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Fire in the Night Ch. 01

By: sunnylynn



As he crested a small hill, he felt the wheels of his motor home start to skid on the wet, slick surface of the road. Though his heartbeat accelerated, he calmly turned the wheel just slightly into the skid, then slowly eased the RV straight again. Taking a deep breath, he felt his heartbeat slowly return to normal. The storm outside had been raging earlier, but had now slowed to a light and steady rain, making driving conditions just miserable enough to require constant, alert attention. He reached over and turned off the radio (a woman apparently named 'Fergie' was explaining that she was indeed delicious, but not in fact promiscuous), squinting slightly at the road ahead. This lonely stretch of highway was deserted, though it was not that late at night. There had been nothing to see but trees for many miles, lining the highway as far as he could see.

Suddenly, his jaw dropped when he made out a figure in the darkness at the bottom of the hill, arm extended to indicate that he or she wanted a ride. 'What crazy person would try to hitchhike at night in the middle of a storm like this?!' he thought disbelievingly. He slowed carefully, leaning forward to peer through the windshield and assess the danger of picking up this stranger. As the RV approached, his headlights caught a copper glint in the curls that cascaded wildly from under the person's emerald green poncho. He slowed further, worrying about a young girl caught in the middle of this storm, on a dark highway in the middle of upstate New York. 'She is definitely crazy,' he thought worriedly, but found his foot pressing harder on the brake. As he pulled over, he passed just in front of her and caught an emerald shine from within her poncho -- her eyes matched the deep green of her poncho, and the copper curls shone and flashed in the headlights like fire. He took a deep breath and reminded himself that kids can make stupid decisions these days, and he shouldn't expect this stranger to be innocent or naïve just because she was a young woman. Reaching over to his glove compartment, he grabbed both his badge and his gun, tucking the gun into the back of his jeans and the badge into his jacket pocket. Putting the RV into park, he got up from the driver's seat and headed out into the storm.

Rain splashed his face as he stepped out, and he turned to the right just as the stranger held up a cell phone and took a picture of him and the back of the RV. 

Uncertain, he called out to her, "Need a ride?" Of course she needed a ride, but what the hell was the picture about?

She walked toward him quickly, but stopped about five feet away. It was too dark to see her features closely in the rainy night, but he thought she looked like a quite attractive young woman.

"I just sent a picture of your license plate and face to my best friend," she explained. "Before I get into your motor home, I'm going to call her and give her your name, after you show me your driver's license. I am then going to tell her where we are going and what route we are taking. I will set up a time to check in with her. If I am more than five minutes late in calling her at that time, she will call the police and give them your information. You would be arrested within 15 minutes if you try anything funny." This speech was given in a matter-of-fact tone that suggested much rehearsal, practice, and fine-tuning. He was deeply impressed with her thorough approach to hitchhiking safely, though a trifle amused.

Flipping up his jacket hood to block the rain and grabbing his badge from his pocket, he replied, "If your friend wants to call the police, she could just give my cell a ring." He flashed her his badge. "I should also warn you that I'm currently armed with a license to carry for my own protection, but I'm happy to give you a ride...especially given your meticulous preparation."

In the dark night, he just barely saw her give a relieved smile as she dialed her friend.

"Hey, it's me," she said, her voice softer now, and more melodic. "Yeah, I got a ride. I know, it's still raining. I will." She paused, glancing up at him. "License?" 

He quickly withdrew his wallet from his jeans and stepped forward to hand it to her. He caught another flash of emerald green from underneath the poncho hood, and felt his heart pound slightly. 'I can't wait to see those eyes up close; they must be beautiful,' he thought distractedly.

"Jack Thompson," the young girl read off to her friend. "California. I don't know yet... Route 88, heading toward Pennsylvania. I'll call you in an hour with more info, Mapquest the route. Love you. Bye." She looked up at him expectantly. "Let's get out of this rain, Jack." 

He felt his heart pound again when she said his name. Turning and heading back to the RV, he held open the door for her, but she shook her head. "I'd rather you go first, if you don't mind," she explained, her tone very matter-of-fact again. 

He couldn't get over how intelligent and organized she was, despite the apparent insanity of hitchhiking in this day and age. 'She's prepared for every situation, an expert at this game. How far has she come? Why is she hitchhiking? Where is she going?" His mind raced with questions, and he had to remind himself not to get too involved with a young woman who surely must be in some kind of trouble to be doing this.

Climbing the stairs into the RV, he first headed past the small kitchen to the tiny bathroom to get the young woman a towel. Returning to the kitchen area, he found her gazing around the RV, impressed. 

"Nice ride," she commented. 

He didn't respond. He had been stricken momentarily dumb when she'd pulled the hood of her poncho down. Her wet, wild curls were a deep, blood red from the rain, and he tried to imagine what color they would become when they dried. Her delicate features were small, feminine, and flawless. Porcelain skin was dusted with freckles across a tiny, upturned nose, making her look something like a pixie. And, of course, the emerald green eyes that had so captivated him earlier -- they were big and beautiful, and had soft gold flecks in them, making them the most amazing eyes he had ever seen. Though the poncho hid most of her body from him, she was only a few inches over five feet, and he could tell from her features that she must be slender.

Mentally, he shook himself. 'She can't be much more than 20 -- less than half your age,' he told himself. 'Do you really want to be one of those dirty old men who try to bed a woman half his age?' As he moved closer to her to give her the towel, a small voice deep in his subconscious hoarsely whispered, 'Yes.'

To be continued...

Fire in the Night Ch. 02



As he returned with a towel to dry off her rain-soaked body, she set down her waterproof pack and surveyed the RV. "Nice ride," she commented, mentally approving of the style and décor he'd utilized to make the motor home feel like...well, home. She suddenly realized that he was staring at her, and she flushed hotly, realizing that she must look like a drowned rat after being out in that rainstorm. Quickly grabbing the towel and trying to dry her curls, she avoided his gaze.

Of all the interesting people she'd met through hitchhiking across the country, her intuition told her that this man would be the most intriguing. When he'd pulled over to the side of the road and emerged from the RV, she'd felt her heart suddenly start to beat a little faster. Tall, with dark brown hair and an athletic build, she could see even in the dark, rainy night that he was a good-looking older man. Now that she was inside the RV, she could see that his eyes were a startling, clear blue that entranced her. 'And he's a cop,' she said to herself, 'I mean, come on, what girl doesn't fantasize about a police officer?'

Of course, he probably thought she was a foolish, immature little girl who'd gotten herself in trouble and now had to hitchhike back to Mommy and Daddy because she'd spent all her money. 

When her red curls were bright and fiery again, rather than dark and coppery, she knew her hair was sufficiently dry. She took off her trusty poncho. It had been a gift from her best friend, Shanna, to celebrate the beginning of her cross-country hitchhiking trip. "Probably the most valuable thing you'll take with you," Shanna had said confidently, and of course she had been right.

Jack had taken off his jacket (in the light of the RV, she could now see the emblem of his police department on it, though she couldn't make out the city name), and she subtly admired his body – casual in jeans and a black polo shirt, but somehow so sexy at the same time. 'Calm down, girl,' she thought, 'he must be twice your age.' 

"Can I get you something to eat or drink?" he offered, opening the door of the fridge.

"If you have any wine, I could use a little to relax after this night," she said. He gave her a quick, surprised glance, then turned to the fridge. "I have White Zinfandel, if that's alright."

She had caught his glance, and knew what it meant. "I am of age, officer," she said, a little defensively, feeling her face flush again.

He looked over, startled. "Oh, of course...I'm sure you are," he said.

Still blushing, she said, "I know I look fresh out of high school, officer, but I'm 23."

He held up his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry if I offended you. You do look very young, but that's a good thing for a woman, isn't it?" 

She took a breath, telling herself not to get defensive with him. Why was she getting defensive? What did she care what he thought? "I'm sorry, I just... it can get annoying to constantly be treated like you're not even old enough to vote. It's something I'm still not used to, but it's my thing, not yours. Sorry." She had lowered her eyes to apologize, and only looked up when he stepped in front of her, a glass of wine in hand.

"No worries," he said softly, handing her the wine. When his blue eyes locked with hers, she felt her heartbeat quicken again, and she looked away hastily. 

"Should we get on the road?" she asked nervously. 

He smiled. "As soon as you tell me your name."

"Oh! It's Caitlin...I'm sorry, I didn't realize I hadn't introduced myself."

He chuckled and extended his hand, shaking hers firmly. "You really must stop apologizing. And I, as you know from my driver's license, am Jack. You can call me Jack...not officer."

'My God, can I ever stop blushing?' she thought, furious at herself. 'Why am I acting like a shy schoolgirl? What is it about him...?'

He had headed to the front of the RV, settling into the driver's seat after removing his gun from the back of his jeans. She stared at the gun with wide eyes. She hadn't truly believed him when he'd told her he was armed. He put the gun in the glove compartment, then glanced back at her. 

"Does it make you uncomfortable?" he asked, concerned.

"No," she said quickly. "I just...I've never seen one...up close, you know." 'Stupid, stupid!' she cursed herself silently. 

He smiled reassuringly, "I assure you, I'm fully licensed and trained to carry it. I wouldn't dare travel across the country without it."

She settled into the seat next to him. This RV had tan, plush leather seats for the driver and passenger, and they were amazingly comfortable. She smoothed her fiery red curls back from her face and took a sip of wine. "This is delicious," she said softly as he started the RV's engine.

"Thanks," he replied, "I spare no expense when it comes to wine. I'm a bit of a connoisseur. It helps knowing how to relax when you have a job like mine."

"I can't even imagine," she said. "You said you're traveling across the country?"

He turned off the overhead lights, glanced into his side and rear view mirrors, and carefully pulled the RV back out onto the highway. The road was still deserted, though it was only nine o'clock, and she thought again how grateful she was that he had stopped to pick her up.

"Yes, I'm on leave from the force," he answered. "I've wanted to drive across the country my entire life, but never really got around to it. Finally, last year, I said to myself, 'I have the money, I have the time – the hell with it, I'm just going to do it.'" He glanced at her quickly, and added, "Pardon my French." 

She chuckled and took another sip of wine. "Don't worry about it. Get another glass of wine in me and I'll make a sailor blush."

He laughed appreciatively, and she felt a warm tingle grow inside of her just from making him laugh. 'What is it about him?' she found herself wondering for perhaps the tenth time since she'd boarded this RV.

"And do I dare ask, Caitlin, why you are on this deserted highway, in a rainstorm, at night?" he asked casually.

She felt her face flush once again, and was thankful that the lights were off and her blush was hidden. "I needed adventure," she said vaguely. 

He nodded, and said quietly, "I guess we all do, sometimes." She silently thanked him for not pushing her further.

The next hour flew by, as they talked of more superficial things – movies they liked, music they were passionate about, books they've read. Caitlin found that he was incredibly intelligent in addition to having a good sense of humor, and she found herself feeling amazingly comfortable with him. She thought, 'If he wasn't old enough to be my father, I could really...' But even in her mind, she couldn't let herself finish that sentence, and she pushed it out of her head. 

Just before ten o'clock, she asked if he would excuse her so that she could call her friend to check in again. 

"Of course," he replied, "but it's starting to get late enough that we may want to talk about whether we're going to stop for the night or not."

"Oh, you're right," she realized. "Um...well, Jack, I don't really have any plans on when and where I'm going, to be honest. Like I said before, I just...need adventure. So I guess I'm willing to go where you're going, for now." She couldn't look at him as she said this, unwilling to see his expression. Maybe he didn't want her company indefinitely. Maybe he was hoping to drop her off in an hour or two and get on with his own life. After all, what right did she have to intrude on his cross-country tour? 

She didn't see his smile when he heard her response. "Then we shall be spontaneous, and have ourselves an adventure. For now, why don't you tell your friend that we'll be pulling over around midnight, and you can call her again then." 

She held in her relief at his answer, managing to answer calmly, "Alright, I'll go call her." She finished the last of her wine and got up from the passenger seat, moving into the kitchen where she grabbed her cell phone from her waterproof pack. She then hesitated, realizing that she wanted to say things to Shanna that she didn't want him to hear.

As if reading her mind, he called from the front seat, "If you'd like some privacy, you can use the bedroom. It's the last door." 

With relief, she headed back that way, and stepped into the small bedroom, turning on the light. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she scanned the room slowly. He had used soft shades of blue to decorate this room, giving it a peaceful, calming feel. Several paintings hung on the wall, mostly landscapes of the ocean and shore. A single book lay on his bedside table. She sat on the bed and picked up the book, reading the title aloud softly. "The Pursuit of Happyness." She found herself wondering whether he was the type of person who liked to read a book before seeing the movie, or vice versa. Making a mental note to ask him, she dialed Shanna's number.

"Hello?" Shanna answered.

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

"Good. Where are you headed next?"

"We're driving until about midnight, then we're going to stop for the night. It's an RV, and there's a couch I can sleep on. He's a cop, and I trust him."

"Then I trust him, too," Shanna replied. "But still be careful. Cops can go bad, too."

Caitlin hesitated. "He's...a good guy."

Shanna read into this instantly. "Is he hot?"

Caitlin blushed, and whispered, "Unbelievably."

"Then get some!" Shanna cheered.

"He's... he's twice my age," Caitlin confessed.

"So? That just means he knows where everything goes. Trust me, I've done the older man thing, and it's fabulous, you'll love it!" Shanna cried.

Still blushing, Caitlin replied, "I'll call you around midnight when we stop again."

"Caitlin...you deserve to let loose for a change. Relax, and if he's a good guy, go for it!" Shanna instructed.

"Love you," Caitlin said softly.

She could hear the smile in Shanna's voice when she responded, "Love you, too, hon. Bye."

"Bye," she answered.

Tucking the cell phone into her pocket, she walked over to the mirror on Jack's dresser and smoothed her red curls back again. 'He's just a man, just like any other,' she told her reflection softly. 'There's no need to be nervous. You don't even know if he thinks of you that way. He probably thinks you're just some immature kid. So just relax and put that stuff out of your mind. Stop picturing him naked.' 

She'd thrown in the last sentence as a joke to herself, but she suddenly had a brilliantly vivid image of Jack naked, lying on the bed, his hands casually folded behind his head as he ordered her to come ravage him. A deep, throbbing need began in her core, radiating outward. She shivered and closed her eyes briefly, imagining herself slowly stripping her clothes off before approaching Jack's naked body. She opened her eyes wide, staring into her mirrored reflection. "Oh god, I'm so screwed," she whispered.

To be continued...



Fire in the Night Ch. 03



When he heard Caitlin close the bedroom door, Jack tried to focus his concentration on the rainy night and the highway ahead of him. 'Half your age, half your age,' he repeated to himself in a frustrated voice. But she was amazing. Beautiful, well that goes without saying. Yet she was also intelligent, funny, and adventurous. And she certainly didn't act like a girl in her early 20's – she seemed more mature than some of the women he'd recently dated. Of course, there was so much of her that was still a mystery. But from what he knew, he thought she was one of the most amazing women he'd ever met. And he could swear there was electricity between them. 

'You're imagining that,' he told himself. 'What could she possibly see in an old man twice her age? She no doubt has men her age drawn to her like bees to honey. Fuck, she probably has a boyfriend. Certainly has a boyfriend! No woman that amazing could be without love in her life.' He concentrated intensely on the road and tried not to imagine what she was telling her friend.

Several minutes later, she emerged from the bedroom, turning on the overhead light in the kitchen. "Does this distract you from driving?" she called to him.

'No, but you sure as hell do,' he thought. "Nope, not at all," he called out cheerily.

He heard her open the fridge, then heard her pouring another drink. She turned off the overhead light and came to the front of the RV, sitting in the passenger seat again. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her sipping her wine carefully. This was a dangerous move on his part, as he was nearly mesmerized by the sight of her soft, pink lips pursing gently to drink the wine. Her fiery red curls fell onto her shoulders, which were covered by a royal blue top that hugged her curves nicely, and her khaki pants hung low on her hips, showing just a hint of tummy when she leaned forward to put the wineglass in the cup holder. He shivered slightly, moving his gaze back to the road. 'Just don't look at her anymore,' he told himself firmly.

"How is your friend?" he asked.

"Oh, she's great," she replied. "She's such a sweetheart, looking out for me like this. I'm really lucky to have a friend like her."

"How long have you been traveling?" he asked curiously.

"About three weeks now. I took the Southern route, roughly, to the East Coast from California, and was planning on trying to take the Northern route back home, so that I can see as much of the country as possible," she explained.

His eyebrows shot up. "You're from California, too?" he asked, somehow managing to keep the hope out of his voice.

"Yes, San Francisco," she answered.

"Ah...I live in Long Beach," he said, hiding his disappointment quite well. 

"I'm going to UCLA for graduate school in August!" she exclaimed. "What are the chances, two Californians meeting in lonely, upstate New York?"

