"I know I didn't HAVE to," he said, his lips finding the vein in her neck. It leapt under the touch of his mouth, "But I WANTED to."
The elevator slowed and came to a halt at their floor. The door opened, and they stepped out.
Taking her by the hand, Jack led Claire down the hall to their room. He knew already which one it was: He had checked in earlier in the evening, before going to Claire's.
He opened the door for her, and she stepped in. The room was beautiful, and reeked of class. It was richly and elegantly appointed, with one very large bed, a large television, stereo system, desk and chair, sofa, a table and chairs. There was a large closet, and a door that led to the bathroom. Claire looked around the room
"Jack, I can't believe you did this. It must have cost so much...you shouldn't have..."
"I wanted to, Claire," he told her.
He hung their coats in the closet, and revealed that he had been carrying a CD underneath it He set it down and hung her coat next to his. Picking up the CD, he walked over to the stereo. He put it in and pressed the play button.
He put his hand out to her as he approached, and said, "Dance with me."
The song began to play. It was the song they had danced to at the party.
"Jack...how did you...where did you..?" she asked, as he pulled her close.
"I bought it off the DJ," he told her.
They held each other in much the same position as they had danced in earlier, only this time, their bodies were pressed tightly together.
"This is how we should have danced the first time," she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder.
His hand rested in the small of her back, and she toyed with his hair with one of hers as they swayed slowly to the music.
"Happy Birthday," he whispered to her, and she raised her head to look at him.
Tears shown bright in her eyes. "Thank you, Jack." she said. "For tonight. For everything."
He smiled and lowered his lips to hers. They kissed softly. She sighed and wrapped both arms around his neck as they continued to dance.
"The mere idea of you...the longing here for you. You'll never know how slow the moments go till I am near to you..." the song crooned.
He began to stroke her back as they looked into each others' eyes, moving along with the music.
"...The very thought of you.....myyyyyyyyyyy loooooooooovvvvvve." The song slowly came to an end, but they did not release each other.
He kissed her ear very lightly and said, "there's no more music."
"I don't care," she confessed, pressing herself tighter against him. He squeezed her closer and they kissed again.
"Come here," he said after several moments of deep kissing, "There's something I want to show you."
He led her by the hand into the bathroom, and turned on the light. There was a shower, a tub, and much to her surprise, a fair sized Jacuzzi in the corner. It had been turned on, likely by Jack, when he had checked in earlier. There were unlit candles all over the room, and a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket. He set about lighting the candles, then took her by the hand and led her back into the main room.
"Now...." he said, "You said you had a surprise for ME, for later...."
"Yes, I did, didn't I?" she replied coyly.
"Is now later?"
She turned her back on him and said, "Unzip me."
He raised an eyebrow, moved in close behind her, and laid his hands on her shoulders. He kissed the crook of her neck and smoothed his palms down her arms before reaching for the zipper. He slid it down slowly, marveling at the long line of her spine, the curve at the base of it. He turned her to him, and slid the straps off her shoulders. Beneath the dress, she wore a black lace push-up bra. She pushed the gown down over her hips and it slid to the floor. She stepped out of it, and stepped back so Jack could get a look at her. She wore panties that matched the bra, along with garters and silk hose.
His eyes grew wide and mouth dropped slightly open in appreciation. He had seen her in pantyhose, but she had never worn garters and hose for him before.
She reached down and picked up the dress. "I have to hang this," she told him. His eyes watched every move she made. When she returned to him, she took him by the hand and walked toward the bed. She helped him remove his coat, bow-tie, and cummerbund. She pushed him into a sitting position, and moved in front of him. He laid his hands on her waist, and looked up at her. She was looking down at him tenderly, stroking his hair.
"You look incredible," he told her. He reached up and pulled her face down to his for a kiss.
"This night has been wonderful, Jack," she whispered. "Thank you."
"It's not over yet," he said softly as he pulled her down against him and rolled her beneath him. He reached down and removed her heels, and tossed them to the floor. She went to work on the buttons and cuff-links of his shirt. When his chest was bare, she ran her hands lightly up his sides, slid them up to rest on his shoulders.
Their kisses took on a sudden urgency as their bodies awoke to the memory of each other. They had not been together intimately since the night they declared their love.
Her fingers played lightly along his shoulders as they kissed. He knelt between her legs, and sat back on his feet, pulling her up with him. She felt his hands sliding around to her back, then up to deftly unhook the clasp of her bra. He slid his hands up to her shoulders and down her arms, lowering the straps as he did so. He dropped the bra onto the bed and resumed his possession of her mouth. She clung tightly to him as he brought his hands up to gently rub the sides of her breasts with his knuckles.
