CHAPTER THREE

Mary stifled a yawn.  Freshly showered she laid across the bed in the bedroom she grew up in with a magazine feature Alec.  Her fiancé.  How crazy was that? 

Giddy laughter escaped her and she buried her face in the pillow and kicked her legs in childish glee.  Lifting her head she looked down at the face staring back up at her from the high glossed page and it was a surreal moment for her. 

In this particular picture they had Alec dressed casual in a black tank top revealing well-defined arms and shoulder muscles as he crouched in blue jeans with the knees ripped out and unlaced black work boots.   She didn’t know what the photographer said or did to get him to laugh for the picture but she knew from the full display of white teeth and the laughing crinkles at the corners of his beautiful green eyes, his smile forever caught in time was genuine. 

There were so many facets of Alec that she was looking forward to discovering.  Not only he was the talented businessman that took a small advertising firm and turned it into a lucrative company; he was also an artist.  As she leafed through the magazine at the latest photo spread of Seattle’s sexiest bachelors, it was apparent that Alec looked at home in front of the camera.  He could have easily made a career as a successful fashion model.

Mary dreaded the backlash that would come once the media got wind that this particular playboy bachelor was about to take himself off the dating market.  They would be even more surprised one they got a load of her.  She released a long resigned sigh at the thought of her private life being trusted into the spotlight.  She didn’t know if she was ready.  What if she said the wrong thing and she didn’t want to see them breaking down her wardrobe piece by piece; nor talk about her weight as it fluctuated up and down like it usually did. 

Feeling the fear of change wrenching at her gut Mary wondered if she should tell Alec about her growing fears.  She decided against it.  He already had a full schedule and if they were going to take time off for the wedding and honeymoon before the summer advertising sweeps, he didn’t need her adding to his stress with foolish concerns. 

Absently her fingertips traced over the magazine photo.  His dark hair shaded his brow.  The full cherry colored mouth.  He had a nice mouth for a man.  Most White men she had come in contact with had thin to nearly none existent lips, but not Alec.  He had delicious kissable lips that sent shivers through her and brought forward a drumming ache between her full thighs.

Mary was taken aback by the lyrical sound of her cell phone lying beside her.  She could hide the smile that was in her voice as she answered.

“Hello baby,” she gushed.  Her nose wrinkled up at sounds of adoration in her own voice.  “Wait, I’m putting you on speaker phone so my hands will be free.”  She pressed the button.  “Okay, now what did you say?”

“What are you wearing?”

“I just showered, s-o-o-o I have on a purple floral print satin robe and nothing else,” she answered.  “What are you wearing?”

“I’m as naked as the day I was born.”

She grinned and bit down on her bottom lip to keep from nervously giggling. 

“Are your parents at home?”

“Yes, but they go to bed early so they can watch the news and one of those crime channel shows before turning in.”

“My heart misses you, Mary.”  There was a catch in his voice.  “My body is missing you too.”

She slowly circled the brownish-red areoles of each breast with feathered circular motions of her fingers.  Her nipples hardened in anticipation.

“I wish you were here with me right now,” she confided.  “I know that my father think it will be better for us to not sleep together anymore until we are married, but I honestly don’t want to wait that long.  I already feel as if I while away most of my life away to fall in love.”

“I don’t want to wait either, sweetheart.”

She tugged at her nipples and a gasp caught in the back of her throat.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m touching myself,” Mary said.

“Where?”

“My breasts.  My…nipples…I’m wishing it was your hot wet mouth on me.”

“Can you feel me kissing the underside of your breast…licking and sucking on your nipples; making those popping sounds that you love?”

“I like the other sound more?”

“What other sound?”

“The whacking sounds you make as you stroke yourself.”  She moaned her need for him.  Her fingers smoothed over the fleshiness of her stomach to run her fingers through the tightly curled hair between her legs.  “I love that throat grunt you make as pump yourself.”

“I’m slowly stroking myself now, Mary and I’m remembering the feel of your fingers wrapped snuggly around my cock.”

“Yeah, I’m stroking that big beautiful penis of yours while I slowly trace the veins with the tip of my tongue.  Can you feel me licking you?”

“Yes-s-s-s…”

“Mmm, there is pre-come on the tip.  I’m can’t allow that protein to go to waste.”  She smacked her lips.  “Alec, you taste s-o-o-o good.”  She crooned huskily.

