After a quick trip to the restroom, Kate entered the bedroom, then took a deep breath. Her nerves were starting to quake at the thought of the conversation she and Chris had just had in the hall. The thought of entering into another relationship after the last disastrous one was enough to send her into a cold sweat. He had to leave me alone now, didn't he? she thought to herself, as she rubbed her arms. Giving me just enough time to think. Her slow steps took her to the side of the bed. Running her fingers over the light fabric, she turned down the bed and fluffed the pillows, then turned on the bedside lamp before turning off the overhead light. 

"Just keep it cool," she said quietly to herself, as she crossed toward the window. She was drawn to the velvety darkness beyond the panes, the peace that shrouded the land. Touching the glass, she felt how the cooler air had affected the pane. Her breath fogged the window as she leaned closer, trying to block the light from the room with her other hand. 

Kate was nearly ready to run from everything that was happening. The feelings had come upon her so quickly, and she was frightened of calling them what they were, love. Why? she thought to herself. Why now ... why him? Hearing the sounds of Lance and Chris' voices coming from the living room, she eased away from the window and raised her hand from the glass, leaving the foggy print from the heat of her skin to slowly evaporate. 

Feeling the need to move, she turned to leave the room. 
 

With a last wave to Lance, Chris went toward the bedroom, his heart already beating in a passionate rhythm. His desire to have Kate in his arms was rapidly building. 

As he crossed the threshold of the bedroom, he nearly ran Kate over in his haste. Reflexively, he took her shoulders and pulled her to him, trying to keep her from falling. Instead of the welcoming, pliant body he expected, she stiffened slightly. Chris' brow furrowed in question. "What's wrong?" he asked, then looked over his shoulder before closing the bedroom door with his foot. 

At the sound of the door latching shut, Kate's eyes shot up to his for a moment, then looked away swiftly. "N ... nothing's wrong," she said. "I ... I ... just need to go to the restroom." 

Tendrils of unease snaked through him as he felt her trembling. Moving his hands from her shoulders to cup her cheeks, he said, "Katie ... look at me ... please." She sighed, but kept her eyes turned away. "Did I do something wrong, already? Hold up, I wasn't even in the room." A laugh escaped her, though her eyes never looked up. "Katie, there's something wrong. I'm not letting you go until you tell me what's going on in that head of yours." 

By degrees, Kate relaxed in his hold and looked up into his eyes. "I ... You...." Taking a deep breath, she tried again. "It's everything." A hurt look crept into Chris' eyes, and she could feel the pain she had inadvertently caused him like it was her own. "Scratch that," she said, with a little of her former humor. "That didn't come out like I meant. What I meant was that ... I'm just a little nervous." 

Chris slowly pulled her further into his arms, "I think I might have an idea of what's going on, now." Though he wanted to squeeze her tightly to him, he held her loosely. 

"You do?" Kate said, then tried to smile. "Are you sure?" 

A thoughtful expression came to Chris' face, "Ya know, I don't think I do. How about you explain it to me?" Chris smiled at her as he squeezed her gently. 

Kate took a deep breath, fortifying herself, before she plunged on. "There are things about me that you don't know ... things that may make you think twice about being with me. When we were in the hall, it seemed as though we were talking about a relationship between us, and I guess it kind of scared me." 

After putting a finger to her lips, Chris said, "Katie, I may not know everything about your past, but you don't know mine either. What I've learned about you by being around you and talking to you has taught me what a wonderful person you are. People like you are rare." In the back of his mind, her words echoed, 'it kind of scared me'. Was she afraid of him, or was there something or someone in her past that caused the resurgence of that emotion? Feeling the way she relaxed in his arms, Chris thought it best to leave those questions for another time. He smiled as a tender glow came to his eyes. "I accept you for who you are, not what's gone on in your life ... just as you've accepted me for who I am, and not the person people think I am. I don't know what's going to happen between us, though I know I'm going to love every minute we have together." 

"Oh, you are, are you?" Kate said with more spirit. "And what if the only thing that happened during this time together is ... talking?" An evil glint peeked through her eyes as she looked coyly up at him. 

Pulling her close to him, Chris looked toward the ceiling seeming deep in thought. "Then I guess we'll need a couple of drinks. 'Cause I want to hear everything you have to say and I don't want you to get parched." Acting as though he were going for the drinks, he pulled away. 

Kate grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him back. "On second thought, I don't think we'll need those drinks," she said. As he looked into her eyes, she leaned up and placed her lips on his. Slowly, her eyes closed, then her body melted into his. 

