Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 06

Part VI - The past intrudes

Chapter 62

Kari's emotions remained mixed as she drove to her hotel. She would have stayed if Ray had made any sign that he wanted her, but she realized that it was for the best. They needed to cool it a little until they could each get their heads around what was happening to them.

"We'll see how we feel tomorrow," she said aloud. "I think I'll call and ask him if wants to meet me for breakfast."

Instead of a shower, Kari took a relaxing bath when she got to her room. She was planning on starting her trip back home early Sunday afternoon and driving until she reached Baton Rouge where she had a reservation for the night.

Wrapped in the fluffy robe provided by the hotel she slipped her feet back into her sandals and sat looking out of the window of the darkened room. The lights on the river looked pretty and she lost herself in going over the events of the past few days.

She admitted that she was aroused for most of the day and she had caught him looking at her several times as they moved among the guests. When he kissed her in the den, she got so wet it was like she peed her pants. If Melody had not come in, she would have gladly let him take her on his desk.

The thought of the desk triggered a faint teasing at the corner of her brain. A memory bubble burst and resurrected the image of her and Trey on the desk in his office.

Forcing the thought out of her mind she relived the taste of Ray when they kissed. The thought of her lying on the desk with Ray between her legs and of Melody barging in and finding them, caused her to chuckle at the image. Getting up out of the chair, she took a bottle of water from the refrigerator bar and she was selecting a peach from the complementary fruit basket when someone knocked on her door.

Thinking it must be someone from the hotel she peered out of the peephole and was startled to see Ray standing there. He stepped back with a sheepish grin on his face when she opened the door.

Holding her high-heeled sandals out to her, he said, "You forgot these and I thought you might need them tonight."

"Oh, thank you," she said sarcastically. "I was planning on wearing them to bed."

Reaching for his hand, she led him into her room.

"Thank you. I don't know what I would have done without them," she laughed and put them on the floor near the dresser.

Ray continued across the room and stood looking out of the window.

"I'm not sure why I'm here," he said. "I mean, I know why I'm here but I'm not sure that I should be."

Kari followed him across the room and wrapping her arms around his waist from the back she squeezed him and rested her cheek on his back.

"You should be here and I'm happy you're here," she reassured him.

Turning around in her arms, he looked down at her upraised face and their lips met in a cautious kiss that continued until their mouths opened and their tongues slipped against each other. Raising her arms, she curled them around his shoulders with one hand pulling his face into hers by the back of his neck. Ray soon realized that she was naked under the robe and he ran his hands up and down her back.

The bottom front of her robe had separated and Kari could feel his erection as it grew down his pants leg. Breaking the kiss, she took a step back and untying the belt on her robe, she opened it to expose herself to him. Ray admired her body for a moment before he grasped her by her hips and pulled her back for another kiss.

"Get undressed," she whispered against his mouth. "Hurry, I want to feel you against me."

Kari fumbled with his belt while he pulled his shirt up and over his head. She was unbuttoning his pants and pushing them down over his thighs at the same time he was prying his shoes off with his feet. He only got one leg out of his pants before she plastered herself against him and rubbed his erection against her belly.

"Oh, God, that feels good," she moaned and lifting one leg, she pushed his erection down and captured it between her thighs.

Ray groaned at the contact and grasping her ass with both hands, he moved himself back and forth against her very wet and very hot pussy. Their mouths and tongues were all over each other's faces as he walked her backwards towards the bed. When the backs of her legs touched the edge of the mattress she sat down down. Spreading her legs and using her heels, she pulled him down on top of herself.

Their lips remained together as they maneuvered their hips until they both felt the tip of his cock spreading her open. There was a pause in their sexual dance until, as if on command, they both pushed against each other until he was fully sheathed inside of her heat.

"I'm not going to last long," he grunted. "I can't hold it back."

"Neither can I," she assured him. "I've waited so long for this. Now, now, now!"

