Kira finished getting ready for her date with Jebb with a smile on her face. She'd gotten a call from Judge Barclay to tell her that he and his daughter had spoken that morning and after a lot of discussion it seemed that everything was going to work out for Sam. She felt good about being able to help keep a young girl off of the streets. In fact, she couldn't remember feeling so good about anything in her past.
Kira glanced at the clock just as the buzzer rang to let her know that Jebb was there to pick her up. They were going to hang out with some of his friends at a local bar that was owned by a relative of one of the guys that raced with Jebb. After grabbing her jacket she headed down to join Jebb for their evening out.
While out at the bar Kira did something that she hadn't thought about doing in the past while out with the group; she slowly started to let her guard down. Being out with the men and women that she had once raced alongside of seemed to be much more fun than it had ever been. She even joined in when the others started to play their karaoke game. Of course she was very bad at it so she ended up having to remove one article of clothing for each line that she missed; which meant that the room felt significantly cooler at the end of the song. She never got around to going up for her second turn since Jebb had suggested that they leave the rest of the group behind before she could have another shot at the game. Kira figured that it was just as well since she didn't have too many articles of clothing left to remove and she had no doubt that she'd be given a song to sing that she'd never heard of.
Eventually the two went back to Kira's apartment where they drank a couple of beers and made out on the couch. For Jebb's part, he noticed that Kira seemed to be willing to go further than she normally would. When she leaned back on the couch and pulled him down with her he groaned into the kiss. In the past, Kira would always end their make-out sessions if she ended up lying on her back. It made her feel too vulnerable. That was why he usually leaned back instead. To give her control over just how far they went. This time, however, she held him close to her while she made a perfect cradle for his hips against her own. Jebb knew that he was close to the point of not being able to pull back; which he knew he'd need to since Kira has never once been willing to go further than a hot and heavy make-out session. This time, however, just as he was sure that Kira was about to pull back, leaving him more than a little sexually frustrated, she whispered to him as he nibbled on her earlobe that they should go to the bedroom.
Jebb wasn't sure if he'd heard her right. Of course after waiting for so long he wasn't about to question her and risk having her change her mind. He quickly got up and led her to the bedroom where he felt that despite the fact that it was still just a bit over a month before Christmas that he was about unwrap the best present that he'd ever been given. As layer by layer of clothing was removed both from Kira as well as himself he had to restrain himself from ravishing her the way he wanted to. He instead forced himself to take his time and memorize the flesh that had been hidden from him for far too long. As he leaned over Kira on the bed he kissed her passionately before exploring her inch by inch, enjoying the movements of impatience that he was able to illicit from his girlfriend. When he finally moved back to capture her lips he moved his hips forward in an act that he'd been waiting for since he'd first started dating Kira years before.
As Kira began to instinctively move with Jebb she breathed in his scent as he made her feel in a way that she'd never known was possible. Try as she might, she had a difficult time maintaining thought. This was better than she'd ever thought that sex could be. She felt Jebb's hands roaming her body just as she returned the act; feeling his flesh without the barriers of clothing to block her own exploration. Pulling her legs closer, she felt the need to try to absorb all of this man who had loved her in a way for years that she had never expected. She wanted to be as close to him as she could be. She couldn't believe that she'd held herself back from him for so long. Later, she'd feel absolutely foolish for waiting for so long and denying herself such ecstasy.
She had no sense of time and had no idea how long the two had remained intertwined before she felt her whole body tighten up in a manner that she'd never experienced before. It was like every nerve was becoming overloaded. Just when she wasn't sure if she'd be able to handle it any longer she was overtaken with another sensation of absolutely pure bliss. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the way every muscle in her body relaxed more than she could ever remember. Vaguely, she registered the fact that Jebb had stopped moving over her and had rolled off to the side. Kira turned to her side and rested her head on his shoulder as she tried to rein in her labored breathing.
