Love Conquers All



~ Chapter 41 ~
	Gillian sat at a table in SOS, playing with the straw in her drink.  She knew she
was a bit early, but she just couldn’t help herself.  Looking up, she saw Ryan walking
through the door, apparently he couldn’t wait to see her, either.  He walked over to her
table and stood before her, staring.
	Gillian smiled at him.  
	“Hi, Ryan,” she said, softly.	
	“God, you look beautiful,” he said, breathlessly.
	Her smile brightened.
	“Thank you,” she said. “You look gorgeous, as always.”
	He sat down in the chair across the table, still staring at her.  For a few moments,
they regarded each other in silence.  Gillian felt her skin growing warm under Ryan’s
constant gaze.
	“What?” she asked him, smiling.
	“I was just realizing, this is going to be harder than I thought.”
	“What is?” she asked, a bit worried that he was already changing his mind.
	“Looking at you, smiling at you, being here next to you, all night long, without
taking you in my arms and kissing you,” Ryan said.
	Gillian smiled.
	“I seem to remember you having that problem through most of our marriage,” she
said.
	Ryan laughed.
	“You’re right,” he said. “But there were times when you didn’t resist.”	
	“No,” she said, looking into his eyes, “I didn’t.”
	Ryan could feel the flame in his heart ignite, spreading heat throughout his body,
and threatening to spiral out of control.  God, he wanted her!  But he had to be careful. 
He couldn’t frighten her away. 
	“I forgot how maddening it is to have you an arms length away, without being
able to touch you,” Ryan continued.
	“And, I forgot how charming you can be,” Gillian said.
	“You once told me, on our wedding night, that if I apply my skills correctly, I’m
irresistible,” Ryan said, holding her gaze.  “Do you still feel that way?”
	“It depends,” she said, moving closer to him across the table.  “What did you have
in mind?”
	“Dance with me,” he said.
	Wordlessly, she stood up and held out her hand to him.  Taking it, he led her to
the dance floor.
	
	I don’t think “I’m sorry” is what we need to say.
	I don’t think forgiveness is why we’re here today.
	Guilty. We’re both guilty. Let’s walk through that door.
	A second chance is what I’m talking about.
	Let’s take the hurt and turn it inside out.

	Ryan put his arms around Gillian’s waist, holding her tightly against him, and
molding her body to his. Sighing, Gillian put her arms around his neck, surrendering to
him.
	Remember when we thought that being apart,
	Would be the best thing for both our hearts?
	But now I know how much I really missed you.
	No more games. I just want to be with you.
	Just give me all your love, ‘till you can’t give anymore.

	Ryan moved his hand up to her neck, and Gillian, knowingly, waited for him to
kiss her.  They moved closer together, until their lips were practically touching.  But,
instead of kissing her, Ryan brushed his lips, feather lightly, across hers.

	No mercy. Show me no mercy.
	Love me all night long, and don’t hurry.
	Take it slow and easy. No mercy, tonight.

	Gillian sighed, feeling the effects of their closeness, and aching for Ryan to
actually kiss her.  They were now dancing check to check, as Ryan gently brushed his
lips against her ear lobe.  He was seducing her, she knew, but she was enjoying it too
much to care.
	
	Hold me, baby. You know I’ve been hurting.
	Love this love back to life, ‘cause it’s worth it.
	Love me strong.  Baby, show me no mercy, tonight.

	The music slowly ended, but nether one of them wanted to let go.  Finally, it was
Gillian who broke away.
	“The music’s finished,” she said, her breathing still ragged.  “I, I guess the dance
is over.”
	Ryan could tell, by the look in her eyes, that she wanted him. Knowing that made
him desire her all the more.  Trying desperately to reign in his thoughts, he put his hand
on the small of her back, and led her back to their table.

