Water Signs: A Story of Love and Renewal

* * *

"Are you sure you're ok with this?" Maddy repeated as she climbed

into bed next to him. She was wearing a new pair of floral print pajamas,

the most demure set she could find in her lingerie drawer.

"Absolutely," he confirmed, still reeling with passion but appreciative

of her offer to stay. While he wasn't actually drunk, a few celebratory

beers and a glass of champagne, along with the late hour, were a

potentially hazardous mix when faced with the prospect of getting behind

the wheel. Maddy instinctively invited him to platonically share her bed,

remembering similar innocent occurrences with Kenny, as well as the fact

that Mark hadn't pushed her beyond a bare-chested make-out session.

Still, she felt a bit self-conscious as she slipped under the covers. For

goodness sake, she barely knew this guy. What was she thinking, asking him to

stay over? True, part of her motivation involved his safety on the road, but what if he

incorrectly concluded that she was really seeking more? What if he made a move on her

during the night?"Sleep well, Mark," she smiled as she gave him a peck on the check

before rolling over. "I really appreciate your coming to the show tonight."

"Hey I really enjoyed it," he replied sincerely. "You were fabulous."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now go to sleep!" he teased.

* * *

The illuminating rays of a golden sun filtered through the blinds,

awakening Maddy ahead of the alarm clock. She quickly dialed down the

volume before the blaring rhythms of whatever song 97.3 FM chose to

play at 6:30 jolted Mark out of a sound sleep. She wanted to get up and

dressed before he did, lest she find herself in another precarious situation.

But just as she was about to swing her legs to the floor, she felt his strong

arm encircle her.

"Good morning," he murmured seductively.

"Morning," she replied softly, while attempting to extricate herself.

"Hey, where do you think you're going, Red?" he teased.

"Oh uh, I want to go brush my teeth; I can't get to the bathroom fast

enough in the morning!"

She hoped her joke would transition him out of his amorous mood.

Mark however, was still turned on by the events of the previous evening,

from her breathtaking theatrical performance to the exquisite feel of her

firm breasts against his chest.

"You know, it doesn't matter; you still excite me," he admitted

before placing his lips on hers to initiate another arousing interlude. This

time she didn't argue when passion took over. Before she knew it her

pajama top joined the bedcovers in a crumpled heap by her feet, though

she managed to retain her bottoms. Maddy lost herself in the familiar

sensations, hoping to finally exorcise the ghost of Kenny and what might

have been.

But when Mark guided her hand down his body, she resisted firmly.

"Madeline, can't you see how much you excite me? Please touch me," he

whispered in a husky voice.

She finally acquiesced, at once enthralled and frightened by her effect

on him. She recalled Kenny pointing out the same normal reaction,

though he'd never forced her to confront it in this manner. Mark felt so

warm and manly as she slowly allowed herself to stroke him.

"Does that hurt?" she asked naively.

"No, it feels good," he groaned, moving in to kiss her lips. But a few

minutes later, he embarrassedly ran to the bathroom as nature took its

course. Poor Madeline had been so shocked by this "first" she was at a

loss as to what to do next. At her front door a few minutes later, she and

Mark said an awkward goodbye, each silently questioning the wisdom of

continuing this strange relationship.