He held her close with one arm, and eased her slightly back. He lowered his head to encircle the taut peaks of her heaving bosom with his tongue. Her head dropped back and he lined her long neck with feathery kisses so light he felt her shiver in his arms.
He was taking his time with her, not rushing at all. He had gotten it into his head that he wanted this night to be one that neither of them would be able to forget, and so he was going slow, in an attempt to make an eternity out of each wonderful moment.
He pulled her tighter against him, crushing her breasts against his chest, and kissed her, long and slow, until she whimpered deep in the back of her throat. He lay her gently back on the bed and lowered himself down next to her, pulling her onto her side. He touched her face with his fingers, drawing them over her eyebrows, her eyelids, over her cheeks, and across her lips.
She gripped his wrist and pressed kisses against his fingertips, and whispered, "I love you."
He hugged her close, stroked her back lightly, and said, "Mmmmm..... know what I want to do right now?"
"What's that?"
"Go get in that hot tub."
"Oooooooh....I'd forgotten about that. Sounds wonderful."
They rose from the bed. She moved toward the bathroom, but he came up behind her and scooped her into his arms.
"JACK!" she almost screeched. "What're you going to do?"
He carried her into the bathroom, him laughing, her playfully struggling. He walked to the edge of the hot tub and made as if he were about to drop her in.
"Don't you dare drop me in there!" she said in an attempt at a warning, though she was laughing too hard for it to carry any weight.
He laughed and released her legs, and lowered her to the floor, still holding her against him. He kissed her once, then released her and set about lighting the candles. This done, he moved passed her and sat on the edge of the bathtub.
He motioned her to go to him, and she did. She stood in front of him and he reached out to run his hands up the backs of her legs, looking up at her all the while. They glided up over her behind, and he splayed his fingers out against her back. He pressed her against him, his cheek resting against her abdomen. He turned his head and kissed the soft flesh there, then brought his hands down to rest atop her hips. He hooked his thumbs in the side of her panties, and discovered, to his utter delight, that she had put them on after the garters and stockings. He pulled them down over her hips, and slid them down her legs. She braced her hands on his shoulders as he lifted first one leg, then the other, and discarded the garment, forgotten before it had fallen from his hand.
He reached behind her and unhooked the hose from the garter, then moved them around to do the same in the front. He stood , lifted her up, and began to walk toward the vanity. She wrapped her legs around him as he carried her. She gasped in shock as he set her on the cold porcelain of the vanity. She undid his belt and fly, and his pants dropped to his ankles. He stepped out of them and kicked them aside, before reaching down to undo her garter belt, and lay it next to the sink. His hands lowered to either side of a thigh, and began to ease the stockings down her long, smooth leg. In a few moments, he had her hose off. She took off her earrings and new necklace, and set them on the vanity.
Claire reached out and rested her hands on Jack's slim waist. She pulled him closer, at the same time sliding forward slightly on the vanity. She ran her hands up his back, and brought her lips to his neck. She kissed beneath his chin, along his jaw, and over to his ear as her hands smoothed down his back, and tugged his silk boxers down. He bent and removed them, then pulled her off the vanity. He pulled her toward the Jacuzzi, both of his hands gripping both of hers. They climbed the tile steps of the hot tub, and Jack stepped in. Claire sat on the edge and dangled her legs into the hot water. Jack moved close to her and pulled her into the tub with him. He pulled her into the middle, and lowered them until the water lapped at their shoulders. The sound of the water churned by the jets fizzed in their ears.
They kissed, and Jack pulled Claire over to the sit against the wall of the tub. He reached behind them, and handed Claire two champagne flutes. He reached again and brought the champagne bottle in front of him. He peeled away the wrapping, unwound the wire, and worked the cork out expertly, watching as a tiny white cloud rose from the bottle. He poured them each a glass, then reached and set the bottle back in the bucket.
Claire scooted closer to him, and he draped an arm over her shoulder. One of the jets pounded into her lower back, and it felt heavenly. She tilted her head back and drained the glass of champagne. She turned and rose out of the water slightly, reaching for the bottle. When she sat back down, Jack had polished off his glass, as well.
"More?" she asked.
"Of course," he replied.
She filled their glasses. He set his on the edge of the hot tub, then took the bottle from her, and her glass, which he set next to his. Bottle in one hand, he pulled them into the middle of the swirling water once more. He stood, and pulled her up with him. Before she could protest, he had poured some of the champagne down her chest, watching as it slid down between her breasts and into the hot, roiling water, then sank down to lick clean the places the champagne had so recently been. The taste mingled with the slight taste of chlorine.
