Jonathan’s eyes slowly acclimated to the moonlight that was streaming in through the bedroom window. He was suddenly wide awake, but he wasn’t quite sure why. He turned slightly in bed and as he turned he brushed against the warm, soft form of his wife. Jennifer was fast asleep and he watched her sleeping soundly. As he got comfortable again, Jennifer moved in her sleep, wrapping her arm around him and snuggling in close. He loved to watch her sleep, she was so calm, so serene and yet so utterly gorgeous.
Jennifer was dreaming her favourite dream. A small smile played at the corners of her mouth, as she relived their wedding, more precisely the moment they had said "I do" and the passionate, incredible night that had followed. As Jonathan watched, a sigh escaped Jennifer’s tempting lips and he gently reached down and softly kissed her. Where she had been asleep moments before, his gentle touch woke her from her passionate reminiscing.
" Mmm, what? Oh, hello you," she muttered sleepily. "I was just dreaming about you."
He wrapped himself around her even more. Their legs were intertwined and his arms cradled her closely.
"Oh yes darling? What was I up to?" he asked softly.
"Well, " she turned to face him, waking up more fully, " there was a bit of this," she kissed his cheeks, " a bit of this," she kissed his forehead, "and then…."
"I think I might know how it goes, " he murmured through a barrage of kisses that grew more delicious by the second. He covered her incredible lips with a long, deep and sensual kiss that fully woke her up and set a myriad of emotions flooding through her.
His kiss deepened, reaching the very corners of her soul. She could never get enough of his kisses, if she had her way they’d never stop. Their tongues met, explored and sent shivers down his spine. He loved the way she responded to him, kissing him deeply and yet still managing to nibble at his lips every now and then, sending his imagination off on wild fantasies of what she might do next. She opened her eyes and watched his reactions to their kiss, as always it set her heart alight. Were it possible, their love for each other would have shone brighter than the moonbeams cast through the windows.
Finally the kiss ended, with each of them slightly out of breath. Jonathan reached out to her, letting his fingers trace the outline of her lips, and then on down past the gracious curve of her jaw, down to her elegant swan-like neck. He stopped there, tracing the outline of her collarbone, dipping slightly further down every now and then. She moved towards him, wanting to feel his touch on every part of her, her skin on fire at his touch.
"Why is it, "she mused to herself, "that just the thought of him touching me ignites my soul. As for the real thing…" her train of thought disappearing, interrupted with a flash of passion as he replaced his fingers with his hot, soft lips. A low moan escaped her lips as his kisses trailed downwards towards her firm round breasts. He looked up, meeting her eyes as she gazed down at him.
"I take it, " he whispered, "this IS how the dream went?"
Jennifer, unable to speak, nodded. She desperately wanted him to get back to his task, a warmth generating throughout her body, her breasts aching for his touch. She pushed his mouth back to its task, running her long fingernails up and down his well muscled back. His hot, wet mouth circled her taut nipples and she arched her back into him to get the most of him. He stroked the free nipple with his finger, feeling it harden. She gasped at his touch and he increased his attentions, wanting to pleasure her. Her firm round breasts quivered under his ministrations, hot and wet from his wandering lips, as he sucked and licked his way around the ample bosom.
"Oh Jonathan ," she sighed, "don’t stop".
Chapter 2
Always ready to do her bidding, he kissed his way further down her body, pausing every now and then to reach up for a quick taste of her waiting mouth. As he worked his way towards the one place where he wanted to be most, she raised he hips in gleeful anticipation. Jonathon loved the way she was so open to him, the way she was so passionate and so sexual. Jennifer always knew exactly what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to ask for it. He reached the flame of curls that shielded her innermost core and kissed it wetly. He parted her legs with his elbows, leaning in to begin to kiss and suck her. Jennifer shuddered in delight as arrows of extasy shot through her body. Feeling her excitement, Jonathan quickened his pace and over the next few moments, brought his wife to the very centre of passion and back again.
As Jennifer tried to regain her breath and come back to earth, she gazed down lovingly at Jonathan. Smiling, he made his way to her breathless mouth and claimed her lips for a passionate kiss. When they came up for air, she grinned and traced the outline of his sexy mouth.
"So?" he asked.
"So, what?" she replied, innocently fluttering her eyelashes at him.
He looked at her, eyebrows raised with that seductive gaze that always stirred up the most intense cocktail of emotions.
"So come here," she breathed and drew him in for a kiss that reached every fibre of his soul. She trailed a flutter of kisses over his eyes, cheeks and moved down towards his torso. She felt herself stir again, wanting him deep inside her. He looked down into her eyes and saw the love and desire she felt for him and knew that he had to be joined with her, that he had to make themselves as one.
