Rick took Evelyn by the doctor's quarters. After explaining to him her fits of crying, the doctor informed both Evelyn and Rick that expectant mothers not only went through physical changes but psychological changes as well. Mood swings were not uncommon and where a symptom of the changes the body was going through.
Rick was relieved and thanked the doctor. Evelyn was relieved also to know why she was acting so uncharacteristically. But she was also saddened because she was reminded that her mother, who could have told her what was happening to her, was not here to share in the birth of her child.
As they drove back to the museum, Evelyn was quiet and Rick noticed a tear as it slid down her cheek.
"Hey" he said as he caught the tear with his finger. "What wrong now?"
Evelyn sniffled then wiped the tear that had fallen on the other cheek.
"It's at times like these" she said quietly. "That I miss mother the most."
Rick did not know quite what to say so he just took her hand, raised it to his lips and kissed the back of it. They rode the rest of the way to the museum without a word, holding hands.
CHAPTER 19: FLUTTERING
Crying.
It seemed to Rick that that was all Evelyn had been doing lately. And crying for what? Hell, he did not know and for the life of him, he could not figure it out.
She cried because one shoe was here and the other shoe was there. Because her toast was not brown enough. Because her toast was a little burned. Because the sun was shining. Because the sun was not shining. Because it needed to rain. Because it was raining.
Whatever the situation, Evelyn found a reason to cry. Rick wondered how long her crying-for-absolutely-no-good-reason spells would go on. He began to wonder how long he could put up with walking on eggshells around her, never knowing when she would erupt into tears. And the moment he wondered, he knew he could put up with it forever. Because he loved her.
"I'm being silly I know" Evelyn sniffled and pulled Rick from his musings. "I'm being silly" she said as she lifted her head from his chest. "Aren't I?" she tilted her head back and looked up at him with teary eyes.
'Yes you are' his mind said.
"Well..." Rick looked down at her, not wanting to be too blunt with her in her current state.
"You think I'm being silly" Evelyn whimpered in an accusing tone and Rick knew she was getting ready to cry again.
"I didn't say that sweetheart" he said as he rubbed her back, trying to soothe her.
"Yes you did" she said in a pitiful voice as she pulled away from his embrace and took a step backwards.
"All I said was 'Well'" Rick defended.
"You were supposed to say you didn't think I was being silly" she said in a shaky voice and started crying again.
"You aren't being silly" he said as he pulled his weeping wife back into his arms.
"Now you're lying" she pouted as she went into his arms.
Rick could do nothing but laugh.
"You THINK I'm being silly" she continued. "You're not suppose to think that but you do. And I KNOW I'm being silly. I just can't seem to help myself."
"You aren't silly" he said in a loving voice then squeezed her and kissed her forehead.
"Yes I am" she said in a muffled voice as she buried her face in his chest.
Rick chuckled to himself again and did not response.
"I am aren't I?" Evelyn prodded. She needed to hear him reassure her she was NOT being silly.
"Yes you are" he said with mirth in his voice, knowing that there was now winning with Evelyn.
"I knew it!" Evelyn bellowed and began crying uncontrollable, forgetting that she had just called him a liar for telling her she was NOT silly.
"Evy..." Rick said in a soothing voice as he rubbed her hair.
"I've turned into a weeping nincompoop. A sniveling simpleton" Evelyn bemoaned. "That's what you think isn't it!" she said in a hurt and accusing tone.
"Evelyn" he said pulled her away from his chest. "I agree" he said as he looked down into her crying eyes. "You are a weeping nincompoop" he said and smiled at Evelyn's jaw drop. "And you are a sniveling simpleton" he laughed at Evelyn's gasp. "But..." he said sweetly. "You're MY weeping nincompoop" he said tenderly. "You're MY sniveling simpleton. And you're perfect."
Evelyn's bottom lip began to quiver with emotion and her tears got even heavier. She was acting like a nitwit. An absolute idiot. But in spite of that, her husband thought she was perfect.
"Have I kissed you today?" Rick asked.
"No" Evelyn sobbed in a pouting voice as she continued to cry.
Rick grinned as he leaned down and touched her lips with his.
"I can't believe you called me a nincompoop and a simpleton" Evelyn said after the kiss ended and Rick was wiping her tears.
"I didn't call you that" Rick grinned.
"You did!" Evelyn said, feigning indignation.
"You called you that. I only agreed" he said and leaned in to cover her lips again before she could argue.
