Bells Will Be Ringing Read online

  He jumped under the shower, taking time with his sore muscles. The day had been great, but he was starting to feel tired now, even with the unexpected treat of the nearly naked Eileen waiting for him just on the other side of the door in a giant bed. It would be a dream come true, if only it was under different circumstances.

  She hadn’t agreed to this when he’d invited her on a day trip. There hadn’t been any talk of spending the night together in a hotel room. Fate had intervened, and they’d simply wound up here. Whether that would translate into intimacy tonight, he wasn’t sure. He’d hoped…but she had been sound asleep when he walked in.

  After the day they’d put in, chances were she’d sleep through the night. And in the morning… Well… He’d have to see what happened then. For now, he switched the hot water to cold and tried to get his body under control.

  By the time Alan was done with his shower, had dried off and dressed in a T-shirt and sweatpants that proclaimed how much he “hearted” New York, Eileen was still fast asleep. Not wanting to disturb her, he raised the blankets from around her legs to her shoulders. The room was plenty warm enough for him, so he climbed into the king-sized bed on the other side and above the covers and closed his eyes.

  Eileen didn’t wake, and before too long, the long day had caught up with Alan, as well. He fell asleep a good foot away from Eileen with thick blankets separating them.

  He woke with her in his arms. And she was naked and warm against him. Oh, yeah.

  Eileen was having the most amazing dream. She was warm and cozy, her body pressed against soft clothing worn by the most amazing man she’d ever known. Alan. Yeah, even in her dreams, Alan was at the center of all her fantasies.

  Then, he kissed her, and she started to realize that the dream might not be so much a fantasy as a dream come true. She woke to the reality of his kiss and the fact that the robe provided by the hotel had come open as she slept. She’d thrown off the blanket at least as far as her waist and had somehow ended up with her chest plastered against his.

  She was naked. He was wearing some kind of T-shirt that was soft and warm and made her want to snuggle. The only thing that would be better was if it was gone and she could snuggle up to the muscles she felt underneath that soft cotton.

  Under the spell of his kisses, she tugged at the hem of the shirt, glad when he cooperated. He broke the kiss for just a few seconds while he peeled the shirt off over his head, then he was back. Warmer. More muscular. Hotter than hot on the attractiveness scale as he took her in his arms and kissed the living daylights out of her.

  It had to be the middle of the night, but she was totally unaware of anything but Alan. His hard body. His drugging kiss. His gentle touch.

  Alan. The man of her dreams, come down to Earth to be with her.

  Finally.

  She kicked away the covers and tangled her legs with his. He was wearing more soft fabric over his legs. Sweatpants. He must’ve scored clothes in the lobby store, but she didn’t want to see them now. No, as soft as they were against her bare legs, she wanted them gone. She wanted to feel Alan’s skin against hers. She wanted to feel his warmth, skin on skin, the hardness of his muscles…and other things.

  He seemed to get the message, moving away for only a moment. When he came back, the sweatpants were gone and there was nothing between them. The way she’d dreamed. Only reality felt way better than the dream.

  She reached down, deciding to be bold, and found that he’d done more than just shuck his pants during those few moments his lower half had been removed from hers. He’d been busy placing little kisses all over her face at that point, so she hadn’t really gotten a good look at what he was doing. She hadn’t seen him sheath the hardness that now met her hands, but she was grateful he’d thought ahead.

  She put her fingers around him, impressed by his girth and eager to feel how he would stretch her, how he would feel as he came inside her. She wanted that more than anything in that moment, and she allowed herself the freedom to express her desire. Hopefully, Alan wouldn’t be scared off by the strength of her passion.

  She pushed at his shoulders until he was on his back on the bed. Then, she rose over him, the towel falling from her damp hair. She couldn’t think about how ridiculous it must look right now. Distractions like that were not allowed. No, this time was for them alone, with nothing between them. Not worry about her hair. Not fabric. Not anything except the condom that he had so thoughtfully provided.

  She positioned herself over him, bracing her hands on his strong shoulders as she took him inside for the first time. Her mouth opened on an O of surprise as he filled her and stretched her even better than she’d imagined. She went slow, savoring the moment of discovery, but all too soon, she had to move.

  She lost all control as her passion rose, and his matched it. She came almost at once, and then, she came again as she rode him and he guided her hips. While she was still in shock from the second orgasm, he rolled her to her back and took over, ramming into her with long, strong strokes that seemed to touch every millimeter inside her sensitive channel.

  She came even stronger this time, and he joined her in a frenzy of need and fulfillment. She shot to the stars and felt him go with her, groaning in his completion. Together. Joined as one in body and spirit.

  The drive back to Long Island went fast. Almost too fast. Eileen didn’t want to say goodbye to her new lover, but she had to get ready to sing later. The band had agreed to arrive a bit early at the venue to do an extended sound check and go over a couple of songs that had been specially requested by the couple who had booked them to play at the private party.

  Much as she wanted to, she couldn’t afford the time to linger with Alan. Darn it.

