Burning Love

Seth woke, groggy and disoriented. He turned and found what appeared to be a foot sharing his pillow. A long, shapely foot with expertly polished nails. Red nails. He took a deep breath. He'd drunk more last night than he had in a very long time, ages, in fact. He'd spent most of the night with Jessica, as usual, but there was quite a significant period of time he couldn't recall. He stifled a groan and scrubbed his face. How could he ever face Jessica again? She could never know that he'd brought some strange woman back to his hotel room. He eased up, shifting his weight gingerly and leaning forward. He saw a shock of reddish-blonde hair peeking out of the tangle of sheets at the bottom of the bed. Jessica?

Seth smiled as Jessica freshened his coffee. He smothered a sigh as she turned, putting the coffee pot on the stove. It was getting harder and harder for him to hide his feelings for her. He'd been in love with her for years. Almost from the moment he'd met her. He hadn't really believed men and women could be friends, and he was pleasantly surprised to discover how peaceful and easy his friendship with Jessica was. It wasn't until later, until the whole Juniper Lake business, that he admitted to himself that he'd fallen in love with Jessica. Sometimes, when he was awake in the night, unable to sleep, he called that scene to mind.

There's no power on earth that would make me believe that Seth is a killer.

Sometimes, if he was particularly low, he'd imagine how he might have behaved differently, how he might have touched her arm, looked deeply into her eyes, even perhaps kissed her.

And last spring, when he'd come to, groggy, disoriented, it was her beautiful, tear-stained face that swam into view. He hadn't the discipline to keep from brushing his fingers against the soft skin of her cheek. Even now he could still feel the tingle in his fingertips.

"Seth. Seth?" He looked at her blankly. "Where were you?"

"Sorry, Jess. Just thinking."

"Yes, I could see that. You were miles away. Anything wrong?"

"Just thinking, woman. Is that a crime?"

Jessica laughed. "No, but I must admit my ego's a bit bruised."

Seth leaned back in his chair. "How so?"

She fixed him with that piercing stare. "It's not often I extend a travel invitation that's met with total silence."

"Travel? What?"

Jessica eyed him coolly. "I mentioned that I'd be traveling to Las Vegas for a bookseller's convention. It's a few days at the Hotel Flamingo. A little over the top, I realize."

Seth leaned forward in his chair. "I'm sorry, Jess. I really was just lost in thought. What did you ask me?"

Jessica studied him critically for a moment, then relented. "I asked if you wanted to accompany me to the convention. I'll have a few responsibilities, but mostly I'll be free. I thought you might enjoy a few days away."

Seth feared it was a bad idea, but how could he say no? "I've always wanted to visit Las Vegas." He grinned at her. "Should we do some gambling?"

Jessica smiled a mysterious, almost cat-like smile. "Who knows? Perhaps we already are."

Seth's eyes followed her as she stood gracefully from the table and turned to the sink to rinse her coffee cup. Hoo boy, he thought. Spending a few days with her could be a risk, but then, wasn't that what made life worth living?

Seth walked into the suite and let out a long, low whistle.

Jessica turned and looked at him, a tiny frown of worry creasing her brow. "Everything alright?"

"Very nice," said Seth hastily. He dug in his pocket and quickly handed the bell hop a five-dollar bill. "Thank you, young man."

"Thank you, sir. Madam. Enjoy your stay."

He closed the door softly behind him, and Seth turned to face Jessica. "This is…"

Jessica looked around the suite. It was lavish. She'd become more accepting of the perks that came with being a bestselling author, and she had considered it might be a challenge for Seth. At the airport, he'd swallowed his protest when she informed him that they'd be flying first class. During the flight, she'd tried to prepare him for the hotel and their accommodations. "It's a bit much, I realize," she began, then held up her hands to forestall him. "And I didn't mention it because…because I didn't want you to kick up a fuss before we left. Vaughn had already booked the suite, so I had the extra room. I wanted you to come, and I didn't want you to feel…uncomfortable."

Seth shifted from one foot to the other. Jessica knew him well. He was uncomfortable. Talk of money embarrassed him, though, to be fair Jessica seldom, if ever, brought it up. He knew she'd heard the talk. How could she have avoided it? Seth moved back to Cabot Cove a year and a half before Frank died. He knew that a widowed doctor was catnip to all the single women within a 75-mile radius. He also knew, well, that these women had obtained and circulated his curriculum vitae, as Margie often quipped, within weeks of his settling back in Cabot Cove. At that time, he'd been digging his way out of debt. Juniper Lake had been something of a setback, and what ultimately brought him back to the Cove. Even though Jessica wasn't a widow then, he knew she could hardly have helped overhearing some, if not all, the gossip about him. His money woes proved to be a serious deterrent to most of the single women, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't come back home to settle down with one of those provincial women. None of them could hold a candle to his Ruth, until he got to know, really know, Jessica.

