JC tossed his coat onto the back of an armchair as he entered the living room. He looked around in surprise at the unusual disarray he found there. In the far corner of the large living room stood the cheerfully lit evergreen, which had been abandoned only partially decorated. The remainder of the colorfully hand-painted glass ornaments still sat inside their closed boxes in various places about the room. In the fireplace, what had once undoubtedly been a brightly burning fire had dwindled into a few glowing embers. Christmas wrapping papers of red and gold, ribbons, and shimmering bows littered the plush creme tinted carpet. All around him sat gifts remaining to be wrapped.
Yet another task left short of completion.
"JC! Over here!"
JC turned quickly toward the television as his own face appeared on the screen beside him. He sat down slowly and watched his performance on the amateur home video. He smiled as the memories came flooding back with each passing frame. He chuckled, watching as he attempted to retreat the watchful eye of the video camera. Relentlessly, his sister chased him throughout the house, begging for his attention.
"Come on, Josh. Do something funny..."
JC turned toward the camera reluctantly in response to his sibling's persistant calls. Heather circled him slowly, capturing the chiseled features of his beautiful face from every angle. A thoughtful expression washed over him just before he broke into a tap dance and song. He ended his performance with a huge flourish and a smile.
"There you go, my best Gene Kelly. Now get out of here before I have to break that thing. I spend enough time on camera, don'cha think?"
JC inhaled deeply, watching as a beautiful young woman stepped into the frame and wrapped her arms around him. His body trembled involuntarily, almost feeling her lips pressed against his as he watched their recorded embrace. With a playful smile, she turned toward the screen as she pulled him tighter against herself.
"You may not wanna tape what usually comes next, Heather...."
Closing his eyes against the images, JC rose quickly and turned off the television set. A soft sigh behind him caused him to turn and view a part of the room he had yet to see. The scene which greeted him caused tears to form in his cerculean blue orbs. Slowly, he crossed the floor to the sofa where the same young woman from the television screen lay sleeping. Resting on the coffee table beside her was� a half empty box of tissues. Several photo albums lay open, photographs scattered across the table's glass surface. One look at her tear stained face gave explanation for the unexpected nostalgia which surrounded him.
She still loved him.
Six weeks had passed since he walked out of this home that they shared. Long days of recording, the endless months of touring, and his own inability to balance his work and personal life had brought forth the most volatile fight of their relationship. Harsh words exchanged between them, his questions regarding her fidelity asked only to ease his own guilty conscience, and the stinging sensation of her hand against his cheek had resulted in his homeless body occupying the sofas of friends and family for more than a month and a� half.�
Regardless of what had transpired in the past several weeks, there was no denying that he still loved her. Every morning as he awoke, he longed for the days when it was her kisses that warmed his lips and not the rays of the rising sun. Numerous times over the past weeks, he had circled the neighborhood, watching as her visitors came and went. On several occasions, he parked his silver jeep on the curb and sat alone in the darkness, keeping watch over the silent house. Over and over, he dialed those seven familiar digits on his cell phone desperate to hear her voice even if only across the telephone line. Each call remained uncompleted as the fear of how she might respond to his forwardness robbed him of his nerve.
If only he'd known what waited inside.
JC lowered his slender body to his knees on the floor next to the sofa. Releasing a breath he didn't realize he was holding, JC reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. A lump rose in his throat as he thought of the shared pain a simple phone call would have eliminated. Credit their actions to either foolish pride, or mere stupidity, one thing was obvious.
The love was there.
JC reached down and clutched the fabric of his shirt in his hands. In one motion, he slowly pulled the garment over his head and lay it on the floor beside him. JC reached up and ran his hand through his disheveled hair, never taking his eyes away from her tearstained face. The flickering lights of the christmas tree danced across his bare chest as he watched her sleep dreamlessly. Hesitating for only a moment, JC leaned forward and kissed her lips softly.
JC leaned back on his heels quickly as she stirred slightly beneath his touch. Settling back deeper in the cushions, a heavy sigh escaped her parted lips. Satisfied that she was still deep in slumber, he repositioned himself on the sofa next to her. JC worked carefully to release the belt of her satin bathrobe. He slowly peeled the two sides apart and smiled down at the delicate form beside him. The tip of his finger ran along the scalloped neckline of her gown toward the hollow which lay between her breasts. Her eyes flew open as she felt the unexpected hands of a stranger on her body.
JC watched the expressions on her beautiful face transition from fear, to surprise, to relief, until finally a mask of rage settled over her features. Her eyes narrowed in anger as she focused on the intruder.�
"JC?? What do you think you're doing? Get out of..."
JC shook his head, pressing his slender finger against her lips. "Shhh...Please don't make me stop, baby. Please......"
She relaxed reluctantly, her gaze riveted on him intently. JC bent over her torso and kissed the tender flesh of her neck softly. The familiar scent of his cologne wrapped itself around her, stealing her breath. She shivered slightly when a wayward lock of his silky hair brushed against her chin as he kissed his way along her collar bone. Raising her hands, she laced her fingers through his touseled tresses and pulled him toward her kisses.
