Chapter Thirty-Four
The sky was dark. The moon was out. There was a warm breeze blowing in the open window in Jaiden's hotel room.
Jaiden's arms were wrapped around Michael as they made love for what could have been the hundredth time.
Sweet sounds of kissing was all that broke the silence of that night.
Their bodies moved in perfect harmony; fitting together like pieces of a puzzle.
Michael and Jaiden had made love all afternoon and were now well into the night. They only stopped long enough to catch their breath before beginning again --each time with the same passion as the time before it.
Jaiden had tried a couple of times to get out of bed for a sip of water, yet before her feet could touch the floor, Michael would grab her and pull her on top of him.
Now the sound of their mutual orgasms filled the dark room before giving way to the echoes of their breathing as they lay pressed against one another, sweat covered and satisfied once again.
"This can't end. Tell me this will never end." Jaiden said quietly while she caressed Michael's face with her fingers.
They lay belly to belly touching each other gently and lovingly.
"I don't want it to, Jaiden. I can't remember when I've felt this good." Michael said back to her as he played with her wavy hair.
"Me either." Jaiden smiled.
The pitter patter of a light rain could be heard as it hit the window. In the distance a low rumbling thunder chimed in.
"Thunder. I love thunder." Jaiden said and snuggled closer to Michael.
"We don't get a lot of rain in California." Michael said.
"When I hear it thunder, it's almost magical. Storms are so powerful."
"They can be. All that energy builds up and the pressure heightens and heightens and releases in a powerful way." Jaiden said.
Michael giggled in the dark and Jaiden looked up at him to try to make out the expression on his face as best she could considering she couldn't see him very well.
"Why are you giggling?" she asked.
"Because of how you described a storm. It reminded me of something else." he said and then giggled again.
"Oh my God. You have a dirty little mind, don't you." Jaiden laughed.
"Sometimes, but if anyone asks, I'll deny it." he said with a grin.
"Michael, I don't want to get up, but I have to." Jaiden said.
"No, no, no, no. Just stay here." Michael said as he squeezed Jaiden even closer.
"I have to. Seriously." Jaiden said back and kissed Michael's nose.
"I'll be right back, okay?"
Michael reluctantly let her go and watched the moon cast a lovely glow on Jaiden's body while she got up and went into the bathroom.
Jaiden used the washroom and then splashed her face with water. Her cheeks were flushed. Her lips were red and swollen from kisses. Her skin was slightly damp to the touch from sweat.
She noticed her hair was messy, but in a sexy, tousled *i just had great sex* way.
Jaiden smiled at her reflection and blushed a bit.
Using the washroom wasn't the only reason she needed to get out of bed. She opened up the drawer in the bathroom and took out her birth control pills and popped one into her mouth. She then cupped her hands under the running water and swallowed the pill with a gulp of water.
After the amazing love making she just experienced for hours and hours, she really counted on that tiny pill to do its job.
Now that she was up, she was beginning to feel hungry and wondered if Michael was too.
Upon opening the bathroom door, she heard Michael speaking on the phone.
"Yes. That is correct. Eggs. Yes. Bacon and pancakes. Fruit. It doesn't matter. Whatever you have. Oh. And whipped cream. Lots of it." he said into the phone.
Jaiden stood at the doorway and covered her mouth as she listened to Michael order room service in the strangest accent and oddest voice she'd ever heard. He must not have wanted anyone to know it was him on the phone.
Michael hung up the phone and turned to look at Jaiden's outline in the bathroom doorway.
"Oh, let me turn on the lamp so you can see your way to the bed..." he said slyly.
Jaiden couldn't see his face in the dark, but she knew he was grinning when he mentioned the lamp.
"I can make my way over here just fine." she said, trying not to stumble over their clothes on the floor.
"I ordered us some food. Well...a lot of food." he said.
Jaiden crawled onto the bed and sat next to Michael who was lying down in the bed only partially covered with the blanket.
"Yes. I heard. And whipped cream, huh?" she smiled.
"It's for my pancakes." Michael insisted.
"Of course it is." Jaiden replied.
Noticing that Jaiden was still without clothes, Michael motioned toward the door.
"Are you going to answer the door like that?" he asked.
"Why not?" Jaiden asked.
"Ha. I dare you." Michael teased.
"I'll give them a little thrill." Jaiden smiled and winked.
"No way. You're only going to give me a little thrill." Michael said and moved his hand up Jaiden's thigh.
"Is that right?" she said and placed her hand on his thigh which was covered by the sheet that he only had covering around his upper thigh and groin.
"Mmmm hmmm...." Michael said, his hand inching higher and higher up Jaiden's leg.
"Well, I wouldn't mind a thrill of my own." she said as she pulled the blanket slowly away from Michael's thigh, completely exposing his naked body.
Jaiden could see well enough in the moon's light --and what she saw took her breath away once more.
How could he have this affect on her? How was it possible? A flash of light startled her before she realized it was lightning. She gasped and Michael noticed her fear.
"I thought you liked storms?" he asked.
"I do, but the first lightning always catches me off guard." she replied, running her warm hand up Michael's leg.
He let out a soft moan at the feeling of her hand on him.
"Let me make you feel safe." he said, and took her hand and placed it on his chest as he used his other arm to guide her next to him.
Covering her slightly with a sheet, he turned his body sideways to lay next to her and pressed himself against her.
Jaiden felt his hardness on her thigh and questioned whether she should have taken more than one birth control pill...
