Conclusion to Frank and Jade's twin. Thanks for the reviews, they're
always appreciated. Shall we go for another Ardeth snippet or go for a
modern day Nabil? Hmmmmm? LOL
~*~
Reality came crashing back to her and she seized the opportunity for freedom, ashamed at her wanton response to this stranger. She pushed against his broad chest and was surprised when he relinquished his hold. Both of them separated and crawled away from the other, sitting against opposite walls of the hallway.
He leaned his head back and threaded a hand through his hair from frustration, his mind waging a battle with his heart. And he stared at the woman across from him, still reluctant to admit this was a serious care of mistaken identity.
She felt the impact of his stare as she struggled for some resemblance of control. However fear motivated her to do something rash and foolish. She jumped up and sprinted towards the phone, anger now spurring her actions and the desire to get away from this madman. She took it on the run, cradling it in her hand as she sprinted past him and made it to the top of the stairs.
"No!" He shouted and lunged after her, his hands outstretched to grab her so he could at least explain. He needed to clarify, to talk to her and for his own sanity, come to an understanding how he could have made this monumental mistake and attack a woman he obviously didn't know. His obsession with Jade would be the death of him.
They collided at the banister, she off balance because she was dialing 911, and he slammed into her knocking the phone out of her hand. It went tumbling down the steps. She almost dove after it but he stopped her, twisting his body and in the process lost his footing. The result was that he lost his balance, his wind-milling arms having no effect in stopping his forward momentum. She watched in morbid fascination as his body rolled downstairs, long legs hitting the banister with resounding bangs, his long coat tangling around his body like a blanket. He finally came to rest at the bottom and his head hit the floor with a loud thump.
Silence. Outside the storm had subsided, the only signs of its spent fury was the sound of a gentle rain fall.
She flew downstairs until she stopped a few inches from his prone body, and suddenly her legs gave out and she crashed to the floor. She held onto the banister as if it could lend her some strength and took deep gulping breaths of air. At this moment in time, ignoring the twinges of her aching body, she wished for nothing more than for the lights to come back on so she could see him more clearly. And to find the phone so she could now call for an ambulance.
As if on cue, the electricity surged back on and the interior of her home was once again bathed in its warm, yellow light.
Slowly, she knelt down on her knees near his large body and saw the phone lying near his side. She reached out with one shaking hand, fingertips grazing one end of it. It was almost within her reach when he groaned and turned his head towards her and she stopped, poised over his chest, holding her breath in fear that he would awaken. A moment later her fear was realized and his eyes fluttered open. She stared into the warm, dark honey colored orbs that reflected such torment and pain and she felt herself falling down into those dark depths. For a second she was afraid and felt lost. She stopped reaching for the phone and surprised herself instead by reaching for him.
"Are you all right?" She asked, going against every instinct to call for help and have his ass thrown in jail. Instead she listened to her heart and with tender hands felt the bruise swelling just above his temple, near the hairline.
"No," he replied sardonically and winced at her gentle prodding.
They stared at one another and tentatively, she moved her hand up to rest behind his neck, fingers softly caressing the warm skin and firm muscles there. Her other hand rested on his chest, fingers splayed out and she could feel the rapid beating of his heart. She leaned down to his face, watched in fascination when his tongue came out to moisten his lips that must have been dry as warning signals went off in her head. This man was dangerous. A wacko that had broken into her home and attacked her under the pretense of her being someone else. So why did their breathing merge together and in sync; he would exhale and she would inhale, taking in his air and letting it wash over her soul. Why did she feel such unexplained tenderness for this man and how could she ignore the embers of her desire that started to burn hotter. Had it been that long since her last boyfriend? So long since the last time she had been held in the strong security of a man's embrace, surrendering herself to a kiss that would rob her of her senses?
"I should go, I've made a mistake," he offered weakly, knowing there was no chance in hell he could move. How could he just leave her, this woman who had innocently captured him, ensnared him with her open response when he had been denied the same from another? He needed to tell her of the danger she was now in for if he made a mistake, others would as well. "You're not Jade."
"No shit Sherlock. Obviously," she whispered dryly and hesitated before adding, "Would that be so bad?"
"You don't know what you're saying..." he groaned and couldn't help but shift again, so her sweet little body now rested between his legs and close to the source of his heat. "Don't know what you're getting into..."
She silenced his protests with her fingers to his lips, a wicked grin on her face. "You mean there's more? Tackling a woman on the stairs is just the preamble for what's to come? You certainly know how to show a girl a good time."
