Unfinished Business    Part 3 B

Livvy

Headers in Part 1

Rating: NC-17

~~~~~~


Parking the car outside of B&C Morris Reality, Bobby turns to Lindsay and says, "I'll be two minutes, wait here." He's out of the door and walking around the car before she has had the chance to respond. Being this close to arriving at their destination he is nervous and can only hope that all of his plans continue to go as smoothly, and be as appreciated, as they've so far been. He has to laugh at himself, wondering if they are the only people who consider days when they have argued to be smooth ones. While not having one hundred percent enjoyed arguing with her, he is appreciative of the fact that each one has led them to a clearer understanding. He'll happily argue with her every day of their lives if it continues to bring them closer.

This vacation had been planned because Bobby wanted a chance to show Lindsay exactly how he feels about her; he is pinning his hopes on this being a perfect vacation because Lindsay deserves nothing less. Smiling back at her amused face, he pushes open the office door and steps inside. He just needs to finalize the paperwork and pick up the key before they're off to enjoy seven days of fun and sun. Although the office workers are efficient and no delays occur, Bobby finds the time spent inside and away from Lindsay, excruciatingly long. Finally free, he hurries back out to the car only to find Lindsay is gone.

Looking around, he sees her half a block away window shopping. Shoving all of the paraphernalia that he had been handed into the car, he then walks towards her. He isn't surprised when he sees no acknowledgement from her of his approach. There are times when the office can be in an uproar but Lindsay shuts it out and continues to work undisturbed. He's always admired her powers of concentration and can see that whatever she is focussing on now has her full and absolute attention. Sidling up behind her, he growls into her ear, "I thought that I told you to stay."

Lindsay jumps in surprise, then spins around and gives him a playful shove for startling her like that. When his eyebrows remain raised and waiting for a response, she tells him, "After two and a half hours of travelling my bum is numb... and besides, why should you be the only one allowed to get out and have fun?"

Her pout amuses him, leaning his body forward and reaching behind her, he begins to massage the muscles that have caused her such distress, whispering promises that he will revitalise these sleeping muscles for her.

"Bobby!" she scolds, trying to push him away; when it only makes him hold her tighter, she desperately looks around to verify that they aren't being seen.

"Relax," he tells her, backing her towards the wall, "We're not in Boston anymore, Toto."

"Toto?" she laughs, "First you tell me to stay and now you're calling me Toto? Do we need to have a discussion about this, Bobby?"

Grinning, he silences her with a kiss. It pleases him to note that, during the kiss, she stops trying to elude his hands and is actually, now, doing a good job of keeping their squirming bodies pressed together. He puffs up with pride at this demonstration of her desire for him, he loves it when he can persuade Lindsay to be, what she considers, bad. Not that she takes too much persuading, in fact, he is quite sure that most of the time she only lets him think that he is talking her into it. Whatever the truth is, he loves it anyway. Thinking of how wonderful she feels against him and how much better this could be sans clothing, Bobby ends the kiss and whispers, "Let's get out of here." When Lindsay gives him a glassy eyed nod, he takes her hand and, together, they walk towards the car.

"If you throw sticks for me to fetch on the beach I'm leaving," she warns him.

"I will try to resist that urge," Bobby laughs and placing his hand on his heart, vows, "I, Robert Gordon Donnell, do solemnly swear that I will not throw sticks at my fiancée."

Lindsay chooses to ignore his silliness, unfortunately, though, someone forgot to tell her this because four steps later she laughs out loud. Smug, Bobby draws her into his arms and they walk the remainder of the way with his arm over her shoulder and hers around his waist.

When they arrive at the car, Lindsay sighs happily and, looking up at the clear blue sky, declares, "God, it's such a beautiful day, Bobby!"

Sensing that she isn't keen to get back in the car yet, and not wanting their vacation to begin with them getting lost, Bobby takes this opportunity to pull out the street map that he had been given. Laying it on the roof of the car, he verifies how to get from where they are to where they're staying. He had only been pretending to listen earlier as Bron, the Realtor, had shown him the way, having, at the time, been more interested in getting back out to Lindsay. She could have been advising him of the quickest route to Australia for all he knew.

Lindsay watches as his finger traces along the map, "Left off Barker, then right into Raeburn, got it," she softly says, memorizing it, ready to play her role as navigator.

"Good girl," Bobby teases and reaches out to playfully ruffle her hair.

Batting his hand away, she gives him a warning look which loses its severity when she becomes distracted by a convertible speeding past, "Oooh Bobby, we should have got one of those, can you see us driving down the highway with the sun on our faces, the wind in our hair..."

"Bugs in our mouths, dust up our noses," he adds. Folding up the map, he laughs when she turns to him with a disgusted expression on her face. "We might be able to hire one around here somewhere if you want," he offers.

Wrinkling her nose, Lindsay says, "Not anymore, thanks to you."

"Or maybe a motorbike, I could hire a Harley and..."

"Bobby Donnell, on a Harley!" Lindsay laughs derisively.

"What? You can't picture me on one?" he asks, pretending to be hurt that she can't.

She looks at him contemplatively as she remembers her Bad-Boy Bobby image from this morning. Oh, yeah, Rebel Bobby would look incredible on a motorbike; maybe one day she will tell him that too, but not today, today she's enjoying teasing him and she knows that, for all his pouting, he's loving it that she does. Shaking her head, she baits, "I can't really see you on a Harley, maybe a moped, though, that's more your speed." Hiding her snicker at his unimpressed reaction, she asks, "So, what's this mysterious B&B called? The Bates Hotel?"

"Ah..." Bobby stalls, grimaces, then says sheepishly, "Actually, about that, it isn't exactly a B&B."

Unconsciously, Lindsay's hands go to her hips as she asks, "What do you mean, not exactly?"

Bobby smiles, loving the sudden fire in her eyes. He leans back against the car and slipping his hands between her arms and her body draws her closer to him, "I mean..." he begins slowly, "Well, there's a bed... and I can guarantee you breakfast... but, other than that, it isn't a B&B at all."

"Bobby!" Lindsay stares at him, her hands rest against his chest and she bites her lip in confusion and a little trepidation, "Where the hell are we staying?"

"It's a house, a beach house, on the bay, free standing, just us, no intruders," Bobby's prattling now, trying to cover his tracks as he assures her that, although it isn't what he'd told her, it is still good.

Reaching out and rubbing his arms, Lindsay silences him, "It sounds lovely, Bobby, I'm sure it is beautiful but why'd you tell me it was a B&B when it wasn't?" Bobby shrugs a bit, which is a very unsatisfactory reply in Lindsay's book,
"Bobby?" she says moving her hand to his cheek, trying to assure him that she isn't angry with him, just curious about his motives.

"I didn't want to talk about it last night, we had more important things to talk about," he says, not quite meeting her eye. Sighing he looks up, finding courage in the fact that her return gaze holds no censure, he adds, "I knew that if I said it was a B&B you'd leave it at that, but I figured that if I said it was a beach house you'd launch an inquisition."

"What?" Lindsay laughs, then taking a step back, and away from him, states, "I would not."

Putting his hands on his hips and imitating her voice, Bobby says, "Beach house? What kind of beach house? How old is it? How many rooms? Is it fully furnished? This had better not be some shack. Tell me it has indoor plumbing. How big is it? It better not require a lot of cleaning, I am supposed to be on a vacation too, you know. What were you thinking? How could you book us into a beach house without consulting me?"

"That sounds more like Bec than me," Lindsay says, laughing.

Bobby nods conceding that she's probably right; he won't tell her that he had asked Bec for advice on the sort of questions he needed to ask the Realtor, and is just repeating some from that list. Bec would kill him if he let it slip that she, too, had known of their destination and had kept it from Lindsay. He wonders now if all of the questions that Bec had had him ask had been absolutely necessary. He realizes now that one hundred questions may have been a little excessive but, at the time, he'd been so keen to guarantee that it would all be perfect that he had followed Bec's instructions completely.

It worked out well, though, as the moment that he'd stepped through the door, he'd been handed a bag chock full of information on everything that they'll need to know to make their stay in Schneider Bay pleasurable. Strangely, though, it had been Courtney that he had dealt with over the phone, but, having heard his name, she'd suddenly become too busy to serve him and had appeared quite keen to have her partner take over. Maybe, they hadn't so much been efficient as they'd been desirous for him to leave their premises. Bobby decides that Bec is going to get a stern talking to when he gets back to Boston, unless he can think of a payback ruse instead.

He wishes that he could discuss payback with Lindsay, but to do so he would have to disclose Bec's duplicity. He had actually been surprised that Lindsay had never approached Bec, he'd been certain that she'd suspect he'd use her as an accomplice. He had taken the fact that she hadn't launched an assault on Bec as proof that she'd enjoyed the secret and hadn't really wanted to know where they were going; he may have been distorting her motives until they conformed to what he wanted but he had been quite happy believing that. It would serve Bec right if Lindsay found out but, on the other hand, he can just imagine the fireworks in the office should everyone discover that Bec knew that they were going to Schneider Bay all along. That sort of uproar is not one that he wants to create; it's rare that the office is as peaceful as he'd like it to be.

Bobby's face suddenly breaks into a delighted smile, stepping in close he says, "Ooh, you just mentioned the office."

"I did not!" Lindsay declares.

"Did too! You owe me."

"I mentioned Rebecca, our friend, who you just impersonated. It is merely a coincidence that she just happens to work in the office, I did ~not~ mention the office... that doesn't count."

"Does too!" Bobby moves closer to her, a look of intent anticipation on his face, "You owe me a deed of my own determining."

"I do not!" Lindsay protests "I never mentioned the office, if anyone did, you did.."

"You owe me."

"I don't."

Looming over her, Bobby whispers, "Kiss me."

Lindsay giggles, this type of payment she can handle, "Okay," she says, before complying. Reaching up, she guides his face down towards hers, although her intention was to give him a quick playful peck, after all he didn't specify how she was to kiss him, her body has other ideas and the moment her lips meet his they decide to stay and play for a while. When they eventually drag themselves apart, Lindsay whispers, "I never broke the pact."

"Fine," Bobby replies with a smile. Regardless, he got his kiss out if it and so is perfectly happy to let her have the last word. Whether she'd broken their pact and had to pay the prescribed penalty or she just gave him a freebie, the outcome is still the same, he had a moment of pure bliss pressed against her body and inside her glorious mouth, any excuse for that is fine by him. In fact, he is keen to get back there, only, this time, in a more private setting. "C'mon, lets go," he says and walks towards the drivers side of the car.

