Redemption's Road, page 16
part #3 of Five Points Series
I watched her jaw jump, as she ground her teeth together. If she didn’t talk about whatever was gnawing at her, it would eat her up.
“Ellie called me.”
I was pretty sure what my sister had said to her, but I wanted a verbal confirmation from Tank.
“And?”
“I took a chance and sent her flowers the other day. All I was trying to do was let her know I was thinking about her.”
“None of that tells me why you’re so cranky.”
Ellie’s reaction had obviously rattled Tank. One of the strongest women I’d ever known had a tremble to her hand when she took a sip of coffee. The mug clattered hard against the hand-hammered surface.
“She told me there would never be a chance for us. Said that if I was waiting on her, I’d be alone for a very long time. I begged her, Bek. I begged her to give me one more chance to be the woman she wants. I’ve never groveled in my life, but I did. Ellie turned me down flat.” She threw her hands in the air. “Go ahead, tell me I told you so. I know it’s killing you.”
“In all the years I’ve known you, have I ever been purposefully cruel, drunk or sober?”
“No.”
“Thanks for passing judgment, knowing it wasn’t the truth. I’m sorry, Tank. I truly am. I’ve always considered you family, and I want to see you happy. My sister’s a grown woman who knows what she does and doesn’t want. No one has a right to dictate anything about her love life. You worked with her long enough to know she won’t be pushed into anything. The torch you’ve been holding has burned down to the quick. You’re letting it burn your hand off instead of letting her go.”
She was quiet when she replied. “I always thought, if you loved something, you were never supposed to give up. Where would you be if Naomi had completely walked away?”
I put a hand on her shoulder. “There’s a difference between those two scenarios. I still loved Naomi as much as she loved me. I was stuck in a darkness of my own making for a while. Thank God, she was patient enough to let me go through it and come out the other side. Ellie isn’t in darkness and certainly not unsure of herself. None of us has a right to dictate to someone else who they should love. Is it really love if you have to force the issue? In that same regard, I wouldn’t think about turning to Karmen, because you know what? She deserves someone who believes she’s more than a consolation prize. Your head is stuck so far up your ass, you didn’t even notice how much your reaction to Ellie’s call on Sunday affected Karmen. Nor did you recognize why she didn’t come to trivia the other night. You sent a clear message to her where she stands with you. I’m going to tell you this as a friend, Karmen’s letting go of the idea of a relationship with you. She’s leaving the shop in Senna’s hands for a few weeks and flying out to see her sister in Michigan. Naomi and I are driving her to Pittsburgh tomorrow. If you aren’t interested in her that way, then so be it. My suggestion is that you try to salvage the friendship, because she’s worth it.”
I drank the rest of my coffee and walked to the door. Tank would need to sit with everything to weigh it out. I’d known her a long time. She’d break everything down to the core argument, to its most basic pieces. She wasn’t one I could minister to in the typical way. We were too close for that, and the subject was too personal. I slid my helmet on and rode my bicycle back home. I’d done ten miles on Marvin before I’d stopped in to see Tank.
A shower and some lunch were what I wanted. Most of the snow had turned to a slushy mess, as I made my way home down the back streets. The thought that Naomi was there waiting for me had become one of my favorite things in the world. I bounced the muck off the bike and carried it up the stairs and into the hallway. I changed my shoes and took the stairs two at a time. The aroma of minestrone filled the space.
“That smells so good, and I’m starving.” I kissed Naomi on my way through the kitchen.
“You smell like you rode twenty miles. Shower now and put those muddy clothes directly in the washing machine.” Naomi pointed her wooden spoon toward the bathroom.
“You’d have made an awesome mom, you know?”
“Between our after-school kids, you, Ellie, and Tank, I’ve got plenty of kids. Go.”
I waved my hand, as I stripped off my muddy riding clothes and placed them, as instructed, in the washing machine. Steam quickly filled the bathroom, when I turned the shower on and stepped in. I planted my hands on the tile wall. Hot water poured over my head and down my body. I wasn’t shocked when I felt hands slide over my hips. Naomi would never pass up the opportunity to see me naked.
