On A Wing And A Prayer Part 26

Nikki tilted her head up and accepted a kiss before turning to go. "Don't be long, love," she said as she walked away.

Ca.s.s couldn't believe it was almost 11 pm by the time she sent the note to Rox. d.a.m.n! she said to herself. Why does it take me so long to write a note to her. G.o.d! It seems like it takes a minimum of two hours each time!

Remembering that her flight to Durango had been rescheduled for an hour earlier the next morning, she decided to turn in to be fresh for tomorrow's flight. Deciding to shower before bed, she stepped into the bathroom, and stood in front of the mirror and stared at her own reflection for long moments, thinking only of Rox. Finally, she began to strip off her clothes, starting with her shorts and panties. Closing her eyes, she pulled her T-s.h.i.+rt over her head and held it close to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Suddenly, she felt warm hands touch her naked hips. She gasped for breath and dropped the T-s.h.i.+rt to the floor, but held her eyes tightly closed for fear the illusion would fade. Standing perfectly still, she waited for the specter's next move.

Very slowly, she felt the hands move upward to her waist, kneading the supple skin gently. Feeling the palms go flat against her skin, they moved very slowly past her waist to rest lightly on the skin on both sides of her navel. The hands pressed ever so slightly backward as she felt her bare backside come in contact with warm, soft curves. She wanted so desperately to open her eyes, but feared the act would chase her angel away. Instead, she leaned forward and rested her forehead on the mirror, as the hands on her stomach started a slow circular movement, ma.s.saging the musculature of her taunt abdomen.

Slowly, the hands moved upward until they each cupped a supple breast, pinching an erect nipple between thumbs and forefingers. Ca.s.s turned around and leaned her back against the mirror as she cried out her pleasure ... a moan escaping her lips, and her head arching back, sending cascades of long dark hair down her back. For several long moments, the hands kneaded her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, each pinch and caress sending bolts of desire cras.h.i.+ng into her core. By the time the hands left the voluptuous mounds, Ca.s.s was writhing in agony born of desire.

Before she could catch her breath from the attack on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, the hands started their trek southward, tracing a circular bath down the length of her abdomen, to stop at the top of her treasure. Ca.s.s' hips began to rock forward, of their own volition, urging the hands to continue their journey south. With only momentary hesitation, they did just that as one hand slipped between the dark curls, while the other circled behind and firmly cupped the bulbous mound of Ca.s.s' backside.

Ca.s.s moaned loudly as the hand slipped in and out of her slick folds, gently teasing her bud of desire as it pa.s.sed over it's swollen ma.s.s. Deeper and deeper it explored, thrusting two, then three fingers deep into the well of desire. Ca.s.s' knees were so shaky, she was just barely able to hold herself up as she felt her body climb closer and closer to the peak of fulfillment. Faster and faster, the hand worked until a guttural moan escaped from deep within Ca.s.s' throat, and she screamed out the name of her savior. "Oh G.o.d! Rox!" came the cry as she plunged over the cliff and leaned heavily into the mirror to prevent herself from falling.

Finally, after the tremors began to subside, Ca.s.s turned toward the mirror and opened her eyes, only to briefly glimpse a wisp of red-gold hair over her shoulder. Looking quickly behind her, she realized that she was alone. Turning back to the mirror, she studied herself carefully as she removed her hand from between her legs and thought again of the red-haired pixie that had pushed her to the act of self fulfillment.

The incessant ringing was really getting on her nerves. Reaching over, she picked up the alarm clock and held up high enough to read the time illuminated in bright red numbers. Placing the clock back on the nightstand, she burrowed down into the covers once more, only to jump up seconds later.

"Holy s.h.i.+t! d.a.m.n! My flight is an hour earlier this morning. s.h.i.+t! I almost forgot!" she exclaimed as she quickly got out of bed and reached for the clothing she had laid out the night before. "G.o.d d.a.m.n it! I should have set the clock for an hour earlier," she said, talking out loud to herself as she mentally thanked the G.o.ds that she had showered the night before. G.o.d, how I hate mornings! she sputtered to herself. Especially when I oversleep. d.a.m.n it! I won't have time to look at my e-mail before I go. Jesus Christ! Why did I ever agree to do these overnight flights anyway? she asked.

You agreed to them to take your mind off Patti, remember? her ever-present alter ego piped in.

E, you aren't going to lecture me about oversleeping again, are you? she asked sarcastically.

Oh no! Never. You actually got to bed at a decent hour last night. You did, however, tire yourself out pretty handily before jumping in the shower. But, you won't hear me complain ... no way, not me, oh no! I quite enjoyed that little trip to Elysia, Ca.s.s old buddy. We'll have to do that more often, don't ya think? Enforcer encouraged.

