With all of the issues the site has been having I have not posted because I prefer to re read and edit on desktop but alas here is the next part. Enjoy~S.K.
Twenty
Tori was glad it was light out, at least. She was tired, and she knew her reflexes were suffering, but the traffic was very light. "Right turn up there?" She asked softly, her eyes flicking to her companion.
Jade nodded.
Tori was worried. Jade had been withdrawn since she'd gotten back into the car, allowing her head to rest against the glass of the window, her reflection bleakly evident to Tori's watching eyes. A little hesitantly, she reached over and folded her hand over her lover's, encouraged when the long fingers tightened over hers immediately. "You okay?"
"Yeah." Jade sighed. "Just tired." She turned her head and studied Tori's profile. "I think I need a nap."
Tori glanced at her. "Me too." She confessed. "My hand's aching from this cold.. how's your knee?"
Jade waggled her free hand and grimaced.
The brunette woman waited a beat, then took a breath. "That woman still bothering you?"
The jaw muscles along Jade's face clenched, the relaxed. "It… she just brought up some old, bad memories… that's all."
"Mm… " Tori waited, but nothing else came. "Anything you want to share?'
Jade thought about that a long time, as rows of damp, gray shadowed trees went past them. "I.." She stopped, then cleared her throat. "I never…I've never really talked about any of that with anyone before…maybe a pair of friendly ears would help." It was, she acknowledged privately, a huge chasm she'd just leapt over, but Tori couldn't know that.
The corners of Tori's mouth crinkled up, as she guided the car carefully across the slick road and up a long driveway, where a sign announced the presence of the hotel they were staying at. "I think that could be arranged." She pulled the car up under the valet parking overhang, and put it in park. "C'mon."
Jade willingly followed her up the stairs, shouldering her overnight bag and giving the valet a brief smile as Tori turned the keys over to him. They approached the desk, and Jade gave her name quietly to the desk clerk. 'We were supposed to check in last night, but… "
"Yes, Ms. West.. your office called and told us." The woman smiled at her. "We held the room.. it's no problem.. and um.. " She chuckled a little. "I think you have a little surprise waiting up there."
Jade and Tori exchanged wary glances. "A surprise?" Jade asked. "What kind of surprise?"
The woman smiled cheerfully at her. "Now.. if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise… but don't' worry. It's nothing bad." She handed over the room keys. "Here you go… we have room service available twenty four hours, and you're on the concierge floor, so you can just ask as you get off the elevator if you need anything."
Jade sighed. "Thanks." She took the key and gave Tori hers, then followed the other woman as they went to the elevator. "I hate surprises." She groused.
Tori patted her belly tolerantly. "C'mon, Jade.. it's probably a fruit basket." She scolded her boss. "Would you relax? All the hotels do that for VIP's nowadays."
"Mmph." Jade leaned back against the elevator wall and tried to stifle a yawn. "Yeah.. I guess." She waited for the doors to open then pushed off the back wall and trudged through them, giving the pink and wide eyed concierge a nod before moving past his desk.
Their room was on a corner, and Jade pushed the keycard in, then pulled it out, turning the handle when the light flashed on and shoving the door open.
The scent of chocolate hit them and stopped them both in their tracks. "Whoa." Jade got out, as she flipped the lights on.
It was a large room, with a wide window and one big, comfortable looking bed. A door to one side led to a bathroom, and one on the other side to a tiled Jacuzzi. In front of them was a round table, which was currently covered with a huge, completely stuffed, overflowing basket of assorted things of the species chocolate. Jade found herself staring at it with a stupid grin. "Oo."
Tori peeked past her. "Thought you didn't like surprises?" She commented, giving her boss a slap on the behind as she moved past her to put her bag down.
"Tell you what.. anytime you want to surprise me with fifty pounds of chocolate, you go right ahead." Jade responded, plucking the card from the ornate holder and examining it. "It's from Alister."