  He dropped her off at her place, helping her tote her skis and poles back to the garage before he left. He was considerate like that. He also left her with a mind-blowing kiss that made her knees weak and a promise to see her soon. They’d compared schedules and realized that the next time they could get together was on Monday. She was counting the hours, minutes, and even the seconds, until she could see him again. In the meantime, she floated around, walking on a cloud, remembering moments they’d shared over the past twenty-four hours.

  She was still walking around in a daze when she met the rest of the band at the private venue set aside for tonight’s party. It was being held in a rented hall, so they’d have a few minutes to rehearse some things while the caterers finished setting up and before the guests started arriving. Eileen set up her instruments, not saying much but doing her best to drag her wandering mind back from dreamy Alan-land and on to the matter at hand.

  The guys noticed. First, Mike, the drummer, made a comment, which was quickly followed up by Brendan and Jimmy, who stood on either side of her on the stage. Brendan was teasing her for all he was worth, but after an initial salvo, Jimmy just sort of quietly watched her, alternately frowning and smiling. She wondered what that was all about, but knowing Jimmy, she’d find out soon enough.

  They rehearsed the special requests for the night without incident then tried a few bluesy changes to some of the old material that they wanted to include. All went well, and if the response of the wait staff was anything to go by, they were sounding good. All too soon, the guests would start to arrive, and they’d be tasked to play background music for the cocktail hour.

  Before that occurred, the band took a quick break to hit the restrooms, gather drinks and whatever else they might need on the bandstand for the next hour. Eileen was after a bottle of water from the bartender, who was busy stocking his supplies, when Jimmy sidled up to her.

  “It’s Alan Fraser, isn’t it?” Jimmy asked quietly while they waited to get the bartender’s attention. “He’s the one who’s got you walking on air.”

  She couldn’t lie. The guys in the band knew Alan and she had been seeing each other. It had been hard to miss with him showing up at The Rose. Eileen turned to face her friend and band mate.

  “So, what
if it is?” she challenged. “I thought you liked him.”

  “I do. He’s a great guy,” Jimmy was quick to reply. “But I’ve talked to my brothers. They say they heard he’s only home on leave. He’s probably going back to the Navy after Christmas. Are you sure you want to get involved with a sailor who might see you only as his girl in this port?”

  Now, that wasn’t fair to Alan. He wasn’t like that. He couldn’t be.

  “Do you really believe that’s possible? The man I’ve come to know wouldn’t do something like that,” she said quietly but with firm dignity.

  Jimmy seemed to think about it for a moment then relented, turning back to the bar. “All right. I’ll give you that. But the fact remains. His job is a dangerous one where he can be sent overseas at any moment. Do you think you can handle something like that? Someone like that? He’s got to be an adrenaline junkie or something. I mean, he’s a Navy SEAL, for crying out loud.”

  “From what I’ve seen, he’s an honorable man with a good head on his shoulders.”

  She wasn’t going to comment about how broad and muscular those shoulders were, or she just might start drooling. She was thinking it, though. Alan was the total package. A handsome stud with a heart of gold and a quick wit that challenged her. She admired him in every way.

  Heck, she loved him. It was just as simple as that. And Jimmy ought to get over it, or she was going to punch him in the nose. Hmm. Maybe Alan’s violent line of work was rubbing off on her.

  Jimmy surprised her by placing a brotherly arm around her shoulders and hugging her to his side. “You can’t blame me for wanting to make sure you don’t get hurt, Eileen. You’re like my sister, and I love you like family.”

  Touched, she returned his sideways hug. “Aw. I love you, too, big guy. And I thank you for looking out for me, but to be honest, it’s already too late. I love him,” she revealed in a small voice.

  “It’s like that, is it?” Jimmy said, releasing her and turning her by the shoulders to face him. “Well, all right then. If he doesn’t wise up and realize what a great gal he’s got, me and the boys will meet him in the alley.”

  Eileen nearly choked at the idea of her musician friends trying to take on a Navy SEAL, but she didn’t laugh at Jimmy’s claim. He was trying to be nice, and she wasn’t going to ruin it by pointing out that Alan could wipe the floor with all three of her friends, with one arm tied behind his back. In this case, it was definitely the thought that counted.

  She hugged Jimmy and kissed his cheek. The doors at the other end of the room opened, and she knew they had to get to the bandstand. The cocktail hour was about to start.

  “Thanks, Jim. You’re the best.”

  “I’ll get your water. You go up and start playing some background stuff on the piano. I’ll be along in a couple of minutes.” Having said his piece, Jimmy turned back to the bartender, who had finally noticed them waiting, and ordered soft drinks for the guys and a bottle of water for Eileen.

  She heard him place the order as she toddled back to the bandstand to do as she was told, her heart filled with warmth for Jimmy and the other two who had kept the band going even after losing their star. They were special guys, and she didn’t know what she would have done these past weeks without them.

  She loved them, but not in the same way that she loved Alan. No, her love for Alan was an all-consuming thing that made her happy and scared her at the same time. It felt…big. Bigger than anything she’d ever experienced with a man before. This was no mere high school crush. This was the real thing. Love. The forever kind of love that could push one to the heights of happiness or drag them to the depths of despair. She hoped for the former but mentally prepared herself to deal with the latter. Just in case.

