Chapter 18
“Absolutely,” Raymond said with feeling as he pushed his chair back, rose to his feet, and stood beside her. He helped her to her feet, and gathered her in his arms. They both sighed in relief when his arms came around her, holding her tight to him.
“Thank you,” she mumbled against his chest, and when he bent down to ask her what she had said, she had picked her head up and their lips touched gently.
It was their first kiss, and Raymond laid one hand on the back of her neck to hold her in place as he continued to kiss her gently.
It didn’t take long for it to go deeper, by both of them.
“Do you have condoms?”
“In my room.”
They broke apart and with their fingers entwined, he led the way down the hall, opened the door, and nodded, allowing her to enter before him. With the door closed, he turned to her.
“Damn, I’m suddenly nervous.”
“Yeah, me too.”
He stepped toward her to gently place his hands on her hips. “I’m going to put this out there before we take the next step.” He paused and she had to prompt him to continue.
“What’s that?”
“I like you, Amelia. There’s something about you that is different from my last relationships. I’m hoping this won’t freak you out to make you run away screaming, but you feel like forever to me.” He bent down to kiss the tip of her nose and smiled when she sighed.
“There’s something about you, Raymond Morris that makes me think that you might be my forever.
My entire adult life, I never cared whether I was in a relationship or not.
It seemed like no one I dated understood my drive to make it as a doctor.
Instead of settling for mediocre, I went about my life my way.
It didn’t bother me that I didn’t have a partner, because I didn’t want to settle with someone who didn’t take my vocation seriously.
I didn’t want someone who wanted me to give up my wants and dreams to make them feel better.
” She reached up and put her fingers gently over his lips.
“Not once since meeting you have I ever felt you would do that to me.”
“I wouldn’t,” Raymond said, and kissed her fingers.
He shook his head and further explained.
“We are of an age that we know what we want out of life. Hell, we’ve lived it, just the way we wanted to.
We also aren’t even close to retirement age, and have lots of time yet to continue with our jobs, but still be together.
That’s what I want with you. To come home from our respective jobs, share a meal, talk about our days. ”
“You’re not actively seeking more clients for your law practice?”
“Not really, if Jason or Ilsa need me, I’ll step in, and other than representing you in the defamation case, I’m not taking on new clients.
I found that I love working with the horses, and there’s a need for hands.
I can’t see myself sitting on my hands waiting for clients when there are several lawyers in Fool’s Gold and Colorado Springs.
I’m happy doing what I’m doing now.” He kissed her nose again, then reared back to look at her in shock.
“What?”
“That doesn’t bother you, does it? That I’m not actively seeking clients and practicing law?”
“Why would it bother me? You’re doing something you enjoy.
I don’t know if you love it, but you seem happier every day.
I love your stories about the horses, I love how animated you get when you discuss your day.
I’m not going to tell you what to do in your career, just like you’re not going to tell me how to run my own clinic. ”
“Thank you,” he said quietly, and instead of kissing her nose, he kissed her full on her lips, making sure his intent was known and not assumed.
He used his hands to pull her shirt from her jeans, and his hands caressed her stomach.
It wasn’t long before he had her shirt over her head, and quickly removed his own.
As much as he wanted to strip her naked, and bury himself into her heat, he took it slowly, and with every article of clothing he removed from her, he removed one of his own, and by the time they were both naked, he laid her down on the bed.
He paused in kissing her, reached up to move her hair from her face and just stared at her for several moments, before he whispered, “You are so beautiful.”
“Thank you,” she whispered back, and laid her palm on the side of his face.
“You’re not so bad yourself. Not in the beautiful department, but definitely the handsome one.
” She grinned when he laughed, and laughed along with him as he rolled over so she was on top of him.
They spent the next hour loving each other, and when they collapsed back on the bed, they were both breathing hard.
It wasn’t long before they pulled the blankets up, cuddled together, and fell asleep.
Raymond rolled over in the middle of the night and reached for Amelia, but found the other side of the bed empty.
Concerned, he rolled over, saw that it was almost five in the morning, and after pulling on a pair of sweatpants, he used the bathroom and went out to look for her, praying that she hadn’t slipped out in the night.