"Gee." Tori grinned. "What a surprise." She came over and peeked at the card. "That's really sweet of him."
"Well." Jade poked into the basket's contents. "Considering we just saved face in front of the board, it's not unprecedented." She glanced at Tori. "They were thinking of dropping the extreme sports line altogether if we hadn't gotten that stuff working this morning."
Tori stopped dead, and stared at her. "Why didn't you tell me that?" She asked, stung.
Jade glanced at the table top, and fiddled with the card. "No sense in both of us being worried sick.. I guess.. I don't know… I should have." She gave Tori a contrite look. "Not that you could have done more than you were doing." She paused awkwardly. "I'm sorry."
Tori gave her a vexed look. "No.. but it would explain why you were so damned tense." She started to go on, then saw the almost imperceptible flinch in Jade's face. Not now, Tori. Her mind warned her. Not now.. she's tired, you're tired, and she apologized for not saying anything. Just drop it. "Jesus, Jade.. .tell me next time, huh? So I can chew my nails along with you?" She gave her boss a lopsided grin.
Jade relaxed a little. "I will." She promised, stripping off her jacket and hanging it up in the small closet. "Wonder how long it'll take us to get through that basket." She turned a grin of her own on Tori.
The brunette woman gazed at the huge thing in trepidation. "I think we'll get sick to our stomachs if we try." She commented wryly, taking off her own jacket and tugging her shirt out from her jeans. "He must have worked pretty fast… it's not even nine o clock."
"Well.." Jade pulled off her sneakers and tossed them near her bag, then slipped her sweatshirt over her head, dropping it neatly on the chair before unbuttoning her flannel shirt and removing it. "If I could get seventy T1 circuits and routers installed before dawn, I guess he could handle a basket of chocolate." She leaned back and stretched, wincing as both shoulders popped before she straightened and ran her fingers through her hair, rubbing the back of her neck. "God, I'm tired." She admitted. "I'm glad that's over…we can rest here until dinnertime, then drive up to the cabin. It's just a little an hour from here... and it looked like the weather's clearing a little."
"Soundsgood to me." Tori ambled over to her, already having shed her pants and half unbuttoned her shirt, while she worked on unfastening Jade's jeans. Her fingers slid easily under the waistband, and she unhooked the first button, letting her thumbs trace the ripple of muscles just under the skin. She leaned forward and gently kissed the soft skin, feeling the ribs move under her lips in an uneven breath.
Then the room's air was cool against her skin as Jade peeled her shirt off, the taller woman's hands sliding slowly down her arms, then releasing them and moving across her ribcage, causing a jolt of pure sensation as the wandering fingers brushed over her breasts. "Thought you were tired. " Tori burred, nuzzling her face against a soft curve.
"The smell of all that chocolate must have woken me up." Jade replied, catching a thin fold of skin between her teeth and nibbling it gently. "Thought you were tired?"
Tori undid the second button and moved lower, tracing the edge of her lover's navel, then working up to the tip of her breastbone. "I wish I could blame it on the chocolate." She murmured, inhaling greedily. "But it's not that smell that's giving me these goosebumps."
"Mm.. yeah.. lookit that." Jade's fingertip made a lazy trail across her shoulder, then her lips traced the same path, as her body woke fully, forgetting about the long night and the frustrations of the day. Even the last, haunting echoes of the past caused by Shari's appearance faded, replaced by the solid, comforting present now wrapped around her body. She stepped out of her jeans, finding herself being tugged towards the bed, and she gladly tumbled into it, her arms full of warm, bare skin.
Tori rolled her over, and pounced on top of her, ending up with Jade's earlobe lightly caught between neat white teeth. " You let me know.. " She whispered in a muffled tone. "When I start squashing you, okay?"
Jade chuckled low in her throat, and gave her a pat on the butt. "Not a problem…I hardly feel it." Which wasn't quite true, but close enough. She stretched and wrapped her legs around Tori's, and surrendered herself to a pleasant wave of passion.