Holding himself as deep into her as he could, he felt her legs gaining leverage on his waist. She squirmed and wiggled against him until they were both crying into each other's mouths with the pleasure of their coupling. It did not last long and their climaxes were as intense and as quick as any that they had ever enjoyed together.

Ray's erection stayed firm even as Kari's legs relaxed and fell limply to the bed. He gently moved himself in and out of her with little twitches to prolong the sensations. Kari hummed softly into his neck while she made little pecking kisses on his moist skin.

"H'mm nice! I'm sure you cleaned all of the fuzzies out with that one," she said and tightened her pussy around him.

Ray froze at the words and the vision of her taunting Montrell with what he thought was their exclusive word play infused his brain like a roaring fire. His body stiffened and he let out an involuntary low howl of pain. His head snapped up as the images flashed by like an old time movie showing Montrell eating Karen's pussy before she begged him to fuck her.

"What's wrong?" Kari asked, looking up into a face that was suddenly contorted into a horrible mask. "What's wrong? What happened? What did I do?"

Ray struggled to get out of her grasp and freeing himself, he stood at the side of the bed looking down at her in the room lighted only by the night sky. Tears streamed down his face as he fought the compulsion to grab her and shake her for what she had done to him.

"I can't do this," he sobbed and stumbling around he collected his clothes and put them on without even bothering with his underwear.

Kari watched his frantic attempts to get dressed and kept asking him what was wrong but he acted as if he did not hear her questions. She attempted to hold onto him but he brushed her aside and without waiting to button his shirt, he grabbed his shoes and almost ran out into the hallway letting the door slam behind him.

Kari had no idea what had happened since she had no recollection of using that same little ditty with Montrell in the hotel room in Las Vegas. Throwing herself on the bed she wailed out her misery that she almost had what she had wanted for so long but lost it again.

Frantically straightening his clothes, Ray managed to get his shoes on and his shirt buttoned by the time the elevator reached the lobby. He practically ran out the door and frightened the valet when he screamed at him to get his car. Traffic was light on the drive home otherwise he may have had an accident as he sped through the streets with blurred eyes hampering his sight.

He fought helplessly to rid his head of the images but they kept coming back to haunt him. The tape in his head replayed over and over. He pounded the steering wheel with the frustration that he could not control his mind and wipe the heart-wrenching images from it.

Zooming up his street, he saw that Melody's car was parked in the driveway and he hoped she was already in bed because he did not want her to see him in his pain. Quietly opening the front door, he was glad to see that the only illumination was the nightlight in the hall receptacle.

Going to the kitchen he found a bottle of bourbon and deciding against a glass, he carried it into his den and closed the door. The liquid burned as he gulped several swallows down his throat. He got no immediate relief. Taking another swallow, he knew that if he drank it fast enough he would be able to blur the images that were haunting him. In his tired state, it did not take too much alcohol or time for him to fall asleep in his recliner.

Chapter 63

The morning sun provided barely enough light for him to see when he awoke after a surprisingly restful sleep. His thoughts went back to the previous night. He waited for the anger and disillusionment to return but it did not. His mouth and throat were parched but he did not have a hangover and after making a pot of coffee he sat on the patio and watched the sun come up.

He knew he had to get over what had happened over two years ago but he did not know how he was going to keep the thoughts from coming back. His coupling with Kari felt right and wonderful and it made him realize that he was still in love with her and he wanted to be with her.

The horror of the images she provoked in him had frightened him and shaken him to his core. He could not control himself and he was afraid of hurting her and the only way he could avoid it was to escape.

He had to get back to her and explain what had happened.

Stopping only to brush his teeth, he left a note for the kids and drove back to the hotel. He easily found an empty parking space since it was not quite seven on Sunday morning. The ride up in the elevator was interminable. He rushed through the doors before they opened all of the way but stopped in his tracks when he saw that the maid was already cleaning Kari's room.

He startled her when he popped into the room and asked, "I'm looking for the lady that had this room. Is she here?"

"No! Senorita go," the maid replied with a Spanish accent. "Senor, ropa interior? Senorita, shoes, si, yes?"

