This Time Forever (15 page)

The next few weeks saw Renee going through her life in a daze.  The skin care line and both salons were doing fantastic, and with the upcoming holidays, things were even busier than ever.  Renee tried her best to immerse herself into her thriving business and at the women’s center.  She had decided that in the upcoming year she was going to become a certified yoga instructor.  This would be something she could do to fill the emptiness that she felt.  Her nights were spent watching reality TV, or singing and dancing competitions.   Even though Constance cooked for her, she decided that she would start making some dishes herself.   She’d even rearranged the furniture.   And even though she tried to fill her life with things, there was no escaping the reality that there was a huge void.  A void that couldn’t be filled by business success, yoga, or cooking.  She climbed into a huge, cold bed at night alone and with tears stinging her eyes.  Was this really the life she wanted?

Chapter 20

“Dad,
I can’t believe I’m in California.  I mean, it’s all I’ve talked about since forever.  Matt is trying to be so cool, but he’s just as excited as me.”  Elliott couldn’t help but to laugh at his daughter’s excitement.  “I know, baby.  Are you sure you guys don’t want me to pick you up?  It’s not that far and with this rain . . .”  Kayla said, “Oh no, we’ve already picked up the rental and I’m driving to your house right now.  He laughed and said, “Mom and Dad can’t wait to see the both of you, and I have to warn you, they have told all their friends that you are coming, so just be prepared.”  Kayla laughed and told him to tell Grandma and Granddad that she loves them and will be there soon.  “Oh, Dad, what’s the weather like?”  “Well, right now it’s kinda cold and rainy.  Nothing compared to New York cold and rainy, but I think it’s going to clear up soon.”  After his call with Kayla ended, Elliott went back to the paperwork on his desk.  He was in the middle of preparing for his client’s upcoming trial.  Just as he was about to immerse himself into his work, his doorbell rang.  He figured the only person crazy enough to be out in this kind of weather without any good reason would be Daniel.   When he opened the door he was prepared to say “Only a wild man or a . . . “   Only it wasn’t Daniel.  As she was standing there, she started to feel a sense of panic.  Maybe she shouldn’t have come.  What if Elliott didn’t want her there?  What if she had messed things up so badly that he never wanted to see her again?  “Renee,” was all Elliott could say.  He was surprised to say the very least.  “Elliott, I was wrong.”  Before she could say anything else, Elliott had pulled her in from the pouring rain and was kissing her lips softly.   She returned his kiss and then started to plant butterfly kisses all over his face.  “I don’t know what I was thinking.  I’ve missed you more than you can ever know.”  He said, “I just want us to be together.  I don’t want to be without you.  I never meant to upset you or to make you feel like the life you’ve made is not important.”  He took her hand and led her into the living area and they sat on the loveseat.  “I guess I’ve been so used to doing things for myself that I freaked out,” she said.  He said, “I just want to be a part of your life and for you to be part of my life.  I want to be there for you.  I want to make things easier for you and the kids.  I know they’re pretty much grown now, but they still need us.”  Renee smiled at him and said “Yeah, I want that, too.”  He placed a loc that had fallen into her face behind her ear and leaned in to kiss her.  “I’m freezing,” she said.  He smiled as he kissed the tip of her nose and said “I can definitely do something about that.”