Jebb placed a kiss on Kira's forehead as he felt a broad grin spread across his lips. He murmured that he loved her as he wrapped his arms around her. This is not how he'd expected for the night to end but he was far from complaining. He smoothed Kira's hair back as he felt her relax against him. She was quiet for so long that he had begun to think that she'd fallen asleep next to him. Instead, she was silently wondering just what she'd ever done to deserve a man like Jebb in her life. Eventually she lifted her head and glanced at her alarm clock next to the bed before groaning.
Jebb tilted his head and followed Kira's gaze. It was after two in the morning already. "Something wrong? You don't have plans tomorrow or anything do you?"
"No, but you do, don't you? Don't you have to get back to the farm tonight?"
"Only if you're gonna try to get rid of me," Jebb smiled. "Since I'd told my parents that I was going to go hang out with friends Pop knew that I'd likely be drinking. He told me to crash at a friend's place instead of trying to drive all of the way home afterwards. So, what do you say? Mind if I stay the night?"
In response Kira tightened her own grip around Jebb as she returned her head to its place at his shoulder. He wasn't going anywhere tonight. After what they'd just done, that meant more to her than she wanted to admit. That was the last thing that she remembered until she was awakened the next morning by the glare of sunlight filtering in through the curtains at the window. When she stretched her hand over to the place on the bed next to her she was disappointed to find it empty. She sat up and saw Jebb's shirt on the floor so she knew two things. One, she hadn't dreamt last night. Two, Jebb was still in the apartment.
Kira got up and dug in her dresser for an over-sized t-shirt that she used to sleep in and pulled it on before heading out to the living room. When she got there she found Jebb walking out of bathroom wearing just his jeans. Seeing him eye her up and down in the shirt made her fight a blush as she headed toward the kitchen while asking if he wanted some breakfast.
When Kira stretched to reach the cereal from its place on top of the refrigerator she felt Jebb wrap an arm around her waist just before he nuzzled her neck. She closed her eyes as he started to make her remember some of the things that they'd done the night before in vivid detail. When Jebb made a move to kiss her she reluctantly backed away.
"Jebb, I haven't even brushed my teeth yet this morning."
"I don't mind if you don't," Jebb smirked as he pulled Kira back toward him. He then gave her a good morning kiss as one of his hands flirted with the edge of the shirt at Kira's thighs.
When he finished he saw a faint hint of desire in Kira's eyes that let him know that last night would not be the only time that they'd make love. Good, because he knew that he was already hooked, himself.
All morning since he'd woken up he began to think about all of the things that he'd not had time for last night during their passionate love making. Last night was the first time since her abuse that Kira had ever had sex. What if it hadn't been good for her, too? What if it caused her to relive events that haunted her dreams? What if she decided that last night had been a mistake? He was certain that if those thoughts had entered his mind the night before the pressure if it all would have made it too difficult to try to show her the way he wanted her to feel when she thought of them together. Fortunately, the weight of what really had happened between the two of them hadn't entered into his mind until he was watching Kira sleep next to him after he woke up.
For so long she'd kept a part of herself closed off to him, even after all that he'd done over the years to try to prove to her that he'd never hurt her. Last night she finally allowed herself to unlock a part of herself to let him in. He knew that she'd loved him before last night, even heard her say it many times but last night had shown him that love in way that he had barely allowed himself to hope for.
"So, since the courthouse is closed for the holiday, what do you have planned today?" Jebb stepped over to the cabinet and grabbed the two bowls that she had and walked them over to the table as she finished getting the cereal.
Kira shrugged. "Nothing much. Laundry. Maybe watch a movie or two on television."
Jebb found the spoons in the dish drain as he thought about a suggestion. "Want to drive to Hazzard with me? With tomorrow being Thanksgiving, the family always celebrates together there. There is always more than enough food."
Kira froze in her tracks from retrieving the milk at the suggestion. Was she ready to meet his family? She knew that he'd suggested it a few times over the years but this was the first time since she'd returned to Atlanta. She wasn't really sure why but the mere thought of it sent a cold chill through her.