There was a rightness in the embrace, a feeling of being whole. The kiss deepened as their arms drew them closer. Hearts beat as one in a rhythm of desire, as Chris gently walked Kate back toward the bed. 

The room was a portrait of shadows with only the light beside the bed lit. Chris eased her down upon the bed without ending their kiss. His hands began moving over her, touching and stroking her through the thin covering of her clothes. As he pulled back, he brought his hands up to her face, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. "You're beautiful," he said. When she blushed and tried to look away, he held her face toward his. "You really are. I've never felt so comfortable with anyone, never felt something that feels so right. There is so much more to you than what a person sees when they look at you. I want to be that one person you feel the most comfortable with, the person that to you feels right." 

Reaching up between them, Kate traced over his features with the tips of her fingers. Her touch memorizing the lines and planes. "The way I feel about you scares me. I never thought to let anyone so close," she said in little more than a whisper. Looking into his eyes, she went on, "You are the person that makes me the most comfortable, the person who feels right," though a shadow of her fear remained. 

Wishing he could banish that last shadow from her, he did what he could. Chris slowly closed the distance between their lips. Just before they touched, he breathed over her, "I will always be the man you need. I will always be as close as you heart. I will always be only a whisper away." 

As their kiss was joined, tears came to Kate's eyes, tears that marked the final wall falling from around her heart. Her arms surrounded him, bringing him down to her. His weight settled over her and for the first time she felt free instead of trapped. 

There was a sense of oneness in their exchange. Their caresses unrestrained as they opened themselves on more than just a physical level. Every touch was mirrored as they undressed each other, gently exploring the unveiled skin. 

Chris released Kate's lips, then eased his own over her face, while his fingers ran through her hair. When he reached her ear, his breath blew over it sending tingles racing through her. He inhaled the unique fragrance that was all Kate, feeling her presence sink deeply into his soul. There was no barrier to her entrance, only a wish that she would never leave. Leaning up on an elbow next to her, Chris gazed down upon her face and smiled tenderly before brushing her hair away from her shoulders and chest. 

The teasing touch of his fingers brought a sigh from Kate, and she longed to push herself up into his caress. Holding herself still beneath him, she let him keep the pace slow, though there was no way she could keep her hands from roaming over his back and chest. 

A deep moan escaped him at her light caresses. He smiled as he closed the distance between them, then kissed the base of her neck. His mouth opened and he moved over the skin of her shoulders, gently nipping and licking her. The moans that rose from her mouth were music to his ears. He loved the way the sound vibrated through her, to his lips. Chris brought his hand up to her shoulder, then slowly drew his fingers down her arm until her hand was on the bed under his. After turning her hand over, he laced his fingers with hers before squeezing her hand lightly. 

Kate placed her other hand under his chin and pulled his face up to her own. Leaning up, she kissed him gently, then gazed deeply into his eyes as he eased away. 

Chris released her hand before reaching up and tracing her features. His fingers brushed down over her throat and farther on down her chest, between her breasts. Her breath caught as he eased over her taught stomach. The muscles of her abdomen jumped at the light touch of his fingers. With purpose, his fingers skimmed over the triangle of curls covering her womanhood, teasing the sensitive flesh without actually touching it. 

Kate moaned and gripped his shoulders as she opened her legs a bit more. A small chuckled greeted her actions, and she casually clutched him with her nails. The moan that came from Chris' open mouth had nothing to do with pain. She quickly looked up at him. 

When her nails had dug into him, Chris' head had fallen back, but now he brought his head forward again before his eyes opened to look deeply into Kate's. His eyes burned with a deeper passion. Her breath came out in a rush, as he smiled wickedly at her. Having brought his mouth down to hers, he said, "Just don't draw blood," then kissed her sensually. 

As his tongue ravaged her mouth, Kate's body arched up to meet his. The force of his kiss was penetrating, as though he were already buried deeply within her. She felt his tongue begin a rhythm reminiscent of the thrusts of his body, and her arms tightened around him. 

Pulling his mouth from hers, he leaned back on his elbow and waited for her eyes to open. When they did, he smiled evilly again, saying, "Lay still now." 

Unsure of whether to agree to that statement or not, Kate opened her mouth to speak. 

