Chapter 2

"Uuuhh," another wave of white heat seared through my body ripping me from my dream like state, and back to reality. I tried to lift my head. I had to get my bearings, but all I could see was the darkening gray sky above. I struggled to gather my strength. I had to reach the house. I had to get help. I fought to stay conscious but I was having trouble breathing and I was getting light headed.

"Yes, darling, I do love you, I love you very, very much," again I heard a voice drifting into my thoughts. No, not Tanya's voice this time, this voice I recognized immediately. It was Kris, the woman with whom I shared ten years of my life and the mother of my two daughters. I remember when she first spoke those words to me. It was so many years ago, and yet, I could see her so clearly in my mind. She was propped up on her right elbow staring down into my face after our third, marathon love making session that night.

Again I tried to raise my head, but I was still too weak. I could feel the strength draining from my body and I had to regroup. I laid there and allowed myself to think back to the first time Kris walked into my apartment on the arm of my best friend, George. She was stunningly beautiful and, for the first time since losing Tanya, I found myself interested.

"Brent," started George, my pleasingly plump friend, "meet Kris, or as she's known in the modeling world, 'KA'". I stepped forward and lightly took her hand. "How do you do, Kris, Its nice to meet you," I said trying desperately not to trip over my words. "Please, have a seat. Can I get you something to drink. I have soft drinks plus a fully stocked bar."

"Thank you," she said, "I'll take a glass of white wine if you have it."

"One glass of white wine coming up," I said. "George, you want your usual?"

"Yeah," he answered while sitting in the chair opposite Kris, "that'll be fine, Brent, thanks."

While I turned in the direction of the bar George started the conversation. "Brent here is the best damn newspaper photographer in the city," he told Kris. "He's on staff at The Times." George had a way of exaggerating big time, but I had no problem with him building me up in front of Kris. I knew exactly what he was going to say next as he started to chuckle.

"You know the difference between his job and mine?" he asked. Kris shook her head. "I shoot the live bodies, he shoots the dead bodies."

This was George's standing joke ever since he had gone with me to a crime scene one night. One of our local mafia wise guys had evidently pissed off his boss and was lying on a restaurant floor with several .45 caliber holes in him. I shot a few pictures of the body before the coroner removed it, hence the dead bodies.

George, on the other hand, was the chief photographer for one of the largest studios in the city. They specialized in catalog photography and did most of the work for Sears, J C Penny's, Montgomery Wards, and almost anyone else who produced a catalog of their wares. George worked with dozens of local models every day, hence the live bodies.

Most of the time George's little joke didn't bother me, but I certainly didn't want this gorgeous creature to associate me with dead bodies. "Don't listen to him," I said to Kris, "he's just jealous because I get my name in the paper every day."

I handed out the drinks. "White wine for the lady," I said as Kris reached to take the glass from my hand, "and Kentucky bourbon for George."

It wasn't long before we were all engaged in conversation. Kris was so easy to talk to and had a smile that would light up the sky on a moonless night.

As the evening waned on George asked if I wouldn't mind taking Kris home. I was beginning to wonder what George was up to. He never did say the reason for the visit, and now he wanted me to give this gorgeous woman a ride to her apartment in the burbs.

At that point I really didn't care about his motives. I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. "I don't mind at all," I said looking at Kris.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "I live in Wheeling. That's a good half hour from here."

"No problem at all," I said as we all started for the door.

The first few minutes in the car was filled with small talk until Kris turned her head in my direction. "George was right about you," she said.

"Right about me? I don't get it, what was he right about?"

"You're a really nice guy," she said with a smile. "I haven't met too many lately. My last boyfriend was cheating on me and when I called him on it, we broke up."

"Cheating ... on you?"

"Yeah," said Kris, "and I think it was with more than one woman. Anyway, I was complaining to George and telling him I didn't think there were any nice guys in this whole city. He said he knew one and asked if I wanted to meet him."

"So that was the reason for the visit. I wondered."