Even though Room Service would be there soon, Jaiden and Michael couldn't seem to help themselves and found lust in each others arms yet again.
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Olivia poured a hot cup of coffee for Thomas and placed it in front of him at the kitchen table.
She walked back over to the stove and stirred a large pot of oatmeal and before adding some freshly ground cinnamon.
Thomas had noticed that his wife seemed distracted that morning. It was like she was just going through the motions of a routine breakfast that she'd served so many times before.
Except this time missing was her sweet smile and constant chatter about this and that. A habit of hers that Thomas still adored after years of marriage.
He watched as she stirred the oatmeal and saw such a far off look in her eyes.
"Olivia, darling, is there something you want to talk to me about? Is there anything troubling you?" Thomas asked with concern.
"Hmm?" Olivia's eyes seemed to re-gain their focus upon hearing Thomas' voice and she looked over at him.
"What did you say?"
"There is obviously something bothering you. Am I right? Do you want to talk about it?" asked Thomas.
Olivia finished mixing the cinnamon with the oatmeal and tossed in some chopped almonds.
"No. I was just looking out the window. You know, it's getting lighter outside earlier in the mornings now." she said while getting two glasses from the dark, oak wood cupboard.
"That's true. And I imagine you are noticing that a lot since you seem to be waking earlier the past few days." Thomas said.
It was true that Olivia had been beginning her days earlier. She found it difficult to get to sleep at night and even more difficult to stay asleep.
"I know that, but Olivia, you are out of bed by 6am now at the latest. And you aren't asleep til late at night. You think I'm asleep, but I do wake from time to time to find you looking out the window." said Thomas.
"As he spoke, he noted that it was only 6:30am and Olivia had been preparing breakfast from a half hour. She had also already bathed and gotten dressed, whereas he was still in his pajamas.
"I just have things on my mind. That's all." Olivia said quietly while pouring grapefruit juice into the glasses.
She walked over and handed Thomas the a glass and began to walk back to the stove, but Thomas gently took her hand.
"Olivia, do you think we've been together a long time?" he asked.
"What kind of question is that?" Olivia replied.
"What I mean is don't you think I know you well enough to know when something is really troubling you? I miss my singing Olivia. My chatty Olivia." Thomas smiled and squeezed his wife's hand.
Olivia smiled back.
"Everything will be okay. I will be fine. Like I said, I have some things on my mind." she said.
"Sit my darling. I will serve you breakfast today. And I think we should talk, okay?" Thomas stood and led his wife to her chair at the table and then filled two bowls of oatmeal and brought them over for each of them.
"Lets talk. " he said in a tone that was loving, but insistent.
A good five minutes went by before Thomas spoke. He had waited for Olivia to say something --anything. Instead she slowly drank her juice and ate small spoonfuls of oatmeal.
"Does it have to do with Jaiden?" he asked.
Olivia rested her spoon in the bowl and looked down at the table.
"Yes." she said so quietly that Thomas could barely hear her.
"What about Jaiden? You already told me she is staying in Paris a bit longer. Is everything okay with her? Is there a reason she's staying besides for her work?" Thomas asked.
"No. She's fine, Tom." Olivia said.
"Then if it has to do with her, what is it? What could it possibly......." Thomas stopped speaking mid-sentence and Olivia looked over at him to see a look of deep concern on his face.
"Does it have anything to do with the main reason she left for Paris?" he asked.
Olivia's eyes began to wet with tears. She knew she couldn't keep what she found out a secret forever. She had just not wanted to tell Thomas so soon. Not until she had figured out the perfect way to do so. However, she knew there would never be a perfect way to tell him or a perfect time for that matter.
"Oh, Thomas. I didn't want to have to tell you. I wish it all wasn't happening this way." she said, tears beginning to roll down her cheek.
Thomas got up from his chair and knelt down in front of Olivia and took her hand.
"It breaks my heart to see you cry. Please tell me everything. You shouldn't keep things from me. Especially something that hurts you this much." he said and kissed her small hand.
"You were right when you asked if it had to do with why our Jaiden left for Europe. It does, Thomas." Olivia began.
"Go on, darling." Thomas encouraged her.
"The other day, when I was at Graham's General Store, I was leaving the store...and..." her voice began to tremble and more tears welled up in her eyes.
"Olivia, please... it's okay..." Thomas said quietly.
"Thomas, I saw Bernie Rubins. I spoke with him. He had news. Thomas, it wasn't good." she said, and looked at her husband whose face was almost unreadable. She continued to tell Thomas everything she learned from Bernie Rubins. She also mentioned that she had spoken with Brandon about it.
Once she told Thomas everything, she wasn't sure how he would react. The fear of his health was what kept her from telling him for so long.
Now she sat in her kitchen, holding his hand and waiting for him to respond.
"Olivia, why did you wait to tell me?" he asked.
"Because, Thomas. You know why." she answered.
"I've been getting better, darling. You know that. Olivia, please don't hold things back from me. Promise me you won't ever do this again." he looked at his wife with a stern, but loving look in his eyes.
"I was worried. I AM worried. I'm worried about you. I'm worried about our daughter..." Olivia said.
Thomas stood and pulled Olivia to stand with him.
"You don't have to worry, darling. We are going to get through this together, okay? We are strong. Look what we've already been through. Everything will work out fine." Thomas held Olivia in his arms.
"It has to work out fine. It has to be okay...." he thought to himself as fear for his daughter began to circle his mind.
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