Just another day at the gym

Natalie punched the bag hard, taking out all her anger on the red punching bag was better then punching the person she wanted to. Cris was infuriating these days. Always around and sending her those puppy dog looks. Then he was getting his mother to help him manipulate her into spending time with him even though she specifically told him to back off. He tried to make her jealous by spending 'quality' time with Evangeline and had gotten angry when that hadn't worked!

Hitting the bag again with more force she mentally fumed at her present situation. John was being so nice to her and had backed off and let her have some space. She couldn't help but wonder why he wasn't fighting for her if he really had cared as much as he said he did. Blowing out a huff she continued to beat on the bag. He said he cared but did he really? Maybe Evangeline had been right maybe all she was to him was a victim. Someone he needed to save. Today was Valentines Day and he hadn't even made an attempt to win her back. In the months that they had been apart he had made not one attempt to show her he wanted her.

She was lost in thought as she continued to hit the punching bag. As angry as she was she still had hoped that John would have made some attempt to get her back. What a mess she fumed one man who wouldn't leave her alone and another who couldn't care less. So lost in thought was she that she failed to notice John come in to the gym.

John was having a bad day. Evangeline wouldn't leave him alone. It was Valentines Day and he could care less but apparently Evangeline thought that he shouldn't be alone on this 'special' day. Special? He snorted to him self. What was special about today? He had wanted to spend it with Natalie but she didn't want to be with him. Friends are what she wanted to be. Friends! After everything they had been through to be together she wanted to be friends?

Couldn't she see that he needed so much more then that? But he had respected her wishes and stayed away. He hadn't done what he had dreamed about so many times since Statesville and grabbed her and kissed her senseless. Held her in his arms like he ached to do. Cris had stolen kisses and that had just made Natalie angry. He didn't want her mad at him he just wanted her in his life. So he headed to the gym to work off his frustration. Anything was better then sitting in his room and thinking about how he should have spent this day.

Walking in to the area of the gym with the punching bags he stopped short when he saw who was there beating on one of the bags with fierce determination. He watched in fascination as Natalie landed punch after punch on the bag. His body reacting to the sight of her covered in sweat he mentally willed his erection to pass and walked over to where she was and asked gruffly, "Want me to hold the bag for you?"

Natalie looked up startled. The gym had been deserted when she had started and apart from her and John it still was. She was surprised to see him here but then this was 'his' place to work out. She wouldn't have come here at all but the gym she usually went to had been closed this week cause of roof damage caused by a heavy snow. "Sure," she grunted out of breath from her work out.

John grinned and held the bag as she hit it. "Bad day?" he asked.

Natalie stopped for a minute and looked at him. "Bad year," she replied and went back to hitting the bag.

John was silent as Natalie took out her anger on the punching bag. After awhile he asked, "Who are you punching me or Cris?"

Natalie stopped hitting the bag again this time taking off her gloves she said heatedly, still angry, "Both!"

John waited knowing that there was something else she needed to say.

Natalie paced the floor agitated then stopped and looked John straight in the eye and said, "Just what do you want from me?"

John's mouth dropped open at her words and then decided to be just as frank, "I want to be with you and not as a friend. I want to be able to touch and kiss you. I want what we had before Statesville."

It was Natalie's turn to be shocked. She hadn't expected him to answer her at all and the answer he had just given her was the last thing she expected him to say. "If that's what you really want why haven't you even showed the least bit of interest in getting back together?" Natalie demanded.

John looked away for a second then looked her straight in the eye and said, "Because you asked me not to."

Natalie's mouth fell open at his answer; she couldn't believe that he had just said that. He hadn't tried to win her back because she had asked him to give her space! While that made her happy that he would respect her wishes it also made her sad that he hadn't realized that what she wanted most was for him to show her that he loved her that he wanted to be with her.

John watched as the emotions swept across her face. He was just as stunned by his words as she was. He hadn't meant to blurt that out but she had asked then when she asked why he hadn't done anything about his feelings he had been just as honest. He really didn't think she wanted him to win her back. She had asked for space and he had given it to her, no way was he going to make decisions about her life like he had with Cris.

"Look Natalie, when I keep the truth about Cris from you I thought I was doing the right thing. It wasn't and I know that now. I should have let you make your own choice and we all paid when I didn't. The last thing I want to do is repeat the same mistake twice." John explained trying to make her understand.

Natalie looked at him with a new understanding. She should have realized that John would take what she said at face value and not look deeper into it. Especially after all that had happened. Suddenly feeling foolish for expecting him to do exactly what she had told him she didn't want him to do, the anger drained from her and all that was left was the desire to be with John. Looking at him she smiled and reached for him.