'The chances may be slim, but it just means that Fate loves me,' he thought, hiding a delighted grin. Los Angeles was within 30 miles of Long Beach. "You're going to graduate school?"

She hesitated before answering, as if she just realized how personal the conversation was getting. "Yes...for biopsychology."

"Wow, that sounds fascinating," he said, thoroughly impressed. 

Her voice was quiet when she replied, "It's not that fascinating...a life in research must sound so dull to a man who puts his life on the line every day."

He shook his head firmly. "You couldn't be more wrong. I've always thought that if I could go to school for my entire life, and just learn as much as I possibly could about the world, then that would give my life meaning. But my dad was a cop, and you know how it goes..." He trailed off as he was suddenly aware that she was leaning toward him, watching him carefully. 

"Well I greatly admire what you do," she said seriously. "It takes a brave and courageous man to do what you do, and I'm sure it must give your life meaning to save lives every day."

He smiled modestly. "Well, not every day...I get two days off."

She gave a low, throaty chuckle that he found incredibly sexy. "Well, five out of seven days a week, then."

As midnight approached, he found himself growing ever more enamored with her. 'It's not like I can make a move on her,' he reminded himself. 'She is trusting me with her safekeeping, she is vulnerable because I'm giving her a ride. I don't want her to feel coerced into doing something with me just because she's afraid that I will dump her back on the road if she turns me down.'

He turned off of Route 88 onto Route 81, heading south toward Pennsylvania. "After I cross the border, we'll look for a rest stop for the night," he explained to her. 

"Alright," she said softly. Her wineglass was empty again. He wondered if she would want more. He wondered if she would want to go to sleep immediately after they stopped. He wondered what she looked like when she slept. He wondered what she looked like when she...

'Stop it,' he said to himself firmly. 'Just stop it right there, you dirty old man.'

He drove past a sign that read 'Pennsylvania Welcomes You.' She pointed to it and said delightedly, "Pennsylvania welcomes us, Jack!" He laughed softly, enjoying her enthusiasm for their traveling.

"I only rode through the southeastern corner when I came up to New York," she explained quickly, as if embarrassed. "It will be nice to see more of the state."

"Well then we can make that our goal for tomorrow," he smiled. "Hopefully the weather will clear up. Oh, there's a rest stop right up here,' he added, leaning forward and peering into the rain and darkness as he turned off onto the exit ramp. He pulled into the parking lot, and offered to pull up to the rest area main entrance if she wanted to go inside. 

"Not now, maybe in the morning," she said. "I have everything I need in here."

'That didn't mean anything, that wasn't a subtle innuendo, she's talking about bathroom supplies and food,' he told himself determinedly while he backed into a motor home parking space carefully. 'Stop looking for flirting!' But he couldn't help imagining that she meant more by this comment, that perhaps this was her way of hinting that he could be man enough to be everything to her, that he could fulfill her needs in every way... 'Half your age, half your age,' he muttered to himself.

"What?" she asked. He glanced over and she was looking at him curiously.

"Oh, I was just talking to myself while parking... 'Back into the space, back into the space.' Just a quirk I picked up from driving alone so much." His reply was smooth even though his heart was pounding furiously. 'Be careful, buddy, you're going to freak her out if you keep that shit up,' he thought, annoyed with himself. Turning off the RV, he unbuckled his seatbelt and got up, stretching as much as he could before walking into the kitchen.

"I think I'll join you with that wine before we retire, if that's alright," he called over his shoulder, flicking on the overhead light. He heard her get up and move behind him to the booth on the other side of the kitchen.

"That sounds great," she said softly. "Pour me another glass and I'll check in with Shanna again." He couldn't help but notice that she used her friend's name now, rather than the ambiguous term 'my friend.' She was getting more comfortable with him, trusting him. His intuition told him that this was important to her, that she was letting him into her life a little bit at a time. 

He turned after pouring the two glasses, and caught her brilliant green eyes watching him. 'I want her to trust me,' he realized suddenly. 'I've never cared whether a woman trusted me before, just whether she would sleep with me. What is wrong with me...?' he wondered.

To be continued...



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...



Fire in the Night Ch. 05



When the song on the radio switched to 'Angel of the Morning,' an image of Caitlin flashed into Jack's head. He envisioned her with a mischievous smile, her naked body wrapped in his light blue sheets, tousled red curls spilling over her bare shoulders and illuminated into fire by the sunlight that peeked through the small window of the RV's bedroom -- the angel of his morning. This vision was so vivid that he could see the way the golden sunlight would draw out the gold flecks in her brilliant green eyes, and he could almost feel her soft, warm body pressing up against his side.

"Jack?" Though she spoke quietly, he was jerked out of his fantasy bed and back into reality -- sitting in the kitchen booth next to her, the dim overhead light of the RV chasing away the dark, rainy night outside. He suddenly realized that his erection was straining against his jeans almost painfully, forcing him to be aware of the power and depth of his desire for this beautiful young woman. 

"Yes," he answered hoarsely, his voice thick with the passion that was quickly consuming him, bringing him to the point of no return. The point where he must surely take her into his arms or perish. He studied her face intently -- her soft, pink lips slightly parted with anticipation, the spattering of freckles across her nose, her bright emerald eyes wide with innocence. When she shifted forward slightly, his arm that was draped across the top of the seat brushed her shoulder, and it was as if he could no longer breathe. He was frozen in place by the feel of her body, the perfection of her skin, the connection of their two bodies. 

"Jack." Spoken as a statement, it broke the spell her touch had cast upon him. The point of no return had been reached. He brought her to him as if there was no other place she belonged, kissing her with all of the explosive passion that had been building in him ever since he spotted her coppery curls through the RV's windshield in the rain-soaked night. There was no holding back, no point in resisting or restraining any longer, and he claimed her mouth with his own, his tongue exploring her lips, her mouth, caressing her own tongue. He stroked her fiery red curls with his hand, burying his hand in her hair as he cupped her neck to devour her mouth more fully. When it seemed her shock wore off, and she moved her tongue back against him, he couldn't resist gently sucking it into his mouth. He felt a guttural moan in the back of her throat, and he knew that he needed to have her, all of her, immediately.

Breaking the kiss, he pulled back slightly as both of them gasped for breath. Her wide green eyes were staring at him with shock, wonder, and desire mixed together. His arm still around her shoulders, he felt her tremble slightly. He was shaken as well, barely able to think, certainly unable to form sentences, so he said the only two words that were currently echoing in his head.

"Bedroom. Now."

Caitlin's eyes widened. Jack stood up, took her hand in his, and led her back through the kitchen of the RV to the bedroom. Closing the door behind her, he stood next to the bed in the small bedroom, staring at her with anticipation. He reached forward, stroked her soft cheek gently, tenderly, and brushed her curls away from her face. Her green eyes were still wide, locked on his as her lips parted slightly. Letting out a soft groan at this irresistible temptation, he pulled her to him, kissing her deeply as he wrapped his arms around her, running his hands up her slender back. Her hands timidly crept around his waist, clinging to him as she drowned in his kiss.

Pulling back slightly, he studied her face as he commanded, "Tell me what you want." He wanted to hear from her own lips that she was as passionate about him as he was about her, and he didn't want to coerce her into anything she didn't want to do.

She lowered her eyes shyly, blushing slightly as she said in a soft voice, "I want you."

Intuitively sensing that the young woman wanted him to take charge, he took one of her hands and placed it on the crotch of his jeans so that she could feel his throbbing erection. "Tell me what you want," he repeated.

She gasped softly, her cheeks flushed, and her emerald eyes darkened with desire. "I want you inside of me," she said, a little louder.

He groaned again at this admission, dropping her hand and reaching for the bottom of her shirt so that he could pull it over her head. She raised her hands obediently, and he yanked off her top impatiently, tossing it behind her. Her breasts were concealed by a royal blue bra that matched her shirt, the rich color beautifully contrasting with her pale skin. Light freckles were spattered along her collarbone, enhancing her beauty even more. He stared at her openly, admiringly, entranced by her youthful beauty. She started to raise her arms to cover her chest shyly, and he stopped her.

"Let me see how beautiful you are," he said softly. She nodded slightly, holding her breath. With painstaking care, he reached down and slowly unbuttoned and unzipped her khaki pants. He could see a hint of the royal blue panties that matched her bra and he groaned with desire. She kicked off her shoes and socks as he slid her pants down her slender hips, and she stepped out of the khakis carefully. The soft, creamy skin of her legs mesmerized him, and he bent down to run his hands slowly up the outside of her legs, feeling her smoothness. When his hands reached her hips, he ran them up her back to her bra clasp and undid it without hesitation. Gently pulling off her bra, his breath caught at the sight of her beautiful breasts. Perfect for her petite frame, they were full, perky, topped with soft pink nipples that matched her lips. He leaned forward to lay a gentle kiss on her right nipple, and she moaned quietly.

Wrapping his arms around her, he picked her up and lay her down tenderly on the bed. He found himself being gentler with her than he had ever been with a woman. 'I'm starting to really care about her,' he thought, with some kind of wonder. He unhurriedly kicked off his shoes, peeled off his clothes, and joined her on the bed in his boxers. Her eyes were wide as they drank in his body, muscled and hard from years of training in the police force. Her gaze lingered on the tent that had formed in his boxers. He boldly took her hand again and put it on his erection, causing her to gasp softly.

"Is this what you want?" he asked hoarsely. Her eyelids fluttered closed with desire as her small fingers wrapped around his cock through his boxers. He moaned, feeling her grip him tightly, her lust evident. 

"Yes," she breathed. He stroked her cheek again, softly, burying his hand in her fiery red hair as he pulled her forward to kiss her deeply. His tongue slowly, gently explored her mouth, teasing her tenderly as he felt her hand hesitantly stroke his cock through his boxers. She moaned into his mouth, responding eagerly to his kiss as she sucked his tongue gently. His passion overcoming him, he broke the kiss to trail his lips down her neck, softly kissing and licking her creamy skin. She tilted her head back, breathing hard as she felt him tasting her skin. 

He moved on top of her, his hands gripping her hips as he dropped soft, wet kisses over her chest, everywhere on her breasts except her nipples. Moving his gaze up to her face to watch her expression, he lightly flicked his tongue over her nipple. She gasped, her eyes closing, a look of ecstasy coming over her face. He sucked her nipple gently, tenderly, and she moaned loudly. Moving his lips over to her other nipple, he alternated slowly, leisurely, sucking and licking her nipples until she was gasping for breath, tossing her head back and forth.

"Please," she moaned. 

He smiled slightly, watching her face as she opened her eyes and looked at him earnestly. "Tell me," he instructed.

She hesitated slightly, shyly, lowering her eyes from his gaze. "Please...I need you," she said softly.

He lowered his lips to her nipple again, sucking a bit harder and nipping his teeth on her lightly. She moaned louder, her body writhing beneath him. He then pulled back, watching her face again. "Tell me," he commanded in a stronger voice.

"Please, Jack! I want you to...taste me," she gasped, her face flushed with shyness. Without hesitation, his hands moved from her hips to the top of her panties, pulling them swiftly down her soft, creamy legs. He was delighted to see that she was shaven, her pussy bare for him to feast upon. She started to cross her legs slightly, then restrained herself and lay still beneath him. He began kissing and licking down her stomach, nibbling lightly at her hip bones, then moving to her upper thighs. She whimpered softly as he gently spread her legs, raising her knees so that he could settle between them. Kissing her upper thighs softly, teasingly, he watched her face. Her curls were spread wildly across the pillow, her eyes closed, her face flushed, and she bit her lower lip in anticipation. He slowly ran his tongue up her slit, tasting the desire that moistened her pussy. 

"Caitlin, you're so wet for me," he said, his voice thick with desire. "Do you want me to taste you now?"

Her hips undulating slightly, she trembled with desire as she whimpered, "Yes, please Jack, now please..."

Satisfied, he ran his tongue inside of her again, exploring her soft folds with tenderness. She was moaning and writhing beneath him, making his dick grow painfully hard. Years of experience with women guided his movements. He found her clit and gently flicked it, hearing her gasp loudly. He began to suck on it lightly, slowly, moving one of his hands to her pussy to slowly slip one of his fingers inside of her, finding her amazingly tight. She cried out loudly, her hands fisting the sheets tightly as she arched her back, throwing her red curls back on the pillow as she squeezed her eyes shut. Moving his finger in and out of her with hard strokes, he began sucking and licking at her clit more firmly, hearing her gasp louder. "Jack! Oh god, please!" Her voice was high-pitched, pleading, begging him for release. 

He felt her hips begin to buck against him, and he sucked on her clit just a little harder, shoving his finger inside of her strongly as he curled it slightly and stroked quickly inside of her. She cried out loudly, her body tensing and tightening beneath him, and he moved his gaze up her body to watch her hands clench into tight fists, her eyes tightly shut, shuddering and shaking as she gasped for breath, riding out the wave of her orgasm. He gave her pussy lips a soft kiss as he withdrew his finger gently, moving up to lie next to her, watching her recover from her climax. 

Her breath eventually slowed enough for her to stop gasping, and she opened her eyes and looked at him timidly, shyly, her face now flushing with embarrassment rather than pleasure. Intending to give her time to recuperate, he waited for her to speak first.

"Jack...please...I want you inside of me now," she said softly. 

Raising his eyebrows, he said, "Baby, you can take a minute to --"

She reached between them and touched his hard cock hesitantly. "Please..." she begged.

What 40-year-old man is going to argue when a young woman half his age begs him to take her? Kissing her gently, he reached down and pulled off his boxers, exposing his hard-on to her curious eyes. Wrapping her small fingers around his cock, she began to stroke him slowly, hesitantly. Closing his eyes lightly, he enjoyed the feeling of her warm, soft hand around him for a few minutes. He felt her breath on his neck, soft but quick as her arousal grew. His dick grew almost painfully hard, and he pictured how she would look beneath him, when he was inside of her, her tight pussy gripping him instead of her soft fingers. When he opened his eyes, her expression was silently begging him to take her. 

Reaching over to his nightstand, he pulled out a condom from the drawer and quickly slipped it on. He moved on top of her again, spreading her creamy thighs gently as he moved his hips between them. His gaze locked on her emerald green eyes, which were wide with anticipation. Leaning down, he kissed her again tenderly, softly, as he slowly began to slide his cock into her wet warmth. She moaned in a low voice, her hands reaching up to his shoulders and gripping them tightly. 

She whispered urgently, "Please...do it quickly." Uncertain as to the reason for her request, he nevertheless obeyed and thrust into her in one quick motion...that was only slightly slowed by the sensation of something inside of her tearing and breaking. Her hands tightened painfully on his shoulders. Confused, he looked down at her nervously. She opened her eyes, wincing with pain, and moved forward to kiss him gently. "Make love to me, Jack," she said quietly.

She was a virgin...had been a virgin. He controlled his movements carefully, slowly stroking in and out of her tight warmth, kissing her softly to ease her pain. His mind was racing at this new development -- a virgin. It certainly explained how tight she was. But why hadn't she told him, warned him? For several minutes he controlled his pace, easing her into the world of lovemaking with gentle tenderness. When he finally felt her hips begin to move against him, urging him onward, he began to quicken his strokes. She gasped softly, moaning as his hard cock reached into her depths. He moved one of his hands up to lightly pinch her nipple, rolling it between his fingers. Clinging to his shoulders, she tilted her head back, closing her eyes as she gave herself to the feelings flooding through her. Cautiously, he increased the strength of his strokes, studying her face carefully for any signs of pain. Her expression was of sheer ecstasy as she urged him on. "Yes...yes, Jack...oh god please..." she moaned. 

Reaching one hand down to her hip, he held her down as he began to push into her more firmly, using long strokes to thrust deeply into her wet warmth, groaning as he felt her tightness around his aching cock. She whimpered, her nails digging into his shoulders as she succumbed to his control. He felt her muscles tighten beneath him, as she squeezed her eyes shut and began to gasp louder. Recognizing her impending orgasm, he struggled to control himself enough to continue thrusting into her. She was so unbelievably tight that he was finding it difficult to hold back, to wait for her pleasure before his own. He moved his hand from her hip down between their joined bodies, flicking her clit gently. She cried out loudly, her hips bucking wildly against him, her body shuddering with pleasure as her orgasm consumed her. The sight of her climax was a thing of beauty, her green eyes squeezing shut and then opening wide, sightless as she surrendered to pleasure. Her fiery red curls bounced wildly against the pillow as she tossed her head from side to side, squealing his name. "Oh god, oh yes, Jack yes, oh god ohhhhh!" she shrieked.

Unable to control himself any longer within her tight, trembling warmth, the flood of wetness from her orgasm triggered his own release. Feeling his own body tense, he came more strongly than he ever had before. Letting out a loud groan, he felt his body shudder as he thrust into her hard one final time, his orgasm washing over him. Three or four times he felt an eruption of cum from his hard cock, and he let out a shaky groan with each surge. Gasping softly, he opened his eyes enough to watch her come down from her high. She gradually relaxed beneath him as he gently slowed his strokes within her. 