Instantly, Chris' mouth was on hers again, silencing her while bringing her passion to a higher level. Grabbing one of her hands, he lowered it to the bed and held it there a moment, long enough to show her where he wanted it. He broke their kiss, then reached for her other hand, repeating what he had done with the first. 

Though Kate normally felt trapped when held in place, all she felt was a knot of excitement building low in her abdomen. She knew safety for the first time in years. There was never going to be a time with Chris that she would feel less than the beautiful woman he professed her to be. Nodding her head to show her understanding and agreement, she lay quiescent beneath his gaze and touch. 

Chris moved his hand down over her shoulder again with a different destination in mind. His fingers explored the silky flesh of her upper chest, slowly coming closer to her breasts. The moments seemed to stretch on to eternity, before he finally cupped her breast in his hand, kneading it gently. Kate moaned again, and Chris enjoyed the vibrations of the sound as it rose from her chest. Taking the nipple between his fingers, he rubbed it while continuing to massage her breast. 

Languidly dragging his fingers over her skin, he brought his hand over to her other breast. Using the tip of one finger and starting at the base of her breast, he began creating swirling circles over it, coming ever closer to her extended nipple. As he reached the darker area surrounding her nipple, he closed his other fingers around it, pulling on it slightly while squeezing it gently. 

Trying her best, Kate kept her back in contact with the bed when she really wanted to arch up into his touch. Her moans had taken possession of her, and she fleetingly wondered if she would ever talk in more than those syllables again. Chris had a way of making her body sing, while, at the same time, fusing their souls into one. She glanced up at him and saw his dark head bent toward her chest as he watched his fingers on her breasts. 

His breathing was as ragged as hers, but he was completely in control of his passion. His head fell closer to her breast as his mouth opened to take her nipple inside. As his mouth closed over it, he swirled his tongue around the hard nub, then suckled it gently. He knew Kate was straining to keep her arms on the bed, and grinned around the flesh between his lips. Raising his head, he gradually allowed her nipple to ease from his mouth, then moved over to her other breast. 

With aching tenderness, he kissed his way up to the crest of her breast from underneath, then laid his tongue flat over her nipple and the surrounding dark area. Applying just a little pressure, he sent another tremble through her limbs, before sucking the nub into his mouth. 

The wet heat of his mouth was quickly driving Kate crazy beneath him. Her body moved of its own volition in an attempt to be as close to the exquisite sensations as humanly possible. The quiet sounds that had come at the beginning of their love making had changed to openly vocal sounds of pleasure and encouragement. 

His mouth moved from her breast to the valley between them, then slowly descended to her abdomen. Warm breath flowed over her skin, as his mouth caressed her. He touched his tongue to her navel, then swirled it around the indentation before dipping inside for a moment. 

The shivers that moved through her changed the sound that came from her mouth from a deep moan to an undulating warble. Chris grinned against her skin, then nipped her gently. His mouth moved over her again, tasting her unique flavor. The scent of her skin and the fragrance of her desire pulled him lower. 

Wanting to make the passion last, he traced a path down over her hip, though first stopping to lap at the point where her thigh began. He continued down her thigh, staying along the outside. As he reached her knee, he eased his hand beneath it and slid his fingers over the sensitive flesh. She jumped slightly, but moaned as his hand caressed the inside of her thigh next. Working his way farther down her lower leg, he enjoyed the smooth skin of her calf as his hand kneaded the tight muscle. For a few moments, his hand gripped her foot, massaging it, before sitting up and moving to lay on the other side of her body. 

Beginning at her other foot, he massaged it as he had the other. Mirroring the attention he had given her first limb, he kissed and caressed his way up her lower leg while smoothing over the satiny skin of her calf. 

Expecting his touch on the back of her knee, Kate kept herself from jerking as she had the first time. His touch had brought her to a point in her passion where there was only the brush of his fingers, not the ticklish response she would normally have had. She felt as though her skin were on fire for his touch. 

His mouth moved up over her knee and along the outside of her thigh to where it met her torso. He stopped and lapped at the same point he had on her other side, but elicited a more delighted response. The sensuous sounds issuing from her throat had Chris holding a tight rein on his desire. The need to be buried deeply within her was almost overpowering. 

Kate gave up on holding her arms to the bed, and slowly released the sheets she had been gripping to keep from jerking Chris up to cover her. Lifting her hand, she placed it on the back of his head, gently brushing through the strands of hair. 

