A/N: This chapter went in a totally different direction then I had originally intended. I hope you enjoy it. Oh and I am a giant feedback whore… blah, blah, blah- feed me comments! :-)
Chapter Eleven
John sucked in his breath at the sight of her. She seemed, to his weary mind, to materialize out of thin air and he wondered idly if you could dream someone into existence, need them so bad that without words they were at your side. He took her in with a gaze that missed nothing from the top of her fiery red ponytail to the tip of her black boots, his hold on her arms never slacking, afraid that if he let go she would simply vanish, gone from his world as quickly as she came in, a storm of emotions that swelled the tides of his heart.
Natalie closed her eyes, his gaze searing her, leaving fingerprints of lust along the path. She couldn't do this. She had told herself she wouldn't do this again. She wouldn't fall for him. At the sound of her name on his lips all vows were hastily forgotten. All she wanted was for him to say her name over and over, a chant, a prayer that she would pull from his lips at the height of ecstasy.
"You okay?"
Natalie opened her eyes and forced herself to concentrate. John swiftly dropped his grip on her, suddenly worried that he was injuring her. "Hey." She shook her head slightly, trying to erase the sensation of his eyes roaming the length of her body. "I'm fine. You just surprised me, that's all." She went to push a piece of her long ponytail but suddenly stopped, instead placing her useless hands at her side, reminding herself that she wasn't that girl anymore, she was nothing more than a broken doll.
"I surprised you?" John asked with a quirk of his brow. "I live here. What are you doing here?" It came out harsh than in his head and he watched with remorse as Natalie squared her shoulders, a dark 'looking for a fight' expression crossing her beautiful face.
"I am visiting a friend. What? Am I not allowed to do that now?" She challenged.
John sighed, shaking his head at her tone. And for the first time since she suddenly appeared he survived his surroundings, candles, pillows, a basket (probably full of food), sunflowers; it was the sunflowers that made his stomach clench. "A friend, huh?" The pieces fitted themselves together like a jigsaw puzzle, creating a picture he didn't want to see. A friend that lived at the hotel, someone who knew her well enough to know to get her sunflowers and not greenhouse roses in a cut glass vase. "This friend wouldn't happen to be a doctor, now would he?"
Natalie could feel the waves of rage rolling off of him, and if she hadn't been so filled with her own anger she might have backed away from him, the danger evident. But Natalie no longer cared about danger, she no longer cared about anything, everything had been stolen from her a month ago at the diner. That night she lost her playful spirit, her belief that she could survive anything, that no fall would ever break her. Now she was a cripple, a burden, and her days were filled with frustration and her nights with terrors that clawed at her in her sleep and reminded her that she was a monster. I killed that girl.
If she hadn't been so irate, she might have backed away but instead she took a step forward, her body within a breath of his and looked up at him. "So what if it is?" She taunted, implying feelings she was vaguely sure she did not hold, though if she were honest she had to admit that Michael's attentions brightened her day and that she looked forwards to his calls. "I'm an adult. I can do what I want."
She was pushing his buttons and he knew it but John was having a hard time not breaking the gossamer strand of restraint holding him back from pulling her to him and taking her here, hard on the roof. To stake his claim on her and to break his brother's bones for daring to touch what belonged to him. "And what you want to do is my brother?" He leaned over her, his lips hovering an inches above hers, a dare, a challenge.
"Got to be better than spending nights alone, or with Evangeline. Tell me John, does she even let you leave the lights on?" She looked down at her own ample bosom and back up at John, his eyes following her movements. John balled his fists, his restraint a wall that was crumbling quickly. "I thought not." She turned to walk away.
John seized her quickly by the waist, his hands on either side of her hips, pulling her body flesh against his; making her feel the effect she was having on him. "Don't start something you can't finish, little girl." He warned.
She was just about to tell him that she was anything but a little girl when an earsplitting clap of thunder made her jump back. John placed an arm around the back of her waist helping her keep her balance as another blot of lightening flew from the ground to the sky. "Whoa." He called to no one in particular. He was just about to insist that they get inside when Natalie felt a rain drop fall on her shoulder, and then another on her nose, and then the sky opened up. Big fat raindrop feel so fast and furious that they stung her skin as another clap of thunder assaulted her ears. She ran for the door only to stop short, not able to maneuver the door handle.
"Here. Let me." John gently moved her to the side and reached for the knob and yanked. A frown crossed his face as he pulled again, hard.
"Hurry up!" Natalie commanded, huddled as close to the door as she could, trying to keep her bandages from getting wet.
"It's locked!" John shouted over the din of rumbling thunder.
Panic filled Natalie's voice. "What?" She tried to push her body closer to the shelter, her bandaged hands pressed against her stomach. "John!" She yelled out as a lightening blot struck nearby, casting the world in bright blue light before sending it crashing back into darkness.
"Damn!" John muttered, his eyes searching the sky and then back to Natalie. He saw her trying desperately to keep her hands from the pelting rain drops. "Here" With quick and nimble fingers that made Natalie's heart flutter with jealously, John unbuttoned his shirt and wrapped it around her hands.
As the sky lit up again Natalie let her eyes wander across the broad spans of his back, he had ran across the roof and grabbed the picnic basket that Michael had so caringly prepared. "Somehow I am not really hungry, just right now!" Natalie called to him.
"I'm looking for something to…" John paused, pulling a sharp knife from the basket, it was a paring knife but it just might do the trick. Bending down lot he wedged the knife in-between the metal doorframe, trying to get the lock to give. "Come on." He grunted out as he worked the knife back and forth.
"John!" Natalie called, the wind had picked up, whipping her ponytail into a mess of knots. She felt the stinging harden at her back and turned to see white ice balls dotting the roof.
Just then John felt something give and click, pulling the knife out he opened the door and quickly ushered Natalie inside. He pulled the door behind them, the wind giving him a bit of resistance before it shut securely. He ran a hand through his hair, the dim lights of the hall making him aware of his state of undress. "That is some storm out there." When Natalie didn't reply, he called to her, "Hey. Are you okay?"
She nodded dumbly and John saw her cradling her hands, pain etched on her features. She was shivering, her arms prickly with goose bumps. "Come on. Let's get you into some dry clothes." He headed for his room, opening the door only to find her lingering at the threshold.
"I should probably just go home." She admitted, feeling foolish and out of place. The moment on the roof had passed and under the lights she couldn't pretend to be whole and beautiful.
"Don't be ridiculous. It's nasty out there." As if to prove his point, the lights flickered, once, twice, before going out completely and casting the room into complete darkness. Natalie stood stone still, an old fear creeping up as she listened to John fumble around. He struck a match and lit a small pillar candle. John waited as Natalie took a tentative step inside. "I think you better just plan on spending the night here."
TBC