These Things Happen to Lovers in the Spring

Premonition

Izzie was standing in line at the coffee cart, and yawning again. She couldn't believe that she was feeling as tired as she did. She'd slept deep and long the night before, snuggled close to her George. Her day had been uneventful, but not dull or slow at all. But as she felt another yawn bubble up and push through her, her mind reeled a little.

As she was finishing another exhalation, she heard a roll of children's laughter from across the way. Izzie tilted her head, and peered past the new girl who was fussing over her latte, and caught a glimpse of the commotion.

What she saw warmed her heart: a man in the waiting room, no older than George, but with lighter, finer hair and maybe ten pounds heavier, with three cute little kids buzzing around him. They were all tow-headed blondes under the age of six, and all of them could be heard calling him "Daddy." They were nothing but smiles and giggles as the man actively played with them, talking in funny voices as the four of them shared moments of make-believe with action figures from the waiting room toy chest.

A large smile overtook Izzie's face as she felt her body lifting at the sight. Her tiredness melted away as she fished a five-dollar bill out of her pocket, took her coffee, and headed for the elevators, her body now warm and awake.

She found George exactly where she had hoped he would be – asleep in the smaller of the two on-call rooms on the third floor. She watched his body rise and fall with his soft breaths, and admired his rumply sky blue scrubs. Her eyes traced him for a moment: the length of his legs, the width of his back and shoulders, the tone of his arm muscles, the shagginess of his dark hair.

His scrub top had ridden up a little as he had settled into sleep, and the narrow sliver of bared skin at the small of his back was more than a little tantalizing. A brief fantasy began blossoming in her brain, one of her tenderly kissing the exposed patch, and slipping her hands under his scrubs to explore that lovely skin of his, and feeling him come to life under her increasingly hungry touch…

"Quit staring at me," she heard him say, his voice drowsy. He turned his eyes to her and offered a sleepy smile.

She had to smile back. Even when he was semi-conscious, he could still make her melt, she marveled. "Sorry, love," she replied.

"No need to apologize," he said, rolling onto his side. He patted the thin mattress. "Plenty of room if you wanna hop in for a while," he added.

She set her coffee on the windowsill next to the door, then took the two or three paces to the bed. He cupped her hand in his, then pressed her fingers to his lips, which made her heart suddenly leap.

She laid down facing him, and lengthened her body against his. Her soft curves pressed against his firmed muscle and flesh. Then without warning, she stole a lingering kiss from his lips.

When it broke, he was fully awake. "What was that for?"

"Just because I wanted to," she replied, running her hand down his side, and letting it come to rest on his hip. "Well, Naughty Izzie wanted to. I, personally, was fighting it all the way."

"Hmm," George said. "Can you keep her under control?"

"I'm trying," she said. "It's just – she hasn't been this close to you in a couple of days – and – " She interrupted herself by kissing him again, more intensely now.

"She keeps breaking through, huh?" he asked at the tail end of their lip-lock.

Izzie's face was hot, her voice breathy. "Naughty Izzie's surprisingly strong. Can't let down my guard for an instant."

George nodded. "So I had better not touch you, right?"

"Right."

"And I certainly shouldn't kiss you."

"Nope."

"'Cause Naughty Izzie, she's powerful. And dangerous." George breathed deeply as his eyes grazed over the curve of her neck. "And sexy as all get-out."

"Mm-hmm." Her tongue flicked out over her reddened lips.

"And once she takes over, she'll want to do – " George stifled a giggle. "What would she want to do?"

"Lots of things," she said softly, her eyes keeping his. "Uh-oh," she purred. "Naughty Izzie is bubbling up again. And I don't think I'll be able to hold her back this time."

George's eyes twinkled with mischief, but he kept a mock-sternness about his jaw. "I'll have you know, miss, I've got ten minutes, tops. And I'm not that easy."

"Yes, you are. And ten minutes…" Izzie grinned. "You know what I'm capable of, once I put myself to it." The hand that was on his hip snaked under the waistband of his pants.

Feeling her hand moving across his aroused flesh, George gave a warm, throaty laugh. "Okay, you got me. Naughty Izzie wins again." He kissed her other hand, then looked her in the eyes, his playfulness gone for the moment. "But seriously, I've actually only got like nine minutes."

Izzie nodded in understanding, then flashed a sultry grin, and started untying her scrubs as he did the same.

Seven and three-quarters minutes later, she rested in his arms, a little look of incredulous delight across her face. George was gripping her tightly in his arms, his face pressed against her neck. "Wow," he gasped. "That was – it was – wow."

"Good wow, right?" she asked, hoping that he felt the same amazed thrill.

"Great wow." He pressed a soft kiss against her ear, and whispered, "I love you," words that, when they came from him, always seemed a little more tender and genuine to her ear, and then he added, "Thank you. Seriously, thank you." He exhaled. "How was it for you? Was it - "

She turned her head so he could see her expression; the light in her eyes, the joy of her smile.

George smiled back at her. "So it was - "

"Wow," she replied. Indeed, she had never felt this good. Never.

And just for an instant, as George's lips touched hers again, she could have sworn that she heard those little kids laughing again, carefree and happy and full of life.

More to come...