Crystal's Dilemma (9 page)

Crystal smiled, the sensation of him moving the towel over her, drying her off a wonderful thing. “I could live like this, do you know that?”

His eyes jerked to her face. “Really?”

She raked her fingers through his wet hair, moving it straight back from his face. “Yes. This, this thing between us…it’s good. It’s better than anything I’ve ever experienced before. I don’t know if it’s love, but it’s something strong and powerful.”

“That’s the way I feel. The only difference is that I know it’s love. I hope you come to the same conclusion.”

It was funny, but she hoped he was right. They finished drying each other, taking their time, and once done, they crawled into Crystal’s huge bed and she fell asleep in his arms, exhausted and fully satisfied.

When Crystal awoke a few hours later, she was still wrapped in Tommy’s arms. She gazed up at him, the dim light filtering through the curtains highlighting his hair with golden streaks. Her heart felt full of emotion, and she smiled at his slumbering face. He was beautiful and handsome at the same time. Young and virile, Tommy probably turned the head of every woman who saw him. And he had picked her to fall in love with. It was a wondrous feeling.

But she wasn’t sure she was ready to commit to a solid relationship, especially if it meant being totally exclusive. She needed to talk to Justice.

Crystal carefully backed away from Tommy, sliding out of his arms without waking him. Then he moaned and sighed, causing her to freeze for a few seconds to make sure he wasn’t going to wake up. She wanted to talk to Justice by herself, sort of use him as a sounding board.

Once she was sure he wasn’t going to wake up, she slid from under the cover and padded over to her dresser, pulled on some panties and moved to her closet. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, raked her fingers through her hair and snuck out the door as quietly as she could.

Padding down the hall toward the entryway, she wondered where she could find Justice. Maybe Rachel or Rodgers was in the kitchen. She cut through the dining room and pushed through the kitchen door. “Good morning, Rodgers.”

Rodgers was washing his hands at the kitchen sink. He looked over his shoulder. “Morning? It’s five in the afternoon. Are you okay?”

Crystal ran her hand over her face. “I’m fine. Just lost track of time. Do you happen to know where Justice is? I need to talk to him.”

Rodgers turned, using a towel to dry his hands. “I think he’s in the study. Is everything all right? There’s not a problem, is there? Something I can help with?”

Crystal loved Rodgers dearly, but this was something she wanted to bounce off Justice. Justice was her partner and more than that, her friend for years. “No, there’s nothing wrong. Just something I want to get Justice’s take on. I’ll go see if he’s in the study. Thanks.” She smiled and pushed back through the kitchen door into the dining room. She crossed the room and exited through the opposite door at the other end.

She found him in the study, sitting in a huge leather chair with a book in his hands. Reading glasses were perched on his nose and he was chewing his bottom lip. He looked like he was struggling to study what he was reading. It was cute.

“Well,” she said, placing her hand on the back of his chair. “I see you’re studying away. Something important?”

He looked up at her and blinked. “Crystal, hello.” He took his glasses off and closed the book. “Nothing important, just trying to read this book Lauren suggested. What’s up?” He looked past her. “Where’s your new assistant?”

Crystal moved around the chair and sat down in the matching one beside his. She leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees and cradling her chin in her hands. “Tommy is sleeping. I wanted to talk to you about something, so I snuck away.”

Justice shifted in his chair, turning toward her. “Sounds serious. Everything okay?”

Crystal chuckled nervously. “Oh, it’s nothing bad. It’s just that I want your take on something.”

“Okay, tell me.” He crossed his hands on top of the book in his lap.

She sighed. “When did you know you were in love with Lauren?”

A smile flickered over his lips. “That’s a strange question. I’m not sure exactly when it hit me, but there was something about her that tugged at my heart and I didn’t want to take the chance of losing out on it. Thankfully, she felt the same way. Is that what’s happening between you and Tommy? Are you in love with him?”

She shook her head. “Something is happening between us, but I don’t know if it’s love. It feels strong and meaningful.” She placed one hand over her heart. “I feel it right here and it’s so powerful it’s a little scary. Do you think that’s love?”

“If it’s scary, it probably is.” He smiled tenderly at her. “Why are you talking to me about this? Shouldn’t you be talking to Tommy?”

She bit her lip. He was right. She should be talking this over with Tommy. This thing she was experiencing was new and exciting and she knew deep in her heart that she did love him. “I think I’m going to go wake him up.” She rose from the chair and moved to stand in front of Justice. “If I tell him that I love him, do you think I’m doing the right thing?”

Justice reached for her hand and tugged at it. “Why are you questioning it so?”

