"Nooo," he'd called after her. "No need to dress on my account."
Laughing, she had done an about-face and run to embrace him. "I can do that. Or not do that, I mean."
Now they sat across from each other at the little table, finishing a delicious meal of bourbon chicken and egg rolls, accompanied by ice cold beers. Donna waited until Eric sat back in his chair, his meal devoured, before she raised the topic of his news.
"Well," he began slowly. "It's good news." He frowned. "Maybe a hint of bad news mixed in. Surprising news, at any rate." He paused. "It's a job. A good one. High paying. High paying, like 'I've never been so well paid for one job ever in my life' high paying."
Donna squealed and clapped her hands. "That's great!" She jumped up to wriggle onto his lap, kissing him sweetly all over his face. "I'm so proud of you. And you were worried. I knew something would come up, Eric. You're an artist with stonework. I was sure the city hall project would open doors for you."
Eric held her tightly then looked up at her with a frown. "Ready for the bad news?"
"Oh, right. You did warn me," she said, preparing herself mentally. "Shoot."
"The job's not local. It's in Florida. A custom fireplace, floor to ceiling—a very high ceiling, I gather. It will take some time."
Donna smirked. "What's so bad about that?"
Eric gently pushed her off his lap so that he could stand. He began to pace around the kitchen as he talked. "They want me to start soon, in order to finish the job before January first. I'll be the only one working—they'll put me up at the house, feed me, pay for my flight. But I have to leave right away."
"Tomorrow?"
Eric stopped, shaking his head. "Before Thanksgiving, though. They definitely want me there before Thanksgiving."
Donna scrunched her shoulders up, thinking. "That gives us… almost three weeks? You were going to move in this weekend so the timing's good in that regard."
Eric nodded. "I'd like you to consider something else, babe." Ever since the phone call from Florida, he'd been worried about leaving Donna. They'd had a great year, but maybe that had been because they'd spent so much time together. He was concerned. Donna was a prize. She was currently his prize, but what if someone else, someone better, came along? He'd rather not find out the hard way that that old saying 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' wasn't really accurate.
Eric stretched out his arms, and she melted into them. "Would you be willing to move the wedding up?"
Donna looked up at him, amazed. "Willing? Of course, I'm willing! The only reason we were waiting was to save money, right? And you're going to make beaucoup bucks now." A thought made her laugh out loud. "Oh my god, you won't believe this. I actually blurted to Jessica that we were getting married before Thanksgiving—I don't know where that came from. But maybe she'll be back in time after all. Anyway, it doesn't matter. Let's do it!"
"Speaking of 'doing it'," Eric grinned, tracing one finger down her neck to tease the small mound inside her bra, "we can talk wedding plans soon enough. Right now, I'd like to practice for the honeymoon." He tilted his head toward the closed door of the red room. "In there, please."
Donna took him by the hand and led him inside, closing the door and lighting candles as he undressed. I'm getting married. Not in months, but in weeks. This man loves me, and tonight, he gets exactly what he wants, and then some. Time to try out some new toys.
Eric stood by the specially made bed, completely nude. Stonemasons must be strong for their work, and Donna gazed greedily at the way the candlelight danced over his muscular physique. She thought back to their first night together, how she'd wanted him to make love to her with his clothes on—well, mostly on.
It was something she thought about often, her fantasy of being naked, vulnerable, being taken by a handsome man who happened upon her as she… what? Bathed in a pond in the moonlight? Found a stranger in the dark, the way Worth had "found" Jessica at that Halloween party last year? No matter. It'll keep. Tonight, was about celebrating Eric and his news. Her fantasy could wait.
Walking to the closet, she pulled out a plastic sheet she'd tucked away. Handing it to Eric, she ordered, "Spread this out on the bed, then lie face down on it."
He obeyed as she watched. "This is new…" he murmured as he lay down.
"I bought some special candles; the wax will be hot when I drip it on your skin. And then you might want to return the favor." She pulled out the soft restraints, rather than metal handcuffs, pulled his arms above his head and secured his hands to the bar at one end of the bed, his ankles to the other. "I love candles, don't you?" She tipped the candle slightly so that hot wax dripped onto the small of his back.
"Ouch!" Eric's body recoiled from the sudden heat, but couldn't move away.
Donna dripped the special melted wax again along his back, at the small of his knees, onto his neck, his wrists. He winced each time, but Donna sensed his mounting pleasure in the little gasps he made. "Good! Now rest your head and wait," she said as she rotated it.
After a few minutes, she removed the restraints and smiled at him. "I hope you liked that, Eric." She stroked his back gently. "Would you turn over now?" Donna tied his wrists above his head once more.
His erection throbbed in the candlelight; his chest rose and fell quickly with desire. Donna straddled his