"Yep," she said, "I wanted to meet the one nice guy from Chicago," she said grinning, "and here you are."

I learned a long time ago, if you're interested in someone let them know, ask questions, and pay attention to the answers. Kris loved modeling. She did hand modeling, foot modeling, as well as lingerie. In addition to George using her when ever he could, she also had several other accounts including De Vry's, one of the biggest jewelers in the city.

By the time we reached her apartment it was getting pretty late. "What time do you have to be at work tomorrow?" she asked.

"Ah, I don't have to be there until ten," I answered.

"Good," she said as she stepped up in front of me. With a slight smile she looked at my shirt and began to unbutton it. She looked back into my eyes. "Then let's get horizontal."

Wow, I thought, these big city girls sure do move fast. I was already starting to pitch a tent in my pants. My brain was telling me to slow down, I've only known this girl for a few hours. Of course my cock was saying who cares, we're going to get laid.

I think I was more excited over seeing this breathtakingly beautiful woman naked than I was over having sex with her. With in a few minutes I found myself between her lovely legs giving my tongue the workout of a life time.

She screamed and twisted her body, she grabbed the back of my head and pushed me down into the sweetest pussy I had ever seen. "Oh God," she exclaimed after coming down from her third or fourth orgasm, "you have a very talented tongue."

She crooked her finger at me. "Come up here," she said. As I crawled up further on the bed she reached down and took a hold of the steel bar between my legs and started guiding it home.

"Are you on the pill?" I asked.

She smiled. "Yes, I am. Thanks for asking. Now, quit being so damn nice and fuck me."

I didn't have to be told twice. She already had the head of my cock poking at the entrance to heaven. She gave a breathy sigh as I pushed. I knew I wouldn't last long. The touch of her hand almost had me exploding, but I did managed to hold off a little longer.

"Oh yes, yes," Kris was screaming. "Harder, harder," she yelled some more. I starting thrusting harder, faster, her body writhed under my assault.

Just as I felt my balls drawing up tight Kris shrieked in ecstasy and I knew she was coming again. My whole body stiffened and I pumped with one last hard thrust before groaning with the intensity of my own climax. I collapsed on the bed next to her. We laid there, both trying to catch our breath.

"You're not only a nice guy," said Kris being the first one to be able to talk, "but you're not a bad lay either."

"Kris," I said still breathing hard, "any man who isn't inspired by your beauty is dead, and I'm not dead."

She turned toward me and lightly touch my mouth with her finger. She smiled, gently rubbed her thumb over my lips and kissed me. I hadn't dated much since Tanya. The trauma of losing her left me scared of getting too close to another woman, afraid of having my heart ripped from my chest again, but as I gazed into Kris' eyes, I knew I was about to become involved, there was just no way around it.

After several minutes of cuddling, Kris got up and disappeared behind the bathroom door. I could hear water running and in another minute Kris came out with a warm wash clothe. I thought I was in heaven as she reverently bathed my genitals then patted them dry with a hand towel. No one had ever done that for me before but I knew next time it would be my turn.

Kris returned the wash clothe and towel to the bathroom and came back into the bedroom. She climbed on the bed, bent down, and took my semi-hard dick in her mouth. Her head bobbed up and down and had me at full mast inside of about thirty seconds. She held it upright with her hand and started to rapidly flick her tongue around the very tip then under the head. She knew all the sensitive areas and she knew what to do with them.

She stopped long enough to look into my eyes. "You ready for round two?" she asked.

I was still in euphoria from her able bodied tongue. I closed my eyes, "Oh yeah," was about all I could get out. Kris crawled up a little and swung her leg over me. She reached behind and steered my missile to its target. Kris laid her hands on my chest and started to moving her body up and down. I took a hold of her waist and helped her on the way up each time. She closed her eyes and threw her head back as she picked up the pace. I could hear the bed springs keeping time with the tune of our love making.

"I ... I'm going to cum," I cried, "I'm going to cum!"

"Come on, baby," she replied not far from the rapture again herself.

