Chapter One- In the Beginning
She didn't know why she had kissed him, she just knew that she didn't want to stop. It had been so long since she had felt passion for anything, and this kiss had awakened something in her that she had believed dead since the moment she had found out that Cristian would never be coming back to her.
He knew she would regret this moment, but he couldn't make himself pull away from her. He would be lying if he said that he had never imagined this moment. But, he knew that this moment was madness, nothing could or would ever come of it.
Energy and passion flew back and forth between them. Each one fighting the impulse to continue. But, neither one could stop. It may have started as one passion filled kiss in a moment of shear insanity, but it had turned into the one thing that both of them needed most.
She knew that this moment, whatever happened, had changed everything. But, it was like a tiny flame that all the sudden had ignited into an unstoppable blaze. She wanted to stop... she had to stop. But, she couldn't bring herself to pull away and say the words that in her heart she knew would bring their kiss to an end.
He wanted to fight. But, he was so tired of fighting. He wanted nothing more than to give into the moment. Was he crazy? Was he insane to want this one moment with this one beautiful woman? Would she regret it? He had to push away he had to stop it... but he couldn't.
As if the world had completely disappeared around them they lost themselves in each other. Nothing mattered, not his work, not her grief, the only thing that mattered was the moment. With shaking hands he cupped her face and stepped away only to stare into the eyes that had haunted him from the moment he had met her. Silently she reached for the buttons that ran down the front of his shirt. One by one the popped open revealing a toned body, hard and muscular, so warm and so alive. Their eyes never leaving one another's he ran his hands down her back and lifted her body next to his. With a moan, she let herself be lifted into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. It was the only sign he needed. He carried her to his bed never breaking contact with her. She felt so soft and smelled of some perfume that he couldn't name. Laying her down carefully he removed his shirt and joined her on the bed. She took his hands and kissed each palm, slowly she brought him down on top of her.
He tried to control his breathing. His body was on fire and all he could think about was making her his. From that moment neither one could tell you what happened to their clothes, their uncertainty, or the things that would keep them from fulfillment. All sanity flew out the window to be replaced by pure passion and instinct. She didn't want to rush, but god help her she needed him. She needed this moment and this man. No matter what happened tomorrow she wanted him and she welcomed his touch.
Natalie never knew what woke her, but she slowly stretched and tried to figure out where she was. Feeling a body next to her she turned and remembered the night that had passed. His hair was covering his face, and the sheet had slid to his waist. Blushes covered her from head to toe. What had happened had been amazing, but what had she been thinking. With a smile she turned on her side and stared at the man sleeping so peacefully next to her. He looked so peaceful, more rested than he had since the whole music- box killer thing had began. She didn't have the heart to wake him.
"John... John... wake-up now..." John sat up in the bed and looked around him. Natalie was sleeping peacefully next to him, and he was full of contentment and that was something he hadn't felt in a long time.
"Hello, John." A soft and musical voice came from across the room.
"Katelyn? What... What in the..."
"It's ok, John. You're not crazy. I am real. As real as a dream can get."
"So, I am dreaming. But, it's so real. You are so real." Slowly getting out of bed John forgot about his state of undress, he forgot about everything, but the woman he had once loved body and soul. He didn't know what to say. Where to begin, or how to understand what was happening.
"I came to let you go. To say goodbye, I guess." The smile he remembered so well was on her face, but the tears in her eyes showed a trace of sadness in them.
"I know you think I am sad, but the only sadness I feel John is all the pain and emptiness you have felt for so long. I want you to listen because I have only a brief time, open your mind and your heart and you will know a peace so great, so amazing, that you will understand why I am not meant to be with you now."
And with a breeze of cold air and a shimmer of light fog she vanished as if she had never been there.
"Katelyn? Katelyn... no wait... don't go..."
Natalie heard the words whispered so quietly that she thought she almost missed them. Her heart dropped, as she heard the desperation in his voice and it brought with it the realization that what had happened between them had been a moment of insanity, nothing more. She slid out of the bed and very quietly got dressed. Without a word she slipped out the door. The tears began to fall even before the door closed and she would be damned if she was going to analyze them.
As if he sensed that he was alone, John sat up in bed. "Natalie?" Silence was the only thing that answered him.
Shit! He had royally screwed up. What if she was angry? What if he had taken advantage of something he had should have left alone? That was bullshit! Rubbing his hands over his face he reached over and grabbed the pillow that the object of his thoughts had so recently occupied. Putting it next to his face he could still smell the shampoo she used, the perfume she wore. He wasn't going to let her run away from this strange thing that was between them. If she would let him into her life then just maybe she would let him into her heart.
