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Haunted by the Past Ch. 01

By: surober1



Author's Note: These characters were first introduced in the "Loving Wives" category in a series entitled "Charles and Diana" which told the story of their weekend honeymoon in Vegas when they ran off and married the night they met. This is their continuing saga...

Diana gazed out the window of the plane as it glided through the sky toward Los Angeles into a bright, setting sun. She smiled softly. What a sight! We must have a bright future ahead of us, Charles...my sexy man...my loving husband! They were on their way back to L.A. on Sunday evening, April 15, 1956 from their weekend honeymoon in Las Vegas. They just met Friday night in an Irish-style pub in downtown L.A. It had been lust at first sight! But love had followed right on its heels as they'd realized how perfect they were for each other. After all, we've been searching for each other for seventeen years...

Soul mates... How could we have possibly known at thirteen years old that we were soul mates? Diana smiled and then frowned sadly. She thought about all the pain and heartache they'd had to endure before they could truly recognize what they meant to each other.

Then she smiled widely. I actually tried to slap you for kissing me after you told me I belonged to you and was going to be your wife! Then he'd played out that scene from "The Quiet Man" with her. I knew at that moment that you were the man I'd been waiting for... The man she had promised the big man—John Wayne—that she'd find to love because she wasn't meant to be with him. I even loved and obsessed over you before I discovered you were the boy I'd seen at the carnival that night in Virginia all those years ago...and dreamt of afterward...

What's going on in that beautiful head of yours? "Penny for your thoughts, pretty lady," Charles Richards asked next to his sexy new wife's right ear. He'd been watching the myriad of expressions on her face as she gazed out the window of the plane.

Diana turned to look at him with a soft smile. "I still can't believe we've found each other after all this time! I just keep thinking of all the pain we went through in our lives that might have been prevented if we'd been able to find each other seventeen years ago! But, I guess you're right...if we hadn't experienced all that pain, we wouldn't realize how lucky we are now."

Charles smiled softly at the slight sadness on her face. He raised her right hand with his and brought it up to his lips. He twisted it around to place a soft kiss on her palm and tickled her with his mustache. When he looked at her again, her love and desire for him were shining in her sparkling gray blue eyes...eyes almost the exact same color as his.

The eyes that haunted my dreams for years as a teenager... Eyes that had deepened with love and desire for him when he'd made love to his dream girl. Dreams that had caused him to wake up in a sweat with painful erections that he'd had to relieve before he could go back to sleep.

How I'd hated doing that, but I had no choice! He was cursed with too healthy a libido for a young man raised in the Catholic Church who believed that pre-marital sex was wrong. And yet, she managed to entice me into foregoing that tenet... He believed sex was to be shared only between a man and his wife! Passion, desire and lust were God's gifts to humans to make sex between true soul mates the most pleasurable experience of the flesh. But I just couldn't resist her, Lord! Besides...we were on our way to Vegas to get married...

He still talked to God at times but he was no longer a practicing Catholic because of what he went through with his first wife...

She had cheated on him for five years and he'd confronted her lover the night he found out. He'd beaten the man and forced a confession from him that had revealed the depth of his ex-wife's betrayal. Then he'd almost brutally taken revenge on her until he stopped himself and kicked her out of the house. He'd cried harder that night than he ever had in his life. He'd been afraid that he'd never have a chance at finding true love. I made a terrible choice based on a "dream girl" that I'd begun to believe didn't even exist...

Until I found you. Charles shook his head to get rid of the unpleasant memories. He looked at his soul mate...his one true love...sitting next to him on the plane. Diana smiled softly at him. You know what I've been thinking. They already knew each other so well—it was like they could crawl inside each other's heads at times. Charles had more skill and practice at it than she did because of his job with the FBI, but he was still amazed at how well she knew him.

"We have a lot of decisions to make before we get back to L.A., you know," Charles began. "Like where are we going to live?"

They finally got around to discussing the practicalities of real life. Diana's apartment was smaller and closer to her job, but Charles had a larger apartment in a nicer neighborhood. He argued that they should live at his apartment for the time being; she agreed. The subject of their finances came up when he mentioned that the money they'd won in Vegas would surely help toward the down payment on a mortgage.

Both of them were pretty well off financially. Diana had a modest income from her movie studio job, which was nicely supplemented by her occasional studio recorded singing jobs and her weekend gigs at the nightclub once or twice a month. Her total combined income was just slightly higher than Charles' salary with the FBI. And they both had several thousand dollars in savings...and no debts. They smiled at each other. They had the same philosophy about money and spending. Never spend more than you have coming in and always keep at least several months worth of your income in savings—just in case!

They'd been prepared to spend more money in Vegas than either one of them had on anything else in a long time. But instead, they were going home with way more money than they'd spent all weekend! Diana had saved them the expense of a hotel room when she agreed to sing in The Riviera Resort's nightclub as a favor to the concierge, who'd turned out to be a fan of her L.A. nightclub act. Charles had won a few thousand dollars at Roulette making a bet based strictly on a gut feeling, and Diana had won another thousand from a game of Texas Hold 'Em!

Their life together sure seemed to be starting out with a bang—despite the fact that they'd met and married on Friday the 13th! Charles frowned suddenly. Everything seems to be pointing toward a bright future, but... I have this feeling in my gut... something is looming ahead... something dark. Something bad is going to happen... Oh, please...go away!

But the feeling was enhanced when he glanced out the window of the plane and saw the sky darkening as the sun slipped further downward beyond the horizon. He had no idea what it was and he tried to push the feeling away—but he couldn't shake it. And all my gut feelings lately have proven true...

I chose the transfer to L.A. because my gut said that L.A. would be better than New York. He had no idea why until he'd spotted Diana in that pub Friday night. My gut told me right away that she was the true soul mate I've longed to possess... He'd studied her for a couple hours and learned enough about her personality to confirm that his gut was correct. It had proven true when he discovered that she was his dream girl from all those years ago. Add to that the gut-shot bet I made at the Roulette table... His gut twisted from that nagging, dark feeling... 

Something's troubling you, sexy man... "What's wrong?" Diana asked him.

Charles shook his head slightly. What do I tell her? I can't tell her about this! It might scare her! "You remember I called Gordon before we left The Riviera to let him know we were returning so he could meet us with my car? Well, he told me that the Assistant Director has requested that I contact him as soon as we return. I'm almost afraid of why he wants to see me!"

Diana asked nervously, "Do you think they found out about Gordon flying us to Vegas Friday night? Oh, God! You don't think he would have told them about us joining the 'Mile High' club, do you? How much trouble could this cause for you?"

Charles frowned harder. "I don't know. If that is why I've been summoned, I could be in some pretty serious trouble. The Assistant Director is a real stickler for following policy and the rules. I just hope he'll give me a little leeway since I'm still pretty new there."

When their flight landed at the L.A. airport, Gordon Brown was waiting for them at the gate. "I called the Assistant Director and informed him that you were on your way back. The Director instructed me to drive you straight to the FBI office! Sounds like you might be in big trouble!"

Maybe this is the bad feeling I kept having on the plane—but I hadn't expected it quite this soon!

They collected their one suitcase at the baggage claim area and headed out to the car. They made the drive in nervous silence. When they arrived at the FBI building, Diana was made to wait outside the Assistant Director's office while Charles went in to face his boss.

She was afraid for Charles. Tell him...I kidnapped you at gunpoint!

Charles was standing in front of the Assistant Director. What is this? You're scowling at me like you're mad as hell...but then you look like you're about to bust out laughing! Charles frowned in confusion. What the hell is going on? Am I in trouble or not?!

Oh, boy...have I got a surprise for you, son! The Assistant Director cleared his throat and said sternly, "Agent Richards, do you have any idea how much trouble you would be in if I decide to write you up for such a blatant misuse of Bureau resources?"

"Yes, sir!" If you decide...? You're letting me off the hook? Whew! Wait...why?

"What made you decide it was OK to waste taxpayers' money to fly off to Vegas and marry some little girl you just met? And compromising her by doing something brash like joining the 'Mile High' club?" The Director put his hand up. You don't need to say anything, son! "Don't even try to answer that! Just get that little girl in here and let me see for myself how she made you so completely lose your senses!!!"

Charles frowned at the Director.  Usually he wouldn't let the agents under his direction get away with the least little infraction of policy or rules. Charles went to the door and opened it and motioned for Diana to come in.

When Diana got to the doorway, she stopped; then her eyes went wide. Her mouth flew open and she squealed, "Uncle Pete?!!! Is that you? Oh, my God...it's been years! I wondered what had happened with you!" She flew across the office and was enfolded in a massive bear hug by Assistant Director Peter Woods.

Woods hugged her tightly and rocked back and forth a few times as he exclaimed, "Little Suzie Maitland! I can't believe you're all grown up...and how beautiful you are! It's no wonder Agent Richards couldn't resist you!"

"Uncle Pete, I'm going by my middle name now. Please call me Diana!" When she moved to L.A., she thought that her first name sounded too girlish and that Diana fit her more sensual personality better. Charles preferred to call her Diana as well...since Suzanne had been too close to his bitch ex-wife's name! Just like she preferred his middle name, Charles, to his given name, Robert... like the bastard who'd stolen her virginity. How ironic was that?!!! They had joked that cruel fate seemed to have a twisted sense of humor!

Charles was shocked. You know my boss? How on earth could you two possibly know each other?

Diana explained. "Uncle Pete was an Army Air Corps officer assigned to the Pentagon during the war. I told you my father was in the Corps and making trips to the Pentagon every few months and I went with him sometimes. Lt. Col. Woods and I spent lots of time together. He would let me accompany him on errands while my father took care of his duties. Uncle Pete also took me on tours around Washington and we talked about the war. He tried to help allay my fears and sadness over why it was such a necessary evil. He was always so nice to me! I've really missed you, Uncle Pete!" She exclaimed as she hugged him again.

Peter Woods had recognized what a bright, sensitive and talented girl she was as a teenager. But he had gathered from the way she conducted herself that she was full of self-doubt and very insecure. He hadn't understood why...at first. Her family, and especially her father, adored her and were obviously proud of her. Her father had always bragged about her accomplishments.

He'd learned from later conversations that her insecurity stemmed from the fact that most boys only asked her out to try to take advantage of her because of her shapely body. She never had a steady boyfriend. Boys never asked her for more than three dates; once they found out she wouldn't give in, they called her a tease and moved on. He'd told her how proud he was, and that she should be, too, that she was strong enough to stand her ground.

Woods had grown very fond of her and had told her to call him "Uncle Pete." He'd always asked her to come back and visit him as often as she could. But, once the war was over and her father's duties at the Pentagon were no longer necessary, they didn't see each other any more. He'd often wondered what had become of her.

Several other employees and agents appeared at the Director's office door and started to cheer. A couple of them were holding bottles of champagne and the others held glasses.

Woods walked over to Charles and shook his hand. "Congratulations on your ability to spot a good woman. And you'd better be very good to your new bride or you'll pay hell at work!"

Diana walked over between them, looked up over her shoulder at Woods and said provocatively, "Don't worry, Uncle Pete. Charles has been very, VERY good to me so far!" She reached up and pulled his head down to her and kissed him fiercely for a few seconds. Charles just stood there, still in slight shock.

Woods mumbled, "Doesn't look like it to me! Agent Richards, don't you know how to properly kiss a beautiful woman? What's wrong with you?"

Charles looked in shock at his boss again, seeing the amusement on his face. Then he looked down at Diana, who was also amused at his confusion. And Gordon Brown's face looked smug as he leaned against the doorway. Come on...I thought I was in trouble here and now you're all teasing me for not being able to kiss my wife properly?! All right then...watch this! Get ready to cream your panties, pretty lady!

He wrapped his arms around her and dipped her slightly sideways. He looked down at Diana as his eyes smoldered. He crushed his mouth to hers in a deep, passionate kiss that made her go completely limp in his arms as she moaned desperately. Charles felt his dick stirring. OK...time to end this! I can't fuck you right here in my boss' office!

He slowly ended the kiss as everyone in the office whistled and made wolf calls. He stood Diana back up and grinned wolfishly at the look of desire on her face. He turned her around toward his boss. "Now does it look like I know how to kiss a very beautiful and sexy woman?"

Woods was impressed. "It certainly looks like it now! I guess she wasn't lying about you being VERY good to her!"

Pete Woods had worried about Suzie...Diana...after the last couple times they saw each other in 1945 when she was 19 years old. They had gone to dinner one evening in Washington and were walking back to his car. They passed by an alleyway and heard the sounds of a man and woman moaning. Woods knew right away what was going on and had tried to hurriedly grasp her arm and move her along.

But she had broken his grasp and moved to the corner of a building at one end of the alley and had spotted the couple in the shadows. The man had the woman pinned up against a wall with her legs wrapped around him. He was bucking into her wildly.

Woods had tried to drag Diana away, but she had shushed him and stayed where she was, watching with fascination and excitement. The woman had moaned that she was about to cum. The man started to say dirty things to her.

"Yeah, honey...you have a hot, little pussy! I just love fucking you with my big, hard dick..."

Woods had grabbed Diana's hand to drag her out of there, feeling guilty that he had gotten a hard-on. He had been enjoying watching the couple himself! He had forgotten that Diana was a young woman who should not be witnessing something like that.

Woods had grabbed her hand to drag her away. He tried to make her move but she was braced against the side of the building. Her legs were shaking and her hips convulsing as she moaned softly. He'd suddenly realized what was happening...

She slid down onto the sidewalk, leaning against the building, breathing heavily. She'd looked up at him with a dazed expression on her face and whispered, "So that's what it feels like?!!!"

Woods asked her if she understood what had happened. He'd been flabbergasted when she told him that she knew all about sex and that she was fascinated by it. She'd never watched people fucking before nor had she been fucked yet herself. But she'd read all about how women cum, and how it could happen to some women without even being touched. But she'd never really believed it was possible—until that night.

Diana had said how sorry she was for embarrassing him and had also apologized if she'd made him feel compromised in any way. Woods had a very good marriage; he loved his wife very much. Diana knew that and had asked him very personal questions about his sex life. He had tried to refuse—it was not something he could discuss with a young woman! But she had persisted.

He'd tried to answer her questions in as general and non-explicit terms as he could. But when she asked what kinds of erotic intimacies he and his wife shared, he knew he had to get her off the subject. He wasn't about to go into details with her!

Woods was twenty years older than Diana and he'd realized that night that she was no longer a girl; she had turned into a very sexy—and sensual—young woman. He had hoped she would find the right young man to marry her as soon as possible before her body fully matured and her sexual cravings heightened. He had worried that she would end up getting compromised in some way. Her strong sensuality could get her into trouble...

Peter Woods had no idea how right he was to have worried...

Woods had realized from his last conversations with her that she would not be satisfied to marry a man who wouldn't be willing to experiment with sex. He was happy to see that Charles seemed to know exactly what kind of woman she was and that he loved her for it. 

And, apparently, he could fully satisfy her—according to the wanton look of desire on her face from his kiss! Woods chuckled to himself. You better be careful, Agent Richards! Your sexy, little wife might get you into trouble some day! He thought again about the encounter they'd witnessed in the alley that night in Washington D.C.!

Unbidden, the image of Diana pinned up against a wall with her legs wrapped around Charles as he fucked her hard crept into his mind. He coughed and shook his head. Stop that, you dirty old man!

He looked around at everyone else. "Well, this is supposed to be a celebration! Let's get those bottles of champagne open and toast the new bride and groom! I'm sure they'd like to get home as quickly as possible and continue their honeymoon until they have to get back to the grindstones tomorrow!"


Haunted by the Past Ch. 01



When everyone had a glass of champagne in hand, Peter Woods raised his glass and proposed a toast. "To the luckiest and smartest special agent who's ever walked through the doors of this office in finding the most beautiful, smart, talented and sexy woman in L.A.—and marrying her the night they met! To Charles and Diana! May you be as happy in love and satisfied in bed...or wherever...as Mary and I have been for over twenty-five years now!"

People laughed and wolf whistled at his toast. Then everyone chorused, "Here, here!" and drank their champagne.

Charles introduced Diana to everyone, including his temporary partner, Dan Miller. Dan was in his 50's and would retire in a few months. He'd been assigned to teach Charles how certain procedures were handled in the L.A. office, and how to navigate around L.A. and the rest of their jurisdiction. Once Dan retired, another experienced agent would be reassigned from one of the other offices to be his permanent partner.

At the moment, most of his work was in-office, providing support to the other field agent teams. Charles only got in on interrogations when suspects were brought to the office. Once he was a field agent, he would use his skills to observe people's behaviors at the onset of investigations to help determine if they were a suspect or not, or a credible witness.

Diana frowned slightly. Once you become a field agent, you'll be carrying a gun all the time! You may potentially face danger... She'd been completely ignoring that fact since he'd told her he worked for the FBI. She'd thought more about the psychological aspects of his job rather than the physical requirements. Until he'd told her that she could bet her sweet ass that he could've kicked that big Texan's ass at the end of last night's Texas Hold 'Em game! That's why you have such a sexy, hard body—to be prepared for whatever you might face in the field.

Diana felt a gnawing in the pit of her stomach. Something bad is going to happen... But what? And where is this feeling coming from? He's not going to die, is he? NO! No...he's not. But she somehow sensed something was going to affect him profoundly...and test the strength of her commitment to him. I won't let anything tear us apart, my sexy man—no matter what...

**********

Charles chuckled quietly and shook his head as he drove through the streets of Los Angeles, following Diana's directions to her apartment. He still couldn't believe all the amazing coincidences and cruel twists of fate that seemed to have coalesced through some strange alignment of the universe to bring them back together at this point in their lives! I've never really believed in destiny or fate, but I do now...

"Uncle Pete!" Charles muttered with a laugh. "How many more coincidences do you think we're going to come across in our lives? Is there anyone else we might run into at the FBI that has some connection to you or your family...Suzie?" he added sarcastically.

Diana chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know...Robert!" she snorted disdainfully. She smiled when she saw him chuckling. Then she continued, "I had no idea that Uncle Pete was in Los Angeles now...we lost track of each other as soon as the war ended. I'm just so glad to see him again!"

Let's see if I can shock you again! She added teasingly, "You know, Uncle Pete saw me the first time I had an orgasm. Watch out!" Diana exclaimed, and then laughed at his startled reaction.

Charles snapped his head to the right, gaping at her, and nearly ran the car off the road. "WHAT?!!!" he roared.

Diana laughingly told Charles about the scene they'd witnessed one night in Washington. "It took Uncle Pete a few seconds before he realized what was happening to me. But don't worry; he never laid a hand on me. He always only treated me like I really was his niece."

Charles frowned slightly. He tried to imagine what went through Peter Woods' mind when he saw young Diana...or Suzie, as he'd called her... leaning against the side of a building in the middle of an orgasm! Her cheeks flushed a light rose color; her lips deepened to a darker rose shade and her eyes half closed and glazed over with passion as soft moans drifted past her lips...

At least, that's how you look when I make slow, sweet love to you. But, I've also made you groan with passion, wail in ecstasy and scream with lust! You respond to me with such wild abandon... you stir my blood like no other woman I've ever met! His loins were tingling. 

He knew it was a damn good thing that Peter Woods was an honorable man who loved his wife! Any other man probably would have taken advantage of Diana in that situation... I sure as hell would have! Sin of pre-marital sex be damned...I would've fucked you right there on that sidewalk if I'd been with you that night!

Diana watched his face. You're uncomfortable that your boss witnessed my first experience with sexual ecstasy. Understandable. His expression changed from frowning concern to lustful passion. Now what're you thinking? He glanced her way again—his eyes burning at her... You want to fuck me again! Oh, yessss...!!!

Luckily, they were only about a block from her apartment. He pulled up and parked on the side of the street. They jumped out of the car and she raced up the sidewalk, digging her keys out of her purse as she climbed the steps to her apartment. He was right on her heels the whole way. She stopped to unlock the door. He pressed his body against the back of hers and ran his hands up and down...cupping her breasts and stroking over her pussy through her dress.

Diana moaned as she fumbled with the lock, trying to get the door open. Oh, God! Stop rubbing your hard dick against my ass...please! The door finally opened and he pushed her inside.

He closed the door behind them, pausing just long enough to pull her keys out of the knob and flip the switch by the door to turn on some lights. He tossed her keys onto the kitchen counter next to the door. Then he grabbed her and pulled her against him as he kissed her fiercely.

Diana groaned deep in her throat. He grasped her ass, rubbing his dick against the front of her body. Goddamn it, sexy man! You're torturing my pussy again! She put her hands on his casual suit jacket and pushed it from his shoulders, letting it drop to the floor while he nudged his shoes off his feet. Then she started on his shirt buttons. 

Charles already had the zipper on the back of her dress lowered and was caressing her back as she hurriedly unbuttoned his shirt. He moaned into her mouth as he kissed her deeply. Oh, God... I love the feel of your fingers digging into my chest hair! He groaned. He recalled the way she'd buried her face on him and moaned wantonly when she inhaled his scent the first time she saw his bare chest.

A thrill of pure desire had flowed through his loins and his dick had throbbed painfully at the look on her face when she smelled his pheromones. She'd looked like a female in heat who'd just found her mate and was waiting for him to pounce on her and take what was his! He'd almost done that. Except he'd been mesmerized with exploring her beautiful breasts and he hadn't allowed himself to be deterred.

She broke their kiss to drag her lips down to his chest. She raked her tongue across his male nipples. She moaned at his scent again. This time, he gave in to his animalistic need for her.

He threw his short-sleeved shirt off his shoulders and yanked her dress forward and down off her body. He unhooked her bra and peeled it from her generous breasts in no time flat. He knelt on one knee to tug her slip and underwear down her hips and legs, pulling her shoes off as he dragged her undergarments away from her feet.

He stood and scooped her naked body into his arms and headed toward the only door that appeared to lead to a bedroom. He practically threw her onto the bed. He stopped just long enough to divest himself of his pants, socks and shorts.

Diana reached over and turned on her bedside lamp and was staring in lust at his dick. Then she did something that made his blood boil. He groaned. Aw fuck, pretty lady... His dick throbbed when more blood surged into his turgid shaft.

Diana turned over onto her knees with her ass high in the air and her head sideways on the pillows, looking at him with wanton desire. She growled lustfully, "Fuck me, you animal! Fuck me like you wanted to do the second you saw me!"

Charles growled deep in his throat. You're inside my head again! You want me to brand you again, huh? He reached down and grasped her hips, dragging her to the side of the bed. He slammed into her with a powerful thrust that made him grunt forcefully. She cried out lustfully.

"YESSSS...Oh, God, you sexy man! Fuck me hard! Bury your dick deep inside me! Make me cum! Oh, yes...yes...yes! AAAAAAHHHHHG!!!" Diana screamed. A powerful wave ripped through her body. Charles repeatedly slammed his magnificent eight inches of thick, male flesh deep inside her to that place that gives her explosive climaxes! She slowly recovered. I talked dirty to you...you should've cum! But you're dick is still hard as a rock!

It's gonna take more than a little dirty talk to get me off this time! "You ready for more, pretty lady?" he asked her seductively.

She was about to tell him she was ready for another mind-blowing orgasm. But they heard pounding on her front door and a man's muffled voice yelling, "Diana! Diana! Are you all right? What's going on? I could hear you screaming next door! Diana! Are you in there?"

They heard the sound of her door being opened. Oh, shit! I forgot to lock the door!

The man's voice again, louder. "Diana, are you in here? Are you OK?"

She exclaimed hurriedly, "I'm OK, Mr. Kitchner! Just stay where you are! I'll be there in just a minute!" Charles had backed away from her as soon as they heard the door open. Diana scrambled for her robe and put it on.

She went to the door of her bedroom and looked at the older gentleman standing at her front door. "I'm so sorry if I frightened you and Mrs. Kitchner! I didn't mean to yell so loudly... I just couldn't help it." Charles moved up behind her.

Mr. Kitchner's eyes widened as his mouth fell open. "Mr. Kitchner, I'd like you to meet my new husband, Charles Richards. Charles this is Mr. Kenneth Kitchner. He and his lovely wife Irene have been my neighbors for almost ten years now."

Charles moved toward the slightly shocked Kenneth Kitchner to offer his hand in greeting. Diana breathed a sigh of relief when she saw he had slipped his pants back on. Mr. Kitchner slowly shook his hand.

He smiled knowingly when he saw their clothes scattered on the floor. Oh, ho ho...so that's what you were up to! And why you screamed! "Well, well, young lady. I see you finally found the right man, huh? Irene and I have worried that you'd never marry. We'd begun to think that maybe you just hated most men! But, I see now that you were holding out for a real man! One who'd be able to make you scream, eh?" You must be pretty well hung, young man, to make her scream like that! Ah, yes...I see the bulge in the front of your pants! Kenneth Kitchner chuckled when he saw Diana blush and her eyes widen.

Charles snorted a laugh as they released their handshake. "Sorry if we disturbed you, Mr. Kitchner; we'll try to keep it a little quieter. But, you won't have to worry about it after tonight. Diana will be moving in with me. We just stopped here long enough for her to get her clothes and some other essentials, but...we got a little sidetracked. You know how it goes!" He turned to glance at Diana and saw her shaking her head with her face in her hand. He chuckled.

"Well, I'm certainly sorry to hear that we're going to be losing this nice, young lady. She's been an exemplary neighbor all these years...up until tonight, that is!" Kenneth Kitchner and Charles chuckled together when they heard Diana groan. "You take good care of her, young man! What am I saying... you've already proven you can do that!" They laughed harder when they heard Diana whimper in further embarrassment.

Mr. Kitchner looked at Diana and said through his laughter, "I'm sorry to tease you, young lady! It's just that Irene and I have always wanted you to be happy and now we know you will be! You two love each other and be good to one another and try to keep in touch if you can! Good night, and try to remember how thin the walls are here!" 

Kenneth Kitchner continued to chuckle as he shut the door and headed down the stairs and over to his apartment to tell Irene that their lovely, lonely young friend had finally found love. She'd always told them that she'd know the right man when she found him. I'm so glad you finally did! And quite a handsome and virile one at that! So, that's what you've been looking for... another real man...like John Wayne! Kenneth excitedly told his wife about Diana's new husband.

They'd always known Diana was a big fan of The Duke. They'd secretly seen him that Sunday night two years ago. Diana hadn't come home that weekend but they'd thought she stayed with one of her girlfriends, as she'd done from time to time. Irene had heard a car pull up outside around 10:30 that night. She had peeked out the window and nearly gone into hysterics when she saw Diana walking up the sidewalk with John Wayne! They'd watched out their window as she and The Duke stopped at the bottom of the stairs. 

They'd hugged each other like they never wanted to let go. And then they'd shared the most tender—yet desperate—kiss. Kenneth and Irene had looked at each other in total shock. The Duke had looked like a man whose heart was breaking as he watched Diana climb the stairs to her apartment. Then he'd waved to her, walked back to the car that was waiting for him and left...and they never saw him again.

The Kitchners had waited for Diana to tell them about that weekend, but she never brought it up. She'd looked so miserable for so long afterward that they felt they couldn't intrude. If she'd wanted to talk about it, they were sure she would have; so they let it go. And they never told anyone what they'd seen—in order to protect her.

About a year ago, she'd come around and started living again. They kept praying that she'd find a man who deserved her; she was such a kind and thoughtful young woman. The Kitchners were grateful for that answered prayer!

**********

Charles moved to Diana as she leaned on her bedroom doorframe, still looking somewhat embarrassed. He opened her robe and put his left arm around her waist. He took her left hand in his right one and placed them at his crotch. He pressed her palm against the bulge of his still hard dick. "I still need you, pretty lady. Please don't deny me!"

"You know I could never deny you anything, my sexy man. Just promise me that if I start to scream this time, you'll cover my mouth, OK?"

Charles chuckled quietly. "Oh, honey, don't you think the Kitchners would enjoy knowing how well I can take care of you?"

He continued to chuckle as Diana groaned in frustration. She pulled him toward her bed. "Then get over here and fuck me, you cheeky bastard! And make sure you take very good care of me!" she growled.

During the next thirty minutes, she groaned loudly twice and screamed once more as Charles joined her with a loud groan of his own. Over their heavy panting, they could've sworn they heard the muffled sounds of laughter coming through the wall!

They took a shower and dressed again. Then they packed her clothes, shoes, toiletries and personal items, and started carrying everything downstairs to load into his car. They had to make a few trips.

Mr. and Mrs. Kitchner walked out onto their stairway landing to wave goodbye. Mrs. Kitchner looked at Charles. "Bravo, young man...bravo!"

Diana chuckled silently. Then she laughed out loud.

Charles turned to Mrs. Kitchner, made a deep, sweeping bow and said, "Thank you for your appreciation of my performance. Too bad we didn't have more time for an encore. The next performance will have to wait until we get to my place!"

"Please, Mrs. Kitchner...you're not helping!" Diana chuckled. "I created a monster this weekend by making him realize how sexy he is and now I can't control him! So, please...don't encourage him any further!"

Mrs. Kitchner laughed. "Oh, honey...don't discourage him! Enjoy it while you can! There's nothing better to keep a woman feeling young than a man who knows he can please her. As long as he knows that, he won't be able to keep his hands off you! Isn't that right, dear?" she asked softly as she looked lovingly at her husband. Mr. Kitchner responded by growling and kissing his wife's neck as she purred with laughter.

Diana paused at the car as she waved once more to the Kitchners. She chuckled quietly. Their mattress is probably going to get a workout tonight like it hasn't seen in years! The Kitchners were in their fifties. Not long after she moved in almost ten years ago, she'd heard the muffled sound of loud moaning and springs squeaking coming through the walls some nights for several years. It had gradually become less frequent, until she didn't hear them any more. I guess their sex life isn't non-existent—just quieter! 

Then she chuckled out loud. This is the first time I've ever had sex with a man in my apartment! The walls of her bedroom had echoed her moans many times over the years. But never had she groaned or screamed so loudly that the Kitchners had been able to hear her! This was the first time I've ever been fucked in my own bed! And it was way better than any of the fantasies she'd played out in her mind while she'd pleasured herself. But even the big man himself outdid your fantasies of him!

Charles asked her what she was laughing about. She explained what had amused her...but she omitted her thought regarding the big man. 

Charles grinned. "I'm glad I was able to surpass your fantasies, pretty lady, because you've turned out to be way better than my fantasies as well! Let's go. I'm anxious to get you into MY bed now!" he growled sexily. His cock stirred again when he saw the flames leap in her eyes. Will this fire between us ever be extinguished? I hope not...



Haunted by the Past Ch. 02



His apartment was about ten minutes away from hers, closer to the FBI office. Charles Richards had a two bedroom, one bath apartment on the third floor of a newer building. It was more spacious than Diana's tiny one bedroom apartment. His living room, kitchen and dining area was the size of her whole apartment.

He told her to stay inside and look around while he made several trips to get her things. She discovered that one of the bedrooms was used strictly for storage. He didn't have a lot of furniture. He did have a complete bedroom suit that looked new. But the living room furniture consisted of items that looked like they had been bought separately at thrift stores or garage sales—typical single male furniture.

At least he's neat! Clothes weren't strewn everywhere and the kitchen sink wasn't piled with dirty dishes.

The walls were bare. No photos, no artwork, no posters...and no curtains on the windows, just Venetian blinds. He's only been living here a few weeks, so it's not like he's had a lot of time to do any decorating... not that men cared about that sort of thing! I hope he'll be pleased with my taste in décor. He'd probably want her to handle most of that when they got around to buying a house.

By the time they finished unpacking her things and making room in his dresser and closet for her clothes and shoes, it was after eleven. They were getting a little tired. But their excitement at being in their first home together made them want to celebrate by making love in the bed they would be sharing.

Charles lovingly undressed Diana this time, taking his time to kiss and caress her body as he removed each piece of her undergarments. He peeled her panties down her hips as he kneeled in front of her, revealing her lovely golden blonde mound to his eyes again. His cock throbbed. He leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss on her.

I'll never tire of staring at your lovely blonde pussy! I've never seen a true blonde before...

My cock gets hard every time I see you... And watching my dark curly hair mingle with your soft golden hair as I fuck you slowly...goddamn, pretty lady! I can't even explain why that sight turns me on so much...it just looks so hot to me! That's all I can come up with! Hell...everything about you is hot... Just some things a little more so...

He stood and picked her up and laid her on his bed...our bed now...and undressed himself. Flames of desire roared in her eyes as she watched him. His own eyes burned at her as she stretched herself languorously. She held her arms out to him as he moved to lie down beside her. He kissed her passionately as she wrapped herself around him.

She was moaning into his mouth and thrusting her hips against him. You're begging me without words to take you... Charles rolled over top of her as he moved her onto her back. He lifted his head to look at her face. Her eyes were closed, her head tilted backward. You're anticipating me filling your body...

"Open your eyes, pretty lady. I want to watch your eyes as you take my cock inside you."

They groaned as he slowly slid all the way into her. Her eyelids drooped with passion, but she stared at him as he fucked her slowly and deeply. They moaned softly with each slow journey of his flesh inside hers. It felt as if he was unlocking the door to her soul.

Only you now possess the key to unlock the door to my soul... 

Once he was inside, his soul joined hers. They entwined in a dance of passion that was every bit as erotic as that Tango they'd performed on the dance floor in the nightclub of The Riviera in Las Vegas just over twenty-four hours ago... They'd forgotten they weren't alone.

But they didn't have to worry about an audience tonight. The passionate dance of their souls became louder and more urgent. Charles lifted his head from kissing Diana's neck when her moans grew louder. 

You're about to come...and so am I... 

He whispered huskily, "Come for me, pretty lady. Let me see your beautiful lover's blush on your cheeks and your luscious lips deepen in color, begging for my kiss. Let me see the love sparkling in your eyes turn to a glaze of passion for me. I love you, Diana, and I love knowing that I can make you come more than any man ever has or will again. You belong to me! That's it, my love, come for me..."

"Oh, God...I love you, Charles!" Diana groaned. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Her hands dug into the hair on the back of his head. Her back arched and her hips bucked against his as her climax peaked. She could feel her flesh throbbing on his. He sent her to these dizzying heights of passion every time he reminded her that he was the only man who could fuck her this good.

I love your possessiveness of me...I need your possessiveness...I know you love me! 

"Oh, yes!" he groaned as his orgasm peaked. "You are so beautiful when you come! Can you feel me pulsing inside you? I love to come with you, Diana...it feels so right!"

They moaned softly, grinding their hips together gently as their passion subsided. When they were breathing normally again, he kissed her tenderly. He lifted off of her, went into the bathroom and got a towel and a wet washcloth.

Diana wouldn't go to sleep until she'd cleaned up after sex. She couldn't stand the thought of leaving anything on her body, and she wasn't fond of "wet spots" either! Charles chuckled. 

You're such a sensuous woman who can come so easily—but you can't stand the mess it makes!

As she drifted off to sleep tucked against his right side, his soft smile faded. That dark, gut-twisting feeling returned. He frowned.

What is causing this feeling? I can't sense anything specific!

He turned his head to kiss the top of Diana's golden mane and tightened his arms around her. He listened to her soft, even breathing as he felt himself drifting off...

********** Charles awoke with a start—sitting bolt upright in bed, breathing heavily and sweating. He almost went into a panic when he saw the bed was empty beside him...Diana was gone.

He suddenly recalled the dream...or nightmare...he'd just been having. One moment, he was making love with her; she was on top of him, riding him with slow, sensuous strokes of her body. And the next moment, she was gone—ripped away from him by some unseen force. He'd heard her scream in panic and pain and then...nothing...complete silence and darkness.

Charles jumped out of bed and grabbed his boxer shorts from where he'd left them just before he joined Diana in bed. He put them on and went to the bedroom door to look for her. He stopped short as he came out the door. She was in the kitchen...making breakfast. He crept up behind her as she was pouring scrambled eggs into a pan.

He put his arms around her waist, opened her robe and cupped her breasts with his hands. He kissed the curve of her neck and shoulder. He smiled as he felt a shiver go through her body. 

There's your tingles, pretty lady! Now, let me see your nipples stand out...ah, yes! Thank You!

"Good morning, sexy man. I thought I'd let you sleep as long as possible before we have to leave for work. You seemed kind of restless last night. Still not quite used to having a woman in your bed again...is that it?" Diana asked him teasingly.

"That's not it all, my pretty lady, and you know it. I just don't like the thought of having to be away from you so much during the day. I wish we could've had a longer honeymoon—we'll have to make plans to do that some time. Breakfast smells great...what are we having?"

"Sausage and scrambled eggs—and toast if you can tell me where the bread is! I looked all around but I couldn't find it. Do you have any bread? And I would've made some coffee, too, but I couldn't find that either!"

Charles went to the freezer and pulled out a partial loaf of bread. "I keep bread in the freezer. It'll go bad on me if I don't eat it fast enough. And I don't drink coffee; I prefer tea."

He toasted a few pieces of bread and poured them some orange juice while she finished the eggs.

They chatted about Diana's job as they ate breakfast. Charles was curious to know if she'd met any other big stars besides Marilyn Monroe, Ward Bond...and John Wayne. She said she'd met a few others but none of them had been as warm and friendly to her as Marilyn, Ward and the big man.

Warm and friendly... Charles snorted softly. Those two words can't possibly describe how John Wayne treated you!

Diana tried not to notice the sound he made. 

What the hell did you want to talk to Ward about yesterday before we left?

By sheer coincidence, Ward Bond and his wife Mary Lou had gone to Vegas for a few days and had also ended up at The Riviera. Ward had been surprised to see Diana there and even more so when he'd learned that she'd married!

Ward had caught her and the big man together at his beach house that weekend in April of '54. He was supposed to have been out of town at a movie location, but the plans had been cancelled at the last minute, so he'd gone home. He'd told the big man he was welcome to stay at his house if he was tired of a hotel room. Wayne had taken Diana there when he'd learned of her love for the beach and the ocean. Diana had been upset when she learned Ward had seen them making love on the beach. But Ward had sworn to keep it a secret...and he had. He and Diana had been good friends ever since.

Diana had asked Ward and Mary Lou to say they had no knowledge of her relationship with the big man. She'd told Charles that she made the big man promise never to tell anyone about them. It was a believable story. Wayne had already been seeing his wife Pilar before that weekend fling—it would only have complicated his life if anyone had learned about Diana.

Not sure what to think, huh, pretty lady?

Diana still thought he didn't believe that she'd had an affair with "the big man." He wanted her to keep thinking that. But he'd picked up on enough of her reactions to his questions and comments to know that it was true.

She calls John Wayne "big man" because he has a big dick...

Charles kept trying to push that image from his mind—but it kept...hanging around!

Good God...even my own traitorous mind keeps making jokes about it!

But it wasn't a joke...not at all. Jealous as he felt from time to time when he pictured Wayne fucking his wife, he'd come to realize... if The Duke hadn't loved you, I would never have found you again.

He'd spoken privately to Ward yesterday afternoon before they left Vegas because he could tell that Ward knew something. Ward had reluctantly confessed that he did. So Charles had asked him to deliver a message, hoping it would tell Wayne how much he loved Diana.

I'll have to ask Ward if I ever see him again how The Duke reacted to that message...

After breakfast, they showered and dressed for work. Then Charles drove Diana to the movie studio.

Diana introduced Charles to her boss, the executive producer. He was as shocked as Ward had been. He also knew about John Wayne. He'd caught them in a passionate embrace in her office two weeks after that weekend. He had been shocked to see Wayne wiping a few tears from his face after he'd come out of her office when they supposedly said goodbye to each other.

Wayne had threatened him with bodily harm if ever told anyone or did anything that would hurt Diana. The producer had assured him that he'd always cared about Diana. He had also hoped she would finally realize what a wonderful young woman she was since Wayne—her ideal man—had recognized that in her. The producer knew how much he loved her. Wayne still called him every once in a while just to find out how she was and what she'd been doing.

I wonder how he's going to take the news that you've married!

The producer was impressed with her new husband.

Well, well...you're quite a specimen! An FBI agent with a great physique and very handsome—the camera would probably love you!

It was also obvious that Diana loved him when Charles kissed her goodbye. It was a very tender kiss. His right hand cupped her jaw. His lips softly lingered on hers for several moments, their eyes closed. He lifted his head to look at her lovingly. Diana's eyes drifted open, revealing her love and desire for him. Then he brushed her cheek with the backs of his fingers and quietly told her he'd see her that evening when he came to pick her up.

Charles paused as he went out the door to look back at her. He flashed a quick, sexy grin, showing off the deep dimple in his right cheek. Diana grinned back just as sexily. She closed her eyes and sighed dreamily when he left. When she looked at her boss, he was staring at her with his eyebrows raised.

"So...you've finally found someone to replace Captain Hard Ass in your heart?" The producer paused when Diana barked a loud laugh. "By the way, you've never explained to me why you gave Mr. Wayne that nickname and why it makes you laugh all the time!" her boss exclaimed.

Diana smirked. "I call him Captain Hard Ass because he has a hard ass and he took me on his boat...and we fished, too!" Diana and her boss roared with laughter for a moment.

Then she sobered. "Charles didn't replace him. I'll always love Captain Hard Ass...but Charles is my true soul mate and he now owns the rest of my heart. He loves me and I want him even more than I did the big man...which I thought I'd never find in any other man. I'm finally a very happy and very lucky woman! I just wish it hadn't taken seventeen years."

Diana's boss asked her what she meant, so she told him their story.

"We just happened to end up at the same pub downtown Friday night. Charles spotted me and had a gut feeling that I could be his 'dream girl.' When I discovered he was also a fan of the big man, I knew he was the man for me. Charles asked me where I grew up in Virginia; he had thought for sure I was his dream girl. But since my hometown isn't near the town where we'd spotted each other, he'd dismissed his hope, but he still felt somehow that I was his soul mate.

"Later that night, we were talking more about our childhoods, and I told him of a boy I had spotted years ago at a carnival who'd looked at me with such intense interest. I was stunned when Charles described exactly what I had been wearing that night! Well, that just threw us for a loop! We knew then that we really were soul mates! And after everything we've been through in our lives...it just makes us truly appreciate what we have now."

Her boss said seriously, "You know...maybe you should write a book or a screenplay based on your story. It sounds like it would make a great romantic drama!"

Diana was amazed...at first. Then she laughed it off as a silly idea.

No one would be interested in my life's story! Besides...I don't want to reveal my painful past to anyone else anyhow...

There it is again...that dark, gnawing feeling in my stomach...

She frowned and shook her head to dispel the feeling. As she walked around the corner of her desk toward her chair, she froze. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as a cold chill ran up her spine. 

What on earth is wrong with me? Why do I suddenly feel so spooked? 

There was only one other time she had ever experienced what she'd call a "premonition." It was when she'd known right after the big man had told her he loved her that she wasn't meant to share her life with him.

But I know in my soul that Charles and I are meant to be together!

So, why am I suddenly having feelings of "doom and gloom" when I'm finally happier than I've ever been in my life?

Maybe it was the pain of her past trying to rear its ugly head! Trying to make her think that she'd better not get used to being happy because something was bound to take it away from her. 

Maybe I don't deserve to be happy...

This is ridiculous! Fifteen minutes away from Charles back in the real world and already I'm trying to sabotage my own happiness!

She snorted a sarcastic laugh and mentally screamed at the nagging feeling of the "heebie-jeebies" to go away and let her enjoy true happiness at last.

She did her best to ignore that gnawing, dark feeling...

Diana threw herself back into her usual routine at work and tried to make the day go faster so she could be with Charles again. It seemed to drag a little slower than she would have liked. At 5:15, she was waiting at the front entrance of the studio when Charles pulled up to the gate. She jumped in the car, slid across the seat next to him and kissed him desperately. She told him how much she'd missed him. Charles kissed her back just as fiercely and murmured that he'd missed her, too.

They headed back to his apartment...home...and ended up attacking each other and fucking on the living room couch as soon as they got in the door. They didn't even bother to undress. He pushed her down onto the couch and thrust his hips against her. She reached down and undid his pants and freed his throbbing cock. He pushed her skirt up around her waist and removed her panties. He fucked her hard as they groaned with lust.

That act almost became a routine for them that week. They had to switch to Diana giving Charles a blowjob when her monthly cycle interfered. They had agreed while they were on their honeymoon that they still wanted to pleasure each other during those certain times of the month or during the fertile period of her cycle. They both wanted children, but not right away! They wanted to enjoy all the pleasures they could give each other for at least a couple years before they started their family.

Charles had stared at Diana right after she'd assured him that she wouldn't get pregnant during their honeymoon because she wasn't fertile at that time. His initial nervousness at realizing that he'd already come inside her twice before he'd even thought about birth control was immediately relieved.

Then he'd instantly envisioned Diana pregnant with his child and how beautiful she'd look. He'd seen her holding their newborn baby...a beautiful little girl; then him holding a little tow-headed girl about five years old with sparkling gray blue eyes...just like theirs...

Diana stood up from the couch to kiss Charles, still holding his softening cock in her hand. He loved to taste himself in her mouth. He moaned deeply as his tongue stroked hers. When the kiss ended, she stared into his eyes as she softly stroked his cock. Then she put it back into his pants and zipped him.

There will come a time when I won't allow you to waste your seed shooting off in my mouth. I'm going to make you fuck me and come inside me over and over until you impregnate me...I want to have your baby. I want a little boy just like you...

Charles smiled softly at his wife.

I see the deep love in your eyes... There was also a faint far away look, as if she was looking ahead to something... Whatever it is, I can tell it makes you happy...

**********

In the first several weeks after their marriage, Charles and Diana were busy looking for a new home and cleaning out Diana's apartment. She was able to get out of her lease by finding a new tenant to take it over. Diana's girlfriends were all very helpful with the cleaning and moving of items from her apartment to his while they spent most of their time working and house hunting.

Within five weeks, they found a lovely home in the Brentwood area. It was a bit more than they'd originally planned to spend, but it was a really good deal. It was a brand new U-shaped ranch-style house with a two-car garage, three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It had a large kitchen with a spacious living and dining room area.

Sliding glass doors in the dining room and master bedroom led to a patio and an in-ground pool. It had a large backyard with a spectacular view of the ocean in the distance from the hillside location. The backyard was very private, with trees and thick brush lining the sides of the yard. They could just imagine themselves lounging on the patio and having cookouts with their friends; the two of them sipping drinks, skinny-dipping and making love in the pool. 




Haunted by the Past Ch. 02



They fell in love with the house and the view the moment they saw it. The price of the home exceeded their maximum mortgage amount by nearly the same amount of money they'd won in Vegas on their honeymoon. They put that amount toward the down payment so they wouldn't exceed their planned mortgage payments. They were able to close on the purchase of the home and move in quickly since it was a new construction and was all ready for occupancy. 

They had budgeted a few extra thousand dollars into their expected home buying expenses with which to purchase some new furniture. Neither one of them had any dining room furniture nor did they have very nice living room furnishings. They also treated themselves to a new set of furniture for their master bedroom—a large four-poster bed with a matching dresser and mirror, chest of drawers and two nightstand tables. They used the bedroom furnishings from their apartments in the guest bedrooms.

Diana's girlfriends came over some evenings to help her with arranging furniture and unpacking. Sometimes Charles was working late, so they would have dinner with her and hang around for a while to play cards or watch some television shows until he got home. Dawn Williams, Barbara Adams and Lynda Curtis all loved Charles. They had all immediately started flirting with him...especially Lynda.

They had called Lynda from Vegas to tell her that they'd married. She had flirted with Charles on the phone and he had teased her in a most provocative way. She'd been dreaming of him ever since...

Lynda had remembered what he looked like. She'd spotted him in the pub before he and Diana met. She'd been instantly attracted by his handsomeness. Dark brown hair; piercing eyes under heavy, expressive brows; a chiseled nose, a strong, square jaw and, especially, his neatly trimmed, thick, dark brown mustache over his sensuously shaped lips.

And his physique had caused her insides to melt! He'd been wearing a dark business suit that emphasized his broad shoulders, and his chest looked large and well-built, tapering down to his trim waist and hips. She couldn't tell how tall he was at first. But when he'd stood up to approach Diana at the bar, she could tell he was about six feet tall.

She'd almost gotten excited when she saw Diana walk away from him and then try to slap him for kissing her when he'd pulled her back to him. But when they played out a scene from that John Wayne movie that Diana had dragged her to see over and over, Lynda had realized she didn't stand a chance. If he was a John Wayne fan, Diana wasn't about to let him get away! She had been terribly disappointed.

Charles was the first man she'd seen in a long while that had made her heart beat a little faster as well as stirring her desire. She flirted with Charles every chance she got, but he only flirted with her if Diana was around. 

He loves her very much. I never thought I'd ever envy my best friend...

Occasionally, Lynda would spend the night if she'd had too much to drink and didn't want to risk driving home. She nearly went crazy one night when she woke up and heard them having sex! She heard Diana's loud moans. They'd left their bedroom door open several inches and the sounds were carrying right down the hallway to her room.

It was quiet again and she thought they were done. She walked out of her room to get to the bathroom at the end of the hall. Just as she turned to go in, she glanced at their open bedroom door. She stopped dead in her tracks.

She had a clear view of the back of Charles' body. He was kneeling behind Diana, fucking her very slowly. They moaned softly. Lynda was mesmerized.

Oh, God...he has the sexiest back and ass I've ever seen!

Watching his ass muscles flex as he thrust made her throb and flood with wetness. She had to put her hand over her mouth to stifle her own soft moans.

Diana had told her that he had a beautiful, thick eight-inch long cock. It appeared to be true...his hips moved back a good distance as he pulled out of her slowly. Diana moaned that she wanted Charles to fuck her deeper. He thrust his hips up against her ass and started doing a rolling motion with his hips that really worked the muscles of his ass. Lynda stared in a lustful haze. She nearly groaned out loud.

Oh, damn...he's just so fucking hot!

She shut the bathroom door quietly when Diana starting telling him how good it felt. Even through the closed door, she could hear Diana moaning.

"Ooooh, yes, baby! Just like that! Oooh...that feels so good! Aaaah, Charles...I love your cock! Oooh baby... oh, yeah, sexy man... harder! Oh, yes...yes...yes...Aaaaahhhh!" Diana wailed as she came again.

Lynda was sitting on the toilet trying to pee as quietly as she could. When she was done, she was afraid to flush the toilet. She could hear the two of them still going at it.

Goddamn...I'm so horny! She couldn't stop herself from reaching down between her legs to rub her clit.

Especially when Charles asked Diana to suck his cock and make him come.

Lynda loved sucking cock. She knew how to deep-throat. She'd gloated over the fact that her bastard ex-husband had admitted that his rich-bitch girlfriend that he'd left her for wouldn't suck his dick. Lynda had gotten him hooked on it because she was so good at it.

She hadn't tasted dick since he walked out on her over three years ago.

I haven't dated any man that I've liked or cared enough about to give that kind of pleasure...or have any kind of sex, for that matter. I can't turn my body over to just any man; I need my heart to be involved in the decision and, so far, I haven't met any man that has affected my heart...until Charles...

I wish it was me sucking your beautiful eight-inch long cock into my mouth and down my throat! I could do a much better job for you than Diana...she can't deep-throat! Lynda thought haughtily. Oh, God...I feel like such a shrew...

She closed her eyes.

I'm kneeling in front of you, sexy man, undoing your pants, pulling your half-hard cock out and wrapping my lips around you to suck you hard.

He was groaning loudly.

I'm swallowing the full length of your beautiful cock...

Her breasts heaved.

Mmm...I can just imagine your wonderful male scent as I bury my nose in your pubic hair... 

His groans became louder.

Yes, sexy man, grasp my hair and fuck my mouth...

Lynda was nearing orgasm.

Charles moaned, "Oh, baby, that feels so good! Yeah, keep doing just like that! Ohhhhh yeah...suck my cock babe...that's it! Oh, God...here it comes... Aaaaah Yeaaaah! He continued to moan as he came. 

Her hips undulated on the toilet seat. Lynda opened her mouth to take deep, ragged breaths to keep from moaning as she stroked herself through her orgasm. She cleaned herself up with toilet paper and waited to make sure she didn't hear any further noises coming from their bedroom. She flushed the toilet and then turned the light out. She cracked the bathroom door open and peeked out. Their bedroom light was off. She snuck back into the guest bedroom and crawled back into bed, still feeling somewhat frustrated.

How am I going to handle my feelings for Charles? I'm dreaming of sucking and fucking him almost every night! But I'd never have a chance with him—he's completely in love with Diana! Besides...I could never do that to my best friend!

She loved Diana like a sister and this was killing her! Lynda tried to tell Diana how confused she was because she couldn't control her feelings.

Diana had thought it was funny at first when Lynda told her that she had "a thing" for Charles. She had watched Lynda's face when she said that she didn't want him to know how she felt.

She's more than just attracted to him... Is she in love with him?

Diana thought back to how she and Lynda became such good friends...

She met Lynda eight years ago when they were in a bar one Friday evening after each of them had left work. Lynda had stopped in because she didn't want to go home yet and face her husband after they'd had a fight that morning...over money, as usual. Diana was just unwinding after a hard day at the movie studio when she was still working as a props mistress.