He finally pulled out of her, hearing her moan softly as he withdrew, and he reached over to his nightstand for a tissue to wrap the condom in. He took her into his arms and held her gently, kissing her forehead softly as he stroked her stomach. Their hot, flushed bodies glistened with sweat from the exertion. Her wild curls were a tangled mess, her face pink with pleasure, and her soft lips were gently parted as she gasped for breath. He thought she had never looked more beautiful. He waited for her breathing to slow enough for her to speak.

"That was...indescribable," she said softly. He pulled back from her slightly and lay on his side next to her so that he could see her expression.

"Yes, it certainly was," he chuckled. 

She lowered her eyes from his gaze. "Are...are you mad?" she whispered.

He kissed her gently, tenderly, tasting her lips just lightly with his tongue. "I'm not mad, baby. I'm wondering why you didn't let me know before. And I'm curious as to how you're in your twenties and still a virgin, and then decide to give me the honor of being your first. But you only have to tell me as much as you're comfortable with, if anything."

Biting her lip softly, she looked up at him. Her forehead wrinkled slightly with worry. "I know that I don't know you very well, Jack. But I trust you. I don't really know why, maybe it's just an instinctive thing. But you're the first man I've ever trusted like this. I don't want you to...think less of me."

He shook his head, kissing each of her cheeks and then her lips sweetly. "I would never think less of you, baby. I just want to know you." He may have used something like this as a line in the past, but as he spoke the words, they rang true to him. 'I care about her so much,' he thought with some surprise. 'I really do want to know everything about her; I want to understand her. I've never felt like this about a woman before. Of course, I've never met a woman like her before...'

She studied his face carefully for a few moments, and he could sense her weighing her decision. Finally, she opened her mouth and began to speak.

To be continued...



Fire in the Night Ch. 06



Caitlin had known that making love to Jack would be perfection -- she wouldn't have given him her virginity otherwise. But she was completely unprepared for his gentle tenderness, his selfless devotion to her pleasure, his passion that seemed to be more than physical. Before making love, she'd had no expectations for a relationship with Jack, and she had been simply living in the moment, consumed by the erotic nature of their situation. After seeing his concern for her, his caring sweetness, she found herself putting complete trust in him. 

'I've been duped by my share of boys before,' she thought ruefully as she lay next to him in bed, recovering from their passionate lovemaking. 'But I somehow can't believe that the way this man treats me is an act.' There was just something about him that rang true to her. He made her feel safe, protected, and cared for. He'd said, "I just want to know you." There was something so simple and straightforward about this statement that she felt more at ease with him than she ever had with a man. His quiet confidence and mature demeanor impressed her like no boy her age could. She was beginning to suspect that the reason she had never wanted to have sex with any boys her age was because of how irresponsible, immature, and arrogant they all seemed. Jack was like a completely different species compared to them. It was for these reasons that she decided to trust him with her story. 

She opened her mouth and began to speak. "I don't really know how to tell this story. I've never told it to anyone before. So if you could just...listen...and try not to interrupt...that would really make it easy for me." Her voice was quiet, hesitant.

Jack stroked her bare shoulder softly, sending warm, pleasant tingles throughout her body. "I understand," he answered. Somehow, she felt that he truly did.

And so she began.

***** Caitlin's Story *****

When she was just over seven years old, her father took her to the zoo as a surprise after school one day. Instead of wandering around the zoo, exploring all the different animals, he walked her to the administrative building. With wide eyes, she clung to his hand as he marched in boldly, flashing a badge at any security personnel who gave him a second glance. She followed him through a maze of endless hallways, looking around at all of the zoo personnel with wonder and amazement, gripping her daddy's hand tightly. Finally, they passed under a sign which read "Medical Unit." A tall man with white hair and a grandfatherly smile greeted her daddy and led him and Caitlin into a small room. "Exam room three," her small voice read aloud, studying the sign on the door. When the tall man closed the door behind her, she looked around the room and was struck dumb with shock.

A full-grown lion lay on a large examination table in the center of the room. He was completely still, but his gigantic size was breathtaking. His paws were the size of her head, his head the size of her body, and his golden mane flowed over the edge of the table. She froze, terrified, unable to cry out or even gasp. Her daddy knelt beside her and wrapped his long arms around her. 

"Do you know what that is, Caitlin?" His voice was quiet and gentle.

She nodded her head mutely, bright red curls bouncing, green eyes wide with fear.

"He's asleep, sweetheart," her daddy said. "This lion doesn't feel very well. The doctors made him fall asleep so that they could figure out what was wrong with him and make him feel better. He's dreaming right now, and he won't wake up."

Her wide green eyes studied his face to see if he was playing a trick on her. He held up three fingers together solemnly. "Scout's honor," he swore.

Caitlin's eyes moved to the giant, almost mythical creature lying motionless on the table. She still couldn't find her voice.

"Do you want to pet him?" her daddy asked.

Uncertain, she just kept staring at the beast. Her daddy took her hand and walked her next to the table, where there was a chair for her to stand on. He lifted her up on the chair easily. She put her left hand timidly on the metal examination table to keep her balance. 

"Come on, sweetheart. Just like this," her daddy explained, reaching over and running his hand along the lion's mane. With great caution, she reached over with her right hand, just barely brushing the lion's fur with the tips of her fingers. 

Her father and the tall man chuckled. "Here, sweetheart," her daddy said, taking her hand. He moved her hand along the lion's mane, making her pet him as she would a kittycat. Her green eyes were so wide that they appeared to take up half of her little face. Realizing that she was holding her breath, she let it out slowly. The lion's fur was rougher than she had expected, and she was fascinated by the texture of it. Her daddy moved her hand down the giant cat's nose, petting between his eyes gently. He encouraged her to touch the lion's whiskers, and even had the tall man lift the lion's lip so she could see his enormous teeth. She petted the lion's ears, and jumped back slightly when the cat's reflex caused his ears to flick forward. By now, a smile lit up Caitlin's face as she was fascinated with the massive feline. 

Far too quickly, the tall man told them in a gentle voice that their time was up, and he had to tend to the sick cat. Her heart pounding, she leaned over the huge beast and gave him a kiss on his furry forehead. Her daddy helped her off of the chair, and led her back through the administrative building to their car. Caitlin was quiet the entire way, reliving the awesome experience over and over again in her mind. When they got into the car, her daddy didn't start the engine immediately. Instead, he turned to face her, his expression solemn.

"Caitlin, sweetheart, I know you enjoyed petting the lion. And I'm glad that you had fun. But I had another reason for sharing this with you today."

She looked up at her daddy with her bright emerald eyes, confused at his serious look.

"Caitlin, sometimes, even creatures who seem mighty, who seem so powerful that they could never be weak or vulnerable...sometimes, these creatures lose their strength. Just like the lion today. You were so scared when you first walked in, because we think of lions as awe-inspiring, fierce creatures to be feared. But this lion...he was sick, and the doctors had to make him fall asleep. So when he lost his power, he became even more vulnerable than you, a little girl."

Caitlin was perplexed by this speech, and her daddy could tell. He sighed. "Caitlin...animals aren't the only ones who appear all-powerful, strong, and fearless. Some people appear that way, too."

Suddenly feeling on safer ground, Caitlin perked up. "Like you, Daddy?"

Her father winced as if in pain, and Caitlin became worried again, but he agreed with her. "Yes, sweetheart...like me. But those people who appear fearless, who appear strong...sometimes they can become just like that lion. They can lose their strength, and become as weak as a little girl. Do you understand, sweetheart?"

Cautious, Caitlin replied slowly, "Yes, daddy."

Her daddy seemed relieved and turned forward, starting the car. "Good," he muttered under his breath. "Good."

Caitlin felt like something important had just happened, but she wasn't completely sure what. Until about a week later.

That's when her father left her forever.

***** 

Jack felt sorrow welling up inside him that little Caitlin had had to undergo such a heartbreaking experience. 'Every little girl should have a father to raise her, to teach her and guide her,' he thought sadly. He held Caitlin in a tight embrace, kissing the top of her head and rocking her back and forth. Tears had begun to slip down her face.

"We can take a break, if you want," he said, his voice hesitant. "I can get you something to eat, or drink..."

Caitlin considered this. "I could probably use more wine to tell this story, to be honest," she admitted. 

Jack kissed her quickly, threw on his boxers and went into the RV's kitchen to get Caitlin some wine. Watching him leave, she wondered if she was doing the right thing by telling this whole story. 'What if he doesn't understand?' she worried.

Jack came back with two glasses and two full bottles of wine, making her laugh. "Perfect," she smiled at him.

He gave her a sexy grin and settled back into bed with her, pouring each of them a glass of wine. With his free hand, he stroked her fiery red curls gently, easing her worries and making her feel safe and comfortable again. With a deep breath, she continued her story.

***** Caitlin's Story *****

When her daddy left, Caitlin was alone with her mother, Anne, for several years. They did not get along -- Anne was very distant from her daughter, and spent a great deal of time away from home. When Anne would come into her room to kiss her goodnight, Caitlin could almost always smell some kind of alcohol on her breath. For the first couple of years, Caitlin spent most nights crying herself to sleep because she missed her father so much. Anne would never explain why Caitlin's daddy left, but before too long Caitlin realized that it was something her mother had done. One Christmas, after Caitlin was already in bed, she heard her mother and her aunt shouting at each other downstairs after they had both been drinking for most of the night.

"You're so goddamn stupid!" Caitlin's Aunt Rachel shrieked. "You had the perfect life -- a husband who gives you all the money you want, a beautiful little girl, a house with a white picket fence -- how could you have been so goddamn stupid?!"

"Shut up! Shut up!" Anne shouted back. "You don't know how it was; you don't know what I went through!"

"Oh, sure." Aunt Rachel's voice was laced with scorn and disgust. "I'm sure you had it so hard, playing Susie Homemaker while your rich, good-looking husband spoiled you and your precious daughter rotten. It must have been so tough for you! So tough that you just had to stumble into the arms of your husband's brother, and then be so stupid as to go and get caught fucking him while your daughter slept in the next room!"

In bed, covers pulled up to her chin, fourteen-year-old Caitlin gasped in shock. Uncle John? Her mother had slept with Uncle John?! 

"You just mind your own fucking life, Rachel!" Caitlin's mother spat. "You don't know anything; you live in your own little dream world when men take care of women and spoil them and don't make any demands for themselves! Well, you'll get your wakeup call, just like I got mine! Men are more demanding then you think, and sometimes they make demands that you just can't meet, and then you're forced to choose between who you are and who they want you to be! And if you can't be who they want you to be, they leave you all alone, a single mother struggling to raise a daughter in a world where you can't count on anyone or anything!"

"You're pathetic," Aunt Rachel said coldly. "You're going to play the victim because your husband left you after you slept with half the town, including his brother? It sounds like you're the one who needs to grow up, Anne. There are plenty of men out there who will be more than happy to give you whatever you want because they're so fucking desperate for easy pussy that they'll take whatever they can get. Just pick one of those, and they'll close their eyes to your motel escapades, and you can have any kind of life that you want, as many men as it will take to satisfy your sickening lust."

Caitlin struggled to understand the implications of Aunt Rachel's words. She was making her mother sound like she was...addicted to sex. Could that be true? Was that why her daddy had left them? Horrified at this discovery, Caitlin pulled on her headphones and played Aerosmith as loudly as she could to drown out her mother and aunt.

Within two weeks of this devastating night, Anne brought one of her boyfriends back home to meet Caitlin for the first time ever. His name was Stanley, and he was a meek, nervous, unattractive little man. Caitlin was horrified by this man who seemed the very opposite of everything her father had been. When Stanley left, she tried to talk to her mother about this, and Anne became furious with her.

"Listen here, princess," her mother snapped. "I don't particularly like the 'middle-class' living we've been suffering through ever since your arrogant father left us on our own. So if I need to find a guy to help support us, I'll take whoever I can get. Stanley doesn't complain or question me or my time. He's a very wealthy stockbroker, and he's a nice enough man. So just keep your goddamn feelings to yourself."

Caitlin nodded miserably, knowing that her mother was so very different from herself. Her mother needed the superficial niceties, the security that lots of money brought. With a sick feeling of dread, she realized that Anne had every intention of marrying Stanley just to live the life of luxury that she so desperately needed. 

Within two months, Stanley and Anne announced the engagement. And perhaps this tale would end here, with no happily-ever-after, but at least a mediocre-ever-after. Anne would have what she wanted -- a rich man who showered her with gifts and closed his eyes to her late nights out. And Stanley would have what he wanted -- a nymphomaniac wife who was willing to have sex whenever and wherever he wanted. Yes, it would have ended here...if it weren't for Stanley's son, Billy, who moved into Caitlin's home with Stanley after the wedding.

*****

Caitlin's breathing had quickened as she reached this point of her story, and Jack took a moment to silence her with soft, gentle kisses. She smiled as he soothed her nerves with his tenderness. 

"I'm here, baby, you're safe now," he whispered in a steady voice, even as his heart pounded with dreaded anticipation of the next chapter in young Caitlin's life. He was surprised at his overwhelming desire to protect this young woman from any kind of harm. He suspected that she needed someone like him, someone older, even twice her age, who could always make her feel safe.

Caitlin took a few more swallows of wine and resolved to get through this as quickly as she could.

***** Caitlin's Story *****

Caitlin had naïvely hoped that the marriage to Stanley would calm her mother's insatiable lust, but such was not the case. Within a few weeks of taking vows, her mother went back to her lengthy disappearances, from which she returned with the stink of liquor on her breath. Stanley was so meek that he never questioned her, and Anne made Caitlin swear never to tell Stanley where Anne really was. Stanley exerted his power in his own way, by demanding that Anne satisfy him whenever he wanted, whether Caitlin was in the next room or even beside them on the couch. Caitlin got used to putting blinders on, trying to concentrate on a television program while her mother was on her knees in front of her stepfather on the couch, bringing him to a swift and quiet climax. Terrified of becoming like her mother, Caitlin avoided all contact with boys at school, and was a quite innocent young teenager.

It was only a few months after the wedding when her life went from miserable to horrifying. It was the night of her fifteenth birthday when she awoke at night to the feeling of a heavy body on top of her. Her senses hazy with sleep, she thought at first that it was her mother, leaning over to kiss her goodnight. In the moonlit darkness, she opened her eyes to see Billy kneeling above her. She gasped in shock, and in a flash, he covered her mouth with his hand. Billy's dirty brown eyes stared down at her earnestly as he held her silent. 

"You looked so beautiful at your birthday party tonight, Caitlin," he whispered, his whiny voice high and urgent. "So beautiful that I just had to see what a young woman you're becoming." 

Caitlin's green eyes were wide with fear. Just a year older than her, Billy had inherited much of his father's genetic material, but he was significantly chunkier than his father. His weight pressed down on her, making her feel smothered and claustrophobic. She knew that he could easily overpower her, and she shuddered with the thought of what he could do to her.

Billy had pulled the sheets down low on the bed, revealing her in her silk nightie that barely covered her thighs. Her mother had always bought her clothes that revealed a sexuality Caitlin didn't possess, and she now wished desperately that she had chosen to throw those clothes away and wear a t-shirt and sweatpants to bed. Billy's eyes were round with amazement and lust as he drank in Caitlin's young, innocent body. He ran his hand up her arm to the straps of her nightie, and slowly pulled it down, revealing one of her breasts. Caitlin whimpered with fear and misery, and Billy hissed at her, "Shut up! Just let me look at you."

Caitlin closed her eyes and tried to block out the experience as Billy ran his hand along her collarbone to the other strap of her nightie, pulling it down to her waist. He shimmied the nightie down her waist and legs until it tangled around her knees. He was breathing hard, and she could feel his erection pressing hard against her thigh. His hand still over her mouth, he worked her panties down to her knees to join her nightie. Tears slipped out of Caitlin's eyes as she tried not to cry out loud. He wiped her tears away hastily, looking confused.

"Don't cry, Caitlin. You're so beautiful. I just want to see how beautiful you are," he said in a soothing voice.

Suddenly, they both heard a sound from the hall. Billy jumped off of Caitlin's bed, throwing the sheet over her. "We'll finish another night," he explained, and before she could blink, he was gone.

Caitlin lay there, shuddering and crying as quietly as she could, still confused as to what had actually happened. The next day, Billy acted completely normal around her, and she began to doubt her own sanity -- had it been a dream? After several sleepless nights with no Billy coming to visit, she began to think she had imagined the entire thing. She finally began to fall into an uneasy sleep at night.

About a week later, she awoke to the feeling of weight on top of her body again. Unable to bear going through this a second time, she opened her mouth to scream...and realized that he had duct-taped her mouth shut. Her green eyes opened wide as her breathing quickened to the point of being painful. Billy smiled down at her reassuringly. 

