Part 3

Next thing she could remember was blinking, and feeling someone's hairy chest rising and falling under her cheek. Soft silk encased her, and a strong arm held her close. In the background she heard voices chattering and the sound of a newscast. Gene's heartbeat and breathing rose and fell under her cheek and she slowly blinked up into his face.

Daylight flooded the windows, and she could guess by the length of the shadows it must be afternoon. Plus the sound of Oprah's voice clued her in that it was perhaps close to noon. He held up the remote, slowly flipping channels of the large console TV opposite his bed. A pair of warm lips caressed her forehead, and Gene ran fingers through her hair, his eyes peering down into hers with a mix of desire and love.

"Gene," she whispered, looking up at him. "You… you're okay…"

"Good morning, sleepyhead," he whispered, kissing her gently. His tongue slowly slipped into her mouth, making her moan. Terri deepened the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly.

"Feel better?" Gene winked, pulling away to catch a breath. "You were out like a light!"

"Yes…" she sighed and stretched. Why didn't her ankle hurt anymore?

"I feel like I could sleep for a million years… what time is it?"

"Twelve thirty…" Gene said, matter of fact.

"I don't want to get up…" Terri sighed.

"You don't have to," Gene said with a mischievous grin. "Besides, I was thinking you and me could do a Jon and Yoko…"

"A… bed in?" Terri giggled.

"Sure," Gene laughed lightly and deeply. "I don’t have to be anywhere, and neither do you."

Anger still filled her when she thought of that fanatical Brenda. If only she did have the courage to go down on him….

"Gene… I…"

"What baby?" he asked, lightly stroking her face.

"I wish… I had the courage to go down on you… like that bitch did…"

"Baby what are you talking about?" Gene asked, seeing the look of embarrassment on her face.

"Don't tell me you don't know…" she got out. "Brenda... that stalker who the police arrested…"

"What stalker?" Gene demanded, eyes darkening with concern. "What are you talking about… you're not making sense… Shit… you're shaking…"

Slowly she blinked, and saw where they were, in his huge bed, set with satin sheets, the mirrors above reflecting their state. Tears fell down her cheeks as she looked back up at Gene.

"But there was this stalker Gene… and she put a message on your door… and then she handcuffed you to a bed… and held me at gunpoint…. And don’t' you remember anything?"

"Terri… are you okay… you're scared shitless! What the hell is this all about? You and I came home from Paul's house yesterday, because we wanted to let him and Liz spend some time alone. And then you and I stayed up late working on the demos for your new song…"

"But I could swear someone broke in here…"
"Terri… what's wrong… you're scaring me baby," Gene asked, as she started to shiver. He lay on his side, pulling her close to his body. She felt every inch of his skin pressing up against her, and glanced down at her breast. There was no bandage or cut, just the Demon's tattoo present in red and black ink. Reaching down she felt her ankle, and realized it was fine no soreness present from any sprain. Realization crashed into her and she felt the greatest sense of release!

"Oh god… it was a dream…" she gasped, fingering her breast. "I feel so dumb…"

"Sounds like one hell of a nightmare," Gene shook his head, and cupped her chin in his hand. Slowly he stroked her back, pressing a light kiss to her lips.

"It was horrible Gene… I dreamt that there was this… stalker… and she tried to come between you and me… and she wrote a message in blood on your door, and called you her Demon and thought that I was after you for your money…"

"Don't worry, I'm right here… and nobody's going to do anything to hurt you if I can help it…" Gene soothed. "Not unless they want their asses seriously kicked. Or if they want a few new ones ripped for them…"

"Oh Gene…" she began to cry. Tears dripped down her cheeks, but Gene kissed each one away with those perfect lips.

"Hey, no need for that, sweetheart," Gene chuckled. "And we were doing so well…"

"It's so silly to cry about a damned dream!" she laughed out loud. With a sigh she looked at her wrist, noticing there was no bracelet present. Gene's dragon ring gleamed on its usual place on his hand though, and she felt the cold metal of his dagger necklace he seldom removed. Slowly her hand stole down under the sheets, and Gene lifted an eyebrow at her small fingers working their magic.

