By Design (9 page)

“Jinx!”
Jameson yelled. A huge crash followed and Pearl dropped the sandwiches in her
hand in a mad dash toward the sound.

***

“Jameson,”
Pearl called. “Jameson. Hang on, kiddo,” she said. She scurried to the front
door. “In there,” she pointed to the study. She watched as the paramedics
tended to the architect. “Oh, Jameson,” she sighed. She grabbed the phone in
the hallway and dialed Candace. “Voicemail. Figures. Candy…listen, I am on my
way to Mercy with Jameson. You need to call me on my cell phone as soon as you
get this. I have to go.”

***

Pearl
paced in the emergency waiting room. She continually checked her phone. There
was no answer from Candace. Finally giving into her frustration, she called
Marianne.

“Hello?”
Michelle answered the phone.

“Shell;
is that you?” Pearl asked.

“Yeah.
Hey, Grandma Pearl!”

“Shell,
is your mother there?”

“No.
Didn’t she call you?” Michelle asked.

“Call
me? Why would she call me?”

“She’s
on her way home,” Michelle explained. “She should be home in an hour or so, I
would think. Maybe sooner now.” Hearing the heavy sigh on the line Michelle
became unnerved. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“It’s
Jameson,” Pearl said.

“That’s
why she’s coming home,” Michelle said. “To talk to J.D.”

“No,
Shell. I’m at the hospital with Jameson right now.”

Marianne
came down the stairs and caught the terrified expression on her sister’s face.
“What’s wrong?” she asked her sister.

Michelle
shook her head. “Is Jameson okay?” Michelle asked Pearl.

“I
don’t know. I’ve been trying to call your mother for an hour. I can’t get any
answers here.”

“What
happened?”

“Mrs.
Johnson?” a woman’s voice called to Pearl.

“Yes?”

“Can
you come with me, please?” the nurse asked.

Pearl
nodded. “I have to go Shell.”

“Wait!
What about Jameson?”

“I
don’t know. If your mother calls tell her we are at Mercy. I have to go. I’ll
call when I know anything,” she said and disconnected the call.

Michelle
hung up the phone and covered her mouth. Tears were beginning to fill her eyes.
Marianne took the phone from her sister’s hand. “Shelley?”

Michelle
shook her head. “I don’t know,” she said. “Something happened to Jameson. Pearl
is…she’s scared, Marianne; I could hear it.”

“Grandma
Pearl doesn’t get scared,” Marianne said.

“I
know,” Michelle said quietly.

Marianne
hugged her sister. “It’ll be okay, Shell.”

“I
hope so,” Michelle said. “I don’t think Mom could handle that.”

“She
really loves this woman,” Marianne said more to herself than to her sister.

“Yeah.
She really does.”

***

Candace
thanked the agent and slid into her rental car. She put her hands on the
steering wheel and took a deep breath. She smiled, wondering if Jameson might
be at the house. “I guess I really should call Pearl,” she said. She grabbed
her phone and was stunned to see the number of missed calls. “What on earth?”
Just as she was about to listen to the messages the phone rang.

“Shell?”

“Mom?
Where are you?”

“I
just got into the rental car; why? What is going on?” Candace asked.

“Mom,”
Shell said as steadily as she could.

“Michelle;
what?”

Michelle
sighed nervously. “You need to go to Mercy.”

“Mercy?
Mercy Hospital? Why?”

“Grandma
Pearl is at…”

“What
happened to Pearl?” Candace asked fearfully.

Michelle
took a deep breath. “She’s fine, Mom….it’s…”

“Why
is she at Mercy?”

“Mom!”
Michelle called for her mother’s attention. “It’s not Grandma Pearl. She’s
there with J.D.” Candace’s heart stopped. “Mom?” Michelle called. “Mom?”

Marianne
took the phone from her sister. “Mom,” Marianne’s voice came over the line.

“Jameson….”

“Mom,
calm down, okay? We don’t know anything, just that Grandma Pearl is at Mercy
and wants you to meet her there,” Marianne said. Candace nodded dumbly on the
other end of the phone. She felt suddenly paralyzed by fear. “Mom?” Marianne
called. “Are you going to be all right to drive? I’ll call and have someone…”

“No,”
Candace snapped to attention. “No. I’m on my way. If Pearl calls tell her I
will be there in about half an hour.”