"This way, I don't have to hold your mouth shut," he explained in a matter-of-fact voice. Terrified, she began to struggle against him, trying to throw his heavy weight off of her, and he slapped her hard.

"Don't make this difficult, Caitlin," he frowned down at her. "I'm your brother now, I have a right to know what my sister looks like. I need to know what I should protect from other boys. How can I protect you from your lustful classmates if I don't know what I'm protecting?"

Horrified and terribly frightened, she remained still. This time, Billy stripped off her t-shirt with quick movements, and yanked her sweatpants and panties to her knees without hesitation. 

"This isn't as attractive as your nightie," he reprimanded. "You should really care more about your appearance, Caitlin. You want to be an attractive young woman, don't you?"

She moaned with misery, but he ignored her as his hungry eyes drank in her body. "I think I need to touch you, Caitlin," he said thoughtfully, more to himself than to her. "I think if I'm going to protect you, as a big brother should, then I need to know exactly what you feel like. I want to be a good big brother to you, Caitlin."

The horror that filled her with his words was indescribable. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to take her mind anywhere but where she was. For some reason, the lion that her father had taken her to see appeared in her mind, and she struggled to remember every detail of that day, reliving it over and over as Billy touched and pinched and stroked her body. When his fingers probed into her young pussy, she struggled to remember exactly how the lion's fur had felt under her fingertips, the precise texture and color. 




Fire in the Night Ch. 06



Before Billy left, he carefully peeled off the duct tape and gave her a kiss. "I love you, little sister," he said, his voice sweet and tender. And he was gone.

The next three years were a private hell for Caitlin. Billy threatened to tell his father that Anne was sleeping with every guy in town if Caitlin ever 'tattled' on him. Remembering how miserable and angry her mother had been after Daddy left, Caitlin felt forced into silence. Billy also swore that if Caitlin ever told anyone what he did, he would tell her family that she was her high school's slut, fucking every guy she could get her hands on, during school and after. He claimed that Anne would never let her leave the house again. In retrospect, this threat was so ludicrous that even her nymphomaniac mother would probably not believe it, but Caitlin was just a girl at the time. The possibility filled her young mind with such horror that she was terrified into silence. 

The only thing Caitlin could be thankful for during this period of hell was that Billy refused to take her virginity. When he shoved his fingers into her pussy, he would stare at her sex with lust and frustration.

"You're not mine to take, Caitlin," he said morosely. "I need to know every inch of you, so that I can protect you from other boys, but if I pop your cherry, someone will find out what I've done. And I can't allow that." His erection was so painful, however, so hard that it begged for release. He knew that if he took off the duct tape so Caitlin could suck him off, she would be unable to control her screams. With a sigh, he flipped her onto her stomach.

"Just relax, little sister," he would say soothingly, as he spread K-Y lubricant onto his fingers. The duct tape on her mouth muffled her screams as he probed the delicate rosebud between the cheeks of her ass. "I must know every inch of you," he said mechanically as he thrust himself into the tightest, most private area of her body.

*****

Caitlin was shaking and crying at this point, but felt she must finish her story. Jack held her tightly, tears slipping from his eyes as well, the depth of her horror and pain making his heart ache. He wondered if this Billy bastard was in jail yet. 'No wonder she never chose to be with a boy her own age,' he thought. 'They must all remind her of Billy.'

"He left my virginity intact for three years, but raped every other part of me," she whispered, her eyes tightly shut. "When he left for college, he had no way to hurt me anymore. I went to college out of state, and worked during the summers so that I wouldn't have to come home. Anne never questioned it; she didn't consider me family anyway. This last summer...this is the summer I would have had to spend at home. I had graduated from college, and couldn't start graduate school yet. Billy was staying with my mother and his father...I would have had to live in that house again. Endure that horror again. 

"I spent my college years avoiding boys completely, too terrified of sex to enjoy dating in any way. I leaned self-defense so that what happened with Billy could never happen again. I decided to spend my summer before graduate school getting to know the charitable side of people; the good, kind side of people. Those people who would stop and give a young woman a ride to another place, a better place, just out of the kindness of their hearts. I developed a foolproof plan for safe hitchhiking, with Shanna as my guardian. But even though I trust Shanna with so much, I could never tell her the whole truth, about why I am the way that I am, about what I've been through."

Jack shook his head, confused. "I don't understand. I thought you were closer to Shanna than anyone else. Why can't you share this with her? I'm sure she would understand, she's your friend."

Caitlin smiled sadly at him, her emerald eyes dark. "No, Jack, she wouldn't. You see, Billy is not the only family member I gained by Anne and Stanley's marriage."

He furrowed his brow, perplexed. "He's not?"

She shook her head. "No. You see...Shanna is Billy's older sister."

To be continued... 



Fire in the Night Ch. 08



Lying in bed with Jack, Caitlin was glowing in the afterlight of a night full of stars and fireworks. She could not believe how good she felt, how full of joy and excitement. 'I never thought sex could so...fulfilling,' she thought with wonder. 'I never thought that I could feel so free, so sexy, and so comfortable.' 

She enjoyed Jack's gentle teasing after lovemaking. Snuggled up next to him in the cozy comfort of the RV's bed, listening to the rain spattering on the roof, she thought she could definitely get used to this. Traveling across the country with Jack, popping into town after town, city after city, exploring this great country -- the idea was extremely appealing to her. She was looking forward to getting to know him better, and of course she was looking forward to more sexual adventures. Jack was an amazing lover, making her feel things that she hadn't even dreamed were possible. He made her want to explore herself, explore him. She was discovering a whole new side to herself, and she loved it.

Jack's blue eyes were sleepy, his brown hair tousled, and the blue sheets were tangled around his waist in a way that showed off his powerful chest. She had trouble keeping the smile off of her face as she looked at him, and she giggled as he joked about her sexual appeal. 

His eyes were half-closed as he was drifting off, and he mumbled, "Have you figured out that I love you yet?"

She felt the smile fall from her face as she gaped at him. He sat up fast, panic written across his face. 

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," he said, his voice high and quick with concern.

She lowered her head, red curls falling across her face as she tried to decide how to respond. She just wasn't prepared to deal with this -- love? He loved her? After a few hours? Was he playing her? She tried to imagine losing him after hearing that he loved her -- she had promised herself that she would never let anyone hurt her again. The mere thought of being hurt by Jack after he professed his love broke her heart -- how badly would it hurt if it actually happened? The silence stretched out into an eternity. 

Jack's expression was pinched with worry, but he remained silent. He didn't want to push her, and certainly didn't want to make things worse.

Finally, Caitlin raised her head and forced a smile at him. "Don't worry about it, Jack. It's fine." She hopped out of bed, still wrapped in one of his sheets, and headed for the door. "I'm going to get ready for bed," she said in a cheerful voice that didn't ring true to him. 

Jack watched her leave the bedroom with a sinking feeling in his stomach. 'Idiot,' he cursed himself. 'Yeah, tell her you love her after what, four or five hours? That's genius. Real slick.' He sighed to himself, climbing out of bed to pull his boxers on. Walking over to the mirror that hung on his closet door, he stared at his reflection. His brown hair was tousled from his adventurous evening, and he distractedly smoothed it down. His fingers lingered on the silver specks just lightly dusting the hair around his temples, his eyes critically analyzing the crow's feet that had formed near his eyes in his late thirties. The many women he'd dated in the last five years or so had told him that the touch of gray made him look distinguished. Granted, these women had not been twenty-three years old. He frowned at his reflection, wondering how he could have been so stupid to think that this young, beautiful, strong woman would fall in love with him.

In the tiny bathroom, Caitlin turned on the shower and let the sheet fall to the floor. Stepping into the shower, she let the hot water stream over her body in tiny rivulets. She braced her hands against the far side of the shower and tilted her head down, taking slow, deep breaths. She felt the steam rise around her, enveloping her. 

'He loves you.' The thought echoed through her head. She didn't know what to feel, and she was worried that her reaction in the bedroom was hurtful to him. But what was she to do? She couldn't just say she loved him back to be nice. She didn't know if she loved him. 

'How do I know whether I love him or not?' she wondered. Though her father was a wonderful man, she sincerely doubted if her mother had ever loved him. And her mother certainly didn't love Stanley. She couldn't even know about love vicariously through Shanna, as Shanna had certainly never been in love. Shanna was very open about her decision not to settle down until she was at least thirty. 'I have had no role models for successful relationships in my entire life,' she thought miserably. Maybe once Jack discovered her serious ineptitude for romance, he would change his mind about her. He would decide she wasn't quite as strong and successful as he'd originally thought.

She leaned down and felt around outside the shower for her pack, digging out her toiletries. She shampooed and conditioned her curls, which had turned deep red from the water. Squeezing out some body wash onto her hands, she began to run her hands over her body, rubbing her creamy skin until it was pink. Finally, she turned off the water and reached for one of the navy blue towels hanging on a hook next to the shower. Blotting herself dry, she slipped into the white cotton pants and tanktop that made up her sleep attire. Washing her face and brushing her teeth quickly, she paused before going back to the bedroom. 

She stared into the mirror that was above the sink. It was steamed over, and she studied the blurry image pensively. A peachy oval blob surrounded by a curly mess of dark red fire was reflected, with two sharp emeralds in the middle. Thoughtfully, she raised her hand and slowly swept her fingers across the image, which sharpened as the steam was wiped away. 'Maybe that's what love is like,' she mused. 'The person you were gradually becomes clearer because the type of man you love indicates what it is that you really want, and therefore, who you really are.' Shaking her head, she turned from the mirror and headed back to the bedroom. 

Jack had changed the sheets and fixed the comforter, and was lying in bed looking at the doorway, worry in his eyes. She forced a bright smile to hide the confusion that was swirling around in her mind. Climbing into bed next to him, she reached over and switched off the lamp that was on his nightstand. 

A hazy glow filtered through the RV's bedroom window from the lampposts in the rest area outside. She would have preferred complete darkness so that she wouldn't have to look at the concerned expression on Jack's face.

"Caitlin, I --" Jack began. 

She leaned over and silenced him with a kiss. "Jack, don't worry about it. Everything's fine, I'm good. Let's just get some rest, okay?" She hated shutting him out like this, but until she figured out her own feelings, she didn't want to mislead him with speculation of her true feelings.

"Sure," he said in a quiet voice. "Good night."

"Good night," she responded. She shifted onto her side, facing away from him, and held her breath, hoping he would let it go for the night. To her relief, she felt him settle under the covers.

But Jack wondered if he would be able to sleep. He was terrified that Caitlin would leave in the middle of the night, continuing her cross-country hitchhiking. He could vividly imagine waking up to a cold, empty bed. He would run into the kitchen and find it empty, with Caitlin and her trusty pack already speeding away, passengers in some car like a '94 Plymouth Sundance that would soon succumb to cancer-like rust.

'I can't believe I may have fucked this up,' he thought angrily. 'What was I thinking?!' He thought about how Caitlin was so different from any other woman he had ever dated. Jack had been quite the womanizer in his youth. Well, actually, up until about six hours ago. Very few women earned more than three dates with him, unless it had turned into a 'friends with benefits' situation. And, of course, he was clear with all of these women that he was not looking for a monogamous relationship -- he only dated those who were okay with that. Once he hit his forties, he began to think that he would be one of those men who were permanent bachelors, too 'free' to ever settle down with the same woman year after year. 

And, of course, all of these women had been...let's say, age-appropriate. He wondered if Caitlin was concerned that his feelings were mainly due to the fact that she was younger than him. He knew in his heart that even if Caitlin was forty-three, his feelings would be the same. But he could certainly see how difficult it would be for her to trust him about that. He considered this. 'I need to show her that my feelings are real. Actions speak louder than words, after all.' 

Next to him, Caitlin was lost in her own thoughts. 'How can I find out whether my feelings are real?' she worried. Frustrated, she concentrated all of her attention on the sound of the raindrops striking the roof of the RV. Pushing all thoughts of Jack out of her mind, she focused on the sound of each individual drop, letting the spatter consume all of her senses. 

*****

The next thing Caitlin knew, she was awakened by the golden rays of the sun peeking through the bedroom window. She sleepily opened one eye, then the other, taking a few minutes to orient herself. Hitchhiking across the country had its disadvantages, which included a few minutes necessary each morning in order to remind her of where she was. In a flood of images, the previous night came crashing back into her consciousness. She quickly rolled over and discovered Jack, still fast asleep. 

She took the time to absorb every detail of his handsome face. She felt a sudden longing to see his baby blue eyes staring back at her, but she was reluctant to wake him before she was ready. She watched his bare chest rise and fall as he slept the deep sleep of the sexually satisfied. Leaning over, she dropped a feather soft kiss on his shoulder. He didn't even stir. She lay next to him for a few more minutes, watching him, studying him. Cautious, she leaned over again and brushed her lips over his shoulder again, lingering a bit longer this time. He still didn't stir. A naughty idea was beginning to form in her mind.

With aching slowness, she pulled the sheet down to Jack's thighs. He had put his boxers back on after making love last night. He still wasn't moving a muscle. Watching his face, little by little, she eased up onto her knees and straddled his sleeping form. She remained perfectly still for several minutes to ensure that he was still asleep. Not a twitch. Holding her breath, she reached for the waistband of his boxers, easing them down with a careful touch. She felt her face flush as his dick came into view. Glancing up at his face every few seconds, she lowered her head bit by bit until she was a few inches from him. Limp, his dick was about five inches long. She estimated that, with an erection, he would grow to just below eight inches. He was thick around, too, probably about two full inches in diameter. She wondered just how to give a blowjob.

Although Billy had violated her many times in that way, it had always been what she thought of as mouth fucking. He would rip the duct tape off and shove his stiff cock into her mouth quickly to muffle her cries, holding her head tightly and humping her face. Caitlin would simply hold her mouth open, squeeze her eyes shut, and try not to think about what was happening to her. This never seemed to bother Billy. 

Of course, she had dated in college, though sparingly. But even with the boys she could tolerate, things never progressed to oral pleasure. 

She decided to start with stroking him and see where things went from there. Spitting into her hand in a most unladylike fashion, she lifted his penis and began to rub up and down with gentle care. Within just a minute or two, he began to stiffen into a semi-erection. Deciding that this would be the best time to attempt taking him into her mouth, she ran her tongue over the head of his dick. Sneaking a peek up at his face to make sure that he was still sleeping, she took his head into her mouth, lowering her hand to the base of his cock. Warily, she took about three inches into her mouth. She wondered what to do with her tongue; it was kind of getting in the way. Settling on rubbing it back and forth on the underside of his cock, she began to bob her head up and down just a bit. 

A soft moan from above. She snuck another glance up and his facial muscles were still relaxed, hands unclenched. Judging that he was probably still asleep, she focused on his cock once more. Wet with her saliva, his dick felt like silk-covered steel. After a minute or two of her bobbing, she sensed his erection beginning to grow in her mouth. 'Oh, now that feels weird!' she thought with some surprise. She found herself aiming to take more and more in her mouth, gradually, her hand stroking up and down in short, quick jerks. She was now taking close to six inches in her mouth, and was quite proud of herself. 

She suddenly felt a salty, almost tangy taste in her mouth, and realized that he must be oozing precum. 'He must be awake now,' she realized, and decided not to look up. Instead, she experimented with her technique. Adding a little suction in her mouth earned a gasp from Jack. She flattened her tongue against his cock and it ran up and down his dick as she bobbed over him. She noticed that when her tongue reached just under the head, Jack's hips would jerk and he would give a soft grunt. She tried to do this on each upward stroke. 

Jack reached down and gathered up her fiery red curls in a messy handful on the top of her head, keeping her hair out of her face as she pleasured him. He thought that he had never been woken up so erotically before in his life. He was very careful not to push her down, as he didn't want to gag her. Realizing that she had already been giving him head before he woke up, and she was probably quite new to it, he didn't want to wear her out by holding back his climax. He focused his gaze on her soft, pink lips that were stretched around his hard cock, sliding up and down and glistening with saliva and precum. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror that hung on his closet door. "Oh, fuck," he groaned in a loud voice. The sight of her mess of red curls bobbing up and down over his cock and reflected in the mirror pushed him over the edge. He quickly moved his hand from her hair, tapped her shoulder, and gasped, "Baby! I'm going to cum!" When she didn't even hesitate in her pace, he moaned loudly, "Oh, god, yes!" and felt his cum surge from his cock in three, long spurts. 

Caitlin held still, concentrating intently on keeping all of his cum in her mouth without spilling any, and swallowing it in little gulps that wouldn't choke her. He tasted sweet, with just a hint of saltiness that was a delicious combination. When she was sure he was finished, she carefully pulled away, sitting up on her knees and breathing hard from her exertion. She couldn't keep a proud, wicked grin off of her face.

