ABOVE THE WATCHFIRE
"Cole! You're home." Jess ran out from behind the bar and threw her arms around the much taller man who had just entered The Watchfire. She had to jump up to actually make in into his arms and reach his cheek for the requisite kiss that she and Mel always gave him when he returned from one of his 'business' trips.
"Hello, Jess." Cole smiled down at her as he set her back down on her feet. "Where's Mel?"
"She's here. She wasn't feeling well so she is lying down." Jess brushed the snow off of his jacket. "You're home early. Mel said you wouldn't be back for another two days."
Cole ignored her last statement and concentrated on the first. "Mel isn't well?" His face reflected how disturbing this news was to him and Jess immediately felt a little guilty.
"It's nothing to worry about, Cole. Honest. She is just a little under the weather." Jess assured him, taking his hand and pulling him the rest of the way into the bar and out of the doorway so the customer who just walked in could get around the broad-shouldered six foot tall man blocking his entrance.
"Under the weather? What does that mean, Jess? How can someone be under the weather. It is all around us all the time."
Jess rolled her eyes and smiled. Only Cole. "It's a saying, Cole. It just means Mel doesn't feel as good as she usually does." His worry was still there so Jess plodded on. "Mel is fine, really. The doctor said she would be herself in a few days. She just needs to rest and take her medication."
"Mel isn't herself?" Cole's alarmed expression almost made Jess laugh out loud, only the thought of how much Mel meant to Cole kept her from it. Jess had been around the two of them long enough to see exactly how deep their feelings for each other went, even if they didn't act on it.
"Who is she then?"
"What?" It took Jess a minute and then she really did laugh. "Oh, Cole, she is Mel. Just a little bit too 'relaxed' at the moment. Not the usual wound-up Mel we all know and love." Because she adored this man and found her conversations with him always entertaining, Jess reached up again, took off his scarf, brushed some snowflakes out of his lovely dark hair and gave him another kiss, a very sisterly kiss. Damn it.
"Why don't you go on up and check on her? You'll see. She is just fine." Jess shooed him up the stairs and then grinned. That should give Mel something to occupy her time with for a while. Jess smiled at the possibilities, shrugged off the tiny bit of guilt that she hadn't fully explained Mel's condition to Cole, and then proceeded to grin like the Cheshire cat. He'd find out for himself soon enough. Spotting a new customer at the bar, Jess went back to work.
Cole entered the apartment upstairs, hung up his coat and looked around. He didn't see Mel in the living room, so she must be in her bedroom. The tracker hesitated. That room was off-limits to him, yet he knew he had to check on her. Ever since he had been tracking Tev and had walked into Mel's bedroom without knocking and getting her permission, she had made it clear to him that a human woman's bedroom was some sort of holy ground. It was hers and only hers and no one else was allowed in without invitation. Apparently this was an understood custom among the human species. Cole found it strange but had abided by Mel's rules like he always did.
Cole stood outside her bedroom door, uneasy. Jess said Mel wasn't herself. Jess said Mel was supposed to rest and take medication. What kind of medication? How much rest? Should he disturb her now?
The tracker closed his eyes and concentrated on sensing Mel's lifeforce. It was there, strong, vibrant, and alive. Unchanged. She wasn't different. She was his Mel. That gave him the incentive to knock lightly on her door. "Mel?" He called softly.
"Cole?" Mel answered, her voice surprised but pleased. "Come in!"
Cole's relief washed over him in waves. Mel sounded like Mel. Jess was right. Mel would be all right. Cole opened the door and stood in the doorway, his eyes searching for this human woman he had come to care so much about. He found her on the bed. Cole was a little startled at her appearance though. Her eyes looked a bit different, but still held warmth and caring. He always looked at Mel's beautiful eyes first when seeing her. Her hair, always a mass of wavy curls on the best of days, looked to be in more of a disorganized state than he was accustomed to seeing. Still, Cole didn't believe her hair was the factor he was sensing that was different about his Mel.
No, Cole thought, it wasn't her hair or eyes, it was probably the fact Mel was lying on the bed, wearing something that was composed of very little material. The outfit she was wearing was quite sheer and it looked to be silk. Yes, Cole decided, it was fabric called silk. Cole remembered asking Mel once what that fabric was when they were shopping for clothes. It had felt good against his skin. He liked it.