~~~~~~~


Bobby is beginning to realize that his belief, taking Lindsay out of Boston would guarantee he'd have her full and undivided attention, had been erroneous. Having arrived at their private haven, he has found that his presence is barely required, apart from being the recipient of her exclamations of wonder at each new discovery. Unfortunately, he isn't the one producing such awe, although, technically, maybe he is, after all he is the one who rented the house that she seems to have fallen in love with. Having followed her through every room, nodded along as she'd extolled its virtues, oohed and ahhed with her at the delights in their welcome basket that he'll have to thank the Realtors for leaving, they've finally arrived in the bedroom.

Barely glancing at the bed, Lindsay walks straight to the glass doors that separate the room from the ocean. "Oh, Bobby, this is incredible!" she says as she stands looking out at the view. She turns to face him, the amazement in her eyes making him pump up with pride and admiration. Anytime that she looks at him with such rapture it has to find its way onto his all time favorites list.

She looks so beautiful and so blissfully happy that he finds himself becoming entranced by the wonder of her. This is what he's always wanted to do, to make her this happy; he's seeing his dream reflected back at him in the joy in her eyes and the emotion that it stirs in him is overwhelming. He sits down on the edge of the bed and watches as Lindsay open the doors, giving them an uninterrupted view of the whitest sand and the bluest sea that he ever remembers seeing. The sounds and scent of the ocean immediately fill the room and Lindsay sighs in unmitigated delight. Standing in the doorway, the sun shining over her and the soft breeze ruffling her hair gives Lindsay an ethereal quality that is so breathtaking that it almost hurts Bobby's heart to see.

Researching their vacation, he'd liked the sound of the secluded nature of this place, but coming here practically sight unseen, he'd taken a huge risk. Thankfully, he's discovered that its web-site has not done it justice, the photos there have failed to capture its true beauty, for what he sees before him is even better than he'd ever hoped for. This is the most perfect moment in time that he has ever experienced and, for once, too engrossed in emotion, he doesn't chide himself for having such a sappy thought.

Setting the doors into an open position, Lindsay steps backwards until Bobby's arms can surround her. He rests his head against her side, while with one hand, she reaches down and strokes across his back and shoulder. Slowly Bobby guides her down until she is seated on his knee. He's amused that, throughout the process, her eyes are unable to tear themselves from the view. Rocking her slightly, he presses a kiss to her neck as he asks, "I take it that you approve?"

When she turns to him, her face is aglow, she stares at him for a long glorious moment, before, in awe, saying, "I ~never~ imagined that anything could be this beautiful!"

Bobby smiles as her words mirror his exact thoughts, although the subject of his admiration is not what is beyond those doors but the women that he holds in his arms. He draws her closer, enfolding her in his grasp as her head lays on his shoulder. He smiles when he feels her lips softly brush the edge of his jaw, yes, this is definitely a perfect moment in time. He could happily live this for the rest of his days. He feels her body become languid against him, and rubbing his hand along her side, asks, "What do you want to do now?"

Lindsay sighs, then slowly stands taking a small step away. Pausing, she again looks out at the ocean and becomes distracted by the view and no answer to Bobby's question is forthcoming. She had expected to feel excitement upon their arrival, and she does, but what she hadn't anticipated was this sense of displacement that is now roiling through her, this fear of the unknown that she can't seem to quell. She's unnerved by her own emotions, unsure why they've arisen. On this vacation they have total freedom, a week of just being them, no commitments, no distractions, it is a wonderful opportunity that she's often longed for, but now, having what she has always wanted in her reach, she's terrified.

She feels the excitement, yes, but with it comes an unanticipated apprehension as she realises that with freedom comes a whole new set of expectations. What is most frightening is that she isn't sure what these expectations are, she has no idea what Bobby wants from her while they are here. What if she can't give that to him? What if she fails him? What if she isn't all that he hopes of her? What if, away from reality, away from the life that they know, he discovers that she isn't who he thinks she is, that she isn't who he wants?

She's long dreamed about a chance, such as this, to spend time alone with Bobby, but now, she'd give anything to have their old life back, to return to her safety zone. If he's pinned half as many hopes on this vacation as she has, then... well, the potential for failure is too great. Lindsay doesn't like working without a net, frightened to fall, frightened, mostly, of letting Bobby down.

As Bobby waits for her reply, his hand rests on her hip with no motive other than their unity. She takes strength from it and knows that given time she'll work through this latest bump in the road and emerge stronger for it. Looking out at what lays before her she decides that she won't push it, she won't insist on doing something that she isn't ready for, she is tired and emotional and will let herself settle down, rest and regroup, and then they can begin their vacation; they have a whole week ahead of them and there is no need to rush. Turning to face Bobby, she smiles as she says, "I can't wait to get out there, but... right now, I think that I just want to enjoy the view for a little bit longer. Just lie here, with you, and let it all soak in."

"You okay?" he asks, missing the vivacity that has gone from her eyes.

She rubs his shoulder again, assuring him that she is fine, and reminding herself that she is exactly where she wants to be. "Yeah, I guess, I'm just a little tired," she sighs and, leaning over to place a kiss on his jaw, adds playfully, "It was a very long drive and you kept me up late last night and then woke me too early this morning."

Bobby grins, last night had been a good night, a bit of a roller coaster ride but a great night nonetheless. They achieved a lot of resolution, a lot of issues that had been swept under the carpet were aired and he must admit that he feels freer because of it. This morning, he'd felt so close to her, so playful and at peace, then there was the long strange drive to get here and the emotions that again arose and were dealt with before frivolity could return. Maybe they are still on last nights roller coaster, because as he looks out at the vista before him he feels a strange sense of foreboding. Their discussions last night were almost like closure, putting their past behind them so that they can start anew. Today they've been in a state of limbo, travelling with their past closed and their future unopened, but they're here now, ready for this new all important start.

This is the beginning, the time when they find out who they really are. Their new relationship is like those pristine shores, a blank slate just waiting to record each step they take. Everything feels so wonderful now that Bobby is a little afraid to move on, to risk marring what right now is perfect. Looking at the pensive expression on Lindsay's face he wonders if she is feeling that way too. Is this why she speaks of it with joy, with desire, but shows no inclination to rush out there and embrace it? Is she also worried that this perfect moment in time will prove to be all too fleeting and is therefore hesitant to be the one to bring it to an end? He'd ask her if he wasn't so terrified that her answer would be yes. Knowing how confused their relationship often leaves him, he likes to believe that it makes perfect sense to her, that she knows exactly where they are going. It always unsettles him to discover that she, too, is just stumbling through it. Surely one of them should know what is going on?