Jack fought to regain control of his breathing, his muscles limp with post-orgasmic bliss. He opened his eyes, saw Caitlin's smug little smile, and had to laugh out loud. His arms extended to her, and she bounced up toward him, snuggling up against his shoulder.

"You, little one, are quite naughty," he chuckled. "Amazingly generous, but naughty no less."

She smiled up at him and spoke in a shy voice. "I've never done that on my own before."

Staring into her flashing green eyes, he knew what she meant. "Well, I never would have guessed that. Your performance was flawless; I couldn't name a single suggestion I would make."

"You're lying," she accused, but she flushed with pleasure. 

"I would never," he responded solemnly, then gave her a wink.

Jack made the wise decision not to bring up his stupidity from the night before, and to act as if it hadn't happened -- after all, that's what Caitlin was doing. He was just grateful that she was still there, let alone how delighted he was at her wake-up call. 

She gave him a light kiss. "Do you want to go get some breakfast?" she asked.

He snorted. "Oh, no! Don't think you're getting away that easy!"

Looking confused, she questioned, "What do you mean?"

With catlike quickness, he pushed her onto her back and jumped on top of her, straddling her thighs. Within three seconds he had yanked her cotton pants and panties to her ankles and was licking and kissing her pussy.

She squealed with ecstasy, on her face an expression mixed with arousal and shock. He didn't dawdle with teasing this time, stroking two fingers into her pussy and finding it already sopping. 'She got turned on just from giving me head,' he realized with some surprise. That made him even more determined to make her cum, and he sucked her little, pink clit into his mouth, flicking his tongue back and forth across it in a rapid movement. Within a minute, Caitlin's back was arching, her hands reaching back to cling to the headboard of the bed as her muscles tightened and she shrieked with pleasure. Jack brought her to three orgasms in rapid succession, enjoying the obscenities that seemed to trademark her climaxes. Finally, he allowed her to come down from her high, delighted at the glazed look that took over her eyes. 

As she lay, panting and gasping for breath, Jack pulled up her panties and pants with tender care. When her eyes refocused, he was lying next to her with an amused smile on his face. 

"I wasn't looking for --" she began, and he hushed her with a long, sweet kiss. His tongue tenderly caressed hers, and he gave her lips a light lick as he pulled away.

"I just wanted to show you my appreciation," he explained.

She smiled, her face flushing with pleasure. "Well, thank you," she said in a soft voice.

"You're quite welcome, little one," he smiled. He held her in a tight embrace, playing with her fiery red curls. "When would you like to hit the road?" he questioned.

"Soon!" she said with great enthusiasm. "But first, breakfast."

He nodded. "Go get changed, and I'll ask in the rest area about local restaurants for breakfast."

"Well, actually, I need some toiletries as well...could we try to find a Walmart or something?" she asked.

"Your wish is my command," he said grandly.

He watched her tiny little body bounce out of the bedroom and into the bathroom, and thanked his lucky stars that she had given him another chance. 'At the very least, now she knows how she feels. Hopefully, if she begins to feel the same way, she won't be afraid to tell me.' He allowed himself a small grin as he thought about spending the day traveling with her, and the night exploring State College, Pennsylvania. He could hardly wait.

Getting out of bed, he pulled on a fresh pair of jeans and a green polo shirt, heading to the door of the RV.

"Be right back, baby," he called to her. He could hear her singing 'Angel of the Morning' in the bathroom, and he felt a warm glow inside.

Jogging from the RV to the rest area, he used the rest room inside and then examined some of the tourist maps in the waiting area. He found the nearest Walmart, as well as a cute little mom-and-pop type restaurant where they could safely bet on a home-cooked meal. Heading back to the RV, he tucked the maps into his pocket. 

Caitlin was waiting in the passenger seat for him when he returned. Wearing a tight white t-shirt and jeans, she gave him a bright smile as he took the driver's seat. Glancing over at her, he burst out laughing as he read her t-shirt. There was a picture of a pink cartoon bunny in a straight jacket, and below it read, 'Cute but psycho.' 

"Yeah, that sounds about right," he chuckled.

She grinned. "Shanna bought it for me for my birthday one year. She thought it appropriate."




Fire in the Night Ch. 08



He nodded, still smiling as he pulled away from the rest area. Heading toward town, he found the road that the Walmart was on easily. At a red light, he turned to Caitlin and smiled fondly at her. "Are you excited to see State College, baby?"

She nodded, her green eyes flashing bright. "Very much so!"

He took a moment to admire her flawless skin -- she hadn't even had to put on makeup to look as beautiful as she did. 'I'm glad...makeup would cover up those adorable freckles,' he thought to himself. 

Turning his attention back to the road, he watched the light turn green. He stepped on the accelerator. 

He didn't even see the truck that ran the red light coming. The sound of the vehicle smashing into the cab of the RV was deafening, and before he even realized what was happening, Jack was thrown against the driver's side window. Before his ears even had time to stop ringing, he realized that the truck had struck the passenger side of the RV. With horror, he turned his eyes to the passenger seat.

To be continued...



Fire in the Night Ch. 09



Caitlin awoke to the sound of someone shouting. Confused, disoriented, she slowly raised her head, wincing at the painful pounding that erupted in her head at the movement. The pain was immense, and she could hardly breathe for a minute. Finally, the throbbing either eased or she got used to it, and she was able to look around. Her jaw dropped as she saw the mangled metal that had been the passenger side of the RV. The passenger window and windshield had spiderweb cracks across them. She reached up and gingerly touched her forehead. She must have hit the dashboard when something smashed into the RV – she hadn't even seen it coming.

"Miss! Miss! Can you hear me? Don't move!" She turned her head to see a paramedic leaning over her.

"Shhh," she whispered distractedly, the ache in her head bursting into a flash of pain at the loud sound of his voice. She had discovered no blood on her forehead, but a lump that would grow into an ugly bruise. 

"I'm here to help you, okay? My name is Paul," he said in a quieter voice. "Just stay still for a minute and let me ask you some questions," he instructed.

Her eyes moved to the empty driver's seat. Filled with terror, she cried out, "Where's Jack?!" The agony of her head injury was nothing compared to the sickness she felt in her stomach when wondering what had happened to Jack.

"He's right outside," Paul reassured her. She felt a sweet rush of relief overwhelm her. 'Thank god nothing happened to Jack,' she thought gratefully.

"He called 911 immediately after the crash," Paul explained. "Now I've answered your question, I need you to answer some of mine, okay?" His voice was calm and reassuring.

"Okay," she said softly.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Caitlin," she responded, trying to ignore the pounding in her head.

"Do you know where you are?" 

"No..." she said slowly, trying to remember which Pennsylvania town they were in.

Paul looked alarmed, and then seemed to remember that she was in an RV and must be traveling. He amended his question. "Do you know what state you're in?"

"Pennsylvania," she answered with confidence.

"Do you know what time it is?"

She thought about that. They had been heading to breakfast, but she didn't remember looking at a clock since she woke up. "Probably around nine a.m.?" she guesssed uncertainly.

He smiled at her. "Nine thirty, but that's good enough for me. Now, just one more question and we'll get you out of here. Who is the man outside waiting for you?"

"That's Jack, my..." her voice trailed off. How was she supposed to finish that sentence? Friend? Boyfriend? Lover? "...friend," she finished lamely.

"Okay, I think that you'll be alright, but I still have to get you to the hospital," Paul explained. "Now, do you feel any pain other than your head?"

"No," she answered.

"Well, just in case you're numb or your circulation has been cut off, I'm going to check for broken bones. Is that alright?" Paul asked.

"Yes," she said, glancing down at her seatbelt. 

"I don't want to move you until I check you, so I'm going to cut your seatbelt away, okay?" He produced a pocketknife and carefully cut it away. He then ran his hands up and down her legs, arms, and torso, studiously assessing her condition. "I don't feel anything," he murmured, and then examined her forehead with a light touch. 

"How long was I out?" Caitlin asked, wincing.

"Your friend called 911 about ten minutes ago, so not much longer than that," he answered. "How's the pain?"

"Bad," she answered, closing her eyes for a moment and trying to will the throbbing away. 

"Okay, I'll get you some aspirin in the ambulance. Let's get you out of here. Do you think you're okay to walk to the ambulance?"

"Yes, I think so," she replied.

With great care, Paul helped her to her feet. Taking her arm, he guided her toward the door. Her steps were slow and deliberate, as any sudden movement brought another flash of pain inside of her head. Giving a last glance at the passenger side of the front of the RV, she was amazed at the damage done.

"Shit, it must have been flying when it hit us," she muttered. 

The paramedic lowered his eyes. "Yes, miss, it sure was," he said in a quiet voice. She read something in his expression that she didn't like, but decided not to pursue it right now.

The door of the RV was bent a bit, but there was enough room for her to step out as another paramedic took her hand to help her. Jack was standing at the corner of the intersection, his heart racing as his eyes searched for Caitlin. A local cop was standing next to him, talking to him, but Jack wasn't listening to a word she said. When he finally spotted Caitlin, he felt almost weak with the relief that rushed through him. Ignoring the officer speaking to him, he ran over to Caitlin. 

"Baby, are you okay?" he asked, struggling to keep his voice calm. He took her into a gentle embrace, giving her a feather-soft kiss. 

"Yeah, I think so. My head is killing me," she said, her voice tight with pain. The flashing lights of the emergency vehicles didn't help, either. 

The paramedics looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, sir, but we need to get her checked out," Paul said. 

Jack nodded, releasing Caitlin from his embrace. "Of course, of course, let's go."

As the paramedics took Caitlin's arms again to help her to the ambulance that was stopped nearby, she saw the truck that had struck them. She gasped in horror. The entire front half of the truck was crushed. There was blood all over the dashboard, and she looked away, feeling sick to her stomach. 

"The driver didn't make it," she whispered, feeling numb.

"No, he didn't," Jack said, his voice quiet. 

The paramedics opened the back doors of the ambulance and sat Caitlin on the floor. As they began a more thorough examination, taking her blood pressure and shining a light into her eyes, Caitlin asked Jack what had happened.

"They don't know why the guy ran the red light," he explained. "I didn't even see him coming. I heard the crash and the next thing I knew, you were unconscious, slumped against the dashboard. The seatbelt didn't lock to hold you upright because I hadn't pressed on the brakes – there wasn't time."

She was confused and turned to look at him. "Don't move, Caitlin," Paul warned, still examining her. "And try not to move your head too much – you may have whiplash and not even feel it yet." 

"Okay," she responded. To Jack, she asked, "Why didn't the airbags go off?"

"Frontal airbags don't deploy in side impact crashes," he responded. "You probably hit the dashboard because you're so light. I'm heavier, so I wasn't bounced around as much from the impact." 

Paul held a stethoscope to Caitlin's chest and commented, "You're lucky that you were just beginning to accelerate. If you were going the same speed as the truck through the intersection, the motor home easily could have rolled over from the impact."

Caitlin's eyes widened with horror, and Jack shot the paramedic a dirty look. Paul turned red. "Sorry, miss," he muttered.

"Don't think about that, baby," Jack said in a reassuring voice, rubbing her shoulder. 

Still embarrassed, Paul said, "Okay, let's get you to the hospital for more thorough testing. At the very least, you have a severe concussion. Losing consciousness is especially dangerous when suffering from a concussion, so we need to make sure that everything is alright. You'll probably have to stay overnight." Turning to Jack, he added, "You may want to quickly pack a bag if you want to ride along with us."

Caitlin grabbed Jack's arm before he could leave. "Wait, Jack, what time is it?" Her voice was concerned.

Glancing at his watch, he answered, "Almost nine forty-five."

"Can you call Shanna for me?" she asked. The last thing they needed right now was for Shanna to be unable to get a hold of Caitlin, think that Jack had abducted her, and call the cops on him.

"Sure," he replied.

"Make sure you tell her that I'm fine, everything is okay, and she doesn't need to fly out here or anything," she instructed. She would love to see Shanna, but if Shanna flew out, she would tell their family what had happened. 

'And what if they wanted to fly out, too?' Caitlin worried. Shanna had no idea what horrors Billy had forced upon Caitlin in her mid- to late teens, and Caitlin had never been able to find the strength to tell her – it would cause Shanna so much pain to know what a sadist her brother was. Caitlin hadn't seen her stepbrother, Billy, since she left for college, somehow finding one excuse after another, usually her job as a waitress, as to why she couldn't come home for holidays. Once or twice a year, she would take her mother and Stanley out to dinner. Stanley adored Caitlin, much to her dismay, and often talked her ear off on those nights while Anne eyed up the waiter.

"No problem, baby," he said, giving her a soft kiss before heading back to the RV. The police had cleared it as safe to return, allowing him to board it before they towed the two vehicles off of the road. 

Inside the RV, Jack grabbed Caitlin's coat, her pack, and a small duffle bag for himself. Throwing a change of clothes into the bag, he then tucked his gun into the back of his jeans and put his jacket on. His badge was still in the pocket from the night before, and he thought about how he had flashed it to Caitlin in the rain when he'd picked her up. 'I admired her strength and intelligence right from the beginning,' he thought fondly, remembering the detailed instructions she had given him before agreeing to take a ride from him. 'Please let her be okay; let her recover quickly from this concussion.' He had known her for less than twenty-four hours, but he loved her, and he already could not imagine his life without her.

Taking both bags out to the ambulance, he asked Caitlin to find her cell phone in her pack. She smiled to herself at this, wondering how many men would respect her privacy like that. It was such a small thing, but a good indication of the kind of man Jack was. The cell phone was in her front pouch, and she took it out and handed it to Jack. 

"Come on, miss, let's get you on this gurney," Paul requested.

"I can just sit, I'm fine," she protested.

He smiled, "Sorry, house rules."

Jack took the cell phone a few feet away from the ambulance and opened it. Hitting the 'Send,' button, Shanna's name was listed as the most recently dialed number. He pressed 'Send' again to call the number. After several rings, Shanna answered.

"Hi Shanna, this is Jack Thompson. Shanna's okay, but we had a small accident," he explained.

"What?!" Shanna shrieked. "Where is she?! How can she be okay if she can't talk? What happened?"

Jack listened to the rapid fire of her questions patiently, and then responded in a slow and reassuring voice. "We were hit by a truck and Shanna bumped her head on the dashboard. She's fine, but they want to take her to the hospital, just as a safety precaution. She's really fine, though."

Shanna was quiet for a moment. "Which hospital?" she asked in a calmer voice.

He hesitated. "I don't know yet, but Shanna, really, you don't need to fly out here, Caitlin's completely fine." 

Her voice was deadly serious. "Jack, if you are any kind of decent guy, you will understand that she is my sister, and I need to be with her. I don't give a shit if you say she's perfectly fine, I want to see her for myself."

He had to admire Shanna's loyalty, despite Caitlin's wishes. Calling Paul over, he asked him which hospital they would be taking Caitlin to.

"Well, we have some smaller hospitals around here, but Scranton is only a half hour away, and Mercy is a much bigger, nicer hospital," Paul answered. "Since her condition isn't serious, I would recommend that, depending on what her insurance covers."

Jack wanted the best for her no matter what the cost – he would take care of it. After all, he had been driving. Speaking into the cell phone, Jack said, "Mercy Hospital in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Shanna...will you be coming alone?" 

"Yeah, sure, I'll be there as quickly as I can. Jack, just let me hear her voice, please?" she asked.

He took the phone over to the ambulance, jumped in, and held it up to Caitlin's ear as she lay on the gurney. 

"I'm okay," Caitlin said immediately. 

"If I had a tumor, I would name it...?" Shanna asked.

Caitlin laughed. "Marla," she answered. Shanna wasn't insane; it was their code phrase to signal that everything was okay. It was one of their favorite quotes from one of their favorite movies, Fight Club. They were supposed to use it if either of them suspected the other was in a dangerous situation.

Shanna's voice was firm. "I'll be there tonight."

"No, Shanna, don't worry about it, seriously, I'm fine," Caitlin argued.

"I'll be there tonight," Shanna repeated.

Caitlin sighed. She should have known that there was no arguing with Shanna on a matter like this. "Just don't tell Anne; I don't want anyone to worry about me, because honestly, I'm fine." 

The frown was evident in Shanna's voice. "I know you don't get along with your mother, Cait, but she deserves to know that you're in the hospital."

Caitlin bit her lip. "Well, just make sure that she doesn't come out here. I don't want her to go to any trouble over nothing."

"Alright," Shanna agreed reluctantly.

"Love you, bye," Caitlin said, as Paul gave her the signal that they needed to go.

"Love you, too, hon. Take care and get better. Bye," Shanna replied.

Caitlin closed the cell phone and Jack took it from her, sliding it into the front pouch of her pack. He took a seat next to her on the bench inside the ambulance, taking her hand and kissing it with tenderness. Paul and the other paramedic climbed in next to Jack, closed the ambulance doors, and signaled to the driver that they were ready to go. 

