: "As Fate Would Have It" - Chapter 7

From: Lesllie

Chapter 7

Blaine awoke from what she thought was a dream to find Jax's arms still wrapped tightly around her, and his legs entertwined with hers. Her lips curled into a contented smile as she sighed dreamily.

"Is that an 'I'm happy' sigh, or a 'something's on my mind' sigh?" Jax whispered from behind her.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" not really caring if she had, since she could think of a few things to occupy their time, sleep not appearing to be on the agenda.

"No, I was just lying here thinking about you -- and YOU didn't answer my question!"

"Oh, it was definitely an 'I'm happy' sigh!!!! I thought I'd been dreaming of making love with the most marvelous man on the face of the earth, and I wake up encircled in his arms -- as far as I'm concerned, all is right with the world!!"

"Mmmm, we could make that a recurring dream, if you're interested!!" Jax teased.

"Interested??? More like 'insistent'!!!" She turned to face Jax. She reached up and brushed and errant blond wave from his forehead. Looking into his eyes was like looking into a desert oasis for her. She was dying of thirst -- a thirst only Jax could quench.

He leaned over and kissed her sweetly, almost sensing that she was thinking about him. His thoughts were consumed with her as well -- the way she'd looked as he undressed her, the look of sheer pleasure on her face as he made slow, tender love to her, the contentedness registering in her eyes at this moment. Jax wasn't one to believe in fate, but this woman lying in his arms, felt good. It felt right. It felt certain.

Blaine nuzzled her face into his chest, and said out loud, somewhat unintentionally, "I can't believe this is happening!"

"Why do you say that??"

She looked at him with warmness and trust in her eyes, and revealed to him something she never dreamed she would. "Because I've been so crazy in love with you ever since we were kids in Junior High."

"You have NOT!" he exclaimed as he slapped her bare bottom under the covers.

"Have too! It was a sort of rite of passage for all the girls in school to have a crush on one of the Jacks brothers, but it was more than that for me. I never outgrew my junior high crush. As I got to know you in high school, it deepened for me, even though you never paid me any attention."

He was a little surprised at her revelation. He'd always looked on her as a friend in school. He never realized her feelings went any deeper. She'd kept that hidden well. As his thoughts travelled down this path, he found himself laughing out loud at certain images fixated in his memory.

"What's funny about that???" her tone changing drastically.

"Nothing about that," he reassured her. "I was just remembering some of the times we used to have in school. Remember how everbody used to congregate at my house on Friday nights before we could drive to play games and watch MTV? We were so pathetic!!"

"I thought it was fun!" Blaine said defensively.

"You would, because you always won everything we played!"

"I did not!"

"Yes, you did. Clue, forget it -- you figured it out before we even realized who we were!!! And, Operation -- you NEVER buzzed. And Yatzee -- we stopped playing that because you obviously had that magic hand motion thing down that always guaranteed a win!!"

"Oh, yeah?" she asked with a wicked grin.

"Oh yeah . . . . HEY!!" his eyes widening in surprise as he felt her hand wrap around a part of him that wasn't expecting company.

"'HEY' what? I was just gonna show you that that 'magic hand motion' hasn't faded over the last 12 years!" The shocked look on Jax's face was priceless, as he realized he'd been played. But with a touch like that, she could play him anytime! It didn't take long for the playfulness to escalate into a full-fledged, full contact game of love.

Midnight passion ignited, Jax and Blaine made love until their bodies could withstand no more. They needed replenishing, so they wrapped themselves in blankets and headed towards the kitchen. Raiding the fridge like they'd done at their Friday night parties, Jax and Blaine were having more fun than they'd ever remembered having with a lover before. They situated themselves on the floor in the living room, in front of what was now the embers of the fire Jax had started earlier. They ate voraciously, and laughed as they wondered if anyone missed them at the reunion, and what questions they would be faced with at the Sunday Brunch in the morning. This led the conversation in a more serious direction, and, whether they were ready to discuss it or not, it needed to be addressed.

Jax spoke first. "Blaine, I was serious earlier about your staying on a few days with me here in Alaska. I was planning on doing some sight seeing, maybe going to visit Mum and Dad. I haven't been home since they rennovated the house. I really would love it if you would join me. You're one of those laid back writers, so don't tell me you're not free. You have all the time in the world!" He resituated himself closer to the fire and reached for the poker.