With one swift movement, JC swept her off the sofa and up into the cradle of his strong arms. In silence, he carried her up the staircase, down the carpeted hallway, and into the master bedroom. He lay her down on the welcoming warmth of the unmade bed and crawled in beside her. As he pulled the thick comforter across their bodies to shield them from the winter cold, he felt her arms wrap around his torso to bring him closer.
JC allowed her to lead him, blanketing her body with his own. He moved his parted lips slowly across her delicate skin, his tongue leaving a moist, glimmering path as he traveled on to new terrain. A deep sigh of appreciation escaped his lips as he felt the cool satin that seperated them slide along his skin as he moved against her. The exquisite sensation of her delicate fingers along his spine drove him toward the brink of madness, knowing what should lay ahead. Such intimate caresses could only lead to what would be passionate, night consuming love making. Yet knowing a woman's need for loving touches beyond the confines of sexual intercourse forced him to refrain from aggressive coital advances. In an effort not to rush forward and make harmful assumptions, JC continued his slow exploration along the graceful contours of her neck and shoulders.
She erased all doubt from his mind as her hands moved lower, slipping inside the denim slacks he still wore. JC pushed himself up onto his elbows to gaze down into her eyes. A reassuring smile played on her lips as her fingertips slid along the inside waistband of his jeans toward the clasp that kept them from sliding off of his slender hips. She leaned up and caught his lower lip between her teeth, closing her lips around the plump flesh. Her velvety tongue danced with his to an unheard symphony their love created as they touched.
JC closed his eyes as he felt the fabric loosen it's grasp on his waist and move slowly down his thighs. Through his puckered eyelids he could almost see the look of amusement on her face as she realized he wore no garments beneath. Laundering his clothing hadn't been a priority since they'd been apart. Perhaps she was right in her declaration that he'd be lost without her.
But he was home now.
JC's hands ventured downward carefully, his palms gliding along the steep curves of her voluptous body. Gently, he folded the satin nightie toward her breasts giving himself access to what lay beneath. JC closed his lips around her navel, plunging� his tongue into the tiny crevice. With forced restraint, he looped his thumbs through the straps of her panties and slid them down with a painstaking slowness that caused her to raise her hips in an attempt to hasten the process.� Rocking back onto his knees, JC unwrapped the dampened lace garment from around her ankles, and tossed it onto the floor. He lay down on top of her quickly, fearful that at any moment he might awaken from a dream to find himself all alone. JC buried his face in her auburn hair and inhaled deeply, the delicate scent of apple blossoms enveloping him. He slipped his arms around the small of her back and lifted her upward, holding her tight against his bare chest.
"Look at me baby. I want to see those eyes."
JC obeyed, turning his full attention to the woman below him. His heart pounded heavily against his rib cage as she traced the lines of his perfectly sculpted face with the tips of her fingers. He kissed them each in turn as she ran her fingers across his rose colored lips. All of the fighting, the ludicrous accusations, and time spent apart were quickly forgotten as he gently guided himself into her warm depths.
Soft moans broke the silence of the darkened room as JC moved slowly, pouring his love inside her. Each stroke was precise and made with great effort to leave no part of her untouched. His mouth moved over her hungrily, desperate with the need to leave no sense unsatiated. Her legs wrapped around him instinctively to pull him more tightly against her. JC groaned with displeasure, feeling the need to be closer still.
Repositioning their bodies, JC pulled himself into a sitting position and pulled her onto his lap. Sharing his desire, she quickly wrapped her legs around his waist and clenched him tightly. She winced with a newfound rapture that danced precariously on the thin line between pleasure and pain. JC tugged the satin gown, now drenched with perspiration, over her head barely noticing the sound it made as it tore free. Anxiously he discarded it in the general direction of a nearby armchair.
JC wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him, their bodies moving as one. Beads of sweat ran down between them as the two rocked back and forth in lustful unity, creating more heat themselves than that produced by the nearby radiator.� Condensation formed on the window behind them, as the winter wind fought valiantly to make it's way inside.
The two conjoined lovers gazed into one another's eyes, their silence saying more than a thousand words could convey. JC smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling, in satisfaction as she broke first. Her cries of ecstasy echoed around them as she trembled violently in his arms. As she regained her composure, she leaned closer and whispered words of encouragement against his ear. Unable to control himself any longer, JC thrust his hardened length deep inside her, releasing the fruit of his passion within her quivering walls. A primal growl erupted from somewhere deep inside as he lost himself within her congenial warmth.
JC's wet hair lay matted against his head as he pressed his forehead against her shoulder, waiting for the shaking to subside. Lovingly he gazed into her eyes and took her face between his hands and kissed her softly. His eyes searched hers intently as he searched for the words to express what he felt in his heart.
"Baby, I'm sorry... I've been so blind. If I had known that you...."
Mimicing his earlier action, she shook her head quickly and silenced him by pressing her thumb gently� against his moist lips.
"You don't have to say a word. You've already said it all."