Shuffling back on the bed Bobby beckons for Lindsay to join him. With one last look out, she turns and walks to the bed, sits as she removes her shoes then lays back against him. Bobby's hand reaches over her, joins with hers before they then lay clasped beside her heart. Snuggling up close, they rest silent and serene. As Bobby feels Lindsay's breathing even out towards sleep, he begins to speak to her in a whisper-soft lullaby voice. Wanting them to start this new life on an equal footing, he offers a return of the sentiments that she'd shared on their journey here. With his head resting on the pillow with hers, he tells her, in his own way, of his joy at being here with her, his desire to make her as happy as she makes him, his love which is never-ending and his hopes for their future together. His cadence, mixed with the sounds of the ocean, has a somniferous effect and Lindsay soon loses the battle for consciousness.

Bobby stays with her, holding her even after she's drifted off to sleep but he can't get his mind to relax enough to join her. He can't quell the apprehension that has arisen about their stay here. As they drove they'd made a pact that the office would be left behind, that they wouldn't allow it to encroach on this precious time together, no work discussions would be raised or a penalty, of the others deciding, would be paid. During this vacation they are to be just Bobby and Lindsay, friends and lovers. He wonders now if the many problems that they've had in the past months will only be accentuated with the removal of outside influences. Will their differences be resolved or proven to be too monumental? Restless, he quietly rises from the bed, careful not to disturb her and moves to sit on the love-seat where his view can be divided between the beauty outside and that within. If last night proved anything to him, it is that he's happiest in her arms but what he also learnt, is that he's capable of doing her harm. A misplaced word, a thoughtless oversight, a moment of carelessness, simple everyday occurrences have the ability to destroy them. Knowing how volatile and vulnerable she is, can he, for life, guarantee that he'll never hurt her again? And, if not, what then?

~~~~~~~

The sound of waves crashing against the shore, is the first sensation that Lindsay is aware of upon awakening. Taking in a deep breath, she smells the scent of the sea and smiles. Although she had been tired she'd never expected to fall asleep and is surprised that she had. She remembers how totally and utterly content she'd felt lying in Bobby's arms, looking out at the beautiful scenery and listening to his softly enchanting voice and then... nothing, until now. Through the glass doors, she can see him seated outside, on the steps leading from their deck to the sand and something about his posture tugs at her heartstrings. He looks melancholy, nothing like the jubilant man he had been when they'd arrived.

Sitting up, with the intention of going to him, a flash of color distracts her eye, Lindsay smiles and walks toward it. On the writing table beside the door sits a small vase holding handpicked wildflowers; they're somewhat bedraggled and showing signs of too much time in the strong sea wind, they're quite possibly weeds, for all she knows about flora, but it's the fact that Bobby has hand-picked them for her that delights her the most. She reaches in and removes the note that he has left with them, opens the folded scrap of paper, reads the simple words, 'Love you,' before placing it against her heart as she takes in a deep, pleased, breath. This is a love note that doesn't require interpretation. She's grateful for its simplicity as it tells her that it has come straight from his heart; flowery words would have felt too contrived, coming from Bobby.

Lindsay takes a moment to just watch him, as he sits out side, and to compose herself as she strives for courage. There is something that she's been thinking about doing for a while now, something that she wants to ask him and upon arriving here she'd known that this would be the place where it happened. After last night's revelations, she is even more certain than ever that this is what she wants to do. Looking at him, sitting out there all alone, she knows that she wants it to happen now, she doesn't want to be waiting all vacation for the right time, because there couldn't be a more perfect time than this. Placing Bobby's note in her pocket, she walks out to him. In bare-feet and with the sounds of the sea so prominent, Bobby doesn't hear Lindsay's approach. She alerts him of her presence by running her fingers through his hair.

Bobby looks up with a big smile, "Hi."

"I didn't mean to fall asleep," Lindsay says dropping a kiss to his head, "Did you sleep at all?"

"Nah," he says, shaking his head before looking at her, grinning, he teases, "Couldn't... someone was snoring too loud."

Lindsay bumps him playfully with her hip as she climbs down the three steps so that she's standing on the soft sand before him. She takes another deep breath, loving the air there, then turns and faces him, "Bobby, I uh... I want to ask you something."

"Okay," he replies, curiosity evident in his expression.

Lindsay nods, but becomes suddenly nervous, this is harder than she ever expected it to be. She's beginning to wish that she'd practiced what she wanted to say. She hadn't considered doing so because she didn't want it to sound rehearsed, she'd wanted him to know that it came from her heart; only, now, her heart has become surprisingly shy.

When she puts no voice to her question, Bobby reaches for her hand, concerned, he asks, "Lindsay? You okay?"

Sighing, she lowers herself onto the sand then looks up at him and says, "I need to tell you something first, to explain... some things."

Becoming anxious, Bobby again merely says, "Okay."

Sensing his unease, she squeezes his knee, "It's okay, Bobby, it's good..." taking another deep breath she steels herself to begin, "When you asked me to marry you, I... I said that I thought I should think about it first." Stopping, Lindsay looks up at Bobby, he nods to show that he remembers and she continues. "Although it might not seem like it, I did think about it before answering you. In the space of those few seconds, I mentally drew up a page, divided it in half, put yes in capitals on one side, but when I turned to the other I realized that there was no other option. The answer, the only answer was yes, because the truth was that I wanted to marry you." Lindsay smiles in response to Bobby's, she raises on her knees and brushes her fingers over his upturned lips.

"Bobby, something else that you might not believe is that that has never changed. I have and will always want to be married to you. The only thing that changed was..." she pauses, uncertain how to best phrase her thoughts, sitting back on her heels again, she says, "What happened was marriage become more than an abstract idea, reality set in and along with it came insecurities and needs and... and I began to fear that as much as I wanted to marry you, something that I needed to do, to continue being myself, to... to protect myself, not just from you but from me as well, and to stop us destroying one another, even... was to deny what I wanted and do what I thought was right... what I felt was needed. I never wanted to leave but I believed that I needed to walk away... so I did." Pausing again, she lets a tear drop unabated before saying, "I know that, in doing so, I hurt you and for that I'm sorry."

"You only said what I needed to hear." Bobby looks down as he goes on to admit, "I might not have heard you if you hadn't left."

"I wanted to come back, Bobby. I wanted it more than anything, I wanted you... I was just... I was too afraid to. After you hadn't tried to stop me leaving, I hadn't dared hope that you'd come for me."

"I almost didn't," Bobby confesses softly, seeing Lindsay's eyes widen and tears pool, he explains, "I was afraid too... afraid to hear you say no, afraid to lose all hope."

Lindsay turns her face away, closing her eyes as she takes in a deep breath. When she again looks at Bobby, she's composed herself somewhat. Her voice is more steady when she speaks, "Bobby, I think that you know by now how much the idea of marriage terrifies me, it's such a precarious proposition, so... fragile. It's spoken of as an ideal, as... but... there's so much potential for pain, you're virtually handing your life to someone and trusting them not to destroy it."

"Lindsay, I..."

"Shhh!" she loudly interrupts, then looks at him horrified at her reaction. Grasping his hand, she says, "I'm sorry, it's just, Bobby, I need to finish what I have to say, while I still can."

He nods his understanding and Lindsay drops his hand while she takes another deep breath to calm herself. She hadn't expected it to be this hard to say, or to have gone this far off track, she wonders why she always has to complicate matters, why can't she just come straight out and tell him how she feels. Lindsay moves forward until she's kneeling on the bottom step with Bobby's outstretched legs enclosing her. Resting back on her heels again, her hand runs along his calf as she says, "I've given this a lot of thought, Bobby. I've weighed up every side of the argument, again and again and I've come to a decision." Realizing her eyes are concentrating on the action of her hand, she stops its motion and looks up at Bobby, needing to see him when she asks him this question.

Lindsay sighs upon seeing him, Bobby's eyes are closed, his face is slightly turned away from her while his mouth is shaped into a slight grimace; she hates to see him afraid of her. Although she has tried to maintain a smile, it fades, now, as she looks at her beautiful man; he's giving her the time that she's asked for and aching through every word that he hears. Enough with the pain, enough of hurting one another, she tells herself and softly calls his name. He turns to face her but his eyes don't quite meet hers.

"Bobby, please look at me," she asks.

When his moist eyes are turned to her, Lindsay finds it almost impossible not to just raise up and take him in her arms, to comfort him and forget that she ever took them down this track. She had never meant to upset him or to scare him as she has obviously done. She doesn't even want to imagine what it is that he fears he is about to hear. It pains her to know that he has such doubts about her and fortifies her will to follow her plan. Taking yet another deep breath she prepares to finish this and hopefully return the smile to his face.