"Ohh, mmm…" he moaned, arching his back. "I had been waiting for that…"

"You don't mind it's not some other part of me?"

"Are you kidding me?" he asked, eyes shut. They popped open in surprise when she moved her hand away.

"It really was a dream then," she murmured with a sly smile. "Because if it had happened, that stalker kicked you so hard in the groin that if I even touched you you'd be in pain for days…"

"Damn," Gene winced, and put her hand back down to his erection. "I think you need some reminding then that it was a dream… and this… is reality…"

"Hmm… yes…" Terri smiled lasciviously. Moving up she suddenly straddled him, brushing herself teasingly against him. Already she was moist and warm against him. Another low rumbling moan erupted from Gene, vibrating deliciously through them both.

She teased him for a few minutes, brushing her chest to his as she kissed a path down his chest to just above his waist. Her hands enclosed around him again, working him to the brink of release.

"Damn I wanna cum inside you…" he growled, but she pushed up, off of him teasingly.

"Uh huh…" she winked, suddenly feeling quite mischievous. Gene's own eyes sparkled with excitement when she slipped off of him, just out of his reach. Till he finally grabbed her and rolled over on top, pinning her under his weight.

"Now how are you gonna tease, little girl?" he laughed. She laughed when his fingers teased her in turn, running her own tongue along his ear, then down his jaw to his neck. Her teeth bit down lightly, and Gene hissed through his teeth.

Gene parted her legs with one knee, thrusting in smooth and hard. She felt his substantial size enter her, and moaned. Gene's size was different from Paul's, she inwardly reflected. Not the same length, but the size was comparable, and Gene's technique was very different. Why was she even thinking of Paul, she wondered with a laugh.

"What's so funny?" Gene grinned, stopping for a moment.

"Nothing… I just wonder how many times we've done this…"

"Hmm… I'd say forty four," Gene said.

"So is there a special bonus when we hit fifty? And one hundred?"

"Good idea…" Gene nodded.

"One thing… does great sex in dreams count?"

"Hmm… no… but we can make up for lost time. Tell me about it…" Gene laughed lightly. Terri whispered the secret parts of her dream into his ear, driving Gene wild. They resumed their activity, till Terri reached her shattering climax, back arching. Gene flipped over onto his back, so she was astride him. Grabbing her backside he plunging the deepest yet inside her soft wet interior. Her scream echoed in the room, making her flinch with greater desire and fear. Gene's own growl of release rumbled low beneath it, a strange composition of high and low mingling together.

She moved off, collapsing next to him with a sigh of intense pleasure. Shifting onto his side, he wrapped her close in his arms. They held each other close for a long time, simply feeling the warmth passing between their sweating sated bodies.

"Mmm," Gene sighed, enjoying the feel of her beside him. "Only five away from fifty now…"

"Heh," Terri laughed.

"What are you thinking now, little girl?" he asked.

"Do you realize that I've had more sex with you in four months then I have in the last four years!"

Both laughed hard at this, cuddling each other close when Gene finally said, "Well, we definitely will have to do something about that…"

"I'm not complaining about that… believe me… but I wonder what you're going to pull out of the bag of tricks for fifty…"

"You'll have to wait and see, little girl," he chuckled, brushing her nose with his. "But that reminds me…"

****************************************************************

Paul murmured and turned over in the afternoon, feeling a warm breathing woman in his arms. With a smile he snuggled her closer, pressing a kiss to her warm soft lips. A soft exhalation came in response and his dark eyes fixed into blue ones, which smiled.

"Hey, what's going on in that pretty head of yours, sexy lady?" he cooed.

"Hmm... Just how nice it feels to wake up in your arms, Paul," Liz whispered back.

"Want some coffee?" he asked, stroking her soft blond locks.