Diana had noticed Lynda's unhappy look. She struck up a conversation just to try to cheer her up. The two women had felt an instant kinship with each other. They talked about things that they would never have considered sharing with any other person they had just met. Diana had been surprised when she discovered Lynda was as fascinated with sex as she was.

She smiled as she recalled part of their conversation that first night...

"I'm twenty-two and I'm still a virgin...but I've had this obsession with John Wayne since I was fifteen years old! He's the sexiest man I've ever seen!" Diana whispered sensuously.

Lynda chuckled. "John Wayne? What on earth do you find so great about him? The man is a terrible actor!"

"No he's not!" Diana exclaimed. "He just hasn't really been given a chance. Besides...I'm not obsessed with his acting ability. I'm obsessed with his piercing eyes, his sexy, gravelly voice and his muscled body...especially his ass! Have you ever noticed his ass? I've imagined doing all sorts of unspeakable things with him...especially while I pleasure myself!"

Lynda gasped. "Oh, my God! Did you just say what I think you said?"

When Diana chuckled and nodded her head, Lynda continued, "I was a virgin when I met my husband at twenty-two. I was as hot for him as he was for me, but I wasn't about to let him fuck me until we married! We've been married for two years now and we fight about almost everything. But the fights almost always end with us going at each other like animals! We both get turned on by how sexy we look when we're angry!" 

"Have you guys ever tried any other erotic acts?"

Lynda frowned in confusion.

"Have you sucked his dick or let him eat your pussy? Or have you let him fuck your ass?" Diana asked quietly.

"What?" Lynda gasped again. "Well...I have let him eat my pussy before...but he's not very good at it so I don't let him do it very often. And I'd never let him fuck my ass! Although..." Lynda paused as she blushed and giggled girlishly. "I am fascinated with my husband's...you know...dick. He's sort of long and slender, like a broom handle almost. I've often wondered how it would feel...to suck him," she whispered.

Diana giggled and said quietly, "Well then...you might want to hear about this technique I read in a book one time. Some women can take a man's dick all the way into their mouth and down their throat!" Diana paused when Lynda gasped again.

"You want me to tell you how it's done?" Diana chuckled when Lynda looked embarrassed but nodded her head. So she had explained how to practice the technique. She ended by saying, "I don't think I'll ever be able to do a man's dick justice because I have a horrible gag reflex... unfortunately!"

The two of them had parted that first night after exchanging phone numbers; they wanted to keep in touch. Diana wanted to live vicariously through Lynda's sex life and Lynda wanted to find out what else Diana could teach her.

It had turned out to be a great collaboration. Lynda told Diana a few months later that her husband had worshipped her as a sex goddess when she'd sucked him and was able to take his entire shaft! But, unfortunately, he still sucked at eating her pussy! 

One year later, Diana lost her virginity to that bastard, Robert Clark. She still shuddered when she recalled his exact words as he'd left her in that motel room. "Thanks, honey, that was great! You had a real nice, tight little virgin pussy! But I don't think it's going to work out between us. It's best if we break it off now. Don't cry, honey. You'll understand later."

Yeah, I understood, all right. I understood what a fool I was...

Lynda was the one to whom Diana had turned in her despair. Lynda had learned then how insecure Diana was because of her painful childhood and adolescence. She also realized that Diana's feelings of rejection had been multiplied tenfold. She had tried to reassure Diana.

This was just bad luck...the wrong man found you and took advantage of you! Some day, the right man will come along and realize how wonderful you are!

But Diana had heard that before and she just didn't believe it then...

She gave up looking for love. She stopped dating and only looked for a man a few times a year to try to satisfy her need to be fucked when she couldn't satisfy herself enough. Lynda had tried to make her realize how dangerous that was.

Diana only chose men who didn't look that physically powerful and were reasonably attractive. If the man couldn't completely overpower her, she figured she would be in no danger. She'd also carried her .38 revolver in her purse...just in case. 

She said the exact same thing to each man she approached. "I have a problem that I hope you can help me with. I'm single and I'm not interested in getting married, but I am a very desperate woman who needs to be fucked badly. If you're not married and you find me attractive and would consider helping me out, I would greatly appreciate it—if you can also agree to my terms."

It would be a one-time thing and no names would be exchanged. They couldn't kiss her. They couldn't see her naked, but they could touch her if they wanted. She didn't want to see them naked, but she would stroke their dick if they wanted her to. And they had to use a condom. 

No man ever turned her down and no repercussions had ever arisen. Most of the encounters had taken place in a deserted area not far from the bar they'd left; a dead-end street or alleyway or in the back seat of a car. None of the encounters lasted more than about ten minutes—and she had faked an orgasm every time. She hadn't wanted to hurt their feelings. So she'd moaned and groaned and acted like it was the best fuck she'd ever had.

She'd politely refused when they'd begged her for a second round. Diana had honed her acting skills on those men.

"I can't. I might fall in love with you. And I've sworn I would never love a man again. A man I once loved hurt me very cruelly. He took my virginity and then dumped me immediately! That was all he'd wanted from me! Sex is all any man has ever wanted from me..." Tears had welled in her eyes. She hadn't acted when she said that part.

It was true...

The men always felt sorry for her. They'd told her that if she ever changed her mind and would give them a chance, they hoped she'd come looking for them again. She thanked them for their kindness—and for helping her with her "problem."

Then she'd always gone home and cried while she scrubbed herself in the shower. She tried to wash away the feeling that she was "dirty." God was punishing her for that sinful behavior. She could never get pleasure from those encounters. She kept telling herself after each one that she'd never do it again.

But, after months of only pleasuring herself, her flesh would throb with the need to feel a man inside her again. Then she'd go out and hunt for another man—and the cycle would start all over again. Diana couldn't help herself—she was like an addict who needed a "fix!"

And just like an addict, the wrong "fix" didn't help her at all and she would feel guilty about "falling off the wagon." Then she would turn around and go back to her bad habit again. Diana and Lynda had joked over the years that Diana needed to start a support group like AA for women like her that were addicted to sex!

Diana had joked once that Lynda shouldn't tease her. If Lynda were suddenly cut off from sex, it would make her just as crazy!

It was like Diana had foreshadowed the event. Two months after she said that, Lynda's husband came home one day, packed his bags and told her he was leaving her. He said he'd found a way to make more money...a stupid little bitch with a rich father!

Lynda had married her ex-husband because they'd had an undeniable sexual chemistry between them. She had been sure that love would also grow between them through the years. Love did grow...for her, but not for him.

It had been Diana's turn to console her friend and help her pick up the pieces of her shattered heart. By that time, Diana was working at the job she had now and was making a better salary. She loaned Lynda some money in those first few months, until Lynda could rearrange her life to make ends meet on just her small income as a secretary. Lynda was 29 years old and she'd had to start all over again.

Lynda had stayed with Diana for a few weeks until she found an apartment of her own when she had to sell her house. The little bit of money she made on the sale had been just barely enough to pay off the mortgage, catch her up on her bills and repay Diana the money she'd loaned her. Lynda had been so grateful to Diana for everything and they'd been like sisters ever since.

Diana's thoughts drifted to Barbara and Dawn and how they all became such close friends...

Diana and Lynda met Barbara Adams at a nightclub one evening while she was waiting for her husband to join her. It was just after Diana had come out of the shell she'd kept herself in after the Robert Clark incident. Barbara and her husband had just moved to L.A. Her husband was a police detective in Phoenix who'd applied for and gotten a position with the L.A.P.D.

Barbara and Diana were both 24 at the time. Barbara, like Lynda, had been married for four years and was madly in love with her older, but very sexy husband. A year later, he was killed in the line of duty at the age of 38. Barbara was a widow at 25. She leaned heavily on Lynda and Diana for support. They knew how much she and her husband loved each other and how torrid their sex life was. And they were the only friends she'd made in L.A.

Barbara eventually had to get a part-time job. Her husband's widow's pension wasn't enough to pay her living expenses. She found a job at a very prestigious fashion boutique on Rodeo Drive that paid on commission. She was very good at her job. Men couldn't resist her exotic beauty and sexy voice, and women trusted her judgment because she had excellent taste in ladies' fashions. She helped Diana and Lynda get fashionable dresses at good prices when they went on sale and by using her employee discount. 

Diana, Lynda and Barbara were becoming great friends a little over a year later when they met the very perky Dawn at another nightclub. She had thrown a drink in some guy's face for making a very forward pass at her. They invited Dawn to join them, telling her there was safety in numbers. She had seemed relieved when she sat down with them. Dawn was the youngest of their group at 24 years old.

Dawn Williams, like Diana, had never been married. She'd had a couple serious boyfriends that she considered marrying back home in Kansas. But she had been terrified when she broke up with her last boyfriend. He hadn't taken it well. That was why she'd fled to L.A. She'd been living there less than a year and she hadn't dated much since she'd arrived. Most big city men scared her with their aggressiveness. Memories of her last boyfriend made her leery of aggressive men.

Diana chuckled as she recalled how Dawn had told them of her fascination with a particular type of men. 

"I've noticed that Hispanic men seem much more gentlemanly. I'm developing a weakness for their smoldering, dark good looks and their sexy accents."

They had all laughed when she whispered, "I'm afraid I'm going to go crazy soon! I've been having some very hot dreams of having sex with Hispanic men who talk very dirty to me in Spanish! I'm waking up from these dreams as I climax! And it's not helping that I'm taking a Spanish course at a community college because of my job. I work at the office of Social Welfare helping legal immigrants find jobs!"




Haunted by the Past Ch. 02



Dawn was the one on whom they could all rely to cheer them up when they felt sad or depressed. She almost always had an optimistic outlook on life; and she was the ultimate organizer. Whenever they'd talk about doing something, she was the one who made all the arrangements. She was a "take-charge" kind of woman. That aspect of her personality came in very handy when Lynda's husband walked out on her a year later. Diana had provided the emotional and financial support, but Dawn had been the one who helped Lynda get her life organized again.

They had all gone out the night Lynda's divorce was final in early April of 1954 to celebrate.

Diana realized her and Lynda's joke had become reality. She'd looked at Lynda. "Hey...I've got my support group now!"

Diana and Lynda had busted out laughing again. Dawn and Barbara had looked at them in confusion and asked what was so funny. Diana had to explain to them about her past, her distrust of men and how she had been attempting to solve her "problem." And how she and Lynda had joked about it over the years.

All of the women had looked at each other silently for several moments as they thought about their own situations. Their faces were pretty grim.

How long will it take to find a man that will love me for who I am? A man I can trust—who won't leave me even when the sex is fantastic? A man I can love as much as, or more than, one I've already lost? A man who excites me and makes me dream only about him?

They didn't even realize at the time that they all wanted the same things in a man. 

Dawn and Barbara had been shocked at Diana's revelation. They tried to give her all the usual reassurances and that she shouldn't be debasing herself with men like that...she deserved better!

Her friends were all terrific women. If they felt she deserved better, then maybe they were right. Maybe it was just bad luck.

Maybe one day a man really will love me—just for who I am...

The next week after that Friday night was when Diana had found out that her boss was going to be producing one of John Wayne's movies. She also learned that he was coming to the studio that next Friday for a meeting and that her boss was assigning her to give him a tour of the lot. She had told Lynda of her excitement at meeting him, but she never told her what had happened that weekend... 

She had said that Mr. Wayne was a very honorable and kind man, and that he'd been flattered that she was attracted to him and that he'd also found her very attractive. But he'd turned her down gently; he was already seeing another woman. The only part she told Lynda that was completely true was that Mr. Wayne had also told her she deserved better and made her promise to find a man who was worthy of her. 

She'd also said that she never wanted to talk about it again...

Diana's mind drifted back to the present...

It had taken almost exactly two years after her affair with the big man for Charles to find her. They were two months into their marriage and their new life together. It was June 1956, and their life seemed to be headed toward that bright future she had imagined on the plane ride back from Vegas. She managed to forget about that gnawing sense of foreboding...

Most of the time...



Haunted by the Past Ch. 03



Her best friend Lynda Curtis had admitted that she had feelings for her husband Charles. Diana Richards suspected that Lynda hadn't told her just how deep her feelings were.

I'll have to start paying attention to how you act around him so I can figure out if it's just a deep physical attraction or if your emotions are getting too involved...

I know I don't have anything to worry about where Charles is concerned—he's a one-woman man and I know he loves me beyond reason... But I'm worried about you...

If Lynda was in love with Charles, it could create a severe wedge in their friendship and she didn't want anything to come between them. Lynda was the best friend she'd had since she drifted away from Lynn.

My best friend back in Virginia... with whom she'd grown up all through their school years. Except my senior year when Lynn left for college...

Like Lynda, Lynn had been older than her with a level head on her shoulders.

Yet she treated me as an equal...

Both of them had always told her that she was a good person and that she deserved better than what she was allowing for herself.

Lynda looks nothing like Lynn, but it's a little ironic how similar their names are! And their personalities are the same! I've needed that steadying influence in my life...even if I didn't always take their advice...

But now, Lynda is the one with a problem! And I haven't a clue how to help her... I can't help her...I'm part of the problem! I'll just have to sit back and let Lynda try to handle this on her own...

But I'll have to keep my eye on how she handles it! I don't want to have to punch my best friend for making inappropriate moves on my sexy husband...but I will if I have to...

**********

At the beginning of July, Charles came to the movie studio to pick up Diana from work early. They had asked for a couple hours off to get ready for a 4th of July party they were hosting the next day. As they walked through the studio lot, Charles made some cheeky remark. Diana reached back and pinched his ass. He jumped and yelled.

Then he growled, "Why, you...!"

Diana shrieked with laughter and took off running as Charles chased after her. They weren't paying attention to where they were headed. He stopped her in an area of the lot on a set that looked like an empty street scene. They didn't see anyone around at the moment.

She smiled when he started to quote another scene from "The Quiet Man," but changed a few of the words to fit their situation.

"If anybody had told me six months ago that today I'd be in a movie studio in Los Angeles with a girl like you that I'm just about to kiss, I'd have told them..."

As he went to grasp her shoulders, she spun around with her back to him and did her Mary Kate imitation again. "Oh, but the kissin's a long way off yet!" You know I want you to kiss me...

"Huh?" I'm not that dumb! I know what you really want...

"Well, we've just started the courtin' and next month, we'd...we'd start the walkin' out together and the month after that there'd be the thrashin' parties, and the month after that there'd be..."

Charles put his arms around her waist from behind. "Nope!" And HE wasn't that dumb either...

"Well...maybe we won't have to wait that month..." I know I wouldn't...

"Yep..." I don't think you really understand my urgency...

"Or for the...thrashin' parties..." I have no idea what a thrashin' party is...

"Nope..." I don't know what that is, but it wouldn't keep me from you...

Diana turned around to face Charles. "Or...for the walkin' out together..."

"Nooo..." he said softly and deeply.

She put her hands on his shoulders. "Then so much the worse for you, Charles Richards, for I feel the same way about it myself!"

Come and get me, sexy man... She smiled widely and threw her arms backward for his embrace. He wrapped his arms around her and leaned down to kiss her neck as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

They were startled suddenly when they were blasted by a wind machine that was being aimed directly at them! Diana shrieked and started laughing as Charles yelled, "Hey! What the hell?!"

They had stumbled onto a set that a crew had been preparing for a stormy street scene. When some of the crew came back from a break and saw them doing their scene, they decided to provide some of the special effects.

Someone in the crew yelled, "I haven't heard anyone yell cut! Keep going!"

Charles and Diana looked at each other and laughed. They continued with the scene. They pretended to get caught in a storm that suddenly blew up, holding each other in the "rain" when the crew turned on some waterworks. They let themselves get soaked. Charles put his suit jacket on Diana's shoulders and they shared a couple tender kisses while their love for each other showed on their faces. Their last kiss was a bit more passionate than the one John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara had shared in that scene, but the look on Charles' face when it ended was every bit as tender and loving.

The "rain" ended and the crew cheered and clapped while they took a few bows. Charles bent down and picked up his jacket off the ground from where it had fallen off Diana's shoulders. Then he took her hand and they waved good-bye to the crew as they scurried off the set, both of them laughing softly.

They continued to laugh as they jogged back to their car in the parking lot, hoping the faster pace in the warm air would help dry their clothes. When they reached the car, they were still pretty wet. They stopped and leaned their backs up against the warm doors on the driver's side.

They were breathing heavily from running. They tried to catch their breaths. Charles laid his jacket on the hood of the car to his right, undid his tie and unbuttoned a few buttons on his shirt.

They looked at each other and smiled. Their smiles faded as they stared at each other, taking in their appearances.

His white shirt was still wet and clinging to his chest. His dark mat of hair was clearly visible as his chest heaved, making it harder for her to catch her breath. Her wet, silky dress was plastered to her body. Her nipples were hard and poking through the material of both her bra and her dress—drawing his eyes to her heaving breasts like magnets.

Charles pushed off the side of the car and pivoted around in front of Diana, pinning her against the car with his entire body. His forearms were braced on either side of her head. They stared at each other heatedly for several moments. Their chests heaved together. 

His hard cock was pressed against her. She throbbed and soaked her already damp panties.

I want to fuck you so badly, pretty lady! Oh, please...don't look at me like that...

Charles stared at her as he rubbed his cock against her. "Oh, God...I need you, Diana!" he groaned softly.

She moaned, "Yes! I need you, too! Fuck me right now...right here! Please...!!!" She grabbed his ass and ground her hips against him.

They couldn't have stopped themselves if they'd tried—but they didn't want to try...

Ohhh, damn, woman...yes...right now...right here...

Charles backed just far enough away from her to unzip his pants while she reached up under her dress and pulled her panties off, tossing them through the partially open car window. She reached into his pants and carefully maneuvered his hard shaft through the front of his boxers and the open fly of his trousers.

He lifted her under her arms and wedged her body against the rear door and the fender. She lifted her dress, wrapped her legs around his hips and positioned his cock at her dripping entrance. They both moaned softly as he slowly pushed into her.

He stayed still for a moment, buried inside her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and neck and he moved his arms down to support her thighs and her ass.

They kissed deeply as he slowly thrust into her. They were totally wrapped up in how erotic it felt.

We're leaning against our car in the middle of the movie studio parking lot, still mostly clothed... fucking in broad daylight where anyone could see us! Damn...this is so hot...

They didn't even realize that they were drawing another audience for this performance as well.

A man came out to the parking lot to get something out of his car when he saw them. He stopped to watch the show. Another couple was coming out to leave and the first guy waved them over, saying quietly, "Come 'ere! You've gotta see this!"

They were two rows away but they had a perfect view from about a forty-five degree angle.

The woman gasped when she saw what was going on and exclaimed quietly, "They can't possibly be doing what it looks like they're doing...can they?"

The first guy replied, "Uh, yeah, they can...and I'd be willing to bet that they are!"

The woman's husband glanced at her with a twinkle in his eyes. "See, honey? I told you we could've gotten away with it that time I tried to talk you into it! You can't see anything other than the movements! And, boy...it looks hot as hell, doesn't it? They must really be working up a sweat...look how wet their clothes are!"

They were all standing behind the first guy's car, snickering quietly and whistling under their breaths as they watched. A couple more people walked over to see what was going on. They continued to watch intently.

The man thrust harder and deeper as he and the woman ground their hips together. The group could hear them moaning into each other's mouths. They broke their kiss at the same time. The man's head flopped backward and the woman's head tilted upward against the edge of the car roof. They both groaned deeply, "Oh, God!"

The woman's thighs tightened on the man's hips. He bucked against her a few times and then was almost still. He was just barely rolling his hips against hers. He lifted his head and bent it forward to bury his face on the side of her neck as he groaned softly.

Well, he came...but what about her...

The men all glanced at each other. Her face was flushed, her eyes were mostly closed and her lips were parted slightly. She continued to moan softly as her hips rolled against his—she definitely looked like a woman in the throes of ecstasy!

If she isn't coming, she's a damn good actress... 

As soon as they were still, except for their heavy breathing, Charles lifted his head to look at Diana. They smiled sexily. Her eyes widened as she looked to his right. His head snapped around.

Oh, Shit! We're busted...

The group watching them had moved out into the open from the car they were hiding behind. They were cheering, clapping and whistling! 

They grinned saucily at their "audience!" Charles turned his back to them and lowered Diana carefully as his cock slipped out of her. He quickly stuffed his dick back into his pants and zipped them. They turned around to face their "audience" as they both smiled and bowed.

Then they got into their car and headed home, laughing most of the way! They joked about how it had been inevitable that they would get caught having sex in public. They couldn't keep their hands off of each other! They both grinned.

Wonder where the next time will be...

There was another witness on the other side of the parking lot who did not applaud their performance. He was pissed as hell! She had finally found a decent man to love and marry her and she was flaunting her potent sexuality by coercing her husband to fuck her in a very public place in broad daylight!

How could you do this to me...after what I offered you—even after only two nights? Don't you realize how much I wanted you...how much I still want you? I'm the one who made you realize that you had to stop giving yourself away to men! I'll make you see that you made a mistake turning me down...  **********

Charles and Diana had quite a crowd for their 4th of July party.

Diana's girlfriends were there, of course. Barbara Adams and Dawn Williams brought dates—a couple men they'd recently met and had gone out with a time or two. They seemed friendly but Diana could tell that neither Barbara nor Dawn was at all "smitten" with their date. Lynda was alone, as usual lately...and flirted with Charles every chance she got.

They had also invited Charles' colleagues at the FBI and their families or girlfriends. His boss, Assistant Director Peter Woods and his family were there, as well as Diana's boss and his wife and a few of their nearby neighbors.

They were pleased when Ward and Mary Lou Bond showed up for a while in the afternoon. Diana had run into Ward a few days before and had asked him to stop by if they didn't have any other plans. They had hoped to be able to show Ward and Mary Lou their new house. Charles gave them a tour.

Everyone else was surprised and impressed to learn that Ward was a friend. Diana had to explain that she'd met Ward and John Wayne when her boss produced one of his movies. She had to lie to Dawn and Barbara when they asked all kinds of questions about The Duke. She finally convinced them that she was only briefly acquainted with the big man.

Charles asked if Ward had delivered his message to Wayne, thanking him for loving Diana. Ward advised him that he had.

"Do I want to know how he reacted to that message?" Charles asked warily.

Ward looked thoughtful for a moment. "He respects you, Charles. He knows it can't be very easy for you knowing how Diana feels about him. He just wants you to love her and make her happy."

Oh, hell...I don't think I want to know the answer, but I'm gonna ask anyway...

"He still loves her, doesn't he?"

Ward frowned. Aw...why are you asking me that? You already know the answer! Don't make me hafta spell it out...

"He loves his wife, Pilar. He's devoted to her and they have a child together. You don't have anything to worry about where he's concerned. And you don't have anything to worry about where Diana's concerned, either. She's deeply in love with you, Charles. She looks at you with as much, if not more, love and desire in her eyes than she did at Duke..."

Ward stopped when he saw Charles suddenly frown and narrow his eyes.

How did you see how she looked at him...

"You more than just know about their relationship... you saw them together! How did that happen?" Charles asked suspiciously.

Oh, hell...you and your big mouth! Now what...

Ward thought quickly. "I caught them looking at each other at the studio several times after that weekend when we were there for meetings. That's how I finally got Duke to tell me about it!"

Whew! That sounded good...

OK...I'll buy that... But...

"You didn't answer me about him still loving her... Does he?"

Ward hesitated. You really wanna know? OK...I'll tell ya...

"I called Duke from Vegas to tell him that Diana had married. He was happy at first until I told him that you and she had just met that night. Duke nearly had a fit thinking Diana might have done something rash. I calmed him down by telling him how you and she had spotted each other all those years ago and that you had, in many ways, been searching for each other ever since. 

"Duke jokingly told me to thank you for him. He said if you'd met her that night at the carnival, she would probably never have loved him and he would never have even met her or gotten to love her.

"He came along at a time in her life when she needed him and he gave her what she needed.  And I think she showed him a kind of love he never thought possible. He'll always love her, Charles. But they weren't meant to be together—that's all there is to it. Her life is with you and his is with Pilar now. All is right with the universe...just let it be."

Charles wasn't sure how to feel. Nervous? Proud? Jealous?

Why should I be nervous... Diana said she had other reasons why she couldn't marry him—she hadn't given him up just for his sake, but for her own as well.

And hey...how many men could say they own the heart of a woman that The Duke had wanted for himself...

And what do I have to be jealous of? She's no longer in contact with him. But there's always the possibility that they could run into each other at the studio again some time...

**********

Most of the party guests were gone by eight o'clock to attend fireworks displays.

Lynda hung around to help them clean things up—flirting with Charles the whole time. Diana was getting a little annoyed with Lynda. She would drop hints that she wanted to be alone with Charles. But it seemed lately that Lynda was deliberately ignoring her hints! 

Lynda asked if she could stay the night. Charles graciously told her she was welcome to stay any time. 

There's only one way to make you realize that you need to let go of your feelings and find someone else, Lynda.  I'll have to let you see the connection that we share through our lovemaking...

After Lynda went to bed, Diana walked up behind Charles as he was putting away a few things in the kitchen. She reached around and fondled his cock through the front of his shorts. She could feel him stiffening rapidly.

I know what you want, pretty lady...but I'll ask a stupid question anyway...

"What do you want?"

"I want to get in the shower and stroke your cock until you come. Then I want you to take me to bed and make love to me for a while."

That clear enough for you, sexy man...

Charles turned around and kissed her. Then he scooped her up in his arms. "I just love a woman who knows what she wants! I think I can handle that!" he said softly. He carried her out of the kitchen and down the hallway to their bedroom.

He set her down, stripped off his clothes and grinned as he wagged his already hard dick at her. "I'll be waiting anxiously for you!" He headed into their bathroom to start the shower. 

Diana stripped off her shorts and bathing suit and joined Charles. She made sure to leave their bedroom door open... 

After she washed and rinsed quickly, she soaped up his hairy chest and ran her hands all over his body. She gradually worked her soapy hands down to his crotch. She lightly stroked his long, hard dick with her right hand and tickled his balls with her left hand until he was squirming.

Charles growled, "Stop being such a cock tease, you little minx!"

Diana chuckled sexily. OK, OK...I just like to watch your sexy body squirm sometimes...

She firmly stroked his cock and massaged his balls. She told him how much she enjoyed it. "Oh, God, Charles... I just love stroking your beautiful, long, hard cock! It feels so good to slide my soapy hand up and down your length...feeling every inch of your warm, velvety skin stretched over your steely hard shaft! Do you like it when I rub my fingers back and forth like this?"

He groaned yes and thrust his hips a few times as she stroked her fingers over the tip of his cock. She brought her left hand from around the front of his crotch to place it between his legs at his ass, forcing him to widen his legs. She firmly slid her hand up and down his length as she massaged his perineum. 

Hmmm...let's try something new...

She brought her soapy thumb on her left hand up between his cheeks and rubbed it over his ass a few times.

His ass cheeks clenched at first; then he relaxed and groaned a little louder, rolling his hips gently.

Uh, oh...you don't like this?  So...maybe this does feel good to you...

She kept the pace of her right hand stroking his dick in rhythm with his hips. She increased the pressure on his perineum and his ass slightly.

She asked quietly next to his right ear, "Do you like me stimulating your ass?" Charles groaned softly and nodded briefly.




Haunted by the Past Ch. 03



What's the matter? Afraid to admit out loud that it feels good...

She continued, "Since you like to fuck my ass, would you consider sometime letting me play with your ass while I stroke your dick?"

Ohhh, yeah...fuck my ass, pretty lady...

"OH, MY GOD!" Charles exclaimed loudly as he came immediately.

Aw hell...where did that come from... 

She stroked him through his orgasm. "Oh, babe! I hope that idea is what's making you come! 'Cause I'd really love to play with your sexy ass!" 

Ah, GOD, woman...you're killin' me...

Charles growled loudly and bucked his hips even harder as his orgasm intensified.

When he could speak, he gasped, "Oh, my God... Diana...how do you know... just what to say...to drive me wild?"

"I don't know, sexy man. I just say what I'm thinking and feeling at the moment. I'm glad to know that I drive you wild because you drive me wild, too! So, did the fact that you came when I asked if I could play with your ass mean that you like the idea?"

Charles looked down for a moment. He grinned shyly. Then he looked at her with a serious expression. 

"I was a little uncomfortable at first. Then I was startled when it started to feel good. I don't know if I can make myself ever feel completely comfortable with the idea of letting you penetrate my ass. Too many negative ideas...if you get what I mean! If I ever let you go any further with that, you have to promise me that you'll never tell anyone about it! You understand? Not even your girlfriends!" 

Diana looked at him just as seriously. "Of course I understand. It's an even bigger issue of trust for you than it is for me just because of the negative connotations involved. If you let me play with your ass once and it doesn't do anything for you, then I'll never ask you to do it again. But honey...if it gives you as much pleasure as it gives me, then I want to be able to do that for you! And it'll stay just between the two of us...I promise. Now...take me to bed and make slow, sweet love to me," she said softly as she kissed him and helped him to rinse off.

They kissed tenderly and deeply as they dried each other. He picked her up and carried her to their bed and lay down next to her. They wrapped themselves around each other as they kissed and caressed. When he was hard again, he rolled her onto her back and positioned his cock at her soft, slick flesh. They stared steadily as he slowly slid into her...their eyes burning with their deep love and desire.

When he was fully inside her, they both closed their eyes and groaned deeply. He leaned down and kissed her, tenderly at first. He gradually deepened the kiss as he fucked her slowly and deeply. She moaned louder when he thrust deeper and harder. He lifted his head to stare at her.

I love to watch you come...

She was the most beautiful and erotic woman he'd ever seen. It stroked his male ego to know that he could make her come as many times as he wanted. If he came before entering her, he could hold out almost indefinitely while making love to her.

As long as you don't talk dirty...that always makes me lose control...

Diana moaned. "Fuck me deeper, my love!" He did and she immediately went into an explosive burst of pleasure. She cried out, "Oh, God, Charles! I love you! Oh, yes... yes... yes...!!!"

Her body writhed beneath his. He thrust slowly in rhythm with her throbbing pulses. He gradually stopped as her climax waned. She wrapped herself around him and kissed him deeply.

Lynda woke up when she heard Diana's cry. She snuck out of her room and down the hall to peek into their bedroom. Charles was on top of her, his arms up under her back and shoulders. Their bodies were molded together—their hips rolling in a motion that looked so sexy and erotic.

Their faces were very close together. They stared at each other with such looks of love, passion and desire. Both of them groaned when he would grind his hips a little harder against hers.

He paused and whispered, "I love you." They just barely ground their hips together for a few moments as they shared a deep kiss, moaning softly into each other's mouths.

Lynda watched with envy. Charles brought Diana to orgasm twice more by thrusting deeply into her and grinding his pelvic mound on her. Both times, he coaxed her gently.

"Oh, God, Diana. I love you so much. You are so beautiful when you come! I love to watch as I make you come!"

After Diana's third wave of pleasure, she kissed Charles and whispered that it was safe for him to come inside her. He lifted on his hands as Diana unwrapped her legs from around his. She bent her knees and spread her thighs wide.

Lynda had a perfect view of his beautiful big dick stroking deeply inside Diana. She lifted her legs to roll her hips up so Charles could drive even deeper into her. Lynda kept watching.

He went down onto his forearms with a deep, hard rolling motion. He groaned softly with every thrust of his hips. He spoke to her again.

"Take me deeply, my love... feel my cock deep inside you! Oh, Diana... I worship your body! That's it my love... let go! Oh, Yes... I feel you throbbing on me! Oh, God! I love you, my pretty lady. You're all I'll ever need!"

They lay moving slowly together in the afterglow. Charles leaned down and kissed Diana deeply.

They didn't see Lynda turn away from their partially open door and head back down the hall to the guestroom with tears in her eyes.

Lynda felt foolish.

I know you're just trying to make me realize that I need to let go of my feelings for Charles before I get hurt, Diana...

Easier thought than done!

She had no idea that over the next couple months, her love for Diana and her feelings for Charles would be tested in the worst possible way...



Haunted by the Past Ch. 04



Why am I so jumpy...

Diana Richards leaned down to pick up another piece of paper that she dropped on the floor. It was Friday, July 13, 1956. She had stayed at her office until seven o'clock to catch up on some work, and was taking some home to look at over the weekend.

It's Friday the 13th again and Charles is gone...maybe that's why I'm so nervous. If I could just shake this feeling that someone was watching me again...

Her husband Charles was out of town. He'd left that morning to go to Washington for a few days on a special case for the FBI. He hoped to be back by sometime Monday.

They'd made love a few times the previous night and once again that morning before they'd gotten out of bed. He said he was making up for being away a few days.

He'd kissed her goodbye at the movie studio that morning. "I love you, pretty lady," he'd whispered. "Dream about me...I'll be dreaming about you!"

Diana had noticed a frown crease his brow and he'd looked like he was going to say something else...but he didn't.

What else did you want to tell me...

She'd let it go and promised him she would dream of him. Most of her dreams lately had been about him. Every once in a while, the big man would sneak back in. But they were more like memories—something they'd shared during their weekend together over two years ago. 

They still made her smile as she recalled his love for her. The sincere look on John Wayne's face when he'd told her that if she ever needed anything, all she had to do was call him had told her that he would always love her...

**********

He'd drifted off to sleep sometime after eleven o'clock in his hotel room in Washington D.C. But Charles had woken up in a cold sweat from that nightmare he'd had a few times just a little while later. It was always the same. Diana on top of him, making love to him—and then she was suddenly jerked away. He heard her scream in panic and pain... And then darkness and silence...

Maybe I should call her and tell her...

Tell her what? You don't even know what the hell that dream means...

Maybe I should just tell her to be careful...

Careful of what? You'll just scare her...

Just go back to sleep...

Charles shook his head and lay back down. He dozed...fitfully.

**********

Diana was gathering up the papers from her desk to take home. She heard her office door open. She looked up to see a man who seemed familiar standing in the doorway.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as a cold shiver tingled down her spine...

He entered quickly and closed the door behind him, locking it. He came around to the far corner of her desk, blocking her exit.

I know I've seen you before, but...

She noticed the look on his face. He had a look of lust and loathing in his eyes and his mouth was twisted in a menacing grin. Her mouth went dry.

You want to hurt me...

She stood up quickly. "What do you want?"

The man's eyes flared with more anger as he snarled, "You don't even remember me, do you, you little whore?"

She recognized his voice. Oh, God...Ed Hood... All you wanted was sex...

She'd gone out with him a couple times over a year ago. She'd slapped him and blatantly told him to go to hell when, on their second date, he'd pounced on her. He'd called her a teasing whore as she'd scrambled out of his car and slammed the door to get a taxi. He'd squealed his tires leaving the parking lot of the restaurant they had just left.

I had so easily misjudged you...

He was the reason she'd quit seeking men for one-time encounters. She hadn't heard from or seen him again...until now.

She boldly asked again, "What do you want, Ed?"

So, you do remember me, you bitch...

"The same thing I've wanted since the moment I saw you... To put my dick inside your hot, little pussy you teasing whore! I know you've had plenty of other dicks inside you, so why should I be any different? Especially when I'm the one who was meant to be your soul mate!"

Diana frowned as she flinched.

Why would you say that? What the hell makes you think you're my soul mate? And how would you know how many men I've had sex with in the past? Have you been following me? You were following me even before you asked me out...

She tried to think back to all the places she'd been to see if she recalled seeing him before. She had no recollections of seeing him other than that first time he'd approached her at a bar one night with her girlfriends and struck up a friendly conversation.

He had seemed like a gentleman, even slightly shy. He told her he'd seen her at the nightclub where she performed and that she sang beautifully. He'd even said that she reminded him of his mother's lovely voice.

Well that should've been a clue right there! Hell...you probably have an Oedipal complex! Mommy devoted herself to you so much that you developed a crush on her. But you can't have her because that's just wrong—so you go after any woman that reminds you of Mommy. And you're enraged at me because I spurned you...

Her mind reeled as she tried to think of ways to get out of this. She couldn't scream for help—there were no security guards nearby. She couldn't grab the phone—he'd be on her in a second to stop her. And she wouldn't be able to fight him off. Despite the fact that he was an angry "momma's boy," he was a pretty big one—even bigger than Charles!

I doubt I could do any real damage if I tried to punch him. And I'd have to be very precise if I tried to knee his groin. If I missed...

Maybe I could psyche him out somehow...

Make him see that what he was thinking and doing was wrong...

You're not a psychiatrist...

If she said the wrong thing, it might make him do something even worse!

Maybe I could play along with him...

Make him think that she'd changed her mind about wanting to have sex with him...

She felt sick. Oh, God...I can't stand the thought of this man touching me...

She would just have to try and fight him off with every ounce of her strength when he came at her.

If I could just get to my boss' office door before he could get to me—get inside, lock it and call the police and stay in there until the police arrived...

Ed Hood grinned sickeningly. You have no recourse but to try to fight to get away...and you're no match for me...

He moved toward her. She darted toward the inner office door. He reached out his left hand, grabbed her hair and yanked her backward against him.

She screamed in panic and pain...

He tried to wrap his right arm around her neck to constrain her, but she caught his forearm with her mouth and bit into him. Hard. He bellowed in pain and anger as he ripped his arm away from her mouth. "Bitch!" he growled, as he punched the right side of her jaw with his right fist. 

Diana nearly passed out. Her vision went black for a moment. Then she flailed backwards at him with her arms and legs. He picked her up and slammed her down on her stomach onto her desk like a rag doll. It almost knocked the wind out of her and nearly made her unconscious again from the blow to the right side of her head. She kept kicking her feet up behind her, hoping to get one of them between his legs so she could kick his crotch.

He grabbed her hair again and banged her head on her desk while he fumbled with his pants. Then he lifted her dress and slip and ripped her panties off of her.

Diana was losing consciousness from the pain in her head.

I'm so sorry, Charles! Please forgive me for not being able to keep my promise to you...

She felt a searing pain between her legs.

She sank down into welcoming darkness and silence...

When Ed was done, he backed away from her and just watched as her body slid off the edge of her desk and onto the floor as he closed his pants. He sneered at her, "I bet you'll never forget me again...bitch! Maybe now you'll see the error of your ways!"

I just wish you didn't have such a perfect little pussy...I want to fuck you again so badly! But you have to pay for what you've done...

He walked to the door of her office, unlocked it and cracked it open enough to look out and make sure no one was around. He walked out and snuck back off the movie studio lot the same way he'd snuck on. He knew where the security guards were posted and how to get past them.

He'd been planning this for over a year. He learned that she'd married and he saw that wicked display she and her husband put on in the studio parking lot just over a week before. He'd been watching her again and he knew her husband was out of town, so he'd followed her.

It was time to make you pay the consequences for your behavior and for rejecting my offer...

But I know you're going to tell the police that I "raped" you...

Ed Hood was feeling rather pleased with himself. He'd made plans ahead of time for him and Mother to go on an extended visit with his aunt, his mother's sister, up in Oregon. She lived in a fairly remote area. 

I'm relatively certain no one would know to look for me there...

Once the police investigate, they'll find out all about your past. And I'm sure the D.A. will refuse to prosecute once they know what kind of woman you are! And the publicity will ruin your life... 

He had learned that when he'd worked as a file clerk in the D.A.'s office a couple summers during college. He was pretty confident he was going to walk away from this with nothing more than a slight scar from where the bitch had bit his arm!

**********

Diana's brain struggled to regain consciousness through the throbbing pain in her head. She gradually realized she was lying on the floor beside her desk in her office. Papers were scattered around her, her dress was around her waist and her torn panties were on the floor beside her. She suddenly recalled what had happened...

A scream rang out inside her head... CHARLES!!!

She immediately thought of him all the way across the country in Washington.

Oh, God...I wish you were here with your arms around me! I need you...

She started trembling and winced as she slowly sat up and tried to figure out what to do. She was afraid to call the police while she was alone—she was afraid what they would think of her. 

She needed someone who would support her before she could talk to the police. She got to her phone and tried calling her girlfriends.

None of them are home! They've all gone out together this evening...

They'd asked her to come, but she'd needed to catch up on her work because her boss was out of town and she was handling everything, so she had declined the invitation.

She wasn't even sure what time it was. According to the clock on the wall, it was almost ten.

I've been unconscious for nearly three hours! Who on earth can I call at this time on a Friday night that I can trust... 

She thought about Uncle Pete and others at the FBI. But Uncle Pete and the only ones she trusted were with Charles in Washington.

What am I going to do...

She couldn't call her boss—he was with his wife on vacation in Hawaii.

Who else could I possibly call...

The big man said if you ever needed anything... NO! I cannot call him...

What about Ward and Mary Lou? Maybe I can catch them at home...

Ward had given her their home phone number and had also told her to call any time. She dialed their number and prayed that they were home.

The phone rang in Ward and Mary Lou Bond's beach house in Malibu during a party with several of their friends. Ward wasn't nearby so he asked for someone to answer it for him.

John Wayne picked up the phone. "Hello?" He was stunned at the voice on the other end of the line.

"Ward?" she squeaked, "It's Diana. I'm at my office, and...something terrible has happened! I need your help! Please help me!" she sobbed into the phone.

Wayne commanded, "Diana, stay right where you are. I'm on my way!"

Wayne grabbed Ward and told him about the call. Ward told Mary Lou to keep their guests entertained and to explain to Duke's wife Pilar that he and Duke had to go help a friend and they'd be back later.

Diana hadn't recognized the big man's voice—she thought it was Ward. She had enough presence of mind after she hung up to turn on all the lights in the office. She locked her office door in case the bastard tried to come back. She crouched in the corner behind her desk, her arms wrapped around her legs, trembling and crying quietly while she waited for Ward to arrive.

About twenty minutes later, she heard a loud pounding on the door. Then Ward's voice, "Diana! It's Ward! Open up and let us in!"

She crawled out of the corner and stood up carefully. She made her way to the door and opened it.

Oh, God...NO! Not you...you can't see me like this...

She burst out sobbing and nearly collapsed.

John Wayne caught her and scooped her up in his arms. He carried her into the office to sit down with her cradled in his lap. He muttered, "Son-of-a-bitch!" under his breath.

How could someone have done this to her...

She had a large knot on her right forehead, abrasions on the right side of her face and both of her arms, and her lower lip was swollen. It was obvious from the fact that her underwear was lying on the floor in pieces that she'd been raped.

She was sobbing in his arms. He held her as gently as he could.

"It's OK, little girl," he soothed quietly, using the endearment he'd given her when he met her. "I've got you now...I won't let anyone else hurt you. I'm here..."

He trailed off, his throat constricting with emotion. He cleared his throat.

He asked her gently, "Diana...do you know who did this to you?"

She nodded as she sobbed softly. Wayne looked at Ward. 

Ward immediately phoned the police while Wayne tried to calm her. He sat her on the couch next to him and put his arms around her as she leaned on his chest.

Then he asked her, "Diana...where is your husband?"

"In Washington. Oh, God! How am I going to explain this to him? I don't know how he's going to react! When he finds out, he might go after that bastard and kill him! Or will he blame me?" she squeaked as she started to cry again.

Wayne said firmly, "No, Diana. You know your husband loves you! And he knows you're not to blame! As soon as he sees you, he's probably going to want to kill the bastard! If I don't get to him first! The son-of-a-bitch better hope the police find him before we do!"

The police arrived about ten minutes later. The officers treated Diana very kindly as they asked questions and made a report of the attack. She looked like she'd put up quite a fight and she had internal injuries verifying rape when they took her to the hospital. The doctor also told Diana that she had to stay a couple nights for observation because of the blows to her head.

Ward and Wayne stayed with her until the officers were able to reach her girlfriends. 

Dawn and Lynda came to the hospital. The police officers told them only that she had been attacked and that she had asked the two gentlemen who had been with her to call her husband.

Dawn and Lynda were shocked when the officers told them who the two men were. They looked at each other.

How did they end up being the ones to come to her rescue...

Dawn kept glancing at one of the officers. He was staring at her. She found him very attractive.

I still have that weakness...

He was a very sexy Hispanic man and he had given his name as Officer Estevez. Something in his eyes made her heart flutter like she'd never felt before.

I can see everything you're feeling in your deep, dark eyes...compassion, concern...desire... And you're not wearing a wedding band...

Before he left, she asked his first name—he told her it was Rick. She frowned at him.

I know that's not your given name...

He grinned and said it was Enrique. Dawn smiled sexily at him.

"Thank you for being so kind to my friend, Enrique... I mean, Officer Estevez."

Rick smiled just as sexily.

Oooh...I like the way my name rolls so naturally off your tongue. I can think of some other things I'd love you to do with that tongue... Stop that, you horn dog! Look at her...she's different. She's an angel... 

He'd noticed her the moment she walked into the hospital Emergency Room. She seemed like a "no-nonsense, take-charge" type of woman...yet she still exuded a subtle sensuality—qualities that had always attracted him in a woman. And she was packaged in a short, yet shapely body, with creamy, flawless skin, a naturally lovely...angelic face with deep hazel eyes, soft lips and thick, flowing, shoulder-length, dark brown hair.

"Just doing my duty, Dawn...I mean, Miss Williams. I'm sure we'll be in touch for some follow-up questions. I look forward to seeing you again."

Rick had no reason to contact her again, but he made something up. I have to see you again...

Dawn had nearly melted at the look in his deep, dark chocolate brown eyes. And the sexy smile he flashed had dazzled her with the brilliance of a white-hot spotlight.

Yes...I definitely look forward to seeing you again, too... 

**********

Ward Bond had to practically hogtie John Wayne to get him back to his house and convince him to let the police handle things. Diana had told them exactly who her attacker was and the police had an APB out on the man.

Diana had asked Ward to call Charles in Washington and get him home.

I do not want to make this phone call... How do you break news like this to a friend? There's just no easy way...

The phone in Charles' hotel room rang at four o'clock in the morning. He instantly jerked awake and grabbed it on the second ring.

"Diana...is that you? Are you OK?"

He'd woken up again a couple hours earlier—he thought he'd heard her scream his name. His gut twisted when he heard Ward's voice on the line...

How did you know...? "No, Charles. It's Ward. I'm sorry to tell you this, but...

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!! Is she OK?"

"She was beaten pretty badly...but no permanent damage was done. She'll be OK...eventually."

"What do you mean 'eventually?' What aren't you telling me, Ward?"

Charles felt a wave of nausea as Ward was silent for several moments. Oh, God, no...don't say it... 

Oh, God...I can't say it... Ward finally spoke quietly. "She was raped, Charles."

There was a loud roar in his head. I TOLD YOU NOT TO SAY IT!!! Oh, God...WHY?!!!

Ward heard a few seconds of silence; and then, "SON-OF-A-BITCH!" Charles bellowed.

Ward had to hold the phone away from his ear. Charles must've used the telephone earpiece to punch something hard.

Wayne's eyes widened as even he heard a loud roar and the sound of something cracking.

Charles asked Ward for details. Ward told him the police were handling it and to just make arrangements to get back to L.A. as quickly as possible—his wife needed him. He also gave Charles the phone number to the hospital.

Charles asked if they at least had any idea who had done it. Ward explained how Diana had known the man and that the police were already searching for him. Charles asked for the man's name; Ward told him. He heard knocking in the background coming through the phone.

Charles said, "I'll be right there, Dan! I've got to go, Ward. I woke up my partner in the next room and now he's banging on my door. If you talk to Diana again, please let her know I'll be there as soon as I can! And tell her...I love her... more than ever!"

"If I talk to her again before you do, I'll tell her. Bye, Charles."

Ward hung up the phone and looked at Duke. "I hope I'm not going to have to hogtie both you and Charles to keep you two from doing anything stupid!"




Haunted by the Past Ch. 04



The Duke frowned darkly at him. Ward just shook his head...

Charles put a pair of pants on over his boxers and let his soon-to-retire temporary partner into his room and explained to him what had happened. A few minutes later, Peter Woods showed up.

Dan Miller tried to keep Charles and Woods calm so they could think through how to handle things. He had to stop them from jumping the gun and starting up a manhunt for Diana's attacker. Dan had to remind them it was up to the L.A.P.D. to search for the bastard—it was not within the FBI's jurisdiction at that point.

They had to wait a few tense hours before they could go to the airport and get Charles a flight back to L.A. Charles called the hospital and left a message for them to tell Diana that he wouldn't arrive until mid afternoon. The earlier flight to L.A. was booked up. He was going to have to wait at the airport for several hours.

Before the morning flight departed, Charles had an idea. He went to the gate and asked if anyone would be willing to trade their ticket for the later flight. He explained that he had an emergency and needed to get home to his wife right away.

An older gentleman in his 60's who'd recently become a widower stood up and told Charles he'd trade tickets with him. He could see the pain in the younger man's eyes.

You love your wife as much as I loved my Martha...

**********

Charles gazed blindly out the window of the plane through the tears in his eyes. He felt a bitter twist of irony.

Now I know what that dark gut feeling I had the last time I was on a plane headed back to L.A. was all about...

Diana had been attacked exactly three months after they met and married. Both days were Friday the 13th!

The first one was the luckiest day of my life...

But this one proved why so many people were triskaidekaphobics—fearing the number thirteen. Especially when that date fell on a Friday...

He was going crazy. He got up to pace the aisle until the stewardess made him sit down again.

The nightmare was a warning...

He'd almost said something to her about the dream before he left yesterday morning and he'd ignored his instinct to call her and warn her last night.

I chose not to scare her...and look what happened... We've probably lost our chance at happiness...

Charles wiped his eyes and stood up to pace again.

**********

Diana awoke in her hospital room at around eight o'clock when they brought in her breakfast. One of the nurses told her about the message from Charles. He wouldn't be able to get there until sometime after three. She was a little disappointed.

But at least he's trying to get back...

At around 10:30, one of the nurses opened the door with a huge smile and an excited look on her face. "Mrs. Richards, are you up for visitors? There are a couple gentlemen here to see you!"

It must be Ward and the big man...

It was no wonder the nurse looked so excited—she'd probably never expected to see John Wayne coming to visit someone at this hospital. All the big stars usually went to one of the more prestigious medical facilities.

Diana told the nurse to let them in while she gingerly sat up and tried to make herself more comfortable.

Ward and Wayne walked into the room and saw her struggling. They immediately went over to her bed and moved the head up further and put more pillows behind her so she could get comfortable.

She winced and moved haltingly.

Ward asked her, "How badly are you hurt?"

Dare I show you? It's not like you haven't seen me naked before...

Diana looked at them and frowned. She untied the soft robe she was wearing and started to pull it open.

Oh, God...I can't bear to see your beautiful body again...

"You shouldn't do that, little girl," Wayne said quietly.

Diana looked him square in the face. "You've both seen me naked before. And besides...I don't think what you're going to see will turn you on! It made me sick when I saw it this morning!" 

She pulled her robe open. Both of them winced. There were mottled patches of red, blue and dark purple scattered around her torso. They were mainly concentrated on her lower abdomen, hips and pelvic area from where the bastard had pounded her against the hard edge of her desk.

Damn it to hell! I'll kill that...

Wayne frowned harder and closed his eyes. He turned away and muttered, "Son-of-a-bitch!" under his breath again.

Ward also frowned, closed his eyes and turned his head.

Tears came into Diana's eyes. She closed her robe and tied the sash. When they looked back at her, she said, "I'm really glad to see you two. The nurse gave me a message that Charles can't get here until after three."

Ward said, "Yeah, we know. We checked at the nurses' desk before we came in to make sure he wasn't here. By the way...he told me to tell you that he loves you more than ever."

The big man glanced at Ward and frowned painfully.

Diana asked them to tell her what was going on with them—how production on "The Wings of Eagles" was going. Ward sat in a chair on the far side of the bed and Wayne perched on the bed next to her knees. They chatted like they had been friends for years. 

Wayne said he was doing "Eagles" as a favor to Pappy—John Ford. It was a project dear to Ford. The main character, Frank "Spig" Wead, whom Wayne was portraying, had been a good friend of Ford's.

Wayne said, "You know, Pappy still asks me from time to time if that beautiful, intelligent little girl has ever said anything about taking him up on his offer to get into directing or writing!"

Diana smiled. "Yes, Ward told me the same thing when we saw each other in Vegas when I was on my honeymoon..." She went silent and looked down when the big man frowned again.  

When Charles arrived in L.A., he went straight to the hospital, found out which room Diana was in and headed to the elevators to go up to the third floor. He got off and passed the nurses' desk on his way to her room.

A nurse came out and was following him.

"Sir, where do you think you're going?" She stopped him right outside the door to Diana's room. "Sir, you can't go in there at the moment! Patients are allowed only two visitors at a time and she already has two visitors!"

Charles looked at the woman sternly. "Ma'am, I'm not a visitor. I'm her husband and there's no way you're going to keep me out of there. Now, please, move out of my way... Or are you going to make me have to move you?" 

As soon as Diana heard Charles, she looked at the big man in panic. "I've told my husband about us, but I don't think he believed me and I want it to stay that way!"

