Beginning Again Ch. 06: Final

She smiled, remembering their earliest days together.

"Right about now you probably miss those days," she said.

"Nope. Truth is, I like this a lot more, even if it means you're going to be a huge pain in the ass from now on," he said, then chuckled again.

Her smile widened and she felt her way forward until her lips were next to his ear.

"You can still spank me when I'm bad," she whispered, then pressed a kiss to his earlobe.

"Count on it!" he said, none too quietly.

She sat back in the chair.

"And you have to be POLITE to the reporter," she added, belatedly, "He's not going to write nice things about you if you cuss him out."

"Jesus, all these goddamn RULES!" he fumed in mock exasperation.

***

The story broke in The Tribune the day before Mac was scheduled to be released from the hospital.

Dan had called to warn her the previous day, cautioning her to expect a response, although exactly what that response would be, he couldn't say. There was no way to predict, he'd said. Different stories evoked different reactions from the public.

The day started with an early-morning call from Maria. She'd seen the picture of Nadja and Mac on the front page, read the story, and loved it. She said it made them look like heroes, and she thought Nadja was so brave to have survived such an ordeal, and so noble to have risked that much to save a young girl from the same. Maria also said she'd be making a donation to Mac's medical/legal fund as suggested at the bottom of the story.

The fund had been Dan's idea – he said that when people were moved by a story they liked to be able to do something to make a difference, and the fund would give them a tangible way to help. Mac had opposed the whole notion of accepting hand-outs from strangers, but Nadja had coaxed him around to a different way of thinking.

Nadja arrived at the hospital by cab at ten o'clock to find the staff on Two South buzzing about the story. The nurses and ward clerks crowded around, offered hugs and handshakes and voiced their support.

The patients that shared Mac's room gave a non-sarcastic round of applause when one of the ward clerks led her to Mac's bedside, which Nadja soon learned was adorned with several stuffed animals and an impressive thicket of Mylar and foil balloons that swayed at the end of long ribbons anchored to the floor with walnut-sized weights.

"Where in that goddamn story did it say I wanted a bunch of teddy bears?" he grumbled as she settled into the now-familiar chair next to his bed.

She picked up one of the soft, plush animals and smiled. A lovely gesture of support, but Mac clearly wasn't a 'teddy bear' kind of man.

"I bet there are some children here at the hospital who'd love them," she said.

He couldn't agree fast enough, and the staff began re-directing any incoming toys to the kids.

Nadja and Mac spent the morning together, taking the kind words and congratulations in stride. Mostly they just enjoyed one another and the simple pleasure of being together. Mac read the paper aloud to Nadja, including the article in which they'd been featured. It was factual and portrayed them in a good light, even if it was overly dramatic in places.

It was in the afternoon that things began to get crazy.

Dan stopped in to tell them that the response to the story had been insane and that he was fielding calls from other news organizations who wanted interviews with the two of them. He described how the story was 'going viral' on 'social media', then spent a fair amount of time describing both those concepts to Mac and to Nadja.

He told them that a petition to pardon Mac was circulating online and had garnered more than twelve-thousand signatures. He showed Mac some online comments on a 'tablet', and Mac read aloud the ones most complimentary of Nadja. A few of the comments brought tears of pride to her eyes. People online were so kind and supportive!

Dan also mentioned that he'd spoken to his police contacts and learned that Gammage had been arrested; apparently several women had read the story and come forward with complaints similar to the one that Nadja had filed. The police were searching his home and the early results were described to him as 'revealing'. He also mentioned that Aden was being offered a deal in exchange for identifying other people involved in the trafficking ring that had enslaved Isa.

He'd be reporting both those developments the next day in The Tribune.

With all the extra attention from so many people, Mac didn't feel comfortable with Nadja going back to the apartment alone – too many weirdos out there, he said – and he was able to convince the nurse in charge to allow Nadja to stay at the hospital overnight on a cot. Nadja didn't protest; with all the chaos and instability, she wanted to stick close by Mac in case a problem came up and he needed her help.

'Ex-con, former prostitute expose child trafficking ring' was the headline the next day. Front page.

And just like that, their world exploded into a chaotic rush of interviews and pictures, celebrity and scrutiny. It was too much, too big for either of them, and it was all they could do to cling together and try to ride out the media storm.

***

Epilogue:

Nadja closed her eyes and enjoyed the early-morning thrills and shivers as Mac's tongue slid slowly, expertly over her clit. He seemed to know exactly where to lick, how hard, and for how long. He'd made the last year a study of her body and her reactions to his touch, and she'd come to crave his mouth. His hands. All of him.

She sat on the edge of their queen-sized bed holding his face gently between her palms, unwilling to allow his mouth to drift away from her sex. Maybe in a few minutes she'd be ready to lie back, spread wide and surrender to his cock, but for the time being she wanted nothing more than to feel his hot, slippery tongue on her pussy and to feel her own body warm and soak in response.

