Celebrate Good Times!

"Amber?" I felt my world shaking. "Amber are you ok?" My world was shaking and I heard this really sexy man talking to me. "Darling?" I felt a hand on my bum, it was gently caressing my cheek and damn it felt so good!

"Mmmm," I moaned softly, squirming under the loving touch.

"That's right, wake up darling," I felt Reed's breath against my face, he was oh so close to me I was breathing in his unique scent and it did nothing to cool the heat that his hand was stirring up.

"Oh Reed," I moaned as I turned towards him to wrap my arm around his waist. "I want you," I whispered against his chest.

He chuckled softly, his hand trailing down my thigh. "You have me my love," he kissed my forehead as his hand guided my leg over his hip.

My eyes were still closed, I was enjoying the way he made me feel as he held me close. "Why are you dressed?" I asked him, tugging on his shirt as I tried to get my hands on his naked flesh.

"Because it's 4 in the afternoon?" He took my hand from his shirt and lifted it to his mouth. "I came up to see why I didn't hear any water running," his lips closed against my fingertips as he kissed each one in turn. "You almost made it."

"What?" I frowned and turned my face upwards, "I almost made it where?"

"In the shower," Reed smiled. "I have to say," he moved back to glance down, letting go of my hand to trace along my bra strap. "I loved walking in here to see you laying here in just your bra and panties, your butt in the air as you snored your head off."

I could help but laugh, "Turned you on, didn't it? Hearing me do my chainsaw impression."

He nodded, "Yes it did." And as if he felt he needed to prove it, his hand jumped to my butt and he pressed his hard body against mine. "The things that came to mind when I saw you laying here," he groaned and bit his lip. "If my mother wasn't downstairs, I'd show you."

"Oh my God!" I untangled myself from him, I had forgotten that his mother was there. "You mother must think I'm so rude, disappearing like that!" I happened to glance back at Reed as I went to slide off the bed, he was pouting. "What wrong? Did she say something?"

"Come back here Amber," he held out his hand to me. "I think my mother won't mind if we spend a little time snuggling." I raised a brow at him. "What?" He laughed, "Mom is trying to get Alexis to say 'nana' so I don't even think she knows I'm not there."

I took a couple minutes pretending I was thinking about it before I moved back across the bed to lay in his arms again. We just held each other without speaking for a while.

"You should probably get in the shower," he told me with a sigh. "I don't want to have to entertain everyone by myself."

Reluctantly we pulled away from each other and got off the bed. Reed insisted on walking me to the shower and offered to help me remove my bra and panties. "I just like to be helpful," he told me while a naughty grin played on his lips.

"I bet you do!" I kissed him, "But this time I think it would be best if I did it myself."

I waited until he made his way out of the bathroom and had shut the door behind him before I finished getting undressed and hopped in the shower.

Forty minutes later I joined Reed and his mother in the living room where they were attempting to get Alexis to walk by herself.

"Come on Princess you can do it, daddy has faith in you!" Reed was on his knees just a few feet away from where Lucinda was holding Alexis up on her two feet; Alexis was giving him an 'are you crazy' look and when she saw me she tried to drop to her knees to crawl over to me. "We were so close Princess!" Reed looked up at me and his smile slipped. "But I can see why you would rather crawl to mommy," his gaze travelled slowly down my body. "I want to crawl to mommy too," he whispered but his mother still heard him.

Lucinda smiled up at me, she didn't say anything but I kind of got the feeling that she was happy for us and dying a little inside for herself. Does that sound strange?

Time seemed to fly by after this point. Soon our guests started arriving and the partying started. Lucinda tried to stay out of the party but I wouldn't let her. "It would mean a lot to Reed if you joined us," I told her as she sat watching me get the meat ready for Reed to start BBQing it.

"Oh Amber, I don't think I'm in the mood to party."

"Oh?" I glanced at her as I picked up the tray of raw meat. "It's a shame." I started to walk towards the door, "I'm sure that Roger is just sitting around at home too." I knew they had tickets to the Club's Canada Day celebrations and that he would go without her just to keep up appearances.

I wasn't even out through the door when Lucinda joined me, "You know I deserve to have some fun tonight!"

"Yes you do!" I told her as she made her way towards the other guests.

Once I dropped the meat off to Reed, I went back into the house to finish some small things that Reed missed earlier. I was in the middle of 'tossing' the salad when Devon appeared at me side.

"I want to slap the smile of his face," Devon told me. "How dare he get there and act like we are best friends while he's screwing my girl?"

"Your girl Devon? I didn't know Annette was sleeping with any of my friends," I popped a piece of carrot that was left over from the salad, into my mouth and smiled up at him.

He looked like he wanted to kick something. "You know who I'm talking about!"

I sighed, "Devon please don't do this, you had your chance and you threw it away."

"She doesn't love him!" He snapped. "He won't make her happy, he doesn't know how to make her happy."