He stared at her as if she lost her mind, the irony of the situation not lost on him.
"Why don't you let me be the judge?" she said with a half hearted grin. Slowly, she lowered her head until their lips were a fraction of an inch apart. When his tongue came out to taste her, she gave into a sudden craving and captured it with her lips. She sucked it into the moist interior of her mouth, stroked it, tangled it with her own and caught his grunt of surprise that turned into an animal-like growl of pure need. Her hands entwined themselves around his neck as his hands came down to grasp her waist and pull her up against his hips. The delicious contact made her gasp as the ravenous kiss continued and she felt like she was being consumed alive with a fire that was burning out of control.
He pressed her hips against him, as he continued to plunder her willing mouth, ignoring the voice inside his head frantically ordering him to stop....before it was too late. This wasn't supposed to happen this way. He had tracked Jade down, investigated every lead, and exhausted all resources until he got a break a few days ago. A reliable source, or so he had thought, had reported that she had bought this house several days ago. He had followed the lead here, only to discover the woman he had been hunting for six long months had disappeared. And had been replaced by someone new. To his amazement, in the span of this night, the hunter had become the prey and he held the victor in his arms, unwilling to let her go.
Their mouths slanted over the other's, the kiss becoming wild, as a prelude leading up to something more consuming and it took a supreme amount of effort to control himself when her hand went down to the waistband of his pants. With the speed of a striking cobra, his hand halted its progress before any more damage could be done and brought it up to be imprisoned against his chest. He was the one that broke off the kiss with a guttural moan of denial. Not this, not now.
She leaned up away from him, her eyes shimmering with desire, her lips rosy and swollen from passion. She watched the myriad of emotions sweep across his face until she finally recognized the one of pain. Oh God, his head, she thought and immediately felt chagrined. "Your head....Jesus, I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me."
Closing his eyes against the pounding headache that was starting in his forehead, letting her think his head injury was bothering him. It wasn't that far from the truth. "No need to apologize but I think we should move. I have a lot of explaining to do."
"Can you stand?" she asked and took hold of his large, warm hand.
He frowned, hesitating before replying. "I think so, with some help."
She scooted away from him, and leaned back, pulling with all her strength. She never thought of herself as a strong woman, never really gave it much thought either way until this moment, when faced with the monumental task of pulling an object that outweighed her by more than a few pounds. After a couple of attempts, they finally got him to his feet, a triumph marred by the fact he was swaying. She watched in concern when one shaky hand reached up to brush across his forehead. Instinct made her decision for her and she looped her arm under one of his shoulders, the other wrapped around his waist, supporting his already sagging weight.
"Don't you dare pass out on me," she snapped. They shuffled over to the overstuffed sofa in the living room and not a moment too soon. With an audible groan, his long legs folded out from beneath him and he collapsed onto the cushions, bringing her with him.
"Let go of my...OH!" she gasped and fell with him, her one arm trapped beneath his body, her own sprawled across his chest and her face ending up close to his neck. She struggled in vain for a few moments, trying to free her hand, pushing against him with the other. She twisted her hips, pumped her legs, did everything she could possible think of....and it all ended when his free arm came around and anchored her wiggling body against him. She was trapped against him and there was nothing she could do.
"Oh for Christ's sake..." she muttered. Moving his dead weight was like trying to move a mountain.
"I owe you an apology...." he murmured, the rumbling from his deep, accented voice making his chest vibrate slightly.
"You owe me more than that," she unconvincingly threatened and reverted back to her initial bout of anger. "Tell me why I shouldn't call the cops?"
He was silent for a second and she feared he had finally passed out. Oddly she found her own concentration slipping, exhaustion from moving coupled with the warmth radiating from his body. She felt oddly secure and content with his arm wrapped around her. Against its will, her face moved up to his neck, seeking out the inviting warm olive colored skin. And with a wicked grin, she pressed her nose against it, inhaling deeply the spicy scent combined with some faded cologne. God, how long had it been when she last smelled a man wearing cologne? And one as handsome as this one, she grudgingly had to admit as her eyes roamed over his face. Somehow, he didn't seem so threatening now, his features relaxed and somehow looking boyish, long dark lashes resting against his cheek.
She shifted her body, the drowsy comfort of his strong arms taking its toll. She placed her face in the crook of his neck and daringly, placed a warm kiss on the pulsating spot just below his ear lobe. She heard his sharp intake of breath and when she brought her head back, she found those warm, inviting eyes staring at with a mixture of wonder and reluctance.
