Неизвестный - 2. Beyond The Breakwater

“I love you, Tory,” Reese murmured, her eyes already closing.

Tory found Reese’s hand and enclosed it in her own, drawing it between her breasts. Closing her eyes, she held the heat of Reese’s skin against her heart. Softly, she whispered, “I love you, too. You’re my life.”

At Nelson’s, Bri kicked the stand down on her bike and settled her right foot on the ground.

Caroline regarded her steadily, her hands still loosely clasping Bri’s waist. Bri’s blue eyes were almost black, wounded looking. “You don’t have to go right back, do you?”

Bri shook her head. “Not till this afternoon.”

“Come inside.”

Mutely, Bri followed Carre into the house and up the stairs to what was once her own bedroom. “Uh, I should probably take a shower…or something.”

“I’ll take one with you.”

“Okay.” Bri had this strange numb feeling, like her insides were frozen. “Sure.”

They hadn’t been naked together since the last time they’d made love, weeks before, and they were both quiet as they undressed. When Carre stepped close to her and wrapped her arms around Bri’s neck, Bri moaned faintly. “You feel so good.”

“Mmm,” Caroline sighed, resting her cheek on Bri’s shoulder. “Are you gonna tell me what happened?”

“Later,” Bri muttered. The sweet rush of arousal chased the horror from her consciousness. “I can’t think right now.”

“Are you sure you want a shower?” Carre’s voice was husky, and her hips had begun a subtle undulation that was totally involuntary. Her nipples tightened as she brushed her breasts lightly against Bri’s.

“Oh man,” Bri groaned, twitching with urgency. “Let’s jump in fast, because I can’t wait very long.”

Trying to stay connected, they scrambled into the shower and soaped each other quickly in a tangle of arms and legs. They stopped frequently to kiss, their hands hungry…touching, teasing, tormenting. Then, they hurriedly stepped out and grabbed blindly for towels, still exploring one another with their mouths. In another minute, they were in bed.

“I don’t want to hurry,” Bri gasped, grasping Carre’s hand as it slid down her belly, stopping her.

“I can’t do slow right now,” Carre muttered, opening her legs as Bri fit her thigh between them. “I’m already too excited.”

“So am I,” Bri groaned, her lips moving over Carre’s neck, bracing herself on one arm as she squeezed a stone-hard nipple with her other hand. “I’m so ready it hurts.”

Carre arched her hips, pressing hard against Bri’s thigh. “I wanna come.”

“Me too,” Bri gasped, but she rolled off her lover, breaking the exquisite contact.

Carre cried out in protest and turned on her side to face Bri. Her pupils were huge, unfocused, hazy with need. “Please, baby.”

Bri stroked a finger down Carre’s cheek. “Let’s hold on…as long as we can.”

“I can’t,” Carre pleaded, her lids flickering as her breasts heaved with each erratic breath.

“Kiss me for a while,” Bri urged as she brought her mouth to Carre’s. The heat sent a jolt of pleasure down Bri’s spine and her hips jerked in response. Carre was whimpering steadily, writhing against Bri frantically as they drank one another’s passion.

Abruptly, Carre pulled her head away and grasped Bri’s hand, forcing it between her legs. “I have to. Oh, I have to.”

“I love you, babe,” Bri cried as Carre thrust against her palm, hot and hard and wet.

“Oh, I’m coming,” Carre cried.

“Yes, yes,” Bri whispered urgently, pressing hard with the heel of her hand as she slid her fingers into Carre’s depths.

Carre cried out again, and her head snapped back, her body jerking. Bri stroked her through her climax, then stayed inside her, thrusting gently as the internal spasms gradually abated. Eventually, Carre quieted in Bri’s embrace, her head tucked into the crook of Bri’s neck.

“Oh my god,” Carre murmured. “You’re so good.”

“I love you so much,” Bri gasped, her voice choked and rough.

“Good.” Carre was barely moving, almost stuporous in the aftermath of her orgasm. “Did you come?”

“No.”

Carre tilted her head back, her eyes cloudy and her lips smiling softly. “Playing hard to get?”

“I wanted to watch you.”

“Wanna now?”

“Oh man, yes,” Bri moaned, shivering as Carre licked her neck.

Laughing softly, Carre slid her fingers between Bri’s thighs, gliding under and around and over the blood engorged tissues. “You’re so hard.”

Bri couldn’t speak. She couldn’t even breathe. When Carre touched her in just the right place, with just the right pressure, as only she could do, Bri gave one hoarse shout and came. The near crippling waves of pleasure seemed endless, and by the time she could think again, her body was slick with sweat and her face wet with tears.

“Oh baby,” Carre crooned, pressing Bri’s face to her breasts. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”

“I was so scared,” Bri gasped. “I was so scared.”

Carre wasn’t sure what Bri was talking about, but she could feel Bri tremble, and that was enough to scare her. She had no idea what to do, so she stroked Bri’s hair and face, kissed her forehead, wrapped her arms and legs around her so that every inch of their bodies touched. “I love you, I love you,” she said over and over and over.

Eventually, Bri quieted and managed a long shaky breath. “It happened so fast. So fast.” Bri shuddered. “One second I was running, and the next thing I knew, there was a shot…Christ, it sounded like a cannon…and Reese came flying back through the doorway. I thought she was dead. She wasn’t moving, and there was a hole right in the middle of her shirt.”

