"This Time Around"
By: gb
Chapter 27
Gillian fairly glided through the entrance way of Wildwind with her packages, her hair hanging loose down her back and waving softly. Peggy was on her way to another room and caught Gillian coming in.
"Well, you're certainly in a good mood, Gillian, this evening." she chirped in her Irish accent.
"I have a special evening planned with Ryan." She confirmed happily.
"That's how I hear it. Young Ryan has been wearing a silly grin on his face since he's been home and I don't think it has anything to do with work."
Gillian continued on towards the stairs. Once on their wing of the house, she was about to go into her room, when Ryan came out of the room the two had been sharing.
He smiled when he saw her.
"Hey, Princess."
"Hey, Bad Boy," she answered coyly.
"What's in the bags?" he asked, eyeing her things.
"A few surprises..."
"Well, then I'm having dinner up here soon."
"I'll just go and change and clean up a little. I'll meet you in there later." she told him.
"Sounds good."
Almost an hour later, the sun had already set and Gillian entered their bedroom and saw that Ryan was in dinner jacket and dark slacks. She herself had decided to don an indigo blue fitted silk slip dress that came to her knees and had tiny straps. With a dark oriental print all over it and wearing it with nude stockings and strappy heels, she looked very dramatic. Ryan swallowed when he saw her. All of his coolness evaporated as he just literally gawked at her!
"Ryan, you look wonderful!" Gillian said placing a folded silky garment on the bureau next to the door.
"For later..." she patted the cloth.
Ryan finally found his voice. "You look... like I'm glad I don't have to share you with anyone tonight!"
She closed the door and the two sat down to enjoy a leisurely dinner. Afterwards, Ryan cleared his throat and removed his jacket. He reached for and got a little package which he handed over to Gillian.
"What's this?" she asked. She'd always loved getting presents.
"I was at the mall at lunch and I saw this...and I don't know, it reminded me of stuff you like and ...if you hate it, you don't have to use it..." he said in a rush, embarrassed now.
She opened it and saw that it was the most exquisite dark print small shawl- the kind that was all the rage now. She knew that it must've cost Ryan a lot of money- maybe even more than he could really afford. She felt guilty, but did not want to hurt his feelings by not accepting it.
"It's beautiful, Ryan." she exclaimed, a catch in her voice.
She opened it and placed it on her lap.
"I have something for you too, but I'll show you later."
They simultaneously reached their hands towards each other across the table. Ryan had had soft music playing for them and a mellow mood set in.
"You know you can relax. We don't have to do anything you don't want." he told her, playing with her fingers.
"I'm ok." she assured him.
"You're trembling...maybe you know where we're heading with this..."
"I'm just excited." she said. "It has been a while for me. Since..."
"The last time we made love?" he asked gently.
She nodded.
"Me too." he admitted softly.
"She broke contact with his hand and looked at him. She knew she shouldn't, but she just couldn't let it alone.
"Ryan...when you and Hayley were...did you...did you..." she didn't know how to ask.
For someone who was so cavalier on the subject of sex, she really was bahaving like a vestial virgin now, she scolded herself. What had happened to the worldly Gillian who regarded men like jokes and playthings that she could grab and toss whenever the mood suited her?!
"I've only been with you since we met." Ryan replied. The rest, he decided to leave to himself.
"I know. But...did you ever want to?" she asked him biting her bottom lip. She realized she was holding her breath. She knew in her heart that he must've at least thought about it, hadn't he?!
Ryan knew he ought to deny it. She'd be ok and then they'd be ok.
"I had those feelings for her," he said instead. "Yes, there were times when I wanted to be with her like that."
Gillian exhaled quietly. There, she thought. Now I know. The hard part was wondering. He had wanted to make love with Hayley...this achy feeling will go away soon, I know.
She bit her lip hard to keep it from quivering and saying something stupid and soon tasted her own blood, but she remained silent. She just nodded and gathered the shawl to her.
"I'm not making excuses, Gillian, but when this all started out, you and I; we weren't together. I know I didn't fight the divorce, but I was hurting and so confused and I didn't even have my life on an even keel and Hayley was having major problems and we were just at the same place together.
"I don't think we would've ever gone through with anything, though," he said trying to guage her reaction. "Mateo was always for her and me? Princess, to be honest...it just felt like I was still with you and I couldn't get past that."
She looked at him and vowed to herself, " I'm never gonna let him see me cry about this- we'll never talk about it again."
"Why don't you say something, Baby?" he asked desperately. Geez, he sounded like a jerk- even to him!