“Took you long enough.”
She kissed my shoulder. “I had to take the bread out of the oven.”
“Ah. Have I told you how much I adore your cooking skills?”
“Once or twice.”
She loaded a loofah with grapefruit-scented body wash and went about systematically removing the stench from my workout. I washed my hair and enjoyed the feeling of her hands gliding sensually over my body.
“I love you, Naomi, with all my heart.”
She hung the loofah up and wrapped her arms around me. Her lips touched my collarbone with such tenderness, it nearly melted me. I was putty in her hands.
“I’m incredibly happy to be here with you and more in love than I’ve ever been.”
I’d been so stupid, though I refused to go back and wallow in that sorrow. It only served to steal more time from us. I moved my hands to cup Naomi’s face and kissed away all the hours and days I’d been without her. Her passion and desire matched my own. I moved a hand over her breast and squeezed lightly at first and rolled the nipple in my fingers.
“Oh my God, Rhebekka.”
“You’re so beautiful, Naomi. Not a day goes by that I don’t realize how incredibly stunning you are.” I bent and kissed her chest, taking the other nipple in my mouth, sucking gently at first. When she groaned in pleasure, I grazed it with my teeth. Her fingers tightened on my biceps, her deep-red fingernails leaving small pinpoints of pain and pleasure on my skin.
“You taste so good.” I lavished her other nipple with my warm mouth and felt her tremble beneath my lips. Needing more, I slowly kissed down her body until I knelt in front of her. I carefully pushed her flat against the tile. I lifted and bent her right leg over my shoulder and parted her silken folds with my fingers, kissing her clit before sucking it into my mouth.
“Rhebekka!”
Her left leg tried to buckle. I braced it with my body to keep her from falling. I needed her so much and wanted her to feel the devotion of my love down to her very core. My tongue explored and drank her in as I savored her unique flavor. Nothing in the world ever felt like making love to this woman, the only one I’d ever trusted with my heart, and more importantly, my soul.
I slid two fingers into her swollen depth and enjoyed the tug as her hands tightened in my hair. She moved against me in the exquisite throes of passion, head thrown back, eyes closed tightly, and lips parted. Her auburn hair hung in wet ringlets, cascading down her chest and curving around her breasts. Naomi had been made for me, and I was going to claim her with my mouth, tongue, and fingers.
I felt the telltale tightening, as I increased the intensity of my strokes. I concentrated on sucking her clit in a way I knew would send her over the edge into bliss. It only took seconds before her body went rigid, forcing me to slip my free hand around her waist to support her through her climax. My mouth filled with her essence, and I drank her in as if my life depended on it. Naomi was an oasis in my desert. Never again would I be without her. She slid down the wall into my arms, and I held her to me. The water grew cool on my back, so I reached up to turn it off. I pillowed my head against her breast.
“Holy shit, Rhebekka. What was that?”
“Proof of how much I love you.”
Naomi kissed me and clutched my body to her. “You never need to prove that to me, love. I know that here.”
Her left hand covered her heart. I kissed her fingers, then her lips. “No one else in the world knows me like you do. There are only two people in my adult life who believed in me with conviction, you and Ellie. The two people who taught me what love really is. Somehow, by the grace of God, I was given two people to walk this life with. I’m forever grateful.”
She shivered, as she pushed my hair out of my eyes. “I love you, Rhebekka.”
We stayed like that for several minutes. Naomi kissed me and smiled.
“How about we get dried off and go have lunch? Then we’ll head over to the food bank. Tonight, I’ll cook dinner for us, and we can curl up on the couch for a movie night. We can even play Name That Tune.”
This woman always knew what I needed. A night at home watching cheesy movies and playing guitar with her was the best idea I’d heard in a long time. Name That Tune involved losing pieces of clothing when we got it wrong. As far as I was concerned, there were no losers in the game at all.