“Mom….”

“Marianne,
I’ll be fine.”

“It
will be all right,” Marianne said with genuine compassion.

“I
hope so.”

“It
will be. I still have to harass this woman,” she said. Candace smiled as best
she could. “Call us when….”

“I
will.”

***

Candace
blew through the emergency room doors like a small tornado. She made her way to
the desk, flushed and fearful. “I’m looking for Jameson Reid.”

The
desk attendant looked up. “Senator Fletcher,” he immediately recognized the
woman.

“Yes.
Jameson Reid,” she said pointedly.

He
looked at the screen in front of him. “Room four,” he said. Candace was already
moving forward when he stopped her. “You need this,” he said, handing her a
visitor sticker with the room number on it. He pressed a button to open the
automatic doors and the world slowed down for Candace. People were bustling
through the hallway. She saw the room number ahead and willed her feet to keep
moving.

“Senator?”
a woman’s voice called for her attention. Candace turned. “Your friend asked
that I make sure you find the room.”

Candace
nodded. “Is she?”

“Right
in here,” the nurse said, pushing the door open.

Pearl
was standing in front of the bed and Candace could not immediately see Jameson.
She stopped just inside the doorway as a wave of fear eclipsed her. Pearl
turned and smiled. “Took you long enough,” she said. She moved aside and
Candace finally saw Jameson.

Jameson
smiled as best she could. The relief that traveled through Candace instantly
produced a steady stream of tears. She made her way to Jameson’s side and
gently touched the architect’s cheek. Jameson had a bandage over her right eye
and a sizable welt on her forehead. Her eye was several shades of green and
blue. Candace tenderly traced the injuries, without any words.

“I’m
okay,” Jameson tried to reassure her. Candace’s tears fell more swiftly as she
finally looked in Jameson’s bloodshot eyes. “Hey, people are going to think you
like me or something,” Jameson tried to coax Candace to relax.

Candace
laughed through a sob. “I more than like you, you lunatic.”

Jameson
smiled and took hold of the hand that was continually stroking her cheek. “Spoken
like a true politician,” she said. Candace continued to cry. “And, I love you
too,” Jameson said.

“Don’t
you ever scare me like this again,” Candace warned the woman in the bed.
Jameson kissed Candace’s forehead. “I love you,” Candace admitted hoarsely.

“I
know,” Jameson said, allowing Candace’s head to fall onto her shoulder. “But,
it’s nice to hear you say it. So, now, use your clout and get me out of here.”

Candace
laughed. “I don’t know about that. Let’s see what the doctors say.”

“They
say I can go home as long as someone stays with me. Know anyone who might be
willing?” she asked.

Candace
looked at Jameson. “I might have some connections,” she said before leaning in
to kiss Jameson’s lips softly.

“Is
that one of my prescriptions? Because I might look to fall off a ladder every
day, if it earns me one of those.”

Candace
pulled back and scolded Jameson with her eyes. “What do you mean you fell off a
ladder?” Jameson shrugged. Candace looked to Pearl who in turn shrugged. “How
did you fall off a ladder? Where were you on a ladder? Wait…why were you on
a….”

Jameson
stopped Candace’s rant with a quick kiss. “Jinx.”

“Jinx?”

“Yeah,
I guess he wanted to help me with the wallpaper.”

“Explain.”

“I
was hanging wallpaper. I was on the ladder and he jumped off of a shelf onto my
shoulder. I fell, the ladder fell on top of me; knocked me out cold,” Jameson
explained in one long breath.

“I
told you! No black cat should be named Jinx! Why doesn’t anyone ever listen to me?”
Candace said in exasperation.

“I’ll
change his name, just take me home,” Jameson implored the senator.

Candace
shook her head. “Is this what I have to look forward to?” she asked.

Jameson
smiled. “I’ll try not to get a concussion too often….Does that mean you’ll keep
me?” she joked.

“You,
yes; the cat….”

“Aw,
it was just an accident,” Jameson said. “I survived.”

“We’ll
talk,” Candace said, knowing that Jameson could likely convince her of
anything. “Keep an eye on her,” she instructed Pearl. “I’ll see about taking
you home,” she promised. She leaned in and kissed Jameson’s forehead before
leaving.