"Bobby, I need to ask you something."

As he nods, Lindsay sees an increase in fear mar his features. "Bobby," she whispers, and rising up onto her knees, she takes his hands in hers, "Bobby, I've given this a lot of thought, and the one thing that I'm sure of, is that I trust you with my life. I love you and, more than anything, I want to be your wife..."

Relief crosses his face and his hands slip from hers as they reach for her waist. Lindsay quickly presses her hands against his chest. She isn't finished yet, there is more that she needs to say before she gets lost in his embrace. Understanding her intent, Bobby stops, his hands remain on her waist but no effort is made to draw her nearer. She sees the curiosity in his eyes and smiles broadly as she asks, "Bobby, will you marry me?"

The question is barely out before his hands grasp her tightly and she feels like she's flying through the air towards him. She's surrounded by his arms and claimed by his mouth before her squeal of surprise has been completed. The force of Lindsay's body meeting his, sends Bobby falling backwards until he's laying on the decking with her sprawled over him and their entwined legs dangling over the steps. Neither seems to mind this new position and they continue to kiss unabated. Eventually Lindsay pushes up off of Bobby, holding him down when his mouth tries to follow hers, she asks, "Are you going to give me an answer?"

Her grin tells him that she knows exactly what his answer is but, so that she will never have a moment of doubt, he tells her categorically, "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, YES!" Ending with such a shout that his answer may have even been heard back in Boston.

Laughing, Lindsay collapses back against him, Bobby draws her face closer and kisses away the tears now streaking her skin. They lay in each others arms, alternating between excited chatting and tender kisses, until the adrenaline rush wears down and the realization that decked wood isn't conducive to comfort arises. Lindsay sits, then pushing off of the deck, climbs down the steps to again stand on the sand. Bobby raises on his arms as he watches her, a goofy grin refuses to leave his face. When Lindsay doesn't turn back, Bobby raises higher, drawing his feet up to lay on the top step, he rests his arms on his knees, enjoying the view that she presents. After Bobby's movement, Lindsay looks over at him then back to the water, before turning to face him fully. With a smile she reaches for the cuffs on his pants and begins folding them up.

"What are you doing?" Bobby asks.

"Let's go for a walk."

"And for this you have to make me look like an idiot?" he teases.

Lindsay smiles, "Of course not, I know you're perfectly capable of achieving that on your own."

Bobby's eyes narrow, seeing that he's ready to pounce, Lindsay takes off running towards the water. Bobby catches her after a few strides and grasping her hand drags her even faster towards the wet sand. As the firmer sand makes their footing more steady, he takes her in his arms drawing them to a stop. The change in momentum causes Lindsay to take flight as he spins her around. Her full-throated laughter circles them and is the most glorious sound that Bobby has ever heard. When her feet again touch the earth, Lindsay's hands remain steadfastly around his neck and she raises on the tips of her toes to join her smile with his.

Eventually they pull apart, and after a moment of close whispering, Lindsay drops her arms from around his neck and, taking his hand, says, "C'mon," as she leads him towards the waters edge. Bobby hisses when the cold water laps over his feet and Lindsay looks up at him amused.

Seeing the accusation of 'wimp' flash in her eyes, he responds with, "Hey, I've got sensitive toes."

Lindsay laughs and they begin walking along the shoreline. "It's so quiet here," she says, turning to face him.

"Too quiet?"

"God, no. It's wonderful. Sometimes I just want to shout at the city to stop, to shut the hell up, so, this is perfect, it's incredible. Bobby, thank you."

Bobby smiles and draws her against him, her back to his chest. Looming over her, he points to a house three away from theirs and says, "See that green house?"

"Yeah."

"The six houses starting from there are all rentals, that one's booked for this weekend, the one the other end next weekend but the rest of the time it's just us."

Lindsay sighs in delight and turns in his arms, hugging him tight. They stand just holding one another for a long time. A cool breeze blows up off of the ocean and when Bobby feels Lindsay shiver, he pulls back and asks, "You cold?"

She shakes her head no, then grins and says, "Compared to Boston lately, this is practically a heat wave."

"You shivered," Bobby says caressing her cheek.

"No, I didn't."

"I felt it."

Finding his scrutinizing gaze a little disconcerting, she says, "I don't remember," before turning to continue their walk.

Bobby grabs for her hand, making it impossible for her to walk away. She looks over her shoulder at him with her eyebrow raised questioningly. The smile on his face is so broad and compelling that she turns around fully and asks, "Bobby, what?" When he doesn't answer, just smiles even more, she steps towards him and again asks, "What?"

His fingers play with the hair being buffeted by the breeze, making a somewhat futile effort to keep it from covering her face. "I can't believe you just proposed to me," he says, the amazement evident in the tone of his voice.

Lindsay blushes a little and quietly asks, "Was that okay?"

"Was that okay?" Bobby repeats amused, before, noting her insecurity, he draws her to him, whispering, "Come here you."

Lindsay steps into his arms, wrapping her own around his waist as he pulls her close. Bobby rests his cheek on her shoulder and speaking softly into her ear, says, "Lindsay, that was the single greatest moment in my life, so, yeah, it was okay."

"I'm glad," she whispers back to him, strengthened by his embrace, she always feels so secure in his arms.

"Lindsay, the things that you said to me..." he sighs and kisses her again, before saying, "Thank you! I'll admit that your doubts do scare me... so the knowledge that you now believe in us enough to ask that of me... I... I needed to know that. I didn't know that I did, until you said it... but, I needed to hear that."

Bobby pulls back so that he can look at her, he almost expects to see amusement in her eyes, when she raises them to him, but finds only love. He's pleased, although he believes that he made a mess of explaining how he feels, it doesn't matter, because Lindsay understands him. "I love you," he declares and she raises her lips to his, affirming her love for him.

All thoughts of walking along the beach are forgotten, as, instead, they hold one another and kiss, letting their mouths and not their feet explore this new territory, this relationship that in the past few days has taken an unexpected and much appreciated turn. Soon, though, the wind picks up its intensity and the chill of the ocean is felt in the breeze. Breaking from the kiss, and huddling against Bobby, Lindsay states, "Okay, now I'm cold."

"Hungry too?" Bobby asks.

Although she hadn't considered it, now that he has put the suggestion in mind, she realises that she is. "Yeah, I'm starved."

"Let's go find somewhere for dinner."

"I need a shower first."

"You don't need a shower."

Lindsay pulls out of the embrace, and is about to argue that they travelled all day and she just needs to freshen up, when Bobby swoops in and picks her up. Heading towards the water he says, "A dip in the ocean will do the trick."

"Bobby!" Lindsay shouts, afraid that his laughter suggests he is serious about dunking her.

Thankfully though, the water soon laps at his toes, and with a shriek he turns and walks in the opposite direction.

"Put me down, Bobby," Lindsay laughs.

"Nope, I'm carrying you over the threshold," he replies, determinedly walking towards the house.

"We're not married yet," Lindsay reminds him, "It doesn't work that way."

"Well, I'm practicing then," he contends, "Practice makes perfect, right?"

"You're insane," she laughs.

He lowers her to the ground and his hands frame her face as he says, "I know... I'm crazy about you."

"And I'm crazy about you," she replies, drawing him down for another kiss.

Bobby's arms wrap around her and, as they hug, he asks, "So, is this our practice honeymoon?"

"Maybe," Lindsay shrugs, then pulling away says, in a more serious tone, "No, no lets not put pressure on ourselves, Bobby. Let's just let this be what it is and enjoy it."

"And what is it?"

She pauses as she considers the question, looking out at the ocean and then back at him, she says, "So far, it's a walk on the beach, as to the rest, we'll just have to wait and see."

"I know," he says with wink, "It's a walk on the beach and a shower."

"A walk on a beach, a shower and dinner," she adds with a grin.

"A walk on a beach, a shower, dinner and..." he waggles his eyebrows suggestively at her, offering her his most lecherous leer. He is rewarded for his efforts with her laughter; God, he loves that sound.

"Maybe," she grins and begins walking towards the house, "Feed me and you'll see," she calls back at him from over her shoulder.

Bobby enjoys just watching her walk for a while, knowing that that extra swing in her hips is for his benefit and more than appreciating her gift. When he feels that he's let her get too far away though, he grins and hurries after her. "C'mon woman," he says grabbing her hand and hurrying her along, "I'm hungry."

Lindsay laughs, unsure which hunger he means to assuage but delighted with either option. The apprehension that she had felt upon arriving has well and truly disappeared, leaving her relaxed and blissfully happy; she feels, now, the way that she'd always imagined she'd be. With the way Bobby is looking at her, his touch and his kisses, she knows that she has nothing to fear; she feels loved and, most of all, feels confident in that love. This certainty that they are and will always be together is the most amazing thing that she has ever felt. She doesn't quite understand the reason for this change in her but has no intention of questioning it either. As she's just told Bobby, she's willing to let it be what it will be and just enjoy it. She's already wasted too much time thinking and over analysing everything, the time has now come to just let herself feel; it's time to follow her heart and not her head.

