What If

                                                                         Chapter 20

An hour later the phone began ringing startling them both awake. Oded glanced at the digital clock that sat on the nightstand. It was almost 7:30 p.m. Raegan moved off him so that he could sit up. “Yeah,” Oded said as he put the phone to his ear.

“Sorry to bother you, Mr. Fehr. This is Joe at the security booth.”

“Hi Joe. What’s up?” Oded asked as he swung his legs off the bed and placed them on the carpeted floor. Raegan moved up behind him, pressing the front of her body to the back of his. Her hands slid around to the front of him, stroking his chest. Oded smiled as he turned his head to meet hers coming around over his shoulders. His hand came up to cup the back of her head and he drew her forward to kiss her sweet lips.

“Well sir,” Joe began, but then was interrupted by a woman yelling in the background.

“I will have you fired for this! I am on his admittance list and you have no right to deny me entrance.”

Oded frowned, releasing Raegan he returned his attention back to the phone conversation. “Joe, what’s going on?”

“My apologies, Mr. Fehr, it’s just that I knew you had company and I felt I should call you before letting Ms. Barnett enter,” Joe finally answered.

Oded groaned. He couldn’t believe this. What the hell was Trish doing here? Oded took a deep breath and spoke into the phone. “Don’t worry about Trish, Joe. You did the right thing. I appreciate you calling me first. Go ahead and let her in. And Joe?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Don’t worry about any repercussions,” Oded told him. “I will deal with Ms. Barnett, okay?”

“Thank you, Mr. Fehr,” Joe answered and hung up.

“Son of a bitch!” Oded muttered in frustration as he hung up the phone and stood up. He began putting his clothes back on.

“What happened?” Raegan asked as she stood and followed suit.

Pulling his shirt over his head, he walked up to Raegan, who was fastening her slacks. “Nothing to worry about, sweetness. My publicist is making an unexpected visit. Just stay up here and I’ll go see what she wants.” He leaned his head down and kissed her, then turned and left the bedroom. Raegan watched him leave and wondered why his publicist visiting would bother him so. His whole demeanor had changed with that phone call.

Oded made his way down the stairs and flipped on the living room light as he passed by. He was thoroughly pissed and he needed to get a hold of his temper before Trish got there. He stopped at the dining room table and gripped the back of one of the chairs and took a deep breath. He inhaled several times through his nose and then released it through his mouth until he felt himself begin to relax a little. He heard the sharp rap on the door and his whole body tensed again. “Damn it,” he cursed under his breath. So much for that, he thought.

Oded barely got the door opened when Trish pushed her way through. She breezed past him and began talking angrily. “I want that guard fired, Oded. I can’t believe that bastard had the nerve to deny me entrance.” She spun around to face Oded as he closed the front door. “I’m on your admittance list, for Christ’s sakes. Just who the hell does he think he is?”

Oded closed his eyes and counted to ten. He opened them and moved forward, passing Trish and entering the dining room. “I’m not going to have him fired, Trish, so save your breath. He was doing his job and I, for one, appreciate that fact.”

“I’m on your god damn admittance list, Oded. How is he doing his job by denying me entrance? I have the right to be here. Why doesn’t this bother you?” Trish asked, agitated.

Oded’s jaw clenched; his whole body was tense with pent up anger. How the hell he was going to get through this without losing it, he didn’t know. “Trish, why are you here?” Oded asked as calmly as he could.

Trish started to say more about the guard, but saw the look on Oded’s face and decided to drop the subject for now. She lifted a manila envelope. “You missed one,” she said sweetly.

Oded eyed the envelope, “Missed one what?” he asked suspiciously.

Trish looked around the dining area and then out toward the living room. “You missed one of the papers. I discovered it after you left and decided I would drop it off on my way home tonight and have you sign it.”

Oded frowned. He knew he didn’t miss any papers. He’d gone through the whole stack so many times that there was no way he could have missed one. He watched Trish as she looked around. “What are you looking for?” he asked.

Trish turned her gaze back to him, noticing for the first time that he looked rather rumpled. His tee shirt was not tucked in and he was barefooted. His hair was a bit mussed and he looked as if he’d just woken up. “Why I’m looking for Raegan. She is here, isn’t she? I really didn’t think you’d be here. I was just planning to tuck this under the front door mat for you.”

Oh god no! Oded did not want Raegan meeting Trish. He wasn’t sure why, but instinctively he rebelled against the idea. “She’s busy,” he answered stiffly.

Trish put on a disappointed look. “Oh come on, Oded. Surely she’s not so busy she can’t come and meet me. If you are planning to see her on a regular basis, we are going to meet eventually. Might as well do it now.”

Oded sighed. He wanted Trish gone and he knew her well enough that if he didn’t give her what she wanted she would pitch a royal fit and the last thing he wanted was a scene. “Alright,” he answered, walking over to the base of the staircase and called up, “Rae?”

