Lovers and Other Strangers Box Set: The Boston Stories (50 page)

    As she was about to drift off, she felt the bed dip.

    "Who..."

    "Its just me. I'm sorry I thought you'd be asleep." Allain's voice sounded ragged. "I keep thinking about this afternoon, about almost losing you." Here she was frustrated because he didn't continue kissing her and he had been afraid of her dying. For a moment she chastised herself for being a fool. "I just need to hold you for a minute and then I'll go back to my room. He slid in to bed behind her and cradled her back against his chest. He was bare chested and wearing the sweat pants she had worn earlier. He wrapped his strong arms around her like the night in the hotel when he played Smith. She couldn't stop herself from rubbing her cheek against the smooth skin on the inside of his arm. The warmth of his body suffused hers, loosening all the tension she had from the day. She needed to tell him everything, how much she loved him, that she knew who Smith was, enough games.

    She rolled over and was stunned, his face didn't look any different except for the tracks of tears and the tears still in his eyes. Her heart clenched, this was not the time to confront him. He didn't need her body right now but he did need her love. "Allain," she whispered, "mon amour, you could never lose me." She pulled him to her heart and wrapped herself around him. After a few minutes, he tried to get up to leave.

    "I should let you sleep."

    "Non, I will sleep better with you here. Stay." She reached over and kissed his cheek.

    "I..."

    "Stay. I want you 'ere with me. Please." He settled back against her with his ear over her heart. She stroked his hair and back till she felt him relax deeply and then sleep. Finally she allowed herself to sleep too.

    Marie felt Allain's body tense and then he began mumbling incoherently. He was dreaming and it didn't seem happy. She didn't know what to do, she had heard you shouldn't wake someone in the middle of a dream but she didn't know why. She tried to relax her body, hoping that would relax his. Instead as their bodies eased apart he screamed in terror. She clutched at him as he came awake. He was disoriented and frantic.

    "Tu es en sécurité. I'm 'ere, you're safe." She stroked his face as his eyes searched her wildly. Finally, he collapsed, panting into her shoulder. She ran her hands down his back till she felt some of the tension leave him. Then she whispered in his ear.

    "Was just a dream." She felt him shudder and pull in a deep breath.

    "No, I shouldn't be here. I should go."

    "No! Allain, I do not want you alone right now. If you don't want to touch me... if that is what set the dream off, I will sleep over here." She patted the bed next to her. His need for simple human contact was so obvious to her but he resisted. "Please I will feel better if you are 'ere, with me. I want you to stay." He looked at her as if he hadn't ever really seen her before but she could see the love shining in his eyes. If only she could convince him to let it out from behind his mask.

    "I'll stay. It might be better if you slept over there." She slid out from under him and moved over.

    "Comme ça?"

    "Yes, like that." He bent and gave her a kiss on the forehead like she had been the one that had woken terrified from a dream. She held his hand as he fell back to sleep. Later in the night he came burrowing next to her, like when she would take une sieste with her little nieces and nephews. She cocooned him in her arms. She was sure her aunt had been a good step-mother to him but she had been his nanny when he was younger. Had he ever napped curled up with another. He was like a small boy and a powerful man trapped together, neither understanding the others needs.

    Marie woke up shivering, without even opening her eyes she groped for Allain's warm body. Her hands found nothing but tangled sheets. Merde! He had done it again. She sat up and pulled the covers around her. Even after the dream he had slept fitfully and she had startled at his every twitch waiting for him to scream again. What was so important that he needed to leave bed already. She wanted to tell him all the things she couldn't last night, and then make love till they both slept deep dreamless sleep. When she got her hands on him... The connecting door to his room creaked open.

    "Oh, you're awake."

    "Oui, and in my bed by myself as usual." He looked at her strangely. "Allain, did I just dream that you were 'ere last night." Now he looked at his feet. Merde, even his feet were handsome. He had already showered and dressed but his glasses weren't on yet.  

    "No, I shouldn't have done that." She wanted to scream in frustration. She knew he loved her. Why couldn't he just say so. "I got us some breakfast. We can eat and then sail over to Nantucket..."