Paul explained to Caitlin, "Because your condition is not critical and your hospital choice is voluntary, we can forego the lights and sirens."

She closed her eyes gratefully. "Thank god for small favors," she muttered. 

During the twenty minute drive, Jack remained silent, letting Caitlin rest. He held her hand the entire time, stroking it gently. He was trying to suppress his guilt for not protecting her enough. Although this feeling was irrational – there was literally nothing he could have done to foresee the accident – it was a natural reaction to the injury of a loved one. He knew this well because he had counseled countless family members of victims at crime or accident scenes. He even knew what he, as a police officer, would say to himself.

'You did the right thing by calling 911 immediately,' Jack recited mentally. 'You had no way of knowing that truck was coming. You couldn't have predicted that someone would run that red light. You didn't have enough time to step on the brakes; no one could have reacted that quickly. Be thankful that you were both wearing seatbelts.' 

The list of reassurances went on and on. When he would say these to family members or loved ones as a police officer, he was always sympathetic and sincere. It was only now that he realized that, no matter how much sincerity there was in his voice, the words meant nothing to the loved ones of victims. There was no easing their pain – they felt responsible. He felt responsible for Caitlin, and that's all there was to it. The guilt was there, but he could endure it without letting Caitlin see it. 'Knowing how sweet Caitlin is,' he thought, 'she would only feel guilty that I feel guilty, and that is a vicious circle.'

These thoughts were racing through Jack's head, and the time actually flew by on the way to the hospital. As the paramedics escorted Caitlin inside, Jack was right there with her every step of the way. When she was finally given a hospital room, the doctors explained that they would need to take her in a wheelchair to administer a variety of tests, and that Jack would be better off going to get something to eat. He turned to Caitlin with a reassuring smile on his face, even though he hated the thought of leaving her alone.

"Okay, baby, you'll be just fine, it's just some standard tests that they have to run," he explained.

Caitlin bit her lip. She didn't like the thought of not being with Jack during these tests. She was alone in a strange hospital, in a strange state, with strange doctors taking care of her. And now she had to leave Jack? 

Jack knelt in front of her, cupping her face with his gentle hands as his blue eyes studied her green ones intently. "I promise you, I will be back. I am here for you. Okay?" His voice was deep and solemn.

Caitlin nodded, suddenly feeling very young, very vulnerable, and not very strong at all. Jack gave her a tender, sweet kiss that she clung to as long as she could, before the doctors wheeled her away to get an MRI of her head administered. As soon as Jack was out of sight, she felt a tear slip down her cheek. 

She had lived through a personal hell for so many years that she thought she had suffered emotional paralysis. But somehow, by meeting this man and sharing the most intimate parts of herself with him, both emotionally and physically...somehow it had changed her. It had opened her up, showed her a whole new side of herself. She was suddenly scared that, without Jack, she would close back up again, shutting herself off emotionally from every person in the world except for her sister, Shanna. 

Shanna was the first person that Caitlin had ever felt like she needed since her father left. Feeling this way about Jack now was new, frightening. She withdrew mentally while the doctors performed their various tests, during many of which she had to remain absolutely still. She spent this time thinking about Jack, about all of the feelings he had stirred up inside of her. She thought about how much Shanna would adore Jack when she met him, and how much Jack would like Shanna. 

Most of all, she thought about the satisfaction and happiness in Jack's voice, when he'd said, "Have you figured out that I love you yet?" A warm, happy glow began to grow in her chest when she thought about him saying those words to her. 'Could I love him? Could I really, after less than a day?' she wondered. 

Finally, the doctors were done with her. Hours had passed at this point, and they said that Caitlin would have to wait until the morning for full results. A nurse wheeled her back to her room, and helped her settle into bed. Before Caitlin even had time to wonder where Jack was, a high, feminine voice shrieked her name.

"Caitlin!" Shanna cried, running into her hospital room and gently hugging her. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Caitlin held Shanna tightly, closing her eyes with relief and happiness. She didn't see her mother, Anne, and her stepfather, Stanley, waiting at her doorway. She also didn't see her stepbrother, Billy, waiting behind them.

To be continued...



Fire in the Night Ch. 10



When Caitlin finally pulled away from Shanna, she had a beaming smile on her face...until her eyes moved to the door of her hospital room. It was her mother, Anne, and her stepfather, Stanley, standing in the doorway that made the smile turn to a grimace. But it was the sight of her stepbrother, Billy, standing behind them, that made the blood drain from her face.

Caitlin hadn't seen Billy since the day she left home for college. She had suffered over three years of psychological torture and sexual molestation at the hands of her older stepbrother. His threats to break apart the family and ruin Caitlin's reputation forced her into a silent, private hell. She was unable to tell anyone, even her best friend Shanna, who was Billy's older sister. Shanna had already left home for college when the abuse began, and had no idea what kind of a twisted sadist lurked in her baby brother. 

Now, five years later, Billy had changed little. Always a bit overweight, with an unattractive face and muddy brown eyes, Billy had not been blessed with good looks. It seemed that everything he lacked in looks and social skills had been poured into his considerable intelligence. With an I.Q. well above the "genius" level cut-off, he lived a lonely, unhappy life dreaming of being successful at something other than math and science. Caitlin believed that Shanna's presence had kept him somewhat human, and when Shanna left home for college when Billy was sixteen and Caitlin was fifteen, Billy lost any kind of moral compass he'd had. He began visiting Caitlin's room at night and exposed the dark demon that hid inside of him. 

Caitlin knew that she was about to put on the best performance of her life: acting as if she was happy to see her deeply dysfunctional family. Lowering her head, she slowly exhaled, imagining that she was expelling every negative interaction she had ever had with her family. Forcing a bright smile onto her face, she raised her eyes to meet her family as they hesitated uncertainly in the doorway.

"Mother, Stanley, it's so nice of you to come!" Caitlin cried. "But honestly, you didn't have to travel all this way, I'm fine!" Her smile hurt her face, but she kept it glued on.

Anne rolled her eyes and smirked at her husband. "See, Stanley, I told you she was fine. That long flight for nothing!" she sighed dramatically. 

Stanley moved quickly to Caitlin's bedside, putting his hand on Shanna's shoulder as he peered down at Caitlin. "I wouldn't dream of letting you stay overnight in the hospital alone, thousands of miles away," he confided to her, giving her a lingering kiss on the cheek that made her skin crawl. 

Billy remained standing in the doorway, and Caitlin knew she had to acknowledge his presence in order to avoid suspicion. "Hello, Billy," she said, unable to keep a hint of icy coolness out of her voice.

"Hi, Caitlin," he said in his whiny voice, moving to her bedside. When he leaned down to give her a kiss on her cheek, she felt like she was going to throw up. 'I can't do this, I can't act normal around him,' the young teenage girl inside of her moaned in misery. 'Yes, you can!' the college graduate trained in self-defense shouted. 

Her false smile painted on, she forced herself to ask Stanley how life was back in California. Anne was ignoring them, leaning out the doorway to keep a lookout for cute doctors that she could fuck in the men's bathroom.

"Oh, things are going fine," Stanley answered. "Billy is doing well with his internet company, working from our home."

Turning to Billy, she struggled to keep her voice from tightening. "That's great news, Billy," she said in a light tone.

His smile was snakelike. "Yes, Caitlin, I'm quite happy. Of course, I was deeply concerned when I heard about your accident. It fills me with joy to discover that you're alright," he replied.

She cringed inside at his words. His formal way of speaking was something that seemed to have developed with his I.Q., and it only reminded her of the way he used to speak to her when he visited her room at night. 

Stanley patted her arm. "But we should be asking about you! What kinds of things have you seen and done on this trip? You know, I'm so supportive that you're exploring the country like this, and I admire the efforts you've made to be safe about it." His tone was smug as he subtly insulted Anne, who had refused to even discuss Caitlin's travel plans.

As Caitlin started to answer, she noticed that Anne had wandered out into the hallway. 'Typical,' she thought to herself. 'She must have found a candidate for a quickie.'

"Well," she answered Stanley, "it's so hard to say. I mean, I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"Then at least tell me what you were doing in Pennsylvania," he smiled, leaning uncomfortably close to her.

As Caitlin opened her mouth, she noticed Anne come back into the room with a bright red, embarrassed expression. 'Huh?' she thought. Then she realized that Jack was right behind her mother.

*****

Jack rushed down the hospital hall, anxious to see if Caitlin was alright after her grueling day of tests. Suddenly, he was stopped by an attractive redhead who reached out to grab his arm.

"Hey there, handsome, you meeting anyone?" she purred, a look of seduction in her eyes.

He shifted uncomfortably, looking around at the room numbers nearby.

"Yes, I'm just looking for 217," he said distractedly, trying to move away from her.

A look of shock came over the woman's face. "217?" she repeated.

Confused and more than a little annoyed, he replied, "Yes, 217, what room is this?"

Her face bright red, the woman muttered, "I suppose you're the man who put my daughter in the hospital."

Realization dawned on him. Dear god, this was Caitlin's mother? Caitlin's mother had just hit on him?! Meeting her gaze coolly, he answered, "I am the man who brought your daughter to the hospital when she was hurt, yes. I'm Jack, pleasure to meet you." He shook her hand formally.

She gave his hand a limp shake, her face still red. "I'm Anne. She's in here."

As they walked into the room, he saw Caitlin stare at them with a look of distress on her face. He hesitated, uncertain about how to greet her in front of her family. 'How much has Shanna told them?' he wondered. Erring on the side of caution, he nodded to her.

"Caitlin, I'm glad to see you're looking better," he said a bit stiffly. Caitlin looked confused. Jack was at a loss as to what to do, so he moved to the bedside and introduced himself to the three people gathered around Caitlin's bed.

"I'm Stanley, Caitlin's stepfather," an older man standing next to the bed explained.

"I'm Shanna," a young, pretty, blonde woman smiled, with a very subtle wink.

"And I'm Billy," a chubby, unattractive young man added in a whiny voice.

Jack felt his heart drop. Billy? Billy was here? And Jack wasn't allowed to kill him with his bare hands? Caitlin had a warning look in her eyes, and he knew he needed to act normally and be polite...or at least, non-homicidal.

"Nice to meet you all," he said with a fake smile, choosing to focus on Shanna because he was genuinely happy to meet Caitlin's best friend and stepsister.

"So, Jack, you're the Good Samaritan who was giving my dear Caitlin a ride?" Stanley asked. His smile was still bright, but his eyes were dark with suspicion.

"Yes, well, I'm a police officer. I'd rather not leave a young woman out on the highway where she could meet someone dangerous," he said without thinking. Caitlin's green eyes flashed with anger, and he realized belatedly that he had overtly questioned her judgment. "I mean, I just wanted to help," he tried to explain lamely. 

"Yes, I'm sure you did," Stanley said in a cool voice.

Anne was anxiously tugging on Stanley's arm. "It's getting late, we should let Caitlin get some rest," she whined, still thoroughly embarrassed from hitting on the man who seemed so drawn to her daughter.

"Oh, yes, of course," Stanley said quickly. "I'm sorry, dear Caitlin, I'm sure you're exhausted after such a tough day."

"Well, I could use some rest," Caitlin agreed, barely daring to hope that they would be leaving so soon.

"Absolutely. We'll be back first thing in the morning," Stanley said firmly. 

"Oh, Stanley, I'm fine, you could go back to California," Caitlin protested. 

"If we catch a redeye, you could get some sleep," Anne suggested to Stanley with hope in her voice.

"No way," he frowned. "Not under any circumstances. We're staying in a hotel, Anne, and that's that. I want to be there for Caitlin." 

Caitlin bit her lip, knowing that there was no arguing with him at this point.

Billy and Stanley leaned over to hug Caitlin briefly, and she gave silent thanks that they were leaving. She didn't know if she could have taken another minute with this huge, false smile on her face. 

Anne came over to the bed and patted Caitlin's curls awkwardly. "Feel better, dear," she said, her voice tight with discomfort.

As they said their goodbyes, Stanley was glaring at Jack to imply that he had better leave, too. Jack leaned over and touched Caitlin's hand lightly. "I'm glad you're okay," he said in a quiet voice. Stanley was right behind him, and he knew that he couldn't say any more. It killed him to see the hurt look in Caitlin's eyes. 

"Of course, Jack. Thank you for taking me to the hospital," she murmured. Her mind was racing. Was this an act? Or had he lost interest in her after meeting her family? Her heart was aching and she didn't know what to think. 

Shanna threw her arms around her sister and whispered in her ear, "I'll be back." Caitlin nodded subtly, hugging her back as she fought off tears, wondering if Shanna was the only person in the world who truly loved her no matter what.

As Jack followed Caitlin's family out of the hospital room, Shanna held him back slightly and muttered, "Meet me in the hospital lobby in half an hour." Before he could even respond, she had moved ahead with her brother. 

"Jack, do you need a ride to a hotel? We rented a car. Or are you going home?" Stanley asked. He clearly wanted to prevent Jack from seeing Caitlin again. Jack decided that it would be a bad idea to tell Stanley that he lived within a half hour of where Caitlin would be attending graduate school in a couple of months.

"I'll stay in a hotel for tonight, and then find out what is going on with my RV tomorrow," he answered. "Thank you for offering a ride, but I'll take a taxi. I don't want to inconvenience you, and we wouldn't all fit in one car." 

Stanley frowned. "Yes, you're right. Well, let me call you a cab, then." 

Jack sighed to himself. This situation was not looking promising.

*****

Caitlin was fighting back the tears, but one or two occasionally slipped from her tightly closed eyelids. 'He'll come back, he'll come back,' she tried to convince herself. 'He wouldn't leave you like this, he just wouldn't.'

She felt physically ill. This day was wearing on her: first the accident, then the headache that returned every two hours or so, followed by seeing her family and her abhorrent stepbrother, and finally Jack leaving her without so much as a hug. She was physically, mentally, and emotionally drained. Finally stopping the tears, she mentally checked out for awhile, staring into space with miserable eyes that were dull green with pain.

Her heart was crying out for Jack to return. She had never felt so empty and alone. 'If he can break my heart, then I must love him,' she thought, feeling sick to her stomach. 'I love him and I lost him because I had to tell him about the sick and twisted people that are my family. And now he's had to meet them, and he doesn't want to be with a girl with so much baggage. He'll want someone uncomplicated and emotionally stable.'

The minutes crawled by, each longer than the last. The doorway remained empty. She fell into an uneasy doze, exhausted from this day that seemed longer than her entire hitchhiking trip had been.

*****

Jack checked into his hotel room, threw the duffle bag into it, and promptly headed back to the motel lobby to call another cab back to the hospital. He anxiously checked his watch every two minutes or so, worried that if he wasn't on time, Shanna wouldn't wait for him. Throwing a twenty at the driver when they arrived at the hospital, he jumped out and raced into the lobby. Panting a little, his heart pounding both from running and from anxiety, his eyes worriedly searched the hospital lobby.

Her bright blonde hair with even lighter highlights stood out in this dismal atmosphere. He approached Shanna, taking the time to study her. He hadn't been able to pay much attention in Caitlin's hospital room; he had been so tense and nervous around Caitlin's parents and stepbrother.

Shanna had soft, wavy blonde hair that fell in layers, perfectly framing her heart-shaped face. Clear bluish-green eyes sparkled with enthusiasm and adventure, and she seemed to project a subtle zest for life that was evident even under these stressful circumstances. Though it was obvious that she put more time into her appearance than Caitlin seemed to, as seen by her meticulously applied makeup and perfectly coordinated outfit, she also had a casual style that somehow seemed elegant on her well-proportioned frame. She had changed from the clothes she had traveled in, and was now wearing white pants with red, high-heeled sandals, and a red, off-the-shoulder top that showed off her well-sculpted neck and collarbone. Silver jewelry gleamed from her ears, wrists, and fingers, indicating careful attention to every detail of her appearance. Though Jack usually disliked women who seemed high-maintenance, Shanna's love for Caitlin and the perpetually cheerful optimism that exuded from her seemed to counterbalance her attention to her looks. She was a beautiful girl, and he had liked her immediately, but his heart belonged to Caitlin. 

Shanna could tell this in the way that Jack assessed her -- his gaze was observant, without any lust or attraction. She instantly trusted him, understanding that he was head over heels for her stepsister. She was a very perceptive person, and rarely was her intuition wrong. She gave Jack a warm smile as he walked up to her.

"How did you get away from your parents?" Jack asked.

Shanna winked at him. "I'm a daddy's girl -- he doesn't question me. I told them I was going out to explore Pennsylvania and find a party. They know me; I love to have a good time." She grinned.

Uncertain, he asked, "Why did you want to meet me?"

"Well, I didn't," she answered. "I mean I did, and I do, but I wanted to come back to see my sister. And I figured you would want to as well."