John stood still as Natalie smiled a dazzling smile at him and reached out for him. He tensed with anticipation when she slid her fingers into is hair and pulled his mouth to hers. He moaned at the feel of her lips on his and kissed her back with passion. Sliding his hands into her hair to draw her closer he deepened the kiss and slid his tongue into her mouth teasing her tongue with his own. Sliding his hands down her back to cup her butt he pulled her closer and ground his hips into her letting her feel how much he had missed her, how much he wanted her.

"John," Natalie moaned into his mouth sliding her hands from is hair to his chest. Feeling his thundering heartbeat and his ragged breath she smiled and moved her lips from his, trailing them across his jaw to nibble on his earlobe, pleased when he groaned and pulled her tighter. Opening her eyes she suddenly remembered where they were and pushed him back a bit. "John, stop." She said as he kissed the side of her neck.

John pulled back and looked at her questioningly, his breathe harsh and ragged. She looked like stopping was the last thing she wanted to do and he asked, "What is it?"

"Not here." Natalie said taking a step back from him. She knew if she stood too close it would be almost impossible to keep a clear head. Reaching out her hand to him she smiled when he took her hand. Hand in hand they left the gym and walked to John's car. The drive to his place was quiet each thinking of all the time they had missed with each other.

When John pulled into the parking lot and stopped the car he looked over at Natalie and asked, "Are you sure?"

Natalie nodded, "I'm sure," she said softly. They got out of the car and went into the hotel to John's room. Before even reaching the first flight of stairs John pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately backing her against the wall. When she pushed him back to the opposite wall then followed their lips still clinging to each other. John was struck with a feeling of deja vu. This time wasn't gonna end like that he promised himself as they kissed their way to his door. Fumbling with the key he finally got the door open and they fell through the entrance.

After a series of frenzied kisses John pulled away and reached for Natalie's coat, pushing it off her shoulders and onto the floor. Next came her shirt and it too ended up on the floor then Natalie reached for John and helped him removed his jacket and shirt. As she exposed each portion of skin Natalie kissed it lightly grazing him with her teeth making him shudder and then moan.

Clad in her bra and sweatpants her face flushed with passion John thought she looked like the most beautiful woman in the world. Reaching for her breasts he gently cupped them through her bra and squeezed causing her to gasp and press more firmly into his hands. Drawing his thumbs over her nipples he smiled when they puckered and hardened into points. Bending low he placed his mouth on them and gently bit them through the silk of her bra as one hand fondled her other breast. He grunted in pleasure when Natalie reached down to his rock hard erection and stroked him through his pants. Pressing his hips into her hand he continued to pleasure her breasts moving from one to the other.

Tumbling them on the bed Natalie reached up to him for the waistband of his workout pants and pushed them down smiling as he kicked them off impatiently. Wrapping her legs around his waist and pressing her pelvis into him she rolled them over so that she was on top straddling him. Reaching behind her Natalie removed her bra and tossed it aside, hungry for the feel of John's hands on her bare flesh. She moaned throatily when John started to caress her stomach and then around to her back. His hands avoided where she wanted him the most she took them and place them where she burned for his touch.

John was almost beyond coherent thought as he caressed Natalie's heaving breasts. Taking his hands from her breasts he pushed her pants off her hips. He smiled as Natalie stood up her legs on either side of him and pushed her pants down to her ankles and kicked them off in a sexy manner causing John to grin and then moan as she came down and straddled his throbbing shaft.

Natalie lowered herself onto him slowly wanting to draw out the pleasure. Slowly taking him into her she sighed with pleasure. As she took him fully she started to rock her hips in a slow agonizing rhythm that had John clutching the sheets beneath him. Natalie could feel John start to thrust up into her faster and then suddenly she was under him and he was driving into her with long deep thrusts making Natalie moan again and again.

John thrust into her moist canal with a fierce passion that had them clinging to sanity desperate to hang on to the moment. All too soon they reached their climax and shouting each other's name they tumbled over the edge and into paradise. After a long moment they came back to earth and then snuggled into one another's arms just absorbing the moment.

After a while John propped himself up on his elbow and looked at her solemnly and said softly but with conviction, " I love you, Natalie. I always have but I was sacred of losing you."

Natalie smiled a smile of pure joy before saying, "I know. I've always known but it's wonderful to hear you say it." Leaning over she kissed him softly on the lips then drew back, "Happy Valentines Day John. I love you too."

John reached a hand out to gently stroke her face and smiled his first truly joyous smile in years. Leaning over her he took her lips in a passionate kiss and stroked her breasts loving everything about her. They stayed in the rest of the day privately celebrating their own Valentines miracle.

The End