E, I don't have time to discuss this right now ... I'm running late. Have you seen my shoes? she asked herself.

Under the coffee table in the living room ... right where you kicked them off last night You're quite a pig you know ... if you'd pick up after yourself, you wouldn't be wasting time looking for shoes, Enforcer scolded.

Gimme a break, E ... I'm really in a hurry here, she replied as she found her shoes and slipped them on. After dragging a quick brush through her hair and applying a light shade of blush and mascara, she was out the door for a two-day drip to Durango.

Nikki awoke abruptly around 9 a.m. the next morning. Sitting up in bed and looking at the clock, she moaned and dropped her head into her hands. G.o.d, I can't believe I slept so late! she said to herself before remembering why. Allowing a frown to furrow her forehead, she reached up and felt around her head until she encountered the sore spot where she had been knocked unconscious the night before. d.a.m.n! she thought. If I hurt this bad, I can just imagine how Rox feels!

Climbing out of bed, Nikki decided to go after Rox without Jerri. The poor woman had worked until midnight the night before and had come home in the middle of Chris' attack on Rox and Nikki. She had to return to work for noon that day, and had only gotten about five hours sleep.

An hour later, Nikki was showered and ready to go. Leaning over Jerri's sleeping form, she placed a gentle kiss on the woman's cheek and whispered endearments in her ear. Jerri s.h.i.+fted slightly in her sleep and reached up, capturing Nikki with her arm and pulling her down onto the bed . Nikki had all she could do not to squeal and wake her up. Several moments later, she managed once more to wiggle out of the sleeping woman's embrace and to climb out of bed. After one more trip to the bathroom to comb out her hair again, she was on her way to the hospital to pick up Rox.

Rox paced back and forth at the foot of the hospital bed, waiting for Jerri and Nikki to pick her up, while the horrific scenario form the night before played over and over in her mind. All she knew is that one moment, she was sleeping soundly, and the next, she felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck as her head was whipped side to side by sharp blows to both sides of her face. Her a.s.sailant was sitting astride her waist reining blows to her face with both fists. It wasn't long before she lost consciousness, waking hours later in the emergency room at the hospital, looking up into the worried faces of Nikki and Jerri. It was becoming a habit, it seemed ... a habit she surely needed to break.

"Hey, girlfriend, are you ready to go home?" came the question from the doorway.

Rox turned around quickly to see Nikki standing at the entrance to her room, a teary-eyed smile on her face. Smiling back, she took two quick steps toward her friend and fell into her warm embrace. They clung together in quiet desperation as all the hurt and anxiety she had been feeling for the past several months bubbled to the surface and spilled out across her face and down her cheeks.

"It's okay, love. Cry it out. That's it, Roxie. Let it all go, sweetheart," Nikki cooed as she held the injured woman in her arms and stroked her hands up and down her back. "Come on, let's go home," she added as she led Roxanne to the door.

Moments later, they were in the car heading home. Reaching over, Nikki covered Rox's hand with her own. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Rox nodded slowly, her chin resting near her chest.

"Hey," Nikki said, reaching over once more ... this time to lift her friend's chin up. "Things will get better for you, Rox ... I promise," she said.

Roxanne looked intently at her friend. Furrowing her brow, she shook her head slightly side to side. "How can you say that, Nik? How can you be so sure?" she asked.

Nikki was tempted to tell her about the e-mail to Ca.s.s, but until Ca.s.s responded in some way, she didn't want to get her friend's hopes up, so she just took a deep breath and sighed. "Please don't give up, Rox. Things will get better ... believe me honey ... okay?"

Now it was Rox's turn to sigh, nodding her head slightly in an unconvincing gesture to Nikki, as she looked down at the hands clasped in her lap.

Moments later, they pulled into Rox's driveway. Looking around, Rox noticed her neighbors out and about doing normal everyday ch.o.r.es ... cutting the gra.s.s, weeding the garden. Subconsciously, she bowed her head and s.h.i.+elded her bruised face with her hands as she climbed out of the car. Several curious glances were directed her way as she made her way into the house.

"Take a picture ... it'll last longer!" Nikki shouted to the more curious of the group as they openly stared at her friend. Placing her hand on Rox's back, she ushered her into the privacy of her home, away from the prying eyes of unsympathetic neighbors. "Christ, that p.i.s.ses me off!" Nikki shouted once they were inside.

"Nikki, they're just curious. That's all," Rox explained.

"They weren't curious when Chris was here beating the s.h.i.+t out of you for the last six months! Don't tell me it wasn't obvious to them that something was wrong. I didn't see any of them rus.h.i.+ng to your aid then... so they can keep their nosy eyeb.a.l.l.s to themselves now!" she sputtered vehemently.

"What's up?" came a groggy voice from the top of the stairs.

