Eye of the Beholder

Author’s Notes: Thank you WillOTreeBee, blue_lioness, Michael and Capt_Davy_Jones_Lover for your reviews.

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“Now according to the car’s driver, his vehicle simply stalled just as he was crossing the train tracks at about 4:30 this morning on his way to work,” the reporter explains, a scene of devastation behind her. “He attempted to restart the car and when that failed, he tried to push it off of the tracks. However, the older model Ford Bronco was too heavy to move and the driver was unable to get assistance before a cargo train hit the Bronco and derailed. Authorities have confirmed that the train engineer was air lifted from the scene and is currently in critical condition. Until the officials are done investigating the accident and crews start to remove the wreck, there will be no train service getting in or out of Ashley, Virginia from any of the northern lines. Now, as you can see behind me…”

Hank turns off the TV and turns to look at Amanda to see that she’s gone white as a sheet. He goes to her and pulls her into his arms as she stands there trembling. He stands there holding her for quite some time as the shock of the news finally starts to wear off.

“How am I going to get to my parent’s place?” she quietly asks, clinging to him.

“You can fly,” he suggests.

“There aren’t any airports all that close to Ashley,” she tells him. “But I guess I don’t have a lot of choices.”

She reluctantly leaves the safety of his arms and heads back to her room where she pulls her computer out of its bag and sets it up on the desk to start trying to find a flight to Virginia.

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More than an hour later, she closes her phone and stares down at the remains of her breakfast that she barely remembers eating.

“Well, that’s it,” she sighs as she takes a sip of her lukewarm coffee. “There isn’t a flight to any part of Virginia until after Christmas and all the car rental agencies have left are Hummers. I guess I should just head back to New York.”

“There is another option that you haven’t tried,” he says and she looks up at him.

“What’s that? Horseback? Pack mule? Carrier pigeon?” she asks, more exhausted from her futile search than the lack of sleep she got from the night before.

“I could drive you,” he tells her.

“Have you lost your mind?” she demands. “You have a wonderful vacation in Vermont waiting for you. Why in the world would you want to voluntarily spend it with a bunch of crazy people?”

“Because you’re there,” he calmly answers.

“I can’t ask you to drive me all the way there,” she says.

“You’re not,” he reminds her. “I’m offering. Either I drive you to your parent’s place in Virginia and spend Christmas with you and your family or you come with me to Vermont.”

“As much as I would love to run away with you to Vermont, there would be Hell to pay if I did,” she replies in defeat. “Are you sure about this?”

“Very,” he assures her and she looks at her watch.

“Really, really sure?” she asks.

“Extremely sure,” he answers her with a smile and she sighs in defeat.

“They shouldn’t have left for church yet,” she states miserably as she opens her cell phone again. “May the Lord have mercy on me.”

Hank watches her as she silently scrolls through her phone numbers until she finds the one she wants and then hits the call button. She sits there with a worried look on her face as she brings the phone to her ear and waits. Hank signals their server for the check and then quietly waits as a woman’s voice answers a phone somewhere in Virginia.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Mom, it’s Amy,” Amanda greets.

“Oh heaven’s, Amy, have you watched the news?” her mother asks.

“Yeah, I saw the reports; that’s why I’m calling,” Amanda answers. “I’ve just spent more than an hour checking and all flights are booked until after Christmas and the only thing the car rental agencies have left are Hummers.”

“Well, don’t you worry, honey,” Cathy assures her. “I’ll have your father come and pick you up or something.”

“No, Mom, don’t send Dad to come and get me,” Amanda replies.

“Well, how do you propose to be here in time for Christmas?” Cathy demands. “Hitchhike?”

“No, Mom, I’ll be there,” Amanda assures her.

“How?” Cathy questions and Amanda takes a deep, calming breath and lets it out.

“A friend is willing to drive me,” Amanda tells her hesitantly.

“Oh,” Cathy says and pauses. “That’s an awful long way for a friend to drive you.”

“This is a very good friend,” Amanda explains and Hank quirks an eyebrow at her, a smile twitching at his lips.