There was an orgasm inside her waiting to happen, she was sure of it. It hadn't surfaced yet, but it was close, and one of these days she knew it would erupt. During the twelve months she'd known Mac he'd gradually rekindled her dormant libido and coaxed her climax ever closer with a combination of enthusiasm, skill and patience.

Her positive HPV test had been a bump in the road, but not a big one, and once Mac got himself vaccinated he'd made it his mission to acquaint his tongue with all her erogenous zones. He'd more than made up for lost time.

"Just a little longer," she whispered, stroking her fingers through his hair.

His response – a satisfied hum – assured her he wasn't in any hurry to finish. He loved her taste and enjoyed pleasing her with his lips and tongue.

After a few minutes she lifted his face away from her slit and pressed a slow kiss to his mouth. The scent and taste of her own juices didn't bother her too much and the feel of Mac's lips on hers – the hunger and passion she felt in his kiss – made her quiver inside. She let her hands drop, fingers seeking out his erection.

"Do we have time?" she asked in a breathless voice.

"Fuck yeah," he growled.

His shift at the Grill didn't start until almost seven o'clock. Even so, she didn't want to make him late. He was a cook – the place couldn't open without him. On the weekdays the morning crowd was hungry and hurried so lateness wasn't an option. Maria had invested a lot of responsibility in Mac. And although his parole was completed – his lawyers had successfully petitioned to have the sentence shortened – Mac still needed the job.

He put his hands on her shoulders and pressed her back onto the mattress. She spread her legs wantonly; her need for his cock was urgent. He paused just long enough to roll on a condom and lower his lips to hers again, then slowly eased inside her. She was wet and slippery and his hard shaft triggered shocks and pulses of intense pleasure as it filled her.

The powerful feelings Mac had evoked in her over the past year – combined with some professional counseling – had first weakened, then destroyed the residual influence that her old life held over their lovemaking. Aden and Gammage were the past; Mac had staked an irrefutable claim to her present and future.

The fact that her former tormentors were serving prison terms further solidified Mac's position in her life.

He began a slow, rocking rhythm, restrained and gentle at first to give her time to open and accommodate him but soon faster and harder. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head lower so she could kiss his ear and trace the lobe with her tongue.

Nadja loved his sounds – his gasps and groans, breath panting as his exertion increased. Loved the scent of his skin and the sex-and-sweat fragrance of their combined arousal. His heat. His touch. The taste of him. The feel of him pounding in and out of her pussy. Mac was familiar and welcome in a way no one else had ever been.

When he came, he thrust deep inside her, muscles locking. She could feel his cock twitching and pulsing in her tight channel, an intimate sensation and one that she especially enjoyed. She tried to squeeze him in return, to reciprocate the feeling and prolong his pleasure.

He was in no hurry to pull out afterward, content to lie on top of her, his weight supported by his elbows and knees. It felt safe to be under him, his heat and muscular chest pressing her softly into the bed as his breathing and hers returned to normal. His knife wound had fully healed and his body was solid and stronger than ever.

A short while later, as he showered, she made her way out of the bedroom and down the short, narrow hallway to the kitchen.

Thanks to Mac's job and the leftover money from his medical/legal fund they'd been able to find a better apartment, with secure entry and better furnishings.

The media frenzy surrounding the stories in the Tribune had died off surprisingly fast and the public's attention had quickly turned to other stories, but not before Mac's fund had swollen to ninety-two thousand dollars. Almost half of it remained even after settling the hospital bill and paying the lawyers. The money had given them options and a little breathing space.

The bigger apartment had been a challenge for Nadja to navigate at first; a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, dining room and living room were more difficult to map out in her head than the one-room apartment they'd started in. But she certainly didn't miss the musty scent of the old couch or the feel of the rough, dirty carpet under her bare feet. The new place was nicer on many levels.

She had the coffee brewed by the time Mac dressed and entered the kitchen.

"Your classes finish at three?" he asked, and she could hear him pouring coffee for him and for her.

"Yes, but I'll need to stop at the library, so I'll be closer to five," she replied. She was halfway through a one-year course in victim counseling and didn't want to risk letting her grades lapse. Once she got her certificate she hoped to work in a hospital or women's shelter. With her new visa, she looked forward to adding a second income to Mac's cook wages.

"I can meet you there at around four. I'll read the paper until you're done your work." His warm hand rubbed her bare ass gently. She loved being naked for him, and knew that he loved her nudity too – she never got tired of having his attention on her. Nadja used every opportunity to tease and entice, playfully seeking to rouse him to action.

Too soon he had to leave for the bus to work; they embraced, kissed, and he gave her bum one final squeeze before tearing himself away. She locked the door behind him.

After showering and drying, Nadja poured herself another coffee, took the mug into the living room and sat on the loveseat in front of the wide, east-facing window. She sipped her coffee and greeted the rising sun – feeling the heat on her face as the radiant glow bathed her in a brilliance that even her depleted eyesight couldn't fully block out.

She thought of the day ahead and smiled. The future was bright.

The End.