Page 75 of Landing Love

Never in the history of the world had there been a more perfect woman. She was everything to him. His Ann who crocheted doilies and played the piano and couldn’t swim. And for some reason, she loved him, craved his touch. His fingers traced lightly along her back as her lips traveled lower and lower until…

“Oh, Christ,” he swore, taking deep, gulping breaths as she licked up the length of him and took him in her mouth. Sweet and proper Ann was feasting on him as if he were a strawberry ice cream cone.

The sensation was so intense, his eyes rolled back in his head. He was reduced to deep, animal instinct, unable to stop himself from thrusting into her mouth. He lay helpless beneath her ministrations, blinding desire holding him completely in thrall.

“Ann,” he cried out. “I want to be inside you. Please.”

Taking one last lick and suck, she sat up and straddled him with a sultry smile. “I want that too. I want to feel all of you.” She rubbed his tip along her folds, coating it in her juices, and then notched it against her entrance. “I want you to feel how much I love you.”

With that, she slid down onto him, taking him to the hilt in a single motion. He cried out in wordless ecstasy. Her eyes rolled back, and her mouth froze in a perfect O. They were connected, united, one. He could feel her pleasure as well as his own. It flowed through them both, pulsing and crackling as it drove them to move in an ancient dance.

And in that moment, he knew that Ann was completely his. She moved above him, around him, dancing with him in a slow and steady rhythm.

All he wanted in the world was to give her joy. After all she had been through, she deserved nothing less, and he was humbled that he could give it to her, that he had the power to transport her, at least temporarily, from the darkness that weighed her down.

She moved on top of him as if she was taking something precious and transcendent from their motion. The way she looked would be imprinted forever in his memory, he was certain.

The memory of dancing with Ann the night of Hank’s wedding came to mind. She slipped against him in sensuous silk. She fit so perfectly in his arms as they swayed to the music. Anyone watching, he was sure, would have read the love in his eyes like a book. She let go then, just as she let go now, allowing herself the freedom to be who she was, unencumbered by what she lost. And she was glorious.

This was the real Ann, the woman he saw flickers of as he fed her cake and ice cream the night they met. He was determined to make it his mission to coax her forth, to help her free herself of what weighed her down, and fly.

And in the moment, she made him soar as she took him to ever greater heights of passion. The pressure of his impending release built and built. Soon he wouldn’t be able to hold on anymore. She trembled above him and cried out, bucking against him, and he let go, emptying into her in a powerful stream. One final upward thrust, and he was done.

She collapsed beside him and rested her head on his chest. “Oh, Ann,” was all he could say as he lay there recovering. There was so much more in his heart, but he didn’t have the words just at that moment. He, Bill O’Donnell, was speechless for once.

“I missed you terribly, Bill. I was so worried about you.” She tightened her embrace. “I thought I might never hold you in my arms again.”

“Oh, sweetheart. I’m here. I’m safe. I’m yours.” Had she fully forgiven him for the lipstick incident?

“I’m so sorry I doubted you. I should have trusted my heart instead of giving free rein to my fears. You’ve done so much for me. And I have so little to offer in return. It terrifies me to be so dependent. But I know I’ve married a good man.”

He imagined himself in her shoes. All alone. No family. No home. Very little money, and a tiny baby. Of course she was scared. “I promise I will never give you cause to doubt me again, and I will never stop regretting that I made you worry this once. I love you from head to toe, Ann O’Donnell.”

“I love you too, Bill O’Donnell.”

He grinned. “I will never get tired of hearing that.”

They lay there for several moments in silence, Bill still panting from the exertion. He stifled a cough.

“Are you all right?” Ann propped herself up to look at him.

“Fine. Just still recovering. I still have a bit of a tickle in my chest from time to time. I’m so relieved you and Junior didn’t get this. I’ve never been so sick in my life.” Or so heartsore for that matter. He’d seen too much death in the last few weeks, and he knew that their current safety wouldn’t necessarily last.

“What was it like in the hospital?”

He closed his eyes. What did he want to tell Ann? The last thing he wanted to do was spoil this glorious moment. But he owed her an answer. Opening his eyes again, he said, “Everyone was terribly nice—the doctors, the nurses, the other patients. I slept a lot, and when I was awake, I chatted, read, played cards. Talking was harder than usual with all the coughing. You can imagine how hard that was on me.” He fell silent for a moment, not ready to say more. “I pray you and Junior stay safe through this and that no one we’re close to gets it.”

“We’ll be careful.” She hugged him close and kissed his neck. “Speaking of which, we should buy a house so that we aren’t stuck in here if we have to quarantine again.”

“We can go see the realtor today.” He caressed her flowing hair, picturing a bright future in a darling house with her and Junior. “Did you run across anything that strikes your fancy while I was in the hospital?” He still had his heart set on the Millington house, but he couldn’t deny Ann anything.

“I’ve changed my mind about the Millington house. I think it would make a wonderful home.”

It was too much. All his dreams were coming true in a single morning. How was this possible? “Then let’s put in an offer today.” He hugged her tight. “I promise I’ll have the work done quickly so that we can move out of here.”

“I’ll almost miss it here.” She nuzzled against him. “It holds some very good memories.”

“Yes. Yes, it does.”