Wayne nodded. Ward had explained everything to him. He stood up and backed away. He moved to the foot of the bed, out of the direct line of sight from the doorway...just as the door opened. Wayne clenched his jaw and swallowed hard at the look of deep love and concern on Charles Richards' face as he stared at his wife.

Oh, my God, pretty lady... How could he do this to you...

Charles moved slowly toward her. He perched next to her right hip on the edge of the bed. He moved to gather her in his arms.

I need to hold you and tell you that everything is going to be OK...

As soon as he touched her, she whimpered in pain. "How bad is it?"

Diana frowned and told him she'd show him later. She glanced to her left. He looked that way and saw Ward sitting in a chair. "Hello, Ward. Thanks again for calling me."

He looked back at Diana. He put his left hand to her face. He carefully traced the bruises and scratches, the lump on her forehead and her swollen lower lip.

He leaned forward and whispered hoarsely with tears in his eyes, "I'm so sorry. I knew something felt wrong and I should've been here to protect you, my pretty lady."

He lingered for several moments as he kissed her gently, his hands softly cupping her cheeks.

When he leaned back, Diana slowly opened her eyes to stare at him with deep love and sadness. Then her eyes widened slightly as she glanced over his shoulder.

Charles turned around to look behind him. He immediately stood up with his eyes wide when he saw The Duke standing at the foot of his wife's hospital bed.

Wayne moved toward Charles with his hand out. They shook briefly...but very firmly.

"Mr. Richards, I'm pleased to meet you. I just wish it could've been under better circumstances. I was at Ward's house last night when she called for help. Ward and I both came and stayed with her until she was brought here. We both care about your wife very much. She's a wonderful woman...a fine young lady and we would do anything in the world for her. So please let us know if there is anything else we can do for her—or you."

I don't want to like you...but she loves you...

Damn it...don't be nice! Try to hit me...make me hate you...

Charles studied the big man. He tried to detect any other emotions stronger than the caring and concern that were etched on his face. He couldn't see anything else in The Duke's eyes.

Wayne clenched his jaw a couple times after he finished speaking.

Maybe he's just concerned over what happened to her. No...he's more than just concerned...

Wayne continued to clench his jaw. 

Yeah...you still love her...

Charles frowned. Why would Diana let you come visit knowing I would probably run into you...

Then he remembered. She wasn't expecting me until after noon...

Are you protecting her—or yourself—by not letting me see any love for her in your eyes? I guess Ward told you that I don't want her to know I know the truth. Boy...you could get an Academy Award for this performance...

Only the slight clenching of his jaw gave away Wayne's agitation at meeting Charles face to face. 

Charles stared at The Duke and said sincerely, "Thank you for your care and concern for my wife. Even under these circumstances, it's an honor to meet you. My wife and I are both big fans of yours and we really enjoy your movies."

That's right...she's MY WIFE! I saw your eyes flinch...

Get a grip...he's just trying to rattle you...

Wayne looked down and frowned. His respect for the younger man deepened even as his jealousy flared.

You have the love of a woman that I would've given up my career for...if she had only asked. But she didn't ask...and you were relieved! Don't kid yourself! She belongs with him...

He swallowed his emotions and looked back up at Richards. Then he grinned wryly. "Thanks."

Wayne glanced at Diana. She was staring at her husband with deep love.

The same look I saw in your eyes when I made love to you... You may belong with him, but I can't stop loving you...and wanting you...

He clenched his jaw again. "Ward, I think we should be going. I'm sure Mr. Richards would like to be alone with his wife. Goodbye, Richards. Let us know if there is ever anything else we can do. Anything at all."

Wayne's eyes flashed with intensity as he tried to get his message across.

I'd do anything in the world for her...even now... 

I saw a flash of something in your eyes...but what were you trying to say...

It was gone so quickly that he wasn't sure what he saw. Charles shook Wayne's hand again and said goodbye. Then he shook Ward's hand as he passed on his way to the door.

When Ward closed the door, Duke was pacing agitatedly back and forth in the hallway.

"What's troubling you, Duke?"

"I am glad she's found a decent man that loves her. But, right now, I keep seeing images of him making love to her and her looking at him the way she looked at me! It's just making me a little insane at the moment!"

Ward said quietly, "Duke...after what she's just been through, how long do you think it will take those two to get past this? Don't you think Diana needs a husband who loves her that much and that she needs to love him that much if they're going to get through this and survive it together? What if something like this had happened to Pilar? Would you still be thinking about the way Diana looks at Charles when he makes love to her?"

Wayne stopped, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he looked at Ward. "You always seem to know just what to say to make me think about the bigger picture. Especially where Diana and Pilar are concerned. How did you get so wise in that respect?"

I have no clue... 

Ward just smiled wryly and shrugged his shoulders. He was just glad he was a friend to all of them so he could clearly see the "bigger picture."

Maybe that's how I know what to say...

**********

When Ward shut the door, Diana silently released the breath she'd been holding.

Thank God the big man held it together...

Charles sat back on the edge of the bed again and looked at Diana for a few moments. "How badly are you hurt?" She untied her robe and opened it. He frowned darkly and muttered savagely, "Son-of-a-bitch! That bastard had better hope the police find him before I do!"

I'm going for my gun and I'm going to hunt that bastard down myself...

"Charles, please! Don't leave me!" Diana wailed as he stood up.

He heard the fear in her voice and saw it on her face. He sat back down.

"Please, just hold me...and don't ever let me go!" she pleaded softly as she started to cry.

I'll never ever let you go...

He carefully wrapped his arms around her and held her against him. Tears came into his eyes.

You must've been so scared and you must've fought so hard, my brave, pretty lady...

He told Diana how he intended to handle her attacker.

**********

Wayne and Ward were about to turn and head toward the elevators when they heard Diana cry for Charles not to leave her. Wayne frowned darkly and started toward the door, but Ward stopped him. 

Ward turned around and quietly cracked the door open.

Charles was holding her. He said fiercely, his voice strained with emotion, "I'll kill him, Diana. I meant what I said; that bastard had better hope the police find him before I do, because, I swear...I'll kill him!"

Ward quietly shut the door again. He and The Duke made their way to the elevators knowing that Charles and Diana would survive this tragedy.

But Ed Hood probably wouldn't.

If Ward Bond, John Wayne or Charles Richards ever got near him...



Haunted by the Past Ch. 05



Charles Richards stayed the rest of Saturday with his wife Diana in her hospital room. He left for a few minutes to make a phone call in the lobby. He contacted an executive at the movie studio to make sure they notified her boss in Hawaii.

Charles was not about to let her go back to that office. He also asked the studio executive if they would make arrangements with her boss to have their offices moved somewhere else on the lot... somewhere with better security. The executive assured him they would take care of it right away.

And he didn't want to leave her that night. The nurses were very kind and let him stay after visiting hours were over. They told him he could stay until she was able to fall asleep; she was afraid to be alone. 

Diana scooted to the side of the bed and asked him to lie beside her and hold her until she fell asleep. He lay mostly on his left side with her tucked against his chest, his arms wrapped around her and her head on his left shoulder and upper arm.

When the night nurse came in to check on her, she found them both fast asleep with her cradled completely in his arms. The nurse sympathized with what they were going through. She left them like that...even though it was against hospital policy. 

While she slept, Diana's fear and pain turned to rage. She had a sickening dream about what that bastard, Ed Hood, had done to her. When she awoke, she began to pant heavily.

I could've prevented this from happening, if only...

Charles felt her stirring in his arms. He woke up as she glanced up at him.

She stated angrily, "I wish I'd had my gun with me! I would've put several bullets right in his crotch—then I'd like to have seen him try to rape me! That bastard! I wonder if he's attacked any other women...or was he just fixated on me?"

She stared up at Charles. "Why haven't the police contacted us to say they've found him? How hard could it be to find him?"

"Diana, he probably fled the city right after he attacked you because you know him. I have to wonder why this bastard attacked you so openly knowing you could identify him? It doesn't make any sense! We're lucky he didn't kill you!"

She stared at Charles as the intense anger and hatred she felt burned in her eyes. She growled through her teeth, "I want the bastard dead! I want to make sure he can never do this to me or any other woman ever again!"

His eyes burned with the same anger and hatred. But he said cautiously, "Don't ever make a statement like that to anyone but me! You understand? If anything ends up happening to that bastard, we'll be the first ones they look at. Tell the police you're afraid of him and make yourself look afraid, but don't let them see your anger. Whatever you do, don't let them know your true feelings."

I can't actually hunt him down, but if the opportunity to kill that bastard ever presents itself...

While Diana picked at her breakfast, Charles went to the cafeteria to get a cup of hot tea and a Danish. When he got back to her room, her best friend, Lynda Curtis, was there. She brought Diana some clothes to wear when she left the hospital.

Lynda hugged Charles. "I'm so glad you were able to get back to Diana so fast. I'll drop by your house later and fix dinner for you so you won't have to worry about it. OK?"

"Thanks, Lynda. That'll be great. We'll see you later," he said to her as she left.

The doctor came in around eleven o'clock. He checked Diana's eyes and the lump on her head. He said it looked like she was out of danger and would heal just fine, so he released her. He also advised her to contact her regular gynecologist for follow-up visits to check her internal injuries and make sure they were healing properly.

Charles had to help her dress. She still couldn't move easily due to her soreness. He tried to help her put a bra on, but she couldn't wear it. It was too tight and was hurting her bruises, so she left it off. Luckily, Lynda had thought ahead and brought one of her dresses that wrapped around her and tied at the sides. She only had to slip her arms into it and Charles tied it for her.

They arrived home just after noon. He begged her to let him fix her something to eat. She'd hardly touched her breakfast that morning. She finally relented to try a small bowl or cup of soup. He had just finished heating some on the stove and poured it into a mug for her when they heard the doorbell ring.

Who on earth could that be...

"You stay here and eat your soup. I'll see who that is and get rid of them if it's nothing important." Charles kissed her forehead gently and then went to the front door.

It was a couple of plain-clothes L.A.P.D. detectives.

This might be important...

The officers identified themselves as Detectives Jerry Olson and Jonathan North.

North asked, "Are you Special Agent Charles Richards of the FBI?"

Charles affirmed that he was by showing them his ID and badge. He let them in as he asked, "What's the purpose of this visit?"

The two detectives looked at each other uncomfortably.

Detective North asked, "Agent Richards, how long have you and your wife been married?"

"Three months. Why? And call me Mr. Richards. I'm not on duty right now."

North continued, "Certainly, Mr. Richards. And just how much do you know about your wife's previous life before you met her?"

"As much as I need to know. Why?" His eyes narrowed. You better not bring up anything that doesn't specifically have to do with that bastard...

The two detectives glanced at each other again. Then Detective North asked, "Are you aware that your wife has a history for several years of picking up men in bars and, apparently, having one-night stands with them?"

You bastard... Anger flashed in his eyes. "My wife told me all about her past when we got married. What does that have to do with her getting beaten black and blue and then raped by some man that she refused to have sex with over a year ago? And why are you investigating my wife when you should be looking for the perp?"

Detective North continued, "Mr. Richards, do you have any idea how difficult it would be to get rape charges to stand against this man if it ends up going to trial and your wife's past history is revealed in court? We've had numerous cases like this that the D.A.'s office has refused to prosecute over the years when it was revealed that the victims had a history of casual flings or one night stands." I know it's not fair, but I'm not the D.A.! We're just doing our jobs...

"And we weren't investigating your wife, we were following leads on some of the perp's known hangouts. Apparently, he's been following your wife for quite some time. Every bar and club we visited last night and showed the perp's photo around didn't give us many leads. But when we flashed a photo of your wife, she was instantly recognized by men who said they'd seen her only once or twice and that she left with a man each time she was there."

Charles was staring at them angrily. He replied heatedly, "Again...what difference does all this make in finding the man who raped my wife?" his voice rising in volume. I'm warning you...

Damn it...I can't help you! It's not my decision... North continued, frustrated. "Mr. Richards...how can we continue to waste the Department's valuable time looking for a man who will likely get out of the charges because he'll have plenty of witnesses and evidence to back up his claim that your wife asked him for sex?" Oh, you sick bastard... Just stand there and let him hit you because you deserve it...

That's IT... Charles drew back his right shoulder and was about to deck Detective North—until he heard a whimper behind him. He spun around. Diana was standing at the kitchen door; she'd heard the detective's last statement. There were tears in her eyes; her right hand was on her mouth and her left arm was clutching her stomach.

Charles moved to her quickly and put his arms around her. Then he walked her over to where the detectives were standing. He moved behind her and put his arms around her again.

He said softly next to her ear, "I'm not doing this to shame you, my love, but these bastards need to see what it is they think you asked for!" He untied the sides of her dress and pulled it open.

She turned the right side of her face toward the detectives and closed her eyes. She cried softly from embarrassment.

The detectives frowned. Then they stared intently. Their eyes traveled down her body to where Charles pushed her panties low enough so they could see the worst bruising. Then he closed her dress, turned her around and hugged her against him. 

He stared menacingly at Detective North. "That's only what you can see on the outside of her body!"

He looked at both men with deadly seriousness. "Now...are you two still going to stand there and try to tell me that my wife asked that bastard for sex? And what kind of message are you sending to any other would-be rapists out there? That the L.A.P.D. and the D.A.'s office are declaring open season for rapists on women who've been known to sleep around?!! Now get out of here! I don't want to hear from anyone else in your department unless it's to tell us that you've found that bastard or at least know where he is!"

The detectives showed themselves out. 

Charles held Diana against him as she sobbed softly. He soothed her as calmly as he could. "Shhhh... it's alright, my love. We'll get through this. And I promise you, that bastard will pay...one way or the other...he'll pay for what he did to you!"

As the detectives walked back to their car, Jerry Olson, the older one at 45, who hadn't said anything, finally spoke up.

"I really feel sorry for them. I have a sister who had a tendency to dally with men because she couldn't find the right man to love. She finally did and, luckily, nothing like this ever happened to bring her past back to haunt her. Not all women who use men like most men use women do it because they're just 'bad girls.' That woman didn't deserve this and you damn well know it! That was a cruel thing to say! And if I ever hear you say anything like that again, I'll belt you in the mouth!"

Jonathan North, who was 38 but felt more like 58, looked at him and sighed wearily.

"I know. It's just so frustrating that there's such a double standard applied to women. And this is 1956! Men who fool around are just 'playing the field!' But the women who 'play the field' with them are considered sluts. It's a tragedy that those two finally found each other and something like this happened. If we ever do find the perp, I wouldn't blame Richards if he goes after the bastard if he walks. If I was lucky enough to find a woman like her, I'd go after anyone who attacked her, too!"

Jonathan North sighed heavily as he got into the car. If only I could find a woman like her... 

Fate was about to step in again...

**********

Sunday afternoon, Barbara Adams came to see her good friend Diana. She couldn't go to the hospital. She'd had an intense aversion to hospitals ever since her husband was killed—Diana understood that. 

She told Barbara what one of the detectives had said.

She threw a fit. "WHAT?! How dare he say something like that! He's a detective...it's not his job to decide which cases warrant investigating! Charles, how could you let him get away with saying something like that about your own wife?!! Why didn't you deck that jerk?!!" 

"I nearly did, Barbara, until I realized that Diana had come into the room. I decided the best way to put them in their place was to make them look at what that bastard did to her. I'm pretty sure they went away feeling ashamed at what they had thought!"

When Barbara was leaving, she asked for the name of the man who'd made that awful remark. She was still livid from what they told her Detective Jonathan North had said. She intended to visit the L.A.P.D. precinct the next day to give Detective North a piece of her mind!

She would end up giving him way more than that...

Barbara showed up at the police station Monday morning. She asked the desk sergeant for Detective North. "Have a seat and I'll call him."

Barbara couldn't sit. She paced back and forth as she went over everything she intended to say.

Jonathan North headed to the front lobby. A beautiful blonde woman was pacing agitatedly and talking to herself. She's obviously upset about something...

He went to the desk and the sergeant pointed to the beautiful blonde. Uh, oh...

He walked over behind her and cleared his throat. "I'm Detective North. How can I help you?"

Barbara spun around to scold him. She didn't realize how close he was. She stumbled slightly and fell against his chest. He brought his arms up to steady her and she looked up at him. He was staring at her with a startled expression on his face. Then a very intense look came into his eyes. Is that...desire... 

Barbara's anger waned as she stared up at the man. He was tall; at least six feet or taller. He had a face that was both distinguished and...sexy. It was marked with frown lines, like he worried a lot. But his sexy, bedroom eyes said he knew how to take his mind off his worries. He had large, dark green eyes that seemed to beckon her closer, under dark brows that looked black, like his raven hair; a long, straight nose, full, sensual lips and a strong, rounded chin.

Oh, my... you're awfully handsome...and sexy...

Ohhh, please...don't break my heart. You feel like you belong in my arms...and in my bed... Get a hold of yourself, Jon...

The woman's anger receded to be replaced by surprise when she looked up into his face. He held her against him a little longer than was necessary. Her surprise flickered with a flash of desire. Then it morphed into an almost compassionate gaze as she stared at his mouth.

Let me take your worries away... Shall I pull your face down to mine...press my lips to yours... let our tongues stroke together until there's nothing and no one but us...

Yes...kiss me. Make me forget about everything but you... Where the hell did that come from? My heart is in danger again...

North released her. Quickly. 

Barbara almost forgot why she came to see this man. But she remembered when she suddenly regained her senses. He let go of her as if she was suddenly a hot poker that had burned his hands. 

She stepped back and cleared her throat. "Is there somewhere we could speak privately, Detective North?"

He led her to an empty interrogation room down the hall. As soon as he shut the door, she let him have it with both barrels.

"I don't know who you think you are, Detective North! But if you ever make one more derogatory statement against my friend, Diana Richards, I'll report you to whomever I have to! What you said yesterday was cruel and uncalled for and I have half a mind to slap your handsome, sexy face!"

Barbara didn't even realize what she'd said as she continued with her tirade.

You think I'm handsome...and sexy... Jonathan North's eyes widened slightly. He crossed his arms over his chest and put his left hand on his mouth and chin. He had to hide the smile that was trying to form as he perched on the edge of the table and watched her rant.

You certainly are very beautiful...

Lovely, shining, light golden blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders in loose curls with creamy skin on her long, exotic face. She had high cheekbones, cat-like, sparkling blue-gray eyes with thick, curly lashes, a straight, sculpted nose and a luscious mouth with a slightly pouty lower lip.

She wasn't quite as short as her equally lovely friend, Diana, and her body wasn't quite as curvy. She had high, firm breasts, a small waist, and slim, rounded hips under her full, flowing skirt. North kept glancing at her body.

I wonder how your small, round breasts would feel in my big hands... Damn it, Detective...keep your mind on your job...

His loins were tingling. She stopped pacing and was standing in front of him with her hands on her hips. Her breasts were heaving and her eyes were blazing.

Damn... You're just sexy as hell... His dick hardened instantly.

Barbara stopped suddenly. He was staring at her chest with raw desire. He shook his head slightly and looked at her face. She asked him quietly, "Were you staring at my breasts, Detective North?"

She felt tingles between her legs at the look in his eyes. And she was breathing raggedly—but now it was from excitement as much as it had been from anger just a moment ago.

I'm supposed to be mad at you! Stop looking at me like that! Oh, please...don't look at me that way...

Jonathan North didn't even realize what he was saying. "Yes...I was imagining how they would feel in my hands..." He stopped.

Her hands dropped from her hips and her lips parted slightly. Her eyelids lowered and flames of desire leapt in her eyes as she stared at his mouth.

I know you want to kiss me...Oh, God...I wish you would! I want to taste your sweet mouth with my tongue and nibble on your luscious lower lip...

This can't happen! You're a police detective investigating a violent crime involving one of her friends...

North shook his head. He couldn't get involved with her during the investigation. It would make him appear to be biased toward her friend, the victim.

And she's here to berate you for that stupid comment you made yesterday! I owe you an apology or at least an explanation...

He stood up. "I'm sorry, Miss..." he hesitated. I don't even know your name yet...

She also hesitated. He smiled. You're trying to regain your senses...

Come on, Barbara...pull yourself together... "I'm Mrs. Adams... Barbara."

He frowned. Oh, no...you're married...

Oh No! It's not what you think... "I'm a widow."

Oh...whew! Wait...that shouldn't matter to me... 

He started again. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Adams; you're absolutely right. What I said yesterday was completely wrong. I'm just frustrated. I feel there's been a double standard applied to women. My anger and frustration should've been directed at the D.A.'s office and not at your friend and her husband. This was a horrible thing to happen to them. I should've apologized immediately. My partner chastised me after we left, and I fully intend to tell both of them how sorry I am the next time we have to contact them in the investigation."

I knew the moment I saw you that you couldn't possibly have meant what you said...

Barbara felt oddly elated. He had made a thoughtless remark about a very bad situation and he felt terrible about it. Wait...that shouldn't matter to me...

Then the tingles between her legs intensified when he continued.

"And please forgive me, Barbara, for the way I was staring at you. I shouldn't have told you what was going through my mind...I didn't even realize what I was saying. I temporarily lost my senses because all the blood left my brain and headed south and...oh, hell, here I go again!" he muttered, embarrassed.

It's a damn good thing I'm wearing my suit coat... He bent over slightly as he perched on the edge of the table. His thick shaft was hardening again. It had started to deflate as he'd offered the first apology.

But you're staring at me with those flames of desire in your eyes again... 

You want me... you just admitted that I'm making your cock hard...

Barbara had no idea what came over her, but she couldn't stop herself. She moved in front of Detective North, picked up his hands and put them on her breasts. "Do they feel as nice as you imagined?"

Oh, God...they're so firm... so round... and you have such hard little nipples...

The detective closed his eyes and groaned. He gently kneaded her breasts. He nodded his head yes as he stared at her with his eyes burning.




Haunted by the Past Ch. 05



She reached down with her right hand and groped the front of his trousers under his coat. She felt a huge bulge right away. Her eyes widened.

I wouldn't be able to wrap my hand completely around you... She moaned as she muttered, "Oh, my God! Your cock is so big!"

Your voice is the sexiest sound I've ever heard... It was soft and throaty, like a low, feline purr. Jonathan North lost his senses again.

This has got to be wrong somehow... But your breasts feel so right in my hands, and your hand on my throbbing dick feels even better... 

He groaned again as his eyes closed. "Oh, my God...I've never wanted a woman I've just met so badly!" He opened his eyes again and stared at her. "What is this power you have over me? Do you want me as badly as I want you?"

Jon held his breath. She took his left hand from her breast, dragged it down the front of her body, down through the waist of her skirt and into her panties. His eyes widened.

My God, woman! Your pussy is dripping... His fingers automatically went to her clit.

She moaned softly and rubbed her slick flesh against his fingers. Her eyes closed as her head fell backward. He exhaled and lost all sense of reason.

You're about to come! And I'm not about to stop—I want to see what you look like when you come...

Jon stood up. He wrapped his right arm around her waist to support her as he applied a little more pressure on her clit with his middle finger in a circular motion. He said quietly in his deep voice, "I bet you're even more beautiful when you orgasm! Come for me, Barbara...that's it baby, just let go... Oh, yes...you are gorgeous! Shhh...shhh...not so loud...!"

He leaned down and kissed her to muffle her loud moans as her climax peaked. Her lips were parted. He nibbled gently on her lower lip...once...twice...and then thrust his tongue gently in rhythm to his fingers stroking her.

Ohhh...you taste so sweet...I knew you would...

She opened her mouth wider and stroked her tongue erotically against his. She groaned deeply and wrapped her arms that had been dangling at her sides around his shoulders and neck. She rolled her hips wantonly against him.

Detective Jonathan North was lost. He was about to devour her. Whole.

Goddamn woman...I want to strip you, lay you back on this interrogation table and perform a body search with my hands, my mouth and my throbbing hard dick... Fuck, Jon! You're a police detective and you cannot get involved with her!!!

But, it was too late...

I'm already way involved! I need to know a lot more about her other than the fact that she responds to me more than any other woman I've ever met...

He slowly extricated his left hand from her panties and skirt as he gently ended their fiery kiss. She lowered her arms. He saw it on her face.

No, Barbara...don't you dare regret what just happened...

Her eyes went wide and her cheeks reddened even more than the blush that had flushed her face when she came. Then her mouth dropped open when she gasped. She stepped back as she put her hands to her cheeks. She whispered in embarrassment, "Oh, my God! I don't know what came over me! I've never done anything like this before in my life!"

She paced agitatedly and gestured with her hands. "It's just been so long since I've been fucked! All the men I've dated have turned out to be jerks! And you're just the most handsome, sexy man I've seen since my husband! And when I realized you weren't the bastard I thought you were... I'm so sorry I threw myself at you like that! I hope I haven't made you think I'm some sort of a... slut!" Her eyes welled with tears.

North grabbed her upper arms, pulled her against him and hugged her as he cut her off. "Stop it, Barbara! You're not a slut! You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen and I want you as badly as you, apparently, want me! I let you throw yourself at me because I wanted you to! My sense of honor wouldn't allow me to attack you and take you the way I wanted...I was only allowing myself to go along with what you wanted. And now, I have a big problem..."

He moaned softly when she put her hand on the front of his pants and stroked his dick again. Then he snorted a laugh when she said, "I know."

He replied, chuckling, "Well, yes...that's a big problem, too, but not the one I was referring to! I meant the fact that I'm falling for a woman who's involved in a case that I'm currently investigating. The Department and the D.A.'s office tend to frown on this sort of thing. So, now what am I going to do?"

Barbara leaned back and looked up at him. "You could go to your chief and tell him you've just discovered you're personally involved with someone who is close to the victim and that you have to be reassigned. Until you do that, I can't help you with this big problem."

She smiled sexily as she stroked him again. She stepped back and reluctantly dropped her hand away from his awesome cock.

North closed his eyes and groaned. His desire warred with his better judgment. He opened his eyes to look at her. He was about to beg her to give him some relief. You really would like to get your hands on my big dick and stroke me until I come, wouldn't you, pretty girl... Wait a second... How did you know...? 

There was a knock on the door. It was Jerry asking if he was in there. Barbara's mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide.

What the hell is with that look... North answered his partner. "Yeah, Jerry, I'll be out in a couple minutes!"

North walked over to Barbara and put his hands on her shoulders. "I wish we had time for you to help me with this big problem. But how did you know how the other big problem would have to be handled, and why do you look so surprised to hear my partner's voice?"

He was stunned when he heard her reply...

Barbara swallowed nervously. "I'm the widow of Tony Adams—Jerry's ex-partner. I haven't seen Jerry since just after Tony's funeral when he told me how guilty he felt that he wasn't able to save Tony. I told him it wasn't his fault but I don't think he believed me. I don't think he's ever been able to talk about it. Has he ever said anything to you?"

North shook his head and frowned. "No. He's never told me anything and everyone warned me not to ask him about it. I never met your husband. I was a petty crimes detective at another precinct then. And now I'm Jerry's partner and I'm falling in love with his ex-partner's widow. How is this happening? How is Jerry going to take this? By the way...just how long has it been since the last time you were fucked?" he blurted as he remembered part of her explanation.

This is too strange...too coincidental... Barbara was shaking her head in astonishment.

Then she blushed at his last question. She whispered, "About five years...since just before Tony was killed. I've... had to learn how to...take care of...myself... my own needs...but it's just not the same..." her voice trailed off nervously.

Jon grinned at Barbara's obvious embarrassment. I know what you mean, pretty girl...I'd much rather fuck you than masturbate, too...

He only did it when it was absolutely necessary. And it's been pretty damn necessary for over a year now...ever since Sandra dumped me... 

He didn't have sex with every woman he dated. Only the few he'd seen for a while that had considered marrying him. And it was the women who'd broken off with him. They couldn't come to terms with his job. He had long and odd hours at times and he occasionally faced danger—the two main reasons they'd given him as to why they couldn't marry him.

No woman has ever loved me enough... 

He'd begun to believe he was doomed to bachelorhood. It was the only thing that made him resent his job. And he loved being a cop... His father and grandfather had been New York City cops—and his three older brothers still were.

His father had been disappointed that he didn't stay in New York. But he'd grown weary of those dreary New York winters. He'd moved to L.A. when he was 25 to enjoy the more temperate climate. He'd also hoped to find a beautiful southern California girl to fall in love with and settle down.

No such luck...

He still hoped that, some day, he'd find a woman who wasn't seeking a rich husband—one who understood what a cop's life was all about. One that didn't mind the hours required and the fact that he could be killed.

Oh, Barbara...would you be willing to take a chance at loving me... especially since you've already lost one husband who was a cop? I don't have any choice but to ask you...

Jon walked Barbara to the door.

"Yeah, I know what you mean...it's just not the same. I'll try to get that other big problem resolved as quickly as possible. I think we need each other... don't you? Give me your phone number so I can call you as soon as it's taken care of."

He handed her one of his cards and a pen to write her phone number on it. He put it in his inside jacket pocket when she gave it back to him.

Barbara smiled widely as he opened the door. She purred softly, "I'll be waiting to hear from you, Mr. Big Di...I mean Detective North!" She stammered when she saw Jerry Olson still standing outside the door. 

His face immediately registered his shock at seeing her again.

Barbara moved toward Olson. "Hello, Jerry. It's good to see you again. I wish you'd kept in touch with me. You know I never blamed you for what happened. Tony knew the risks and you knew he'd do whatever he thought was necessary to protect an innocent person. It's time you let go of that...if you haven't already."

Jerry Olson hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad to see you, Barbie. I've wished for a while now that I would've kept in touch with you, too. You were probably the only person who might've been able to help me get past what happened sooner. I just felt so guilty because I knew how much you and Tony loved each other...and you were so young."

He started to get choked up, but he cleared his throat and stepped back from her. "I don't know how the hell you two met, but it looks like I'm stuck with another partner who has it bad for you!" 

She grinned at Olson and then looked at North. She blushed when he said, "I'll be in...touch," as he glanced down her body. She was tingling between her legs again. 

Why you... My panties are already soaked because of your... touch! And you're making my pussy throb again... Stop that! Turnabout is fair play, Detective...

She grinned sexily as she stared at him with blatant desire in her eyes, not caring that Jerry could see it as well.

She purred at him, "If your big problem gets to be too much for you, I'd be happy to COME and give you a HAND with it, Detective. Of course, I might just be offering you LIP SERVICE... But I always follow through on a promise. And one thing I can promise you, Detective, you would be more than satisfied with the results of my assistance." Did you get that, Mr. Big... 

"I hope to hear from you soon, Detective! Jerry, please make sure your partner doesn't lose my number! Good day, gentlemen!" She turned to walk down the hall toward the lobby, looking back over her shoulder as she said good day to them. She grinned wider.

I guess you did get it, Mr. Big Dick! Play your cards right, and you'll get to fuck me with that big dick... Oh, please...play your cards right...

Jerry Olson looked at his partner, staring helplessly after Barbara Adams. He asked, "How the hell did you meet her? And what was that...Mr. Big comment she made about?"

Jonathan North glanced briefly at his partner. "She's a good friend of Diana Richards. She came here to berate me for that comment I made yesterday...but I think she's forgiven me!" North paused as he chuckled quietly.

He brought his left hand up and sniffed his fingertips. He closed his eyes. Mmm...I hope I get to taste your sweet pussy soon... 

Then he looked at Olson. "And that Mr. Big comment is none of your business! You'd better get used to seeing her again, partner...because she's going to be my wife!"

Olson stared at him. Oh, God, partner...but that girl has such a sweet ass... Dare I tell you that I once fucked her ass when I double-teamed her with Tony? "Yeah, I can get used to seeing her again, and I'd definitely say she's forgiven you! And I don't even want to think about what you said...or did...to earn her forgiveness! But you'd better not get your hopes up too high! Barbie was devastated when she lost Tony and she may not be too keen on marrying another cop!"

Then Olson's eyes widened. "No wonder that Richards woman looked familiar to me yesterday! She was with Barbie at Tony's funeral...along with a tall, good-looking brunette! But, you idiot...you know you can't get involved with her while we're on this case! What were you thinkin'?!!" he exclaimed as he slapped North on the back of the head.

"I was thinkin' that I'm going to the Chief and have him remove me from this case! We haven't gotten any leads on finding the perp yet. Hell, he's probably left the country by now! And I'm not going to let that woman get away from me! I'm going to tell him that Barbara and I have been seeing each other and that I didn't realize she was a friend of Mrs. Richards' until today, so I have no choice but to back away! And you have to back me up on this...or I'll tell the Chief that you've been fucking his wife!"

Olson looked at North in shock. "How the hell do you know about that?"

North raised his eyebrows. "The Chief came to me a little while back and told me that he thought his wife was screwing around with somebody in The Department! He wanted me to follow her around at times and figure out who it was. When I found out it was you, I told him I never saw her meet with anybody. I couldn't rat out my own partner! But the Chief didn't believe me, and he told me to keep following her, so I did. And buddy...I hate to tell you this, but you aren't the only one in the Department she was fuckin' around with! I told the Chief about the other guy, and he was promptly fired!"

"Was that why Anderson was fired? Was he the other guy?" North nodded. Olson looked sick. "That bitch...I hate that guy and she knows it! I always told her what a bastard I thought he was! And she was fuckin' him and me at the same time? Aw, shit! I've stuck my dick in the same place as that bastard? Well, not any more! I don't care how hot her little ass is! Come on...let's go see the Chief and get this over with!"

The Chief was not happy to hear about this "supposed" conflict, but he promptly reassigned another pair of detectives to take over the investigation. By the end of the day, North and Olson had briefed the new detectives and turned over the file and all information on the case.

Jonathan North called Barbara Adams. It was a brief conversation. "Barbara, I'm off the case. Where do you live? ... I'll be there in fifteen minutes!" He went straight to her house when he left the precinct. As soon as she opened the door, he grabbed her and they kissed desperately...



Haunted by the Past Ch. 06



Jonathan North and Barbara Adams undressed each other as they made their way through her house. His jacket and tie were dropped on the living room couch. Her blouse was left at the beginning of the hallway when he backed her up against the wall. He unbuttoned it slowly, grinding his throbbing dick against her the whole time. 

Then she did the same thing. She pushed him against the opposite wall as she unbuttoned his shirt. She paused to kiss and lick his fairly smooth chest as he struggled to unbutton his cuffs. She ran her hands up his chest, pushing the shirt from his broad shoulders and down his strong arms. Her hands firmly stroked his muscles. Barbara groaned.

Oh, God! How I've missed having my hands on a man's hard body...

As soon as his shirt was off, Jon reached around and unhooked her bra. He peeled it from her breasts, dropping it onto his shirt. He immediately brought his hands up to cup and knead her firm, round globes. She had beautiful tiny, pink nipples no bigger than, but just as hard as, pebbles.

Barbara moaned loudly. She had very sensitive breasts. Her dead husband had been able to make her come just by kissing and licking her breasts and sucking her nipples between his lips.

Oh, please...put your mouth on my breasts and make me come again...

You have the most beautiful breasts I've ever seen... Jon had always thought fuller breasts were sexier. Until I saw yours... He smiled. I can almost completely cover your breasts with my hands...

He grasped a little firmer and rubbed his palms in a circle over the hard tips. Her body reacted wantonly.

Ahhhh...your breasts must be very sensitive... He cupped her left breast. He leaned down and laved the lovely, pink pebble with his tongue and then drew it between his lips and nipped it with his teeth.

Jon had to wrap his left arm around Barbara's tiny waist. She cried out as she nearly collapsed. Her knees buckled when a powerful orgasm tore through her. He stroked her left breast with his tongue until her hips stopped rolling against his thigh.

She was finally able to lift her head and look at him. Barbara was senseless. She throbbed inside. Her body felt like an empty, churning mass of need... She groaned and clutched at his hard shaft through the front of his trousers.

She growled desperately, "Fuck me, Detective! Take me to bed! Fill me with your huge cock... I've felt so empty for so long! I need to feel a man inside me again... Please!!!"

Goddamn woman...don't talk like that...I can't take it... 

Her erotic plea shook him to his core. Jon groaned loudly and nearly came in his pants. He picked her up and carried her swiftly into her bedroom. He quickly finished removing their clothing after he laid her on the bed. He moved between her legs. She grasped his thick shaft and pulled him to her.

Barbara growled as she pleaded again. "Take me hard, Detective!"

Jon forcefully drove his throbbing dick all the way into her tight, slick pussy. He stopped and stayed still. 

Barbara uttered a loud, guttural groan as her back arched off the bed and her hands clawed at his chest. She saw stars. Explosions of pain and pleasure were coursing through her body...

Goddamn Jon! I didn't realize just how big you are and I forgot how long it's been since I've had a cock inside me...and the last one wasn't as big as yours... OK, OK...pain is gone... Ohhh damn...this feels so good...

Ohhh, God...you're tight! Oh shit...pretty girl...I hope I didn't hurt you! OK, OK...that doesn't look like a pained expression... Ah, fuck...I'm about to come again! And I need to know if you can love me...

Jon stared at her. "I'll fuck you hard this one time only because I'm about to come anyway. But after this, I'm going to take my time and make love to you...slowly. I know you loved your husband and that you two must've shared a very good sex life. But I don't want to be a man that you've chosen just because you think I can satisfy you with my big dick! I love you, Barbara, and I want you to love me; I need you to love me! And if you don't think you can, then tell me now before my heart gets broken too badly!"

Barbara stared at Jonathan North. You're already in love with me...but I'm not sure how I feel...

She had fallen in love at first sight with her husband. But it had been a soft, floating feeling as a young woman at 20 years old. Tony had been much older, also very attractive and very sexy... and she had been a virgin. Thank God Tony's dick wasn't as big as yours...

Tony taught her everything she knew about sex—how to please him and about her own body. She eventually became an excellent student.

When he was killed, she had felt that she'd never be able to love again. She still occasionally had torrid and bittersweet dreams about him.

She had decided a couple years ago that it was time to let go of the past...to move on and try to love again. She had wanted to find a man whose occupation wouldn't interfere with them having more time together and didn't make him face danger. She'd dated several rich, good-looking men that she'd met through her job at the fashion boutique.

But they were all jerks... And none of them made me feel the way I did as soon as I saw you... And I had already decided to hate you...

She'd thought he had no business working as a police detective who had sworn "to protect and to serve" the people. As soon as she saw his face, she knew instantly that he couldn't possibly be the bastard she'd expected him to be. And he wasn't...

And I was so happy to discover that. Why? Because I wanted to love you...I chose to love you, despite the chance that you could be killed like Tony...

"I do love you, Jon..."

He leaned down and kissed her hard and passionately. He fucked her hard and passionately. He grunted softly with each forceful thrust.

Oh, God...this feels so good! Take me, Barbara...take my heart...take my soul! Take my cock into your tight, sweet body... Oh, yes...come with me, pretty girl...

She groaned loudly. Oh, yes, Jon...fill me up! Fill my body with your awesome cock! Fill my heart with your love...fill my empty soul! Oh, how I've needed this...how I need you... 

She wailed in pleasure when she came as he bucked into her during his orgasm.

He stayed buried inside her. She wrapped herself around him. They kissed slowly and deeply for a long while. They talked quietly about how happy they were to find each other.

His cock hardened again while he was still inside her. They began to make love—and they made it last for hours. He stayed the night and they were practically inseparable after that. 

North apologized to Charles and Diana Richards the next day. He explained his feelings and frustrations to them. They became good friends.

Jon and Barbara married a few weeks later. They were cognizant of the fact that he could face danger at any time. It drove their desire for each other and made their sex life even more exciting. They treated each moment they were together as if it might be their last... They made love for hours every chance they got... 

During those weeks, Diana, Barbara and Lynda were thrilled to learn that Dawn had also fallen in love and was planning to marry Officer Enrique Estevez. The new group of friends would come to Charles and Diana's house frequently to have potluck dinners and stay to play cards or games or just chat. They kept hoping that Diana would open up at some point and talk to someone about what happened to her. 

But she remained resolutely silent.

And Lynda was feeling left out. Within just a few weeks, all of her girlfriends had married or were engaged. They had all found decent, honorable, sexy men. She was feeling envious, especially of Diana... Lynda still loved and wanted Charles...

**********

Over the next few weeks, Diana's physical injuries healed so that there was little or no scarring left behind on her face and body. Her internal injuries were also healing completely. She had cut herself off from sex.

Charles was being as patient as he could. She had been through a very traumatic experience. But she was also cutting herself off from him completely as far as intimacy was concerned.

She wouldn't talk to him about the attack. And she wouldn't let him do anything more than hold her and kiss her tenderly every now and then. When he would try to deepen a kiss to let her know he loved her and wanted her, she would pull back from him. It was worrying him. That and the fact that the police had never turned up any leads on her attacker's whereabouts.

One night, Charles realized that he was going to have to confront Diana.

Lynda had come by that evening to check on them about six weeks after Diana's attack. Diana has retreated into her protective shell again and poor Charles looks so worried...

Diana went to bed early. Lynda stayed a while to give Charles some company. He looks so lonely and scared...

They were having drinks as they both talked about their worry for Diana. Charles went to the kitchen to get something to snack on. He didn't come back after several minutes so Lynda went to the kitchen to help him.

She found him leaning with his hands braced on the counter, his head hanging down, crying silently. She went to him and put her hand on his back to comfort him as she stood next to him. She softly told him that things would get better soon. Charles turned to her and hugged her against him. He laid his forehead on her shoulder and cried for a minute.

Lynda wrapped her arms around his shoulders and stroked the back of his head. Oh, damn...this is a mistake! I'm in love with you...

He smelled so good and his warm, hard body was pressed against hers. You're also drunk and feeling very vulnerable at the moment...

He stopped crying. She backed away from him slightly and brought her hands to his face. She used her thumbs to wipe away the wetness on his cheeks. He looked into her eyes with such sadness and longing. Her heart skipped a beat. I feel your pain...

She was trying to reflect that in her eyes, but she knew her love and desire for him were also shining in their depths. The sadness in his eyes faded as he stared at her. You can see how much I love you and want you...

Lynda couldn't stop herself. She leaned forward and kissed his lips softly for just a moment. She stared at him.

He closed his eyes and didn't move.

She pressed her lips against his again, a little firmer, and lingered a little longer. He just barely pursed his lips back against hers. His hands at her waist pressed her against him just a little tighter.

Lynda couldn't have stopped herself from what she did next, either. She dragged her hands from his face to the back of his head and crushed her mouth to his hungrily with a desperate whimper. She wrapped her arms around his neck and head when he responded to her kiss just as hungrily. She moaned deeply. Their mouths opened and their tongues stroked together desperately.

Her moans grew deeper.

His hands wandered around her body. One moved up to grope at her breast, and one went down to stroke over her ass. She throbbed and wetness flowed between her legs when he used both of his hands to grasp her ass. He pressed her hips against his. He rubbed his hard cock against her.

Lynda couldn't stop herself from moving her right hand down the front of his body. She stroked his dick through the front of his pants. The feel of his hardness and the length of it excited her even further. She brought her left hand down, unbuckled his belt, unfastened and unzipped his pants. Then she reached her right hand down into his shorts to grasp his long...hot...hard...

"Oh, my God...!" she moaned as her mouth fell away from his when she stroked his cock.

He groaned deeply. His head had fallen back and his eyes were closed.

Lynda still couldn't stop herself. She knelt down in front of him and maneuvered his shaft out of his pants and shorts. She closed her eyes as she leaned forward with her lips parted...

She was finally able to stop herself. Just as she was about to wrap her lips around his beautiful cock, he moaned...

**********

Where are the damn pretzels? I can't find the fucking pretzels! Where are they, Diana? Where are you? Where is my wife when I need her the most? Please come back to me, pretty lady...

Charles was leaning on the kitchen counter, crying desperately. He felt a soft hand on his back and heard a woman's voice whispering to him that things would get better soon. He turned toward the voice and glimpsed a woman's face with bluish gray eyes through his tears.

Is that you, Diana? He grabbed her and hugged her and cried for a moment.

Her soft hands were on his face wiping his tears away, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs. Oh, pretty lady...it's been so long since you touched me that tenderly...

He opened his eyes to see those bluish gray eyes staring at him with sadness, love...and desire. Are you coming back to me, my love? 

He closed his eyes as she kissed him—softly at first. Then she crushed her lips to his hungrily.

Charles couldn't stop himself from responding—kissing her deeply and running his hands desperately all over her as he longed to feel her again.

Your body feels different, pretty lady...but I know you've lost weight. You haven't been eating properly ever since... But you also seem taller...something's not right... Oh, God...that feels so good...

He couldn't think clearly any more. She had her hand on the front of his pants, stroking his hard cock.

She opened his pants and put her hand down inside to grasp his aching shaft. He groaned deeply. Oh, Diana...I've missed feeling your soft hands on my cock...

Pleasure flowed through him as she stroked him several times. He felt her kneel down and pull his shaft out. He had to tell her how desperately he's needed her.

He moaned, "Oh, God, Diana...I've needed you so badly!"

Her lips didn't wrap around him. Charles looked down. He blinked several times and frowned in confusion. Lynda was looking up at him with tears in her eyes. He sobered instantly.

Oh, hell...how did this happen...

Lynda let go of his hard shaft, stood up and turned her back to him as she started to cry quietly. Charles put his quickly deflating cock back into his pants, fastening them and his belt. He moved behind Lynda to put his hand on her shoulder. "Oh, God, Lynda. I'm so sorry. I don't know how this happened!"

Lynda turned and looked at him. She exclaimed through her tears, "It's not your fault; it's mine! I was taking advantage of you at very vulnerable moment! I'm so ashamed! I just couldn't help it—I'm so attracted to you! Ever since I saw you in that pub and heard your sexy voice on the phone when you guys called me from Vegas!

"I heard Diana moan and I had started to touch myself when you took the phone. Then you told me that you had impaled her on your big cock and that you were sorry to leave me hanging but Diana needed you to fuck her brains out! Well, I've been dreaming of you fucking MY brains out ever since!

"But I know how much you love Diana...and I love her, too! That's why I feel like such a fool! I can't stop wanting a man who is so completely in love with his wife—who happens to be my best friend! When you looked at me, I honestly thought you knew it was me! And when you responded to me, I thought you wanted me, too! And the worst part is, I didn't even stop to think about what I was doing to you and Diana! I could've ruined your marriage and lost the best friend I've ever had—I'm so sorry!" she squeaked as she started to sob.

Charles held Lynda as she wept uncontrollably. His semi-hard cock was stirring in his pants again. Ah, damn it, Lynda...it's not all your fault. I think unconsciously I knew it was you...

Diana was listening outside the kitchen door. She had gotten up to get a drink of water. As she approached the kitchen, she heard Lynda's voice. She sounded upset as she was telling Charles how attracted she was to him. Diana started to get upset as she listened to Lynda telling Charles how badly she wanted him! She was about to storm into the kitchen and punch Lynda's lights out...until she heard her next statements. She frowned sadly when she heard Lynda burst into tears after she apologized for...whatever it was she'd almost done!

Diana wondered what happened between them. You guys were drinking... Did a comforting hug somehow turn into a kiss...or was it more...

Diana's ears perked up again when she heard Charles say in his deep, sexy voice, "I'm sorry I've teased you and led you on, Lynda. But I couldn't help it! You see...I, too, find you very attractive."

Excuse me?!!! Diana's eyes widened. Then she relaxed when he continued.

"But you're right. I am completely in love with my wife and I could never be unfaithful to her. Is this too confusing for you? Do you want me to stop flirting with and teasing you?" Lynda said no. Charles continued. "I'll only do it when Diana is around. Flirting with you when we're alone would be just like having an affair behind her back, and I won't do that." Lynda said that she understood and agreed.

Diana headed back to bed. She had heard enough to know that she didn't need to worry about anything else happening between the two of them.

But, I've been pushing Charles away and it's taking a toll on him. He turned to my best friend for comfort and it almost got out of control... I have to figure out how to explain to him why, but not until my last visit to the gynecologist...

Diana had lost about ten pounds. She kept suffering bouts of nausea and sickness and she hadn't had a period since the attack. She was deathly afraid that she was pregnant. Her gynecologist had tried to reassure her that her cycle might just be off because of the shock to her body.

Charles had not come inside her the last several times he'd made love to her. They had known she was supposedly fertile then. If she was pregnant, she'd already planned to tell her doctor to abort the pregnancy... There's no way I'd have that bastard's child...

She couldn't even bring herself to talk to Charles about any of this. She was afraid to...

It would just make the fact that I broke my promise to him even worse...

**********

About a week after Diana's last visit to her gynecologist, Charles brought up the subject of sex as they were getting into bed. The gynecologist had confirmed that she was not pregnant and had told her that she was completely healed. It was safe for them to engage in intercourse again... when she was ready.

He turned to her. "Diana...have I done anything to frighten you or turn you away from me?"

"Oh...no! Why would you think that?" she answered sincerely as she looked at him.

"Well...every time I try to take you in my arms and remind you how much I love you and...want you, you push me away. I can understand if it's because I'm doing something that reminds you of how you were attacked. So please tell me if I'm doing anything that's bringing up any bad memories for you!"

Oh, God...I'm so afraid... Please don't be mad at me... Diana frowned and breathed heavily. "No, Charles, it's nothing you've done—it's me. It's what I did. Or rather...couldn't do."

Charles frowned in confusion. "What do you mean? What couldn't you do?"

She started to cry. "I promised you that I'd never let another man inside me ever again...I'm so sorry I wasn't able to keep that promise!"

Charles pulled her against him as he hugged her and said fiercely, "You DID NOT break that promise! That bastard took your body against your will! Isn't the fact that you fought hard enough to have gotten those horrible bruises and knocked unconscious proof enough that you did your best to keep your promise? Do you have any recollection of that bastard being inside you other than the fact that he left you injured inside as well?"




Haunted by the Past Ch. 06



Oh, God...you've never blamed me for what happened! I've been blaming myself because...

Diana stopped crying for a moment. She leaned back and looked at Charles. "I'm sorry; I just realized that I've been blaming myself because of all the stupid things I did in my past that have come back to haunt me since I was attacked. If I hadn't been such a loose woman, I wouldn't be in this mess now! And I'm just dragging you down with me...I'm so sorry!" She cried again.

Charles grasped her upper arms and shook her lightly as tears came into his eyes. He said hoarsely, "Diana! Stop it! Stop this right now! I'm not going to let you destroy what we have by continuing to blame yourself for your painful past. Have you ever stopped to consider that I'm partly to blame for the pain you experienced growing up? If I'd come after you at that carnival and we had found each other at that moment, don't you think your life would've been different? You might not have endured the pain you did, but then something might have gone wrong between us that could've caused you even more pain because it might've torn us apart!

"And I could partly blame you for making me want to marry a bitch who made me think of you and it caused me some of the worst pain of my life! But that pain was nothing compared to the pain I've been feeling from the fear that I was losing you... But it also made me understand what kind of marriage I really want, and I've found that with you BECAUSE of what you endured in your life! 

"Don't you see? Life is chances and choices... We missed that first chance and it led us to make the choices we did so that we got this second chance to have an even better life together because of what we now know about ourselves. I don't blame you for your past, because if I do, I have to blame myself some, too. I'm not saying we can completely let go of the past, but as long as we both understand the role it plays in our life together, then we're choosing to believe that we belong together... You belong with me, Diana...and I belong with you."

You're right. We belong together. And nothing or no one can tear us apart...unless we choose to let it happen...

Diana put her hands on his shoulders and slid them up to his neck as she started to lie back. She pulled him with her as she whispered, "Make love to me, Charles. Help me to forget the awful memory of that night—even if only for a little while..."

He kissed her tenderly. He gradually increased the passion of his kiss as he felt her relax. She opened her mouth to fully accept his tongue. She thrust her tongue into his mouth as she caressed his head, neck and shoulders. She moaned softly. Her hands grew firmer as she stroked him. He brought his right hand from her back to lightly caress the side of her left breast through the pajama top that matched the bottoms he was wearing.

She groaned softly and lifted her left arm, giving him more access to her breast. He moved his hand to cup her breast fully. He rubbed his thumb over the peak as her nipple hardened. She groaned even louder and dragged her lips from his.

She whispered, "Yes...please touch me! I want to feel your warm hands on my breasts again!"

Charles propped himself on his left elbow to unbutton the pajama top and push it to her sides. He stared into her eyes as he softly caressed both of her breasts with his right hand. She closed her eyes and moaned. Her back arched in pleasure when he gently rolled, squeezed and pulled on her nipples.

His voice was very deep and sexy. "Oh, Diana...I have missed touching your beautiful body! Feeling your generous breasts under my hands as I caress them. Watching your luscious nipples grow firm, just begging for me to suck them into my mouth! Will you let me do that, my love? Please tell me if you want me to put my lips and tongue on your breasts!"

Diana groaned at the tone of his voice and his passionate plea. She moaned, "Yes! Oh, Please!" She moaned even louder when he immediately bent his head down to lave his tongue over her left breast. She nearly came undone when he drew her nipple gently into his mouth, fluttering his tongue over the tip. Then he did the same to her right breast.