Nikki and Rox looked up to see a very sleepy Jerri coming down the stairs.

"Hi Baby," Nikki replied, approaching her wife on tiptoes to place a light kiss on her lips as she reached the bottom stair. "I was just commenting on how helpful Rox's neighbors are," she explained.

"Helpful, my a.s.s!" replied Jerri as she checked Rox's bruises out with a professional eye. "They'd stand by and let Chris kill her as long as it didn't interfere in their own lives!"

"All right ... enough about my neighbors. I need to get to work. I still have a deadline to make, bruised or not!" Rox replied, brus.h.i.+ng Jerri's hands away and heading for the stairs.

"Rox, I'm going to throw together some lunch and bring it up to you, along with an ice back for your swollen jaw, okay?" Nikki said.

"Nik ... I'm fine. Really. I just need to get to work," she replied.

"d.a.m.n it, Roxanne Ward! Why does everything have to be a battle with you? Just accept the help and get over it, okay? I'm not going away ... get that through your head. Now you can trot your little a.s.s up those stairs and start writing if you want, but I'm still bringing you some lunch and an ice pack ... got it?" she scolded, pointing toward the stairway.

Roxanne and Jerri just looked at each other with raised eyebrows, and the smallest evidence of grins on their faces.

"Ah ... Rox ... I'd do what you're told if I were you. I've learned not to mess with her when she's PMS'ing," Jerri said.

"I AM NOT PMS'ing!" Nikki shouted to their backs as they retreated up the stairs, soft strands of chuckling left in their wake.

CHAPTER XXV.

AFTER SETTLING ROX in front of her computer, Jerri returned to the kitchen to help Nikki throw together a simple lunch of veggie wraps, fruit salad and iced tea for the three of them. The conversation centered around Ca.s.s.

"Do you think he replied yet?" Jerri asked?

"I don't know. If he has, she hasn't said anything," Nikki replied.

"Oh she would definitely say something ... when she finds out, you're dead meat - you know that, don't you?" Jerri informed her wife.

Nikki winced, knowing Jerri was right. Rox was fiercely independent. In fact, she never did give her permission for them to stay with her ... they just insisted, and didn't give her any choice. That was the primary reason Nikki sent the note to Ca.s.s without telling Rox ... Rox simply would not have allowed it.

"You know, Jer, as independent as Rox is, she sure didn't use it against Chris very often," Nikki observed.

"It's amazing what you'll do for love, Rox. I mean, look at me ... I used to be independent too, and now ... well, now I'm quite PW'd," Jerri said, intentionally baiting her wife.

Nikki looked at her questioningly. "PW'd?" she asked. "What the h.e.l.l is that?"

"You know ... p.u.s.s.y whipped," Jerri explained, trying very hard not to smile.

Nikki's jaw nearly hit the floor. "p.u.s.s.y whipped! ... p.u.s.s.y whipped! Jeraldine Lockwood, you are NOT p.u.s.s.y whipped!" she exclaimed.

Jerri winced visibly at the use of her formal name. "Jeeeeeeesus Chrrrrrrist, Nikki ... don't EVER use that name ... Please! ... and by the way - yes, I AM p.u.s.s.y whipped! I do things for you, and because of you, that I would never do for anyone else!" she insisted.

Nikki gave it some thought, and realized that maybe Jerri was right. Jerri had changed so much since they first met ... and she knew that her influence played a big part in it. The changes were largely positive, but Nikki could see where some of them had resulted in the loss of independence for the taller woman. "Jerri, do you ever regret changing for me ... I mean, you have made a lot of concessions ... sometimes at the expense of your own desires. Do you ever regret it?" she asked.

Jerri rinsed the fruit juices off her fingers and grabbed the dishtowel to wipe her hands. Walking over to Nikki, she held the ends of the towel in each hand, and easily looped it around the back of the smaller woman's neck. Tugging slightly, she pulled Nikki's face close to hers and kissed her gently. After a long, tender kiss, she pulled her head back and looked her wife directly in the eyes. "Nik, I love you with all my heart, but I would not compromise my values for anyone ... including you. The changes I made, I made willingly ... I made them because I needed to. The fact that they were changes you wanted me to make as well, was purely coincidental," Jerri explained. Seeing the doubtful expression on her wife's face, she continued, "Sweetheart, I don't consider the changes I made to be a loss of independence ... I see them as a concession to making the woman I love happy. If they had been changes I would have struggled with, I would not have made them. The truth is, I am happier now than I have ever been in my life. I owe that to you."

Nikki smiled and tilted her head up to place another kiss on Jerri's eager mouth. After a long pa.s.sionate kiss, Nikki buried her face between Jerri's b.r.e.a.s.t.s and sighed deeply. "G.o.d, I love you, Jerri," she whispered. "I hope Rox can find this type of happiness too some day," she added.