Jonathan gently pulled her up to meet his waiting mouth for a quick kiss and then rolled her over on to her back. He gazed down at her, his sapphire-blue eyes taking in every inch of her, the full sensuous lips, the round firm breasts rising and falling as she panted in anticipation. His eyes wandered further down to the smooth curve of her belly and then to the red flame that nestled at the top of her legs. He traced a finger down, following the trail of his eyes, ultimately bringing his gaze back to hers. Jennifer shivered in delight, desperately wanting to feel him. At the crux of her soul, Jonathan’s fingers delved between her legs, and she willingly parted them, ready and waiting. Without unlocking his gaze from hers, he reached down and positioned himself at the very place she needed to have claimed. As he entered her slowly and gently, she arched her hips up to meet him. The rush of sensations that her sudden movement caused made him lose all control and he thrust into her with hot, fast, passionate strokes. Jennifer cried out in the delight of his fervoured thrust and rushed towards the chasm of delight that awaited them both. As she came close to the edge, Jonathan opened his eyes and gazed intently at her beautiful face.
"Open your eyes, " he panted, "Open them, please"
She looked up at him, looked straight into his soul as he saw in her eyes the true and everlasting love she felt for him, and at that moment he felt her passion as her body seemed to dissolve into a thousand shimmering pieces, while he felt as if his body had ignited in a rush so fantastic he almost couldn’t believe it.
In the aftershock, they lay there as usual astonished and proud of the emotions that their love so often produced. Jonathan raised himself up on one elbow and gazed down at his wife. He grinned softly,
"So?"
"Oh, so so, " she said breathlessly.
"Only so so?!" he asked, with a forlorn look on his handsome face.
"Oh so sooooo good, " she smiled and reached up to kiss him.
He wrapped her in his arms as they snuggled up together. He wrapped his legs around her and held her close, so close that she could almost believe she felt his heart beat against her back.
"I love you, Jennifer," he said softly into her vibrant auburn hair.
"I love you too, my darling," She replied, as sleep gradually overtook them both.
Chapter 3
They both awoke late the next morning, still holding each other in a loving hug. Jonathan’s eyes shot open as he had a sudden sinking feeling that he was horribly late for work. Jennifer woke at almost the same time, stretching out luxuriously in the secure knowledge that it was Saturday and they could, if they so desired, spend the whole day in bed doing whatever they wanted. As Jonathon sat up and scrambled for the clock, she grinned and waited for him to realise. She watched the emotions play across his face and then laughed out loud as he finally came to the conclusion that a) he wasn’t late for work and b) she was watching him closely, enjoying his confusion.
"Ha ha ha," he said as he grabbed her and began to tickle her just under her ribcage, where he knew she was the most ticklish. She squealed with laughter, just as there was a soft knock at the door. In between tickles, Jennifer managed to call out,
"Max, quick, come in and save me!"
Max opened the door and peered round it with a grin.
"Is it safe?" he asked in his gravelly voice.
"For you, yes, for little Miss Laughter here, I’m not so sure!" replied Jonathan as her tickled his squirming wife.
" I surrender, I’m sorry darling", she managed to gasp, as his fingers ravished her most ticklish areas. "You just looked so confused and so sweet."
He stopped tickling her, allowing Max to bring the newspapers and mail over to the bed.
"That’ll teach you to laugh at me!"
"I’m sorry darling, really I am, but if you had only seen your face as you realised that it’s Saturday", she said, smiling as she cuddled up to him again. Max nodded in agreement.
"Ah, that look," he said knowledgably.
"What’s this, is everybody ganging up on me?" he said with a hangdog expression.
"Don’t be daft, "said Jennifer, swatting him with a newspaper, "now open your post and read the paper. What do you want to do today?"
"I don’t know, Darling. What would you like to do?"
Chapter 4
Jennifer raised her eyebrows and intertwined her leg with Jonathon’s. Max caught the look and graciously left the room, smiling softly in admiration at the stamina and love that his employers had. In the bedroom, Jonathan was kissing his wife lovingly as she lay back down amongst the pillows. He smoothed the hair away from her face and smiled down at her.
"Much as I would like to spend all day and forever making love to you, I think maybe we should get up. I can hear the shower calling me. Listen, how about we take the papers, make up a picnic and go down to the beach? It’s been ages since we went to the beach."
Jennifer lay back and stretched out, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of the soft silk sheets rippling over her body. She opened one eye and gazed over at her husband. While she could well see the merits of staying in bed and ravishing him all day, his suggestion appealed to her, as did the mention of the shower. She slowly sat up and moved towards the edge of the bed, appearing to be deep in thought.