Suddenly my body convulsed in an upward movement. I sat up wrapping my arms around Kris' lushes body just as she too erupted unleashing wave after wave of erotic sensations.

We rested on the bed next to each other giggling at our own exhaustion.

"I know this is probably a silly question to ask a man," said Kris in a soft voice, "but did you enjoy it, because I sure did."

"I can't think of anything I could possibly enjoy more," I said turning my head and kissing her on the lips.

"What time do you have to get up in the morning?" she asked.

"Oh, I should be out of here by seven anyway," I said, "that'll give me time to get home, shower, and change my clothes."

"Okay, I'll set the alarm for six. That'll give us time for a quick fuck before you have to go," Kris said with a devilish, little smile.

We cuddled in each other's arms and drifted off to sleep. The next morning we not only screwed like rabbits again, but Kris asked if I could make it back again that night. I did ... that night, and the night after, and the night after that. In fact, Kris and I started spending all of our free time together. We became a couple, a couple who was falling in love.

Six months had flown by like a whirlwind. I knew what my feelings were for Kris. I felt so vulnerable. Not since Tanya had I allowed my heart to open up like this. The problem was, neither of us had actually spoken those, so important, three little words. Did they really need to be spoken or could they just be understood? I was terrified to say them first. What if she didn't say them back?

One of the nice perks of working for the newspaper was our revolving work schedule. Every third month we got a three day week-end. We would work Friday until about five, then have Saturday, Sunday, and Monday off, not having to be at work again until two o' clock Tuesday afternoon. My long week-end was coming up in another week and I had something planned.

I asked Kris if she had ever been to Door County Wisconsin. I knew she hadn't because George told me earlier it was somewhere she always wanted to go but never got the chance. When I asked her if she could clear her calendar and go for the week-end she jumped at it.

By the time we arrived in Ephraim, our destination, it was too late to do anything other than check in to our motel and get a good night's sleep. The next day, however, was filled with things to do. We found a quaint, little ma and pa restaurant that had the best eggs and sausage either of us had ever eaten. From there we toured antique shops, art galleries, and wineries.

We strolled the waterfront arm in arm and watched the waves of Lake Michigan thunder in and crash violently against the pre-historic rock formations along the shore line. Later that evening we dined at a fabulous, little restaurant in town that came highly recommended by everyone.

All night I tried to keep from showing my nervousness. I had to ask the question tonight, the answer to which, would certainly impact the following night, as well as the rest of my life.

By the time we got back to our room we both needed a shower. She stepped in first but I was right behind her. I reached around and lathered her magnificent breasts just as she reached around, took my cock with her soapy hand, and slowly started stroking my rigid member. I pushed it into the crack of her ass and moved up and down. Kris started to moan. She took a step back, braced her hands on the shower stall wall, and gave me full access to her love canal.

I wasted no time in slipping my stiff cock all the way in. Kris threw her head back as she met my every thrust with her own rhythm. I wrapped my arms around her body and held her tight as we both climaxed.

Kris was having such a good time, she was like a kid at heart. We dried each other off and ran right into bed. I laid down. My cock was already starting to stiffen again. Kris sucked into her mouth without a second thought. She used every trick she knew and was driving me absolutely wild with desire. Soon I was on top of her again pounding away with wanton enthusiasm. We both came in a climatic euphoria that shook the beams in the ceiling.

We rested for a few minutes then started again, this time, however, I wanted to make love, slow passionate love. I cradled her head in my arm and kissed her softly. She moaned with delight as I caressed the erogenous zones behind her ears, down the nap of her neck, around her shoulders, and then moving to her breasts. She arched her back and whimpered as I gently pinched her nipples.

I worked my way down the tight muscles of her flat stomach and on to the recently shaved mound that lay in wait between her legs.

I brought her to one climax after another before lovingly slipping my cock into her eagerly summoning hole. I moved with a burning passion that comes only from the heart.

It was after two the morning by the time we were both spent. We laid with our bodies intertwined. It was now or never, I thought.

"Honey?"

"Uh huh," she answered as if in a dream.