Lifting his head to meet her eyes, he saw the burning desire turning her violet eyes to molten amethyst. With their eyes joined, he slid his hand up the inside of her thigh. Her eyes widened slightly, and he was drawn further into their depths. Soon, he felt the feather light touch of the curly hair at the apex of her thighs against his hand, and he stopped his progress to caress her soft flesh. Chris watched as her head fell back on the pillows while her body trembled. 

With care, he pulled her nearer leg closer to his body, then covered it with his lower limb. His erection strained against her leg, and he furthered the contact by thrusting toward her. 

The fingers Kate had entwined in his hair tightened momentarily, then relaxed as she looked down to him again. Feeling the thick evidence of his desire against her leg caused an even greater blossom of heat to spread through her. 

Chris spread her legs further by pushing her other limb toward the opposite side of the bed, then let his fingers glide slowly toward the heat that was building inside her. Gently, he cupped her womanhood and held his hand tight against her, allowing her to push back upon it. The undulating motion of her body fascinated him. Easing his finger deep inside her, he felt the pulsating of her inner walls as they surrounded his finger, urging him to join her in ecstacy. Chris bit the inside of his jaw to stay the flow of passion that engulfed him at the first grip of her hot passage. 

With slow thrusts, Chris drove his finger in and out of her, as her cries became frenzied. Her hips rose to his every touch. He looked up to her face and found her gazing back, her eyes holding a blatant invitation. His devilish smile came to his lips, and he lowered his head to kiss her above the triangle of hair. Moving his mouth a fraction lower, he planted another tender kiss upon her. He continued lower, kissing her lingeringly. Soon, his mouth was over the most sensitive part of her body. 

Teasingly, he blew over her hot flesh, and received a jolt himself as her inner walls gripped his finger tightly. Unable to control the thrust of his hips, he pushed against her leg and released a deep moan of his own. Bringing his mouth down, he opened it and lapped his tongue over her. 

At the touch of his tongue, Kate's hips thrust to his mouth, while her own cried out. Knowing her grip in his hair would only get tighter, she changed to knotting the sheets within her fists. Her heels dug into the mattress as she brought herself into closer contact with his swirling tongue. 

Chris' eyes closed while he released the hold he had on the passion that burned so brightly. He showed her in actions what his mouth could not say in words. His tongue moved over her, bringing her closer to the precipice. Within her he felt the strengthening hold of her walls upon his finger, and he knew she was almost there. Renewing his efforts, he thrust his finger deeply inside her again, while his tongue tormented her continually. 

Her head pushed into the pillow as her body arched when her orgasm overtook her. Her cries of pleasure sounded throughout the room as she trembled. Coming down from the sensations that raced through her, she looked down the length of her body and gazed into Chris' dark eyes. Another jolt of electricity arced through her at the boldly erotic look in his eyes. 

Gently, Chris eased his finger out of her, sending shivers through her, then moved between her open legs. Leaning up over her, he pulled out the drawer on the bedside table and grabbed a condom from the pack. As he moved back to his former position, he grazed her body with his own. Kneeling between her legs, he opened the packet, and was about to put the contents over his throbbing shaft when Kate took his hands. 

Taking the condom from him, she said, "Let me." Chris sat back on his heels, as she took him in her hand. Being the first touch he had allowed, it shot through him and had him arching and straining into her hand. As he moaned deep in his throat, he heard an answering sound from Kate. Her hand tightened on him briefly before he felt the sheath being worked down over him. 

Having completed her task, she took him by the shoulders and brought him down with her as she laid back on the bed. He settled over her, his body finally in full contact with hers. The overload of sensation was almost more than he could take. In order to calm himself enough to bring her to ecstacy once more, he kissed her gently, and let his body rest against hers. 

It was as if their love play had started from the beginning. Gentle kisses and tender touches gradually worked into touches of boldness. Their hips were grinding slowly together in a dance they would soon explore. 

Chris reached down, his fingers gliding over her before he grasped her knee and brought her leg up to hug his hip. Her other leg came up and he was surrounded by her. Slowly, he eased into her while he stared into her eyes. When he came to rest completely embedded within her, he held himself still, savoring the moment. 

He kissed her lingeringly as he began thrusting into her, their breath mingling. Soon, the moans that broke from them ceased the kiss, though Chris drew her close in his arms. Their bodies caressed each other as his thrusts came faster. 

Kate's hands gripped his back, her nails inadvertently scratching him. Her cries gained in volume with his as they moved together. Her legs pulled him back to her each time he eased away, helping him to drive deeply inside her as she arched to meet his thrust. 