"Hmmm. Actually the beach sounds fantastic", the last word said in a blur as she ran to the shower. Jonathan watched her go, not realising what she was up to until the last minute.
"Oy! You cheeky little… " he called after her, laughing at her move. Then a thought occurred to him. The shower was, after all, specially made to fit two!
An hour later they appeared downstairs, washed and dried and smiling contentedly. In the kitchen Jonathan found a note from Max, he’d gone out for an all day Poker game and had no idea when he would be back. They packed up a picnic and set off towards the beach, stopping for supplies on the way.
Once settled on the crisp white sands in a secluded corner of the beach, Jennifer relaxed with the literary section of the paper. She snacked on strawberries as she lay in the warm sunshine. Jonathan watched her for a while, marvelling at the way she looked. He would never get enough of her and was ever thankful for her love and trust. Feeling his gaze on her, she looked up and smiled gently at him. He reached down and kissed her softly. She tasted of strawberries and curiously of suntan lotion. He broke the kiss, looking a little confused and took a sip of wine.
"What?" she asked, bemused.
"You taste of suntan lotion!" he said, reaching for another quick kiss before standing up. "I’m going for an ice-cream. Would you like one?
She smiled at him in acceptance, watching his strong tanned back and gorgeous backside as he strolled of in search of an ice-cream salesman. She folded the paper away and lay back in the warm sun, quickly falling into a light doze.
Chapter 5
Jennifer awoke an hour later and wandered down to the water’s edge, paddling for a while to cool down. Jonathan was nowhere in sight. Jennifer’s chocolate brown eyes searched up and down the beach, feeling faintly concerned for her husband. Time passed and Jennifer became more and more worried. After nearly three hours she was very concerned. Digging deep into the beach bag, she took out the mobile and phoned home, on some crazy idea that he may be there, although she couldn’t think why he might have returned home without her. The only reply was from the answer machine.
Jennifer finally decided to pack up and go home five hours after Jonathan had wandered off in search of their ice creams. She wrote a note and stuck it in amongst the rocks where they had been, hoping if he came back he would find it and return to her. As she got to their car, she stood and searched the beach for any sign of him, and small sign that he was on his way back. By now she was panicking – where was he? What’s happened? A vivid selection of catastrophes ran through her mind and she cursed herself for having such a wild imagination.
Jonathan’s quest for the ice creams was not going to be easy. He had searched the beach and there wasn’t an ice-cream seller to be seen. Thankful that he was wearing his shorts and t-shirt, he set off along the adjacent road hoping to succeed in his quest, rattling the change in his pocket.
A young boy on a BMX rode towards him, weaving from side to side. Jonathan smiled at him as he rode by and stepped into the road to get out of his meandering way. The boy’s eyes widened as he saw the car behind Jonathon swerve and desperately try not to hit him. The driver screamed as the car hit Jonathan and the boy watched terrified as Jonathon was flung high up into the air, coming to land with a terrible thud against the kerb.
Chapter 6
For a moment the air was thick with silence and then the boy started to scream, his wails shattering the atmosphere and waking the driver out of her stupor.
She rushed over to Jonathan, wary of moving him; yet desperate to make sure he was still alive. There was a trail of blood coming from a deep gash on the back of his head, and his right arm was twisted at an odd angle, but there was no other visible injury. He was still breathing, thankfully, and as she began to examine him, he began to stir. The boy, still crying softly, crouched down beside them.
"Is he dead? Is he? Is he dead? Did you kill him?" He stood up abruptly and ran over to his bike. "I’m off, it’s nothing to do with me, wasn’t my fault" he shouted back over his shoulder as he rode off as quickly as he could.
The woman watched the boy ride off, cursing him silently for his cowardice. A moan made her turn her attentions back to the injured man in front of her. She gazed at him, taking in his broad shoulders, muscled torso and strong face. His eyes fluttered open, revealing two of the bluest eyes she had seen for a long time. He moaned again, and tried to sit up, gasping in pain as he failed miserably.
"No!" cried the woman in alarm, "don’t move! I’ll phone for an ambulance, goodness knows what you could have done" she hurried over to her car to get her phone.
Jonathan watched her, his head screaming in protest as he tried to focus, let alone think. He felt terribly confused and unsure, what had happened to him? She called out to him from the car,
"They want you details, what’s your name?"
Jonathan opened his mouth to answer and stopped. The waves of confusion poured over him and he had to work very hard to stop the rising tide of fear that was beginning to drown him.