“That
went well,” Jameson said to Pearl.

“Don’t
be surprised if she sells that cat to the Chinese restaurant,” Pearl laughed.
“And, next time you want her to kiss you, do me a favor and just ask; okay? I
almost ended up in the bed next to you with a heart attack.”

“Sorry,”
Jameson apologized.

“Kids,”
Pearl groaned.

Candace
felt Jameson’s arms around her waist. She snuggled back into the architect’s
embrace. They had spent a quiet couple of days together. Jameson had slept on
and off, and Candace was content to lie beside the woman she loved. She had
crept into bed a few hours earlier when Jameson was sleeping. She felt
Jameson’s lips on the back of her neck. “You’re awake,” Candace observed
softly. Jameson’s answer came in the form of more insistent kisses down
Candace’s neck. Her hands began mapping out Candace’s hips and abdomen. Candace
closed her eyes and reveled in the feel of Jameson against her. “Sweetheart,
what are you doing?” she began to protest. She turned in Jameson’s arms.

Jameson’s
hands continued their methodical exploration, tracing patterns on Candace’s
back. “I love you,” Jameson said.

Candace
took Jameson’s face in her hands. “We have plenty of time, Jameson. I’m not
that old,” she tried to joked. Jameson answered with a tender kiss that began
to deepen steadily. Her hands began moving up and down Candace’s back with more
urgency and intention. “Jameson,” Candace sighed. “You need to rest.”

Jameson
kissed Candace and moved her onto her back. She hovered over the senator and
shook her head. “I need to make love to you,” she said. Candace fought to
breathe. Jameson’s directness was accompanied by a passionate gaze. She lifted
her hands to Jameson’s face and held it tenderly. Jameson felt the trembling in
Candace’s touch. “What are you afraid of?” she asked the older woman.

“Losing
you,” Candace confessed her heart.

Jameson
smiled. “Candace,” she said. “I have waited my entire life for you.” Candace
closed her eyes at Jameson’s admission. “I am in love with you. Completely in
love with you.” Candace opened her eyes and traced over Jameson’s eyebrows and
cheeks with her fingers. Jameson kissed Candace’s forehead tenderly. “The only
way you will ever lose me is if you send me away.”

“Jameson….when
I am seventy-five you will be my age now.”

“And,
I will make love to you just as slowly and passionately as I am about to now.”
Candace sighed as Jameson’s hands traveled gently over her body. “Do you love
me?” Jameson asked directly.

Candace
smiled at the woman above her. “You might not believe this, but I love you more
than I ever thought possible.”

Jameson
kissed Candace and felt Candace’s hands drop to her back, searching and
exploring. She pulled back slightly and smiled. “Let me show you,” Jameson
requested.

Candace
was helpless to do anything but surrender. She could feel the truth in
Jameson’s declarations and in every delicate touch of the architect’s lips and
hands. Jameson’s kiss remained loving, but grew more insistent and demanding
before she moved her lips to Candace’s neck. Candace threw her head back to
give Jameson better access. She felt the muscles in Jameson’s back through the
light T-Shirt she wore and suddenly had an overwhelming need to feel Jameson’s
skin. Jameson sat up and allowed Candace to help her pull the T-Shirt over her
head.

Candace
lost her breath at the sight of Jameson’s half naked form sitting above her.
Her hands reached out and drifted over Jameson’s breasts. Jameson smiled at the
growing desire evident in Candace’s eyes. Candace was wearing a night shirt and
Jameson gave a suggestive lift of her brow as she reached down to remove it.
Candace sat up at the unspoken direction and Jameson swiftly removed the
offending article. Facing each other, Jameson moved in and captured Candace’s
lips in an ardent kiss that caused Candace to moan.

Jameson’s
lips traveled over Candace’s throat slowly, her tongue softly tracing a line
toward the senator’s cleavage. Her arms wrapped tightly around Candace’s waist.
Her hands firmly taking a loving hold of Candace’s lower back and pulling her
closer as her kiss traveled over Candace’s breasts. She heard Candace whisper
her name and looked up to see Candace close her eyes in submission. Jameson
watched as need etched the expression of the face she loved, and dropped her
kiss deliberately over Candace’s right nipple. She kissed it reverently,
slowly, so softly that Candace could barely detect the sensation. A small moan
encouraged Jameson and she sucked the small bud into her mouth firmly.

