Days of Darkness

Chapter 14

"She'll be crawling in a day or two," I told Natalie when she returned. Her arms were full of bags. I could tell she enjoyed herself. The lady liked to shop.

"Can you tell her to hold off until we find a place?" Natalie joked.

"I can't seem to tell women anything these days," I laughed. It shocked me when Natalie went on her toes and quickly kissed my cheek. It was just a peck, but it held an apology and a promise. I hadn't meant anything by my remark. Maybe she thought it best to acknowledge how things had resolved and to make sure I knew she meant the best by it. I took the bags from her arms with a smile and put them on the small table.

"I found you some shirts," Natalie said, "if you don't like them, I can take them back." I wasn't sure how I should feel about that. Having her dress me seemed a little too domestic. She stilled at my expression. "Don't look to deep into it," she added, "I just didn't want you to start smelling." I immediately and self-consciously smelled my armpits. She snickered as she started to go back to the car for another load of bags.

"I got it," I said, moving quickly past her. My pits didn't smell bad, at least, they didn't to me. I was out of clean shirts, but I could have washed them in the sink. I went through an internal argument about the shirts as I retrieved the other bags. By the time I returned, I had sorted it out in my head.

"Thank you," I said, "for the shirts." Worst case, I could stall some laundry. I still had two clean pairs of underwear and socks.

"You're welcome," Natalie said, quite proud of herself. It pleased me that she was happy. I couldn't remember the last time I was the reason someone was happy. We started shifting the baby stuff from the plastic bags to Stinky's diaper bag. Stinky gave a little grunt when she spied the food jars and raised her butt up high, almost like she was going to take off after it. "She's getting strong," Natalie commented.

"We won't be able to leave her on the bed anymore," I said as I moved closer in case Stinky decided to take that first lunge.

"She can't be on this carpeting," Natalie instructed, "we'll need to find someplace to rent. A medium sized town in need of a lawyer. It shouldn't take me long to get licensed in any state." I sat on the bed and stared at her as she continued to unpack. She slowed then stopped, "What?"

"We?" I asked.

"You think I would let you raise Stinky alone?"

"But..."

"I like you," Natalie continued, "you like me. Stinky let us skip all that silly courtship crap. Tell me you aren't planning something tonight." My eyes widened. "If you weren't," she shrugged, "I was going to." She went back to unpacking as if that was all the needed saying.

"Are you a control freak?" I asked. My smile stalled the flash anger that appeared on her face. She looked at me a moment and laughed.

"Yes, but I can compromise."

"I live by the seat of my pants," I admitted, "but I can compromise."

"We need each other," Natalie continued, "and Stinky needs us both." She bent over to retrieve something from a bag on the floor. I watched her curves move seductively in her jeans. A woman I never thought would give me the time of day was informing me we were moving in together. I should have been running full speed away, but my only desire was to be with her. I loved her strength and really loved how her jeans fit. She smiled when she caught me gawking. I turned back to Stinky.

"Are you sure I can't interest you in a nap?" I said rubbing her back. Stinky smiled, thinking I was playing.The bed shifted as Natalie sat down next to me. A shiver ran down my spine when I felt her hands on my neck. I turned, and she let her lips prove she meant what she said. I wished Stinky would take a nap.

We had sandwiches for dinner as we watched the national news. Flagstaff was unraveling for the government. The lack of an epidemic, and Stinky and my disappearance, were making the government look ineffectual. People were beginning to question the supposed outbreak. Members of the CDC were second guessing it themselves. Politicians were beginning to talk of independent investigations.

"Do you think they will stop looking?" Natalie asked.

"No. They'll just change their methods."

"Then we just have live low," Natalie continued, "everything in my name."

"I can probably build another identity," I added, "I know some people who do that sort of thing." My criminal past had some benefits.

"We'll need a name for Stinky as well," Natalie said, "she can't go on as Stinky forever." We both looked at Stinky, who was sitting calmly in my lap. She realized we were paying attention, and she became lively, moving her arms up and down and grunting. The only name that fit her was Stinky. She seemed to like it. Another name would confuse her.