“God, Mary,” he groaned.  “I wish you were here.”

“Or you here with me, I don’t care which as long as we’re together,” she passionately agreed.  She believed she found more pleasure from hearing how much he was enjoying her pillow talk then the stroking of her fingers against her clit.

“What are you doing now?”

  “I have a magazine here with pictures of you in it.  You are so fine boy!  I’m drooling all over these pages. You have such a sexy mouth?”

“You think so, huh?”

“Huh um, and that ass of your in those jeans.  I could nibble each butt cheek until I get my feel…maybe travel slowly up between the sweet split and…” 

Alec hissed into the phone at her words and she laughed softly.  Her fingers found the rubbed and strummed at her clitoris with moistening fingers.

I’m imagined your taste Mary; your wonderful musky scent when you’re aroused.  My nose bums against the hood of your clit as I lick and suck your thick pussy lips.”

“Oh, I like that...”  Mary panted lifting her hips up to meet her fingers.  Her free hand reached up and squeezed one of her breasts.  She stuck her fingers in her mouth and moistened them before circling the wetness around her turgid russet nipples.

Hmmm, I can hear that you like that baby…that’s it.  Let me hear you moan for me as I lap-up and eat-out that beautiful pussy.  Can you feel my fingers spreading you wider so I can fuck you with my tongue?”

“Uh huh,” she managed on a throaty whimper.  She was oozing from her vaginal opening and the moist smacking sound from her masturbating cause her to thrust earnestly against her hand.  Mary rolled over onto her stomach and pushed the pillow beneath her hips.  She humped the pillow between her spread thighs with her hand still pressed hard against her pubic bone. 

She could hear Alec’s masturbating noises also.  He had begun that wonderful grunting sound that told her he was getting close.  Neither could manage another work as they pushed themselves towards the mutual orgasm that loomed so close. 

“I’m…I’m going…to com…come, Alec.  Oh-h-h-h!”  Mary’s fisted the Turkish comforter of her bed, not thinking before hand to pull back the covers in her anxious need. “Oh, Alec…fuck…I do love you!”  She cried out and quickly stuffed comforter between her lips to stifle her scream.  Even though her mother and father's bedroom was located downstairs at the opposite side of the house, she realized one thing about herself after being with Alec.  She was a screamer. 

Her body jerked and shuddered.  The orgasm was sweetly and painfully intense.  Mary’s ass hole spasm like a tight lip kiss at the air as she continue to slowly swirl her hips against her hand to calm herself.

“Fuck yeah, Mary…fuck yeah...Mary…” Alec repeated like a mantra until she heard him gasping for breath and his words turned into garbled nonsense.  Then nothing but grunts and garbled throat noises exhaled from his side of the phone line.  She could picture his handsome face mottled white and red, his eyebrows puckered as if he was angry at the world, before an angelic peaceful look comes  upon his face with a serene smile on his lips.  Right now she would be spraying his face with tender kisses, as if she was marking him with her love. 

Just when she thinks he has fallen asleep on her those beautiful green eyes would open up slowly his pupils so dilated they were the color of the forest at night.  It was during those afterglow moments of lovemaking he would smile lovingly and tenderly making her feel as if she was very precious to him before kissing her languidly until she fell asleep in his arms.

Even though she was feeling temporary sated she felt empty.  This wasn’t going to be enough anymore.  Now that she has known how it felt to be swept up in the maelstrom of Alec, she could never be happy with this long distance loving. 

Tears rolled down the sides of Mary’s face as she rolled back over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling above her bed.  She sniffled. 

“Mary,” he called out tenderly.

“Hmm,” her voice cracked and the tears continue.

“Sweetheart, this isn’t going to be enough for me.”

“Me either,” she admitted with a long exhale of her breath.

“Tell your parents that I will sleep in a separate room, but I’m bringing everything I need with me and I’m coming to Alabama.”

Mary heart soared.  “You can really do that, Alec?”

She heard him release a shuddering sigh before he said, “Now that I found you love its killing me to be apart from you.  This week has been hell.  Even if I can’t make love to you I need to see your smile, hear your laughter.  I need to be there to wipe away your tears and to remind you every day that you complete me.”