The phone rang, dragging Tori out of a sound sleep, and she fumbled the receiver off the hook, managing to get it somewhere near her ear. "Yeah?" She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry.. I mean hello?"
"Hey.." Sinjin's voice echoed weirdly. "Tori?"
She pulled her wits around her, gently moving away from Jade's warm body. "Eyah. I'm here…. Go on." She paused. "Sinjin?" A glance at the clock told her it was close to four pm, and she rubbed her eyes, having been startled out of a weird, but interesting dream.
"Jade there?" Sinjin inquired.
Tori glanced down at the long, powerful arm circling her stomach and grinned quirkily. "She's here.. she's sleeping.. what's up?"
"Oh.. nothing really… um… she should probably.. uh.. check her email when she gets a chance. "Sinjin said, innocently. "You know… nothing urgent."
"Actually...I was going to ship the laptops back to San Francisco, I was hoping for a few days without them." Tori admitted. "Is it something important, Sinjin?"
He chuckled softly "Nah.. Sunday night will be fine… she'd just might want to check it before Monday morning, though." A rattle of keystrokes. "By the way, you guys are furking big time no shit heroes around here today."
"I bet." Tori let herself back down onto the pillow, and snuggled back against Jade, who immediately hugged her closer. "Mm."
"What was that?" Sinjin asked.
"Uh.. I was just agreeing." Tori mentally slapped herself. "Well, I'm glad everyone's happy about it… I guess there'll be one huge meeting on Monday, though, huh?" She sighed. "That'll be a trip…I can just imagine the arguments."
Sinjin chuckled. "Uh… well, yeah.. it's certainly going to be quite a Monday." He agreed. "Listen.. you guys have a great time up there, okay? Relax, take it easy… unwind a little."
Tori yawned. "Will do… I'll bring you back some maple syrup or pecans or whatever the heck they have up here." She listened to the laughter, then hung up, and allowed her body to sink back down into the warm pit she'd been resting in, while she sleepily regarded the quiet, peaceful room.
Jade was really out, she knew, glancing back over her shoulder. The other woman had fallen asleep after they'd made love, and had hardly moved an inch in the intervening hours. Tori debated going back to sleep herself, then realized they'd have to start moving around shortly if they wanted to get up to the cabin.
"First things first." She decided, reaching for the phone. "The only thing we've both eaten in the last twenty four hours just about is a half dozen Snowballs and a gallon of coffee. Even Jade can't live on that."
"Sure I can." The soft mumble tickled her ear. "That's.. what.. two of the food groups, right?"
"Shh." Tori dialed the phone, after checking a card on the dresser. "Hi, this is..oh, you know what my room number is, great." She said, as someone answered. "I see you've got pizzas? Okay.. can I have two small.. " She got a poke in the ribs. "Um.. sorry.. two medium pizzas.. one a vegetable combo, the other with.. " She gave Jade a look. "sausage, and pepperoni on it." Another poke. Tori sighed. "And extra cheese."
Jade grinned, and nuzzled the back of her neck.
"Thanks.. and a pitcher of ice tea, please… excuse me? Oh.. yes, no… that'll be fine." Tori finished ordering and hung up, then squirmed around in Jade's arms and regarded her fondly. "Sinjin says we're heroes."
"I bet." The dark haired woman responded sleepily, her eyes still closed. "Guess we gotta get moving, huh?"
"Mm.." Tori idly traced a tiny scar on her lover's chin. "You said you wanted to get up there before dark." She watched as Jade's eyelids fluttered open, revealing her startlingly blue eyes, and allowing Tori to gaze into them.
To drown in them. Slowly, she leaned forward and kissed Jade lightly on the forehead, then hugged her, unable to either define, nor explain the suddenly overwhelming sense of devotion and connection she felt.
This was just so precious, she wanted to cradle it gently in her hands, and never let it go. Jade's hand smoothed the back of her hair in a familiar gesture, and she let herself sink into the embrace, feeling a resonance chime deep inside her.