    "Non! I want to go 'ome. I am done with this, I, I thought this was going to be different mais, non, rein ne change. I am done. Take me 'ome. Now." She knew she was no doubt living up to her hated nickname but she couldn't care less. She jumped out of bed and stalked to the table. She picked up a piece of toast and took a sip of coffee. Ack, it was like water.

    "I'm going to shower and then pack. I will be ready to go in trente minutes." Allyn just blinked at her. "Allyn if you will not take me then I will see to it myself. I am going 'ome with or without you." She walked out of his room and into the shower. When she finally got under the water she sagged against the tile. Peut être, love was not enough.

    Allyn had expected the morning to be difficult. He never should have gone to her last night but once he did he'd been powerless to leave. Waking up with her in his arms had been heavenly. He'd had to force himself not to laugh at her little coos and sighs as she slept this morning. He, no doubt, kept her up all night with his bad dreams and tossing and turning.

    He also didn't want her to think that just because they had shared a bed he was presuming anything so he had gotten up and taken the coldest damn shower of his life and ordered breakfast. When his dream came flooding back to him his gut clenched and he had realized that this would never work. If he loved her she would desert him too, not on purpose maybe but eventually, everyone did. He'd have his work, his cars and the boat to spend his days with. Except that any of them were more enjoyable with her there. Maybe he could convince her to move to the West coast so he wouldn't see her everyday? That was absurd, so he could find excuses to go there, as it was he already made more trips to France than was strictly necessary just so he could stop and see her.

    Exactly thirty minutes after she had stormed out, she was back and packed as she said she'd be. He should just talk to her when they were on board. He could explain that he loved her but he couldn't have her. Love like that was for other people. She would just tell him he was being stupid, hell, he probably was.

    When they walked outside the weather was kicking up. There were dark clouds on the horizon and a cold front had moved in overnight dropping the temperature a good twenty degrees. Being out on the ocean in a storm wasn't a huge deal. The boat was big enough to handle even a decent size storm. Next to him, Marie shivered. His old sweater wasn't going to be enough once it started raining. He took off his wind breaker and put it around her shoulders.

    "Did you bring any kind of jacket?" She barely looked at him.

    "Non." When he looked down he saw her legs were covered in goose bumps."

    "I don't suppose you brought any jeans or even just long pants with you?"

    "Non, I'm sorry Allain." He wasn't sure if she was apologizing for not packing warm enough or her outburst this morning. Either way he really couldn't blame her. He put his arm around her shoulders. They walked to the boat in silence. They had just cleared the mouth of the harbor when the first raindrops fell. Allyn wasn't worried, rain wasn't the issue. Wind along with lightening were the problems but he was fairly sure they could get around the end of the Cape and into the bay area before the worst of it hit. If they didn't they could just batten the hatch and ride it out. It wouldn't be pleasant but they would be safe enough. Unfortunately, he had only stowed one rain jacket on board so he sent Marie below to get out of the damp. Of course she fought him tooth and nail so they ended up in a compromise where she sat out of the rain but close enough to talk to him.

    The waters around Provincetown could be treacherous under good conditions but with the storm blowing in Allyn decided that it would be better to push further out to sea to avoid the hazards, even if it meant more time. Two hours later Allyn was exhausted from trying to hold course. The wind was swirling which meant he had to constantly keep moving to work with the sails. He had seen a couple of distant lightening flashes but they were well away from where the boat was. He could tell Marie was getting more afraid as the storm worsened but it was harder and harder to talk to her over the wind and the rain. Finally he decided it was time to take the sails down and release the sea anchor so they wouldn't drift.

    By the time he made it into the cabin, the storm had turned the sky almost black. Marie threw her arms around him as soon as he got down the ladder.

    "Allain! I'm afraid." She was visibly shaking. If she hadn't been so scared he would have laughed. The woman in his arms was a far cry from the imperious creature she had been earlier this morning.

    "Hush now, we're going to be fine. It will be a little rough but we shouldn't be in any real danger. He smoothed his hand through her hair and felt her start to sob into his chest.