"Well, Little Miss Busybody, your e-mail to Ca.s.s last night may have started the ball rolling in that direction. Let's just hope he catches it and rolls it back," Jerri commented.

"If he's smart, he will," Nikki replied.

Jerri just nodded and lowered her mouth for one more kiss before releasing the towel around Nikki's neck. "We'd better bring Rox's lunch to her before she wonders what we're REALLY doing down here," she said, wiggling her eyebrows up and down suggestively.

"Well, we COULD tell her that you were being p.u.s.s.y whipped," Nikki suggested.

"Literally?" asked Jerri.

"Oh Yeah!" returned Nikki as she stepped forward and molded her body against the taller woman.

"Care to give me a little demonstration?" Jerri suggested.

"It will be my pleasure, dear heart," Nikki replied as she slid her hand between Jerri's legs and lightly squeezed.

"Oh my G.o.d!" Jerri exclaimed as she nearly doubled over with carnal pleasure. "Do you think Rox can wait a little while for lunch?" she asked, bending Nikki over the table.

"Hey! I thought you two were making lunch ... what are you really doing down there ... making love on my kitchen table?" came a shout from the third floor.

Jerri buried her face in Nikki's shoulder and chuckled. "So now she's a mind reader too! Gees.h.!.+"

Nikki looked up at her wife. "Time to feed the beast, my love. I'll save the whipping for tonight," she replied evilly.

"I'm counting on it!" replied Jerri as she helped Nikki up off the table and grabbed the tray of food.

Rox, Nikki and Jerri sat around the coffee table in Rox's office, enjoying their sandwiches and fruit, while chit chatting idly. Nikki was desperate to know if Ca.s.s had replied to her late night e-mail, but was having a hard time finding a way to ask Rox about it without making the red head suspicious.

"So ... Rox ... have you heard from Ca.s.s lately?" Nikki asked as innocently as possible.

Rox narrowed her eyes at her best friend. "Nikki, are you up to something?" she asked.

Nikki nearly choked on her tea. "No ... no! Why do you ask?" she spat out.

"Because you get this odd look on your face whenever you're trying to hide something from me. I can tell when you're up to no good ... now, spill it!" she demanded.

"Rox, I'm not up to anything ... really! I was just .... wondering if Ca.s.s had written lately," Nikki asked defensively.

"Actually Nik, I'm not sure. I haven't even logged on yet. I'm so far behind on the book that I went directly to work without checking my e-mail," Rox confessed.

Nikki sat there staring at her best friend like she had a third eye in the middle of her forehead. "Rox, how on earth can you NOT check your e-mail? After that last note you sent to him, I'd think you'd be checking it hourly! Geesh, woman ... you must have nerves of steel!" Nikki exclaimed.

Rox considered her words. "G.o.d, Nik ... I was so caught up in the book that I forgot all about that. You're right though - I'd better get on line and check it out," she said, rising gingerly to her feet and shuffling to the computer.

Nikki and Jerri exchanged nervous glances as she sat down in front of the tube.

"Okay, let's see," Rox said out loud as she selected Netscape Messenger. "Three new e-mails ... publisher, publisher, Ca.s.s ... Here is it," she said, double clicking on the icon next to ''. Nikki and Jerri looked over Rox's shoulder as she read the note from Ca.s.s. Nikki held her breath, wondering if it was a response to the note she had sent to Ca.s.s the previous evening.

"My dearest Rox,

Reading your note invoked such a sense of love and longing, I could hardly contain it. Never in my wildest imagination did I think that you would return my love so quickly. Rox, I have been in love with you almost from the beginning.

Sweetheart, I know you have come from a very brutal relations.h.i.+p, and I understand your need to be blunt. Let me a.s.sure you, my love, that your heart is safe with me. I will never hurt you, Rox ... that is a promise ... I do not take my promises lightly.

How could I ever be angry with you for wanting to know my heart? In my last post, I asked that you share your soul with me ... I can not expect you to do anything I am not willing to do myself, so by all means, ask me anything you'd like Rox ... my heart belongs to you.

You asked what my intentions are toward you. Rox, I have never felt such intensity of love for another human being in my entire life. Thoughts of you fill my mind during every waking moment. What are my intentions? My intentions are to meet you one day soon, sweep you off your feet, and carry you away into the sunset on my golden palomino. My intentions are to make you happier than you have ever been for the rest of your life. My intentions are to love you, cherish you, and hold you near and to make love to you long into the nights and to carry your scent on my skin through the separation of time and s.p.a.ce during the days. My intentions are to grow old with you, and to hold you in my arms as I take my dying breath. These are my intentions, Rox.