Chapter Thirty-Five

Kat crashed on the couch after she finished with Otter and Frank and got six full hours of uninterrupted sleep. She awoke with a plan. She looked in on Jake, who was still sleeping, then booted up her computer to message Kenny. It was time to call in a favor. He wouldn’t like it, but she knew he would do it if she asked.

She spelled out what she needed him to do. She gave him the access number to one of her Swiss bank accounts and the GPS coordinates of a small clearing near the bunker. It was a measure of trust she had never afforded anyone, even Kenny, but it was necessary if her plan was to work. It would probably take her friend a couple of days to implement everything she needed him to do, but Jake could use the healing time before they tried to move her.

She sent off the e-mail and waited for his response. She didn’t have to wait long.

Whatever you need. I’ll be in touch

Satisfied, she noted the time--10:00 p.m.--and logged off. If all went according to plan, Jake would be safely ensconced in a new location within seventy-two hours or so, and Kat would be free to deal with Garner.

Jake came awake to the feel of Kat’s large hands gently stroking her hair, fingertips caressing her scalp. They traced a slow pattern from her hairline, just above her forehead, back along the top of her head to her neck. The pattern repeated, then again. Kat’s thumb traced the outside of her ear as the caress passed by.

Jake, lying on her side, opened her eyes drowsily and smiled at Kat. She closed them again so the caress would continue. "I can’t imagine a nicer way to wake up," she murmured. She enjoyed the touch immensely. It was sensual yet healing. Relaxing, but undeniably stimulating, too.

Kat chuckled, and Jake’s eyes popped open. The caress halted when their eyes met.

Kat was in the chair, which had been pulled up against the bed near Jake’s head. Her left elbow rested on the edge of Jake’s pillow as her hand paused in its journey through soft blond hair.

"I can think of a nicer way," Kat said. A soft flush of pink colored her cheeks. Her fingertips resumed their slow, gentle tracings.

Jake smiled and reddened a little herself at the image Kat’s admission evoked. Being kissed awake in your arms. That would be nicer than this. She wondered what Kat was imagining. "Care to share? Tell me what would be better than this," she drawled impishly.

Kat’s blush deepened, but she didn’t stop her slow caresses. "Maybe when you’re better, I’ll demonstrate," was all she would volunteer.

"I’ll look forward to that."

"How are you feeling?" Kat put the palm of her hand on Jake’s forehead, testing for a temperature.

Jake stretched. "Not too bad, really. Stiff and sore. The arm feels pretty good, but my knee still hurts when I try to move it much."

"Well, it’s time to take your meds. That’ll help." Kat got Jake into a sitting position and handed her two more pills and a glass of water to take them with.

"Thanks," Jake said, handing back the glass.

Kat moved to set it back on the table without really looking. She studied Jake’s face. The bruising around her friend’s eyes was better, and in her sleep-tousled state in the soft glow of the bedside light, Jake looked incredible to Kat.

As Kat tried to return the glass to the table, she bumped the wedding ring. It bounced with a thin, high ping! on the concrete floor and rolled to the door. Kat retrieved it, and when she went to set it back on the table, she noticed there was an inscription inside. I knew it. It’s real. Her heart sank. She felt it inappropriate for her to read it. But she had to tell Jake it was there.

"There’s an inscription in the ring, Jake," Kat said, holding the gold band out toward the woman.

"I know." Jake took it but set it back on the table, out of the way. "It doesn’t mean anything to me. There’s no clue in it as to who I am."

"You realize," Kat said, "that an inscription--and the fact that it’s left such a deep impression on your finger--mean the ring is most likely real. You probably are married."

"Legally? Maybe. But I don’t feel married." Jake pushed aside her nagging guilt. "I want you, Kat. I want us. That’s the only thing I trust. It’s where I belong."

"Good," Kat answered, the depth of her relief evident in the slight catch in her voice. "Kind of glad to hear that."

Jake hadn’t realized until just that moment how much Kat had needed reassurance. This vulnerable side of Kat made her even more endearing. "Kat, you must already know that. Don’t you?"

"Well, it’s still kind of hard to believe. I mean, what’s happening...between us." Kat smiled at Jake. "Kind of nice to hear it’s mutual."

"Oh, very, very mutual." Jake confirmed, which made Kat blush again.

"You know, you should eat a little something with that medicine," Kat said, to change the subject. She cursed the unfamiliar shy streak that seemed to keep her on the edge of embarrassment whenever she was in close proximity to Jake.

"Whatever you say, Doc. I think I can force myself. What’s on the menu?"

"Something fast, and lots of it!" Kat replied, chuckling, already heading for the door.

Kat whipped up a batch of clam linguine and set two more TV dinners--fried chicken this time--in the oven for her prisoners.

Although she protested that she really wasn’t all that hungry, Jake ate all of her portion and nearly half of Kat’s.

Kat was happy to give it up, though she was bewildered as to how Jake could put away the quantity of food she did and still look so incredibly tantalizing. Kat found herself staring at Jake’s neck, wanting to kiss the soft, sensitive spot where she knew she could faintly detect the heartbeat just beneath the skin. She wanted to make Jake’s pulse quicken and feel it when it happened.

She was lost in her daydream when she realized Jake had said something to her. "I’m sorry, what did you say?"

Jake grinned at her. "I said ’thank you, that was delicious.’"

"You’re welcome. Glad you enjoyed it."

"And I said that you had a rather dreamy look in your eyes and I was wondering what you were thinking about."

Kat opened her mouth to answer. Shut it again. Took a deep breath. "One-track mind, I guess."

"Meaning?"

"That I was thinking about this," Kat said, following her impulse and leaning over the bed to kiss Jake softly on the spot she’d been staring at.

Jake inhaled sharply, jolted by the incredible, unexpected sensation. Kat’s lips lightly caressed her neck, the tip of her tongue darting out to taste the delicate flesh. Jake reached up and cupped her hand behind Kat’s head, arching her neck and pressing Kat’s mouth harder against her, encouraging the touch.

As Kat’s oral explorations deepened, Jake’s hand moved of its own accord. It stroked Kat’s neck, shoulders, and back. Jake felt suddenly too warm. Unbelievably aroused. Her injuries were forgotten.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-30