He poured more on her, this time insuring that the cold liquid would trail over a nipple, which he instantly took into his mouth. Her knees grew weak and she sank down against him. He pulled her close with an arm, and backed to the wall of the tub. He sat down and brought her onto his lap, facing him. He raised the bottle to her lips, and she tilted her head back as he tilted the bottle up, intentionally spilling some down her chin and neck as she drank from the bottle. He lapped the champagne away with his tongue, then drank from the bottle himself before setting it aside. He pulled her face down to his and ran his tongue over her lips. She wrapped her arms about his neck and he lowered his hands to rest on her hips as her lips began to tug furiously at his.
His hands slid up her sides, then back down, and back to squeeze her behind. She let her hands slide down his arms, behind her, and grabbed his wrists, guiding his hands to her chest. His palms brushed against her nipples and she bit down on his lower lip. With a kiss, he smothered the moan he elicited from her when he gently squeezed her breasts.
He gripped her about the waist and stood. Moving to a place where there was no seat along the wall, Jack sat Claire on the edge of the tub. His hands glided over her thighs as he leaned in for a kiss.
His hands roamed everywhere on her, sometimes grazing lightly over her flesh, other times stroking and kneading with more intensity. He reached behind her head and searched her hair for the pins that held her French twist in place. One by one he pulled them out and laid them on the side of the tub. When all had been removed, he leaned her back against one arm and with the hand of the other, drew his fingers through her hair so that it fell naturally about her shoulders. He tangled his hand in her hair, cupping her head, and pulled back gently. He ran his tongue along the long line of her throat.
Claire's fingers pressed into the flesh of Jack's shoulders, kneading gently. In the back, near his neck, she found a tight knot, and he groaned when she pressed her fingers into it.
"You're so tight right there," she commented. "Does it bother you?"
"Sometimes it does," he said.
He made to kiss her, but she stopped him. "Move for a sec," she said, pushing him away.
He seemed taken aback, but did as he was told. She scooted over until she was sure the bench inside the hot tub was beneath her, and said, "Come sit down."
He sat in front of her, and she moved her hands to his shoulder, locating the knot once more. With her small, surprisingly strong hands, she began to work the knot out of his shoulder.
It took some time, but she got it, exclaiming, "there!" when she could no longer feel the hard lump beneath his skin. He leaned back against her, tilting his head back against her stomach, and looked up at her.
"Thank you," he said.
Instead of a "You're welcome", she gave him a kiss. He turned and knelt on the seat between her thighs. He looked at her for a few moments, and she felt herself blushing from the heat of his intense gaze. She looked down for a moment, searching for the right thing to say.
"Thank you for this night, Jack....for everything," she whispered, taking his face in her hands. "Thank you for the flowers earlier....For that beautiful, beautiful necklace...For all of this. No one... no one has ever done anything like this for me before."
She brought his face closer, and kissed him softly, then pulled back to look at him, colour high on her cheeks.
"When you look at me like that," he said, pressing his lips to hers in a swift, affectionate kiss, "It's all the thanks I need."
He kissed her again, his soft lips warm and moist against hers. They opened their mouths to one another, melting in to each other, and kissed over and over, until kissing was no longer enough. His hands reached for her breasts, and he cupped them gently, tracing her nipples with his thumbs until she whimpered softly from the ache he had caused. He lowered his head and suckled hard, first one, then the other, rolling the un-attended nipple between a thumb and forefinger.
Her head fell back, and she happened to catch site of them in the mirror above the vanity. She watched as he continued his sweet assault, watched as he moved lower, pulled her slightly off the edge, and lowered his head to tease the soft flesh between her thighs with his mouth. It was the last thing she saw for several moments. She closed her eyes and felt her head grow dizzy, then extremely light by turns as he pleasured her, until at last, she felt an explosion rock through her body.
She went limp, and slid off the edge of the hot tub into the still-churning water. Jack caught her in his arms and held her close, kissing her face, calling her his 'love', until she began to kiss him back, an aura of urgency enveloping them.
When Jack had come earlier to check in, he had noticed the two thick white robes wrapped in plastic, and had removed them from their packaging, knowing that later they would have need of them.
Pulling her along with him, he moved to the steps of the Jacuzzi, and ascended them, holding Claire by the hand and helping her out after him. He pulled one of the robes from where they lay folded on the vanity, and draped it over her shoulders. She wrapped herself in it, and watched as he did the same with the other.
He gave Claire their un-drunk glasses of champagne, as well as what was left in the bottle, turned off the hot tub, and blew out all but two of the candles. The two remaining ones he carried into the main room, flanked by Claire and the champagne. He set the candles on the bedside table, took the champagne bottle, and set it there, too. He crossed to near the door and flicked off the lights, so that the only light in the room came from the glowing candles, then quickly rejoined Claire. He took one of the glasses from her, sat down on the edge of the bed, and drained it quickly. Claire sipped hers first, then polished it off as Jack took hold of her free hand and pulled her toward him. He took her glass from her and set it with his near the candles, then pulled Claire down onto his lap.
