“Lets just say I prayed for it. ” And he was laughing again, kissing her; and she couldnt think. Her body was on fire. His hands were everywhere, her breasts, her nipples, between her legs, stroking, rubbing, pulling. His mouth followed the path of his magical fingers, and when he leaned over her and took a nipple in his searching mouth, she gave in to sex in a way she never had before. She relinquished control over her body and let him bring her to the throbbing, desperate edge of pain. Finally, she couldnt stand it anymore; her whole body was aching, needing . . .
“Please,” she moaned beneath his touch, “now . . . ”
He flipped onto his back and pulled her on top of him, entering her with a thrust. His hands were on her bottom, holding her against his grinding hips, teaching her to match his movements.
She threw her head back and closed her eyes. He arched forward, capturing her nipple in his mouth, and she cried out. Her release was so intense she felt as if she were breaking apart. “Oh, God,” she said, breathing heavily, feeling his own climax inside her.
She collapsed on top of him, buried her in his sweaty chest. He held on to her tightly, as if he expected her to pull away, and stroked her damp back.
“Oh, my God,” she whispered, finally rolling off of him. She remained tucked against him, one leg thrown across his thighs.
“We should have done that a long time ago. ”
“Believe me, it wouldnt have been as good. ” She sighed, flopping back, staring up at the moonlit sky.
So simple. It had always been like this between them. Just a touch, a gentle brushing of his skin against hers, and shed known a kind of peace that could be found nowhere else. She rolled onto her side and stared down at him. “Lets live together. ”
He gave her a strange look. “In Hollywood?”
“God, no. ” It was an instinctive answer. She hadnt even thought about it, but as she heard her voice, she knew it was true. She didnt want to live there anymore. “I could live in San Francisco. ”
He laughed. “No, thanks. He reached up, touched her hair. ”Weve had those lives, Ruby. I dont know about you, but I dont want to go back to anything that came before. I want to start over. And Im not going to live with you.
“Oh. ” She tried to sound casual, as if he hadnt just stomped on her heart.
“Were getting married, Ruby Elizabeth. No more excuses or running away or lost time. We are going to get married. My vote is that we move back here and try like hell to find out what we want to do with the rest of our lives. Im going to give photography a try; its what Ive always wanted to do. Most importantly, were going to promise to grow old together. And were going to do it. Well Sit on our own porch until were blind and hairless and I cant remember what the hell my own name is. And the last thing youre going to feel in this world is me kissing you good night. ”
“Well have children,” she said, dreaming of it for the very first time.
“At least two, so theyll each have a best friend. ”
“And our son. Well name him Eric . . . ”
Ruby would have slept on the dock all night, wrapped in Deans arms and that old blanket, but hed wanted to get back to Eric, and so theyd kissed-and kissed and kissed-good-bye.
Then she helped Dean untie the boat and walked up onto the top of the bank to watch him leave. Moonlight shimmered on all the white surfaces of the boat, turned everything silvery blue. He started the engine; the boat pulled
away from the dock. The chug chug-chug of the motor broke the silence of the night.
Moment by moment, he lost coloring. It started with the tip of the mast; it turned black suddenly, then the rest of the boat followed. In the last slice of moon light, a dark hand lifted, raised, waved goodbye. Though Dean couldnt see her, he knew somehow thatRuby was still there, watching him leave
It was what shed always done.
She stood there until the boat disappeared into this choppy silver-tipped sea, then turned and went to the house.
The kitchen light was on, and Moms bedroom door was closed.
Ruby walked-okay, skipped-over to the closed door. There was no doubt in her mind that her mother would want to be wakened. After all, it wasnt every day your daughter got engaged.
She was just about to knock when the phone rang.
She ran for the kitchen and answered the phone on the second ring, hoping it wasnt about Eric. “Hello?”
"Ruby-where in the goddamn hell have you been?
Ive been calling all night. And what kind of podunk, backwater double-wide house doesnt have an answering machine?"
Ruby immediately relaxed. “Val?” She glanced at the clock. It was one in the morning. “Can we have this discussion in the morning? I-”