"I" he stopped, "I don’t know, I don’t know" he repeated. With a huge effort, he heaved himself up into a sitting position, ignoring the waves of nausea that threatened to overtake him. "I don’t know," he whispered.
The woman finished the call and returned to his side. She gazed into his eyes and the panic there made her believe that he was telling the truth. He brushed his good hand over his eyes, stopping suddenly as he saw his wedding ring. A wave of emotion engulfed him and he tried desperately to hold on to it, knowing that is was important, but it faded, disappearing out of his reach. He looked into the scared eyes of the woman in front of him, her expression matching his.
"I don’t know who I am." He said slowly, as the sirens of the ambulance got louder as it approached them. "I have absolutely no idea of who I am. Who am I?" he said, panic rising in his voice as the paramedics arrived and began to examine him.
At the hospital, he was given the all clear, apart from his amnesia. His wrist wasn’t broken, merely badly bruised and was strapped up to minimalise movement. He sat on the bed in the emergency department, frantically trying to remember who on earth he was. Absentmindedly he played with his wedding ring, knowing that it meant an awful lot to him but not knowing why. He felt that his life revolved around his marriage, but who was his wife? Was she alive or were his strong feelings as a result of a loss? Indeed was he even divorced and regretting it? He had been deeply in love at some time, he was sure of it, but how, where, when? He grew more and more confused and wound up.
Jonathan felt a hand lightly brush his forearm. He looked up, into a concerned but beautiful face. He smiled softly at her, wincing slightly as his head pounded with the effort of concentrating.
"I believe I have you to thank for rescuing me," he said gallantly. The woman flushed with embarrassment and looked down. When she eventually looked him in the eye it was to make a confession.
"Actually, you have me to blame. My name is Casey Reynolds and I’m afraid, " she paused, "I’m afraid I was the one who hit you. I didn’t mean to, you jumped out so suddenly and that wretched boy…" she petered off into silence.
Jonathan didn’t know what to say, but looking at this beautiful woman who looked so concerned and embarrassed he couldn’t do anything else. Ever the gentleman, Jonathon forgave her and reassured her that if there was any blame surely it was the fault of the boy on the bike, someone who had conveniently disappeared, thus letting them both off the hook. She smiled at him and confessed that this was, in fact, the same conclusion that the police had come to.
Jonathon looked down at his wedding ring again, twirling it gently around his finger.
"There’s something very special about this ring, "he said softly, almost inaudibly, " Very special and I can’t remember, dammit I can’t remember!"
Casey looked at him and smiled again. "Whoever she is, she’s a very lucky, very loved lady."
"All I know is that I love, " he stopped, "loved? Love someone so much that being apart from her when I don’t have to be, feels wrong." He looked up at her. "Anyway, what did the police say? Do they have any clue as to who I might be? Am I really Joe Bloggs or is it Joe Q. Public?"
Casey could see right through his false bravado. He was trying to take both their minds off his immediate problem. She let him think it had worked, going off to see if any progress had been made.
Chapter 7
Jonathan lay back against the pillows. He prised the ring off to check for any clues as to who he might be. He ran his fingers around the inside of the ring, coming to rest against the inscription. Peering closely, he read "J & J, forever together, 1-12-96". Lying back against the pillows again, he replaced the ring. J&J, so his name began with a J, as did hers. He searched his memory, desperately trying to remember who he was and who she was. What was significant about the date? He knew it was special, but why?
Jennifer sat at home, twirling her wedding ring. Where was he, why wasn’t he here, what had happened. She could feel a rising tide of panic threatening to overtake her. Slowly she went upstairs and showered, washing the sand off and planning her next move. As she dressed, she heard the front door open and Max announce his return. Jennifer rushed downstairs and almost knocked him down in her tearful need for a hug. He held her tight, his weather lined face creasing in concern.
"Mrs. H! Hey, Mrs H!! Jennifer, what’s wrong? What’s happened?" There were only two reasons that would cause Mrs H to be so upset and he chose the right one. "Where is he? What’s happened to Mr. H?"
Jennifer looked up at him, her eyes red and full of tears.
"I don’t know Max, he’s missing and I can’t find him, " she sobbed.
Max sat her down and between the two of them they got the afternoon’s happenings out of her. After giving her a huge hug, Max rang the police and gave them the details. Lt. Grey arrived shortly afterwards and talked to Jennifer in great detail. She trusted him implicitly, as he’d often come to their aid in the past, as a result of some of their previous activities. Herschel Grey knew how strong the bond between the Harts was, he could see it in the way Jennifer was reacting to Jonathan’s disappearance, he could feel it in the loving atmosphere of the house. As he left, he hugged Jennifer tightly and promised her that he would find him. He was slightly placated to see that the look of sheer abject panic in her eyes had receded.
