The Way to Eden

Nora was trying to sleep in the small bedroom she shared with Tara, but that feat was proving illusive. Her roommate was still prowling the house downstairs, restless after her conversation with Shannon and despite their shaky past, Nora worried about Tara.

"Nora?" Todd's voice whispered from the doorway. "You still awake?"

"No," she whispered back. He gently chuckled as he moved into the room. Sighing she sat up as he reached her and plopped himself on the end of the bed.

"You look awake to me."

"With you around, I sleep with my eyes open," she retorted.

He smiled again, but she could see that it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"What's wrong, Red Man?" she asked quietly. She didn't know what made her begin calling him that. She started using it a few weeks before, when she became aware of him following her. He didn't think she knew about his "stake outs" but she couldn't miss them. Whenever she hung around her male coworkers, he was there somewhere. He didn't know that his stare gave her a sense of awareness he couldn't hide from. And she wasn't about to tell him. When she started hanging out with Amy again, she noticed that he came out of hiding and stalked her quite openly. Some guys are easy to figure out.

"Nothing," he answered her question. "Just tired."

"Don't try to pull that on me," she admonished. "Just tell me what's bothering you."

He shrugged and looked down.

"Is it Tara?" she ventured.

He shrugged again and ran a hand through his longish red locks.

"Todd?" she coaxed. She didn't like seeing him this way. It bugged her that she was developing feelings for him, too. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"It's just that I don't disagree with Shannon's position and it feels like I'm betraying my sister for that," he said looking up at her.

Her heart thumped when he looked at her like that. So open with his emotions right now. It was rare when he let that happen with her. Most of the time, he his behind his jokes and innuendos. She liked him open like this, though. He seemed more approachable.

"Did you tell her that's how you feel?"

He nodded silently.

"And how did she take it?"

"She didn't seem surprised," he said, letting out a sigh. "She just said she had to do this to save Shane."

"It doesn't sound as if she's upset with you," Nora said, leaning forward and placing her hand on Todd's. "Don't beat yourself up over it."

"But she's the reason I'm alive today," Todd replied. "She really is like blood to me. I feel as if I'm not backing her up this time."

Nora pushed the sheet off her legs and moved closer to him, hugging him tightly. "She knows she has your support no matter what she does. But being honest with her makes her understand how much you care about her, Todd."

Todd hugged her back and shrugged again.

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Eden sighed, thus opening her mouth for Jeff's invasion. He was quick to take advantage of it, too. He wasn't going to let this opportunity to get closer to her slip away from him. He slid his tongue in and explored hungrily. She mewled against his mouth, sending shivers through him. He gently eased her onto her back, careful not to jar her injured arm, and pulled away from her lips.

"Baby, if we don' stop soon, I won' be able ta stop," he said in ragged breaths.

She was breathing heavily, too and took a second to collect herself before she spoke. "Who said anything about stop?"

His eyes widened into saucers. "I cain' take advantage of ya."

"I'm trying to take advantage of you, though," she countered, grinning.

Jeff wanted to argue further but she pulled him into another kiss and his body refused to allow him to think. Eden's hand went back his shirt, slowly sliding it up his chest. He grasped her intensions and helped her remove the offending obstacle, parting from her lips long enough to pull his head through the top. When he was out, he tossed the shirt aside and went right back to her mouth, drinking in her taste. Soon, her mouth wasn't enough and he began to explore her neck. She craned it to give him better access, moaning and writhing against him. He felt his shaft grow impossibly hard from her movements and struggled to keep himself under control.

"Ya sure?" he asked, as he slowly stripped her of the long t-shirt that served as her nightgown.

"Yes," she rasped, kissing his chin. "I want you to . . . I want you, Jeff."

He needed no further confirmation and slowly kissed his way over her long lean body. Her breasts were heaving and her nipples taut before he even took them into his mouth and laved them with his tongue. She squirmed and pulled him closer with her good arm, trying to keep the other immobile. He paid close attention to her breasts, kneading them as he tasted them, eager to brand her with his mouth.

Ironically, his best friend's actions were clear to him now. Jeff now knew why Shannon was so possessive of Tara, and he resigned himself to the fact that he was going to be just as possessive of Eden. He could only hope she understood him as well as Tara did Shannon when she finally figured it out.

Eden squirmed against him again, causing him to nip her a little harder than he'd intended. Well, there's the mark I was hoping to leave, he thought to himself with a smile as he proceeded lower, tickling her naval as he passed it on his way down. When he reached her panties, he couldn't control his excitement. He grasped one of the straps in his hands and ripped right through it. Eden gasped and looked down into his mirth-filled eyes.