Her heart swelled so much she thought it would burst.  The tears began to flow earnestly.  It wasn’t tears of sadness, but tears of joy.  The most terrifying thing about love was the fear that if you were too happy something was going to go wrong to ruin that happiness.  She prayed silently that their relationship and love be blessed and protected. 

“Mary, are you still awake.”

“Yes.  I was just thinking how frightening being in love can feel.  I will let my parents know.  When will you be coming in so I can meet you at the airport?”

“Hopefully, I can wrap up the meetings I must see to personally, then I can turn the rest over to my associates and bring along the samples I’m working on.”

“Alec.  Thank you for being so understanding and thanks for considering my father’s old-fashion demands.  I know it must seem childish for a thirty-two year old woman to be concerned about her father’s approval.”

“Not at all.  I can see how close you are to your parents.  He can’t be too bad, he raised you didn’t he.  I do this for myself and the children we will someday have.  Life will be more pleasant if we all can get along with one another.  Besides, I’m the one that created this mess by my foolish antics.  This is my payback.”  He expressed mirth.

She could hear the strain in his voice.  “You sound exhausted.  If you can’t find an appropriate assistant I will insist on returning to work.  It’s bad enough I’m sleeping with my boss to get special favors.”

“Mmm, if that is the case your Boss demands you to be on the next flight home because he’s been sleeping alone all week and I finding out that I no longer like sleeping alone.”

“This coming from a man that always kicks his lovers out on their ass before sunrise?”  She laughed softly.  “I guess my big butt in your stomach has spoiled yah, huh?”

“You have ruined me forever,” he declared teasingly.  You’re better than a mattress any day.”  He went quiet before voicing, “Mary, promise me that even if I’m snoring in your ear over the cell you won’t hang up.   Just let the battery die and if the battery holds out through the night I will wake you up with the sounds of me kissing you before I get ready for work.”

She could hear the echo of her own loneliness in his voice.  “I would like that. As long as I can hear you breathing, I will feel comforted.  Will you sing me something before I fall asleep?  I love hearing your voice.”

“I might as well for I’m not going to sleep anytime soon.   My body believes our little phone sex was a warm up for some serious lovemaking to come.  I’m still hard for you, baby.”

“I feel the same way,” Mary fretted. 

Alec had song to her like her mother use to do when the pain of her Hidradenitis Suppurativa, a disorder of the follicles and sweat glands, was flared up leaving her unable to sleep.  Even now she was amazed that this wonderfully near physically perfect man could continue to desire her knowing the battle her body sometimes raged against her.  She spent so many years hiding her body in fear of scorn from her many scars and lesions caused by an illness she had since she was seventeen.

To her delight, Alec didn’t flinch away from do to her flaws.  He soothed her when she was agitated, was understanding when her pains cause her to be snap at him and lovingly aided her in cleaning and applying antibiotic ointments to inflamed areas.  She had long decided she would never find a love in this world due to her being overweight and sickly, but Alec squashed all the low opinions that she had and made her feel like a desirable woman.

Mary had become accustomed to his singing to her in the quiet darkness of the bedroom they shared once the household was asleep during the holiday season.  She didn’t have his fingers delving in her hair to massage her scalp, but she still could appreciate the comfort of his soothing smoky tenor voice. 

She found singing to be another one of his many artistic talents.  After hearing him it didn’t surprise her that he had been the lead singer of a garage band a friend started up in junior high with his best friend Allison playing the drums.  The more she learned about him the deeper her infatuation and love grew. 

Her father had asked her to take this time apart from Alec to think sensibly.  He didn’t have a clue that even when she was with him she’d over think things to death.

It was only through Alec and his carefree nature she blossomed.  She was outgoing and made friends easily, she laughed a lot in front of others and shrugged off their jokes about fat people.  Afterwards, Mary would go home eat her favorite “pity me” fare of microwave extra butter popcorn with a box of sugar babies poured into them while they were still warm.   

Her father didn’t realize she and Alec had the common bond of secrets.  They both suffered silently with their individual pains.  Hers pain she numbed with the comfort of food and hours of silent tears while Alec used women and sex as a way to desensitize his guilt over his younger brother’s death in Iraq with the comfort of numerous women and sex.  So as perfect and happy as she allowed her parents to believe her life was after she moved to Seattle, it was all a lie. 