They stared at each other for a heart beat's moment and she leaned her face closer when she heard him whisper, "Because I am one."
~*~
Reality came crashing back to her and she seized the opportunity for freedom, ashamed at her wanton response to this stranger. She pushed against his broad chest and was surprised when he relinquished his hold. Both of them separated and crawled away from the other, sitting against opposite walls of the hallway.
He leaned his head back and threaded a hand through his hair from frustration, his mind waging a battle with his heart. And he stared at the woman across from him, still reluctant to admit this was a serious care of mistaken identity.
She felt the impact of his stare as she struggled for some resemblance of control. However fear motivated her to do something rash and foolish. She jumped up and sprinted towards the phone, anger now spurring her actions and the desire to get away from this madman. She took it on the run, cradling it in her hand as she sprinted past him and made it to the top of the stairs.
"No!" He shouted and lunged after her, his hands outstretched to grab her so he could at least explain. He needed to clarify, to talk to her and for his own sanity, come to an understanding how he could have made this monumental mistake and attack a woman he obviously didn't know. His obsession with Jade would be the death of him.
They collided at the banister, she off balance because she was dialing 911, and he slammed into her knocking the phone out of her hand. It went tumbling down the steps. She almost dove after it but he stopped her, twisting his body and in the process lost his footing. The result was that he lost his balance, his wind-milling arms having no effect in stopping his forward momentum. She watched in morbid fascination as his body rolled downstairs, long legs hitting the banister with resounding bangs, his long coat tangling around his body like a blanket. He finally came to rest at the bottom and his head hit the floor with a loud thump.
Silence. Outside the storm had subsided, the only signs of its spent fury was the sound of a gentle rain fall.
She flew downstairs until she stopped a few inches from his prone body, and suddenly her legs gave out and she crashed to the floor. She held onto the banister as if it could lend her some strength and took deep gulping breaths of air. At this moment in time, ignoring the twinges of her aching body, she wished for nothing more than for the lights to come back on so she could see him more clearly. And to find the phone so she could now call for an ambulance.
As if on cue, the electricity surged back on and the interior of her home was once again bathed in its warm, yellow light.
Slowly, she knelt down on her knees near his large body and saw the phone lying near his side. She reached out with one shaking hand, fingertips grazing one end of it. It was almost within her reach when he groaned and turned his head towards her and she stopped, poised over his chest, holding her breath in fear that he would awaken. A moment later her fear was realized and his eyes fluttered open. She stared into the warm, dark honey colored orbs that reflected such torment and pain and she felt herself falling down into those dark depths. For a second she was afraid and felt lost. She stopped reaching for the phone and surprised herself instead by reaching for him.
"Are you all right?" She asked, going against every instinct to call for help and have his ass thrown in jail. Instead she listened to her heart and with tender hands felt the bruise swelling just above his temple, near the hairline.
"No," he replied sardonically and winced at her gentle prodding.
They stared at one another and tentatively, she moved her hand up to rest behind his neck, fingers softly caressing the warm skin and firm muscles there. Her other hand rested on his chest, fingers splayed out and she could feel the rapid beating of his heart. She leaned down to his face, watched in fascination when his tongue came out to moisten his lips that must have been dry as warning signals went off in her head. This man was dangerous. A wacko that had broken into her home and attacked her under the pretense of her being someone else. So why did their breathing merge together and in sync; he would exhale and she would inhale, taking in his air and letting it wash over her soul. Why did she feel such unexplained tenderness for this man and how could she ignore the embers of her desire that started to burn hotter. Had it been that long since her last boyfriend? So long since the last time she had been held in the strong security of a man's embrace, surrendering herself to a kiss that would rob her of her senses?
"I should go, I've made a mistake," he offered weakly, knowing there was no chance in hell he could move. How could he just leave her, this woman who had innocently captured him, ensnared him with her open response when he had been denied the same from another? He needed to tell her of the danger she was now in for if he made a mistake, others would as well. "You're not Jade."
"No shit Sherlock. Obviously," she whispered dryly and hesitated before adding, "Would that be so bad?"
"You don't know what you're saying..." he groaned and couldn't help but shift again, so her sweet little body now rested between his legs and close to the source of his heat. "Don't know what you're getting into..."
She silenced his protests with her fingers to his lips, a wicked grin on her face. "You mean there's more? Tackling a woman on the stairs is just the preamble for what's to come? You certainly know how to show a girl a good time."
He stared at her as if she lost her mind, the irony of the situation not lost on him.