"It has to be something pretty and special," I said, "I don't want her forgotten as a Jane or Sally."

"I have a name," Natalie said, "I was saving it, but Stinky could use it. That's if you like it."

"Shoot."

"Teegan," Natalie replied. She paused as I pondered the name, "It's Gaelic. I think it means 'little poet'." I nodded as I let the name sound itself out in my head. I tried it out in anger and tenderly. It was a pretty name. I couldn't remember ever meeting a Teegan.

"Teegan," I said out loud. Stinky jumped at the word and made with the arms. "You like that?" I asked Stinky. I think I could have called her poop, and she would have been happy. She just liked me paying attention to her. "I think she likes it," I said to Natalie, "and I think it's perfect."

"Teegan," Natalie smiled.

"Teegan," I agreed. We just promoted ourselves to full parent status by naming her. I gave up wondering if I would be a good father. I now had no choice.

It took another two hours to get Teegan to bed. I wondered how real parents did it. The desire to get Natalie alone was building and yet, Teegan insisted on playing. Natalie took her shower first and exited the bathroom in her oversized t-shirt. I again wondered what color her panties were. It would be very satisfying to find out.

Teegan eventually closed her eyes, fighting sleep all the way. I carefully placed her in the crib and gave what I knew now was her nightly kiss on the forehead. I then took the quickest shower of my life. I left the bathroom wrapped only in a towel.

"What color tonight?" I asked as quietly as possible. The smile on Natalie's face grew, but she didn't answer. She looked so delicious laying on the bed, her right leg slightly c****d, and there was desire in her eyes. She reached out as I neared and pulled the towel from around my waist. There was no shyness in her movements as she caressed parts that have been lonely for way too long. I ran my hand softly along her thigh, raising the t-shirt as I went. She bit her bottom lip as I discovered she wore no panties. Soft curls met my eyes. "So beautiful," I breathed as I climbed in next to her. I reached over her and doused the last light.

I slowly explored her curves, finding what generated moans and where she was ticklish. If I barely touched the back of her knees, a soft feathery caress, I could generate the most wonderful giggle. I stashed that knowledge away for future t*****e and continued my discovery. She loved the attention I gave her breasts. My lips found a wonderful home there, climbing from the valley and conquering the peaks. She lightly guided my lips and cooing when I found what excited her most.

Her control faltered when my hand traveled between her legs. I loved how I could make her back arch, her moans caressing my ears and exciting my mind. I closed my eyes and remembered the images I had seen, her imagined first coupling. I found her lips and joined them with mine. Her breathing came in gasps, adding a fever to our kiss.

I moved between her thighs and felt her smile against my lips. Her hand guided me, teasingly finding her entrance. It caused me to groan louder than I intended.

"Shhh," Natalie warned with pride at the response she caused. I silently laughed into her lips causing us to lose our rhythm. She giggled as one mood was replaced by another. Both so enjoyable, I wasn't sure which I preferred.

When we joined, humor was replaced by pure pleasure. Natalie wrapped me in her legs and pulled me tight. The closeness was intoxicating. My body wanted to move yet my mind found solace in her arms. I framed her head with my hands, our lips millimeters apart, I looked into the most beautiful eyes. I couldn't believe I held her there; our bodies joined and she wanting it as much as I.

"Heaven," I whispered. It came unbidden and without thought. It was the only word that made sense. Natalie's smile in the dim light exploded in my eyes. Passion replaced thought as our lips met again. We traded breath and sound as our bodies found a rhythm, our song. It was so much more than the l**t I had felt in the past. It was deeper, more intense, always on the verge of perfection but each peak showed me another, something higher to climb.

Natalie's body began to shake as she pulled me closer. Her lips a hair's breath from my ear she whispered, "together." When her lips closed on my ear, I reached the end of my endurance. Something primal supplanted reality as we shared a perfect togetherness. An unexplainable moment that only we could understood completely. I held her; she cradled me as our bodies strained in unison.

I collapsed into her laughter as reality slowly returned. "Shhh," I chuckled, kissing across her forehead. I was still trembling, trying not to crush her as my muscles struggled to regain control.