"Jennifer, we WILL find him. He is out there and he will be back with you very soon," he told her. "Believe me."
She looked at him, appeared to look deep into his soul.
"I know Herschel, but still.."
As he left, he squeezed her hand tightly, promising to keep her updated. Jennifer sat back and considered the advice she had been given. She was to sit tight, wait at home in case he returned. But surely, she screamed to herself, if he were going to come home he would have done it by now. Jennifer suddenly stood, gathering her bag and a jumper. She faced Max.
"I can’t stay sitting here waiting. I’ve got to do something. I’m going to find him." Max looked at her and registered the determination in her eyes. "You stay here Max, d’you have the number for my mobile? Is there enough credit on your phone? Are you… "
Max interrupted, "Go. Go and find him and bring him home" he smiled. "I’m fine. I’ll tell Herschel what you’re up to."
The first two hospitals yielded nothing but frustration for Jennifer. Standing in the Emergency Department of Port Campbell Hospital, she scanned the faces of those nearest to her, desperate for any sign of Jonathan. Once again, there was no sign, Jonathan had simply disappeared. She quelled the rising panic, realising that to give in to the howling void of despair that had been present since he had vanished, would do no-one any good. A crash behind her made her jump, and she scrambled out of the way as a selection of Doctor’s, Nurses and other personnel frantically tried to save a woman’s life.
Chapter 8
A loud crash caused Jonathan to jump. A woman was rushed past on a gurney, with frantic efforts being made to save her life. He stood at the door of his room, watching the frenetic activity going on, wondering what had caused her to end up that way. His morbid questioning stopped when Casey returned, trying to smile positively at him.
"Well the good news is that the police now have your description and are circulating it," she paused
Jonathan managed a smile for her. "And the bad news?"
"They still don’t know who you are."
Jonathan sighed and walked over to the window and gazed out. Where was she? Who was she? Indeed who was HE? He turned to give a reassuring smile to Casey and stopped in alarm as he caught sight of a rush of auburn hair receding down the corridor. A memory stirred deep inside of his soul. He ran to the door, knowing in his heart that it was she, the woman that held his heart. Casey stumbled as he rushed through the narrow doorway.
Jonathan’s blue eyes searched the corridor. Where was she? What had made his heart contract so painfully?
"What is it? What did you see? Do you remember?" Casey’s voice intruded on his thoughts. He came crashing back to reality, desperately grasping at memories and failing miserably.
"She ……, it was, I "he stammered and stopped.
Casey watched him carefully, seeing the turmoil and despair behind his fascinating blue eyes. She went over to him and hugged him gently, wanting more, but settling for what she could get.
"Come on," she said, "Let’s go back to my place. You can get some rest and we’ll take it from there."
Chapter 9
Jennifer made her way down the corridor, searching for Jonathan and getting more distraught by the second. She pulled curtains open, ignoring the astonished stares of the patients that surrounded her. He wasn’t there. She had thought he might have been, she thought she’d heard his voice, but a woman had been at the door and it hadn’t been him.
"Where is he? Jonathan? Where are you, darling?" she cried, her voice becoming more and more hysterical. A woman came up behind her.
"Excuse me Ma’am, I’m Doctor Weston, can I help you? Who are you looking for?"
Jennifer turned, her face a picture of misery. She steadied herself, the sobs now soft and quietening.
"Where is he? Where’s my husband? Is he here?"
"Ok, sit down now, and let’s see what we can do." Jennifer followed the Doctor over to the row of sterile grey hospital chairs that lined the sides of the corridor. She sat down and composed herself. Taking a deep breath, she began.
"My husband, Jonathan Hart, is missing. We went to the beach this morning and he went to get us some ice-cream, "she checked the watch that was hanging loosely around her slim wrist, "about eleven hours ago, and he never came back ……." Her voice began to rise in panic again.
"Ok" said Dr Weston, "Ok, let’s see then. He went to get ice-cream and didn’t come back?"
"That’s what I said," said Jennifer, glaring at her.
"Sorry, I know how scared you must be, but try to think carefully. What happened, was there anything unusual in his behaviour? Had you been having any, er, problems lately?"
Just the hint of an accusation of difficulties within their marriage enraged Jennifer. They had the perfect marriage; theirs was the standard by which other marriages were measured. Their love was almost visible in it’s strength. Jennifer lived for Jonathan and Jonathan lived for Jennifer and that was the way it was and would be now and forever. With difficulty, Jennifer regained her composure.
