I let go of her long enough to pull my pants up and fasten them. Then I picked her up and held her to me, she was so quiet.
I had loved Candi since college, if I hurt her, I would never forgive myself. "Candi, baby, I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" She sobbed, holding tightly to me, pushing back into my chest. "I didn't want to hurt you. Did I hurt you?" She buried herself into my shoulder and threw her arms around me, still crying.
"Brett," she whispered, "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to do this."
"Candi, I love you." I whispered, kissing the top of her head.
"That's why I shouldn't have asked you to do this. Especially here."
"I thought that was part of the challenge, sexing you in public, and avoiding Doug and Bev." She wept harder then, tightening her grip. I knew something was wrong then, and it wasn't from what we had done.
"Candice, talk to me." I whispered, "Come on baby, there's nothing that you can tell me that will change my mind about us." I carried her over to a bench that was dimly lit by the streetlight and held her on my lap.
"I love you Brett. I love you so much." She sniveled and looked at me, her face wet. I wiped her face, kissing her lightly, she shook as she spoke, there was fear in her eyes, like she was loosing everything in the world.
"I'm sorry Brett, I can't do this, I can't!" she pushed away from me and struggled to get up, straightening out her skirt, "I Love you Brett!" she took off running across the grass towards her car, trying to hold her skirt down in one hand, and her heels in the other.
I sat dumbfounded for a moment and finally realized that she was getting away. I jumped from the bench and raced toward our cars. She was starting to pull away when I caught up to her. "STOP! Candi, stop!" I pounded on the window of the driver's door.
"No Brett, I love you, I can't lie to you any more!" she sped off, squealing her tires.
***
She knew I would follow her and I arrived at her home not long after she did. The front door was still open, so I let myself in, locking it behind me. She was in the shower when I walked into their room. I didn't want to scare her so I hollered into the bathroom that I was there.
"I know you are Brett." she peeked from the shower door, "Give me a few minutes."
I went back to the bedroom and sat in the chair that was adjacent to the window and the bed. The light in the room was soft and when she came out wrapped in a towel, I could see her long hair clinging to her skin.
She didn't say a word, just slipped the towel off and hung it back up on the rack just beyond the bathroom door, then slipped into the sheets. I watched her intently, not knowing if I should follow her or not. I knew I wanted to, and I had waited a lifetime to be in that position.
"Brett?"
"Yes Candi?"
"Make love to me," she whispered. I could see the passion in her eyes as I crossed the room, closing in on the bed.
I slid from my clothes and under the sheets with her, cuddling up behind her. She snuggled against me and for the first time, I felt the woman beneath me that I always wanted. "Brett. I don't want to be your bitch. I want to be more," she said, looking back at me.