*************************
By the end of her third month, Evelyn's morning sickness had subsided greatly. She still had moments of queasiness but fresh air and a hot cup of tea would settle her. Her excitable eruptions, Jonathan's name for her crying spells, began to subside also and she began to settle back into her normal self.
It was the middle of her fourth month when Evelyn took note of the pooch in her belly. She woke up late and Rick had already left. She lay in bed waiting to see if she would have an attack of nausea. When she did not, Evelyn threw off the covers, swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up.
From the bed, Evelyn looked at herself in the dresser mirror and thought about what Rick had said to the previous night. He told her that she was changing. Her body was changing and he liked it. Her hair was growing longer, felt thicker and looked shinier. Her skin was clearer and softer. And her breasts. They were growing fuller, heavier. And they were becoming more of a mouthful and that, he told her, was what he liked best.
As Evelyn sat looking at herself, she could not see any changes so she got up from the bed and walked over to the mirror. Her hair was growing longer and now that she thought about it, it was becoming thicker too. She was not sure what Rick was talking about when he mentioned her clearer, softer skin. It looked that same to her.
And her body, Evelyn thought as she stepped from the dresser mirror and went and stood in front the full-length mirror. Her chest did seem a bit larger and they were becoming more tender. And her stomach, she thought as she turned sideways and pulled her gown tautly over her it, was a bit larger. Evelyn gazed in the mirror at the slightly protruding bulge. She rubbed her hand over the oval mass and wondered if she carried a boy or girl.
Rick wanted a boy. A little girl, he said, would be tougher to raise and he did not want the headache of chasing off all the good for nothing little boys that would undoubtedly be sniffing around after his daughter. Evelyn laughed and said she did not mind one way or the other. A boy or girl, it did not matter, as long as the baby was healthy.
"So" Evelyn said to her belly as she continued to rub it. "Are you mummy's little prince or mummy's little princess?"
Evelyn stood in the mirror for many minutes daydreaming about her baby before her stomach reminded her it was time for breakfast.
*************************
That afternoon, Evelyn was in her office at the museum trying to concentrate on the catalog of the museum's antique pieces. She could not focus and felt quite wanton because she kept thinking about her husband - and the couch. She imagined herself naked, him naked. She was lying on the couch. One foot hung over the back of couch. The other foot rested on the floor. And Rick... she imagined him settled between her legs, touching her and making her squirm with ecstasy. She could not get the image out of her mind and frankly she did not want to. What she wanted was to make her vision real.
Evelyn blushed at her thoughts. She was now quite comfortable sharing intimacy with Rick but to be the aggressor was another issue. What would he think of her if she threw herself at him? What if he rejected her invitation? She would be mortified if he thought her a hussy for thinking and acting so brazenly. And she would die of embarrassment if he refused her.
But then she considered the object of her desire. Rick O'Connell. Rick O'Connell refuse love-making?
Evelyn let out a very unladylike snort at the thought. One thing that she had learned about her husband and was quite pleased with was his seemingly insatiable libidinous appetite...
Evelyn was pulled from her thoughts when she felt an odd feeling. It was in the pit of her belly. She had never felt it before and wondered what it could be. As she wondered, she rested her hand on her stomach.
The odd feeling fluttered again and Evelyn's eyes became wide with amazement. She felt the slightest of movements. Tears formed in Evelyn's eyes as the revelation hit her fully - a baby was growing inside her. Her baby was growing inside of her. Rick's baby was growing inside of her. Their baby was growing and moving inside of her.
A feeling of love overwhelmed her. The love she felt for Rick astonished her at times, but this feeling of love was different. It was a mother's love. A love that could not be described with words. A love that would continued to love in spite of what a child does. A love that would bear all things. A love that would endure all things. A love that would never give up. A love that would never fade. A love that would never com to an end. A love that would never fail.
Evelyn's tears ran down her cheeks as she felt her unborn child.
An innocent baby, her innocent baby, needed her protection, her nurturing, her guidance, her kind words, her loving, tender hand. At that moment, Evelyn felt motherhood and her tears turned into cries of joy. She was going to be a mother. That realization had not fully sunk in until now.
Jonathan, who had been instructed by Rick to pick Evelyn up for lunch and take her to her favorite caf�, walked in at that moment and let out a dreaded sigh. He thought Evelyn's excitable eruptions had passed.
"Having an excitable eruption old mum?" Jonathan said as he walked over to his sister. "Is everything alright old mum?" Jonathan asked with concerned when Evelyn only stared at him and cried. "What's wrong Evy?" he reached for her hand and noticed her other hand resting on her belly. "Is the tot ok?"