***
The bell on the door of the storefront jingled as we pushed inside. The weather was milder than the last few days. The temperature was slowly coming up, melting the last of the winter slush. Naomi and I both stomped our boots on the textured, industrial rug right inside the door. Victoria’s stern, yet cheerful face met us.
“About time, you two made it in. Time’s a wasting.” Victoria passed a large box of bananas to the older gentleman beside her.
I looked at my watch. “I thought we agreed on two this week. Did I miss something?” My mischievous side couldn’t help but dig a little at our fearless leader. We were an hour early and somehow, still late.
Victoria pinched me on the arm. “Don’t sass me. Naomi, how in the world do you put up with her?”
“With God’s help, Vikki. Now, how can we help?” Naomi took off her coat and headed to the large tables with boxes arranged all over the surfaces.
With hands planted firmly on my hips, I scowled at both of them. “Hey, wait a minute here. I don’t need both of you ganging up on me.”
“Shut your pie hole and get to work. These boxes won’t fill themselves.” Victoria handed me a case of macaroni and cheese.
Beyond the gruff exterior beat a heart of gold. Before I could be accused of sandbagging, I shook my head and got to work.
For the next few hours, we put food items in each box to be delivered the following day. When we were done, we stowed the extras in the storage area. Victoria’s delivery army included kids from local youth groups. I had plans of getting my group involved soon and on a regular basis.
Victoria hugged both of us when everything was cleaned up. “I know I give you the devil, but we couldn’t do this without you. Thank you both.”
Naomi held Victoria’s hands in hers. “It’s our pleasure. If you need anything else, let us know.”
“I’ll do that. Now you two run along. I’ve got things to do.” Victoria shooed us out into the sunlight.
“She’s tough. The community wouldn’t know what to do without her.” I opened Naomi’s door for her, then shut it before walking to my side of the truck to climb in beside her.
“She thinks the world of you. That’s why she gives you such a hard time.”
I winked at Naomi. “Duly noted. Let’s hit the grocery store before we leave and stock up on some junk food. I want some cinnamon-and-sugar pretzel nuggets for our movie night.”
“That sounds good. How about we grab a pizza from Sirianni’s for dinner? I’ll call it in, and we can pick it up on our way home.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
***
We snuggled on the couch, gorging ourselves on a vegetable loaded pizza and a growler of Ascension Ale, one of Redemption’s Road’s lighter brews. I’d let Naomi make our movie selection, and she’d chosen a movie we always enjoyed, no matter how many times we saw it. We loved the soundtrack. Eventually, both of us had our guitars, singing as loud as we could while jamming along. This, of course, led to our version of Name That Tune. We turned to face each other, legs entwined.
“This song’s inspiration was the lighting director for an iconic band.” Naomi waggled her eyebrows in challenge.
Knowing her musical favorites was my greatest advantage in this game. She loved seventies music and bands with female vocalists in particular. I thought for a few moments. I was a winner, regardless of whose clothes came off. “I can name that tune in six notes.”
Her head dropped. She strummed G minor, F, then E. I could have named it in four, but I wanted a little cushion. I enjoyed her clothes coming off more than mine. I strummed the next few lines to prove my prowess. “‘You Make Loving Fun,’ Fleetwood Mac.”
She strummed through the first few bars and touched her nose. “Okay, winner’s choice.”
“Well, since you aren’t wearing any socks, and I can already see those adorable painted toenails, I’ll say your yoga pants.” I was almost positive she was wearing some very sexy lingerie for the occasion.
Naomi put her guitar down and slowly drew the leggings down and off. Her bare legs were beautiful, each muscle defined from her daily runs. I could see a pair of lace bikinis.
“Like what you see?”
“I surrender now!” I sat up and tried to climb across the couch to her but was stopped with a hand to my chest and a soft kiss on my lips.
“Oh no, we see this through. I promise it will be worth the wait.” Naomi kissed me again.
I growled but quickly came up with my offering. “The song was inspired by an Emily Bronte novel.”
