Jarod watched the dark-haired woman that laid next to him, her hand intertwined with his, her left arm flung across his chest. Her leg swung across his front. Even if he tried, there would be no way he could have released himself from her. Miss Parker gripped him tightly. If she was any closer, she would have been awaken by the sound of his rapid heartbeat.

She looked almost angelic with her flawless face on his shoulder. There were none of the usual hissing, snarling, or growling, but only sounds of her soft breath. After several minutes of his watchful eye, she blinked her lids open. She realized the closeness between them, Miss Parker freed herself away.

"Morning, Miss Parker. Did you have a restful night?"

"Yes. Yes, thank you. Jarod? I'm sorry about last night." Embarrassed by her actions, she turned away from him.

"No need to be." I'm glad I was able to comfort you, to hold you. "Hey, I'm going to jump in the shower. Why don't you just go back to sleep?"

Miss Parker laid back. I really could stay here forever. Her fingers gently caressed his side of the bed.

Twenty minutes later, he reappeared. Her eyes followed him as he moved across the room.

"The bathroom's yours. Oh, and there's plenty of hot water left for you." He chuckled.

She smiled and moved about slowly out of the bedroom.

JMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMJPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMP

Jarod moaned softly as he sat in bed. He moved his head in a circular motion, first to the right, then to the left. He raised his arms above and pulled at them.

"Stiff?" Unaware of her presence, Parker lightly touched his neck.

"Just a little." He turned a bit when she unexpectedly knelt behind him on the bed. Her hair was wet. He felt drips of water as it dropped onto his bare skin. She gently massaged his shoulders with her fingertips. She moved her hands down to his lower back, then up again and to his arms. She kneaded his shoulders. Parker used light teasing strokes as he had begun to feel relaxed.

"Is this better?"

"Yes." He had taken in slow deep breaths and even slower exhales.

"I'm sorry. I guess I didn't give you much room to sleep last night." She massaged his neck. He leaned back against her breast as she put pressure on his temples.

"What happened last night? I mean, are you ready to talk about it?"

She let go of him. He turned to face her. He waited, but no answer. "Parker?"

"Nothing to talk about. Just had a bad dream. That's all."

"Same one as the last time?"

"No." It gets worse each time. She jumped off of the bed.

"You know, Miss Parker, it helps to talk about it. Maybe, I can help." He was sympathetic, but persistent.

"If I need a shrink to talk to, I'll go to Sydney! Alright?" She shot out. How the hell am I going to tell you I have dreams of you dead? I lost Thomas and I'm sure as hell can't lose you.

"And the battle begins again, eh, Miss Parker? We were once best friends. I'd like to think we still are. I was just worried about you. Don't have to get worked up. I said I was worried about you."

"Well, don't! I'm fine!"

"Like you were fine last night? You needed me to comfort you, Miss Parker. Every time when we start to get along, you blow up again. What is it with you? You can be a warm person if you really want to, sometimes. And at other times...

"And what? Cold? Thank you very much! Look, it took me years to build this invisible wall of mine and I'm not about to have it crumble down to pieces to tell you my inner deep thoughts! You just don't know what you do to me! You think just because you're a "pretender" you need to help everyone that comes across you?"

Jarod just listened as she ranted, knowing any minute without having a second thought, she'd explode.

"You matter to me so much, that you scare the hell out of me! I didn't ask for this, for you to be in my life! I wish I never knew you, I wish I never heard of "The Centre"! And I wish to hell you'd quit calling me Miss Parker like I'm some sort of damned kindergarten teacher! I told you my first name for a reason! So, use it! What the hell am I doing here? What the hell am I going to do?"

"Do about what, Melissa?"

"About the way I feel about you! You care about me? And don't say, because "you are my best friend"! I'm not looking for a best friend! Okay?"

Jarod was calm, cool and collected. "Okay. What are you looking for?" He got up and stood in front of her as she continued her rampage.

"A best friend is not what I'm looking for!"

"You're repeating yourself. What are you trying to say? What exactly is bothering you?"

"You! You're bothering me! Shit! I'd like to say...you to say..I love you! I want to be with you! You make my heart pound so hard and fast whenever I look at you! I love the way you cuddle me! I love the way you cock your head even when you're angry! I love the way you touch me! But then, of course, I've never touched you! You've never touched me!"

"How could I? With that damned pistol of yours! Exactly how do you want me to touch you? And you never shut up long enough to give me a chance to do anything!" Jarod yelled back.

"And don't interrupt! I didn't think I'd ever practice celibacy! You know, I make love to you every night only in my dreams! Except lately, my dreams have become nightmares of you dying! I worry that you'd be captured and returned back to "The Centre! I worry that I'd never see you again! And I especially worry that you're pumping someone else when you're out on one of your stupid pretends!"

"Okay, Parker, that's enough. You're getting bent out of shape!"

"I'm not done! Do you ever think of anything else other than just me being your huntress? Am I only the pathetic little girl who's grown up to be the pathetic woman? I'm just someone you call at the wee hours of the morning and for what? For me to just listen to your ridiculous riddles of how to find you? God, any normal guy who'd call at 3:00 in the morning, I'd think would expect to have "phone sex" with that person on the other end of the line at that moment! But you? No! Can't you be spontaneous for once in your life? Have a momentary impulse? Do some huskily deep breathing into that damned phone?" She stomped into the living room.

Jarod followed her footsteps. "Are you done? Do you feel better now? Where do you get off...what do you...pumping someone on my pretends?" He laughed.

"Oh, think it's funny? I never knew anyone who could make me crazy as you do to me! I'm tired, Jarod. I'm tired of all of this! Look, just get my car and I'll leave! I'm sick and tired of our stupid "Centre" game of "you run, I chase!" I'm not chasing anymore!"

Parker stopped suddenly. Gasped at the non-stop outburst which came out of her mouth. Her face turned a deep shade of red. She stepped back slowly. Jarod closed in on her.

"And I'm not running anymore." He said softly. "You know, you complicate things. But, then, maybe I complicate things for you, too. I hear your voice inside of me and I can't seem to drown you out. I don't want to drown you out. You've always been with me here." Jarod pointed to his heart.

"What? What are you doing?" She asked as he cornered her against the wall.

"If you quiet down, maybe you'll find out." He leaned down and kissed her perfect lips, a soft and lingering kiss. With his lips slightly parted, Jarod brought his tongue to the front of his mouth and touched Parker's lips. She opened her mouth and darted her tongue out just a bit to meet his. She felt his gentle sucking. He moved his tongue to caress her lips. It had been so natural for the both of them, their kiss, so relaxed, moist and passionate, as if they've done it before a million times over.

Having reached a dramatic point in their relationship, what seemed like an eternity of a gentle soft hug and sweet and sensual kiss which was worth the years of anticipation, their long awaited kiss seemed to have lasted forever. Jarod wrapped his arms tightly around her and repeated a second and a third serving of their tender moments.

TBC - Chapter 6