"Why don't you let me be the judge?" she said with a half hearted grin. Slowly, she lowered her head until their lips were a fraction of an inch apart. When his tongue came out to taste her, she gave into a sudden craving and captured it with her lips. She sucked it into the moist interior of her mouth, stroked it, tangled it with her own and caught his grunt of surprise that turned into an animal-like growl of pure need. Her hands entwined themselves around his neck as his hands came down to grasp her waist and pull her up against his hips. The delicious contact made her gasp as the ravenous kiss continued and she felt like she was being consumed alive with a fire that was burning out of control.
He pressed her hips against him, as he continued to plunder her willing mouth, ignoring the voice inside his head frantically ordering him to stop....before it was too late. This wasn't supposed to happen this way. He had tracked Jade down, investigated every lead, and exhausted all resources until he got a break a few days ago. A reliable source, or so he had thought, had reported that she had bought this house several days ago. He had followed the lead here, only to discover the woman he had been hunting for six long months had disappeared. And had been replaced by someone new. To his amazement, in the span of this night, the hunter had become the prey and he held the victor in his arms, unwilling to let her go.
Their mouths slanted over the other's, the kiss becoming wild, as a prelude leading up to something more consuming and it took a supreme amount of effort to control himself when her hand went down to the waistband of his pants. With the speed of a striking cobra, his hand halted its progress before any more damage could be done and brought it up to be imprisoned against his chest. He was the one that broke off the kiss with a guttural moan of denial. Not this, not now.
She leaned up away from him, her eyes shimmering with desire, her lips rosy and swollen from passion. She watched the myriad of emotions sweep across his face until she finally recognized the one of pain. Oh God, his head, she thought and immediately felt chagrined. "Your head....Jesus, I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me."
Closing his eyes against the pounding headache that was starting in his forehead, letting her think his head injury was bothering him. It wasn't that far from the truth. "No need to apologize but I think we should move. I have a lot of explaining to do."
"Can you stand?" she asked and took hold of his large, warm hand.
He frowned, hesitating before replying. "I think so, with some help."
She scooted away from him, and leaned back, pulling with all her strength. She never thought of herself as a strong woman, never really gave it much thought either way until this moment, when faced with the monumental task of pulling an object that outweighed her by more than a few pounds. After a couple of attempts, they finally got him to his feet, a triumph marred by the fact he was swaying. She watched in concern when one shaky hand reached up to brush across his forehead. Instinct made her decision for her and she looped her arm under one of his shoulders, the other wrapped around his waist, supporting his already sagging weight.
"Don't you dare pass out on me," she snapped. They shuffled over to the overstuffed sofa in the living room and not a moment too soon. With an audible groan, his long legs folded out from beneath him and he collapsed onto the cushions, bringing her with him.
"Let go of my...OH!" she gasped and fell with him, her one arm trapped beneath his body, her own sprawled across his chest and her face ending up close to his neck. She struggled in vain for a few moments, trying to free her hand, pushing against him with the other. She twisted her hips, pumped her legs, did everything she could possible think of....and it all ended when his free arm came around and anchored her wiggling body against him. She was trapped against him and there was nothing she could do.
"Oh for Christ's sake..." she muttered. Moving his dead weight was like trying to move a mountain.
"I owe you an apology...." he murmured, the rumbling from his deep, accented voice making his chest vibrate slightly.
"You owe me more than that," she unconvincingly threatened and reverted back to her initial bout of anger. "Tell me why I shouldn't call the cops?"
He was silent for a second and she feared he had finally passed out. Oddly she found her own concentration slipping, exhaustion from moving coupled with the warmth radiating from his body. She felt oddly secure and content with his arm wrapped around her. Against its will, her face moved up to his neck, seeking out the inviting warm olive colored skin. And with a wicked grin, she pressed her nose against it, inhaling deeply the spicy scent combined with some faded cologne. God, how long had it been when she last smelled a man wearing cologne? And one as handsome as this one, she grudgingly had to admit as her eyes roamed over his face. Somehow, he didn't seem so threatening now, his features relaxed and somehow looking boyish, long dark lashes resting against his cheek.
She shifted her body, the drowsy comfort of his strong arms taking its toll. She placed her face in the crook of his neck and daringly, placed a warm kiss on the pulsating spot just below his ear lobe. She heard his sharp intake of breath and when she brought her head back, she found those warm, inviting eyes staring at with a mixture of wonder and reluctance.
They stared at each other for a heart beat's moment and she leaned her face closer when she heard him whisper, "Because I am one."