“No Mercy”
Ty Herndon

~ Chapter 42 ~
The rest of the evening, Ryan and Gillian spent talking and laughing, in between bites of
food.  By the end of the night, they were sitting cozily, with their chairs pushed together,
holding hands.
	They were in the middle of a mock argument on Gillian’s appearance - Ryan
swearing she looked more beautiful tonight then ever, and Gillian insisting she looked
mediocre, at best - when Hayley and Mateo approached their table.
	“Hey, you two,” Hayley greeted them.
	“Hi,” Ryan said, playing with Gillian’s hand.
	Hayley and Mateo noted their affectionate behavior, exchanging knowing
glances.
	“So,” Mateo asked, “does this mean you guys are back together?”
	Ryan didn’t know how to answer that question.  In his mind, they were, but he
wasn’t sure how Gillian felt.  So, he looked to her to answer the question.  
	Squeezing his hand more tightly, and looking into his eyes, she said, “Yes.  Yes,
were are.”
	Ryan smiled, stroking her cheek.  He knew Gillian’s answer was just as much for
him as it was for Mateo.
	“Congratulations,” Mateo said.
	“Yeah,” Hayley agreed.  “We always knew you belonged together.  So when did
all this happen?”
	Neither Ryan nor Gillian answered.  They were both too lost in each other to pay
much attention to anyone else in the room.
	“Okay,” Hayley said to Mateo. “I think that’s our clue to leave these two alone.”
	“Oh, we’re sorry,” Gillian said.  “Stay.”
	“It’s obvious you guys only have eyes for each other,” Mateo said. “Besides
we’ve got some things to do, anyway.”
	“You two enjoy the rest of your evening,” Hayley added suggestively.
	Gillian and Ryan finished their meals, and were in the middle of a second dance,
when Scott and Becca walked in.
	“Hi,” Becca greeted them.
	“Ah, I think the music’s stopped,” Scott told them.
	Ryan and Gillian, who were still holding each other tightly, seemed to just now
realize this.
	“Yes, it has,” Ryan said, loosening his hold on Gillian, but leaving his arm around
her waist.
	“Sit down,” Gillian said. “Come sit with us.”
	“It’s late,” Becca said, glancing at her watch. “Gosh, it’s after midnight.  They
must be closing soon.”
	“Yeah,” Scott added.  “We can’t really stay.”
	“But you guys just got here,” Ryan said.	
	“Well, actually, we came to spy on you,” Becca confessed.  “We knew tonight
was your big date.  We wanted to see how it was going.  We’re horrible, right?”
	Ryan and Gillian laughed.
	“I’m glad to see you’re so concerned,” Ryan said, mockingly.
	“We’ve decided to get back together,” Gillian told them, happily.
	“That’s great!” Becca exclaimed, truly excited for them.
	“We’re going to take things slow,” Ryan said.  “We’re trying to do things right
this time around.”
	“We’re dating,” Gillian added proudly, painfully aware of the fact that this was
one of the few things she’d never done with a man.
	“I’m happy for you guys,” Scott said.
	“And it’s good that you decided to take things slow,” Becca told them.  “People
jump into relationships much too quickly, before they’re even sure of what they really
want.  That’s probably why so many of them never last.”
	“Well, we’re gonna cut out of here,” Scott announced.
	Ryan looked at his watch.
	“Yeah, we’d better go, too,” he said.
	“Will I see you at the loft?”  Scott asked Gillian.
	Ryan again looked to Gillian for the answer.  She wanted desperately to make
things work with Ryan.  In her heart and mind, the two of them were back together.  Yet,
she knew she was holding a piece of herself back.  
	She wasn’t ready to spend the night with him - and not just because they’d
decided to take things slowly - because she still wasn’t quite sure if he’d be there in the
morning.  She had to admit to herself that she still was wary of him.  She had to
acknowledge that she still didn’t trust him completely.  She wondered when - and if - the
day would ever come when she’d feel ready to completely give herself over to Ryan
again.
	“No,” Gillian said. “I think I’m just going to take a taxi back to the boarding
house.”
	“I’ll drive you,” Ryan said.
	Gillian considered his offer for a moment.
	“All right,” she answered, silently praying that Mrs. Fargate was back from her
brief trip to see Rae, and that they wouldn’t return to an empty house.

