Dark Times in Still Waters
Chapter 22
By Dottie
Copyright 2013
Kevin’s bag is still by the door, having never been moved. Teagan slips into her room and grabs a few things to take with her. She slips on a ski suit and as she’s fastening one boot, Kevin knocks softly. “Teagan, are you ok?”
She sighs, knowing he’s not going to give up. Secretly, she’s thrilled he’s not, but at the same time, she’s still wary of what it could mean if they did get serious. Instead of dwelling on that, she raises her voice and winces at the hoarse sound. “I’m fine. You can come in.” When he opens the door, she glances up. “Is he back already?”
Kevin shakes his head. “No. I wanted to make sure you’re ok.”
She tugs on her other boot and fastens it. “I’m ok. You don’t have to worry.”
He kneels in front of her, putting his hands on her knees. “Worrying about you is like breathing Baby. It’s natural.”
Her stomach flip flops when he calls her ‘baby’. Instead of dwelling on it, she mutters, “How long do you think the storm will last?”
He moves closer, parting her legs and situating his body between them. With his hands on her hips, he whispers, “I hope it lasts until I make you believe I mean what I say. You never answered me, Teagan.”
She bites her lips, acutely aware of how his stomach is pressed against the most intimate part of her body. “Umm…about what?”
He smiles lazily, leaning up to kiss her lips. “Will you be my girl?”
She shivers. “Kevin…”
He captures her lips again, the kiss deeper and sexier than before. “Say yes, Beautiful. Just say yes.”
He nuzzles her cheek, his heart swelling up when he hears her sigh…just before she lays her head on his shoulder. “If I get scared…will you…Kevin…”
He slides his arms around her waist and holds her. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll wait for you as long as it takes. Just don’t push me away again. I don’t think I can take it.”
In her vulnerable state of mind, she whispers, “I’ll try not to push you away. I’m so used to being alone now…”
He kisses her neck and mutters, “Never again. You won’t be alone, you’ve got me.”
It takes about an hour for them to get to the lodge. The snow never lets up. When they cross the threshold into the lodge, the grandfather clock in the lobby is chiming 1:15 am. The receptionist smiles warmly. "Miss Michaels, you and your guest will be at the end of the hall just up the stairs." Looking over Teagan's shoulder, she says, "Mr. Grant, you and your family will be just at the top of the stairs. The first two rooms have a connecting door so you'll be able to hear your children. All the rooms have fireplaces so if the generator shuts down, you’ll have heat and a little bit of light."
Teagan nods slightly. "Thank you."
Kevin slides his arm around Teagan's waist. "You wouldn't happen to have phones that are working would you?"
She smiles sadly. "No, I’m sorry. Hopefully they'll have them back in order by morning."
Kevin reaches out and takes the key from her. "Thank you."
She smiles brightly at him. “You’re welcome. We still have hot coffee and cocoa and the chef is awake if someone wants a snack.”
The eager children are bouncing from foot to foot ready to stay up, even though their parents look ready to drop. Teagan shakes her head. “No thank you.”
Kevin lifts his bag as Teagan adjusts the strap of her bag on her shoulder. “Thanks anyway, but we already ate. Good night.”
As Kevin leads Teagan to the stairs, she hears the woman who rode in the SnowCat with them say, “Aren’t they a nice looking couple, Dear?”
Kevin’s arm tightens around her waist as they climb the stairs. She glances up at him and he smiles at her. “We do look good together you know?” She tries to smile, but the smile doesn’t reach her eyes. His smile fades. “Teagan, you’re beautiful.”
She glances away. She knows he means it from the bottom of his heart. She’s beautiful to him. But to herself, she’s an ugly, scarred monster and she always will be. Instead of voicing that opinion of herself, she just mutters, “Thanks.”
Once inside their room, which is lit by a single lamp on the night stand, he takes her bag from her, tossing it into a chair and dropping his on the floor. He leads her into the bathroom and flips on the light, thankful the lodge has a generator and the lights are working.