He gave a quick start when he opened the bedroom door and saw her standing in the doorway to his office, wearing his shirt from the day before. He liked the look on her.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You didn’t, I rolled over to reach for you, but found the bed empty. Have you been up for long?”
“No, I’m waiting for the coffee to finish perking.”
“Do you have to go into work today? Wait, do you work the weekends? Wait again, is it the weekend? I seem to lose track of the days.”
“Is that something I should be worried about in the future? Your forgetfulness?”
“No, it’s just that I’m not going into the office all the time, and don’t really have to make any meetings.
My days are filled with saddling horses, mucking out stalls, and helping Shay at the track, that’s after helping Ann and Tony with the other horses.
” He tapped the side of his temple. “Still a steel trap.”
“I know, I was just picking on you.” She giggled at his shocked expression.
“So, may I ask why you are staring into my office like you’re planning some sort of heist?”
“Not a heist, not exactly,” she said with a grin.
“Excuse me?”
“Coffee, and I’ll explain.” They turned toward the kitchen, and she poured them both a cup. “To answer your earlier question, it is Saturday, and I don’t work the weekends. At least not now. Maybe, if I get more patients, I’ll have to have Saturday hours, but not now. What about you?”
“We take turns and this is my weekend off. We’re hoping when more people come to work, we’ll have more time off, or if some buyers take some of the horses off our hands, lighten the load.” He shook his head and sighed as he sipped his coffee. “Until some of the mares have their foals.”
“Yeah, there is that.” Amelia laughed.
“Yeah, so why were you studying my office so intently?”
“I was thinking, and picturing things.”
“Like?”
“Like, now that we’ve taken our relationship to the next level, I’m going to turn into a typical female.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning, I want more. I don’t want to return to my cabin every night to sleep alone. The more I want for now is for us to live together. I was studying your office. I love the desk you have in there, and I was looking to see if another desk could fit in the same room.”
“Use my desk.”
“No, I can’t do that, because you’re going to need it when you prepare for my case.”
“True, and there’s no telling if you’re going to work late, or early.”
“Correct.”
“Okay, but I need this said clearly. Do you want to move in together?”
“Yes.”
He grinned when she didn’t hesitate in her response to his question. He rose and went to her, gathered her into a hug, kissed her forehead, and gave one nod. “Yes. When do you want to make the move?”
“Would it be forward to say today, after breakfast?”
“No, the only question I have is would it be too much for you to drive from here to there in the winter?” At her look, he grinned, stepped back and held up his hands in defense. “Sorry, that was a stupid question.”
“Yeah, it was, but I’ll be fine. I clocked it, and it’s only seven minutes shorter than my drive from my previous apartment to the clinic up in Colorado Springs.”
They made breakfast together, acting like teenagers as they exchanged kisses or a caress every time they came within touching distance. They also shared several laughs and chuckled. After cleaning up from breakfast, they gathered their things and headed over to her cabin.
“What the hell, Amelia?” Raymond asked as he walked in and saw all the packed boxes. “Haven’t you unpacked yet?”
“Yes, but when I’d come back from your place I was too keyed up, so I decided to pack up my things, because I was working up the nerve to ask you if we could say the hell with the blood test results and start the relationship sooner.”
“Really, you never indicated that to me.”
“Sorry, but I was getting impatient. I’d been using my battery friend almost every night, and it’s just not the same as what we shared last night.”
He grinned, and hugged her. “What isn’t packed?”
“My bed, bathroom, and the food.”
“Okay, why don’t you do the bedroom and bath, and I’ll start taking these boxes out to my truck.”
“Okay,” she said with a laugh as she slapped him on the ass and ran away from him.
He ended up following her down the hall, grabbed her around her waist, and tossed her in the middle of her bed.
It was almost an hour before they giggled as they dressed themselves and got to work finishing up packing her cabin to move her over to Raymond’s at New Double.
After moving Amelia in, they unpacked her stuff, and settled into their living arrangements. They shared household duties, and both went to their own respective jobs, loving what they were making together.