“Does your friend have a name?” Cathy asks and Amanda looks like she wants to crawl under a rock.

“Hank,” Amanda finally admits after several seconds. “His name is Hank.”

Amanda cringes as she holds the phone away from her ear and both of Hank’s eyebrows are threatening to merge with his hairline.

“STUART, OUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED!” Cathy yells at the top of her lungs. “AMY’S BRINGING HOME A MAN!”

“Oh dear God,” Amanda groans as she drops her head to the table and Hank all but falls out of his chair laughing.

“Amy?” Cathy calls. “Amy, are you there?”

“Yeah, Mom, I’m here,” Amanda answers as she glares at Hank and he can’t help snickering.

“Is he straight?” Cathy inquires, trying to make it sound like an everyday question.

“Yes, Mom, he’s straight,” Amanda reluctantly answers.

“Is that him I hear laughing?” Cathy questions.

“Yeah, that’s him,” Amanda replies, shooting Hank a nasty look and he can’t help but keep chuckling

“That’s wonderful that your friend is going to drive you all the way down here,” Cathy says, happy as a lark. “Will he be staying for Christmas?”

“Yeah, I think that’s the plan,” Amanda responds.

“Ok, that’s good,” Cathy responds. “Is there anything special I need to know? Anything he would particularly like? Any foods I should avoid?”

“Mom wants to know if you need anything or have any food allergies,” Amanda tells him after covering the mouth piece.

“No, she needn’t put herself through any trouble for me,” he replies.

“No, Mom, he doesn’t need anything and there’s no food allergies,” Amanda relays to her mother. “He says not to go through any trouble for him.”

“Oh, don’t be silly, sweetheart, it’ll be no trouble at all,” Cathy assures her in a very happy voice. “What’s his favorite food?”

“Mom, just make what you’d normally make and everything will be fine,” Amanda warns. “I don’t want another Doug incident. Understand?”

“Of course, sweetie,” Cathy answers in that sugar sweet tone that tells Amanda that her mother isn’t really listening to a word she’s saying.

“We need to get going now, Mom,” Amanda says, hoping to end the phone call as soon as she can. “We’ll see you tonight.”

“Ok, sweetie, drive carefully,” Cathy nearly sings and then hangs up.

“I’m doomed,” she states as she closes her phone and then drops her head to the table with a loud ‘thunk’, rattling the dishes and cutlery when she does.

“It’s not that bad,” he chuckles as he rubs her back.

“So says the man who’s willingly going into the lion’s den,” she grumbles and he laughs.

“Come on, let’s go finish packing,” he says as he helps her to her feet.

She willingly lets him take her back upstairs and once they’re back in her room, stands there staring at the bed they not so long ago shared. He returns to his own room to finish packing and comes back some time later to find her still standing there.

“Unless you’ve suddenly become telekinetic, I don’t think standing and staring at the bed is going to help you pack,” he jokes, a bit worried by her lack of movement.

“Make love to me,” she suddenly requests, catching him completely off guard.

“Excuse me?” he asks in surprise.

“Make love to me,” she repeats, finally looking him in the eye.

“We really should get going,” he points out.

“What time is check out?” she asks.

“Noon, I believe,” he answers, still perplexed. “Amanda, what’s going on?”

“Good, that gives us a couple of hours before we have to leave,” she says as she moves closer to him.

“Amanda, we should get going soon,” he repeats as he backs up. “Your parents will be expecting us.”

“My parents think we’re in New York,” she tells him as she keeps coming towards him. “This gives us a couple extra hours.”

“Amanda, please explain yourself,” he insists as he finds himself backed up against the bed.

“When we get to my parents house, there will be none of this,” she states as her arms snake around his neck and she presses herself against him. “Or this.”

She gives him a slow, sensual kiss which has a certain part of his body starting to take notice. Beast isn’t helping, urging Hank to take her up on her offer and he can’t stop his arms from wrapping around her. When the kiss finally ends, he’s barely holding onto control and she’s watching him with eyes dark with desire.

“Amanda, I would really like an explanation,” he states, his voice a bit shakier than he would like it to be.