“Yes?” Raegan answered from his bedroom.

“’You want to come down here, sweetheart and meet Trish?” Oded asked.

“Be right there.”

The endearment was not lost on Trish. Two things occurred to her as she watched Raegan Lacy descend the stairs. Oded had been seeing Raegan longer than she suspected, and they’d just had sex before she had showed up. Raegan had made an attempt to hide it, but there was no missing the look of a woman who’d just been well and thoroughly fucked. Trish glared at Raegan as she watched her smile at Oded as he took her hand to lead her over to where Trish waited for them. She covered up the glare as they approached.

“Raegan Lacy, this is my publicist, Patricia Barnett. Trish, this is Raegan,” Oded introduced them.

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Barnett.” Raegan smiled as she put her hand out to shake Trish’s.

Trish returned the smile that did not reach her cold blue eyes. “You too, Ms. Lacy.” They shook hands.

“So let me have the paper I missed so I can sign it.” Oded put his hand out for the envelope that Trish still clutched in one hand.

“Of course,” Trish answered and handed him the envelope.

Oded opened the envelope and took the paper out. He looked it over not recognizing it. “I don’t remember seeing this one. I’ll have to read it before I sign it.”

“Oh of course, please do.” Trish smiled, hating the fact that Raegan was standing so close to him.

“Why don’t we sit at the table here where we will be more comfortable?” Oded suggested as he walked away.

Raegan eyed Trish carefully. Something wasn’t right. She could tell that something was bothering Oded. He was stiff and the tone of his voice was quite unfriendly. Trish was a pretty woman; her short blonde hair looked bleached, but nice. She had light blue eyes that resembled the color of ice and a couple of times already in the short time she’d been in her company, Raegan felt she’d been frozen with those eyes. They both followed Oded over to the long rectangular Oak dining room table. Oded sat at the head of the table and Trish sat to his right so that she was looking at him from an angle.

“Would either of you care for something to drink?” Raegan asked politely as she rested her hand on Oded’s shoulder.

“Yes, thank you,” Trish answered, staring hard at Raegan’s hand where it rested on Oded. “Some water would be wonderful.”

Raegan nodded. “Ded, honey, do you want anything?” she asked, giving his shoulder a light squeeze.

Raegan’s gentle touch helped release some of the tension that was building up in him. He raised his hand up to cover hers where it rested on his shoulder and turned his face up to smile at her. “Thanks, that would be great.” The look he gave her spoke volumes. He wasn’t just thanking her for offering him something to drink; he was thanking her for her quiet support.

Raegan walked into the kitchen and opened up the refrigerator door. She wasn’t sure if he would have bottled water or not, but thought she would check first before going to the tap. Sure enough, she spotted several bottles of water. She grabbed one and sat it on the counter. As she began looking for the drinking glasses, Raegan’s thoughts turned to Trish Barnett. Something was up between her and Oded. Raegan had always been good at reading people and something just didn’t jive with Trish. She seemed pleasant enough on the surface, but there was some underlying current that warned Raegan that something was not what it seemed. She also didn’t like the way Trish looked at Oded. Raegan knew it was something she would have to get used to if she continued to date him. She noticed women looking at him all the time when he’d take her to lunch. They looked at him like they wanted to jump him and rip his clothes off, and it was the same look that Trish had. Suddenly it occurred to Raegan what the problem was. Trish wanted Oded and he knew it. Something must have happened between them, Raegan thought, and she still wants him. It was so very obvious to Raegan that Oded was not interested in Trish, so the feelings must be one sided. Raegan picked up the three glasses of water and carried them back to the dining room table. Her heart began to pound as she reached a decision.

“Thank you, Ms. Lacy,” Trish said rather too sweetly.

“Please call me, Raegan,” Raegan answered as she sat Oded’s glass in front of him and her own glass down in front of the empty chair to Oded’s left. But Raegan made no move to sit down. Instead she surprised Trish by deliberately moving to stand behind Oded, placing her hands on his shoulders. She moved in close to him until she bumped the back of the chair. Without thinking, Oded lifted the paper he was reading and leaned back in the chair until the back of his head rested against Raegan’s chest. Raegan met Trish’s gaze over the top of Oded’s head. The message that she was sending to Trish was received loud and clear. Trish stiffened, her blue eyes turning to ice as she glared back at Raegan. In that split second a challenge was made and accepted between the two women.

Sensing a sudden shift in the tension, Oded put the paper down and looked at Trish, then craned his head around to look back at Raegan. The look he saw from both women was enough to scare the shit out of him. He stood suddenly, causing both women to jump. He turned, walked into the kitchen, grabbed a pen from a junk drawer, quickly signed the paper, and brought it back to Trish. “Here,” he said as he handed it to her. Trish stood and took the paper from him. Oded moved around the table and took Trish’s arm, guiding her to the front door. “I’ll talk to you next week, Trish,” he said as he opened the front door.