She sat on one knee, facing partly away from him, and he slid the hand farthest from her inside her robe to fondle her breast. She sighed and turned more toward him. He was looking up at her, and she craned her neck to lower her lips to his.
Jack pulled at the belt that held the robe together, and it fell open. His fingers trailed along her skin and he took the other breast in his hand. In a sudden movement, he tugged the robe from her shoulders. This time both hands came up to massage her breasts.
He kissed the side of her neck, from the base up to her ear. He took the lobe into his mouth and sucked lightly on it, then nipped at it gently before whispering, "Sooooo.....it's your birthday....do I get to spank you?"
She snorted. "You serious?"
He, too, laughed. "No," he said, pulling her into a standing position between his legs. "I can think of about a hundred things I'd rather do to you with my hands."
She stood in between his legs and started pulling the top half of his robe open. "Only 100?" she queried.
"I picked a nice, round number," he told her as his hands slipped down her sides, over her hips, and around to cup the globes of her behind.
She laughed that throaty laugh of hers, and before he knew it, she'd untied the sash of his robe, and was pushing it off his shoulders. He stood, and both of the robes fell to the floor. He hurriedly yanked the covers back, and closed in on her, wrapping her in his strong arms, kissing her even as she kissed him back.
Jack swept Claire up into his arms, kissing her as he knelt on the bed and laid her out against the fluffy pillows. He came down over her, gasping and closing his eyes as she reached out to take that hard part of him into her hand. He derived such pleasure out of her hand moving on him, Claire knew, and it filled her with a strange sort of power. She loved this man, wanted him, more at this moment than any time before, save that first time, in the morning, when they had come together so urgently after a night spent holding and touching each other.
"God, Claire," he groaned as her hand became more insistent. He gripped her wrists, both of them, and raised her arms above her head. He pinned them there, and lowered himself to once again suckle upon her nipples.
He released her arms and slipped one of his hands between them. He ran it up along her inner thigh, looking down at her with immense satisfaction as she arched her back when his hand reached it's goal. He brought her to the brink several times, easing away each time just before she slipped over the precipice.
He knew she couldn't take much more, wondered how he himself had lasted so long without possessing her. He looked down at her, face flushed, eyes half open, lips slightly parted, and knew his control was rapidly leaving him.
It was lost when she, barely able to say anything as she quivered beneath him, said, "Jack....please...."
When he finally came in to her, it was explosive. He moved slowly first, until she gripped his buttocks and urged him faster, harder, anything that would bring them closer to fulfillment.
Claire cried out first, wrapping her arms about him and almost weeping at the incredible pleasure he had brought her. Jack shuddered above her, called her name, and found his own release. He collapsed against her breasts and she lightly stroked his hair, breath too short and heart to full to say anything to him.
He raised himself up, murmured, "I love you," and eased himself off of her. He lay on his back, and she turned and rested her head against his chest.
"Thank you, love," she whispered.
They lay together quietly for many long minutes. Eventually, Jack was aware of Claire's slow, even breathing, and he knew she slept.
"Happy Birthday, my love," he said softly, and kissed the damp hair near her forehead.
*****
Some time in the middle of the night, Claire woke up and found that Jack was not in bed with her. She sat up and looked around. She squinted, then widened her eyes again. Jack stood, wearing one of the robes, near the windows, holding one of the shades back, looking out onto the pale glow of the city below.
"Jack? What's the matter?"
He turned to face the bed. "What? Oh, nothing... I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep, and I didn't want to wake you," he said, "Are you okay? You didn't have another nightmare, did you?"
"No."
"Good."
"Come back to bed."
"I won't be able to sleep."
"You don't have to," she told him, pulling the covers back on his side of the bed, still holding them against herself on her side as he advanced. "We could talk."
"Talk?" he asked as he sat down on the bed, facing her.
"Sure."
"About?"
"I'd like for you to tell me what's bothering you."
"What makes you think something is bothering me?"
"Jack....I wake up in the middle of the night to find you standing looking out the window like your dog just died...It's Koppel...isn't it?" She reached up and touched her hand to his cheek, nudging his gaze back to her when he would look away. "Why won't you talk to me about it?"
"I...want to...but I can't...not yet."
"I don't understand."
