Fire In The Night Ch 04

When they stopped driving for the night, Caitlin couldn't help but wonder where she would be sleeping tonight. Jack's bedroom contained a good-sized bed, probably a queen, which dominated much of the room. 'We could share the bed and put pillows between us to make it more innocent...' she thought longingly, though she had to admit to herself that she didn't want it to be innocent. In fact, she wanted it to be downright naughty. Her mind was racing with the possibilities that bedtime would bring.

Their long conversations as Jack drove and she rode shotgun had resulted in Caitlin feeling close to him, as if she knew him very well – though the sexual tension still kept her on edge. 'He's so good-looking, so well-built...and a cop, besides!' she thought. 'Not to mention his amazing personality – so kind, intelligent, and funny. He's got everything...but he's old enough to be my father. Does he see me as more than just a kid? Could he see me as a woman?' Questions raced through her mind, and she knew that, somehow, she needed to discover the answers. The sooner, the better.

Jack poured them each a glass of wine as she took a seat in the kitchen of the RV and explained to him that she was going to call her friend Shanna again to check in with her. Without thinking, she pulled her cell from her pocket and speed-dialed Shanna's number in front of him as he sat down in the booth across from her.

"Hello?" Shanna answered.

"Hey, it's me. I'm okay," Caitlin said.

"Fabulous. How's your older cop stud who enjoys young, innocent hitchhikers?" Shanna teased.

Caitlin felt her face flush, and lowered her gaze to the table in front of her, hoping Jack wouldn't notice her embarrassment. She chose her words carefully. "Everything's fine. We're in the kitchen, having a glass of wine before going to sleep."

Shanna whooped. "Wine, great, the festivities are getting started, fantastic! You deserve it, hon. Have a blast with him. See if he has the handcuffs on him, that's fucking incredible, trust me."

Jack was politely looking out the window at the rest area, so he hopefully wouldn't notice Caitlin's bright red face. Oh god, how could Caitlin get up and leave the room to tell Shanna to shut up? That would make it obvious that Shanna was saying something embarrassing. Caitlin chose to ignore Shanna's response. "So call me when you wake up in the morning, and we'll check in again then."

Shanna laughed wickedly. "Okay, but not before ten, because you're going to need plenty of rest after the wild night you have ahead of you! Hey, you know what else you should try?"

"Okay hon, good night, I love you, bye," Caitlin said in a rush, and hung up before Shanna could respond, knowing she would understand. Damn that girl! How could Caitlin ever get the blush out of her cheeks, picturing the things Shanna had described...picturing Jack...and, fuck, the handcuffs...

Jack touched her hand lightly to get her attention. "Everything okay?" he asked politely.

"Yes, great," she replied, forcing a smile. "Shanna's just...tired." 'Ha, like that isn't the opposite of the truth,' she thought wryly. Taking a calming breath and a long swallow of her wine, she felt the flush slowly start to fade from her cheeks.

"Good," he smiled. "So, Pennsylvania tomorrow? Any destinations in mind?"

"State College," she responded immediately. "I mean...if that's alright with you," she added hastily.

"Sure, that sounds great. Penn State University's campus, right? Any particular reason?" he asked.

"Oh, I interviewed there for graduate school, and I really liked the town," she answered. "I was hoping to explore it more this summer. The town has a lot of atmosphere, and there are a lot of small, local shops that make it feel like a close, tight-knit community."

"State College it is," he said decisively. "I think we're roughly two and a half to three hours from there. Then maybe we can hit Pittsburgh – that's another two hours or so west."

She smiled at him. "Perfect."

His face suddenly turned serious, and he averted his eyes as he asked quietly, "Is there anyone else you want to call tonight?"

Uncertain, she responded, "I call my mother every morning, and other than that..." She wondered, 'Is he asking if I have a boyfriend?' "Other than that, there's no one I need to check in with," she finished. She watched his expression carefully as he took another sip of wine, but couldn't read anything into it. She began to nervously toy with one of her curls, wrapping the bright red hair around her finger over and over again.

Leaning over, he turned on a radio that was mounted on the side of the kitchen booth. An old Beatles song was playing, and he looked at her tentatively. "I can put something else on..." he began.

"No, no, I grew up with this music – the Beatles are my father's favorite. I love them," she said quickly.

He smiled, "That's great. I like when people can appreciate music that is out of the current trend."

She lowered her eyes shyly. "Well, that I can definitely do."

Even with her eyes lowered, she could feel him watching her, could feel his blue eyes penetrating her, reading her mind even.

'I need to kiss him,' she realized abruptly, listening to the Beatles explain that in life, really, love is all you need. 'He's probably such a nice guy that he doesn't want to make a move on me, and if I want to get anywhere with him, I'm going to have to initiate it. I won't be able to sleep if I don't make a move. And I'll probably be so sexually frustrated that I'll have to take care of myself anyway, and god, what if he heard me doing that?'

She looked up at him and watched as he took a sip of wine. His lips looked deliciously soft and kissable. He was so good-looking, and such an amazing man. 'But what if that's the last thing on his mind? What if he sees me as a child? What if he's horrified that I would even think of him in that way? I mean, he's a cop. They usually have good moral fiber, don't they? And wouldn't someone with good morals refuse to be with a girl half his age?'

She took another long swallow of wine, feeling his baby blue eyes watching her intently. The wine was giving her a good, light buzz, and unfortunately, making her even more aroused than she already was. The booth was U-shaped, and she shifted closer to the window, closer to him. The song had changed to 'Angel of the Morning,' which she found set the perfect mood.

"Jack," she said softly, questioningly.

"Yes," he responded. Was his voice hoarse? With desire, perhaps? She couldn't tell if it was the wine, her imagination, or reality. She let her eyes drift upward slowly to meet his. Her heart was pounding. His blue gaze pierced into her. His arm was resting along the top of the seat and she shifted just slightly closer, so that his hand brushed her shoulder.

"Jack." It was a statement now, or perhaps a command.

He suddenly pulled her to his body firmly, lowering his head to kiss her deeply, his lips teasing hers apart as his tongue explored her mouth. Her eyelids fluttered closed as she drowned in him, giving herself to him fully and without hesitation. She felt his arm encircle her shoulders, while his other hand stroked her fiery red curls gently, moving to cup her neck as he kissed her even more passionately. She opened herself to him, tentatively moving her tongue against his lips. He quickly closed his lips, sucking gently on her tongue in a way that sent sparks of lust throughout her entire body. She could feel herself getting wet, more eager and desperate for him from one kiss than she'd ever been for any other man.

When they finally broke apart, she was breathing hard. Her eyes were open wide, watching his expression as he opened his eyes as well. The look of raw, unbridled lust she saw on his face made her tremble with anticipation. He took a moment to regain his breath as well, then opened his mouth and said perhaps the two sexiest words she had ever heard in her life.

"Bedroom. Now."

To be continued...