“Yes,” Trish answered as she cast a glare behind him where Raegan still stood at the dining room table. “I’ll call you on Monday.”

Oded practically closed the door in her face. He turned to face Raegan. “You want to tell me what the hell that was all about?”

Raegan smiled as he approached her. “I’m hungry,” she said, ignoring his question. Oded opened his mouth, but Raegan cut him off. “You promised me dinner.”

Oded knew when to concede the battle. He did not want to talk about Trish right now anyway. He would rather be doing a good number of other things, one of which was making love to Raegan again. He could already feel his body hardening at the thought of her hands touching him. “Yoo-hoo, Oded! Dinner?”

Oded blinked as his eyes focused back on Raegan. “What?”

Raegan began to laugh. “I would ask where your mind had wandered off to, but I think I already know,” she said as she reached out her hand and rubbed her palm against the bulge in his pants. “My, my.” Raegan shook her head teasingly as she felt him swell even bigger under her stroking hand.

Oded sucked in his breath as he grabbed her wrist with one hand, but instead of pulling it away, he only pressed her hand harder against his erection. “I thought you wanted dinner,” he growled as he propelled her back against the wall behind her, pressing his body against hers, effectively trapping her hand between their bodies.

His lips hovered just over hers, his warm breath gusting over her cheek. “I do,” she answered breathlessly just as his mouth claimed hers. Raegan slipped her free hand up around his neck, pulling his mouth down more firmly on her own. She too had felt that connection, that bonding they had experienced during their lovemaking earlier. It had scared her at first because she’d never experienced anything like it, but the closeness she felt with Oded calmed her. It was also because of that connection that she had stood up to Trish. If the confrontation had of taken place before her and Oded had made love, Raegan may not have had the confidence to make the bold move she did. Raegan wasn’t stupid though; she knew that Trish would be a force to be reckoned with. But Raegan would be damned before she let any one walk all over her, and she especially would not let some woman chase her off from probably the best thing that had ever happened to her. “Oded,” Raegan said against his full lips.

“Hmmm?” he rumbled as his tongue came out to trace along her bottom lip.

“Dinner,” she replied. Oded groaned, closing his eyes. He dropped his forehead to her shoulder. Raegan laughed as she stroked his curly shoulder length hair. “Think of it this way, sweetie pie. If you want me to keep my strength up for a night of sex, then you need to feed me.”

Oded raised his head to look down at her, one eyebrow lifted comically. “Crust of bread and a glass of water,” he ordered straight faced.

Raegan laughed again. “Oh, so I am to be your prisoner, huh?”

Oded grinned mischievously. “More like my sex slave, wench,” he teased as his hands came up to cup her breasts. He squeezed them both roughly but not so that he hurt her. Raegan gasped, then almost whimpered when he suddenly released her and stepped away from her, leaving her feeling bereft.

                                                         ********************

                                                                   Chapter 21

After a few minutes of rummaging through Oded’s fridge and cupboards, Raegan decided to cook up some lemon chicken with rice, stir-fried vegetables, and a salad. While she was getting that started, Oded went out to the garage and retrieved Raegan’s overnight bags and took them up to his bedroom. When he returned to the kitchen a few minutes later, he started making the salad up in a large bowl. They moved around the kitchen in a companionable silence, each going about their own tasks. After Oded was finished with the salad, he set the table. Disappearing back into the garage, he reappeared moments later with two candles and a bottle of wine. Setting them on the table, he returned to the kitchen for two wine glasses. As he retrieved the glasses from the cupboard, he glanced over at Raegan, who was watching him with an amused smile.

“What?” he asked with a laugh.

“Nothing,” Raegan answered, still watching him. “I guess I’m just a little surprised to see you so familiar with the kitchen is all.”

With wine glasses in hand, Oded turned to face her and leaned back against the counter. “I see.” He smiled. “So being a bachelor automatically means I can’t find my way around a kitchen, huh?”

Raegan grinned. “That’s usually the case.”

Oded pushed off from the counter and crossed the kitchen to where she stood, and stopped directly in front of her. He leaned down till their noses barely touched. “Well not this time,” he answered and kissed her soundly. He turned and walked away from her, missing the mischievous glint in her eye as she reached out and swatted him across the butt.

“Smart ass,” she called out as he jumped and scooted out of the kitchen, laughing.

Raegan finished up with the cooking and started bringing it out to the table. While Oded went in to retrieve the rice and vegetables, Raegan noticed that he had set her place to the right of him, right where Trish had been sitting earlier. Raegan frowned and without knowing why, moved her place setting to the left side. It wasn’t that big of a deal, but for some reason she couldn’t bring herself to sit in the same place that Trish had sat earlier. When Oded returned and sat the rice and vegetables on the table, he paused and looked at Raegan sitting to his left. He opened his mouth to say something, but when Raegan looked up at him, something in her expression told him not to say a word, and so he closed his mouth and sat down in his chair.