  Alan could easily decide to re-up with the Navy and leave her behind, breaking her battered heart into a million pieces. She didn’t think he’d do it, but it was still a possibility she had to face.

  She spent the next few hours making music with her friends and tried to put her worries out of her mind. Thinking about the night she’d spent with Alan brought the dreamy smile back to her face, so it wasn’t too hard. Tomorrow would take care of itself.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  The next day, Eileen had a rehearsal scheduled with the band. They were adding new material and tweaking some of their old stuff to reflect the changes in the band, and it required a few solid hours of actual work. Something they hadn’t had to do in a very long time.

  Progress was slow at first, but before too long, they were getting a lot accomplished and polishing their sound and taking it to the next level. Since it was late by the time they finished, they all got dinner together, then headed over to their venue for the evening’s gig. Although she hadn’t been able to see Alan, the day had been well-spent and very satisfying musically.

  Alan texted her a few times during the day, which he’d spent tied up doing family stuff. Every time he’d told her he missed her, a little pang of longing had gone through her body. And when he called her that night, right before she went to bed…she almost experienced her very first episode of phone sex right then and there.

  Circumstances conspired against them the next day, as well. He had family obligations, as did she. Along with two private parties—one in the afternoon and one at night. Alan texted her during the day again and called her that night.

  “I wish I was with you right now, sweetheart,” he whispered into her ear, through the phone.

  “I do, too.” She couldn’t play coy. Alan’s honesty deserved honesty in return.

  She wanted to invite him over, but he wasn’t even on Long Island at the moment. He’d explained how his family had a cabin upstate, and he’d gone up with his dad and the twins to check that it was closed up for the winter. They were staying up there overnight then would return in the morning. He’d be home in time for their date that night, but not too long before.

  “If you were home, I’d invite you over,” she whispered to him, deciding to be bold.

  “If I were home, I would be with you. You’d have to kick me out to make me leave,” he whispered right back.

  *

  The angel watched the two of them talking, pleased with the direction things were taking. If that wasn’t true love blossoming between their battered hearts, she’d eat her halo.

  *

  On Monday, Eileen and Alan had dinner together at a fancy restaurant. He didn’t let her pay. Again. It was becoming a running joke with them. She’d try to pay, and he’d beat her to it every time. It was getting easier for her to accept that the hundred-dollar bill he’d given her two weeks ago was just going to stay in her pocketbook, unspent.

  She might keep it as a lucky charm. Or frame it. Put it on the wall to show their grandkids someday.

  Whoa. She was definitely getting a little ahead of herself. Before getting too carried away, she had to know if they had a future at all, much less one in which they married and had kids…and grandkids. The fate of that hundred-dollar bill was still very much up in the air.

  “What are your plans for Christmas?” Alan asked her over coffee after one of the most scrumptious meals she’d ever eaten.

  “Our family tradition is to open our presents at midnight on Christmas Eve,” she told him. “I don’t think we’re doing anything too elaborate. Just getting together at my brother’s house for dinner—probably catered, if I know his new wife at all. Then, we’ll hang around and open gifts, then I’ll go home.”

  “We open our gifts on Christmas Day, right after breakfast. When we were little, we did them before breakfast, but over the years, we’ve learned a little bit about restraint.” Alan smiled as he settled the bill with a credit card. She’d tried to take the check, but he’d slid it out from under her fingertips and beaten her to it.

  “Christmas Eve is the day after tomorrow,” Alan mused after he’d handed the folder with the signed bill back to the waiter. “Are you doing anything tomorrow?”

  “Spending it with you,”
she dared. “If you’re free, that is.”

  “I’m free. In fact, my time is all yours. As much of it as you want.”

  Did he mean? Eileen’s breath caught. Was he talking about forever? Or just tomorrow?

  “My family has all been placated until my next command performance, which I’ve been informed will be Christmas morning. I’m all yours until then. If you want me.”

  His voice had dropped low, but her spirits drooped a bit. He hadn’t been talking about more than just the next day or two. Rats. But there was still time before he had to make his decision. He might still choose civilian life…with her.

  “I definitely want you,” she told him. “If you don’t watch out, I’ll invite you to go with me to my brother’s for Christmas Eve.” She was only half joking. Having Alan there as a buffer would be a great help to her emotional state, but she knew it was a lot to ask.

  “I think I’d enjoy that,” he said, surprising her. “I’d like to meet your family.”

  “Seriously?” She couldn’t quite believe he was telling the truth.

  “I mean, I don’t want to intrude on the family gathering if it’s some kind of tradition, but if they don’t mind you bringing a plus one, I’d enjoy meeting them.” He held her chair for her as she rose from the table.

  That’s it. He was the perfect guy. He actually wanted to meet her family and was willing to spend the evening at her brother’s with her. He deserved a medal for that alone.

  “Then, consider yourself invited. I’ll call my brother tomorrow and tell him I’ll be bringing a guest. I just hope you know what you’re in for.”

  “They can’t be any worse than my family,” he told her as he helped her into her coat. “In fact, why don’t you join us on Christmas morning? This way we can compare notes and see who’s got it worse?” He was laughing at his own suggestion, even as she was floored by the invitation.