He took a moment to stare at the woman before him. She was lovely, as always. Warm and elegant, she was wearing simple, but stylish, navy suit with a white blouse and one of those patterned scarves she favored. She was wearing bright lipstick and kitten heels. She looked cool and lovely in spite of the wall of heat that had greeted them on arrival.

He smiled at her, and he was pleased to see the set of her shoulders relax. "You know me well, woman. I most definitely would have kicked up a fuss. I can be as balky as an old mule sometimes." The sound of her laughter delighted him. "This is-" he waved a hand to encompass the room-"very nice, and I appreciate being your guest. Thank you, Jess." He was surprised and charmed to see a faint blush form across her cheeks.

"No need to thank me," she said brusquely. "You're doing me a favor. I'm sure your medical conferences are much more lively and entertaining."

Now it was Seth's turn to laugh. "I very much doubt that, woman." He jerked his chin to the left. "Shall I take that room?"

"Whichever you prefer. As far as I know, they're both the same."

"Then you choose first, Jess." He aped a gallant bow, which made Jessica laugh even more. He smiled as she made a quick, audible circuit of both rooms.

"They are the same, Seth!" She emerged, smiling and slightly breathless, from the room Seth had earmarked as his. "You can take this one." She pointed across the room. "I'll have that one."

"Alright," said Seth agreeably. "I'll just put our bags away."

"You should have let the bell hop do that!"

"It'll only take a minute."

True to his word, Seth was back by her side rather more quickly than she thought possible. "What's next on the agenda?"

Jessica glanced at her watch. "There's a cocktail mixer at 6:30." She looked at Seth hopefully.

"Sounds like just the ticket, Jess. What say we freshen up and head down on the dot?" He was relieved to see her bright smile.

"Thank you, Seth. I know some of these things won't exactly be your cup of tea."

"Nonsense, woman. I'm looking forward to whatever happens next." He laughed as Jessica raised her eyebrows. He lifted two fingers in a mock salute. "Scout's honor."

"I'm going to hold you to that." She turned smartly on her heel and Seth watched her go, a wistful look on his face.

"I hope you do, Jessica," he whispered, then turned and walked to his bedroom.

Seth was nursing a drink at the bar, watching Jessica work the room. She looked lovely, and he was proud to be her escort for the evening. Still, he knew he ought to go easy on the alcohol. He'd warned Jessica earlier, but she'd only arched an eyebrow and taken another sip of her cocktail. He couldn't deny being charmed. He was only trying to keep her from regretting anything come morning. He took another sip of his whiskey. It was an indulgence, Jack Daniels, a taste he'd developed during his time in the army. Everyone knew something big was up, but no one had the details. Even so, the CO gave them a night off and told them to enjoy themselves. They didn't need telling twice. Seth was feeling bold, but he knew now what he really felt was fear. He ordered the only adult drink he could think of: Jack Daniels and Coke. He'd never forget the burn.

Over time, he'd developed a more refined palate. When he drank whiskey, it was usually neat, and though he experimented with different distilleries, he always came back to Jack Daniels. He took the last swallow and turned to the bartender. One more wouldn't hurt.

Sunlight streamed in through a gap in the curtains, and Seth woke abruptly. He turned his head and immediately regretted it. He must've really tied one on last night. He only hoped he hadn't embarrassed Jessica. He turned again, gingerly, and was surprised to see what appeared to be a foot resting on his pillow. A long, shapely foot with red polish on the nails. He lay as still as possible, wracking his brain to remember last night and hoping like hell Jessica wouldn't walk in any minute, trilling Good Morning! and bringing him a steaming cup of coffee. Jessica. He almost groaned, then he drew in a breath. He'd teased Jessica just yesterday about the scandalous red polish on her toes. He lifted his head, my but it did hurt, and squinted down the bottom of the bed. A riot of reddish-blonde curls were poking out from the bedsheet. Jessica. Gently he lifted the sheet. They hadn't a stitch of clothing between them.

Of all the…how could he have been so careless, such a cad? How could he have taken advantage of her. He'd been drinking to excess, and he'd cautioned her to take it easy earlier in the evening. She would never forgive him.

He took a few long, slow, deep breaths. She'd never forgive him. How could he forgive himself? He heard a slight groan and felt the sheet tug as she began shifting about. What could he do? He couldn't let her see him like this? He reached out a hand and began groping along the nightstand table. At the very least, he needed his glasses.

"Seth?"

Damn. "Morning, Jessica," he said in as hearty a voice as he could muster.

"Oh, Seth. I feel just awful. How do you feel?"

"Not much better. Do you…I mean, are you going to be sick?"

"No. No, I don't think so. Oh my goodness, my head is ripping."

"I could make us some coffee?"

"In a minute," she said softly. "Just give me a minute."

He lay there quietly, waiting for her to put two and two together, and tried to come up with a reasonable explanation as to why the two of them were in bed, together, naked as the day they were born. Try as he might, he just couldn't do it.

"Seth?"

"Yes, Jessica?"

"Are we…are we in your room?"

"I believe we're in your room, Jess."