"Jonathan and I love each other." She stated simply. "We always have and always will. He is part of me and I am part of him." She stopped and Dr. Weston looked at her understandingly.
"I see," she said softly, giving Jennifer a quick hug. "The police?"
"Have been notified, yes. Lt. Grey is handling it all, but I couldn’t stay at home, waiting and waiting. I had to do something, anything. I need to find him, I need him here with me." Jennifer finished softly, tears rolling down her flushed cheeks.
Chapter 10
Casey and Jonathan gathered his stuff together and got ready to leave the hospital. The Doctors had said that he might as well stay with Casey overnight, he was fit enough to be discharged and had nowhere else to go. Casey watched him, worrying about the state of her emotions. She knew that she was in shock, Geez, she’d nearly killed him, but there were other emotions fighting to surface. Her eyes traced his form, the long lithe legs, the strong but gentle hands, the emotion in his eyes and the strength of character that held him together even though he was obviously very upset. She could quite easily fall for him, if he wasn’t so obviously deeply in love with someone else. She went to him and drew him into a hug, drawing back to trace the features on his strong face.
"Who are you? Who is in there?" she asked softly. He looked deeply into her eyes, seeing his image mirrored in the deep green void. He smiled tightly.
"I wish I knew." And he distanced himself slightly from her embrace. "All I know is that my name begins with J and so does hers. When I find her, I’ll find me."
They walked along the corridor in silence, each buried in their own thoughts. Turning the corner, they faced an endless corridor towards the exit. Jonathan’s blue eyes searched the corridor, always hoping to find a clue, but reconciled to the fact that there was nothing here for him. He quelled the rising panic and forced himself to think rationally. He would stay with Casey tonight and talk to the police again tomorrow. There had to be something, he had the initial letter of his name, and the first letter of hers. He believed in his emotions, she was special and he knew in his heart that she would be searching for him if she could.
Jennifer had calmed herself and sat gently twirling her wedding ring. She had given the Doctor and description of Jonathan, and Dr. Weston was off checking things out for her. She sighed and sat back in the chair. He had to come back to her. What would she do without him? The panic began again, and she stopped herself. He would be back, she would be back with him, he would hold her, love her, make love to her, they would be a couple again. She gazed out of the hospital exit, willing him to walk towards her, turning her misery in towards her soul when he didn’t appear.
Chapter 11
Jonathan gazed at the exit, willing her to materialize, wanting her to be there, waiting for him, ready to make his life complete again. He needed her, he was nothing without her love. He stopped short of the exit, glancing down to his left at the woman slumped in her chair, her head in her hands, her shoulders softly shuddering as she cried. His eyes took in her appearance, the comfortable, old sneakers, the denim cut-off shorts that revealed long and luscious, shapely legs, the old and loved extra large tee shirt and the shock of auburn hair. His heart began racing as he carried out his examination.
Jennifer glanced up as her mind registered someone standing in front of her. Her heart stopped and then she flung herself towards his open arms. Casey watched wondering what the hell was going on, but knowing deep down inside her that she had just lost him, that he was home, that he had found the one he was looking for and had therefore found himself. She stood and watched as they found each other.
Their kiss was long, soft, passionate and true. He held her as if he’d never let her go, and she buried herself deep inside his arms. She sighed softly into his chest as they came up for air.
"Jennifer" he said, loving the sound of her name. "My darling Jennifer." He stopped and looked deep into her soul. "I love you."
She looked up at him and kissed him again, his lips soft and yet demanding against hers. The shared a long deep kiss, each desperate to claim the other, their love strong and clear for all to see. She traced the contours of his face, desperate to imprint his image to memory again, the feel of him, his scent and the sight of his love for her burning passionately in his eyes. He stood still, taking in every aspect of her, her incredible deep passionate eyes, her soft luscious full lips, the feel of her body wrapped tightly around his as she gazed up at him.
"Jonathan, what happened? Where were you? Why didn’t you come back?" her questions rushing out, tumbling over one another in her desperation for answers.
They sat down, holding hands tightly, their eyes not leaving one another. Casey stood and watched them, her small twinge of jealousy carefully hidden as she bent down and knelt in front of Jennifer. Jonathan watched Casey, knowing that this would be hard for her. Jennifer looked at Casey, wondering what was happening, who was this woman and why had Jonathan been about to leave with her?
"I’m sorry," said Casey softly, "I’m so, so sorry"
Jennifer looked from Casey to Jonathon and then back to Casey, never once letting go of Jonathan. Jonathan’s heart ached at the misery and confusion that he had seen etched cross her face.