“I’m so sorry, baby,” Carre murmured, running her fingers through Bri’s hair, petting her.

“I couldn’t think. I forgot all about the guy in the building. All I could think about was Reese. Ashley shot Morris as he was coming through the door with a fucking automatic in his hands. If she hadn’t been there, he would’ve killed me and Reese.”

“Oh my god.” Carre’s heart almost stopped beating then, and everything inside of her turned to ice. “Is he…dead?”

“Yeah.”

“And Ashley and your dad are all right?”

Bri nodded, sighed, and closed her eyes. “I’m so tired, Carre.”

Carre shifted a little and cradled Bri’s head against her breast. Most of the time Bri held her while they slept, and it felt so special to hold her protectively now. “I love you, baby. Go to sleep now.”

When Reese awoke, it was night. Tory lay close to her, her hand resting on Reese’s hip. Slowly, Reese drew a deep breath. It hurt, but she could manage it.

“How do you feel?” Tory asked from out of the dark.

“Sore, but nothing feels broken.”

“I’ve been lying here listening to you breathe. You sound okay.”

“I can’t believe I slept more than twelve hours.”

“You needed it.” Tory softly stroked the length of Reese’s thigh. The silence stretched between them, and finally she said gently, “I know you were trying to protect me.”

“Yes.” Reese found Tory’s hand and linked their fingers. “Are you still angry?”

“Mostly still scared.”

With effort, Reese rolled onto her side, ignoring the shaft of pain that started in her breast bone and penetrated through to her back. In the pale moonlight, she could just make out Tory’s face, luminous in the silvery shadows. “I told you I wouldn’t take any chances, and I didn’t. I wore the vest.”

“I know,” Tory whispered. “And we both know if it been a few inches higher, it could’ve been your throat.”

“Tor…”

“It’s just that I love you so much,” Tory murmured. She kissed her with the gentle, tentative touch of a first kiss, amazed at how precious their love still felt. “Can you tell me about it now?”

“Tor,” Reese said tenderly. “You might not want…”

“I want, Reese. Knowing is always better than wondering.”

After another kiss, Reese proceeded to outline the morning’s events. She spoke concisely, as if she was giving report, until she reached the point where she went through the door. Then her tone grew guarded.

“When I was first hit, I wasn’t entirely certain what had happened.” Reese’s voice trailed off, and for the first time, she considered her words before speaking.

“Go ahead, sweetheart,” Tory said gently. “I’m okay.”

“I couldn’t move, and I couldn’t get a breath, and I wasn’t sure how badly I was hit.”

Tory struggled to keep her voice even. “Were you frightened?”

“Not for me, so much,” Reese said quietly. “I was worried about Bri, because I couldn’t see her. I was worried about you, because…”

“Because?”

“I didn’t want to leave you alone.” Reese sensed Tory tremble and moved closer to her. “You know I never would, right?”

“I know that,” Tory whispered, blinking back tears that she didn’t want Reese to see.

“When I finally realized I was pretty much okay, the only thing I could think of was that I didn’t want an officer showing up at our door, because I knew what you would think.”

“If you’re hurt,” Tory said firmly, “I want to know about it.”

“I don’t want anything to upset you. Not now,” Reese admitted fervently. “I just want us to get through the next few months, and for you and the baby to be all right.”

“We will be.” Tory kissed Reese again. “I promise, sweetheart.”

As Reese sighed and closed her eyes, Tory desperately hoped that she could keep her promise.

July, Provincetown, MA

“I don’t think spending the evening in town is exactly what Wendy meant by bedrest,” Reese said pointedly. She was in uniform, having stopped home in the middle of a Saturday to see how Tory was doing with her new routine.

“She didn’t say strict bedrest,” Tory pointed out irritably. She got up from the couch and started to pace. “She didn’t even say bedrest. What she said was ‘rest at home’.”

“I know what she said,” Reese said, leaning against the counter and trying not to raise her voice. “She said your blood pressure had edged up another five points, and it was time for you to cut back on everything.”

“I’ve agreed not to work for the rest of my term. I can’t be any more sedentary without risking a psychotic break.”

Reese felt like she was living with a ticking bomb. The visit to the obstetrician two days before had scared the hell out of her. The preeclampsia was worsening, and Wendy said that they couldn’t wait the full term. As soon as there were clear signs of fetal maturity, Tory would need a Caesarian section.

“I know you won’t take chances.” Reese rubbed her cheek against Tory’s hair, then kissed her temple. “But it’s going to be a mad house with the fireworks at the monument tonight.”

“I feel fine, sweetheart. Since I haven’t been going to work this past week, my pressure has really settled down. I don’t have any new symptoms. Let’s just go out tonight, okay? I promise just for a little while.”

“Sure.” Reese wrapped her arms around her lover from behind.

“I promise I’ll let you do all the shopping and the barbequing for the Fourth of July, okay?”

Reese laughed. “Now there’s a deal.”

Laughing, Reese stepped away, collected her keys, and headed for the door. One she had gone, Tory stretched out on the couch with a sigh and put her feet up. She hated to admit how tired she was, even to herself. Within minutes, she was asleep.