~~~~~~~

While Lindsay showered, Bobby had been set the task of choosing and booking a restaurant. Fearing that dallying would result in her having company, and, subsequently late for their meal, Lindsay, to Bobby's disappointment, hurriedly showered. She'd dressed while he showered and, waiting for him to get ready, has become progressively hungrier and hungrier. Bobby, however, has been quite happy to joke around and tease and take a God-awful long-time about getting ready. So much so that she had been forced to implement the silent treatment on him, claiming that she would not speak to him again unless he was dressed and ready and walking out the front door. He'd given her a cocky grin and had walked back into the bathroom. She hasn't heard a word from him in over five minutes and is sitting on the edge of the bed, desperate for a chance to talk and damning her stubborn refusal to back down.

Hearing a decidedly unmanly shriek emanating from the bathroom, Lindsay smiles as she turns to face the door, "Is everything okay in there?" she calls out.

"Floor's wet," Bobby mumbles around a mouthful of toothpaste, "So, now my socks are too." Appearing in the doorway, he asks, "Can you grab me another pair?"

Lindsay nods and watches him lower himself to the bath's edge so that he can remove the ruined pair. Flipping open the suitcase, that he's yet to unpack, she asks, "So, Bobby, how many pairs of socks did you pack?"

"Enough for a week," he replies.

"And how many pairs have you worn today alone?" The only answer she receives is the thud of the now balled up socks hitting her on the arm. "Hey!" she says, spinning around to glare at him.

"Sorry," he calls back, before returning to the task of cleaning his teeth.

Finding no sincerity in his contrition, she's tempted to throw them back at him but decides rather than a sock war she'd like to get to dinner at a reasonable hour, breakfast was a long time ago, lunch had pretty much consisted of cookies while they drove and, to be honest, she is starving. She unrolls his socks and, leaving them outside to dry, comes back in to get him a fresh pair. As she's attempting to close his suitcase, which, because of it's dilapidated state, requires quite a lot of coaxing and fiddling, something pricks her finger. Pulling her hand away and looking at her finger she sees no puncture mark and so returns her gaze to the case, seeing a white corner sticking through the lining.

"Thanks," Bobby says, walking past and picking up the socks that she'd removed, he sits on the bed to finish dressing.

"There's something in here," Lindsay says, indicating the suitcase.

"Your powers of observation are remarkable," Bobby quips.

Lindsay smiles and says, "No, I mean that there's something caught under the lining."

"What?" Bobby asks, more interested in tying his shoelace.

"Almost got it," Lindsay says trying to work it free, "Ooh, it's a photo," she says as more comes into sight.

"How'd that get in there?" Bobby asks. Standing, he walks over to her, "Give us a look," he says and Lindsay huffs in frustration as she's still trying to work it free. She nudges him out of the way but he takes it from her, the moment that it is free. Holding it up where she can't see it he laughs, saying, "Oh God, look how young I am... hey, are there anymore?"

"It's your suitcase, Bobby, how should I know?" she says reaching out for him to pass it to her.

"True, you know this old thing has gone everywhere with me, who knows what else you might find in there?" Seeing Lindsay's curiosity may have them spending the rest of the night tearing his case apart, he quickly asks, "Hey, you ready?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go then I'm starved."

Reminded of her hunger, Lindsay barely glances at the photo when he hands it to her before, placing it on the table and quickly following him out of the room. It isn't until they are driving that she gives it another thought. "Hey, Bobby, what was that photo from?"

"Um..." he pauses, trying to recall, "Going away party for college, I think."

Lindsay nods and they travel the rest of the way in silence. As they pull to a stop outside the restaurant, she turns and says, "Going away? You didn't go away to college, so, was it a party for a friend?"

"No, it was mine," Bobby replies and climbs out of the car. When he joins Lindsay on the pavement he chuckles, "Everyone else was having one, Dad didn't want me to miss out just because I'd chosen to stay in Boston, so he threw me a party anyway.."

Lindsay smiles, the fondness of the memory is evident on Bobby's face. He and Stephen love one another so much and yet neither seems able to admit it. Their relationship is somewhat stilted but Lindsay knows that is isn't from a lack of emotion; she wonders, is it from too much? "He loves you a lot," Lindsay tells him, knowing that it is something Bobby can never hear enough.

"Yeah, I know," Bobby replies and, laying his arm over her shoulder, they walk into the restaurant together.

Lindsay watches Bobby through her peripheral vision, enjoying seeing him so at peace in his memories and not wanting him to feel self conscious under her gaze. As they wait to be seated, she becomes a little restless and breaks his reverie when she asks, "Bobby?"

"If you want to know what food was served at the party, I'm not sure I remember," he teases.

"I'm sorry," she smiles self consciously, "I just get curious. I hardly know anything about your life before we met."

Bobby leans into her and asks softly, "What would you say if I told you that I didn't have a life before we met."

"I'd say, you're a liar, but I love you anyway because you're very sweet."

"Sweet?" Bobby mouths around a grin, shaking his head, unimpressed, before mouthing it again.

Lindsay is about to respond but is interrupted as their name is called and they are led to their table. When they're seated and perusing their menus, she says, "I want to know who you are, Bobby."

"You know who I am," he replies, amused.

"In some ways, yes, but in others..." she shakes her head and says, "Sometimes, I just have no idea who you are."

Bobby looks surprised at this revelation and says, "I'm an open book, Lindsay... What's mine is yours, ask me anything."

Lindsay smiles, for some strange reason she can't get that photo out of her mind. She didn't have a clear look at it, really only glanced at Bobby's youthful face before putting it aside. At the time, no concern had registered but now something is niggling at her. She doesn't know what it is and she won't until she gets to look at it again, in the meantime, though, Bobby's offered her an opportunity too good to pass up. A smile rises at the thought of it but drops again with Bobby's next words.

"Ooh, but you know what, I've just decided on a condition."

"Bobby! That's not fair!" she complains, "You said that I could ask you anything."

"Yeah, and you can, I'll still answer anything, I promise. My condition is that you have to answer the question too, you know, what's mine is yours, what's yours is mine... quid pro quo."

"Okay, fair enough," Lindsay nods, she smiles and begins to think about what to ask first, not concerned at all at the fact each question will require an admission of her own.

"So, first question," Bobby prompts, as eager to learn more about her as she is about him.

"What are you ordering?" Lindsay asks. When Bobby looks at her surprised, she grins and says, "You know how it is, start off slow, get them comfortable then reel them in with a surprise attack."

Bobby squirms in his chair and begins tugging at his collar, "I'm suddenly quite scared," he declares.

"So you should be," Lindsay replies with a grin.

Leanne, their waitress, arrives to take their order before any real questions can be asked. If she finds the looks and soft giggles that the couple before her keep exchanging as they place their order to be strange, she doesn't let on.

When they are alone again, Bobby looks at Lindsay expectantly, his demeanor informing her that he is still waiting for the so far elusive questions to start.

"Bobby, I've been thinking," she says, "We really don't know one another at all."

"What? That's ridiculous."

"No, no it isn't. We skipped the whole getting to know you stage of a relationship."

"Because we already knew one another before we were ever in a relationship."

"But we didn't, I mean we did, but not really."

"I'm glad you made that clear," he laughs.

Lindsay ignores him, takes a moment to get her thoughts clear in her head and then says, "Bobby, we got to know one another as colleagues, sure we became friends after that but, Bobby, our relationship started through work, and who you are in a work environment and who you are in life aren't the same. We never got to know one another socially, we just carried over our work relationship and now, I mean look at who we socialize with, Bobby. I don't know your friends, you barely know any of mine. We don't know anything about each other outside of what we learnt in the office. I mean, we were engaged to be married for God's sake and you'd never spoken to me about your mother until... until..." Lindsay pauses, she hadn't meant to say that and doesn't want to bring up the whole wedding dress fiasco again.

She knows that bringing his mother into a conversation is a sure fire way of closing Bobby up. They've spoken about her once, after he'd come to her and promised to let her in, should she return, he'd made good on that promise. He'd made a tentative start, telling her of a favoured childhood memory and she'd seen in that tale the deep love that that little boy had felt and understood a little better the magnitude of his loss. There is still so much unknown territory but on this subject she knows not to push, it isn't necessarily that he's keeping her out, it's just so hard for him to relive the emotions. She saw that that night, and, though still immensely curious, hasn't been able to bring herself to make another approach, she isn't sure that seeing him hurting is worth the information that she desires.

Taking a deep calming breath, she smiles a little apologetically for her unexpected rant. "I just want to know you," she says again when calmer.