What her father didn’t know was Mary needed Alec and Alec needed her.  They had quickly become dependent upon each other; with patients, understanding and love become a healing balm for what ailed them.

“Mary, have you heard the song When You Love a Woman by Journey?”

His question pulled her from her reverie.

“I love Steve Perry,” Mary gushed.  “Your voice reminds me of him.”

“With the garage band I was in we sang a lot of Journey’s songs, because they were all over the music charts, you could get more chicks by doing Journey’s songs.”  He laughed softly.

Mary pulled a face as if he could see it.  “I should have known even back then you were a player.”

“Only a player in training,” he corrected.  “Let me put some pillows behind me, so I can pretend it’s your sexy softness,” he murmured.  “Okay, Mrs. Mercer, let me know when you’re tucked in on your side and hugging your pillow the way you like to do.”

“You notice how I like to sleep?”  She remarked, pleased.

“You sound surprise.”   He let out a long audible sigh.   “I also notice no matter where we sleep be it my bed, your bed, or on the floor you favor the left side.  One of the things I come to look forward to the most is watching you sleep.  I lean in and nuzzle my nose to the place between your neck and shoulder.  The warm smell of your sleep eases me into dreamless sleep.” His voice grew was thick and unsteady with emotions as he spoke.  “I miss sharing my bed with you.”

Tears burned in eyes.  Her voice was shakier than she would have liked when she said, “I feel disjointed without you.  I swear once we marry we shall never spend another night apart if it can be helped.  But thank you for understanding I needed this time with my parents.”

Mary stood up and peeled back the bedding and scooted beneath the sheets.  She settled the full page face shot of Alec’s sexy face on the empty pillow beside her.  Settling down she could also hear the rustling of bed sheets over the phone line and pretended he was settling in beside her.  Laughter erupted from her when she heard a thudding sound and cursing.

“Are you okay?”

“I hit my damned elbow on the corner of the table.  I’ve been sleeping in this bed for eleven years and I still do that every once in awhile.  I think I need smaller bedside tables.”

“I wouldn’t know, you’ve been to my place and I’ve been you your holiday home, but I’ve yet to see your home in Seattle,” Mary reminded.

“You will sweetheart as soon as you return home.  We do need to decide on living arrangements after the wedding.  I think moving in here will be best because I have building security which is necessary now that you are to be my wife.  But of course if you like the penthouse apartment can be temporary until we choose a home we both approve of.”

Mary couldn’t believe they considered going to Las Vegas for a quick wedding.  They were about to combine two households and two separate lives.  Both of them were independent and reasonably contented living alone.  They now had to get accustomed to sharing…everything.  There was so much they haven’t discussed yet. 

Already it was assumed she would be the first to compromise even though she fully understood his reasoning.  Her life was about to become as public as Alec’s was.  She could only hope that once he settled down, the rumors and assumptions about his life would do the same.  Her father was going to have to be more understanding.  She and Alec should be sharing this special time together adapting to one another needs.  They needed to learn their differences and like mindedness.  Otherwise, how could they begin to lay the ground work for a successful marriage? 

She imagined this fear inside she felt inside happened to every woman before she married.  It probably was the reason her mother made the choice she did about planning a big wedding.  It would give her the time she should take to reflect on one of the biggest decisions she would ever make next to having children and buying a house.

“I’m ready for you to sing to me, baby.”

Mary closed her eyes, her lashes shadowing over the flesh fullness of her cheeks as she rested her face against her arm while she held her pillow as if it was Alec. 

He began singing with staid calmness.  She admired his surefooted assertion.  She had heard the song countless times, yet hearing those words coming from her lover’s mouth gave it a brand new meaning because he was speaking to her from the deepness of his heart even though the words had been written by another.

Mary was discovering falling in love over and over again with this man was going to be the easy part.  Building a life together will be another matter entirely. What if it became impossible to blend two cultures, two sets of dreams, two personalities and two single lifestyles? What if love wasn’t enough?  She didn’t want give up her home and the life she knew if in the future they were going to allow something to come between them. To her marriage meant forever after.

Tears dropped hotly onto her arm, before it flowed and dissolved onto the stuffed pillowcase.