Her body began to writhe with the flowing heat of remembered passion from her husband's instinctive knowledge of how to touch her and make her crave his touch.

Charles raised his head to look at her. Yes, my love. It's all coming back to you now, isn't it? That magic between us... And it's been so long...

I need to feel your cock inside me—I need to feel that connection to you again...

Diana couldn't hold back any longer. She trailed her left hand down his hairy chest, over his flat stomach and down to the crotch of his pajama bottoms and grasped at his hard shaft. She pleaded throatily, "Oh, Charles... I've missed touching you, too! But I've missed having you inside me! I'm throbbing with need of you! Please slide your beautiful cock inside me and help me feel the connection of our souls again!"

God...how I've missed hearing you plead for my body...and my love...

Charles moaned. Diana loosened the drawstring of his bottoms and pushed them down his hips until he could kick them off his legs. He worked her panties off of her. He positioned himself between her bent, spread legs as she guided the tip of his cock to her entrance.

He stared into her eyes as he slowly slid his throbbing shaft all the way into her sweet flesh for the first time in almost two months.

I'm opening the door to your soul again...

She had closed and locked it from the fear, anger and pain she'd experienced. She'd also tried to throw away the key...

My love for you... Thank God I've been able to make you see that we belong together...

They both uttered a low moan; they'd almost forgotten how well they fit together. He paused for a few moments. He leaned down to kiss her deeply and tenderly as he caressed her face and her hair. He lifted his head to stare into her eyes as he slowly thrust into her.

"I love you so much, pretty lady. And I've missed you...so much. Don't ever leave me..."

Diana wrapped her arms around his torso and clung to him as he restored his soul's connection to hers. His thrusts gradually became deeper and harder. Her passion and urgency from not having been with him for so long drove her to seek release as quickly as possible. He wrapped his arms up under her back and shoulders and drove into her. She lifted her legs to take him as deeply as she could.

Diana groaned loudly, "Oh, yes! That's it...right there...ohhh yes, yes, yes! Oh, God! Aaaaahhhhh...!" She wailed as he pounded deep inside her several times.

Her flesh tightened on his shaft. He thrust in rhythm with her climax. He felt her wave of pleasure ebbing. Charles slowed to grind his hips against hers, still buried inside her. He propped himself on his forearms to stare down into her face again. She was building to another orgasm. He increased the intensity of the grinding motion. It sent her over the edge again. He brought her to the peak of pleasure twice more.

Then he had to stop—she begged him to. He lifted on his hands and slammed into her to bring on the orgasm he'd been holding back.

I so enjoyed watching as I made you come again...and again...and again...and again...

She lay spread-eagle on their bed, her chest heaving. He pulled back from her when his orgasm finally ended. He flopped beside her onto his back, his chest also heaving. He'd just made her come four times in less than an hour! It was her first time in over seven weeks.

So how the hell did you hold off so long? Or is this really the first time you've had sex since then?!! What did happen between you and Lynda that night a week or so earlier...

Diana began to wonder again. She turned her head toward Charles. "How the hell were you able to last so long when you haven't had sex for almost two months?"

Charles looked sheepish. "I've been a little frustrated lately, so...I've been taking matters into my own hands at times. I just did it in the shower. I had thought you would probably push me away again."

Diana's eyebrows went up as realization dawned. "Ohhhh!"

"How did you think I would've been able to last so long?" She looked uncomfortable and turned her face away from him. He rolled onto his left side and propped his head on his hand. He put his right hand on her chin and forced her face toward him again. "What were you thinking, Diana?"

She hesitated a moment and then blurted, "What happened between you and Lynda?" His eyes widened, so she continued. "I caught part of a conversation that you and she were having in the kitchen one night a week or so ago. I gathered from what I heard that something big had ALMOST happened and I'm curious to know what it was." 

Charles took a deep breath and explained everything he could remember.

No wonder Lynda has been avoiding me...

Diana's eyes were wide. Then she frowned. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" she asked curiously.

Charles took a deep breath. "I didn't think it would've been a good thing to tell you while there was still so much distance between us. I was afraid it would push you away even further. If I had known you heard me and Lynda talking afterward, I would've told you sooner. Why didn't you bring it up before now?"

Diana smiled softly. "I heard enough of the rest of the conversation to know that you would never do anything to hurt me."

Charles stated, "Lynda left that night and told me that she wasn't going to come around any more until you or I contact her to let her know that she isn't a 'persona non grata.'"

Diana chuckled. "You call Lynda right now and tell her that she's forgiven! And tease her while you're at it!"

Charles grinned at her. He rolled over on the bed, picked up the phone and dialed Lynda's number. It was after eleven o'clock, but she usually stayed up until at least midnight.

Lynda answered on the third ring. Charles greeted her with his deep, sexy voice. "Is this lovely Lynda with the shining dark hair and the sparkling silvery eyes? ... Hello, lovely Lynda. This is Diana's sexy husband Charles ... Oh, you know me just by my voice? ... Well, lovely Lynda, I was just calling to let you know that my beautiful, sexy wife knows how badly you want me! But she can't hold it against you because she knows that women just can't resist me!"

Diana snorted a laugh. "You bastard!" She grabbed the phone out of his hand. "Lynda, honey, I know better than anybody how irresistible this cheeky bastard is! And I can understand that you just lost control of your emotions because you and he have been so upset over what I've been going through. But, honey, the next time you want to kiss or fondle my husband, you better ask my permission first and I get to watch! You understand?"

There was dead silence on the other end of the line and Charles' face registered total shock.

"Lynda? Lynda, honey, are you still there? ... Did you hear what I said? ... Yes, I'm totally serious! ... Why? ... How could it be cheating if I give my permission and I'm right there watching? Charles said he'd never do anything behind my back...well this way it wouldn't be behind my back! My sexy husband would get to compare me with another woman that he finds attractive—other than his bitch ex-wife! And my poor, frustrated best friend would get to fulfill a fantasy and find out how truly lucky I am! ... You don't think so? ... Well, I made the offer, and you can let me know if you ever change your mind! In the meantime, please don't be a stranger! I miss having you around! ... I know...I love you, too! Bye!"

Diana handed him the phone. Charles was still staring at her in shock.

You just offered to let Lynda kiss or fondle me as long as you get to watch?!! What else do you have in mind to let Lynda do to me? What the hell are you thinking? Maybe it's not such a bad idea... What the fuck am I thinking...

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?!!" Charles bellowed at her after he hung up the phone.

Diana raised her eyebrows at him. "I did a lot of test driving when I wasn't in the market for a husband. You, on the other hand, chose wives by picking similar pretty models right off the lot, bought them and drove them away not really knowing what you got. The first time, you bought a brand new, undriven model and you got stuck with a lemon for seven years! And this time, you chose a well used, but refurbished, model that drives nicely and seems to have all the features you wanted. But...you're bound to wonder from time to time what some of the other models have to offer. I'm just offering you the option of test-driving a different model just so you can be a little more sure that you got what you really wanted."

Charles was frowning in confusion.

OK...this is scary. This almost sounds like it makes sense! But it means that you're offering to let me fuck another woman! That goes against everything I believe about marriage...

Marriage was supposed to be one man and one woman who loved and were committed to each other, shared their lives together and shared their bodies only with each other!

There is no way I could go along with an idea like that... However...it doesn't mean I can't fantasize about it! Besides, it sounded like Lynda nixed the idea as well! At least she does have some sense of propriety...

Charles really did admire Lynda. She was a lovely, statuesque brunette, several inches taller than Diana. She was also as curvy as Diana, so her added height made her body look even more alluring—especially with her long, shapely legs.

Lynda's face was very beautiful, too. But her eyes weren't the same grayish blue color as his and Diana's. She had silvery gray eyes that deepened with a slight bluish tint when she looked at him.

I realize now that's her look of desire...which is why I mistook her eyes for Diana's...

And the way she kissed me... The way her lips felt against mine—very similar to Diana's—just as lush and full of passion...

The memory was still a little hazy...

And her body against mine... I had a lot more area to cover...she's so much taller than Diana...

In fact, she was almost the same height as him when she was wearing high heels. His hard cock had rubbed directly on the curve of her crotch. His loins tingled at the memory.

I wonder how your sexy, long legs would've felt wrapped around me as I slid my throbbing cock inside you... Oh, hell! Stop this! I just made love to my beautiful, sexy wife for the first time in almost two months, and I'm getting aroused thinking about how attractive I find her best friend...

Charles felt guilty. 

I'd have a real problem if I let myself think that you would let me "test-drive" any of your girlfriends! I find all of them very attractive...

Barbara and Dawn were both very beautiful women, too, and they'd also flirted with him outrageously! But Dawn and Barbara were in love with Rick and Jon. He didn't have to worry about temptation where they were concerned any more...

But what am I going to do about Lynda...

Charles stared at his wife. "Look, pretty lady...I'll have to stick with my gut. It would be way too confusing for me to let myself feel that, just because you would give me permission to fuck another woman, it would be OK for me to do it! There's no way I could ever do that. It might make me think that I was obligated to let you fuck another man...and there's NO WAY I'd ever be OK with that! I appreciate your offer, but fantasizing about your girlfriends is as far as I'll go!"

Diana sighed with relief. Good. Because I don't think I could've let you go through with it... 



Haunted by the Past Ch. 07



Lynda Curtis had realized the night she almost took advantage of her best friend's husband that she had to let go of her feelings for Charles Richards. She didn't want to ruin her friendship with Diana. A little over a week later, they had let her know that she was forgiven. Diana had even made that crazy offer to let her kiss and touch Charles...as long as Diana got to watch!

There's no way I could ever do that... 

Lynda still found Charles sexy as hell! And it was hard to try to tell her heart to stop beating for him—he was such a good man. But her love for her best friend made her finally able to let go of her jealousy. She had been working on turning her love for Charles more to feelings of friendship rather than passion. Besides, she was two years older than him...

How could I be so desperate as to chase after a younger man?! If only Charles had an older brother... then I might've had a chance... She laughed as she made that foolish wish.  

Fate...with a little help from Charles...was about to grant her wish...well...almost...

She was feeling like such a fifth wheel when she came to dinners and parties with their friends. She was still single and had met no prospects recently.

Well, you haven't been looking very hard...

She was trying to get herself out of feeling like a fifth wheel when she arrived at Charles and Diana's house. It was a late Saturday morning the second week in September 1956. Diana had asked her to arrive early to help them prepare for an afternoon cookout and pool party. They had told her to come out to the backyard when she arrived—they would be on the patio. She entered through the open garage door. The back door that led onto the patio was also open.

The car is gone... That's strange...maybe they had to run out for something. I guess Diana took the car...

Charles was kneeling in front of the grille, opening a bag of charcoal. He was wearing bathing trunks and an open shirt. She admired his firm ass.

She snuck up behind him and leaned down with her mouth next to his left ear. She said softly in a teasing, sexy voice, "Hello, sexy man! When are you going to realize that you missed your chance to marry me instead?"

Lynda gasped and stood up straight. The voice that answered her back wasn't Charles. But it was every bit as deep and sexy as his!

The man stood up and turned around with a wide grin on his face.

Oh, damn...you are so sexy...

Her breath caught in her lungs. Lynda had the same instant reaction to him as she'd had to Charles. In fact, this man looked like he could be his slightly older and taller brother! He had thick, dark brown, slightly wavy hair, heavy eyebrows and a bushy mustache over his full, sensual lips. She jerked slightly.

Oh, my God! My foolish wish...

Lynda's heart skipped several beats as she stared at the handsome, sexy stranger. The man was ruggedly handsome. He had a few more lines on his face than Charles, which gave him away as being older by at least five to ten years. And he had deep, dimpled lines in both of his cheeks.

What color are you're eyes? Maybe hazel...or are they gray...or blue...? I can't tell...

His eyes had twinkled at her with amusement at first. But they seemed to change color as the look on his face changed from amusement to something else as he looked down her body and back up to her face.

Is that...desire? Oh, God...I want him more than I wanted Charles! How is this possible? Who are you and how did you appear as if out of my fantasies...

Lynda began to breathe heavily. She didn't care who he was—she had to have him! And if the look on his face and the bulge in his shorts were any indication, she was going to get him!



**********

Charles had a new partner.

Thomas Seldon was 38 years old and he'd just transferred from the FBI's Chicago office that week. He'd been through his share of women in Chicago...it was time to move on. He knew he wasn't going to find the right one there. At least...that's what he'd told himself when he'd accepted the transfer to L.A.

Maybe I'll have a better chance in Los Angeles...just maybe...if I could find someone who made me feel they way she did the moment I saw her... Goddamn it, Seldon...it doesn't do you any good to think about her! Just stop it...

Tom liked Charles immediately when they met, both of them joking at how they could be mistaken for brothers. He learned how intelligent and observant Charles was when he almost perfectly described Tom's life and personality to him just a few hours after they met.

Tom would've sworn that he'd gotten a look at his personnel file with The Bureau. But the Assistant Director, Peter Woods, assured him that Charles hadn't. "That's why headquarters recruited Charles. He's the best they've ever seen, even before his Bureau training was complete!"

Charles began, "You're ex-military and I believe you were involved in intelligence gathering. You saw some major action and suffered some horrible tragedies during the war...it still haunts you at times. You recognize that fear is what keeps you alive. But any man who says they aren't afraid when confronted with a dangerous situation is stupid, crazy or a liar!"

OK...that's pretty good. And you're damn right about the fear...

"You were a loner most of your childhood and you haven't had many friends as an adult, but the few you have are very deep, loyal friendships. You've done a lot of traveling while in the military and with the FBI, and because of that, you've never been able to settle down with a woman. But you never lack for female company when you want it!"

Tom chuckled at that. What can I say...most women just can't resist me! Damn...you are good. But I did try to settle down...once. Ohhh...go away... Then his eyes widened in surprise.

"Even though you give everyone the impression that you're a confirmed bachelor, it isn't true. You once loved a woman very deeply...but you must've lost her under tragic circumstances. You've never been able to find another woman you could love as much... even though you hoped to. I bet you're looking for a woman who's... beautiful... sexy... strong and athletic... intelligent and sassy... yet sweet, loving and vulnerable. And above all, a woman who enjoys sex... and wants a lot of it!"

Tom was truly impressed.

How the hell did you know about Yakira? I rarely let myself think of her...it's too painful... And how did you know that I always hoped to find a second chance for deep love... If I could only find the right woman... 

Charles had invited him to a cookout to meet his wife and some of their friends to get acquainted since he was new to the area. Tom had appreciated the invitation. He hadn't had a chance to relax in the last few weeks, trying to get everything ready for his transfer and move to L.A. Charles picked him up at his hotel, brought him to his house and introduced him to his lovely wife, Diana.

Tom was impressed again. She was almost exactly what Charles had described as his perfect woman—beautiful, sexy, intelligent and sassy, yet sweet, loving and vulnerable. And he noticed the way they looked at each other.

I see you also wanted a woman who enjoys sex...

Tom smiled when he saw the surprised look that came over Diana's face when she first met him. She immediately looked at Charles and grinned widely. Her eyebrows went up and they nodded at each other conspiratorially...

I wonder what that's all about... 

Diana reminded Charles that they had forgotten to pick up some things from the grocery store the day before. They told Tom to make himself at home, showed him where the drinks were and told him to lounge by the pool or go for a swim and they'd be back as quickly as they could. 

Tom sat and sipped on a beer for a few minutes, but he didn't feel like lounging at the moment. His dick had taken notice when he met Diana. He hadn't been with a woman in a while.

Might as well do something constructive and take my mind off my arousal... like getting the grille ready for when they return...

He found a bag of charcoal in the garage and took it out to the patio. While he worked at opening the bag, he thought about how beautiful and sexy his new partner's wife was. Diana was shapely but she was very small and short.

I've always preferred tall, dark-haired beauties—sexy, long legs have always been a weakness of mine... 

He'd been with a couple smaller women before and he'd been afraid of crushing them while he was on top of them.

No...I want a taller woman with whom I can be face to face. To feel safe as she wraps her arms and her long, shapely legs around me... Just like Yakira did when I made love to her the night we wed on Okinawa... GODDAMN IT, SELDON...STOP IT! Why have you been thinking about her so much lately?

He was immersed in those thoughts when he heard a soft, feminine voice whisper in his ear.

So, you guys are back and Charles sent you out here to flirt with me... Is that it, pretty lady?

"I'm glad you find me sexy, pretty lady. But how could I have missed my chance to marry you when I've just met you?!" He stood up and turned around expecting to find Diana grinning up at him.

But instead, he found himself staring into the most beautiful silver gray eyes he'd ever seen, in a gorgeous face framed by wavy, dark brown hair. His eyes traveled down her body. She had generous cleavage in her bathing suit top, a tiny waist and rounded hips in her snug-fitting shorts and long, shapely legs...

Tom's dick was no longer stirring. It was rock hard and throbbing.

Who are you and how did you appear as if right out of my fantasy? Oh, God...you want me as much as I want you...I can see it in your eyes...

He was at a loss for words as his eyes returned to hers. He didn't care who she was—he had to have her!

Tom Seldon and Lynda Curtis attacked each other—kissing fiercely with their hands all over each other's bodies. She pushed his shirt off his shoulders as soon as she was crushed against him. He had her bathing suit top untied and pulled away from her breasts soon afterward. They groaned deeply. His hairy chest was rubbing against her hard nipples. Her full, firm breasts were crushed against his hard chest.

Lynda had her hands at Tom's shorts, pushing them down over his hips and freeing his long, medium-slender cock. She groaned deeply as she wrapped her hand around him. Her mouth watered; she hadn't sucked a man's cock in over three years and she was dying to taste this man!

She dragged her mouth from his and trailed her lips down his body until she was kneeling in front of him. She laved his handsome dick with her wet tongue. Then she wrapped her lips around him and sucked and swallowed until his entire length was in her mouth and down her throat.

Tom was in heaven. He loved the feel of a woman's soft lips and tongue on his cock! He moaned softly. 

Oh, God! Please let her be good at this... Oh, damn... your tongue feels good!

She wrapped her lips around him and took the full length of his cock.

Oh, dear GOD...I don't want to die right now...but I'll be a damn happy man if do!  Thank you, Lord! I've always wondered how this would feel—now I know...

The feeling of her throat muscles working on the tip of his cock felt almost as good as a woman's contractions during orgasm. Tom put his hands in her hair and moaned, "Oh, babe! That feels sooo good! Can I fuck your mouth for a minute, sweetheart?"

Lynda backed off just far enough to murmur, "Mmm hmmm..."

She grasped his hard ass and helped him as he thrust his hips slowly, stroking his dick into her mouth and throat. She groaned deeply each time her nose was buried in his patch of dark, curly hair. His pheromones were escalating her desire for him! She grasped his ass harder and sucked his cock for all she was worth. 

Oh, God...you smell so good—so manly... I want to taste your cum! Dear God...let him taste good...

Ah, fuck...you want me to come in your mouth... 

Tom growled deep in his throat. He was thinking, "Oh, my God, woman! You are so fucking sexy! You're the most beautiful cocksucking sex goddess I've ever seen! Yes, sweetheart... just like that! Oh, God! That's it, babe! Here it comes... Aaaaaahhhhhh!!!"

He didn't even realize he'd muttered everything he was thinking out loud...

I have no idea who you are and you have no idea who I am...and I really don't care...

Lynda opened her eyes to stare up at him. They could figure all that out later! All she wanted right now was to taste him—and then hopefully he'd return the favor for her! Lynda groaned, "Mmmm...," with each taste she got. She coaxed every last drop of pearly liquid from his shaft. He tasted even better than her bastard ex-husband...creamy, salty sweetness... 

Tom's head flopped backward when he came. The pleasure that flowed through him at hearing her moans nearly made his knees buckle.

This is the most erotic thing I've ever experienced...

She finally released his cock. She buried her face in his crotch. She kissed his softening shaft, moaning again as she inhaled his scent.

Tom lifted his head and looked down at her. She looked up at him with burning passion in her eyes. Liquid heat flowed through his loins. His dick was already stirring again.

I need to make love to you...I have to...

He grasped her upper arms to help her stand. When they were face to face, he wrapped his arms around her and crushed her to him for a deep, long kiss. He tasted himself on her tongue... They both moaned.

They melted into each other... I'm in love with you...

They both felt it at the same moment. They knew nothing about one another, but it didn't matter. They knew they wanted and needed each other and that was all that mattered...

Tom picked Lynda up and carried her into the house to one of the guestrooms. He laid her on the bed. He removed her shorts and bathing suit bottoms, spread her lovely, long legs and feasted on her beautiful, sweet flesh.

He made her come the first time by tonguing her sensitive clit and sucking on it softly as he stroked her with his fingers. She came a second time when he stroked her clit with his thumb as he deeply and tenderly tongued her core to taste all of her.

Lynda nearly screamed both times. 

Oh, thank You, God... for sending me a man who knows how to treat a woman's pussy with his lips and tongue! And that mustache... my God! You really know what you're doing...

Damn, Donald...now I really know just how bad you were at it, you bastard... 

Tom was hard again. He crawled between her legs and thrust his aching cock into her slowly. He set a leisurely rhythm. They held each other and stared into each other's eyes. They kissed and stroked together slowly and deeply. Her arms and her long, shapely legs were wrapped around him. Neither of them said a word.

Lynda was in the middle of her third orgasm when Charles and Diana found them after they returned. They both exclaimed, "Oh, my God! Tom?! Lynda?! What the hell...?"

"We set it up so you two would meet while we were gone. We hoped you'd like and be attracted to each other. But we didn't expect this!" Diana finished with a laugh.

They weren't the least bit embarrassed at having been caught. Tom stopped moving as Lynda stopped moaning. He was still buried inside her. They looked toward the door of the bedroom, forgetting that they hadn't closed it when they came in. They didn't say anything to Charles or Diana. They looked back at each other.

Tom smiled. "So...your name's Lynda? Well, it's very nice to meet you, Lynda. I'm Thomas Seldon. Charles is my new partner."

Lynda smiled back at him. "Hello, Thomas. It's been a pleasure to meet you, too! I'm Lynda Curtis. Diana's my best friend. But not if she keeps standing there gawking at me while I'm getting acquainted with... my husband!"

Husband?!! Yes...I'll marry you... 

Tom smiled widely at her. He looked at the shocked faces of Charles and Diana. "Well... we appreciate you two arranging for us to meet, but you heard the lady! You two stop gawking at us and go get ready for your cookout! We'll be out to help you in a little while! Go on, now! Beat it! I want to get to know my wife a little better!" he ended softly as he looked down at Lynda again.

He lowered his head and kissed her deeply. He moved inside her again. She moaned softly.

Charles and Diana chuckled as they shut the bedroom door. Then they laughed when they went out to the patio. They hadn't even stopped to ask for names or anything!

Damn...those two attacked each other on sight! Boy... can't wait to hear the whole story...

Diana brought in the discarded clothing that Tom and Lynda had left on the patio. She cracked the bedroom door open to toss it on the floor next to Lynda's other clothes. She paused for a moment. Tom thrust slowly and deeply into Lynda, grinding against her when he was deep inside her. Her back arched and she moaned deeply. He was holding her close and staring at her.

He coaxed her gently. "Come for me again, my lovely Lynda. That's it, babe... let go, sweetheart. Oh, God... you are so beautiful! I love you, Lynda," he whispered. He put his lips to hers and kissed her tenderly.

Diana closed the door quietly when Lynda whimpered.

Oh, Lynda, honey... it's the first time you've ever been made love to! Now you know...

Lynda had told Diana about the torrid sex she and her ex-husband had shared. But the tales had never included any moments like this. She and her ex-husband were so hot for each other that the concept of slow, sweet sex seemed foreign to them. Diana had described to her the deepness of the connection that she and Charles share when they made love.

I knew I'd missed out on something! Now I know...

Tom opened his eyes. He saw her tears. He frowned and asked softly, "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"Nothing's wrong!" Lynda squeaked hoarsely with emotion. "For the first time in my life, everything feels so right! And yet I attacked a complete stranger without even knowing his name or anything about him! But you've just shown me how it feels to make love...I've never known how it feels to be loved by a man. I was married for seven years and I never felt like this! You will marry me, won't you? I love you...I just saw you an hour ago, but I feel like I've loved you my whole life!"

Tom's heart felt like it was going to pound right out of his chest.

Oh, God...how I've longed to hear another woman that I so desire say that she loved me and wanted to marry me! How much I've longed for a warm, comfortable place to come home to...

Where his beautiful, loving wife would be waiting for him...to take him to bed and make him forget everything he'd been through. The danger of his job sometimes wore on his nerves. 

I've feared that I'd never hear the sounds of children laughing... feel them jumping onto me and hear them yelling how happy they were that daddy was home...

He'd once cried over the loss of a child... He saw the image of Yakira, her belly swollen with his child, running toward him through the smoke on the beach near Yonobaru... He swallowed the lump that tried to form in his throat. 

Tom leaned down and kissed Lynda desperately. He thrust into her faster and deeper to bring on the orgasm he'd been holding back. He'd been so enjoying watching the pleasure he gave her reflected on her beautiful face. But he longed to make their union more permanent... He groaned deeply as he felt it building.

Lynda dragged her mouth from his. "If you come inside me, I might get pregnant! I think I'm fertile right now... Oh, God! Oh, yes...!!!"

Oh, yeah?!! Just like Yakira... You're about to come, again, too... Just like Yakira... over and over... 




Haunted by the Past Ch. 07



Tom stared at her as he slammed into her. He growled as he gritted his teeth, trying to hold off just long enough to bring her to orgasm once more before he let go.

Lynda wailed loudly. Her back arched and she clamped her legs around his thighs as her climax peaked. She throbbed on his flesh as he came. He arched his back as well, his cock buried deeply as he pumped his potent seed inside her. He groaned loudly with his head thrown back and his eyes closed.

Please, God...let her get pregnant...

As their pleasure subsided, Tom looked down at her. He grinned as they breathed heavily. "Good. I hope you do get pregnant. Then you have no choice but to marry me!"

She smiled at him beautifully. He kissed her again...

Please, God, give me a second chance...

Charles and Diana were in the kitchen when they heard Lynda wail and Tom groan loudly. They looked at each other and laughed.

Diana said, "It's about fuckin' time! Maybe now they'll get cleaned up and come out here and help us!"

Several minutes later, the guestroom door opened and the hall bathroom door closed. They heard the sound of the bathtub faucet and the shower being turned on.

While Tom and Lynda were in the shower, Barbara and Jon North and Dawn Williams and Rick Estevez arrived for the cookout.

They asked Charles where his new partner was. They were anxious to meet him. They looked as shocked as Charles and Diana had when they'd found them in bed together when Charles told them that Tom was in the shower with Lynda.

Barbara exclaimed, "What the hell are they doing taking a shower together?"

Diana laughed. "I guess they needed to clean up! They've been making love for over an hour!"

Dawn shrieked, "How the hell did that happen?"

Everyone had a good laugh when they heard the story.

Charles commented, "I swear...we are the most bizarre group of friends! All of us fell in love with our mates the day we met them! With the exception of Dawn and Rick—they were a little slower. It took them until they saw each other again a week later! And they're waiting until they're married to have sex... how quaint! Barbara and Jon waited until the end of the day they met. Diana and I managed to wait a couple hours! But Tom and Lynda get the prize...they went at it the moment they saw each other! Boy, I sure hope Lynda's background check goes through quickly!"

Everyone busted out laughing just as Tom and Lynda walked into the kitchen. They were standing in the doorway with their arms around each other and amused looks on their faces. Everyone quieted for a moment as Tom said, "Yeah, I hope her background check goes through quickly, too, because I may have just knocked her up!"

Lynda exclaimed, "TOM!!!" Her face reddened as he hugged her to him and laughed with everyone else. Then Lynda laughed as well.

Good Lord! They all know what you were just doing... Why should that comment embarrass you...

Charles said gently, "I knew you'd been struggling with your feelings, Lynda. When I met Tom, I knew that he'd been hoping for a long time to find love. And he'd been looking for almost the exact same type of woman as Diana. I knew I had to get the two of you together. I had a gut feeling that you two would be perfect for each other. But I hadn't expected you guys to figure it out this quickly!"

Tom and Lynda both looked at Charles and Diana. "Thanks...we owe you!"

Lynda went to Charles and hugged him. He said, "I'm glad things worked out. You deserve to be happy!"

Tom hugged Diana and she told him, "You better take care of my best friend or I'll make your life miserable!"

Tom laughed. When he released her, he saw the serious look on her face.

Whoa... you really mean that! And I have a feeling that you would somehow figure out a way to follow through on that threat...

He said sincerely, "You have nothing to worry about. I'd die before I'd let anything happen to Lynda."

She heard him. She exclaimed almost in tears, "Don't say anything like that! Don't you dare die on me!"

I couldn't bear to go through what Barbara did...

Tom immediately enfolded her in his arms. She clung to him, trembling slightly. He said softly in his deep, sexy voice, "It's OK, sweetheart. I just meant that as an expression so Diana would know how serious I am about my feelings for you. I don't plan to die for a good long while... especially now that I've found you! I've already been through some of the most dangerous situations a man can face and I'm still alive! I love you, Lynda, and I won't leave you...I promise!"

Lynda slowly released him. She winced. "I'm sorry for acting and saying something so silly!"

Tom kissed her gently. "I don't think it's silly at all—it just lets me know how much you love and care about me already."

Lynda smiled and whispered, "I had no idea it could happen so fast, but I already love you desperately and it would devastate me to lose you now!"

Tom hugged her again. I know how you feel, sweetheart...

Everyone else started saying, "OK, OK!" "Break it up you two!" "This is supposed to be a party!" "Let's get everything outside!" "We're wasting a beautiful day!"

The women carried trays and bowls of food out to the patio to put on the picnic table while the men started the grille. They stood around talking while they cooked hamburgers and hotdogs and drank beers. The women went inside and made a pitcher of lime daiquiris. They chatted with each other as they lounged in their bathing suits on the other side of the pool while they sipped their drinks with straws.

The women looked across the pool at their men standing around the barbecue grille talking and laughing. They all noticed what a handsome group of men they were. 

Diana looked at Lynda. "I fully understand why you fell for Tom so fast. He and Charles look so much alike, and their bodies look almost identical!"

Lynda replied, "Well, they're not quite identical. Charles has a slightly larger cock, but Tom's is more than adequate for me!"

Barbara and Dawn gasped and Barbara asked, "How would you know that, Lynda?"

Lynda and Diana glanced at each other and chuckled. Diana said, "It's a long story. We'll tell you later!" 

Then she said, "I like Jon's and Rick's eyes. They always look like they're trying to coax you into bed!"

Lynda added, "Yeah, I like their eyes, too. But I prefer a man with more hair on his chest!" Diana agreed with her.

Barbara replied, "Oh, but I just love to kiss and lick all over Jon's chest, and I wouldn't like running my tongue through a bunch of hair!" She grimaced. Dawn agreed with her. 

Diana almost said that she remembered what that was like when she'd kissed and licked John Wayne's body; the big man had very little hair on his chest as well. She bit her tongue.

You've never told them about him... keep your big mouth shut... 

Then Diana commented to Barbara, "I couldn't help but notice the bulge in Jon's shorts. How much bigger does his dick get when he's hard?"

Barbara giggled. "Well, it doesn't get too much longer, but it definitely gets thicker!" She made a gesture with her hand to show how she couldn't close her fingers around him.

Lynda and Dawn gasped and giggled. Diana had to bite her tongue again.

Then Dawn chimed in, "Rick's cock is pretty thick, too, but not quite that big!"

The women all looked at her with their eyebrows raised.

Diana asked, "How do you know that? We thought you two were waiting until you get married to have sex!!"

Dawn rolled her eyes. "He won't fuck me until we're married! It doesn't mean we're not indulging in all sorts of other pleasures!"

They all giggled again.

Barbara and Dawn smiled slyly at each other and looked at Diana and Lynda. Barbara said, "We think Charles' and Tom's mustaches are very sexy! Do they feel good between your legs?"

Diana and Lynda looked at each other and grinned. They both looked back and Dawn and Barbara and said, "Ohhhh, Yes!" at the same time.

All the women busted out laughing!

The men looked across the pool at their women. They knew what they were doing. They just looked at each other, shook their heads and laughed quietly.

Then Charles said, "I don't know about you guys, but does it bother the rest of you that your wife or fiancée probably knows how big each of our dicks are and how long we can last during sex?"

Rick glanced at each of them and asked, "Do you really think they share that much with each other?"

Charles and Jon looked at each other and chuckled. "Yes!" they said at the same time.

Charles added, "You know... maybe we should do the same thing. Talk about them... tell intimate secrets and then look at them and chuckle... and see how they like it!"

Jon said, "OK, yeah. Let me see... Oh! Barbara has very sensitive breasts! I can make her come in less than a minute just by sucking her nipples!" The men's eyebrows went up. They all glanced at Barbara appreciatively, and then at her perky breasts. They chuckled.

Tom said quietly, "Lynda can suck my cock into her throat."

There was a quiet chorus of "Ohhhh, man!"

They all swiveled around to look at Lynda with their eyes wide and grinning wolfishly. The women had stopped talking and were staring at them with confused looks on their faces. They turned back around and chuckled again. 

Rick said, "Even though I've told Dawn I won't fuck her until we're married, I'm having a hard time keeping her from attacking me! I can't keep her hands out of my pants... but she strokes my dick fantastically!" He ended with a bright, sexy grin.

Charles added, "Yeah, Diana loves stroking me, too, and she's very good at it! She does it for me whenever and wherever I ask her to!"

The men chuckled and turned around to grin at Dawn and Diana. They all waggled their eyebrows at them. The women were staring at them with their eyes narrowed.

Charles yelled across to them, "Look...if you ladies will stop sitting over there and telling each other how big our dicks are, we'll stop telling each other what kinds of things we do to make you ladies come or how you can't keep your hands or mouths off our cocks! Deal?!!!"

The women all looked at each other and busted out laughing. They chorused, "No Deal!"

Diana commented, "You can talk about us all you want! It's only fair because we compare notes all the time!"

The women knew full well that the men would never tell each other every intimate detail of their sex lives. Men just don't do that!

Charles said quietly, "Shit, guys...sorry that didn't work! I keep forgetting how smart my wife is! She knew that whatever we might have said to try and make them uncomfortable wouldn't work! They know that we're not going to stand around sharing intimate details about them with each other! No matter how much they do!"

Then Rick and Jon looked at Tom. "So, Lynda can really do that?" "Damn...how does it feel?"

Charles looked at him curiously.

Tom blushed slightly and chuckled softly. He said quietly, "It feels reeaaally good! She's the first woman I ever came across who could do that. If I hadn't fallen in love with her the second I saw her, that would've done it for me! I've always had a weakness for tall, dark haired beauties with long, shapely legs—that love to suck a man's cock!"

Charles managed to keep his mouth shut. Damn, now I wish she hadn't stopped that night...I would like to have found out what that felt like myself! You shouldn't be fantasizing about Lynda any more... she and Tom belong together...

He looked around the group and said, "Ok, guys! Enough of this! I don't need to know any more about your sex lives! After what my wife has been through, I'm not about to share any more intimate details about her with you!"

She's just started to come back to me. I'm not about to risk hurting her...

Tom frowned as he asked Charles, "What happened to Diana?" His face registered his shock when Charles told him she'd been raped a couple months before.

He looked over at her. She was laughing with the other women like she hadn't a care in the world. He said sincerely, "I'm so sorry. That must've been awful for both of you. Diana must be a very strong woman to have survived it and recovered so quickly."

Charles glanced at Tom and then looked at Diana. He said quietly, "She's not as strong as she looks. She's very vulnerable...she just hates to admit it. Excuse me while I go get another platter. Here, Tom... take over the grille for me."

As Charles headed into the house, Jon quietly told Tom about Diana's fragile recovery and her inability to talk about it. "Only Rick and I know what happened to her because we were involved at the beginning of the investigation."

Tom frowned harder. "How bad was it?"

Rick explained the general circumstances of her attack. Then he added, "The thing that surprised me when I arrived on the scene was that she was being cared for by John Wayne and Ward Bond! They're good friends of hers!"

Tom did a double take at Rick. He shook his head and then looked over at Diana.

Charles returned with a platter for the cooked burgers and hotdogs. Tom started pulling them off the grille. He glanced at Charles and asked, "Your wife knows John Wayne and Ward Bond?"

Oh, shit... How did that come up?!! I might as well get this off my chest while I'm in a good mood...

Charles shrugged offhandedly. "Oh... yeah. Well, Ward's a good friend to both of us now since we ran into him and his wife on our honeymoon in Vegas. And Diana had an affair with The Duke over two years ago... just a weekend thing. He came to see her again at the hospital after she was attacked, and I know they still love each other. He'd wanted Diana to marry him, but they wouldn't have been good for each other, so they parted. But he was the one who convinced her she deserved someone like me so... I'll be forever grateful to The Duke for that."

The men were staring at him skeptically. He tried to finish the explanation so they'd believe him... and then he went way further than he intended to... Anger and jealousy started pouring out of him before he could stop.

"Yeah, I didn't believe it when she first told me about it, either. But Ward confirmed it was true. However, Diana thinks that I still don't believe it, so don't let on to her that I know. She asked me never to ask her for any details about that weekend. So you know what that means, right? It means he must've been a damn good lover...and I also know that he has an impressive dick even though she doesn't want me to know that, either—and frankly...I don't want to think about it! I'm sorry I even brought it up...Oh, God... Let's just drop the subject, OK?" he gritted through his teeth.

He forcefully set the platter in his hands on the picnic table. Charles closed his eyes, took a couple deep breaths and clenched his fists. He tried to erase the images of John Wayne making love to his wife from his mind.

If I could just make myself believe that they did nothing but fuck like animals that weekend, it would be a lot easier for me...

Images of Diana staring at The Duke the way she looks at him when he makes love to her bothered Charles way worse than picturing them going at each other like animals! But Diana had told him she loved Wayne and always would, so those images would always be there...

I have to figure out how to deal with them...

Boy...I can't even imagine how insecure I'd feel to know something like that...

The other men could see he was telling the truth. They assured Charles that they wouldn't say anything to Diana, but it was too late...



Haunted by the Past Ch. 08



Diana Richards heard her husband Charles saying something about John Wayne. She saw how the look on his face changed as he practically dropped a platter onto the picnic table. 

Oh, God...he knows it's true...

When they had met that day in the hospital after her attack, Wayne had given nothing of his emotions away...

He'd only looked concerned! But Charles must've figured out that he still loves me, too... 

Lynda had also picked up on something. She asked Diana what was going on.

Diana swallowed hard. "He knows about the big man and me...and I think he knows he still loves me! How in the hell did he figure that out?"

Lynda looked at Diana and asked in confusion, "What are you talking about? Who is this...'big man' and who still loves you?" she asked even louder as Diana jumped up and headed over to where Charles was standing on the other side of the pool.

It's time to get things out in the open...

Charles gazed at Diana as she approached him with a wary look on her face. She stopped just in front of him.

"Yes, I know that you told me the truth about the affair with John Wayne and I know that he still loves you. And the fact that you won't talk about that weekend just makes me realize that it was, as you said, the most incredible experience of your life! I have to learn how to deal with the images I keep seeing in my head of you and him together! It just makes me a little insane at times!!!"

The women had joined them. Lynda, Barbara and Dawn were staring at Diana in shock.

Diana glanced at her girlfriends and grinned jokingly. Then she frowned as she explained.

"OK... you remember that weekend I disappeared in April of '54... the weekend after we all celebrated Lynda's divorce from the bastard, and I told you I had disappeared with 'just some man?' Well... that man was John Wayne. I didn't want to tell anyone about it because I didn't want to have to answer a lot of questions and I still don't want to. It happened, we fell in love but we weren't meant to be together, so we parted! Now can we just let this drop, please?"

Lynda ranted, "Why didn't you tell ME? Why did you give me some bullshit story that you'd offered yourself to him but he turned you down and told you you deserved better, and that you spent the weekend with some random man to try and make you not feel humiliated? I'm your best friend! You couldn't have trusted me with this? I'm the one who'd always tried to talk you out of those damned one-time encounters with strange men and this was the one time I'd encouraged you to go after a man!"

Tom looked at Charles when Lynda made the comment about one-time encounters with strange men. Charles rolled his eyes and shook his head...

I guess you already knew about that... Damn, partner... I would never have suspected that Diana was a woman with a past...

Lynda continued. "What did you think I'd do—go blabbing to whole world that my best friend fucked John Wayne?!!! I could've been there for you like I was when that bastard took your virginity and dumped you immediately afterward! I always tried to make you see that you were better than you thought you were and that you deserved more! I sometimes felt I cared more about you than you cared about yourself!"

Diana sighed. "Damn it, Lynda... I know you've always cared about me, but you didn't have to blab practically my whole life's sad story in front of Tom, Jon and Rick!"

She looked at them a little sadly. "Sorry, guys...I know you all think I'm this strong, confident woman, but when you get to know me a little better, you'll find out how screwed up I am!"

She turned back to Lynda. "And Lynda, I didn't run to you that time because I really didn't want ANYONE else to know about it—and not because I was afraid you'd blab. I just knew you would've wanted details and I didn't want to tell anyone the details... I wanted it to stay just between him and me."

But Ward Bond knows a lot of the details...

Diana felt like a hypocrite. But it was the only excuse she could come up with to try to soothe Lynda's hurt feelings. She stared at her best friend, pleading with her eyes for Lynda to understand and let it go.

Lynda sighed heavily. "I don't know why you don't want to share the details. Hell, if I'd fucked somebody that famous, I'd be dying to tell my best friend all about it—unless it was the worst sex I'd ever had! Is that why you didn't want to tell me about it—because it was bad? If it was so bad, why would you have stayed the whole week..."

Lynda paused as realization hit. "It wasn't bad...and he fell in love with you but you couldn't marry him? Why not?"

Charles jumped in, growling loudly at Diana. And as he ranted at her, she melted under his heated gaze and from the forcefulness of his passionate, angry voice.

"Because he felt too fucking possessive of her! His jealousy over the thought of her with another man made him want to do crazy things, like kill any other man who'd ever dare to touch her! It puts images in his head of her making love to another man and it drives him insane! He's a famous movie star! He couldn't handle a life in the public eye if he threw fits threatening to kill any man who dared to mess with his wife! But I can handle it... I'll kill any man who's dared to touch her! I'll drag her to bed to erase the images in my head of her fucking HIM, and I'll beat the shit out of any man who messes with her!"

They were both panting heavily. They just stared at each other for a second. Then he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her against him as he crushed his lips to hers. He kissed her fiercely. She whimpered passionately, wrapping her arms around his torso. Charles deepened the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, parted her lips and thrust his tongue into her mouth. They groaned in desire.

The tension between them was instantly dissolved by their possessive love and desperate desire for one another.

There were several moments of awkward silence. Their friends were all looking at them and at each other as they all thought the same thing.

What the fuck just happened?!!! 

Charles finally ended the kiss and slowly released her. He brought his hand up to her face and caressed her cheek with the backs of his fingers. They smiled softly at one another for a few seconds.

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, looked around and said, "So, why are you all just standing around? The food's ready... let's eat!"

Everyone just stared at them. Lynda finally said, "What just happened between you two? What the fuck was that all about?"

Charles and Diana looked at each other and smiled. Charles said, "Let's sit down and eat and we'll try to explain it to you."

They all sat down to feast on hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad, cole slaw...all the usual cookout-type foods. As they ate, Charles and Diana explained to them their histories and subsequent personalities. She needed for a man to be possessive of her, and he needed to know that his wife belonged only to him.

The topic of conversation came back around to Tom and Lynda and how fast they had fallen for each other. Everyone asked them if they had any deep-seeded psychoses that drove them into each other's arms.

They said almost at the same time, "Not really... I just had to have him...her!" They looked at each other and laughed. 

Barbara added, "Jon and I fell in love just as quickly. But we were at the police station so we couldn't just attack each other—although we very nearly did anyway!"

Everyone looked at them with their eyebrows raised.

Diana asked, "What happened?"

Barbara looked at Jon and grinned sexily. "I lost my senses! He'd been staring at my breasts and he told me that he'd been imagining what they would feel like in his hands. So I put his hands on my breasts!"

Jon thought she was going to stop there.

"Then he asked me if I wanted him as much as he wanted me, so I forced his hand down into my panties and..."

"Barbara!" Jon bellowed as he clamped his hand over her mouth. "You don't need to tell them what happened next... I think they'll be able to figure it out now!" He looked around at everyone else as they chuckled.

Rick looked at him. "She had to force your hand into her panties! Doesn't sound like you put up much of a fight! I think you could've stopped her if you really wanted to! She made it sound like you were being forced against your will! And then I suppose she forced you to make her come, huh?!!!"

Everyone chuckled harder.

Then Jon chuckled, too. "Well, no... she didn't have to force me to do that. She looked so desperate and, being a trained police detective, I could tell she was in distress and needed a hand..."

Everyone busted out laughing. 

Then Dawn said, "I wanted to attack Rick the very next time I saw him! He came to see me at work and he started speaking in Spanish. His sexy voice almost drove me wild! Then he shyly asked me to have dinner with him that evening and he took me to his parents' home to meet his family. I overheard him telling his father, 'Ella sera' mi esposa,' that I was going to be his wife! Rick assumed that I didn't understand Spanish!"

Rick chuckled when she continued. "I looked at him and said, '¿Cómo sabes eso, Enrique? Tú ni siquieras me preguntó todavía!' How do you know? You haven't even asked me yet! Then Rick's father laughed and told him that he wasn't going to be able to give away any secrets about me! He told me that Rick liked to bring non-Hispanic girls over to dinner sometimes and tell him and his brothers intimate secrets about the girls in Spanish. They'd all be laughing and the girls would be sitting there wondering what they were talking about!"

Rick smiled. "I should've known she knew Spanish when she said my name the night we met at the hospital. My father and mother liked her immediately, despite the fact that she's not Catholic. They've gotten used to the fact that I prefer non-Hispanic women. All the Hispanic girls I've met are still so rooted in the culture and I was raised and educated in a predominantly white neighborhood. In fact, I had to brush up on my Spanish when I became a police officer. They wanted me to help with patrolling the Hispanic neighborhoods sometimes so I could communicate with the people easier."

Everyone laughed when Dawn said, "You still need to brush up on your Spanish... you speak it with too much of an American accent! I guess I'm going to have to tutor you to get back that sexy accent that really drives me wild!"

They all laughed harder when Rick replied, "Damn, honey! You can hardly keep your hands off me now! And you want me to do something that's going to drive you even wilder? Maybe I should call the priest and see if we can move the wedding date up because I don't know how much longer I can hold you off!" He yelled, "Ow!" when Dawn punched his right upper arm. Then he laughed again.

After everyone had finished eating, clearing the dishes and putting all the food away, they sat around the pool for a while sipping drinks and chatting. As the afternoon sun got warmer, they all ended up in the pool, relaxing in the cool water.

Diana asked if anyone knew how to play "chicken." When they all said no, she explained how to play; "The women sit on their man's shoulders in the pool while he holds her legs and the women wrestle each other to see who can knock the other one down first!"

A couple of the others said that they'd played it, years before, but they hadn't called it "chicken;" they'd called it something else. Dawn and Rick challenged Diana and Charles to a game. Barbara and Jon and Lynda and Tom moved to the sides of the pool. Charles and Rick dove down to put Diana and Dawn on their shoulders.

They established the rules of the game. No slapping, hitting or punching. Hands were used strictly to grasp each other to try and pull or push each other down. The guys' jobs were strictly to hold onto them and stay on their feet.

As soon as the others said "go," Dawn and Diana immediately grabbed for each other's shoulders and upper arms and started wrestling. Lynda and Tom were rooting for Diana and Charles and Barbara and Jon were rooting for Dawn and Rick.

They were pretty well matched. Rick was a little shorter than Charles but Dawn was a little taller than Diana so they were at the same height. However, Diana was finally able to wrestle Dawn over since she was a little more top heavy for Rick.

Next, Barbara and Jon challenged Lynda and Tom. It didn't take Lynda very long to wrestle Barbara off of Jon's shoulders as she and Tom had a few inches advantage in height.

Lynda and Tom challenged Charles and Diana. Charles looked at Tom and said, "Oh, come on! You've got to be kidding, right? We wouldn't stand a chance against you guys!"

Then Tom said, "OK, let's try to make it a little fairer. How about Diana and me against you and Lynda? That should make the height a little more even. What do you say?"

Charles looked at Diana and she looked at Lynda; they all shrugged and said OK.

So, Tom put Diana on his shoulders and Charles put Lynda on his. Lynda was still a few inches higher than Diana, but Diana had the advantage of Lynda being more top heavy for Charles. To Tom, Diana felt like a feather compared to Lynda—he didn't have to struggle at all to hold onto her. Charles noticed that Lynda weighed a bit more than Diana, but he didn't feel any difference in his ability to balance her on his shoulders because of her extra height.

Diana looked at Charles as he wrapped his arms around Lynda's legs. His hands seemed to creep a little higher up her thighs than was necessary.

I see that sexy smirk on your face! Are you picturing her long, shapely legs wrapped around you? Or would you have preferred her to wrap her lips on your cock... Diana pictured Lynda kneeling in front of Charles...

Lynda saw how easily Diana was perched on Tom's shoulders. When she bent forward slightly, her large breasts were resting right on the top of his head. Tom twisted his head to the side to look up at Diana. He grinned wolfishly when he saw her generous breasts right at his face.

You look like you're enjoying the sight of her breasts just a little too much...

The two women eyed each other warily for a moment. Lynda and Diana went at each other fiercely. They struggled for several minutes as they stared angrily in each other's eyes.

Lynda glanced down and saw Tom looking upward toward Diana's breasts and grinning wolfishly again. She tried to strengthen her hold on Diana. She gritted through her teeth, "Get off of my man!"

Diana broke Lynda's hold on her and pushed at her shoulders as hard as she could. She yelled, "Not until you get off of my husband!"

Lynda almost lost her balance and Charles almost went down, but they steadied themselves. 

Lynda and Diana glared at each other for a few seconds.

Tom and Charles backed away from each other. OK... it's time to break up the catfight...

Barbara and Dawn were snickering quietly at the sides of the pool. They must be fighting about how it is that Lynda knows Charles has a slightly bigger cock than Tom...

Lynda and Diana looked at Barbara and Dawn. They started chuckling. Then they laughed. Yeah...we must've looked pretty silly...

Tom said, "How about we just call this one a draw! Nobody won. Nobody lost. And whatever you two were fighting about has been settled...right?" Tom moved toward Charles. "Now, shake hands and we'll call it even!"

Diana saw Charles make a gesture with his eyebrows as he looked at Tom when she and Lynda went to shake hands. She was going to say something about it when she suddenly felt herself being dumped off of Tom's shoulders. He grasped her ankles and shoved them outward and up. It happened so fast that she didn't even have a chance to shriek—she only had time to take a breath of air before she ended up under water. But she heard Lynda shriek and caught a glimpse of Charles doing the same thing to her.

Lynda and Diana came up sputtering. Everyone else was laughing. Lynda and Diana looked at each other for a couple seconds. Diana made a motion with her hands behind Tom's back.

I'm going to yank his shorts down...

Lynda grinned and nodded quickly. They moved up behind Tom and Charles. They sank down into the water, grabbed the sides of their swimming trunks and yanked downward as hard as they could. Tom and Charles both yelled "hey!" and pulled their shorts back up as fast as they could.

Diana moved away from Tom as fast as she could, expecting some kind of retribution.

Tom turned around and went after her. He reached out his right hand to grab her shoulder, but he missed and grabbed her hair instead. Diana fell backward, screaming. He immediately let go of her hair and went to wrap his arm around her to steady her, but her screams became more desperate...

Diana was immediately thrown back to that night. She panicked. Then she went wild when an arm wrapped around the front of her chest and neck—just like that night. She flailed her arms and legs. She heard a man's voice saying, "Diana, calm down. What's wrong?"

She screamed desperately, "Let me go! Please...let me go! Don't hurt me...!"

When she was suddenly released, she quickly made her way to the side of the pool. She leaned on the edge, shaking and crying. She heard someone coming up behind her. She turned around; it was Charles. She threw herself against him, sobbing.

Charles held her tightly and stroked her back until she calmed down. He knew why she'd panicked. Rick had told him how the attack had happened.

What happened...? Tom looked helplessly at Lynda and raised his eyebrows. Lynda shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. Rick and Jon motioned for Tom and Lynda to come over to the other side of the pool. Rick quietly explained the full circumstances of her attack.

No wonder she panicked...

Tom grimaced. He felt the need to apologize. He saw her calming down, so he moved slowly toward her and said quietly, "Diana, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to grab your hair, I was going for your shoulder and I missed. When you fell, I was just trying to get my arm around you to steady you. I really didn't mean to hurt you or scare you."