Evelyn shook her head 'yes' and Jonathan breathed a sigh of relief.
"What's the matter then old mum? I thought you were done with your excitable eruptions" he jokingly.
"Where... is... Rick?" she said in between her soft sobs.
"O'Connell sent me to take you to the caf�. He's going to meet you there."
"Where... is... he?" she whimpered. She wanted him to be the first to know the she felt their baby was moving.
"He's down at the docks" Jonathan said.
"Take me down there."
"He told me to take you to the caf�. He's meeting you there caf�..." Jonathan said again.
"Jonathan" Evelyn sobbed in an authoritative voice. "I... want... to go to the docks" she said.
Evelyn was practically bursting with excitement and she wanted to share her excitement with Rick.
"Whatever you say old mum" Jonathan said. "Are you SURE you're alright?" he asked when she continued to cry.
Evelyn shook her head 'yes' as she stood up, her hand still on her stomach.
"Alright then" Jonathan said as he held out his arm to her. "To the docks we go."
As she walked arm and arm with her brother out of the office, Evelyn knew everything was all right, that her baby was all right. Just last week she had been reading her mother's journal entry when her mother was about 4 months along carrying her.
'I felt you move for the first time today. Words are beyond me to express what I feel for you. 'I love you' seems so inefficient at the moment. But no other words come to me so those small words will have to do. I love you child.'
**********************
They had been driving around for several minutes before Evelyn spotted Rick.
"There he is" she said happily when she saw Rick watching as a new automobile was being lowered from the ship.
"Evy!" Jonathan yelled. "Will you wait until I STOP the car!" he yelled when she opened the car door before he had come to a complete stop.
"Rick!" Evelyn called out as she ran toward him.
Rick turned at the sound of her voice and frowned. Jonathan was supposed to take Evelyn to the caf�. What was she doing at the docks? Was something wrong? Was something wrong with the kid?
"Evelyn, what..." Rick said, thinking the worse.
"Rick" Evelyn said with excitement as she grabbed his hand. "The baby..." she said as she placed his hand on her stomach. "I felt the baby move" she smiled up at him with tears in her eyes.
Rick stood there, his hand on Evelyn's stomach, waiting. And waiting. And waiting.
"Can you feel it?" Evelyn said in a thrilled voice when she felt a flutter.
Rick shook his head in the negative and frowned. He did not feel a thing but Evelyn was ecstatic.
"There he goes again" she said excitedly as her smiled grew brighter. "He's moving!"
"Evy, I can't feel a thing" Rick said, wondering if his wife was imagining things.
"You can't?" she said, disappointment evident in her voice.
"O'Connell" Lewis Burgess called out.
Lewis Burgess was an American also and Rick had met him while in the French Legion. They crossed paths again when Rick, Evelyn and Jonathan returned from Hamanaptra for the second time and they quickly resumed their acquaintance. Both were interested in automobiles and formed a tentative business relationship.
Rick turned at the call of his fellow American but kept his hand on Evelyn's stomach. Lewis wondered why O'Connell was standing there with his hand on his wife's stomach. He thought Mrs. O'Connell was a very nice lady but he did not quite understand O'Connell's total infatuation with her. Love was a foreign language to him and one he did not care to learn.
"Afternoon Mrs. O'Connell" Lewis tipped his hat and gave her a sincere smile.
"Good afternoon Mr. Burgess" Evelyn smiled back.
"O'Connell, I need your Hancock on this invoice" he said as he handed Rick the invoice and quill.
After Rick signed the invoice, they talked business for a brief moment before Lewis turned to leave.
"Have a good afternoon Mrs. O'Connell" Lewis tipped his hat again.
"Same to you Mr. Burgess" Evelyn smiled.
When Rick turned back to Evelyn she looked up at him with a bright smile on her face.
"I felt the baby move" she said in an awed voice. "I really can't explain it" she said, speaking of her emotions. "But... I felt the baby move."
Evelyn was a chatterbox as she and Rick rode to the caf�. She talked excitedly and nonstop all through lunch. She tried as best she could to express to Rick what she was feeling but always ended her attempts of expression with 'I felt the baby move'.
Rick felt happiness because Evelyn was so happy. He felt excited because she was excited. He fell in love her with all over again because she was so ecstatic, so full of joy just because she 'felt the baby move'.
Though Rick was happy and excited because she was happy and excited, he did not comprehend WHY she was so happy and excited. She 'felt the baby move' she had told me about a hundred times, but he could not understand why that was so exciting.