The maid tittered behind her hand when Ray picked up his underwear lying on her cart and accepted the pair of heels that he had carried to the room just a few hours ago. Stopping at the desk, the clerk told him that Kari had checked out just after midnight. He tried calling her on her cell phone but she did not answer and he decided not to leave a message on her voice mail. He was not sure what state of mind he left her in when he rushed out of her room the night before. He was positive he had her confused and he was unsure as to how to explain his actions to her.

"Better think it over," he told himself on the way home. "Maybe this is a good time to back off and figure out what I want and if there is any future in this relationship."

Opening his safe, he retrieved the DVDs that had been safely hidden away and studied them as if he could visualize what was on them. Sorting through them, he considered looking at them again but decided against it and put them back into the safe.

The kids' charm bracelet and Kari's wedding and engagement rings were still in the envelope along with the DVDs. Taking them out of the plastic bag, he held them and reflected that they were once a sign of their commitment to each other. He felt another pang of resentment in remembering her studied action when she removed them. He wondered if she had left them on would they have given her a kind of strength to resist her impulses and remain faithful to him.

After storing the envelope back in the safe, he closed and locked it with a sigh that floated somewhere between relief and remorse.

"Well, that's that!" he said and started preparing breakfast for himself and the children.

Kari did not turn her cell phone back on until she crossed the border into Texas a day and a half later. She had taken it easy on the trip back to Corpus to give herself time to reflect on what had happened. She did not know what she was going to do with her life now that any chance of being with Ray seemed to be remote.

She noted that she had several messages about business and one call showing Ray's phone number with no message. Steeling herself against getting rejected and humiliated all over again, she deleted his call and started returning her business calls.

Chapter 64

The Royals household returned to its normal routine on Monday and everyone continued with their lives. Even though Melody worked at the same firm as Ray, he rarely saw her during the day since they were both on the road. Brian was enjoying what he called his "last days of freedom" and spent most of his time over the next month with his friends.

They were scheduled to visit TSU after the Independence Day holiday to see the school and to meet the coaches. Two weeks after that he was to report to baseball training camp. Based on his time trials, the coaches were talking about the possibility of also using him in some role on the track team.

Kari's life settled back into her routine and, except for her weekly telephone talks with Melody, she tried, usually unsuccessfully, to put all thoughts of Ray out of her mind. Melody tried to get her to talk about what had happened, but Kari refused to say anything except that things just "didn't work out." She cautioned her not to get her hopes up for any kind of reconciliation.

As the time for Brian's visit to TSU came closer, Ray realized that he would soon be an "empty nester" and he was not sure he wanted to stay in his big house. He considered renting it and moving into one of the condo's he had designed since he could get one for almost nothing from the developer.

He was also looking at his other options and he was seriously thinking of striking out on his own and forming his own firm. He knew he could leave on good terms with his current partners and that they could work together in the future. He had some ideas that he wanted to pursue and he felt he would have a better chance of success if he did not have other people looking over his shoulder.

The beginning of July came quickly and father and son took their time on the drive from Savannah to San Marcos. They had not talked about anything personal in several months. Ray found that Brian had matured in his viewpoints and looked forward to working hard at school. He was surprised to find that Brian had been talking with his mother. She had told him that she would love for him to visit her when he could get a few days away from classes and sports.

A little touch of jealously popped up when Brian told him about his conversations with Kari. He realized that he had some fear that she would take Brian away from him. While thinking through it, he realized that, at eighteen, Brian could not be taken away from him. He was no longer his little boy anymore and he would have to accept sharing him with others.

They were scheduled to be at the campus for three days so Ray booked a hotel room in Austin just thirty minutes away. After checking into the hotel, Ray was coming out of the shower when he saw Brian talking on the hotel phone.

"Brian," he whispered. "Don't use that phone, it costs a fortune. Use your cell phone."

"It's alright, dad. I'm just talking to mom, she's here too."

Ray's mouth dropped open at Brian's revelation and he stood there looking at him with a questioning look on his face.