Diana smiled sadly at him. "It's OK, Tom. It's not your fault... I know you didn't mean to do it. You couldn't possibly have known that it would scare me. I feel so silly. The circumstances here were nothing like... I'm in a pool surrounded by friends and people who love me...people I trust. I'm just glad I didn't bite you!" she said with a laugh.

Tom grinned back. "Yes, I'm glad you didn't bite me, too! Do you think you'll still be able to trust me?" he asked sincerely.

She smiled. "Yes...of course!" She pulled him down to kiss his right cheek. When he straightened up, she looked up at him with a devilish grin. "The question now is... can you trust me?!" She grabbed the sides of his shorts and yanked on them again. She glanced downward. She could see his thatch of hair. His shorts were stopped from going any further by his cock.

"Why you little...!" Tom muttered as he laughed softly and yanked his shorts back up. He looked at Charles. "Don't you think you should tell your wife to stop trying to pull other men's shorts off?"

Charles looked at him and laughed. "Hey partner...you've got the same problem with your wife... I mean future wife! She tried to yank my shorts off, too!"

Not wanting to make them feel left out, Barbara and Dawn looked at each other and grinned. They grabbed Jon's and Rick's swimming trunks and yanked on them.

Charles and Tom turned around and laughed when they heard Jon and Rick yell "hey!" They were pulling their shorts back up as Barbara and Dawn stood laughing.

The men glanced around at the women.




Haunted by the Past Ch. 08



Tom said, "What is with you women? Are you always this horny? You all act and talk like you're starving for sex when we know damn well you're getting plenty of it!"

The women laughed harder. The men just looked at them in confusion.

Diana explained as she moved toward Charles. "Yes, Tom, we are always this horny because we are sexual "addicts"—we are sexually addicted to the men we love. I am addicted to Charles and I have to have a fix at least once a day! Isn't that right, sexy man?"

Charles looked slightly embarrassed. "I told you I could get her to stroke my cock anytime, anywhere... and she's usually the one begging me to let her do it! Why would I say no?"

Dawn moved to Rick. "And I am addicted to this handsome, sexy man who is driving me crazy because he won't fuck me until we're married! But he's letting me feed my habit in other ways! Now... if I could just get him to talk dirty to me in Spanish!"

"Difundir tus piernas para que mi lengua, mi hermosa mujer!"

"Ohhh...!!!" Dawn moaned and jumped on Rick. She wrapped herself around him as she kissed him fiercely, almost knocking him over.

Everybody laughed. Wonder what he said...

Barbara wrapped her arms around Jon's waist and looked up at him. "I'm addicted to this man because he's the first man that I fell in love and lust with at the same time! I feared I would never be able to find another man that I could lust for as much as Tony... until I met Jon. I sometimes wonder if he's a reincarnation of Tony, but they look nothing alike... and Jon is more well endowed!"

Jon closed his eyes for a moment. He reddened slightly and then grinned. "So that's why you married me... because of Mr. Big!" He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Mr. Big is getting bigger! How can we take care of this big problem?"

Barbara leaned back and smiled at him, pressing her crotch against him to feel his thick, hard shaft. She looked at Diana and Charles. "Mind if we borrow one of your guestrooms for a little while? We have a 'big problem' that we need to take care of!"

Jon groaned in both desire and embarrassment.

Everyone else chuckled as Charles said, "Sure... no problem... go right ahead. You'll have to take the second room down the hall on the left. Lynda and Tom already claimed the first one!"

Barbara and Jon got out of the pool, dried off and wrapped their towels around them and went into the house. 

Lynda moved up to Tom. "And even though I just got a fix from you a few hours ago, I came down fast. I got jealous when you were eyeing Diana's breasts as we were playing chicken!" 

She looked at Diana and Charles and said earnestly, "I know I told you guys I was really sorry for what happened that night. But now I think I really understand how you must've felt, Diana, and I am truly sorry and grateful that you forgave me! I wish it hadn't happened!"

Tom saw how upset Lynda was. He asked her what was wrong; she told him she'd explain it to him as soon as they were alone. Lynda and Tom got out of the pool, wrapped themselves in towels and went into the house.

Charles and Diana looked across the pool at Dawn and Rick. They were backed into a corner, kissing fiercely.

Charles asked them, "You won't think we're bad hosts if we retire to our room for a while, will you?" He and Diana chuckled quietly when both Rick and Dawn raised one of their hands out of the water and waved to them without even breaking their kiss.

Charles lifted himself out onto the side of the pool and helped Diana climb out. They hadn't brought towels out for themselves. They walked to the sliding screen door off the patio that led directly into their bedroom. They opened it and stepped just inside on a rug. They lowered the blind, removed their wet swimsuits and tossed them back out onto the patio. Then they walked into their bathroom to dry off.

There are three other couples at our house, all about to have sex! I hope no one else we know drops by anytime soon...

They looked at each other. Diana reached down and stroked Charles. She backed toward their bed, pulling him with her by his hard cock. Even though they had resumed having sex, Diana hadn't allowed Charles to take her from behind yet.

I still feel squeamish about it...

And she hadn't yet resumed her normal monthly cycle. He'd come inside her the first time they made love after her attack. They were keeping their fingers crossed that she wasn't pregnant. But if so, they would take it as a sign that it was the right time to start their family.

When they got to their bed, Diana stopped and stared at Charles. "I want to lean over the side and have you try to take me from behind. I want to see if I can handle it without being afraid."

You're finally opening up to me about the attack... Charles hesitated, then he asked her, "Why would you feel afraid?"

Diana closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "That bastard took me from behind while I was bent over the edge of my desk. I don't remember most of it, but I do remember feeling him leaning over me and poking painfully at me just before I passed out. I still feel sick when I remember it sometimes, and I want to make sure that doesn't happen with you!" She opened her eyes and looked at him.

Charles asked, "Are you sure you're ready to try that?"

She nodded. He leaned down and kissed her gently for a moment. "Turn around."

When her back was to him, he bent his head down and kissed the right side of her neck and shoulder. She moaned and shivered. Goose bumps formed down her arm and her nipples stood out. He brought his hands up to her breasts and caressed them gently, gradually getting firmer and squeezing her hard nipples.

His cock was wedged between them at the top of her ass. She pressed against him and moaned in pleasure. He moved his right hand down between her legs to probe her gently. She wasn't as wet as she usually was. He stroked her with his fingers. She moaned even louder and squirmed her hips seductively.

When he felt she was ready, he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "If you're ready for me, my love, bend over and let me take you."

Diana opened her eyes and twisted her head back to look up at him. The flames of his love and desire for her roared in his burning eyes.

How could I ever think that I would feel afraid with you...

She bent over and lay across the bed with her ass thrust toward him. She said softly, "I trust you, my love. You can take me however you want—I'll never be afraid with you."

Charles moved his hips and positioned his throbbing eight-inch cock at her entrance. He bent over her on the bed leaning on his forearms. He slowly slid all the way into her tight, slick flesh. She groaned deeply in pleasure. He paused for a moment, grinding his hips against her. He rubbed the tip of his cock on that place deep inside her that makes her come so quickly.

She instantly exploded. Her loud moans and hard throbs gradually ebbed.

He panted heavily as he stayed still inside her; he was close to orgasm.

But I can't come inside you without risking pregnancy—if you aren't already. So...now what... 

What are you waiting for, sexy man... "What's wrong?" she asked him.

He told her his dilemma.

Oooh...I have an idea! I'll bet you've never heard of this one...

"Move back and let me crawl onto the bed." She turned over onto her back. "Now, climb up over me and straddle my abdomen on your knees."

Charles frowned in confusion, but did as she said.

When he was poised above her, she put her hands on the outsides of her breasts and squeezed them together. "I want you to give me a pearl necklace!"

Charles frowned. What?!! What does that mean, pretty lady? Why are you holding your breasts like that? Ohhh! I get it... 

A sexy, lopsided grin curved his mustache. He placed his slick cock in the tunnel created by her generous breasts. He leaned on the head of the bed and thrust slowly—at first—then eagerly. He reveled in this new erotic sight and sensation of stroking his cock on his sexy wife's gorgeous breasts.

Diana stroked her tongue on the tip of his cock each time he thrust toward her chin.

He came, groaning loudly. He gave her a lovely strand of glistening, pearly drops for her neck...

**********

Jon tried to attack Barbara as soon as they shut the door to the guestroom. He pulled the towel off of her and stripped her wet bathing suit from her body. Then he threw the bedspread and top sheet off the bed and pushed her to sit down on the side of it. He was going to tell her to move over and lay back so he could crawl between her legs.

As soon as Barbara sat down, she tugged the towel from his hips, yanked his swimming trunks down and grasped Mr. Big. She licked him all over like a lollipop.

I know how much you love for me to do this...

It made his cock throb even more so that when he first thrusts into her, it feels even better for him.

Jon moaned, "Oh, Barb... you know I love it when you lick me like that! Oh, yeah, pretty girl...you've got Mr. Big even bigger and now I'm throbbing to be inside you! Lie back now and let me and Mr. Big show you how much we love you!" 

Jon crawled up over Barbara. He paused to lean down and lick and suck on her tiny, pink, pebbly nipples until she came. He thrust into her in the midst of her orgasm. He stayed buried inside her as he relished the feeling of her tight flesh squeezing his throbbing cock. He watched her beautiful face.

Jon brought Barbara to the heights of passion several times, climaxing with her on the last one... almost two hours after they'd started. She was always amazed with his stamina. She smiled secretly to herself as she held her panting husband.

I swear...you could fuck forever if you wanted to! But I can make you come quickly if I want to...all I have to do is talk dirty to you and you explode after just a minute or two! But I only do that if I know you've had a bad day. I can't stand to see those lines of worry on your face... 

Afterward, he'd smile so serenely...all traces of his worries gone. And then he'd make love to her for hours. He would worship her body with his until they were physically drained... They made love like that every chance they got. Luckily, he'd not been assigned any dangerous cases since they'd married.

But it's only a matter of time... Who knows when it might be our last... STOP IT, Barbara... 



**********

Tom shut the door to the guestroom they had occupied earlier. Lynda sat on the side of the bed and told him what had almost happened between her and Charles a few weeks before. Tom frowned. He paced back and forth.

How could you have done that? You almost sucked my partner's dick?! Oh, God...

He saw how upset she was. He sat down beside her and asked her gently, "Lynda, why would you do that when you knew it was wrong?"

Lynda started crying quietly, trying to explain all her confusing thoughts and emotions. "I was convinced I was in love with him! And Diana had even told me how deep of a connection they share, especially when they make love. But I had never felt that before... until today...

"I know this is still no excuse, but after Diana was raped, we were all so upset at watching what she was going through. She withdrew from everyone, even Charles... she does that when she's scared and hurt. I could see how much it was hurting Charles, and I honestly only intended to comfort him when I hugged him. But when he responded to me, I lost my senses because I thought he wanted me, too. As soon as I realized he thought I was Diana, my senses returned like a slap in the face and I felt horrible to realize what I'd done!" Lynda cried harder. 

Tom put his arms around her and hugged her. "It's OK, Lynda. I understand. And I appreciate that you were honest with me about that incident. If Charles and Diana were able to forgive you, then I won't have a problem with this... as long as it never happens again! Understood?" he asked sternly as he pulled back from her and stared intently into her eyes.

Lynda sobbed softly as she nodded her head. She said hoarsely between sobs, "I need you, Tom! I thought I'd never find a man who would love me back! I told myself after my ex-husband left me that I wouldn't marry any man I was instantly physically attracted to until I got to know them first and was sure we were in love. And look what happened! I didn't have any clue who you were... not even your name! But something in my heart told me that you were my last chance at finding love and that I had to have you!"

Tom cupped his hands on her cheeks. "Your heart was right... I need you, too, and I am in love with you! I never dreamed I'd actually meet another woman who could make me want her and love her the moment I laid eyes on her. But my body, heart and soul left me no choice! I never thought that love at first sight could ever happen twice..." Tom trailed off with a whisper.

He leaned toward Lynda and kissed her gently. He gradually deepened the kiss as they lay back on the bed.

Tom proved to Lynda again how much he loved her. They felt that magical connection of their hearts and souls as their bodies moved together. Afterward, he moved down and laid his head on her lower abdomen like he was listening for something. Lynda asked him what he was doing.

"I'm trying to hear what it sounds like at the moment of conception!"

Lynda laughed softly. "You're crazy!"

Tom looked up at her and said seriously, "Yes, I am... crazy for you. I want to make a baby with you. I don't want to wait for anything. We have to do a background check, but as soon as that's done, we're getting married. I want you as my wife... I want to finally have a home and family."

Wait a second...what did you say earlier...? Lynda asked, "Tom...you said you'd never dreamed that you'd find another woman and that you'd never believed you could fall in love at first sight twice... Who was the first woman?"

Tom closed his eyes and swallowed the lump that was trying to form. He laid his head on her abdomen as he dredged up the painful memories.

"I was a Marine Intelligence officer during the war. I was sent to Okinawa to complete a reconnaissance mission about six months before the planned invasion. I was there for only a few weeks. I was befriended by an Okinawan family who spoke English. I rescued their daughter from some Japanese soldiers who were about to rape her. Her name was Yakira. I fell in love with her the moment I saw her.

"Her family was very grateful to me and helped me to gather a lot of useful information needed for the invasion. I had to complete my mission by getting all of the information back to Central Command, so I had to leave Okinawa. The day before I left, I married Yakira and I promised I would come back for her as soon as possible. That didn't happen until April of 1945, after the main invasion took place.

"I snuck back onto the island and made my way to her family's home near Yonobaru. When I got there, most of her family was dead. But her brother was able to tell me that she had fled to a hiding place we had set up in a cave on the beach. When I got there, Yakira saw me and came out. She was running toward me when a Jap sniper hiding in some nearby rocks shot her in the back before she reached me. I took him out and, luckily, he was the only one in the area."

Tom lifted his head and stared starkly into Lynda's face. "Yakira died in my arms... along with our unborn child." 

He continued, "I've needed somewhere to feel safe and loved. The world can be dangerous. I've needed someone else who could remind me that the world can be beautiful, too. Oh, God, Lynda... love me... tell me that you'll be waiting for me... to make love to me every time I come home. And give me another child to love, too..."

He closed his eyes and leaned his head down to kiss her lower abdomen as he cried silently.

Oh, God...of course I'll love you! And I'll give you as many children as you want... 

Lynda had started to cry when she saw his pain. Tears had trickled from his eyes as he told her about his long-dead wife and child. She put her hands on his face and urged him to move up and lay his head on her breasts. She wrapped her arms and legs around him. She said softly, "I promise to!"

Tom and Lynda cried a few more tears. She shared his pain and then she renewed his hope...

They made love again...joyously.

She rolled on top of him and rode him as he caressed her breasts. She threw her head backward at the pleasure of his fingers firmly caressing her nipples.

It thrilled him to see her respond so wantonly to his touch.

They groaned loudly as she pounded furiously on him, sending him over the edge.

She wailed as she rocked herself to another powerful climax of her own...



Haunted by the Past Ch. 09



"Tu tienes una lengua y los dedos muy talentosos, mi amor," Dawn Williams purred to her fiancé Rick Estevez as they reclined on a chaise lounge. She complimented his talented fingers and tongue. He had feasted on her and given her several orgasms after they climbed out of the pool at Charles and Diana's house. All their friends were inside making use of the bedrooms.

This has turned into one hell of an afternoon cookout and pool party...

"Me encanta la forma en que sus pétalos abiertos tan fácilmente a mí, mi flor," Rick replied in his deep, sexy voice as he nuzzled her neck. He compared her moist, sweet flesh to the petals of a flower.

"Oh babe, you are really getting good at this sexy talk, mi hombre guapo! Would you really be able to move the wedding date up? I don't know if I can wait another month! I love you and want you so badly!" Dawn whispered desperately.

"I know, mi gatita. I'm finding it harder and harder to resist you...no pun intended!" Rick chuckled. She was stroking his hard cock through the front of his shorts. "I'll talk to the padre tomorrow and see what he can do. He's been bugging me for years to find a wife, so maybe he'll take pity on me and work something out."

"Oh, Rick, that would be wonderful! Now what can I do for you, mi hombre duro? ¿Debo usar mis manos o mi boca? ¿Qué prefiere? ¿O algo más? Quisiera hacer cualquier cosa para tú. Te amo...muy mucho!" Dawn moaned. She continued to stroke his thick shaft.

"Oh, mi dulce niña, I'll take whatever you want to offer...your hands, your lips, your tongue. You know I'd do anything in the world for you, too...I love you just as much. Tú eres mi mundo!" Rick groaned and closed his eyes. She kissed his neck, swirling her tongue on his skin as she stroked his dick slowly and firmly with her hand inside his shorts.

Then she was pushing his swimming trunks down his hips. He opened his eyes and stared heatedly at her as he lifted himself to help her. Her love and her hunger for him were shining in her beautiful hazel eyes. Wild flames leapt in his eyes as she trailed soft, wet kisses down his body. He closed his eyes and moaned softly. She firmly kissed and licked his chest and his nipples. She was the first woman who'd ever done that to him.

Oh, God, Dawn...that feels so good...

She moved off the side of the chaise to kneel so she could lean over him as she worked her lips and tongue down his body.

His breathing became heavier. He forced himself to open his eyes and watch her face. He still couldn't get over how sweet and innocent she looked—like an angel—even as she did such erotically sexual things to him!

She paused to look up at him after she kissed the thick patch of dark, curly hair just above his throbbing cock. He groaned deeply at her soft moan from inhaling his scent. Her face was so sweet and innocent, but her eyes revealed that she was a very sensual woman.

I am lost in your blazing hazel eyes... 

She wrapped her soft lips around his thick, aching shaft and slowly stroked up and down a few times. "Aye, Dios mio!" Rick half whispered and half moaned. "Tus labios se sienten como el cielo sobre mi cuerpo! Tú eres mi ángel de placer!"

Dawn moaned softly. He told her that her lips felt like heaven on his body and that she was his angel of pleasure. She moved her head to stare at him as she licked up and down his shaft of thick, dark, male flesh. It always excited her to look at his cock; the skin of his shaft was as dark as the rest of his body.

She had originally believed that Rick's dark skin was due mainly to the sun tanning his exposed flesh. She still throbbed with excitement when she recalled the first time she saw him naked.

My God! Your entire body is the color of mocha...even your...huge cock!

You were just as mesmerized at the sight of my naked body, too... 

Her flesh throbbed again. She closed her eyes. He'd stared at her creamy flesh covered with soft, curly dark brown hair the first time she'd begged him to put his face between her legs.

"Por favor... pruébeme! Pon tus labios entre mis piernas y pruébeme!" she had pleaded in Spanish. He'd been so mesmerized staring at her that he hadn't even realized what she'd said until she repeated it in English. "Taste me! Put your lips between my legs and taste me...please!"

He'd groaned desperately and knelt down to nuzzle his face in her dripping flesh. He drove her to the brink of damnation with his fingers, lips and tongue... She had begged even more desperately for him to use his cock to put out the fire that built inside her with each climax he gave her with his tongue.

Rick had finally relieved her that first time by filling her with his fingers and lying beside her so she could feel his hips thrusting against her. He talked to her as if he was making love to her...

"Oh, angel...your sweet flesh feels so good! I love stroking into you! Can you feel me moving with you, my angel? Come for me, my beautiful sunrise...spread your warmth on me! Yes, my angel...that's it! Let go..."

Then he'd groaned, "Oh, God, Dawn! I'm gonna come, too! Aaaahhhhhh...!!!" He'd thrust harder against her right hip. His cock erupted in his pants as she throbbed on his fingers.

Dawn was ripped from her erotic memories by the sound of Rick's loud moans. He was begging her to end the sweet torture she was currently subjecting him to.

"Por favor, poner fin a esta dulce tortura, mi ángel, y envolver tus labios alrededor de mí," begging her to wrap her lips around him again. She stroked his cock with her lips and tongue. He groaned loudly as he pumped his pungent liquid into her mouth. 

Mmm...You taste of Mexican spices...I love that! But I love everything about you, Rick. You're such a good man...despite your past behavior...

He was respectful to his parents and kind to everyone he dealt with in his job as a police officer. And he had initially treated her like she was the Virgin Mary. He had worshipped her reverently with his eyes and called her "his angel." He told her that she had made the right decision by leaving Kansas...she definitely belonged in "the city of angels!"

And you are my angel... my guardian angel, sworn "to protect and to serve"...

She knew he took that oath very seriously.

Rick opened his eyes to see her angelic face smiling so sweetly at him with womanly love and passion shining in her knowing hazel eyes. She was massaging his groin. He looked down his body to where her small, creamy hand was stroking around the base of his softening shaft. His loins tingled as he felt the pull of desire again.

I can't imagine how it will feel to watch the first time I slide my thick, dark cock into your creamy pink flesh... The image of their naked bodies intertwined and joined made his pulse race.

He had fucked plenty of women; even double-teamed a few with his partner. But he hadn't wanted to marry any of them. He'd just been giving in to his lust. He had a healthy libido and, luckily, women had always found him attractive and had lusted for his big dick. Dawn was the first woman who'd looked deeply into his eyes...instead of checking out the bulge in his pants.

The moment I saw your angelic face and read the sensuality in your eyes, I knew you were the angel that heaven had chosen to send me to love...

That was why he'd sought for her just a week after they'd met at the hospital.

I didn't want to wait, but I didn't want to seem like I was intruding... So he'd waited as long as he could.

And I cannot allow myself the privilege of sheathing my cock inside your body until you're my wife...

Rick knew that every time he would be inside Dawn, they would be pounding at the doors of heaven. And they had to have the blessings of the sanctity of marriage to allow them entrance in case one—or both of them—died from the pleasure he knew they would create together. She was his angel. She'd been sent to finally give him his chance at finding the true pleasure that comes from loving only one woman for the rest of his life...

You were sent to redeem my soul...

Yes, I am definitely going to ask the priest to move the wedding date up!

**********

After Charles gave Diana that lovely stand of "pearls," she regretfully wiped them away with a damp towel. He moved down their bed and feasted on her soft, wet flesh. Desire flowed through his loins as he listened to her moans of pleasure and her cries of heated passion. He worked his lips and tongue to her soft ass. The fact that she'd never let any other man take her ass thrilled him beyond reason.

I want to fuck your sweet ass... I crave your sweet ass...

He'd taken her virgin ass on their honeymoon. He'd felt humbled to think that he'd finally gotten his true dream girl's virginity...at least in some manner! And the way she responded to him excited him more than he'd ever felt possible. It drove Diana wild to feel his cock in her ass.

I never knew such a taboo act between lovers could be so sexy and erotic... And your wantonness drives me wild... 

He could feel her flesh softening and her muscles relaxing. He moved up over her to slide into her wet pussy several times and coat his cock with her slick juices. He leaned down to kiss her tenderly and waited while she positioned herself so he could enter her easily. She guided the tip of his shaft to her ass. He slowly pushed into her soft, relaxed muscles and flesh.

She groaned loudly in pleasure. He growled quietly in his effort to maintain control. He stared at her as he continued his slow journey inside this pleasurable area of her body. She tilted her head back and groaned even louder when he was fully inside her. He felt his control slipping. 

"Look at me, Diana." He waited as she took a couple deep breaths, lowered her head and opened her eyes to stare at him with wanton desire. "I love you, pretty lady...and I love knowing that no other man has ever fucked your ass. Your sweet ass is mine...and only mine. Now...do you want to be fucked slow and deep or fast and hard?"

She grinned, slowly and sexily.

I know what you want... I'll start with slow, deep thrusts...

They both moaned softly at the sensation of his thick cock slowly retreating from her flesh only to sensuously fill her soft ass deeply again. She'd told him it felt so good to her because it gave her such an erotic sensation of fullness. His cock felt even bigger in her ass than inside her tight pussy.

She moved her right hand down to stroke her clit.

Ah... you're ready for faster and harder...

Charles braced himself on his hands and increased his speed and forcefulness gradually.

She stroked her fingers inside her pussy. Her moans got louder.

You're getting close, pretty lady... So am I...I just love to watch you touch yourself! Oh, God, pretty lady... please come soon...

Diana cried out, "OH, MY GOD!" She moaned loudly as her hips bucked while her fingers worked on her clit in a circular motion.

Charles threw back his head and growled loudly. He slammed into her several times from his own powerful release.

As their pleasure slowly drifted downward, he bent down onto his forearms to kiss her deeply.

God, how I love you...

They heard the muffled sounds of about six other people, also in various stages of moaning and groaning. They laughed quietly. A few minutes later, there was silence.

Suddenly, the sounds of riotous laughter echoed off the walls and drifted from the backyard of Charles and Diana Richards' house in their quiet Brentwood neighborhood. An elderly couple, passing by out front as they walked their dog, looked quizzically at each other. They heard the sounds coming through the open windows of each room of the house. They shrugged and continued on their walk; they had no idea what could possibly have been so funny...

That afternoon made for one of the most enjoyable memories in that house. They would need all the good memories they could make...

**********

Nearly three months had passed and the police still had no leads whatsoever on the whereabouts of Diana's attacker, Ed Hood.

It had taken a few weeks for Lynda's background check to go through with the FBI. And Dawn had been disappointed that Rick's parish priest had been unable to move up the date of their wedding. But Charles and Diana were glad; they'd been planning a special surprise for all their friends.

Dawn and Rick were getting married on a Friday evening the second weekend in October 1956, the same weekend that Tom and Lynda planned to go to Vegas to get married. Dawn and Rick had planned to accompany Tom and Lynda to Vegas for their honeymoon. Diana and Charles had told them that they would make the travel plans with an airline and book rooms at The Riviera Resort for them. But Diana had made other arrangements. 

Everyone attended Dawn and Rick's Catholic wedding mass that evening and a short reception afterward. Dawn and Rick and Tom and Lynda were getting ready to leave, thinking they were the only ones heading to Las Vegas.

Diana announced, "We have a surprise for everyone. Charles and I and Jon and Barbara are coming to Vegas with you. This weekend will not cost any of you a dime, except for whatever you spend on food, drinks and gambling. We've made arrangements for Gordon to fly all of us in the FBI's plane. And the concierge of The Riviera is a fan of mine. I made arrangements with him several weeks back to do a short musical set later tonight and a full show tomorrow evening in their nightclub in exchange for a suite for all of us for the weekend!"

Jon said, "I can't just leave at the last minute...I'm supposed to be on duty this weekend!"

"No, Jon. You're on vacation this weekend; we already arranged it with your chief! All we have to do is take you and Barbara by your house long enough for you guys to pack a bag for the weekend!"

Jon and Barbara looked at each other and smiled and laughed. We never took a honeymoon... and now we'll be celebrating it with all our friends...

After a quick stop at Jon and Barbara's, they headed to the hangar at the airport where Gordon Brown was waiting for them with the flight preparations already taken care of. It was just before eight o'clock when the FBI plane took off from Los Angeles headed to Las Vegas.

Diana and Charles glanced and smiled knowingly at each. Remember our adventurous induction into the "Mile High" club six months ago aboard this very plane...

Charles closed his eyes and groaned softly.

Damn...she was so hot! There was no way I could've resisted her...

His dick was hardening from the images he was recalling. He remembered the lust and desire he'd instantly felt for her. She had such an eager look when he'd commanded her to turn around and bend over! It was the first time he'd ever fucked a woman from behind...

Charles shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Oh, hell...just stop thinking about it! You're gonna have a hard-on all the way to Vegas...

Diana stared across the aisle at Charles and smiled knowingly. I know what you're thinking about...so am I...

They grinned sexily at each other. Diana's grin changed to a soft smile and her eyes glowed at him. I realized I loved you as much as the big man on this plane... I love you even more now...

She'd seen the deep love and desire in his eyes as he'd kissed her when he told her that he was the only man who was allowed to snatch her panties from then on. She'd accidentally told him that the big man had taken her panties from her. John Wayne did that after the first time he made her come just by telling her what he wanted to do to her the day they met. She'd suddenly realized that Charles had been acting possessive of her since he'd approached her in the pub the night they met.

Diana had tested him to see how possessive he felt. She had been well satisfied by his reaction. She was surprised when he had turned it around to test her and he had been just as pleased at her reaction!

He explained how deeply he'd been hurt by his first wife. His ex-wife had been like a cold, dead fish in bed with him, but she'd given herself passionately and wantonly to her lover. Charles had needed to find a woman who responded very sensually to him. That way, he'd know he could please her and he'd feel assured that she wouldn't stray from him. Then he'd told Diana that he never believed a woman could respond to him the way she did...

I'm so glad I was able to make you realize what a sexy man you really are...

She reached across the aisle and ran her fingers through the hair on his temple. She stared at his handsome face. His eyes glowed with love and desire as he stared back at her. He captured her hand to plant a soft kiss in her palm and softly stroke it with the tip of his tongue. Diana felt a rush of tingles spread from her palm throughout her body...

And you know just how to tease me and make me go mad with desire for you...

They were on approach to the Las Vegas airport. They landed just before nine o'clock. It took several minutes for everyone to get their suitcases unloaded and make their way through the airport to the waiting taxis out front. They had to take two separate cabs.

Diana and Charles were in the front taxi. They instructed the driver to take them to the small chapel where they had married. There were a few cars parked outside this time. No one else had been there when they'd arrived at about 11:45 the night they wed.

There were three other couples ahead of them. Even though the paperwork and the ceremony only took about ten minutes, Diana was afraid that she wouldn't be able to stay and witness Tom and Lynda's marriage. She had to be at The Riviera and ready to perform at ten o'clock!

Diana got the attention of the other couples ahead of them. She asked desperately, "Would any of you mind terribly if my friends go ahead of you? I have to be somewhere by ten o'clock! And if they have to wait, I'll have to leave and not get to watch my best friend marry the man of her dreams! Would this be OK with you? Please?"

The other couples agreed. Diana thanked them profusely. She watched happily as her best friend, Lynda Curtis, became Mrs. Thomas Michael Seldon, wife of her husband's FBI partner and his new best friend. Tom and Lynda kissed passionately as the justice finished pronouncing them man and wife. Barbara and Jonathan Christopher North and newlyweds, Dawn and Enrique "Rick" Emanuel Estevez, joined Charles and Diana in cheering for them. 

The justice stared at Charles and Diana like he recognized them as they left. His wife reminded him that they had been there about six months before. She remembered them well. She had known they were true lovers. Seeing them had rekindled her feelings of passion for her husband. She throbbed inside. She smiled sexily at her husband of 30 years.

You stoked and then ardently banked the fire of my desire for you that night. Every single one of those four couples that just left are all true lovers...

She felt another rush of desire for her husband. Boy, are you going to get it tonight...

The couples arrived at The Riviera at almost 9:40pm. Diana had less than twenty minutes to change and get ready. The concierge had been waiting for their arrival. He had bellmen waiting to take them and their luggage straight to their suite.

It was a large suite on one of the middle floors at one end of the building. The main entrance had double doors that opened into a spacious gathering area with sofas, chairs and tables and a bar in front of the windows. There were two bedrooms on each side of the suite with a shared bathroom between them. Diana and Charles and Tom and Lynda took the bedrooms on one side, and Jon and Barbara and Dawn and Rick were on the other side of the suite. 




Haunted by the Past Ch. 09



Barbara hurriedly helped Diana change clothes. When Charles and Diana were leaving to go to the nightclub, Lynda and Dawn looked at her sheepishly and asked if her feelings would be hurt if they didn't come down to the nightclub for this performance. Diana understood right away...

You want to make love to your new husbands...

Poor Dawn had been dying to have Rick inside her for almost three months. Lynda and Tom had been abstaining from sex since that first day they met so their honeymoon would feel special. Diana laughed. 

"Of course my feelings aren't hurt...you've seen me perform many times in L.A.! I'd have thought you were crazy if you held off any longer to get your sexy new husbands in bed!"

Diana looked at Barbara and Jon. "And you guys are also under no obligation to come see me tonight!"

Jon said, "I'd be more than happy to go to the nightclub. I've seen you perform only once since we've met and I love to listen to you sing! Especially when you sing our favorite song, 'The Nearness of You.' So, let's go...you don't have much time!" 

Charles, Jon and Barbara sat back with drinks and watched as Diana gave another moving and rousing performance!

Back at their suite, Tom and Rick were working on moving and rousing performances of their own...

**********

As soon as the others had left for the nightclub, Dawn turned to Rick and jumped on him with her legs wrapped around him. She groaned quietly, "Llévame a la cama y hacer el amor a mí, a mi esposo guapo...ahora!" She commanded her handsome husband to take her to bed and make love to her...now!

"Tu deseo es mi comando, mi ángel de amor!" Your wish is my command, my angel of love. Rick growled as he carried her to their room and closed the door behind them.

Tom and Lynda watched them; then they looked at each other and chuckled. Their soft laughs and smiles faded as they stared at each other.

Lynda's chest heaved as her eyes flooded with tears.

Oh, my God! I can't believe I'm now Mrs. Thomas Seldon. Yes...these are tears of happiness... She smiled as the tears swam in her eyes. 

Tom immediately gathered her to him for a moment. Don't cry, sweetheart! You'll make me start to cry... 

He felt her lithe body in his arms. His happiness morphed to passion and desire. He turned his head to kiss her neck and worked his way to her lips. She turned her head to meet his lips with hers. Tom's passion and desire were full blown when she opened her lips and moaned softly into his mouth.

Oh, God, Lynda... How I've missed you... He dragged his mouth away from hers and scooped her up in his arms as he headed for their bedroom. She pushed the door closed and turned on the light when he paused just inside. He carried her over to the huge bed and set her down beside it to throw the bedspread and sheet out of their way. They undressed each other slowly, pausing to kiss their bodies as pieces of clothing were removed.

He caressed and kissed her breasts and sucked her nipples into his mouth to lave them with his tongue. She moaned wantonly. Then she smiled slightly. My breasts seem even more sensitive now than they were just a month ago... I think I know why...

She moaned again, her train of thought temporarily lost as he moved from one breast to the other.

Lynda unzipped his pants. She reached her hand down to grasp his cock and stroke him firmly. He groaned softly. He had no idea how they had managed to keep their promise to each other not to make love again until they were married.

Every time I see you, I want you; every time I touch you, I ache for you; every time I kiss you, my cock throbs for you... Her hand stroking his hard shaft was making him throb even harder!

Lynda moved to kneel down in front of him. He stopped her. Oh, no...none of my seed will be spilled except inside you... "We'll have plenty of time for that later, sweetheart. Tonight I want to complete my mission to knock you up!"

A Mona Lisa smile slowly formed on her lips. "Mission accomplished, Agent Seldon. I'm two weeks late, and I've never been late before! I waited to tell you. I wanted it to be my wedding gift to you."

Oh, my God... You truly answered my prayer... Tom's heart skipped a few beats. He breathed heavier as tears of happiness filled his eyes. He hugged Lynda to him as he laughed and cried at the same time. He backed away to look at her.

You aren't just saying that... "You're sure? You're not just saying that to make me happy?"

"No, I'm pretty sure. Like I said, I've never been late before! But I still have to wait at least a couple more weeks before the doctor can confirm it. I wouldn't have told you if I wasn't sure." 

Tom laughed loudly and picked her up in his arms as he spun them around.

He set her down again and finished undressing both of them. He dutifully stood still when she pulled him around to face her as she sat on the edge of the bed. He groaned loudly as she used her mouth to stroke his cock to full erection. She continued to suck his shaft, taking him deep into her throat until he came a few minutes later. He growled as she moaned while she swallowed his cum.

Damn, woman...I'd almost forgotten how good you are at that... Now...what could I do for you...

"Lay back, sweetheart." Lynda moved up to the pillows. Tom crawled over to her and leaned down to place a gentle, lingering kiss on her lower abdomen. Then he moved down and gently lapped at her pussy and tongued her clit until she cried out passionately as she came.

"Oh, God, Tom...I love you and I've missed having your cock inside me! Please fuck me, darling! Now!"

He moved up to lay over her, propped on his forearms. She wrapped her arms and legs around him. He stared into her eyes as he kissed her. She reached down and positioned his aching cock at her soft, wet folds.

They both moaned and their eyes closed. Their backs arched in pleasure as his cock slowly slid into her.

When he was completely inside her, Lynda opened her eyes and looked up at her new husband. "Open your eyes and look at me, darling." Tom lowered his head to stare at her. She said softly, "Welcome home, Agent Seldon. I've been waiting for you."

I've never felt so safe and loved in my life... He almost believed that she could take away every fear he had; erase the horrible memories of his service overseas—the tortures he'd endured and inflicted on others—and the tragic loss of Yakira and their child. She could also help him to forget the subversive elements that he would still have to deal with in the future. If you allow her to do that, Agent Seldon, you will not be able to competently handle your job. But she can definitely help me to forget for a while... 

I see the love and comfort in your eyes... Wait...where are you going? I'm supposed to help you forget the bad stuff! Please come back! Oh...there you are...

He was staring at her with love and deep desire. She watched his face as he slowly lowered his lips to hers. He paused to run his tongue softly over her lips. She parted them further and touched her tongue to his.

Suddenly, they both groaned hungrily as they crushed their mouths together in a deep, erotic kiss.

Tom thrust his cock into her in rhythm with the strokes of their tongues. He made his thrusts deeper and harder as her moans became more urgent. Her legs tightened around his as her hips bucked against him. She groaned deep in her throat as she throbbed on his cock.

Tom lifted his head to watch her face. So lovely...so sensual...I will never tire of watching you...

And he would never tire of letting her take his cock in her mouth... In fact, I could get downright addicted to that! Hell...I'm as addicted to you as you are to me...

He loved her and he desired her, but more than that...he needed her. He'd been suffering terrible withdrawal pains this past month, but she was making up for that now. She was giving him what he needed right now...her body, her love, her soul...

What could I give you in return...

Lynda tightened her arms around Tom's shoulders. She clung to him as she recovered from her orgasm. She opened her eyes. He was staring at her with a slight frown. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I was just thinking that you've given me everything I've needed. I was just wondering what could I give you in return?" Tom asked solemnly.

Lynda smiled softly. "You've already given me everything I've needed, too! Your love, your baby and a marriage certificate. I still owe you a home where you'll feel safe and a family that loves you, and I'm working on that part! But you'll have to help me with the home...I only have a small apartment!"

Tom smiled and chuckled. "Don't worry. I've taken care of that. I've found us a house in Brentwood not far from Charles and Diana's. It's not as new and doesn't have the spectacular view like theirs, but it's bigger and it's only about a mile away. The closing will take place in a couple weeks, and we can start moving in right after that! I didn't tell you because I wanted it to be my wedding gift to you!"

Lynda smiled beautifully. She pulled him down to kiss him desperately.

He resumed thrusting into her enthusiastically. He drove her to ecstasy again. His own excitement caused him to lose control and soar with her into the heights of their passionate addiction for each other...



Haunted by the Past Ch. 10



Rick Estevez was suddenly nervous. Dawn had ordered him to take her to bed and make love to her. He'd been steadfastly holding off. He knew in his heart that once their bodies were that intimately joined, he'd never be closer to heaven on earth again.

Dawn flipped on the light switch just inside the door after he closed it. He turned it off again. He walked to where light was filtering in around the covered windows, found the cord and opened the drapes. The room was bathed in a softer light provided by the city lights that filtered through the sheer curtains.

Heat flooded through him. The skin on Dawn's face seemed to glow like alabaster. She definitely looks like an angel...

She shuddered softly in his arms. His hard cock throbbed. God...I want you so badly, my angel... 

I know you want to be able to see me the first time you take my body with yours... Dawn was confused when he turned the lights off. Flames roared in his dark eyes when he looked at her in the softer light. A tremor went through her body as she tingled in anticipation.

Oh, God...I can feel your hard cock! I need to feel you inside me soon or I'll just die...

Rick slowly brought his lips to hers in an almost reverent kiss. She felt as if her body was floating as she slowly unwrapped her legs from around him. He lowered her to her feet. He held her gently to him, his hands and arms softly pressing her body against his. She shivered. His hands were slowly lowering the zipper on the back of her wedding dress.

She'd chosen a simple, tea-length gown with a full skirt in a creamy, off white color that complimented her skin tone. She felt it would have been sacrilegious to wear a white wedding dress for a ceremony in a Catholic Church. She'd worn a matching hat with mesh veiling over her face and a crinoline slip under the dress during the ceremony and reception. The slip had enhanced the full skirt, but she'd removed it before they left the reception. It would have been uncomfortable while traveling.

When the zipper was all the way down, Rick started to remove her dress but she stopped him. She had bought a special nightgown and peignoir just for this night. She kissed him softly as she slipped out of his arms and told him she'd be back in a few minutes. She picked up her suitcase and went into the bathroom to change.

Damn...some lover you'll turn out to be if you lose control as soon as you see her... Rick took a few deep breaths as he began to remove his clothes. He removed his suit jacket and tie and his shoes and socks. He unbuttoned the front of his shirt and the cuffs and was just about to remove it when he heard the bathroom door open.

Oh, God... Dare I look... More heat flooded his loins when he turned to look at her. He moaned softly.

Oh, yes...I chose well... Just look at the flames in his eyes... A sexy smile curled Dawn's lips.

She was wearing a sheer cream-colored gown of chiffon with lacy cups that confined her breasts and thin satin straps to hold it over her shoulders. The matching peignoir had long, flowing sleeves. It was also a single layer of the sheer chiffon material with a thin satin edging around the neck and lace down the front. She'd left the peignoir hanging open at her sides. Her naked body was visible through the sheer material.

Rick was speechless. She was a vision of glowing alabaster framed in the dark doorway of the bathroom. Her body clearly showed through the gossamer fabric and lace of her gown. He could see the rosy brown peaks of her breasts through the thin lace. And the thatch of dark curls at the juncture of her creamy thighs beckoned his eyes.

He couldn't move. All he could do was hold his arms out to her and watch in awe as she flew toward him. The material of her gown and robe floated behind her...almost like wings.

You are the sexiest angel I could ever imagine...

Dawn was almost panting with desire. Rick's shirt was open revealing his hard, smooth chest. His dark eyes were glittering with deep passion and desire. She stared into his eyes as he slowly removed his shirt. Her breasts were rising and falling with every heavy breath she dragged into her lungs. When he laid his shirt aside, she lowered her eyes to his chest. She brought her hands up to caress his warm, dark skin and his hard pectoral muscles. She moaned softly.

Rick also moaned when he felt her soft, cool skin on his heated flesh. He looked down to see her alabaster hands against his dark body.

I can just see my thick, dark cock sliding into your creamy pink flesh... Madre de Dios...I've got to stop throbbing so hard... He closed his eyes and groaned. He wanted to make sure that he brought her pleasure the first time he took her body. But that would be difficult when he was already about to come!

His cock throbbed even more when she put her hands at the waist of his trousers, unhooked them and started to lower the zipper. He put his hand on hers to stop her. He stared at her with desperate pleading in his eyes. Please don't, angel...I'm on the verge of losing control... But you know that, don't you? Yes, my angel...make me come so I can have better control to take you the way we both want...

Yes, my desperate Latin lover...I know what you need! And I love knowing that you want me so badly that you can't control your body's reaction to me...

Dawn lowered the zipper on his trousers when he released her hand and relaxed. She slid her right hand down into his underwear and grasped his thick, throbbing shaft and stroked him gently—at first. He moaned softly as her strokes got firmer. She leaned forward and kissed his chest and raked her tongue over his nipples. She ran her left hand around his right hip to caress his ass.

A moment later, Rick's hands came up to grasp her shoulders and hold on to her as his hips bucked from his orgasm. He groaned deeply with his release.

Dawn removed her hand when he was still. She wrapped her arms around him and held him as his breathing returned to normal.

Rick bent his head and kissed her soft, brown hair as he released her. "Gracias, mi amor. Tú eres mi ángel de la misericordia. I'll be back in a moment. Be waiting for me in bed, but keep that nightgown on! Les prometo que esta noche voy a tomar tú al cielo conmigo."

"Espero que sí, porque me siento como que he estado quemando en el infierno a la espera de que tú dentro de mí!" Dawn moaned desperately.

She stared at him with deep love and desire in her eyes. He had called her his angel of mercy and promised to take her to heaven with him tonight. She replied that she hoped so; she felt like she's been in hell waiting to have him inside her.

Actually, she felt like she'd been in heaven ever since she saw him again when he found her that day at her job. The week before that had been hell from worrying over Diana. I could've used your strong arms for comfort during that week...

She watched him as he crossed to the bathroom and shut the door. She pulled the covers back off the huge bed on the side closest to the windows. She heard the sink running in the bathroom. She grinned and chuckled. Sorry I made you mess up your underwear...

She slipped off the peignoir, laid it over a chair and moved to lie down on the bed. She put a couple pillows up under her head and shoulders. She reclined in a relaxed, sexy pose on her left hip. She waited in anticipation to hear him come out.

The bathroom door opened. She turned her head to look back over her right shoulder. He walked slowly around to the side of the bed. Her chest heaved again. Just the sight of his naked body excited her like no other man she'd ever seen. Of course she only had her two boyfriends back home to compare him to. And I can hardly recall how they looked any more...

Rick's cock was already stirring again. He was staring at her glowing body lying in such a sexy pose on the white sheets of the bed. Her soft, dark brown hair was spread on the white pillowcase, framing her creamy angelic face. The flames of desire in her beautiful hazel eyes roared even hotter as her eyes traveled down his body. You desire me every bit as much as I desire you...

She held her arms up to him. He immediately lay down beside her.

Dawn wrapped her arms around him and clung to him. She kissed him fiercely, moaning into his mouth and squirming her hips. He was, maddeningly, holding back from her. Please take me soon before I burst into flames... 

He took his time to slowly run his left hand up and down her back and the right side of her body. He was drawing her nightgown up so he could get his hand under it. His palm came in direct contact with the soft skin of her right thigh and ass cheek.

She groaned deeply into his mouth as he splayed his hand across her ass and drew her hips closer to his. His cock brushed against her. Oh, my God! You're already completely hard again...

She dragged her mouth away from his and moaned loudly. "Oh, God, Rick! Please don't make me wait any longer! I need to feel your cock inside me! My body has been burning for you...please put out this fire inside me! I feel like I'm in hell and you've promised to take me to heaven!" 

She wrapped her right hand around his already aching cock. Rick groaned softly. I can no longer deny the way my body burns for yours as well, my angel... Nor could he deny how badly he craved the sight of his cock buried in her and their naked bodies wrapped around each other. He sat up and pushed her nightgown up to her waist. 

He rolled over top of her. He positioned his forearms under her shoulders and placed the tip of his aching, burning shaft at the entrance to heaven between her thighs.

They stared into each other's eyes. Their chests heaved against one another. Rick held his breath. He slowly pushed his cock inside her.

Almost instantly, Dawn's back arched, her hands clawed at his lower back and her head thrashed back into the pillows. She cried out from a powerful orgasm. "OH, MY GOD! Oh, Rick! Oh, God, I can't believe how good this feels! Oh, my God...Oh, my God...!!!" Dawn wailed. Her head thrashed back and forth.

She was on the verge of climaxing when he moved on top of her. When she felt his hot flesh touch hers, she instantly pictured his hard, dark cock sliding inside her. As soon as he pushed inside her, her body exploded into the most intense orgasm she'd ever experienced... 

"Oh, Dios mío, mi ángel! Eres tan hermosa! Te quiero y cómo su cuerpo responde a mí ... Estoy en el cielo dentro de tu cuerpo!"

Rick was stunned to feel her come as soon as he entered her. He told her how beautiful she was and that he loved her and how her body responded to him...he WAS in heaven inside her body!

When his cock was fully sheathed inside her, he stayed still. He relished the feeling of her tight, wet flesh throbbing firmly on his hard, thick shaft. Yes, my angel...I love the way your body responds to mine! You make me feel like a real man...and you're my woman...my wife... 

Dawn opened her eyes to stare up at Rick. A hot thrill coursed through her body. Ooooh, I love that hot, possessive look in your eyes...

He grinned sexily as his eyes burned at her. He pulled back and thrust slowly into her again. "Are you in heaven with me, my angel?"

"Oh, I am definitely already in heaven with you, Enrique. But I hope you'll pound at my pearly gates until you wear them out have to recoat them with a pearly substance of your own!"

Rick's white teeth glinted in the soft light as he chuckled at her joke. "Then spread your wings, my angel, and fly with me until you're too exhausted to fly any longer! And I promise to restore any damage I might do to your pearly gates..."

Dawn and Rick shared a sexy laugh. Then he rose on his hands and pounded her "pearly gates" in earnest. Dawn wailed loudly as he brought her to climax again just a couple minutes later. He was on his way to her third, feeling like he could almost keep going forever...until he made the mistake of looking down between them.

Rick growled loudly at the sight of his thick, dark cock sliding into her. Dawn lifted her head to look down. She gasped and groaned loudly. They looked at each other again. They both growled with lust as their backs arched and their hips slammed together. They yelled loudly as they came together forcefully a couple minutes later.

Rick collapsed onto his forearms over top of Dawn's heaving body. Sweat glistened on his face, neck and back from his exertion. He buried his face into the crook of her left shoulder and neck. When their breathing slowed, he lifted his head to look at her.

Her angelic face was plastered with the most womanly expression of serenity he'd ever seen. She looked like a vision of The Madonna. When she opened her eyes, he busted out laughing at what she said. You're such an intriguing mixture of angel and devil...

"If we do end up in heaven when we die and I find out that we're not allowed to fuck any more, I'm going to demand that they send us back!" Dawn busted out laughing with Rick.

He wrapped his arms around her as they rolled on the bed in a fit of laughter. Rick managed to pull her nightgown over her head when she was over top of him. Their laughter slowly died after a few minutes. Their desire mounted again as their bodies tangled together.

Dawn ended up on top of Rick, kissing him passionately. She felt his cock hardening between them. She reached down and stroked him. She straddled his hips on her knees, grasped his thick shaft and slowly impaled herself upon him. Her head fell backward as her back arched from the pleasure. He filled her completely, stretching her open. She moaned wantonly.

Oh, God...I didn't realize earlier how big your cock feels inside me...

Rick groaned deeply at the sight of her creamy, glowing body engulfing his thick, dark shaft. His body was the color of coffee with just a hint of cream—the color of her entire body. The only place on her that was a different color was the rosy brown tips of her breasts. He reached up and caressed her nipples with his fingers. She moaned even louder and arched her back, thrusting her breasts into his hands.

God...you're so sexy, angel! With your breasts thrust forward and your hair hanging down your back... 

He growled in his throat. She was impaled on his cock, rocking her body back and forth with a slight circular motion to her hips. She was riding him slowly and sensuously. His eyes drank in every sexy move of her body. Thank you, God, for sending me this erotic angel...

Good God...you can bring me to orgasm with just the look in your eyes... Dawn had raised her head to stare at Rick as she fucked him. She immediately felt herself building to a wave of pleasure. Her lashes lowered. Her wave peaked and she breathlessly told him how he made her feel.

"Aye, Dios mío, Enrique! Tus ojos mi cuerpo al fuego, pero su cuerpo se amortigua las llamas! Trazo de mí, mi amor. Mantenga las llamas de nuestra pasión quema dentro de mí!"

Rick felt the throbs of her orgasm abate. He pulled her down to him and kissed her desperately. He rolled her over to drive his burning shaft deeply inside her. He stared at her as he answered her passionate declaration.

"My eyes set your body on fire because I burn for you! Only my body can put out your flames, and I'll do that as often as you wish. The flames of our passion will never die...they burn inside both of us! Come, my angel...let's try to bank the fires of our desire just for a while..."

They were both amazed to discover that their heaven contained passionate flames of desire that could rival the fires of hell...

**********

Dawn and Rick took a much-needed shower together. When they returned to their bedroom, they heard voices in the main area of the suite.

Charles, Diana, Jon and Barbara had returned from the nightclub and Tom and Lynda had joined them. It was just after midnight and it sounded like they were having drinks and chatting.

Rick pulled on a pair of shorts. Dawn donned her bathrobe and they went out to join them.

When Dawn and Rick stepped through the door, the others looked their way. They smiled and chuckled at the looks of serene satisfaction on their faces.

Diana couldn't hold back. "Well, you two... Was it worth the wait?"

Dawn and Rick looked at each other and grinned slowly. "Oh, yes!" they said simultaneously.

Then Rick continued, "The only problem now is that I've started an even worse fire inside her that I may never be able to put out!"

Everyone chuckled when Dawn looked at Jon and asked, "Is arson considered a crime of passion? If so, you need to arrest this man for arson, Detective North!"

The chuckles got a little louder when Jon looked at Rick and said, "You chose the wrong profession, buddy...you should've been a fireman instead of a cop!"

Dawn said, "Yes, you should've been a fireman! From what you've told me about your past, you've probably left fires burning all over Los Angeles!" When Diana asked her what she meant, Dawn continued, "Oh, just that Officer Estevez here was quite the Latin Lothario before he met me! And he made me wait until we were married to fuck me! How fair was that?!!"

The men looked at Rick and chuckled, shaking their heads. The women all raised their eyebrows.