"Come get under the covers in the bunk so you are warm." He grabbed the life vests as he guided her over.

    "I... are you going to be 'ere with me? I want you to 'old me. Please." As they were settling themselves in a wave tilted the boat and they both went sprawling with him on top of her.

    "Sorry." He tried to get off of her but she just held on tighter. He rested his forehead on hers. "Marie, we will be fine, you need to let me get up." His voice sounded like he was in pain even to him. He wanted to hold her, comfort her, the temptation to kiss her was almost overwhelming. He looked down at her. Her pupils were dilated, her heart was pounding, she was panting. This was the way she'd looked when he had held her as Smith. Like some wild creature, like an angel crashed to earth. He kissed her forehead, not what he wanted but it would have to do. She buried her face in his neck and then he realized she was kissing him. These were not chaste pecks but wanton, seductive, wet open-mouthed kisses. "Oh God."

    "Allyn," she whispered. "I... I love you. Please, please don't let me die without making love to me."

    "You are not going to die." He whispered back. He kissed her on the lips this time, softly at first but his restraint was faltering. He felt her hands tug at his shirt. When she had it free she ran her chilled hands across his overheated skin. He shivered at her touch.  She reached to hold his face in her hands, as she kissed him she slid her tongue past her lips and ran it along the seam of his. His control slipped and his tongue met hers, tangling, exploring, tasting. She kissed him the way they had in the theater. Her kisses left him gasping.

    He wasn't conscious of where his hands had strayed till he realized that he held her breasts in his hands. His thumbs stroked over her nipples absentmindedly. She looked down and realized her sweater was still on. She reached down and pulled it over her head and then reached out to him. She pulled him in to her and he let her. Soon he was running his lips over the smooth soft globes. He couldn't stop himself and nipped at her. Her soft gasp enflamed him even more. He suckled and caressed, mindless to all his reasons to avoid doing this. This was like a heaven on earth. This woman he had loved for so long, soft and warm beneath him, inviting him to make love to her. A wave of desire swamped his senses and his hands flew lower.

    At some point she had put on the sweat pants to keep warm. His mouth kissed across her torso. He licked at her navel and she arched up to him. His fingers slid under the waist band which she had rolled down to get them to fit. His thumbs caressed the crest of her hip bones and then pushed the fabric aside so he could kiss her there.  Her moan felt like a physical caress.

     She began clawing at his back, when he began to pull away she grabbed at the back of his shirt pulling it off of him.

     "Ah, bon." She stroked her hands over his chest reverently then she sat up and placed a kiss over his heart. When she lay back she looped an arm around his neck pulling him back down with her. Outside the storm was gathering strength as it tossed the boat. As a particularly bad wave shook the cabin she clutched him to her. As the boat climbed the next wave she pushed off the sweats. With the boat's decent he wrapped his arms around her thighs pinning her to him. The scent of her stole his breath. He covered her in kisses and licks, finally nosing down her lingerie. He kissed her mons and then pushed her legs wider. He bent forward, kissing a path to her clit.

     A bolt of lightening split the sky and Marie screamed. He held his breath as she squirmed under him.

    "Allain?, I need... I need to see you. To feel your arms around me. I want to look into your eyes when we make love."

    "I... I didn't bring-" He never dreamed this would happen so he hadn't brought anything. He never kept anything on the boat because he never brought women on board.

    "In my purse. I 'ave some." She reached over and dug a box out of her bag. It was the box he'd gotten the night they went to the hotel. She must have kept it. He looked back and forth from her to the box of condoms.

    "Allain! S'il tu plait. Your jeans are wet and cold. Take them off, and we can get under the covers." It appeared she was not taking no as an answer. The cold damp jeans had kept the edge off his desire, as he stood to take them off he was struck by the obvious lust burning in her eyes. The frank appraisal surprised him, women usually looked away, in either modesty or fear he imagined. Marie was not hiding her delight in his body and that only encouraged him more. He couldn't get his wet jeans off fast enough. When he had finally gotten free of his clothes he went to climb under the covers with her.