Part Twelve
"Shh," he soothed. Running his hands through her soft hair. She'd freed his hands from the ropes earlier. It seemed like hours. He'd held her in his arms since them. In an effort to comfort her. But she wouldn't be calmed. The tears wouldn't stop falling. "This is all my fault," she said quietly. Raising her sad blue eyes to his. "If I hadn't been so foolish.if I hadn't run away again.this never would have happened. Marie would still be alive. Catherine would still have her mother. Oh my god," she gasped. "Catherine! Luis! What if they find her? What if they find her and kill her, too?" she asked in a terrified voice.
"Sheridan. Listen to me," he said. His hands cradling her face. "They're NOT going to kill us. I promise," he whispered. Staring into her eyes. "Do you believe me? Do you trust me with your life? I would NEVER let something happen to you. I care about you too much," he admitted. Lowering his hands and averting his gaze. Missing the flicker of happiness in Sheridan's blue eyes. "I believe you," she said softly. Her fingers entwining with his. "I trust you," she said. Smiling through her tears. "I trust you, Luis." With my life.AND my heart, she thought as he lifted his shining eyes to her. "Good," he said. Pulling her close again. "I won't let anything happen to you. We're going to make it out of here. Safe and sound. And Catherine's going to be alright. She's safe with the Sisters. They won't let anything happen to her. I still wish you had stayed with her, though," he said as he trazed lazy circles on her back.
She shifted in his arms. And stared at him. With a look he had never seen before in her eyes. A look he'd never dare hope to see. "I couldn't," she said simply. "I couldn't leave you. I couldn't bear the thought.I.Luis, I care about you, too," she whispered. Leaning her forehead against his. Her eyes fluttering shut. "So much," she said in a strangled voice. "So much," she whispered. Nuzzling her nose against his. Her lips meeting his with a gentle sigh. I love you, she thought as she pulled away. And lost herself in his dark brown eyes. She could finally admit it to herself. And to him. "I lo." "Shh," he said. A finger against her lips. "Don't."
He traced her lips with his finger. Teasing her. Before leaning in to kiss her again. He'd never tasted anything else so sweet, he thought as he threaded his fingers through her hair and opened his mouth over hers. Never. He groaned when she returned his kiss with fervor, and he felt her hands working the buttons on his shirt free. His mind was screaming for him to tell her to stop. This wasn't the place. The time. But his heart wouldn't listen. His heart had other plans. They broke apart. Breathless. And Sheridan slid the shirt off his shoulders. Smiling against Luis's lips as he pulled her to him again.
She gasped when his hands slid under her shirt. Onto her bare skin. Tickling her ribs as he pulled it upwards. Then over her head. "You're beautiful," he whispered. Easing the strap of her bra off her shoulder and placing a kiss there. "So damn beautiful," he repeated. Claiming her mouth with his once more. Delighting in the moan that rose in the back of her throat as he pulled her more firmly against him and their heated flesh met. "Luis," she hummed against his lips. Her arms around his neck. "Make love to me," she whispered. Her blue eyes staring into his soul.
He cupped her jaw in the palm of his hand and searched her eyes. Wanting to make sure she meant it. That she was certain. "Are you sure?" he whispered. His dark eyes glittering. Sheridan's eyes filled with tears at his concern. His kindness towards her. How could she have ever believed he said those things on the wharf that night? How? When he looked at her with such.such caring? She kissed his palm gently. If there was even the smallest chance they wouldn't get out of here.the tiniest chance.she wanted to die knowing the feeling of making love. Truly making love with someone she cared about that cared about her. Not a man whose heart was empty of any feeling for her. Not someone who wasn't Luis, she realized. He was the only person she wanted to give herself to. Heart and soul.
"Yes," she breathed. A glorious smile on her face. A smile Luis soon matched. "But Sheridan," he answered in an uncertain voice. "This," he said. Taking another look at their dismal surroundings. "This is hardly the kind of place I wanted to." "It's okay," she smiled. "All I need is you, Luis. All this doesn't matter," she said. Motioning to their surroundings. Reminded once more of what awaited them in the morning. "I trust you, Luis," she whispered. Caressing his cheek. "But who knows what tomorrow will bring?" she said. A tear escaping and slipping down her face. If tonight's my last night to live.if I never see the light of tomorrow.I want to spend it in your arms, she thought. "I'm sure, Luis." She sighed in pleasure as Luis's lips trailed down her cheek. Kissing her tears away. And met her lips again. There was no turning back. No one else but him and her. They'd worry about tomorrow. Later.
