The Report – Part 4

By Kat

Sara put the coffee mug down on the table and turned to Jake. "I wanted to talk to you about this afternoon. I mean, yesterday afternoon."

"Ok," Jake said, taking a gulp of coffee to bolster his courage for the discussion to come.

"I want to know what’s going on with you," she said. "You seem to be distracted by something and I think it’s time to come clean."

Jake sighed. Now was not the time to be confessing his soul. He had a beautiful woman in front of him, he was emotionally all screwed up and he was as loopy as an old-fashioned telephone cord.

"Pez," he started, "I … I … shit. My head hurts."

Sara handed Jake a mug of coffee and two aspirin. He took them gratefully and swallowed in a hurry. He stared into the mug as if it held the secrets to his heart and then put it down on the table.

"Sara, I love you. There’s nothing I can do to change that," he said without looking up.

"Who said you needed to?" she asked quietly.

He jerked his head around to look into her eyes. Unfortunately, that made his aching head ache even more and he grabbed it with one hand while hanging onto his mug with the other. "Ow," he exclaimed.

Sara reached over to him and put her smaller, cooler hands over his temples. She traced circles on his flesh all the while looking deeply into his eyes. His eyes closed in relief and prayer. He couldn’t believe she’d made the first move, no matter how small that move was.

He put the mug down on the table and covered her hands with his own. He looked up at her face and pulled one hand to his mouth and kissed the palm. When she didn’t pull away or flinch in reaction, he lightly traced the creases of her hand with his tongue. Her eyes lit up as he continued his exploration of this single part of her.

She curled her hand around his cheek and gently fondled his skin. It was roughened with stubble and worry. But it also was soft and begged to be kissed. She leaned into his space and kissed the place her hand had been. She pulled back just enough to look into his eyes and see what was taking place there. She saw wonder, worry, excitement, love and a touch of fear. She could understand all but the fear, so she figured it was a figment of her imagination and kissed him on the mouth.

It started out as a sweet kiss. From one friend to another. It quickly moved into something a whole lot more.

Jake’s hands trembled as he reached out to gather Sara to his body. He needed to feel all of her against all of him. He needed it as surely as he needed to breathe. Perhaps more. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and followed it down the length of her neck to the edge of her collar. He allowed his hand to stray down her arm and around to her side, gently brushing against the side of her breast.

Sara shifted to accommodate the move and used one hand to reach under his tee shirt to touch his chest. His muscles flinched at the contact, but she took that as a good sign. Her explorations continued until both hands were under the shirt and she was pulling it off over his head. They had to break the kiss to complete the move, but their eyes never strayed long enough to break the moment.

His shirt was tossed over the couch and hers soon followed. Both took long moments to look longingly at each other’s naked skin before coming back together in a passionate kiss. Sara felt as if she were being swallowed whole by Jonah’s whale. Jake’s hands were everywhere and nowhere at the same time. She could have mistaken them for butterfly wings if not for the masculine chest she was pressed up against. And oh what a chest it was, she thought to herself.

Jake was reeling with thoughts of Sara in his arms and of vows in his head. How do I deal with it? he thought. By not, his subconscious answered.

With that last coherent thought floating off into the ether, Jake picked Sara up and carried her to the bedroom. Setting her feet on the floor, they finished undressing each other and melted onto the bed. Silent explorations turned to quiet giggles as tickle points were found and breaths caught in throats by an unexpected touch.

Jake tentatively reached for the condoms he kept in his nightstand, never suspecting he’d actually use them. They were more for show should someone snoop around. He hoped she wouldn’t notice the fumbling or would think it was passion, not inexperience causing the problem.

Soon thought was no longer an option and feelings took over. The feeling of being one with the woman he loved. Of being wrapped up inside someone so close that you could literally feel their heartbeat and their breathing. Of being so in tune with another living soul that words were no longer necessary. Of being in love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hours later, Jake lay curled on his side watching his lady love dream. Her face was relaxed and her breathing easy. His eyes roamed down the length of her and remembered what it felt like to be with her, in her and surrounded by her, in all ways possible. He knew he was in trouble and didn’t know how to get out. He brushed a finger down her arm and stopped when it connected with the Witchblade.

He watched the gem swirl with color and light. His glance swept back to Sara’s face and noticed her eyes flickering back and forth behind her lips. Something was wrong. She started to thrash around. He wasn’t sure if he should wake her up and interrupt the vision or let it continue.

His indecision may have cost him the chance to explain anything, because she bolted upright and looked at him with equal measures of suspicion and guilt. Without saying a word, she got up, dressed and left the apartment.

Jake knew he was sunk. He knew he had new troubles on his hands. He just didn’t know how bad.

This story ©copyright Kat, 2002