~ Chapter 43 ~
Ryan parked his car in front of the boarding house, cutting the engine.  As he walked her
to the door, Gillian silently prayed, one last time, that Myrtle was home.  Turning her key
in the lock, she opened the door and got an answer to her question.
	The house was dark and quiet, with only one lamp burning  in the living room. 
Ryan and Gillian stood huddled in the doorway, staring into the ominous darkness.
	“It looks like Mrs. Fargate didn’t make it back yet,” Gillian said.
	“It seems that way,” Ryan said, closing the door behind them.  “What about the
other boarders?”
	“No,” she answered, keeping her back to him. “Other than Jake, there are none.”
	“Oh,” Ryan said.
	He placed his hand around her waist, drawing her body back against his.  Gillian
closed her eyes. This was the moment she had wanted to avoid, because she knew, all too
well, that she wouldn’t be able to tell him no.  
	Slowly, he brushed his lips against her ear.  Summoning up any remaining pieces
of resistance, Gillian broke away from him.
	“I’m just going to go turn some lights on,” she said.
	She tried to walk further into the room, further away from Ryan, but he caught
her by the arm and spun her around to face him.  
	“You’re running away from me,” he said, holding her gently against him so she
wouldn’t escape.
	“Ryan, I -”
	“You’re afraid to be alone with me,” he continued.  
	Gillian stood before him, trembling.  She knew there was no need to answer. 
	“Why?” he asked.
	“Because, because I don’t trust myself with you,” she finally said, averting her
eyes.
	Ryan put his hand under her chin, tilting her face so she was looking in his eyes.
	“Why?” he asked.
	“Because you look the way you do, and I feel the way I do,” she said, softly. 
“Because you’re who you are.”
	Gillian stopped, hoping he would be satisfied with that answer.  But, he remained
silent, encouraging her to continue.
	“God, Ryan, do you know how many fantasies I’ve had about this moment?  I
used to spend my days and nights dreaming of the moment you’d come back to me.  And,
now, here we are, all alone in the darkness, with nothing to stop us.  Do you have any
idea how dangerous that is?”
	“For which one of us?” Ryan asked.
	“For both of us,” Gillian said, determinedly.  “We can’t just jump back into bed. 
It wouldn’t solve anything.  It doesn’t guarantee us a future together.  We can’t.....It just
can’t happen.”
	Gillian abruptly stopped, realizing she was babbling.  Looking into Ryan’s eyes,
she melted.
	“I can’t be alone with you,” she said, “because there’s nothing more I want in this
world, right now, than for you to kiss me.”
	  Ryan brushed his knuckles along her check, sliding his hand down her neck,
while at the same time, drawing her body more closely against his with his remaining
hand.
	“Is that an invitation?” he asked, before moving his lips to meet hers.
	The kiss started out gently enough, with Ryan not wanting to pressure her.  But
gentle would only last so long for two people that were so much in love, and had waited
so long for each other.
	From the moment his lips touched hers, Gillian didn’t even try to resist.  Sliding
her hands up Ryan’s chest and around his neck, she leaned against him.  The kiss grew
more and more passionate as Ryan molded her body to his own, leaving no single part of
her body that wasn’t touching his.
	With his arms still around her waist, holding her against him, and their lips still
touching, Ryan led Gillian over to the couch.  In one fluid moment, they fell back, never
breaking the kiss.  Ryan eased down on top of her, his tongue exploring her mouth as his
hands explored her body.
	Gillian tugged at Ryan’s shirt, aching to feel her hands against his bare skin. 
Ryan moved his mouth down to her neck, leaving a trail of kisses, as he began to
unbutton her blouse.  
	Gillian ran her hands through his hair, all worries and doubts now light-years
away.  They were both completely lost in each other.
	The door to the boarding house swung open with a thud.  Startled, Ryan and
Gillian turned to see who was at the door. Before them stood the shadow of Jake.
	“Welcome home,” he said, coldly.
	Gillian and Ryan scrambled to their feet. Ryan’s shirt was removed from his
pants, hanging haphazardly.  Gillian’s hair had fallen down in the midst of their kisses,
and the first two buttons of her shirt were undone.  Seeming to finally realize this, they
both tried to quickly correct their disheveled appearances. 
	Jake looked at them bitterly.  	
	“Well, there’s nothing like making up for lost time,” he said.
	“Jake, I -”
	“Save your breath, Gillian,” he interrupted her.  “I just got back in town, and I’m
not in the mood.”
	Picking up his suitcase, he headed towards the staircase.
	“Sweet dreams,” he said. “That is, if you plan on actually sleeping.”
	He shot Ryan one final angry look before climbing the stairs, and retreating to his
room.
	The room was quiet again, as Ryan and Gillian looked at each other.  Ryan
opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.
	“Why, hello, you two,” Myrtle said, walking through the open doorway. “Why are
you standing there in the dark?”
	Crossing the room, she flipped a switch, and the room was flooded with light. 
	“What’s the matter?” she asked.  
	Ryan and Gillian exchanged guilty looks.
	“Jake is back,” Gillian finally said.
	“Oh,” Myrtle answered. “I see.”
	“That’s not all,” Ryan said. “Jake walked in on a....private moment between
Gillian and I.”
	“I understand,” Myrtle said. “Poor boy.  That’s probably not what he expected
after first coming home.”
	“I know,” Gillian said.  “I feel awful.”
	“Well, darling,” she said, “if you and Ryan are back together now, sooner or later,
he’s going to have to get used to it.”
	Gillian looked over at Ryan.
	“I’ve had a long, exciting day,” Myrtle said. “I’m going up to bed now.”
	“All right, Mrs. Fargate,” Gillian said. “Good night.”
	“Good night,” Ryan called after her.
	Ryan and Gillian were, again, alone.  He didn’t know what Gillian’s reaction to
their passionate display - or Jake’s witnessing of it - would be.  So, he wasn’t sure of
what to do or say.  
	He moved carefully towards her, placing his hand on her arm.
	“I’m glad Jake interrupted us,” Gillian said, breaking the silence.
	“You are?” Ryan asked, confused.
	“Well, maybe not Jake,” she clarified. “But, I’m glad something stopped us.”
	Ryan looked at her, preparing himself for the blow he felt was coming next.
	“I want us to be together, Ryan,” Gillian said.  “More than anything in the world,
I want that.  I do.  So, you have to understand why I need to do things right this time.”
	He gently took her hand in his.
	“I apologize, Gillian.  I know we agreed to take things slow.  This is my fault,” he
said. “I’m sorry I kissed you.”
	“No,” Gillian said. “Don’t be sorry.  I’m not. I wanted you kiss to me.....I, I want
you to kiss me. But, right now, I’m not ready for anything more than that.”
	Ryan nodded.
	“I, I just need time.”
	“It’s okay, Princess,” he said, caressing her face. “I’m not going anywhere.”
	“Thank you, Ryan,” she said, softly.
	“Don’t thank me yet,” he said, teasing. “Eventually, I’m going to wear you down. 
And then, you’ll think twice after I keep you up all night long.”
	Gillian smiled, her eyes twinkling.
	“Is that a promise?” she asked.
	“Absolutely.”
	Ryan started to leave, but suddenly stopped in the doorway.
	“You know, this hands-off policy reminds me of old times,” he said.
	“Good night, Ryan,” Gillian said, playfully pushing him towards the door.
	He placed his hands at her waist, smiling into her eyes.  Gillian put her arms
around his neck, softly kissing him.
	“Good night, Princess,” he said.