"I have to ask, you've never said anything. Do you love me?"

Kris looked over at me. She propped herself up on her right elbow and looked down into my face. "Yes darling I do love you. I love you very, very much."

That was all I needed to put the rest of my plan into action. I smiled up at her, raised my head and kissed her. "I love you too, honey, but then I'm guessing you already knew that."

Sunday morning we were up early. Everything was so beautiful neither of us wanted to waste a minute of the little time we had left. Today was going to be picture day. I grabbed my Nikon and we were off to capture on film, another day of wondrous adventures. Together we explored ancient caves, climbed the highest peaks, and tried to interpret three hundred year old native American art.

At the end of a full day we returned to our motel room to shower and change into clothes suitable for a pleasant evening of dining and dancing.

By the end of the evening I was afraid Kris might be too tired for me to carry out the rest of my plan, but when I asked her if she'd like to go down by the water and gaze at the full moon for a while, she was all for it.

We changed into some warm, comfy clothes and walked to a little bench outside of our room. As we sat and cuddled the gentle, rolling Lake Michigan waves lapped the sand just inches from our feet. Kris turned her head toward me, and with a soft kiss said, "This is really nice, honey. Thank you for this week-end."

I smiled. She didn't know it but she was playing right into my little trap.

"You're very welcome, honey," I said kissing her back. "You know, I was watching TV the other night and a commercial came on for De Vry's Jewelers. I saw your gorgeous, feminine hand with long slender fingers adorned with a beautiful ring, and I was so proud to be able say to myself, I know the woman on the other end of that hand."

Kris was smiling as I took her left hand. Then, before she knew what was happening, I slipped a diamond ring onto her middle finger. "Those commercials are missing one thing though," I said getting down on one knee, "Kris, I didn't think it was possible for me to ever feel this way again, but being with you has become the most important thing in my life and I don't ever want it to end ... will you marry me?"

For a moment she just stared at the ring, like she was in shock. The silence was deafening. My stomach started doing flip-flops. I could feel the knee of my Levis getting wet from the moist sand and I thought I had blown it.

Finally, with tears streaking down her cheek, Kris looked up from the ring on her finger and into my worried eyes, "YES," she yelled grabbing me around the neck, "Oh my love, yes, yes, yes."

She jumped from the bench as I was standing up and threw herself into my arms. I hadn't fully gotten to my feet yet and lost by balance falling backwards into the cold water with Kris falling on top of me. "Are you okay?" Kris asked with a little giggle. I smiled, wrapped my wet arms around her, and pulled us closer for a kiss. We embraced as the Lake Michigan waves broke over our two bodies.

On March first of the following year we exchanged vows in a quaint, little Illinois village church just north of the city. Our wedding was straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting with family and friends paying tribute to the two happiest people on earth.

After honeymooning in the Virgin Islands, we settled in and started making a life for ourselves. Because Kris' apartment was so much bigger than my pad in the city, I moved in with her and became a suburbanite. Adjusting to married life was no problem at all. Her friends became mine, my friends became hers. Life was good and getting even better.

Every year the Illinois Press Photographers Association has its awards show and banquet. Press photographers from all over the state compete by submitting their finest work to be judged. I had been competing for years but never won much. This was my year, however. Maybe my work was better because I was in love, I don't know, but I won first place in three categories, second place in another category, and third in still another category. I missed, 'Photographer of the year, ' by only two points. Even so, later that year, winning so many awards was enough to get me a sizable raise from the newspaper. I was going to take Kris out to dinner to celebrate, but she had other ideas.

That night she met me at the door with her usual, welcome home, greeting. Kris put her lovely arms around my neck and kissed me, long and hard. "Ummmm," she said, "you kiss pretty good for an old married man."

"I'll show you how old this married man is," I fired back, "I plan to celebrate my raise by driving you into orgasmic bliss tonight."

She laughed. Little did I know she had the same thing in mind, only with a twist. "Sounds good to me," said Kris with a big grin, "but before that I made a little something special for dinner."