"I'm not sure I can explain it....I ...If I talk about it now, if I think about the Paul I knew and the man he's become...if I make this about more than a man who broke the law and deserves to be punished..." he paused, searching. "I can't talk about this now... I will...I promise you. But I need a little space on this. I need some time to come to terms with the idea of sending my friend to prison."
He was asking her for time, a request she had made to him regarding Gordon one night. A request which he had granted. How could she refuse?
She lowered her hand and slid it beneath the one of his that rested on his lap.
"Okay. I'll give you some time. But Jack? We're going to discuss this eventually."
"I know, Claire...and we will, soon. For tonight..." he squeezed her hand. "tonight is for you, and I don't want to spoil it by talking about what reservations I may or may not be having about prosecuting my friend."
She nodded, and closed her eyes as he lifted her hand to lay a kiss in the middle of her palm.
He leaned over and pushed her hair back, baring her shoulders and neck. "It's your night," he told her again softly, as he slid his hand around to the back of her neck and began to rub it with his thumb. "And for tonight, what happens here, in this room, is all that matters, as though the rest of the world has fallen away."
He leaned closer, his face nearing hers, and before he could close the distance between them by pressing her forward with the hand that rested on her neck, she whispered, "The rest of the world is still going to be there in the morning."
He nodded, and pressed her forward. His lips were tentative against hers at first, as if he were waiting for her to shove him away and demand he tell her about whatever it was he was going through. When she didn't, when she kissed him in return and brought her hand up to caress his cheek, his kisses became more bold, more fevered.
She was holding the sheet up against here chest with one hand, and he tugged it from her grasp, baring her to him.
He stood and removed his robe. Before he could join her on the bed again, Claire was kneeling upright on the edge, wrapping her arms about his neck and pressing her warm body against his.
Jack closed his arms tight around her. He squeezed her hard, then slipped his hands down her back, his lips crushing hers in an ardent kiss. He crawled on to the bed next to her, and sat down. Claire placed her hands on Jack's shoulders as she flung a leg over his lap, positioning herself so that her legs stretched out behind him.
He rested his hands on her slim waist, slid them around, and up her back, until he was tangling his hands in her dark hair. He leaned in and planted a kiss in the hollow at the base of her throat, which trailed upward to her chin, and finally, her lips.
Jack's hands glided back down until they were gripping Claire's sides. Skimming his palms over her flesh, he raised them to her breasts, crushing them in his hands. She brought her hands to his cheeks, and brought his face close to hers, feeling the warm air as he exhaled a breath. She pressed her lips against his, holding his face all the while. She kissed him hard, kept kissing him as she wrapped her arms about his shoulders and held him tight against her. She kissed him long, deep, and slow, leisurely exploring his mouth with hers, him matching her in kind. Their lips became more urgent suddenly, as did their roving hands: tugging and pulling at each other.
They remained this way, holding each other close, lips hard and demanding, then soft and pliant. When, after a long while they came together, bodies uniting, they continued their deep, soul-searching kiss, until their breath came too short to continue the coupling of their lips. Even then, they remained with their faces so close to one another that she could feel the brush of his eyelash against her cheek, and he could breathe in the breath she exhaled. They managed a brief kiss here and there until they cried out softly.
Jack turned and lowered Claire onto her back, coming down over her. He lay partially covering her, his heavy leg draped over one of hers, his head against her chest, his arm reaching across as he toyed with her fingers with his hand. She brought her hand to lightly stroke his soft hair, both incredibly silent. Except for the movement of her hand in his hair, and his fingers toying with hers, they were completely still.
Jack reached down and pulled the covers up over them. In a short time, Claire was asleep. It took Jack longer, but eventually, his face still pressed against her chest, he closed his eyes, and slept.
*****
Jack tipped the young man who brought their room service. Claire still slept in the bed across the room. He pulled the clanking cart into the room gingerly, attempting to make as little noise as possible. It wasn't that he didn't want to wake Claire --he did--, but that he wanted to wake her in a way that didn't include being startled into consciousness by a loud noise.
He had ordered them both a huge breakfast, consisting of fruit-topped waffles, eggs, sausage, fruit on the side, and coffee and orange juice. He wheeled the cart near the bed, and stood quietly looking at Claire for a few moments. She was sleeping on her side, arm tucked under her neck, her dark hair spread out against the white linen pillowcase. He liked watching her sleep, had done it a few times when she had sought refuge at his apartment. She always looked so serene, so different from the driven, always on the go, work-aholic Claire she was in the office. He wondered for a moment if sleep lifted his cares from his visage as it did for her, wondered if he looked that peaceful. Maybe one day he would ask her.
Jack doffed the robe he wore, lifted the covers, and climbed into the bed next to Claire. She lay in an elongated version of the fetal position, facing away from him.