While Renee was taking a hot shower, Elliott went outside and parked her rental car into the garage and brought in her luggage. 
When he walked into the bedroom, she was sitting on the bed wearing his robe and putting on a lavender-scented moisturizer on her legs.   She didn’t immediately see him, so he stood there watching her as she slowly massaged the fragrant cream into her skin.  “Need some help?” he asked with a sly, sexy grin on his face.  She glanced up at him and batted her thick lashes and said, Mmmm, I’m actually almost finished.”  He said, “Stay right there, don’t move.  I’ll be back in a few.”  Before she could respond, he was walking down the hallway to his office.  He made a phone call to Daniel to let him know that he would be running slightly behind schedule the following morning and he sent an email to his staff also letting them know that he would be a little late.   Afterward, he shut down his laptop, unplugged his phone, and switched off his cell.  When he got back to the bedroom, Renee was lying on the bed on her stomach with the collar of the robe resting at the small of her back.  “You’re right.  I do need some help with my back.  Do you mind putting some moisturizer on my back for me, please?”  He smiled at her and said, “Well, if you really need me to do it, then I just have to do it.”  He took the bottle of lotion from the nightstand and placed some of its contents in his hand.  He started at her shoulders, gently massaging as he worked his way down her back.  When he reached the small of her back, where the robe was resting, he removed it and starting placing kisses all over her back.  Renee took in a deep breath and let out a soft, yet audible sigh.  Starting from her ankles, he placed moisturizer on the back of her legs, working his way up to her buttocks, massaging and lightly squeezing, pleasuring in its round, smooth firmness.  He planted a kiss on each cheek and softly said, “Turn over, please.”  Renee positioned herself so that she was now lying on her back.  Elliott didn’t know where to look – her beautiful face with its soft delicate features, soulful brown eyes hooded by thick black lashes, soft, pink lips, and tousled hair – or her luscious body with its soft breasts, taught nipples, soft, flat stomach with nicely rounded hips, and firm, shapely thighs.  Elliott stood up next to their bed and Renee moved herself so that she was standing on her knees in the bed.  She removed Elliott’s shirt and unfastened and unzipped his jeans.   He quickly removed his boxers.  He rejoined her on the bed, burying his hands in her thick mane of hair and pulling her body close to his in a kiss that made her shiver and sent a hot bolt of desire into her stomach and nether regions.   Elliott let out a deep moan as he bent his head to take her nipple into his mouth.  Renee said, “Mmmm, that was so nice.  But don’t you want me to return the favor?”  Before he could answer, she had picked up the bottle of moisturizer and was rubbing it on his broad shoulders.  As she was working her way down his back and to his buttocks, he moaned again and pulled her to him, this time laying her on the bed.  They kissed passionately, until they were breathless.  Elliott started working his way down Renee’s body, sucking on and gently biting her sensitive neck.  He planted butterfly kisses across her collarbone and over her chest.   He flicked his tongue over her sensitive nipple while gently pinching the other.  Renee had wrapped her legs around his waist and was writhing beneath him, softly moaning, “Elliott.” He shifted his position so that he was sitting up.  Renee took Elliott’s hardened sex into her hand and gently squeezed it.   A deep groan escaped from the back of his throat.  She traced her thumb over its slickened, reddened head and he sucked in a sharp intake of air.  “Aaaah, feels so good,” he said.  He leaned down again and flicked his tongue over her other nipple.  She moaned and arched her chest so that she could feel more of the hot sensation that seemed to go from her breasts down to her sex.  He sat up again and placed his fingers onto her hot, slippery sex.  At first, he slipped his fingers into her tight opening, feeling her juices coat his fingers.  He then used his thumb to simultaneously rub her sensitive clit.  Renee felt her orgasm quickly approaching.  Sensing that she was about to come, Elliott positioned himself so that he was on his back and Renee positioned herself so that she was straddling him.   She gently worked his sac, moving her hands up the shaft of his sex.  Elliott placed his hands on her hips and she slowly impaled herself on him. She sucked in a sharp intake of air as he entered her slowly and deeply.  He placed his hands on her hips first, and then moved them around to grasp her buttocks.  She was sighing and moaning softly as she was grinding in a back and forth motion.  “Renee,” Elliott said, “Feels so good.”  With her tight walls massaging him, Elliott knew that he could not hold on for very much longer.   He placed his palms on her nipples, causing her to arch her back and making her body shudder.   Elliott sat up and placed Renee onto her back.  He was on top of her, licking and sucking her nipples and rubbing his throbbing sex against her hot, sticky wetness.   Renee adjusted her legs so that they were drawn up and at Elliott’s sides.  Just when she thought she would go mad, Elliott had slipped inside her, this time going deeper, feeling her grip him so good and so tight that he couldn’t hold on any longer.  Renee was writhing beneath him, softly, breathlessly crying out his name, “Elliott, please . . . “ He thrust deeper into her, his juices completely filling her. 

Afterward, as they lay on the crumpled sheets, Elliott still on top of Renee, kissing, sighing, and coming back to Earth, Renee said, “I love you, too.”  He smiled into her neck as she said the words that he wanted to hear so many times from her.  “I never stopped loving you, either.  I just wish that . . . “  He said, “This is a new beginning for us.  We don’t have to look back.  And just for the record, I figured out how you felt when Matt told me that his middle name is Elliott.”  They were lying side by side, Renee nestled into Elliott’s arms.  “I needed a way to have some part of you with me.  And he’s so much like you.”  As she was talking, Elliott had a thought.  “So, I was on the phone with Kayla right before you got here.  And she was going on and on about how excited she was to finally be here.”  Renee looked at him with mock confusion.  “Girl, you’re good, you know that?  That was very well played.  Here I was expecting the kids, and instead, it’s their gorgeous mom who shows up.”  She giggled as he pulled her on top of him.  “Oh, wait, Elliott, I can’t right now . . . “  He laughed and said, “I’m going to need at least the rest of this night to recover, but when I do, you’d better be ready.”  They talked, laughed, kissed, and teased until they wore themselves out and sleep overtook them.