Shaking her head, Kira replied, "Tom and Michelle are expecting me tomorrow. I promised them that I'd join them."
Jebb tried to shrug off the disappointment that he felt. He hadn't really expected Kira to agree but he had allowed himself to hope that she might would consider it. "Maybe some other time then."
"When are you heading out?"
"I figured I'd be able to get there by supper if I leave out about an hour after lunch. That way I will get there in time for some grub but late enough that the rest of my cousins would have taken care of the farm chores as well as setting everything up for lunch tomorrow."
Kira saw the wicked gleam in Jebb's eyes and couldn't help but laugh. "Have it planned down to the wire, do you?"
"Always. And no one has ever questioned why I just happen to show up right at meal time." Jebb chuckled as he thought over all of the times that he'd been able to dodge some extra chores by being barely on time. Not to mention that the closer to the wire he made it the less he had to dodge the various intrusive questions of well-meaning relatives about his personal life.
"I'll have to remember that trick. Just in case I have anything I want you to do, I'll have to make sure you don't know until you get here. And not have food ready until after it is done."
Jebb pretended to be shot in the stomach as he collapsed into his chair at the table. "Oh! A shot right to the gut. Refusing to feed me until I earn my keep, huh? I wasn't aware that you could be that mean."
Kira joined him in laughing as she told him that he had no idea just how mean she could be. After breakfast the two sat on the couch and turned the television onto a program that neither really paid attention to as they cuddled. Soon the morning began to mirror the events of the night before as the young lovers enjoyed the last few hours before Jebb would need to leave out.
In Hazzard, Pauline Duke watched as her son pulled up on his motorcycle with only ten minutes to clean up before supper would be put on the table. Shaking her head, she couldn't believe that her husband had told him that not only could he hang out with his friends in Atlanta last night but had suggested that he not even come home until today! Of course he hadn't returned before she and the rest of the family had packed up and headed west from Placid towards the ancestral family home of her husband's family. Most of the family tried to return to this plot of land at least at this one time of year to honor the family of the past as well as to spend time with members of the family that had spread out to various parts of the country in pursuits of their own over the years.
When her son joined the rest of the family inside the old homestead she instructed for him to wash up as she and her sister-in-law, Betsy, as well as niece, Daisy, helped her to get supper on the table. As the family ate together her nephews and son each teased one another as well as spoke about the races that each of them had participated in since the last time that they'd all been together. Actually, Jebb had been in more than normal since their last meeting since he'd skipped out on last year's holiday meal. Instead he'd volunteered to maintain the farm back in Placid so that Pauline's brother, Carl, could take his family to his wife's family for the holidays. Something that they hadn't done in years.
At the time Pauline could remember that she felt that her son was incredibly depressed but as usual he'd refused to talk to her about it. This year, in recent months, he seemed to be much more alive. Much to her relief. She worried about her son so much. It always seemed that he kept so much of his life hidden from her. That didn't surprise her nearly as much as the nagging feeling that her son kept nearly as much from her husband. That was unusual. He'd always seemed to tell him everything when he was younger. Especially those things that he knew would be wiser to hide from his mother.
Today, her son seemed to have a bit of a spring in his step that she'd not seen in years. She hoped that meant that whatever had bothered him in the past was no longer an issue. Now, if she could just convince her son to start looking for a nice girl to settle down with and start a family. If he could just find a woman who'd make him want to forget his rambling ways she swore that she'd never ask for another thing again. She wanted a daughter-in-law that she could work alongside of in the kitchen while a house full of young children ran about. She even knew of the perfect parcel of land back in Placid that would be the ideal place for Jebb to build a house on for his would be family. That way she'd never have to be far away from him and his future family.
Watching the younger generation of Dukes, all of them single save for her eldest daughter, Karen, Pauline reluctantly wondered if any of young people before her would ever settle down.