Rick looked at Dawn in exasperation. "Honey...why did you go and tell them that?" Dawn chuckled. He looked at the others. "Yeah, OK. I fucked quite a few women before I met Dawn, but I wasn't in love with any of them! What I mean is...I knew none of them were the right woman for me! I knew my heart would tell me when I spotted the right woman and that happened the moment I saw Dawn!

"I knew if I was ever lucky enough to find the right woman with whom to fall in love, it would be forever and that I'd never be able to give my heart to anyone but her! If Dawn hadn't loved me, too, I would've been doomed to spend the rest of my life just...fucking!"

He looked at Dawn, "I would never have known the true pleasure of making love to my angel sent from heaven to rescue my soul from the pit of hell for all times I used a woman strictly for sex."

He turned to her and cupped his hands on her face. "I couldn't allow myself the privilege of making love to you until you were my wife. You were my one chance at redemption. I needed to feel that I was vowing to God that you were the only woman I'd ever truly made love to and that you would be the only one for the rest of my life! That's why I made you wait...I had no choice!"

Dawn whimpered when Rick leaned down and kissed her fiercely. I've always known that you loved me, but I never realized how deeply... until this moment...

I finally know which song to sing for Rick and Dawn... Diana shivered. She'd been worried that she'd hadn't been able to find a song that was suited for them, but Rick's own words had reminded her of a song that would be perfect...

**********

The next morning, most of the couples woke around nine o'clock but didn't leave their bedrooms until over an hour later. Tom and Lynda heard Charles and Diana go into their shared bathroom to take a shower. They stayed in bed and made love while they waited for Charles and Diana to finish. It took a little longer than they expected. 

Tom and Lynda paused during a long, hot kiss to look toward the bathroom when they heard the sounds of loud feminine moans and deep male groans over the running shower. They looked back at each other and chuckled.

They'll never get cleaned up if they keep fucking in the shower! Maybe now they'll be able to finish washing and get out before they use up all the hot water...

Tom and Lynda went back to their long, hot kiss. He resumed stroking into her while they listened for the shower to shut off.




Haunted by the Past Ch. 10



On the other side of the suite, Barbara and Jon had woken up before everyone else. They showered, dressed and snuck out at 9:15. Jon had fucked Barbara hard and fast while she talked dirty to him. They had worked up an appetite so they wanted to grab a quick breakfast. They were just returning to their bedroom in the suite at about ten o'clock when they heard the shower in their shared bathroom turn on. 

Rick and Dawn had finally gotten out of bed.

Jon pulled Barbara to him and started to undress her. He said in his low, sexy voice, "I hope you had plenty to eat for breakfast, Mrs. North, because I don't plan to let you out of this bed for a while! If we get hungry again, we'll just have to feast on each other."

Mr. Big sprang instantly to life when he heard her throaty, feline purr in reply.

"That sounds good to me, Detective North. You know I can make a meal out of Mr. Big anytime!"

Jon's eyes burned at her as he undressed her. "I intend to make a meal of your whole body, Mrs. North, starting with your toes and working my way up. I may have to pause occasionally to let Mr. Big have a taste as well. But my tongue is going to cover every inch of your lovely body."

He knelt down on his left knee to remove her shoes. He leaned down and placed a lingering kiss on the soft, mousy brown curls of her mound. Then he stood and kissed her lips gently.

He began to undress himself by nudging his shoes off and unbuttoning his shirt. She made a move to help him, but he stopped her with a slow shake of his head. Oh, no, my love...I want to watch the flames leap in your eyes...

You want to torture me by making me watch you undress slowly... Barbara smiled sexily. She moved to the bed and sat down. She scooted back and propped herself on her elbows to watch her sexy husband. The thick lashes of her cat-like eyes lowered. Her lips parted. She took a deep breath as she watched the slow, sexy way he removed his shirt.

You like watching the way the muscles in my shoulders, upper arms and chest flex and ripple as I move. You think it's sexy... He grinned knowingly. She had moaned the first time he'd moved like that; he'd been doing it that way ever since. He turned around to hang his shirt over a chair.

Barbara watched the muscles in his back as he bent over to take off his socks. She moaned softly. He stood back up and turned his upper body so he could look over his right shoulder. He stared at her as he undid his pants.

She heard the sound of his zipper being lowered...slowly. Her eyes burned into his sexy, deep green bedroom eyes. His hard ass was revealed when he put his hands inside the waist of his pants and shorts and pushed them down his hips, removing both of them. She moaned even louder.

Jon stood still for a moment with his face turned away from Barbara. He flexed his ass muscles and took a couple deep breaths. He was steeling himself for the rush of desire when he turned around. He loved watching her eyes and hearing her moans of excitement as he turned her on. The only trouble was, watching her also turned him on! It could make him lose control almost as fast as when she talked dirty to him! 

Jon took a deep breath and exhaled as he turned around. As always, the breath caught in his lungs and more heat flooded his loins at the look of raw desire on her face. She stared at his big dick for several moments. Her small, beautiful breasts heaved from her pants of desire. She moaned wantonly as her head flopped backward, sending her golden curls cascading off her shoulders. Jon sucked in another deep breath. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists.

Good God, woman... I just want to dive onto you and plunge my throbbing dick into your tight little pussy again... But I need more than just your body! I need your heart and soul as well...

Her body felt like it was made just for his. He always wanted his cock buried inside her. But, sometimes, like now, he was still afraid that Barbara hadn't really fallen in love with him...that she was only in lust with him. She hadn't been with a man for over five years before he met her.

I'm afraid that I'm just the only man since your dead husband who's ignited a fire inside you that you can't deny... And what woman wouldn't profess to love a man who can bring her that much pleasure for hours at a time? And Karen, Terri and Sandra had said THEY loved me...

Barbara would moan over and over as he brought her through wave after wave of orgasms that she loved him. But none of his girlfriends had ever allowed him to make love to them for hours...

They told him he was an excellent lover. They'd also been enthralled with his impressive cock and he'd been able to make them come so easily...but they just wanted for him to do the same! He told them that he wanted and needed to spend more time just being close to them during lovemaking. He needed to feel more of a connection with them. But they had always come up with some excuse as to why they wouldn't or couldn't spend that much time in bed with him. So he'd had to talk dirty to himself as he fucked them in order to come quickly enough for them.

They held me off on purpose. They didn't want to build a real connection with me until they decided whether they could deal with me being a cop...

Barbara had told him that she was ignoring her fears because she loved him and needed him. But most of the time she acted like she just wanted him. There was no denying her lust and desire for him...

But do you really love me and need me the way I do you... My gut told me the moment I touched you that I needed you; my heart made me realize that I loved you; and then my body craved yours...

Usually it was the other way around. He'd see an attractive woman and heat would flood his loins so he'd ask them out. If they caused his pulse to race as he got to know them, then he fell in love with them. Then he felt like he'd been punched in the gut when they left him because he'd started to need them.

Jon moved to the foot of the bed and crawled up to kneel between Barbara's bent, spread legs. He sat back on his haunches and grasped first her left leg and then her right leg. He ran his lips and tongue up and down them until he completely covered her legs with soft, wet kisses from her toes to the creases of her thighs.

Barbara lay as still as she could as he slowly tortured her. When his mouth was close to the juncture of her thighs, it was all she could do not to squirm her hips to bring his lips in contact with her throbbing flesh. I want to feel your tongue inside me so badly... She groaned in frustration every time he moved away again.

Jon smiled to himself. I know what you want... I'm trying to help you to be more patient... just enjoy the sensation of my lips and tongue on every inch of your body...

She was always in such a rush to have him stimulate her so directly. I need to help you discover how to relax and enjoy our time together... I know, sweet girl... You went without sex for so long... It's time to reward you for your patience thus far...

She was whimpering so desperately that he couldn't stand to keep torturing her. Jon kissed and licked the last few inches of her right upper thigh. He gradually worked his way toward her center as he lay down. He raked his tongue up her slick, sweet flesh.

And here's your reward for being patient, pretty girl... 

Barbara hissed in a breath and held it in anticipation when she felt his warm breath on her core. Then she moaned loudly. Her hips bucked when he swirled his tongue on her sensitive clit. He sent her to a quick, intense climax.

She moaned even louder, "Oh, God...Oh, God...!" She collapsed, panting heavily. "Oh, thank you! Thank you, Jon...I needed that! But I need your cock inside me even more...please?!!"

"Oh, no, my anxious girl. I'm not even half way done with your body yet. But I may have to give Mr. Big a taste soon. Just try to relax and enjoy how it feels to have your entire body worshipped by my lips and tongue."

She whimpered in desperation. Jon chuckled quietly as he lowered his lips to her sweet pussy again. He groaned as he tasted her essence on his tongue.

He was also getting anxious to feel her tight flesh engulf his cock; he was throbbing with need. He worked his mouth on her eagerly until her hips were rolling from another deeper wave of pleasure. He lifted up and crawled up over her, trailing his lips and tongue over every inch of her soft, slim abdomen until he reached her firm, round globes.

He slowly circled each one with soft, wet kisses. Then he fully enclosed her pink, pebbly nipples in his mouth and laved them with his tongue. As always, she was immediately writhing from another sensuous wave of intense pleasure.

Jon couldn't hold back any longer. He positioned his cock at the entrance to her tight, wet core and drove into her forcefully. They groaned loudly. He stayed still, moaning softly. Her flesh throbbed on his thick, hard shaft. He watched her beautiful, exotic face display the intense pleasure she felt. Her breathing steadied again.

I'll probably hear the answer that everybody usually gives to this question...

"Why do you love me, Barbara?"

She frowned in confusion. "What?"

"Why do you love me? What made you love me?" Jon asked as his heart constricted. Go ahead...let me hear the dreaded list of physical attributes and personality traits that most people rattle off as good reasons for loving someone...

I hadn't wanted to love you at all! I just couldn't help myself... Barbara frowned even harder. She swallowed nervously. "I don't know! I just felt something I'd never felt before the moment I looked into your eyes. It made me care about you even though I had wanted to hate you!"

Tears came into Jon's deep green eyes. Barbara was suddenly terrified.

"I...I didn't mean that, Jon! I do love you...you're such a good man! You're honorable and kind and loving... How could I not...?" she stammered until Jon put his hand over her mouth.

"Don't say anything else. I liked your first answer better. It was honest and it proved to me that you really do love me!"

Tears came into Barbara's gray blue eyes. She stared up at her husband. He took his hand away. "How could you have doubted that I love you? Why else would I risk having my heart broken again if something should happen to you?"

A couple tears slid down his cheeks. "I was afraid that you weren't letting yourself love me deeply enough so that your heart wouldn't be broken. No other woman before you had been willing to take that chance. And yet, you chose to love me even though you're well aware of the risks! I just couldn't let myself believe that you loved me that much..."

Barbara pulled his head down beside hers and wrapped herself around him. "Oh, Jon...those other women were fools! I don't doubt that all of them probably wanted to love you that much, but they let their fear of losing you keep them from you. If you ever see any of them when we're out together somewhere, please tell me so I can thank them for letting me have you!"

This is just my own past fear trying to sabotage my happiness. She loves me deeply...and not only that, she desires me more than any of them had... Jon's heart pounded in his chest. How lucky could I be...

He lifted his head to stare at his beautiful wife. He kissed her passionately. His cock hardened again. He had started to lose his erection when he feared to hear Barbara's response. As soon as he realized that he had nothing to fear, his heart started pumping the blood back into Mr. Big. Jon proceeded to show Barbara how much he loved her.

It took Jon another hour to finish his feast of Barbara's body. She got better at relaxing and enjoying how he could make her feel. A little later, after they called room service for a light lunch, Barbara took her time to feast on Jon and Mr. Big.

She worked her way up the back of his body first—from his feet to the top of his head. She paid special attention to his firm, shapely ass and his sexy back and shoulders. She massaged them sensuously as she kissed and licked every inch of him.

When he rolled over, she massaged his legs up and down and rewarded his patience by sucking and stroking Mr. Big to full attention.

She ended up teasing Jon worse than he had teased her. She worked her lips and tongue over his entire torso and up to his neck and ears. When she straddled his hips on her knees, Jon was begging desperately to be inside her.

She was poised just above Mr. Big. Barbara stared at Jon. "Whatever happened to just relaxing and enjoying our time together?"

His green eyes flashed with frustration. He growled as he thrust his hips upward to rub the tip of his thick cock on her dripping flesh. She moaned softly and arched her back as she slowly lowered herself. When she was fully impaled on him, her head flopped backward and she groaned loudly.

"Oh, God, Jon! I'll never get over how good you feel inside me! I loved Tony, but he never made me feel like this! His smaller cock was fine because I was a young virgin experiencing love and pleasure for the first time. But you... your awesome dick completely fills me and makes me feel like I'm the sexiest and most desirable woman!"

Jon groaned in response, "Oh, God, Barbara...you are! I crave everything about you! My eyes crave the sight of your beautiful face and sexy body...my heart craves the feel of you in my arms...and my soul craves the joining of our flesh! Your sweet, little pussy was made for my awesome dick, pretty girl!"

Jon pulled her down to his chest, wrapped his arms around her and rolled them over. He molded their bodies together and thrust inside her to the rhythm of their heartbeats. "Join with me, love. Let our bodies, hearts and souls become one... You're a part of me now, Barbara, and I'll always be with you...no matter what happens!"

If anything happens to you, I won't survive... Tears came into Barbara's eyes. She could not bring herself to believe that God would be so cruel as to give her two such wonderful chances at love and happiness only to take both of them away!

But...God is not in control of the evil forces that Jon faces... Only our love for each other can protect him and keep him safe...

**********

Jon and Barbara spent most of the day in the suite in their bed. The other couples went down to the lobby, had brunch and spent a little time in the casino. Then they went out to lounge by the pool for a while in the afternoon. They told Jon and Barbara where they'd be if they felt like joining them. Finally, at about 3:30, they showed up.

Everyone chuckled when Tom saw them and said, "Well, well, well...look who finally decided to get out of bed! Gee, you two...are you sure you've had enough sex for today? You were only at it for what...five hours?"

Jon and Barbara grinned back. Barbara said, "Well...only about four and a half hours. We did take a break to eat some actual food!"

Everyone busted out laughing.

They spent another hour lounging around the pool. Around 4:45, the women went back to the suite to get ready for their six o'clock dinner reservation at the nightclub. The men said they were going to stay at the pool for another half hour until the women were through with their showers. Then they'd come up to bathe and dress for dinner. The women kissed their husbands before they left.

The men watched their beautiful wives walk away and disappear into the hotel lobby. They all glanced at each other and raised their eyebrows. They took deep breaths and exhaled slowly. As they all raised their beers to take a drink, Charles said, "Yes...we are one very lucky group of men!"

"Here, here!" the rest of them muttered as they drank their beers.

Then Tom muttered, "Uh oh! Incoming...nine o'clock! Looks like an infiltration party headed our way!"

The men glanced to the left. A couple very attractive women were headed their way. They had just come out of the hotel lobby and they were staring at all of them. The women stopped in front of them.

Tom smiled and said, "Good afternoon, ladies. Is there something we can help you with?"

The two women smirked at each other. "Funny you should ask, because, yes, there is something we need help with. My friend and I are all alone this weekend and we've been hoping to meet some nice looking men to spend time with. Would you gentlemen be interested in our company this afternoon and tonight...all night? We promise that just the two of us will be able to handle all of you equally!"

The other men's eyebrows went up. They looked at Charles when he chuckled and muttered, "I don't believe this! Both weekends!" Charles glanced at his friends and said to the women, "Ladies, you are both very attractive and we're flattered at your interest in us, but we're all married. See?" Charles added.

The men all held up their left hands with plain gold bands on each of their ring fingers.

Then Charles stated, "And we all love and desire our wives very much. Your offer would've been tempting before we met our wives, but now..." He finished by shrugging his shoulders and looking at the others.

They all shrugged and shook their heads in agreement.

The ladies looked disappointed. "Oh, well. You can't blame us for trying...you're a very sexy group of men and your wives must be very lucky women! Thanks for turning us down gently. Come on, Cindy. I told you a group of men that handsome had to be spoken for!"

The men all chuckled when they heard the woman's last comment as they walked away.

Tom looked at Charles "Why did you find this so amusing? What were those comments you made about?"

The men all laughed when he told them about the two women who had propositioned him when he and Diana were here on their honeymoon!

They had finished their beers and it was time to head up to the suite so they could bathe and dress for dinner. By 5:50, everyone was ready to head down to the nightclub for dinner. None of them noticed as they strolled through the lobby that many people stared at the group of four strikingly good-looking couples.

Everyone was sure they had to be celebrities...



Haunted by the Past Ch. 11



The group was pleased to learn when they arrived at the nightclub of The Riviera in Las Vegas that the concierge had arranged for all of their drinks to be "on the house." They only had to pay for their dinners. Everyone ordered their favorites from the menu. They chatted and laughed as they sipped on drinks while they waited for their meals to arrive.

Diana Richards was chatting with her best friend Lynda Seldon. Lynda's eyes widened as she glanced up beside her. Diana looked up quickly when she heard a slightly familiar voice.

"Pardon me, Ma'am. I don't mean to be interruptin' you and your friends, but I just thought I'd say 'hello' to ya!"

"Hello, Tex! What brings you here this weekend?" Diana asked as she offered her hand to him. She chuckled when the big Texan bent and placed an awkward kiss on her hand.

"Well, Ma'am, I heard you were goin' to be performin' this weekend, and since I missed your last performance, I thought I'd see just how talented you are since all those other men had said you were. I figure if yer as talented as they say, it might explain how you were able to beat the pants off me at Texas Hold 'Em! Beggin' your pardon, Agent Richards, I only meant it as an expression!" Tex added when he noticed Charles sitting next to Diana.

Charles chuckled. "No problem, Tex!"

Tex continued, "You look real purdy tonight...so do all your lady friends, here. If you men are married to all these ladies, you fellas are all real lucky! I'm here with my new little woman... she's waitin' fer me way over there. She thought it was real funny when I told her how you beat me that night! She said it sounded like yer a very smart woman!"

Diana chuckled. "Well, thank you Tex, that was a very nice compliment. And it sounds like your little woman is pretty smart herself. After all, she did give a big, handsome cowboy like you a chance to prove that you respect women for their intelligence. I hope you two will enjoy the show this evening and have a great weekend. By the way, there wouldn't happen to be another private Texas Hold 'Em game going on tonight, is there?"

"Yes, Ma'am, I believe there is. But if you plan on joinin' in, I wish you'd tell me right now so I don't bother to waste my money!"

Everyone at the table chuckled when Diana said, "Now, Tex! What makes you think that you might not be able to read me this time and maybe beat the panties off of me? Just an expression, dear," she added as she glanced at Charles.

She looked at Tex again. "No, Tex, I don't think I will play tonight. I'm sure I'll be pretty tired after a full show this evening. You won't have to worry about me being there. So, good luck to you!"

Tex looked relieved. "Thank ya, Ma'am. You have a good show and I'm sure my little woman and me'll enjoy it. Good evenin' to you folks, an' sorry fer intrudin'!" Tex sauntered away. 

Everyone at the table laughed quietly. Lynda said, "I thought you were pulling our legs with that story! But you must've done what you said you did to have intimidated him that much!"

Lynda, Dawn and Barbara laughed harder along with Charles. Tom, Rick and Jon were looking at their wives and friends in confusion. Tom asked for an explanation. So Diana told them the story. 

"On the last hand, I had pocket Kings, so I went all in. I had flirted with Tex to learn his tells and I discovered when he had a weak hand, he'd say something overtly sexual to me. He made a comment about my nipples being hard and asked me if he was turning me on and if I wanted him to show 'my pussyfoot husband' how to satisfy a hot woman like me. So, I arched my back, ran my hands up my body and cupped my breasts and rubbed my thumbs over my nipples while I stared at Charles. And I told Tex that the reason my nipples were hard was because I was anticipating my husband licking and sucking on them while he fully satisfied my with his big, long, hard cock...as soon as I'd beaten him!"

Tom, Jon and Rick had been snorting and then busted out laughing. Can you imagine the looks on their faces! I can't believe she had the audacity to do something like that! It got even better... 

"I warned Tex not to piss Charles off because he's an FBI agent in excellent physical condition and I said that I'd been more than willing to bet that Charles could've kicked his ass. I looked at Charles and asked him if that was a bet I should make, and he told me to bet my sweet ass!" 

Tom, Jon and Rick busted out laughing again. They knew how fond Charles was of Diana's ass!

"Then I goaded Tex by leaning across the table and giving him a good view of my cleavage. I asked him if I'd thrown him off his game because he'd been staring at my breasts all night and wanted me. I also asked if he had imagined me crawling across the table and plopping myself in his lap, opening his pants and whipping his cock out and impaling myself upon him! Then I stood up straight and reminded him that the only man I was going to impale myself upon was Charles and that Tex was keeping me from him. I finally got him to call my bet when I asked him if he had big enough balls to do it or if he wanted to borrow my husband's!"

Tom, Jon and Rick were about to fall in the floor laughing by the time she finished.

Tom looked at Charles as he wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes. "Boy, I'll bet you didn't have any idea what you'd gotten yourself into until that game!"

Charles replied, "Oh, yes; I knew exactly what I'd gotten myself into! She proved to me during that game that she could handle aggressive men!"

Then he sat back and muttered, "Just not dangerous ones..." A far away look came into his eyes.

The group sobered as they remembered Diana's attack and the fact that the bastard Ed Hood had never been found.

The morose moments of silence were broken by the arrival of their meals. Everyone got back into a good mood as they enjoyed the delicious food and lively conversations. After their meal, they had sumptuous desserts with coffee or liqueurs. Diana declined dessert. She didn't want to fill her stomach too full before having to sing in a couple hours. 

They spent the next couple hours talking, laughing, having drinks and dancing when the band started playing. Charles and Diana and Jon and Barbara laughed when Tom and Lynda and Dawn and Rick left the table at about 7:30 saying they needed to go back to the suite for something they forgot!

They didn't forget anything...they want quickies... That was confirmed when they didn't return until eight o'clock!

They ordered another round of drinks just before going down to the dance floor. Lynda had been drinking club soda all evening and nothing alcoholic all weekend.

Diana asked her, "Why haven't you been drinking, Lynda? Are you staying sober because you want to remember your honeymoon?"

Lynda smiled softly. "I haven't been drinking because I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant."

Diana, Barbara and Dawn all chorused, "Oh, my God! That's wonderful! When will you know for sure?"

Lynda replied, "I'm two weeks late! But my doctor told me that I have to wait at least a couple more weeks before he can confirm it! I told Tom last night...it was my wedding gift to him."

Tom was sitting there with the biggest grin on his face. Charles, Jon and Rick slapped his shoulders and threw praises and warnings at him.

"Damn! You really didn't waste any time, did you?"

"You knocked her up that first day you met!"

"You two better be careful; it sounds like you're pretty damn potent and she's pretty damn fertile!"

"You could end up turning her into a baby factory!"

Tom stood, helped his beautiful wife to her feet and put his arms around her. "Well, I don't have to worry about it for the next nine months anyway." He turned her around, put his arms around her waist and caressed her lower abdomen as he said, "But isn't she the most beautiful baby factory you've ever seen?" He bent his head down and kissed her neck and shoulder. Then he took her hand and led her down to the dance floor.

Charles, Jon and Rick looked at their own wives. My wife will look her most beautiful when she's carrying our child...

Charles and Rick weren't in any hurry.

Jon, on the other hand, instantly pictured Barbara's beautiful body—her abdomen bulging with his child inside her. His chest felt tight with longing.

When they were on the dance floor, Jon held Barbara close to him and put his lips near her ear. "Barbara, love, I don't want to rush you if you aren't ready...but I would love to have children with you and be able to enjoy them before I get too old. Promise me you'll let me know as soon as you're ready to make a baby with me."

Barbara leaned back and stared at him for a moment. She had been the one who'd wanted to wait to have children with Tony. She hadn't wanted children to get in the way until she experienced the fullest pleasures with him. She and Tony had started trying to have a baby several months before he was killed. She'd berated herself for over a year because she hadn't been able to give Tony a child before he died.

Tears came into her eyes. "I'm ready to have your baby whenever you are. I waited before I tried to give Tony a child and he was taken from me before I could do that. I'm not going to make the same mistake with you. In fact, if something does happen to you, I think the only way I'd survive is if I have your child or children to love and care for. I don't think I'd survive alone!" she finished hoarsely, her throat choked with emotion.

Jon held her tighter to him and said emotionally, "I'm going to make love to you over and over until you get pregnant. I want to watch your beautiful body blossom with my child inside you. I want a son to carry my name and I want a beautiful little girl that looks just like you! Oh, Barb...you've made me so happy!" 

They hugged each other tightly as they swayed on the dance floor.

Just before nine o'clock, the band in the nightclub of The Riviera Resort in Las Vegas took a break. The bandleader announced that the dance floor and stage area needed to be cleared for their guest performer. The nightclub manager appeared at their table and asked Diana if she was ready. She assured him she was. At nine o'clock, the bandleader reappeared and introduced her.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome back our special guest performer for this evening, from Los Angeles, the very beautiful and very talented Diana Maitland Richards!"

Diana was almost overwhelmed again by the enthusiastic greeting from the audience. She thanked everyone after they quieted and launched into her first set. She performed a variety from old standards to show tunes, and love songs to sultry jazz numbers. She sang emotionally on a couple of the songs she'd sung to Charles on their honeymoon—"Night and Day" and "At Last."

After the first 45 minutes, she took a 15-minute break. She drank some water and chatted with everyone at her table. They all told her how fantastically she was performing.

After the break, she returned and made some song dedications for her friends.

"These first couple songs are for my good friends, Barbara and Jonathan North. 'The Nearness of You' is their favorite song. And 'The Very Thought of You' is for Barbara from Jon. He told me that he loses his senses when he thinks about her! These are for you, Barb and Jon!"

She dedicated the song that was next to Dawn and Rick—the one he'd made her think of last night.

"This next song is dedicated to another couple friends of mine...Rick and Dawn Estevez, who are here celebrating their honeymoon! You said it yourself, Rick, 'When I Fall In Love,' it will be forever!"

The next dedications were for Tom and Lynda. "This next song is for my best friend, Lynda, to her new husband, Thomas Seldon; 'I'll Never Stop Loving You.' I know she'll never stop loving you, Tom!" When she ended, Lynda was crying.

"And this song is for Lynda from Tom. I hope the words express for you how she makes you feel!" Diana launched into "No Other Love."

By the time the song ended, Lynda was sobbing. Tom was holding her, and he blew a kiss to Diana.

Her last song was dedicated to Charles. "I've found another song whose lyrics seem to tell our story as well as 'Some Enchanted Evening' did on our honeymoon six months ago." She stared at Charles as she sang.

Long ago and far away, I dreamed a dream one day And now that dream is here beside me Long the skies were overcast, But now the clouds have passed You're here at last!

Chills run up and down my spine, Aladdin's Lamp is mine The dream I dreamed was not denied me Just one look and then I knew, That all I longed for Long ago was you.

She almost choked up at the end of the song, but she was able to hold onto it. After the last note ended, she let the tears well in her eyes as she looked at Charles. She kissed her fingertips and gestured to him as she sent him the kiss.

Diana received another enthusiastic standing ovation. She bowed several times and ended up bursting into tears before she even made it off the stage. Charles held her again as she tried to regain control of her emotions.

But she couldn't stop crying. Every high and low of emotion she'd felt over the last few years, and especially the last few months, were pouring out of her and she couldn't stop them. 

Charles couldn't stand to see her in so much pain. He scooped her into his arms and told their friends to stay and enjoy themselves a while longer. He carried Diana out of the nightclub, through the lobby to the elevators and up to their suite.

She had broken down crying after her performance just like she had on their honeymoon six months ago. Only then, she had cried for just a couple minutes and had calmed down. She'd been sobbing now for about ten minutes and was showing no sign of slowing down.

Charles had a feeling he knew why. She'd been through something very traumatizing. She'd experienced the most emotional highs and lows of her life all within a few month period. And she'd never talked to anyone about the worst of it.

I thought I made you realize that you can't keep blaming yourself. I hope that's not what is still upsetting you...

Charles sat on the side of the bed as he cradled her on his lap. He held her and rocked her as he stroked her back and her hair. He spoke to her soothingly.

"It's OK, Diana. I'm here. I love you. I'll do whatever you need me to do. Just tell me what you need, my love!"

"I don't know what I need!" she sputtered between sobs. "I only know what I don't deserve..."

"What's that?" Charles asked warily. Oh, God, pretty lady...don't say it...

"You...your love..." she squeaked achingly.

Charles sucked in a breath as his chest tightened painfully. "Don't you ever say that again, Diana!" he ground through his teeth as his throat constricted and tears filled his eyes. He grabbed her upper arms and shook her lightly as he repeated vehemently, "Do you hear me? Don't ever say that again! How could I love you if you don't deserve me?"

She seemed to calm as his anger increased. I know what you need...and I'll do my best...

He grasped her arms a little tighter and gritted through his teeth, "Did you deserve the big man? Wasn't he able to make you realize that you deserved his love? Well, what about me, Diana? Do I deserve any less than him? Do I deserve for you to refuse from me what you accepted from him? I'M your husband... NOT HIM!"

He moved her from his lap onto the bed. He stood up, kicked his shoes off and dropped his suit jacket from his shoulders, yanked off his tie and unbuttoned a few of the top buttons on his shirt. He picked her up off the edge and dropped her onto the bed with her head on the pillows and crawled over top of her. He reached up under her dress, grabbed her panties and yanked on one side, ripping them, and tugged on the material until they were out of the way.

He leaned over her, unfastening his pants and pushing them down his hips to free his hard cock.

"Why was he there to comfort you after that bastard raped you? That should've been me! That's my job now! But I should've been there to stop that bastard from raping you in the first damn place!"

Flames of desire leapt in her eyes even through her tears. He pushed her dress up, spread her legs and plunged into her with a loud grunt. He ranted at her as he fucked her forcefully.

"You're MY wife! ... Why couldn't I protect you? ... Why can't I make you forget HIM?! ... Why can't I make you forget...every fucking bastard...you ever let inside you?! ... Why can't they find ... that bastard who ... took you from me? ... I'll kill him ... I swear I'll kill him!!!" 

Charles half groaned and half sobbed on his last statements. He collapsed on top of her. He started to cry as he came inside her.

She throbbed on his shaft as she breathed raggedly. Diana wrapped herself around him as she cried—but not as hard as she had been sobbing before.

He forced his arms up under her body to hold her.

They cried quietly together.

"I need you, Charles." Diana whispered desperately. "I love you, even though it may not be for the right reasons, but I do love you. And I want you more than any man I've known. But above all...I need you! If I lose you, I'll die! My life would be meaningless. You're the only thing that's ever been right in my life! Every stupid mistake I've made...everything I've done will doom me to hell if I can't give you what you need...be what you need me to be... What do you need from me?" she whispered hoarsely through her tears.

She sobbed again when she heard his whispered reply.

"Just let me love you...don't ever deny my love for you and don't ever turn me away... Oh, God, Diana...please! Don't cry any more...you're breaking my heart!" Charles laid his head on her chest and cried quietly.

She tried to stop sobbing. I haven't cried this much since I tried to make the big man realize that we didn't belong together. But now, I'm trying to make you realize how much I need you...

He was the only thing making her heart want to keep beating...the only thing keeping her soul alive. And all he wanted was for her to let him love her... How hard could that be...

Extremely hard... She felt like she didn't deserve to be alive...much less worthy of being loved by a man whose heart and soul were so...much more deserving of what she felt she had to offer.

OK...I have to stop this. I can't stand seeing you in so much pain... Let me ease your pain... I'll be OK...

But she didn't think she'd ever really be OK. She stopped crying as she stroked his hair and his upper back. 

Both times I've been hurt the worst in my life have been my own fault...

Robert Clark had taken her virginity and dumped her because she'd told him she was in love with John Wayne and always would be. No wonder he hadn't cared about loving me...

Ed Hood had raped her because he'd seen her give herself to a number of men that she didn't love... No wonder he was so pissed because I wouldn't fuck him...

Diana coughed slightly and swallowed a lump in her throat. She said quietly, "I'm so sorry to have upset you like this. Sometimes the pain of my past just overwhelms me and I can't control the despair I feel. Oh, Charles...just hold me until the pain passes. I'll be fine as long as I feel your arms around me."

Charles lifted his head to look at her. Diana's heart nearly broke at the look in his eyes. She hadn't seen that look since he first saw her in the hospital after she was attacked. She put her hands on his face and used her thumbs to wipe the moisture off his cheeks. She mustered the best smile that she could.

He wanted to cry again. She's putting on an act for my benefit...




Haunted by the Past Ch. 11



She was no longer crying and her lips curved into a soft smile...but the smile didn't reach her eyes. Her eyes had lost their sparkle. He could still see when they deepened with love and when the flames of her desire for him were roaring...but her spark was gone. Ever since that bastard raped her...

She keeps blaming herself for her past mistakes... She's convinced herself that she deserved to be raped! She's probably also convinced herself that she deserved what that bastard Robert Clark did to her as well...

She'd told him that if she hadn't been such a loose woman, she wouldn't be in this mess... His sadness ebbed as his anger returned. He breathed heavier and clenched his jaw as he sat up to finish removing his clothing. 

No wonder you keep feeling like you don't deserve me...

If she felt she didn't deserve his love, then maybe she would respond to his anger and obsession! She needed his obsession in order to feel loved... 

After everything she's been through, it's probably the only way I'm going to get through to her... I hated treating Sue like a whore when I found out she'd cheated on me...

But she had responded to it, albeit with lust instead of love. But he'd realized over the years that she had never really loved him at all. Diana was completely the opposite...she loved him beyond reason but felt that she didn't deserve his love because he was so honorable.

She needs to see my obsessive possession of her...it'll bring out a rawness of my character that she needs to see...

He would have to let go of his instinct to treat her gently and tenderly right now because it wasn't what she needed. You will have to fight your instincts in order to prove to your wife that she deserves your love...

It was his only choice... it was their only chance...

Diana watched her husband's face as he sat on the edge of the bed removing his clothing. There was a fire burning in his eyes when he glanced at her. He was angry...but there were also sparks of passion. 

He kicked his pants and shorts the rest of the way down his legs, removed his socks and was unbuttoning the rest of his shirt. As soon as it was open he stood up and angrily shrugged out of it and tossed it aside.

Charles leaned down and roughly grasped her upper arms and pulled her up to kneel on the side of the bed in front of him. He reached around behind her and carefully, but forcefully, lowered the zipper of her dress. He grabbed the shoulder straps and pulled the dress away from her body until it fell down around her knees on the bed. He waited as she crawled the rest of the way out of it and then he tossed it aside with his shirt.

Charles let his mind flood with all the images of John Wayne making love to his wife that he normally kept at bay.

Diana staring up at the big man with love and desire in her eyes while he thrust his big cock slowly and deeply into her...

Diana clinging to Wayne's shoulders and neck, her back arching in pleasure as he brings her to orgasm... moaning loudly how much she loves him...

The Duke fucking his wife forcefully, demanding that she love only him...Diana staring at the big man desperately as she swears that she'll never love another man the way she loves him...

Charles growled in anger and lust. He pushed her sideways onto the bed, her head landing on the pillows. He reached over and grabbed her ankles and threw her shoes off her feet.

Then he crawled between her legs and put his hands under her ass. He lifted her slightly and put her tender pink flesh right in front of his face.

He stared up into her eyes as he growled angrily at her. "I'm going to torture your little pussy until you forget every other bastard who's ever fucked you! Until you scream my name and beg me to fuck you because you can no longer be satisfied until you feel my dick inside your body! And when I wear your pussy out until you can no longer stand it, then I'm going to fuck your sweet ass until you can no longer remember your own name! But, you'd better remember mine! I want to hear you scream my name every time I make you come! If you don't, I'll subject you to the worst torture you could ever imagine..."

Charles hesitated as he tried to think of the worst thing he could do to anger Diana and make her realize that he could do something way worse than any of her so-called mistakes...

"I'll go find those two attractive women who propositioned the guys and me earlier—I'll bring them up here and make you watch as I fuck them!"

He sneered lustfully as he saw sparks of anger fly from her eyes. I could never do that, but if I can at least make you believe that I would...

"You bastard! You wouldn't dare..." Diana snarled quietly.

"Just don't test me...remember what I said! You scream my name...or I'll make you watch as those other women do!"

Diana started to say something else. He silenced her words by raking his tongue firmly up the middle of her dripping flesh. He smiled to himself. Whatever she'd been about to say came out as a loud groan instead.

Hmm...and you're a good deal wetter than when I first lifted your puss in front of my face...

Charles dove into her flesh with his mouth. He tortured the top of her nether lips with his mustache and tongue. He alternately rubbed his bushy upper lip over her sensitive clit and occasionally pursed his lips to kiss and suck on it. Then he stroked it with his tongue until she screamed his name the first time.

He lifted her hips higher and kissed the core of her sweetness, thrusting his tongue into her as deeply as he could over and over. She grabbed his head and thrust her hips against his invading mouth, moaning desperately. She screamed his name again.

He smiled to himself again. At least you took my warning to heart...

He continued to alternately lap at her sensitive clit and invade her sweet pussy with his tongue. She screamed his name three more times. He grunted in satisfaction when she groaned desperately, "Fuck me, Charles! Oh, please...fuck me now!"

He backed away from her throbbing flesh just far enough to growl heatedly, "That's not good enough! You can beg better than that! How badly do you need me, Diana? Make me believe that you've never needed any other man the way that you need me right this moment! I'll not satisfy your throbbing pussy with my dick until you make me believe it!"

Diana whimpered. How do I convince you that I'm throbbing with the worst need for a man's cock that I've ever felt in my life?!!! But you've tortured me and pissed me off so badly that I can't think straight...

Her anger surged. He was just barely tickling her flesh with his mustache. And his hot breath was tantalizing her as he tortured her with just the tip of his tongue...

She growled in anger. She threw her arms onto the bed and bucked her hips out of his hands. She rolled onto her side and then up onto her hands and knees to get away from him. But he was too fast for her. He sprang up onto his knees, grabbed her around her waist and hauled her back against him. He pinned her back against the front of his body, his hard cock wedged between her thighs.

"WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?" Charles roared next to her ear. Then he growled menacingly, "I'm not through with your little pussy yet!"

"NOWHERE WITH YOU! FUCK YOU, CHARLES RICHARDS!" Diana screamed the same words she'd yelled at him in his car outside the pub the night they'd met. He had tortured her with deep, erotic kisses and pinched her nipples just trying to make her tell him her name! And then he had told her he was going to take her home because he wasn't going to fuck her until she was his wife...

She was even angrier and more frustrated now than she had been then. "If you want my pussy so badly, then take it! FUCK ME, YOU BASTARD!"

You're coming back to me...

Charles stifled the smile that came to his face. He gripped her upper arms and pushed her away from him just far enough to force her to turn around and face him. He clenched his jaw to look stern. His eyes glittered with anger and passion.

Anger, lust and desire were warring in her eyes. There was no denying the need for him that he saw. But she was so angered at the moment that she wasn't about to beg.

Good...at least I know you're still a fighter... Charles sneered sexily, "Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you? But I told you...you're going to have to beg me!"

He dragged his right hand down her left arm to her hand. He pulled it to his crotch and forced her to wrap her hand around his throbbing shaft. Then he said teasingly in his deep, sexy voice, "How much longer do you want to torture yourself, Diana? You know you want my hard cock in your throbbing pussy! Why won't you just do what I told you, and beg me? Then I'll give you what you need!"

He saw the angry sparks in her eyes again. Her lust and desire had nearly won out when she wrapped her hand around his throbbing dick.

Oh, God...I can't let you see how badly I need you! So, let's see how far I can push you...

"Or would you rather watch as I give my cock to a woman who would appreciate it more than you?!! What's the matter, Diana? Is my dick not good enough for you to beg for any more? Would you rather go back to John Wayne's huge, thick cock? Well, guess what, my darling wife? He's too honorable and smart—like me—than to leave his wife to take up with a woman who'd already rejected him any way!"

Her eyes narrowed and glittered with more anger than he'd ever seen in them before. He wasn't prepared for what happened next.

Diana grasped his hard shaft tightly in her left hand. She angrily shrugged her right arm out of his grip. Then she threw her right shoulder back and swung around with the right side of her body, landing a punch in the middle of his gut with her right fist.

She let go of his cock with her left hand and growled, "YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"

The blow caused him to bend forward slightly. A breath of air whooshed out of his diaphragm. Charles straightened up to look at her in shock and anger.

She continued loudly and recklessly. "How dare you throw him in my face? What have I ever done or said that makes you think I would try to leave you for him? I've already told you that you satisfied me on our honeymoon more than he did! So what if his dick is thicker than yours? You can easily give me orgasms by stimulating my pussy in places that he had to struggle to reach! But at least he cared enough to try! You don't even have to try...sometimes it seems you do it just because you can!"

Diana brought her right hand up to point her index finger in his face. She shook it at him as she made a threat of her own. "And, let me tell you something else, Charles Richards! If you ever threaten to make me watch you fuck another woman again, so help me, I'll...I'll..."

She hesitated when she reached down to grab, what she was sure would be by that time, his limp shaft...only to find his dick still as hard as steel! She was going to threaten that she would cut his cock off! But what an awful waste that would be...

A look of desire immediately replaced the anger on her face when she gripped his still hard and throbbing shaft. Charles grinned smugly. I can't believe you had the audacity to punch me! But I angered you enough to make you, literally, fighting mad! You're starting to remember that you're a woman fully deserving of my love...

The sparkle was back in her eyes. 

Charles pried her hand from around his shaft and knocked her sideways onto the bed again. He rolled her onto her back. He climbed over top of her and insinuated himself between her legs. He placed the tip of his aching cock at her slick flesh. He grasped the sides of her face and stared into her sparkling, limpid eyes that reflected the depths of her love and desire for him. His eyes burned with his deep love and desire as well. He pleaded with her to end the torture he'd been inflicting on her...on both of them...

His voice shook with tortured need. "Beg me, Diana! Tell me how badly you want me! Make me believe that you've never wanted another man the way that you want me! Let me satisfy your throbbing flesh with mine...PLEASE!!!" he begged with a low groan as he captured her mouth for a quick, deep kiss.

Their tongues stroked together desperately. They both moaned deeply. Their breaths quickened. The tip of his cock rubbed torturously on her dripping folds... 

Who is supposed to begging whom here...

Then she said the words that made him lose his last vestige of control...

"You own me, Charles...body...heart...and soul. I'm yours to control...do with me as you will..."

They groaned loudly as he plunged his aching shaft inside her throbbing flesh. He thrust into her, gradually getting deeper, harder and faster as her words stirred him.

She clung to him for dear life. "I'll always beg for your cock! My want and need for you is ever constant. Sometimes I can't concentrate for thinking of you...wanting you...needing you! I throb for you every time you touch me! And this wondrous connection of our bodies relieves that throbbing only temporarily...but it strengthens your ownership of my heart and soul!"

I see your deep love and your raw need for me in your blazing eyes...

Her womanly sensuality sent an answering thrill of hot need through her body. She begged him throatily, "Oh, God, Charles! Fuck me harder... make me scream your name again! And know this...no other man could ever make me scream his name as I come! Then I want you to growl my name forcefully as you come inside me when you feel me throbbing on your cock. And then swear to me that no other woman could ever make you feel more like a man than I do!"

Charles growled deep in his throat. You're inside my head again...for the first time since that bastard ripped you away from me...

She knew that this possessive need for her that he had unleashed brought out his basest male instincts. And she was responding with her own feminine need to feel that only she could arouse his pure male lust.

You know this scene we've been playing out together started out having nothing to do with sex...

It had been all about him making her remember what they meant to each other and that they belonged together. And now that she was back...it suddenly became all about sex. They hadn't fucked like animals since before she was attacked. He'd been too afraid of scaring her and she'd have felt it was just more proof that she deserved to be raped...

It was simply their bodies' innate sexual responses to their deep desire for one another...

He backed away from her up on his knees and growled a command for her to turn over. The flames in his eyes roared hotter when the flames in hers did the same as she eagerly turned over and thrust her body back toward him. He moved up behind her and buried his throbbing cock into her again with a powerful thrust, both of them growling loudly.

He fucked her forcefully as they grunted and growled like animals. Diana's back arched and she threw her head back to scream his name loudly as her body convulsed on his flesh. Charles reached forward and grabbed a handful of her golden mane. He tugged just hard enough to get her to lift her upper body. He wrapped his arms around her torso and straightened her up against him, lifting her high enough to keep his cock inside her. He supported her by grasping her breasts. She held onto him by grasping his hips and thighs.

He bucked his throbbing shaft up into her several times until he exploded. He growled loudly, "I'M YOUR MAN, DIANA! NO OTHER WOMAN COULD EVER MAKE ME FEEL THIS POSSESSIVE...NO OTHER MAN WILL EVER TAKE YOU FROM ME AGAIN! YOU BELONG TO ME! YOU SAID IT YOURSELF...I OWN YOU! AND DON'T YOU EVER FORGET IT!!!

"Ohhhhhhhhh...my pretty lady..." Charles moaned softly as his explosive orgasm ended.

He lowered her slowly as his cock slipped out of her. They were on their knees, their legs were quivering from the aftermath of their powerful releases. He had his arms wrapped around her body. Her back and shoulders were pressed against his heaving chest, her arms and hands still grasping at his hips and thighs as her chest also heaved.

Diana twisted her head sideways and up to look at him. His eyes still burned at her. He hadn't said what she most needed to hear. But when she looked at him, she didn't need to hear the words...

I can see it in your eyes...

Charles had been about to say, "I love you." She looked straight into his eyes. Hers deepened with the most intense look of love and desire that he'd ever seen.

Even beyond what I saw in my dreams all those years ago...

He didn't need to say a word...and neither did she.

She turned around in front of him. They entangled in a passionate embrace, kissing each other with all the hunger they'd been holding back ever since her attack. They collapsed onto the bed and spent most of the rest of the night making love.

Without saying another word...



Haunted by the Past Ch. 12



Charles and Diana Richards finally fell asleep sometime after four o'clock from sheer physical exhaustion. They woke up the next morning around ten o'clock only because their stomachs were starting to growl. They smiled sleepily at each other and kissed tenderly for a moment.

They groaned softly as they lifted their tired, messy bodies off the bed and headed for the bathroom. They showered and dressed in silence. Their eyes watched each other nearly every moment...the unspoken words still clearly visible in every look they shared.

When they opened their bedroom door to the main room of the suite, they were surprised to see all their friends sitting around and looking at them expectantly. None of them were saying anything, either.

Finally, Lynda Seldon spoke up. "Well...we're glad to see that you two didn't kill each other! We were worried last night that we were going to have to break up a fight, and then we were worried that you were going to fuck each other to death! What time did you guys finally fall asleep?"

Charles looked stunned. "You and Tom could hear us through the bathroom into your room?"

"No!" Lynda laughed. "We were all out here in the main area winding down when we first came back from the nightclub. We heard you yell at Diana asking her where she thought she was going. And when we heard what she screamed back at you, we figured we'd better pay attention for a bit and make sure things didn't get out of hand!

"We almost busted in when we heard the sound of someone getting hit, but when we heard Diana snarl at you, we figured she was the one doing the hitting! So we waited to make sure we didn't hear you hit her back! After that all we could hear was the muffled sounds of your heated argument. And then we could tell that it ended up turning into sex! We sort of figured you guys were OK after that...especially when heard more moaning and groaning a little while later! We all went to bed after that...wondering how much longer you two would be at it!"

Charles and Diana looked at each other as they chuckled. Diana said, "We didn't get to sleep until after four. We're only up now because we're hungry! Have you guys eaten yet?"

The others all chorused, "No!" 

Then Rick Estevez spoke up. "Well...I haven't eaten any food, yet!" Dawn slapped the back of her husband's head.

Everybody busted out laughing as they headed out the doors of the suite.

They all chatted about the previous evening while they had brunch in one of the lobby restaurants. Diana asked them what happened after Charles had taken her back to the suite.

Lynda said, "There were a lot of disappointed fans who had wanted to congratulate you after the show. But when they saw Charles having to carry you out, they were concerned. We weren't sure what to tell them, so we said that you were just exhausted and your husband was taking you back to the suite to put you to bed."

Then Jonathan North said, "But the nightclub manager and the concierge didn't buy the exhaustion story. So I explained to them about the attack and that you were still trying to recover emotionally. They were very understanding and sympathetic, as well as impressed that you were still able to give such a great performance."

His wife Barbara added, "After everything settled down, we all stayed about an hour and danced and finished our drinks. Then we went back up to the suite and that's when we heard you two arguing. So we took turns standing outside your door listening until we were sure you weren't going to kill each other...unless you'd ended up killing each other with sex!"

Everyone busted out laughing when Charles said, "Hey...that's exactly how I'd like to die! I'd love to 'come and go' at the same time!"

After brunch, the couples went back to the suite to pack their suitcases for the return trip later that afternoon. They had asked Gordon to be at the Las Vegas airport around five o'clock. They still had about four hours to kill and they didn't have to check out of the room until two o'clock. Everyone ended up back in bed for about an hour once most of their things were packed. By 1:45, the couples emerged from their rooms again ready to check out.

They decided to spend the afternoon in the casino...maybe someone would get lucky again!

Charles and Diana walked over to the same Roulette table he'd gotten lucky at on their honeymoon, but he didn't get any gut feelings this time so he didn't waste his chips. Instead, they went to a Blackjack table and sat to play for a while. They didn't win big, but they didn't lose their money, either. Tom and Lynda came and joined them after about thirty minutes and did about as well as they did.

At about four o'clock, Charles and Tom heard the sounds of a disturbance over near one of the Craps tables. They turned to look at the same time and saw Rick and Jon standing toe to toe with a couple of big men.

Charles and Tom looked at each other and immediately stood up to go help their friends. Diana and Lynda stayed just long enough to collect the remainder of their chips from the table, and then followed their husbands.

Charles and Tom were surprised when they found out what they were getting into...

As they approached, Charles asked, "Jon, Rick...what seems to be the trouble here?"

One of the big men, with a very loud mouth, turned to Charles and grumbled, "Just stay outta this, city boy. It ain't none o' yer goddamn business!"

His reply was low and slow. "Excuse me...but when you're trying to start trouble with my friends, it becomes my business. Now, would you care to explain what the problem is?"

The man turned and stared at Charles. His face and neck were red and his eyes were blazing with anger and hatred. He growled right in Charles' face.

"The problem, city boy, is that this here Spic has put his low-life hands all over my woman! He even had the gall to tell me that she's not my woman...that she's his wife! I know damn well my little darlin' wouldn't let this greasy Spic touch her! She needs a real man, like me...doncha, Dawnie?"

The loud-mouthed redneck turned and looked behind Rick to where Dawn was cowering in Barbara's arms.

Rick put his hand on the redneck's throat and muttered savagely through his glistening, bared teeth, "¡Tú dices una palabra más a mi esposa y yo matar...gringo rojo!" threatening to kill the bastard if he said anything else to his wife.

The redneck knocked Rick's hand away and yelled angrily, "Speak English, ya goddamn wetback! Yer in America now! An' if you lay yer hand on me one more time I'll kick yer ass! Yer no match fer me, you puny Spic! Now hand over my woman!"

Jon held Rick back.

Charles and Tom stepped behind the rednecks and tapped them on their shoulders. They turned around and looked at them.

Tom said quietly, "Look, buddy...I don't know who you think you are, but we can certainly vouch that our friend is most definitely married to Dawn...we were at the wedding Friday night. And yes...you are bigger than Rick and you may be able to put a hurtin' on him. But if you do that, then we'll be obliged to step in and I don't think you'd want to take on the two of us!"

"You mean the THREE of us, don't you, Tom?" Jon added from behind the man.

The redneck lost his temper as he realized he was outnumbered. He did something extremely foolish. He drew back his right arm, aiming to smash his fist into Charles' face. But Charles sidestepped the punch, grabbed the redneck's arm and twisted it up behind his back as he swung the man around and slammed his head down against the edge of the Craps table. The redneck bellowed in anger and pain. The redneck's buddy attempted to do the same thing to Tom and ended up in the same predicament.

Charles bent over the redneck and growled, "That was a stupid move, asshole. We're both agents with the FBI. We could have you both charged with attempted assault on a federal officer. Only you didn't know we were agents when you attempted to take a swing at us, so we'll have to let this one go...but I wouldn't try it again if I were you."

Charles looked at Dawn and asked, "Dawn, do you have anything you'd like to say to this asshole before I turn him loose?"

Dawn had completely calmed down when she saw that Charles and Tom were perfectly capable of handling Bobby Joe Hutchins and his pal Billy Green. Bobby Joe had been her last boyfriend in Kansas—the one who had nearly beaten her for breaking up with him. He was the reason she had fled to relative anonymity in the big city of Los Angeles.