Pouring them both a glass of wine, Oded asked Raegan about her day. They talked in general about what they had done as they ate until finally Raegan asked, “What do you have planned for us tomorrow?”

Oded pushed his empty plate away and picked up his wine glass and drained the little bit that was left. “Well, I thought maybe we could try the Santa Monica pier again tomorrow afternoon.” He smiled as he put the empty wine glass down. “Maybe I’ll have better luck this time and you won’t run away from me.”

Raegan gave him a dirty look. “Don’t press your luck, handsome.”

Oded laughed, reaching out he picked up her hand. Turning it over, he drew it up as he leaned forward and placed a kiss in her palm. “For the evening, I was planning to take you up to Griffith Park to the Laserium show.”

“Really?” Raegan asked excited. She loved going up to Griffith Park at night, especially to the Laserium show.

“You like that idea, huh?” Oded asked, silently reminding himself to thank Nancy again for that bit of information.

“Oh yes, I love the Laserium,” Raegan answered, her eyes bright with excitement.

Oded grinned as he leaned forward towards her and said softly, “Good, now if I can just manage to get that excited look in your eyes when we are in bed, I’ll have it made.”

“Oh you!” Raegan gave him a look of playful disgust and pushed his face away. “Just for that, you get to wash the dishes.” She stood up and picked up her plate and his.

“I have a dishwasher,” Oded stated matter-of-factly.

“Fine, then you can load it!” Raegan barked as she bumped him with her hip, then walked away to the kitchen. She heard Oded laughing as she placed the dirty plates in the sink and smiled. He came in behind her with more dishes, and in no time at all they had the kitchen cleaned up.

Raegan was wiping her hands on a towel when Oded came up behind her, slipping his arms around her waist. He pulled her back against him. Moving one hand up to brush her long hair away from her neck, he leaned his head down and began placing soft kisses along the sensitive area just below her ear. His hand slid back down around her waist to flatten across her belly. Raegan moaned softly as she tilted her head to one side to give him better access. She raised her hand up behind her to tangle her fingers in his thick hair as she leaned back into him. She could feel his arousal pushing against her bottom, and she moved her hips back and forth seductively, rubbing against him as his large hands came up to cup her breasts. Raegan heard his sharp intake of breath as his fingers squeezed her flesh convulsively in response. His lips moved up to her ear, his warm breath gusting against her skin, causing her to shiver with desire.

“Raegan,” he breathed into her ear. His hands released her breasts and moved down. One circled around her stomach to hold her to him, the other continued down until his fingers curved around the apex of her femininity to rub suggestively against her. Raegan gasped as her knees gave way and she sagged against him. Oded tightened his arm around her waist, holding her up. Raegan’s thighs automatically parted to give him better access as she moaned. His fingers continued to press firmly against the material of her slacks, rubbing slowly back and forth against her. His lips nibbled and nipped at her earlobe, his tongue leaving a wet trail along the sensitive skin. Raegan was helpless to do anything but stand there, and even that she needed his strength to hold her up. She was completely under his control and she didn’t wish to be anywhere else.

Her body trembled as the tension of her arousal spread through her body. Oded trailed kisses down her neck, then back up along her jaw line. Raegan turned her head toward him and then his mouth was on hers, his tongue invading her. She could hardly breath with all the sensations that enveloped her senses. Her climax was approaching fast as Oded picked up the pace with his hand, stroking her faster, the friction of the material rubbing against her sex sending electric shivers through out her body. Raegan pressed down against his hand, seeking to finish what he had so deliciously started. “Oh god!” she whimpered against his mouth as her release shattered her very being. Oded’s hand continued to stroke her until she stilled in his arms, and she sagged against him.

He chuckled softly in her ear as his hand dropped down further and he bent to scoop her up in his arms. Raegan turned and wrapped her arms around his neck and began placing feather light kisses all over his face. “I think it’s time for bed,” she whispered when her mouth found its way to his ear. She felt him shiver as he turned and carried her out of the kitchen.

Once in the bedroom, Oded set Raegan on her feet next to the bed. His fingers went to work on the buttons of her blouse and quickly had it off. “I’m really having a sense of déjà vu, here.” Oded smiled as he bent to place a kiss in the middle of her cleavage.

Raegan returned his smile. “Yes, it does seem we have removed these same clothes before,” she replied as her hands grabbed at his shirt to pull it up over his head.

They quickly removed the rest of their clothing and as Oded pushed her back onto the bed and stretched out beside her, he said huskily, “Only this time I plan to finish what I started earlier and I’m going to taste you all over.” Raegan shivered in anticipation as Oded drew her close and kissed her. His hands began to move all over her body, touching her everywhere. He pushed onto her back and moved up to straddle her hips. His rose up over her, his hands rested on either side of her head, taking the majority of his weight. Their eyes met as Oded lips hovered just above hers. “You are the most incredible woman I have ever met,” he whispered softly. “And you move me like no other ever has.” Then his mouth melded with hers, his tongue thrusting deep, mimicking the act they would later be doing with their bodies.

