Richie was clearing off the table, the guys having moved the party inside. “Hey” came softly from the shadows. The bowls he was holding clattered to the table. Leana was standing there, in sleep shorts and a tank top, hair pulled back into a low, loose pony tail. “Jesus Leana, are you trying to give me a heart attack?” “Sorry.” “What are you doing here?” She stepped out of the shadows. “Honestly, I’m not sure.” She had tossed and turned for a while, not being able to sleep and she found herself walking back down the beach. Richie took a step toward her and held out his hand, “come here.” She moved closer to him, taking his hand. He pulled her into his arms and held her close. He could feel her trembling. He looked down at her, “what’s wrong?” “Nothing. Everything. Shit, I don’t know.” He could hear the emotion in her voice as she spoke and he rubbed his hand up and down her back. It wasn’t supposed to still feel so good, so right she thought.
Richie let his lips slide lightly over the top of her head. “Come on, let’s sit down.” Richie moved them over to one of the lounge chairs. He settled himself back and pulled her down so she was sitting curled up against him, between his one leg that was stretched out along the chair and the other bent at the knee, foot resting on the floor. They sat there, quiet for a few minutes. Finally, Leana spoke. “You asked me last night if I had gotten over you. Until that point I thought I had. I had moved on, dated, married, divorced, and now here I am, back at square one. So, I guess the real answer to that question was no, I never really got over you.” “Leana, I was such a bastard all those years ago. I’m sorry. Can you ever forgive me?” The words she had waited 20 years to hear broke something in her. The tears spilled down her cheeks before she even realized it. With his fingers Richie tilted her head up so he could look at her. “Don’t cry darlin’.” “Richie, you don’t understand. I never thought I would see you again, let alone hear those words from you. I always wondered but I never let myself believe it would happen. You just don’t know …”. As he brushed at her tears with his fingertips, she found his eyes with hers, “Richie, kiss me like you wanted to in the kitchen earlier.”
Without a word he lowered his head, finding her lips with his, grazing over them ever so lightly. With that light, hesitant touch Leana felt some of the hurt she had carried for so long start to slip away. She parted her lips slightly and Richie brought his mouth back to hers, letting his tongue slide in to taste her fully. It was a kiss that spoke of apology, of wanting, of longing for what was and what might possibly be. Leana felt Richie’s hand slide down, caressing her shoulder, the curve of her breast and finally settling on her waist. As her own hand slid up his chest, caressing his neck and twining in his hair, she could feel that oh so very male part of him harden at her hip. She wasn’t ready for this. Leana eased herself back from the kiss. “Richie, wait.” He opened his eyes and looked down at her. “What?” “I’m not ready for this. I just can’t.” She laid her head against his chest again. “I’m sorry.” “No, don’t be sorry darlin’. I know we have a lot to work through. I shouldn’t have gotten so carried away.” She looked up at him, “I don’t want to leave though. This feels too nice, too right.” He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her. “Why don’t you come inside with me?” She looked at him like he had just grown a second head. “I just told you I wasn’t ready for that.” “I know, but it’s late and I don’t want you walking back to your place alone. So just stay here. I promise to behave.”
Richie led her into the house and up to his room. He pulled back the covers on the bed, “get in.” Leana did as she was told, snuggling down into the huge king-sized bed. She watched as he went into the bathroom and closed the door. With a sigh she removed the hair tie and finger combed the waves before lying back down. She almost laughed out loud when Richie came back into the room. He was wearing a pair of boxers with yellow smiley faces all over them. “Are you kidding?” She was smiling at him as he approached the bed. “What, you don’t like ‘em?” he teased. “Well, they certainly are something.” She watched as he climbed into to the other side of the bed. “What are you doing?” “Isn’t it obvious?” “Richie…” “What, I told you I would behave, and why should I sleep on the couch when the bed is more than big enough for the both of us?” She sighed, “I guess I can’t really argue with that. Just make sure you keep your hands to yourself.” He turned off the light and reached for her hand under the blankets. He laced his fingers with hers and pulled her hand to his lips for a kiss. “This way we can both be sure to behave.”
Leana heard his breathing even out and she knew he had fallen asleep. She lay there, trying to figure out how this had happened. Yesterday she was trying to figure out how to decorate her new home and tonight she was in Richie’s bed. I must be nuts she thought just before she drifted off.
The morning sunlight teased Leana awake. She blinked her eyes open and tried to remember where she was. She couldn’t remember the last time she had slept so soundly. She moved to stretch and realized that she was pinned under a heavy arm. She turned her head and saw Richie’s dark head on the pillow next to her. “Oh my God” she thought to herself. “I wasn’t dreaming. Shit.” She eased herself out of the bed and went to the bathroom. She splashed some water on her face and pulled her hair back. “I must be out of my mind. What was I thinking?” she thought as she looked at herself in the mirror. “Nothing to do now but face the music” she said as she went back into the bedroom. Richie was still asleep so she turned and left the room.