“What’s first?”
“With the first box we can get to. Here you go.” He hands her a box and she sits down on the floor.
They started going through them. Most were clothes and books and they were easy to sort. By the time that was done, they ended up with a couple dozen boxes to go through.
“Is there any electricity up here?”
“Of course.”
“Okay, is there a plug around here? I’ve got an old computer that might have some information on it. It’s a long shot after all of this time, but there might be something.”
“Yeah, hold on, there should be one around here somewhere.” He started moving boxes to look at the wall. “You know you could just take it downstairs.”
Batting her eyes at him she said, “Yes, but then I wouldn’t be able to spend time with you.”
Giving her a look of disbelief, she just giggled at him. “Fine, you know we can finish looking through these boxes and take the computer down later.”
“Great idea.”
“Tsk, tsk… sarcasm Anthony? I never would have expected that from you.”
Turning towards her, he leaned up against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you really want to go there?”
Stalking towards him she stopped, almost touching him. “You know I want to go there.” She watched his pupils dilate.
“Come here.” He growled.
With one quick movement, he had her wrapped in his arms. He brought his lips to hers, crushing them with his passion. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, her hands weaving through his hair, holding him to her.
As their tongues battled, he grabbed her ass and pulled her in closer. Moaning, she could feel his hardness pressed up against her. She slid her hands down until she found the bottom of his shirt. Lifting it upwards, she felt him shiver as her hand skimmed up his chest.
Pulling his lips from her, he nipped and kissed his way down her neck.
“I’ve never wanted someone as much as I’ve wanted you,” he whispered. “What kind of spell have you put on me? You’re in my thoughts all the time. I can taste you in my sleep.”
His lips captured hers again. Shivering at his words, she was completely lost in the moment until she heard someone clear their throat.
“Sorry to interrupt, but lunch is ready.” Louise said with a laugh in her voice.
Evie buried her face, which was beet red, in Anthony’s chest. His arms came around her to hold her tight.
“Thanks, Lou. We’ll be down in a moment.”
“Should I time you?”
“Louise…”
Lou laughed as she walked out of the attic.
“Come on, la mia belezza, let’s go eat.”
“I can’t face her.” She mumbled into his chest feeling the rumble of his laugh.
“Come on, she hasn’t gotten to her age without seeing people kiss before.”
“You come on. The rate we were going, we’d have been naked in five minutes.”
“Don’t remind me. Let’s grab something to eat and get this over with.”
“I assume you are talking about going through everything and not jumping each other.”
“Yes, Evie.”
“Damn, I was afraid of that.” She wanted him so badly she could barely see straight. One of these days they weren’t going to be interrupted.
*
After spending all day going through the boxes and looking through Natalie’s computer, they were unable to find anything new. Anthony was frustrated. After finding little things, at least, he was hoping to find something bigger here. It seemed like it was a wasted trip.
Not completely wasted though, he was able to spend some time with people he felt were an extension of his family. They were getting older and Anthony made a note to make sure he came back more often to visit them.
When they were saying good-bye for the trip back to London the next morning, he held onto Lou for a while. She was like another mom to him.
“She’s pretty special, Anthony,” Lou whispered.
“I know. I think Natalie would have liked her.”
“Oh, she would have loved her. It does my heart good to see you with someone after all this time.”
“We really aren’t ‘together.’”
“Could have fooled me. Remember, I’m the one who found you two in the attic.” She pulled back and framed his face with her hands. “Don’t waste this chance on fears of the past or what may come. Grab it, grab her, with both hands and never let go. Do you hear me? Never. Let. Go. Life is too short.”
Pulling her back into a hug he rested his head on top of hers. “I know Lou, I know.”
“Now, off you go. Have fun, go a little crazy.”
Making sure Evie was settled into the car, he walked around to the driver’s side where Gene waited for him.
After a brief man-hug, Gene said to him. “Find that bastard. Find him and make sure he pays for what he did to my little girl and all the other women and everything he’s taken from you.”
“That’s the plan, sir.”