Raegan wrapped her arms around his neck and soared at his words. Though she had sensed the bond between them, hearing the words that she was unique and special to him sealed what had already been created between them. Her hands moved over his back. She could feel the ripple of his muscles beneath her hands as he moved over her and settled himself on top of her to make good on his promise to taste her all over. His mouth moved away from hers to leave a wet trail down her throat to her shoulder. He nipped her skin with his teeth, then soothed the love bite with a swirl of his tongue. Moving across her collarbone, he trailed his tongue over her shoulder and down her arm. His long fingers skimmed down her arm, circling her wrist and lifting it up for his seeking lips. When his mouth reached the sensitive area on the inside of her wrist, he grazed his teeth over it, then flicked his tongue over the area, tasting the saltiness of her skin. Moving on, he trailed his tongue over her palm, then slowly drew each of her fingers into his mouth and suckled them. Placing that hand back down on the bed, he moved over to the other side and began the same procedure, starting at her shoulder and working his way down her other arm.    When he drew each finger, one at a time, into his mouth, his eyes met hers. Oded froze, feeling like he’d just been punched in the stomach. Her aqua colored eyes had darkened to the color of stormy seas and he felt his body harden even more with wanting her. He drew in a deep breath as he lowered his mouth to hers. The very fingers he’d just been suckling wrapped themselves in his long, dark curls. He kissed her thoroughly, leaving no place untouched by his seeking tongue. The thrust of her own tongue against his caused him to shiver with the desire to be sheathed inside her warmth. Breaking away from her mouth, he moved lower, nipping her chin, then tracing his tongue down a straight line from her chin down the middle of her throat. He didn’t stop until he reached the valley between her breasts, and only then did he move to one side to take a nipple into his mouth. His hand came up to cover the other breast, his fingers working the nipple until it hardened into a tight bud. He flicked his tongue hard across the nipple in his mouth, then swirled it around and around until he drew the nipple in deep and hard. Raegan gasped and arched her back, her fingers tightening in his hair. Oded released the nipple and moved to the other, leaving a wet trail along the way. He drew the other nipple into his mouth and repeated the process, drawing it in deep until Raegan cried out her pleasure.

Oded released the nipple, then began to move lower. His tongue left a trail along the under swell of her breasts, across her ribs and down her belly. He tasted every inch of her exposed skin, moving from side to side, leaving no place untouched. His tongue dipped inside her bellybutton, swirling his tongue inside, then moving lower till he reached the upper edge of her tight curls. At the last second he trailed off to the left and began moving down her upper thigh. Oded thought he heard a low grumble coming from her and he chuckled deeply as he continued to kiss and taste his way down her leg until he reached her feet. He looked at them with a raised eyebrow, knowing that she’d been walking around his house barefoot, not to mention them being encased in shoes all day. Raegan laughed softly. “We can save the feet until after I’ve showered, would that work?”

Oded grinned and placed a kiss on the top of each foot, then he released the left leg and began working his way back up the right one. By the time he reached her upper thigh, he’d spread her legs and settled himself between her thighs. His hands glided up along the inside of her thighs, his thumbs lightly brushing against the tight curls that hid her femininity. He moved his mouth in close, placing kisses on each side of the inside of her thighs. “Now for the desert,” he whispered, his warm breath gusting against her moist entrance. Raegan shivered in anticipation and held her breath, her body tense as she waited for him to move forward and complete his exquisite torcher. When it came, when his warm tongue invaded her, she nearly came off the bed. Her fingers clutched the sheets, her knuckles turning white as he plunged his tongue inside her moist depths. “Oded!” she cried as a plea to end it.

Oded continued to stroke her with his tongue. He located her little jewel and suckled it, tasting it. He was quickly becoming drunk on the taste of her. The smell of her heady scent along with the honeysuckle body wash she used made for an intoxicating aroma. The sound of her voice, husky with desire, crying out his name, was his final undoing. He released her and moved up her body, leaving a moist along the way with his tongue. The warmth of his body covered hers as he settled on top of her. Simultaneously, his tongue thrust into her mouth as his hard sex thrust into her tight sheath. He swallowed Raegan’s cry as her hips thrust up to meet his, her arms and legs wrapping around him. He filled her so completely that Raegan wondered how he even fit inside her. But he did, she fit him like a glove. Then he began to move inside her, creating a delicious friction that sent Raegan soaring higher and higher until she thought she would go insane from the sensations it created within her body. Faster and faster their hips moved. Oded withdrew almost completely before thrusting the entire length of himself back inside her tightness. She swallowed him completely and Oded thought he could die from the intensity of being inside her. It was too much for the both of them. Raegan’s body convulsed, the tiny muscles contracting around him. She cried out as Oded continued to thrust, his own release shattering his control. His hands reached down to grab her legs and he pushed them toward her head as he spilled himself deep inside her. The need to continue thrusting inside her was so overwhelming that Oded thought he was losing his mind. He felt so out of control, his climax refusing to release him, that he almost began to panic.