"Oh honey, I thought I'd take you out tonight. Someplace nice and romantic before ravishing your body."

"No need honey, I have everything right here," said Kris looking into my eyes.

It was then that I noticed the glow from the candles. I looked around at the romantic atmosphere. She had put a lot of work into making this a special evening. I wondered to myself, what did I ever do to deserve such a fantastic wife.

"Are you sure dinner can't wait?" I asked with an evil grin.

Kris playfully punched my arm. "Are you kidding, after I've been slaving over a hot stove all day, absolutely not. Go make yourself a drink and relax, dinner will be ready in ten minutes."

"I will admit," I said, "something smells awful good."

It was good too. Trout Almondine, just the way I liked it. After a romantic, candle lit dinner, Kris brought out some after-dinner wine and we retired to the couch for a little R & R. "So," started Kris, "you want to get frisky tonight, huh?"

"Honey, I can't think of a better way to celebrate anything than to make love to my gorgeous wife. Honestly, I was going to take you out to dinner first, but that trout was as good as anything we could get at a restaurant. Thank you so much for that wonderful dinner. Now ... you want to fuck?"

"You do know how to woo a girl don't you," Kris said with a smile. "Yes, I want to fuck, but there is something I want to ask you first."

I looked into her eyes. It was getting so I could just about read her thoughts from those beautifully expressive green eyes, this looked serious. "Of course honey. Is something wrong?"

"No honey, not at all. I want to make love to you, but first I want to know if you want me to take my pill? I haven't taken one today and I would like to stop them all together."

I must have looked confused.

"Honey, I want to have your baby, I want to get pregnant. What do you think?"

There was no way to misconstrue my reaction. My eyes immediately teared up with joy. I almost spilled her wine as I took her in my arms and smothered her with kisses. "God how I love you," I told her. "No one has ever loved anyone more than I love you."

She kissed me back with just as much passion as I had kissed her. "I love you too my darling. Shall we get horizontal and start making a baby?"

I picked her up in my arms, something I hadn't done since our honeymoon, and carried her into the bedroom. I laid her down gently, reached behind her neck and undid the string that held up the small cocktail dress that so amply emphasized every delicious curve of her body. As I slowly and sensually slipped the dress off I found my suspicions of the night confirmed, she was wearing nothing under it. Her magnificent breasts and perfectly smooth mound slowly came into view.

She looked up with excited anticipation as I removed my own clothes and slid into bed beside her. We turned toward each other and lovingly kissed, not once, but many, many times.

Making love was always so special. It was the ultimate expression of my devotion. It was an intimacy shared only between two life partners. To me it encompassed my vows to love, honor, and cherish her for the rest of my life. That night I could feel my heart bursting with pride as well. I already felt like a father as I planted my seed in hopes it would grow.

As it turned out, it would be almost three months before Kris went to the doctors.

Before the age of cell phones the best way to contact someone on the road, like a newspaper photographer, was with a beeper. When mine went off and I looked down and saw our doctor's number I immediately pulled over and called using a pay phone. The office girl answered, then I heard her call my wife's name and tell her, her husband was on the phone.

"Honey," Kris said all excited, "you're going to be a father!"

My heart almost jumped from my chest. I couldn't even talk, I just stood there with the phone up to me ear.

"Honey? Are you there? Did you hear me? You're going to be a daddy!"

"Ye ... Yeah honey, I heard you, I ... I just can't talk, I'm too flabbergasted, I ... I can't believe it, I'm really going to be a dad, you're a mom, we are a family honey, Oh my God," by now I had tears in my eyes, "Honey, I love you so much, so much." I was completely choked up and starting to sniffle. Kris could hear it through the phone.

"I love you too honey," she said, "You're going to be as great a dad as you are a husband."

"Honey, listen, I have two more assignments and then I'm done for the day. I'm going to see if they'll let me go a little early. How about a nice romantic dinner out tonight. I still owe you one. You pick the place, anywhere you want to go, honey, anywhere."