In fact, though he KNEW Evelyn was pregnant and he was beginning to see changes in her body, as he sat across the table from her and watched her happiness and excitement, he felt as if he were missing out on something. He felt a bit jealous because it had become obvious the Evelyn was more attached to the baby and it was so real to her.
But to Rick, the baby was... it was there but... he did not feel any of closeness that Evelyn felt. He felt almost unattached and that made him feel like a jackass.
"Instead of going back to the docks, why don't you come home with me..." Evelyn said in a shy, quite voice.
Rick was immediately pulled from his thoughts at the tone in Evelyn's voice. If he did not know better, he would swear his sexually timid little wife was inviting him home for afternoon rendezvous. And when he looked into her eyes, he knew that's exactly what she was proposing.
"Waiter" Rick called out as he walked past their table. "We're ready for the check."
"Yes sir" the waiter said and hurried off.
"An afternoon with you huh?" Rick grinned tenderly.
"Yes" Evelyn smiled shyly.
"Wouldn't pass it up for nothing."
CHAPTER 20: MR. LIBIDO MEETS MRS. LIBIDO
"And where do you think you're going?" Rick breathed in a husky voice after he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her backside into his frontside.
"Upstairs" Evelyn giggled as butterflies began to rumble in her stomach.
"The couch is down here" he said, his voice dripping with eroticism, before lips began to suckle her neck.
Evelyn's heart immediately began to pound and her breathing became a bit labored as she recalled her earlier thoughts. Without knowing it, without being told exactly where and exactly how to touch her, Rick would more than consummate her fantasy.
*************************
After consuming her with his mouth, Evelyn felt like a worn out rag but she was not completely satisfied. She wanted the one thing that could touch and fill her most urgent need.
As if he knew her thoughts, Rick lifted himself from the nucleus of her intimate place and let the leg that was perched over the back of the couch side down. Before she knew it, Evelyn was facing Rick, straddling his naked thighs. This was new, she thought, with a grin. He was always in the dominant position but now she was.
Rick pulled her face toward him, parted her lips and searched for her tongue. When he found it, he drew it into his mouth and sucked it like a piece of candy. Evelyn wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her breasts into his chest as the wet kiss became heated.
Rick moved hands moved from the sides of her face to her tender breasts. He gently caressed them until Evelyn moaned into his mouth. His hands moved down her sides and pulled her closer. His lips left hers and traveled down her throat to her breasts. He buried his nose between the soft mounds and inhaled her feminine scent. He then lightly grazed one nipple with his nose before using the tip of his tongue to tease it.
"Rick" she moaned as she wrapped her arms around his head and held him in place.
After attending to each tender breast, Rick moved one hand to her sensitive bud. He used his other hand to pull her head down to his lips again. His fingers began to move in a rhythmic motion as his tongue did the same. Evelyn ran her fingers through his hair as she moaned into his mouth. As he brought her to climax, Evelyn held him tighter and kissed him deeper in order to keep from crying out in ecstasy.
"OH! Rick" she whispered into his mouth as her tremors subsided.
"Touch me, Evelyn" he breathed hoarsely into her mouth as he grabbed her hand and placed it on his manhood.
Evelyn was too engulfed in their lovemaking to be shy about touching him. His smooth hardness startled her but she felt a sense of power as she closed her small hand around him. Rick groaned and Evelyn was surprised at his reaction to her simple touch.
"Damn it! EVELYN!" Rick said through gritted teeth as Evelyn slowly began to stroke him. "You don't know... how long... I've waited for this!"
Again, Evelyn was surprised that her simple touch gave him so much pleasure. Any coyness remaining seemed to fly away as she smiled and sensually fondled the length of him. It was not too long before Rick was ready to spill over.
"DAMN Evy!" he said with great intensity. "I gotta have you... NOW!"
Rick put his hands beneath her armpits and lifted her slightly.
"OH!" Evelyn exclaimed as she felt his manhood invading her.
The sensation felt good, so good, Evelyn thought dreamily as she settled her hands on his broad shoulders and slowly slid down his shaft. Once he was firmly embedded in her, Evelyn did not know what to do next. As if in answer to her unasked question, Rick began to guide her atop him and it did not take her long to catch on. She rocked backward. She rocked forward. She moved up. She moved down.
BACKWARD and FORTHWARD, UP and Down.
BACKWARD and FORTHWARD, UP and Down.
Rick's guttural moans of pleasure encouraged Evelyn. The intensity of her motions increased as she sought to give him as much pleasure as he had given her.