He moved in behind her, moved her hair aside, blew lightly on her neck, and skimmed the pads of his fingers along her spine. She shivered and stirred, stretching her limbs, sleek as a cat. His hand came to rest on her hip, and he ran his lips slowly over the side of her throat.
"Mmmmm...is it morning already?" she asked, voice still husky from sleep.
"Unfortunately, yes," he whispered, his lips playing havoc near her ear as his hand slipped forward to stroke her belly.
"Did the world disappear?"
He laughed softly, "I can't say for sure, because I haven't checked.....But they brought us room service, so I'm assuming it didn't."
"Did you sleep?"
"For a few hours."
She reached down and grasped the hand that fluttered over her stomach, dragging it up to kiss his fingers, his palm, his wrist.
"Last night was amazing, Jack." she whispered.
"Which part?" he asked, voice much lighter than it had been in the middle of the night.
"All of it...all of yesterday, in fact, starting with the flowers. Then that necklace, the cab ride...dancing in your arms, the hot tub...making love," he nudged her face toward him, and planted a light kiss on her cheek, "It was wonderful when you came back to bed with me."
"Tell me what you liked about it," he whispered, his hand beginning to roam her body with the knowledge and skill of a known lover.
She would have rolled to face him, but with his hands on her waist, he held her still.
"It was so slow and easy," she said, her breath beginning to come shorter. "You holding me tight in your arms as we made love, kissing you the whole time you were inside me... I love it when it's like that between us, when we go slow and don't try to devour each other --I like that, too, don't get me wrong-- But last night, I felt so connected...like despite whatever else is going on, when we're like that with each other, all that matters is that we're together...our bodies joined... and our hearts."
"That's what I wanted you to feel," he said softly against her neck.
He raised himself slightly, and with his thumb and forefinger on her chin, turned her face to him. He closed his mouth over hers gently, his hand beginning to blaze a trail down her torso, fluttering pass her abdomen, gliding down over the top of her thigh.
He groaned into her hair as she squirmed and pressed her behind back against him, wiggling it enticingly against the ever-expanding spectacle of his groin.
"Tease," he whispered, as his hand reached up and closed over a breast.
She gasped and said, "I'd only be a tease if I did that and then pushed you away for my amusement."
"Touché"
"Lucky for you I like the things you do to me."
"You do, do you?"
"Perhaps more than I should...."
"I'm not complaining..." he said.
Claire laughed. "I know you're not."
He grew quiet for a moment, then asked, "What is it you like?" as he began to play expertly, maddeningly, with her nipples, "This?"
"Yes!"
He slid a hand underneath her, to continue fondling her breasts as his other hand slipped down pass her waist and between her thighs. He began rubbing slow, insistent circles over the pearl of her womanhood.
"Or is this what you like?"
She said nothing, only nodded her head "yes" vigorously.
His hand continued lower still, and he eased a finger inside her.
"What about this?"
"You know I like that..."
"Yes, I do," he said. "I know what else you like." His voice was low, seductive, and filled with meaning.
He reached over her, and retrieved a small package from the top of the nightstand.
With the hand from the arm that was underneath her, he nudged her face toward him, and set about nibbling on her lips. His other hand brushed down her side. He ran his fingers lightly over the side of her thigh. When he reached her knee, he gripped it and drew he leg up and back so that her thigh rested across his.
She felt his fingers graze her skin as he reached down to guide himself into her.
She arched her back against him, and reached her arm around behind her, behind his head, and drew his mouth down to hers. They began to move together: slowly at first, ever so slowly. It was a slow, easy coupling, like it had been for them in the middle of the night. They kissed throughout, Jack's hand now reaching up to caress her breast, now gliding down again to stroke her softly as he eased in and out of her.
She toyed lovingly with the hair at the nape of his neck, kissing him and grinding herself back against him. When he increased the tempo, she gripped his hair firmly and pulled back, holding his head about an inch away from hers.
He continued pleasuring her with his hand as he worked himself in and out of her, until she cried out, calling his name out so loudly it was almost a shout. Her nails dug into the flesh of the arm he had slipped beneath her. Jack groaned against her neck, shuddered, cried, "I love you!" and found his own release, with a heavy sigh, and a long drawn-out moan.
Claire rolled to face him, brining her hand up to his cheek as they stared deep into each other's eyes. She rubbed her thumb against his cheek, still very rough from his not having shaved yet.
"You realise I'm going to have stubble burn?" she asked, her face and voice grave.
"Oh.....I'm sorry, I didn't even stop to think..."
She interrupted him. "Shhh....Don't be silly, I don't mind, really," she laughed, and placed a finger over his lips when he would speak again. "I'll wear my stubble-burn like a badge of honour. But I'm giving you fair warning...anyone asks me about it,, and I'm referring them to you for an explanation."