She lifted the sheet. "I see." She tried to shift herself up so that she could see his face, but she gave that up as a bad job. "Do you remember anything?"

"Not much," he admitted. "You?"

"Some." She held out a hand. "Do you think you could help me…?"

"Of course, Jess!" Seth propped himself up, then held out a hand to steady Jessica. Even now, as terrible as he felt physically and-truth be told-emotionally, he still felt a longing for her. She was even lovelier on waking than he'd thought her last night. He was relieved to feel her clasp his hand. He squeezed it back as she made her way slowly up the bed. She sat next to him, and he handed her a generous section of the bedspread. She smiled at him gratefully and he felt his heart would break. "Jessica, I-"

She took hold of his hand again. "Let me, Seth," she said softly. She looked down at their joined hands. "I'm beginning to remember a bit more from last night." Seth looked at her expectantly. "I remember we'd both been drinking more than usual." Seth snorted quietly and she chuckled, then winced. "Oh, my head."

"Jessica, I wish you'd let me apologize."

"I wish you'd let me finish!" she said with a touch of asperity. Seth nodded. "We were dancing, I remember, closer and closer. Perhaps closer than we ever have done." Seth stared at the curtains. He had a vague memory of dancing with Jess, holding her in his arms. He smiled at the thought. "And we…I…said we should get a taxi and ride around Las Vegas, see a few of the sites." She smiled apprehensively at him. She took a deep breath. Telling him this next bit would be hard. Of course it hadn't been part of her original plan. Drinking so much hadn't been part of her original plan, either. She hoped Seth wouldn't be too angry. She'd wanted this trip to mark the beginning of something special for them, a very definite shift in their relationship, but she hadn't anticipated this. "Well. We started talking about our memories of Las Vegas, Sinatra, the Rat Pack, Elvis. And, by this time, we were in the cab, riding all over downtown. There was a drive-through chapel." She risked a look at Seth, whose eyes were wide with shock. "You gave the driver $20 to drive us through, and…"

"Do you mean to tell me, woman, that we got married last night?"

Jessica nodded. "By an Elvis impersonator."

"What?"

"We were married last night by an Elvis impersonator in a drive-through chapel."

Seth slumped back against his pillow, unable to take it in. "I'm sorry, Jess."

"Sorry?"

He turned to look at her. "Yes, sorry! I'm not exactly sure what we'll need to do, but I'm sure we can get this annulled when we get home."

"Annulled?"

"Yes," said Seth cautiously. "I assumed that's what you'd want."

"I don't think you know anything about what I want, Seth Hazlitt!"

Seth was confused. His head was pounding, his mouth felt like it was full of cotton batting, and he was lying next to the woman he loved almost more than life itself. They were married, if her memory and the laws of Nevada could be trusted, and they'd at least attempted to make love. He was giving her an out, and she appeared not to want to take it. His traitorous heart lifted at the thought. "Jessica?"

She sniffed.

"Jessica?"

"Yes?"

He reached for her hand and was relieved that she let him take it in his. He smoothed his thumb across her wrist. "I know what I want," he rumbled. "I just can't believe it's anything close to what you might want."

She turned to look at him and lifted their joined hands to her lips. "You, Seth. I want you."

He drew in a sharp breath as tears pricked his eyelids. "Are you sure? I didn't even propose properly, and this…" He waved his hand between them. "I don't even remember! That's not the man I thought I was."

She freed her hand from his and smoothed it along his cheek. "You're a good man, a wonderful man. The only man I could ever love."

"Do you mean that, Jess?"

"I'm not in the habit of saying things I don't mean."

"I know," he said hastily. "It's just hard to take it all in."

"I know, darling."

"Darling?"

"If you'll have me."

Seth guffawed, and they both winced. "Jessica, I could kiss you, only I can't really move right now."

Jessica laughed and put a hand on his chest. "I think we should try to go back to sleep, Seth."

"Sleep? Aren't we leaving today?"

"I changed our flight to tomorrow. I was hoping last night would lead to something like this. Minus the hangover, of course."

Seth smiled and put a gentle arm around her shoulders. They moved slowly down into the bed and arranged themselves as comfortably as they could. "Very clever, Mrs. Hazlitt. I knew there was a reason I love you." He felt her smile against his shoulder.

"Do you suppose we'll feel better when we wake?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Only I'd like to remember round two."

They laughed quietly together and settled in more firmly into the bedclothes. "A restorative nap is often the best cure for anything that ails you, woman. Hangovers in particular."

Jessica yawned. "You did warn me," she mumbled.

"And I didn't follow my own excellent advice."

"Doctors make the worst patients."

"This is one cure you won't have to convince me to take. The rewards are too sweet."

"I love you, Seth."

"I love you, Jess. I'll love you forever." He placed a soft kiss on her head, and she curled impossibly closer. If this was a dream, he never wanted to wake.

A/N: This idea just wouldn't let me be. What in the world must their wedding have been like? Hope you have fun imagining it! Thanks for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate it!