“Jesus!”
Candace gasped. Jameson sucked harder and then pulled away, leaving faint
kisses across Candace’s breasts before capturing the other nipple in the same
way. Candace felt an electrical current travel straight through every nerve in
her body, and settle directly south. Jameson began to pull away again and
Candace grabbed hold of her to urge her continued exploration. “Please,”
Candace begged.

“Please
what?” Jameson asked playfully.

“Please,
don’t stop,” Candace said.

“Don’t
stop this?” Jameson asked, taking a nipple in her mouth and sucking on it
gently. “Or this?” she asked, sucking harder.

“God!”
Candace gasped.

Jameson
obeyed the unspoken request. She moved her right hand to Candace’s other nipple
and pulled at it gently, careful to give equal attention to both. Candace’s
breath was beginning to grow quick and shallow. Jameson could feel the arousal
growing in them both. She sucked in a ragged breath when Candace’s hand cupped
her breast and the senator’s palm grazed her nipple.

Candace
felt the response from her lover and squeezed Jameson’s nipple gently.
Jameson’s automatic reaction was to bathe both of Candace’s breasts in a flurry
of small nips and kisses. Jameson understood Candace better than Candace
realized. She pushed Candace back onto the bed and lifted the senator’s hands
over her head, holding them there. She kissed Candace deeply, allowing their
tongues to dance and battle for dominance. She gently tugged at Candace’s
bottom lip with her teeth and then pulled back to look into Candace’s eyes.
“Let me make love to you, Candace,” Jameson said. Jameson watched desire and
confusion play across Candace’s face. “Just let me love you,” she said softly
before lowering her kiss back to Candace’s breasts.

“Jameson,”
Candace moaned.

Jameson’s
hands roamed over Candace’s stomach and thighs while her lips and tongue
continued to make love to each of Candace’s nipples. Jameson felt Candace’s
hips rise to meet her touch when her hand reached Candace’s thigh. Jameson
looked up briefly and smiled. Candace’s need and anticipation were evident in
her breathing, her deep sighs, and the mixture of frustration and ecstasy that
caused her eyes to close tightly.

Jameson
allowed her fingers to faintly cover the soft curls between the senator’s legs.
“Oh my God,” Jameson sighed as she felt the softness beneath her touch.

“Jameson,
please,” Candace encouraged her lover. She moaned loudly when Jameson slipped a
finger inside of her. “Jameson!”

Jameson
had become lost in the sensations that touching Candace produced in her body.
She was beginning to crave release for herself, but she was determined to spend
every ounce of her energy and effort on Candace’s pleasure. Her kisses began to
wander lower; her tongue tasting the skin of Candace’s stomach and legs. Her
fingers kept a steady rhythm with the grinding of Candace’s hips against them.
She would pull them back as far as possible without breaking all contact and
feel Candace’s hips rise in desperation. Jameson thrust deeper and harder and
Candace cried out.

Candace’s
heart was thrumming so fast and hard that she could barely remember to breathe.
Jameson’s exploration of her body was driving her closer and closer to the edge
of sanity. She wanted to let go. She wanted Jameson to take her completely, and
yet she did not want the delicious torture she was experiencing to end. She
felt Jameson’s fingers move inside of her and held her breath when a soft,
warm, wetness traveled the length of her need.

Jameson
dipped her tongue inside Candace for a split second, before allowing it to find
Candace’s greatest need. She flicked it lightly over the small, sensitive area
that seemed to grow with each kiss, then sucked gently while her fingers continued
their assault. “You feel so good,” Jameson said through a small moan before
tasting her lover again.

Candace
could feel her muscles gripping Jameson’s fingers. The more her body responded,
the faster the pace of Jameson’s efforts became. “Oh God!” Candace screamed as
she drew closer to her release. She had never made a declaration in the throes
of passion before, but as she felt Jameson bring her over the final precipice
she called out for the woman she loved. “Jameson….I love you….I love you,” she
cried.