"Claire...don't take this the wrong way..."
"Uh-oh, here we go..."
"What? I didn't say anything yet..."
"I'm joking...anytime somebody starts a statement with 'don't take this the wrong way', I start to worry," she was smiling brilliantly. "I won't take it the wrong way....What is it?"
"I was going to say, before I was so rudely interrupted," he teased, "'Don't take this the wrong way, but you're a little weird sometimes...'."
"I prefer quirky."
"I'm a little worried about what I'm going to uncover as this relationship progresses....anything glaring I should know about off the bat, other than, of course, the fact that strange comments fly out of your mouth occasionally, and you like to give your cat nicknames longer than the name you originally gave her?"
"Several things come to mind....but I'm not telling," she announced prophetically, "You'll have to uncover them yourself....if you feel you're up to the challenge..."
"Oh...I'm up for it, alright."
Claire lifted the covers with one hand, and slid the other down between them.
"Not at the moment, you're not," she informed him.
"Keep doing that and I will be," he retorted.
"Hmmmm, tempting," she said. "But didn't I hear you say something about room service?"
"I ordered breakfast."
"Good, I'm starved."
They got up and both donned the luxurious white robes supplied by the Waldorf Towers Hotel. Jack wheeled the cart near the table and began laying out the meal as Claire made her way into the bathroom.
When she emerged, Jack had transferred the enter contents of the cart to the table. He was seated and pouring coffee from the white carafe into two coffee cups. He had arranged the table so that Claire would be sitting to his left, rather than the across from him. In front of both of their seats sat a plate covered with a metal dome lid designed to keep the food warm during it's journey from the kitchen to one of the rooms. In the middle of the table sat the beverages, and a plate of fruit.
"I noticed you turned the Jacuzzi back on," she remarked as she sat down. Claire fixed her coffee to her liking as Jack poured the juice.
"Check out isn't until noon, so I figured, after breakfast....unless you have something else pressing to attend to today?"
"I'm meeting my parents for dinner at 7:00, but until I have to meet them, I'm all yours."
He nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Claire sipped her coffee as he removed the lids from their plates. She dove into her food without another word, closing her eyes as she savored the first bite of waffle.
Jack watched as she ate. She caught him gawking at her, and said, "I'll run an extra mile or two tomorrow."
When they were done eating, Claire leaned back in her chair and placed her hand on her stomach. "Ugh...I'm so full I feel like I'm going to burst."
"Don't do that," he cautioned, amusement evident in his tone, "They'll charge me a horrendous cleaning fee."
Claire laughed "I think we're safe as long as I don't eat anymore."
Jack dropped his napkin onto the table and stood. He put his hand out to Claire and said, "C'mon."
He led her to the couch and sat in the middle. He told her to sit with her back against the arm of the sofa, and rest her feet on his lap.
When she had complied, he took hold of one of her ankles with one hand, and with the other, began to press firm circles into the sole of her foot with his thumb. He raised her foot and began working both thumbs up and down her sole, her instep, her heel. He brought a hand up to massage the top of her foot while still kneading the bottom.
"Jesus that feels good, Jack."
"It should...you spend enough time on your feet in heels."
He began to work on the other foot.
"Think I could get you to do this a little more often?" she inquired.
"Maybe...for a small fee."
"Monetary or otherwise?"
"Otherwise."
"What?" she laughed, "You mean like bartering for services?"
"Exactly," he laughed.
After a few moments, he released her foot. She swung her feet around and tucked them beneath her, leaning across the couch to wrap her arms around Jack's neck. She kissed the side of his mouth, then rested her head on his shoulder and sighed happily.
His hand came up, closed over her arms, and began to rub back and forth. He moved the other hand to rest on her leg. He patted it gently and said, "C'mon, there's a hot tub with our names on it."
"Ahhhh, yes... the hot tub."
*****
They soaked for some time. Claire, hair pinned up, sat sideways on the bench with her back against one wall of the tub. Jack sat in from of her, between her legs, leaning back against her. His temple rested against her jaw line.
Claire's arms were draped down over Jack, her fingers drumming a silent tune across his chest. "You know," she said, "You're going to have a helluva time trying to outdo yourself on my birthday next year."
"I think you'll be surprised at how creative I can be," he replied, hand reaching down to lightly caress her calf.
"I already am."
*****
Jack checked the time when they got out of the water. It was just pass 9 am. They dried off, and he led her, naked this time, back into the main room. He pulled the comforter from the large bed, wrapped them in it, and they lay down together on the couch, arms clasped tightly around each other, Claire's cheek resting against his chest.