Bobby offers her his hand and she willingly takes it. Giving it a little squeeze, he says, "Ask me anything?"

"I will," she squeezes back, seeing the promise in his eyes that tonight he is offering her everything. "I'm just not sure where to start," she says and shrugs.

Bobby grins and says, "On a cold wet miserable day in 1961, Robert Gordon Donnell, weighing in at 8 pounds 11 ounces of indignant fury, came kicking and screaming into the world."

Lindsay laughs then her face drops into an expression of horror.

"What?" Bobby asks instantly concerned.

"You were pretty big for a first baby."

"So?"

"So, as the mother of your future children, I'm not sure that I wanted to know that."

Bobby leans over and raises their joined hands to his lips. Lindsay sees the delight in his eyes and feels the resulting moisture brim in her own. It had only been a throw away comment, one of those things that the significance of what is said isn't considered until the effect has been realized. Although they have talked of their dreams for the future, have mentioned a wish to have children, today, this moment, is quite possibly the first time that they've truly accepted that one day they'll be parents. If the way Lindsay feels right now is any indication that day may be sooner than she'd ever considered in her life plan. Then again, her life plan had been decidedly career orientated until she'd met a man that her heart had refused to ignore; a man who was prominent in many fantasies involving her future long before any relationship with him had become a reality. There was a time when those type of thoughts about him had terrified her but not anymore, now, she knows that he is her future, as she is his and she wouldn't change that for anything.

Before a word can be said, their moment is interrupted by the arrival of their meals. Lindsay is surprised when Bobby's hand stays entwined with hers on the table top as their plates are placed before them. His normal reserved manner is gone and he looks at her with open adoration, barely acknowledging anyone else's presence. One of the first things that she'd admired about Bobby had been his intensity. When she's the focus of it, though, she finds it almost paralysing. No man has ever stopped her heart or stolen her breath like Bobby can. When he looks at her like he's doing now, she feels rationality flee her and there's nothing that she can do to coax it back. Oh, no, not when her libidinous desires are barricading the door and throwing away the key.

Afraid to speak, afraid of the lack of control that she has over her traitorous mind and body, Lindsay breaks their connection and looks away. Her eyes drop to her meal as her free hand shakily reaches for her fork. She feels Bobby's hand loosen it's hold on hers and mistakenly assumes that he's letting her go. She takes a relieved breath, only to feel his fingers begin to trail along the skin of her forearm, causing her to release that breath on a sigh. When she looks up she can see by his eyes that Bobby knows exactly what he is doing to her. He's too smug, she thinks with a touch of delight; a smug Bobby is a happy Bobby. Although she would never deprive him of a moments joy, she plans to make him squirm just a little.

Again, seated at a table with a meal before them, she's reminded of their aborted activity of this morning, of the fact that Bobby had offered her a taste of extreme rapture, only to then take it away, leaving her aggravatingly, frustratingly, on edge and unfulfilled. Oh, sure, technically it hadn't been his fault, he had fully intended to gratify her every need, although, had he disclosed that they had extra time earlier maybe she may have gotten the show on the road, so to speak, a little earlier and, therefore, not have been interrupted by that call. Deciding that it is all Bobby's fault, Lindsay wants him to feel the same tortuous anticipation that she's again experiencing. The torment of wanting desperately to grab him by the collar, drag him across the table to her and kiss him so thoroughly that even his soft palette goes hard, but for the sake of convention and decency, having to sit primly before him and eat her meal.

Ooh, yeah, he owes her and she is going to make him pay. She knows exactly what to do, as he's done it to her often enough, so, now, it's payback time. God, she loves it when that time comes around. Using the only weapons that she has on hand, Lindsay sets out to drive Bobby insane with desire.

Leaning slightly forward, she allows her eyes to drift shut as she takes in a deep breath savoring the aroma of her meal. Her mouth drops open a fraction as she emits a thoroughly contended sigh. Slowly trailing her tongue across her lips, she lowers her eyes to her meal before, opening them and looking up at Bobby with a desire filled smile, she raises a forkful to her mouth, she slowly takes it in and allows her lips to close around the fork, her eyes then close and she draws the fork out with a long satisfied moan.

"Oh, so, good," she hums before opening her eyes and returning them to her plate. Taking another deep breath she repeats the process throwing something extra in each time, be it a sough of contentment, a shiver of her spine or a deep breath with her head thrown back and her neck arched in pleasure. Bobby's fingers have long since stilled against her arm and, if she wasn't having so much fun, she'd love to catch his eye. She knows that she can't, though, because the moment that she does she'll break out into laughter. The sound of his breathing is enough to let her know that her performance is having the desired effect. He is suffering all right, suffering in such a wonderful way. She can feel the heat coming off of him, or maybe that's the heat pooling inside of her. Whichever it is, it's intoxicating and her body is alive with it.

Finally unable to take anymore, Bobby hisses at her, "Cut it out!"

Lindsay's eyes open wide in an affectation of innocence, she purrs, "Cut what out, Bobbeeeee?" and he can't help laughing at the dramatic batting of her eyelashes. Knowing that her ruse has ended, she's playing it up completely, concentrating on being absurd as much to pull herself out of the sensual realm that she'd slipped into, as to amuse him.

"You know exactly what," Bobby says, his tone is harsh but his eyes are delighted, "Just remember we're leaving together, and while I might be the one walking funny, all eyes will be on you because they'll know that it's all your fault."

"Shameless hussy," Lindsay declares in an imitative mocking voice with a moue of disgust.

"Yeah, but you're my hussy and I love you anyway," Bobby says, drawing her hand to his mouth, as he kisses it her thumb plays along his lips.

Lindsay laughs then looking at his still full plate says, "C'mon, Bobby, hurry up, I don't want to be sitting here watching you eat all night."

"Got other plans?" he asks, leaning back in his chair seemingly unaware of what they could be.

"Why, yes, I do," she says with a secretive smile.

"Lindsay," Bobby moans feeling his self control waning again.

"Eat," she giggles, "I'll help take your mind off it." Putting on a thoughtful face she hums, "Hmmmm, lets see, what's a nice deflating image?" she has another mouthful of food, while she thinks. Bobby has just taken a mouthful when she says, "Hey, have you ever wondered what Swackheim would look like in fishnets?"

Bobby almost chokes on his food. The resulting struggle for oxygen is enough to get his blood flowing back away from the danger zone. "You won't be satisfied until you kill me will you?" he groans.

"Sorry," Lindsay says, unsuccessfully hiding her laughter behind her hand.

"Let's just finish this meal in silence," Bobby suggests.

"Fine," Lindsay agrees but bores her eyes into his, never letting their gazes part and promising him all that she isn't allowed to say in words.

Bobby is barely finished his last mouthful before, foregoing dessert, they're paying their bill and hurrying to the car. Their bodies are too eager though and Lindsay soon finds herself pressed against the car undergoing a full assault on her senses. She's thankful that neither really even finished their first glass of wine, because lust alone is going to make driving near impossible. Reaching into Bobby's pocket, she removes his keys, then sliding out of his grasp implores, "C'mon, we need to get out of here."

They've barely travelled a block before Lindsay regrets having gotten behind the wheel, she'd considered this the safest option, not sure that Bobby could have kept the car on the road in the state that he is in. What she had not foreseen, though, had been the fact that, as a passenger, his hands are free to do as they please. If she dents the car because of his wandering hands then he's filling out the insurance claim and explaining why. Falling in love with the accelerator pedal, she thanks God that they are on quiet, deserted streets and not in Boston. They scarcely make it in the front door before attacking one another with the frenzy of a day's pent up anticipation. Getting all the way to the main bedroom at the rear of the house is an impossible ask; thankfully there is comfort to be found in a far closer venue. Not that comfort is uppermost on either of their minds right now. Once the privacy of a locked door had been achieved the pursuit of pleasure was all that mattered.

Although, relentlessly pawing at one another, not much progress is being made, minds have shut down and even the simplest tasks have become complex. Bobby found the workings of a zipper too taxing intellectually and resorted to merely sliding his hands under the hem of Lindsay's dress and up her body so that she's now in the elegant position of having her dress bunched somewhere around waist level which had been as high as it needed to go for Bobby to reach the skin of her breasts. There one hand stays, tousling as feverishly with a nipple as their tongues are with each other. His other hand is wrapped around her hips holding her against him so every squirm of their bodies sends them ever closer to madness. Dry humping against the wall isn't exactly what she'd been anticipating all day but yet neither seems interested in stopping. As much as both want more it all feels too good to change.