"There was an accident ", Casey paused at Jennifer’s sharp hiss of breath and startled glance at Jonathan. He quickly gave her a reassuring hug and a not so quick reassuring kiss.
"It’s ok, darling, I’m fine, just a bit bruised," he said, holding up his injured wrist.
"Anyway," Casey continued, "I’m afraid that I hit Jonathan here with my car and it appears that he had a concussion and that resulted in amnesia. He didn’t know who he was, just that he was in love with someone whose name began with J. We, er, well we were just about to leave. He was going to stay at my place tonight and then try to find J again tomorrow."
Jennifer looked from one to the other, seeing in one pair of eyes a devotion that mirrored her own, and in the other a wistfulness at what could have been. She reached over and possessively kissed Jonathan, marking him as hers in a subtle but clear message. Casey smiled, resigned to her future without the possibility of Jonathan, knowing that he was with his soulmate. Jonathan held Jennifer’s hands tightly, gently stroking her arms, never wanting to let her go again. He kissed her again.
"Jennifer, " he said, rolling her name around his tongue. "Jennifer, I love you. I remember you. I remember everything, especially you!" he said with a glint in his eye. Jennifer blushed and smiled softly, as they stood to leave.
Chapter 12
Jennifer turned to Casey. She didn’t quite know what to say. Jonathan was back, was here holding her. Standing in front of them was the reason for all of her anguish and terror, was the reason that Jonathan had disappeared and the reason that he had gone. But he was back now, she was holding him in a vice-like grip, almost afraid to let him go. Casey was the cause of her pain, and yet Jennifer didn’t want to hold on to that pain, and the only way to release it was to forgive.
"Thank-you. "
Casey’s eyebrows rose in surprise.
"Thank-you? ", she repeated. "What have you got to thank me for? I’m the reason he’s hurt, I’m the reason, it’s my fault."
"Maybe, maybe so. But you’re also the reason he’s safe. You stayed with him, " she looked to Jonathan, who nodded in agreement, "You got him to the hospital, you got help. You didn’t need to. You could have left him but you didn’t. For that, I"
"We" Jonathan interjected.
"We, " Jennifer smiled at her husband, "We thank you."
Footsteps echoed down the corridor as Dr. Weston returned. Smiling, she took in the view before her.
"Well, Mrs. Hart, I take it I can stop searching for your errant husband!" she said delightedly.
Jennifer turned in surprise, reaching over to hug the Doctor, still making sure she kept hold of Jonathan.
"Thank-you Doctor, thank-you so much for trying. It’s ok though, he’s back, he’s " she stopped as tears threatened to overtake her. Doctor Weston hugged Jennifer and shook hands with Jonathan, happy to see them reunited. Jonathan reached over and kissed his wife gently but with great passion and gave her a look of pure, unadulterated love, a look that she returned in strength.
Jennifer turned to Casey and hugged her, as did Jonathon. They exchanged addresses and with one last glance back at what could have been an interesting turn in her life, Casey left.
Chapter 13
Later that night Jennifer lay awake, watching Jonathan sleep. He was exhausted, he’d fallen asleep the minute his head had touched his familiar pillow, and yet he still held her tightly, wrapped around her in an embrace that spoke of love, passion and still undertones of desperation. She reached over and traced the outline of his face, wriggling round to follow her soft fingertips with equally soft butterfly kisses. He murmured in his sleep, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Jennifer drew back, wanting this moment to never end. He was back, here, in their bed and that was all she wanted, all she had ever needed. She snuggled up to him, letting the tension of the day escape from her soul and she eventually fell asleep.
Jonathan woke from a deep, peaceful sleep, the last traces of an incredible dream disappearing despite his attempts to hold onto them. He opened his eyes, Jennifer’s smiling face coming into focus.
"Hey you" she said softly.
"Hey yourself. How long have you been watching me?"
"Not long. I’m just making sure you’re really here with me. I know it’s daft but I just" He stopped her with a kiss, a kiss that held the promise of more to come, much, much more.
"I’m here Jennifer, I’ll always be here for you. It was, " he paused trying to find the right emotion, "wrong without you. I knew I loved someone, I knew that whoever it was, was part of me, of my soul, but I couldn’t picture who it was. It was like sand running through my fingers, every time I thought I remembered, the memory faded away." he said, pulling her close in a hug that took her breath away, looking into her eyes with a mixture of love, adoration and lust.
Jennifer eyed him through half closed eyes, reaching up to draw him into a kiss that showed him exactly what she was thinking. Her kiss was soft, slow and seductive, their tongues meeting and caressing, sending waves of passion coursing through each other. When the kiss finally broke, Jonathan was breathless.
