Author's Note: M-rating for this chapter
June 24, 1939
Nick woke up with the sun. He came to consciousness slowly. Comfortably. He was warm and the world felt soft. His mind started to waken before the rest of him, wondering what the day was going to bring. But he didn't want to start on all that. Not just yet.
When he eventually opened his eyes, he was met with a vision of turquoise. He blinked a couple of times before he registered what he was seeing. Jennifer was awake and watching him. Her face and her big, luminous eyes were right beside him.
"Good morning," Nick rumbled sleepily, smiling at her.
"Hi," she whispered.
"I guess we should start the day," he suggested.
"Stay with me a little while," she requested.
He would not deny her that. Not when this was the place he wanted to be more than any in the world. Lying in bed with Jennifer, being close to her, having every breath be filled with the scent of her, having every inch of his body sparking with the feel of her so close.
Nick reached up and trailed his fingers over her cheek, just to feel the softness of her skin. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she smiled serenely. He dared to lightly trace over her lips. She had a beautiful mouth. Beautiful everything.
This was dangerous and he knew it and he didn't care. He didn't want to stop, even though he needed to. He couldn't let them tip over the edge into madness. But he did it anyway.
Her eyes had opened so she could watch him watch her. And as Nick leaned in closer, Jennifer stayed where she was. She did not pull away. She did not try to stop him, but she should have. Instead, she closed the distance between them.
Their lips collided, and Nick felt something overtake him. Her mouth felt as hungry as his, spurring him on. He was still only about half-awake, and maybe that's why he allowed this to happen. He wasn't in his right mind. He wasn't really thinking. Especially now. Now, he was only feeling. His hands had found their way to her body. His tongue tangled with hers. Somehow her leg had hitched itself over his as they lay on their sides, facing each other. Her hands were tangled in his hair, pulling him closer and keeping him there.
Nick had to pull away to breathe, but he moved his lips over her jaw to her neck. "Jen," he growled.
"Shh," she warned breathlessly. "Please."
They had to stay quiet. He knew that. Even out of his mind with lust, he knew they couldn't make much noise. That didn't stop him from sucking hard just below her ear. He was rewarded with a sharp gasp from her at that. Her fingernails dug into his scalp to urge him on.
Nick's hands started pushing up her pajama top. Her skin was like silk against his palms. She was hot and glorious to the touch.
Suddenly her leg had left his hip and she rolled onto her back, pulling him with her. Nick fumbled slightly, feeling dazed and obviously not wanting to hurt her or make too much noise. He gazed down at her, trying to catch his breath and calm down. She looked up at him with such a look of affection that it made something inside him expand with warmth. But those glorious eyes of hers were dark with desire. She did not allow him to stare at her for more than a moment before pulling him back down into a fiery kiss.
This time it was Jennifer whose hands went wandering. He could feel her up his pajama shirt, smoothing over the muscles of his back and then around to his front and up his chest. She turned away from the kiss to gasp for air and to undo the buttons on his shirt. Nick shifted the way he hovered over her so that he could make efforts to undress her as well.
It was in his mind to stop them, to ask her if she wanted to do this, to make sure this wasn't a huge mistake. But he didn't. He didn't want to stop this at all, even knowing that it was certainly a huge mistake.
They both readjusted themselves to take arms out of sleeves and throw shirts aside. And when Nick looked back down, Jennifer was half-bare before him. Her golden skin was on full display. Her breasts pert and gorgeous and begging for his touch. And then Nick did not think of anything else at all.
He kissed her mouth again. It grounded him to kiss her, helped him remember where he was and who he was and what everything was for. All that existed was Jennifer, and he wanted her so badly, he thought he might fly apart.
Nick's kisses traveled down her neck again, this time not lingering. Her skin was flushed and faintly salty. Her chest heaved as she tried to breathe hard but quiet. Nick traced the curve of her breast with his tongue before taking one nipple into his mouth while palming the other. She squirmed and whimpered beneath him, making him wish he could encourage her to make that noise again even louder. But he didn't dare.
He alternated his attentions. Jen started canting her hips underneath him as her body sought more and more. He undid the tie on her bottoms and let his fingers dip beneath the waistband to touch her. She gasped loudly at that. Nick had to kiss her again to keep her quiet. Though that was hardly a sacrifice.