"I'll buy ya mo'," he shrugged as he proceeded to rip the other side and discard the remnants. He looked down at the dark curls before him and smiled. She was glistening wet for him and it only made him harder. But he wanted to draw this out for her and be sure she enjoyed it, so leaned in and slipped his tongue into her, sighing in ecstasy at his first taste.

Eden bucked off the bed then swore as her she apparently jarred her injured arm. Jeff repositioned himself so that he was half lying on her, to keep her from hurting herself again then went right back to what he'd been doing. He felt her tremble and heard her moan. He kept her at the brink of orgasm for a while, eliciting sharp gasps when he suddenly slowed his tongue. No, he thought, their first orgasm would be together. Deciding this, he pulled away from her, earning a frustrated cry from Eden. He smiled apologetically then unzipped and removed his pants. He grinned when he saw her reaction because he'd gone commando that day.

"Ya okay?" he asked as he crawled back up her body and positioned himself between her thighs.

She nodded mutely, gazing into his eyes wonderingly.

"I'll gentle," he soothed, feeling her slightly stiffen. She nodded again and kissed his lips lightly. Jeff gently bit her bottom lip and guided his cock into her entrance slowly. His grew wide when he felt the soft barrier within. He stopped immediately and kept himself as still as possible.

"Baby?" he questioned softly. "Are ya . . ."

She froze beneath him, blushing a deep crimson, and nodded.

"Are ya sure ya wanna?" he asked again. It would probably kill him if he stopped now, but he'd do it for her.

"I want you to be the first," she said quietly. He stared at her for a minute before nodding and kissing her and pushing himself the rest of the way inside in one thrust. She cried out briefly and again he held himself still, looking deeply into her eyes. It was strange how connected he felt to her right now. Like he was finally home.

"Baby?" he queried.

"I'm good," she smiled. "Make love to me?"

"Oh yeah," he grinned. "No stoppin' me now."

He moved slowly at first, giving her time to adjust. When she began kissing his chin again, he took it as a sign that she's adjusted and he picked up the rhythm. Their breathing labored and they couldn't seem to look away from each other's gaze.

"No' th' first," he murmured to her.

A confused look crossed her face and Jeff smiled.

"Ya sais ya wan'ed me ta be yo' first," he explained in rasping breaths. "Bu' I ain' jus' yo' first."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

He felt the tremors ripple through her body as she began reaching her climax. It sent him over the edge and his thrusting became feverish and uncontrolled.

"I'm also yo' last, baby," he groaned into her mouth, taking them both over together. She screamed but he swallowed it in his searing kiss, sealing her mouth with his own. It was several long minutes later when he finally rolled from her and gathered her into his arms. He felt her tears on his chest and became very concerned.

"Baby?"

She sniffled and looked up at him. "You don't have to," she said.

"I don' hafta what?"

"Keep me," she said morosely. "I don't want you to settle."

That set him off. He pulled her under him once more and glared down at her tear stained face.

"Ya don' wan' me?" he growled. He hated the idea of her using him, but it was beginning to feel that way to him.

"No, that's not it," she sighed. "I don't want you to feel you have to settle for me just because you were my first."

"I'm yo' ONLY," he said with a fire he didn't know he possessed outside of the ring. "I ain' settlin', YOU are. An' I ain' 'bout ta 'pologize fo' it, neitha."

"ME?" she said in wonder. "How am I settling?"

He laughed inside, careful to keep his face stony. She was trying to give him his freedom, but he wouldn't take it. Moreover, he wasn't going to give her freedom either.

"'Cause yo' neva gonna kno' what anotha man's like," he said. "I ain' lettin' ya go, Eden. I love ya too much."

Tears started falling faster now, as she finally understood what he was saying.

"But I'm not good . . ."

"Hey," he said, softening his features and kissing her gently. "Ya are good, an' now yo' 'ome where ya belong."

"But this isn't my home."

"Yo' wit' me," he said, kissing her tears away. "So yo' 'ome."

She stared at him for a long time before her face broke into a grateful smile. She kissed him long and lovingly, and they settled in for the night together.

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"I should let you get some sleep," Todd said, pulling away from Nora after their long embrace.

"Yeah," she said, looking at him strangely. He wondered what she was thinking when she finally leaned in and gave him a soft, slow kiss. "G'night, Red Man," she smiled.

He stared at her for a good minute before he finally got up. "Good night," he said and practically floated out of the room.