~ Chapter 44 ~
Gillian sleepily rolled over, squinting her eyes against the invading
sunlight.  She had been in the middle of a wonderful dream when, just
as Ryan’s lips were about to  touch her own, she woke up.  Now, she
was determined to fall back asleep and finish her dream.  
	Suddenly, a further invasion came - in the form of a knock at
her door.  She was determined to ignore it, until the thought dawned on
her that is was, more than likely, the real Ryan who was at her door. 
	Jumping out of bed, she scurried over to the mirror and ran a
smoothing hand through her hair.  She purposefully didn’t put on her
robe, but instead answered the door wearing only her scant, satin
nightgown with a plunging v-neck.
	As Gillian had hoped, it was Ryan at her door.
	“Good morning,” she said.
	Ryan looked her up and down, his eyes taking in every last inch
of her body.  Gillian smiled to herself, thankful that she had chosen to
wear this particular nightgown.  Stepping into the room, he pulled her
to him, leaning against the door to close it behind them.
	“Good morning, Princess,” he said, just before his lips met hers.
	Gillian leaned against him, as Ryan ran his hands down her
body, enjoying the feel of the satin on his skin - and the fact that there
was only a thin layer of fabric covering her naked body.
	Gillian could tell that Ryan was becoming quite effected by
their nearness, and decided it was best to call things to a halt. Kissing
him one last time, she gently broke away, sighing. 
	Gillian smiled at him, radiantly.
	   “God you’re beautiful,” he said, his breathing ragged.
	He was looking at her with such a level of desire in his eyes,
that it frightened her. Walking across the room, she retrieved her robe
from the bed, and put it on.
	Ryan laughed, realizing she knew him too well.
	“I missed you,” he said teasingly, trying not to scare her away. 
“It must’ve been a whole 10 hours since I saw you last.”
	Gillian laughed, walking back across the room to him.
	“I missed you, too,” she said, slipping her arms around his neck.
	“I came to take you to breakfast,” Ryan said, placing his hands
on her waist.  “That is, if you don’t mind.”
	“Of course I don’t,” she said, smiling.
	“I was hoping you’d say that.” 
	He looking at her with an exaggerated, lecherous expression. 
	“You just get dressed,” he said, sitting down on the bed, “and
we’ll be ready to go.”	
	Gillian looked at him stubbornly.
	“All right,” he conceded, smiling, “I’ll wait downstairs.”
	Gillian, laughing, replied, “I won’t be too long.”
	Ryan walked over to the door and opened it.  Stopping, he
turned around.
	“I love you, Princess,” he said.
	Smiling, her own heart full of love, she walked over to Ryan, and gently kissed
him.