“Oh, nice clue. Sadly, it’s going to cost you an article of clothing. I can name that tune in three notes.”
Laughter bubbled up. “Like I said, I love this game.” I hit the first three notes and watched as she eyed my body.
“‘Total Eclipse of the Heart,’ Bonnie Tyler. Off with the shirt.” Her grin was sinful.
With the guitar lying on the floor, I stood and slowly pulled off my turquoise Henley. I let it drop beside me, revealing the fact that I wore nothing underneath.
“Oh my, I like when you skip a few rounds.” Naomi stood and walked around me, trailing her fingernails across my skin. Their starry glitter caught the light with each movement. Soft lips found the juncture of my neck and shoulder and kissed a path to my back. Each sensation nearly brought me to my knees and flooded my center with liquid desire.
“My God, woman, are you trying to kill me? One more touch like that and I’m calling it. It’s your turn unless you’d like to declare a draw right now and take this to the bedroom?”
“Oh no, I’m betting you aren’t wearing anything under those jeans. I’m about to see if I should bet the bank or just a single article of clothing.” She snaked her fingers around the front to the metal buttons and pulled the fly hard to the left. She slid her fingers down the open front and into the curls at the base of my belly. Her fingers dipped lower and parted my folds. She withdrew and walked back in front of me, with a deliciously wicked smile on her face. She sucked her wet fingers into her mouth and proceeded to lick her lips. “Confirmed.”
I groaned from an intense pulse at my core and picked up my guitar. There was nothing I wouldn’t give her. “Let it ride, baby.”
“Recorded in 1964 by the Big O and Billie Dee, this song is also the title of a movie.”
“I’ll say, I can name that tune in six notes.” As badly as I wanted to get my beautiful fiancée into bed, I wanted to see the matching bra to her exquisite lace bikinis, while she held the Strat.
“Oh, come now, surely you can do better than that? I’ve likely given you too much information as it is.”
Naomi’s tongue snaked out and lightly licked her upper lip. Oh, she knew that would send me reeling.
“Three, I can name it in three,” I croaked.
She drew her thumbnail across the E string and moved her right hand onto the fourth fret and strummed again. Her left eyebrow drew up in a sensuous arch.
I knew the lick she played as well as I knew the chords to every song I’d ever written. I would soon see her standing before me in nothing but that deep-scarlet intimate apparel. I repeated what she’d played, then added the rest of the iconic riff to Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman.” She threw her head back and laughed, as I continued to play.
She placed her guitar back on its stand and slowly began to unbutton the dress shirt she’d claimed from me. The burgundy shirt just happened to match her lingerie. No one in the world is this sexy. She moved with such grace and revealed so much more than skin to me. On display was her heart wrapped in a delicious package.
The shirt slid off her shoulders and caught on her bent elbows, as it draped her waist. If I could capture one image to look at for the rest of my life, it would be this one. She was perfect in every way to me. Sensuous, captivating, and untamable, she was all those things and so much more. She let the shirt flutter to the ground. Before me stood beauty made flesh. I was done with Name That Tune.
“Game Over.” I needed her without delay. My Gibson joined the Strat, and I bent to put an arm behind her knees and one around her back. When she wrapped her arms around my neck, I carried her to our bed. I would give her anything she asked of me. I would lay down every care and worry. I would surrender to her desires in every way and fulfill my own in the process. She would own me in body, mind, and heart. I was hers.
Chapter Twenty-One
Lenten services took the place of the Salvation and Libations gathering. Ash Wednesday had been well attended. On Thursday, Naomi and I took time to stop by Doggy Sods to help walk and play with residents large and small. Maddie and her partner, Allie, did a great deal for living creatures with fins, fur, and feathers. They’d asked if Naomi and I could transport a cat and dog to Morgantown to their new “furever” home. I made an appointment with Roman to continue his work on my back. It would be the first session for Naomi to watch in a long time. The last was a tour stop in Pittsburgh, years before we separated.
Naomi changed the radio in the Land Cruiser and stopped on a classic rock station.