Lindsay is in an ever increasing state of frustration. The only skin that she can access is his back, now that her frenzied clawing has finally pulled his shirt free of its moorings. As wonderful as those undulating muscles feel against her fingers she wants more skin to roam over. The problem is, to achieve this end would require her prying her body off of his and... and well that isn't exactly an incentive to act. So, she's left really with only one option, enjoy what she can but be on full alert for the first opportunity for more.

Lindsay's eagerly awaited chance occurs when Bobby breaks from their kiss and, gasping for air, begins to travel down her body in search of other delights. Lowering his mouth to her breast, he grunts a little after receiving a mouthful of material; this obstacle isn't enough for him to move his mouth away, though. Lindsay briefly wonders if he'd been surprised not to find the same skin with his lips, as his hands had done, then decides that that is more thought then the situation requires, and admonishes herself to focus on the objective. Deciding to get the show on the road, she pushes against Bobby's shoulders and, leading him two feet further into the room, directs him to the floor and orders, "Later... in me... now!"

Bobby's hands slide down her body, drawing her underwear down with them as his knees drop to the floor. Lindsay follows him down, her hands reaching frantically for his belt as their mouths again join. Buckle undone, button, zipper, then with a flick of his hips and the help of Lindsay's guiding hands his pants and boxers are falling away. Not that they get too far away though, his knees being planted on the ground bring a swift end to their descent. Bobby's not moving for any reason, not now that Lindsay has shuffled forward and is lowering herself onto his body. Oh God! No, he's not moving away from this, it feels like he's been waiting months to be right here, not just eight or so hours. Nope, not moving away, not leaving this perfection.

When he's filling her completely and her bottom now rests against his thighs, his arms wrap around her and he attempts to devour her whole. He shuffles his knees apart for more leverage and the moan that reverberates throughout her body has him ready to explode. Who knew she was that primed to go, well, actually he had from the moment she almost jumped him in the restaurant but it never hurts to be reminded how she feels... and she feels damn good! Speaking of hurts, though, he needs to move now and her hips are doing that grinding thing which means he probably should be doing more than just kneeling here thinking of what he should be doing or she won't be too happy with him.

Bobby's spurred into action when he feels Lindsay begin to pull away. Her hands move from around his neck to rest on his chest and gently push against him. He grips her hips tighter just in case, wherever she's going, she intends taking them with her. He's just gotten her right where he wants her, or gotten himself right where he wants to be, whichever it is, he isn't losing her now. Thankfully, though, he realises her intent is to bolster her upper body by leaning against the couch behind her. Who knew that they'd been that close to furniture? Well, Lindsay did, obviously. It's times like this that he loves how quick her mind works, not that he doesn't love it all the time, but, when his has shut down, he truly appreciates that she still has incredible cognitive prowess.

Now that Lindsay is braced with her lower arms resting on the couch, it opens up a whole new angle that feels so incredible to Bobby that instinctively he has to thrust up hard. When this elicits an immodest exclamation from Lindsay, he smiles proudly; loving it when she talks dirty to him, he rewards her with another hard thrust which garners the same reaction. "I am, baby, I am," he assures her.

Hearing her mumble about just being bitten, he looks at her in confusion. Her body is positioned at right angles from his and there's no way in hell that she can think he has just bitten her; the only place they are joined is from their hips downward and he can't remember ever having teeth down there. While his mind may be swirling, his body isn't interested in finding out what she means, it has one intent only - more, and continues seeking it, unabated. Three thrusts later, Lindsay screeches again and pushes off the couch and into his welcoming arms, 'Yeah, baby, I'll protect you,' he thinks as he asks, "What's wrong?"

"Belt," she complains and he looks at her confused, trying to work out what she wants. "Hurt me," she adds and waves her hand behind her.

Looking over her shoulder, Bobby sees that the pin on his belt buckle has taken a liking to Lindsay's ass. Not that he blames it, he's rather partial to it himself, you'd be surprised the number of times each day he has to wake himself from a daydream about it. When people see him frowning in his office, nine times out of ten, it isn't about the case but the fact that he has to tear his mind from more delectable matters to concentrate on the case. Really it isn't a good idea to have Lindsay sitting in his line of sight, but, by God, he'll put up a fight should she ever suggest moving her desk.

Kissing her forehead he runs his hand over the mark that's been left behind, before saying, "I'd kiss it better but I'd have to..." he wriggles his hips a little and grimaces, unimpressed with the idea of separating from her.

"Don't you dare," Lindsay hisses and, reaching down, pulls the belt free from its loops, throws it across the room, then returning her hand to his shoulder, says, "So, where were we?"

Ah, he loves a women of action and determination. SuperLindsay, can solve complex logistical problems with a single deed, turn him hard with a single look and shatter his body with her heat.

The slight delay in proceeding has given them time to catch their breaths and, as they look at each other now, their eyes widen in surprise at the evidence of their prior frenzy. Having been consumed with desperation, neither quite remembers getting to this stage in the proceedings and they love that they don't.

"My God," Lindsay says with a broad grin.

"I think we skipped a few steps," Bobby laughs.

Technically you could say they are still fully dressed; apart from bare thighs, Bobby is yet to remove an article of clothing, and with his hands now on the outside of Lindsay's dress, it has dropped to a relatively decent level. Scanning her body, he decides that that is something he needs to fix. He slides his hands up her back, reaching for the zipper of her dress, as he slowly draws it undone, his fingers glide along her spine making her body arch against him and her breath wash over him on a sigh. Task complete, he reaches for the hem and eases her dress up and off.

"Much better," he says as he throws the dress away.

The moment Lindsay's hands drop free from her dress they become busy undoing the buttons on Bobby's shirt, while his seek the clasp of her bra. When both items are removed, they look down at his legs and laugh. "We're going to have to move to lose them, Bobby," she says when her laughter subsides.

"They're fine where they are," he replies, in truth, it's that he's fine where he is and he has no desire to leave her body for the sake of removing clothing.

"C'mon," she encourages him and tilts her head to the floor, "We can do this."

Unable to deny her anything, Bobby slowly lowers her to the floor. Although he had fully intended then removing his clothing, seeing her laying there before him is too much of a distraction and he crouches over her as their lips meet. Though these kisses are less frenzied than before, they are just as intoxicating. Bobby's hands and Lindsay's feet make a gallant attempt to rid him of his clothes, but, with his shoes still on and neither of their minds totally focussed on the task, the best that they achieve is a tangle somewhere around his ankles.

"Leave them," Bobby again suggests and this time Lindsay readily agrees, having had enough of delays and wanting him back inside her, now. Agreeing fully with her need, he kneels up, reaches for her and draws her body towards him. When he slowly enters her again, her hissed, "Yes," accompanies his breathy, "Yeah."

Bobby's hands move along her body, then, hooking her legs over his arms, he leans towards her until his palms come to rest on the floor by her chest. When their mouths meet again she's almost folded in two. With her pelvis tilted up off the ground, and him above her, Bobby moves slowly within her, evoking from her a constant stream of gabbled pleasure. Listening to her gasps and sighs of delight, he's thankful for the earlier break in proceedings, because he knows that he'd been so close that this display would have ended it all way too soon. He'd been barely surviving as it was, but this, as much as his restraint is killing him, this is worth holding on for. He begins a chant of, 'Hold on,' in his head, wanting to prolong this exquisite torture for as long as possible but, feeling the all too familiar coiling at the base of his spine, signalling, with each additional glide through her body an ever encroaching end.

Trying desperately to continue his slow movements, Bobby watches Lindsay lose a little more control with each thrust, and feels his own composure slipping as their slow pace becomes almost too unbearable to maintain. The beating of his heart and his puffing breaths begin to drown out all other noise as he struggles to keep his vision clear, not wanting to lose sight of her in the throws of passion. The sweat pours from his body and he's about to tell her that he can't wait any longer when, having lost the ability for speech, she throws her arms out across the floor and her eyes, opening wider than should be humanly possible, implore him to let go. Some where in the gabble that she releases, he finds the instructions harder, faster, now; not needing to be told twice, to their mutual gratification, he immediately increases the pace and intensity of their melding. He's barely able to register her obvious rapture because his own ecstasy takes hold; his body's sensations are too intense for cerebration to occur and for the next few moments he does nothing but feel.

Cognizance returns to Bobby when he perceives the heavenly sensation of laying sprawled and heaving above Lindsay while she shudders around his totally sated body. Unsure for how long he has been smothering her, but fearing from his state of lethargy that it may have been some time, Bobby immediately rolls to the side and off of Lindsay. The fact that she offers no objection suggests, to him, that he may well have overstayed his welcome; Lindsay enjoys the weight of him immediately after climax but soon requires deeper breaths than his body allows her.

"Ugmmmthph," she says to him as he lays his face beside hers.