Mel was wearing a silk little piece of clothing that didn't manage to cover very much of her. It was light green and made her eyes even prettier. The straps were very thin and didn't look like they could support the fabric much longer. One kept slipping off her shoulder and hanging loosely over her arm, leaving the outfit to gape open where it needed to stay flat if it was going to do its job. The top part was even sheerer and made up of lace that didn't really cover her human female signatures. It was also very short, Cole noticed, exposing quite a bit of Mel's lovely white legs. More white legs than Mel had ever allowed him to see before.
"Hi, Cole." Mel cooed, giving him a very loving smile. "You're back two days early." She patted the bed beside her and motioned for him to join her. "Did you catch the fugitive you were after?"
"Yes, Mel." Cole walked into the room and sat on the side of the bed. His eyes studied hers for a moment. "Jess says you are not yourself, Mel. The weather is under you."
Mel giggled, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and moved in for a kiss. "Oh, Cole, it's good to have you back." She kissed him on the mouth. Her lips softly touched his, while her hands delved into his dark hair.
"I've missed you, Cole. I always worry when you are gone." She admitted when the kiss was over. Cole was adjusting to the kiss when he realized that she hadn't let go of him. Her arms were still wrapped tightly around his neck and shoulders while she shifted position so that she was more comfortable sitting beside him. Mel opened her legs so that one of them went behind him. Cole looked down in confusion and watched as Mel decided the other beautifully bare leg would be best suited across his lap. The silky piece of fabric that didn't cover very much of her to begin with, slowly slid upwards, revealing even more thigh to Cole's watchful eyes.
Cole glanced down at her soft leg draped so casually across his lap and then back up into her smiling eyes. Her lips were very close to his. He studied her face, acknowledging to himself how very beautiful she was and had always been to him, from the very beginning. Something about Mel was different though, something besides the passionate kiss of a greeting and the lovely bare legs currently wrapped around him.
Mel wasn't acting like Mel. Mel always welcomed him back when he had been tracking fugitives, and sometimes she kissed his cheek, but never on the mouth, and never with so little on her person. She scooted closer to him and the silk traveled further up her thighs. Cole took a deep breath. His human body was having some kind of physical reaction to Mel's unusual behavior. Something wasn't right.
"Mel, why are you in bed?"
"The doctor says I have to stay in bed and rest. I can't drive. I can't drink, well anything from the bar that is, and I can't do anything too strenuous." She pouted as she listed all the things she wasn't allowed to do. "I hate this, Cole. I'm used to moving around, not lying in bed for several days." She nestled even closer to him, the silk rose an alarming few inches higher, as she crossed her ankles, successfully wrapping both legs around his waist. "Cole, do you want to lie in bed with me? I'm bored here by myself." She whined.
Cole cocked his head to the side and studied her with a thoroughness that would have embarrassed Mel if she had been herself. "It's your eyes, Mel. They aren't as clear as they usually are. Why is that?" He asked softly, taking his hand and gently stroking the base of her throat and collarbone.
Mel's head fell back, her eyes closed, and she reveled in the sensations his touch always inspired. "I love it when you do that, Cole. Have I ever told you that? I absolutely love it. When you touch me, I never want you to stop." She raised her head and looked directly into his sweet brown eyes. "I want you to keep on touching me just like that, everywhere. And lower. Do you understand, Cole? I want those marvelous hands of yours covering every inch of me." She whispered the last part and leaned in for another kiss. Cole obliged her. It was no hardship for the tracker. He didn't mind kissing Mel. It was a strange human custom but he had developed a certain fondness
"Mel, why are your eyes different? Do you know? Can you tell me why you have to stay in bed?" Cole gave her an encouraging smile, while his fingers worked their magic on her throat. He could feel her strong lifeforce there and it reassured him even though her behavior was very different than it should be.
"Yes. It's probably the valium." She removed one hand from where it had been playing with his hair and placed it on top of his hand that was caressing her. She began to move his hand lower, inside the lace on the silk chemise she was wearing, closer to her heart, directly over her breast. She showed him how to finesse her nipple. He caught on quickly.
Cole nodded to her answer, allowing her to work his hand how she wished. "What is valium, Mel?" He asked, still giving her the stimulation she apparently craved from him.
"It's a drug." She mumbled, closing her eyes. His hands were magic, pure magic.
"Your doctor gave you this drug, Mel? What does it do?" Cole kissed her temple.
She had to think for a moment before answering him. "Well it has several uses, I think. Most people think of it as a sedative, to calm nerves, but it is a strong muscle relaxant too." She practically climbed into his lap and laid her head on his shoulder, her lips brushing up against his neck. "Don't stop, Cole. It feels so good. Your hand is so warm."