She had nearly fainted when she heard his mean, nasty voice behind her at the Craps table. She had been terrified that he would try to rip Rick limb from limb when Rick had ordered the big oaf to take his hands off of his wife. Thank God Jon had been there to step in with Rick so Bobby Joe and Billy had hesitated before just jumping on him. Dawn had started to breathe a little easier when she saw Charles and Tom headed their way.

Now she was mad as hell! She moved next to Rick, grabbed his arm and hung onto him as she ranted at her bastard ex-boyfriend. "I should've had you arrested for assault back home, Bobby Joe! How many more girls have you ended up beating because they finally realized what an asshole you are and broke up with you? You're lucky you aren't dead! Denny was going to come after you with his gun that night, but I stopped him because I didn't want him ending up in prison because of you!" 

Rick looked at Dawn with his eyes blazing. "This gringo beat you? Why didn't you ever tell me about this? If I'd known who he was and what he'd done, I'd have killed him!"

"That's why I didn't tell you, Rick! I couldn't stand the thought of you ending up in prison, either!" Dawn answered quietly.

She looked back at Bobby Joe and snarled, "I am NOT your woman, Bobby Joe Hutchins...I never was! And you are not a real man! You don't have the faintest idea what makes a real man! You may be a bigger man than Rick, but Rick is more of a real man than you'll ever be!"

Bobby Joe sputtered angrily as he stared at Rick. "How could you call this stupid, greasy, backwoods wetback Spic a real man? I'll bet his pecker ain't any bigger than one of them there jalapeno peppers!"

Bobby Joe's arm was twisted even more painfully behind his back and his head was pinned even harder against the edge of the Craps table by Charles.

Dawn pivoted around in front of Rick and looked at him pleadingly, shaking her head, when he moved menacingly toward the stupid redneck. She stood on tiptoes and kissed Rick gently. Then she turned around and glared at Bobby Joe. 

"¿Cómo te atreves a hablar al mi esposo en esa manera? ¡Él es más inteligente y civilizado que tú, tú feo perro! ¡Tu polla es pequeño en comparación a el de mi esposo y tú no tienes idea de cómo satisfacer a una mujer reál...tú chinga de la madre! ¡Desgraciado! Dawn hissed.

Rick and couple nearby Hispanic casino workers who were watching the ruckus started chuckling and then burst out laughing at the end of Dawn's tirade.

"My God, Angel! Where did you learn such language?" Rick asked through his laughter.

Dawn tilted her head back and sideways to look up at Rick as she said, "I've heard the terms bandied around at work enough so that I figured out what they're supposed to mean! I just couldn't think of anything worse to call him..."

"I think you did just fine, Angel!" Rick said, still chuckling.

Then, just for the sole benefit of angering Bobby Joe Hutchins further, Rick spun Dawn around in his arms. He kissed her deeply and passionately until she was moaning in desire and clinging to him desperately. Then Rick broke their kiss, turned her back around toward the redneck and said smugly, "¡Que es cómo de satisfacer a una mujer reál...tú maldito perro con uno pequeño polla!" The two Hispanic casino workers chuckled again.

Two big casino security guards had worked their way through the crowd and were watching to make sure that things didn't get out of hand. It looked like the two men who had identified themselves as FBI agents were handling things. But the security guards figured that the two troublemakers needed to be escorted off the premises.

One of the security guards looked at Rick. "Have you told this man everything you wanted to say to him, sir? We'll be happy to escort them off the premises if you're through with them."

Rick looked at Bobby Joe Hutchins and issued one last warning. "If you ever come near us again, I promise you, you will regret it...gringo! You can do whatever you want with them now...thanks!" Rick said to the security guards.

Charles and Tom released a very angry Bobby Joe Hutchins and a very embarrassed Billy Green into the custody of the casino security guards. They escorted them outside The Riviera and watched as they got into their car and left.

Their friends crowded around Rick and Dawn and asked them if they were OK.

Rick looked around at all of them. "Thanks, mis amigos. I'm pretty sure those two would've made mincemeat of me if you guys hadn't been here to back me up! The only thing I'm upset about now is that I was on a roll at this Craps table before those two rudely interrupted me! I'm sure my streak is over now, so I'll just get my chips. I'm sure it's getting close to time for us to leave."

By the time they all turned their chips in at the cashier's desk and collected their money, it was time to head to the airport. As they were collecting their luggage from the front desk, the concierge came over to tell them goodbye.

He quietly told Diana how sorry he was to learn of her terrible attack and that he admired her strength of character to try to carry on with her life as normally as possible. He also informed them that he had called for The Resort's limousine to take them to the airport. Diana thanked him, kissed his cheek and told him she would keep in touch to schedule future performances.

As they rode in the luxurious limo, Diana looked at Dawn. "I remember when we first met that you had mentioned you fled to L.A. to get away from that creep. Why didn't you press charges on him?"

Dawn frowned as a far away look came into her eyes. She cleared her throat and spoke quietly. "I was afraid to. I didn't call the police because I was afraid of what Bobby Joe would do if they couldn't hold him. I had to beg my brother Denny not to go after Bobby Joe with his gun. I couldn't have stood the guilt if Denny had actually killed the bastard because of me.

"I came to L.A. because I figured it was a big enough city that I could disappear in and Bobby Joe wouldn't be able to find me even if he learned where I'd gone. As far as I know, my family members are the only ones back home who know where I live and I know they wouldn't have told anyone else. It has to be just dumb luck running into Bobby Joe here this weekend! Why the hell he came to Vegas is a mystery to me, though! When I knew him, he hardly had two nickels to rub together, much less enough money to waste on a trip to Vegas to gamble!"

Rick put his arm around Dawn and hugged her to him. "We'll call your family when we get home, Angel, and see if they know whether this bastard could possibly have found out that you were in Los Angeles. I'm hoping it's as you said, just dumb luck that he happened to be here this weekend, but I want to be sure!"

They were pulling into the Las Vegas airport. Charles instructed the chauffeur to drive the limo around to the back of the main terminal building to a side hangar where the FBI's plane would come to meet them. It was about 4:50 and Gordon was already waiting for them.

Everyone helped to load their luggage into the plane's small cargo hold and then climbed aboard for the return trip to L.A. Gordon informed them that it would probably be a faster flight this time since they would be have a tailwind headed back. Sure enough, the flight took only about forty-five minutes.

Charles was glad that he didn't get any nagging, dark feelings in his gut that time.

But that bastard who raped my wife is still out there...somewhere...

**********

Ed Hood angrily balled up the newspaper he'd just finished scanning. He'd been making over thirty-mile trips to the nearest city in Oregon almost every day for over three months. He'd come to the city to find copies of the L.A. newspapers so he could read the stories he was sure they'd written about him.

He had just known he would see all kinds of headlines about how he'd brutally attacked a famous L.A. nightclub singer who turned out to be a tramp! He'd wanted to read reports of how the D.A.'s office had decided not to pursue prosecution even if he was found because there were too many questions surrounding the "supposed" victim's past.

Instead, all he ever found in any of the papers were the occasional blurbs from the police blotters stating that there was still "a warrant pending for the arrest of Edward Hood in connection with the assault and rape of an unidentified female victim!"

He was still a wanted criminal!

Why are the police and the D.A.'s office still looking for me? SHE's the one who should be persecuted... not me! Why are they letting her getting away with this?

He looked at the rounded scar on his right forearm from where her teeth had dug into him. He growled in anger.

I'll be damned if I'M going to let her get away with this...

If the police, the D.A. and the public weren't going to punish her...then he sure as hell would! **********

A few weeks after the group's honeymoon weekend in Las Vegas, a large group of people gathered to celebrate both Charles and Diana's 31st birthdays. It was held the first weekend in November, since it was in between both of their birthdays. They were born only 11 days apart and Diana was the elder. She playfully slapped him when he referred to her as his "old lady!"

Vinny DeMarco, the owner of the L.A. nightclub that Diana sings for, held a private party at the nightclub on Saturday night, November 3, 1956. He was especially grateful to Diana because she had sung exclusively for him in L.A., even though she'd had offers from clubs all over town. And the couple times she sang at The Riviera in Las Vegas had just given him free publicity and drawn new patrons who'd never been there before.

All of their friends were at the party. As well as Diana's boss and his wife, Charles and Tom's boss, Uncle Pete, and his wife Mary, other colleagues from the FBI and Ward and Mary Lou Bond, who were very close to celebrating their 2nd wedding anniversary. They had also celebrated a couple nights before with John Wayne and his wife Pilar for their 2nd anniversary on November 1st.

Diana was having a quiet conversation with Ward and Mary Lou. "Did you tell the big man that I wished him and Pilar much happiness for their anniversary?"

Ward replied, "Yes, I did. He was deeply touched that you thought of them. He wanted me to show you this picture of them with their baby, Aissa. Isn't she a cutie?"

Diana smiled softly. "Yes, she is. They look very happy. Did you also tell him that I'm very grateful to the both of you and the movie studio for the influence you've all exerted on the press to keep what happened to me out of the papers? My life would've turned into a nightmare if they'd started prying into my past because of that. I don't know if I could've survived it!" she said hoarsely as tears swam in her eyes.

Ward patted her cheek gently. "That's why Duke and your boss were so adamant that the story be kept out of the press. Duke knew that you were afraid of your life being pried into. That's one of the reasons you wouldn't marry him...remember? Your boss didn't want you subjected to the negative publicity and the movie studio was just trying to keep their reputation from being tarnished since it happened on their premises. No matter what happened in your past, Diana, you wouldn't have deserved what the press would've done to you."




Haunted by the Past Ch. 12



She brightened a little as she remembered a phone call and a visit she'd had recently.

"Did I tell you about the visit I had from someone in the D.A.'s office last week?"

Ward and Mary Lou shook their heads.

"This investigator for the D.A. told me that if Ed Hood is ever found and captured, they are going to attempt to prosecute him. It seems the investigator found and talked to some of the men that I'd been seen leaving bars with in the past. All of those men told the investigator that they did remember me and that all we did was have coffee and talk. The investigator even asked them point-blank if they had sex with me and they all denied it. They even said that I was one of the nicest women they'd ever met and that they hoped the man who attacked me is caught and punished."

Diana was on the verge of tears again. "I don't know why they lied! I don't know if it was to protect me or to protect themselves...but I'm grateful to them. When I told Charles about it, he said they were probably doing it more to protect me because I had told them all how vulnerable I was because of what that first bastard did to me. He said that when some men are attracted to a woman who's been hurt very cruelly by another man, it brings out their protective instincts. Charles has degrees in psychology and psychiatry, so I would think he'd know.

"Even with all the stupid things I've done and the terrible things that have happened to me, I feel like one of the luckiest people alive! I have such wonderful friends, like you two; wonderful memories of a lifetime's worth of love with one of the men of my dreams. And the most wonderful life with the other man of my dreams—the love of my life...my soul mate! What more could I ask for?" Diana smiled joyfully as tears shimmered in her eyes.

"How about a birthday hug from your old and beat-up father?"

Diana spun around with her eyes wide and her mouth open as she saw her father standing just a few feet behind her. "Daddy!" she squealed as she launched herself into her father's outstretched arms. "Oh, Daddy! What are you doing here? How did you get here? Where's Mama?"

"I'm right here, sweetie!"

Diana's tears started to flow when she heard her mother's soft, sweet voice and opened her eyes to see her standing just behind her father.

"Oh, Mama! It's so wonderful to see you both!" she cried as her father released her. He turned so her mother could step in and she hugged both of them. "How did you get here? Who contacted you?"

"Charles and I made all the arrangements." Diana turned her head to see Pete Woods standing next to her father. "They're only here for a few days and I've invited them to stay at my house with Mary and me so we can catch up on everything since we lost touch. You and Charles can make plans to do whatever you want with them tomorrow and then you can join us for dinner Monday evening before they have to leave Tuesday."

Diana hugged him. "Thank you, Uncle Pete!" Then she whispered, "I've never told my parents about what had happened to me..."

Uncle Pete whispered back, "I know. Everyone has been told not to say anything about it."

She hugged Uncle Pete tighter and thanked him again.

Diana introduced her parents to Ward and Mary Lou. They were honored to meet him, especially her mother. Her mother had been a big fan of John Wayne even before Diana was. It was her mother who had dragged her to see "The Shepherd of the Hills" when she was 15 years old. She'd wanted to get Diana interested in him so they could strengthen their mother-daughter relationship by going to movies together.

Oh, Mama...you have no idea how much that event affected my life...

Diana and Ward almost busted out laughing when her mother told him, "I've always enjoyed watching your performances in movies with your friend John Wayne. I'm a big fan of his and I'm the one who made Diana fall in love with him! If she knows you, does that mean she got to meet him, too? If she did, I'll bet Mr. Wayne had a heck of a time keeping her off of him!"

Ward chuckled. "Yes, Mrs. Maitland, Diana did indeed get to meet Duke, but it was the other way around! Diana had a hell of a time keeping the Duke off of her!" Ward laughed as he saw the priceless expression on Diana's face and her mother's look of shock.

He continued, "I'm only joking, Mrs. Maitland! Diana acted very professionally and Duke was very impressed with her. He likes her and respects her very much and he would've loved to be here tonight, but he had prior commitments."

"If you knew Ward a little better, Mama, you would realize what a jokester he is! He always likes to say things to catch people off guard! He's a fun-loving guy and thank God he's got Mary Lou to keep him in line! Right, Mary Lou?"

Diana and Mary Lou laughed together. Mary Lou elbowed Ward's ribs as a warning to behave.

Diana had no idea that Charles had an even bigger surprise in store for her and her mother...

Diana's parents were overwhelmed while being introduced to all their friends. Her mother didn't even have time to think about the fact that Diana had actually met John Wayne. Diana knew her mother was going to catch her at some point during their visit to question her about the big man and how well she knew him.

I'm going to have to decide how much I want to tell Mama before that happens... Maybe Charles could help me figure that out...

Her father was sitting at a table and chatting with Ward and several of their friends. Ward asked him why he'd referred to himself as her "old and beat up father." She chuckled as her father related the story.

"When Diana was just a little girl, around four years old, I took her to the base with me one day when I was off work to check on something. The guys in the aircraft maintenance shop where I worked were all spoiling her rotten and one of them asked her how she could put up with an old man like me for a father. She walked over to me and wrapped her arms around my knees, hugged my legs and said, 'Well, he is old and beat up...but I love him!' It was the best backhanded compliment I ever got in my life!"

Diana swallowed a lump in her throat when she saw tears in her father's eyes. She laughed when he laughed with everyone else.

A few minutes later, Lynda, Barbara, Dawn and Mary Lou were sitting and chatting with Diana and her mother. She told Diana how much she loved Charles and how handsome she thought he was.

Then she said, "You know, sweetie...you take after me a lot more than I realized. You spotted Charles when you were thirteen years old and knew he was the one for you...just like I did with your father. Only I was lucky because your father and I were living in the same town so I was able to stay in touch with him all those years until I finally got old enough and pretty enough for him to notice me.

"Charles was the same age as you and he noticed you right away but you weren't able to find each other again until now. But I can definitely see that he loves you just as much as your father loves me! I'm just so glad you finally found each other, and I hope you two won't wait much longer to have children. I'd like to be able to enjoy them before I get too much older. Lynda, talk to my daughter and tell her that your baby is going to need playmates!"

The ladies all chuckled, and then Lynda stopped. "Wait a minute...how did you know that I'm pregnant, Mrs. Maitland? Did Diana tell you?"

Diana was shaking her head no and looking surprised as well.

Josephine Maitland replied, "Please call me Jo...Mrs. Maitland sounds so formal. And no, Diana didn't tell me. Pete Woods, your husband's boss, told me. When we arrived earlier today, he was telling us about all the people who would be here tonight and how they all know Diana and Charles. When he told us about you and Tom, he mentioned you were pregnant. He says Tom can't stop talking about it and has already been passing around cigars at the office!"

Jo Maitland chuckled as she continued. "You're going to have your hands full with him when you go into labor. Men that proud and anxious to be fathers are usually a nervous wreck when the big event finally arrives! No matter how big and strong and capable they may seem, once they know 'it's time,' they quickly start to fall apart!"

The ladies all chuckled again. Then they gasped in shock when they heard a familiar gravelly, commanding voice. "You're absolutely right, Mrs. Maitland. I was a nervous wreck at the birth of each one of my children... my wives would laughingly attest to that!"

Jo Maitland thought she was going to faint when she looked up and saw John Wayne standing several feet away from her. "Oh, my goodness! Diana... I thought Mr. Bond said he couldn't be here tonight! Is that really him?"

Diana stood up in shock. She walked over to the big man and asked quietly, "What are you doing here? This is the last place I expected you to show up! Who invited you?"

Diana spun around in further shock when she heard Charles right behind her.

"I invited him. He said he couldn't come at first, but I told him it would mean a lot to you if he could at least drop by for a little while. I knew your mother would love to meet him since she's also a big fan! Now stop being rude and introduce him to your mother and your friends. Mr. Wayne, can I get you a drink while Diana introduces you to everyone?"

"A whiskey, neat, would be great. Thanks." Then the big man looked at Diana and asked, "Well, little girl, are you going to introduce your lovely mother and girlfriends to me or are you going to make them have to introduce themselves?"

Diana forced herself to breathe again. She took his arm and led him to an empty chair beside her mother. "Mr. Wayne, this is my mother, Josephine Maitland. She prefers to be called Jo."

"It is a great pleasure to meet you, Jo. I can certainly see now where Diana got her beauty. Your faces are almost identical. But both you and your husband have dark hair and eyes while Diana is fair... How did that happen?"

Jo Maitland tried to control her breathing. She was meeting her most favorite movie star of all time and he was complimenting her and her daughter's beauty! She absently answered him as he held her hand in his and stared at her with interest.

"Diana takes after her father's family... her grandfather was a blue-eyed blonde. It evidently skipped a generation. Oh, my, Mr. Wayne... your eyes are so blue! They really are as blue as they looked in 'The Quiet Man!' That's my most favorite of your movies...so far! Is that still your most favorite, too, sweetie?"

"No, her favorite is 'The Searchers.' Isn't that right, Diana?" The big man grinned as he answered for her.

Diana grinned back and nodded her head. "Yes. But 'The Quiet Man' is still one of my favorites as well!"

She continued with the introductions. By this time, everyone else at the party had discovered that John Wayne was there and were coming over to meet him.

The big man was very friendly, cordial and gracious to everyone. At one point, he and Ward entertained the men and some of the women with stories of their raucous youth—how they used to go to bars, get drunk and start fights just for fun!

And Ward's infamous dare when he bet the Duke that they could stand across a newspaper from each other and Duke wouldn't be able to hit him. Ward had laid the newspaper in a doorway, they stood on either side, then Ward slammed the door shut and yelled at the Duke to try and hit him! Wayne smashed his fist through the door, knocked Ward down and won the bet!

Even Charles was laughing—until he saw Diana chuckling, shaking her head and rolling her eyes... 

You've obviously heard this story before! You know a lot more about this man than I would like...

But it had been his idea to ask The Duke to make an appearance—if for no other reason than to meet Diana's mother.

I wanted your mother's first, and possibly only, trip to L.A. to be unforgettable...

Before the big man left the party, he spent several minutes talking to Diana's parents, complimenting them on what a lovely daughter they had raised. Pete Woods took pictures of the Duke and Ward with Charles, Diana and her parents. He also took one of the Duke kissing Jo Maitland's cheek as she smiled dreamily. Retired Colonel John Maitland stood behind his wife looking proud.

Jo Maitland watched with interest when she saw The Duke saying good night to her daughter. Charles was standing several feet away with a guarded look on his face...he almost looked jealous. She looked back at Diana and The Duke again.

He raised her right hand and kissed the backs of her fingers... lingering a little longer than would've been considered just friendly. Then he briefly touched her face, stroking his thumb on her cheek softly just before he turned and walked out.

Jo was startled. Oh, dear... sweetie, you're obviously more than just friendly with John Wayne...and evidently your husband knows about it...

She waved her daughter and son over. "All right, you two. Tell me about what I just witnessed."

"What are you talking about, Mama?" Diana asked nervously.

"Oh, Diana! I'm not blind and I'm not stupid...and neither is your husband! What, exactly, is going on between you and John Wayne?"

"It's OK, Mama Jo." Charles replied. "There's nothing going on between them any more. It happened over two years ago, before he married his current wife. It was just a weekend, but it was enough to make him fall in love with her and they still care about each other, but that's it."

"That's IT!" Jo Maitland exclaimed. "You had an affair with THE DUKE...and that's IT?!!! Are you mad, my darling daughter? Why didn't you MARRY HIM?"

"Mama...PLEASE! Keep your voice down! Not everyone here knows about that and I'd like to keep it that way! I didn't marry him because we weren't meant to be together... Charles is my one true love. The big man was just a chance encounter that filled a need I had at that time in my life to be loved by someone important to me! It was because of him that I was able to recognize Charles as my soul mate! I'll always love the big man, but Charles is the man I was meant to share my life with."

Diana ended staring into his eyes with her right hand on his cheek.

Jo Maitland looked at her son and saw his deep love for her daughter shining in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Charles. I didn't mean to make it sound like my daughter was crazy for marrying you instead of John Wayne! It was just such a shock to hear that she'd had an affair... Wait a minute! You had an affair? You actually went to bed with the Duke? Was he any good? What am I saying! He's the Duke... he had to be good! And if he wasn't... I ...I don't want to know about it! Don't say anything! I don't want to know! This is not something I should be asking my daughter about any way! Let's just forget it! And whatever you do... don't tell your father about any of this!"

Jo Maitland panted heavily. She was nearly out of breath.

"It's too late, Mama. He's been standing right behind you during that entire last speech! But he doesn't look as shocked as you. Are you OK, Daddy?"

John Maitland chuckled. "I knew you weren't my sweet, innocent daughter any more. I knew when I saw how beautiful you became as you matured that men were going to be unable to resist you, just like your mother. I feared that you had inherited your mother's beauty and my libido when I found some very interesting books in your room when you were a teenager. I just hoped you hadn't given yourself away too young. How old were you when you lost your virginity, young lady?"

Diana swallowed nervously. "I was twenty-three and the bastard dumped me as soon as it was over. I never trusted a man again after that—until I met John Wayne. He was the man who finally convinced me that I was worthy of being loved. He's the reason I found Charles again."

"Well, then," John Maitland replied after a moment, "It seems that The Duke really is a kind and honorable man and I'm glad to have met him. But you, my son... how do you really feel about that?" he asked Charles as he stared at him sympathetically.

Charles turned Diana into his arms and stared at her. "I am a little jealous at times to know that part of my wife's heart is shared by another man with whom she once shared a bed. But as long as I know I'm the only man she ever shares a bed with from now on and that the majority of her heart belongs to me...I'm happy."

He leaned down and kissed her deeply as she moaned softly. They both started chuckling and then broke apart laughing when they heard her parents' murmured comments.

Jo Maitland muttered, "They certainly kiss like they're very compatible in bed!"

John Maitland replied quietly, "I have a feeling they're compatible wherever they are...whether there's a bed around or not!"



Haunted by the Past Ch. 13



Charles and Diana Richards spent Sunday afternoon, November 4, 1956 with her parents. Retired Air Force Colonel John G. Maitland and Josephine VanDorn Maitland enjoyed the interesting sights around Los Angeles. They had come for Charles and Diana's birthday party the night before and were only in town for a few days. 

Then they took them to their home in Brentwood. Her parents spent the late afternoon resting on the patio in the warm sun, enjoying the view of the ocean in the distance while Charles and Diana prepared dinner. Tom and Lynda Seldon joined them for dinner that evening, as well as Charles and Tom's boss at the FBI, Peter Woods and his wife, Mary, who also happened to be old friends of Colonel Maitland.

Diana's parents were interested in hearing about an investigation that Charles and Tom were getting ready to begin. They couldn't go into much detail about it. They were checking into reports of an import/export company that was rumored to be involved in arms smuggling. They'd received a tip at the FBI office the week before and they were still gathering preliminary information before they actually started the legwork. They figured it would be at least another few weeks before they would learn enough to know whether it was true or not.

By eight o'clock, Jo Maitland was looking weary. She told Diana that she needed to get back to the Woods' home so she could retire for the night. She complained that she was still suffering from "jet lag" and laughed it off. 

Diana hugged her mother and father as they left and told them she'd see them the next evening for dinner at Pete and Mary's. Her parents were in their late sixties, and she noticed they were starting to look every bit their age. She worried about them. 

Lynda and Tom stayed a little while longer. Tom and Charles sat in the living room with drinks while discussing where to begin in their investigation. Lynda and Diana were silent as they cleared and washed the dinner dishes, both of them lost in their own worries. 

Lynda was trying not to eavesdrop, but the talk about possible arms smuggling made her nervous. If it turns out to be true, Tom and Charles could get caught in a terribly dangerous situation. Dear Lord, please let it turn out to be nothing more than false rumors...

Diana frowned as she grabbed another dish in the sink to wash. Something is wrong with Mama... She seems to tire a lot more easily than she used to. She's sixty-five years old...maybe it's just due to aging. But she appears to have trouble breathing at times...

She would get winded and out of breath after walking for just a few minutes.

Is there something Mama and Daddy haven't told me because they don't want to worry me? Just like I'm doing with them...

**********

Charles and Diana were crawling into bed later that night after their showers. He noticed the worried look on her face. "What's troubling you, pretty lady?"

"Mama. I know you've never seen her before, but she looks a lot more tired and...weak...than I've ever seen her look before. I'm afraid she might be sick somehow and she's not telling me about it. Why wouldn't she tell me if she's sick? You don't think she'd keep anything really serious from me, do you?"

Charles hesitated. Your mother doesn't want to worry you...it's not as bad as you think. I guess I'll have to tell you so you won't worry...

"Diana...your mother's health has gotten worse, but it appears to be mainly due to aging. The only reason the doctors are concerned is because she's lost some of her lung capacity but they have no idea why. That's why she gets winded so easily, because she's functioning on only about sixty percent of her normal lung capacity. And sometimes she gets aching pains in various places on her body that the doctors also can't explain, but they've found nothing else serious."

"How is it you know about this and I don't? Why would you keep something like this from me?" she asked him painfully.

"Because your mother begged me not to tell you! She didn't want you to know anything that would make you worry. She wanted you to be able to be happy and just enjoy being in love for a while instead of worrying about her. Just like you don't want her worrying about you because of the attack. I begged you to let me tell your parents but you refused because you didn't want them to worry about you! Don't get mad at me because you and your mother can't stand the thought of sharing your worries with each other!"

Diana snorted an ironic laugh. "I guess I am my mother's daughter. We keep our worries to ourselves and suffer in silence until something drags it out of us...and usually at a most inopportune time or place. My mother masks her worries and then has little angry outbursts over things that are inconsequential... much like you do. I cover mine with a sense of humor until something happens that immediately brings my worries to the surface again.

"I'm sorry if I sounded upset with you. You're right...it's not your fault. But I'm going to stick with the status quo. I don't want Mama to know that I know she's not that well and I still don't want them to know about the attack. You understand? Not a word to them."

Charles nodded and then leaned over and kissed her. He laid back and pulled her to his right side to hold her. He stroked her back and shoulders through the pajama top she was wearing. She stroked his hairy chest. His cock was stirring.

He wanted to make love to her so badly, but her monthly cycle had resumed. They had been relieved when she'd experienced her first period since the attack almost four months ago just last month. He sighed heavily.

We're worried about too many things right now to be able to enjoy the thought of having a baby... 

Then he groaned softly. Her hand traveled down his torso. His dick expanded as her hand inched down his flat stomach. He captured her wrist and held her hand still. "Just where do you think you're going?"

Diana grinned and spoke throatily, "Nowhere with you. Fuck you, Charles Richards. Oh...but you'd like that, wouldn't you? Too bad I can't accommodate you at the moment. But would you settle for my hands, lips and tongue?"

Charles chuckled softly and then growled sarcastically, "Oh...twist my arm!"

Diana chuckled in response. She scooted down the bed and loosened his pajama bottoms. She lowered them down his hips until she could wrap her lips around his turgid shaft. She took her time and stroked the velvety flesh of his hard cock with her tongue and her hand, moaning softly each time he groaned in pleasure.

God, how I love your hard body! You are the sexiest man I've ever seen...and heard! I want to make you groan even more...

His groans of pleasure sent hot thrills through her body. She paused as she worked his pajama bottoms all the way off. She told him to bend his knees and put his lower back flat on the bed, tilting his hips upward as much as possible.

She leaned over his lower torso on her left hip. She reached down to massage his balls gently with her right hand. Then she released his cock for a moment and laved her right index finger with her tongue, wetting it thoroughly.

She stroked her tongue languidly on his shaft as she reached down and rubbed her right index finger on his ass. He clenched his cheeks slightly. She rubbed just the tip of her finger on his rough flesh softly until she felt him relax. His groans grew deeper and his flesh softened. She rubbed a little firmer, using more of her finger in an up and down motion in rhythm with his undulating hips.

The moisture on her finger was dissipating, so she paused to lave it with her tongue again while she stroked his cock. She used the same motion with her finger as before, but she wrapped her lips around his cock and stroked his shaft firmer, increasing the rhythm of his hips.

His ass felt relaxed and soft, so she experimented by gently inserting just the tip of her finger.

Charles groaned loudly and then breathed, "Ohhhh, God..."

Diana increased the rhythm of her strokes on his cock to keep pace with his hips and stroked just the tip of her finger into his ass. His hips slowed their pace, but the range of motion increased to a sexy rolling as he lifted them slightly. She countered by stroking her finger a little deeper into his relaxed ass and increasing the pressure of her lips and hand stroking his cock.

His deep groans turned into a loud moan... "OH, MY GOD! OH, MY GOD! OH, BABY! OH, GOD, DIANA... THAT FEELS SO GOOD! OHHHHHHHHH YESSSSSS!!!!"

His hips rolled in rhythm with the pulsing of his orgasm. His left hand clutched the bed sheet next to his hip, and his right hand curled into the back of her hair. Then he was still, except for his heaving chest. 

Diana kept her lips wrapped around his throbbing shaft, moaning loudly herself as her hips undulated in rhythm to her own orgasm. She made sure to milk every last drop of pearly liquid from his softening cock.

She sat up, fished his pajama bottoms out from under the top sheet and threw them aside. Then she pulled the sheet up over them to their waists as she lay down next to him in his arms again.

Charles took a deep breath and groaned contentedly. He stretched his legs out, pulling the sheet down just over his hips.

Goddamn...you are such a fucking sexy man...

He looked at her and smiled sexily. "Mmmm... You can play with my sexy ass any time you want, pretty lady!" Then he chuckled and asked jokingly, "So...was it as good for you as it was for me?" He looked at her in surprise when she answered.

"Yes, it was. I came, too! Didn't you hear me?"

He frowned in disbelief.

"I can't prove it to you other than to say that it's a good thing I already have a pad between my legs!"

Charles chuckled and closed his eyes. Damn, pretty lady...you have such a sense of humor! Even after everything you've been through...

Charles hugged Diana to him as they settled down to go to sleep. He took a deep breath and sighed. He smiled softly, breathing in the scent of her clean hair as her head nestled on his right shoulder.

His smile faded. His gut started to twist from another nagging dark feeling...

Oh, damn it... What will it be this time? I've never had these gut feelings at any other times in my life. And they've all had to do with my wife...

He wished this..."gift of extra perception" also told him specifically what was coming so he could be ready for it! 

The first time was when he'd seen her at that carnival. I knew she was significant to me...

The next time had been when he'd wrestled with the decision on whether to transfer to New York or Los Angeles...his gut had brought him to L.A. Because she was here...

Then his gut had told him to place all his chips on 11 Black on that Roulette wheel in Vegas on their honeymoon as he'd stared at her. Our birthdays are only eleven days apart...

The next time had been the first dark, wrenching twist of his gut trying to warn him of the impending danger to her. And now it's back...

How the hell was he supposed to protect her when he had no idea when or where the impending danger would occur? Maybe I'll have another nightmare that will try to give me some clue...

He'd finally figured out exactly what that nightmare had been showing him when Diana had told him first-hand about the attack. Charles had seen her as that bastard had grabbed her hair and yanked her backward toward him as she'd screamed in panic and pain. The blackness and silence that had followed was her being knocked into unconsciousness.

It's all so clear now... Please, God...or whatever force is behind these gut feelings...please make whatever message you try to send me a little clearer...

Hindsight doesn't help when you're trying to figure out how to protect your soul mate! And the nightmare had not told him when it would occur. But he'd had it again the night before and the night it happened! Charles wrapped his arms around his wife a little tighter. A couple hours later, he finally fell asleep...

Charles awoke with a start the next morning—when Diana jerked in his arms and cried his name. A moment later, she awoke and gasped as she lifted up on her elbow. She was panting and staring at him with a wide-eyed look of panic on her face.

"What's wrong, Diana?"

She frowned as she tried to recall the dream...or nightmare...she'd just had. She saw Charles with his gun drawn...aimed right at her. She'd felt a man's arm around her body and she'd heard John Wayne's booming voice. Then silence and blackness as a loud gunshot exploded...sounding like it was coming from all around her!

What the hell?!!! My subconscious is trying to tell me that Charles would kill me if I cheat on him with the big man...

She snorted an ironic laugh at the ridiculousness of such a thought. She heard Charles say her name again. She looked at him and chuckled. "I just had the most bizarre dream that you shot me! I saw you with your gun aimed toward me, I could feel a strong arm around me and then I heard the big man's voice and then the loudest gunshot I've ever heard! Why would I dream that you shot me?"

Charles frowned. "Well, if I thought for even a moment that you had anything going on with the big man again, I might very well contemplate shooting you...AND him! So, think about that, pretty lady, before you even consider taking up with him again!"

"Not a chance, sexy man. I crave your love way too much to ever walk away from you now! Besides, you own me...remember? I don't think he'd want me back because I could never be with him the same way again. He acquired me as a well-used model and fixed me up nicely, but then he turned me over to you because he couldn't handle me. And I was exactly what you'd been looking for! Only you now possess the keys to my body, heart and soul and you know exactly how I handle...and you drive me wild!"

"But how do I know that he didn't keep a spare set of keys for himself and that he wouldn't try to come and steal you for another weekend joyride some time? Or maybe even decide that he'd made a terrible mistake in turning you over to me and wanted you back?"

How would I react if the big man ever decided that he couldn't forget me and needed to fuck me again... or that he couldn't live without me and came after me... I could never do it... 

Diana frowned. She couldn't contemplate that she'd even consider for one second betraying Charles or walking away from him. "You've changed my locks and the ignition switch...his keys wouldn't work any more. Besides, I'm always locked up in your garage...he wouldn't even be able to get to me to try his keys!" 

Charles chuckled. "You know...we're really driving this 'used car' metaphor to an extreme!"

Diana groaned and then laughed.

He chuckled again. "Sorry...that was really bad, but I couldn't resist!" 

They both laughed softly as they rolled out of bed and started getting ready to go to work.

That evening, they had dinner at Uncle Pete's house with Diana's parents and Tom and Lynda again. 

Charles shook his head at times. Diana and her mother were both acting like nothing was wrong. Both of them were putting on brave fronts for each other by joking and laughing about everything they could. He ignored what they were talking about most of the time. Their conversation revolved around the big man. Diana's mother kept asking her questions about him. His ears perked up when he heard Diana say something interesting.

"What was that, Diana? How did John Wayne learn the hard way not to mess with your ticklish feet?"

Diana frowned and then sighed. "I punched him in the arm because he threatened to withhold se...he... tried to make me marry him. I didn't realize how hard I'd hit him, and to get me back, he started tickling my feet. Well, that almost made me wet myself and I threatened to punch him again, so he stopped. And then he said something that just made me even madder, so I punched him really hard in the stomach!"

"Diana...you didn't?!!!" her mother gasped. "You punched The Duke? Are you crazy? He could've killed you!"

"Yes...I know, Mama. And he definitely paid me back for it!" Diana smirked as a far away look came into her eyes. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to try to erase the image that popped into her mind.

But, ohhhh...what a punishment it was... 

What the fuck could he have said that made you mad enough to risk punching him... Charles clenched his jaw. Then he instantly imagined all sorts of ways that the big man had paid her back. The first one that came to mind was John Wayne spanking her like a bad little girl...

Just like I want to do to you right this moment for thinking about the big man that way...

Diana looked up and saw his eyes burning at her with passion, jealousy and anger. She smiled sexily. I know...yes, I'm being a very bad girl... I wonder if you would feel better to know exactly what happened that weekend...every last detail...

She would have to ask him sometime and let him decide.

Diana and Charles stayed at the Woods' house until her parents were ready to retire for the night. She hugged them both for long moments and told them goodbye. They would be leaving by late the next morning.

Diana and her mother had both recognized the worry in each other's eyes... but they still wouldn't voice them. They smiled softly as they ended their hug and promised to keep in touch more often.

Diana stared out the car window into the dark night as they headed home. She felt that sense of foreboding again. Damn it! What the hell will it be this time? I hate this feeling...

She had thought it was gone for good. She'd realized it was meant as a warning before she was attacked—when there was no reason for her to worry about anything...

And now it's back... And there are certainly plenty of things for me to worry about now! Mama could get sicker...

Just because the doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong now didn't mean they wouldn't find something! And that strange dream about Charles shooting her made absolutely no sense!

I would never do anything to jeopardize our relationship...

But Charles could very well end up in danger if the investigation he's getting into proves valid... There was no telling what some people might do to stop a couple of FBI agents from snooping around!

As with the sense she had before, she couldn't tell how bad it was. But this time, she had the feeling that Charles would be angry and confused. Like he'll have trouble figuring out how to handle whatever it is... 

Diana shook her head and sighed heavily... I feel that way myself! Angry and confused...

She couldn't figure out how to handle whatever this feeling was...

**********

Ed Hood had arrived back in Los Angeles on Sunday night, November 4, 1956. He'd started watching Diana and following her on Monday. He had to learn her routine again so he could figure out where and when would be the best time to strike.

This time, you'll pay the ultimate price for your sinful past... I have no choice but to destroy your wicked soul... 

He had offered her a chance at redemption and she had refused him. Then he had attempted to see that she would be punished for her sins and society had refused to pass judgment. 

He sat slouched in the driver's seat of his aunt's car parked across the street from the movie studio entrance. He saw their car drive through the main gate as she headed for work. He snorted. So you finally learned how to drive and got a license...

She couldn't rely on her husband to bring her to work and pick her up any more. His job was keeping him in the field more and more, and not on a nine to five basis, either.




Haunted by the Past Ch. 13



It should've been even easier for me to catch you alone this time... But now, I'll have to try and follow your husband to see if I can pick up on days or times when he'll be gone for a while in the evening... 

He'd been watching her for two weeks now. She only went from her home to the movie studio and back home again. She didn't leave the studio lot during the day. And if she went anywhere in the evenings, it was with her husband or one or all of her girlfriends. And she was never alone.

He snorted in frustration. You've become a cautious little thing, haven't you? I wonder why...

He started the car and headed toward the FBI office. Hopefully, he'd be able to catch her husband and his partner before they left the building. He could follow them for a little while and maybe learn something that might be useful. Luckily, he caught them just as they were coming out of the front doors and headed to their car. He followed them at a distance as they headed toward a warehouse district.

They parked on the street and were watching the comings and goings of people from an import/export company's warehouse on the next block. Around noon, they left when it was obvious that everyone at the warehouse was taking a lunch break.

They're probably going to lunch, too... Now might be a good chance to learn something if they talk about what they're up to over lunch...

He followed them again. Sure enough, they stopped at a diner and went inside. Hood parked down the street out of sight after he'd turned around at the dead end, and then walked to the diner. He kept his head down and his hat pulled low over his face. He entered and sat at a booth directly behind her husband with their backs to each other.

They ordered lunch from a waitress who was being overly friendly with them, saying things like "sure thing, handsome" and "you got it, sexy man!" They were chuckling after she left their table.

Ed wanted to snort in disgust. Women find those two so handsome that they'll act like a slut around them...

When the waitress came to his table, he ordered a cup of coffee and a sandwich. He stifled the urge to throttle the woman for acting like a whore with the other two and barely even noticing him! He listened attentively when he heard them talking about what they were up to.

"We haven't seen anyone that headquarters sent us photos of as being known suspects in past schemes entering or leaving this warehouse. But we still have three other warehouses to check out. And we need to do more surveillance at different times of the day and night. Criminals don't usually work just nine to five, you know!" Tom said jokingly.

Charles chuckled silently. "Yeah, I know. I just hope Diana and Lynda won't worry too much while we're gone. Diana got upset with me when I told her that I wouldn't be home until late because we have to do surveillance for a while Wednesday evening. She claimed I scheduled it on purpose just so I could get out of helping her with some of the preparations for Thanksgiving dinner Thursday!"

Their conversation was interrupted when the waitress brought their drinks.

Ed Hood grinned sickeningly. So...she'll be home alone the evening before Thanksgiving...

He didn't need to hear anything else. He glanced at his watch and muttered, "Damn!" He got up and walked over to the waitress and said apologetically, "Miss, I'm really sorry, but I'll have to cancel my order. I just remembered that I have a meeting I'd forgotten about. Sorry for the trouble."

Tom watched as the man that had been sitting behind Charles got up and spoke to the waitress and left. Charles never saw the man's face; his back had been to him the whole time. Tom scanned the photos in their file to see if the man looked like any of their suspects, but there was no resemblance to any of them. 

A few minutes later, they saw a vehicle that looked familiar pass in front of the diner.

Charles looked at Tom with a slight frown. "Wasn't there a vehicle that looked like that parked near us at the warehouse this morning?"

Tom replied quietly, "Yeah. And it was following us before we got there. I noticed it a few miles before we stopped. I took the license plate number and a description. We can get somebody at the office to run a check on it. I have no idea what will come up on it. The plates were from Oregon."

"Oregon?" Charles asked in confusion. "Does the list of suspects include anyone from Oregon?"

"No." Tom answered. "But that doesn't necessarily mean anything. The car could be stolen or the plates could be stolen. We won't know until they run a check on them and see if the plates and the vehicle match. If they do, then we'll run a check on the owner and see what turns up. But it sure looks as though somebody's interested in what we're up to!"

They raised their eyebrows at each other.

Then Charles said, "I'm glad Lynda told Diana that she and the other girls would come over Wednesday evening and help her with the preparations since you and I won't be home. Jon and Rick are also on duty that evening. Diana said they planned to meet after work and have dinner at a restaurant and then they'd go back to our house and prepare some of the dishes."

Tom grinned at Charles and then chuckled. "I told you there'd be some perks to these odd hours! See how much work it can get you out of at home? And they can't get mad at us because..."

"It's my job, honey!" Charles and Tom said sarcastically together as they chuckled harder.

**********

Ed Hood left the warehouse district and headed toward his mother's small house. All he had to do was hole up there until sometime Wednesday afternoon. Then he would go to the whore's house, sneak onto the property, break in and wait for her to come home. It almost sounded too easy.

Maybe fate is on my side and wants to see the bitch pay for her sins, too...

He was almost out of food at his mother's house. He made a quick stop at a grocery store to buy enough food for a couple more days. He stopped at a store that he'd never been to before so there'd be less likelihood of him running into anyone he knew. He made his purchases quickly and left.

Ed didn't know that the store clerk pulled out a flyer with his photo on it after he left and immediately called the police. The store clerk had always had a knack for recognizing faces. He had made it a hobby to collect wanted posters and other photos of criminals just to memorize their faces in the off chance that one might cross his path one day.

Too bad there wasn't any kind of reward for this one...I sure could've used the money! At the very least, I'm doing my civic duty...that ought to count for something...

Hood parked his aunt's car in the back alley where no one would see it and let himself in through the back door. He'd been careful to make sure no one ever saw him coming or going. He went into his old bedroom and pulled a box down from his closet. He took out the gun he'd been holding onto just in case he ever had to take matters into his own hands.

Like I do now...

He loaded the gun, stuck it into the pocket of his overcoat and looked at his reflection in the dusty mirror over the dresser. His eyes burned with rage as his mouth twisted cruelly.

My purpose is clear...

He had only two days to wait until judgment would be rendered.

Then punishment would be swift and justice would be done...

**********

Just before Diana was leaving her office at the movie studio Monday evening, her phone rang. She answered, "Diana Richards...how may I help you?"

"Diana, it's Jon. I wanted to let you know that I'm sending Rick and his partner to escort you home. We had a call earlier today from someone who reported seeing Ed Hood in the city. We've got officers staking out his former hangouts, but since he gave up his apartment before he left the city the night he attacked you, we have no idea where he might be staying. We've been trying to check local motels, but he could be using an alias so it will take time to visit them all to show his photo around.

"Until we can get any leads, we're going to have a police patrol unit at your house whenever you're there to keep an eye on things. We're going to do everything in our power to make sure this bastard doesn't get anywhere near you. I've also called the FBI office so they can get a message to Charles to let him know what's going on. So, don't leave your office until Rick gets there, OK?"

Diana was sitting at her desk shaking. "OK, Jon. I'll wait for Rick. Is he on his way?"

"Yes, he is. He should be there any time. Try not to worry. We'll do everything we can to protect you. I'll see you later, OK? Bye, Diana."

"Goodbye, Jon...and thanks."

Diana replaced the receiver with a shaking hand and stared at the phone for several moments, her mind whirling. Then she jumped when she heard a knock on her office door.

"Diana, it's me, Rick! I'm coming in!"

The handsome new husband of her good friend Dawn, L.A.P.D. Officer Estevez, opened the door.

Her face was pale and she appeared to be shaking. "I guess you got Jon's call, huh? That's why I'm here. We didn't think you'd take the news too well. Come on, I'll drive you home in your car and my partner, Larry, will follow us."

Diana and Rick arrived just as Charles and Tom pulled up.

Tom stayed for a few minutes as Rick updated them, and then headed home to Lynda. Tom frowned. He knew his wife wasn't going to like hearing what was happening with her best friend.

Rick and his partner stayed until the assigned police patrol unit arrived and parked across the street from the house. Rick introduced them to the officers and then he and Larry left.

The officers assured them that they would keep watch until their shift ended and the next unit arrived. Charles and Diana thanked them and told them to let them know if they needed anything to eat or drink. The officers showed them that they were already prepared with a thermos of coffee, a bag of sandwiches and a box of donuts.

Their good friend, Detective Jonathan North came by a little later to give them the details.

"A clerk at a grocery store in Inglewood reported that Hood came into the store this afternoon around one thirty. The clerk has a knack for recognizing faces. He keeps track of wanted posters and photos of criminals still on the loose. Unfortunately, he didn't see Hood get into any kind of vehicle. He may have parked around the corner of the building and he didn't drive by out front. The clerk gave a good description of what he was wearing, but that probably won't help us much.

"No one who knew this guy has seen or heard from him since before that night and no one even knows if he has any family in the area. We've looked up his birth certificate, his social security number and his driver's license. His mother's maiden name is on the birth certificate, but we can't find any record of an address in her name anywhere, and the father is listed as unknown!

"Other than the fact that he does have a birth certificate, a social security number and a driver's license, there are absolutely no other records of any type on this guy! No ownership of property, no title to a vehicle, no other known relatives and no previous criminal history! It's like he's untraceable!"

Jon and Charles sat shaking their heads in frustration as Diana paced back and forth nervously. 

"So what do I do? I can't just hide somewhere and cower hoping that this bastard will show up at some point when the police are around so you can catch him! I'm not just going to curl up and pray that he won't come after me...I know that's why he's come back! He's coming after me...I just wish I knew where and when!"

Charles looked at her in shock. "Diana, how do you know that he's come back just to get you?"

"Because I can feel it...here," she said, her voice shaking as she put her right fist to her stomach.

"I felt something like this the night we came back from our honeymoon. I got this feeling that something bad was going to happen when I started thinking about the fact that you'd be in danger sometimes once you became a field agent. I had thought that it was trying to tell me something was going to happen to you. Only it didn't feel that bad. I felt it was something that would affect you profoundly and would test the strength of my commitment to you. Which is exactly what we went through after that bastard raped me!

"I started feeling like this again a couple weeks ago and I had no idea what it would be about at first. But I've been feeling like I was being watched again...I've felt like this off and on for years now. And Jon said that bastard seemed to have been following me for a while! But, this time, what I sense for you is that you'll be angry and confused—like you'll have trouble figuring out how to handle whatever happens!

"I don't know what it all means! I can't get any specifics on anything. There's nothing to tell me when to expect it. The feeling doesn't intensify over time...it just comes and goes at random and always feels the same! It doesn't help me at all! I don't like knowing that something's going to happen and feeling like there's nothing I can do to stop it! It's making me crazy!"

Charles moved to Diana and held her as she tried to calm down. Her whole body was shaking, but it wasn't just from fear. She was still angry and confused—wondering why God, or whatever force was behind these "feelings," would give her the ability to sense impending danger without the ability to also possibly avoid it?!!

At least now she could take extra precautions. She could make sure she was never alone. She would be constantly on the lookout for the bastard so he couldn't sneak up on her. And she could carry her gun! Maybe the bastard would just give up on trying to get to her!

He couldn't possibly be so crazy as to attack me in public...could he...

Jon got up to leave. Diana went to him and hugged him. "Thanks so much for everything you're doing, Jon. And tell Barbara that I'm sorry I kept you here so long!"

Jon smiled and replied, "You know Barbara understands about my job! Besides, she was your friend before she was my wife...I know she'd want me to do everything I can to protect you."

Jon put his hand on Charles' shoulder before he walked out the door. "Hang in there, buddy. We'll do everything we can."

Charles and Diana sat up for a while reclining together on their living room couch watching television until it went off the air. They looked out their front window and saw the police patrol unit still sitting across the road.

They went to bed and made love for a while. Neither one of them felt very sleepy. Then they took a shower together, crawled into bed and tried to fall asleep holding each other tightly...with Charles' gun under his pillow.

They managed to get a few hours of restless sleep.

When they got up the next morning, they saw another police patrol car parked across the road. Charles walked out into the front yard to pick up their newspaper and said "good morning" to the officers. He asked them if they'd care for breakfast.

The officers thanked him and showed him that they'd already had theirs—coffee and donuts.

Charles chuckled as he headed back into the house. Even as tired as he was, he couldn't help but think it was funny that cops always seemed to be drinking coffee and eating donuts...



Haunted by the Past Ch. 14



Tuesday morning, November 20, 1956, Tom Seldon picked up his FBI partner Charles Richards for work. The police officers assigned to watch the Richards' house that morning escorted his wife Diana to the movie studio where she worked. They informed her that the officers assigned to watch for the evening would meet her at the front gate of the studio at around five o'clock to escort her home.

Detective Jonathan North called her at lunchtime. There hadn't been any further sightings of the bastard who had attacked her four months before since the previous day. And none of the motels in town had identified him as having checked in at any time.

It seemed that Ed Hood was like a ghost—he could appear and disappear at will...

Charles and Tom had given the information on the vehicle they had spotted following them the previous day to the records investigators at their office. They were waiting to hear what turned up on it. In the meantime, they were continuing with their investigation on the import/export company. They also kept their eyes open for the vehicle with Oregon license plates.

Tuesday evening, Lynda Seldon came to help Diana with dinner. Tom and Charles weren't going to get home until after seven o'clock. Even though Diana knew the police patrol unit was parked out front, she still jumped at every little noise she didn't recognize. Lynda tried to keep her best friend calm.

They had dinner ready and were just setting the table when their husbands walked in the door.

Diana jumped and gasped when she heard the door open, nearly dropping a plate on the floor.

She yelled at Charles, "Why didn't you ring the bell or knock to let me know you were coming in? I nearly jumped out of my skin!"

Tom chuckled.

Charles said exasperatedly, "Why would I ring the doorbell or knock to enter my own house? Come on, Diana, you're getting just a little too jumpy. You need to calm down and realize that everything that can possibly be done to protect you is being done! Ed Hood would have to be crazy to try to get to you now that you're constantly surrounded by protection! He'll only end up dead if he tries it! And I'm hoping he does!"

During dinner, Charles and Tom discussed most of the mundane aspects of their arms smuggling investigation. They had finally spotted and photographed someone who resembled one of the known suspects coming out of one of the warehouses that evening. That warehouse would be the one to watch the next night.

They hoped to learn whether the investigation was turning up any concrete evidence or leading to a dead end. They mentioned to Diana and Lynda that they had spotted a vehicle following them the day before and were having the license plate and the vehicle checked into. 

Diana managed to forget her fears regarding Ed Hood.

She watched Charles and Tom quietly discussing some specifics on the case after dinner as she and Lynda cleared and washed dishes. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but they had serious expressions on their faces.

They must be pretty sure that the tips they've received are legitimate...

Diana looked at Lynda. They both took deep breaths and exhaled raggedly. They tried to make themselves get used to the nervousness they felt at knowing their husbands could find themselves in danger at any time. They were both frightened.

Each time their husbands survived a dangerous situation, they would, most likely, be able to deal with their fears and nervousness a little better.

But how will we survive until then? How many times will it take for us not to be scared every time our husbands walk out the door to go to work...

