Echo

her mother’s death, she lacked the time to pay full attention to her changes. She knew she should. She must be prepared to understand how her new body would work. Maybe it would help if she had girlfriends. Sometimes she found her loneliness difficult to cope with. She made a very determined effort to hide her feeling from Jose and Scotty but it wore her down.
    She wondered if Echo sensed her turmoil. As exciting as their new life promised to be, it was filled with uncertainty. She wondered if things would work out with Peter. They hardly knew him. She reasoned, they needed the help and must trust someone.
    She thought they really should limit their exposure in public. Glancing toward the bedroom mirror, she stared at her eyes. She could see the difference from the bed. It made her appear very exotic. It’s surprising she got away with it in Peter’s office. What the heck?
    Getting up from the bed, she went to the mirror, looking closely. Was that gray hair mixed in with her auburn? Picking through the strands of her hair, she isolated the errant strand and plucked it out. Giving it a glance before she threw it in the trash, she did a double take. It was not gray. It looked like a fiber of spun gold. Quickly looking through her hair she noticed more and more of the little fibers. The new growth on her head was growing in gold! Well, that certainly was not going to go unnoticed. The fibers had a faint glow to them. She would not look like an ordinary blond that was for sure. Now she knew the real reason behind Scotty and Jose’s punky look; just their gold hair growing in. Donning her robe she slipped into the hall and tapped on Jose’s door. Entering the room, she failed to see Echo or Barney. They must be sleeping with Scotty tonight.
    “What’s up, Abby?” Jose he sat up, rubbing his eyes and yawning, his blanket falling down, exposing his well-developed chest and strong shoulders draped by his golden tail.
    Abby went right up to his bed and sat down, bending her head down to his face to show him her hair. Misunderstanding, Jose placed his hands on the side of her face. Whispering her name with a groan, he drew her lips to his without hesitation. In shock, Abby didn’t resist, feeling the warmth of Jose’s desire for her. His arms enfolded her in a strong embrace, pulling her down so she lay alongside him. She realized what would happen and pulled back.
    “Jose, this is wrong.”
    “No, Abby, this is so right. I’m crazy about you, you have to know that.” Stunned, she let Jose pull her back down so her head rested on his pillow. With another groan he gathered her in his arms and their lips met. Unfamiliar feelings washed over her. Her heart beat uncontrollably. Her body responded on its own as Jose’s hand parted her robe. Oh, wow, this better stop.
    But she felt so nice, his kisses overwhelming. He felt so strong. Her fingers tripped over his hard warm chest. Her legs parted as he lifted himself up over her. Oh my gosh, is this what I want? She felt his weight press down on her. Looking up into his gleaming gold eyes she found herself lost in all the familiar beautiful lines of his face.
    “Abby, baby, is this what you want?” Kissing her breast, he shuttered, lost in the unexpected moment. “Gosh, Abby, please tell me you want this, I love you so much.”
    Abby actually didn’t know what she wanted at all. But she loved the feeling of Jose’s arms around her and his hard body pressed up to hers felt maddening. Her loneliness begged for release. Smiling and running her hands through his thick black and blond wavy hair, she drew him down into her and surrendered.

Chapter 14
    Abby overslept. Waking up in Jose’s room alone, she stretched, savoring the new feeling Jose awakened in her from her delirious night with him. The depth of her feelings for Jose surprised her. She always viewed him as an ally, a chum. She trusted him fully. She thought of him as almost a brother, even though they hadn’t grown up together as infants. Good thing they weren’t related. Her feelings astonished her, exploding with just a kiss. How could she be so oblivious? What did that say about her? Was she normal? She knew for sure she felt fantastic. Grinning to herself, she made a promise not to get all dopey about this. But it felt so good. She didn’t feel alone anymore. Could that change overnight?
    Sitting up in the rumpled bed, her body groaned with unusual aches, a reminder of the intimate evening.