"And you do?" I crossed my arms over my chest. "You have to stop this! You want her, you don't want her; make up your friggin' mind!"

He glared at me for the longest time before he spoke. "Why are you being like this? I thought you wanted us to get back together?"

"I do Devon, I really think that you two are good for each other but," I shrugged. "She tells me she's happy and she wants to marry him and you tell me you are marrying Annette." I sighed. "What do you want me to do about it Devon? I can't change what's happening no matter how hard I wish I could."

Devon stomped off without saying another word.

With all the non grilled food ready and waiting, I went out to join everyone again. Reed was standing at the grill with Devon sitting on a stool nearby looking grumpy. Lucinda was sitting at the table with Alexis on her lap still trying to get her to say 'nana'. Nadine, Hal, Chris, Cary and Janie were all playing on the beach. Annette was sitting at the table with Lucinda, looking really bored.

I went over to Reed. "Hey," I leaned up to kiss his cheek as he hugged me with one arm. "How are things going here?"

"Oh just great," he told me and then mouthed 'help me' as he motioned to Devon.

"He's not happy with me," I whispered in his ear.

"Just get him out doing something," Reed whispered back.

Sighing, I moved towards Devon. "Come with me," I told him as I grabbed his hand in mine and pulled him off the stool. He asked me where we were going but I didn't answer him as I led him away from Reed. We stopped for a moment at the table so I could see how Alexis was doing, "Be good for grandma," I told her when I kissed her cheek. Glancing at Annette, I noticed she was staring at my hand in Devon's. "Are you having fun?" I asked her, she shrugged and took a sip of her drink. "Well you can always join us," I told her as I tugged on Devon's hand, leading him down towards the beach.

"I don' want to go down there!" He snapped and tried to escape my grasp on his hand. "Amber, I said I don't -"

I stopped short and spun around. "What do you want to do Devon?" I dropped his hand and went over to the box of stuff Reed had put out for whoever wanted to play with it. "Do you want to play with me?" I winked at him before bending over to the box.

"Ah," he chuckled nervously.

"Let's see just how good you are Devon," I turned to face him. "Do you know how to handle this?" His gaze followed mine down to my chest where I was holding a Frisbee in my hands. "Well?"

He rolled his eyes and laughed. "I think I can handle that!"

We started to toss the Frisbee back and forth, slowly he was starting to have fun. So much fun in fact that he didn't even mind when the rest of the people on the beach joined in. Even Annette came down from the deck and made her way over to where we were but she didn't join in even though I asked her if she wanted too. It was fun, we were laughing and joking around, every thing was going the way I hoped it would.

Before long Reed called out and told us supper was ready and we all took off for the deck. Supper conversation was pretty light for the most part, it did get a little uncomfortable when Lucinda realized that Chris and I knew each other before Reed came back into my life.

"That's why your voice sounds so familiar!" She exclaimed, "We spoke on the phone." Chris seemed a little embarrassed that she brought it up, he just nodded. "So you and Amber were...?" Lucinda glanced at me and then back at Chris. "Friends?" She sounded hopeful.

"Yes," Chris told her with a smile. "Amber was nice to me when I moved into the building, she made me feel welcomed." From the way he said it, you wouldn't know that we actually 'dated' for a little while, he seemed so cool about it all. And I was so happy about that, I didn't want it to be an issue.

Conversation soon switched to something else again.

After the past plate was emptied, everyone helped clean up the table. I went to get Alexis ready for bed and Lucinda followed me. "I think I'll just stay in here with Alexis for the rest of the night Amber," she told me when I put Alexis in her crib and we returned to the living room. "I'm afraid I'm not as young as I used to be," she tried to yawn to back up her point but it was so fake.

"Now Lucinda don't be silly," I waved the baby monitor at her. "I can keep an ear on Alexis from outside now come on let's go have some fun."

As the night progressed we all made our way down to the beach, Reed had lit a fire and spread out blankets around the fire for everyone to sit on, with logs around the edges of the blankets so we could lean against them. I joined Reed on one blanket and he immediately tugged me into his arms so he could plant kisses all over my face which was met with choruses of 'get a room'.

Nadine and Hal were sitting to our right, Janie and Cary were on our left; Devon and Annette were sitting next to Nadine and Hal. "I guess that means I get to sit with you," Chris smiled up at Lucinda and patted the blanket next to him. "Come on, I promise not to bite," he joked.

I kid you not when I say that I swear Lucinda actually looked a little disappointed that he said that. I won't even go into the disturbing thoughts I had at that moment. Nor will I get into the thoughts I had moments later when they were sitting close and speaking quietly, Chris' arm was laying on the log behind Lucinda as he was facing her while she spoke to him. And she looked like she was enjoying the attention.

Until the mood of the evening was broken by Reed's father showing up.

"Get your stuff Lucinda, you are coming home now!"