"Hey." Jade whispered softly, a worried tone in her voice. "You all right?"
Tori nodded mutely, breathing in the scent of the dark haired woman's skin. The feeling subsided, leaving her only conscious of a pervasive warmth, that she could almost feel running between them, leaving her body and entering Jade's, and coming back again. "Yeah… yeah.. I'm fine… " She took a deep breath and let it out, aware of the beating heart under her ear. "Just felt like hugging you.. that's all."
The long fingers slid down the side of her neck and lifted her chin, and she had no choice but to look up at Jade, knowing she was wide open to her, and helpless, tears edging wetly around her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Her lover asked softly, capturing a tear with one thumb, and gazing at her anxiously. "Did.. something happen? Did…wh… "
She felt Jade's heartbeat pick up, under the fingers she had pressed against her chest. "N…nothing…. I.. I don't know.. I just.. it got really intense there for a minute.. I'm not really sure why.. maybe I'm just overtired." She put her head back down and stroked Jade's side gently, needing the touch. "Felt so weird."
Blue eyes now alert flicked over her, as Jade took in a careful breath and released it. "Well…I mean.. it felt kinda nice." She offered, hesitantly. "Kinda warm." She started stroking Tori's hair again, and felt the other woman relax against her completely, her body going totally limp. They stayed like that for almost a half an hour more, until Jade glanced at the clock and stirred, regretfully. "Better put a shirt on… don't want to shock the room service person when they get here."
Tori's eyes drifted open, pale brown in the late afternoon light. "Hmm.. you're right." She agreed peacefully, rolling onto her back and stretching her body out lazily, humming low in her throat as Jade took the opportunity to trace a gentle path from her neck to her groin. 'Thought you said we have to get up." She drawled softly, giving Jade a look from half closed eyes.
The dark haired woman released a half grin, and inclined her head in agreement. "We'll have plenty of time later." She conceded, then she planted a hand on either side of Tori, and pressed her body over her lover's, landing neatly on the carpeted floor, straightening with a fluid motion. "Guess I get to open the door." She commented, as a soft knock was heard.
Tori was too busy getting her eyeballs around her lover's sunset lit body to hear. "Uh.. what?" She blinked, then tugged the covers up as Jade slipped into her shirt, buttoning it up and managing to be decent by about two inches. "Uh.. Jade.. don't bend over to pick anything up, okay?"
Pale blue eyes glanced over one tanned shoulder at her, and one of them winked. "Okay."
"Unless you're facing away from me, of course." Tori added impishly, just as Jade opened the door.
That got her an over the shoulder of the short, tow haired, frazzled looking room service waiter look, complete with an elegantly raised eyebrow. "Hi." Tori smiled at the boy. "You can just put that down next to the fifty pounds of chocolate we're going to have for dessert, thanks."
Muddy brown eyes went to her, then to the table, then back to her. The scraggly moustache drooped as he chewed it nervously. "Uhm…ma'am… ah don't think I can put this tray down."
"Here." Jade slipped up behind him and lifted the basket out of the way, coming perilously close to breaking several county ordinances. "G'wan… put it down." She drawled, low in her throat.
He would have been all right if he hadn't tried to pull up his trousers and put down his tray at the same time. Jade managed to save the pizza, by hastily dropping the basket and making a grab, but the ice tea evaded her, and it smacked the hapless waiter in the chest, sending ice cubes flying across the room. The waiter juggled the carafe, sending himself off balance until Jade braced a muscular thigh up against the chair and pinned him in place with her knee.
"You all right?" The executive demanded, setting the pizza trays down.
The man's eyes dropped slowly down her to where the long, sinewy length of her leg was braced against him, then they rolled peacefully back up into his head as he dropped like a rock.
Stunned silence fell for an instant. "What in the hell???" Jade complained.
Tori pulled the covers up over her head and burst into laughter.