Always Been You

“Oh, hello. Claire” Katherine replied. “Your sons dragged you here too, huh”

“Oh, yes,” Claire replied. “Oliver has been so excited about this. If I missed it, he would be so upset”

“Same with Tim. But it’s good to be out for something else apart from work” Katherine said.

Claire nodded in agreement. “So what’s new, Katherine?” she asked after a moment.

Katherine grinned at her. “Absolutely nothing, Claire, except the heat” she replied.

Claire squinted over her first puff of a cigarette. “I know good and well that something is new. I heard you have a store at Crimson bay. A friend of mine saw you with Jensen at the party. So how is it being reunited with your ‘best friend’ from high school?” she asked.

Katherine sighed. She knew Claire. She would pick at facts until she arranged them to her satisfaction.

“Why are you saying best friend like that?” Katherine asked slightly amused.

“You know why,” Claire replied. “He’s a hunk. Always has been… Right from high school. And he isn’t married. I know you had a thing for him back then, and vice versa. He isn’t married, you’re not either… So..”

Katherine sipped her drink stoically, aware of the gleam in Claire’s eyes. She imagined Claire’s inner delight as she acted as matchmaker.

“A lot of things have really changed in the past five years, Claire,” Katherine said in a voice sounding like chipped ice. “It’s not the same anymore”.

Claire snapped to attention. “That may be true, but it doesn’t matter. He is a doll, Katherine, and you know it.”

Katherine gnawed on a piece of lemon rind. “Not from where I sit”. She said,

“Mmmmm” Claire’s syllable sounded skeptical. “I get it. He didn’t fall for your cool cucumber act, did he?” she asked.

“What?” asked Katherine. “Cool cucumber act?.. I have never heard of such a thing”.

“Oh hun… Sure you haven’t” Claire replied. “I know you and I know how you were in school. Jensen is a real man. That touch me not routine of yours will just fire him up”.

Claire’s shoulder nudged Katherine’s, urging her to look in the direction of her nod. “Well, speaking of the devil,” she said.

Jensen’s car slithered in and out of shadows as he pulled into the lot and parked next to the bleachers.

Katherine’s stomach tightened as she forced herself to watch the Reds and Blues warming up and Claire laughed at her reaction.

“Things are not the same indeed” she said laughing.

Jensen looked nothing like a businessman this evening. He appeared at ease, perhaps even a little excited, as he eyed the boys on the field.

He moved to the field to speak to Tom and Jerry, his nephew. Probably about the game and then he left. Katherine scolded herself for wondering where he was. She didn’t care. It was even better if he left. She concentrated on the field.

“Hello, Claire. Nice to see you again”. Rumbled a too familiar voice directly next to Katherine. She stiffened immediately. Damn this reaction to him. She muttered.

Even though his bare arm brushed hers as he sat down and the expensive aftershave rose to her senses. Katherine stared resolutely at the teams on the field. She chewed another ice cube and studied her red tinted toenails, determined not to flinch as his shoulder bumped against hers.Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.

“Hi, yourself. Good looking” Claire answered over Katherine’s head.

Jensen edged closer to Katherine, his lean hip touching her softer one.

“Mind if I sit here, Kat?” he questioned amiably. “I’m going to watch the boys and talk to their coach later”.

Again his hips nudged hers.

Katherine took another mouthful of ice cubes and placed both elbows on her knees as she ignored Claire’s happy chirp and Jensen’s rumbling, deep responses.

Casually, he propped his Nikes on the bleacher before them, inches from Katherine’s sandal clad feet. His hair flecked thigh brushed the slenderness of hers, and she moved fractionally away from the heat. From under dark brows, his glance at her mocked the movement, and his mouth curled slightly.

Jensen leaned forward, hands together, elbows braced on his knees and Katherine’s stomach tightened ominously. She was so aware of every damn move he made. It annoyed her. She forced herself to watch the game in progress on the field.

“Strike” the umpire called. On the pitcher’s mound, Tim grinned proudly.

Katherine jumped to her feet and called between the cup of her hands. “You can do it, Timmy. Do it again”.

She sat down and found Jensen grinning at her. She elbowed his ribs. “Stop that, Jensen,” she said. She wished she could take the white toothed grin, roll it up, and stuff it down his well muscled throat.

Another strike slid by the batter. Tim’s triumphant freckled face was wreathed in pleasure.

Jensen turned to Katherine and asked pleasantly. “Having a good time, dear?” then he added seriously. “Tim’s got a good good arm, Kat”

“I know that”. She snapped. Then she added calmly. “Thanks for helping him practice”.

“Oh it’s fine,” he replied. “I like practicing with him and Jerry. I’m beginning to think I’m overdue for a dose of simpler things. I actually enjoyed mowing the lawn with him and your dad. In fact I’m looking forward to a lot of things. That includes kissing one very attractive woman and gaining her trust ”

Beneath the cover of the growing darkness, his fingers walked up her spine. He gently explored the straps of her blouse until she shifted and arched her shoulder away from his hand.

He smiled.”You know Kat, you can be a real torment. You are stubborn. But you are fascinating to watch when you talk to Tim. There is a softness in your expression, a glow that makes me ache. I want you, Kat. I know you want me too and I want to feel you melt beneath me when we make love. ”

The heat of his breath stroked her flushed face.

“I’m going to enjoy…” A cheer for a Homer drowned out the rest of his words.

“Strike” came the umpire’s call.

Jensen leaned against the bleacher behind them, a long arm curved around her stiff shoulders, his hand holding her still. The sweep of black lashes flickered as he watched the game. Katherine fought for control as she tried to pull from his grip. “Don’t touch me, Jensen,” she said.

His head turned as he followed a runner from second base to third, then on as the boy flew from third to slide home. The arrogant profile was set.

“I’m going to touch you, Kitty Kat” he said casually “if you will remember, you melt each time I do… Like that day at your house. I wanted to spread you out on the floor and taste you so bad. I still want to. I told you we weren’t done, didn’t I? I told you I wasn’t giving up”