Jameson
was amazed at the rush of emotion that surged through her with Candace’s
release. She heard Candace’s words and it compelled her to gentle her touch
without stopping it. She slowed her pace and drew out Candace’s orgasm until it
rolled into another wave, and then another. Jameson finally lifted herself and
noted the tears that bathed Candace’s cheeks.

“Why
are you crying?” she asked in concern.

Candace
reached for Jameson and kissed her tenderly. “I love you so much,” she said.

Jameson
smiled. “I know you do,” Jameson said. She narrowed her gaze at an unfamiliar
expression in her lover’s eyes. In an instant, Candace had reversed their
positions and was straddling Jameson’s hips. She didn’t say another word. She
claimed Jameson’s lips in a kiss that would have brought Rome to its knees.
Jameson swallowed hard as that same fervent kiss found its way to her breasts.
She sighed.

Candace
could tell that Jameson was aching for release. There would be time for her to
make love to Jameson slowly, and she had every intention of delivering the same
methodical torment she had just happily endured soon. Right now, she could
sense the urgency in Jameson. Her tongue teased every inch of Jameson’s flesh
and she delighted in the way the younger woman began to writhe beneath her.

“Candace…I
need you,” Jameson confessed.

“What
do you need, Jameson?”

“You,”
Jameson repeated.

Candace
found Jameson’s sudden shyness endearing. It seemed the architect’s boldness
withered under the senator’s touch. Candace understood. Making love with
Jameson; Jameson making love to her had been the most vulnerable she had ever
felt. “I’m right here,” Candace promised as she took a nipple into her mouth.
Jameson moaned. Candace pulled back and looked at her lover. “What do you
need?” she asked. Jameson’s body moved against her will and Candace pressed her
weight against her lover to steady her. Candace lifted her kiss to Jameson’s
mouth. When Jameson’s searching became desperate, Candace pulled back and
replaced the fiery battle for dominance with the most delicate kiss Jameson had
ever experienced. Candace brushed the hair from Jameson’s eyes. “What do you
need, Jameson?” she asked gently.

Jameson
met her lover’s reassuring gaze and closed her eyes. “I need you inside me,”
she confessed.

Candace
smiled and moved her hand to comply with the request. She held Jameson’s eyes
as she entered the younger woman tentatively. Jameson was so wet Candace had to
fight the desire to taste her. She understood what Jameson needed. “Look at
me,” she instructed the woman beneath her. Jameson complied. Candace moved
gently in and out of Jameson, stroking her with her thumb at the same time.
Jameson was struggling against the urge to close her eyes, but Candace’s gaze
held her firmly in place. It was the most erotic thing she had ever
experienced. Candace’s eyes conveyed all the love and desire that she felt for
Jameson. Jameson desperately wanted to let go. That had always been difficult
for her. Somehow, it seemed that Candace was aware of that.

“Let
go,” Candace told Jameson. Jameson held onto Candace tightly. Candace allowed
her fingers to search deeper and she increased the pressure with her thumb,
softly stoking in a circular pattern. She placed her forehead against Jameson’s
and whispered. “Let go, Jameson. I’m right here.”

Jameson’s
world exploded into an array of color and light unlike she had ever seen. She
could swear that Candace had become part of her somehow as her body lifted from
the bed. Part of her wanted to pull away. She had no control. She screamed
Candace’s name in desperation. Candace held her close and whispered continually
in her ear while Jameson’s body continued to succumb to shudder after glorious
shudder. “I’m right here,” Candace promised. "Right here,” she kept
repeating until she felt Jameson’s body finally begin to relax.

Candace
laid down beside Jameson and pulled her into an embrace. “Candace?” Jameson
whispered.

“Hum?”

“Is
it always like this for you?” she asked.

Candace
smiled and turned to look at the woman she loved. They had never discussed
their previous relationships or lovers in any detail. She did know that Jameson
had never had a committed relationship. She kissed Jameson’s forehead. “No,”
she said. “It’s never been that way for me until you.”

Jameson
nodded. “Me either. Do you think that’s strange?”

Candace
laughed. “No, I don’t.”

“Really?”
Jameson asked in surprise.

Candace
kissed over the small bandage on Jameson’s forehead. “Really,” she assured her
lover before pulling Jameson back into her arms.