A few minutes later, the elevator doors opened and two men in firefighter gear stepped out. "I see we're expected," the first one said with a smile. "Heard your smoke alarm went off, ma'am."
"Yes, but it was only because of a missed cardboard plate in the oven. It's fine now," Annelie explained.
"Let's just have a look, eh?"
"Sure. Come in."
The men gave Annelie appreciative looks before they turned to politely greet Carolyn. "Good evening, ma'am…" After a slight hesitation, the older one continued, "Forgive me, ma'am, but aren't you Carolyn Black?"
"Yes, I am. Good evening. Nice of you to stop by."
Annelie was hard-pressed not to laugh when she noticed Carolyn slipping into a regal tone of voice, as if greeting her subjects.
"I'm a great fan," the fireman said, "and so is my wife. Can't wait to see the Maddox movies."
"Thank you. Please tell your wife I said hello. By the way, this was entirely my fault. I was trying to cook, which I can't, so from now on I'll stick to takeout." Carolyn smiled broadly and raised her hands in a dismissive gesture.
Obviously taken by Carolyn's charm, the firemen quickly checked the oven and the ventilation fan above it. "Glad to see everything's okay, ma'am," the younger fireman offered.
"It was my fault for not calling the front desk. Thanks for double-checking."
"Our pleasure," the other man said, with an admiring glance at Carolyn. "Better safe than sorry."
Annelie had barely closed the door behind them before she started to laugh. "Good Lord, Carolyn, you have admirers everywhere. I thought he was going to kneel before you and ask you to autograph his helmet."
Carolyn walked up to her and wrapped her arms around Annelie's
waist. "I would have, if he'd asked me. Right now, I'd like to…write on you…"
"Write on me? How?"
Leaning forward, Carolyn let her tongue trace the indentation at the base of Annelie's neck. A soft purr emanated from Carolyn's throat as she let her mouth travel toward her lover's lips.
Annelie moaned and held Carolyn close. "Trying to continue what you started out on the balcony, are you? Oh, mmm, that feels good…" She felt soft hands under her sweatshirt, stroking along her back.
"You bet. I was onto something good. I could feel it," Carolyn whispered. "I simply can't stop touching you every chance I get."
"I like the sound of that. How about we move into the…Oh!" Carolyn's exploring hands had reached Annelie's breasts and found erect nipples waiting for her touch. "Why don't you go into the bedroom while I close the doors to the balcony?"
"All right. Give me a minute, though. I need to use the bathroom after all this excitement." Carolyn smiled.
"Sure. I'll be there in a jiffy."
Annelie placed a soft kiss on Carolyn's lips before returning to the living room. After closing the door, she heard a faint ringing sound, which she finally realized was coming from Carolyn's purse. She hesitated for a moment and then pulled out her cell phone. The name Beth flashed on the display. Knowing Carolyn's sister would reach the answering service within seconds, Annelie quickly pressed the Answer button.
"Carolyn Black's cell phone. Annelie Peterson speaking."
"Oh…hello, Annelie. I'm Carolyn's sister, Beth. Is Carolyn around?"
"Hello, Beth. Yes, she is, but she's in the bathroom right now." Suddenly nervous, Annelie found herself fumbling for a nonexistent phone cord to twist around her fingers.
"Oh, don't interrupt her. How are you doing, Annelie? It's nice to talk to you." Beth's voice was light and cheerful—very unlike Carolyn's.
"I'm doing okay. Thank you for alerting Carolyn today. She told me you called her at work."
"I was stunned at how anyone can be so devious. I don't pretend to know anything about your private life, Annelie, but I know you're a good friend to Carolyn. I had a feeling you'd need the support of your friends once the media started in on this."
"You were absolutely right. Carolyn's support means a lot to me." Annelie stopped there, not knowing what else to say.
"She can be very protective, you know. When she becomes attached to someone, you're her friend for life. If you hurt her, she recoils and has a hard time getting over it. She's more sensitive than most people realize."
Not sure about Beth's motives for sharing this information, if it was a warning or just a heads-up, Annelie replied from her heart. "I understand what you're saying. I don't think Carolyn lets anyone in on her sensitive side very often. She's been wonderful to me."
"She has nothing but good to say about you either," Beth said in a friendly tone of voice. "I can't wait to meet you. I asked Carolyn if I could come and sit in on the set when my pregnancy is more stable, so Joe and I can drive up for a week. Joe's my husband, by the way."
"I know. And your daughter is Pamela. How's she doing? I hear she's her aunt's favorite."
"Oh, she's doing great. Carolyn's her idol, all categories."
"Who are you talking to?" Carolyn came into the living room, dressed only in a towel. "Is that my cell phone?"
"It's your sister. Beth, Carolyn's here. It was nice talking to you."
"Likewise, Annelie. Now you take care and stay strong, okay?"
"Thanks, Beth. I will." Annelie handed the phone to Carolyn. Wanting to give the two siblings their privacy, she had begun to walk out of the room when a strong arm settled around her waist and pulled her down onto the armchair. Carolyn sat down on the armrest, her hand moving through Annelie's hair, caressing her softly. Relaxing, Annelie leaned against her, not listening to her words, merely the husky voice, the warmth of it, as she closed her eyes.
She didn't know how long she had sat there unwinding after the eventful day, and she didn't even look up when Carolyn put the phone down. Carolyn slid down across Annelie's lap, allowing Annelie to cradle her. Their lips met in a kiss that started out gently, only to turn passionate within seconds. Carolyn's towel unwrapped by itself, and Annelie's hands roamed the naked, slightly damp, woman before her.
"I want you," Carolyn whispered. "Oh, God, how I want you."
"I'm yours. You have me." Annelie slid her hand down her lover's stomach, nestling her fingers in the curls below before cupping her mound. "And it seems I have you."
Carolyn readily parted her legs and looked up at Annelie. "Yes, you do…" Her back arched as Annelie carefully parted the slick folds. "Oh…"
Completely enthralled by the sounds Carolyn made when Annelie found the protruding ridge of nerves, eager for her touch, she felt her heart race. Because she had initially not allowed Carolyn to touch her or even see her naked, she realized how vulnerable Carolyn must have felt, being naked while she was fully dressed. The significance of Carolyn's trust overwhelmed her.
"I love you." Annelie's voice almost broke. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"
"Yes. I feel it, every day…" Carolyn pulled her legs up. "Take me…please…"
Not wanting Carolyn to beg, Annelie complied, pushing two fingers inside and at the same time capturing her waiting lips in a kiss. Ripples of pleasure clasped her fingers together, and rhythmic tremors massaged them as Carolyn tensed. Deepening the kiss, Annelie caught the muted whimpers when her lover came in her arms.
When Carolyn's breath had slowed to normal, Annelie carefully extracted her fingers and pulled a blanket over them. Nuzzling Carolyn's tousled hair, she realized she was still in shock over what her father had done, but her closeness to Carolyn had helped her start to find her bearings again.
"I love you, Annie…" came a husky whisper from inside the blanket. "Am I too heavy for you?"
"No. You're perfect."
***