“Rae,” he groaned helplessly. Raegan could hear the panic in his voice and instinct took over. She pushed his hands away from her legs, letting them fall back down so she could wrap them around him. Her hands framed his face as she began placing feather light kisses all over, while whispering soothing words to him. Moments later, his body relaxed and he collapsed on top of her. Releasing his face, she wrapped her arms around his neck as he buried his face in hers. They clung to each other for a long while before Oded finally withdrew and rolled off her. He lay on his back with his arm flung over his eyes.

Raegan rolled onto her side and propped her head on her hand. “Are you alright?” she asked softly, her hand coming out to touch his chest, which was damp with sweat. She could feel his heart still pounding faster than normal and she scooted closer to him. “Oded?”

Oded lifted his arm from across his eyes and looked at her. He had no idea how to explain what had just happened. He wasn’t sure himself. But he saw the concern in her eyes and he knew he had to say something. He gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m fine, sweetness,” he said as he reached out and trailed a finger across her cheek.

Raegan accepted his answer for now, sensing that he wasn’t ready to talk about it. She snuggled up to him, laying her head down against his chest. They lay there quietly for a while, Oded’s arm circling her waist and drawing her more fully against his side. After a bit, he began to stir.

“I need to go lock up the condo and turn off the lights. I’ll be right back.” He kissed her lips, then got up. He didn’t bother putting his pants on, but left the room naked. He returned several minutes later, turning the bedside lamp off before sliding under the covers next to her. Drawing her into his arms, he kissed her again. “Sweet dreams, my love,” he whispered as he wrapped an arm securely around her waist.

“Mmmm, same to you.” Raegan smiled as she settled against him and closed her eyes. She was asleep moments later.

Oded wasn’t so fortunate. His mind was too busy thinking about what he was going to do about Trish and his intensifying feelings for Raegan. After lying there for over an hour, he decided what he needed was a swim. Easing his arm out from under Raegan, he slipped quietly from the bed, grabbed his swim trunks from the drawer of his dresser, and put them on. Making his out to the pool, he tossed his towel on a lawn chair and dove into the pool. As he began to glide through the water, his thoughts turned to Trish. He was going to have to do something about her. He couldn’t risk his relationship with Raegan to appease his publicist. But the problem was, he had no clue what to do. Something had happened between Trish and Raegan, that much he was sure of, but he didn’t know what. Not a word had been spoken between them except for pleasantries. But he wasn’t a complete fool. The tension was so thick in that dining room that you could have cut it with a knife, and it wasn’t all between him and Trish. At some point that tension had shifted. What he needed to do was talk to Raegan. It was time to confide in her about the problems he had with Trish. Maybe get her insight into the whole situation. Women had a tendency to view things differently than men, and what he needed was a woman’s view. With that decision out of the way, his thoughts moved back to what had happened earlier with Raegan. What had happened astounded him. No woman had ever caused him to lose such control, and he had felt so totally helpless and vulnerable. The only thing that had kept him from pushing Raegan away had been her reaction. Without question, she had accepted that vulnerability and locked it safely away. It suddenly occurred to Oded the significance of what had just happened. He had trusted Raegan with his heart and she hadn’t stomped on it. And as if his very thinking of her had conjured her up, he reached the pool’s edge to stop for a break and there stood Raegan, waiting for him.

Raegan woke to find Oded gone. The spot where he had laid beside her was cold, so she knew he’d been gone for a while. Looking at the digital clock, she saw it was just after midnight. Frowning, she got up and switched on the bedside lamp. Locating his shirt, she pulled it on, the hem of it hitting her knees. Leaving the room, she made her way carefully down the stairs noticing that the lights were still off. She flipped on the living room light and glanced around. “Oded?” she called out. Where in the world could he be, she thought to herself. She was heading to the garage when she noticed the sliding glass door to the back yard was open. She walked over, opened the screen door, and stepped out into the warm night. “Oded?” she called softly. No answer. Moving across the back yard, she reached the fence, opened the gate, and peered out. There was no light except for the full moon, and she saw no one. She was about to turn away and shut the gate when she heard water splashing. Looking over toward what looked like a gated pool, she saw a shadowy figure moving through the water. She frowned, wondering what Oded could be doing swimming in the middle of the night. Raegan made her way across the cement to the open gate that led into the pool area and stopped at the pool’s edge. She saw Oded glide through the water almost silently, his arms and legs moving, his head turning every so often to take a breath. In the moonlight, she could just make out his back muscles flexing and rippling in the water. She felt her body clench, and she shook her head with a smile as she felt desire for this man filling her again. Then suddenly he stopped swimming. He stood up in the pool, water dripping down his upper body. He looked up at her.