"Just a minute, mom," he said and held his hand over the mouthpiece. "I invited her to come too. I'm going to meet her for dinner. Do you want to come?"

"I'm not sure she wants to see me," Ray replied. "You'd better ask her."

"I already did and she said you're invited too," he replied and then spoke into the phone. "We'll see you in the lobby in about half-an-hour. OK? Bye."

"Well, that was a surprise," Ray admitted as he started getting dressed.

"You're not mad, are you, dad?"

"No, no, I'm not mad. Just surprised, that's all."

"Melody suggested it and she told me not to tell you. Is that OK?"

"Yes, it's OK," Ray, laughed. "Melody would have been a Shadchen if we were Jewish."

"What's that?"

"A Jewish matchmaker. Melody is still trying to get your mother and me back together."

"Me too," Brian admitted. "What's wrong with you two getting back together?"

"Nothing's wrong with it," Ray responded. "I'm not sure your mother will go along with the idea. That's all."

"Well, we'll soon find out because there she is," Brian pointed to her as they got out of the elevator.

Kari hugged Brian and fussed over his high-and-tight haircut for a minute before turning to Ray who stood a few steps away.

"Hello, Ray."

"Hello, Kari. How are you?"

"I'm doing great. How about you?"

"We sound like two former friends dancing around each other," Ray laughed. "It's great to see you again."

"Oh? Can I have a hug?"

"Sure," Ray responded and closing the gap between them, he took her in his arms and whispered in her ear. "It feels wonderful to hold you again."

He felt her stiffen and pull back from his embrace to stare up into his eyes.

"That's not the impression you left me with a few months ago."

"I'm sorry about that. We have to talk. After dinner, OK?"

"OK."

"Where are we going to eat," Brian asked since food was always on the top of his list of things to do.

"I'm treating and taking you to a special place. I know you'll love it."

Capturing their arms with hers, Kari pulled them to her sides and marched through the lobby.

"This is neat," she laughed. "My two strong men protecting me from the wild Texas cowboys."

Brian was embarrassed at her public show of affection and he looked around to make sure that no one that looked like a TSU student saw them. He tried to gently pull away from his mother but she knew what he was up to and she held tightly onto his arm.

Ray sat up front with Kari in her SUV and they chatted about the children and the coming visit to the college on the drive to the restaurant.

The restaurant was busy but they were soon seated in a booth with Ray and Kari on one side and Brian across from them. The waiter started telling them of their extensive wine list but Kari just smiled and said she would have water. Ray and Brian ordered iced tea and after choosing their entrees Brian excused himself to go to the men's room.

"I'm really happy to see you again," Kari said and looped her arm into Ray's and held his hand. "Do you want to talk now?"

"Look, Kari. I'm sorry for what happened," he started but stopped when he saw Kari's face fall.

"Oh! No, no, I don't mean I'm sorry for that. I mean I'm sorry for the way I acted, after ... after we ... oh, you know what I mean."

The waiter served their drinks and they waited while he set up the table and went over the specials.

"Well, that clarifies it, sort of. What happened? What did I do?"

"It was not what you did. It was what you said that freaked me out."

"Freaked you out?" she laughed. "I never heard you use that term before. You're spending too much time around Brian."

Brian reappeared and they had to cut their discussion short.

Brian offered to drive back to the hotel after dinner and Kari easily agreed. The sun had gone down, and she and Ray settled into the back seat after Brian assured them that he knew how to work the GPS.

"This is nice," Kari whispered and leaned against Ray's side.

He put his arm around her and they held hands in her lap.

"Ready to talk? He can't hear us with the radio blasting," she said.

Glancing at Brian who seemed to be concentrating on the road, Ray slouched down a little in the seat so that their heads were at the same height.

"What I meant to say before was that when you said that thing, you know, about the fuzzies and all that stuff ..."

"You mean, '... clean all the fuzzies out'?"

"Uh, yeah."

"What's wrong with that? We always used to say that."

"Yes, but you said it to your Mountain Man in the hotel room. It's on the video."