She shifted her weight from foot to foot. “Well, because you know I’ve mostly been involved with other women and this is so new and different, I don’t know what to think. Is it possible for me to have a lasting relationship with a man?”

“You’re being silly, Crystal. I know it’s hard for you to take that from me but listen, you’ve been with men before. Many times that I know of. Being bisexual does not mean you can’t love a man. You’re not a lesbian, not only attracted to women. You like men, too. What’s the problem?”

She rolled his words over in her mind for a moment. “You make a great argument, do you know that?”

He let go of her hand and settled back into his chair. “Of course I do. I’m an attorney.” He made a waving gesture with one hand and opened his book with the other. “Now go, talk to your man.”

Crystal bent over and kissed him on the forehead. “Thanks. You’re my best friend and I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Aw, shucks,” he joked, winking. “Now go.”

Crystal slapped his leg and laughed then left to go wake up Tommy. When she entered the bedroom, she heard him snoring lightly. She smiled, the sound giving her a comforting feeling. Moving to the bed, she crawled in to lie beside him. Stroking his stubble-covered cheek, she blew a breath into his ear.

“Mmm,” he murmured, stretching. “What?” He blinked, turning toward her. A smile graced his luscious mouth. “Hello, beautiful.”

“Hello.” She dropped a kiss on his mouth and pulled away before he could hold her there. “Now wait with the steamy kisses. I have something to talk to you about.”

He rolled over to face her, raking his hair back with his fingers. “Okay, but make it quick. I want you now.”

A thrill chased up her spine just thinking about him taking her again. “I wanted to tell you I’ve come to a decision.”

“About what?” He placed his hand on her hip, moving it over the curve of it.

“About us.” She propped her head on her hand and gazed into his brown eyes. “I want us to be together. As a couple.”

A wide smile broke like a sunrise on his face. “I’m so glad to hear that. I love you, you know.”

“And I love you, too.”
There, I said it. And it feels absolutely wonderful.

His expression turned serious. “Are you sure? You’re not just saying that, are you?”

She slowly shook her head. “After much thought and questioning myself, I have come to the conclusion that you have brought me more happiness in two days than anyone ever has in my life.” She placed her hand on his cheek. “I feel something so strong for you it scares me, but I’m willing to take a chance and go with it. I love you, Tommy. I really do. It’s real and powerful and I’m scared, but I want to be with you.”

He pulled her closer, his face inches from hers. “Then marry me. Make it official. Then you won’t have to be scared.”

Crystal swallowed, her heart racing wildly. Adrenaline coursed through her, giving her a rush like she’d never felt before. “If I say yes, what will we do about things like bonding camp? I mean, I need to know your thoughts on either of us having sex with another person. We have to get this straight right now because it’s not something I want to argue about later.”

“Well, you know I’ve been a little wild in my time and things that bother other people don’t bother me. As far as I’m concerned, if you want to continue to come to bonding camps, you can. It is part of what your law firm does and is sort of a requirement for your job, right?”

She nodded slowly. “Yes, it is what we do but a lot of people wouldn’t understand the difference between being in a sexual relationship with someone you love and just having sex as a pleasurable way to get to know someone. Or having sex to satisfy your needs, no love involved.”

“I know the difference, so I would be okay with it. How about you? Would you be okay with me having sex with other people?” He raised one eyebrow.

“As long as it was sex and not something more, I’d be fine with it. What about multiple partners? Sometimes I like to explore things with others of my own sex. Would that bother you?”

He shook his head. “Crystal, there is nothing I would do to hold you back from enjoying your life. As long as you spend your life with me, you can do what you like but come home to me afterward. Does that make it clear enough for you?” He cupped the back of her head and pulled her to him for a kiss. “Now,” he said, holding her close, “marry me.”

Her face was hot, her heart was pounding, and she’d never felt more alive in her life. “Okay,” she said, her world suddenly opening up to the wonderful experience of pure, unconstrained love.

www.christellemirin.webs.com

Christelle Mirin loves a good story. Her love of reading led to her writing career. She writes every chance she gets, including carrying a notebook along with her to her regular job just so she can jot down notes and plotlines. Christelle lives in Ohio with her husband, two dogs, and once in a while, her grand-dog. She has one son who lives nearby, two daughters who live in nearby states, and one granddaughter who she loves dearly. Living along a river, Christelle’s family enjoys the water, whether boating, Jet Skiing or just sitting on the bank and relaxing.

To learn more about Christelle and her works in progress, visit her website at www.christellemirin.webs.com and find out more. There you’ll see some personal photos, learn what she’s working on, and while there, be sure to visit her blog.

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