BACKWARD, FORTHWARD, UP, Down.
BACKWARD, FORTHWARD, UP, Down.
BACKWARD, FORTHWARD, UP, Down.
BACKWARD, FORTHWARD, UP, Down.
"EVELYN" Rick groaned through clinched teeth as she brought him near ecstasy.
"I.. love you" she moaned in his hear as she rode him hard.
Rick was pushed over the edge of ecstasy and immediately spilled into her. As his seed oozed out of him and into her, Rick thought he had died and gone to heaven.
******************************
The next morning, Rick woke up in heaven.
Rick was snuggled against her back and Evelyn turned until she faced him. She smiled at him as she laid her hand on his cheek. Her body began to tingle as she remembered his sensual, loving touches of the day before. Evelyn moved her face close to his and kissed his lips. Rick did not budge. He was dead to the world and to Evelyn's soft kisses.
Evelyn pushed on Rick's shoulder until he lay on his back. She boldly climbed on top of and straddled him. She grinned as she thought of how she would wake up her sleeping like the dead husband. She leaned over and kissed the tip of his nose.
"Rick" she called out softly, then kissed his left cheek.
"Rick" she kissed his right cheek.
"Rick" she kissed his Adam's apple.
Her kisses and soft calls to him were not working and Evelyn wondered what had gotten into her to make her act so wantonly. She thought about it for only a brief moment and then threw caution and timidity to the wind and stalwartly moved lower to his torso. She placed a trail of kisses down the center of his chest then moved to suckle his right nipple. She moved her tongue back and forth until the nipple was erect, then she moved to the left one. Rick still did not budge. Evelyn kissed and nibbled her way over his stomach. When she made her way to his navel, she boldly darted her tongue in and out.
Evelyn was getting more anxious for Rick to wake up. Her sensitive breasts were lightly pressed against him and were caressed by his chest as she slid her way back up his body. The sensation she felt was almost as good as when he caressed them with his lips and tongue.
"Rick" Evelyn called out a little louder as she slowly kissed and nibbled her way back up to his lips. "Rick" she kissed his lips. "Rick."
Evelyn kissed his lips once more then sat up and looked down at her handsome, sleeping husband. She lifted herself slightly off him and pulled her nightgown over her head and threw it on the floor. She moved off of him, striped off her undergarments and moved back over and straddled his thighs. She boldly slid her warm hand inside the slit of his underpants and began to rub him to life as she watched his sleeping face. As he grew harder in her hand, Rick began to stir.
"ah" Evelyn heard a faint moan and increased the intensity of her caresses. For several minutes, Evelyn moved her hand over his member, bringing him to life.
"Evelyn" he called out in his sleep as a smile formed on his face.
He was ready and Evelyn moved over him. She settled her womanhood over his manhood and rubbed herself against him for several minutes. Evelyn began to feel herself moisten and moaned his name.
"Rick" she sighed as she kissed his neck. She wanted him completely awake when their bodies joined.
"Evelyn" he moaned but still did not fully wake up.
Evelyn did not want to wait a minute longer to be filled with him so she lifted her hips, grabbed him and guided him into her body.
"AH" Evelyn sighed as he filled her to complete.
After a few moments of savoring being invaded by her husband, Evelyn began to move up and down and back and forth. Rick, still half-asleep, put his hands on her hips and moaned his pleasure. Evelyn steadily increased the speed of her movements and her groans of pleasure increased in volume.
"AAHH!!" Evelyn cried out and Rick joined in when they reached to peak of pleasure.
Evelyn fell on Rick's chest and turned her face into his cheek. Rick wrapped his arms around Evelyn while they caught their breath.
*******************
"So" Rick grinned at Evelyn when they were both lying on their sides and facing each other. "You like being on top don't ya?"
"Rick" Evelyn said in an embarrassed voice. "You shouldn't speak of such things" she said, feeling the blush rise to her face. "Especially in the light of day."
To act like a wild woman was one thing. To talk about acting like a wild woman was quite another thing.
"This from the woman who did to me what you did to me yesterday on the couch. This from the woman who did what you did to me just a few minutes ago..."
"Rick" Evelyn said, her cheeks flushed. "You're embarrassing me" she said as she averted her eyes from his teasing gaze.
"No need to be embarrassed" Rick said tenderly as he tilted her chin up and looked into her eyes. "I like that wild woman in you. I like her a lot."
Though still embarrassed, Evelyn could not help but smile. She liked the wild woman in her too. Liked her a lot.