“When we get to my parents house, there will be no kissing, no hugging, no cuddling, not even holding hands and we most certainly won’t be sharing a room,” she tells him.

“Are you that afraid of what your parents will think?” he asks, trying to ignore the fingers that have worked their way below the fur and are currently driving him mad.

“No, but you should be worried about my father and his shotgun,” she replies as she pushes her hips forward and he groans. “I’m pretty sure my mother has her pastor on speed dial.”

“You’re not playing fair,” he moans.

“I’m a woman who’s about to take her boyfriend home to meet her parents for the first time,” she points out. “I’m desperate.”

“You weren’t planning on seducing me before I was going to your parents, were you?” he asks.

“It was going to be hard without you there, but I’m pretty sure I could have handled it,” she answers without truly answering as she rubs her cheek against his. “Now you’re going to be there and I won’t be able to touch you. It’s going to be torture.”

He can feel her body trembling and he instinctively holds her closer. She nuzzles his ear with her nose and then starts to nibble on it and he groans. He fights Beast for control as she starts to rub her body against his and he can’t stop the erection she’s creating.

“Please, Hank,” she whispers in his ear.

“As my lady wishes,” he softly replies and then he starts to nibble on her ear, barely noticing Beast backing off.

His hand slides under her sweater and slowly caresses the soft, warm skin as she kisses her way from his ear to his lips. He kisses her long and deep, a holding her head in place, getting his fingers tangled in her black tresses. He’s so lost in the taste of her, the feel of her, that he barely notices his shirt being pulled out of his pants.

Before she can bury her fingers into that deep fur, he pushes her back a bit and pulls her top off. Not to be outdone, his soon follows hers to the floor and he stands there staring at the bit of lace, satin and elastic standing between him and her breasts. She quickly reaches behind her and deftly undoes the clasp, letting her bra just slide down her arms until it too is on the floor.

He reaches up and cups her breasts in his hands, gently rubbing his thumbs over her nipples and causing her to moan. She goes for his pants while his hands are busy and soon his slacks are around his ankles. His boxers are sticking way out and she hesitantly reaches out and strokes what’s hidden behind the silk.

He lets out a deep throated growl and before she knows what’s happening, she’s on her back on the bed and the rest of her clothes are being hastily removed. As soon as he’s done stripping her, his clothes are next to go and by the time he looks back at her she’s holding a still wrapped condom in her hand and quirking an eyebrow at him.

He pulls her to the edge of the bed and passionately kisses her, leaving them both breathless while his erection pokes her in the stomach. She hesitantly touches it, delicately running her fingertips up and down its length causing him to groan. Suddenly she’s on her back and he’s leaving a trail of hot, wet kisses down her neck and chest until he’s found one of her nipples.

She gasps as she grabs the back of his head and he sucks and licks that little bud into a hard pebble again. By the time he lets it go he has her moaning and panting and he’s feeling rather proud of himself. He blows on the wet spot making her gasp again and then starts to work his way down her body.

He drops to his knees beside the bed, pushes her legs apart and gently starts kissing her inner thighs. In a matter of moments he has her whimpering and then he remembers her need to touch. He reaches up to caress one of her breasts and she immediately latches onto his arm.

The instant she has a grip on him, he kisses those swollen lower lips and she moans as she squeezes the hand she’s holding onto. A lick nearly has her pulling hairs out, but he doesn’t care as he drives her tongue deep into her folds and one of her legs wraps itself around his head. His free hand grabs that leg, keeping it still as he swirls his tongue around, quickly driving her crazy. Soon he has her on the edge so, with one final lick, he sucks on her clit sending her flying over the precipice.

As she lies there panting and slowly coming back down to Earth, he starts to kiss his way back up her body. By the time he reaches her other breast, she’s somewhat coherent again and she lets out a tired moan as he starts laving his attention on the nipple. She gently wraps her arms around his head and shoulders as her body begins to respond to him again and she groans.

He gathers her in his arms and moves her towards the center of the bed all while still sucking on her nipple. She wiggles and writhes beneath him as he continues to assault her senses, quickly driving her crazy. He spots the still unopened condom lying nearby and grabs it while he starts working his way up to her neck.