He nodded quickly. "I do, very much. Can we head up now?" He was worried about what Caitlin had thought of his quick departure earlier.

Shanna led him to the elevators and they stepped in. Caitlin was on the second floor, so they didn't even have a chance to speak before the doors were opening again. As they walked down the hall, Jack glanced over at her, and said quietly, "Thank you."

Glancing back, she said seriously, "I think you love my sister. And that makes you a great guy in my book."

Embarrassed, Jack didn't know what to say. He could only nod.

"No matter how old you are," she added with a teasing grin. He chuckled.

They had reached Caitlin's door. Shanna studied the look in Jack's eyes as he gazed at Caitlin's door, and then offered, "You first."

Grateful, he smiled at her. "Thanks."

*****

Movement in her doorway snapped Caitlin out of her doze. Looking up sleepily, her eyes still red from crying, she saw Jack. Tears immediately filled her eyes again and slipped in quick rivers down her cheeks.

A look of horror crossed Jack's face as he rushed to her side, taking her into his arms. "Caitlin, honey, please don't cry, I am so sorry," he whispered, stroking her fiery red curls, holding her in a tight embrace.

She shook with sobs, but made no move to hug him back. Pulling away, he grabbed a tissue from the nightstand next to the hospital bed and hurriedly wiped away her tears, his face wrought with worry. "Please, Caitlin, forgive me. I didn't know what to do, what to say. I didn't know how you wanted me to act in front of your family. I would never leave you like that, you know that. Please believe me. I came back as soon as I could."

Her tears slowing, Caitlin raised her eyes to his. The fear was written all over his face -- fear of losing her, of having hurt her. She felt the ache in her heart begin to ease as she understood how wrongly she had judged him. Shaking her head, she whispered, "Jack...I was wrong to even think you would do that to me. It's my fault, I'm sorry."

A look of relief washed over his face even as he argued with her, "No, I'm sorry, baby," and he took her into his arms again. She felt warmth spread through her as she thought about how much he cared about her. She suddenly felt so stupid, so foolish, so much...like a girl.

"I don't know why I would think that," she murmured. "I should have known better, I'm sorry."

He shook his head, laughing softly. "We're both sorry, let's leave it at that. And as for why you thought that -- think about everything you've been through today. It would be overwhelming for anyone; it's perfectly understandable to feel out of sorts right now."

She smiled at him gratefully, thankful that he understood and wasn't angry with her for questioning his feelings. Leaning forward, she gave him a very slow, very tender kiss, teasing her tongue with his and slipping her arms up his back. "I missed you," she sighed, settling into his arms comfortably.

He gave a soft groan as their kiss ended, and buried his hands in her hair. "You don't know how badly I wish we were alone in the RV right now," he said huskily, arousal awakening within him.

She giggled, loving the way he made her feel so sexy. "Jack, you naughty man," she teased.

He grinned sheepishly. "I just can't help myself when it comes to you, baby."

A loud knock on the open hospital door interrupted them as Shanna walked in.

"Shanna!" Caitlin squealed.

Shanna ran over and hugged her stepsister. "I had to see you again tonight," she said, smiling. "And I wanted to see your reunion with Jack," she added honestly, winking at her.

Caitlin laughed. "What do you think of him, dear sister? Do you approve?" she joked.

Shanna gave a warm smile to Jack. "I do," she said in a soft voice. 

For the next hour or so, Caitlin entertained them with stories of things she'd seen, people she'd met, and places she'd gone on her trip. As Shanna had usually only gotten the basic details in her updates from her sister, both she and Jack were greatly amused by her tales. The three of them instantly felt relaxed and comfortable together. 

When a nurse finally interrupted them to let them know that visiting hours were over, Shanna gave her sister a hug goodbye and a kiss on the cheek. 

"I love you, little sister. I'm so happy for you," she whispered in Caitlin's ear.

Caitlin smiled. She thought she had never been so happy in her entire life. "I love you, too, big sister. Thanks for everything you've done for me," she answered.

"I'll let you two say goodbye alone," Shanna added, grinning at Jack. "I'll see you both tomorrow."

Jack gave her an appreciative smile. "Thanks, Shanna. Be safe getting home." 

With a wave, she was gone, and Jack turned to Caitlin. "I'm staying here tonight," he said seriously.

Caitlin's eyes widened. "Jack, we can't make love in a hospital," she hissed.

He burst into laughter. "No! Caitlin, not for that. Well, not that I wouldn't...but I'm staying because I can't bear the thought of sleeping away from you tonight. I need to be able to see your beautiful face if I wake up in the night, and kiss your soft lips just before I drift off...I've been away from you all day long, and I refuse to leave again."




Fire in the Night Ch. 10



Her eyes lit up with joy. She thought that he was just about the most romantic man she had ever known, and she couldn't believe how lucky she was that he loved her. "See if you can convince the nurses," she grinned.

*****

Jack was able to work his charm (and his badge) to convince the nurse to let him sleep in the chair and ottoman that was in the corner of Caitlin's private room. When he kissed her good night, there was tenderness and passion, but no lust. He could resist his temptations tonight -- after all, he was beginning to suspect that he had the rest of his life to make love to her. Tonight was about taking care of her and letting her sleep off the exhaustion that this day had brought. She went to bed relatively early, around nine o'clock. 

Settling into his chair and ottoman, he alternated between staring out the window and staring at Caitlin's sleeping form. He replayed the events of the last two days in his mind, reliving every romantic, passionate moment between the two of them. He thought about the adoration that he had seen shining in her eyes tonight. 'She does love me,' he thought sleepily, hovering on the edge between wakefulness and dreams. 'She just needs to let herself realize it.' He had confidence that she would, when the time was right. And for now, he was still the happiest, luckiest guy in the world.

Falling into a light sleep, he didn't hear the hospital door slowly ease open. He didn't hear anyone tiptoe silently to Caitlin's bed, eyes locked on her tousled red curls. Jack didn't even hear the duct tape being pulled slowly from the roll, and then placed on Caitlin's lips. But the instant Caitlin whimpered with fear, he was out of his chair, gun drawn and aimed at the intruder.

"Back the fuck up, you sick son of a bitch," Jack growled. 

To be continued... 



Fire in the Night Ch. 11



Caitlin awoke to the pressure of duct tape being placed on her mouth. She could see Billy's dim outline, standing over her with a roll of duct tape in his hands. Her eyes opened wide with shock, terror filling her heart as she mentally flashed back to her teenage years. In an instant, she was as helpless and vulnerable as the first day he had molested her, when she was an innocent fifteen-year-old who had no idea what kind of a monster lurked inside of her older stepbrother. Paralyzed by her fear, she could manage only a small whimper. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she sensed sudden movement from across the room. Billy must have sensed it as well, as he whirled around to see who was there. 

"Back the fuck up, you sick son of a bitch," Caitlin heard Jack growl.

Something about the sound of Jack's voice snapped her back to the present. The fighter within her whispered in an urgent voice, 'You will never let him do this to you again! Fight back! Fight back now!' The powerless fifteen-year-old girl disappeared, and five years of training and practicing self-defense came flooding back to her.

Instinctively, Caitlin sat up and reached over to the nightstand next to the hospital bed, grasping the little blue lamp sitting there. Billy was still turned toward Jack, his jaw hanging open with shock. She poured every ounce of strength into swinging the lamp as hard as she could, smashing it against the back of Billy's skull. It exploded against his head, tiny blue pieces flying everywhere, and without a sound he slumped to the floor, knocked unconscious. 

The crash of the lamp was followed by a deep silence in the hospital room. Caitlin stared down at the side of the bed, waiting for Billy's form to jump up and attack her. When he continued to lie in a limp heap on the floor, she peeled the duct tape off of her mouth in a slow, dazed motion. She felt as if her breathing was deafening, breaking the stillness with quick, hard gasps. 

Jack was afraid to say anything, afraid he would scare the hell out of Caitlin if he spoke. He approached her with silent caution. When he reached the end of the bed, he waited, not even daring to breathe, wondering what her reaction would be when she realized what had happened.

Slowly, she moved her gaze to Jack. He was startled by the look of amazement in her wide, green eyes. 

"I did it," she whispered in awe. "I actually did it." 

Filled with dread, he waited to see if her amazement would turn to horror or elation. 

The seconds felt like hours until a smile spread across her face.

"I beat him," she said in a quiet voice. Her smile was proud. 

Jack rushed to the opposite side of the bed and wrapped his arms around her, holding her as tightly as he could. "You did it, baby," he agreed. His muscles felt weak with the relief that was flooding through him. He stroked her red curls, closing his eyes with gratitude that, once again, Caitlin had escaped danger. At least this time, he felt he had done his part to protect her -- and something about when he had spoken to Billy had pushed her into fighting back against him. He couldn't even imagine the strength that it had taken for her to even face her attacker in a situation like this, much less the courage it had taken for her to fight back -- and win! 

Caitlin snuggled up against him, folding herself into his arms. She was so proud of herself, but she also had a sinking feeling in her stomach. Now it was all going to come out. The years of abuse, the horrors she had suffered. What would Shanna think? Would she understand? Would she be angry with Caitlin for not telling her?

With a shaking hand, Caitlin reached over and hit the call button for a nurse. Her breathing was slowly returning to normal; the pounding of her heart had eased up a bit, though her headache had returned full force. She wanted Billy out of here, unconscious or not.

"I'll call the local police," Jack said quietly, pulling away and studying her expression.

She nodded with reluctance. He stroked her cheek gently. "It'll be okay, baby," he whispered. He was sure she was frightened of the repercussions that would come from reporting Billy, but he knew it needed to be done. 'It's about time that psychotic bastard got what's coming to him,' he thought grimly. 

A nurse walked in to answer Caitlin's call, turning the overhead light on. She gasped as she saw the man sprawled at the side of the bed. "Dear God, what happened?!" she cried.

Jack paused from dialing the police and told her, "The cops will be here in a few minutes. He has a concussion and will probably be waking up soon -- I want him out of here before that happens. Can you get a cot?"

The nurse nodded, a nervous expression on her face as she rushed out of the room. Jack spoke to the police briefly, and hung up as the nurse returned with a cot. Caitlin watched, her emerald eyes dark with worry, as Jack lifted Billy up and laid him on the cot. She sucked in her breath when she saw what Billy was wearing -- a white doctor's coat. 

"Is that how he got in?" she whispered in disbelief.

Jack nodded wryly. "I know. What kind of security does this hospital have?" he asked the nurse. 

She flushed and wheeled Billy out of the room quickly, choosing not to answer Jack. He sighed. It wasn't fair of him to put the nurse on the spot like that, but he was sure as hell going to talk to somebody about how a twenty-something kid in a white coat managed to sneak into a patient's room in the middle of the night.

The next hour or so was a blur. The local police came and took a statement from Caitlin and Jack. Caitlin somehow managed to withhold her tears when telling her story to the police, and Jack was amazed yet again at her strength. 'I'm a cop, and she's my role model for bravery,' he thought with no shame whatsoever. 

The police also agreed to talk to the head of security about the situation. "We'll take in the security guard for questioning, and call in his replacement," they informed Jack. He nodded, satisfied. 

When the cops finally left, Jack and Caitlin laid down together, squeezing side by side onto her hospital bed. He held her in silence, absently playing with her curls as she stroked his cheek. They were both exhausted, but neither could sleep after the events of the night. So they just lay together, each lost in their own thoughts, uncertain as to where the next day would take them.

*****

Shanna was awakened from sleep by the ringing of her cell phone. Groggy, she lifted her head and squinted her blue-green eyes at the clock on the hotel nightstand. 'Three a.m.?' she thought, bewildered. 'Who the hell...?' She hit a button on her phone and grunted into it. 

"Shanna..."

Frowning, she sat up in bed. It was her brother, Billy. She looked over at the bed next to hers in the hotel room. It was empty.

"Billy? Where are you? Do you need help?" she asked, her pretty features drawing tight with worry. 

"Yes...I do. But there's nothing you can do."

Her heart started pounding with apprehension and she got out of bed, slipping into her flipflops. "Where are you, Billy? I'm coming to get you," she said. She grabbed her purse and headed for the door, not caring that she was dressed only in cotton pants and a tight tank top, her blonde hair tousled from sleep.

"You can't get me out of this one, Shanna. I've been...very bad."

Shanna left the room and walked toward the elevator, hitting the 'down' button, and frowned at her brother's simplistic language. It was very unlike him. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Silence.

"Billy, what do you mean?!" she repeated. The elevator door opened and she stepped inside, hitting the button for the lobby. 

The silence deepened and she looked at her phone. The signal had been lost inside the elevator. "Shit!" she cried. Frantic, she impatiently waited for the elevator to descend. To her dismay, it opened on the third floor. An attractive, clearly intoxicated man in his early thirties stumbled in, looking her up and down in an obvious way.

"Hey, sugar, you looking for some late-night action?" he sneered, staggering a little.

Shanna gave him a look of death. "Fuck off," she snapped.

An angry expression flashed across his face, and he shoved her up against the elevator wall, his face uncomfortably close to hers. "You don't want to get attitude with me, bitch," he hissed. "You might regret it."

Unfazed, Shanna brought her knee up as hard as she could into his crotch. "I think you regret it, asshole," she said coldly. 

The man went pale, falling to his knees and then onto his back in agony. "Bitch," he wheezed, his face contorted with pain.

The lobby bell rang, and the elevator doors opened. Shanna stepped out, tossing her hair over her shoulder and leaving the man writhing in the elevator. 'Once again, I can thank Caitlin for dragging me to those self-defense classes,' she thought wryly. 

Shanna walked across the lobby, nearly out the front doors before realizing that she still didn't know where the hell Billy was. She opened her cell phone again, looking for the number he had called her from. It read 'Unavailable number.' 

"Shit!" she shouted. 

The hotel employee at the lobby desk gave her a nervous glance. 

She stared at her cell phone, willing it to ring. 'Where could he be?' she worried.

When the phone rang, she almost dropped the damn thing. Opening it quickly, she gasped, "Please, where are you?!"

"I've been bad, Shanna. You won't forgive me. I wish it didn't have to be this way."

She forced herself to take a slow, deep breath, attempting to calm her nerves. "What did you do, Billy? Are you in jail?" she asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"Not yet...If you want to help, go see Caitlin. She needs you right now."

The hotel employee looked over in time to see Shanna's face go white. She stopped breathing for a moment. When her heart started beating again, it was pounding inside of her head. 

"What did you do to her?" she whispered, sick to her stomach with dread.

"I was bad to her, Shanna. I was very bad and you'll never forgive me. I wish you never had to find out. But it's time. I need to pay for what I've done. Goodbye, sister Shanna."

The line went dead. Shanna pulled it away from her ear and stared at it. 

'Caitlin,' a voice inside of her head whispered. 

Shanna forced her legs to move, forced herself to walk out the lobby doors. When she raised her arm to hail a cab, her hand was shaking. 

"Mercy Hospital," she mumbled to the driver, collapsing onto the taxi's seat. Her mind was racing, thoughts and memories flashing in rapid succession, adding to her nausea.

Caitlin had always been tense around Billy. Shanna had never really understood why, and Caitlin had explained that they just didn't get along. But then why had Caitlin done everything in her power to avoid him like the plague ever since she moved out? That's not merely a matter of clashing personalities. 

The self-defense classes. Caitlin had been almost obsessive about them. When Shanna had questioned her about it, Caitlin talked about how nervous she was to live on her own. She told Shanna that the classes were empowering, and even talked her into attending them as well.

And there was always Caitlin's complete lack of interest in men. Oh, sure, she would go on the obligatory date or two when friends set her up. But Shanna had never seen her hit on a guy, or even develop a simple crush on one. Shanna probably would not have been surprised if Caitlin had told her she was a lesbian -- Caitlin was that disinterested in men. 

But all of these clues, now put into context by Billy's bizarre phone call, were adding up to a very disturbing conclusion. One so revolting, so horrific, that she was beginning to worry about getting sick inside the cab. Luckily, it was only another few minutes until the driver pulled up to the hospital. She tossed a twenty into the front seat and jumped out of the cab, running as hard as she could into the hotel lobby, her heart pounding and her stomach turning.

"Hey, hey, HEY!" a man shouted. She felt someone grab her by the arm and turn her around. Struggling to catch her breath, she gasped for air as she looked up into a security guard's face. His irate expression softened as he looked her up and down (much more subtly than Drunk Elevator Guy) and decided to be gentle with her. 

"Are you okay, honey?" he asked, his anger turning to concern.

Ordinarily, she would have been annoyed at his patronizing term of endearment, but these were extenuating circumstances. Still panting, she assessed the situation within a second or two. Security Guy looked to be in his late twenties, and he was built like a rock. Tall, heavily muscled, and handsome, with dark brown hair and eyes, he wore no wedding ring. In his eyes was a hint of the sympathy that he was ready to give to her if she could only appeal to him. His name badge read 'Doug Hampton.'

