32.
*Joe*
I still shuddered every time that I thought about it. She had kissed me. How could she have possibly thought that I like her? When had I ever given her any clues? Sure, I had acted pleasant around her because I'm an operative, and therefore, a very good actor. But I hadn't wanted her to kiss me.
"What's wrong?" Katelyn asked me, looking away form the window. The trees sped by and I knew that we were close.
"Abby Cameron kissed me."
Katelyn laughed, then. "I hope you didn't shove her away or anything. It might hurt her feelings."
"I stood there in shock," I admitted.
Katelyn laughed. "Of course you did. How long did it last?"
"Eighty seven seconds."
"Wow," she teased and then squeezed my hand. "I think I told you once that you're irresistible. I hope you believe me now."
"You're not angry?" I asked, smiling and looking over at her.
She rolled her eyes. "Let her have her crush."
I laughed and pulled off of the road. "We're here."
She looked around the woods. "I'm guessing the real house is about a mile away. And you have all kinds of trip wires and cameras and such."
"I had Zach update the security," I admitted. "Just follow my lead, okay?"
I managed to get her through the minefield safely and then she smiled at the cabin. "It's cute. And so secluded. I like it."
"Good," I replied. "Because there's no telling how long you're going to have to stay here."
She shivered because winter was coming and it was getting cold outside. "Come on," I said, putting an arm around her shoulders and leading her inside. Zach was sitting on the couch watching something on the TV, but he stood up when we came in and smiled, "Hey, Joe."
"Zach," I replied. "Meet Katelyn, my wife."
"Hey," Zach said, holding out a hand to Katelyn.
Katelyn smiled at him and shook his hand. "Hi."
I'd already told her, but I repeated it. "Zach's your security detail."
"I got everything you asked for," he said, gesturing to the wall, where a new shelf stood, stocked with all kinds of DVDs. There was no cable, so I had asked him to buy a lot of DVDs to watch so that Katelyn wouldn't get bored.
"There's more in the master bedroom," he said. "And I stocked up the kitchen with all sorts of food, especially the ones you asked for. Oh, and I cleaned it all this morning."
"Good work," I nodded in approval.
Zach coughed and then said, "I'm going to go run an errand, if that's okay."
"I'll walk you out," I said.
"Nice meeting you," he said to Katelyn.
She smiled. "You too."
*Katelyn*
The master bedroom was very nice. The bed in the middle was king sized with a homemade quilt on it for cover. The floors were wood and a TV hung on the wall beside the bed. A door led to the bathroom and another door led to the closet, where I found all of my clothes already hung up.
I observed the titles of some of the DVDs on the shelves on the opposite wall. There were hundreds of them, and I knew that I wouldn't get bored.
Phantom of the Opera
Robin Hood
The Karate Kid
Eight Below
Dinner for Schmucks
The Bourne Trilogy
Avatar
Pride and Prejudice
Beauty and the Beast
The Lion King
The Apple Dumpling Gang
Mulan
Anastasia
Ocean's Eleven
Shrek
Harry Potter
Silence of the Lambs
The Ring
Ever After
Never Been Kissed
Liar, Liar
The Truman Show
The list just went on and on. Some of my favorites were there, some I had never seen before. I wondered how long I was going to be confined to the safe house.
I walked to the other shelf, which was filled with books. Some of them were regular books, and others were books for operatives. At least I wouldn't have to watch movies all of the time. I could read a book or take a walk or wade around in the water that I'd seen coming in. Of course, wading in the water wouldn't be a good idea until it unfroze… Sometime in March, maybe. Or April.
Joe walked into the room and I turned to face him. "This safe house is nice. Thanks for doing all of this for me."
He smiled. "It's the least I can do."
"When's Zach coming back?"
"Tomorrow morning," he answered. "That's when I have to leave."
"Oh." I knew that Joe was leaving to try to track down members of the Circle. We only had one more night together.
He smiled and approached me as if he had read my mind. "I'll come back as soon as I can, love. I promise. And Zach can be a go-between. We'll be meeting up every now and then."
I nodded slowly. "I'm going to miss you."
"I'll miss you, too," he said softly and then pressed his lips to mine gently. He'd been more gentle than ever with me ever since I'd told him that I was pregnant. I wrapped my arms around his neck and his were wrapped around my lower back, holding me against him.
I moved my hands down his chest and worked at the buttons on his shirt. Once it was unbuttoned, I slid it off of his shoulders. He pulled away from me ever so slightly. "Are you sure?"
"We're married," I said confusedly.
He exhaled a laugh. "No, I mean, is this going to be okay for the baby?"
"Yes," I said. "The baby is going to be fine."
He moved his mouth back to mine and moved his hands under my shirt. Soon enough, my shirt was removed and he set me gently on the bed, hovering over me, careful not to put any weight on me. But I wanted him closer and I clutched at him, trying to communicate that it was okay.
He took his time and afterwards, I fell into his arms underneath the sheets. "I love you," He breathed and I smiled and said, "I love you, too."