"Shh," he soothed. Running his hands through her soft hair. She'd freed his hands from the ropes earlier. It seemed like hours. He'd held her in his arms since them. In an effort to comfort her. But she wouldn't be calmed. The tears wouldn't stop falling. "This is all my fault," she said quietly. Raising her sad blue eyes to his. "If I hadn't been so foolish.if I hadn't run away again.this never would have happened. Marie would still be alive. Catherine would still have her mother. Oh my god," she gasped. "Catherine! Luis! What if they find her? What if they find her and kill her, too?" she asked in a terrified voice.
"Sheridan. Listen to me," he said. His hands cradling her face. "They're NOT going to kill us. I promise," he whispered. Staring into her eyes. "Do you believe me? Do you trust me with your life? I would NEVER let something happen to you. I care about you too much," he admitted. Lowering his hands and averting his gaze. Missing the flicker of happiness in Sheridan's blue eyes. "I believe you," she said softly. Her fingers entwining with his. "I trust you," she said. Smiling through her tears. "I trust you, Luis." With my life.AND my heart, she thought as he lifted his shining eyes to her. "Good," he said. Pulling her close again. "I won't let anything happen to you. We're going to make it out of here. Safe and sound. And Catherine's going to be alright. She's safe with the Sisters. They won't let anything happen to her. I still wish you had stayed with her, though," he said as he trazed lazy circles on her back.
She shifted in his arms. And stared at him. With a look he had never seen before in her eyes. A look he'd never dare hope to see. "I couldn't," she said simply. "I couldn't leave you. I couldn't bear the thought.I.Luis, I care about you, too," she whispered. Leaning her forehead against his. Her eyes fluttering shut. "So much," she said in a strangled voice. "So much," she whispered. Nuzzling her nose against his. Her lips meeting his with a gentle sigh. I love you, she thought as she pulled away. And lost herself in his dark brown eyes. She could finally admit it to herself. And to him. "I lo." "Shh," he said. A finger against her lips. "Don't."
He traced her lips with his finger. Teasing her. Before leaning in to kiss her again. He'd never tasted anything else so sweet, he thought as he threaded his fingers through her hair and opened his mouth over hers. Never. He groaned when she returned his kiss with fervor, and he felt her hands working the buttons on his shirt free. His mind was screaming for him to tell her to stop. This wasn't the place. The time. But his heart wouldn't listen. His heart had other plans. They broke apart. Breathless. And Sheridan slid the shirt off his shoulders. Smiling against Luis's lips as he pulled her to him again.
She gasped when his hands slid under her shirt. Onto her bare skin. Tickling her ribs as he pulled it upwards. Then over her head. "You're beautiful," he whispered. Easing the strap of her bra off her shoulder and placing a kiss there. "So damn beautiful," he repeated. Claiming her mouth with his once more. Delighting in the moan that rose in the back of her throat as he pulled her more firmly against him and their heated flesh met. "Luis," she hummed against his lips. Her arms around his neck. "Make love to me," she whispered. Her blue eyes staring into his soul.
He cupped her jaw in the palm of his hand and searched her eyes. Wanting to make sure she meant it. That she was certain. "Are you sure?" he whispered. His dark eyes glittering. Sheridan's eyes filled with tears at his concern. His kindness towards her. How could she have ever believed he said those things on the wharf that night? How? When he looked at her with such.such caring? She kissed his palm gently. If there was even the smallest chance they wouldn't get out of here.the tiniest chance.she wanted to die knowing the feeling of making love. Truly making love with someone she cared about that cared about her. Not a man whose heart was empty of any feeling for her. Not someone who wasn't Luis, she realized. He was the only person she wanted to give herself to. Heart and soul.
"Yes," she breathed. A glorious smile on her face. A smile Luis soon matched. "But Sheridan," he answered in an uncertain voice. "This," he said. Taking another look at their dismal surroundings. "This is hardly the kind of place I wanted to." "It's okay," she smiled. "All I need is you, Luis. All this doesn't matter," she said. Motioning to their surroundings. Reminded once more of what awaited them in the morning. "I trust you, Luis," she whispered. Caressing his cheek. "But who knows what tomorrow will bring?" she said. A tear escaping and slipping down her face. If tonight's my last night to live.if I never see the light of tomorrow.I want to spend it in your arms, she thought. "I'm sure, Luis." She sighed in pleasure as Luis's lips trailed down her cheek. Kissing her tears away. And met her lips again. There was no turning back. No one else but him and her. They'd worry about tomorrow. Later.