"Okay," Bobby promises, reading her true words in her expression. He lifts up onto his elbow to look more clearly at her and feels himself falling in love all over again. He reaches out and caresses her cheek, amazed as he is every time that he touches it, believing that her skin is too soft, too smooth, to be true. Sometimes he thinks that she has to be a dream because she is too perfect not to be; a woman such as this, with him? No, it has to be a dream. Lindsay smiles at him, her eyes beckoning him near, and he lowers himself down to kiss her. Soft kisses that freckle her skin as she hums appreciatively for more.

As wonderful as making love to her is, he delights in the bliss of afterglow, in the knowledge that because of him, his vibrant energetic Lindsay can be reduced to little more than an impersonation of a rag doll. The sight of her laying before him in passive repletion lets him know that she won't be moving any time soon. Sometimes they lie together afterwards and the only movement either can muster is in their eyes but tonight he feels surprisingly energized. Whether it's the sea air he heaved into his lungs, or the fact that in an ultimate act of self sacrifice, she's somehow transferred all of her energy to him, his body, again awakened, is too inflamed to yield to repose.

Finally rising to remove the tangle of clothing from around his ankles, he smiles when he feels her hand lazily caress his back. He suspects that she has a fetish for his back, her hands, lips and eyes seem to gravitate there with very little forethought. He asked her once and she gave her Mona Lisa smile and said, "Maybe I do and maybe I don't."

When freed from his clothes, he settles again beside her and kisses her tenderly. Listless Lindsay is a secret joy of Bobby's because it's one of the few times that he gets to truly explore her without interruption; never one to pass up a golden opportunity, he explores her now with the intensity and passion that has been, by necessity, held back for most of the day. Maybe that is why he is so energized now, his body has hours of pent up desire still needing release.

The lips and hands trailing softly over Lindsay's skin are favoured with a contented hum. Emboldened, Bobby's actions become more concentrated as his mouth finds a haven at her breast. Working it thoroughly, his own moans begin to mix with hers. Energy is obviously returning to her, as her body begins to move against his, seeking more contact, more stimulus.

"Bobbeeeee," she purrs

He raises his head, looks into her eyes and smiles before shifting his attention to her other breast.

"Why do we do everything backwards?" she asks languorously.

While flicking her nipple with his tongue he asks curiously, "What do you mean?"

"We begin sex and then remove our clothing..."

Bobby laughs, then drawing her breast more fully into his mouth suckles hard.

"Ohh God!" she sighs, "We ahh, we get engaged and then decide to get to know one another... oh, Bobby that's good, ooh, and hey, I haven't forgotten that you owe me answers either, my brains just too fried to think of questions right now."

Bobby smiles and moves up her body to give her a tender kiss, as he rises from her he whispers, "Whenever, where ever, I'm game if you are."

"I'm game," she says and softly directs him back to his previous activity before continuing her tale of woes. "Then you wait until I've had a mind-blowing, body-numbing, earth-shattering orgasm before you begin foreplay. I don't think that's the way it's supposed to happen."

"You sure?" Bobby asks with a chuckle, "Because how could something that feels this great be wrong?"

"That's true," Lindsay says with a nod, she pauses to think about it for a while, a long while as Bobby is making thought difficult. It isn't until he leaves her breast and begins traveling across her body that her decision becomes known. "Okay, I'm sold... hey, Bobby, come back here."

He moves back up her body and looms over her, his face hovering above hers, as he asks, "Yes?"

Raising her arms, she runs them over his chest and shoulders, before joining them behind his neck and raising her face to him. As they kiss - long slow tender kisses, their bodies shift until they're laying side by side with Lindsay's leg draped over Bobby's hip.

"Maybe it was foreplay after all," Bobby suggests, moving in closer so that she has no doubt he has again risen to the occasion. "Not bad for an old guy," he says with a lecherous grin, pleased with his recuperative powers, knowing, too, that it's all because of her.

"Oh god," Lindsay moans, in what may or may not be approval. Bobby's leaning towards the former and her next action proves that bias correct.

Pushing against his shoulder, she lays him down and rolls upon him. Her body draped over the length of his feels incredible to them both and she shifts against him to further intensify the sensation before taking him inside her. With no overpowering need directing them this time, they take it very slow, prolonging their pleasure for as long as they can. As their bodies are supersensitive and well on the way to exhaustion, it is neither acrobatic or long lasting, but the radiance that they feel afterwards is all encompassing. This time it's Lindsay who takes advantage of Bobby's bliss to cover his body in kisses. His eyes react to her every move even if his body has long since shutdown. He laughs when she nuzzles into his navel and she trails her fingers over his calves encouraging goose bumps to dot his skin. He shivers a little at her touch and she grins up at him.

She loves playing with his body, having him pliant and amused as she experiments and tests his limits. She'd never felt free enough to do this with anyone else, in a way, the act is even more intimate than sex as it is all about her desires, her curiosities, her secret joys. Unlike with previous lovers, when she is with Bobby she doesn't feel self conscious at all. Knowing that what pleases one, pleases the other, they both give of themselves freely, in this, if in nothing else, nothing is ever held back. Just as he has free reign over her body, so too does she over his and she treasures every chance that she has to play and explore.

Kneeling between his legs, her fingers scratch over his shins. She looks up at him and smiles mischievously before, repeating his actions of earlier, she hooks her arms under his legs and draws them up his body. As he is no where near as flexible as she is, her progress is hampered long before her mouth can meet his for a kiss.

"I don't really bend that way," Bobby laughs and Lindsay falls onto him in a fit of giggles. "Thankfully you do," he adds and she hums in agreement.

Dropping his legs, she shakes her arms to regain feeling and says, "God, Bobby, your legs are like lead."

"More like jelly," he mumbles then looks at her hopefully, "Are we ever going to go to bed?"

"Soon," she promises, then kisses him so long and lazily that he begins to wonder if he has fallen asleep and this is just an incredibly satisfying dream. Her touch is so soft, so calming, so tender that he doesn't want it to ever end. End though it does. With a soft sigh, she lays her head against his chest and takes a long breath. Bobby's hands rest on her back and, when he tries really hard, he eventually gets a thumb to move across her skin, impressing himself immensely.

Lindsay hums contentedly then pushes up and off of him. Bobby groans a little at the loss of her so soon after he'd finally managed movement again. Standing, she reaches down and takes his hand to help him to his feet. First, though, she has to convince him that no, under no circumstances does she intend to carry him to the bedroom. Grumbling, he allows her to help him up, it takes three attempts as the first two times she only ends up sprawled over him again. Oh, the hardship. When they are finally both standing, they begin a stumbling walk to the bedroom. Spying the bed, Bobby breaks from her grasp and throws himself face down with a relieved grunt, not planning on moving again for three days.

"Bobby off," Lindsay says and he moans that he doesn't want to. "Please," she begs and assuming that she wants access to the covers, he relents. After he rolls off the bed, he is horrified to see her takes the covers from the it and wander out to the decking with them in her arms.

Bobby looks longingly at the bed, then over to Lindsay's naked body, shrugs and follows her outside where he finds her laying the quilt over a deck chair. He pauses in the doorway and asks, "What if someone sees us?"

"Like who?" she says with a grin, "Besides, Bobby, you're glorious, from the top of your head to your little..." she pauses for effect, smiles and says "toes."

Walking purposely over to her, he flops onto the chair, wraps the remainder of the quilt around him and grumbles, "For that you're not getting any covers."

"Oh, please, Honey bunch," she whines, playing along.

"No," Bobby replies gruffly; he almost controls his grin but Lindsay's pouting performance quickly gets the better of him.

"Please, Sugar pie?" she asks, coquettishly

Bobby shakes his head no, knowing that if he open his mouth to speak he'd only let out laughter.

"Please, Grumble bum?" she says with a dramatically drooping lip.

No longer able to resist the allure of his naked woman, Bobby laughs and lifting the edge, says, "Get under here, Pineapple."

Mumbling something that sounds suspiciously like, "About time, Mr Crotchety," Lindsay climbs in and curls up beside him.

Bobby's hands smooth over her back, reading the Braille of her spine as he feels himself getting closer to sleep. As comfortable as he is, he doesn't think that it's wise to sleep here all night. Sure, deck chairs are designed for you to lie in the sun on all day long but night time is different. He needs a bed and he's sure that his body will protest in the morning if he doesn't get one. Not to mention the fact that, with him feeling stiff and sore, Lindsay will be calling him Grandpa all day long and he may not have the dexterity required to prove her wrong.

"Don't let me fall asleep here," Bobby says, closing his eyes and breathing her in on his last conscious breath.

"I won't," she promises as sleep overtakes her too.

Snuggling up close, they drift contentedly into the land of dreams.

*~*~*~*



    To be continued

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