Chapter 21

The next few weeks
saw Renee and Elliott lives come together harmoniously.  Kayla and Matt arrived a week after Renee and Christmas was spent at Ben and Lena’s, along with a few of their friends.   Renee spoke with Dennis and Aunt Sophie.  This was the first Christmas in a very long time that she hadn’t spent with them.  “I promise to make a trip there very soon.”  Dennis told her that Liza and Joe had come by to see them earlier in the day.  “Oh, that’s nice.  How are they?”  Dennis said, “You really should give Liza a call.  Says she didn’t get a chance to see you before you left.”  Renee said that she would call Liza soon.  Before hanging  p, Dennis spoke with Elliott.  “Yes, I know.  I think she’s going to call her soon.  I will.   You, too.  Bye.”  When Elliott returned to the living room, Lena and her friends were asking Renee if she could have some of her skin and hair products sent in for them.  One of them said “You know, you could open a spa here and people would go crazy for it.  Everyone is into natural and organic beauty.  You’d do really well here.”  Renee did a brief assessment of their needs, made notes, and told them that she would have the products shipped.   Matt and Kayla were spending the night with their grandparents, so Elliott and Renee were on their own.  On the way home, Elliott noticed that Renee was very quiet.  “You okay, honey?” he asked.  “Hmmm? Oh, yeah.  Just a little tired.  I had a really good time today.”  He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it lightly.  “Yeah, me too.  When we get home, we can go right to bed and we can sleep as late as we want.”  When they got home, Renee and Elliott took a shower together and then went to sleep.  The next morning when she woke up and went into the kitchen, Elliott had made a fruit platter consisting of pineapple, grapes, and an assortment of berries, and was cooking egg white omelets.   She gave him a gentle squeeze from behind and he said, “I was going to bring this in to you.”  She took a sip of orange juice and said, “I needed to get up so I can call the distributor about shipping the products for your mom and her friends, but thank you for this.”   As he was putting the omelets and fruit on plates, he said, “So, what do you think of opening a spa here?”  She took a bite of her omelet, closed her eyes and said, “Mmmm, baby this is sooo good.”  He sat down beside her and said “Not as good as watching you do that.”  She didn’t respond to that comment, but just looked at him and said, “Well, it is a good idea, but I need to make some decisions about New York.”  Elliott said, “Well, I’m pretty sure you could handle business from here.  You know, there is this thing called the Internet and technology . . . “  She laughed and said “Yeah, yeah, yeah.  So I’ve been told.”  They finished their brunch and went back to bed.  After a leisurely and steamy afternoon, as they lay in their bed, Elliott said “I have something I want to give you.”  She sat up as he retrieved a box from the nightstand on his side of the bed.  She looked at him and said, “You weren’t supposed to get me anything, remember?  He said, “No, I forgot.”  He gave her the box and she opened it.  Inside was the necklace that matched the earrings that she purchased the day she and Liza went shopping.  “Elliott, it’s beautiful, it’s . . . “  He placed the necklace around her neck and said, “It’s not nearly as beautiful as the woman wearing it.”  She pressed her hot, naked frame against him and softly kissed his lips.  He could feel himself getting aroused by her again, but he had some other things that he wanted to tell her.  “I think you should call Liza.”  She positioned herself onto her side of the bed.  “Look,” he said, “I know some things were said, and feelings got hurt, but she’s your best friend.”  Renee sat silently as she listened to him.  She knew that what he was saying was true, and she missed Liza so much.  Missed seeing her.  Missed hearing her voice.  Missed her “big sisterly” advice.  She just missed her.  She sat silent for so long that Elliott said “Baby, you okay?”  She swallowed and said, “Yeah.  And I know I should call her.  I miss her, you know?”  He saw the glisten of tears in her eyes and held her close.  “I’ll call her soon.”  He said, I have one other thing I want to tell you, and hear me out before you say anything, okay?  She agreed.  “I know how important New York is to you, and you know I would never want to take anything away that means so much to you.  I signed a one-year lease on the house there.  I figured if we need or want to go there for any reason, it could be ours.  I hope you don’t mind.”  She sat silently for a few moments before saying, “I, I don’t know what to say.  You didn’t have to do that, baby.”  She climbed on top of him, looked into his gorgeous blue eyes, and kissed him deeply, eliciting a deep moan from the back of his throat.  “So what are we going to do about your apartment, the furniture?”  She replied, “Well, my lease is over at the end of the year, and it was already furnished?”  He nodded and said, “So, we just need to get the rest of your personal belongings?”  She agreed and said, “Yeah.  I just need to call and let them know that I won’t be signing a new lease and I need to let Constance know, too.”  He said, “I’ll contact them and take care of getting the rest of your things sent here.  All you have to do is contact Constance to let her know that you won’t be returning, and Liza.”  She said but if there are any glitches or balances . . . “  He said, “Please, baby, just let me handle it.”  She sighed and said, “Alright.  You deal with the apartment stuff and I’ll call Liza and Constance.”  He chuckled and said, “Sounds better when you say it, huh?”  She playfully nipped at his lower lip and said, “Sure does.”  She got out of bed, found a sleep shirt, and took a very quick shower.   Elliott was asleep and she nestled in beside him and did the same.