"Yes, Mel." He smiled as he held Mel in his lap. "You tend to worry, Mel, but I wouldn't call you a nervous person who needed drugs to function. Is your doctor using this valium as a muscle relaxant?"
"Hmm." She answered, nibbling on his left ear. She leaned back and began pulling Cole toward the mattress. "Let's lie down, Cole. I'm getting sleepy again, but I want to feel you next to me. You don't sleep, so you can just lie there and touch me like this. I love it when you touch me. Did I tell you that, Cole?" She asked him again.
"Yes, Mel. You told me." He moved his hand off her breast and heard her sigh of disappointment before he resumed stroking her throat.
"What did you do to your muscles, Mel?"
She made a face. "Lifted a box I shouldn't have." All of the sudden she twisted sideways and managed to situate herself directly in front of him in his lap. Cole had to hold onto Mel to keep her from falling off his lap and onto the floor. He felt her cross her legs behind him and scooted her up further so she didn't tumble into the floor. He wasn't going to even look to see what had happened to the silk clothing she was wearing. He suspected it didn't cover much below her waist at the moment. Cole could feel Mel wiggling around on his lap trying to position her body over his in some fashion she felt was best. It was having a distracting effect on his concentration.
"That's better. Now I can see all of your handsome face." She gave him a glassy-eyed smile that still spoke of triumph. "I can feel you too, Cole. My, my, you are a big Cirronian, aren't you?" Her feminine laugh distracted his thoughts.
"What did lifting the box do to you, Mel?" Cole managed to ask, evading her ever-seeking hands. She seemed determined to play with his belt buckle for some reason.
"It pulled a muscle in my back. It really hurt too, I could hardly move. But that was a couple of days ago, and the valium has helped. My back doesn't hurt like it did. I'm moving much better now, see?" She threw her arms tightly around him and kissed him fervently, treating him to the knowledge of exactly what a 'French kiss' was.
Cole seemed taken aback when her tongue suddenly invaded his mouth, but he quickly caught on to the rhythm of this unusual kiss and joined her in the sensual dance of tongues.
"Umm" Mel practically purred when the kiss ended. "Cole, would you do me a favor?"
"Yes, Mel." Cole answered, brushing a strand of her disorganized hair out of her eyes.
"Would you make love to me all night long? And say 'yes, Mel' the entire time?" Her lips twitched with suppressed humor. "I dream of you doing that, you know."
Cole stared at her, his eyes beginning to shine a bit too brightly even for a Cirronian.
"Mel, how many more days do you have to take this valium?"
"Three. Do you want to stay in bed with me for three more days, Cole? Three days of 'yes, Mel.'" She yawned, covering her mouth with a hand as she did so. She laid her head on his chest and mumbled.
"I'm getting sleepy, Cole. You better hurry. I want you inside me before I fall asleep." Her fingers began to pull at his sweater, trying to get the thing over his head and off.
He nodded his understanding, holding her hands in place across his chest. "Mel, what other side effects does this drug have besides calming nerves and relaxing muscles?"
She frowned at his hold on her hands. "It impairs judgment, I think. That's why I can't drive and he said something about it sometimes loosening inhibitions."
Cole smiled. He kissed her on the mouth very softly. "Good night, Mel. You'll be yourself in the morning. The muscle in your back will be healed and you won't have to take any more of this drug, valium. All right?"
"Okay, Cole." She yawned again. "But kiss me first."
And the tracker did, just before he ran his palm over her face, putting her fast asleep. Cole gently lifted her off his lap, and placed her on the bed face down. He took a moment to rearrange the silky chemise over her pretty bottom, before running his palm over her back, locating the injured muscle and allowing his healing energy to sooth and repair it.
Mel would be herself in the morning. Cole turned her to her back, covered her lovely figure with the sheet, and stood over her, staring at this incredible female who had become his whole life. Mel would be Mel in the morning. He leaned over and caressed her throat, trailing his fingers down her chest to rest on one lovely breast for just a moment before bringing the strap of her chemise back up on her shoulder.
Cole left her bedroom and entered the war room. He took his seat and proceeded to stare at his computer screen for a moment, wondering just what it would have been like to lie beside Mel all night, touching her as she had requested.
The tracker smiled. It wasn't the innocent smile Mel would have expected either. The one she had seen him give her many a time. No, this smile was a bit different, a bit more human. It was a masculine smile. Mel had inadvertently given Cole quite an education tonight. It was a lesson he wasn't likely to soon forget.
The End