She didn't know why she had kissed him, she just knew that she didn't want to stop. It had been so long since she had felt passion for anything, and this kiss had awakened something in her that she had believed dead since the moment she had found out that Cristian would never be coming back to her.
He knew she would regret this moment, but he couldn't make himself pull away from her. He would be lying if he said that he had never imagined this moment. But, he knew that this moment was madness, nothing could or would ever come of it.
Energy and passion flew back and forth between them. Each one fighting the impulse to continue. But, neither one could stop. It may have started as one passion filled kiss in a moment of shear insanity, but it had turned into the one thing that both of them needed most.
She knew that this moment, whatever happened, had changed everything. But, it was like a tiny flame that all the sudden had ignited into an unstoppable blaze. She wanted to stop... she had to stop. But, she couldn't bring herself to pull away and say the words that in her heart she knew would bring their kiss to an end.
He wanted to fight. But, he was so tired of fighting. He wanted nothing more than to give into the moment. Was he crazy? Was he insane to want this one moment with this one beautiful woman? Would she regret it? He had to push away he had to stop it... but he couldn't.
As if the world had completely disappeared around them they lost themselves in each other. Nothing mattered, not his work, not her grief, the only thing that mattered was the moment. With shaking hands he cupped her face and stepped away only to stare into the eyes that had haunted him from the moment he had met her. Silently she reached for the buttons that ran down the front of his shirt. One by one the popped open revealing a toned body, hard and muscular, so warm and so alive. Their eyes never leaving one another's he ran his hands down her back and lifted her body next to his. With a moan, she let herself be lifted into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. It was the only sign he needed. He carried her to his bed never breaking contact with her. She felt so soft and smelled of some perfume that he couldn't name. Laying her down carefully he removed his shirt and joined her on the bed. She took his hands and kissed each palm, slowly she brought him down on top of her.
He tried to control his breathing. His body was on fire and all he could think about was making her his. From that moment neither one could tell you what happened to their clothes, their uncertainty, or the things that would keep them from fulfillment. All sanity flew out the window to be replaced by pure passion and instinct. She didn't want to rush, but god help her she needed him. She needed this moment and this man. No matter what happened tomorrow she wanted him and she welcomed his touch.
Natalie never knew what woke her, but she slowly stretched and tried to figure out where she was. Feeling a body next to her she turned and remembered the night that had passed. His hair was covering his face, and the sheet had slid to his waist. Blushes covered her from head to toe. What had happened had been amazing, but what had she been thinking. With a smile she turned on her side and stared at the man sleeping so peacefully next to her. He looked so peaceful, more rested than he had since the whole music- box killer thing had began. She didn't have the heart to wake him.
"John... John... wake-up now..." John sat up in the bed and looked around him. Natalie was sleeping peacefully next to him, and he was full of contentment and that was something he hadn't felt in a long time.
"Hello, John." A soft and musical voice came from across the room.
"Katelyn? What... What in the..."
"It's ok, John. You're not crazy. I am real. As real as a dream can get."
"So, I am dreaming. But, it's so real. You are so real." Slowly getting out of bed John forgot about his state of undress, he forgot about everything, but the woman he had once loved body and soul. He didn't know what to say. Where to begin, or how to understand what was happening.
"I came to let you go. To say goodbye, I guess." The smile he remembered so well was on her face, but the tears in her eyes showed a trace of sadness in them.
"I know you think I am sad, but the only sadness I feel John is all the pain and emptiness you have felt for so long. I want you to listen because I have only a brief time, open your mind and your heart and you will know a peace so great, so amazing, that you will understand why I am not meant to be with you now."
And with a breeze of cold air and a shimmer of light fog she vanished as if she had never been there.
"Katelyn? Katelyn... no wait... don't go..."
Natalie heard the words whispered so quietly that she thought she almost missed them. Her heart dropped, as she heard the desperation in his voice and it brought with it the realization that what had happened between them had been a moment of insanity, nothing more. She slid out of the bed and very quietly got dressed. Without a word she slipped out the door. The tears began to fall even before the door closed and she would be damned if she was going to analyze them.
As if he sensed that he was alone, John sat up in bed. "Natalie?" Silence was the only thing that answered him.
Shit! He had royally screwed up. What if she was angry? What if he had taken advantage of something he had should have left alone? That was bullshit! Rubbing his hands over his face he reached over and grabbed the pillow that the object of his thoughts had so recently occupied. Putting it next to his face he could still smell the shampoo she used, the perfume she wore. He wasn't going to let her run away from this strange thing that was between them. If she would let him into her life then just maybe she would let him into her heart.