VII

"So am I permitted to talk at all while posing?"

He glanced over the pad. "A little."

"What were you doing the night you rescued me?"

"Playing cards with some friends."

"Poker?"

"Uh-huh. Do you think you could pull your shirt over a little?"

"What- you want more neck showing?"

"Yes. The light is causing a lovely shadow under your jaw line."

Nonchalantly she undid one of the buttons on her shirt and adjusted the fabric. "Good hand that night?" she asked referring to the card game.

A smirk played across his face. "Better than you think."

"Careful- that sounds border line stalker."

"Humph! I promise you that I had never seen you before until that night."

"You sure?"

He paused looking up from the pad to her face. The extent to which her shirt was open registered in the non-art side of his mind. He searched for a follow up question. "What makes you ask that?"

She seemed to shrug. "You have to admit we are oddly comfortable around each other."

"Strike one for the universe for bringing us together then. Or was that strike two?" he added in a murmur." Again that shrug of hers. "Does that explanation not satisfy you?" he then asked. He picked up a tortillon and drew his attention back to the paper.

"Well, after such good conversation, not to mention a fairly amazing kiss, I'd like to think that maybe it was more than the universe acting as match maker." She paused and glanced around the room. "That and the dream."

"Dreams don't always mean things," he replied distractedly. "Besides I had just shown you the mural, it was in your subconscious."

"Then why your reaction?" Again he stopped drawing to look at her: her green eyes were focused on him. He let his eyes fall back to the drawing. "You were notably agitated when I told you about my dream," she added.

Jay worked the tortillon across the paper. He simply didn't know what to say to her. Really he was no more equipped to answer her questions than she was, or even to speculate further. That and thinking coherent thoughts was neigh impossible with the skin of her chest so exposed. Impatiently he slapped the left of his brain and told the right side, his artistic side, to concentrate. The pencil smoothed under the tip of his drawing tool. In several blinks he saw her likeness come to life on the paper before him. She was nearly as lovely as the real thing.

There was a rustling sound. Looking up he realized that she had stood up from the sofa and had crossed the small space to stand in front of him. Without warning she leaned forward and braced a hand against his shoulder. The warmth of her touch was pleasing. Her blouse fell open in front of him. Both sides of his brain formed an alliance to distract him from any coherent thought- ghads she was a sight. When she kissed him it was a jolt of hot liquid energy passing through his lips and into his body. It was delightful. She slid her legs over his lap while he set aside the drawing pad.

He just wanted to kiss her and touch her- simultaneously. Her body in his hands was both familiar and new. She reacted to his touch with sounds and movements that encouraged him. Her legs, wrapped around his middle in a perfect fit, squeezed him playfully. She removed her shirt for him: he needed to see her. He pulled his shirt over his head for her: it was her right to see him. They were meant to be together.

They both started and gasped at the same moment.

Jay could not be sure exactly of what he saw. One moment he had his hands in her hair, kissing her and the next he couldn't catch his breath. "What the-!" he exclaimed pulling away from her.

Sarah's shoulders hunched. "W-w-what… holy crap!" Her hands squeezed his biceps, holding on as if in shock. She shook her head. "What was that?"

He blinked rapidly. "I don't know. What did you see?"

"It was more of what I didn't see. There was… nothing yet there was…"

"Something," he finished for her.

Her eyes searched his face. "Jay what is happening here, to us?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. He reached up and tucked hair behind her ear. "I really don't know. Is it too scary to go on?"

"Some how," she paused and shook her head. "No, it's not. Some how it would be scarier to experience if you weren't around." She took his face. Her green eyes lit up with some intense emotion. "You're not allowed to leave me again."

He heard the added word- 'again'- as if he had left her before. It made no sense, but some how did make sense. He felt the warmth of her body still sitting snuggly against his. "Kiss me Sarah," he told her his voice husky. "Keep me around."

They made love on the small sofa. Neither one of them experienced the sight of 'nothing' again; an absence which they welcomed. The only other strange occurrence, the only other slightly half-kilter thing that was said was done by Jay. He heard the words, knew they came out of his mouth, yet he had no earthly idea why. It made little difference. She cuddled against him and sighed happily as a result of the words, and the sensation of a woman's warm body (Sarah's warm body) was enough. "I'll lay you beneath the stars, Sarah," he told her. "Beneath the stars."


I know the chapters seem to be getting shorter and shorter and for that I apologize. I have had a nasty head cold this past week- darn them goblins and leaving their snot on my pillows. I have this sotry more or less figured out, so bear with me. Thanks for the love and support everyone!