Chapter 14

When Kate awoke, the sun was fully up and she lay basking in it underneath the sunroof. She had rolled away from Sawyer in her sleep and she now stretched, flexing each muscle like a cat. She stood up and wrapped herself in a blanket. She made her way over to the water and grabbed a bottle drinking thirstily. Then she turned her gaze to Sawyer and watched him sleep. He was on his stomach with his head resting lightly on his forearms. His face was completely relaxed, an expression she'd never seen when he was awake. Kate didn't want to wake him up, he looked so peaceful, so she gathered her clothes (which were sprawled throughout the tent) and dressed leisurely. When she finished tying the shoelace on her final shoe, she sat down on the airplane seats that Sawyer used for his couch. Kate watched him sleeping and felt something glowing inside of her. It made her calm, at peace.

After watching him for a few minutes, Kate looked around the tent for something to do and came across a book. IWatership Down/I. She had seen him reading it before and wondered if it was any good. She'd never really been much of a reader, but then again she'd never had much of a chance what with all the running she'd been doing. Kate picked up the book and flipped to the first chapter and began reading. Sawyer hadn't been lying when he told her it was about bunnies. But by the third chapter, the politics and words the rabbits used were so wierd, so unexpected, that she gave it up. It was giving her a headach anyway.

Kate set down the book and was about to leave the tent to go eat when she heard Sawyer move. She glanced at him and saw him roll over onto his back without waking up. II think he's slept late enough./Ishe thought to herself. Walking over to him, she got down on her hands and knees and leaned over his body. With a quick breath she leant down and gently kissed his lips, intensifying the kiss with each second until he began to respond. Soon they were kissing passionately as they had the night before.

When Kate finally pulled away, Sawyer drew a sharp breath and blinked his eyes in the morning light. "What was that for?" he asked in a bit of a daze.

Sawyer propped himself up on one elbow as Kate considered her answer. "You were snoring." she said with a smile.

"Was not. I don't snore." Sawyer frowned playfully.

"How would you know...you were asleep." Kate's smile grew with each word.

Sawyer growled deep in his throat, "I don't snore." He narrowed his eyes, but couldn't keep a grin from creasing the corners of his mouth. "And even if I did, I guess I'll have to start doing it more often if that's going to happen every time." Now he broke into a full smile, flashing his dimples. He leaned forward and kissed Kate once more. Then he leaned back and noticed for the first time that she had clothes on. "Now whatdaya' gotta go an' git dressed for?" he asked, his accent becoming stronger with each word.

Kate could tell that he was slightly disappointed, but she was hungry...it had been a long (though not long enough) night. "I'm hungry." She stated simply.

"Oh, is that so? Well, hell Freckles, I'm hungry too, but I don't think we're talkin' about the same thing." Sawyer's sentance trailed off as he raised an eyebrow and licked his lips enticingly. Kate's stomach fluttered at the idea of staying in the tent. But she knew people would begin to wonder. And she didn't want people to get the wrong idea about her on her first day 'with' Sawyer. Not that she was worried about what they would think of their relationship so much as what they would think of her, jumping into bed (and staying there), when no one even really knew about the two of them. She thought it would be best if they went about this a bit more discretely.

"Sawyer. As much as that sounds incredibly amuzing. People will wonder."

"So let them wonder," he whispered into her ear and kissed the side of her neck.

Taking a deep breath she replied, "God...you don't make this easy do you?" She looked at him, and then kissed him lightly. "I'm hungry. Get your pants on."

And with that she stood up and walked out of the tent. But not before hearing a defeated "tch" from Sawyer. She stood outside and waited for him. She could hear him curse a couple of times as he tried in vain to find his boxers which she had strategically hidden.

Kate grinned, but held the laughter at bay. When Sawyer finally ducked out of the tent he didn't have his shirt on, but was holding it in one hand while still zipping up his pants. At a glimpse Kate could tell that he hadn't found his boxers and now he simply wasn't wearing any. She turned away, giggling under her breath. But Sawyer heard her, and figured out what had happened to his boxers. Growling, he followed her to where others were already cooking some boar and cutting up fruit.

Claire was the first person who noticed Kate, and smiled at her, only afterwards realising that she was being followed by Sawyer and coming from the direction of his tent. She just smiled, and continued cutting up the mango she held. "Got one for me?" Kate asked.

"Sure." Claire reached into the bag sitting next to her and tossed one up to Kate. Then without asking, tossed another one to Sawyer who had just caught up. Kate said thanks and started to turn away when Claire tossed a passion fruit at her as well, and then a coconut to Sawyer. "Just thought you might be a bit extra hungry." Claire blushed slightly and grinned before turning back to her own mango. Kate looked at her for a second, stunned slightly. Then shook her head and walked away.

Sawyer cursed midway through pulling his shirt over his head, and tried to follow Kate and hold onto his food at the same time. Finally catching up he said, "Damn woman! Can't you wait for two seconds? Jesus!"

Kate laughed, "You know you don't have to follow me around like a puppy dog just cuz we slept together." she said the last part quietly so no one else would hear.

"Oh really. Well maybe it just so happens, I want to follow you around. It don't mean you gotta be rude an' just leave."

Kate rolled her eyes, "sorry." she said without any remorse whatsoever.

"Fine." Sawyer growled. "If your gonna be like that, then maybe I Idon't/I wanna follow you." He turned away in a huff, but Kate caught his arm and turned him around. And right there on the beach in front of everyone, she kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Don't leave." she said, looking up at him through her eyelashes. She turned away and as she did so took a bite seductively out of her passionfruit. Sawyer grinned and followed, looking ever so much like a puppy dog.