"Ask and ye shall receive," she said, hoping her voice wouldn't crack. "I wanted to know, Ryan. "You didn't do anything wrong here."
Ryan could feel the evening and its magic start to slip away. He stared hopelessly at Gillian, who was trying her best not to cry, he knew.
"I always hurt you, don't I?" he asked tenderly.
"I think I hurt myself by pushing you like this." she offered him. "Maybe I enjoy it."
He leaned over and embraced her as she kept her hands on her shawl.
He moved his head towards her face and sought out her lips, still unsure whether she would respond to him now.
His lips played with hers and she parted them and he tasted where she had just cut herself.
"Baby, no..." he pleaded. "Don't do this to yourself." he kissed her now to soothe her pain and then pulled back to see her.
"Ryan, please let's just have our night. I want to so much!" she pleaded with nim now and he saw with shame her struggle with herself as she tried to pull him back to her.
"I want this to be so special for you in every way, Gillian." he told her.
Gillian's emotions were more in control now as she looked down at him.
"I have an idea," he went on to her. "How about a soak in the tub first to help you-I mean us- unwind some and then I'll take a shower?"
Gillian had just a shower when she came home, but a warm bath was enticing her now... and so was Ryan suggestion for it.
"Ok," she agreed. "I'd like to do that."
Ryan got up and placing a kiss on her forehead, went to their attached bathroom on the other side of the wardrobe alcove and filled up the tub with warm, sudsy water. Gillian had taken the clip out of her hair and had taken off her sandles when he came back to say the bathtub was ready. Gillian was reaching behind her to undo her zipper when he offered to help her. He slid the zipper down and turned her around and was about to send her to her bath wen slowly, he placed hands on the straps of her dress. His heart racing, he waited for her to brush his hands aside in protest. She, however, placed her own hands over his and slowly guided them down her arms. His mouth went dry as he saw that underneath, she was wearing a beautiful, strapless, black lace bustier that apparently fastened in the back. Slowly, he guided the dress past her hips and then let it fall softly to the floor. Stepping out of it, she watched with a thunderous pulse on his reaction to the lacy garters that were attaced to the end of her lace trimmed stockings.
His mouth opened and then he asked quietly, "Is that new?" God, he hoped he didn't sound too eager, although he knew that his eyes were bulging far more than they should've been!
"I just got it today," she said, wanting so much for him to like how she looked.
He shifted in excitement and led her over to the bed, saying, "Let me help you with it then."
She sat down on the edge of the bed with her hands at her sides as he bent next to her and carefully began to undo the fastenings of the garters.
Her skin tingled with heat when his fingers brushed her flesh and she tried somewhat unsuccessfully to keep from squirming as she looked down and watched him.
After he released the last garter in the back and pulled it away from her warm skin, he focused on the stockings. He peeled back the lace and couldn't resist placing a moist kiss on the inside of each thigh as he gently slipped the whisper of silk down her legs, past her ankles and off each foot. When he had been on the second leg and had been kissing her, she reached out and stoked his hair in joy! He got up to place the stockings on a chair and then sat down on the bed next to her and began to undo the hooks in the back of the bustier.
"Ryan, kiss me" she begged breathlessly as he brushed his lips between her two shoulders as his hand worked on the hooks, slowly on purpose but much too much torchurously for Gillian to handle! By the time the last one was done, Ryan was dangerously close to losing all control!
She cluched her hands to her chest now as the garnment started to fall away.
He gave her her short silky robe which she put on, then got up and took the bustier to keep it with her stockings. She then put her hair in a hasty knot with a jaw clip.
She walked on somewhat unsteady legs to her waiting bath and then carefully climbed in and threw the robe aside.
"Keep me company?" she called to Ryan and he followed her trail as she sank into the water, its warmth relaxing her.
Both she and Ryan remembered another bath during a ski trip with Scott and Kelsey when Gillian had been anything but welcoming when she had found Ryan in her bathroom!
Ryan got down next to the tub, the sleeves of his white dress shirt rolled up and the collar button open as he took a big sponge, soaked it with water and bathed Gillian's back, shoulders, arms, and her chest all the way to her stomach.
"That feel ok, Princess?" he asked, caressing her with his voice.
"Oh, yes, Ryan..." she answered dreamily, already in another world with him altogether!
She succommed to the pleasure of his care and let herself dream about the upcoming night as night sounds chanted to her from the open bathroom window.
Ryan watched her lazily and continued his task, taking the greatest care and experiencing the sweetest thrill with every sight she uttered to him...
(end of part 27)
To be continued...