"Officer Hampton, please help me!" she gasped, instinctively falling into her Helpless Girl persona. The 'officer' title was a perfect addition designed to stroke his ego and get her upstairs to see Caitlin.

"Calm down and tell me what's wrong," he answered, his voice steady and reassuring.

"My sister, she was in trouble, or she is in trouble, I don't know, but I got a call, and he told me to go see her, that she needs my help, and she's in room 217, and I need to get to her!" The words tumbled out in a rush, and she realized that she wasn't acting as Helpless Girl anymore, the fear had overtaken her and she temporarily was Helpless Girl.

"Okay, it's past visiting hours, but I can walk you up to her and we'll make sure she's okay." Doug Hampton started to smile at her comfortingly, then hesitated. "Wait, did you say room 217?"

"Yes, why?" she whispered. She hadn't thought she could feel any sicker with dread, but here it was.

"Um, no reason. Let's go," he answered, taking her arm and leading her toward the elevators. As he hit the 'up' button, she looked up at him pleadingly. 

"Tell me why," she begged.

The elevator door opened, and they stepped in. His voice was quiet when he responded. "The police were here earlier..." Shanna gasped, and he quickly continued. "...but everything was fine, the last I heard. The patient, your sister I guess, and the cop staying with her, are perfectly fine. Some guy snuck into her hospital room, but she knocked him unconscious with a lamp."

The elevator door opened, and he started to step out. When he noticed she wasn't following him, Doug turned around. She had sunk to a crouched position inside of the elevator, hugging her knees to her chest. On her face was a dazed expression. Concerned, he stepped back inside the elevator and knelt down beside her. 

"What's your name, honey?" he asked in a steady voice.

"Shanna," she whispered.

"Okay, Shanna, look at me," he directed. He gently touched her chin to encourage her blue-green eyes to look into his brown ones. She stared at him miserably. "I want to help you, Shanna," he continued. "But you need to tell me what's wrong."

"That man who snuck in...the man who wanted to hurt her...that was my brother...her stepbrother. I just found out tonight," she answered quietly.

Doug's face filled with sympathy, and he touched her arm lightly. "I'm sorry. I won't even pretend to understand what you must be feeling right now. But why don't I take you to see her, so that you can get the full story, okay?"

Shanna drew a shaky breath and nodded. Doug helped her to her feet, and walked with her to Caitlin's room. After only a brief hesitation, she knocked gently on her sister's door.

To be continued...



Fire in the Night Ch. 12



Caitlin looked up at the knock on her hospital room door. It was nearly three a.m., and she doubted that it was a nurse checking in on her. She gave Jack a nervous glance. He was squeezed onto her hospital bed with her, holding her in an attempt to soothe her worries after the eventful evening.

He rubbed her arm reassuringly. "It's okay, baby, I'm here." To the visitor, he called, "Come in!"

The door swung open slowly. Shanna was standing there, her blue-green eyes looking down at the white, tiled floor. She was wearing red cotton pants with little white hearts scattered over them, a pair of white flipflops, and a white, spaghetti-strap, tight tank top. Her blonde hair was tousled and she wore no makeup; she'd clearly been roused from sleep. Jack actually thought she looked more attractive like this somehow -- more natural.

Shanna shuffled in, her eyes still on the floor. Caitlin held her breath, uncertain whether Shanna was angry, upset, or sad. Jack sat up and moved to the end of the bed, watching the two women uncertainly. He didn't want to interfere.

Shanna finally broke the silence with a whisper. "Cait, I am so, so sorry." She raised her head and Jack could see tears streaking down her flushed cheeks.

Caitlin opened her arms and Shanna rushed to her, throwing her arms around her stepsister and crying onto her shoulder. "Please, forgive me, Cait! I am so sorry I wasn't there for you! I should have stopped him," she moaned with misery. 

Jack looked away, suddenly embarrassed to be witnessing this very personal moment between the sisters. He quietly got up and left the room, closing it gently behind him. He knew Caitlin would be grateful to him for allowing them some privacy.

*****

When Shanna had finally calmed enough to speak again, Caitlin gently pulled away. 

"Shanna, please don't feel guilty," she said, her voice low. "You weren't even living at home at the time; there is no way you could have known what he did. I should have told you, or at least someone. I was just so scared and I didn't know what to do or who to trust." She shook her head bitterly. "I was just a kid, and you weren't much older, either. Neither of us should be feeling guilty for what he did."

Shanna nodded, sniffling slightly as she wiped her eyes with one small, delicate hand. "I know...I can hardly believe that he would ever hurt you like that. I just had no idea..." Her voice trailed off.

Caitlin's question was cautious. "How did you find out?"

Shanna sighed, raising her eyes to the ceiling in an attempt to hold back more tears. "Billy called me, I guess from the emergency room somehow." She shook her head thoughtfully. "He sounded so bizarre, so unlike himself. He said he deserves to pay for what he's done."

This was difficult for Caitlin to hear. "At least he acknowledges that, I suppose."

Shanna looked at her uncertainly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Caitlin's smile was sad, her eyes deep green with the pain of forgotten years, pain that shouldn't be relived. "I don't think so. I don't think it would help. One day I'll tell you the story, if you want to hear it. But right now, I just want to put it behind me."

Shanna nodded. "Of course, don't worry about it." She hesitated. "What are you going to do about Anne and Dad?"

Caitlin looked at Shanna with a serious expression. "Honestly? I want to leave in the morning before they get up."

In a thoughtful voice, Shanna responded, "Alright. I can distract them...unless you want to fly back home. I could go with you."

"Why don't you go back to the hotel and get some sleep?" Caitlin suggested. "Get up early, before they do. Leave them a note, and meet Jack and me at the airport, around seven-thirty. I think I can check out by seven. Anne and Stanley can get their own flight back home -- I don't want to deal with seeing them."

Shanna agreed. "Alright, I'll go get Jack." She leaned forward and gave her sister another hug, and a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you in a few hours, hon. Try to get some rest."

Caitlin hugged her sister back, grateful for her understanding and support. "I will. I love you."

With a smile, Shanna answered, "I love you, too, Cait."

A final wave and Shanna left the room. Jack returned, turning off the lamp and curling up with Caitlin on the hospital bed. 

In a quiet voice, Caitlin said, "We're flying back to California in the morning."

A silence followed her announcement. In the dark hospital room, Jack worried about his future with Caitlin. His voice hesitant, he asked, "Would you like me to come with you, Caitlin?"

He was relieved to hear her laugh. "Of course, silly! I meant 'we,' as in you, me, and Shanna!" She hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek with tenderness. A hesitation and then, her tone nervous, she added, "I thought maybe we could get my things from San Francisco and ship them to your place in Long Beach...? Just until I find my own apartment, that is. After all, I'll be starting school in L.A. in a couple months."

He was thoughtful. "I don't know what's going to happen with the RV, but I can have my things shipped back to California. The insurance company should take care of the rest."

Her heart beating quickly, she asked, "Is that a yes?"

He gently touched her chin, moving her lips toward his in a soft kiss. "Of course, Caitlin. I love you. All I want is to be with you." He held his breath as he waited for her response.

Green eyes flashed with happiness in the darkness as she whispered, "I love you, too, Jack."

Their lips met in a passionate struggle to display their feelings for each other. In spite of himself, he found he was unable to hold back his arousal. His tongue dipped gently into her mouth, tasting the hot sweetness she possessed. He felt her breath catch as she quietly moaned, slipping her arms around his neck to pull him closer. His hands ran down her back, sliding under the tank top she had changed into for bed. She shivered, pleasant chills running down her spine as his fingers brushed her bare skin. He traced around her waist, stroking her taut stomach with gentle touches.

When his hand crept upward, she gasped softly. "Jack! We can't do that here!"

His chuckle was low and sexy in her ear, his breath tickling her pleasantly. "We can if we're quiet enough, little one. Can you control..." His hand stroked the underside of her left breast and she sucked in her breath. "...yourself?" he finished, one finger flicking her nipple. 

Caitlin bit her lip, her eyes shining with the excitement and naughtiness of his proposition. "I can try," she whispered, her heart racing.

Delighted, he moved his hand out from under her shirt, running it up to her neck, trailing his fingers across her collarbone, shifting to move on top of her, leaving soft kisses from her ear down her neck. She closed her eyes, tilting her head back and trying to control her breathing. 

Jack sucked lightly at her collarbone, and then moved his tongue down to tease the neckline of her tank top. He slid his hand under the top of her shirt, cupping her breast gently and pulling it free from its cotton enclosure. She sighed softly, her hands moving to his shoulders, kneading and massaging them gently in encouragement. His tongue drew a line down across her breast, circling around her nipple, teasing her. A quiet whimper escaped her when he took her nipple between his lips, sucking on it and flicking it with his tongue. His hand moving to her other breast, he pulled it up and out of her top, his thumb and forefinger pinching and stroking it lightly.

He moved his lips away from one nipple and murmured, "How quiet can you be, baby? Can you be quiet when I make you cum?" He felt her hands tighten on his shoulders, and he sucked on her nipple a bit harder, nipping it with his teeth. He heard her gasp, and renewed his ministrations, sucking and nibbling one nipple while pinching and caressing the other. He felt her hips begin to undulate beneath him, and recognized this as her signal that she was about to cum. 'God, she's so fucking hot,' he thought as he relentlessly pursued her orgasm. Her hips began to buck and he felt her fingernails indenting little half-moons into his shoulders. 

"Oh fuck, oh shit, oh Jack, oh GOD" she hissed, somehow managing to keep her voice in a whisper as she climaxed, stars bursting behind her tightly closed eyelids.

Not giving her any time to rest, he shifted downward on the bed, yanking her cotton pants and panties to her ankles and forcefully spreading her legs, settling between them. A low moan sounded from above him as he breathed softly onto her soft, wet folds. He could see the moisture glistening from her arousal, her soft thighs damp with excitement. Her hands moved from clutching his shoulders to fisting the sheets into tight knots. 

"Baby, you smell so delicious," he muttered. He heard her gasp, her hips shifting under him. 

"Please..." she begged him quietly, her voice strained with tension.

He gave a slow, leisurely lick that ran up her slit, tasting her juices. She jerked as if burned by the heat of his tongue. "Please what, baby?"

She groaned, unsure if she could answer him without screaming her pleasure.

He slid one finger inside of her slowly, moaning himself at the fierce heat within. She was sopping wet, and he found that erotically intoxicating. He took her clit into his mouth, sucking and licking at her, earning a gasp from her. With skilled expertise, he caressed and tongued her right up to the edge of climax, and then stopped. 

"Jack!" The plea was soft but urgent.

His tongue circled her clit. "You don't cum again until I do, baby," he whispered. 

She groaned quietly with frustration. "Are you kidding me?"

He gave a low laugh. "Just making it interesting, little one." He stood up, taking his time to strip his clothes off and leaving his boxers on in case a nurse did decide to peak in. Grabbing a condom from his jeans, he pulled his already hard cock free from the boxers and slipped the condom on, moving on top of his love.

He leaned forward, brushing his lips over hers with a feather-light touch. "Spread your legs for me, baby. I want you to feel how much I want you." She gave a soft whimper as his erotic words sent a throb of arousal throughout her body. She spread her legs, her ankles held close together by her pants and panties.

"How quiet can you be?" he breathed, his tongue running along her lower lip. She shivered, holding her breath and biting her lip as he slowly began to sink into her. She squeezed her eyes shut, and heard him whisper, "No, no, little one, look at me." Her green eyes wide, she stared into his bright blue ones. 

Jack watched her expression change from pleasure to ecstasy as he slowly slipped deeper within her. Her eyes began to take on a glazed look when he thrust as far as he could go and held it there, staying very still to give her some time to adjust. When her eyes focused on his again, he began rotating his hips in small circles, rubbing against every inch inside of her. She gasped softly, her eyes opening even wider with surprise. 

"Oh my god, that feels...amazing," she whispered. He chuckled at the astonishment in her voice.

"I'm going to enjoy introducing you to every..." he thrust harder, earning a whimper, "...sexual..." another thrust, another whimper, "possibility." His thrusts quickened, pushing as far inside of her as he could, and then pulling out until only his head remained inside of her. He watched her small, white teeth nibble on her soft pink lower lip in an attempt to remain as quiet as possible. Her breaths came hard and fast, filling the silence in the hospital room. 

Her cheeks flushed, Caitlin hissed, "Jack...you feel so good inside me...so hard..."

A small groan escaped him to hear her talk this way. "You feel so good wrapped around my cock, baby...so wet and tight, so hot..." She gasped, and her hips started to buck against his with firm, excited twitches. "Wait for me," he hissed breathlessly. 

A groan as she tossed her head back and forth, panting. "I can't, I can't wait," she whispered urgently.

"Don't cum until I tell you to," he instructed with gritted teeth, moving his hands down to her hips to pull her up against him, shoving his pulsing dick into her with long, powerful thrusts. Her moans became impossible to control, and out of sheer desperation, she leaned forward and bit his shoulder in an attempt to muffle her cries. 

"Oh fuck, now, baby, now!" he groaned, his balls tightening as he quickly reached his climax. Her hips began to jerk uncontrollably beneath him and he ducked his head, wrapping his lips around as much of her right breast as he could, moaning and gasping simultaneously against her skin as his cock twitched two, three times inside of her. He was nearly dizzy with exertion, the obscenities Caitlin spat sounding as if they came from a distance. He could taste her sweat on her breast and he sucked it off of her nipple as she shuddered beneath him. 

Several minutes later, he somehow summoned the strength to pull out and away from her, rolling onto his back next to her and gasping to regain his breath. Dazed, he realized that she was panting as well.

"That was so unbelievably hot, Jack," she whispered breathlessly.

He gave a low laugh. "Yes, my little one, that was extremely hot...and sweaty."

Caitlin turned and gave him a giddy smile. "You know what I mean, silly!"

Jack gave her a soft kiss, and gently tucked her breasts back inside of her tank top. Surprised, she realized that they had made love with her pajamas still on, and she hastily yanked her pants and panties back up to her waist. He disposed of the condom and dressed quickly, not wanting to push their luck with the nurses giving them privacy.

Falling next to her in bed, he took her into his arms, and she entwined her legs within his to cuddle as close to him as possible. 

He was nearly dozing when he heard a tentative whisper. "Jack?"

"Yes, baby," he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. 

"Once we get back to California...things will still be good between us, right?"

He smiled and drowsily kissed her forehead. "Of course they'll be good. Don't you worry about a thing," he muttered. Happy and content, he was asleep before hearing a response.

A hopeful smile passing over her face, Caitlin began to drift off as well. "I love you, Jack," she whispered. The words felt good upon her lips.

*****

Shanna left Caitlin's hospital room in much better shape than when she'd arrived. Trying not to think about what fate awaited her younger brother, she instead focused on the fact that her stepsister was safe and sound. 'And happy,' she thought ruefully, remembering the look in Caitlin's eyes when she gazed at Jack. 

She punched the down button for the elevator, and stepped in when the doors opened. Her teeth nervously chewed on her lower lip as she tried to avoid thinking about telling her father and stepmother what had happened tonight. She had no idea how they would react, but she doubted that it would be a happy conversation.

The elevator doors opened into the lobby, and she stepped out, staring reluctantly at the lobby doors. There was no strong desire within her to head back to the hotel just yet. Her adrenalin was still running high from this eventful evening, and she could really use some distraction. She moved her gaze from the lobby doors to Doug, the hospital security guard still standing watch.

Shanna approached him with the confidence of a woman who has done this a thousand times. Putting her hand on his arm to get his attention, she caught his eyes with her blue-green stare.

"Shanna, hi!" he said, his voice high with surprise.

A coquettish smile met his gaze. "I wanted to thank you for being so kind to me earlier. Everything is okay with my stepsister, and I'm feeling much better."

He returned her smile uncertainly. "Of course, it was no problem at all," he answered.

Alright, so he's not the greatest at picking up signals. No matter.

Pitching her voice low and sultry, Shanna murmured, "I was wondering if you had a break coming up soon...? Maybe we could go for another ride in the elevator."

Brown eyes opened wide as he returned her heated stare, but Doug was no dummy. "G-give me five minutes," he stuttered. His shyness was quite adorable. 

She had one last concern. "You won't miss a call from your girlfriend while you're gone, will you?" She refused to ever coerce a man to cheat on his woman -- she'd seen far too much of that from her dear stepmother.

He shook his head quickly. "No girlfriend."

Shanna gave him a thousand-watt smile. "I'll meet you at the elevator doors, cutie."

Turning with a confident toss of her bright blonde hair over her shoulders, Shanna strode off toward the elevators. 

*****

Thank you so much to all of you who have enjoyed Jack and Caitlin's story. I'm hoping to follow up with a history of Shanna's experiences. I welcome all feedback and constructive criticism, so feel free to send it!