He stands behind her and says, “Teagan, look up.” She raises her eyes to meet his in the mirror. “Teagan, look at yourself. You are a beautiful woman.”
She allows her eyes to roam over her face. With a turtle neck on, plus the ski suit, she can’t see the scar on her neck…but she knows it’s there. To her, she looks like a ghost. A pale reflection of who she used to be before the shooting. “I’m sorry. I just don’t see what you see.”
He sighs, dropping his head to her shoulder. “Sweetheart, before it happened, did you judge people on their appearance?” She’s stunned into silence by his simple question. “No, you didn’t. Because deep inside, you know looks don’t matter. Looks should never matter. Some of the most physically beautiful people in the world are ugly…because on the inside, they just don’t give a damn about anyone but themselves. You’re a caregiver. A nurturer. You don’t see physical beauty as the be-all, end-all of a person. You see who they are on the inside. Why is it you can see that in everyone else, but not in yourself?”
She sniffles, lowering her eyes. “Because…everyone said…”
He cuts her off. “Anyone that made any kind of comment about your appearance falls into the category of ugly people, Teagan. It’s like Natalie said on the ship; they are small people who have to chop other people down to build themselves up. You don’t do that. Even when all that shit was being said on the cruise, you never hit back at them. You took every blow and let them push you down lower and lower until…”
She turns and throws herself against his chest, sobbing. “Kevin…I’m…sorry…”
His arms wrap around her and he holds her tight. “Don’t be sorry. Just believe me. Have faith that I’m not going anywhere and no matter what happens with your job…I’m always going to be here for you.”
She can’t believe how much she’s kept bottled up inside of her. She sobs until her throat aches and he just stands and holds her through it all. She doesn’t even realize the lights are dimming until he whispers, “Come on Sweetheart let’s get some sleep. I think the generator is overworked and we might lose light. I’ll go stoke the fire while you get ready for bed.”
She nods, slowly easing back away from him. Looking up, she meets his eyes and she sees warmth. Genuine warmth and…love? He smiles softly, brushing away her tears. “I’ll be good. You need sleep. I’ll go get your bag and you can put on your pajamas.” When he sees her hesitation, he frowns. “What, you don’t trust me?”
She shakes her head and whispers, “No…I just…didn’t bring pajamas…from the cottage…I thought…”
When she fingers the collar of the turtle neck, he sighs. “Woman, you’re gonna drive me batty.” She can’t help but giggle at his declaration. He smiles brightly at her. “I’ll get you one of my t-shirts under one condition.”
She looks at him cautiously. “What?”
He leans closer and kisses her cheek. “Laugh more. It’s a beautiful sound.”
She blushes. “Oh, stop it!”
He chuckles at her embarrassment. “It’s true, Baby.” Before she can stop him, he bends down and captures her lips in a gentle kiss. He’s holding her hands and when she tightens her grip on him, he moves closer, wrapping his arms around her waist.
The kiss grows more sensual. Seductive. Her hands creep up his arms to his shoulders as his tongue gently parts her lips, moving in to coax hers into a ritual mating dance that has her seeing stars and gasping for air.
When they part, he whispers softly, “I love how you taste.”
She blushes, forever thankful that the lights keep getting lower and lower. Summoning up courage she long since thought she had lost, she whispers, “Me too.”
He growls, pulling her into a quick, fierce hug. “Let me get you that shirt. It’s late and we should sleep. Because tomorrow…”
She leans back enough to look at him. “Tomorrow?”
He smiles wickedly, “Tomorrow you’re going to give me my answer. And when you do, I’m going to love every inch of your body until you can’t move.”
As he stalks from the bathroom to get her his shirt, her breath catches in her throat. Tomorrow? What about now? Her body is aching for his…and for the first time in a long time, Teagan feels…love?
Chapter End Notes:
What do you think?? ~ D