“Hey,” Oded called softly, raising his hand to wipe the water from his face. “What are you doing out here?”

Raegan crossed her arms and looked down at him appreciatively. “I was going to ask you the same thing. Do you always swim in the middle of the night?” she asked curiously.

Oded walked up to the edge of the pool and hoisted himself out. Water rushed off him, spilling everywhere. “Couldn’t sleep,” he answered after he’d straightened up. “I swim when I’ve got a lot on my mind. It helps me to think better and to relax.” He walked over, grabbed the towel, and began wiping himself off. “You okay?” he asked, facing her.

“Yes, I was just a little worried when I woke up and found you gone and nowhere in the house,” Raegan answered, approaching him. She wondered what could be so heavy on his mind that he’d get up in the middle of the night for a swim.

Oded ran the towel over his hair, then bent to place a damp kiss on her lips. “Sorry, sweetness. I didn’t want to wake you, and I thought you’d keep sleeping.”

Raegan nodded. “You coming in now?”

“Yeah,” he answered, following her out the gate. “Hey, is that my shirt you’re wearing?” he asked, walking behind her.

Raegan smiled, looking back at him over her shoulder. “Yes,” she answered. “It is.” Oded smiled, shaking his head as he watched her walk. She had nice long legs and the way they disappeared up underneath his shirt was enough to . . .Okay, that’s enough of that! he chided himself. He’d never tell her about Trish if he allowed his thoughts to go off in that direction.

When they got back in the condo, Oded stopped Raegan from going back upstairs to bed. “I’m gonna go get a quick shower and put some dry clothes on, but we need to talk,” he said seriously.

“Uh-oh.” Raegan tilted her head slightly to one side and looked up at him.

Oded smiled and reached up to caress her cheek. “It’s nothing like that. I just need to tell you what’s going on between Trish and I, and I know I won’t get any sleep until I do.”

“Alright.” Raegan smiled back. “I’ll wait down here for you then.”

“I’ll be back down in a minute,” he said, and disappeared up the stairs.

Raegan settled herself on the couch to wait and finally took the time to look around his living room. He definitely needs a feminine touch, she thought as she glanced around with a smile. Everything was earth toned, and not that it was drab, just dark. She noticed a mantle over the fireplace and saw several framed photographs. She got up to go look at them. One was of an older woman and a young girl, another of an older man, and several of a man and woman who looked just a few years apart from Oded. “That is my family.” Raegan jumped, startled at Oded’s voice as he came into the living room. “Sorry.” He chuckled as he came up behind her. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s alright.” Raegan smiled, her heart settling. She turned to face him and saw that he’d combed his hair back and he had replaced his wet swim trunks with a pair of shorts. Oded took her hand and led her over to the couch where they sat down. Keeping a hold of her hand, Oded slouched back against the couch so that his head rested back against the top of the couch. Raegan sat, turned facing him with her leg tucked under her.

Oded raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I’m falling in love with you,” he stated quietly. He raised his eyes to meet her shocked expression. He smiled. “I’m telling you that because I want you to understand why I’m telling you about Trish.”

Raegan was speechless for several moments. What could she say? She had very strong feelings for Oded and even thought she was falling in love with him herself, but she wasn’t sure if she was ready to admit that or not. “Oded, I uh,” Raegan stammered, but Oded cut her off.

“Rae, I didn’t say that to get a confession out of you.” Oded laughed. “You should know by now that I speak what’s on my mind. I understand if you’re not ready to share how you feel yet.” Oded squeezed her hand gently. “But I’m not out here by myself, right?”

Raegan blushed, but shook her head. “No, you aren’t by yourself,” she answered, understanding that he was asking if he was alone in his feelings.

“Trish is jealous of you, I think,” Oded stated, changing the subject. Raegan almost said that she knew that Trish was jealous, but decided to just let Oded say what he needed to say, then they could discuss what she perceived. “Trish was assigned as my publicist when I first came out here from England. She was really nice and we hit it off fairly well, but I never thought of her as more than just a friend. When the cast party for The Mummy came about, I didn’t have a date, so I took Trish.” Oded’s thumb brushed back and forth over the top of her hand, sending electrical currents up Raegan’s arm. God, she needed to get a grip on herself. Here Oded was spilling his guts to her, and she was getting excited from his thumb brushing across her hand. “I had made it clear to her that it was only as friends and she agreed, but afterward she started hounding me about when we were going to go out again.” He took a deep breath and released it. “I think she has chased away at least one potential girlfriend, probably others that I never knew about.” Oded raised his eyes to meet Raegan’s again. “But I’m not going to allow her to chase you off. I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet. Trish has the ability to crush my career if she chooses to and she could do it in such a way that I could never prove it was her doing. My career is not set like Mel Gibson or even Brendan Fraser’s. I don’t have the kind of pull that they would, so I have to tread softly.” Oded laughed. “Is any of this making sense to you?”