Barbara lived with this for five years and now she's gone back to it...

Diana looked at Lynda and said quietly, "I think I need to have a chat with Barbara tomorrow evening. I hope she'll share her secret to staying calm! I've been frightened for myself enough recently, but when I think about anything happening to Charles, my fear is tenfold over what I fear for myself!"

Lynda looked at Diana and nodded her head in agreement. "But, no matter how scared or nervous I feel every time Tom walks out the door, I wouldn't trade even five minutes of the time I've spent with him in order not to be scared or nervous. Every minute with him is like a precious gift to me. And I can't afford to let my nerves get to me too badly...I have someone else's welfare to think about, too."

Lynda's eyes misted. She looked down and caressed her lower abdomen.

Diana looked at her and smiled softly.

What if Charles were to get killed before we have children? Would I be able to go on without him... without anything or anyone else to carry on his memory and his goodness...

She suddenly had a longing to know how it would feel to have his baby growing inside her. She had a feeling, like Lynda, that it would help to calm her to know that she had another life inside her that was depending on her for survival.

I'm going to talk to Charles about it tonight and, hopefully, he'll agree... Now would be as good a time as any to start... 

She was close to the fertile period of her cycle. She'd have to make him understand why this was so important to her...

Charles had been feeling the same way. The recent potential dangers that both of them had been facing had made him think about his own mortality. We'd better not put off trying to have children or it might not happen at all...

They would always be able to come up with some excuse or another as to why it wouldn't be a good time to have a baby. But Diana made him realize they'd been overlooking the most important reason of all to have a child. We would forever be connected through that child... There's no better expression of our love...

They made love for hours that night. He came inside her three times. They finally fell asleep in each other's arms around two o'clock, both of them praying for his sperm to find a target.

They awoke Wednesday morning feeling more full of hope than they had in a while. They made love again that morning at his insistence. Diana was afraid of being late for work, but Charles made breakfast for her while she showered and dressed.

He didn't have to report for duty until after noon. He and Tom would be on surveillance duty until at least ten o'clock that night. He planned to go back to bed for a couple hours and catch up on the sleep he missed.

Diana had just enough time to eat her breakfast before she had to head out to work. Charles walked her to the front door wearing nothing but his pajama bottoms and kissed her goodbye. They forgot about the police patrol unit parked across the street. The officers got quite a show.

She ran her hands over his hairy chest as he pulled her against him and kissed her deeply. She slowly slid her hands around to his back and down to his ass.

He turned her sideways and crushed her against the front doorframe. He rubbed his, once again, hard cock against the front of her body as she kissed his neck and his upper chest. Charles was about to beg her to call her boss and tell him she'd be a little late getting in so he could take her back to bed.

They heard the sound of someone clearing their throat just several feet away from them. They broke apart, embarrassed, when they saw one of the police officers standing on their front walkway.

Charles moved Diana to stand in front of him so the officer couldn't see the obvious tent in the front of his pajama bottoms. He jerked slightly as she stroked her hand against his cock. She had nonchalantly clasped her arms behind her back as she asked the police officer if there was a problem.

"I'm sorry to disturb you folks but, Mrs. Richards, my partner and I need to see that you get to work soon so that we can get back to the rest of our duties. So, if you don't mind..."

Diana answered quickly, "Of course, officer. I'm so sorry for holding you up. But it's my husband's fault—he held me up so...I was just trying to get him back."

The officer smiled and chuckled. "Well, I certainly think you accomplished that, Ma'am. Now, can we get going, please?"

Diana chuckled with him. "Of course, officer. I think it's best that I leave now...so I won't leave him hanging!"

Charles gave a frustrated growl.

Diana and the police officer burst out laughing.

Charles swatted her ass and pushed her out the door, saying, "I'll get you for this later!"

Diana turned and blew a quick kiss at him as he shut the door chuckling. She said loudly, "I love you, honey! See you later tonight...I'll be waiting for my punishment!"

As the two officers followed her to work, the one told his partner about their amusing exchange. They both chuckled.

What an interesting woman! Her husband is definitely a lucky man...

She was beautiful, sexy, smart and funny—not at all what they would have imagined seeing in a woman who had been through what she had. The officers admired her strength and her bravery. They genuinely hoped that her attacker would be found soon. 

Diana arrived at her office and started tackling all the duties and errands she needed to get done before the end of the day. She would be out of the office through the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Her boss was fond of reminding her that the movie industry didn't take holidays—schedules had to be maintained whether it was a holiday or not.

If there was anything her boss hated, it was going over budget on a production because schedules couldn't be maintained! Diana was relieved. According to the current production schedules, everything was running on time and, so far, under budget.

At least her job was one thing that wouldn't be worrying her during the holiday!

**********

Tom arrived at Charles' house just after noon with lunch and the latest updates of information on the investigation from Bureau headquarters in Washington. The suspect they'd spotted at one of the warehouses the night before turned out to be one of the "persons of interest" they were looking for. If they were there again tonight, it would give them the concrete evidence they needed to push ahead with further investigation.

Tom also told Charles what they'd found out on the vehicle that had followed them. "The vehicle and the plates match but it hasn't been reported as stolen. The car is registered to a woman named Betsy Hightower in some little town in Oregon that nobody has ever heard of. They can't even find it on the maps! The woman has no criminal record that we've found, but someone in records is going to attempt to contact her and see if she can tell us what her vehicle is doing here in Los Angeles."

By one o'clock, Charles and Tom headed out to the FBI office to file their reports and get the items they needed for that evening's surveillance.

Charles called Diana at her office before they left.

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm thinking of you. I hope you'll wait up for me tonight!" 

"Oh, I'll be waiting up. You promised to get even with me for teasing you, remember? I'm hoping you'll come up with a suitable punishment!"

They both laughed sexily. 

Charles smirked. "Don't you worry, pretty lady...I know exactly how I'm going to punish you! So, just be ready...you bad little girl!"

I'm going to torment you until you beg to feel my cock inside you...if I can hold back long enough! Why does tormenting you always turn into torture for me as well? My body betrays me every time...

He closed his eyes and groaned. They both craved each other so fiercely that they could never use sex as a weapon against each other...

Damn, Charles...you're a horny bastard! Just like me... Tom chuckled when Charles hung up the phone. "Come on, partner. Get your mind back on the job and off your wife's sexy body. You'll have time for her later. Right now, we need to see if we can find the bad guys and figure out what they're up to...let's go!"

**********

At four o'clock, Ed Hood left his mother's house and drove to a secluded area about half a mile from the Richards' home. He'd already scouted around in the weeks before he attacked her. He'd found a narrow trail through the nearby woods that led directly to their backyard.

He'd thought about breaking into their house to attack her. But he knew she usually kept a gun and that she also knew how to use it very well. He'd followed her to a target range a few times over the years. Breaking into the house before she got home would allow him to search for and get rid of any potential weapons she might have.

He broke in through their master bedroom window by popping out a pane of glass just below the window lock. He reached his hand up and unlocked the window, raised it and climbed inside. He picked up the broken glass from the carpet, tossed it outside, shut the window again and lowered the shades. Then he went into their bathroom, grabbed a hand towel and stuffed it into the broken windowpane.

He looked all around their bedroom, especially in the nightstands and around the bed...there was no gun. Hood paused for a moment. Her gun isn't here...she must have it with her in her purse. I'll have to make sure she isn't anywhere near her purse when I surprise her...

It was getting close to five o'clock...she'd be leaving work soon.

He went into their walk-in closet and hid himself in one of the front corners behind their clothes. He growled quietly as he smelled her scent... He could feel himself losing his resolve to deliver his judgment and to punish her.

No woman has a right to smell that good! Maybe I should offer her one more chance at redemption... If you'll only let me show you that I'm supposed to be the one to save your soul...

Just like she was supposed to have saved him from a life of sin and wickedness...

You're MY soul mate... Her soul was as twisted and sinful as his. She didn't deserve her husband...

He's too good for you... Ed felt justified that what he was doing was saving her husband's soul as well.

Surely God will forgive me for giving in to such wickedness with this act of redemption...

He leaned his head back against the closet wall and closed his eyes. Please, God...give me the strength to do what I know I have to...

He tightly gripped the handle of the gun in his coat pocket...

**********

At 5:15 Wednesday evening, Diana was entering the restaurant where she was meeting Lynda and their other two girlfriends, Barbara North and Dawn Estevez, for dinner. She was the first one there. Lynda arrived less than five minutes later and Barbara and Dawn came in just a couple minutes afterward.

After they ordered their meals, Diana told her girlfriends that she and Charles had decided to try to have a baby right away. Lynda and Barbara were excited. Dawn was a little more subdued in her enthusiasm. 

Diana looked at her. "What's the matter... aren't you happy for me?"

Dawn smiled sadly. "Well, of course I'm happy for you! It's just that...well...all of you will probably end up pregnant soon and be able to share the experience together and I guess I'll feel sort of left out! And look...I'm the one who always ends up having to organize all our parties and things and I don't know if I can handle three back-to-back baby showers! You guys may have to settle for just one big shower for all of you!" she exclaimed.

They all laughed for a moment.

Then Diana sobered. "Part of my reason for wanting a child now is to help me stay calm in the face of my husband's dangerous job. Is that part of the reason why you decided not to put off having a child with Jon, Barbara? Because I remember you being so upset after Tony was killed in the line of duty that you hadn't been able to get pregnant before it happened. Do you really think having Jon's baby will ease the pain if you lose him because of his job, too?"

Barbara's eyes gazed off into the not so distant past. She recalled the painful feeling of emptiness that had engulfed her after the reality of Tony's death hit her. She was a police detective's widow with no children... The realization that she was utterly alone with nothing but her memories of him to fill the emptiness in her heart and soul had sent her into a black pit of despair from which she thought she'd never be able to ascend. Diana and Lynda's steadfast companionship had been her only lifeline.

The only thing that had made me want to pull myself out of that pit... If I'd had Tony's child to think of, I wouldn't have allowed myself to get so swallowed up by despair... 

Barbara looked at Diana and answered clearly, "Yes, I do. If it hadn't been for you and Lynda...I shudder to think what I might've done because of the emptiness I felt from losing Tony. If I'd had his child to think about, it would've given me a reason to want to go on living. If I were to lose Jon before I could give him a child...I don't know if I'd be able to survive again."

Dawn spoke up.

"Gee...you guys are making motherhood sound more and more appealing by the minute! Whatever happened to wanting to have a baby just for the sheer joy of giving life! Raising them to have good common sense and to be kind to everyone? Watching them grow into their own personalities and discovering who they are as a person? Being proud at seeing their accomplishments and having a sense of immortality that they'll carry on after you're gone? Shouldn't that be why you want to have children?"

Diana, Lynda and Barbara chuckled derisively.

Then Lynda said, "Well, yes, there's all that, too! We just want it to happen as soon as possible! So we'll have a part of the man we love that will live on in case..." Lynda didn't finish that statement.

She didn't want to... but also because their meals arrived.

The ladies switched their conversation during the meal to talk about what preparations they were going to make that evening for their Thanksgiving meal the next day.

They finished their dinners and paid for them, and left the restaurant to head for Diana's house.

They had no idea of the danger they were walking into...

**********

Ed Hood kept waiting and wondering.

What the hell is keeping the evil bitch...she should've been home by now! She's supposed to walk in the front door and head to her bedroom to find me waiting for her! Then I'll offer her a choice...

Redemption of her soul by offering herself to him willingly...or suffer the condemnation of his judgment and his swift punishment...

He was about to leave his hiding place when he heard the sound of the front door opening...

"Good evening, officers! Let us know if there is anything we can get for you! We'll be making a pot of coffee, so if you need any more, just let us know!" Diana called to the patrol unit that had been parked across the street since she got off work as she and her friends entered the house.

Hood almost muttered a curse aloud. She's not alone! And it sounds like there are policemen sitting out in front of the house! Why are they here? What's going on? What do I do now...

He began to panic. He brought his hand out of his coat pocket, not even realizing he was still gripping the gun. He put it to his forehead, tapping it against him as he muttered quietly, "Think...think...what the hell do I do?"

He suddenly froze and went silent, lowering the gun beside him when he heard someone approaching. 

It's her...

"I'll be out in a minute you guys...I just want to change out of my good dress before we get started in the kitchen!" Diana yelled as she headed down the hall into her bedroom.

She started to enter the walk-in closet but she paused for a moment. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as a chill went up her spine.

I've had this feeling before...at my old office...months before that bastard attacked me...




Haunted by the Past Ch. 14



It was just another warning that he wanted to come after her.

Perhaps this time he's going to break into the house...

But it could also be from the fact that she'd just removed her dress as she headed toward the closet. She snorted a laugh and shook her head... I hate feeling this jumpy... 

Ed Hood stayed deathly still as she walked into the closet and hung up her dress and slip not four feet from where he was hiding. She was wearing just her bra and panties. Then she slipped on a pair of slacks and a sweater. He breathed silently and stifled the urge to growl when he caught her scent as she passed by him on her way out.

He heard her voice at the other end of the house along with the voices of her girlfriends.

She's the only one I intend to punish. Damn it...how long will I have to wait for them to leave? Patience... I must have patience. Surely God is on my side! Everything will start to work in my favor soon...

**********

Someone else living in the Brentwood area noticed a vehicle that had been parked on the side of a road for most of the evening. They wondered if it had been abandoned, so they phoned it in to the police and told them where it was. The local precinct sent out another patrol unit to check it out.

The patrol officers radioed the Oregon license plate numbers in to the station to check them out. The patrol unit knew this area was close to where one of the other units was assigned on a watch. They took a drive up to where the other officers were parked and told them about the vehicle and that they'd let them know what they found out.

**********

At about 6:45, one of the records investigators at the FBI received a return call from the sheriff in a remote county in Oregon. They had called the sheriff to ask him to contact Betsy Hightower. The investigator took the information and handed it to Assistant Director Peter Woods.

Woods scanned the information and muttered, "Oh, my God...what the hell is going on? Get me the address where Agents Seldon and Richards are right now. And call Agents Jones and Brinkley and tell them to meet me there on the double!"

He grabbed the file they had compiled on Ed Hood and headed out the door as fast as he could.

About twenty minutes later, Woods pulled up to the building where Charles and Tom were positioned to watch the import/export company's warehouse. He burst through the door.

"That vehicle registered to Betsy Hightower that was following you two is here in L.A. because she loaned it to her nephew... Edward Hood. Why the hell would he be following the two of you? What could he have possibly wanted?"

Charles jumped up and roared, "WHAT?!! I have no fucking idea why that bastard would be following us! Why would he do that?"

Woods laid Hood's file on a table in front of them, opened it and showed them the information that the sheriff had given them.

Tom picked up the photo of Hood in the file and studied it for a moment. "Oh, shit! I've seen this guy! He followed us into that diner Monday. He sat down right behind you, Charles, and he only stayed for a few minutes. You remember? He got up and left, saying he'd forgotten about a meeting or something. What had we been talking about while he was there?"

Charles and Tom thought back and repeated their conversation. Charles remembered the comment he'd made about Diana being mad that he wouldn't be home until late this evening. That was when Hood had gotten up and left... He thought Diana was going to be alone this evening! But she wasn't...

"We need to call the police station so they can radio the patrol unit to be on the lookout for him because he's bound to be lurking around. But maybe Hood spotted the patrol unit and changed his mind. No one has called the office to report that any trouble has occurred, so maybe he's given up!" Woods suggested hopefully.

As soon as Agents Jones and Brinkley arrived to take over the surveillance, Charles, Tom and Woods left to find the nearest phone.

Charles called Detective Jonathan North's precinct and asked to speak to him. Charles knew their friend was on duty that evening and this information involved his wife as well.

"Jon, it's Charles. We've found out something that indicates Hood might try to make a move on Diana tonight." He related the information to Jon.

"I'll contact the local precinct so they can relay the information to the patrol unit. Then I'll contact Rick's precinct so they can get a message to him and then I'll call your house and tell Barbara what's going on. We don't want to frighten Diana unnecessarily."

Charles replied, "Right. We're headed back to the FBI office first and then to my house. If you hear anything in the next thirty minutes, call my office. OK? Thanks, Jon. Bye." 

Jon called the local precinct and was concerned to hear that a vehicle with Oregon license plates had already been spotted parked in the area. He had his precinct contact Officer Rick Estevez's precinct to radio him since his wife Dawn was also with her girlfriends at Charles and Diana's house.

Rick called Jon a few minutes later and asked him to keep him posted. Jon assured him he would.

Then Jon called Charles and Diana's house. "Barbara, love, I don't want you to upset Diana; so don't say anything, just listen to me. We have reason to believe that Ed Hood is somewhere in the area tonight and will try to come after Diana. He thinks she's alone. But he may have already seen the police unit outside and he may not even try anything. We've already radioed the patrol unit to keep an extra lookout. I just want you to do the same from inside... OK?"

"OK, Jon. We'll be at least another couple hours here so there's no rush. I'll see you later at home. Bye, darling. I love you, too!"

**********

It had been over an hour and Ed Hood was getting tired of waiting for the other women to leave.

If I can't take care of this quietly, then your girlfriends will just have to serve as witnesses to either your redemption or your trial and execution! I won't need to kill them. Everyone will know it was me and I don't need their blood on my hands...

He heard the phone ring. It was for one of her girlfriends. He heard her say that she expected to be there for at least a couple more hours.

I can't wait that long...it's time to get this over with...

As soon as the phone conversation ended, he walked out of the bedroom door and crept down the hallway toward the kitchen with the gun in his hand.

Dawn walked out of the kitchen toward the china cabinet in the dining area and pulled out a serving dish. She turned around and stopped dead. She screamed loudly and dropped the dish onto the hardwood floor, shattering it...

**********

The police officers stationed out front had received the radioed message that the vehicle the perp was known to be driving had been found just a half a mile away. And it had been sitting there since late afternoon. The officers looked at each other.

That's not a good sign...

They immediately got out of the car and headed toward the house to take a look around outside.

There was no access to the backyard at the sides of the house. It was surrounded by trees and dense brush. One of the officers pulled out his flashlight. There were no trails through the brush that they could see. They checked the other side of the house and found the same thing. The perp would've had to gain entry through the front of the house...but there were no signs of forced entry.

What the hell?!!! Where could he be...

The officers looked at each other with puzzled expressions. Just as one of them was about to say something, they heard a loud scream and the sound of something breaking come from inside the house...

Both officers instinctively drew their guns and stealthily crept along the front of the house. They headed toward the picture window. They could just barely see figures through the sheer curtains and could only hear muffled voices. They backed away from the window so they could see through the sheers better.

Their worst fears were realized when they saw a man standing in the dining area pointing a gun toward the women.

One of the officers said quietly, "You stay here and watch how he reacts. I'm going to knock on the door and say that we heard a scream and just wanted to check on them."

The officer moved to the front door and knocked loudly. "Mrs. Richards? Mrs. Richards! We heard a scream in there. Is everything OK? Let us know if everything is OK!"

His partner flinched. He looked at him and shook his head. He indicated with his hand that the perp had his gun pointed at someone's head. Then he indicated that they were moving toward the door.

The officer at the door put his gun back in his holster.

Diana was doing her best to remain calm as the bastard dragged her to her front door with his gun pointed at her head.

"All right, bitch...you'd better think of something to tell that police officer to get rid of him or I'll kill you and all your girlfriends! And don't you dare say anything that might make them suspicious like trying to send them away. Then they'll know something's up!" Hood growled. He positioned himself behind the front door as she opened it.

"I'm so sorry for worrying you officer. One of my friends spotted a mouse running across the kitchen floor and it scared her. She screamed and dropped one of my best pieces of china, too! I'll have to make her pay for that!"

Diana slid her eyes to her right. He's standing behind the door, officer...

Amazingly, the officer gave a solemn nod with his head, as if he already knew Hood was there.

The officer said calmly, "Well, maybe you need to get yourself a cat, Mrs. Richards. And tell your friend not to scream like that and scare us any more. We'll be right across the street if you need us to come in and chase any more mice away for you."

He indicated to her with hand signals. We're calling for backup...

OK...stay calm. Help will be here soon! Please call my husband...

"Thank you, officer. We'll let you know if we see any more mice. Good night." Diana shut the door.

Hood grabbed her and dragged her back over to the dining area. "You and your friends sit at that end of the table."

He sat at the other end across from Diana. His back was to the front picture window but he was facing the windows looking into the backyard. He banged his gun on the table three times.

The women jumped.

"Court is now in session. Diana Maitland Richards, you have been charged with the heinous crimes of sinful sexual conduct for a single woman; teasing and misleading the man who was sent to redeem your soul for those sins, and condemning another innocent man's soul for loving you despite your wicked ways. How do you plead? Guilty or not guilty?"

Hood stood up and declared, "She's guilty, your honor!"

Diana winced. Is he serious? He's acting like he's putting me on trial...

But it sounded like he'd already decided the outcome! And since he had a gun in his hand, he'd probably already decided the punishment as well...

Death...

Diana closed her eyes and mentally screamed.

CHARLES!!!! 



Haunted by the Past Ch. 15



Just before eight o'clock, Agents Charles Richards and Tom Seldon and Assistant Director Peter Woods were getting ready to leave the FBI office in Los Angeles to head to the Richards' residence. 

Charles suddenly felt a wrenching twist in his gut and heard the sound of his wife Diana's voice screaming his name inside his head.

Almost at the exact same moment, the phone at the front desk of the office rang. One of the evening duty personnel answered it.

"Agent Richards, it's for you. Detective Jonathan North."

Charles took the phone...already knowing he wasn't going to like what Jon was going to tell him.

"Charles, I just had a call from the other precinct. The patrol unit assigned to your house just radioed in. Hood is there...inside the house. He must've broken in earlier today and was waiting inside. I'm headed there myself as soon as I have Rick's precinct radio him and let him know what's going on. We'll meet you there as soon as we can!"

"Right. Tom and I are on our way there now. We'll see you soon. Thanks. Bye, Jon." Charles hung up the phone and explained to Tom and Peter Woods.

Woods said, "I'll round up a couple more agents and head there as soon as we can!"

Charles drove like a bat out of hell, arriving at the road he lived on in Brentwood in half the time it normally took. But they couldn't get to the house. Police cars already had the road in front of his house blocked off. He parked and they got out of their car and started toward the house.

A couple police officers immediately moved toward them.

"Hold it right there, gentlemen. You can't go any further. We've got a situation going on right now and we can't let anyone past this point. Please return to your vehicle and vacate the area."

Charles shrugged the police officer's hand off his arm and gritted through his teeth, "That's my house officer! Both of our wives are inside with the bastard who attacked my wife months ago! We're not going anywhere! Who's the officer in charge here? I want to speak to him!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Richards. I didn't realize who you were. Detective Thompson is in charge until Captain Nelson arrives. He's right over there."

The officer indicated with a wave of his arm as he let Charles and Tom pass.

"Detective Thompson, I'm FBI Special Agent Richards and this is Agent Seldon. We've been notified that this is a hostage situation. The FBI will be taking over now. We'd appreciate it if you'd give us an update."

Charles and Tom flashed their badges at the man, hoping he had no idea who they really were.

Detective Thompson raised his eyebrows. "Well...your arrival is certainly faster than we've ever experienced before. Kind of like a miracle, I'd say, seeing as how we haven't even had a chance to phone it in to the FBI yet. Just who are you two and what business do you have being here?"

Charles took a deep breath and exhaled raggedly. "Look, this is my house. Our wives are inside along with the wives of two other L.A.P.D. officers. We're not going to just stand around and wait while a bunch of bureaucrats argue over the best way to handle the situation! The bastard has already proven that he's a dangerous man. I don't think he's going to listen to reason and just let our wives go...especially not my wife! He's already attacked her once and I'm not going to let him get the chance to do it again...or possibly worse!

"Now, if you'll cooperate with us and have your personnel act as backup, we'd appreciate you letting us handle it. Agent Seldon here has reconnaissance and combat training and he'd be more than capable of coming up with a rescue plan. Now, will you help us or not?"

"Officers Daniels and Douglas...would you come over here for a moment, please?" Detective Thompson paused as the two officers he'd summoned approached. "Would you please escort these gentlemen back behind the established perimeter and make sure that they don't try to interfere in the situation any further! And will someone find out where Captain Nelson is and how soon until he gets here?!"

"You bastard..." Charles muttered under his breath at Detective Thompson as Officer Douglas indicated for him to move.

Charles and Tom both threw daggered looks at the man as they walked away.

"So, what the fuck do we do now?" Charles quietly asked Tom.

"I'm thinking. I'm thinking. Just give me a few minutes. Maybe when Jon and Rick get here we'll have better luck since they're L.A.P.D. Maybe they'll give them a little more leeway and they can convince them to let us handle things!" Tom said quietly as he paced back and forth.

A few minutes later, Jon and Rick both arrived and were even more upset when they were told by Thompson to stay out of it because of their personal involvement.

All four men were stalking on the sidelines like caged tigers when Peter Woods and a couple other agents arrived.

In front of the other police officers, Woods did his best to try to make the men understand that it was policy not to let any officer or agent be involved in situations that affected them personally. It only made sense to let non-interested parties deal with the perpetrator so they wouldn't say anything to provoke him.

Then Woods took the four men aside for a moment. "Look...let me work with the police so they can play their little power game out here and get that bastard preoccupied with thinking that we'll negotiate. While they're doing that, you guys come up with some way to take the bastard out. I don't care how you do it...just come up with something! I'll keep things dragging out as long as I can! Now, go on! Just try to get a signal to me somehow when you're ready to move!"

Woods slapped Tom and Charles on the shoulders and headed back over to where Detective Thompson was briefing Captain Nelson, who had finally arrived.

Woods told Thompson, "You won't have to worry about my agents trying to interfere any longer. I've calmed Richards and Seldon, but it's up to you guys to make North and Estevez do the same."

Detective Thompson snorted shortly. "Don't worry. They've been warned to stay out of it."

Woods bit his tongue to keep from muttering what he thought of Thompson's attitude.

You self-righteous asshole...

Charles heard one of the patrol officers mention that the perp must've gained entry through the back of the house somehow.

The only way we're going to have any hope of getting to the bastard will be in the backyard. But how will we get into the backyard without alerting him to our presence? There must be a way...

Charles told the others his idea and they all started coming up with plans and options to make it work.

**********

"Diana Maitland Richards, you will now state 'guilty' as I read off the list of your sexual offenses in front of these witnesses. Do you understand?"

Diana nodded numbly.

Ed Hood shouted, "Answer the court out loud! Do you understand?"

"Yes," she half whispered and half croaked through her dry mouth.

"Are you guilty or not guilty of engaging in a sexual act with a man in an alley outside of a bar in the Venice area at around ten o'clock on the night of June 11, 1950?"

Diana's eyes widened. That was the first time she'd picked up a man after Robert Clark had taken her virginity just over a year earlier.

You witnessed that? You've been following me ever since...

She licked her dry lips with her cottony tongue and swallowed even though there was no moisture in her mouth. "Guilty," she croaked quietly.

Her eyes went vacant as Hood rattled off every single place, time and date that she'd picked up a strange man for a one-time encounter. She numbly murmured "guilty" each time he paused to stare at her with anger and hatred.

Hood jerked in surprise when Lynda Seldon suddenly jumped up and screamed at him, "STOP IT!!! Why are you putting her through this? Why does it matter to you? What is she to you any way?"

Barbara North reached up and grabbed Lynda's arm to stop her and make her sit down again.

"SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP, BITCH!!! I'm not finished yet! As soon as I've finished, I'll explain why all this matters and what she means to me! Now, where was I? Oh, yes. I believe the last time was just a few months before you met me. March 12, 1955 at around 10:20 outside a bar in Santa Monica in the back seat of a '53 Caddy...nice car. How do you plead?"

"Guilty as charged...on all counts. I'll plead to whatever you want me to...just let my friends go! They haven't done anything to you. Please...just let them go!" Diana pleaded as tears welled in her eyes.

Hood stated plainly, "I'm not going to hurt your friends. They haven't done anything to deserve being punished for...other than being friends with you! I just want them to witness what it takes to truly redeem your own soul and that of another person...if you can make them see the error of their ways.

"You see I, too, have committed sins of a sexual nature. I let my own mother seduce me with her wicked ways. She lured me into her bed when I was only fourteen years old and I didn't have the strength to turn away from her and condemn her for the wicked woman that she is..."

He frowned sadly. "She's my mother...she's the only person I've ever had that loved me...

His frown turned angry. "As I got older, I finally understood how wicked my mother is. She was a loose woman... she seduced every man she ever came in contact with. Only one man was stupid enough to marry her and it didn't take him long to figure out his mistake. She could never get another man to marry her because they knew she wouldn't be faithful to them. They all left her because they'd come home and find her in bed with someone else!

"Then she'd come crying to me for comfort...

"I finally realized that the only way I could atone for my part in her sinful downfall was to find a woman like my mother and make her see the error of her ways! But you didn't even give me the chance to make you realize that by giving yourself to me and making a life with me, it would've redeemed both our souls! I could've made you love me and you would've saved me from my wicked mother! 

"Don't you see? You were meant to be MY soul mate...not HIS...not your husband, I mean! You're only putting his soul at risk because you're not worthy of him! See? You do understand..." Ed Hood finished quietly when Diana burst into tears of remorse.

Suddenly, there was a loud voice from outside the front of the house. "Edward Hood...this is Captain Henry Nelson of the L.A.P.D. We have the house surrounded. We found your vehicle where you left it...you have no means of escape! You need to release those women unharmed or come out with your hands up! We'll give you one minute to give us an answer!"

Hood laughed insanely.

"Oh, for crying out loud! How stupid do they think I am! They can't have the house surrounded...there's no access to the backyard from anywhere near here! And I would've seen them coming through the woods with flashlights, but I've kept my eyes on the backyard...there's no one out there! And I didn't really think I was going to get out of this at the end any way, so I don't need a means of escape!"

Hood moved to the front door, dragging Diana with him with his gun to her head again. He made her open the door and give the police his answer.

"He's not letting us go and he's not coming out. If you interrupt while court is in session again, he'll kill me and the witnesses. Just stay out of this until the trial is over and the verdict has been read. He'll come out once punishment has been rendered and the witnesses will be freed."

Diana shut the front door. Hood moved her to the picture window in the living room and made her close the Venetian blinds.

**********

They could no longer see what was going on inside. Peter Woods was breathing raggedly after seeing Diana's tear-streaked face and hearing her shaking voice while she delivered the bastard's message with a gun pointed right at her temple. Woods tried to stay calm and remind himself that Diana was not actually his niece. But that didn't stop him from caring about her like she was... 

That lunatic has appointed himself as judge, jury and executioner! The bastard fully intends to kill her... 

He quietly walked over to where Charles and the other men were and told them what had just happened.

Charles' face was ashen. If we don't do something soon, she'll be dead...

They had come up with a plan to surround the back yard and lure the bastard out somehow. If they were all stationed at the edges of the yard, someone would be able to get a clean shot at him. It would be much better if they had at least six instead of four, though.

Who else could we possibly recruit to help? None of the other police officers could help without jeopardizing their jobs...not that they would volunteer in the first place...

Charles looked at his friends. "I'll be back in a few minutes. While I'm gone, see if you guys can round up any tools we can use to cut trails through the brush. Check the nearby houses; I'm sure my neighbors will be happy to lend us anything they have that will work! I'm going to see about finding us some extra help. I'll be back as soon as I can!"

Tom took off with Charles and asked, "Who are you going to call?"

"I'm not sure yet. I thought I'd see if I could reach any of the other agents at the office, but I think just about all of the others are out of town for the holiday."

Charles kept wrestling over and over in his mind on whether or not to call anyone else...

He kept remembering what John Wayne had said to him the day they met at the hospital after Diana was attacked.

If there's ever anything else we can do... Anything at all...

Did you emphasize that word on purpose?

Would the big man really do anything for her?

Would you chance risking your life to save her? What other choice do I have than to ask you...

He'd do anything to save his wife... 

Charles picked up the neighbor's phone, dialed his friend Ward Bond's number and held his breath as he prayed to get an answer.

"Ward, it's Charles. That bastard Hood is back and he's broken into my house. He's holding Diana and all her girlfriends hostage. He's a lunatic and he's putting Diana on trial. He intends to punish her by killing her. The police can't do what needs to be done. Tom, Jon, Rick and I have come up with a plan to get to him, but this plan would work better if there were at least six of us instead of four. Do you happen to know a couple of men who'd be willing to risk their necks to help me save my wife?"

**********

Tom gathered up a few tools at the neighbor's house and left Charles to make his phone calls. He returned to where they'd left their friends. Jon and Rick showed up a couple minutes later with some more tools and Charles joined them about a minute later.

Tom asked, "Any luck?"

Charles took a deep breath. "It'll take about twenty minutes for the cavalry to arrive. Let's start cutting paths through the damn jungle on either side of the house. Tom and I will sneak around to the other side and work over there. Jon and Rick, you two start over here. Start as far out as you have to so the police can't see what you're doing and then angle closer toward the house as you go—and try not to make too much noise! We'll meet back here in about twenty minutes and see if our backup has arrived. Let's go!"

**********

Ed Hood paced agitatedly around the living room for several minutes.

Damn police...never doing their jobs when they should! Always interfering after it's too late... I shouldn't have to be taking care of this! The D.A. forced me to take matters into my own hands...

He dragged Diana back to the dining room table and sat her down again.

"Now where were we before court was interrupted?"

Dawn Estevez spoke up quietly. She couldn't sit by and say nothing any longer.

"You had just told Diana that she was supposed to be your soul mate and that she was only putting her husband's soul at risk because she wasn't worthy of him. But you're wrong! Diana is NOT unworthy! She's just a wounded soul...like you! You didn't deserve what your mother did to you! You were just a boy. Of course you would've been confused and not have known how to handle something that was so wrong." 

Dawn's words seemed to soothe Ed Hood. He almost looked like a wounded boy as his eyes misted with pain.

Dawn kept talking to him, telling him that it wasn't his fault what had happened to him and that he was an innocent victim.

Hood sat and listened to her compassionate soothing for a while. She gradually worked her way toward making him see that what he was doing to Diana was wrong. When it looked like she'd won him over, Dawn pled Diana's case. 

"You can't compare Diana to your mother. She's nothing like your mother! She would never seduce an innocent boy...she never seduced any of those men! She merely asked them. They made the choice of their own free will..."

"SHUT UP!!!" Hood screamed as he jumped up from his chair.

"That's not the point of this trial! The worst crime she committed was when I offered myself to her and she turned me down! She didn't even want to hear my explanation of why we belonged together! She just slapped me and told me to go to hell...which was exactly where she was condemning both our souls for not realizing that we were supposed to redeem each other!"

Hood walked over to stand beside Diana and looked down at her with lustful warning. "But I'm going to give you another chance. Offer yourself to me and let me show you how we belong together and that we were meant to redeem each other's souls."

Diana closed her eyes. A wave of nausea washed over her when she realized what Ed Hood wanted... 

OH, GOD...CHARLES!!!!!

**********

Charles and Tom had just finished making a passable path through the undergrowth that emerged at the corner of the garage into the backyard. They made their way back out and snuck around to where they met up with Jon and Rick.

A minute or so later, the cavalry arrived. Ward Bond and John Wayne walked up and joined them. They were both dressed in dark clothes and wearing dark caps.

Charles explained what he had in mind.

"We've cut paths through the woods to the back yard. With three of us on each side, we'll position ourselves behind trees at the edges of the yard. I'll see if I can get someone's attention and indicate to them to lure the bastard out into the backyard somehow. One of us is bound to get a clear shot at him. I don't care who. But if he's got a gun on anyone, don't try to shoot him unless and until he points it away from them. Is that clear?"

The other men nodded their heads.

Charles felt another twist in his gut and a wave of nausea as he heard the sound of her voice screaming his name inside his head again. He clenched his eyes shut and took a couple deep breaths.

"We've got to get moving. We don't have much more time. She's very frightened and she feels sick. I don't know what he's doing to her."

"What are you talking about?" Wayne asked Charles quietly.

Charles looked directly into the big man's narrowed eyes. "I can feel what she's feeling in my gut. She's called to me a couple times now...I've heard her voice in my head just like she was screaming right in my ear. She's scared to death and I don't know how to keep her calm."

Are you telling the truth...you can actually feel her fear? If you have that much of a connection with her...

Wayne frowned. "Have you tried sending anything her way? If you're receiving feelings from her, might she not be able to sense something from you? It couldn't hurt to try!"

The other men looked at The Duke with their eyebrows raised in skepticism.

"What? Why are you all looking at me like I'M crazy? Richards is the one who's saying he can sense his wife's feelings!"




Haunted by the Past Ch. 15



Charles looked at the big man in slight shock.

He has a point; maybe it would work both ways, but I don't have time to waste to see if it would work... 

"Ward, you come with Tom and me to the other side of the house. Wayne, you go with Jon and Rick on this side. Everyone try to be in position in about ten minutes. I'll sneak up close to the house near the dining room where he's been holding them and see if I can peek in a window and get someone's attention...or get a message through to Diana somehow. Let's go!"

Charles caught Peter Woods' attention as they snuck back to the other side of his house. He flashed the fingers on his right hand twice to indicate they were moving in ten minutes.

The men worked their way through the narrow paths in the dense brush and then snuck along the edges of the woods in the shadows, lining themselves along the sides of the backyard.

Tom and Jon were on the outermost corners where the back edge of the yard sloped down the brushy hillside. Ward and Wayne were about midway down the yard and Charles and Rick were closest to the corners of the house.

Charles snuck over to the side of the dining room window and peeked in at an angle.

Tom and Jon's wives, Lynda and Barbara, were sitting to the side of the dining room table at the end closest to the window with their backs to the sliding doors. He peeked just a little farther and saw Diana sitting at the end of the table with her back to him.

She won't be able to see me through this window...

Charles ducked down and worked his way under the window to the other side and peeked again.

Ed Hood, the bastard who had raped Diana four months earlier was standing to his wife's left side. He was talking to her quietly.

Charles felt another wave of nausea as he saw the expression on the bastard's face. He was looking down at her with lust in his eyes.

You keep your hands off my wife... So help me...I'm gonna kill you, you bastard...

Charles closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths and then opened them again to stare directly at the back of Diana's head...



Haunted by the Past Ch. 16



Diana Richards was barely listening to Ed Hood's voice drone on about how they could save each other if only she'd walk away from her husband and come to him. She was fighting the waves of nausea that kept washing over her every time the bastard would intimate that he knew they'd be good together if only she'd give him a chance.

Suddenly, a feeling of calm settled in the pit of her stomach and there was a prickling sensation on the back of her head. She almost gasped aloud when she heard Charles' voice in her head.

I'm here, pretty lady. I'm right behind you. Look down if you can hear me...

Diana almost shook her head...wondering if she was just imagining his voice. Then she heard it again.

Charles concentrated harder and tried again.

Oh, God...please let this work... Diana, I'm right behind you...outside the window. If you can hear me...or just sense me, look down or do something...anything...

If he didn't get a response this time, he would just work his way back to the other side of the dining room window again and try to get Lynda or Barbara's attention.

Charles was about to give up when he saw Diana's head lower to look downward. She gave an almost imperceptible nod. Had she really heard him? He tested it again.

If you're really hearing me... lift your head again...

Her head came back up slowly.

Charles sent her the last of the message, telling her what to do.

She lowered her head again in assent, letting him know that she understood.

He moved to hide just inside the back door of the garage that led onto the patio and waited. He hoped it wouldn't take her long to convince the bastard holding her and her girlfriends hostage that he could try to escape down the hillside.

Ed Hood nearly jumped in surprise again when Diana stood up and turned to him.

"You've been very compassionate with your offer to give me another chance. I've decided you're right... I'm not worthy of Charles Richards. And you may very well be the man that God had chosen to save my soul. So, if your offer still stands, I'm ready to accept it.

"But how will we be able to redeem our souls by sharing our lives together if we can't get away from here? The police aren't just going to let us walk out the front door! I'm not your prisoner any more, but they won't see it that way. So what are we going to do?"

Hood's eyes narrowed at her.

Do you really mean what you're saying? Are you really going to just walk away from your husband and turn your life over to me? I don't know whether to trust you...

She was staring up at him with a very clear expression in her eyes. He saw no fear, no loathing, no recrimination... nor did he see any pretended love. If he had, he would've known the bitch was lying...

I can't possibly hope for that this quickly after what I've been putting you through. But I've only been doing what's best for both of us...

He took her at her word.

"We can still try to escape through the back yard. I know a trail that leads down to the road about a half-mile from here... wait. The police said they'd already found my car and they'd surely be waiting to see if I showed up there again."

Diana made a suggestion.

"We could try to escape down the hillside at the back edge of the yard. It's kind of dense with brush, but I'm sure we could work our way through it. I'm not sure where it leads, but it's away from here and I don't think they'd know where to look for us. It's probably our only chance... What other choice do we have?"

"Diana, what are you saying? Are you really buying into this lunatic's sickness? What is wrong with you?" Lynda Seldon exclaimed after watching the strange exchange between them.

Diana gently put her hand on Hood's gun hand when he swung it toward her best friend in anger.

She stared into his eyes as she said, "It's OK, Lynda. I know what I'm doing. Don't hurt her, Ed. She's just confused. She'll understand later why I have to do this. Come on, let's leave now, before the police get too curious and try to find out what's going on... OK?"

Hood gestured with his gun and said to them, "All of you get up. You're coming outside with us. I can't have any of you go running out the front door to tell the police what we're up to."

He motioned for all of them to move to the sliding door. He opened it and gestured for them to go out. He moved them as a group to the outer edge of the patio and told them to stay there.

Hood put his gun to Diana's right temple and wrapped his left arm around her waist. He started to move them slowly backward across the yard to the hillside.

"Ed, you don't need to keep the gun on me... I'm coming with you willingly," Diana said nervously.

"I know that, my dear. This is for their benefit... so they won't try anything foolish. If they make a move, I will have to shoot you—even though I don't really want to. So you better hope your friends really care about you."

Lynda, Barbara and Dawn didn't move a muscle.

Hood stopped moving about halfway across the yard. His gaze was drawn to his left when he saw Charles Richards emerge from the side garage door onto the patio and walk toward the yard.

"Where do you think you're going with my wife?"

Charles kept his right hand holding his cocked gun hidden behind his thigh.

Hood casually threw at him, "Hey, buddy, I'm doin' you a favor. She's no good for you. She was only going to drag your soul into the depths of hell with hers because of her sinfulness. I'm the one who was sent to redeem her... she's MY soul mate... not yours."

Charles brought his gun up and aimed it right at Diana.

"Well, if she's so sinful, then maybe we ought to just kill her right now! What do you say?"

John Wayne's nerves nearly went into panic mode. What the fuck are you doing, Richards? OK, OK... you're just trying to distract him... There's got to be some way I can help...

Diana's dream from a couple weeks before suddenly popped into her head. Charles with his gun aimed right at her and a man's arm wrapped around her body. The only thing that hadn't happened yet was...

"EDWARD HOOD!!!" The big man's voice boomed from somewhere to the right of them.

The strain of the last few hours, the eerie reality of being mentally connected to Charles and then seeing her dream play out in real life were too much for Diana. Her brain shut down. As she went limp and faded into blackness and silence, a loud gunshot rang out from all around her.

When Ed heard his name called from the edge of the woods, he jerked his head and his gun hand in that direction as Diana limply sagged out of his grasp.

All six men had their guns trained on Ed Hood. As soon as Diana hit the ground, six shots rang out almost simultaneously. Hood fell just behind Diana. He was dead before he hit the ground. 

Charles raced to Diana and sunk onto his knees beside her. He lifted her up to him as he hugged her and patted her cheeks with his left hand, his gun still tightly clutched in his right hand.

"Diana...Diana...wake up, pretty lady. It's over now. Diana, can you hear me?"

"Are you speaking out loud or are you inside my head again?" She asked weakly.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked up to see Charles grinning at her. "How did you do that, my love? How did you speak directly to my brain?"

Charles replied, "You spoke to me first, pretty lady. I heard you scream my name twice and I could feel your fear. It was the big man who suggested I try to speak back to you."

Charles looked up to see Wayne, Ward Bond and all their friends standing around them.

Wayne looked at Charles and inclined his head solemnly.

Ward put his hand on his shoulder. "We'll be taking off now. We were never here... right?"

Charles looked at them and inclined his head toward them just as solemnly.

Ward Bond and John Wayne looked at each of the other men and received the same silent nod of respect and thanks. 

Then they disappeared back through the trail in the woods that would take them closest to their vehicles. 

They drove off into the night knowing that they'd aided in seeing that justice was done. The young woman they both cared about and admired... and loved... finally had a real chance at happiness with her true soul mate.

John Wayne sighed heavily. I'll always love you, little girl... But there is no doubt that you belong with him... 

Witnessing the extraordinary connection they had shared through this potentially tragic event had proved that. They must share an extraordinary love...

He sighed again. I wish I could feel that much of a connection with Pilar...

**********

The couples were all holding each other tightly on the patio.

They heard loud banging and the sounds of voices shouting toward the front of the house. Then they heard the sound of the front door being thrown open and a number of police officers moving throughout the house. The police finally found them out on the patio.

Detective Thompson came storming out the sliding door from the dining room.

"What the hell is going on here? What are you men doing out here and how the hell did you get by us? Do you realize how much trouble you're all in when Captain Nelson finds out what's happened?"

About that time, Captain Nelson of the L.A.P.D. and Assistant Director Peter Woods of the FBI came through the doors.

Woods looked at Charles and Tom. "Agents Richards and Seldon, give us a rundown on the incident."

Tom and Charles explained their plan and how it had played out, minus the involvement of the backup team and how Charles and Diana had communicated telepathically. Who would've believed it anyhow?

When they were done, they indicated toward Hood's dead body in the middle of the backyard.

Captain Nelson looked at Peter Woods. "My thanks to you and your agents for taking care of the situation. I don't think we'll need any further debriefing here. We'll get the coroner out here as soon as possible and take care of removing the perp's body. We hope you folks will still be able to enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday. I'll get my officers rounded up as quickly as possible and be out of your way as soon as we can!"

Captain Nelson dragged a sputtering Detective Thompson back through the house and out the front door. 

In less than an hour, they had moved Hood's body from the back yard, through the garage and out to the coroner's vehicle to be transported to the morgue.

After everyone else had left, the men told Peter Woods the whole story. They said how grateful they were to Ward and Wayne for their assistance, but they had sworn to keep their involvement a secret. 

Woods agreed and also told them that the agents he had brought with him that evening would be filing the incident report in their names. Woods and Captain Nelson had already agreed that all of their names would be kept out of the official reports.

Tom and Lynda suggested that they move Thanksgiving dinner to their house.

Diana immediately spoke up.

"But tomorrow will be a happy day with all of us gathering to give thanks for our blessings. I can't think of a better way to help chase away any lingering bad memories than to create even better ones. Please say you will all be here tomorrow and help us to rid our house of unhappy memories!"

Everyone assured her they would be there.

**********

That night, Lynda held Tom and cried quietly with him.

"Oh, God, Lynda... I was so afraid I was about to lose another wife and child... I don't know what I would've done if I'd lost you!"

His arms tightened around her as a couple silent sobs wracked his body. The pain he'd experienced when Yakira and their unborn baby were killed over 11 years ago coursed through his memory.

She wrapped herself around him and held him as tightly as she could.

"It's OK, darling. I wasn't in that much danger. That bastard was only after Diana. I was more scared for her than I was for myself. I don't think he would've harmed me or Barbara or Dawn. But I'm pretty sure he would've killed Diana. Thank you, my darling, for helping to rescue us and save my best friend's life!" 

She kissed his lips softly as he stopped crying. Then she wiped his tears away and kissed him more deeply. The fear and sadness in his eyes were being replaced by love and desire. She kissed him passionately, caressed his body and stroked him to full arousal.

He entered her body slowly and tenderly as she wrapped herself completely around him. She stared into his eyes. "Welcome home, Agent Seldon..."

She made love to him until his fear was completely gone—replaced by his addictive need to feed her addiction for his body... his heart... and his soul...

**********

Detective Jonathan North apologized to his wife Barbara for not having really understood her fears. She already knew what it was like to lose a husband in the line of duty.

He held her tightly to him as they lay in bed. "I've never been in this position before... fearing for the life of someone I love more than life itself... I finally understand the pain you risked to your heart and soul in allowing yourself to love me... I'll never doubt your love for me again!"

Tears leaked from the corners of his dark green eyes. Barbara kissed them away.

"Oh, Jon... I wish it hadn't taken something like this to make you realize how much I love you! Now you understand why I'm as anxious as you are to have a baby together. If anything happens to either one of us, we'd have a precious reminder of our love to see us through. Love me, darling. I want us to be forever joined through our child." 

Jon felt the complete joining of their hearts and souls as he held her and kissed her tenderly. He joined their bodies and made love to her as they both prayed silently for a child...

Their prayers were about to be answered...

**********

Dawn's optimistic outlook on life had been shaken recently. Running into Bobby Joe Hutchins in Vegas the month before had scared her even worse than the last time she'd seen him because he had threatened Rick.

And this incident with Ed Hood... seeing firsthand what a sick, twisted and violent man he was beneath that shy façade he'd first presented the night he'd introduced himself to Diana. Dawn realized how easy it was to misjudge a man's character.

She'd almost misjudged Rick's character when he'd told her about his past the first night they were together. He'd admitted to being a Latin Lothario and Dawn had hesitated giving her heart to him... but that wasn't who he was any more.

He was her devoted husband... her best friend... her soul mate... her guardian angel... her fiery, Latin lover...

Rick had known his angel would be safe. His strong faith in their love had told him she wasn't in danger. But he had worried for Diana and Charles. Now that he knew his wife and all their friends were safe again, he was free to concentrate on his desire for his beautiful angel.

His shift for the past week had kept him from his wife most of the time. They hadn't made love in four days and he was about to go insane. Dawn had been startled when he'd pushed her onto their bed, raised her nightgown and ripped her panties away. But she'd seen the need in his eyes so she laid back and pulled him to her. He took her desperately that first time...

And they both knew she was supposedly fertile at the moment... Rick and Dawn Estevez didn't say a word. They spent hours reveling in the hellish flames of their passionate heaven. Rick tried to put out the fire several times. And neither one of them worried that she would likely get pregnant...

**********

Charles and Diana didn't say a word, either. The only sounds heard in their house the rest of that night were their soft sighs of love and their loud moans of pleasure. But they saw, felt and heard everything each of them needed to communicate.

Even when their bodies weren't connected, their hearts, souls—and minds—were...

They made love as many times as they could until sheer exhaustion forced them to sleep. Both of them prayed silently the entire time for God to give them a child.

She was drifting off to sleep in his arms. I just know I won't get pregnant...

She tried to push her disappointment away. She felt his arms tighten around her. Just before she fell asleep, she thought she heard him whisper...

Charles frowned as he sighed deeply and closed his eyes. He felt her disappointment as he was drifting off... It's OK, pretty lady. We'll just keep trying until it happens... 

**********

Thanksgiving Day 1956 turned into a very happy occasion for Charles and Diana Richards. All of their friends showed up by early afternoon so everyone could help with the meal preparation. The previous evening's planned preparations had been somewhat interrupted.

Even though it had been a horrible incident, everyone concentrated on the miraculous outcome.

They all sat around the dining room table that had been the scene of a nightmare less than 24 hours before. The women could hardly recall the fear they had experienced as they looked into the faces of their best friends and their loving husbands.

They bowed their heads as they each gave thanks to God for their blessings over the past year...

For meeting new friends who we trust with our lives...

For the generosity, caring and compassion of a couple famous friends...

For surviving the worst situations anyone could face...

For the miracle of seeing that even out of the worst tragedies, good things can happen... 

For our chances at happiness in finding the loves of our lives...our true soul mates...

**********

The next day, Captain Henry Nelson received the coroner's report on Edward Hood's body, a copy of which had been forwarded to Assistant Director Peter Woods of the FBI. The report noted that the body had six bullet holes in various areas on the front and back of the torso and head, indicating that the shots had come from six different directions.

The bullets had been collected and sent to ballistics for testing and matching. A few days later, they received the report from ballistics indicating that each of the six bullets came from different guns.

Captain Nelson and Director Woods made sure those reports were lost, as well as the copies kept in the files at the coroner's office and the ballistics lab.

No one questioned it.

Edward Hood had been killed in the commission of a crime; it didn't matter how or by whom. He was dead...

Justice had been served...

********** 

Finally it seemed that Charles and Diana and all of their friends would be able to deal with their haunted pasts. But each of them also realized that the present was still unsettled in many ways.

Life could turn on a dime...

But at least now they knew that they had their friends and their love to get them through whatever chances and choices fate threw at them next...

**********

Should I keep going? Or is everyone totally bored with these characters? I already have the next series almost completed with even more of a storyline involving Charles and Tom's arms smuggling investigation...

You guys let me know if I should continued with "Ghosts of the Past"...