He opens the foil packet and slides the prophylactic on all while suckling on her neck and ear causing her to whimper and moan. He goes to reach for the lube and he’s nearly startled right out of his fur as one of her hands grabs a hold of him and starts stroking him. He looks down and sees the glisten of lube being spread along his length. He turns his gaze upon her face that has a very smug little smirk on it.

“I guess you’re not as sneaky as you thought you were,” she tells him as she slides the bottle back towards the bag.

He chuckles low in his throat and then kisses her so hard and fast that she lets out a squeak of surprise. It doesn’t take him long before he has her so worked up that she’s not sure she could tell someone her name if asked. He lets her up for air as he pulls her hand away and insinuates himself between her legs.

He slides into her causing her to groan and then he gets a devious idea that has Beast purring. He wraps an arm around her as he gently kisses her and she gladly circles his neck with her own arms. Once he’s sure she has a good hold, he plants his free hand flat on the bed and pushes himself up into a sitting position, dragging her along with him.

She lets out a loud gasping moan as he sinks even deeper into her heat and he groans himself at the feeling of being completely sheathed within her body. He pauses only a moment and then he starts thrusting up into her, letting gravity bring her back down and getting the most delightful cries from her. He sets a pace that only someone with enhanced strength can do and maintain and all she can do is hold on for the ride.

The feeling of him completely filling her, of his fur rubbing against her nipples and of him holding her so carefully makes her wish it will never end. All that delightful friction has her panting and moaning as he continues to drive himself into her like a well oiled piston. Suddenly, she can feel it coming and she cries out his name as she convulsively grabs hands full of hair while she rides the waves of her orgasm.

A few moments later, he’s holding her limp, panting form, kissing her sweaty brow, knowing that there is no one else he wishes to be this close to. He gently lies her down with her head on a pillow, careful not to pull out of her just yet since he’s nowhere near done himself. Once he has them both in place, he softly kisses her lips, slowly drawing her back to reality.

“Hi,” she says lazily, her eyes only half way open.

“Hi, yourself,” he purrs and he gives his hips a little push, causing her to moan.

“Oh God, you’re not done,” she moans as one of his hands gently brushes the side of one of her breasts.

“No, my love,” he says in that sexy voice and she rolls her head to the side.

He starts to kiss and nibble on her neck and ear while he continues to stroke the side of her breast, delighted to feel her heart rate go up and hear her respiration increase. It doesn’t take him long to start getting a reaction out of her and a small nip to her neck is all it takes to finish getting her fully aroused again. She tilts her hips forward and that’s all the invitation he needs to start moving again.

He sets a slow pace at first until she bites his shoulder letting him know that it’s not acceptable. He speeds it up and soon she’s making the soft mewling sounds again. He looks down at her and sees her hair a black halo around her head, her body covered in a thin layer of sweat, her eyes closed again and a look of ecstasy on her face.

Suddenly Beast surges forward, catching Hank by surprise, but it doesn’t take over, it merges with him again. Soon he’s pounding into her and her cries fill the room as he can feel the familiar tingling at the base of his spine. He growls a warning of his impending release and a second later he feels her body stiffen beneath him as she cries out once more. He roars his own completion into the pillow, managing to bite it instead of her this time.

They lie there together for a short eternity as they slowly come down to Earth, their heartbeats eventually returning to a normal rate and their breathing settling into a steady rhythm. He softly kisses her nose and then carefully climbs off of her before sliding off the bed. He takes care of the used condom and returns to see her still lying there, watching him with half lidded eyes, the gold heart pendant glistening against the pale skin of her chest.

“We should finish packing,” he states when it’s obvious that she has no intention of moving.

“Hold me,” she requests, holding a hand out to him. “Just for a little while.”

He draws a breath to argue that they really should get going and then he sees the pleading look in her eyes. He lets the air out in a puff and then crawls into the bed beside her.

“As my lady wishes,” he says quietly as she snuggles up to him.

With a contented sigh, he wraps his arms around her and within a few minutes they’re both drifting into a light doze.