"Wow! " he said softly, trailing his fingers around her lips and then down past her long graceful neck, towards her breasts. He felt her breath quicken as he reached her nipples, brushing across them softly, alternating between one and the other. She moved against him, her skin soft and sensuous, wanting to feel him against her, wanting to feel all of him. His heart raced, her movements were driving him crazy.
Jonathan brushed his fingers lower, his mouth replacing his fingers at her breasts. Jennifer gasped, her soul tingling at the sensations that his hot wet kisses produced. Jonathan felt his body react at the sound as he continued his exploration of her delicious lithe body. His fingers travelled her flat belly, heading south towards the soft downy hair that nestled between her legs. Jennifer moaned again, causing him to harden even more. She unconsciously parted her legs, allowing him access to the very core of her being. He continued to kiss her luscious breasts, pausing every now and then to kiss her lips, lips that hungrily claimed his as her body reacted to his attention.
He reached down between her legs and gently allowed his fingers to caress her, feeling her muscles contract around him. She moaned again, his touch bringing her close to ecstasy. He rubbed her, gently at first, and then with increasing passion as she moved beneath him. She reached down and drew him into a deep kiss, nudging him gently with her hips. She could feel him, hard against her leg and she wanted to feel him hard inside her. He moved over her, his lips never leaving hers, returning the passion that was devouring them both.
He entered her slowly, teasing her, withdrawing as she lifted her hips to take him further inside her. She nipped his lips, wanting to feel him fill her, wanting him to come home, back where he belonged. Her playful nibbles and the way she was kneading his backside caused him to lose control and he drove into her suddenly, making her moan in delight. He thrust again and again, as she wrapped her long legs around his hips, causing him to thrust deep inside her. He felt the familiar scintillating pool of warmth begin to rise in his belly, he was close and he wanted to take her with him.
"Jennifer," he panted, "Come with me, please"
She wriggled beneath him, feeling him deep inside her, his movements drawing her into a swirling mist of passion. Their love and their passion had united their souls and the truth of their love was evident, each imprinting their love onto one another. Jonathan moved against her, fast passionate thrusts, bringing her to join him at the edge.
"Yes, my darling," she gasped, "yes, oh yes!" she cried as they tumbled together into a vortex of incredible emotions, crying out each other’s name at the crest of their desire.
Chapter 14
As their panting subsided and their breathing returned to normal, Jonathan drew his wife into his arms and looked down into her chocolate brown eyes and smiled softly. She grinned at him.
"Welcome home, Jonathan, welcome home."
He held her tight, laughing out loud. She wriggled out of his grip and sat up, pouting sweetly.
"What?!" Jonathan protested through his laughter.
"You!"
"Me? What have I done now?" he said in mock anguish, making the sad face that he knew she couldn’t resist. A grin escaped at the corners of her pout and she struggled to maintain her air of crossness.
"You! You just, you deserve" she paused and turned to face him, with a look of calculated enjoyment, "You deserve to be tickled" she finished as she dived onto him, tickling him all over.
He shrieked with laughter, rolling her over and over with him, admiring her strength as she reached areas of him that he had not known would tickle. She tickled him so much that eventually he surrendered, lying back while she sat on top of him, pinning his arms above his head.
He gazed into her eyes, noting the glint of passion, coupled with a wicked grin. A knock at the door interrupted the moment, and they called out in unison
"Yes Max?"
Jennifer drew a sheet around them as Max popped his head around the door. He grinned at them, seeing Jonathan pinned beneath his wife.
"Tickle torture hey? I’m off out for another winning round of Poker, I er, I thought I might stay at Jimmy’s tonight, it might be a long game." His explanation fooled no-one, the Harts knew exactly what he was doing and his kindness in creating some time for them to be alone together, touched their hearts.
Jennifer wrapped the sheet tightly around her, smiling at Max.
"Thank-you Max. Thank-you for everything, "she said softly.
"Me too" said Jonathan, peering round his wife. "Me too."
Max blushed and examined the floor, his craggy face going a charming shade of red.
"Yeah, well, I er, I better be going. See you, ah, when I see you?"
He looked up, catching a look that passed between Jennifer and Jonathan. It was a look of pure love, one that Max took as his signal to leave. He shut the door soundlessly behind him, marveling at the love that held those two together, knowing that their love was timeless, limitless and eternally true.
In the bedroom, Jennifer held Jonathan’s arms pinned above him as she bent down to kiss him. A deep and passionate kiss followed, and Jennifer released his arms and drew him into an embrace that touched her soul. Feeling him stir beneath her, she looked deep into his eyes.
"Welcome home Darling."