They talked for a while, covering various subjects, until the topic of Christmas was raised.
"Jack, promise me something?"
"What?"
"Don't get me anything for Christmas....you did so much for my birthday....it's enough for both."
"I'm not promising you that," he told her, "Besides, it's already too late."
"Jack..." she said, growing serious, "I appreciate the thought behind all of this, but the expense...."
"Claire...don't worry about that. What else have I got to do with my money? I help support Maggie, and pay my bills, work on my bike, take a fishing weekend here and there, and have a few drinks....after that, there's still more than enough left over to spoil the woman in my life."
"Jack..."
"Claire?"
"I love you."
"I love you too, babe."
He kissed her forehead and hugged her close.
"Tell me....are you nervous at all about meeting my mother?"
"Nervous? No," he said, "Just a little curious what'll happen if she doesn't like me."
"I think she will...well, I'm hoping she will," she qualified. "Mac will like you, and that's in our favour....Mac can get my mother to go along with almost anything. Anyhow...if she doesn't, she and I have reached some kind of understanding...she's going to try her hardest to keep out of my affairs, unless I give her permission to do otherwise. So you see," she said, squeezing him tighter, "You've got nothing to worry about."
"Good." He hoped so.
They remained on the sofa for a time, dozing lightly after many minutes had passed.
Claire woke first, somewhat disoriented. She had dozed off for a few minutes, and had fallen into a deeper sleep than she had intended. Jack was still sleeping, and she eased herself from his arms. She wandered into the bathroom and picked up Jack's watch. It was after 11!
She went and shook Jack gently, "Jack, wake up....it's after 11:00. We need to get ready to go or they'll charge you for another day."
Jack rubbed his eyes, stretched and yawned. "Wouldn't be so bad.....we could stay in all day, and you could go have dinner with your parents, then come back...."
She bent down and kissed him. "C'mon, let's get washed up and ready to go."
Claire stood and went back into the bathroom, opened the shower door and turned the nozzle, setting the temperature to her liking. She stepped in and stood beneath the stream of water. After a minute, Jack opened the door and stepped in behind her.
He stood close behind her and wrapped an arm about her waist, using the other hand to lift her wet hair so that he might nuzzle her neck for a moment. He reached for the small bottle of shampoo supplied by the hotel, unscrewed the cap, and poured a liberal amount into his hand. He rubbed his hands together and then began to work the shampoo through her soft, damp hair, massaging her scalp expertly. She turned, and he tilted her head back into the stream of steaming water, rinsing her hair clean..
When her hair was washed, she returned the favour. They took a little longer to wash each other, lathering soap all over, then standing close together as the water poured down over them, the suds running down their bodies and onto the tile floor.
They got out of the shower and toweled off. Claire towel-dried her hair, then combed it out (difficult with the tiny comb she had in her small clutch purse), then pinned it up so she wouldn't be outside with her hair down and wet in the middle of December.
They dressed. Having no change of clothes, they put on their clothes from the prior evening. Jack gave Claire his tuxedo jacket to put over her dress. Carrying their jackets over one arm, he took Claire's hand with his free one, and hand in hand they exited the room, kissing for a few moments before opening the door and stepping into the hall. They held hands all the way to the lobby, until they approached the desk, and Jack had to release her hand to take care of the bill, careful to conceal the expense from Claire.
Outside, they hailed a cab, and Jack gave the cabby Claire's address. When they pulled up in front of her building, Claire asked, "Are you going to come up?"
He lifted her hand to his lips, "I don't think so, babe...I think I'm going to go home and get a little more sleep."
She nodded, a little disappointed.
He relented slightly. "I'll walk you up though," he said. Turning to the cabby, he instructed, "Keep the meter running...I'll be down in a couple of minutes."
In front of her door, Claire slipped the key into the lock and began to turn it.. Jack covered her hand and turned her to him. "If I go inside I won't go home."
He pulled her into his arms.
"Jack," she said softly, "I can't thank you enough for my gifts....You're wonderful to me."
"It was my pleasure."
They kissed softly for a moment, then deeper. Reluctantly, they pulled apart, and he kissed her on the forehead, saying, "Call me tonight when you're done with your parents."
She nodded, and gave him the jacket of his tux. He handed her coat to her, and she opened the door. She stepped inside, and he grabbed her hand as she did so, pulling her into another quick kiss.
"Bye," he whispered.
"Bye.
Claire closed the door, humming softly to herself as Lucy moseyed up and rubbed herself against Claire's leg.
"Hi baby," she said, picking her up and going into the kitchen to feed her.
Outside in the hall, Jack walked quickly back to the elevator, feeling happier than he had in a very long time.
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