Raegan smiled and nodded her head. “I understand everything your telling me, Ded,” Raegan answered. “And don’t worry about me; Trish can’t chase me where I don’t want to go.”

“You going to tell me what was going on between you two tonight?” he asked.

“Mostly just a bunch of subliminal cat fighting.” Raegan laughed. “Even though I didn’t know all the particulars, it took me all of five minutes to deduce that Trish had the hots for you and I was an unwelcome third party. In the way only women can pull off, I told her hands off.”

“Really?” Oded looked surprised. “When was that?”

Raegan smiled as she pushed off with her leg and moved to straddle his hips, facing him. She placed her hands flat against his chest and looked down on him. “When you were reading the document she brought.” Oded frowned. Raegan grinned. “We didn’t speak, Ded. It was an understanding that passed between us. I told her to keep her hands off you and she said, ‘make me.’”

Oded grew serious. “Rae, I don’t want you fighting with Trish. She fights dirty and I’m afraid of what she might try to do.”

Raegan leaned down and kissed him. “Sh-sh-sh,” she whispered against his lips as she began to rock her hips against him. Oded sucked in his breath as his hands ran up the sides of her thighs, up underneath his shirt she was wearing only to freeze when he reached her waist.

“My god, you’re not wearing underwear!” he exclaimed, surprised.

“Hmmm, and I’m going to be wearing less than that by the time we are through here, too,” Raegan said as she scooted off him, parted his legs, and moved between them.

Shock turned to desire as her hands pressed against his chest. She leaned forward, pressing her breasts against his growing arousal. He groaned, closing his eyes to enjoy the feel of her touch. “Yesss,” he spoke his approval, his body shivering. “Touch me, sweetness. I want to feel your hands on me.”

Raegan’s hands began to roam all over his chest, feeling the hard muscles underneath her fingers. She ran them over his flat nipples and watched them pucker underneath her touch. She then traced them over his ribs and noticed he jumped ever so slightly, but he tried his best to hide it. Raegan grinned. He was ticklish. “Don’t even think about it, Minx,” Oded warned without opening his eyes. Raegan laughed, but her fingers moved on down across his stomach to brush over his shorts and his full arousal, then down his legs and back up again. Oded’s breathing deepened and quickened as she slipped her hands into the waistband of his shorts and tugged. Oded lifted his hips to let her pull the shorts off, his throbbing sex springing out looking for attention.

Raegan quickly tossed his shorts aside and turned her attention to the hard flesh before her. She felt his body tense in anticipation of her touch. As her fingers curled around his hard length, she felt him shudder and his breath come out in a loud whoosh. Raegan was on her knees, wedged nicely between his muscled thighs as she leaned down to swirl her tongue around his velvety tip. Raegan heard a strangled groan and her eyes shot up to meet his dark gaze as she took him into her mouth. Oded clutched at the couch cushions as he watched her lower her mouth on him, then raise back up. Her tongue flicked out to stroke him and it was the most erotic thing he’d ever witnessed. She continued to do this until he thought he might explode. “Rae,” he growled as he reached for her, but suddenly he felt her hand slide between his legs to cup his twin sacs and he nearly came off the couch. “God damn it!” He fought to keep from spilling himself in her hands. He grabbed her, lifting her up. Raegan quickly straddled him again, raising herself up over him. Reaching down between their bodies, she grabbed him and guided him to her entrance. Oded lifted his shirt up and pulled it over her head. His hands reached up to cover her breasts as she sank down on top of him, taking him inside her. His nostrils flared out as she braced her hands on his shoulders and began to move. Oded was helpless to do anything but sit there and let her ride him. She was in control and she was setting the pace. Using her legs, she lifted up till he almost came out, then she sank back down on him. She continued to do this in an excruciating slowness, building their orgasms slowly. Her head fell back on her shoulders as Oded continued to manipulate her nipples with his thumbs, sending electrical currents shooting through her body down to the place between her legs that tightened and tightened, causing her to pick up her pace. Oded’s hands dropped down to her hips, and he gripped them hard as he lent his strength in raising her up and slamming her back down on him, impaling herself. Suddenly Raegan cried out as her body shattered and began to convulse. Oded reached his own release and thrust up several times as he spilled his seed deep inside her. Raegan collapsed on top of him, her head coming to rest against his shoulder. Oded wrapped his arms around her, his hand stroking her back from her neck to the base of her spine.

“I love you, Raegan,” Oded whispered softly into her ear, and he heard her sigh softly in satisfaction. He tightened his arms around her and lifted her as he stood up. Raegan wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her up the stairs, hitting the light switch on the way. He laid them both down on the bed and pulled the covers up over them. Within minutes, they were both relaxed and sound asleep.

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                                                       What If - Chapters 22 - 23