"Sure, love some…" she smiled, watching as Paul slipped out from under the sheets and grabbed a pair of black silk boxers to throw on.

She fingered the gold rose pendant that fell around her neck, and peered at the diamond caught in its petals. Such a lovely pendant it seemed, and he had given it to her only a few days ago. IT meant the world to her, and she never could bear to take it off. Finally Paul returned, holding a tray with breakfast and an inverted coffee cup on it.

"Want some toast?"

"Sure… oh god… I thought you were going for coffee…"

"Well, here we are…"

Paul seemed to be waiting for her to do something, for he set the tray on her lap, and made no move to pour any coffee or juice. She eagerly started on the pancakes.

"Aren't you gonna help yourself to coffee?"

"I thought you were gonna pour it…"

"Uh… okay…" Paul said, seeming as if he were trying to keep a secret. "Just get the cup and I'll pour…"

She turned the coffee cup over, and suddenly noticed a small purple wrapped box tied with a lavender ribbon.

"What's this?"

"Oh, how did that get there?" Paul chuckled. "I wonder what's in it…"

"Paul…" she grinned, and ripped off the paper. Her face suddenly froze when she unwrapped a small velvet box. Anxiously Paul waited, as she pressed the stud on the front and it popped open. Her jaw dropped at the glitter of platinum and amethyst.

"Oh my god…" she gasped. "You… you didn't…"

"Baby… I know I can't offer you the kind of life most men do. But this is a promise ring… to a very special friend who only wants me to be happy. And I want you to be happy. I'm not… well… my heart's gone places with you I didn't think it could go anymore… and I don't know if I can commit to something like marriage any time soon. But I don't wanna loose you…"

"Paul… you don't have to…"

"Liz… will you stay here, move in with me? Be my best friend and lover?" Paul asked. "I'm sorry I can't offer anything else… but my love… and my heart…"

"That's all I wanted…" Liz gasped. She pulled out the ring, with its heart shaped amethyst, and Paul slipped it on her finger.

"I give you my heart with this… and my love. And I don't want any other woman with me…" Paul whispered, kissing her lightly.

Liz shifted the tray away, and pulled Paul down into the sheets. Tears filled her eyes as she said, "You don't have to be lonely anymore…"

****************************************************************

Terri felt Gene pull away, and reach for something at the bedside. At first she wondered if it was some new sex toy or extra featured condom. But it surprised her when he held out both fists, clenched around something each.

"Which one?' he asked, with a hint of mischief.

"What is this?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Pick one. Lady's choice," Gene urged. She reached for the left, then moved her hand to the right suddenly, before moving back to the left.

Gene turned his hand over, revealing something on his open palm. Her heart stopped at that moment, and she let out a gasp. For in gold was a much smaller version of his dragon ring, complete with a bright ruby for the eye. Scaled down to something that would fit on her finger, so small in comparison to his.

"Oh god Gene…" was all she could choke out. "You didn't…"

"I did. Do you like it?" he asked, with the expression of a little boy who's waiting for his mother's approval.

"It's… beautiful… I never thought… why…"

"I thought it would exemplify how much you've come to mean to me… over the past few months. I can understand if you're scared about moving in. But I want you to know that I haven't felt this way about anyone for a long time… and I want you with me. Don't worry about an apartment. I'd love it if you'd continue to live here with me…"

"Aww man…" she got out, laughing as she shook her head. "It looks just like yours…"

"That's the general idea. You've become part of my life… like I've become part of yours. And I want you to have a reminder of that to carry with you, wherever you go. Even when we're not together. So you'll never forget, no matter what happens. You'll always be part of me, as I'm part of you."

He held up the ring, poised near her finger, and she felt the cool metal slip up her hand. A slow smile came over her face, washing away the last awkwardness of the dream.

"Best friends forever?" Gene asked. "And lovers?"

"Best friends… and lovers…" she whispered back.

*******************************************************