They sat in silence for a moment before Caitlyn asked, "Are you really afraid Nikki would hurt you?"
"No. That's just it. I know deep down that she would never raise a hand against me, so why do I still flinch when she reaches for me?"
"For the same reason an abused dog does. It takes time to learn to trust again."
Alex chuckled. "So I'm a dog now huh?"
Caitlyn pulled away and looked at her with a gleam in her eye. "You do remind me of a Yorkie." She stood up and took a quick step away. "Little, prissy, yappy, and timid." She smirked at the startled look on Alex's face.
Alex jumped to her feet. "I am not. Take that back." Her eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared as she took a step closer. "I'm none of those things and you know it."
"You are little."
She placed her hands on her hips. "Just because I'm not an Amazon doesn't mean I'm little."
"Really? What exactly would you call it?"
"I'm average."
As she walked into the room Nikki heard Alex's comment and said, "I'm not sure what you're talking about, but I would never call you average."
Alex's eyes lit up and her lips lifted in a smile as she walked across the room and embraced the woman that had just spoken. Caitlyn felt some of her fears for Alex's future fade as they kissed, their love obvious.
When their lips finally parted, Nikki said, "Extraordinary or amazing, not average."
"You hear that? I'm amazing."
Caitlyn chuckled. "You're right, you are amazingly short."
She glared playfully. "Don't make me hurt you, Amazon."
"I'd like to see you try, Pygmy."
Nikki reached out and placed a hand on her arm. "Why don't you introduce me instead?" Her smile slowly slipped away as Alex turned and she noticed the effects of her earlier crying jag for the first time. "Is everything all right, sweetheart?"
"Yes, cara." Nikki's eyebrows drew down slightly and her lips pressed together. "I promise. I just had a rough session today." She gave her a smile as she reached for her tentatively. She stepped into Nikki's arms and placed her cheek against her chest, listening to the strong thumping of her heart.
"I'm sorry you hurt. I wish I could make it easier for you, make it all go away so you wouldn't hurt anymore."
She pressed closer as she whispered, "You do, mia cara, you do." She pulled away slightly, her eyes meeting Nikki's briefly before coming to rest on her lips. Her grip on her arm tightened as she licked her lips and her eyes darkened with desire.
"Don't forget we have company, love. Why don't you introduce me?"
Alex took a deep breath and a step back. "Of course." She reached down and laced her fingers through Nikki's as she gently pulled her further into the room. "Nikki this is Caitlyn, Maria and Ilario's daughter. She's home from school for the weekend." She released her hand and slipped her arm around her waist as she turned towards Caitlyn. "Caitlyn this is Nikki."
Several days later Alex awoke in Nikki's arms, and thought about the last few weeks with a smile. She was happy for the first time in a long time. Nikki was an incredibly attentive and enthusiastic lover, and their relationship was growing stronger day by day. She had officially moved into the master suite, and out of Dani and Rachel's house. Between her work with Rachel and her new found trust, her fear of falling victim to domestic abuse again was vanishing. She no longer worried about angering Nikki, and didn't flinch away from her in fear.
She snuggled in closer and turned her thoughts to her plans for the day. She'd started a new AMore book, and hoped to find some time to work on it, but knew it may have to wait until Nikki went to work tomorrow. "What are you thinking about?" Nikki asked as she ran her hand down her bare back.
"I was wondering what the weather was going to be like today. I thought maybe we could grab the camera, and go for a walk down by the lake. What do you think?"
"That sounds good. I haven't gone on a hike for a long time. Just don't forget we have dinner tonight with your friend Kelly."
"Right." She rolled over, grabbed her tablet from the table, and pulled up the weather. "It's going to be a beautiful day." She sat up suddenly, her brow furrowed.
"What's wrong?"
Alex turned, her eyes wide. "It's almost June." Nikki nodded and waited for her to explain further. "I didn't realize." She looked back down at her tablet, verifying the date. "The anniversary is coming up." She looked back at Nikki with a shadow of sadness in her eyes. "I always go visit their graves on the anniversary. Would you go with me this year?" she asked tentatively.
Nikki pulled her into her arms. "Of course I will, sweetheart. Just tell me when, and I'll be there." She pulled back and gave her a quick kiss. "How long will we be gone? I'm not sure how much time I can get off at work, but I'll see what I can do."
"Just a couple of days. Are you sure you don’t want me to call Rachel and cancel my appointment for today?"
"I'm sure. They seem to really be helping you, and I don't want to interrupt the flow. I think you have a lot more to deal with, and I'm hoping that you'll get to the point where you feel comfortable sharing with me. I feel like you're still holding a big part of yourself back." She leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek. "After the session we'll have the rest of the day together," she said as she climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom.
Alex pulled up the calendar on her tablet, and checked