"My darling you read my mind," she said, "how about the little Italian place on Sheridan road overlooking the lake?"

"I'll make the reservations as soon as I get back to office," I said. We said our happy good-byes and I immediately stopped off for some cigars.

Later that night we ate Italian cuisine with our forks in our right hand while we held hands across the candle lit table with our lefts. A little later we enjoyed an after dinner wine and watched as a big yellow moon seamed to rise from edge of Lake Michigan. Our waiter asked if we were newlyweds. I said no but I couldn't help burst with pride as I told him we just got word we were going to be parents for the first time. He congratulated us then surprised us a few minutes later with flaming Cherries Jubilee on the house.

Nine months later, after nervously walking the waiting room floor for more than four hours, a nurse came in and announced the birth of my daughter. She led me into the recovery room to see Kris and the newest member of our happy family.

Kris' hair was matted against her head from the sweat, I could see she was absolutely exhausted, she had on no make up, she was dressed only in a hospital gown, and she never looked lovelier. She lay with our child in her arms and the biggest smile I ever saw across her face.

"Hi honey," she managed to say. "We did good."

"Yes honey, we did good, she is beautiful just like her mother."

"Would you like to hold your daughter?" asked the nurse with a kind smile.

"May I?" I asked. The nurse reached down and picked up little Brea and gently laid her in my arms. My chest swelled, my eyes clouded as tears of happiness welled up. I had never felt anything like the joy I was feeling at that moment. I guess it was catching because as I looked, both the nurse and my lovely wife had the same tears of joy.

Our apartment was plenty big enough for the three of us so there were no pressing plans for buying a house, until a year and a half later when Brea's sister was born. We were a family of four and I was truly a blessed man.

It was a couple of months after Catherine, our second child, was born. We had been looking for a home but, so far, hadn't found one big enough to support our growing family while, at the same time, was in our price range. I was coming in from a day of assignments when I walked into the photography office and smack dab into a blinding flash of light. I stopped in my tracks and blinked my eyes not knowing what had just happened. I heard a voice say, "Now you know how people on the other side of the camera feel." The spots in front of my eyes cleared to see a gang of the people I worked with.

"Surprise!" I heard someone say from the group. I looked around hoping to find someone who would tell me what the hell was happening.

"Personnel clued us in my friend," said Terry a companion photographer, "Today marks your tenth anniversary here."

"Happy anniversary!" everyone yelled as Jenny, the office girl, approached with a cake topped with ten candles.

It looked like we were going to have a party so I thought I'd better call Kris and let her know I'd be home late. When I talked to her she asked how late I would be. When I told her about an hour she said okay but try not to make it much later because George was at the house and wanted to talk to me about something.

I did enjoy myself at the party and walked into the house in a good mood. Company or no company, Kris greeted me in her usual, passionate way.

"I held off dinner until you got home honey, George is going to eat with us if that's okay. Oh, and one more thing," she said squeezing me a little tighter around the neck and giving me a second long, passionate kiss, "happy anniversary honey. I wished I'd known."

"Hell honey," I said, "I didn't know myself until the party."

I walked into the living room. "Hi George, how the hell are ya?"

"Fine as frog's hair," he retorted. "Hey, I understand congratulations are in order. Has it really been ten years? Damn! Time flies when you're having fun huh old buddy?"

Just then Kris called us to dinner. As usual, she fed Catherine and I fed Brea. George fed himself. After dinner Kris took the girls to get their bath and get them ready for bed. George wanted to talk to me about something so I got us a couple drinks and sat down on the couch.

"Brent, do you know Don Del Notto? He has a little commercial photography studio just off of Ohio street."

"Ah, I know I've driven by the studio but I don't know him personally, no. Why?"

"Because he's selling his studio and I think you should buy it."

"What?" I couldn't believe George thought I should buy a studio. I was a press photographer.

"Listen to me a minute, Brent. We farm out some of our small product photography to this place. Hell, I'll bet we give him almost a hundred grand a year shooting the stuff we don't have time for."