His fingers followed the guidance of her body, letting her show him what she wanted and doing the best he could to keep focused on her. As it was, his cock was getting painfully hard and he was barely able to breathe. And it was absolutely incredible.
Jen turned her head to break the kiss. "Nick, please," she begged. She was so out of breath that she could hardly speak, but that was for the best. She wanted him so badly she couldn't even think. At least she knew well enough to be quiet. They couldn't have this if they weren't quiet. Though they shouldn't even try to have this at all.
But oh, she wanted this. She wanted this, she wanted him. More than anything in the world. Nick and his gentle and commanding touch, his sensual and seductive kiss, his quiet and powerful presence. Nick, Nick, Nick, her mind repeated over and over in time with the rapid beating of her heart.
Jen could feel herself on the edge of the knife. His touch had worked her into a frenzy, and it was all she could do to keep from thrashing around or crying out. The tension coiling within her body was going to drive her mad.
And then it was gone. He was gone. She forced her eyes open and saw him sitting back so he could pull her bottoms off. Jen did not remain the only one naked for too long. Nick practically ripped off his pants before settling back on top of her.
She spread her legs to welcome him between her thighs. She pulled him in for another searing kiss. Her hands went back to mapping every inch of his muscled back. Jen could feel him hard and heavy against her, practically poised at her entrance. She was about to break the kiss to tell him to take her, but as with so many things over the last few months, Jennifer found that she didn't have to say anything at all. Nick seemed to know what she wanted and needed. He understood her in a way no one ever had before.
They moaned into each other's mouths as Nick pushed inside her. Jen was ready and wanting, but it had been a while and she needed to adjust to accommodate him. But as desperate as they were for each other, Nick was patient and gentle. Just like he was with everything.
He held himself up and paused there with his hips flush against hers and buried to the hilt inside her. He was quiet, looking down at her with his hazel green eyes blown wide and dark with his desire. And he waited.
Jen felt full and stretched in all the very best ways. She shifted again to let him know she was ready. He smiled at her, and she pulled him into yet another kiss. He was gentler this time. He caressed her lips with his own, brushing his tongue over them. He pulled out and slowly pushed back in. Nick set a torturous pace. It was heavenly. She sighed and found his rhythm so she could meet him with each thrust.
She was close. Her body fluttered with anticipation of her release. Jen reached down to grip at Nick's bottom and press him into her harder. He sped up and took her hard but not too fast. Jen was on fire, inside and out, and the blaze grew to an inferno until at last she snapped. Her back arched off the bed as the waves of pleasure pulsed through her. It took everything in her not to cry out.
Nick thrusted faster, then, carrying her through her climax and chasing his own until he pulled out and finished. Only then did he still. Jen was still twitching with aftershocks and held him close. He collapsed back down with his release painted between them, but Jen didn't care. She couldn't feel anything except pleasure. Pleasure and joy and love.
People called it 'making love' and Jen had always thought that was romantic fairytale nonsense. In this moment, though, she understood it. This thing that had been building between Nick and herself was something she hadn't wanted to confront, hadn't wanted to name. The feelings they shared, the understanding and the trust, that all came from being partners and pretending to be married. They relied on each other, knowing the other was all they had through this thing. And the attraction between them had of course grown and pushed them to this breaking point. But that wasn't all it was. Until this moment, Jen would not let herself admit it. There was no denying it now, though, that she had fallen in love with this man. And unless she was very mistaken, there was a good chance that Nick might have fallen in love with her. He had certainly made love to her damn well here.
She held him as they recovered. His face was buried in her neck as he breathed heavily. He pressed her into the mattress, and he was almost too heavy for her to have on top of her like this and still breathe. But she didn't care. Jen wanted to be surrounded by him as long as she could. She wanted to feel nothing but him, and she wanted this moment to last forever.
Oh they would get up eventually. They would clean up and make the bed and get dressed and ready for the day. They would slip back into Trish and Wesley Claybourne like a pair of comfortable, necessary work boots.
All that would come later, though. Jen would hold him like this until the passage of time forced them to break this magic spell. Then, they'd have to confront this and figure out what to do about it and try to decide where to go from here.
But…later.