She laughed as his misconception about her career. "Well, I'd love to Jax . . . I just have to rearrange some business meetings with Harvey and my publishing company first. If everything works out, I'm all yours. But, how are you finagling all this time away from the office? I thought you high strung corporate raider types ran a tight ship -- long days, working into the wee hours of the morning . . . are you going to dispell that myth?"

"I can be as laid back as you want me to be Blaine Adamson . . . . " his words trailing as he stoked the fire, and again, stirred her passion.

"Hmmm, can you? Let's just see about that . . . " as she removed the blanket from around her and began making her way towards him, her intentions fully registering in her eyes. She loosened his blanket, and indeed laid him back for what was to be a sexual test of endurance.

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~ Sunday Morning ~

Morning found the two of them tangled in blankets in front of the smoldering fire, still wrapped in each other's arms. They were physically spent, but charged with the speculation about what the days ahead hopefully held in store for them.

Blaine showered while Jax made coffee and searched the kitchen for breakfast. Nothing to be found. Just then, a knock was heard at the door. "Room Service," a male voice called. Jax opened the door in his boxers and took the silver tray from the Bed and Breakfast employee, placing a sizable tip in his hand.

The tray held pastries and fruit, various toasted breads with jellies and preserves, and a silver tea service and coffee caraffe. Jax was famished, as he began nibbling immediately on this welcomed continental breakfast. He called to Blaine in the shower that breakfast had arrived and she better hurry up if she wanted any.

Blaine readied herself eagerly. She put on just enough makeup to appear put-together, and threw on a white long-sleeve blouse with an ankle length rust colored linen sheath. Simple, yet stunning, according to Jax's reaction to her as she joined him in the living room. He had actually stopped chewing on his morning feast -- a sure sign she'd distracted him. He had put his suit back on and looked stunning himself. But, they needed to get a move on if they were going to arrive at the breakfast on time. Jax still had to shower and change.

Arriving back at the Plaza, Jax and Blaine hastily made their way to his room before they were spotted by any of their curious classmates. Neither was ready to be grilled about the status of their relationship, assuming that their friends would put the pieces of last night together. Besides, neither of them knew quite how to respond to that line of questioning.

Upon entering the hotel room, Jax headed straight for the shower, while Blaine said she had a few phone calls to make. The first person she called was Harvey, her agent. She could hear the disappointment in his voice as she shared her lack of progress on her next endeavor. She leaned her head back as he recited his normal spiel: "Now, Blaine, you know I'm not one to push, but this book's not gonna write itself. You've gotta put your nose to the grindstone! You've got readers out there that will move on to the next author if you don't give 'em what they want. Now get to it!"

Blaine rolled her eyes, almost able to recite his little speech word for word along with him. She promised him she would try to focus and have something in a week. He reluctantly granted her an extension, complaining as he did about having to reschedule with the publishers and how it would throw his whole schedule off for the next three weeks. Blaine took it all in stride, as she always did. Harvey was an old curmudgeon, but he had done right by her, and she would tolerate his little idiosyncrasies.

The next person she called was her best friend, Candace, to beg her to water her plants and gather her mail for just seven more days. Candace immediately asked, "So . . . what's his name?"

Blaine laughed in awe of her perceptive friend. "What makes you so sure there's a 'him'?"

"Because when you've got writer's block you go into seclusion faster than Emily Dickenson -- and your voice holds too much enthusiasm for you to be on the verge of becoming a recluse. So, I repeat, who is he?"

Just as she was about to spill, she heard the shower cut off, "Oh, gotta go, Candy, he's getting out of the shower! That oughtta tide ya over! Luv ya!" And with a giggly goodbye, she hung up the phone, envisioning Candace wide-eyed and open-mouthed, still holding the phone -- trying to process this juicy tidbit of information her best friend just dangled in front of her.

Jax emerged from the bathroom clad in a towel and water droplets, and Blaine noted that Armani himself couldn't have created a more suitable ensemble for his physique. "You done?" Jax asked as he used a second towel to remove the excess water from his hair.

"Huh?" she responded without her usual eloquence. The dreamlike distraction standing before her rendered her brain inept.

Jax laughed, sensing her interest in his garb, or lack thereof, and rephrased his question in more detail, "Your phone calls -- are you finished?"

"Yes. All finished! And . . . I'm free for the week!"

"Great news!! I assumed that would be the case, so I took the liberty of making all the necessary arrangements."

"So, you're taking liberties, are you?" her mind still wandering.

"Any and all I can get away with!" he quipped.

"So . . . will you divulge any details of the next few days?"

"Only one . . . how are you with motion sickness?"

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