Looking into her eyes, Chris whispered, "Stay with me forever." 

"Forever," she whispered back. 

Held tightly in each other's arms, they reached the summit of pleasure and fell replete together, joined as one. 

Breathing slowed while hands rubbed over their heated skin. Chris eased down beside Kate and pulled her close to his chest. Lying near his heart, she heard its heavy beat. A sigh drifted from her lips as she rested near that steadying rhythm. 

A satiated grin suffused his face while his fingers slid over her supple skin. He felt peaceful and completely relaxed. No words were needed to express the wondrous emotions that continued to ring through him. 

Her fingers gently traced over his chest as her breath flowed over him. Snuggling closer to him, she brought her head up to rest on his shoulder. Looking up into his face, their eyes met. 

"I...." Chris began, his hand came up to cup her face, "I ... that was wonderful." I can't believe I almost said that, he thought to himself. It was a shock to his psyche to see the defenses he had worked so hard to build come close to falling before his eyes. Protecting his heart from any deep affection was second nature to him, at least that was what he believed. As he gazed deeply into her beautiful eyes, the chink in the armor around his heart broadened again. 

"Yes, it was," she replied. A smile lit her countenance. The echo of his voice in her mind completed the thought he had cut short, though her mind was far from willing to accept the possibility. Things like this never happened to her. Love was an idea, a dream, that left upon the light of dawn. Just wait, Kate, she thought, as she leaned up to kiss him lightly. See what happens tomorrow.

They lay quietly clasped in each other's arms until the cooler night air had them reaching for the covers that had fallen to the floor. Laughing quietly, they both got out of bed to retrieve them. Chris stopped to rid himself of the protection they had used, then helped Kate pull the thin blanket and sheet up over the bed. "Well, at least Lance'll be warm tonight," he said, holding up the blanket. 

Placing her hands on her hips, Kate asked, "You don't think I'll keep you warm enough?" 

Quickly coming around the bed, he took her into his arms. "Oh, I have no doubt you'll keep most of me warm, but I can't have all my parts toward you at the same time. Don't want anything freezing off during the night," he said. 

Her arms surrounded him, holding him tightly to her as she rubbed her hands up and down his back, bringing warmth to his cooling skin. "You're right," she said, then cupped his buttocks. "We definitely don't want anything freezing off. I kind of like you the way you are." Sensually sliding her body against his, she said, "Go on to bed and warm it up for me. I'll go grab the comforter from the closet." 

Chris let his hands slide down her skin as she moved away, then watched her as she crossed to the closet. The weak light from the bedside lamp shown over her, alternately highlighting and shadowing the curves of her form. As she reached to the upper shelf of the closet, a pattern of marks seemed to paint themselves across her lower back and thighs. Chris, at first, thought they might be a trick of the subdued lighting, but when the pattern remained unchanged as Kate moved, he quickly dismissed the idea. 

With a furrowed brow, Chris considered various explanations for the marks, though his mind could find no grip on what they truly were. As she turned back to him, his gaze was concentrated on a knot in the wood paneling across the room. Registering the movement, Chris quickly shook himself from his thoughts and managed to wipe the look of concern from his face while replacing it with one of invitation. "From the looks of you, you're getting cold. Come back here," he said, his arms opening to her. 

"Weren't you the one who wanted the blanket?" she asked, as she sauntered toward him. Coming closer to the bed, she began unfolding the blanket, using its size to hide her body from his view. Inching her leg around the side of it, she bunched the cover up before her as she began an erotic dance. 

A low growl escaped Chris as he pushed himself from the bed and dashed toward her. "I'll take this," he said, before pulling the comforter from her grasp. The sudden revelation of her body sent a shiver through him, and sent all thoughts of the marks fleeing from his mind. "You look cold ... let me warm you," he said, while wrapping the blanket around them. With gentle purpose, he began walking them back to the bed. 

Just before reaching it, the sound that had been on the edge of their awareness hit a louder riff. "How can he sleep through that?" Kate asked. "These walls aren't all that thin ... that's got to be near deafening in there." 

Chris glanced to the bedroom door, then instantly dismissed the music coming from the living room. "He'll be alright, don't worry." Kate looked up into his eyes questioningly. "There are many more important things to be considered tonight," he said, his voice a deep purr. "And we have all night to explore them." 

With a gleam in her eyes, Kate unwrapped the blanket from around her and laid down. Her hands reached up to him, and Chris accepted her invitation.

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